ELA

Grade / Unit / Title and Unit Overview / Time Frame: / TAKS and TEKS / Enduring Understandings / Essential Questions
4 / 1
B / Relationships
In this unit, students will gain understanding about how literature reflects the author’s culture that the author is living in, and develop awareness about how literary characters shape individual experiences, or affect the decisions that will be made later in life. / 17-19 days / TAKS:
1, 2, 3, 4
TEKS:
4.10F, 4.10H,4.10I, 4.10J, 4.10L, 4.11C, 4.12D, 4.12H, 4.24A /
  • Literary characters reflect life.
  • The relationships one has shape opinions about others.
  • Literary character traits can influence the behavior of the reader.
Relationships with other people help shape the individual. /
  • How do a character's relationships with others affect decision-making abilities?
  • What is the relationship between "fiction" and "truth?"
  • Does literature shape culture or merely reflect it?
  • What comprehension strategies do good readers use to produce the gist/ main idea of a text?

5 / 1B / Relationships
Building relationships is an essential part of understanding and appreciating differences. As students develop classroom procedures, learn about characterization, and fact/non-fact they will build relationships and apply these skills with classmates. / 1st six weeks
25 days / TAKS:
1, 2, 3, 4
TEKS:
5.10G, 5.10H, 5.10J, 5.12C, 5.12D, 5.12G, 5.12I /
  • Commonalities help understand and appreciate differences.
  • Good readers recognize fact and opinion in everyday reading.
/
  • What are the elements that build a strong friendship?
  • How is conflict an inevitable part of relationships?
  • How are people transformed through their relationship with others?
  • How do we know the difference between fact and opinion?
  • In what types of literature do we find fact and opinion?

Language of Instruction / Relationships and/or Connections that should emerge / Vocabulary / Text Resources
characterization
character development
plot
dialogue
major ideas
details
supporting evidence
precise
directions and instructions
context
effective reading
draw on experiences
mental images
fact / opinion
generalizations
title
author
illustrator
analyze characters traits
motivations
conflicts
point of view
relationships
outlines / playwright
theater
stage
act
scene
advertisement
customs
central idea
minor character
fluency
instructional level
graphic organizers
effective reading
develop vocabulary
discussion
leader
listening comprehension
literature
journal
passage
prior knowledge
reading strategy
text
/
  • Well- informed individuals make better decisions in choosing friends.
  • Diversity in literature promotes cultural awareness within the school community.
Character traits from literature are found throughout life (villains, heroes, etc…) / character
citizen
companion
encourage
friendship
gentlemen
human neighborhood / praise
pride
peaceful
precious
suspect
/ Margaret Kilgo or Rigby Leveled Readers:
  • The Human Body
  • The Treehouse Club
Big Books/Skill Bags:
  • Katy's First Day of School
  • Will I Get the Part?
  • Native Americans of the Plains and the Eastern Woodlands
  • A Rainbow Year
  • The Rock Band
  • Express Yourself
  • Westward to Oregon
Read Aloud Books:
  • All About Me by Debbie Mackinnon
  • First Day by Margaret Wild
  • The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson
  • Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy
  • Boy Overboard by Morris Gleitzman
  • Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamello
  • Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
  • Yo! Yes? by Christopher Raschka
  • This Is Our House by Michael Rosen
  • Big Book of Families by Catherine and Laurence Anhol
  • Magazine articles
  • Any non-fiction book
  • Magic School Bus books by Johanna Cole
Alexander that Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst
author
characters
context
conventions in
written language
cross-curricular
vocabulary
develop
vocabulary
dictionary
draw on
experiences
effective reading
fact
fluent
grammar
identifiable voice
illustrator
instructional
level
internal
logic/consistency
of stories
interpreting
figurative
language
language
structure
literary terms
multi-meaning
words / opinion
playwright
plot
point of view
precise direction /
instructions
prefixes
punctuation
root words
setting
software
spelling
suffixes
thesaurus/synonym
finder
title
character:
traits
motivations
conflicts
point of view relationships
/
  • Following rules builds life-long respect for authority.
  • Working through conflicts helps strengthen relationships. Ex. Learning to reason with friends teaches problem-solving skills.
  • Collaborative efforts through projects builds relationships.
  • Knowing fact and non-fact affect decision making.
  • Differences shape relationships.
/ comrade
connect
descendant
fury
generation / meek
peer
relative
solemn
timid
/ Travel Brochures/Newspaper articles
Books
  • Unique Monique by Marie Rousaki
  • If the World was a Village by David Smith
  • If You Could Wear My Sneakers by Sheree Fitch
  • The Spider and the Fly by Tony DiTerlizzi
  • The Other Sideby Jacqueline Woodson
  • The Graduation of Jake Moon by Barbara Park
  • Juan Verdades: The Man Who Couldn't Tell a Lie by Joe Hayes
  • The Spider and the Fly by Tony DiTerlizzi
  • If You Could Wear My Sneakers by Sheree Fitch
Benchmark:
  • Bread and Roses
  • Animal Adventures
  • Native People
  • Trackers of Dynamic Earth
  • From Pyramids to Skyscrapers
  • Portraits in Greatness
  • Plant Genetics
Navigators:
  • Having Healthful Habits
Kilgo Skill Bag:
  • #9 Trouble Brewing
  • #13 Yourself
  • #12 Will I get the part? (Poster)
Big Book:
  • My Friend
Animal Acrobats

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