Math & Science Curriculum

Kristin Burke

PreK-6 Math and Science Supervisor

K-12 Technology Supervisor

609-671-5457

Access For All Through Math Workshop and Strong Discourse

“What is important is to deeply understand things and their relations to each other. This is where intelligence lies. The fact of being quick or slow isn’t really relevant.”

—Jo Boaler, Mathematical Mindsets

Math Workshop

Guided Math is an effective, structured framework, offering teachers many opportunities to reach all learners within their classroom. This framework is comprised of whole group mini-lessons followed by small group instruction to practice concepts. Students are also engaged in independent math stations for practicing previously introduced skills. In this numeracy rich environment, students are encouraged to be confident problem solvers while engaging in purposeful conversations and making real-world connections. Teachers are able to formally and informally assess student understanding and use this data to inform and differentiate future instruction. Along with best practices, Go Math is a coherent and rigorous K-8 math program written to support the standards.

Number Talks

Fourth grade students will continue to take part in Number Talks here at LIS. During a Number Talk, students engage in mental computations. This activity is designed to develop strong number sense and support student understanding in mathematical relationships. It promotes equitable mathematical discourse in our classrooms, allowing all student voices to be heard and valued. Students have the opportunity to share the multiple ways they approach math problems, communicate their math ideas precisely, and learn how to trust their own reasoning by proving their thinking. Number Talks shift the focus from getting the answer to focusing on why and how students got the answer.

Next Generation Science

Students in fourth grade will continue to actively engage in scientific and engineering practices while applying crosscutting concepts to deepen their understanding of science content. They will concentrate on asking questions, developing hypotheses, testing models, making evidence-based arguments and learning other skills that real scientists use often. Helping students use evidence to create explanations for natural phenomena is central to science inquiry.

The fourth grade science curriculum is comprised of three units. Teachers will assist students in hands-on, active investigations while encouraging them to gather data, organize results, and develop conclusions based on their scientific observations.

Life Science- Environments

Students will study the different ecosystems and build an understanding of the relationships between organisms and their environments. This unit focuses on the concepts that organisms need energy and matter to live and grow, and that living organisms depend on one another and on their environment for their survival and the survival of populations.

Physical Science- Energy

Students explore the concepts of energy and change, waves, and energy transfer. They experience electricity and magnetism as related effects and learn useful applications of electromagnetism in everyday life. They also study energy transfer, force, and motion in different systems.

Earth Science- Soils, Rocks, & Landforms

Student’s explore Geology, the study of our planet's earth materials and natural resources. This unit provides students with firsthand experiences with soils, rocks, and minerals, and modeling experiences to study changes to rocks and landforms at Earth's surface.

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