Everett Public Schools

Mapping Calendar English Language Arts Grade 4

2008 – 2009 Disclaimer

The English Language Arts Curriculum Map is designed to be a guide for the teacher to use throughout the school year. It is not intended to be a day-to-day plan book covering the curriculum. The map is designed to keep the entire grade level on the same subject matter at approximately the same time. It is not the intention of the map to curtail teacher creativity. The teacher has the freedom to choose the selections, exercises, and outside resources that support alignment of the English Language Arts Curriculum with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.

September’s Essential Questions

Massachusetts State Standards:

Refer to LINKS for related vocabulary pages 161-163. ELA standards: 4, 5, 7, 8, 12

Essential Questions:

1. How do narrative elements help you understand a story? 2. When do we use different types of sentences? 3. Why must sentences have a subject and predicate? 4. How does breaking down a longer word into parts help a reader determine its meaning?

Mastery Skills:

1. Identify narrative elements such as plot, character, and setting to gain insight into characters’ motivations and actions. 2. Show declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences with the correct punctuation. 3. Locate complete and simple subjects and predicates in a sentence. 4. Know prefixes, suffixes, and roots to analyze the meaning of longer or more complex words.

Higher Order Thinking Assessments:

1. Students will create a ladder book in order to represent the narrative elements of the story they are reading. 2. Students will play “Punctuation Transformation” which is when the teacher reads a sentence and the students will form the correct end mark that belongs in a sentence. 3. Write on the board Who? And Did What? Have one student perform a simple action. Then work with students to write sentences that describe the actions. Ask volunteers to give other examples. Guide them to identify the subject and the predicate of each sentence. 4. Students will create a five-panel brochure using the word, the prefix, the root, the suffix, and the meaning. (Ex: inaudible, in-(“not”, aud(“hear”), -ible (able), “not able to be heard” October’s Essential Questions

ELA standards: 1, 5, 15, 26

1. What clues would help you locate the topic sentence? 2. How will summarizing a story help a reader comprehend the most important aspects of a text? 3. Why are transitional words useful when writing? 4. How do sensory words make your writing more vivid?

Mastery Skills:

1. Identify the topic sentence in various passages. 2. Choose important ideas and details to summarize a text. 3. Recognize voice in writing a descriptive paragraph. 4. Identify compound subjects and predicates in a sentence.

Higher Order Thinking Assessments

1. Writing Prompt: Think about an activity that involves several people, such as doing a school project. Then write a paragraph of information that tells the responsibilities of each person for the activity. Present the responsibilities in a logical order. 2. Students will work in pairs to review techniques for using keywords to search for information on the Internet. Have the students summarize the main steps for doing a search and write a “Search Engine Manual” for a younger student. 3. Writing Prompt: Everyone has a favorite place. Before you begin writing, think about a place that is special to you. Then describe the place and why it is special. Be sure to use vivid words and phrases to express your viewpoint about the place. November’s Essential Questions

ELA standards: 5, 8, 9, 17, 18, 23

1. How would you explain a noun? 2. How do we use cause and effect to understand literature? 3. What is the purpose of expository writing?

Mastery Skills:

1. Review and distinguish between the different types of nouns. 2. Identify cause-and-effect relationships in a literary text and use them to understand plot development. 3. Identify ways in which narrative elements impact one another in a literary text. 4. Show the writing process in writing a how-to essay. 5. Write effective paragraphs using written directions.

1. Students will work in pairs to create a cause-and-effect chart that shows multiple causes and/or effects. Students will then choose a natural phenomenon, such as an earthquake or a tornado, or a historic event, such as the Civil War or the Great Depression, and research its causes and effects. Then the students will represent their findings in a diagram. 2. Students will create a new setting for a story that they are familiar with (ex: Cinderella). Encourage them to think of a setting that is very different from the one that is in the regular story. Have the students consider how the story would be different if it took place in a different time and place. Then ask them to rewrite the story with the new setting. Have the students exchange stories with a partner and discuss how a change in setting affects the plot and the characters. Then, perform the play to the class. 3. Writing Prompt: Most students have a special food or craft they know how to make. Before you begin writing, think about how you make the food or craft. Now explain to a classmate how to make your food or craft. December’s Essential Questions

ELA standards: 4, 10, 20

1. When should you use abbreviations? 2. Why is it important to clearly explain your ideas through your writing? 3. Why is it important to compare and contrast different genres? 4. Why would a writer use a persuasive essay?

Mastery Skills: 1. Identify the complete meaning of abbreviations. 2. Apply the correct spelling rules to form plural nouns. 3. Identify the difference between two genres. 4. Write a persuasive essay convincing the reader to agree with your point of view.

1. Give each student an index card. Ask students to make an information card about themselves, including their name, address, birthday, parent’s names, etc…Tell them to use abbreviations where possible. 2. Writing Prompt: Many people believe that being a good friend is an important quality. Think about what it means to be a friend. Now, write a definition of what a friend is. 3. Write a persuasive letter to the board of editors of your local newspaper. Try to persuade the board to publish a series of articles about interesting places to see and things to do in your town, city, or state. Give reasons and details to support your opinion. January’s Essential Questions

1. How do drawing conclusions help a reader understand a story? 2. Why are pronouns used? 3. What steps should you follow when writing a long composition?

Mastery Skills:

1. Draw conclusions for a text using story information and prior knowledge. 2. Identify pronouns and the nouns they replace. 3. Summarize the most important information in a text. 4. Determine likenesses and differences in characters, settings, and plot events.

1. Students will write a mystery story in which they set up a mystery situation and provide clues but do not give the solution. Have the students trade mysteries with a partner and ask the partner to draw conclusions. 2. Students will play “Guess Who” to give clues using pronouns to describe a person to a partner. 3. Students will use a LINKS template to organize their long compositions.

February’s Essential Questions

Massachusetts State Standards: ELA standards: 5, 8, 16, 19

1. Why is a verb a vital part of a sentence? 2. When would a writer explain the similarities and differences between two things? 3. How does a reader locate the main ideas and details of a story?

Mastery Skills:

1. Identify verbs in writing. 2. Identify verbs with direct objects in sentences. 3. Identify the past, present, and future tenses of regular verbs. 4. Write a compare and contrast essay about tales from different countries. 5. Recognize the main idea of a selection and the details that support the main idea.

1. Writing Prompt: You can learn about a school subject from a computer or from a textbook. Think about a subject, such as math, that you can learn in these two ways. Now write an essay that compares and contrasts learning in these two ways. 2. Students will use a nonfiction selection that is not divided into sections with headings. Challenge the students to divide the text into sections according to main ideas and details. Have students write a heading for each section that reflects the main idea. 3. Students will compare and contrast a variety of similar stories from different cultures (ex: Little Red Riding Hood and Lon Po Po; Cinderella and the Egyptian Cinderella). March’s Essential Questions

1. How does sequencing make comprehension easier? 2. How would a prompt help a writer get started? 3. How are contractions formed?

Mastery Skills:

1. Identify chronological order of events in a selection by using time-order words. 2. Choose key words in the prompt to create their topic sentence. 3. Identify the structure of combining words to create contractions.

1. Students will locate a nonfiction text that is organized according to sequence. Ask them to use the events to complete a sentence flowchart. Then have the students think about why a nonfiction text would be organized according to sequence. Challenge students to compare and contrast a nonfiction author’s reasons for using a sequential text structure with a fiction author’s reasons for using a sequential text structure. 2. Writing Prompt: Think about your daily routine. Consider what you do on school days and on weekend’s days. Then write an essay for the class to compare and contrast the routine of a school day with a weekend day. Include at least two similarities and two differences. 3. Students will create kites of each contraction word called out by the teacher. April’s Essential Questions

ELA standards: 3, 13, 22, 24, 26, 27

1. How does creating an outline help organize your research report? 2. How do adjectives make your writing more vivid? 3. How can a writer publish their work?

Mastery Skills

1. Outline the important aspects of a research report. 2. Identify adjectives in writing. 3. Identify and capitalize proper adjectives. 4. Identify comparative and superlative forms of adjectives with –er and –est endings. 5. Show articles appropriately in sentences. 6. Contribute ideas and select information for a research report utilizing internet and media resources.

1. Writing Prompt: Using a story, create an outline to help you organize facts and information about within the text. 2. Using a lollipop, students will describe in writing the shape, size, colors, and taste of the sugary candy. Then they will describe how they felt as they were eating the lollipop. 3. Students will choose a publishing method for their reports. Individuals may give an oral report to the class or record a tape of the report. Pairs/ small group may create book reports. Large groups/ whole class may plan a TV talk show with hosts and guests or they may create a display for the school library. May’s Essential Questions

ELA standards: 11, 13, 20, 21, 25

1. What are the key elements included in a research paper? 2. How does knowing the author’s purpose help a reader comprehend a story? 3. Why are adverbs used?

Mastery Skills:

1. Retrieve information for a research paper. 2. Determine the author’s viewpoint on a topic. 3. Recognize commonly used adverbs. 4. Identify comparative and superlative forms of adverbs. 5. Distinguish between adjectives and adverbs.

1. Students will write and orally present a research report about early or recent settlers in you community of state. 2. Students will find an informative article in a magazine, newspaper, textbook, or encyclopedia. Then tell them to imagine they are the author of that article. Have students rewrite part of the article and add details and language that reveal a particular viewpoint or perspective about the subject. 3. Students will list ten verbs. Then have them write an adverb to describe each verb. Tell them to use each verb and adverb together in a sentence. Then combine the sentences to create one well thought out paragraph. June’s Essential Questions

ELA standards: 9, 14

1. How do prepositions and prepositional phrases help to add important details to your writing? 2. How does understanding fact and opinion help a reader to understand a story? 3. How do you interpret poetry?

Mastery Skills:

1. Identify prepositions and prepositional phrases in writing. 2. Distinguish between adjectives and prepositions. 3. Distinguish between facts and opinions in a nonfiction text. 4. Identify word choice in writing a rhymed of unrhymed poem.

1. Students will choose any object in the room, such as a ruler or a bulletin board. Explain to students that they are to describe its location in a sentence using a prepositional phrase and then swap their paper with a neighbor. Students must guess the object and identify the preposition. 2. Students will discuss common features of newspapers or news magazines, such as news stories, advertisements, and editorials. Ask students to predict which newspaper features have the most opinions. Provide newspapers or news magazines, and have students find examples of opinions. Suggest that they use a colored marker to highlight each opinion. Have students analyze which newspaper features have the most opinions and share their findings with classmates. 3. Writing Prompt: Think of something in nature that makes you very happy or very sad. Write a rhymed or unrhymed poem that describes that thing. You might try comparing it to something else.