WeavingDeeperMeaning

**Language Arts Grade 4**  **Unit:** Weaving Deeper Meaning  **Purposes:** Understanding character, setting, events, plot and theme of stories
 * Essential Questions:** What life lessons can we learn from stories? How do stories reveal what we have in common?

 **Description:** In this unit, students delve deeper into the meaning of texts through discussions and activities with a focus on the lessons we learn from stories. Students will explore these lessons through analysis of the **characters, settings, events, conflicts and point of view** in stories. Students will use reading strategies, such as making connections, visualizing, inferring, and synthesizing as they discuss and respond orally and in writing to stories. Students will read fiction books either independently or guided during SIR time. Minilessons, read alouds, and book hooks will use a variety of genre with strong character development and themes.The culminating product will be an Advice for Better Living Podcast or video, where students take the role of a character from a book read and give advice using information from the text.

Desired Results

**Common Core State Standards**

 * Reading Standards for Literature**
 * Key Ideas and Details**
 * RL 4.1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
 * RL.4.2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
 * RL.4.3. 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).
 * Craft and Structure**
 * 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.4.6. Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.
 * Integration of Knowledge and Ideas**
 * RL 4.7 Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.
 * Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity**
 * RL 4.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grade 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.


 * Speaking and Listening Standards**
 * 1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on //grade 4 topics and texts//, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
 * Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
 * Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.
 * Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
 * 2. Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
 * 3. Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.
 * Production and Distribution of Writing**
 * 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.

CT Grade Level Expectations

 * Activate prior knowledge before reading
 * Examine the text before reading
 * Evaluate predictions and adjust as necessary
 * Use cueing system and context clues to determine meanings of words.
 * Summarize information to maintain focus and provide clarity.
 * Describe the components of setting
 * Infer characteristics, setting, plot events, theme, conflict
 * Identify and explain the elements of particular literary forms. e.g. poetry, short story, biography, journalistic writing, narrative
 * Use multiple texts to compare and contrast characters, settings, plots, themes, conflicts and point of view
 * Determine character traits, using knowledge of the character's situations
 * Identify and explain the difference between first, second and third person point of view.
 * Analyze how characters deal with diversity and adversity relating to real-world situations
 * Identify the best/worst part of an event or situation in text
 * Recognize and discuss a character's values, ethics and beliefs included in many texts
 * Choose a variety of genres to read for personal enjoyment
 * Elicit, discuss and respect the opinions of others about written, oral and visual texts
 * Share opinions and judgments based on texts

NETS for Students
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students: a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
 * Creativity and Innovation**

A1 Use stated or implied evidence from the text to draw and/or support a conclusion A2 Identify or infer important characters, problems, settings, events, relationships and details. A3 Select and use relevant information from the text in order to summarize events and/or ideas in the text. A4 Use information from the text to make a __prediction__ based on what is read. A5 Use context clues to determine meanings of unknown or multiple meaning words or figurative language. B1 __ Identify __ or __infer__ the //author’s use of structure and organizational patterns//. B2 __ Draw __ __conclusions__ about the //author’s purpose// for choosing a genre or including or omitting specific details in a written work. B3 Use stated or implied __evidence__ from the text to //draw and/or support a conclusion//. C1 Make connections between text and outside experiences and knowledge C2 Select, synthesize and/or use relevant information within the texts to write a personal response to the text. D1 __ Analyze __ and __evaluate__ the //author’s craft//, including use of literary devices (such as simile, metaphor, imagery, and personification) and/or textual elements (non-fiction). D2 Select, synthesize and/or use relevant information within the texts to extend or evaluate the texts. D3 Demonstrate an awareness of an author's or characters' values, customs and beliefs included in the text.
 * Connecticut Mastery Test Objectives**


 * **Understandings** || **Essential Questions** ||
 * -Understanding character's lives and the way characters deal with problems, conflicts, and diversity can help us to understand others people's points of view and help us better understand how to deal with our own problems and conflicts.

-Making connections to text helps us find connections amongst ourselves and others. || What life lessons can we learn from stories?

How do stories reveal what we have in common? ||

//The student will know...// || **Skills:** //The students will be able to...// || character, setting, events character traits evidence inference point of view opinion || identify, explain, and infer (theme and story elements) activate (prior knowledge) evaluate (predictions) elicit, discuss, and respect (opinions of others) share (opinions, interpretations, judgments) compare and contrast (story elements) analyze (how characters deal with diversity) ||  ||
 * **Knowledge:**
 * theme

support opinion genre types of genre (mystery, poetry, realistic fiction..) character, setting, conflict, point of view theme inference connections character traits ||
 * Content Vocabulary ||
 * evidence

Assessment Evidence
 * **Performance Tasks**

Podcasts for Better Living || **Formative Assessments**

Blue Ribbon Common Formative Assessments Bi-Weekly Outer Edge Assessments Wiki Talks Written Responses to Bookmark questions Conference Notes Essential Question Responses


 * Summative Assessments**

Written response to bookmark question


 * Student Self-Assessments**

Exit Cards || Learning Plan
 * Resources**

SEM-R book library Class Sets for Interactive Read Alouds Guided Reading Library (in science closet) Junior Great Books http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com/ [|Storyline Online]
 * Picture Books**

[|duringreadingthinkingpromptbookmarks.doc] [|SEM-R Bookmarks] [|WikiTalks] [|edmodo] [|Top Ten Lessons and Resources for Teaching Fiction Reading] I[|nteractive Read Aloud: Developing Thoughtful Readers and Thinkers]

[|Joyful Reading: Differentiation and Enrichment for Successful Literacy Learning] [|Still Learning to Read] [|Day to Day Assessment in Reading Workshop]
 * Professional Books**

[|WikiTalks] [|SEM-R Bookmarks] I[|nteractive Read Aloud: Developing Thoughtful Readers and Thinkers] || Bark, George, Bark lesson Sorting My Thinking lesson || [|Charting Characters for a More Complete Understanding]lesson Character Trait Foldables [|Character Trait List] Character Trait [|Wordle] [|Charlotte is Wise, Patient and Caring: Adjectives and Character Traits] [|Inferring How and Why Characters Change] lesson [|Top Ten Lessons and Resources for Teaching Fiction Reading] || [|Point of View Two Bad Ants] lesson [|Point of View 2-Tab Foldable] || [|Theme Posters] [|Top Ten Lessons and Resources for Teaching Fiction Reading] || [|ReadWriteThink Story Map Interactive] [|Book Report Alternative: Examining Story Elements Using Story Map Comic Strips] [|Nutmeg Wiki](fill in story elements) [|Read Write Think Story Map] [|Top Ten Lessons and Resources for Teaching Fiction Reading] || Student chart comparing 2 stories [|Get the Real Scoop! Comparing Books to Movies] || -Character, setting, plot and theme SEM-R bookmark questions -Jr Great Books || [|SEM-R Bookmarks] I[|nside/Outside Circle] Turn and Talk [|Think, Pair, Share] [|Numbered Heads Together] [|Four Corners] [|Carousel Brainstorming] [|Wiki Talks] [|Wiki Talks Lessons] || SIR Rules [|Bookmarks for Students] || Conference Tips [|Teacher Log Template] ||
 * Anchor Activities ||
 * **Interactive Read Aloud** || Global Read Aloud
 * **During Reading Thinking Strategies** || [|duringreadingthinkingpromptbookmarks.doc]
 * **Picture Book Lessons** || Table of books and activities ||
 * **Understanding Character Activities** || [|Drita My Homegirl Character Map]
 * **Understanding Point of View Activities** || Hey Little Ant bulletin board activity
 * U**nderstanding Conflict Activities** || [|Top Ten Lessons and Resources for Teaching Fiction Reading] ||
 * **Understanding Theme Activities** || [|Books with Common Themes]
 * **Understanding Story Elements Activities** || [|Story Elements Foldable]
 * **Compare and Contrast Elements of Texts** || Class Chart comparing elements
 * **Use higher-order thinking questions to simulate discussion**
 * **Continue SIR, Supported Independent Reading:** Focus on reading challenging books
 * One-on-one teacher conferences**
 * Small guided reading and flexible groups as needed** || [|Student Log]
 * **One-on-one teacher conferences on reading strategies** (5-7 minutes each) || Conference Video