4th Grade
Unit 1 Module B:
Becoming Researchers
Mid September - Mid October: 1st Trimester
4th Grade
Unit 1 Module B:
Becoming Researchers
Mid September - Mid October: 1st Trimester
Module Overview
Use the drop down menu to view the new resources have been curated to support ReadyGEN reading and writing and the foundational skills block
eBackpacks Unit 1 - digital books, articles, etc. for student reading to encourage a love of reading and build background knowledge around unit topics and themes
PBA Student Writing Samples for Unit 1B - Samples & reflective questions to use with students to support their PBA writing and scoring support for teacher use
Structured Morphology Videos - Exemplar videos in the Edthena Video Bank to watch components of Structured Morphology lessons
School AI Informational Writing Feedback Space - These spaces have been specifically designed to give immediate feedback noting strengths, areas for improvement, prompting questions to help them revise and examples of how they might improve their writing in a particular area.
NOTE: The prompts for these spaces have been written to ensure the chatbot will not write the piece for students.
School AI Research Space for 1B PBA - These spaces have been designed to help students research an animal for their PBA. The prompt is written to keep students on task with researching on the specific topic.
Readers use information presented in different ways and from different sources to understand a topic.
Writers use organization structures, specific word choice and evidence when explaining a topic.
Learners understand that multiple sources and evidence can be used to build ideas and information.
How do readers summarize ideas by using clues from both text and supporting visuals?
How do writers research and use ideas from informational texts?
Readers will compare, gather, and synthesize ideas from multiple sources in informational texts.
Writers will conduct research based on questions about informational text.
Learners will identify and use evidence from multiple sources to build an idea.
Informative/Explanatory Task: Create an Infographic
Students will conduct a short investigative project on an animal of their choice and create an infographic that indicates the key features of the animal. Then they will write a supporting introduction and conclusion telling more about the animal.
Standards Addressed
The highlighted evidence outcomes are the priority for all students, serving as the essential concepts and skills. It is recommended that the remaining evidence outcomes listed be addressed as time allows, representing the full breadth of the curriculum.
Evidence outcomes in bold are those that are expected to be mastered in trimester 1
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion. (CCSS: SL.4.1a)
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles. (CCSS: SL.4.1b)
Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (for example: presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (for example: small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (CCSS: SL.4.6)
Evidence outcomes in bold are those that are expected to be mastered in trimester 1
Prioritized Evidence Outcomes:
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. (CCSS: RI.4.2)
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (for example: in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. (CCSS: RI.4.7)
Supporting Evidence Outcomes:
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (CCSS: RI.4.1)
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. (CCSS: RI.4.2)
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. (CCSS: RI.4.3)
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area. (CCSS: RI.4.4)
Describe the overall structure (for example, chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text. (CCSS: RI.4.5)
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text. (CCSS: RI.4.8)
Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. (CCSS: RI.4.9)
Foundational Skills:
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension: (CCSS: RF4.4)
Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. (CCSS.RF.4.4c)
Use context (for example: definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. (CCSS: L.4.4a)
Read and understand words with common prefixes (for example: un-, re-, dis-) and derivational suffixes ( for example: -ful, -ly, -ness)
Read and understand words that change spelling to show past tense (for example: write/wrote, catch/caught, teach/taught)
Consult reference materials (for example: dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases. (CCSS: L.4.4c)
Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms). (CCSS: L.4.5c)
Evidence outcomes in bold are those that are expected to be mastered in trimester 1
Prioritized Evidence Outcome:
Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; including formatting (for example: headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension (CCSS:W.4.2a)
Identify a text structure appropriate to purpose (sequence, chronology, description, explanation, and comparison-and-contrast).
Supporting Evidence Outcomes:
Organize relevant ideas and details to convey a central idea or prove a point.
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. (CCSS.W.4.2b)
Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (for example: another, for example, also, because). (CCSS.W.4.2c)
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform or explain the topic. (CCSS.W.4.2d)
Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented. (CCSS:W.4.2e)
Grammar & Conventions:
Produce complete, simple, compound, and complex sentences.
Use correct capitalization. (CCSS.L.4.2a)
Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed. (CCSS:L.4.2)
Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely. (CCSS:L.4.3a)
Form and use the progressive (for example: I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses. (CCSS:L.4.1b)
Use modal auxiliaries (for example: can, may, must) to convey various conditions. (CCSS: L.4.1c)
Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (for example: presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (for example: small-group discussions). (CCSS:L.4.3c)
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (CCSS:W.4.4)
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (CCSS:W.4.5)
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others, demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single setting. (CCSS:W.4.6)
Write routinely over extended time frames (for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. (CCSS:W.4.10)
Identify a topic and formulate open-ended research questions for further inquiry and learning.
Present a brief report of the research findings to an audience.
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. (CCSS: W.4.7)
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. (CCSS: W.4.8)
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (CCSS: W.4.9)
Assessments
Assessments listed below reflect a balance of both formative and summative options, providing teachers and students with information relative to mastery of module and unit goals in reading and writing.
Student Prompt:
Informative/Explanatory Task: Create an Infographic
Conduct a short investigative project on an animal of your choice and create an infographic that indicates the key features of the animal. Then write a supporting introduction and conclusion telling more about the animal.
Remember to:
Analyze the infographics in the texts you read.
Research the key features of the animal you chose.
Clearly introduce your topic and use an infographic.
Develop your topic with facts, concrete details, and domain-specific vocabulary.
Provide a brief conclusion to sum up the information.
Unit 1B Informative/Explanatory Rubric
*Administered AFTER Module 1B
Texts
Texts listed below reflect the full series of reading materials designed to build background knowledge within the Unit theme.
Anchor Text
Skeletons Inside and Out
Lexile 740L
Informational Text
Supporting Texts
Movers and Shapers
Lexile 840L
Informational Text
King of the Parking Lot
Lexile 1020L
Informational Text
Sleuth
“What Did you Say?”
Lexile 830L
“Adapting to Survive”
Lexile 840L
Structured Morphology