Warwick School District

Course Description

Our language arts program includes a focus on literacy skills in the primary grades and moves to application of those skills through the intermediate grades. Whenever it is appropriate, reading is combined with writing and other subjects to develop an integrated approach.

Core Curriculum Content Standards

PA Common Core: English Language Arts (2013)

• Foundational Skills: Students gain a working knowledge of concepts of print, alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions.

• GRADE 4

• Know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.-Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words.(1.1.4.D)
• Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension:-Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.-Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.-Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.(1.1.4.E)

• Reading Informational Text: Students read, understand, and respond to informational text – with emphasis on comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.

• GRADE 4

• Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.(1.2.4.A)
• Refer to details and examples in text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.(1.2.4.B)
• Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.(1.2.4.C)
• Compare and contrast an event or topic told from two different points of view.(1.2.4.D)
• Use text structure to interpret information (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/ solution).(1.2.4.E)
• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade level text, including figurative language.(1.2.4.F)
• Interpret various presentations of information within a text or digital source and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of text in which it appears.(1.2.4.G)
• Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.(1.2.4.H)
• Integrate information from two texts on the same topic to demonstrate understanding of that topic.(1.2.4.I)
• Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.(1.2.4.J)
• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.(1.2.4.K)
• Read and comprehend literary non-fiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.(1.2.4.L)

• Reading Literature: Students read and respond to works of literature - with emphasis on comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.

• GRADE 4

• Determine a theme of a text from details in the text; summarize the text.(1.3.4.A)
• Cite relevant details from text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.(1.3.4.B)
• Describe in depth a character, setting or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text.(1.3.4.C)
• Compare and contrast an event or topic told from two different points of view.(1.3.4.D)
• Explain major differences between poems, drama and prose and refer to the structural elements of each when writing or speaking about a text.(1.3.4.E)
• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade level text, including figurative language.(1.3.4.F)
• Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.(1.3.4.G)
• Compare and contrast similar themes, topics, and patterns of events in literature, including texts from different cultures.(1.3.4.H)
• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.(1.3.4.I)
• Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.(1.3.4.J)
• Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.(1.3.4.K)

• Writing: Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content.

• GRADE 4

• Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.(1.4.4.A)
• Identify and introduce the topic clearly.(1.4.4.B)
• Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic; include illustrations and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.(1.4.4.C)
• Group related information in paragraphs and sections, linking ideas within categories of information using words and phrases; provide a concluding statement or section; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension.(1.4.4.D)
• Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.(1.4.4.E)
• Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and spelling(1.4.4.F)
• Write opinion pieces on topics or texts.(1.4.4.G)
• Introduce the topic and state an opinion on the topic.(1.4.4.H)
• Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.(1.4.4.I)
• Create an organizational structure that includes related ideas grouped to support the writer’s purpose and linked in a logical order with a concluding statement or section related to the opinion.(1.4.4.J)
• Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.(1.4.4.K)
• Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and spelling.(1.4.4.L)
• Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.(1.4.4.M)
• Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters.(1.4.4.N)
• Use dialogue and descriptions to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations; use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.(1.4.4.O)
• Organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally, using a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events; provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences and events.(1.4.4.P)
• Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.(1.4.4.Q)
• Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and spelling.(1.4.4.R)
• Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade level reading standards for literature and informational texts.(1.4.4.S)
• With guidance and support form peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.(1.4.4.T)
• With some guidance and support, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.(1.4.4.U)
• Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.(1.4.4.V)
• Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.(1.4.4.W)
• Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes and audiences.(1.4.4.X)

• Speaking and Listening: Students present appropriately in formal speaking situations, listen critically, and respond intelligently as individuals or in group discussions.

• GRADE 4

• Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.(1.5.4.A)
• Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.(1.5.4.B)
• Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.(1.5.4.C)
• Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speaking clearly with adequate volume, appropriate pacing, and clear pronunciation.(1.5.4.D)
• Differentiate between contexts that require formal English versus informal situations.(1.5.4.E)
• Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.(1.5.4.F)
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on grade 4 level and content.(1.5.4.G)

Units

Unit #1 - T1 - Unit 1: THINK IT THROUGH

Unit #2 - T1 - Unit 2: AMAZING ANIMALS

Unit #3 - T1 Writing and Grammar

Unit #4 - T2 - Unit 3: THAT'S THE SPIRIT

Unit #5 - T2 - Unit 4: FACT OR FICTION

Unit #6 - T2 Writing and Grammar

Unit #7 - T3 - Unit 5: FIGURE IT OUT

Unit #8 - T3 - Unit 6: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

Unit #9 - T3 Writing and Grammar

Unit #10 - Spelling

Unit #11 - Step Up to Writing Resources