English Language Arts — Grade 4

Truth or care? Saving Shiloh

The students will be able to explain the importance of responsible citizenship and identify ways they can participate in civic affairs after reading the novel Shiloh and completing research of their own on animal abuse. Through this research, they will be responsible for gathering facts to support their stances on the dilemma Marty faces when deciding whether to return Shiloh to his owner, or secretly keep him in order for him to be safe. Students will have real-world experience when they create and are reponsible for caring for their own pet.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts, English Language Development, and Social Studies)

By Leah Shomaker and Mary Shomaker.

Storytellers in the Mountains of North Carolina

Students will study five famous North Carolina storytellers: Jackie Torrence, Ray Hicks, Donald Davis, David Holt, and Sheila Kay Adams. They will research how their stories were collected and how they developed their storytelling styles that distinguish them from other tellers.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Martha Hayes.

Operation beach teach

This lesson is the introduction to an integrated marine science unit which culminates in an early fall trip to Hammocks Beach State Park. (See attachment: Pre-Activity). The unit is designed to hook students into science and provide joyful learning experiences across the curriculum.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies)

By Melissa Tukey.

North Carolina regional travel brochure

The students will cooperatively design travel brochures that describe major physical and cultural characteristics of the regions in North Carolina.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Deborah Harrell.

Lumbee learning

In Teaching about North Carolina American Indians, page 3.2

Introduction Education for the Lumbee tribe has always been important. After Reconstruction ended and the state of North Carolina began its journey to educate its people, no provisions were made for American Indians. Segregated schools provided education...

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 and 8 English Language Arts and Second Languages)

By Gazelia Carter.

Connecting folktales and culture in North Carolina and beyond

Students will explore connections to North Carolina culture as they engage in reading and analyzing three folktales of North Carolina Literary Festival author, William Hooks. After comparing these stories to other versions of the traditional tales, students will become authors and storytellers themselves as they rewrite a tale from a new cultural point of view. Opportunities are also included to extend this study to world cultures and folktales.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Jeanne Munoz.

Blue Ridge Parkway Travelogue

Students plan and develop a week-long trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway, from beginning to end. The virtual tour culminates in the creation of a travelogue that will outline the trip.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Rachel Elliott.

Blackbeard: The most feared pirate of the Atlantic

Students will acquire information about Blackbeard through primary resources and apply their knowledge to create a newspaper article concerning his life.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Carol Holden and Tanya Klanert.

Animal report

After studying the various animal groups, students write a report about an animal of their choosing using well-formed paragraphs.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Science)

By Kay Sims.

Resources on the web

Where I come from

Students take research into their heritage a step beyond the construction of a family tree, traveling through cyberspace to find out what's happening in their ancestral homelands today and explore their sense of connection to these places in their past. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Provided by: EDSITEment

Webcams in the classroom: Animal inquiry and observation

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students observe animal habits and habitats using one of the many webcams broadcasting from zoos and aquariums around the United States and the world. Based on the observation of webcams, this lesson plan engages students... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Science)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Teaching language skills using the phone book

This lesson from ReadWriteThink uses a phone book to address literacy skills. Through multiple activities built around the everyday text, students will not only learn how the book is arranged, but what the contents are and also how it is used. In the process,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

A suitable job for a woman

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students identify the model for the character, Amelia Martin, by discovering information about four women: Abbie Burgess, Louisa May Alcott, Ida Lewis, and Clara Barton. Students will: act as reporters and interview... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–6 English Language Arts and Theater Arts Education)

Provided by: ArtsEdge

Storytelling in the social studies classroom

This lesson invites students to tell their own stories and explore the stories of other Americans. Practiced skills include reading, researching, visually representing, writing, and presenting. After engaging students in discussion about great storytellers,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Theater Arts Education)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Searching for gold: A collaborative inquiry project

After the teacher demonstrates to students how to navigate online resources and gives a brief lesson on research skills, students study the Gold Rush using a collaborative inquiry strategy. In several self–selected small groups, students research... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Research building blocks: Notes, quotes, and fact fragments

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students acquire and use research skills. They learn the importance of finding the words in sentences and paragraphs that contain the facts they need for compiling their research. They then move to putting those notes into... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Peace poems and Picasso doves: Literature, art, technology, and poetry

Students learn think-aloud strategies in this lesson that challenges them to think about peace in their communities. After the teacher reads Somewhere Today: A Book of Peace, Peace Begins with You,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Visual Arts Education and English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Multipurpose poetry: Introducing science concepts and increasing fluency

Students discover information about insects as they work in cooperative groups to prepare choral poetry readings and present factual information on an assigned insect. The teacher begins the lesson by engaging students in a discussion about what they know... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

More Amazing Americans: A WebQuest

In this EDSITEment lesson plan, students use the “Meet Amazing Americans” website created by the Library of Congress to explore the lives of some celebrated Americans. Working in small groups, they complete a WebQuest, identifying facts and... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Computer/Technology Skills, English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: EDSITEment

Looking at landmarks: Using a picture book to guide research

In this lesson, students research famous landmarks from around the world presented in Ben’s Dreams, a picture book by Chris Van Allsburg. Students develop research skills by using reference materials such as nonfiction books,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink