Grade 4: Moving Toward Acceptance Through Picture Books and Two-Voice Texts
Rating: 
Common Core Standards
Reading Literature
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).
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, settings, 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.
RL.4.9 Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
RL.4.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Reading Foundational Skills
RF.4.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RF.4.4(a) Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
RF.4.4(b) Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
RF.4.4(c) Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
Writing
W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
W.4.3(a) Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
W.4.3(b) Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
W.4.3(e) Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
W.4.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
W.4.9(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].").
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.
Language
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.
L.4.4(a) Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
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).
Description of Unit
This Grade 4 unit plan titled "Moving Toward Acceptance Through Picture Books and Two-Voice Texts" is from readwritethink.org with an estimated ELA/Literacy instructional time of at least eight 50-minute sessions. The emphasis of this unit is for students to: read a variety of texts to compare and contrast situations presented in literature to situations in real life; demonstrate understanding of the concepts of acceptance and intolerance; and create a class definition of two-voice poetry by reading samples. As a summative assessment, students compose, edit, and present a two-voice text of their own.
Cautions
Connecticut teachers should be cautioned that teacher notes and preparation materials will require familiarity to be used effectively. Texts needed for the unit are not included. Standards for speaking and listening are addressed in the unit and could be added; it is unclear if there is explicit instruction for the language standards listed. While assessment guidelines and a rubric are included, they are not aligned to Common Core standards. It is not clear if students who are ELL or who have disabilities are provided with the necessary scaffolding to meet the targeted standards.
Rationale for Selection
The unit plan is a good example of how use a contemporary issue to provide for authentic learning, application of literacy skills, analysis, and reflection. Lessons address instructional expectations and are easy to understand and use. The unit cultivates student interest and engagement in reading, writing, and speaking about text.