humanities

Unit 1 - CHANGE: IS IT GOOD OR BAD?

Reading - Character Study (Bend 1) and Informational Non-Fiction (Bend 2)

In Bend 1 Fourth graders launch into Readers Workshop through a character study. Readers will collaborate with their reading partners to strengthen their reading lives and deepen their understanding of a narrative text and its characters. Students will analyze how and why individuals interact over the course of a text and describe a character in depth by drawing on specific details in the text.

In Bend 2 students will begin to analyze text structures to deepen their knowledge of Non-fiction texts. Identifying main ideas, inferring and synthesizing across text, and drawing conclusions are some of the many ways students will explore nonfiction books and articles.

Writing - Narrative Non-Fiction (Bend 1) and Informational Articles (Bend 2)

In Bend 1, students explore the world of Fanfiction. This is a new style of writing in which they will use a wide range of idea creation techniques to develop a story based on a favorite book they have read. This unit is all about showing their originality. Writers will use their creativity to develop a story with all elements of fiction following a narrative structure. Students will revise their stories by using craft techniques inspired by other authors.

In Bend 2, students will plan and develop structured articles using information from multiple sources. Students will elaborate their writing by using nonfiction details and features from the nonfiction books and articles they are reading during Readers Workshop.

Social Studies - Economics

The goal of this unit is to introduce students to the elements of an economy and to help them understand that economics is all about decision making. Students will recognize elements of an economy as they encounter them on a daily basis.

Unit 2 - PERSPECTIVES: HOW DO DECISIONS, ACTIONS, AND CONSEQUENCES VARY DEPENDING ON THE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OF PEOPLE INVOLVED?

Reading - Historical Fiction Book Clubs

Through collaborative discussions students will deepen their understanding of the historical fiction genre. Collaboration allows for students to develop and revise theories about the books they are reading while deepening their understanding of history. Students will analyze characters perspectives through group discussion and writing about their reading.

Writing - Opinion

Students will generate focused ideas for persuasive topics and plan structured organized writing. Students will provide reasons that are supported by facts from text/sources and link those together using transitional words and phrases.

Social Studies - A Study of the Lenape and Colonial Life

In this unit students take on the role of historians as learn the necessary skills and dispositions needed to uncover why various groups of people came to NJ and America. Students will use historical thinking skills to analyze various source documents, compare and contrast perspectives, and examine the impact of this immigration on Native American populations. Students will transfer their opinion writing skills into drafting debate on theories.

Unit 3 - Identity: when and why have identities developed?

Reading - Biographies

As students read informational biographies they will begin to uncover the overall structure of events and information presented in the text. Students will integrate and reflect on multiple sources and use partner conversations to deepen their understanding of biographies.

Writing -Informational Research

During this unit students will utilize an inquiry based research process based on focused questions. They will need to demonstrate their understanding of an individual they have chosen to research about. Students will need to collect, assess, and analyze relevant information.

Social Studies - New Jersey and The American Revolution

In this unit students will investigate how the American Revolution changed the course of history. Students will learn why the Revolutionary War occurred and explore how this event helped form a unique American Identity.

Unit 4 - Citizenship: what does it mean to be a good citizen?

Reading - Realistic Fiction

Students will articulate and identify characteristic of realistic fiction. As a book club students will gather information by closely looking at story elements. Students will develop ideas and write about the characters using text evidence. Students will share their thinking with their book clubs and expand on common themes seen in their books.

Writing - Narrative - Realistic Fiction

Writers in this unit will tap into their creative minds to generate ideas for realistic fiction narratives. Students will develop plot, characters, and setting using a variety of tools. Also, students will revise specific elements of their stories to enhance the reader's experience.

Social Studies - Government

Students will learn that in order to be good citizens one must understand the structure and role of various levels of government. Students will analyze our countries founding documents that outline the rights and responsibilities of citizens. Students will learn the importance of participation in a civic life.