Year 4 Curriculum Guide

All learning at our school is based around the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme (PYP), an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework.

Throughout the year, students will be guided through six Units of Inquiry of global significance, providing opportunities to broaden their learning by developing their conceptual understandings, strengthening their knowledge and skills across, between and beyond subject areas.

The following six Units of Inquiry will be explored throughout the year. Each unit is developed around a concept, a Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry.

Central Idea: Knowledge of ourselves and the impact of our interactions helps us to flourish

An inquiry into:

• Myself: My health and wellbeing
• Interactions: My relationships with others and my sense of belonging
• Growth: The impact on my learning and development

Unit timing: All year

Central Idea: Understanding problems can help us to design solutions 了解問題所在可以幫助我們設計解決方案

An inquiry into:

• Issues in our community (case study) 我們社區的問題（個案研究）
  
• How empathy can help us to understand and define problems 同理心如何幫助我們理解和定義問題
  
• The design thinking process 設計思維的過程
  

Unit timing: Term Two

Central Idea: People copy, transform & combine the ideas of others to create something new 人們複製、轉換和結合他人的想法來創造新的東西

An inquiry into:

• Influences on artists and performers (case study) 對藝術家和表演者的影響（個案研究）
  
• Different interpretations of creative works 對創意作品的不同解讀
  
• How the use of ideas of others can influence our own 借鑑他人的想法如何影響我們自己的想法
  

Unit timing: Term One

Central Idea: Energy exists in different forms and can be stored, transferred or transformed 能量以不同的形式存在，可以儲存、轉移或轉化

An inquiry into:

• Forms of energy 能量的形式
  
• How energy can be transferred, transformed & stored 能量如何轉移、轉化和儲存
• How energy can be used to make our lives simpler 如何利用能源讓我們的生活更簡單
  

Unit timing: Term Two

Central Idea: Conserving heritage can help us to learn from the past

An inquiry into:

• Hong Kong case study - how artefacts can help us understand our history 香港個案研究- 文物如何幫助我們了解我們的歷史
• How heritage helps us learn from the past
• Our responsibility to our heritage

Unit timing: Term One

Central Idea: By making sustainable choices, people meet their needs without compromising the needs of the next generation 通過做出可持續的選擇，人們可以在不損害下一代需求的情況下滿足他們的需求

An inquiry into:

• How the Earth provides us with a range of resources 地球如何為我們提供一系列資源
  
• How the choices we make have an impact on the Earth's resources 我們所做的選擇如何影響地球資源
• Making sustainable choices can help preserve the Earth's resources 做出可持續的選擇有助於保護地球資源

Unit timing: Term Three

The development of language is fundamental to all areas of our learning programs. Language helps us communicate our thinking and understanding.

Language is socially constructed - it is dependent on social interactions and relationships. It permeates all subject areas. As such, we view all of our teachers and assistants to be language teachers.

English is our main language of instruction, with Chinese (Mandarin) taught as an additional language.

Our English curriculum is taught via five main strands: speaking and listening, reading, writing, spelling and handwriting and information literacy.

In Year 4, our reading program focuses on developing strategies needed to be an independent reader. Students are taught different comprehension strategies to understand what is written beyond the literal text. These are developed through a mixture of guiding reading, shared reading, read aloud and independent reading sessions.

Students will explore a range of text types: to entertain, to inform and to persuade. Specific writing skills will be developed around how to create a range of informative texts.

Our Chinese curriculum is taught via three main strands: speaking and listening, reading and writing. In Year 4, our Chinese program is taught through three streams: Chinese Foundation, Chinese Language and Chinese Language and Literature. Traditional characters are used in all streams.

Chinese Foundation focuses on speaking, listening and social Chinese. Students read texts and environmental print and learn to write the most commonly occurring characters.

Chinese Language focuses on Chinese speaking, listening and the reading of longer texts. Students write their own longer pieces of writing.

Chinese Language and Literature focuses on extended reading and writing tasks, using more complex language.

Mathematics is a global language of concepts and symbols through which we make sense of the world around us.

Mathematics is taught through three main stages:

1. Constructing meaning and ideas about a mathematical concept through interactions with objects, discussions, experimentation and play;
2. Transferring these ideas and understandings into symbols;
3. Applying these ideas and understanding in real-life and hands-on problem solving activities.

Mathematics is taught through the strands of number, data, shape and space, measure and problem solving.

In Year 4 students will explore numbers to 10,000 and decimals to tenths. They will learn their times tables and apply the column method to solve addition and subtraction problems. They will continue to learn to recognise, represent and order halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, eighths and tenths.

Students will explore the concept of space by using and creating maps. They will measure the perimeter and area of simple 2D shapes. They will explore the properties of symmetry and angles. They will use AM and PM when dealing with time.

Our outdoor learning is a central pillar of our school and a wide range of engaging experiences enable our students to learn about and connect with nature. Students develop specific skills in school and are provided opportunities to apply them during Forest School outings throughout the year.

In Year 4, students will explore a range of land-based, freshwater and coastal environments. They will learn how to identify a range of native birds. Students will also investigate properties of soil and the process of composting.

Our PE program from Year 4 focuses on developing fitness and an understanding of four different types of games: target, net/wall, striking/fielding and invasion. Each unit focuses on developing appreciation for the game, different tactics that can be applied, how to make decisions within a game, how to apply a range of skills and performance.

Wellbeing is another central pillar of our school. Throughout our wellbeing program, our students explore relationships, identity and aspects of health (physical, social, emotional and spiritual). Our wellbeing program also teaches our students about child protection, anti-bullying and mindfulness strategies.

In Year 4, students will explore ways to cope with failure or uncertainty. They will continue to learn about their physical development and learn how abuse can take many forms and identify sources that be used when needed. Students will learn the importance of reducing screen time, sleep and physical activity, as well as, mindfulness practices.

Our Arts program is taught through four main strands: music, visual arts, drama and dance. Music and visual arts are taught by specialist teachers.

In Music, Year 4 students will continue to develop skills to play the bamboo flute. They will explore music from different cultures. They will continue to develop knowledge of using formal notation and time signatures.

In Visual Art, Year 4 students will manipulate and experiment with combinations of various materials and tools to create predictable effects. They will pursue their interests in art making in an attempt to tell a story through own artworks.

In Drama, Year 4 students will explore how to use voice and movement to develop a specific role. They will have opportunities to perform short scripted drama with a sense of role and situation.

In Dance, Year 4 students will explore how to use elements of dance to clearly communicate ideas to an audience. They will learn how to use body control, accuracy, alignment, strength, balance and coordination with increased accuracy.

Science and Social Studies are primarily taught through the Units of Inquiry (see above).

In Year 4, students will explore the different forms of energy, including how it is generated and stored. They will learn how simple electrical circuits are made. They will investigate the behaviours of light and sound waves. Students will investigate the history of different cultures.

Our technology program in taught through two strands: ICT and Design.

In Year 4, students will learn out to use online platforms to gather information. They will learn how to be a digital citizen when online. They will experiment with photography and film making. Students will explore the steps in designing a product, including generating ideas, testing ideas and evaluating products.

1. Comprehend information presented by teachers, peers and guest speakers.
2. Follow multi-step instructions.
3. Express thoughts, ideas, questions and opinions.

• Read and comprehend narrative texts with a reading age that corresponds to chronological age or higher.
• Answer various types of comprehension questions, including literal, reorganisation, inferential, evaluative, and reaction questions.
• Find relevant information from pre-selected research texts, with teacher support.
• Make choices about reading material when reading independently; choosing novels, picture books, information texts, and/or graphic novels.

• Begin to adapt writing to suit different purposes.
• Use the complication or problem to drive plot when writing narrative.
• Develop the description of characters and settings.
• Sort and categorise information when writing information texts, using paragraphs and sub-titles.
• Use most basic punctuation correctly, including speech marks, although reminders may be needed to proofread and edit writing.
• Begin to use academic language and figurative language in writing.
• Spell more complex words accurately and recognize how prefixes and suffixes can change the meanings of root words.
• Develop a fluent handwriting style.

• Recognise, write and compare numbers up to and beyond 10,000.
• Use multiplication and division facts for times tables up to 12 x 12.
• Use appropriate written methods for recording calculations.
• Begin to make connections between fractions and decimals.
• Find and interpret information from tables, charts and graphs.

• Distinguish between regular and irregular polygons based on reasoning about equal sides and angles.
• Calculate the area and perimeter of squares and rectangles.
• Use compass points when describing position and direction.
• Convert between units of measure, using whole numbers.
• Measure area by counting squares.

• Use problem-solving skills, such as visualising and trial and improvement, when solving problems relating to real-life situations. Many of these problems require students to pose questions, think laterally and to record their thinking.

To see the Subject Guidance for all subjects from Nursery to Year 6 please click on this link

A happy, healthy learning community empowering all members to flourish

Email: info@ichkhly.edu.hk
Website: www.ichkhly.edu.hk
Location: 3 Hong Lok Yuen 20th Street, Hong Lok Yuen, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 3955 3000
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