Grade 4 Textbooks
Mathematics
Title: Progress in Mathematics – Grade 4
Publication: 2006, Sadlier-Oxford, a Division of William H. Sadlier, Inc.
ISBN #: 0-8215-8214-3
Assessment Rating: 3-Fair
Assessment:
Because economic concepts are closely tied to mathematics, we decided to review a sampling of math books in this project. Obviously basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are required; however, I was most interested in
Because economic concepts are closely tied to mathematics, we decided to review a sampling of math books in this project. Obviously basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are required; however, I was most interested in
- The concept of decimals (as relate to money), and
- Statistics and probability (as they relate to graphs of all kinds).
Social Studies
Title: Social Studies – North Carolina Geography and History
Publication: 2009, Houghton Mifflin Company
ISBN #: 0-618-90616-9
Applicable NC SCOS Goal for Economics:
Social Studies Competency Goal 6: the learner will evaluate how North
Carolinians apply basic economic principles within the community, state, and
nation.
Assessment Rating: 3-Fair
Assessment:
Social Studies under the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NC SCOS) for the fourth grade focuses on the state of North Carolina, its history, its culture, and its economy. Specifically, a number of economic concepts and principles are addressed including:
This textbook addresses the above areas in a single chapter (Chapter 10 titled Economy and Resources) which contains three recommended lessons (Economic Decisions, Resources and Industry, and Trade and the Economy) estimated to be 20-30 minutes each. The chapter is a total of twenty-three (23) pages in length and is purported to address all of the objectives of NC SCOS Social Studies competency goal 6. Most of the topics above are indeed covered however in a superficial manner. The focus is on key vocabulary words and not a lot beyond the definition and possibly a picture are provided. I could also not find very much in the application area to reinforce the concepts defined. However, it does try to integrate with the math curriculum through a skill-builder activity focused on reading a circle graph. This publisher provides a number of electronic products (e.g., eBooks, interactive games) and other resources which should definitely be used to supplement this somewhat limited textbook if a teacher wants to adequately cover the competency goal.
Social Studies under the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NC SCOS) for the fourth grade focuses on the state of North Carolina, its history, its culture, and its economy. Specifically, a number of economic concepts and principles are addressed including:
- Wants and needs
- Types and uses of resources
- Types of costs
- Money
- Spending, saving and paying taxes
- The relationship between government services and taxes
- Specialization and interdependence on a regional, national, and global level
This textbook addresses the above areas in a single chapter (Chapter 10 titled Economy and Resources) which contains three recommended lessons (Economic Decisions, Resources and Industry, and Trade and the Economy) estimated to be 20-30 minutes each. The chapter is a total of twenty-three (23) pages in length and is purported to address all of the objectives of NC SCOS Social Studies competency goal 6. Most of the topics above are indeed covered however in a superficial manner. The focus is on key vocabulary words and not a lot beyond the definition and possibly a picture are provided. I could also not find very much in the application area to reinforce the concepts defined. However, it does try to integrate with the math curriculum through a skill-builder activity focused on reading a circle graph. This publisher provides a number of electronic products (e.g., eBooks, interactive games) and other resources which should definitely be used to supplement this somewhat limited textbook if a teacher wants to adequately cover the competency goal.
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Title: Social Studies – North Carolina Geography, History, and Culture
Publication: 2009, Harcourt, Inc.
ISBN #: 0-15-356645-0
Applicable NC SCOS Goal for Economics:
Social Studies Competency Goal 6: the learner will evaluate how North
Carolinians apply basic economic principles within the community, state, and
nation.
Assessment Rating: 4-Good
Assessment:
Similar to the Houghton Mifflin Social Studies textbook, the Harcourt text covers all of the NC SCOS objectives for competency goal 6 in a single unit titled North Carolina’s Economy. However, the unit is broken down into five (5) lessons which they recommend to take twenty-one (21) days to cover. The lessons include: Economic Choices, Using Resources, Using Money, Specialization and Interdependence, and Economic Relationships. The total number of pages dedicated to the area of economics is thirty-three (33). This is better than the Houghton Mifflin text but still insufficient to address all the objectives under competency goal 6 appropriately. However, this textbook does an excellent job of having practice activities for the students after every new concept is introduced, for example, “make a poster that encourages people to conserve North Carolina resources.” This textbook also integrates mathematics into the lessons in the area of graphing skills (pie charts and line graphs). While not a standalone resources, this textbook would be a reasonable start to addressing economics in grade 4. It should be used in conjunction with other resources provided by the publisher including activity books, eBooks, interactive games, etc.
Similar to the Houghton Mifflin Social Studies textbook, the Harcourt text covers all of the NC SCOS objectives for competency goal 6 in a single unit titled North Carolina’s Economy. However, the unit is broken down into five (5) lessons which they recommend to take twenty-one (21) days to cover. The lessons include: Economic Choices, Using Resources, Using Money, Specialization and Interdependence, and Economic Relationships. The total number of pages dedicated to the area of economics is thirty-three (33). This is better than the Houghton Mifflin text but still insufficient to address all the objectives under competency goal 6 appropriately. However, this textbook does an excellent job of having practice activities for the students after every new concept is introduced, for example, “make a poster that encourages people to conserve North Carolina resources.” This textbook also integrates mathematics into the lessons in the area of graphing skills (pie charts and line graphs). While not a standalone resources, this textbook would be a reasonable start to addressing economics in grade 4. It should be used in conjunction with other resources provided by the publisher including activity books, eBooks, interactive games, etc.
