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Welcome to 4th Grade Language Arts!
The Montclair School District will continue to use Amplify CKLA as the language arts program.
As we move through the units, an overview will be provided below.
Unit: Contemporary Fiction
Unit: Contemporary Fiction
This unit is centered around excerpts from the novel The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros.
What’s the story?
What’s the story?
The lessons build on each other throughout the unit to help students explore the text with multiple readings, uncovering the rich and lyrical language used throughout the story.
What will my student learn?
What will my student learn?
Students will learn to be slow, careful readers who can peel back many layers of meaning in a text. They will dig deeper and discover new meaning as they read excerpts from the novel.
Students will move flexibly between reading and writing. They will engage in lessons that teach them to take what they have learned in their reading and apply that understanding to their writing.
Conversation starters
Conversation starters
Ask your student questions about the unit to promote discussion and continued learning:
1. At this point in your reading, what do you know about the main character? What haven’t you learned about the main character yet?
2. Why do you think the author waited to reveal the name of the narrator of the story?
Follow up: Once her name was revealed, how do you think she feels about her name? Why? What would she rather be called?
3. You have been learning about themes in your reading. What is a theme? What is a theme that you have explored in The House on Mango Street?
4. You have been discussing character aspirations in this unit. What are some of Esperanza’s aspirations? What are some of her mother’s aspirations?
Follow up: Why do you think Esperanza had these aspirations? Did her mother achieve her aspirations? Why not? What are some of your aspirations? What are some things you will need to do to achieve those?
5. What are some of the types of figurative language you have learned about?
Follow up: Can you give me some examples of those types of figurative language you have seen in your reading?
March BOOK Madness!
March BOOK Madness!
4th grade students have been going MAD for books this year! Students nominated their favorites to become part of the "Sweet Sixteen" of a Book Madness Tournament. Click here to check out the bracket and stay tuned to find out which books advance and what book will come out on top as the 2026 Champ!
Unit 3: Eureka! Student Inventor
Unit 3: Eureka! Student Inventor
This unit offers a unique learning experience for students as they read a range of informational texts about inventors, inventions, and the process of creation.
What’s the story?
What’s the story?
Students will have the chance to ultimately become inventors themselves while they analyze the world around them, identify problems, and create solutions for those problems.
What will my student learn?
What will my student learn?
Students will become contestants of an exciting reality TV game show. As part of the show, they will practice observation, communication, and persuasion in fun and interactive ways.
Students will engage in collaborative discussions and will share ideas with their classmates. They will work in teams to participate in activities and challenges that will be guided by both the teacher and inventor-judges, such as Thomas Edison and George Washington Carver.
Conversation starters
Conversation starters
Ask your student questions about the unit to promote discussion and continued learning:
1. Describe what an invention is.
Follow up: What are some examples of different kinds of inventions?
2. Tell me about Thomas Edison.
Follow up: What were some of his inventions? I know he patented over a thousand inventions in the United States. What does it mean to patent something?
3. Tell me about George Washington Carver.
Follow up: What challenges did he face as an inventor? What is one fact you learned about him that you find interesting?
4. Why did Ruth Wakefield feel like she needed to “clear up some untruths” about her invention?
Follow up: What is the real story? Why do you think there have been so many false versions of her story on the Internet?
5. What do you think was the most important invention you learned about?
Follow up: Why? How did the invention change things? How would our world be different if that invention never existed?
Unit 2: Empires in the middle ages, Part 2
Unit 2: Empires in the middle ages, Part 2
In the second part of this unit, students will continue to explore the Middle Ages in Europe and the Islamic medieval empires.
What’s the story?
What’s the story?
Students will learn more about these two separate regions and their medieval history. They will also study how they are related by a common past—the decline of the Roman Empire—and what is their impact on the present.
What will my student learn?
What will my student learn?
Students will expand their knowledge about the Middle Ages in Europe and the Islamic empires to better understand the modern world. They will practice taking notes about the informational texts they read throughout the lessons. Students will also write an informative, an explanatory, and a persuasive paragraph. Finally, these lessons provide multiple opportunities for peer collaboration.
Conversation starters
Conversation starters
Ask your student questions about the unit to promote discussion and continued learning:
1. What is an empire?
Follow up: What are some of the names for rulers of an empire? Why did some people believe that the Roman Empire would last forever? What other empires are you learning about?
2. What was the Battle of Yarmouk?
Follow up: What was the tradition for the first day of battle? Was the outcome of the battle surprising? Why?
3. What are some of the elements of Islamic architecture that you studied?
Follow up: What is the significance of a dome in the architecture? What is calligraphy and how was it used in the architecture? What is one of the architectural masterpieces that you read about?
4. What events led to the First Crusade?
Follow up: Why did it take the Muslims by surprise? What sparked the Second Crusade?
Unit 2: Empires in the middle ages, Part 1
Unit 2: Empires in the middle ages, Part 1
In the first part of this unit, students will learn about the Middle Ages in Europe and the Islamic Medieval Empires.
Click here to check out our cardboard medieval castles!
What’s the story?
What’s the story?
Students will explore these two separate regions and their medieval history and will analyze the impact they have had on the modern world.
What will my student learn?
What will my student learn?
Students will continue to build their background knowledge to help them comprehend the variety of complex texts they will be reading. They will also engage in deep conversations with their peers to further develop their understanding of the world around them.
Students will have numerous writing opportunities throughout this unit. They will review the stages of the writing process by taking notes on the information presented in their Reader. They will use this information to form an opinion and draft a persuasive paragraph and opinion essay in response to what they have read.
Conversation starters
Conversation starters
Ask your student questions about the unit to promote discussion and continued learning:
1. What is the Middle Ages?
Follow up: Why is it called that?
2. What do you think were some of the positive things about living in towns during the Middle Ages?
Follow up: What were some negative things?
3. You learned about the word rival (i.e., competing). Can you tell me what rival means by using it in a sentence?
Follow up: What is an antonym (opposite meaning) of rival? And a synonym (same meaning)?
4. How did an aspiring knight prepare for knighthood?
Follow up: What do you think would have been the hardest thing about the preparation?
5. What type of craftsmen existed in the Middle Ages?
Follow up: What type of craftsman would you have wanted to be?
Below, check out all the new vocabulary words the 4th graders have learned in the first part of our Middle Ages unit!
Below, check out all the new vocabulary words the 4th graders have learned in the first part of our Middle Ages unit!
Classroom Chart of 'Notable Leaders of the Middle Ages'
Classroom Chart of 'Notable Leaders of the Middle Ages'
Suggested Supplemental Reading
Suggested Supplemental Reading
If you would like to support and enrich your child's knowledge of the Middle Ages, check out the book suggestions below.
If you would like to support and enrich your child's knowledge of the Middle Ages, check out the book suggestions below.
Unit 1: Personal Narratives
Unit 1: Personal Narratives
In this unit, students will spend some time examining the genre of personal narratives.
What's the story?
What's the story?
Students will read different personal narratives and will work to identify the elements of this particular genre.
What will my student learn?
What will my student learn?
Students will learn elements like vivid descriptive language, dialogue that shows character, defining traits, and figurative language. They will learn to make meaning from these texts by reading them critically and closely to improve their comprehension skills.
Students will write every day in this unit. In examining the different elements found in personal narratives, they will build their knowledge of descriptive writing. They will also have opportunities to use these elements in their writing by creating their own personal narratives.
Conversation starters
Conversation starters
Ask your student questions about the unit to promote discussion and continued learning:
1. What is a personal narrative? Follow up: What are three things that make an essay a personal narrative?
2. How would you define character traits? Follow up: What is your favorite book or movie? Who is your favorite character in it? Describe the traits of that character. What evidence from the book or story supports your thinking? What do you think people would say are your character traits? What evidence would they have to support their thinking?
3. In this unit, you have been talking about sensory details. Look around us right now. Describe sensory details you are noticing in our home. Follow up: What do you see around you? What do you hear? Smell? Taste? Feel?
4. What is dialogue? Follow up: What are some of the rules for punctuating dialogue?
5. What is one of the memories you chose to write about in this unit? Follow up: Why did you choose this memory? Share with me what you wrote about and how you incorporated some of the elements of personal narratives into your writing.
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