Considering Perspectives and Supporting Opinions
Grade Level: 4th
Subject: ELA
Time Frame: Quarter 3- 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?
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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.
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 theme of a story, drama, or poem.
• I can summarize a story, drama, or poem.
• I can describe a story’s character, setting, or events using specific details from the text.
• I can use literary terms to describe parts of a story, poem, or drama (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter, casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions).
• I can describe the differences in structure of poems, drama, and prose
• I can compare and contrast different narrators’ points of view.
• I can explain what a text says using specific details from the text.
• I can make inferences using specific details from the text.
• I can determine the main idea using specific details from the text.
• I can summarize informational text.
• I can explain the main points in a historical, scientific, or technical text, using specific details in the 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 describe the organizational structure in informational text (chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution).
• I can explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
Writing
• I can write an opinion piece that supports a point of view with reasons and information.
- I can introduce the topic of my opinion piece.
- I can create an organizational structure in which I group together related ideas.
- I can identify reasons that support my opinion.
- I can use linking words to connect my opinion and reasons.
- I can construct a concluding statement or section for my opinion piece.
- 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 choose evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
- (e.g., “Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”).
- (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text”).
Language Usage
• I can express ideas using carefully chosen words.
• I can choose punctuation for effect in my writing.
• I use formal English when appropriate.
Assessments
• Reading and Answering Questions about a chosen informational topic
• Reading and Answering Questions about a chosen informational topic
• Conducting a Literary Discussion: Analyzing, Summarizing and Reading a chosen informational topic
• Reading and Answering Questions about Opinion Pieces
• write a final summary on a chosen informational topic
Topics
• Using Mystery Pictures and Texts to Discovery a chosen informational topic
• Reading an Informational Text
• Determining the Main Idea and Supporting Details
• Describing Text Structures: Rereading and Analyzing Informational Text
• Summarizing Literature and Making Inferences
• Close Reading
• Introduction to Discussing Literary Text
• Reading Drama Aloud for Fluency
• Story Mapping and Summarizing
• Reading and Analyzing Opinion Pieces
• Identifying Characteristics
• Determining Reasons to Support Opinions
• Grouping Reasons with Evidence from Research
• Revising for Organization: Grouping Reasons with Evidence
• Revising for Organization: Introductions and Conclusions
• Reviewing Conventions and Editing
Common Core Standards:
RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, RL.4.5, RL.4.6
RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.3, Ri.4.4, RI.4.5, RI.4.8
W.4.1, W.4.5, W.4.7, W.4.9
L.4.3
SL.4.1