Here are some activities I found to help meet the ELA standards.
If you find any additional resources, PLEASE email me and I'll add them to this page. Thanks!!
Got any lessons, resources, websites that you want to share?? Add them to our Fourth Grade ELA Dropbox! Let's help each other out!!
San Diego Unified School District (here's the District's CCSS website--lots of resources!)
Grade 4 Curriculum Map
"I Can Statements" for each standard from Dr. Bobb Darnell on his website called Achievement Strategies, Inc. Check them out!
Reading Literature
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading literature: "The Story of Dr. Dolittle: Chapters 1 and 2"
This sequence of lessons is based on text-dependent questions that are answered through a close reading of the first two chapters of the book, "The Story of Doctor Dolittle" by Hugh Lofting. This set focuses on character development.
1. Describe an event using a character's words and actions
2. Describe a change in a character
3. Describe a character using evidence from what the character does, says, and thinks
4. Identify cause and effect of events in a story by examining a character's actions
5. Describe how one character feels about another
6. Determine the theme of a story
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Text of "The Story of Dr. Dolittle"
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading poetry: "The Land of Nod"
This sequence of lessons is based on text-dependent questions that are answered through a close reading of the poem, "The Land of Nod" by Robert Louis Stevenson.
1. Understand how an author develops setting by using words and phrases in the text
2. Describe a setting using words and phrases from the text
3. Determine the meaning of words in a text to understand how an author creates contrast
4. Make connections between the text and an illustration
5. Explain how an author uses rhythm to express point of view
6. Determine how the author is using rhyme scheme to convey a message
7. Determine the theme of a poem
Text of "The Land of Nod"
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading drama: "Little Red Riding Hood"
This sequence of lessons is based on text-dependent questions that are answered through a close reading of a theatrical version of "Little Red Riding Hood."
1. Describe a character''s personality using details from the text
2. Draw inferences about what a character is thinking by examining dialogue
3. Explain how a playwright tells a story by examining structural elements of drama
4. Describe how a playwright builds suspense through setting, stage directions, and dialogue
5. Determine the theme of a drama
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Text of "Little Red Riding Hood"
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Reading literature: "A Dog's Tale"
Reading, answering questions, and analyzing "A Dog's Tale," a short story adapted from the original by Mark Twain.
1. Identify the narrator in a story
2. Track the setting throughout a story
3. Develop ideas about characters by tracking their actions and feelings
4. Revising the movie in your mind as you read
5. Track a character's development through a story
6. Determine the theme of a story
Text of "A Dog's Tale"
Text for practice "The Legend of Keesh"
Text for assessment "My Early Home"
Printable assessment "A Dog's Tale" assessment
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Reading poetry: "The Fieldmouse"
Reading and analyzing the poem "The Fieldmouse" by Cecil Frances Alexander.
1. Interpret the title of a poem
2. Use the title of a poem to guide your reading
3. Use imagery in a poem to visualize the setting
4. Explore a poet's word choice by examining verbs
Read aloud video (on the right side of the page)
Text of "The Fieldmouse"
Printable assessment "The Fieldmouse" assessment
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Reading poetry: "In the Garden"
Reading and analyzing the poem "In the Garden" (also known as "A Bird Came Down the Walk") by Emily Dickinson.
1. Distinguish a poem from prose by looking for line breaks and stanzas
2. Make predictions from a poem's title
3. Read a poem out loud
4. Visualize the setting
5. Rereading and retelling to understand a poem
6. Analyzing descriptive comparisons in a poem
7. Tracking thoughts and questions while reading poetry
Read aloud video (on the right side of the page)
Text of "In the Garden"
Printable assessment "In the Garden" assessment
Reading Informational Texts
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading informational text: "The Seasons and the Sun"
This sequence of lessons is based on text-dependent questions that are answered through a close reading of the chapter, "The Seasons and the Sun" from the book "The Sun and Its Effects" published by Millmark Education.
1. Explain a scientific event using details and information from the test
2. Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words using a glossary
3. Explain a scientific process by summarizing its causes and effects
4. Interpret information in pictures and in text
5. Determine the main idea and summarize a nonfiction text
6. Identify and describe a text's structure
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Text of "The Seasons and the Sun"
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading informational text: "Animals: Surviving Change"
This sequence of lessons is based on text-dependent questions that are answered through a close reading of the chapter "Classifying with Similar Traits" from the book "Animals: Surviving Change" published by Millmark Education.
1. Answer questions about a text by locating evidence
2. Determine the meaning of academic words using text features
3. Determine the meaning of domain-specific words
4. Use diagrams and graphic aids to understand a text's meaning
5. Explain scientific concepts based on information in a text
6. Determine the main idea and summarize a nonfiction text
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Text of "Animals-Surviving Change"
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading informational text: "The Settlers of Jamestown"
Reading, answering questions, and analyzing the text "The Settlers of Jamestown" by Erin Sawyer.
1. Make predictions about a text using text features and skimming
2. Interpret pictures and photographs in an informational text
3. Revise predictions as you read based on new information
4. Find the main idea of a paragraph as you read
5. Keep track of problems and solutions in informal texts
6. Determine the main idea of an entire text
7. Determine the author's purpose in an informational text
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Text for practice "Who Was Pocahontas"
Printable Assessment "The Settlers of Jamestown" assessment
Text of "The Settlers of Jamestown"
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading informational text: "The Great Chicago Fire"
Reading, answering questions, and analyzing the text "The Great Chicago Fire" by Michael A. Signal.
1. Preview a text using text features and skimming
2. Find the main idea of a paragraph as you read
3. Teach what you have learned in an informational text to someone else
4. Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in a text
5. Have a conversation in your head as you read
6. Ask and answer questions to check your own understanding of a text
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Text for assessment "Dr. Salk Defeats Polio"
Printable Assessment "The Great Chicago Fire Assessment"
Text of "The Great Chicago Fire"
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading informational text: "Duke Ellington"
Reading, answering questions, and analyzing a biographical text about jazz-legend Duke Ellington.
1. Use text features and skimming to make predictions about a text
2. Create a timeline to keep track of important information as you read
3. Determine the main idea by analyzing details
4. Use a context clues and a glossary to determine the meaning of unknown words
5. Ask and answer questions to check your own understanding of a text
6. Determine the main idea of an entire text
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Printable Assessment "Duke Ellington" assessment
Text of "Duke Ellington" biography
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading informational text: "Ever Wondered Who Invented Pizza?"
Reading, answering questions, and analyzing "Ever Wondered Who Invented Pizza?" an article from the Washington Post's Kids' Post
1. Envisioning nonfiction texts while reading
2. Revising thinking based on new information while reading
3. Use text structure to organize and comprehend new information
4. Find the main idea of a section of nonfiction text
5. Find the main idea of a whole nonfiction text
6. Use text structure to understand author's purpose
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Text for practice "The Great Chicago Fire"
Text for assessment "What's So Bad About Slurping?"
Text of "Ever Wonder Who Invented Pizza?"
Printable assessment "Ever Wonder Who Invented Pizza" assessment
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading informational text: "Backpedaling in Bicycle History"
Reading, answering questions, and analyzing "Backpedaling in Bicycle History", an article from the Washington Post's Kids' Post.
1. Preview a text by examining its organization
2. Prepare to read a text by skimming titles, subtitles, and chunks of text
3. Locate text features
4. Determine the main idea of a nonfiction text
5. Determine the meaning of unfamiliar words
6. Asking and answering questions to monitor your comprehension
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Printable Assessment "Backpedaling in Bicycle History" assessment
Text of "Backpedaling in Bicycle History"
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Close reading informational text: "My Name is Otto Jan"
Reading, answering questions, and interpreting the article, "My Name is Otto Jan" from the Washington Post's Kids' Post "Kids Around the World" series.
1. Use text features to identify what you already know before reading
2. Use text features to understand and interpret biography
3. Use clue words to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words
4. Determine the main idea of a paragraph
5. Compare and contrast information from a text in your own life
6. Check your understanding of an article by teaching others
Read Aloud Video (on the right side of the page)
Text for Practice "My Name is Bruna"
Assessment "My Name is Jan Otto" assessment
Text for Assessment "My Name is Babita"
Printable Assessment "My Name is Otto Jan" assessment
Text of "My Name is Otto Jan"
Reading: Foundational Skills
Writing
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Writing opinion essays in response to "The Land of Nod".
This sequence of process-based writing lessons leans heavily on insights from a close reading of the poem, "The Land of Nod." Across these lessons, students plan, draft, revise, and edit an opinion essay using evidence from the text to agree to disagree with the statement, "I would live in the Land of Nod for the rest of my life."
1. Identify what an assignment is asking you to do
2. Take a position on a prompt by weighing the evidence
3. Organize information for an essay using a graphic organizer
4. Introduce an opinion essay by hooking the reader and telling your argument
5. Write body paragraphs for an opinion essay
6. Write a conclusion by referring to the big ideas
7. Revise opinion writing by rereading a draft
8. Connect related ideas using transition words
Text of "The Land of Nod"
LearnZillion Video Sequence: Opinion Writing in response to "Little Red Riding Hood"
This sequence of process-based writing lessons leans heavily on insights from a close reading of a theatrical version of "Little Red Riding Hood." Across these lessons, students plan, draft, revise, and edit an opinion letter to Little Red Riding Hood in which they explain her mistakes and attempt to persuade her not to make them again.
1. Plan a response to an opinion piece by rereading
2. Generate reasons to support your opinion
3. Introduce an opinion in a persuasive letter
4. Support reasons with details from a text
5. Use words and phrases to link opinions and reasons
6. Draft a conclusion to a persuasive letter
7. Evaluate your own writing by rereading and comparing it to the assignment
Text of "Little Red Riding Hood". A Play
LearnZillion Video Sequence: 4th Grade Argumentative Writing: Opinion Essay
Brainstorm, plan, and write an argumentative essay in the fourth grade.
1. Brainstorm opinion topics by thinking about issues in the world
2. Develop a thesis statement
3. Develop and organize supporting ideas in opinion writing
4. Draft an introductory paragraph for an argumentative essay
5. Use transition words and phrases to connect ideas
6. Draft a conclusion paragraph for an argumentative essay
LearnZillion Video Sequence: writing explanatory essay: "Animals: Traits and Habitats"
This sequence of process-based writing lessons leans heavily on insights from a close reading of a chapter of the article, "Animals: Traits and Habitats" from Millmark Education. Across these lessons, students plan, draft, revise, and edit a paragraph explaining "What are animal traits?"
1. Plan an explanatory paragraph using a graphic organizer
2. Add specific examples to explanatory writing by rereading a text
3. Plan introduction and concluding statements for an informational paragraph
4. Draft an informational paragraph using a graphic organizer
5. Clarify ideas in informational writing
6. Add descriptive details
7. Revise an introductory statement to include a hook
8. Revise a concluding statement to include a summary of facts and details
Text of Animals: Traits and Habitats
LearnZillion Video Sequence: writing an informative paragraph: "Energy: Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy"
This sequence of process-based writing lessons leans heavily on insights from a chapter from the book, "Energy: What is Energy?" published by Millmark Education. Across these lessons, students plan, draft, revise, and edit an informational paragraph in which they explain how an object of their choice uses energy.
1. Select a topic for an informative paragraph
2. Develop points for an informative paragraph by rereading the text
3. Plan facts and definitions to support points in an informational paragraph
4. Introduce a topic by identifying the main point of the paragraph
5. Use facts and definitions to develop points in an informative paragraph
6. Write a concluding statement
7. Revise a draft using your planning sheet as a guide
8. Revise an informative paragraph by removing informal words and adding formal words
Text of: Energy: Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy
Speaking and Listening
Language
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Thank you to 4th Grade Loma Portal teacher, Amy Kinseth, for creating this page of Teacher Common Core Materials. Please email her with questions or comments at [email protected].