Language Arts DEEP groups

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." -Albert Einstein

Third Grade

This term students combined fables and animal adaptations to create their very own Pourquoi tales. 

First, students read several different fables and used the Details and Pattern icons to create Rules for fables.  These rules had to explain what made a story a fable and not some other type of story.  Then students were introduced to Pourquoi tales and how these tales tell why something is the way that it is.  

The following week students were given a short text about a unique animal found on our amazing planet.  Students identified various adaptations these animals possessed and picked their favorite one.  

Finally, students wrote their own Pourquoi tale describing how this animal got their very unique adaptation.  The students did a great job with these stories.  They were funny, imaginative, and inventive.  


Third Grade Previous Terms


First Term

This term began with an exploration of system.  How many systems could the students name? What made a system? Then, students explored the idea that paragraphs are systems of sentences.  Each sentence in a paragraph should have a purpose and help move the idea forward.  

Students studied how transition words can be used inside a paragraph. They used mixed up paragraphs to practice identifying transition words and how each sentence should be needed.  This exercise works by taking a paragraph and showing each sentence separately in a random order.  The students have to put the sentences in the correct order. 

The next challenge involved the random emoji generator.  Students were shown an emoji and asked to write a sentence based upon that emoji.  That sentence would become the topic sentence of their paragraph.  Then they were shown four additional emojis, one at a time.  The students were not allowed to see the next emoji until they had written their sentence.  Each sentence needed to provide evidence supporting the topic sentences. 

Finally, students wrote Halloween paragraphs.  They were given a random who, what, and where and were required to write a paragraph that made sense.  


Fourth Grade

This term students applied the language of the discipline, patterns, details, rules, and multiple perspective icons to their study of codes and ciphers.  

First, students were given a message and had to look for details that seemed out of place or patterns.  They determined that the message had a lot of random punctuation.  That turned out to be the key to deciphering the message.  

Next, students used the language of the discipline icon and identified the meanings of various prefixes, roots, and suffixes.  They were able to identify the meaning of words they did not know by breaking it into these parts.  

Then, students explored several different codes and ciphers including Morse Code, the dancing man cipher, rail fence cipher, and the pigpen cipher.  

Fourth Grade Previous Terms



First Term

We make inferences everyday. In DEEP, students were challenged to identify what clues, facts, and other information they use to draw inferences across multiple formats. Using the activity "What's Going On in This Picture?", students were challenged to analyze photographs from the New York Times and draw inferences about what they think the story would have been about. Next, students were challenged to draw inferences about the Harris Burdick drawings. Students learned about the structure of stories and wrote a five paragraph story about what they inferred was happening inside these mysterious images.

Fifth Grade

Students began the term by reading various short stories and looking for details about each one.  Students then analyzed those details looking for patterns that they could turn into a rule that all of these stories followed.  Students were able to identify story structure using this method.  

Next, students were given examples of choose your own adventure stories and compared how these stories were similar and how they were different from the other stories.  They again identified rules that choose your own adventure stories followed.  

Then, students were challenged to create a research project about a city or a country.  However, the format they were challenged to use was a choose your own adventure story.  Students had to combine educating the reader about the chosen location using a choose your own adventure story structure.  Students used PowerPoint to write and illustrate their choose your own adventure stories.  This allowed students to learn how to create action boxes and hyperlinks in PowerPoint.  

Fifth Grade Previous Terms

First Term

Students began the term learning how to use the Icons of Depth and Complexity to analyze a subject. Students were able to choose what topic they wanted to analyze. They used the eight depth icons to identify aspects about their chosen subject. 

Then, they were challenged to use the multiple perspectives icon in combination with the depth icons to understand how different perspectives impact the study of their topic.  What is the big idea of the basketball as defined by a  player, or a coach, or a fan, or a commentator? What language of the discipline do I use with this perspective? What patterns do I follow or what details can I identify? Finally, students were challenged to take their big idea paragraphs and turn them into six word memoirs that captured all of the important elements of their paragraphs. 

Sixth Grade

 This unit focuses on media literacy and how persuasive writing techniques are used in advertising.  

First, students read an article about hidden advertisements and product placement.  Students then used an icon frame to apply what they learned from the article.  Icon frames are tools used to help students to apply the Icons of Depth and Complexity to a particular subject matter.  

Next, students analyzed print ads from different decades using the Over-Time and Trends icons.  Students were challenged to identify the most important trends and details in the ads from each decade. How did this change from decade to decade?

Then, students learned about Ethos, Pathos, and Logos and had to identify which was being used in various advertisements.  Students noticed that most advertisements used at least two of these.  

The term ended with the challenge to create their own persuasive commercial using persuasive writing techniques. The students had to identify their target audience. However, the product they had to sell was a new and unique use for either a paperclip, an empty soda can, a cardboard tube, a pencil, or a chair.  They were encouraged to look at these items from a different perspective.  One of the groups identified giants as their target audience.  The students created quite a persuasive commercial that used empty soda cans.  The students turned the empty soda can into ear plugs for giants.

Sixth Grade Previous Terms


First Term

Bloom's taxonomy is used to encourage higher-order thought in students by building up from lower-level cognitive skills.  Students learned about and applied the various levels of Bloom's by analyzed the children's book, The Three Questions based on a story by Leo Tolstoy written by Jon Muth.  After reading the book, students were challenged to answer questions or complete projects on each tier of the taxonomy.  

Next, students furthered applied their knowledge of Bloom's taxonomy while studying philosopy.  This unit uses the Multiple Perspectives and Ethics icons.  Students were highly engaged while learning about and discussing paradoxes.