Unit Five

Theme: Putting It All Together 

Bradley: Secret School, The Borrowers, Punished

Eisenhower: Rules, Flora & Ulysses, Extra Credit, Room One

Mac: Because of Winn Dixie. Shiloh, Secret Solider

Literature

• Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text. Skill: Theme, main idea/details, summarize RL.4.2 

• Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text. Skill: Compare/Contrast RL.4.7 (ongoing) 

• By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Skill: Comprehension, Fluency RL.4.10 (ongoing) 

Informational

• 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. Skill: Sequencing, providing evidence 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. Skill: Vocabulary RI.4.4 (ongoing) 

• Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text. Skill: Text Structure RI.4.5 

• Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., 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. Skill: Text Features RI.4.7 (ongoing) 

• By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. Skill: Comprehension, Fluency RI.4.10 (ongoing) 

Writing:

Narrative

• Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear even sequences. 

  • Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. 

  • Use dialogue and description to development experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. 

  • Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events. 

  • Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely. 

  • Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events. Skill: Paragraph Writing W.4.3 

  • Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. 

    • Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”). Skill: Evidentiary writing of story elements in a story. W.4.9 

Opinion

• Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. 

• Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose. 

• Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details. 

• Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition). 

• Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented. Skill: Opinion and Persuasive writing W.4.1 

Informative

• Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. 

  • Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. 

  • Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. 

  • Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because). 

  • Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. 

  • Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented. Skill: Research Paper Writing W.4.2 

• Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Skill: researching for evidence and support W.4.7 

• Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. 

  • Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text”). Skill: Identifying and developing your purpose for writing. W.4.9 

Foundational Writing Skills

• Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Skill: Six Traits (Organization, Ideas/Content . . .) W.4.4 

• With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. Skill: Six Traits (Conventions, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency) W.4.5 

• Write routinely … shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Skill: Quick Writes, Paragraph Writing, Writing Response W.4.10 

Speaking and Listening

• Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. Skill: Oral reports (book reports, oral presentation) SL.4.4 

Language

• Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions. L.4.1c 

• Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses. L.4.1b 

• Form and use prepositional phrases. L.4.1e 

• Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation). L.4.6 (ongoing)