Level 4
( Grade 4 – Age 9-11 )
It was an age of conflict and invention, colonialism and communism, war and revolution. The Modern World was (and is!) an exciting time to explore. Using Story of the World Volume 4 and the Usborne Encyclopedia of World History your spines, you’ll study the rise and fall of world powers, the race to the space age, and witness the creation of inventions that would change the world forever.
You and your child will enjoy a variety of beautiful read-aloud literature this year. You’ll travel down the rabbit hole with Alice in Alice in Wonderland, get a glimpse of the supernatural world with Amari in Amari and the Night Brothers, and visit India amidst the upheaval of Gandhi’s Free India movement in Ahimsa.
Your child will develop a love of reading as they read an assortment of fine literature this year. They’ll explore different genres, like historical fiction selections: Rodzina and Number the Stars, non-fiction, like Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? and Hidden Figures, as well as realistic fiction like The School Story. There’s something for everyone’s tastes!
The science focus this year is physics – mechanics like how things work, light and color, and inventors and their inventions. You’ll be using David Macaulay’s The Way Things Work Now along with the Usborne Science Encyclopedia to study topics like Energy, Friction, Flight, and Magnetism. They will also study coding concepts and learn about a variety of diverse inventors through modern history!
If you’ve been using Build Your Library all along, you’ve been studying art through the stages of history using Discovering Great Artists. This year you’ll finish the book, concluding your study of art through history. Your child will create masterpieces and learn about art techniques used by the artist that lived during the Modern period. You’ll also study poetry – even writing some of your own, with Knock at a Star: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry.
My lesson plans guide you through the school year effortlessly. Your planning is done for you so that you can spend your time on important things, like teaching your children.
The 351 page PDF lesson plans include:
- a daily and weekly schedule for 36 weeks of study
- reading list
- a set of 8-10 narration cards
- vocabulary words, discussion questions, and copywork passages tied to the literature readings
- poetry memorization
- timeline figures
- research projects
- 42 activity pages (including mapwork)
- science lessons (including 18 science activity pages)
- art projects
You can see a sample week here:
Purchase Level 4 – The Modern World – $39.95
** Our PayPal e-Junkie powered shopping cart will process your order. All our digital programs are in PDF form. They cannot be returned or refunded. Once you place your order, you will receive a download link to your items.
I’m excited to announce that we are collaborating with Soul Sparklettes Art! They have so many amazing art projects that blend well with Build Your Library. You can sign up for Glitterbombers membership through our affiliate link. Check the download below to see what projects align with this level!
Sign Up for Glitterbombers Here!
Glitterbomber Projects to Pair with Level 4
You can see the entire booklist Level 4 below:
(now powered by Amazon and Bookshop.org):
History:
Story of the World: Volume 4 The Modern Age by Susan Wise Bauer (Spine) – Bookshop.org
The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History (Spine –used in Levels 1 – 4)
DK A Child Through Time: The Book of Children’s History – Bookshop.org (Spine –used in Levels 1 – 4)
Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun – Bookshop.org
Fields of Fury: The American Civil War – Bookshop.org
Where Poppies Grow: A World War I Companion – Bookshop.org
Gandhi – Bookshop.org
What Was the Vietnam War? by Jim O’Connor – Bookshop.org
Literature:
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Bookshop.org
The House with Chicken Legs – Bookshop.org
Last of the Name – Bookshop.org
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Bookshop.org
Nory Ryan’s Song – Bookshop.org
Amari and the Night Brothers – Bookshop.org
The Singing Tree – Bookshop.org
Ahimsa – Bookshop.org
When My Name Was Keoko – Bookshop.org
Redwall (Book 1) – Bookshop.org
Inside Out and Back Again – Bookshop.org
Shooting Kabul – Bookshop.org
Readers:
The Capture (Guardians of Ga’hoole, Book 1) – Bookshop.org
The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City – Bookshop.org
Bull Run – Bookshop.org
Rodzina – Bookshop.org
Stuart Little – Bookshop.org
The Toothpaste Millionaire – Bookshop.org
Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring – Bookshop.org
The Wizard of Oz – Bookshop.org
The Water Horse – Bookshop.org
Number the Stars – Bookshop.org
Hidden Figures (Young Readers Edition)– Bookshop.org
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? – Bookshop.org
The School Story – Bookshop.org
Journey to Jo’burg: A South African Story – Bookshop.org
Poetry:
Knock at a Star: A Child’s Introduction to Poetry (Spine) – Bookshop.org
Science:
The Way Things Work Now (Spine)– Bookshop.org
The Usborne Internet-Linked Science Encyclopedia (Spine)
Build This Book: A Book and Maker Space All in One by David Eckold – Bookshop.org
Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women – Bookshop.org
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition) – Bookshop.org
What Color is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors – Bookshop.org
National Geographic: Code This! Puzzles, Games, Challenges, and Computer Coding Concepts for the Problem Solver in You – Bookshop.org
Nick and Tesla’s High Voltage Danger Lab by “Science Bob” Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith – Bookshop.org
Art:
Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters (Bright Ideas for Learning) (Spine for Levels 2 – 4) – Bookshop.org
The Arts: A Visual Encyclopedia (Spine for Levels 2 – 4) – Bookshop.org
Why is Art Full of Naked People? (Spine for Levels 2 – 4) – Bookshop.org
As a reminder, if you are going to purchase books we would greatly appreciate the use of our provided Bookshop.org Links! Thanks!
Disclosure: This list contains affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.
New to Build Your Library or looking for some more information about our curriculum and lesson plans? Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Have you already purchased Level 4 – The Modern World? We would love to hear what you think and share your experience with others – Please feel free to leave a product review on the Contact Us page! Thanks for your support!
Current Full Grade Level Products Available for Purchase:
Level 0 – Level 1 – Level 2 – Level 3 – Level 4 – Level 5 – Level 6 – Level 7 – Level 8 – Level 9 – Level 10 – Level 11 – Level 12
