Page 1 3 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 Grade 4 Weeks 19‐24 Lesson Seeds Table of Contents Seeds Unit Overview #1 RI.4.5, W.4.8 Describe the structure of information in a text #2 RI.4.5, RI.4.2 Explain how text features provide clues to the overall structure of a text #3 RI.4.7, RI.4.1, W.4.8, SL.4.2 Interpret information presented quantitatively and visually #4 RI.4.7, W.4.8, SL.4.2 Interpret information presented through interactive elements on web pages #5 RI.4.3, RI.4.1, W.4.8 Explain events in an historical text #6 RI.4.3, RI.4.1 Explain what happened and why in a scientific text #7 RI.4.3, RI.4.5, RI.4.7, SL.4.2 Explain the steps in a technical procedure #8 RI.4.2 Summarize informational text #9 RL.4.2 Summarize literary text #10 RL.4.6, RL.4.1 Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated #11 RL.4.6, RL.4.1 Compare and contrast the point of view of two different characters in the same book #12 RL.4.5, RL.4.1, RL.4.1 Explain major differences between poetry, drama, and prose #13 RL.4.5, W.4.8 Compare a poem to a prose summary of a poem #14 RL.4.5, W.4.4, W.4.9 Craft a written response comparing a poem to a prose summary of a poem #15 RL.4.5 Explain the structural elements of drama #16 RL.4.4, RL.4.1 Determine the meaning of mythological words Resources Main Idea Learning Experience Jefferson County Public Schools Elementary Literacy
Grade 4 ► Weeks 19-24
CODING KEY
= New Standard
FOCUS STANDARDS
Speaking & Listening
Comprehension and
Collaboration
SL.4.1: Engage effectively in a range
of collaborative discussions (one-onone, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 4 topics
and texts, building on others’ ideas
and expressing their own clearly.
a. 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.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and
explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
SL.4.3: Identify the reasons and
evidence a speaker provides to
support particular points.
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Maps
What Do Good Readers, Writers & Thinkers Do?
= Continued Focus
Reading
Foundational Skills
Print Concepts
Phonological
Awareness
Phonics and Word
Recognition
RF.4.3: Know and apply
grade-level phonics and
word analysis skills in
decoding words.
a. Use combined
knowledge of all lettersound correspondences,
syllabication patterns,
and morphology (e.g.,
roots and affixes) to
read accurately
Presentation of
unfamiliar multisyllabic
Knowledge and Ideas
words in context and
SL.4.4: Report on a topic or text, tell a out of context.
story, or recount an experience in an
Fluency
organized manner, using appropriate
RF.4.4: Read with suffifacts and relevant, descriptive details
cient accuracy and fluency
to support main ideas or themes; speak
to support comprehension.
clearly at an understandable pace.
a. Read on-level text with
SL.4.5: Add audio recordings and
purpose and
visual displays to presentations when
understanding.
appropriate to enhance the developb. Read on-level prose
ment of main ideas or themes.
and poetry orally with
SL.4.6: Differentiate between contexts
accuracy, appropriate
that call for formal English (e.g.,
rate, and expression
presenting ideas) and situations where
on successive
informal discourse is appropriate (e.g.,
readings.
small-group discussion); use formal
c. Use a context to confirm
English when appropriate to task and
or self-correct word
situation. (See grade 4 Language
recognition and understandards 1 for specific
standing, rereading as
expectations.)
necessary.
= Focus Fading to Mastery
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
Reading Informational
Key Ideas and Details
RL.4.2: Determine a theme of a story, RI.4.3: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a
drama, or poem from details in the
historical, scientific, or technical
text; summarize the text.
text, including what happened
Craft and Structure
and why, based on specific
RL.4.4: Determine the meaning of
information in the text.
words and phrases as they are
Craft and Structure
used in a text, including those that
RI.4.5: Describe the overall
allude to significant characters
structure (e.g., chronology,
found in mythology (e.g.,
comparison, cause/effect,
Herculean).
RL.4.5: Explain major differences problem/solution) of events,
between poems, drama, and prose, ideas, concepts, or information
and refer to the structural elements in a text or part of a text.
of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) RI.4.6: Compare and contrast a
and drama (e.g., casts of charac- firsthand and secondhand account
ters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, of the same event or topic;
state directions) when writing or describe the differences in focus
and the information provided.
speaking about a text.
RL.4.6: Compare and contrast the
Integration of
point of view from which different
Knowledge and Ideas
stories are narrated, including the
difference between first- and third- RI.4.7: Interpret information
presented visually, orally, or
person narrations.
quantitatively (e.g., in charts,
Integration of
graphs, diagrams, time lines,
Knowledge and Ideas
animations, or interactive
elements on Web pages) and
RL.4.9: Compare and contrast the
treatment of similar themes and topics explain how the information
(e.g., opposition of good and evil) and contributes to an
patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in understanding of the text in
which it appears.
stories, myths, and traditional
literature from different cultures.
RI.4.8: Explain how an author uses
Range of Reading and Level reasons and evidence to support
particular points in a text.
of Text Complexity
RI.4.9: Integrate information from
RL.4.10: By the end of the year, read
two texts on the same topic in
and comprehend literature, including
order to write or speak about the
stories, dramas, and poetry, in the
subject knowledgeably.
grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed
at the high end of the range.
Writing
Text Types and Purposes
W.4.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear
event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a
narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that
unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events
or show the responses of characters to situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the
sequence of events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey
experiences and events precisely.
a. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences
or events.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.4.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development
and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
(Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in
standards 1-3)
W.4.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
(Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language
standards 1-3 up to and including grade 4.)
W.4.6: 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 sitting.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.4.8: 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.
W.4.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g.,
“Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or
drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a
character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”).
b. 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”).
Language
Conventions of
Standard English
L.4.1: Demonstrate
command of the
conventions of standard
English grammar and
usage when writing and
speaking.
c. Use modal auxiliaries
(e.g., can, may, must)
to convey various
conditions.
e. Form and use prepositional phrases.
f. Produce complete
sentences, recognizing
and correcting inappropriate fragments and
run-ons.
g. Correctly use
frequently confused
words (e.g., to, too,
two; there, their).
L.4.2: Demonstrate
command of the conventions of standard
English capitalization,
punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
b. Use a comma before
a coordinating
conjunction in a compound sentence.
c. Spell gradeappropriate words
correctly, consulting
references as
needed.
Jefferson County Public Schools Elementary Literacy
Grade 4 ► Weeks 19-24 cont.
CODING KEY
= New Standard
FOCUS STANDARDS
Speaking & Listening
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Maps
What Do Good Readers, Writers & Thinkers Do?
= Continued Focus
Reading
= Focus Fading to Mastery
Reading Literature
Reading Informational
Range of Reading and
Level of Text Complexity
Writing
Range of Writing
W.4.10: Write routinely over extended
RI.4.10: By the end of the year, time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision) and shorter
read and comprehend
time frames (a single sitting or a day
informational texts, including
or two) for a range of disciplinehistory/social studies, science,
and technical texts, in the grade specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
4-5 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as
needed at the high end of the
range.
Language
Knowledge of Language
L.4.3: Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking, reading or
listening.
b. Choose punctuation for effect.
c. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal
English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations
where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g.,
small-group discussion).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.4.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown
and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from
a range of strategies.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin
affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a
word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries,
glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to
find the pronunciation and determine or clarify
the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
L.4.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative
language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings.
b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common
idioms, adages, and proverbs.
L.4.6: 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).
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Unit Title: Thinking, Talking, Reading and Writing about Informational and Literary Texts
Overview: During this unit, students will think, talk and write about informational and literary texts.
Students will work to describe the overall structure of informational texts, including how text features
provide clues to the overall structure of texts. Students will interpret information that is presented
visually, quantitatively and orally and explain how that information helps them understand the text
they read. Students will explain events in historical, scientific and technical texts. Students will look at
point of view and compare and contrast point of view across different texts as well as in the same text.
The differences between poems, dramas and prose will be analyzed and explored. Students will also
have the opportunity to explore different mythological words and phrases and their meanings.
Reading Workshop is the recommended framework for standards-based reading instruction. The
workshop framework is a cycle of differentiated support that begins with whole group instruction,
narrows to small group and individual instruction based on student need, and concludes with whole
group sharing. Assessment and intervention are embedded within the workshop framework.
Classrooms that do not use a workshop framework are expected to implement research-based reading
instruction daily. Research-based reading instruction provides daily opportunities for students to
experience: interactive read alouds, shared reading, whole group mini-lesson, small group instruction,
conferring with a teacher, independent reading practice, thinking, talking and writing in response to
reading, and closure. Teachers meet with small groups of students on a rotating basis and meet with
the lowest achieving students daily. Targeted interventions are provided for students who need more
support. Whole group, small group, and individual instruction should be standards-based.
This unit includes multiple lesson seeds. Lesson seeds include objectives, learning targets, sample
activities, anchor charts, thinking stems, and formative assessment suggestions. Lesson seeds should
be used to build or grow a learning experience, and are for the whole group mini-lesson. A learning
experience includes standards, learning targets, materials, formative assessment opportunities, minilessons (e.g., teach/model/demonstrate, guided practice), daily work time (e.g., guided reading, focus
groups, and/or book clubs) and daily group sharing (reflection and evaluation of the learning). A
learning experience and some lesson seeds are designed to take multiple days. For example, the
mini-lesson might take one or two days, the guided practice would become the mini-lesson for the
following day, and possibly extend to the next day. In addition, based on formative assessment, if the
majority of students did not understand the mini-lesson concept, seeds may be repeated with different
texts or excerpts. If some of the students did not understand the mini-lesson concepts, small group
instruction and teacher led conferences are utilized to reteach, reinforce, and support students who
need additional help.
Although it may take more than one day to get through one seed, always remind readers of the
focused learning target at the end of the daily mini-lesson. Then, send readers off to read on their own
with a directive relating to the mini-lesson for their independent reading and writing. After work time,
readers are gathered again to discuss and share the strategies and thinking they used while reading
and writing and how they might have grown as readers.
Interactive read alouds, as well as on-level shared reading experiences allowing students to see and
hear fluent reading of the text, should be included daily in addition to the reading during the mini1
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts Grade 4 Weeks: 19‐24
lessons. Many seeds revisit texts that have previously been read in prior experiences of shared reading and/or read alouds. At the 4/5 level, Word Study should occur daily within the context of reading. The purpose is to promote understanding of how words work and how to use them to effectively communicate ideas. This may occur as the workshop mini‐lesson, as a focus group, during guided reading, during read aloud, during content area instruction, or as targeted word work instruction. Students will need the opportunity to apply the learning during authentic reading and writing. The purpose is to promote understanding of the various ways we use words to effectively communicate ideas as well as how we use knowledge of roots and affixes to comprehend what we read. Writing Standards 1‐6 and most Language Standards will be taught during Writing Workshop. However, these standards will reinforce and will support the learning within these units. Handwriting Instruction – During this six‐week unit, students in fourth grade should receive cursive writing instruction on a daily basis as part of their word study and writing times. Appropriate letter and word formations are expected and reinforced as students engage in authentic writing tasks. The JCPS Handwriting Map, which includes a link to resources to support instruction in letter formation, can be found on our website. Focus Standards:  RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).  RL.4.5 Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, setting, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.  RL.4.6 Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first‐and third‐person narrations.  RI.4.3 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.  RI.4.5 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.  RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. Supporting Standards: RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RL.4.1, W.4.4, W.4.8, W.4.9, SL.4.1, SL.4.2 2 Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Objective: Students can describe the overall structure of information in a text.
Lesson Seed #1
Learning Target:
I can describe the structure of information in a text or part of a text.
Activity: (RI.4.5, W.4.8) This seed is intended to span over two or more days. You may find that you
need to repeat this with different texts of different organizational structures. You will be using
“Island of Freedom” (4th grade CQ, volume 1). Read aloud the Ellis Island section. After reading, refer
to your previously made Text Organizational Structures chart. Think aloud about how the author is
really giving the reader information about Ellis Island and what it was like as an immigrant to go
through there. The author must feel it is important to give a thorough description of Ellis Island in
order for the reader to understand what it was like. The author writes on page C6, “A famous place on
the island, located just outside the immigration station, was the “kissing post” When an immigrant
was finally accepted into America, he or she ran to the kissing post and hugged and kissed waiting
relatives.” I can really visualize how happy the immigrants must feel to be joining their families. Think
aloud about why the author chose to organize this writing as description. Record your thinking on an
anchor chart.
Direct students’ attention to the next page about Angel Island. Students will read this section with a
partner (stopping on page C8 before the last paragraph on the page) and talk about why the author
chose to write this as description as well. What was the author’s purpose for describing the process of
going through Angel Island? Students will jot their thinking into their reader’s notebooks.
** Before moving to the next part, have students create a Venn diagram flip chart (see example
below). After making the flip chart, they will need to attach it to a sheet of paper, leaving space at the
bottom for their thinking.
Now direct students’ attention to the first page of “Islands of Freedom” and read aloud the page. The
author is making a point of telling the reader that immigrants coming to America went through
immigration stations called Ellis Island and Angel Island. I know that based on what we have already
read, the passage describes both Ellis Island and Angel Island. Now look at the last paragraph of the
passage on page C8. Read it aloud, pointing out the comparisons that are made between the two
immigration stations. Record onto a large Venn diagram for students to see. Have students record
onto their flip chart.
Refer to the previously made anchor chart of the different organizational text structures. Look now at
Compare/Contrast. This passage as a whole seems to fit into the Compare/Contrast text structure.
There is an introductory paragraph at the beginning that connects the information. There is also the
paragraph at the end that connects the information.
Students will continue to record information on their Venn diagram flip chart, this time working
together to take the important information from each section (Ellis Island, Angel Island) to look at the
differences between the two. This will help show how the passage demonstrates Compare/Contrast.
Support students as they work. Ask one pair to share their thinking with the class at the end.
Independently, at the bottom of the flip chart students will craft a written response to this question:
“Why did the author choose to organize the information in this passage as compare and contrast?”
3
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
This can be used as a formative assessment to guide the next day’s instruction.
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
•
•
•
Why is the author comparing Ellis Island and Angel Island?
Why did the author choose to organize the information in this passage as two description
sections that create an overall compare and contrast structure?
What other structure could the author use to organize this information?
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Use the writing portion of this seed to guide your next day’s instruction. Are students able to
take the Venn diagram and craft a written response to the thinking stem “Why did the author
choose to organize this as compare/contrast?” Are students able to communicate in writing
that the text is organized as compare/contrast because Ellis Island and Angel Island both
served the same purpose of screening immigrants as they came to the United States of
America? You may find that you will need to choose different texts and repeat this seed with
the whole class. You may also find that you will need to create small groups for reinforcement.
4
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Objective: Students can describe the overall structure of information in a text.
Lesson Seed #2
Learning Target:
I can explain how text features provide clues to the overall structure of the text.
Activity: (RI.4.5, RI.4.2) You will be using Caves by Neil Morris (grade 5 classroom library). It is strongly
suggested that students have access to the text being used in this seed. Using the first section, “What
is a Cave?”, think aloud how the title of the section already gives the reader a clue as to how this
section is organized. The title of this section is asking a question, “What is a Cave?” This tells me, the
reader, that this section is going to provide an answer to this question. Next point out the different
text features (text boxes, captions, photographs) and how they each provide information about caves.
Last, read the text to see if that information provides answers to the question, “What is a Cave?” The
think aloud should focus on the text structure of asking and answering questions and how the text
features support that structure.
Direct students’ attention to the section titled “Cave Formations.” Pairs will use this section to look at
the section title and text features and talk with each other about how the text features help the
reader determine what the organizational structure is for this section. Support students as they have
discussion by asking them questions such as, “Why did the author include photographs in this
section?” and “How do the photographs deepen our understanding of the text?” Ask one pair to
share their thinking with the class. Choose a pair that is able to clearly point out the text features and
articulate how those text features helped them better understand the text.
For independent practice students can either use another section of this book or they can use an
informational text they have in their independent reading collection.
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
• Why did the author include the text features in this section?
• How do the text features deepen our understanding of the text?
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Exit Slip: How do text features provide clues to the overall structure of a text? When you are
analyzing the exit slips look for students who are struggling to make the connection between
text features and the structure of the text. Depending on the number of students who were
unable to answer this question you may want to repeat this seed using different text with the
whole group or in small groups.
5
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Objective: Students will interpret information presented through texts, pie charts, and
photographs.
Lesson Seed #3
Learning Target:
I can interpret information presented quantitatively and visually and explain how the information
contributes to an understanding of the text.
Activity: (RI.4.7, RI.4.1, W.4.8, SL.4.2) You will be using Something Old, Something New: Recycling, by
Anita Ganeri (grade 5 classroom library). It is strongly suggested that students have access to the text
used in this seed. Read aloud page 6. As I study the pie chart, I see that it is divided into different
materials. The key tells me that there is green waste, paper and cardboard, glass, plastic, cans, textiles
and others. I think that these are different types of trash. It looks like green waste makes up the most
trash, then paper and cardboard. I remember reading in the text about all the different items we
throw away every day. This chart helps me better understand just how much of each type of waste we
throw away. Record your thinking on the three column chart. Make sure students are also recording
on a three column chart in their reader’s notebooks.
Direct students’ attention to the photograph at the top of page 7. Have students turn and talk about
what they see in this photograph. How does this picture support the text on page 6? Have students
record their thinking on their three column chart. Listen in to see if they are making the connection
that the picture shows the different types of trash talked about in the text and shown in the pie chart.
If they are, ask a few pairs to share their thinking with the rest of the class.
If the majority of the class isn’t making that connection, pull them back together as a whole class. As I
look at the picture on page 7, I see a lot of different types of trash. I see food scraps, aluminum cans,
egg cartons, plastic bottles, wrappers. I know that the text on page 6 shared the different types of
trash people throw away each day, and the pie chart also shows the different types of trash we throw
away. It seems this picture is supporting the information given on page 6.
For independent practice, students need to have access to text that includes visual representation
and/or quantitative representation. They can add to the three column chart in their notebooks.
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
Information from the text
Information from the pie chart
Information from the photograph
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Student responses on chart – are students able to connect the information from the picture
with the information provided in the text with the information shared in the pie chart?
• Look at student work in their reader’s notebooks from independent work time. Were they
able to work independently to see the connections between visual and quantitative
information and note how it contributes to the understanding of text?
6
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Objective: Students will interpret information presented through interactive elements on web
pages.
Lesson Seed #4
Learning Target:
I can interpret information presented orally and explain how the information contributes to an
understanding of the text.
Activity: (RI.4.7, W.4.8, SL.4.2) This seed requires use of the internet. Go to
http://www.spatulatta.com/artist-in-the-kitchen/440-weaving-a-pretty-mat. This site links you to
directions on how to weave a mat out of construction paper. It includes a video that shows how to
weave the mat. You will want to make sure students have access to the directions.
First, give students the directions on how to weave a mat. Have students work together to read the
directions. Give students the materials necessary to weave the mat and allow them the time to do so.
Do not provide too much support here since the goal is to see how well students understand the text
in front of them. You may want to pair your students accordingly so they can support each other with
the reading of the directions.
After students have made the mats, tell them that now they are going to watch a video of a girl
demonstrating how to weave the mat. Ask them to jot notes on the direction sheet as they watch the
video about things they see that would have been helpful when they were weaving their mats. Give
them a few minutes after the video to talk with their partner and continue jotting their thoughts.
Have a whole group discussion about their findings, asking students to use the notes that they took to
guide the discussion. How did the video help them as readers understand the directions better?
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
• What problems did you run into when weaving the mat using the written directions only?
• How did the video help to deepen or clarify your understanding of the text?
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Exit Slip: How did the video help deepen your understanding of the written directions?
• Woven mats will demonstrate understanding.
Objective: Students will explain concepts in a historical event including what happened and why.
Lesson Seed #5
Learning Target:
I can explain events in a historical text.
Activity: (RI.4.3, RI.4.1, W.4.8) You will be using If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution,
by Kay Moore (classroom library). It is strongly suggested that students have access to the text being
used in this seed. Read aloud starting on page 14. When you get to the end of page 16, ask yourself
aloud, I wonder why the Patriots decided to dump all of that tea into the Boston Harbor? If I go back
and look in the text it says that the lawyer stirred up the colonists when he said they should not pay
taxes until they could send a person to speak for the colonies in Parliament. When the British took
away all the taxes except the one on tea, the Patriots didn’t think this was good enough. That seems
to be what caused the Patriots to dump the tea into Boston Harbor. Record your thinking on an
7
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
anchor chart.
Keep reading aloud to the bottom of 18. Hmm, I wonder what caused the start of the American
Revolution. I read that King George decided to close the port after the Patriots dumped out the tea. He
told them that nothing could go in or out of the port until they paid for the tea. This may have upset
some of the colonists. The text also says that some people thought it was time for colonies as a group
to protest British taxes. This makes me think they are coming together as a group. Record your
thinking on the anchor chart.
Students need to work together to read page 37. What event occurred on this page? Why did this
happen? Push students to think about why the Patriots would melt a statue of King George to make
bullets. What do they know about the Patriots that help them understand this event? Make sure
students are recording their thinking on the anchor chart with post-it notes or on a chart in their own
notebooks.
For independent practice, have students apply this skill using the social studies text during social
studies. Are students able to explain the events read about in the historical text? This would be
ongoing practice.
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
I read…
This happened because…
“On December 16, 1773, angry Patriots,
dressed as Mohawk Indians, dumped 342
crates of tea into Boston Harbor.”
The Patriots were angry about still having to
pay taxes. Even though the British took away
all of the other taxes, it wasn’t good enough
for the Patriots. They were mad.
King George closed the port after the tea
was dumped out. This probably upset the
colonists even more. Many of the colonists
decided it was time to protest the British
taxes.
“This was the start of the American
Revolution.”
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Note if students are recording appropriate responses on the anchor chart. Students should be
able to tell that the Patriots used a statue of King George to melt down for bullets. They
should be able to see the significance in this – the Patriots were the ones who became tired of
being under British control and they wanted to be free from the British. King George is the one
who closed down the port after the Patriots dumped out the tea. It seems only fitting that
they melt down a statue of him.
Objective: Students will explain concepts in a scientific text including what happened and why.
Lesson Seed #6
Learning Target:
I can explain what happened and why it happened in a scientific text.
Activity: (RI.4.3, RI.4.1) You will be using Volcanoes by Seymour Simon (classroom library). It is
strongly suggested that students have access to the text being used in this seed.
Tell your students that you are going to think about what event is happening on this page. Read aloud
the section starting on page 10. After you have read, ask yourself what happened and why? This page
8
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
told me about a powerful volcanic eruption that occurred on May 18, 1980. Why did this happen?
What caused this? As I go back and reread I see now that it talks about these small earthquakes that
were happening shook the mountain. The text shares that the mountain began to crack and swell.
Finally that pressure caused the mountain to erupt – a volcano occurred. Record your thinking on an
anchor chart.
Have students work together to read the last paragraph on page 15. Together, they need to
determine what happened in this paragraph and why. Support them as needed. Have them record
their thinking on their own t-charts. If they aren’t able to determine that a new island called Surtsey
was formed near Iceland in 1963 as a result of the eruption of an undersea volcano, then you may
want to bring them back together as a class to support them.
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
What happened?
Why?
May 18, 1980 Mount St. Helens erupted with
incredible force – the energy released in the
eruption was equal to ten million tons of
dynamite.
There were more than 10,000 small
earthquakes between March and May of 1980
that shook Mount St. Helens. This caused the
mountain to swell and crack.
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Note if student responses are appropriate on the anchor chart. Students should be able to
conclude that the event was a new island forming near Iceland in 1963. This happened
because an undersea volcano erupted. Depending on the level of support needed, you may
need to support as a whole class or in small groups. This seed can be repeated with different
texts as needed.
Objective: Students will explain concepts in a technical text including what happened and why.
Lesson Seed #7
Learning Target:
I can explain steps in a technical procedure.
Activity: (RI.4.3, RI.4.5, RI.4.7, SL.4.2) You will be using “Talking with Neon Sign Makers” (5th gr. CQ,
vol.1). Today we are going to look at a technical text titled “Talking with Neon Sign Makers.” I notice
there are photographs with numbers on both pages of this text. I wonder why the author chose to
include the photographs. Maybe the photographs will help us understand the text or support our
understanding of the text. Listen as I read aloud the first bit of this text.
Read aloud starting at the second bold heading, “What are the steps in making a neon sign?” Read
only the first section under that heading. I noticed that the heading was asking a question. Then the
rest of what I read was Joe talking about the first step in making a neon sign. That’s what a technical
procedure does – it tells the reader about how something is made. Let’s focus on what Joe said. I know
what the text says, but I need to be able to explain what it says in my own words. As you think aloud
your explanation, record your thinking on an anchor chart. You can choose to handwrite on the left
what the text says, or you can use a copy from the book and paste the section being used on the left.
Have students work together to read the next part, where Mark is talking about the second step. This
goes onto the next page. Tell students that after they read about the second step, they need to
9
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
explain the step in their own words. Have them record on a post-it note and post on the anchor chart
as they finish. Support them as needed while they work.
Once all post-it notes are posted, read them aloud to the class. As a group, talk about which post-it
notes are on the mark as an explanation and which ones need to be added to. As a group, choose the
post-it note that gives the best explanation of step 2 and record on the chart.
Independently or with a partner, students will work on reading and explaining step 3. Remind them
that they need to read the step, and then try to explain how the step works. Remind them to try to
put the step into their own words. They should first try orally explaining how the step works, then put
into writing.
An example of an explanation would be, “The third step is called the pumping and bombarding step.
You connect the sign to a vacuuming hose that takes the air out of the tube. Then a transformer
cleans out the inside of the tube by bombarding it with an electric charge. Next you have to let the
tube fill with neon gas. Seal the end with a torch once the tube is full. Then test it and see the glow.”
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
What the text says
In my words
The first step is called patterning. It is making a
pattern on paper or some other material. We now
usually make the pattern on a computer and print it.
The letters or the patterns are printed in reverse.
The first step is called patterning. During this step,
a computer is used to make a pattern in reverse on
a material such as paper and then printed off.
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Note if students are able to record the steps and respond in their own words. If students
struggle with explaining how the step works, they will need additional support in small groups.
Objective: Students will determine the main idea and key details to summarize a text.
Lesson Seed #8
Learning Target:
I can summarize informational text.
Summarizing informational text requires students to think about the main idea(s). If your students
are having difficulty determining or inferring the main idea, begin by teaching (or reteaching) this
skill. (LINK) Main Idea learning experiences are attached and can be repeated with any informational
text, preferably a text with which the readers are familiar.
Activity: (RI.4.2) Provide students with a copy of a short informational text such as “Icebergs: Floating
Snow Cones” from Toolkit Texts grades 4-5. Make your copy of the text visible as you read and take
notes that will help you construct a summary. Read aloud, stopping to determine the main idea of
each section and highlighting key words that will be important in constructing a summary. From the
article “Icebergs,” you will determine that the article is mostly about what an iceberg looks like and
how icebergs are formed. In order to focus students, you may wish to just identify one main idea
and summarize the main part of the article. Create a chart from which you will construct your
summary. The chart will contain the key words or “gist words” as they are often called and the main
idea they support.
10
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Main Idea: Icebergs begin as moisture from the ocean and
end as icebergs hidden mostly under the water.
Gist Words: moisture, snow, layers, pressure, turns to ice,
ice sheets, glaciers, continent, sea, icebergs
Think aloud as you consider any synonyms you might use for any of the gist words and actually write
a summary as your students observe. Refer to the main idea and construct sentences using the gist
words. Be sure to refer to the anchor chart that has the elements of an effective summary as you
write and think aloud. Keep your summary and the poster of main idea and gist words available to
students to refer to as they begin to write their own summaries. Provide students with short articles
to practice summary writing in pairs and provide feedback before asking them to draft a summary on
their own.
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
Elements of an Effective Summary
• Includes the title and author
• States the main idea
• Includes only important details that
support the main idea
• Includes the author’s purpose
• Written in our own words
• Uses transition words to combine ideas
• Written in a logical order
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
Analyze and provide feedback to students as they determine the main idea and gist words that
support the main idea. Provide small group instruction for students who have not mastered these
skills. As students practice writing summaries with a partner or individually, determine next steps for
whole group instruction by determining what most of your students need in order to produce
effective summaries.
Objective: Students will determine the main idea and key details to summarize a text.
Lesson Seed #9
Learning Target:
I can summarize literary text.
Activity: (RL.4.2) If your students are overwhelmed with creating summaries of narratives, you may
wish to introduce an organizer such as the one below. Model summarizing a familiar short story using
the “Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then…” format and ask partners or small groups to do the same
with additional familiar texts. Continue modeling and providing opportunities for guided practice
before asking student to summarize independently. The anchor chart shown is based on Freedom
Summer by Deborah Wiles.
11
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
Somebody
Joe
Wanted
But
his best friend John
Henry to be able to go
everywhere he could go
and do everything he could
do
the laws required black
people and white people to
use different public
facilities
So
the laws changed and
everyone, regardless of
race, could use the same
public facilities
Then
Somebody
Joe and John Henry
Wanted
But
to swim in the town pool
together
when they got there, the
pool was being filled in
with tar
So
They did not give up.
They decided to go into a
store together.
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
Read aloud a short story and ask students to summarize the text. Have students read independently
a short story and summarize. Standards Based Guided Practice passages or previous literary passages
from Reading Diagnostic or Proficiency Assessments may be used to assess and plan for whole group
and/or small group instruction on summarizing.
Objective: Students will compare and contrast points of view from which stories are narrated.
Lesson Seed #10
Learning Target:
I can compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated.
Activity: (RL.4.6, RL.4.1) You will be using an original version of The Three Little Pigs and The True
Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (1st grade classroom library). Feel free to use two other texts that satisfy the
intent of this seed. It is strongly suggested that students have access to the text being used in this
seed. During a separate read aloud, you will want to read both versions to your students. You will
want to introduce point of view to your students if this is their first exposure to it.
You will want to focus your think aloud on the pigs’ point of view in The Three Little Pigs. Talk through
one or two examples of the pigs’ point of view, recording your thoughts on the anchor chart as you
think out loud. Then use The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! and think aloud about one or two
examples of the wolf’s point of view. Make sure to use the language “point of view” as you think
aloud.
Give students an opportunity to work together and/or independently to continue comparing and
contrasting the two different points of views. You can either have them work in their reader’s
notebooks, or you can have them work on post-it notes and bring the notes up to the anchor chart. If
you choose to use the post-it notes, you have the opportunity to address misconceptions as a whole
group.
You will want to allow time at the end to bring the class back together in order to address the work
students did during independent work time.
12
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
Pig’s Point of View
• The wolf said he would huff and puff and blow
the house down when the scared pigs wouldn’t
let him in
• The wolf ate the pigs after he blew the houses
down
• The pigs said “Not by the hair on my chinny chin
chin” when the wolf demanded to come in
• The wolf fell down the chimney of the third
house after he threatened the pig and landed in
hot water and the pig lived happily ever after
Wolf’s Point of View
• The wolf said he had a cold and sneezes and
that is how the houses fell down
• The wolf says that he ate the pigs only after
they were killed by the houses falling on them
• The wolf said that the second pig told him that
he was shaving the hair on his chin
• The wolf says that he was just trying to get
some sugar to bake a cake for his granny
• The wolf says that he was arrested while he
was banging on the third pig’s door – he was
taken to jail
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Were students able to make appropriate responses about the two different points of view?
Objective: Students will compare and contrast points of view from which stories are narrated.
Lesson Seed #11
Learning Target:
I can compare and contrast the point of view of two different characters in the same book.
Activity: (RL.4.6, RL.4.1) You will be using The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare. This was
a recommended read aloud in the unit for weeks 13-18. It is strongly suggested that students have
access to the text being used in this seed.
Re-read pages 42-44. Focus your think aloud on how Matt viewed this situation and how Attean
viewed this situation. When Matt chose this section to read to Attean, he said that he just chose his
favorite parts to read. So when Attean got angry, Matt didn’t understand why. Attean said “Him never
do that!” and “Never kneel down to a white man!” Matt thought that it was appropriate because
Crusoe had saved the captive’s life. It seems that Matt and Attean don’t see eye to eye about this.
Attean can probably relate to the captive and doesn’t like that the captive had to kneel down. He
wouldn’t want to kneel down to a white man. Matt, on the other hand, doesn’t understand. He just
sees that the white man saved the captive’s life. Record your thinking on the anchor chart.
Reread pages 63 to the middle of page 65. Students can work together to chart Matt’s point of view
here and Attean’s point of view here. How are their two points of views different here? When they
come across the fox in the trap, how does each of them react? Matt is concerned about the fox and
wants to help him, but Attean says that they cannot touch the fox because they didn’t set the trap.
Support them to also find a comparison in their points of view. On page 65 they both agree that the
iron trap is a cruel way to trap an animal.
13
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
Matt’s Point of View
•
•
Attean’s Point of View
Matt didn’t understand why Attean
was angry. Matt thought it was
appropriate that the captive kneel to
the white man in the book because the
white man had saved his life.
Matt wants to help the fox. He feels
badly that the fox is trapped and can’t
get out.
•
•
Attean was very angry when he
listened to this part of the book. He
said that the captive should not kneel
to the white man – he would never do
that.
Attean says that they can’t help the
fox – it isn’t their place since they
aren’t the ones who set the trap in the
first place.
Both
•
•
They both agree that the iron trap is a cruel way to trap an animal.
How might our understanding of this text be different if it were written more from Attean’s
point of view?
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Student responses from anchor chart. Are students able to successfully work together as they
determine both characters’ points of view? If not, was it because they had trouble working
together? Or was it that they had difficulty determining the point of view? Depending on the
struggle, you will want to form small groups or reteach to the whole class.
Objective: Students will explain the structural elements and major differences between poetry,
drama and prose.
Lesson Seed #12
Learning Target:
I can explain major differences between poetry, drama and prose.
Activity: (RL.4.5, RL.4.1, SL.4.1) According to the thesaurus, stanza and verse are synonyms.
“Technically, a stanza is a succession of lines that form a poem or song, and a verse is either a single
line of writing or a series of lines in a song.” RL.4.5 refers to verse as one of the structural elements of
poetry.
You will be using three separate texts for this seed. This seed is intended to span over two or more
days. Suggested texts for this seed are “A Magical Pen” from Toolkit Texts (or any drama), “Casey at
the Bat” from 101 Great American Poems in the exemplar texts (or any other poem), and The Sign of
the Beaver (or any prose). Students will need access to all three texts. Feel free to use other texts that
would satisfy the intent of this seed.
Group students in groups of 4 or 5. Each group will receive all three texts and a piece of chart paper.
Show them how to set up their anchor chart (see below) into three columns. The title of each text
goes at the top of each column.
Students are to work together to compare the different texts and chart what they notice about each
text. The level of support you provide will depend on what your students are able to discover as they
work together.
After groups have charted a few items they notice, post them and allow students to do a gallery walk.
14
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Make sure you set the expectations for a gallery walk: read each chart and use your post-it notes to
post any questions or comments your group may have for the other group. After the gallery walk,
groups get their own chart back and have an opportunity to read the feedback others provided. They
can add to/change their charts.
As a group, look for commonalities between the different charts. Start a class anchor chart. This is
your chance to clear up any misconceptions your students may have. After this activity, you will need
to make some instructional decisions. Do you need to spend more time on poetry? Drama?
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
“Casey at the Bat”
Poetry
•
•
•
•
Rhythm
Verse
Rhyme
Stanza
“A Magical Pen”
Drama
•
•
•
•
Cast of characters
Setting established
throughout
Dialogue
Stage directions
The Sign of the Beaver
Prose
•
•
•
•
•
Characters
Setting
Problem/Solution
Dialogue
Sentences and paragraphs
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Based on what information students are able to generate on their charts, then you may need
to form small groups or plan whole class instruction to go deeper into the structural elements
of poems, drama and/or prose.
Objective: Students will analyze and compare a poem and a prose summary of a poem.
Lesson Seed #13
Learning Target:
I can compare a poem to a prose summary of a poem.
Activity: (RL.4.5, W.4.8) You may find that before doing this seed you will need to spend some time
with your students on the structural elements of poetry and the structural elements of prose. This
will depend on the information you gather from seed #12. According to the thesaurus, stanzas and
verses are synonyms. “Technically, a stanza is a succession of lines that form a poem or song, and a
verse is either a single line of writing or a series of lines in a song.” RL.4.5 refers to verse as one of the
structural elements of poetry.
This seed is intended to span over two or more days, depending on your class needs. You will be using
“Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Thayer from 101 Great American Poems and a prose summary of “Casey
at the Bat” (LINK). It is strongly suggested that students have access to the text being used in this
seed.
Provide students first with the poem “Casey at the Bat.” Read aloud the poem to students, modeling
how to pause at line breaks, how to stress and unstress different syllables, and how to create rhythm
as you read. As you read, you want to make your thinking visible to students. This can be performed
by either projecting it for students to see, or by blowing the text up and putting on chart paper. The
focus is not just on what the poem means, but also on the structural elements of the poem. After you
mark your thinking, transfer the big ideas onto the anchor chart.
Provide students with the prose summary of “Casey at the Bat.” Have students read this together,
15
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
marking their thinking and things they notice on the prose summary. Support them as they work. Do
they notice that the prose summary visually looks different from the poem?
Bring students back together and record the things they noticed on the anchor chart. You may find
that you need to provide additional support by adding to the chart for them if they aren’t able to
come up with any relevant characteristics of prose.
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
Poem
•
•
•
•
Verses
Rhythm
Pattern (The first two lines
rhyme and the last two lines
rhyme. This creates the
pattern.)
White space that divides the
verses
Prose Summary
•
•
Grammatically correct
sentences that form a
paragraph
Doesn’t “look” like a poem – it
looks like other texts that we
see
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
These can be written and/or spoken. This seed as a whole will help you determine where to go next
instructionally.
• Compare the poem “Casey at the Bat” to the prose summary of “Casey at the Bat.” What are
the similarities between the two? What are the differences?
• How do the structural elements of poetry contribute to the differences between the two
versions?
Objective: Students will craft a written response in which they are asked to compare a poem to a
prose summary of a poem.
Lesson Seed #14
Learning Target:
I can craft a written response comparing a poem to a prose summary of a poem.
Activity: (RL.4.5, W.4.4, W.4.9) The purpose of this seed is for you to model how to take the
information from the anchor chart and craft a written response to the thinking stem: Use the
structural elements of poetry to compare and contrast the poem “Casey at the Bat” to the prose
summary of “Casey at the Bat.”
Begin by reading the thinking stem aloud. Post it so that students can see it. Use this time as an
opportunity to model a good writing response for your students. Think aloud as you write. You want
students to hear the process as they watch you write.
After you have crafted a partial written response, give the students the same thinking stem and have
them continue to work to craft a written response.
16
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
Poem
•
•
•
•
Verses
Rhythm
Pattern (The first two lines
rhyme, and the last two lines
rhyme. This creates the
pattern.)
White space that divides the
verses
Prose Summary
•
•
•
Grammatically correct
sentences that form a
paragraph
Doesn’t “look” like a poem – it
looks like other texts that we
see
No rhythm created when
read aloud
Use the structural elements of poetry to compare and contrast the poem
“Casey at the Bat” to the prose summary of “Casey at the Bat”.
The poem “Casey at the Bat” is organized into verses. There is a pattern within the
verses. The first two lines of each verse rhyme and the last two lines of each verse rhyme.
This creates an AABB pattern. The poem also includes white space that divides the verses.
This helps me read the poem in a way that I can better understand, When I read the poem
aloud, there is a rhythm. It kind of sounds like a song.
The prose summary looks very different. There isn’t any of the white space that I see
on the poem, and it isn’t divided into verses. It looks like one full paragraph made up of
sentences. When I read it aloud, it doesn’t sound like a song. I don’t feel or hear a rhythm as
I read it.
The content of the two is similar. The prose summary is explaining what the poem says.
The summary helps me as a reader understand the poem better.
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Looking at their writing, which students were able to craft their own written response? Were
students able to complete the written response that you began modeling?
Objective: Students will explain the structural elements of a drama.
Lesson Seed #15
Learning Target:
I can explain the structural elements of drama.
Activity: (RL.4.5) You will be using “A Magical Pen” from the Toolkit Texts for grades 4-5. This is the
drama that was used in seed #12. This is a sample seed that could be repeated with other dramas. It
is strongly suggested that students have access to the text being used in this seed.
As I look at this drama, “A Magical Pen,” it looks different from stories I normally read. I notice in the
upper left corner is a box with the cast, or characters, in this drama. Read the cast aloud to the class. I
am going to keep reading. One evening, at Monticello, … After you read the opening paragraph,
continue with your think aloud. This paragraph is telling the reader a little about the setting of this
drama. I visualize Thomas Jefferson sitting while grandchildren dance about. I can see the red
curtains, tall windows and wood patterned floors. As you notice these structural elements, add them
to the anchor chart if they aren’t there from seed #12. If they are already on the anchor chart, then
point them out as you talk.
Continue to read, thinking aloud as you go. Make sure to point out any structural elements. For
example, make sure you point out when a new character is speaking, or when you see stage
17
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
directions (after the narrator speaks for the first time). Stage directions are important for anyone who
is performing the drama because they tell the characters where on the stage they need to be. It will
also be important to mention that in this drama, the narrator is providing background information as
well as establishing setting.
Ask students to read with a partner Jefferson’s second speaking part. What structural element do
they notice within this part? They can mark this on their copy, you could have them post it on the
anchor chart, or you can have them share out with the class. Support them as needed if they are
unable to notice that the italicized writing in parentheses is a stage direction. You can have students
act this out so that they can see the importance of the stage directions. Put them in groups of four to
demonstrate what this part would look like on a stage.
Students can continue to work together or independently to read the rest of the drama, noting any
structural elements of drama as they work. Prepare them for the last page, where they will see a text
box and a map. What is the purpose of these two features? This can be written into their reader’s
notebooks.
As an extension, this drama can be performed. Put students into groups of 6 and use it as a reader’s
theatre. Students should not be asked to memorize anything – stress the importance of fluent
reading, etc., as they practice.
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
• Anchor chart from seed #12
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• Are students able to notice the stage directions when asked to read the paragraph where
Jefferson is speaking?
• Are students able to “act out” the stage directions?
• If performed, check for fluent reading and following of stage directions.
Objective: Students will determine the meaning of mythological words and phrases to better
understand literary text.
Lesson Seed #16
Learning Target:
I can determine the meaning of mythological words and phrases.
Activity: (RL.4.4, RL.4.1) The purpose of this seed is to begin an anchor chart with your students.
Explain that you are going to post an anchor chart in the room titled “It’s All Greek to Me!” and it will
stay up for the rest of the school year. This chart will be added to as you read myths. Below you will
find a sample anchor chart. You may find the text exemplars helpful as you continue through this
year.
The goal is not just to read and understand myths. The goal of this standard is to teach students the
mythological phrases that are found in literature so that they can better understand what they are
reading. Students need to know what it means when a text says that a character had to use a
“Herculean effort” in order to complete a task.
Through read alouds, independent readings, and small groups, expose your students to different
18
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
myths and text about mythological people. The sample anchor chart below is what your chart might
look like after a few exposures to reading myths and texts about mythological people.
Thinking Stems/Anchor Chart:
It’s All Greek to Me!!
•
•
•
•
“Herculean effort”
•
•
•
The Midas touch
Pandora’s Box
•
When someone works very
hard on a task, they are
said to have made a
“herculean effort.”
•
Hercules was given 12 tasks
to complete. Tasks that
were believed to be
impossible to complete.
After he did complete all
tasks, Hercules was made a
god.
•
What does it mean to have the Midas touch?
How does this reference help the reader understand the character in the story?
What is meant by a Herculean task?
Formative Assessment Opportunities:
• As students read literary texts, notice if they are able to determine what certain mythological
phrases mean. Are they able to explain how knowing what that phrase means helps them
better understand what a character is doing?
• Are students able, when asked, to locate certain mythological phrases while reading?
• Notice if students begin to recognize allusion to mythical characters in text during
independent reading.
19
Kentucky Core Academic Standards Curriculum Unit
Jefferson County Public Schools English Language Arts
Grade 4
Weeks: 19 - 24
Suggested Instructional Texts:
Rigby (R), Classroom Library (CL), Text Exemplar (E), Science (S), Social Studies (SS), Toolkit Texts(TT)
Literary
Informational
st
The Three Little Pigs (1 grade CL)
“Islands of Freedom” (R)
st
The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! (1 grade CL)
Something Old, Something New: Recycling (CL)
101 Great American Poems (E)
“Talking with Neon Sign Makers” (R)
“A Magical Pen” (TT)
Volcanoes (E)
The Sign of the Beaver (E)
“Icebergs: Floating Snow Cones” (TT)
Summary of “Casey at the Bat” (LINK)
Freedom Summer
Additional Professional Resources:
• Reading Units of Study, Lucy Calkins
• A Curricular Plan for The Reading Workshop Grade 4, Lucy Calkins
Resources for Tier II & Tier III Interventions
• JCPS Response to Interventions website:
http://www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Departments/Gheens/RTI/RtI.html
• Interventioncentral.org: http://www.interventioncentral.org/
• Readworks.org (K-6 reading lessons and passages): http://www.readworks.org/
• Literacyleader.com (lessons and resources): http://www.literacyleader.com/
20
Main Idea Learning Experience #1
(this experience assumes prior learning experiences on determining the main idea have occurred)
Standards:
RI.4.2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text.
Learning Targets:
I can determine the main idea of individual paragraphs.
I can determine details that support the main idea.
Suggested Materials:
 Anchor chart on what main idea is and how to determine a main idea created during a
previous lesson
 Wired by Anastasia Suen (this is in the 4th grade classroom library set) OR another
informational text
 Photocopies of page 10 from Wired to be used during Guided Practice
 Document camera
 Sticky notes
Formative Assessments Opportunities:
 Observe students during guided practice, listen in on their conversations and ask them
about their boxes (main idea) and bullets (details that support the main idea)
 Read students' main ideas and lists of details that support the main idea
Background Information:
This lesson experience is focused on main idea and supporting details at the paragraph level.
Please note that RI.4.2 moves students to determine main idea and supporting details at the
passage level. The Standards Based Guided Practice lessons will provide additional support
throughout the year.
Mini Lesson Components
Link to Prior Experience and State Learning Target: (sample language to use)
We have been working on determining the main idea of a paragraph or short passage. Today
we are going to practice determining the main idea and identifying details that support it.
Teach/Model/Demonstrate: (sample language to use)
Watch as I read a couple of paragraphs from the book Wired by Anastasia Suen. As I read, I am
going to think aloud so you can hear me thinking about what the main idea of each paragraph
is and what the supporting details are.
Open the book to page 6 and begin reading the first paragraph, stopping to think out loud
about the main idea. As you determine the main idea of the first paragraph, record it on a
sticky note. Put a box around it. You should project the sticky note using the document camera
so that students can see.
As I read this paragraph, I am thinking about the first sentence. The first sentence tells me that
the wires connect from the generator to a step-up transformer. The rest of the sentences in the
paragraph tell me how the wires “step-up” the electricity. Point to the posted learning target – I
can determine details that support the main idea. I believe these sentences are the details to
support the first sentence, the main idea. Write down the supporting details on the sticky
note(s) in a bulleted fashion. Students need to hear your thinking as some of the main ideas
Main Idea Learning Experience #1
(this experience assumes prior learning experiences on determining the main idea have occurred)
may be explicitly stated and some may not be explicitly stated.
Read aloud paragraph two. As I read this 2nd paragraph, I am thinking that the main idea is the
first sentence: Stepped-up electricity has more voltage. The other sentences in the paragraph
tell why it has more voltage. It tells me that the more electrons are in a wire, the higher the
voltage. This supports the main idea that stepped-up electricity has more voltage. Record the
supporting details on your sticky note(s) in a bulleted fashion.
Guided Practice:
Hand out photocopies of page 10 from Wired. Now it is your turn. I want you to work with your
partner to read page 10 and determine the main idea for each paragraph. Remember, you must
look for details that support your main idea. Make sure you are recording your main idea and
supporting details on paper like I modeled.
Walk around and work with students, supporting them as they work to determine main idea
and details. You may already know which students are having difficulty with this standard so
you will want to target them. During this time you also want to look for strong work. These
students might be needed to share their thinking with the whole class.
Restate Learning Target/Share Student Thinking/Directive for Task:
Today we worked on determining the main idea of paragraphs and the details that support
them. As I walked around just now, I noticed (insert a few comments about what you noticed).
Now you are going off to work on this independently. Using one of your informational texts, find
a section that contains two or more paragraphs. Work to determine the main idea of each
paragraph and make sure you list the details that support it. Be sure to box the main idea and
bullet the details. Refer back to your boxed main idea and bulleted details on the sticky notes.
We will be using this work tomorrow so make sure you keep it in your notebooks.
Main Idea Learning Experience #1
(this experience assumes prior learning experiences on determining the main idea have occurred)
Work Time Components
Confer with Readers:
As the students begin to work, identify students who may be slow to get started. Assist them
by restating the directions if needed, repeating and directing their attention to the learning
targets, or helping them locate text if needed.
Once students are working, identify who is struggling with determining the main idea and/or
supporting details. Offer individualized support as needed.
During this time, you also want to identify a student or two who can share their work at the
conclusion of today’s lesson. Think about someone who can share something that will benefit
the rest of the class. Ask them privately to share and remind them of their “smart thinking”
that you want the others to hear. This makes your share time more intentional.
Small Group Opportunities:
Based on what you have observed and gathered through formative assessment in previous
lessons and/or in today’s lesson concerning main idea, pull a small group to reinforce and reteach. You may want to pull a different text and do the same activity you did during your whole
group.
Share Components
Turn and Talk:
Turn and talk to your neighbor about today’s work. Share with them the book you read during
independent time and share one of the main ideas and the supporting details. Both partners will
need to share.
This should take roughly 6 minutes, 3 minutes per partner.
Whole Group Share:
Compliment the class on their work and restate the learning target, then end with one great
example by asking the child you identified to share their thinking with the class. If they don’t
make the point you wanted to class to hear, help them. This is additional learning time.
Teacher Reflection:
Ask yourself: How did it go? How do I know? Who is showing evidence of meeting today’s
learning target? Who is not? What are my next steps? Do I need to repeat today’s learning
experience with different text? Do I need to pull focus groups? Who needs to be in the focus
group? How do I know?
Main Idea Learning Experience #2
Standards:
RI.4.2: Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by
key details; summarize the text.
RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text.
W.4.9b: 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”).
Learning Targets:
I can explain how the main idea is supported by details in the text.
Suggested Materials:
 Anchor chart on what main idea is and how
to determine a main idea created during a
previous lesson
 Wired by Anastasia Suen (this is in the 4th
grade classroom library set) OR another
informational text
 Photocopies of page 10 from Wired to be
used during Guided Practice
 Prepare on chart paper one of your boxes
(with the main idea of a paragraph inside
the box) and a bulleted list of the
supporting details. You will want to set your
chart paper up as a T-Chart. Write only on
the left side of the chart. You will use the
right side during this experience. This
sample lesson will use the main idea and
details from the first paragraph on page 6 in
Wired.
 Student Reading Response Notebooks
Formative Assessments Opportunities:
 Observe students during guided practice, listen in on their conversations and ask them
about their explanations regarding how the details support the main idea.
 Read students' explanations on how the details support the identified main idea.
Background Information:
This lesson experience is focused on main idea and supporting details at the paragraph level.
Please note that RI.4.2 moves students to determine main idea and supporting details at the
passage level. The Standards Based Guided Practice lessons will provide additional support
throughout the year.
Mini Lesson Components
Link to Prior Experience and State Learning Target:
Main Idea Learning Experience #2
(sample language to use)
Yesterday, we read two paragraphs in Wired and determined the main idea and the details that
support that in each paragraph. Today we are going to think about how the details support the
main idea for each paragraph.
Point to your posted learning target as you state it.
Teach/Model/Demonstrate: (sample language to use)
Watch as I think about how the details from the 1st paragraph support the main idea I identified
for this paragraph. The main idea is the wires from the generator connect to a step-up
transformer. Point to the main idea you wrote in the box.
I am going to read all of the details before I begin thinking about how they support the main
idea. The first detail I listed here is two coils of wire circle around the core (inside the
transformer). This is telling me a little bit about how the insides of the transformer work. The
second detail is electricity enters through the smaller coil. Hmm, this is still talking about how
the insides work. The third detail says that a
magnetic field is created. I think this is still
talking about how it all works. The last detail
says electricity is stepped up because the longer
coil circles (the core) more times. This detail tells
me more about why it steps up the transformer.
As you think aloud this next part, you will want
to record onto your prepared T-Chart. Well, it
seems like the first three details all help me, the
reader, see HOW the wires and insides all work
together to create a step-up transformer. So
maybe I will write that here to the side. Record
on chart. Now as I look to the last detail I am
thinking that this detail actually explains why the
transformer is stepped up. I think it is a little
different than telling just how the insides of the
transformer work. So I am going to write that the
last detail helps support the main idea because it
explains why the transformer is stepped up.
Guided Practice: (sample language)
Now I want you to work with your partner from yesterday. I am going to give you back the
paragraphs you worked on yesterday – the sticky notes are attached. Choose one of the
paragraphs on the page that you created a box and bullets for. First talk through the details you
listed. How does each of the details support the main idea? Allow them discussion time.
Circulate around and listen to their talk. Listen to those pairs who struggled yesterday so that
you can support their thinking.
Main Idea Learning Experience #2
Bring their attention back to you. Now you will create a T-Chart (refer to the one you created)
in your journal. Take your sticky note and place it on the left of your chart. On the right side of
the T-Chart write out your thinking. Remember to explain HOW each detail supports the main
idea.
As students work, teacher circulates, helping students who have difficulty explaining how the
details support the main idea. If you notice many students struggling, you will need to get the
attention of all students and clarify misconceptions. As you circulate, you will notice a pair or
an individual who is doing very well. Ask them if they will be willing to share with the whole
group. After a majority of students have the explanations written out, bring the group back
together.
Restate Learning Target/Share Student Thinking/Directive for Task:
Today we worked on explaining how the details in a text support the main idea. Point again to
the learning target. You listened to me think aloud and model for you and you worked with a
partner. Now you will work independently.
Revisit the informational text you read yesterday. Re-read one of the paragraphs. Review your
main idea and details (box and bullets). Just as we did today, you will write out your explanation
of how the details support the main idea.
You may want to individually talk to strugglers and English Language Learners about pairing up
with other students for the independent work time. Help them form partnerships.
Work Time Components
Confer with Readers:
As the students begin to work, identify students who may be slow to get started. Assist them
by restating the directions if needed, repeating and directing their attention to the learning
targets, or helping them locate text if needed.
Once students are working, identify students who are struggling with explaining how the details
support the main idea. Offer individualized support as needed.
During this time, you also want to identify a student or two who can share their work at the
conclusion of today’s lesson. Think about someone who can share something that will benefit
the rest of the class. Ask them privately to share and remind them of their thinking that you
want the others to hear. This makes your share time more intentional.
Small Group Opportunities:
You have already identified students through formative assessment and observation who are
struggling. Pull those students into a small group and guide them through this process. You
can use one of their chosen texts or one of the paragraphs from the guided practice. You may
also notice students who struggled during guided practice and pull them to reteach today’s
lesson.
Main Idea Learning Experience #2
Share Components
Turn and Talk:
Ask students to bring their boxes and bullets and text to the meeting area (or have them return
to their seats if you do not have a meeting area). Ask student to share with a partner their
work. This should take about 3 minutes per partner, so after 5-6 minutes, gather their
attention.
Whole Group Share:
Compliment the class on their work and restate the learning target, then end with one great
example by asking the child you identified to share their thinking with the class. If they don’t
make the point you wanted the class to hear, help them. This is additional learning time!
Teacher Reflection:
Ask yourself: How did it go? How do I know? Who is showing evidence of meeting today’s
learning target? Who is not? What are my next steps? Do I need to repeat today’s learning
experience with different text? Do I need to pull a focus group? Who needs to be in the focus
group? How do I know?
Main Idea Learning Experience #3
Standards:
RI.4.2: Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by
key details; summarize the text.
RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
and when drawing inferences from the text.
W.4.9b: 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”).
W.4.10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision)
and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Learning Targets:
I can explain in writing how details support the main idea.
Suggested Materials:
 Wired by Anastasia Suen (this is in the 4th
grade classroom library set) OR another
informational text
 Photocopies of page 10 from Wired to be used
during Guided Practice
 Student’s charts from previous learning
experience (journals)
 Anchor chart from previous learning
experience
 Blank chart paper to model writing
Formative Assessments Opportunities:
 Observe students during guided practice, listen in on their conversations and ask them
about their explanations regarding how the details support the main idea.
 Read students' explanations on how the details support the identified main idea.
Background Information:
This lesson experience is focused on main idea and supporting details at the paragraph level.
Please note that RI.4.2 moves students to determine main idea and supporting details at the
passage level. The Standards Based Guided Practice lessons will provide additional support
throughout the year.
Mini Lesson Components
Link to Prior Experience and State Learning Target: (sample language)
We have been learning to explain how details support the main idea. Point to the posted
learning target as you state the learning target.
Teach/Model/Demonstrate: (sample language)
Today we are going to use the thinking we did yesterday (T-Chart) about how details support
Main Idea Learning Experience #3
the main idea to create a written explanation so someone else can understand our thinking.
Point to posted learning target. Today we are going to explain in writing how the details support
the main idea.
Watch as I use the chart we created to craft a written explanation of how our first three details
support the main idea of how the wires from the generator connect to a step-up transformer.
Point to the box on the chart.
I am going to begin by stating the main idea. Write the first sentence, including your main idea,
onto the chart paper. Now I am going to write down the first three details. The reason I am
writing down the first three details is because we already determined that they all serve the
same purpose – they all show how the wires work together to create a step-up transformer.
Continue your writing, making sure to point out the transitions you use. For example, “The first
detail…”, “The second detail…”, and “The third detail…”. Now that I have all three details
written down, I am going to write my explanation of how they support the main idea. Think
aloud as you write the explanation sentence (refer to the T-Chart).
Guided Practice: (sample language)
Now we need to include the fourth detail and the explanation about how it supports the main
idea. I will need you all to help with the process. Who would like to tell me how this next part
should start? You want to support this process by allowing students to talk before coming up
and adding to the writing. Encourage them to begin this last part with a transition (“The final
detail…”). After having students orally rehearse, invite to come up and write. Continue this
process until you have the fourth detail and an explanation as to how it supports the main idea.
Refer to the chart as needed so that students have the support.
Restate Learning Target/Share Student Thinking/Directive for Task:
Today we worked to explain in writing how the details support the main idea. Today during
work time you are going to work with your partner. I will give you back the photocopy of page
10 and you will need the t-chart you worked on in your journal. You and your partner will craft
your written explanation of how the details support the main idea you. Use your charts to
support you.
Work Time Components
Confer with Readers:
As the students begin to work, identify students who may be slow to get started. Assist them
by restating the directions if needed, repeating and directing their attention to the learning
targets, or helping them locate text if needed.
Once students are working, identify students who are struggling with explaining how the details
support the main idea. Offer individualized support as needed.
During this time, you also want to identify a pair or two who can share their work at the
conclusion of today’s lesson. Think about students who can share something that will benefit
the rest of the class. Ask them privately to share and remind them of their thinking that you
want the others to hear. This makes your share time more intentional.
Main Idea Learning Experience #3
Small Group Opportunities:
You have already identified students through formative assessment and observation who are
struggling. Pull them into a small group and guide them through this process. You can use one
of their chosen texts or one of the paragraphs from the guided practice. You may also notice
students who struggled during guided practice and pull them to reteach today’s lesson.
Share Components
Turn and Talk:
Ask students to bring their written explanations to the meeting area (or have them return to
their seats if you do not have a meeting area). Ask each pair to sit with another pair. Allow
them a few minutes to share their explanations.
Whole Group Share:
Compliment the class on their work and restate the learning target, then end with one great
example by asking the pair you identified to share their thinking with the class. If they don’t
make the point you wanted the class to hear, help them. This is additional learning time!
Teacher Reflection:
Ask yourself: How did it go? How do I know? Who is showing evidence of meeting today’s
learning target? Who is not? What are my next steps? Do I need to repeat today’s learning
experience with different text? Do I need to pull a focus group? Who needs to be in the focus
group? How do I know?
Summary of “Casey at the Bat”
The Mudville Nine was down to the visiting team four to two with only one inning left to
play. Two players had already struck out, and the crowd was waiting for Casey to come to bat.
They felt he was their only hope, but there were still two players in front of Casey. The two
players, Blake and Flynn, weren’t very good but they were able to each get on a base. Jimmy
Blake landed at second base and Flynn made it to third base.
The crowd of 5,000 erupted with cheer as Casey approached the bat. They knew that
Casey was the one who would be able to win this game for them! Casey walked up to bat
confidently and calmly, smiling along the way.
Casey watched as the first ball was thrown but he didn’t swing. He said, “That ain’t my
style” The umpire called strike and the crowd went mad. They started yelling to kill the umpire
because they were angry about the strike, but Casey held up one hand and the crowd calmed
down. Casey signaled to the pitcher and the second ball was thrown. Casey ignored this ball too
and the umpire yelled “strike two” This time the crowd yelled “fraud” but stopped as soon as
Casey gave them a scornful look. They watched his muscles tighten up and knew that Casey
wouldn’t let that ball go by again.
The crowd watched as the pitcher let the ball go. Casey swung his bat but all he hit was
air. Casey struck out a third time! Somewhere men are laughing and somewhere bands are
playing, but in Mudville there is not joy because Casey struck out at that bat.