What does a student learn in StateWashington,GradeGrade 4,SubjectMathematics?

Students learn that multiplication equations describe comparisons. In 35 = 5 x 7, students explain that 35 is five times as large as 7, and write equations to match comparison statements like "24 is four times as many as 6."

Students read a word problem and decide whether to multiply or divide to find an unknown number. They also learn to spot the difference between "three times as many" (multiplicative) and "three more than" (additive).

Students solve word problems that take two or more steps to figure out, using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. They check whether their answer makes sense using estimation, and they can write an equation with a letter to show what they're solving for.

Students find every pair of whole numbers that multiply to make a given number, then decide whether that number is divisible by smaller numbers or can only be divided evenly by itself and one.

Students follow a rule to build a number or shape pattern, then notice things about that pattern the rule never spelled out. For example, a "add 4" rule quietly produces a sequence that always alternates odd and even numbers.

Each spot in a number is worth ten times more than the spot to its right. The 4 in 400 is worth ten times more than the 4 in 40.

Students read, write, and compare large whole numbers in three ways: as numerals, as words, and broken apart by place value (like 3,000 + 400 + 20 + 6). They also use the greater than, less than, and equal signs to show how two numbers relate.

Students round a big number to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, or beyond to get a quick estimate. They choose a rounding strategy that fits the problem rather than always using the same one.

Students add and subtract large whole numbers, like 3,847 plus 1,256, using a reliable method they can apply accurately every time.

Two fractions can look different but still be equal. Students learn why 1/2 and 2/4 match by drawing diagrams and number lines, and then use that pattern to find other equal fractions on their own.

Students compare two fractions with different denominators and decide which is larger, using a number line or drawing to back up their answer. Both fractions have to refer to the same whole to make the comparison fair.

Students break fractions apart and put them together to solve addition and subtraction problems. For example, they see 3/4 as three 1/4 pieces, and use that thinking to add or subtract fractions that share the same bottom number.

Students use pictures or diagrams to multiply a fraction by a whole number, like figuring out how much pizza three people each eating two-thirds of a pie would need in total.

Students learn that 3/10 and 30/100 name the same amount, then use that idea to add fractions like 3/10 and 4/100 together. Models and number lines help make the connection visible.

Students write fractions with a denominator of 10 or 100 as decimals. A fraction like 3/10 becomes 0.3, and 47/100 becomes 0.47.

Students compare two decimal numbers, like 0.3 and 0.27, and explain which is larger or smaller using number lines or grids. Both numbers must describe the same whole for the comparison to count.

Students learn how many inches are in a foot, how many minutes are in an hour, and how many ounces are in a pound. They practice rewriting a larger measurement as a smaller one and record those conversions in a simple two-column table.

Students solve word problems about distances, times, liquid amounts, weights, and money, sometimes with fractions or decimals. They also show their work using number lines, diagrams, or tables.

Students use the formulas for area and perimeter to solve real problems with rectangles, like finding how much carpet fits a room or how much fencing surrounds a garden.

Students collect measurements in fractions (like half an inch or quarter pound) and plot them on a number line graph. Then they use that graph to add and subtract the fractions they see.

Two rays that share an endpoint form an angle, and the size of that angle is measured in degrees. Students learn what an angle is and how its measurement describes how far one ray has turned from the other.

Students use a protractor to measure angles in whole-number degrees, then draw an angle when given a specific degree measure.

When a large angle is split into smaller angles, the pieces add up to the whole. Students use addition and subtraction to find a missing angle size in a diagram.

Students learn the basic building blocks of geometry: points, lines, rays, and angles. They draw and name these parts, then spot them inside everyday flat shapes like squares, triangles, and rectangles.

Students sort flat shapes by whether their sides run parallel, meet at right angles, or tilt at other angles. Right triangles get their own category because one corner is always a perfect square corner.

Students learn to spot the fold line that splits a shape into two matching halves, then draw that line on their own. If folding a shape along a line makes both sides line up exactly, that line is a line of symmetry.

Students come up with a question they actually want to answer, figure out what data might help, and adjust the question if it turns out to be too broad or too vague to measure.

Students plan how to gather data for a question, then decide whether the data they collected actually answers it or whether they need to collect more.

Students look at a chart, bar graph, or table and decide whether the numbers actually back up a point someone is trying to make. They also ask whether enough data was collected to answer the original question.

Students look at data they collected and write a sentence or two explaining what it shows. They describe differences between groups and connect their findings back to the original question they were trying to answer.