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Last updated:4/1/2014

Title:

ELA Grade 4 Module 1

Subject
English Language Arts / Grade
4 / Module
1 / Suggested Timeline
9 weeks
Grade Level Summary
In fourth grade, students read skillfully with meaning and purpose using appropriate comprehension and vocabulary strategies. They examine multiple points of view and the structural elements of text. Emphasis is on drawing evidence from text as they read, discuss, reflect, and respond to informational text and a wide variety of literary genres with an inclusion of texts from other cultures. They explore the theme of texts and begin to move from integrating information from one text to several texts. Students read for pleasure and continue to choose books based on personal preference, topic, theme, or author.
Students write for a range of purposes, including describing, telling a story, and explaining. They produce writing that goes beyond formulaic compositions to more self-directed pieces that include domain-specific vocabulary, precise language, and using transition words to convey meaning. Because they are aware of the interdependence of the topic, audience, purpose, and form, they select and sometimes adapt basic forms to meet specific requirements. Their understanding and use of figurative language introduces imagery to their writing. Informational writing reflects understanding of specific purpose, often requiring gathering, paraphrasing, and synthesizing facts and details from a number of resources to express and justify an opinion. There is an increased use of technology, including the internet. Students are more aware of the conventions of writing as they reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and strive to improve.
(Adapted from Washington State’s Essential Academic Learning Requirements)
Grade Level Modules
Module 1: Becoming a Close Reader and Writing to Learn
Module 2: Researching to Build Knowledge and Teaching Others (Emphasis on narrative text types and writing) Module 3: Researching to Build Knowledge and Teaching Others (Emphasis on informational text types and writing) Module 4: Considering Perspectives and Supporting Opinions (Emphasis on opinion writing comparing texts)
Module 5: Considering Perspectives and Supporting Opinions (Emphasis on opinion writing explaining with textual reasons) Module 6: Gathering Evidence and Speaking to Others
Module 7: Literary Analysis

Module 1 Title: Becoming a Close Reader and Writing to Learn

Module Overview
This module focuses on reading and listening to literature. Informational texts are used to gather specific details, determine central ideas, and reinforce reading fluency. Students read informational text with a focus on determining main ideas and supporting details, visual aids, using context clues to determine word meanings, and fluency
Students read literary text to develop an understanding of setting, characterization, theme, and informational writing. Students read within a variety of genres, often comparing and contrasting multiple texts on the same topic. They write to demonstrate understanding of multiple topics and produce numerous pieces over short and extended time frames.
Module Objectives
At the end of this module, students will be able to independently use their learning to:
Use details from the text to describe characters, setting, events, and themes in literature (stories, drama, poetry) Determine the main idea of the text and explain how it is supported by key details
Interpret information from two texts on the same topic to demonstrate understanding of that topic
Interpret information presented visually (e.g., charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, and interactive elements in digital sources) and explain how that information supports the meaning of text
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly
Focus Standards Addressed in this Module
Important Standards Addressed in this Module
CC.1.1.4.E -
Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension: Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
Misconceptions
Students feel close reading is “racing through the passages” and retelling information.
Students point out what is similar and different between two texts on similar topics based on their background knowledge or perceptions. / Proper Conceptions
Students will be required to do a “close reading of text” through analyzing text rea questioning the text itself, interpreting what is written, and justifying their reasonin behind their interpretation using text evidence to support their responses.
Students should be able to identify basic similarities in and difference between tw texts of the same topic. Students will be required to determine whether the similarities and differences between the texts are due to author’s interpretation or based on factual information - drawing information from the text to support their conclusions.
Concepts
Phonics and Word Recognition Main Idea
Text Analysis
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Diverse Media
Analysis Across Texts Literary Elements Strategies / Competencies
Use combined knowledge of all letter- sound correspondences, syllabication, patterns, and morphology to read accurately unfamiliar multi-syllabic words.
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
Interpret various presentations of information within a text or digital source and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of text in which it appears.
Integrate information from two texts on the same topic to demonstrate understanding of that topic.
Cite relevant details from text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade level reading and content choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.
Informational: Identify and introduce the topic clearly. Opinion: Introduce the topic and state an opinion on the topic. Narrative: Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters.
With guidance and support form peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
Informational: Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. Opinion and Narrative: Choose words and phrases to convey ideas
precisely. / Vocabulary
Syllabication Morphology Recount Digital Sources Drama
Assessments
The assessments below include summative assessments (Formative assessment examples are located in the "Suggested Strategies to Support Design of Coherent Instruction"). The sample summative assessments below ask students to engage in a Literacy Design Collaborative Task (LDC) task in which they demonstrate the abilit to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Sample Performance Tasks - Literacy Design Collaborative

Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) template tasks are fill-in-the-blank “shells” built off the Common Core State Standards. They allow teachers to insert the text to be read, writing to be produced, and content to be addressed. When filled in, template tasks create high-quality student assignments that develop reading, writing, and thinki skills in the context of learning science, history, English, and other subjects.

Grade 4 Elementary LDC Task Template – Informational/Explanatory

(Insert optional question) After reading (literary or informational text/s), write a/n (product) in which you explain (content). Give (an, several, or a number) examples from (text/s) to support your discussion.

Grade 4 Elementary LDC ELA Task Example

After reading The Big Game, write two paragraphs in which you explain what Leo Learned from taking his mitt to the ballgame. Give two examples from the story to supp your discussion.

LDC Template Task Collection for Elementary Grades 4-5: http://www.literacydesigncollaborative.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/LDC-Elementary-Template-Task v1.pdf

OR

PSSA Grades 3-5 Informative/Explanatory Scoring Guidelines http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/state_assessment_system/20965/pennsylvania_system_of_school_assessment_%28pssa%29/11905

Informational Writing

Students explain how Melvin Berger uses reasons and evidence in his book Discovering Mars: The Amazing Story of the Red Planet to support particular points regarding the topology of the planet.

Students identify the overall structure of ideas, concepts, and information in Seymour Simon’s Horses (based on factors such as their speed and color) and compa and contrast that scheme to the one employed by Patricia Lauber in her book Hurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest Storms.

Students interpret the visual chart that accompanies Steve Otfinosk’s The Kid’s Guide to Money: Earning It, Saving It, Spending It, Growing It, Sharing It and expla how the information found within it contributes to an understanding of how to create a budget.

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf

Additional grade 4 summative assessment examples grade4.Mod1.summative.ex..docx (adapted from

http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/ela-grade-4-sample-questions_0.pdf)

Suggested Strategies to Support Design of Coherent Instruction

Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching: Domain 3 Instruction

Informational and Literary Text

Reciprocal Teaching

Through the use of four skills the students learn how to set purposes for reading, how to critically evaluate and monitor themselves, and how to find the main idea in the text (Oczuks, 2003).

Prove it!

This strategy suggests that students read a page selected by the teacher. The teacher then selects an idea from the page and students locate one or two statements of evidence from the text which support the statement. An adaptation is to provide small groups with four or five main ideas from the same text. It is the small group’s responsibility to determine that these statements are main ideas. The students then locate one or two statements of evidence from the text which support these main idea Once students finish finding proof, students work in their groups to summarize the text by sharing their proof. (Boyles, 2004)

Question Quandary

Ask students to answer the following questions as they notice important details and the main idea of a text.

Graphic Organizer

Students use graphic organizers to identify the main idea and supporting details from a given text. After they complete the task, they meet with a partner or small group a discuss and compare their organizers. Next, they create an organizer together, based on information from all and their discussion. Finally, using the organizer, they write brief summary of the text. Small group, partner

3-2-1

After reading a selected text students create a 3, 2, 1. They provide 3 key details, 2 supporting ideas and the 1 main idea. Partner or individual

Accept or Reject

The teacher lists several statements that could be the main idea of the assigned text. Before reading, students predict which statement is the main idea and defend their choice. (Use white boards).Students then read the text and either keep their first choice or change to a different main idea, indicating it on their white board. Students will defend their choices with information from the text. Suggestion: Include some key details that are in the story, but not the main idea. (Small group)

References

Boyles, N. (2004). Constructing meaning through kid-friendly comprehension strategy instruction. Gainesville, FL: Maupin House Publishing, (pp. 173-174). Oczuks, L. (2003). Reciprocal teaching at work: Strategies for improving reading comprehension. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Understanding Text - Informational and Literary

Student Survey

Have students create their own graphs by polling students about certain topics of interest such as their preferences in music. Once data is collected, create a graph. Ask the following questions about the data: What is their most popular type of music and the least favorite? How might the age of the survey group determine the results on th graph? What would you predict the average age of the group would be for other types of music? How would a company that sells downloadable music use this informatio to promote sales?

Website Features

Choose a website, such as National Geographic for Kids, that has different features such as videos, articles, and graphic representations (e.g. charts, diagrams, maps) pertaining to one topic. Create a list of questions which can be answered by reading the different features of the website

Website Walk

Much like the Picture Walk Strategy, choose a website that has several text features such as those listed in the standard. An example would be Time For Kids. Small groups or individuals can find examples of each feature and report to the class how the feature enables the student to better understand the text.

Medium

Using a current magazine, students review the information in a chart or graph and explain in a different medium the information and how it relates to the additional text. This could be done in a small group or individually. For example, review timelines on a similar subject. Students then create a PowerPoint.

Speech

Students read a famous speech, such as Martin Luther King’s I Have A Dream. They then watch and listen to a recording of the actual speech. Discuss how the actual presentation is different from the written speech and if it is better in one form than the other. They will defend their opinion and explain why they feel this way.

Timeline

Students read a biographical representation about an individual such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Students place events from the information on a timeline.

Comic Strip

Create a comic strip that illustrates a sequence of events from an informational text. Include conversation bubbles to promote further understanding of the text.

Diagram/Animation- Locate a website that gives directions both in a diagram/animation form and written words. The students will compare the two forms and explain how the visual information helps with understanding. Advance planning is required.

Poetry Panache

Find two illustrated poems about the same topic such as musical instruments. Students highlight words in the texts that are closely related (synonyms), and find phrases that might describe the similar theme of music. Students then turn and talk to neighbors about the similarities, or individually compare and contrast the ideas in a writing journal.

Map Models

Use maps that are from different time periods on the topic of migration. Small groups discuss the differences and similarities and create a chart outlining the information possibly pertaining to population, shapes of states or areas, and waterways. Students then share the information created in their groups. Individuals could complete an ex slip about their learning for the activity.