Fourth Grade Writing Curriculum:

Unit 1 Perspective Short Fiction (Narrative):

Taking the time to consider others’ perspectives is a critically important life skill.  In this way, reading about characters (similar to and different from us) in different settings and facing different circumstances allows the students a glimpse into other perspectives, thereby fostering greater and more widespread empathy.  This empathy can be further nourished and supported by then creating characters and writing short fictional stories where students take on the perspective of the characters in their own stories. In this unit, students do just that.  They create realistic fiction stories where  the conflict and relationship between characters are developed using a variety of craft-based storytelling strategies.  Students draw upon the various unit  texts, in addition to their long-standing reading lives to find ways to help THEIR readers read for not only enjoyment, but also to gain the takeaway of  getting a glimpse into the world of “someone” they could already know or one day meet.

Unit 2 Creating Wikis (Information Writing):

Wiki is a Hawaiian word that means “quick.”  When students hear the  word wiki, they think of Wikipedia, an online, collaborative encyclopedia often referred to in order to get info quickly on a topic.  In this unit, students will choose, research, and write about informational topics as they create their own wikis.  Students will be active in their creation of these informational articles.  They will use a variety of resources to create a wiki on their topic of interest.  Students will share their wikis with classmates who are interested in becoming experts in that topic. The information will be displayed and presented in an easily accessible format.  

Unit 3 Cross-Text Literary Essay (Opinion):

Students will learn to  synthesize ideas across texts while comparing characters, relationships, problems, settings, lessons, themes, and more.  In writing, students will use their notebook work to continue over-time thinking and refined thinking. Students will create and support a claim across texts, specifically referencing (and citing) both texts. They will work to develop a logical line of thinking to strengthen their point of view and clearly communicate their ideas using formal, precise language. 

Unit 4: Blogging About Our Beliefs (Persuasive)

Reading and writing texts online are basic skills that students need to be literate digital citizens.  Blogging is a way people get to share their expertise, voice, and perspectives with others. Blogs often become the centerpiece for meaningful conversation, both digitally and face-to-face. Students will then use their learning to figure out their own perspective on this topic. Students will draft blog posts incorporating research that supports their personal perspectives. They will also respectfully address those with differing viewpoints. 

Unit 5: One-Scene Plays (Drama)

Fourth graders enjoy performing.  This unit capitalizes on students’ interest in writing and performing for others.  After reading and performing scenes from published plays, students begin to better understand this modality of storytelling. They see how the actions, dialogue, and interactions between characters, add conflict, and further a story. Students will work together to write scenes as realistically as possible. Finally, students have a chance to perform their work, seeing how words come alive through this special, memorable, and fun medium.