Core Knowledge Foundation
Unit 1: Memoir - Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, is the focus of a unit designed for fourth graders. Scholars begin each lesson with a warm-up, then listen to a read-aloud of a section of the book. Pupils complete word work,...
Curated OER
Details, Details, Details
Writing can become one-dimensional if authors don't involve all their senses. First, scholars observe a strange object which, ideally, they can touch and even smell. Without using certain words (you can create a list or have the class...
Academy of American Poets
The Immigrant Experience
The Buttonhook by Mary Jo Salter is the focus of a unit that explores the immigration experience to Ellis Island. First, scholars bring in an artifact that represents their heritage. A group-exercise allows them to share and discuss...
Penguin Books
An Educator’s Guide to Savvy by Ingrid Law
Literature circles give learners a chance to explore a novel in a unique way. An educator's guide for the book Savvy uses literature circles as part of the novel study. Additional activities cover elements of figurative language and...
Learning to Give
Why Volunteer?
Inspire scholars to volunteer their time to make a positive change in their community. With help from research, a public speaker, and reflection, learners define and asses what it takes to be a volunteer in a business, non-profit,...
School District No. 71
Adding Written Detail: Using Jane Yolen’s Owl Moon as a Mentor Text
Access your senses with a worksheet on sensory language. Based on Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, the worksheet prompts kids to find examples of each of the five senses, as well as phrases for inner emotion.
Curated OER
Narrative Writing: Using Exact Words
Review the narrative writing process with your emerging story writers. They read a sample narrative and identify five vague verbs that could be replaced with a more exact, exciting verb. Then they write a personal narrative making sure...
Curated OER
Describing Paintings: Calm or Stormy
Young writers use nouns, verbs, and adjectives to describe details in two paintings. One depicts a sunny landscape, and the other shows a cloudier view. They write a narrative inspired by the paintings, paying attention to transitional...
Curated OER
Descriptive Prompt: Precise Language
Incorporate sensory details into a piece of descriptive writing. First, elementary and middle schoolers improve a piece of writing by using precise, vivid language, as well as appropriate word choice. They then listen to a variety of...
Curated OER
Come To Your Senses
Write narratives that include ideas, observations, or memories of an event or experience, and be sure to use concrete sensory details! Groups utilize a few of the famous I Spy books in order to create narratives that utilize sensory...
John F. Kennedy Center
Jazz music, Dance and Poetry
Students view video and become familiar with the type of movement in jazz dance. For this jazz dance lesson, students write a cinquain about jazz dance. Students recognize the elements of jazz dance and the type of music associated...
McGraw Hill
Mc Graw Hill Education: Grade 4: Treasures: Practice Book O [Pdf]
Help fourth graders reinforce their understanding of reading skills, vocabulary acquisition, fluency, and phonics with the exercises in this 230-page workbook. This workbook is designed to supplement the stories from Grade 4 Treasures.
University of South Florida
Fcat Express: Teaching Strategies (Reading) [Pdf]
Printable, fifty-five page PDF file of a staff development manual containing strategies for teaching reading. Includes chapters on vocabulary, main ideas and supporting details, author's purpose, chronological order, plot and conflict...
University of South Florida
Fcat Express: Probable Passage
Site provides extensive assistance in preparing 4th grade students for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. This section provides help in using the "probable passage" technique to aid comprehension. In addition, links are available to...
University of South Florida
Fcat Express: Semantic Feature Analysis
Site provides extensive assistance in preparing 4th grade students for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. This section on semantic features helps students recognize supporting details as they read.
University of South Florida
Fcat Express: Story Mapping
Site provides extensive assistance in preparing 4th grade students for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. This section focuses on story mapping, which helps students put events of a story in sequential order.
University of South Florida
Fcat Express: Selective Underlining
Site provides extensive assistance in preparing 4th grade students for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. This section focuses on identifying main ideas and significant details by selectively underlining them in a text.
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Using Word Storms to Explore Vocabulary and Encourage Thinking
Contains plans for seven lessons about working dogs that teach critical thinking skills and a vocabulary strategy called Word Storms. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in the...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Visualizing Using the Sketch to Stretch Strategy
Contains plans for three lessons to improve reading comprehension using a visualizing strategy called sketch-to-stretch. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in the lessons as well...
University of South Florida
Fcat Reading Grade 4: Teaching Strategies
This is a great resource that concentrates strategies and student activities in one place in an easy to use format, and can be navigated easily. Find great examples of probable passage, selective underlining, and semantic feature...
Scholastic
Scholastic Instructor: Vocabulary Stretchers
Here is a list of terrific ideas for teachers to use in the classroom to accompany vocabulary building lessons. These activities are well summarized and easy to understand.
Read Works
Read Works: Passages: The Upside of Dyslexia
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students read a nonfiction text about dyslexia and the difficulties and successes it brings and answer questions about comprehension, supporting details, vocabulary, transitions, and more. The text is...
Education.com
Education.com: Words That Make Us Feel: A Lesson on Sensory Language
[Free Registration/Login Required] After this lesson centered around the book Owl Moon, students will be able to identify words and phrases that suggest feelings and appeal to the senses.
Reading Rockets
Reading Rockets: Teaching Reading: Classroom Strategies
A collection of effective, research-based classroom strategies to help build and strengthen literacy skills in print awareness, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.