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Language Arts - Elementary Curriculum English Language Arts Grade 4
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Reading: Literature Standard 2

Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
  • Aesop's Fables Online
    A large collection of fables and other stories. The fables are divided into sections. One section includes 85 quick-reading fables with morals. The site also includes an online dictionary.
  • Alliteration All Around
    In this lesson, students learn about alliteration from picture books by author / illustrator, Pamela Duncan Edwards. Using the books' illustrations for inspiration, students write original alliterative sentences and share them with the class. As the lesson continues, students practice using alliteration to create acrostic poems, alphabet books, number books, and tongue twisters.
  • Balancing Three Branches at Once
    This page contains 4 EDSITEment lessons in which students use primary source documents to investigate of how the three branches of the American government can check each other.
  • Bright Morning: Exploring Character Development
    In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students explore characters in their reading, identifying traits and pointing to textual support. This lesson uses "Sing Down the Moon" by Scott O'Dell; however, any fictional text can be adapted to the lesson.
  • Can You Haiku?
    Haiku show us the world in a water drop, providing a tiny lens through which to glimpse the miracle and mystery of life. Combining close observation with a moment of reflection, this simple yet highly sophisticated form of poetry can help sharpen students' response to language and enhance their powers of self-expression. In this lesson, students learn the rules and conventions of haiku, study examples by Japanese masters, and create haiku of their own.
  • Characters in Because of Winn-Dixie: Making Lists of Ten
    Students will discuss characters and characterization in a text; work in cooperative groups; use a bookmark to document their findings while reading; identify and analyze the listing technique presented in Because of Winn-Dixie; create a list of ten things about a character.
  • Comprehension Strategies Using Graphic Organizers
    In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, collaborative strategic reading (CSR) is initially presented to students through modeling and whole-class instruction. To facilitate comprehension during and after reading, students apply four reading strategies: preview, click and clunk, get the gist, and wrap-up. Graphic organizers are used for scaffolding of these strategies while students work together in cooperative groups. NOTE: This is useful for struggling readers but does not tie directly to the CCSS.
  • Critical Perspectives: Reading and Writing About Slavery
    In this lesson, students critically examine the perspectives of slaves and slave owners.
  • Earth Verse: Using Science in Poetry
    This lesson is a great way to teach both scientific and English content to a class, although the teacher can easily choose another book and subject area. In this lesson, students listen to poems in the book Science Verse by Jon Scieszka.
  • Examining Plot Conflict through a Comparison/Contrast Essay
    In this lesson, students explore picture books to identify the characteristics of four types of conflict: character vs. character, character vs. self, character vs. nature, and character vs. society.
  • Fables and Trickster Tales Around the World
    This lesson plan from EDSITEment introduces students to folktales, such as fables and trickster tales, from around the world. Students become familiar with different folklore traditions and genres, as well as the process of the oral transmission of culture and history. This lesson plan comprises a series of activities that include reading, writing, and literary analysis. Also included is an internet research activity, as well as a list of links to related resources.
  • History in Quilts
    Throughout history, women and sometimes men have used the art of quilting for many diverse purposes: to keep warm, to decorate their homes, to express their political views, to remember a loved one. Heighten your students' awareness of how quilts have reflected and continue to reflect the lives of the people who create them, and of how quilts record the cultural history of a particular place and time. This theme of History in Quilts contains two separate lessons that can stand alone or be taught in conjunction with one another.
  • Integrating Literacy Into the Study of the Earth's Surface
    Science trade books are an invaluable tool for supporting science learning with literacy. This lesson introduces third through fifth grade students to the bodies of water on the Earth's surface, including ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans.
  • It Came From Greek Mythology
    This page contains 6 EDSITEment lessons based around teaching Greek mythology. Students will study basic plots of three Greek myths and discuss three types of themes in Greek myths. They will also explore contemporary uses of terms from Greek mythology and analyze artistic and literary works based on or inspired by Greek myths.
  • Jon Scieska Fractured Fairy Tales
    Before reading The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!, ask for volunteers to tell the traditional story of the three little pigs. Let the volunteers take turns telling parts of the story. Then read The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! together with your class. Ask students to fold a piece of paper in half. On one side of the paper, they should make a list of what parts of this story are different from the traditional story. On the other side of the paper, they should make a list of what parts of the story are the same.
  • Literature Circles: Getting Started
    This lesson from ReadWriteThink explores Literature Circles, a great way to supplement a reading program in a literature-based classroom. Students create and answer comprehension questions, discover new vocabulary, and examine elements of literature.
  • Peace Poems and Picasso Doves
    This lesson, from ReadWriteThink, supports third-grade students as they apply think-aloud strategies to reading, as well as to the composition of artwork and poetry. Activities include collaborative as well as individual work. Technology tools are integrated as students research symbols of peace and as they prewrite, compose, and publish their poetry.
  • Playing with Prepositions Through Poetry
    In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students have the opportunity to play with language, particularly prepositions, through the literature of Ruth Heller. Taking those experiences as a reader, they are asked to continue to play with the language in poetry.
  • Plot Diagram (Student Interactive)
    The Plot Diagram is an organizational tool focusing on a pyramid or triangular shape, which is used to map the events in a story. This mapping of plot structure allows readers and writers to visualize the key features of stories.
  • Reading and Writing About Pollution to Understand Cause and Effect
    In this lesson, students access prior knowledge about water pollution before exploring the topic further using read-alouds. They then complete a sequencing graphic organizer using a story of a fish and its journey from the mountains to a polluted waterway. Finally, students' understanding of cause and effect is reinforced using a hands-on experiment, art project, and graphic organizer.
  • Teaching Point of View With Two Bad Ants
    This lesson provides students with the opportunity to use illustrations and text to develop an understanding of the point of view of the characters.
  • Telling a Story Through Dance
    In this lesson plan students learn that dancing is one way to tell a story.
  • The Impact of the Transcontinental Railroad
    Analyzing archival material such as photos, documents, and posters, students can truly appreciate the phenomenon of the Transcontinental Railroad. They can begin to answer some important questions: Why was the Transcontinental Railroad built? How did it affect Native Americans? Other minorities? How was the environment affected? What were the advantages of railroad travel? Who used the railroads, and why? Who built the railroad?
  • The Story of Jack and the Bank Stalk
    In this lesson, the story of "'Jack and the Bean Stalk" is used as vehicle for the understanding of money. Fairy tales have always been used to give lessons about life. The story of "Jack and the Bean Stalk" is a good lesson about the importance of knowing about money and banks. The story of Jack asks the question, "What is money?"
  • Using Historical Fiction to Learn About the Civil War
    This lesson uses the book Meet Addy by Connie Porter to teach the characteristics of historical fiction, the making of inferences, the use of visualization, and Civil War history.
  • Using Picture Books to Teach Characterization
    This ReadWriteThink lesson invites students to examine the craft of developing characters through focused experiences with pictures books. Through the careful analysis of character portrayal using the text and illustrations as cues, and online tools such as the ReadWriteThink Story Map, students have the opportunity to build bridges from their own experiences as readers to those skills needed as writers.


UEN logo http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Sara  Wiebke and see the Language Arts - Elementary website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.