Researching to Build Knowledge and Teaching Others
Grade Level: 4th
Subject: ELA
Time Frame: Quarter 2- 8 weeks
Essential Questions
Speaking and Listening
- How do we have collaborative conversations?
- Why do we paraphrase someone else's thinking before sharing our opinions?
- What are some important practices when presenting ideas?
Reading
- how do we determine a theme?
- how does the point of view affect a story?
- how do we differentiate various genres?
- what is important to include in a summary?
- what are strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words?
- why is it important to know if a text is a firsthand or secondhand account?
- how can analyzing word structures help readers understand word meaning?
- how do prefixes and suffixes change the meaning of a word?
- why do root words change their spelling when suffixes are added?
- how might a text feature help you in understanding an unknown word?
Writing
- which tools are available to assist the writer in planning, drafting, and revising personal writing?
- how does audience and purpose affect an author's word choice?
- how are writers persuasive without being biased?
- how are literary genres different in form and substance?
- how does a graphic organizer assist a writer?
- how does word choice create a visual image for the reader?
- how might a writer organize their writing using multiple tools?
Language Usage
- how do writers best revise and edit their writing?
- how is punctuation connected to meaning?
- how does varied sentence structure affect a piece of writing?
- how do writers use technology to support the writing process?
By the end of the unit, students will know/be able to:
Speaking and Listening
• I can effectively engage in discussions with diverse partners about fourth-grade topics and texts.
- I can prepare myself to participate in discussions.
- I can draw on information to explore ideas in the discussion.
- I can follow our class norms when I participate in a conversation.
- I can ask questions that are on the topic being discussed.
- I can answer questions about the topic being discussed.
- I can connect my questions and responses to what others say.
- After a discussion, I can explain what I understand about the topic being discussed.
• I can paraphrase portions of a text that are read aloud to me.
• I can paraphrase information that is presented in pictures and/or numbers.
Reading
• I can explain what a text says using specific details from the text.
• I can make inferences using specific details from text.
• I can determine the main idea using specific details from the text.
• I can summarize informational or persuasive text.
• I can determine the meaning of academic words or phrases in an informational text.
• I can determine the meaning of content words or phrases in an informational text.
• I can interpret information presented through charts, graphs, timelines, or websites.
• I can explain how visual or graphic information helps me understand the text around it.
• I can accurately synthesize information from two texts on the same topic
• I can use a variety of strategies to read words.
Writing
• I can write informative/explanatory texts that convey ideas and information clearly.
- I can introduce a topic clearly.
- I can group supporting facts together about a topic in an informative/explanatory text
- I can use text, formatting, illustrations, and multimedia to support my topic.
- I can develop the topic with facts, definitions, details, and quotations.
- I can use linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
- I can use precise, content-specific language/vocabulary to inform or explain about a topic.
- I can construct a concluding statement or section of an informative/explanatory text.
• I can write narrative text about real or imagined experiences or events.
- I can establish a situation.
- I can introduce the narrator and/or characters of my narrative.
- I can organize events in an order that makes sense in my narrative.
- I can use dialogue and descriptions to show the actions, thoughts, and feelings of my characters.
- I can use transitional words and phrases to show the sequence of events in a narrative text.
- I can use sensory details to describe experiences and events precisely.
- I can write a conclusion to my narrative.
• I can produce writing that is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• With support from peers and adults, I can use the writing process to produce clear and coherent writing.
• I can conduct a research project to become knowledgeable about a topic.
• I can recall information that is important to a topic.
• I can document what I learn about a topic by taking notes.
• I can sort my notes into categories.
• I can provide a list of sources I used to gather information
• I can choose evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection and research
• (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text”).
• I can write for a variety of reasons.
Language Usage
• I can use grammar conventions to send a clear message to a reader or listener.
- I can use relative pronouns (e.g., who, whose, whom, which, that).
- I can use relative adverbs (e.g., where, when, why)
- I can use progressive verb tenses (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking).
- I can use ‘can,’ ‘may,’ and ‘must’ correctly.
- I can use conventional patterns to order adjectives within sentences (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).
- I can use prepositional phrases.
- I can write complete sentences.
- I can recognize fragmented and run-on sentences.
- I can correctly use homophones (e.g., to, too, two; there, their)
• I can use conventions to send a clear message to my reader.
- I can use correct capitalization in my writing.
- I can use commas and quotation marks to identify speech and quotations from a text.
- I can use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
- I can spell grade-appropriate words correctly.
- I can use resources to check and correct my spelling
• I can express ideas using carefully chosen words.
• I can choose punctuation for effect in my writing.
• I use formal English when appropriate
• I can use a variety of strategies to determine the meaning of words and phrases.
Assessments
- Reading about a chosen informational topic, Answering Questions, and Determining the Main Idea
- Answering Questions and Summarizing Texts about a chosen informational topic
- Reading and Researching a chosen informational topic
- Writing an Informative Text About a chosen informational topic
- Planning for and Drafting an Introduction for the Choose-Your-Own Adventure Narrative
- Writing Choice 2 of the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Narrative Topics
• Building Background Knowledge on a chosen informational topic
• Listening Closely to Paraphrase Information about a chosen informational topic
• Reading Closely about a chosen informational topic
• Setting a Purpose for Writing: Creating a Rubric for Informative Paragraphs
• Writing Informative Texts: Sequencing Ideas and Using Research Notes
• Writing Informative Texts: Revising Paragraphs for Organization, Concrete Details
• Writing Informative Texts: Revising Paragraphs Based on Peer Critique
• Introducing the Format: Choose-Your-Own Adventure
• Setting a Purpose for Writing: Creating a Rubric for Narrative Writing
• Writing Narrative Texts: Creating a Character Profile
• Writing Narrative Texts: Orienting the Reader and Introducing the Characters
• Writing Narrative Texts: Including Dialogue and Description
• Writing Narrative Texts: Using Transition Words
• Writing Narrative Texts: Using Concrete Words and Phrases and Sensory Details
Common Core Standards:
RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.4, RI.4.7, RI.4.9
RF.4.3
W.4.2, W.4.3, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.7, W.4.8, W.4.9b, W.4.10
SL.4.1, SL.4.2
L.4.1, L.4.2, L.4.3, L.4.4