Reading Comprehension Unit Plan
Grade: 4
Unit Title: Character Study
CCSS / Coded Standard / Elaboration / Assessment QuestionsRL.4.1 / Refer todetailsandexamplesin atext when EXPLAINING what the text says explicitly and when DRAWING INFERENCES from the text. / Explain explicitly:
· Read closely to determine what the text says.
· Site specific and relevant text-based evidence, verbally or in writing.
To draw inferences:
· Identify textual evidence that supports conclusions.
· Refer to the text when answering directly stated questions.
· Identify relevant details in order to make logical inferences / How does Mr. Isobe treat Chibi? How do you think Chibi feels about himself when he is with Mr. Isobe? Use details from the text to support your answer.
*All ELL assessments will include extended time and bilingual dictionary or glossary/electronic translators/word to word translation accommodations.
Refer to Modified ELL Assessment
RL.4.2 / DETERMINE athemeof a story, drama, or poem fromdetailsin the text,SUMMARIZE thetext. / Theme
· understand that theme can be applied to various texts (as opposed to a lesson learned by one character in one book)
· have a mental bank of possible themes(hardship, perseverance, family relationships)
· connect a character's changes/lessons learned/problems faced to a larger theme
· connect a character's lesson/changes to personal experience (How does this apply to me?)
· explain the theme by providing 2-3 examples from the text (character at the beginning & character at the end; turning points in the plot that match a theme)
· explain the theme by providing a text summary that highlights the theme.
Summarize :
· call forward key story elements
· determine important details
· include overarching theme / Choose a theme from Crow Boy. Summarize the story in a way that shows clear examples of this theme. Be sure to include important details from the text.
RL.4.3 / DESCRIBE in depth acharacter, setting, oreventin a story or drama drawing onspecific detailsin the text. (e.g. a character's thoughts, words, or actions) / Describe:
· Describe or graphically represent characters (traits, thoughts, words, feelings, and actions.)
· Describe and explain how characters actions contribute to the sequence of events (character change or conflict from beginning to end)
· Describe characters motivations throughout the text
· Describe the setting of a story or drama
· Explain how the setting is influencing the character and the plot (Sarah Plain and Tall: setting is the Prairie, lonely desolate place...drives the plot)
· Identify and describe the plot and events in a story or drama (turning point, conflict, resolution, character roles)
· express verbally or in written form understanding of story elements
Draw on specific details:
· Recount specific story details that show how an idea has developed in the text.
· Use text-based evidence to support thinking. / Describe an event in the story that changes the way that others feel about Chibi. How does this event change the way Chibi feels about himself?
RL.4.6 / COMPARE and CONTRAST the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations. / · Describe characteristics of first-person and third-person narrations.
· Identify point of view in a text.
· / We know that stories are told from first person narrators and third person narrators. From whose point of view is this story being told? Use details from the story to support your answer.
Spiraled Reading Standards: RL.4.10, RL.4.11
Embedded Writing Standards:
W.4.2.Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
· 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.
· Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
· Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g.,another,for example,also,because).
· Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
· Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
Assessment Links / Rubrics and Scoring Guide Links
Pre-Assessment / Unit Assessment Rubric
Modified ELL Assessment / Unit Assessment Rubric
Recommended Texts
Picture books:
· One Green Apple (Eve Bunting)
· Those Shoes (Maribeth Boelts)
· Dancing in the Wings (Debbie Allen) / Novels:
· Because of Winn Dixie (Kate DiCamillo)
· Taste of Blackberries (Doris Smith)
Big Ideas / Essential Questions
· Readers read closely to grow ideas about characters
· Readers hunt for themes / How can I walk in a character’s shoes in a way that allows me to collect important information, grow new ideas, push through the hard parts, and learn life lessons?
Vocabulary / Anchor Charts
· Domain-specific: inference, point of view, theme, summarize, main idea
· Character words: / · Big Ideas & Essential Question
· Know/Wonder charts for each book
· “Getting to Know Characters”
· “What is this Book Really About?”
Standard/
Outcome / Teaching Points
(Lesson Objectives) / Checks for Understanding / Title / Adjustment, Intervention and Extension / Instructional Resources & Tools
RL.4.1
Readers explain what the text says and make inferences. / 1.1: Readers pause after reading a chunk of text and tell back what they know so far.
1.2*: Readers use a know/wonder chart to make inferences visible.
1.3*: Readers pay attention to what the character does, says, and thinks to come up with ideas about the kind of person the character is and how s/he feels.
1.4: Readers use characters’ words, thoughts and actions to infer characters’ feelings (and look for parts where a character says one thing but feels a different way). / · (1.1) Stop & jot written response: P.5, What do you know about Farah?
· (ongoing) Independent response notebooks - know/wonder chart
· (1.3) Stop & jot written response: Describe Farah at the end of the story. / One Green Apple
Weslandia / Practice inference on scaffolded texts (K àN àP)
Use: It says/ I say/ and so… support / “Know/wonder” charts from: What Readers Really Do (Barnhouse & Vinton; Heinemann 2012)
RL.4.6
Readers have ways to tell who is telling the story. / 1.5: Readers know that 1st person POV is when the narrator is a character in the story; 3rd person is when the narrator is not a character in the story and is telling it from an outside point of view.
1.6: Readers look for clues to determine which point of view is being used in a story. (who’s telling the story, pronouns like I, am, my, we our, us are clues for determining 1st person POV. / · (1.5) Turn and talk: Let’s look back at One Green Apple (project or give students first pages). From what point of view is this told? How do you know? / My Brother Martin (Treasures)
My Broither’s Flying Machine (Treasures)
The Name Jar / http://www.readworks.org/lessons/grade4/point-view/lesson-1
RL.4.3/4.1
Readers grow ideas about characters’ feelings, motivations, and reactions / 1.7*: Readers use a know/wonder chart to make inferences visible.
1.8*: Readers pay attention to what the character does, says, and thinks to come up with ideas about the kind of person the character is.
1.9: Readers can learn about a character by paying attention to how the character acts and feels around other characters.
1.10: Readers track changes in characters’ feelings or traits across a story. They stop to ask: Does this feeling/trait stay the same, or is this new? / · (1.8) Turn & Talk: What is it that the character really wants? What does that make me think about the kind of person he or she is?
· (1.10) Stop & Jot written response: How does the character feel at the beginning of the story? Has this changed? Why? / Because of Winn Dixie
James and the Giant Peach
The Hundred Penny Box / Story map
(intervention)
Character Sketch using a body graphic organizer: head is for what they think, arms for what they feel, etc.
(intervention)
Brochure of characters in a book as though it were a playbill
(extension) / Chartchums
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/using-picture-books-teach-101.html
see resources for interactive graphic organizers
RL.4.3/4.2
Readers determine key events in a story / 1.11: Readers determine key events by jotting down on post-its changes in a character’s feelings as the story progresses.
1.12: Readers summarize with key events by asking themselves: Which events are important to understanding the character’s change? / · Use their post it notes to complete a graphic organizer.
Flow map
MSCPR
Beginning/Middle/End
MAIN IDEA/DETAIL/DETAIL/DETAIL
· Use a graphic organizer to write a summary with text details from the beginning, middle, and end. / The Lotus Seed
Chicken Sunday / Mini lesson on how to self- monitor, using post-its in guided reading group
(intervention)
Character Analysis (on a 4 square style organizer)
Description of Character, Major challenge or goal, response to challenge, character changes over time- (extension) Gretchen Owocki, Working With the Common Core / http://www.jimwrightonline.com/pdfdocs/brouge/rdngManual.PDF
resource for teachers including mini lessons and graphic organizers on comprehension
RL.4.2/4.1
Readers tell what a story is really about by explaining a theme or message. / 1.13: Readers look for ideas that come up over and over again (patterns) and ask: What might the author be showing us with these patterns?
1.14*: Readers can try out themes by thinking about what the author might be trying to show us about people and life.
1.15: Readers can try out themes by first thinking: What’s this about? (topic) And then: What are you thinking about this topic? (theme statement)
1.16: Readers can try out themes by thinking about what the author might be trying to show us about people and life. / · Tell Students: Theme is an idea, message or lesson that the author expresses. We need to make inferences based on text details to figure out the theme.
· (1.13)Stop & Jot: What is happening in the text? What is the big idea?
· (1.14) Graphic Organizer (detail, detail, theme)
· (1.15) Gallery Walk: Teacher posts themes on chart paper from the graphic organizer. Small groups of students rotate to each poster and add text based details to support the themes / The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
The Legend of Bluebonnet / Intervention/extension: Finding theme in a song- using song lyrics of popular songs students will listen to or read lyrics and try to determine the theme of the song. / http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/
click literacy links, reading workshop, read aloud/theme study
W.4.2
Writing Response Lessons / 1: Writers look for text evidence to support claims/ideas.
2: Writers use strong transitions (One example… Another place in the text…).
3: Writers develop the topic with concrete details, information, or examples related to the topic.
4: Writers develop an introduction and conclusion related to the topic. / Writing Response 1: Describe an event from the story that changed the character’s feelings about….
Writing Response 2: Identify places in the text that help you determine whose point of view the story is being told from.
Writing Response 3 and 4: Choose a theme from the story. Be sure to think about what the author might be trying to show us about people and life.
· Explain the idea, lesson, or message that the author might be trying to show us
· Describe the things characters do and say that illustrate your chosen theme.
· Support your claims/ideas with text evidence / Scaffold the essay with pre writing prompts that address theme in other stories
Student conferences/
Feedback
Mini lesson on transition words/ anchor charts / Six Traits Writing, Journals, pre-writing, anchor papers- 4 Square Graphic organizer
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/essaymap/
great resource for modeling using a smart board. Students also have the option to save/print their essay map.
Suggested Pacing Calendar
Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday
October 1 / October 2 / October 3 / October 4 / October 5
Unit 1 Pre-assessment / 1.1
Begin picture book / 1.2 / 1.3 / Writing Response Lesson 1
October 8 / October 9 / October 10 / October 11 / October 12
Columbus Day / 1.4 / 1.5 / 1.6
Begin novel / Writing Response Lesson 2
October 15 / October 16 / October 17 / October 18 / October 19
1.7 / 1.8 / 1.9 / 1.10 / 1.11
October 22 / October 23 / October 24 / October 25 / October 26
1.12 / 1.13 / 1.14 / 1.15 / Writing Response Lesson 3
October 29 / October 30 / October 31 / November 1 / November 2
Writing Response Lesson 4 / Assessment / Assessment / Re-teaching / Re-teaching
Unit celebration