Approximate Time:
10 Days
Unit OverviewStudents will read My Brother Martin alongside “A Class of One” (an excerpt form Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges) and “Rosa Parks Started Something Big” (all from Reading Street). While learning the ELA standards for the 3rd nine weeks in this unit, students will also be exposed to 3rd nine weeks social studies objectives that relate to the issues of slavery, the civil war, famous historical figures in Mississippi, and modern day Mississippi issues and relating to diversity and unification among citizens. In science, students will be studying different types of rocks as well as deforestation and the impact of human activity on the environment. Math objectives will relate to measurement and can be tied into marches during the civil rights movement (distance, time, etc).
Vocabulary / Essential Questions
· Integrate
· Demonstrating
· Sensitive
· Remarks
· Peaceful
· Liberties
· Fairness
· Laws
· Pride
· Equal / · What strategies can I use to make connections between the text of a story or a drama in order to identify specific descriptions and directions in the text?
· How do I determine the meaning of unknown words or phrases?
· How are words related?
· How can figurative language be used by writers to paint a visual picture for readers?
· How can using new words help me to improve my speaking and listening skills?
· How does the reader use text to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words or phrases?
· Why is it important to understand the meaning of different words?
· How do I compare and contrast the point of view from different stories?
· What strategies can I use to draw inferences from a text?
· What strategies can I use to comprehend and analyze informational texts to develop and enhance my critical thinking skills?
· How can I effectively use specific information in a text to explain events and concepts in historical, scientific, or technical texts?
· What does the author want the reader to understand about why we compare and contrast text?
· How does the author use reasons and evidence to support a particular point in a text?
· How does the author integrate information from two texts on the same topic to write or speak about the topic knowledgably?
· What strategies can be used to effectively structure an essay?
· What is the purpose of the writing process?
· How does making revisions improve my writing?
ELA Standards/ Instructional Activities
(Writing, Foundational, Listening & Speaking, Informational, Literature)
STANDARDS:
4RL4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
4RL6 Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first and third person narrations.
4RI1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
4RI3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
4RI6 Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic,; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
4RI8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
4RI9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgably.
4W2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
c. Link ideas with categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented
4L1g Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two, there, their)
4L3a Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely
4L5a Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context
4L5b Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs
4L5c Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms)
INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Week 1
4RL4
Character Words
· After readings stories, have students identify main characters. Direct students to locate and record words or phrases from texts that describe the characters. Instruct students to identify contemporary characters or known people who could be described using the words or phrases.
Imagery Illustrations
· Ask students to close their eyes as poems, stories, or dramas are read. Have students draw illustrations of specified words or phrases showing what was visualized as they listened to the literary pieces. Have students share and discuss illustrations.
Unknown Words
· Ask students to record unfamiliar words encountered while reading literary texts. Have students locate the meanings of unknown words using print or digital sources. Instruct students to write sentences that contain context clues to support understanding and to recall word meanings.
4RL6
Paragraph Pass
· Have students work in groups of four. Provide each group four paragraphs with points of view that are easy to identify. Have students read one paragraph and mark its point of view on separate sheet of paper. Tell students to pass the paragraphs until each student has read and marked the points of view for all four paragraphs. Have students compare their points of view identifications, discussing the reasons for point of view labels and clues from the texts that support their reasoning.
Highlight It!
· Provide small groups of student’s common literary texts. Direct students to work independently and use highlighters to mark all pronouns within the texts. Have students share the pronouns they identified and mark any pronouns missed on personal copies. Have students label the pronouns as first or third person. Guide students to use the labeled and classified pronouns to identify the points of view of the literary texts.
One Topic, Two Points of View
· Provide pairs of students the same topics about which to write paragraphs. Ask partners A to write in first person POV. Have partners B write in third person POV. Direct students to compare their compositions and determine similarities and differences using a Venn diagram.
Point of View I.D.
· At the conclusion of reading literary texts, have students identify the points of view used by the authors. Direct students to answer the following questions to verify the selected points of view and to analyze the effects of the points of view on the texts.
o Who are the characters in the text?
o Whose thoughts, feelings and motivations do you know from the information in the text?
o How does this information support the identified point of view?
o How does the author use point of view to describe the events?
o How might the plot change if the author had chosen a different point of view?
o How does the point of view affect the relationships between characters and plot events?
4L1g
Homophone Game
· Tape sentence strips on kids backs with different homophones. Kids need to find their match based on the clues their friends would give them. The clues have to be adjectives or motions only.
· Suggested reading about homophones: Commotion in the Ocean
4L5a
Mix n Match Similes Flap book
· Students create a divided circle map in which they list all of the adjectives they can think of that describe themselves, then all of the animate and inanimate objects that would also be fitting for a self-description.
· Next, students create a tree map. They break their bodies up into 3 parts (head, midsection, and legs/feet).
· Students then use their circle map to create comparisons between themselves and the objects, all relating to that portion of their body (for example, they could write “dark cave of thoughts” under head, or “fast cheetah” under legs). The idea is to get them thinking about how different parts of their body could be compared to objects that were definitely not alike.
· Once the tree maps are complete, students choose their 4 favorite comparisons from each section. They need to write as many simple similes and metaphors from those comparisons.
· Finally, students choose two favorites from each category and, on a separate piece of paper, they make those simple similes and metaphors complex. For example, using the dark cave one, a student might write, “I am a dark cave of emotions after watching a scary movie,” or “I am an active volcano ready to spurt out my knowledge during the trivia game.”
· Once these are done, give students 4 pieces of paper with a person figure on each. Have a line pre-drawn separating their head from the midsection, and then the legs. On each section, they put either a simile or metaphor.
· Next, students draw that part of the body to resemble the metaphor.
· Students then cut the slips so that the different parts can be mixed and matched.
Week 2
4RI1
Charted Information
· Prepare questions about informational texts. Provide students with three-column charts labeled: Answer, Evidence from Text, So What? Following readings of the informational texts, pose questions orally or visually, having students record responses on the three-column charts. Allow students to share responses with partners or in small groups.
4RI6
Hit the Target
· Provide students a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic and bull’s eye graphic organizers for each text. Direct students to write the authors’ points of view in the center circles of the graphic organizers. Have students record text evidence that supports the points of view in surrounding sections of the bull’s eyes. Direct students to collaborate with partners to identify and discuss similarities and differences between their findings.
4RI8
Web Evidence
· Have students read informational text (Rosa Parks Started Something Big-p. 325 of student Reading Street text) and use web organizers to record reasons and evidence that supports particular points of the texts. Direct students to record points in center circles. Ask students to use outer circles to record reasons that support the points. Have students use branches from outer circles to record evidence that supports the reasons.
Flag the Points
· Have students work in small groups and read informational texts with common points. Guide students to use sticky notes to flag reasons that support points. On the notes, have student’s record evidence that supports the reasons. Encourage students to debrief notes with group members.
4RI9
Compare and Contrast
· Provide students with Venn diagrams. Have students use the diagrams to compare and contrast two informational texts on a common topic. Instruct students to use the charted information to present oral reports discussing the likenesses and differences of the information from the texts.
Predict the Text
· Prior to reading two informational selections on a common topic, allow students to preview the texts using the text features (e.g., title, captions, graphs, diagrams). Have students predict information about the topic that will be contained in the selections and record their predictions. Instruct students to read the selections to confirm the accuracy of their predictions and make corrections as needed. Have students then highlight information that is common to both selections.
4L5b Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs
Food for Thought
· Have students make up their own idioms about food and draw a picture of the idiom on a paper plate. Hang artwork in the classroom.
I Have Who Has
· Create game cards with adages on half of the cards and their meanings on the other half. Play a game of “I have who has” with the class.
4L5c
Synonym Rolls
· Teacher hands circles on pieces of tan paper to students (10-15 pieces) and students draw a spiral from the inside out (to make it look like a cinnamon roll)
· Teacher gives students a list of tier 2 words to be used for the activity.
· Students write the given word in the center of the “synonym roll” and around the spiral, students write the synonyms, or other words with the same or similar meanings as the word in the center.
Antonym Scoot
· For free resource (game cards) follow this link, then download free from teacherspayteachers (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/285204588873903469/)
· Place each Antonym Scoot card on a different desk.
· Set a timer for 1 minute, allow students to write the opposite word for their specific card on their worksheet.
· When the timer goes off, invite each student to rotate to the next desk/card and repeat the instructions until all 12 cards are completed.
4W2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.