Unit 1: We Are The Stories We Tell

In this unit, students explore the stories people tell by comparing and contrasting first and second hand accounts of the same events or topics.

Unit 2: Changing Relationships: An Author Study of Kate DiCamillo

In this unit, students will compare the development of similar themes and topics across novels through a Kate DiCamillo author study.

Unit 3: Taking a Stand

In the first half of this unit, students will learn about the power of information through the development of an infographic. Students will select a topic related to a social issue. In the second half of unit, students will use their own infographic or their peers' infographics to develop an opinion about one of the selected topics.

Unit 4: Building on Our Past

In this unit, students will read the novel, Inside Out & Back Again in order to address informational, literary, writing and speaking/listening standards. The novel is a work of fiction in the form of narrative poetry and represents a more contemporary perspective on the journey from the “Old World,” in this case Vietnam (or Viet Nam), to the “New World.”

Unit 5: Genre Reformulation

In this unit, students will have the opportunity to analyze a variety of genres in which authors present similar information on the same topic.

Unit 6: Life Journeys

In this unit, students will analyze the narrative elements of character, setting, point of view and theme through the lens of literature circle discussions during an extended novel study.

Click here to view the Grade 4 Year at a Glance document