Common Core Standards - Grade 4

Pre-K - Grade 1 - Grade 2 - Grade 3 - Grade 4 - Grade 5 - Grade 6

Reading
Writing
Speaking and Listening
Language

Reading - Literature

Content Description:

Related Ziptales Activities:

Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Develop students’ skills in referring to a text to explain or infer using:

Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

Provide opportunities for student to determine the theme of story using: Students explore story themes using Main Library genre stories e.g. the theme of bullying in the People stories A Laugh a Day, Danny’s New Glasses and The New Girl.

Use the Rhyme Time Worksheets, Teacher Strategies and Commentary for the poem A Poison Tree to assist students with determining the theme of a poem.

Students practice summarising a text using Activity 1 from most Main Library genre stories Learning Support Worksheets e.g. Animal stories: Princess Nightmare, Percy and Claude, Kafoops’ Zoo and Bill and Bill and the Kitten.

Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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).

Use the Language Arts Lessons: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Understanding Texts (Part A) and Describing a Setting to guide students with describing characters, settings or events in a story.

Provide opportunities for student to describe a character’s thoughts, words, or actions using: Students describe story events using Main Library General Worksheet #1 for The Flower of Happiness (Fairy Tales) and The Caped Crusader (Comedy) and Graphic Classics Worksheet #3 for Beauty and the Beast and King Arthur.

Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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).

Use the Main Library genre stories Spelling and Vocabulary and Word Work Worksheets to develop students’ skills in determining the meaning of words as they are used in a text.

Study eponymous adjectives using the Main Library Myths & Legends stories The Twelve Labours of Hercules (Herculean) and The Magic Statue (the Pygmalion effect); the Adventure story Dr Wow in Atlantis (Plato – platonic) and the Graphic Classics story King Arthur (Arthurian).

Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

View the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) What Does a Poem Look Like? to study the major differences between poems and prose.

Familiarise students with the terms used to refer to the structural elements of poems and drama using the Activities for the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Words For Texts.

Provide opportunities for students to refer to the structural elements of poems using the Rhyme Time poems, Worksheets, Commentary and Teacher Strategies.

Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Compare and contrast first- and third-person narrative voice using:

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Provide opportunities for students to explore the connections between a story or drama and the visual or oral representation of the text using:

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.8
(RL.4.8 not applicable to literature)

Not applicable to Grade 4

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Students compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics using: Use Main Library literature to explore similar patterns of events for example:

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Provide opportunities for students to read and comprehend the Zip Stages 6 and 7 literature from the Main Library genre stories, Rhyme Time poems and Graphic Classics graphic novels.

Use the Multiple Choice and Fill the Gaps activities, and the General Worksheets and Learning Support Worksheets provided for each of the Main Library genre stories.
Also use the Worksheets, Commentaries and Teacher Strategies provided for the Rhyme Time poems to assist with the ongoing development of students’ comprehension skills of literature texts.

Reading - Informational Text

Content Description:

Related Ziptales Activities:

Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Provide opportunities for students to develop their literal and inferential comprehension of informational texts using:

Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.2
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.

Study the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Information Texts to assist students with determining the main idea of an informational text and locating supporting key details.

Provide opportunities for students to practice summarizing informational texts using Activity 1 from the Main Library Learning Support Worksheets for the True Tales stories e.g. Subway Hero, Castaway, The Great Houdini, Snake!, Capsize! and Kay Cottee’s Adventures. Prompt and support students to then determine the main idea of these texts and explain how the key details support it.

Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Use the Main Library True Tales stories for students to explain events in historical texts e.g. a timeline for the ocean voyage in Kay Cottee’s Adventures, a record of the daily events in Capsize!, a cause and effect chart for the events in No Second Chances, a timeline of the historical events from The Ghost Ship.

Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

Explore general academic words using the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) School and Community Words. Use the Spelling and Vocabulary and Word Work Worksheets for the Main Library True Tales stories for students to determine the meaning of domain-specific words.

Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Study the Language Arts Lessons: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Finding Out and Finding Facts to assist students with describing the structures and features of informational texts. Explore the use of topic sentences to present concepts and information in a text using the Language Arts Lesson: Writing (Yrs 3 & 4) What is a Paragraph?

Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.6
Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.

View the Language Arts Lesson: Writing (Yrs 3 & 4) Who is Telling the Story? and focus on the section about the Main Library True Tales story Subway Hero. Students compare and contrast how the secondhand account by the author would differ from a firsthand account from the people who were actually there (e.g. Everett Sanderson, the train driver, Michelle’s mother). Use other True Tales stories to explore this concept.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Study the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) The Grammar of Pictures to identify how information can be gained from illustrations (e.g. photographs, timelines, flowcharts) in an informational text.

Use the Skill Builders - Comprehension module Visual Literacy to study how information can be interpreted visually through cartoons, photos, diagrams, tables, map grids, flowcharts and advertisements.

View the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Digital Texts then use the Activities for students to explore the interactive elements on a Web page.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.8
Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

View the Skill Builders - Comprehension module Arguments to explore how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.9
Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Provide opportunities for students to integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgably using the guidelines and Activities from the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Graphic Organizers.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.10
By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4-5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Assist with the ongoing development of students’ comprehension skills of informational texts using the Multiple Choice and Fill the Gaps activities, General Worksheets and Learning Support Worksheets for the informational texts in the Main Library genre True Tales.

Reading - Foundational Skills

Content Description:

Related Ziptales Activities:

Phonics and Word Recognition
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3
Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3.a
    Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.

View the Skill Builders Spelling modules and complete associated Worksheets to build students’ knowledge of letter-sound correspondences.

Provide opportunities for students to read accurately unfamiliar words in context using the Spelling and Vocabulary Worksheets and out of context using the Word Work Worksheets provided for the Main Library genre stories.

Students independently read the Main Library genre stories to practice decoding unfamiliar multisyllablic words.

Fluency
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4.a
    Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

Utilise the What’s my Ziptales reading level? reading engine to enable students to locate Ziptales texts suited to their reading ability in order to practice reading with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. Use the titles in the Zip Stages 6 and 7 reading lists to provide opportunities for students to read grade-level texts with purpose and understanding.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4.b
    Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

Develop students’ ability to read aloud to develop accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings using the prose and poems from:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4.c
    Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

Students view the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Developing Reading Skills to assist with the development of effective text processing strategies.

Teachers can view the Reading Tool Kit (3-6) webinar for a variety of practical activities for teaching effective decoding strategies.

Writing

Content Description:

Related Ziptales Activities:

Text Types and Purposes
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1.a
    Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1.b
    Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1.c
    Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1.d
    Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

Reinforce the structure of opinion texts using the Write Time module How to Write Arguments and the Language Arts Lesson: Writing (Yrs 3 & 4) Types of Texts. Provide opportunities for students to support a point of view with reasons using:

Text Types and Purposes
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.a
    Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.b
    Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.c
    Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also, because).
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.d
    Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.e
    Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Study the structures and features of informative/explanatory texts using: View the Language Arts Lesson: Writing (Yrs 3 & 4) What is a Paragraph? to assist students with grouping relevant information in informative/explanatory texts. Provide opportunities for students to write informative/explanatory texts using:

Text Types and Purposes
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3.b
    Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3.c
    Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3.d
    Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3.e
    Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Explore the structures and features of recounts and narratives using: Study effective techniques used in narrative writing by viewing then completing the activities for: Springboard narrative text creation using:

Production and Distribution of Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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 above.)

Guide and support students to develop and organize writing appropriate to task, purpose and audience using:

Production and Distribution of Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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 here.)

Develop students’ planning, revising and editing skills using:

Production and Distribution of Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Guide and support students to use technology to produce and publish writing using:

Research to Build and Present Knowledge
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.7
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

Prompt students to conduct short research projects using:

Research to Build and Present Knowledge
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Students view the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Graphic Organizers then use the Activities to assist them with gathering relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information and provide a list of sources for a topic of research.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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].").

Provide opportunities for students to draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis, reflection and research using:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.9.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").

View the Skill Builders - Comprehension module Arguments to reinforce students’ understanding of how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.

Prompt students to use reasons and evidence to analyze, reflect and research a topic using concepts presented in the following Main Library True Tales General Worksheets:

Range of Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Provide opportunities for students to write over extended time frames and shorter time frames using:
  • Ideas generated from the Main Library genre stories e.g. The New Girl (People) Extended time frame: Research the different forms of bullying e.g. physical, verbal, cyber, emotional etc OR Write an informational report about the different types of emergency services e.g. police, paramedics, fire department etc; Shorter time frame: Write a narrative text about a character overcoming a problem with a bully OR Write a recount about when you faced a difficult situation in your own life.
  • Graphic Classics King Arthur Worksheet #1 – Same Story, Different Genre and Worksheet #2 – Working as members of a design team (extended time frame) and Worksheet #3 – A different genre: blank verse (shorter time frame).
  • Ideas from the Write Time module How to Write Poetry (shorter time frame).

Speaking and Listening

Content Description:

Related Ziptales Activities:

Comprehension and Collaboration
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1
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.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.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.

Provide opportunities for students to prepare for collaborative discussions about a topic using the Activities from: Students complete Task 1 from the Activities for the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Graphic Organizers then share their data grids with other students studying the same topic to explore others’ ideas.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.b
    Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

Build students’ awareness of agreed-upon rules of discussion using the Language Arts Lessons: Oral Language (Yrs 3 & 4) Conversations (Part A), Group Work and Did You? Didn’t You?

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.c
    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.

Use the Activities from the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Finding Facts for students to practice asking questions about a text then linking their comments to the remarks of others.
Students complete Main Library genre story General Worksheet #2 for Copy Frog (Animal) to practice posing questions to clarify information.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.d
    Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

Prompt students to explain their own ideas and understanding in light of a discussion using Activities from:
  • Language Arts Lesson: Oral Language (Yrs 3 & 4) Opinions.
  • Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) Words for Texts.

Comprehension and Collaboration
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.2
Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Explore the concept of ‘paraphrasing’ using the Language Arts Lesson: Oral Language (Yrs 3 & 4) Listening Well. Provide opportunities for students to paraphrase oral information using the Activities from the Language Arts Lesson: Oral Language (Yrs 3 & 4) Conversations (Part B).

Comprehension and Collaboration
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.3
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.

View the Language Arts Lessons: Oral Language (Yrs 3 & 4) Opinions then use the Activities for students to practice identifying reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.

Presentation and Knowledge of Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.4
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

Provide opportunities for students to report on a topic using the Activities from: Students work collaboratively to tell a story using:

Presentation and Knowledge of Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.5
Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

Encourage students to present the following activities to an audience using audio recordings and visual displays:

Presentation and Knowledge of Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.6
Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 4 Language standards 1 here for specific expectations.)

Explore formal and informal language using the Language Arts Lesson: Oral Language (Yrs 3 & 4) Ways of Speaking.
Students engage in informal discourse by: Provide opportunities for students to use formal English using the Activities from the Language Arts Lessons: Oral Language (Yrs 3 & 4) Giving a Speech, Group Work, Listening Well and Opinions.

Language

Content Description:

Related Ziptales Activities:

Conventions of Standard English
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1.a
    Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).

Reinforce students’ knowledge of relative pronouns using the Skill Builders Grammar module Sentences: What are Relative Pronouns? Use Main Library stories to study examples of:
  • Relative pronouns e.g. The Enchanted Princess (Fairy Tales)
    • who had two sons… (pg 1).
    • he who failed…(pg 2).
    • Shortly after that… & which fell dead (pg 4).
    • At that…(pg 9).
    • on which swam…(pg 11).
    • not long after that (pg 17).
  • Relative adverbs e.g. The Fisherman and His Wife (Fairy Tales)
    • when he… (pg 1);
    • where the cottage… (pg 6);
    • when he returned… & when he went…(pg 9);
    • when she rose…& why should I… (pg 10);
    • where she belongs (pg 12).

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1.b
    Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.

Study verb tenses using the Skill Builders Grammar module Verbs: What About Time? Student complete Worksheet #1 for this module and then form and use the progressive verb tense for each of the answers in the crossword e.g.
1 Across – jump: I was jumping; I am jumping; I will be jumping.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1.c
    Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.

View the Skill Builders Grammar module Verbs: What Sorts of Verbs are There? to study auxiliary verbs then locate examples of their use in the Main Library genre stories e.g.
The Pied Piper (Myths & Legends) use of must, can, will and could;
The Flower of Happiness (Fairy Tales) use of could, might, may, can and will.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1.d
    Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).

Students develop their understanding of the conventional patterns of ordering adjectives by viewing the Skill Builders Grammar module Adjectives and then practising this skill using Main Library genre stories General Worksheet #1 for Toffee in Trouble (Animal).

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1.e
    Form and use prepositional phrases.

Explore prepositions using Skill Builders Grammar module Prepositions. Student then complete the Worksheet #1 for this module then form common prepositional phrases using the answers e.g.
4 Across – out: out of sight, out of money.
10 Across – behind: behind the scenes, behind the door.
12 Across – over: over the top, over the rainbow.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1.f
    Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.

View the Skill Builders Grammar module Sentences and the Language Arts Lessons: Writing (Yrs 3 & 4) What are Simple Sentences? and Expanding a Simple Sentence to study the correct production of complete sentences.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1.g
    Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).

Develop students’ recognition of common homophones using the Skill Builders Spelling module #28 Homophones then completing the associated Worksheets and Main Library genre stories General Worksheet #1 for The Eye of the Idol (Adventure) and The Midnight Raiders (Mystery).

Conventions of Standard English
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.2.a
    Use correct capitalization.

Students practice the correct use of capital letters using:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.2.b
    Use commas in greetings and closings of letters.

Provide opportunities for students to practice using commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech by completing the Worksheets for the Skill Builders Punctuation module Quotation Marks and Graphic Classics Worksheet #2 for The Happy Prince.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.2.c
    Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.

Reinforce students’ knowledge of conjunctions using the Skill Builders Grammar module Sentences: What are Conjunctions? Explore how commas are used before coordinating conjunctions using examples from the Main Library genre stories e.g.
The Twelve Labours of Hercules (Myths & Legends)
pg 1: was young, and…; bad enough, but…
pg 4: mouth of the cave, so…; lion’s skin, for…
pg 14: use sword, or spear, or arrows; laughed, for…

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.2.d
    Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

Prompt students to consult references as needed when completing:

Knowledge of Language
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.3.a
    Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.

Students choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely using:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.3.b
    Choose punctuation for effect.

Explore the Main Library genre stories to observe how punctuation has been used for effect e.g. Mad Tom (Scary) uses dashes for adding extra information, ellipses to indicate trailing off speech, capital letters to indicate dialogue is shouted and exclamation marks for urgency, fear and surprise.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.3.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).

Prompt a discussion about situations that require formal and informal English using:
  • Language Arts Lessons: Oral Language (Yrs 3 & 4) Ways of Speaking.
  • Language Arts Lessons: Oral Language (Yrs 3 & 4) Giving a Speech and Group Work to compare the language required for the Activities for each lesson.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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.

Students use context as a clue to the meaning of words or phrases using Main Library genre stories:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4.b
    Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).

Explore how to use common affixes and roots as clues to a word’s meaning using:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.4.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.

Encourage students to consult reference materials to locate the correct pronunciation and meanings of key words and phrases using vocabulary from:

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5.a
    Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.

Reinforce knowledge of figurative language using the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) What Does a Poem Look Like? and Main Library genre stories General Worksheet #1 for Two Hours From Town (People) and Worksheet #2 for In Your Sleep (Scary). Provide opportunities for students to explain the meaning of similes and metaphors in context using the following examples from the Main Library genre stories:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5.b
    Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.

Provide opportunities for students to recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs using examples from the Main Library genre stories e.g. The Attic (Scary) - Curiosity killed the cat (pg 2), Break a promise, lose a promise; I had my fingers crossed (pg 3) and Main Library genre stories General Worksheet #3 for The Enchanted Princess (Fairy Tales).

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.5.c
    Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).

Develop students’ understanding of synonyms and antonyms using Main Library:

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.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).

View the Language Arts Lesson: Reading (Yrs 3 & 4) School and Community Words to explore general academic words and phrases.

Study words and phrases that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being using examples from the ‘Various Verbs’ section of the Language Arts Lesson: Writing (Yrs 3 & 4) What are Verbs For? and examples from the Main Library genre stories e.g. Copy Frog (Animal) – boasted, tilted, scanned, dismissed, shuddered, recalled, sauntered, mocked, whacked, merged, commanded, plummeted, perched, bewildered.

Explore domain-specific words when studying a particular topic using the following Main Library genre stories and worksheets:

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