ELA

Grade 4
Unit 4

ELA

Grade 4

Unit 4

Summary of Unit 4
6 Weeks
Students will continue and deepen their learning of determining a theme of fiction or the main idea of nonfiction. Students should be able to
incorporate the theme or main idea when summarizing texts. Students should also interpret information presented visually in a text or story and
explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text or connects to the story.
Students will also write various types of informational text by writing to explain how, to explain why, and to summarize. Students should
incorporate information gathered from multiple resources and provide a list of sources. Students will follow the writing process with a focus on
the organization (i.e. topic sentence, transitions, and conclusions).

PASSForward Standards
RL.4.2

RI.4.7

SL.4.6

RL.4.4

RI.4.10

L.4.3.c

RL.4.7

W.4.2

L.4.4.b.c.

RL.4.10

W.4.5

L.4.5.b.c

RI.4.2

W.4.8

RF.4.3

RI.4.4

W.4.10

RF.4.4

Connections to other Content Areas

Social Studies:
The Midwest Region

Essential Questions

Assessments
Unit 4 Pre/Post Test
Running Records

Is there an explanation for everything?

How do readers share what they know?

*Essential question is suggested teachers may change to fit a different theme.

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ELA

Grade 4

Unit 4

Key Academic Vocabulary

allude
categorize
characters
connect
convey
description
digital sources
direction
examine

explain
inform/explain
interpret
key details
main idea
mythology
notes
oral presentation
quantitatively

Students:

relevant
significant
source
summarize
theme
version
visual

Exemplar Lesson
In this cross-curricular social studies lesson connected to social studies
unit 5, students will be introduced to the geography and climate of the
Midwest. They will learn how the geography and climate cause the area
to be perfect for farming. Given multiple sources, students will be able to
identify the location of the Midwest, describe its geography, discuss the
importance of agriculture to the Midwest economy, and create a
billboard for advertising agricultural products grown in the Midwest.

EXPECTED BEHAVIORS DURING THIS UNIT

Read attentively for understanding (RL.4.2)

Choose stories and poems that you like as well as ones that your
teacher assigns (RL.4.2)
Learn and understand the meaning of theme; it is a tricky concept
(RL.4.2)
Learn some strong strategies for determining theme; one good one
is to look at the main character and see how they change through
the challenges they encounter in the story (the lessons they learn are
usually related to the theme) (RL.4.2)
Use strategies youve learned to help understand the text, such as
taking notes, re-reading, summarizing, or paraphrasing(RL.4.2)
Notice when you see references to mythology in popular culture,
and make yourself familiar with the basics of Greek and Roman
myths (you will find that they are everywhere!) (RL.4.4)
When you read, think about why an author chooses the kinds of
words he or she chooses, noticing whether they are formal or
informal, old-fashioned or modern, aimed at children or adults; think
about how those words make you feel (RL.4.4)
Use all the strategies youve learned to understand words you dont
know, and keep a list of new words youve learned (RL.4.4)

Teachers:

Provide explicit instruction and scaffolding as necessary for the skills

and concepts students should acquire in Unit 4
Provide differentiated, small group instruction as needed
Provide additional opportunities for students to master these skills
and concepts through the use of literacy centers
Provide students examples of themes in well-known texts (RL.4.2)
Theme is a vague concept; make it very clear to your students
exactly what you mean when you talk about theme and give them
some strategies for identifying it (as above) (RL.4.2)
Model note taking with an emphasis on how to summarize the text
(RL.4.2)
Model how to summarize the text both orally and in writing(RL.4.2)
Show students what kind of information goes in their notes, focusing
on literary elements and avoiding extraneous detail(RL.4.2)
Reinforce basic knowledge of the parts of a text: plot, characters,
setting, etc. (RL.4.2)
Guide students in recognizing how the different word choices of
authors impact their understanding of a text, and how those choices
are purposeful (pay attention to how words make you feel, and to
considering what other words could have been used instead and

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Grade 4

Notice the differences in the way you have imagined something in

your mind and the way it has been imagined by a director of another
writer; try to identify the descriptions and clues in the text that
helped you paint the picture you had in your mind(RL.4.7)
Understand the difference between theme (usually literary) and
main idea (usually informational) (RI.4.2)
Use the structure of a text to help you identify topic sentences and
support for claims(RI.4.2)
Take notes on the most important facts and elements of a text as
you read (RI.4.2)
Know the difference between paraphrase and summary; try not to
include your own opinion when you summarize(RI.4.2)
Determine the meaning of unknown words using their
context(RI.4.4)
Read a variety of texts and incorporates new words into oral and
written language(RI.4.4)
Apply learned strategies to determine the meaning of unknown
words( context clues, reference materials, word families, etc)(RI.4.4)
Know the difference between general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases (RI.4.4)
Record new words learned into a notebook for future use when
writing and speaking (RI.4.4)
Use all kinds of resources in your research, not just digital resources
(RI.4.7)
Think about the ways in which visual elements help you understand
a text; whether they help you more in certain kinds of texts (RI.4.7)
Notice the kinds of charts, graphs, and diagrams you see in your
reading and think about what kinds youd like to use in your own
informational writing (RI.4.7)
Learn to use software to help you generate graphics and understand
charts and graphs, such as excel (RI.4.7)
Select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based
on purpose, genre expectations, audience, length, and format

Unit 4

how the experience would have been different) (RL.4.4)

Include works from Greek and Roman mythology throughout your
lesson plans in grade 4, but also remember to include mythology
from American Indian, African, Chinese, and other cultures from
around the world (RL.4.4)
Provide opportunities for students to make connections from text to
a visual or oral presentation (RL.4.7)
Engage students in using various informational texts to identify the
main idea, and the supporting key details (RI.4.2)
Model effective summarization and the difference between
summary and paraphrase; provide students with opportunities to
practice both(RI.4.2)
Provide strategies for determining main idea in an informational text
(for example word frequency, topic sentences) (RI.4.2)
Engage students in activities to experiment with words (word games,
word wall, sorting words, etc.) (RI.4.4)
Reinforce various strategies for determining meaning of unknown
words, especially academic and domain-specific vocabulary, such as
context, roots and suffixes, and reference materials (RI.4.4)
Provide opportunities for focused study of vocabulary from
informational text that students will encounter in academic and
career situations, such as legal, scientific, or computer
terminology(RI.4.4)
Model and explore techniques for chunking difficult technical text,
taking notes, outlining, or other strategies to make texts manageable
(RI.4.4)
Routinely practice summary and paraphrase of complex
informational texts (RI.4.4)
Provide students with opportunities to use multiple print and digital
sources (RI.4.7)
Guide students to understand how to use digital charts, graphs, time
lines, animations, and interactive elements on Web pages(RI.4.7)
Require all steps of the writing process when appropriate (W.4.2)

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Grade 4

requirements (W.4.2)
Include researched information in different types of presentations
(e.g., compositions, multimedia presentations, graphic organizers,
projects, etc.) (W.4.2)
Draw from more than one source of information such as speakers,
books, newspapers, and online materials (W.4.2)
Use appropriate structures to ensure coherence (e.g., transition
elements) (W.4.2)
Provide a clear introduction and thesis as well as a sense of closure
to the writing (W.4.2)
Acknowledge information from sources (W.4.2)

Unit 4

Model and guide students to an understanding of transitions(W.4.2)

Provide students opportunities to use various forms of technology to
aid in writing (W.4.2)
Model for students how to correctly acknowledge information
obtained from sources and how to choose appropriate
sources(W.4.2)
Provide explicit instruction in determining what qualifies as strong
evidence for a claim as opposed to weak, irrelevant, or trivial
support (W.4.2)

Suggested Resources
Resources for Balanced Literacy: Text Complexity Range 740L940L
Whole Group
Small Group Guided
Read Aloud
Shared Reading
Reading
The Houdini Box by
Brian Selznick SF pg.
392a
Encantado: Pink
Dolphin of the
Amazon by Sy
Montgomery SF pg.
416a
The King in the
Kitchen by Margaret
E. Slattery SF pg.
440a
Seeker of Knowledge

Scott Foresman Leveled Readers

RL.4.2/RI4.2
The Rescue Dogs 260
The Busy, Lively, Sleepy, and
Quiet Pond 370
Buddy Goes to School 450
Training Peanut 540
The Noble Boy and the Brick
Maker 620
What's Money All About? 880
Michelangelo and The Italian
Renaissance 890
Animals of the Concrete Jungle930
The Kudzu Invasion- 930

A Wonder Book:
Heroes and
Monsters of Greek
Mythology by
Nathaniel
Hawthorne,
Children's Classics
A Wonder Book:
Heroes and
Monsters of Greek
Mythology by
Nathaniel
Hawthorne,
Children's Classics
Lesson 2

Writing

Word Work

Write Now SF pg. 463

Contractions

Writing Workshop SF
pg. 465g

Final le, al, en

Final er, ar
Informative/Explanatory
Writing samples and
/j/, /ks/, and
prompts
/kw/ dge, ge, x,
qu
Process Essay Unit
Prefixes un- ,disExplanatory Writing
, inUnit
Summary/Informational
Writing Unit

Tulsa Public Schools Curriculum & Instruction, May 8,2015/revised May 19, 2015

Independent
Reading
Model and
explicitly teach
behaviors during
mini-lessons,
including choosing
just right books.
Students may
utilize independent
or buddy reading.
Students should
keep a reading log
and/or reading
journal.
Reading Workshop
Video with
resources
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ELA
by James Rumford SF
pg. 466a
Encyclopedia Brown
and the Case of the
Slippery Salamander
by Donald J. Sobol SF
pg. 488a
A Wonder Book:
Heroes and Monsters
of Greek
Mythology by
Nathaniel
Hawthorne,
Children's ClassicPaired Text Lesson
When Marian Sang:
The True Recital of
Marian Anderson by
Pam Munoz RyanPaired Text Lesson

RL.4.4/RI.4.4
Cowboys L-200
Rules Make Life Work L-240
All That Jazz! L- 250
Nature's Balance L-290
Salt Lick Boom Town L-340
Puppy Raiser L-420
What Is Energy? L-480
To Be a Star L-770
Pedro's Gift L-780
Feel, Think, Move L-810
Darkness into Light L=820
RL.4.7/RI.4.7
Matter- 250
Places - 270
How Things Work - 380
Earth's Land, Air, and Water- 390
Swamp Life- 430
The Earth - 470
Crystals and Gems- 590
The Noble Boy and the Brick
Maker- 620
Code Breakers: Uncovering
German Messages- 670
Pictures in the Sky- 750
The Rosetta Stone and the Secret
of Hieroglyphics- 800
City Life: Then and Now-880
Ancient Life Along the Nile- 930

Grade 4
Why Mosquitoes
Buzz in Peoples
Ears: A West
African Tale retold
by Verna Aardema

Unit 4
Lesson 3: Writing a
Research Report

Olivia's Birds:
Saving the Gulf by
Olivia Bouler
Squantos
Journey by Joseph
Bruchac
Animals That
Hibernate by
Phyllis J. Perry
When Marian
Sang: The True
Recital of Marian
Anderson by Pam
Munoz Ryan

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Appendix
UNWRAPPING THE STANDARDS
The standards listed below are the standards chosen for special focus in this unit. They have been unwrapped to reveal their meaning. Key
conceptswhat students need to knowhave been underlined, and the skillswhat students must be able to doare written in bold letters.

Reading Literature
RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
RL.4.4 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).
RL.4.7 Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version
reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text
RL.4.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Reading Informational Text

RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text
RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive
elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
RI.4.10 By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades
4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Writing
W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

ELA

Grade 4

Unit 4

W.4.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize
information, and provide a list of sources.

Speaking and Listening

SL.4.6 Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate
(e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

Language
L.4.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening
c. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is
appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).
L.4.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing
flexibly from a range of strategies.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph,
autograph).
c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine
or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
c. Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical
meanings (synonyms).

Reading Foundational Skills

RF.4.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

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Grade 4

Unit 4

a. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read
accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.
RF.4.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

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Grade 4

Unit 4

Student Friendly Objectives

o I can figure out the theme of a piece of fiction by thinking about the details in the text. RL.4.2
o I can summarize a piece of fiction in my own words. RL.4.2
o I can figure out the meanings of words and phrases an author uses. RL.4.4
o I can understand words that may be derived from characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean). RL.4.4
o I can make connections between a written text and a dramatic interpretation of the same text. RL.4.7
o I can read and understand fourth grade fiction RL.4.10
o I can figure out the main idea in nonfiction by thinking about the details in the text. RI.4.2
o I can summarize a piece of nonfiction in my own words. RI.4.2
o I can explain what a piece of nonfiction teaches me by referring to details and examples in the text. RI.4.1
o I can understand the meanings of words and phrases in fourth grade science and social studies texts. RI.4.4
o I can interpret and use information from charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations or other internet
presentations to understand nonfiction. RI.4.7

o I can read and understand fourth grade nonfiction RI.4.10

o I can clearly write to inform and to explain my ideas. W.4.2
o I can plan, revise and edit my writing with the help of peers and adults. W.4.5
o I can research and use what I have experienced to gather information. W.4.8
o I can take notes to help me organize the research in my writing. W.4.8
o I can provide a list of sources that I used for gathering information. W.4.8
o I can write on a regular basis with stamina for different tasks, purposes, and audiences. W.4.10
o I can figure out when to use standard formal English and when I can use informal English. SL.4.6
o I can figure out when I need to use formal speech and when I can use informal speech. L.4.3
o I can determine the meanings of unknown words by using what I know about common Greek and Latin
prefixes, suffixes and roots. L.4.4

o I can use print and computer dictionaries to help me find the pronunciations and clarify meanings of new
words or phrases. L.4.4

o I can recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages and proverbs. L.4.5
o I can understand words by relating them to their antonyms and synonyms. L.4.5
o I can analyze words and use phonics to help me read fourth grade words RF.4.3
o I can read with the fluency and accuracy it takes to understand fourth grade texts. RF.4.4
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