NY & MA 4th Grade Math Curriculum

If you were ever wondering how the 4th Grade Mathematical Curriculum of New York compares and contrasts to the 4th Grade Mathematical Curriculum of Massachusetts, keep reading!  I had to compare and contrast these 2 curricula to get a good understanding of what students are required to learn and practice in the 4th grade.  It was important that I know this because I am currently producing a game to teach students around the 4th Grade age. For more information on that project, see my previous post.

What's the Same?

After reading both of these curricula over once, I realized that I felt like I had read the same thing twice.  I thought that perhaps the problem was that I could not remember enough from reading the New York curriculum to spot any differences while reading the Massachusetts curriculum, so I placed the 2 pages side by side on my desktop.  What I found was that my memory was not the problem, but that both of these curricula are essentially completely identical.  The documents are basically the same word for word and follow the same order.

What this means is that both curricula place importance on teaching students 5 main mathematical topics:

1. Operations & Algebraic Thinking
2. Numbers & Operations in Base Ten
3. Numbers & Operations with Fractions
4. Measurement & Data
5. Geometry

Here is a list of what I summed up as the important specific things for students to learn based on these documents:

• Multiplication and Division with whole numbers
• Understand fractions and know how to add, subtract, and convert them into decimals
• Know how to convert measurements between units
• Solve word problems with the first 3 bullet points
• Plot lines, use angles, and know shapes

What's Different?

I don't have the sharpest eyes in the world, but the documents honestly look exactly the same to me in terms of content.  My friend kindly pointed out that there is 1 line that he noticed the Massachusetts document had that the New York Document did not have.  This line states: "MA.5a. Know multiplication facts and related division facts through 12 x 12," which I contemplated not even mentioning because it looks like it's just a restatement of a very specific Massachusetts rule.

Aside from that one line, the headers and footers, the font layout, and page numbers, the curricula are, to my eyes, completely identical.  I will say that I preferred the Massachusetts document's layout because it was easier for me to distinguish sections due to the barred and highlighted section titles.

Which will we implement?

My group plans to implement the Sections on "Operations & Algebraic Thinking" and "Numbers & Operations in Base Ten".  Specifically, we plan on producing a game where players practice and hone their skills with solving equations.  The game will use multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction.

How will we implement?

The game will implement what I just mentioned by having players solve equations to use the answers to save Earth from being attacked by aliens.  This will be done digitally, of course.  Players will solve several equations at the bottom of the screen and place the answers in pile on's to defend the planet.

For more information on the project, see below!