Grades 3 and 4
In grades 3 and 4, students step into greater independence as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, artists, and citizens. Teachers blend explicit skill instruction with rich, interdisciplinary projects so children learn to research, analyze, present, and revise.
Students consider multiple perspectives, collaborate with peers, and practice the habits of thoughtful inquiry, building confidence, curiosity, and a strong sense of responsibility to their community.
Third and fourth graders gain confidence as they share their opinions, defend ideas, and revise thoughtfully.
They become stronger researchers and communicators in writing, conversation, and creative expression.
By the time they leave Grade 4, they are ready to take on new challenges with leadership and joy.
this is what learning looks like
Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Technology
Social Studies
Antibias Education
Spanish
Music
Visual Arts
Physical Education
Library and Information Literacy
Health and Wellness
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Snapshot: Learning in Action
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Language Arts
Literature Comparison & Paragraph Study: Venn-diagram comparisons of “Kate and the Beanstalk” vs. “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and paragraph building from shuffled sentence strips.
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Math
Fractions On a Numberline: Students arrange themselves as tick marks on a classroom-sized numberline to explore equivalent fractions.
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Science
Circuits & Motion: Students wire series/parallel circuits to light bulbs and motors; design K’nex vehicles to test friction and force, graphing results.
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Social Studies
Point of View: After a playful “cats vs. dogs” opinion-reveal, students analyze colonial texts for whose voices are (and aren’t) represented.
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Anti-Bias
Age Stereotypes Inquiry: Class charts of “young/old” stereotypes lead to media analysis and personal counterexamples.
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Spanish
“Me gusta/No me gusta” Menu: Listening task from a song about preferences leads to team-designed restaurant menus.
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Music
Ensemble Skills: Two- and three-part rounds, recorder duets, ukulele chord accompaniments, and bucket-drumming notation.
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Art
Collage + Pastel Worlds: Magazine cutouts become anchors for invented environments using color, line, texture, and composition.
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PE
Strategy in Team Play: Floor hockey unit blends individual skill practice with observation/feedback cycles about spacing and getting open.
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Health
Bike Safety Skits: Groups model “well prepared,” “not prepared,” and “almost there,” then create schoolwide safety posters.
Grade Level Highlights
Theater and the Classroom
Plays and performances are woven into the fabric of everyday learning at Lesley Ellis. Third and fourth graders bring their social studies curriculum to life in an original play production each year. The plays, written and directed by Lesley Ellis faculty, are created with an inclusive, anti-bias lens, and give students the opportunity to actively experience historical events and attitudes. Recent plays include: Buffalos and Bedlam! and Muskets and Mayhem!
Bringing History to Life
What better way to learn history than to live it and share it? In their study of the Civil War period, students examine the historic perspectives that both contributed to and were changed by the War. Why might a southern plantation owner, an enslaved person, and a factory worker from a northern city have had unique viewpoints? Students collaborate to research and understand the customs, perspectives, goals, and daily lives of the different groups that populated the period. Using life size detailed drawings, students share their findings with the school community. While entertaining and educating peers, schoolmates, and parents, students also hone research, presentation, and public speaking skills.