Module 0: Thank You, Mr. Falker 

Essential Question: How does reading help us build knowledge?

Focusing Question: What does reading mean to Trisha in Thank You, Mr. Falker?

Texts: 

• Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

Content Framing Questions:

• Lesson 1: WONDER: What do I notice and wonder about Thank You, Mr. Falker?

• Lesson 2: ORGANIZE: What's happening in Thank You, Mr. Falker?

• Lesson 3: REVEAL: What does a deeper exploration of Trisha's feelings toward reading reveal in Thank You, Mr. Falker? 

• Lesson 4: DISTILL: What is the essential meaning of Thank You, Mr. Falker?

• Lesson 5: KNOW: How does Thank You, Mr. Falker build my knowledge?

Resources:

• Essay Paragraph Anchor Charts - TO - SEEC

• Thank You, Mr. Falker - Words to Know 

Module 1: A Great Heart

Essential Question: What does it mean to have a great heart, literally and figuratively?

Essential Standards/I Can Statements: 

R.I. 4.1:

• I can explain informational text and use details, examples, and evidence from the text to support my explanation.

• I can make inferences from informational text and use evidence from that text to support my inferences.

Practice:

IXL 4.U.5 (8MJ) - Identify supporting details in a text.

IXL 4.O.2 (ZSE) - Comprehension and inference 

RL..4.2:

• Themes in Literature: I can determine the theme of a text and use evidence from the text to support the theme.

• Summarizing: I can identify key detail and events of a text and use those to summarize the text.

Practice: 

IXL 4.B.1 (6PW) - Determine the theme.

IXL 4.S.1 (XZF) - Summarize a story.

Module 2: Extreme Settings 

Essential Question: How does a challenging setting or physical environment change a person?

Essential Standards/I Can Statements: 

RL.4.3

Story Elements

• I can describe characters, settings, and events from a story or a drama.

• I can use details from the text to support my descriptions.

Practice

IXL I.1 (SRQ) - Identify Story Elements

IXL N.1 (A7Z) - Read Realistic Fiction

Module 3: The Redcoats Are Coming

Essential Question: 

Essential Standards/I Can Statements: 

Standard

RI.4.3

• I can explain events, procedures, or ideas in informational text by using details from the text.

Practice

IXL U.5 (8MJ) - Identify supporting details in informational texts 

IXL 4.P.4 (ZB2) - Read about history

RL.4.2

• I can determine the theme of a text and use evidence from the text to support the theme of a story, poem, or drama.

Module 4: Myth Making (Current)

Essential Question: What can we learn from myths and stories?

Essential Standards/I Can Statements: 

Standard

RL.4.2

• I can determine the theme of a text and use evidence from the text to support the theme of a story, poem, or drama.

Practice: 

IXL 4.B.1 (6PW) - Determine the theme.

Fluency Passages

Research has shown that improved fluency leads to better comprehension of text, increased vocabulary, and overall better readers.  Fluent readers are expected to not only read words accurately, but also to read those words at a pace that is comfortable and easy to understand. The key to fluency is not just speed.  The key is to be able to chunk words together in phrasing so that the reading sounds like speech, using punctuation as a guide for pausing, and to use expression. 

Though fluent reading is more than just fast reading, one of the easiest ways to assess fluency is through one minute timed readings.  As the students practice and progress as readers, the number of words per minute should increase as well.  As a part of the weekly fluency passage, we are asking that you time your child twice a week, on Monday and Thursday.  We hope that your child will see the progress they are making! They will also read the passage three to five times all the way through to practice pacing, phrasing, and expression.  You may have them read independently, read it together or have them echo you when reading three to five times.

The Steps for the Nightly Assignment:

1. On Mondays, please time your child for one minute and circle the last word they read.  Then, read the passage with your child three to five times.  Initial Day 1 on the back of the fluency page. (It will look like the chart below)

2. On Tuesdays, the student will continue to read the passage three to five times, but work on phrasing and pausing. Then, initial Day 2 on the back of the fluency page 

3. On Wednesdays, the student repeats the process but works on adding some expression to the passage.  Have fun with it!

4. On Thursdays, please time your child for one minute again and put a box around the last word read.  Celebrate their progress!  Then have your child repeat the process of reading the passage three to five times focusing on reading at a good pace and good volume.  

5. Please turn in on Friday!

Passages:

Module 1:   Module 2: Module 3:

Fluency Homework 2C Fluency Homework 1C Fluency Homework 1B 

Fluency Homework 8A Fluency Homework 7A Fluency Homework 12B     

Fluency Homework 12A Fluency Homework 11A Fluency Monologue Homework 

Fluency Homework 18A Fluency Homework 25B Fluency Homework 16A 

Fluency Homework 23A Fluency Homework 30 Fluency Homework 26A 

Tech Tips

• Students at Bourbonnais Elementary School District #53 use Classlink as a way to access programs used during the school day. Classlink places all programs used in one place and saves usernames and passwords for students, limiting loss of instructional time.

  • • Classlink is accessible at home by going to the following website: https://launchpad.classlink.com/besd53 (Once on the website, click Sign in with Google button. Enter your student’s username and password.  Students are now able to access the same apps and programs they use at school).