Social Studies, on a fourth grade level, focuses on reading and using maps. Students learn to look at maps of the United States and learn the name of each state and each state’s capital. While learning each state, students are introduced to geographic regions on the map and taught how to identify each region based on geographic markers and environments. Additionally, students are introduced to local politics, learning about the different political figures working in their city.
Fourth grade reading begins by expanding students' vocabularies, including an introduction to ideas such as synonyms, antonyms and homonyms. Students learn about compound words, how two words make up a new word, and learn to identify and interpret compound words. In the fourth grade, students learn how to interpret the books they read, specifically learning how to pick out facts from reading selections and identify the meaning of importance of those facts.
Along with developing clear and precise cursive writing techniques, a fourth grade student learns how to use correct punctuation. A fourth grade student also learns how to compose independent writing such as stories, simple poems and short compositions. This includes the ability to identify and use compound sentence structures in their writing.
Fourth grade students learn to identify, multiply and divide large numbers. They also learn how to identify and use simple decimals and how to use decimals in multiplication and division. Additionally, fourth grade students learn to use fractions and solve equations with them.
Fourth grade students learn basic physics techniques such as the affect of push and pulling an object and the mechanics of simple electrical systems. The focus of fourth grade biology is on the adaptive elements of animals, and how those elements allow the animal to function in its environment. Fourth grade students also study environmental sciences, learning about weather erosion and sedimentation.