A complete 4th grade homeschool curriculum

1. Unit 1: Reading Between the Lines: Inference with EvidenceThis unit teaches your child to build a conclusion from a specific quoted sentence, not from a feeling or from outside knowledge. Last year they could find a sentence someone else pointed them to; this year they pick their own evidence and explain how it supports their claim.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Inference or just a guessStudents distinguish an inference supported by a quoted sentence from a claim with no textual support.
   • Quoting the exact sentenceStudents quote the exact sentence from a short passage that supports a given inference.
   • Make your own inferenceStudents generate their own inference from an unstated clue and identify supporting text.
   • Connecting quotes to claimsStudents explain in one sentence how their quoted evidence connects to their claim.
   • Two inferences, one sentenceStudents compare two different, text-supported inferences drawn from the same sentence.
   • Context clues for new wordsStudents identify the meaning of an unfamiliar word using context clues in a sentence.
   • Does the quote fitStudents judge whether a classmate's quoted evidence actually supports the stated claim.
   • Inferences in a new textStudents construct a claim-and-evidence response to an inference question in a brand-new, unpracticed passage genre.
2. Unit 2: What the Story Is Really About: ThemeThis unit teaches theme as an idea about life — different from the topic (what it's about in a few words) and different from the plot (what happened). Kids learn that what a character chooses to do, not what a narrator says, is the real evidence for theme.7 skills ▸close ▾

   • Topic or themeGiven a story's topic stated in 3 words or fewer, state whether a candidate sentence is a topic or a theme statement.
   • Character choices show valuesIdentify a character's choice in a fable that reveals what the character values.
   • Theme from a fable's moralWrite a theme statement, as a full sentence about life, for a fable with an explicitly stated moral.
   • Theme without a stated moralWrite a theme statement for a realistic story with no explicitly stated moral, using two character choices as evidence.
   • More than one themeCompare two different, defensible theme statements written by classmates for the same story, judging whether each is supported by quoted evidence.
   • Matching evidence to a themeSelect the two strongest quoted pieces of evidence, from four candidates, to support a given theme statement.
   • Theme in a new storyWrite a paragraph stating a theme for a complete short story not read in class, supported by two pieces of quoted evidence.
3. Unit 3: Whose Story Is It: Summarizing and SourcesTwo skills here: writing a true summary instead of a retell, and telling firsthand from secondhand accounts to reason about what a source could actually know. The unit ends by mixing both skills together on new texts, since real life doesn't label which skill a task wants.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Main idea and key detailsSort a list of details from a short text into 'needed for main idea' and 'not needed' with at least 5 of 6 correct.
   • Writing a short summaryWrite a summary of a text under 100 words, in 25 words or fewer, that states the main idea and omits minor details.
   • Summary versus retellExplain why a retell and a summary of the same text differ, citing what each includes or omits.
   • Firsthand or secondhand accountsClassify a short account of an event as firsthand or secondhand based on the teller's position.
   • What each source could knowExplain one specific difference in what a firsthand account and a secondhand account of the same event could know, citing text.
   • Point of view in nonfictionIdentify how a nonfiction writer's point of view (firsthand or secondhand) shapes the details included in their account.
   • Summarizing or judging sourcesGiven a new, unfamiliar informational text about a real historical event, decide whether the task calls for summarizing or for judging source type, and complete it.
   • When true accounts disagreeCompare two true accounts of the same real event that disagree in a detail, and infer a reason for the disagreement based on each writer's position.
4. Unit 4: One Story, Three Shapes: Poem, Drama, ProseThis unit treats structure — stanza and line, scene and dialogue, paragraph and narration — as a real choice an author makes, not decoration. Kids compare the same event told as a poem and as prose and figure out what each version reveals or leaves out.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Stanzas and lines in poemsIdentify the stanza and line structure of a given poem by marking where each stanza begins and ends.
   • Scenes and dialogue in playsIdentify scene breaks and dialogue tags in a short play script.
   • What stage directions tell usExplain how a stage direction adds information that dialogue alone does not provide.
   • Comparing a poem and proseCompare what a reader learns from a poem versus a prose account of the same event, using a two-column evidence chart.
   • Telling theme from topicDetermine a theme statement for a poem and for a prose story, distinguishing theme from topic in each.
   • Structure changes what we knowGenerate a claim about one way structure changed what a reader could know, supported by evidence from both a poem and a prose text.
   • Why an author picks dramaInfer why an author chose drama rather than poem or prose to tell a specific unfamiliar event, with no prior example of that event in any genre.
   • Spotting poems, plays, and proseClassify a short unfamiliar text excerpt as poem, drama, or prose based on structural features alone.
5. Unit 5: Reading a Page That Isn't All Words: Visual InformationThis unit teaches reading charts, diagrams, and timelines as real sources of information, not decorations next to the text. The turn in this unit is that a chart can be entirely true and still give a misleading impression through its axis, scale, or missing labels.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Parts of a bar chartStudent identifies the title, axis labels, and key of a given bar chart.
   • Chart, diagram, or timelineStudent sorts a mixed set of visuals into chart, diagram, or timeline by naming the one feature that identifies each type.
   • What diagram labels addStudent states one fact shown by a diagram's labels that is not stated in the paragraph next to it.
   • Reading spacing on timelinesStudent orders events from a timeline and states which two events happened closest together in time, using spacing as evidence.
   • Finding a chart's main patternStudent writes a one-sentence summary naming the overall pattern shown by a bar chart, not a list of its numbers.
   • Choosing text or chartStudent answers a question about a stated fact by choosing correctly between a paired text and chart, citing which source held the answer.
   • When a chart axis misleadsStudent explains why a chart with a broken (non-zero) axis can make a real difference look bigger than it is, even though every number on it is true.
   • Which chart is more honestStudent decides which of two differently-designed but factually true charts about the same unfamiliar data gives a more honest impression, and justifies the choice in writing.
   • Using text and chart togetherStudent integrates a stated fact from an informational text with a stated fact from its paired chart to answer a question that requires both.
6. Unit 6: Writing to Inform and Writing to PersuadeTwo on-demand paragraphs this unit: an opinion paragraph with two reasons, and an informative paragraph with three grouped facts. Both have to cite a source and stay on topic. This is where the reading skills from earlier units become the raw material for writing.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Opinion or factGiven a topic sentence, tell whether it states an opinion (a claim someone could disagree with) or a fact.
   • Good reasons and strong feelingsSort a set of reasons into 'good reason' (points to evidence) and 'strong feeling' (states emotion only), explaining the difference for at least one pair.
   • Writing an opinion paragraphWrite an opinion paragraph that states a claim and defends it with two reasons, each supported by a quote or fact from a provided source.
   • Sorting facts into groupsSort a list of facts about one topic into two or three groups by what they have in common.
   • Writing an informative paragraphWrite an informative paragraph with an introduction, three grouped facts, and a conclusion, staying on the stated topic throughout.
   • Sentences that do not belongIdentify a sentence in a draft paragraph that does not belong because it drifts off topic.
   • Firsthand and secondhand factsDistinguish a fact stated directly by a primary source from a fact reported secondhand about that source, when gathering research for an informative paragraph.
   • Fixing run ons and fragmentsCorrect run-on and fragment sentences in a peer or self-drafted paragraph using a taught combining or splitting rule.
   • Writing about a new topicGiven a new short source text on an unfamiliar topic, plan and draft an opinion or informative paragraph without a class model of that exact topic.
7. Unit 7: Writing to Tell a Story: Narrative CraftFour craft moves, taught one at a time with a full worked example before independent practice: putting events in order, writing dialogue that matters, adding sensory description, and planning toward an implied theme rather than bolting one on at the end.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Putting story events in orderGiven a jumbled set of 5-6 event cards from a shared story, arrange them into a logical sequence.
   • Punctuating what people sayPunctuate a set of unpunctuated dialogue lines with correct quotation marks, commas, and capitalization, using the exact rules and examples modeled in class.
   • What characters want in dialogueWrite dialogue for a given scene that reveals what a character wants, choosing lines that would change if deleted.
   • Words that show time passingSelect transitional words that match the amount of time actually passing between two given events.
   • Describing with your sensesAdd one sensory description detail to a bare sentence that helps a reader picture the setting.
   • Making choices match the themePlan a story event where a character's choice matches a theme the student states beforehand.
   • Write your own short storyDraft a 5-8 paragraph narrative combining sequence, dialogue, description, and transitions around one clear event.
   • Finding a story's themeState in one sentence the theme a finished, unfamiliar short narrative (not one the class wrote) implies.
   • Revising flat sentencesRevise one paragraph of a draft by replacing at least one flat sentence with a dialogue line or sensory detail.
8. Unit 8: Putting It Together: Mixed Reading and Writing TasksNo new content here — this unit mixes everything from Units 1 through 7 so your child learns to choose the right tool, not just execute whichever one they were told to use. Expect a dip in performance during the mixed practice days; that's the mixing working, not a sign anything broke.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Clues in reading questionsGiven an unlabeled question about a text, name whether it requires inference, theme, or summary.
   • Proving inferences with text evidenceCite text evidence to answer an inference question in a mixed passage set.
   • Features of each writing typeName the three writing modes (opinion, informative, narrative) and one required feature of each, from memory.
   • Supporting a theme with evidenceState a theme for a story and support it with two pieces of textual evidence.
   • Summarizing text and chartsWrite a summary of an informational text that includes a chart, using only the main idea and key details.
   • Clues in writing promptsGiven an unlabeled prompt, decide whether it asks for opinion, informative, or narrative writing.
   • Writing to match the promptDraft a short opinion, informative, or narrative piece matching the mode a prompt requires.
   • Which account can you trustCompare a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event and judge which is more reliable for a specific question.
   • How prompts point to strategiesExplain why a chosen reading strategy or writing mode fits a given prompt, citing the specific clue in the prompt.

Try a real Reading and Writing with Evidence: Grade 4 ELA lesson, no account needed →

1. Unit 1: Place Value to One MillionYour child learns to read, write, compare, and round numbers up to a million, always with a place value chart or number line next to the numbers so digits never float free of meaning. This is the same grouping idea from grade 3 (tens, hundreds, ones), just stretched further, with the added idea of "periods" — the comma-separated groups of three digits.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • What each digit is worthIdentify the value of a digit in a multi-digit number based on its position, up to the millions place.
   • Writing numbers three waysWrite a multi-digit number up to 1,000,000 in standard, expanded, and word form.
   • Why digits group in threesExplain why grouping digits into periods of three helps read and write large numbers.
   • Comparing big numbersCompare two multi-digit numbers up to 1,000,000 using >, <, or =, based on place value.
   • Digits and number sizeDetermine whether a number with more digits is always greater, by comparing counterexamples.
   • Rounding on a number lineRound a multi-digit number to a specified place using a number line model.
   • Explaining your rounding choiceJustify a rounding choice by identifying the number's position between two benchmark values on a number line.
   • Big numbers in real lifeApply place value, comparison, and rounding together to solve a problem involving an unfamiliar large-number context, such as ranking distances or budgets never used in instruction.
2. Unit 2: Multi-Digit Addition and SubtractionYour child moves from naming place value to using it — regrouping ("carrying" and "borrowing," though we don't call it that) when adding and subtracting large numbers. It starts with blocks so regrouping is seen as trading ten of one place for one of the next, and only turns into the standard written steps once your child can explain a trade out loud.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Regrouping ones into tensGiven a two-digit plus two-digit addition problem shown with base-ten blocks, state which place must be regrouped and why.
   • Adding with more regroupingAdd two multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm, regrouping across two or more places.
   • Subtracting across zerosSubtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm, including across a zero in the minuend.
   • Why we trade when subtractingExplain what happens to the value of a digit when ten of one place are traded for one of the next place during a subtraction regrouping.
   • Estimating sums and differencesEstimate a sum or difference by rounding both numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand before computing.
   • Checking answers with estimatesJudge whether an exact answer to a multi-digit addition or subtraction problem is reasonable by comparing it to an estimate.
   • Choosing the right operationSolve a two-step word problem requiring both addition and subtraction of multi-digit numbers, choosing which operation applies at each step.
   • Solving and checking new problemsSolve an unfamiliar multi-step problem involving quantities given in a new context (e.g., a data table not used in instruction), including a check using estimation.
   • Which subtraction method is fasterCompare two solution strategies for the same subtraction problem — standard algorithm versus a mental or compensation strategy — and identify which is more efficient for that specific problem.
3. Unit 3: Multiplicative Comparison and Multi-Step ProblemsThis unit teaches your child to tell apart two kinds of "comparing": additive ("how much more") and multiplicative ("how many times as many"). They build a bar model first, before writing any equation — the picture decides which operation is right, not a keyword.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Drawing copies of a barGiven a comparison sentence like '3 times as many apples as pears,' student draws a bar model showing the smaller quantity's bar copied 3 times.
   • Adding or multiplying to compareStudent sorts eight word problems into 'additive comparison' and 'multiplicative comparison' bins based on sentence structure, not keywords.
   • Writing equations with lettersGiven a multiplicative comparison word problem, student writes an equation using a letter for the unknown and solves it.
   • How words change the equationStudent explains why two problems with the same two numbers but different wording require different equations.
   • What the first answer meansGiven a three-number multi-step word problem, student identifies what the first computed quantity represents before using it in a second step.
   • Comparison problems with two stepsStudent solves a multi-step word problem combining addition or subtraction with multiplicative comparison, showing both steps.
   • Choosing how to compareGiven an unfamiliar real-world scenario never discussed in class (e.g. comparing recipe scaling amounts), student decides whether it calls for additive or multiplicative comparison and justifies the choice.
   • What times as many meansStudent recalls the meaning of 'times as many' when given an isolated comparison phrase without a full word problem.
4. Unit 4: Multi-Digit MultiplicationYour child extends the grade 3 idea of area-as-covering into a full method for multiplying big numbers: break each factor into place-value pieces, multiply the pieces, add them up. This is called the area model, and it's taught for a while before the standard algorithm ever appears — the algorithm is introduced explicitly as a shortcut for boxes your child has already drawn many times.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Tens and onesGiven a 2-digit number, decompose it into tens and ones and write both parts in expanded form.
   • Multiplying with area modelsDraw an area model for a 1-digit by multi-digit multiplication problem, labeling each box with the place-value parts multiplied.
   • Partial products from a modelGiven a completed area model with its boxes and values already labeled, write the matching list of partial products and add them to find the total.
   • Partial products with thousandsCalculate the product of a 1-digit number and a 4-digit number using partial products, and connect each partial product to its area model box.
   • Area models with four boxesDraw an area model for a 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication problem, showing all four boxes and their place values.
   • Why partial products workExplain why decomposing both factors of a multiplication problem by place value and adding the partial products gives the same exact product as multiplying the whole numbers.
   • The multiplication shortcut methodExecute the standard algorithm for 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication, and identify which area-model box each written partial product represents.
   • Estimating products by roundingEstimate the product of two multi-digit numbers by rounding each factor before multiplying, and judge whether the estimate is reasonable.
   • Exact answer or estimateSolve a multi-step word problem requiring multiplication, choosing whether to compute exactly or estimate, and state why the question's demand requires that precision.
   • Does bigger mean more workGiven a novel real-world scenario never used in this unit's instruction, decide whether a bigger area model necessarily requires more total work than a smaller one, and justify the decision using actual computed values.
5. Unit 5: Division with RemaindersThis unit runs Unit 4 backwards. Your child already knows: side length times side length gives area. Now they're given the area and one side, and have to find the missing side — that missing side is the quotient. Long division gets built as a written record of this same box-based reasoning, not as a new set of arbitrary steps to memorize.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Finding a missing sideGiven a rectangle's area and one side length, find the missing side length using an area model with partial quotients.
   • Long division and area modelsExplain why the long division algorithm produces the same quotient as the area-model partial-quotients method for the same problem.
   • Dividing with long divisionDivide a 2-, 3-, or 4-digit dividend by a 1-digit divisor using the standard long division algorithm, with and without a remainder.
   • Checking division with multiplicationCheck a division answer by multiplying the quotient by the divisor and adding any remainder, to verify it equals the dividend.
   • What to do with remaindersGiven a word problem with a remainder, decide whether the situation requires dropping the remainder, rounding the quotient up, or expressing the remainder as a fraction.
   • Multistep problems with remaindersSolve a multistep word problem that combines multiplicative comparison and division with a remainder, in a context never used during instruction.
   • Estimating quotients before dividingEstimate a division quotient using rounding and compatible numbers before computing, to judge whether a computed answer is reasonable.
   • Same numbers, different remaindersCompare two division word problems that use the same numbers but different remainder-handling requirements, and identify what makes them different.
6. Unit 6: Factors, Multiples, and PatternsA short, focused unit. Your child learns to test whether one number is a factor of another using "division with no remainder" from Unit 5, builds factor pairs and lists of multiples using arrays and number-line hops, sorts numbers into prime and composite by counting factor pairs, and spots patterns on a hundred chart.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Finding factor pairsGiven a whole number up to 100, list all of its factor pairs by testing division with no remainder.
   • Why every number pairs with 1Explain why a number and 1 are always a factor pair of that number, using an array picture.
   • Finding multiples of a numberList the first ten multiples of a given one- or two-digit number using repeated multiplication.
   • Factor question or multiple questionSort a given task into 'asks for factors' or 'asks for multiples' by matching it to the taught tell for each.
   • Prime and composite numbersClassify a whole number from 2 to 100 as prime or composite by checking its factor pairs.
   • Patterns on a hundred chartGiven a 1-100 number chart with multiples of a number shaded, identify the resulting visual and numerical pattern.
   • Why number patterns happenExplain in words why a given number pattern happens, referring to the operation that generates it.
   • Sorting big primes and compositesDetermine whether a large unfamiliar number (e.g. 89 or 71) is prime or composite when no factor pair is immediately obvious.
7. Unit 7: Fraction Equivalence, Operations, and Decimal NotationThe biggest unit of the year at 32 days. Your child learns that a fraction is a shaded amount, not just two numbers stacked up. It moves from equivalence (same amount, different-looking fraction) to comparing fractions with unlike denominators, to adding and subtracting like-denominator fractions, to whole-number-times-fraction, and finally to decimals — introduced as fractions with denominator 10 or 100, shown on a grid, before any decimal point shows up.11 skills ▸close ▾

   • Fraction bars and equal fractionsGiven a fraction bar shaded to show a fraction, partition it into smaller equal pieces and name the new equivalent fraction.
   • Why different fractions can matchExplain why two fractions with different numerators and denominators can represent the same shaded amount.
   • Comparing fractions with benchmarksCompare two fractions with unlike denominators using a benchmark fraction such as 1/2.
   • Finding common denominators with multiplesFind a common denominator for two fractions using multiples, and use it to compare them.
   • Fraction bar adding and subtractingAdd and subtract fractions with the same denominator using a fraction bar model.
   • When fractions need matching denominatorsDecide whether an unfamiliar fraction addition or subtraction problem needs a common denominator before adding, given fractions with unlike denominators embedded in a word problem the class has not seen before.
   • Whole numbers times fractionsMultiply a whole number by a fraction by modeling repeated addition of the fraction on a number line.
   • Fixing fraction multiplication mistakesIdentify and correct a fraction-multiplication error that applies the addition rule instead of repeated addition.
   • Decimals on a hundredths gridRepresent a fraction with denominator 10 or 100 on a hundredths grid and write its decimal notation.
   • Comparing decimals with gridsCompare two decimals to hundredths using a grid model rather than digit count.
   • Decimal grids in real measurementsGiven a real-world measurement context using an unfamiliar unit split into tenths, decide how to represent and compare the amounts using decimal grids without being told to do so.
8. Unit 8: Measurement Conversion, Angles, and Classifying ShapesThe longest unit of the year at 36 days, braiding three strands: converting units, measuring angles, and classifying shapes. Unit conversion is multiplicative comparison (Unit 3) applied to units instead of quantities. Angle measurement takes Unit 7's "fraction of a whole" picture and wraps it around a circle. Shape classification asks your child to use precise angle and line vocabulary instead of judging shapes by eye.12 skills ▸close ▾

   • How measurement units relateGiven a table of within-system unit relationships (e.g. 1 ft = 12 in), state the relationship for km/m, kg/g, lb/oz, l/ml, and hr/min/sec from memory.
   • Changing big units to smallConvert a measurement from a larger unit to a smaller unit (e.g. 3 ft to inches) by multiplying by the number of small units per large unit.
   • Why smaller units mean multiplyingExplain why converting to a smaller unit means multiplying, connecting it to 'times as many' comparison language.
   • Solving longer unit word problemsSolve a multi-step word problem that requires converting units and then adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing the converted values.
   • Finding a missing rectangle sideApply the area and perimeter formulas for a rectangle to find an unknown side length given the other side and the area or perimeter.
   • Measuring angles with a protractorMeasure a given angle with a protractor to the nearest whole degree and sketch an angle of a specified measure.
   • Angles as circle partsExplain an angle's measure as the fraction of a full circular arc it takes up, connecting it to the fraction-bar model of a whole.
   • Finding missing angles in diagramsFind an unknown angle in a diagram by adding or subtracting known adjacent angle measures.
   • Shapes by lines and anglesClassify a two-dimensional figure by the presence of parallel or perpendicular lines and by the types of angles it contains.
   • Which quadrilaterals could it beGiven an unfamiliar irregular polygon with unlabeled angles, decide which quadrilateral categories it could and could not belong to, and justify the decision using at least two properties.
   • Finding lines of symmetryIdentify lines of symmetry in a two-dimensional figure, including figures with more than one line of symmetry.
   • Adding or multiplying to convertCompare an additive ('how much more') and a multiplicative ('how many times as many') solution path for the same unit-conversion word problem and decide which the problem actually asks for.

Try a real Grade 4 Mathematics: Place Value, Operations, and Fractions lesson, no account needed →

1. Unit 1: Energy on the MoveYour child rolls balls into cups, marbles into dominoes, and rolls objects down ramps, always asking the same question: when something hits something else, where did the energy go? This is the foundation for the entire year — every later unit about waves, light, and sound reuses this "energy goes somewhere, it doesn't vanish" habit.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Moving things change other thingsStudents identify that a moving object's energy causes a change (motion, sound, or shape) in an object it hits.
   • Which way the hit goesStudents match a described collision (ball into cups, marble into domino) to a picture showing the correct direction of the hit.
   • Where rolling energy goesStudents explain, using a labeled diagram, where a rolling ball's energy went after it strikes a stationary block.
   • Ramp height and distanceStudents predict how increasing ramp height will change the distance a struck object travels, based on the pattern in their own data.
   • Making a circuit light upStudents construct a complete simple circuit that lights a bulb, given a battery, wire, and bulb.
   • Motion and electricity in devicesStudents classify given devices (flashlight, wind turbine model, hand-crank generator) by whether they convert motion into electrical energy or electrical energy into motion.
   • Planning a fair ramp testStudents design a fair test that changes only ramp height while holding ball mass, ramp surface, and release method constant.
   • Finding the odd ramp resultStudents compare two ramp-height trials with contrasting results and identify which trial's result breaks an otherwise consistent pattern.
   • Energy on a curvy trackStudents explain, using energy-transfer vocabulary, why a toy car placed at the top of an unfamiliar curved track (not a straight ramp) will move once released, without being told which force applies.
   • Faster speed, bigger changeStudents write a claim-evidence-reasoning paragraph using their own ramp-height data to argue whether a faster-moving object always causes a bigger change when it hits something.
2. Unit 2: Waves Carry the PatternUsing a rope, a spring, and water, your child learns that a wave moves a repeating pattern of energy from one place to another without the rope, spring, or water itself traveling along with it. This is the single hardest idea to "see," because everything in Unit 1 involved an object physically moving to its target — this unit is about energy moving while the material stays roughly in place.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Parts of a waveStudents identify the crest, trough, amplitude, and wavelength on a labeled diagram of a wave.
   • What moves in a waveStudents describe, using a rope or spring they have shaken themselves, what part of the medium stayed near its resting spot and what part of the pattern traveled.
   • Shake speed and wave sizeGiven two shake-speed trials on the same rope, students compare the wavelength and amplitude produced by each trial.
   • Why a cork bobsStudents explain why a floating cork moves up and down but does not travel across the water as a water wave passes beneath it.
   • Sorting waves and moving objectsStudents classify a set of described phenomena as examples of a wave transferring a pattern versus an object transferring itself.
   • Corks in a wave poolStudents predict what a cork floating in a wave pool at an amusement park would do as waves pass, and justify the prediction using the rope/water wave model from this unit.
   • Measuring a rope waveStudents measure amplitude and wavelength of a rope wave at two shake speeds and record both in a labeled sketch.
   • Writing about a rope waveStudents write a claim-evidence-reasoning explanation stating what stayed still and what moved as a wave passed through a rope.
3. Unit 3: Light and How We SeeYour child learns that we see an object because light bounces off it and travels into our eye — not the other way around. Before anything else, this unit tackles head-on the very common belief that light shoots out FROM the eye. After that's settled, it moves through reflection, absorption, and see-through versus not-see-through materials, ending with mirror puzzles where your child redirects a flashlight beam around an obstacle.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • How we see thingsState that an object becomes visible when light reflects off it and travels to an eye.
   • Sorting materials by lightSort a set of everyday materials (glass, wax paper, cardboard, foil) into opaque, translucent, and transparent using how much light passes through each.
   • Drawing light bouncing off mirrorsDraw a labeled diagram showing a light path from a source, reflecting off a mirror, to an eye, given the position of source, mirror, and eye.
   • Predicting where light bouncesPredict where a flashlight beam will land after reflecting off a mirror placed at a new angle not previously tested, then explain using the straight-line rule.
   • Shadows and wax paperExplain why a translucent material like wax paper still allows a fuzzy shadow to form, connecting partial blocking to the object's visibility.
   • Shiny and dull reflectionsCompare two objects, one shiny and one dull, to explain why both reflect light to the eye even though only one looks 'shiny'.
   • Steering light with two mirrorsPlan and test a two-mirror arrangement that redirects a flashlight beam around an obstacle to hit a target, recording the working arrangement.
   • Using light rules somewhere newGiven a completely new scenario (a submerged object viewed from above an aquarium, or a periscope in a submarine), explain what happens to the light path using reflection and straight-line travel, with no prior classroom example of that exact device.
   • Explaining light with mirrorsWrite a claim-evidence-reasoning paragraph explaining how redirecting a beam with mirrors let the light reach a target it could not reach directly, citing the recorded light path as evidence.
4. Unit 4: Sound and VibrationYour child learns that sound happens when something vibrates, and that the sound then travels as a wave to a listener's ear — needing some material (air, water, a solid) to travel through, unlike light. They compare pitch and loudness as two separate things, and finish by building a string-and-cup telephone and testing what happens when they change the string's tightness.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Vibrations make soundStudents explain that sound is produced when an object vibrates, using a tuning fork or rubber band as evidence.
   • Finding the vibrating partStudents classify a set of everyday sound sources (voice, drum, radio speaker, wind chime) by identifying the vibrating part in each.
   • Sound needs something to travelStudents predict whether sound will travel through a foam block, a material never tested or shown in class, based on the medium model built with air, string, and solids.
   • Fast vibrations and pitchStudents compare the vibration rate of two rulers of different lengths and relate rate to the pitch heard.
   • Amplitude and frequencyStudents recall the term for how big a vibration is (amplitude) and the term for how fast it repeats (frequency), matching each to its effect on sound (loudness or pitch).
   • Comparing sound and light pathsStudents compare the sound-to-ear pathway with the light-to-eye pathway studied in Unit 3, identifying what is the same (wave-carried energy, a receiver) and what is different (medium requirement).
   • Sending messages with sound patternsStudents explain why a coded pattern of long and short sounds (e.g., a simple tapped code) can carry a message, connecting this to the idea that a wave carries a pattern, not matter.
   • Build and test a telephoneStudents execute the constructed procedure for building and testing a string-and-cup telephone, following the modeled steps for construction and a fair test of string tightness.
   • Tight strings and soundStudents generate a claim-evidence-reasoning paragraph that judges whether tightening the string changed what was heard and explains why using the vibration-medium model.
5. Unit 5: Senses and InformationYour child takes the two specific mechanisms they already know — eyes detect reflected light, ears detect vibration — and generalizes them into one idea: a sense organ detects a kind of energy from outside and turns it into a signal the brain uses to produce a behavior. They map this pathway (stimulus, organ, signal, brain, response) across all five senses, then compare human senses to specialized animal ones like eagle eyesight, bat hearing, and shark electroreception.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • What a sense organ doesStudents state that a sense organ is a body part that detects a specific kind of outside energy and turns it into a signal.
   • From stimulus to responseGiven a labeled diagram, students sequence the pathway from stimulus to sense organ to signal to brain to response.
   • Animals responding to stimuliStudents classify a described animal behavior as a response to a specific sensed stimulus (light, sound, touch, chemical, or other).
   • Comparing animal and human sensesStudents compare a named animal's specialized sense organ to the matching human sense organ, explaining what each detects and how well.
   • Why senses fit environmentsStudents infer why a specific sense organ's structure fits the environment an animal lives in, using evidence about the environment's available energy.
   • Writing an argument about sensesStudents construct a claim-evidence-reasoning paragraph arguing why a chosen animal's sense organ fits its environment, using evidence drawn from Units 3-4 mechanisms.
   • Predicting senses of new animalsGiven an animal never discussed in class, students predict which human sense is least similar to that animal's most important sense, and justify the choice with one piece of evidence about the animal's environment.
   • Stimulus signal and response wordsStudents recall the definitions of stimulus, signal, and response using the terms as introduced on Day 2.
6. Unit 6: Built to Survive: Structures in Plants and AnimalsYour child widens the "structure fits function" idea from sense organs to every kind of survival structure — cactus spines, thorns, internal organs, camouflage, all of it. They sort structures by purpose, compare how two unrelated organisms solve the same survival problem in different ways, and finish by comparing two organisms' structures in writing.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Outside and inside plant partsLabel a diagram of a cactus, naming which parts are external structures and which are internal.
   • What outside parts doState the survival function of a named external structure, such as a thorn or spine.
   • Jobs of inside organsState the survival function of a named internal organ, using the same organ and wording shown in a worked example.
   • How shape helps organs workExplain how a named internal organ supports survival, connecting its shape to its job.
   • Two living things one problemCompare how two organisms in different environments solve the same survival problem with differently shaped structures.
   • Four purposes of structuresClassify a set of structures as supporting survival, growth, protection, or reproduction.
   • Guess how it survives thereGiven a new organism and habitat never discussed in class, infer which structure most likely helps it survive there and why.
   • Compare two survival featuresWrite a claim-evidence-reasoning comparison of two organisms' survival structures, weighing each structure's evidence.
   • Do similar shapes mean relativesJudge whether a claim that two structurally similar organisms must be closely related is supported by the structure-function evidence given.
7. Unit 7: Earth's Changing SurfaceYour child studies how weathering breaks rock apart and erosion carries the pieces away, using rock layers and real landforms as evidence of slow change over time. They build a mini streambed (a stream table), test how water flow speed changes erosion, and read maps and photos of real rivers, canyons, and dunes as evidence of a process, not a snapshot.11 skills ▸close ▾

   • Weathering versus erosionState that weathering breaks rock into smaller pieces and erosion moves those pieces to a new location.
   • Labeling weathering and erosionMatch a given photo of a weathering or erosion example to its correct vocabulary label, using the same location test shown in the worked example.
   • Ordering three rock layersOrder three rock layers from oldest to newest using a diagram that matches the worked bottom-to-top example exactly.
   • Weathering, erosion, or depositionClassify photographed examples of land change as weathering, erosion, or deposition.
   • Why land looks unchangedExplain why a landscape can look unchanged from day to day even though weathering and erosion are constantly acting on it.
   • What rock layers tell usInfer the order in which rock layers formed, using the principle that layers form from bottom to top.
   • Fair test with water flowRun a fair test comparing how two different water flow rates affect the amount and pattern of erosion in a stream table.
   • How water flow changes erosionExplain the relationship between water flow rate and the amount and pattern of erosion, citing the class's own stream-table data.
   • Patterns in landforms on mapsInterpret a topographic or satellite map to identify patterns in landforms such as river deltas, valleys, or dunes.
   • Explaining erosion with two cluesConstruct a claim-evidence-reasoning paragraph that weighs stream-table data against a labeled before/after diagram to explain how flow rate affects erosion.
   • Guess how a landform formedPredict which of two unfamiliar landforms (never discussed in class) formed mainly from a fast dramatic event versus a slow steady process, using only a photo and no labels.
8. Unit 8: Resources, People, and Trade-offsThe last unit asks your child to put three tools from earlier in the year to work together: energy transfer, structure-function, and Earth's surface processes. They sort resources into renewable and nonrenewable, trace coal or wind power back to a light bulb, look at mining or damming as a change to the land, and evaluate real solutions like dams and water filters as structures with both a job and a downside. It ends with a written recommendation comparing two competing proposals for a community resource.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Sorting renewable and nonrenewable resourcesSort a set of resource cards (coal, wind, water, oil, trees, sunlight) into renewable and nonrenewable groups and state the rule used.
   • From coal to lightExplain, using Unit 1 energy-transfer vocabulary, how burning coal transfers energy to a light bulb.
   • Comparing coal and wind powerCompare a coal-fired power plant and a wind farm on the same three criteria: cost, reliability, and environmental effect.
   • How getting resources changes landIdentify which step of resource extraction (mining, drilling, damming, or clear-cutting) most changes the land surface, using Unit 7 erosion vocabulary.
   • How water filter shapes workExplain how the shape of a water filter's layers lets it remove particles, using the structure-function lens from Unit 6.
   • Redesigning a dam for fishGenerate two possible design changes to a dam that would reduce its effect on fish while keeping its energy function.
   • Weighing two water source plansEvaluate two competing proposals for a town's water source by weighing benefit evidence against environmental-cost evidence for each.
   • Choosing between two town plansRecommend, in a claim-evidence-reasoning response, which of two unfamiliar community resource proposals (e.g., a new fishing regulation vs. a new quarry) a town should choose, using no proposal type discussed in class.
   • What renewable and nonrenewable meanRecall the definition of renewable and nonrenewable resources from memory.
   • Benefits and costs chartExecute a two-column T-chart listing one benefit and one environmental cost for a given resource use, following the modeled format.

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1. Unit 1: Reading the Land: Geography Tools for a Big CountryThis unit builds the vocabulary every later unit depends on: landform, climate, resource, and region. Your child learns to read a real map (not just a picture of the U.S.) and ends up able to point to and describe all five regions. It's vocabulary-heavy on purpose — no region's story gets told yet, that starts in Unit 2.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Parts of a mapStudents name the compass rose, key, scale, and title on a map and state what each tells the reader.
   • Sorting the five landformsStudents sort landform pictures (mountain, plain, plateau, valley, coast) into the correct labeled category.
   • Classifying a new landformGiven a new photo of an unfamiliar landform, students classify it using its slope, height, and flatness.
   • Climate, clothing, and shelterStudents explain why a desert climate region and a mountain climate region require different clothing and shelter.
   • Physical maps versus political mapsStudents compare a physical map and a political map of the same U.S. area and state what each shows that the other does not.
   • The five U.S. regionsStudents locate and label the five U.S. regions on a blank outline map.
   • Matching resources to regionsStudents match a natural resource to a region based on that region's landforms and climate, for a region not studied in class.
   • Using landform, climate, and resourceStudents use the words landform, climate, and resource correctly in three original sentences about a U.S. region.
2. Unit 2: Nations Before and Alongside the United StatesYour child learns that indigenous nations governed their own homelands before Europeans arrived and still govern themselves today — this isn't a past-tense story. They build words like nation, sovereignty, treaty, and removal, then practice reading two different accounts of the same treaty to see why accounts of the same event can differ.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • What is a nationStudents sort five example groups into 'nation' or 'not a nation' and give a reason for one choice, matching a model just shown.
   • Judging a tricky nationGiven a new, unmodeled example (a nation with no large mapped territory), students decide whether it counts as a nation and justify the decision without a fresh worked example immediately before it.
   • What sovereignty meansStudents define sovereignty by identifying which of two decisions shows self-governance.
   • Parts of a treatyStudents identify the two parties and the stated promise in a short treaty excerpt.
   • Removal from historic homelandsStudents explain why a named nation's tribal government now sits away from its historic homeland.
   • Nations governing themselves todayStudents scan a current source and pick out present-tense verbs (elects, governs, rules) that show a nation is self-governing today.
   • Two accounts of one treatyStudents notice that two accounts of the same treaty differ in what they include and emphasize.
   • Why two accounts differStudents explain that an account's author and purpose shape what it includes about a shared event.
   • Writing about two treaty accountsStudents write a full comparison of two treaty accounts naming the difference and its underlying reason.
   • Comparing accounts of another treatyStudents compare two accounts of a treaty in an unfamiliar region never discussed in class, explaining why accounts differ.
3. Unit 3: The Northeast: Trade, Cities, and NewcomersThis is the first of the five region units, and it studies how the Northeast built wealth through trade and cities even with poor farmland. Your child meets the Haudenosaunee Confederacy as a government that still functions today, then studies colonial settlers and later immigrants side by side.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • The Northeast and its portsLocate the Northeast region and its major port cities on a U.S. map.
   • Words for Northeast citiesDefine port city, manufacturing, immigration, and population density using the class-built picture glossary.
   • How the Haudenosaunee council worksExplain how the Haudenosaunee Confederacy's council structure lets multiple nations share one government.
   • Haudenosaunee government todayState one present-tense fact about Haudenosaunee governance today, from a primary or current source.
   • From resource to finished goodTrace one raw material's path from resource to port to factory to finished good using a labeled diagram.
   • Settlers and immigrants comparedCompare colonial-era settlers and 1800s immigrants on who invited whom and what rights each had on arrival.
   • Reading a population density mapInterpret a population density map of the Northeast alongside a text describing its cities.
   • Northeast resources and industriesConstruct a two-column chart linking Northeast resources to Northeast industries with one explained connection.
   • Predicting industries without portsPredict which industry a region with rich farmland but no ports might struggle to build, using the Northeast pattern.
4. Unit 4: The Southeast: Farmland, Labor, and ChangeThis unit covers the Southeast from the 1700s to today: fertile land and warm climate built plantation agriculture on the backs of enslaved people, the Indian Removal Act forced the Cherokee Nation from their homeland, and the region's economy eventually became today's Sun Belt. It's the heaviest unit emotionally so far — plan for real conversations, not just facts.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Mapping the SoutheastLocate the Southeast region on a U.S. map and name its states, using Unit 1's five-region map.
   • Southeast climate and plantation cropsExplain how the Southeast's climate and soil made plantation agriculture profitable.
   • Plantation owners and enslaved workersDifferentiate the roles and conditions of plantation owners and enslaved workers using primary source evidence.
   • Cherokee removal step by stepSummarize the sequence of events from the Indian Removal Act to the Trail of Tears.
   • Cherokee Nation after removalInfer, from a set of facts about Cherokee Nation government today, why Cherokee sovereignty did not end with removal.
   • Plantation crops versus colonial tradeCompare the Southeast's cash-crop economy to the Northeast's trade economy from Unit 3.
   • Plantations to the Sun BeltExplain how the modern Sun Belt economy connects to the region's earlier agricultural history.
   • Trail of Tears main ideaIdentify the main idea and supporting details in a grade-level text about the Trail of Tears.
   • Textile mill gains and lossesGiven an unfamiliar primary source about a 20th-century Southeast textile mill, determine who gained and who lost from the change it describes.
   • Southeast timeline causes and effectsAnnotate a 1700-to-today Southeast timeline, marking one cause and one effect at three points.
5. Unit 5: The Midwest: Farms, Factories, and the Middle of the CountryThis unit looks at how flat land and rivers let the Midwest be both farm and factory at once. Your child studies the Great Plains, big-scale farming, Great Lakes shipping, the Great Migration, and the Ojibwe and Sioux Nations as governments today.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Mapping the MidwestLabel the Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River on a blank Midwest map.
   • Flat land and big farmsExplain how flat land and rich soil make large-scale farming possible in the Great Plains.
   • Farm cities or factory citiesSort Midwest city clue cards into farming-based, factory-based, or both, based on the industry clues named on each card.
   • Reading a shipping bar graphInterpret a bar graph showing Great Lakes shipping tonnage to explain why river and lake trade mattered to the Midwest economy.
   • Great Migration push and pullCompare two firsthand accounts of the Great Migration to identify a shared push factor and a shared pull factor.
   • Why newcomers chose Midwest citiesExplain why many Great Migration newcomers settled in Midwest cities rather than on Midwest farms.
   • Ojibwe and Sioux Nations todaySummarize the current governments and territories of the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) and Sioux (Lakota/Dakota) Nations today, using the three facts modeled in class.
   • Midwest and Northeast economies comparedConstruct a claim comparing the Midwest economy to the Northeast economy using a shared evidence chart.
6. Unit 6: The Southwest: Desert, Border, and Deep HistoryThis unit studies the Southwest through one defining fact: there isn't enough water. That shortage drives everything — where cities sit, how water gets shared, why irrigation matters. Your child meets the Navajo (Diné) Nation as a functioning government today, studies the 1848 U.S.-Mexico border, and sorts Southwest traditions by where they came from.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Southwest map and riversLocate the Southwest region and its major rivers on a 5-region U.S. map.
   • Dry climate and irrigationExplain why an arid climate requires irrigation to support farming and cities.
   • Navajo Nation governs itselfState that the Navajo (Diné) Nation governs itself today through its own government.
   • Water rights versus fairnessCompare water rights rules to a fairness rule students already expect, identifying what differs.
   • Reading a water source mapInterpret a water-source map to identify why a city is located where it is.
   • Reading a city population chartInterpret a population chart showing city sizes across the Southwest.
   • A treaty that moved the borderExplain how the 1848 treaty changed which nation governed Southwest land and people.
   • Why cities grow near waterCombine evidence from a water-source map and a population chart to write a claim about city location.
   • Where our traditions come fromClassify Southwest cultural traditions as originating from Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, or later U.S. influence.
7. Unit 7: The West: Coastlines, Gold Rushes, and the Newest ArrivalsThe last of the five region units. Your child studies Pacific Northwest and California nations before 1849, the Gold Rush and the rapid migration it caused, and Pacific trade routes connecting California to Asia. It closes with the third and final round of the migration-comparison method from Unit 3, this time comparing the West to the Northeast.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Mapping the five regionsLocate the five U.S. regions on a blank map, including the West's borders.
   • Native nations of the WestName at least two Pacific Northwest or California nations and one fact about each, as presented on the class map.
   • Why gold drew so many peopleExplain why the discovery of gold pulled large numbers of new people into California in a short time.
   • Welcoming or keeping out immigrantsCompare a primary source welcoming immigrants to one describing an exclusion law, identifying which group each concerns.
   • Gold Rush winners and losersIdentify one group that gained and one group that lost from the California Gold Rush, citing evidence from two different sources.
   • Trade across the Pacific OceanTrace two Pacific trade routes on a blank map and label one good moving in each direction, following the modeled route map.
   • Different climates in the WestClassify West locations shown on a map into climate types (coastal, desert, mountain, forest) using given climate clues.
   • Comparing West and Northeast migrationWrite a two-paragraph comparison of the West's migration story to the Northeast's, citing one similarity and one difference with evidence.
   • Comparing two new regionsApply the same similarity/difference comparison logic to a region not practiced this way, using only self-selected evidence.
   • Why the West is many placesInfer why the West might be considered several different places grouped under one region name, using map and source evidence.
8. Unit 8: One Country, Fifty States: How Government Connects the RegionsThe capstone. Your child learns that federal government, state government, and sovereign indigenous nations are three separate kinds of government sharing the same land, and pulls in every region and every named nation from Units 3-7 as evidence for how that actually plays out.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Federal laws and state lawsStudents distinguish a federal-government law example from a state-government law example.
   • Shared and separate powersStudents classify given powers as shared, federal-only, or state-only using the Day 5-6 power sort categories.
   • Tribal nations as separate governmentsStudents explain why an indigenous nation's government is a third, separate kind of government, not part of federal or state government.
   • One state power, two regionsStudents compare how a chosen power (such as setting a driving age) plays out differently in two named regions from Units 3-7.
   • Counting representatives by regionStudents identify how many representatives a region sends to Congress using a population data table.
   • Bigger population, more representativesStudents explain why a region with a larger population sends more representatives to Congress than a smaller region.
   • What one map leaves outStudents critique a map that shows the five regions as identical in governance to identify what it leaves out.
   • When the shortcut failsGiven a brand-new law scenario where the 'whole country vs. one place' shortcut points to the wrong government, students determine the correct government and justify the choice using evidence from two different regions.

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1. Unit 1: Fuel, Rest, and Play: How Your Body WorksThis unit is about teaching your child that food, sleep, and movement aren't about how they look — they're fuel and maintenance for a body that's growing and playing. Every food, sleep, or movement choice gets tied to a specific job: energy, growth, focus, or repair. You'll use their actual daily routine as the material the whole time.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Food for energy and growthStudents sort food and drink pictures into 'gives me energy now' and 'helps me grow' bins with at least 5 of 6 correct.
   • What my body signals meanGiven a short scenario, students identify which body signal (hungry, full, tired, energetic) the character is feeling.
   • Eating well all dayStudents explain why a one-day meal plan needs foods from more than one group, using energy and growth as reasons.
   • How much sleep kids needStudents state the recommended sleep-hour range for a 9-10 year old and name one effect of too little sleep on mood or focus.
   • Why kids need different amountsGiven two same-age children with different stated sleep or food needs, students infer a reason both could still be fine.
   • Moving and playing every dayStudents compare a day with recess-only movement to a day with varied active play and predict which supports growth better and why.
   • Plan my whole dayStudents build a one-day plan (drawn or written) showing meals, movement, and sleep matched to their own routine.
   • Why each choice helps my bodyStudents explain, for each part of their one-day plan, what specific body function it supports (energy, focus, growth, or repair).
   • When a different schedule worksGiven an unfamiliar daily schedule for a child in a different climate or activity level whose plan does NOT look like a standard fuel/rest/movement checklist (extra rest breaks, no separate movement block), students judge whether the plan still meets fuel, rest, and movement needs, using function, not the standard three-category checklist, as the test, and explain why an amount that differs from the class norm can still be fine.
2. Unit 2: Germs, Hygiene, and Staying WellThis is where your child learns germs are living things too small to see, that they travel by hands, air, and surfaces, and that habits like handwashing and covering coughs stop that spread — even with nobody watching. They'll also learn to recognize feeling sick and to tell a trusted adult, and connect rest and fluids back to what Unit 1 taught about rest.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • What germs areExplain that germs are living things too small to see with the naked eye.
   • How germs spreadClassify a given scenario (sneeze, doorknob, shared cup, cough) by which pathway germs used to spread: hands, air, or surface.
   • Clean habits nobody seesExplain why a habit performed with no one watching still stops germ spread.
   • Four steps to wash handsExecute the 4-step handwashing routine (wet, soap, scrub 20 seconds, rinse/dry) in correct order.
   • How to cover a coughExecute the cough/sneeze-covering routine (elbow or tissue, dispose, wash hands) correctly.
   • Wash hands or cover coughsCompare a scenario requiring handwashing to one requiring cough-covering and identify which routine and why.
   • Spotting signs of sicknessInfer, from a description of symptoms in an unfamiliar setting (a school field trip, a sleepover), whether a character is showing signs of being sick.
   • Who is a trusted adultExplain why telling a trusted adult about feeling sick applies to any adult in that role, not one specific person.
   • How rest and fluids helpSummarize how rest and fluids help a sick body recover, connecting to Unit 1's rest concept.
   • Each step fights germsSequence a 4-step hygiene routine and explain in one sentence what happens to germs at each step.
3. Unit 3: Staying Safe: Home, Street, Bike, and OnlineFour safety rule sets — fire, street/bike, online, and medicine — all running on the same mechanism: tell a trusted adult immediately, even if it seems small or you think you'll get in trouble. Your child practices applying each domain's specific rules to new scenarios, and practices naming a backup adult when the first choice isn't around.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Get low and goState the two-part rule for a home fire: get low and go, then get outside and stay outside.
   • Planning two ways outIdentify the family's two ways out of a room on a drawn home floor plan.
   • Crossing with stop look listenApply the stop-look-listen rule to a street-crossing scenario not shown in instruction.
   • Bike gear and road rulesList the three required pieces of bike safety gear and behavior: helmet, visibility, and riding with traffic direction.
   • Three steps for uncomfortable chatsRecall the three steps to do when an online moment feels uncomfortable: stop responding, do not delete the evidence, tell a trusted adult right away.
   • Normal or uncomfortable online chatsDistinguish an uncomfortable online moment from a normal online moment using three example chat scenarios.
   • Only trusted adults give medicineExplain why medicine is only ever given by a trusted adult, never self-served or shared with a friend.
   • Finding a backup trusted adultIdentify a trusted adult for a new danger scenario when the student's first-choice adult is unavailable.
   • One rule for every dangerCompare the fire, street/bike, online, and medicine rules to identify the one action common to all four.
   • Sorting dangers into groupsClassify eight scenario cards into the correct danger domain (fire, street/bike, online, medicine).
4. Unit 4: Feelings, Calming Down, and Being a Good FriendThis unit treats feelings as information, calming down as something you can actually practice, and friendship as specific repeatable actions rather than a feeling. Your child names feelings, matches them to calming strategies (pulling rest, movement, and trusted-adult straight from Units 1 and 3), then practices listening, including others, apologizing with a real change in behavior, and saying no while staying a friend.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Finding the right feeling wordStudent names a specific feeling word (e.g., frustrated, lonely, nervous) that matches a short scenario, choosing from a word bank.
   • Matching feelings to calming waysStudent matches a feeling to an appropriate calming strategy (breathing, movement, rest, or telling a trusted adult) across a new scenario not used in instruction.
   • Why naming feelings helpsStudent explains why naming a feeling out loud can change what a person does next, using a specific example.
   • The difference between telling (someone could be hurt or needs help) and tattling (minor, no harm, seeking trouble for someone), using the modeled example set itselfStudent sorts the exact contrasting example pairs modeled in class (e.g., 'she took the blue crayon' vs. 'he won't stop pushing me') into telling or tattling, using the same wording used during instruction.
   • Telling versus tattlingStudent distinguishes 'telling a trusted adult' about a friend problem from 'tattling,' applying the rule to new, unseen example pairs.
   • Listening and including friendsStudent demonstrates listening and including as specific friend actions during a structured partner role-play.
   • Making things right with actionsStudent writes a repair action for a friend-conflict scenario that names a specific behavior change, not a generic apology word.
   • Saying no and staying friendsStudent identifies when saying no to a friend's request is still consistent with being a good friend, given a scenario involving peer pressure.
   • Putting feelings and friendship togetherStudent applies feeling-naming, calming-strategy selection, and repair-action reasoning together to an unfamiliar multi-part scenario involving both an internal feeling and a friend conflict.

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