English Language Arts — Grade 4

Writing a ghost story/mystery

Building upon the students' knowledge base of Blackbeard the Pirate, the numerous shipwrecks off of the N.C. coast, myths, and legends of the Carolinas, and/or The Lost Colony, students will write a ghost story or mystery narrative of their own.

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

By laura ritchie.

What does it mean?

In Teaching about North Carolina American Indians, page 3.5

Introduction Visual symbols can be important ways of communicating ideas. Individuals, corporations, communities, and organizations use logos, seals, flags, icons, and other visual symbols to represent their values, share their histories, and send...

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 and 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Gazelia Carter.

Walking in the woods with Owl Moon

This is an integrated project using the book Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. Students will use the story to write a personal narrative, understand the elements of a story, and practice answering open-ended questions.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 English Language Arts)

By Birty Lightner.

Visualizations: Black poet, Langston Hughes

Third grade or fourth grade students will have an opportunity to read and appreciate selected poetry of the African-American poet, Langston Hughes.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts and Information Skills)

By Floanna Long.

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.

Little Bit - BIG BIT - Little Bit

This lesson helps students who tend to jump right in and tell their entire story in the first few sentences and then struggle to complete their story. Students will learn to start and end their stories with just a "Little Bit" about the setup and closure of the story.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–4 English Language Arts)

By DPI Writing Strategies.

Learn about your county

This activity will allow fourth grade students in North Carolina to learn more about the counties that surround their home county. Using online images, students will create a multimedia presentation to share with others.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Computer/Technology Skills, English Language Arts, and Social Studies)

By Clarice Poovey.

Giving can be fun

The purpose of this lesson is to incorporate the use of writing in a friendly letter format to foster the spirit of giving and sharing within the classroom. Using word processing, the students will create a friendly letter that will be shared with classmates in the spirit of giving and sharing.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts)

By Sue Hunnicutt.

Getting hooked: Introduction for a narrative

Students will be able to identify techniques for writing an introduction for a narrative and use them effectively.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–4 English Language Arts)

By Leann Kelley.

Cloudy with a chance of... what?

Students will enjoy reading about a town where no one ever goes hungry because the sky provides food while learning about weather, healthy and unhealthy foods, and creating a database.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–4 English Language Arts and Science)

By BJ Larson and Paula Sharpe.

A circular journey to imaginative narrative writing

This lesson will help the teacher show students how to bring their imaginative narratives to a logical ending. Students often have difficulty while writing imaginative narratives. They tend to get off to a good beginning and then cannot maintain focus well enough to bring their story to an end. Two well-known stories will be used as effective models. The first story will be analyzed by the whole class and the second will be used in an individual hands-on practice activity. Finally, students will summarize what they have learned and how they can use this information when they write an imaginative narrative.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts)

By Sharon MacKenzie.

Bubba: A Cinderella story

This lesson focuses on the whimsical interpretation of the Cinderella story. Students explore the story Bubba, the Cowboy Prince, through rich text and interpretations of the story.

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

By Jennifer Fessler and Karen Wright.

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

Writing and assessing an autobiographical incident

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students will build upon their knowledge of biographies to write their own autobiographical incident. Students will be given a rubric and shown several examples. They will then complete the writing process and share their... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

When I was young in... A literature to language experience

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, appropriate for English language learners, students read Cynthia Rylant's When I Was Young in the Mountains and learn about past tense through a writing activity. Prior to teaching this lesson,... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

When I was young

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students learn about how history has been preserved through oral storytelling. Students interview a family or community member to find out what life was like when they were young, and share this person's story with the class. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ArtsEdge

What's in a mystery? Exploring and identifying mystery elements

This lesson teaches students about plot structure, character, and setting through an exploration of mystery books. Prior to reading a mystery book to the class, the teacher engages students in a brainstorming activity about the characteristics of the mystery... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using writing and role-play to engage the reluctant writer

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students explore the different characters in the story The Three Little Javalinas and then select one of the characters to write a letter to the author in role. Writing in role allows students to understand... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using word storms to explore vocabulary and encourage critical thinking

Students are introduced to the concept of working dogs in this lesson that focuses on reading multiple texts, developing reading strategies, and learning the writing process. After introducing the concept of working dogs to students, the teacher challenges... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using timeline games and Mexican history to improve comprehension

This lesson offers teachers a step-by-step plan for using interactive technology to explore Mexican History. Teachers model comprehension skills to help students identify major historical events and put them in a logical order. After conducting online research... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink