Curriculum planning chart

Generative Topic (Blythe et al, 1998): Critical and Historical Thinkers: Fact vs. Opinion
Subject: 4th Grade Social Studies & Writing
Concept*
("The student will
understand")
The big idea,
"enduring
understanding";
broad way to make
sense of the world,
or a life lesson
It is important to
determine the
differences between
facts and opinions.
Some pieces of
evidence are more
compelling than
others.
Central problem /
issue / or essential
question:
What is the
difference between
facts and opinions?
Why is it difficult to
determine if
something is
factual or true?
What makes
evidence strong or
compelling?

Standard

ELA-Literacy:
PACC.1.2.4.DRI.4.6: Compare
and contrast an
event told from
two different
points of view.
E04.C.1.1.2
Provide reasons
that are
supported by
facts and details.
History:
PACC.8.1.4.B:
Distinguish
between fact
and opinion from
multiple points of
view, and
primary sources
as related to
historical events.
PACC.8.1.6.C:
Explain the
fundamentals of
historical
interpretation
(Fact vs. opinion)

Assessment
(How will you have
evidence that they know
it?)

Facts
("The students
will know")

Skills
("The
students will
be able
to")

Video:
Identify the facts and
infer opinions from
Finding Nemo

A fact is
something that
is true and can
be proven.

Distinguish
between
fact and
opinion.

Poster:
Identify the facts from
Voices in the Park.
Compare each
characters opinions of
the facts.

An opinion is
what a person
thinks or feels
about
something.

Write a
persuasive
paragraph
on one
topic.

Sometimes it is
difficult to figure
out what is a
fact in a
situation (based
on eyewitness
accounts, first
vs.
secondhand,
amount of time
that passed,
personal bias,
physical
vantage point).

Support their
opinions with
facts.

Writing prompt:
Identify and explain the
facts in the account of
the fictional scenario
(#1).
Discussion:
Identify facts from Rosa
Parks sources. Interpret
the differences in facts.
Writing prompt:
Compose a persuasive
paragraph that uses
facts and evidence to
support their opinions
about what happened in
the scenario (#2).
Debate/Trial:
Decide what happened
in the event using facts
(not opinions) to support
what happened.

Some pieces of
evidence are
more
compelling
than others
(consider the
source, the
amount of
detail).

Edit and
revise their
writing.
Publish their
writing online
and
comment on
their
classmates
writing.
Debate
issues using
facts.

Name: Anna Arsenault

Problems to pose
("Guiding
questions" or "unit
questions")
Why is it
important to
know the
difference
between a fact
and opinion?
How can you tell
the difference
between a fact
and opinion?
Why might
people disagree
on the facts?
What makes
some pieces of
evidence more
compelling than
others?

Activities:

Separate facts
from opinions
after watching
clips from
Finding Nemo.
Voices in the
Park read-aloud
and poster
making/gallery
walk.
Students will
examine
different artifacts
from the Rosa
Parks arrest.
Students will
publish their
persuasive
pieces on a
blog.
Students will
conduct a
culminating
trial/debate
about an event.

Curriculum planning chart

Generative Topic (Blythe et al, 1998): Critical and Historical Thinkers: Perspectives
Subject:
4th Grade Language Arts & Social Studies
Concept*
("The student will
understand")
The big idea,
"enduring
understanding";
broad way to make
sense of the world,
or a life lesson
People have
different points of
view for various
reasons.
Every person has
experiences that
may impact their
perceptions of the
facts.
Revising your
thinking based on
new information is
important.
Central problem /
issue / or essential
question:
What does it mean
to examine different
points of view? Why
is it important to
analyze and
question sources?
How can thinking
critically and
historically change
my perspective?

Standard

Assessment
(How will you
have evidence
that they know
it?)

ELA-Literacy:
PACC.1.2.4.D: Compare
and contrast an event
or topic told from two
different points of view.

Discussion about
differences in
perspective in
Voices in the
Park

CC.RI.4.6 Compare and

contrast a firsthand and
secondhand account of
the same event or topic.

Identify which
sources are more
reliable (Rosa
Parks).

History:
PA/NCSS.8.1.6.B. Explain
and analyze historical
sources (Multiple
historical perspectives)

Analyze their
Snapshot
Autobiographies.

PA/NCSS.8.1.6.C. Explain
the fundamentals of
historical interpretation
(Multiple points of view)
PA/NCSS.8.1.6.D.
Describe and explain
historical research
(Historical questions,
primary and secondary
sources)
Business, Computer, and
information Technology:
PA.15.3.5.F. Ask
meaningful questions
based on a speakers
premise

Questions asked
during scenario
#2 show
changes in their
thinking.
Use the
evidence to
decide what
happened in
scenario #2.
Debate/Trial:
Organize the key
details of a given
event into what
they feel they
know and what
should be
contested.

Facts
("The students
will know")
Define first
person,
second
person, third
person limited,
and third
person
omniscient.
Define a
firsthand
account,
secondhand
account,
primary source,
and secondary
source.
That accounts
and
interpretations
of the same
event may be
different.
The farther you
get away from
the source, the
greater the
likelihood that
the facts
may be
different.

Skills
("The students
will be able
to")
Identify the
point of view in
a text.
Identify
relevant
information
and key
details from an
event.
Write about an
event from a
different point
of view.
Pose relevant
questions
about sources
and their
credibility.
Present their
thinking in a
written
response or
verbal
presentation.
Debate issues
using
evidence.

Name: Anna Arsenault

Problems to
pose
("Guiding
questions" or
"unit
questions")
Why is it
difficult to
figure out
what really
happened?
Why is it
important to
question the
facts?
How does
perspective
and point of
view change
the meaning/
effectiveness
of a text?

Activities:

Write a letter to
yourself from the
perspective of an
object you use.
Write about an
event in their life
(firsthand account)
and interview
someone at home
about they recall the
event.
Individual project:
different
interpretation of
read aloud
(narrative, song,
dance, skit, etc)
Voices in the Park
read-aloud and
poster
making/gallery walk.
Interview a witness
of scenario #2.
Students will
conduct a
culminating
trial/debate about
an event.

Curriculum planning chart

Generative Topic (Blythe et al, 1998): Critical Thinkers: Solving Problems
Subject: 4th Grade Math
Assessment

Concept*
("The student will
understand")
(The big idea, the
"enduring
understanding"
[Wiggins, 1998]; a
broad way of
making sense of the
world, or a life
lesson)
You can apply what
you know to figure
out what you dont
know and solve a
problem.
Decomposing and
composing is
important because it
allows you to look at
things in a different
way.
Central problem /
issue / or essential
question (intended
to "get at" the
concept; the
motivator)
How can you think
about fractions in a
different way to
understand size and
equivalence?

Standard

(How will you have

evidence that they
know it?)

Math:
CC.2.1.4.C.1.
Extend the
understanding of
fractions to show
equivalence and
ordering.

Arranging fractions
from smallest to
largest

CC.2.1.4.C.2.
Build fractions
from unit fractions
by applying and
extending
previous
understandings of
operations on
whole numbers.

Identify equivalent
fractions and
explain why using
visuals or words

ELA-Literacy:
CCSS.ELALiTERACY.RI.4.7.:
Interpret
information
presented
visually, orally, or
quantitatively
and explain how
the information
contributes to an
understanding of
the text.

Generate
equivalent
fractions

Performance:
Give the students
certain size
measuring cups
and have them
follow the
recipe. They will
have to
decompose and
compose the
given fractions to
create the
necessary
fractions.

Facts
("The students will
know")
An equivalent
fraction means
having the same
amount or value.
A mixed number is
a whole number
and a fraction.
Fractions a/b are
equivalent to
fractions (n x a)/(n x
b)
When the
denominators are
the same, the
smaller the
numerator, the
smaller the fraction
and the larger the
numerator, the
larger the fraction.
When the
numerators are the
same, the smaller
the denominator,
the larger the
fraction and the
larger the
denominator, the
smaller the fraction.

Name: Anna Arsenault

Skills

Problems to pose

("The students
will be able
to")

("Guiding
questions" or "unit
questions")

Compose and
decompose
fractions with
the same
denominators
Add fractions
with common
denominators
Subtract
fractions with
common
denominators
Order fractions
from smallest
to largest
Place fractions
on a timeline

How can you

change what
you know into a
form that can
help you solve
the problem?
What do the
denominator and
numerator
mean?
When might you
want to
compose and
decompose
fractions?

Activities:

Create fraction
bars to
reference during
the unit.
Thats Messed
Up: Two correct
addition/subtrac
tion sentences
and one
incorrect.
Students have to
identify and
correct the
incorrect
sentence.
Quizzes:
Equivalent
fractions
Figure out how
to make a
recipe with
limited
measuring cups.