Understanding By Design Unit Template
(Revised & adapted)
Title of Unit
Thematic Unit: Literature Review – Overcoming
Grade Level
Grade 4
Time Frame
28-30 instructional days (Feb. 4, 2013 – April 17,
Adversity
Subject
Reading
2013)
Developed By
Cynthia Rotella, Cybi Ip & The 4th Grade teachers
Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results
Narrative about this Unit of Study: (including the Big Idea)
Big Idea: Stepping Stones or Stumbling blocks?
The first step in solving the problem is to identify the problem correctly and then share with others. Communication, coping, collaboration,
the need to brainstorm about your problem will guide you to multiple solutions. Thought and discussion will lead to the ideal answer. Action
without proper analysis of the benefit and consequences will bring greater problems/challenges. The difference between stumbling blocks
and stepping stones is how one uses them. Adversity is a fact of life. It can’t be controlled. What we can control is how we react to it. Your
attitude determines whether the opportunity you face is a stepping stone or a stumbling block.
Students will compare and contrast how authors address the theme – overcoming adversity, analyzing how the authors’ similarities and
differences on handling problems will broaden the students’ ability to resolve problems in their own lives.
Learning Outcomes – Identified Primary Standards
What relevant goals will this unit address?
CCLS Reading Standards:
RL 4.1. Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL 4.2. Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
RL 4.9. Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the
quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
Understandings
What understandings about the big ideas implied in the PLOs are desired?
Essential Questions
What provocative questions will foster inquiry into the content?
Students will understand that...
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Readers can relate to character’s problems.
Character’s change after working through their personal
problems, and the reader can too.
Problems can be resolved. It is only as big as you make it.
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Why does the author want to write about how their
characters solve the problem? Why does it matter?
How do the authors help us see that adversity can be an
opportunity to grow?
Is there ever a problem too big to solve?
Knowledge:
What knowledge will student acquire as a result of this unit?
Skills
What skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know...
Students will be able to…
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Stories have problem(s) and a solution (there are internal and
external problems).
Characters change/grow throughout the story.
Different authors provide different solutions to the similar
problems.
It takes time to solve the problem across a story
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Ask why and how questions help to develop hunches,
theories and eventually draw conclusion about how the
characters are acting and responding the way they are and
how that may change over time
Use talk to grow and develop ideas (using Talk Moves)
Examine the character’s action to help the character
overcome their problems; analyze how the character’s
change helped him or her grow
Compare and contrast across texts
Comparing and contrasting author’s treatment of adversity
using a variety of graphic organizers
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task
Through what authentic performance task will students demonstrate the desired understandings, knowledge, and skills?
Brief Written Description of the Performance Task
Pre Assessment
Task: Have the students write a Response to Literature by asking the following: “Write a response comparing and contrasting the problems
or challenges the characters of two stories face and how they do or don’t solve them. How are the problems and the way they are handled
similar and how are they different? Be sure to include evidence from both texts to support all your ideas.
Texts: My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
Ryan and Allie by Monireh Kazemzade
Timing: 2 periods (1 period – read the text; 1 period – plan and writing)
Materials:
 My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
 Ryan and Allie by Monireh Kazemzade
 Response to Literature planning guide
Post Assessment
Task: Write a response comparing and contrasting the problems or challenges the characters of two stories face and how they do or don’t
solve them. How are the problems and the way they are handled similar and how are they different? Be sure to include evidence from both
texts to support all your ideas.
Text: “Slower than the Rest” in Every Living Thing by Cynthia Rylant
The Marble Champ (excerpt) by Gary Soto
Timing: 2 periods (1 period – read the text; 1 period – plan and writing)
Materials:
 “Slower than the Rest” in Every Living Thing by Rylant
 The Marble Champ (excerpt) by Gary Soto
 Response to Literature planning guide
4th Grade Rubric for Unit 3 Pre- and Post-Assessment
Organization
W11 Response to Literature
Summary
RL 4.1 and 4. 2
W9a
Interpretation
RL 4.2
W9a and 11
Content Comparison
RL 4.9
4
Introduces the book,
thoroughly addresses
all parts of the
questions and provide
a sense of closure.
Summary reflects
accurate
comprehension and
focuses on the kinds
of people the
characters are, and
how they were able to
deal and solve the
problem with evidence
from the text to
support all points.
Clearly articulates and
elaborates on the
theme based on the
evidence from the text
provided in the
summary
Selects important
characteristics that
can provide insight
into the nature of
those items being
compared. Accurately
selects all major
similarities and
differences for each
item selected. Draws
some thoughtful
conclusions from the
comparison, usually
highlighting either the
similarities or the
differences. Integrates
personal opinion and
3
Introduces the book,
addresses all parts of
questions and
provides a sense of
closure.
Summary reflects
accurate
comprehension and
focuses on the kinds
of people the
characters are, and
how they were able to
deal and solve the
problem with evidence
from the text to
support most points.
Articulates the theme
based on the evidence
from the text provided
in the summary
2
Introduces the book,
attempts to address
all parts of questions
and provide a sense
of closure.
Summary reflects
partial comprehension
and attempts to focus
on the kinds of people
the characters are and
how they solve the
problem with evidence
from the text to
support some points.
1
Introduces the book,
fail to address all
parts of questions
and/or provide a
sense of closure.
Summary reflects
some comprehension
and may focus on the
kinds of people the
characters or how
they solve the
problem with minimal
evidence from the text
to support points.
Attempts to articulate
the theme, but is not
effectively based on
the evidence from the
text.
Does not attempt to
articulate the theme
or attempts without
any evidence
Selects characteristics
that can provide for a
meaningful
comparison. Identifies
similarities and
differences for each
item selected. Draws
some thoughtful
conclusions from the
comparison.
Integrates personal
opinion and
development with
compared material
Selects characteristics
that provide for a
partial comparison of
the items. Identifies
some of the major
similarities and
differences. Attempts
to make conclusions
about the compared
items but has some
difficulty explaining
the significance of
those conclusions.
Acknowledges
personal opinion
though integration
with compared
Selects characteristics
that are not important
and don’t lead to
insightful conclusions.
Inaccurately identifies
major similarities and
differences. Does not
get far beyond noting
similarities and
differences.
Voice
Language Standard 3
Mechanics and
Conventions
Language Standard 1 and 2
development with
compared material
fully and thoughtfully.
Uses variety of
lengths and sentence
structures. Chooses
words, phrases, and
punctuation to convey
ideas precisely and
effectively
Demonstrates
command of grade 5
language standard 1
and 2
material is incomplete
Writes clear
comprehensible
sentences: Chooses
words and phrases to
convey ideas
precisely. Choose
punctuation for effect.
Demonstrates
command of 4th grade
language standard 1
and 2
Mostly writes clear
comprehensible
sentences with some
attempts to choose
words and
punctuation for effect
to convey ideas.
Demonstrates
command of 3rd grade
language standards 1
and 2
Lacks clear
comprehensible
sentence structures
and no/limited
evidence of word
consideration
Demonstrates
command of 2nd grade
language standards 1
and 2
Other Evidence
Through what other evidence – student work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, self-assessment or other means – will students demonstrate
achievement of the desired results?
On-going Assessment
One on one student conference using Student-Friendly Checklist during Independent Reading (See Appendix)
Students’ contribution to Thematic Attribute Chart during Shared Reading and Interactive Read Aloud (See Appendix)
Student responses from the Thematic Unit Response Journals
Guided Reading with the F&P Conferring Menu (Teacher focus on comprehension skills)
Objective(s)
Related to knowledge, skills or both?
Week 1: Readers start to look
critically at books and think
about how they reflect real life
experiences.
Listed Aim or Learning Intention
of Each Lesson.
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Readers notice that books
have meaning beyond the
obvious and can analyze
texts through different
lenses.
Readers read with a social
issue lens. We stop, look
for, and name social
issues we see in the text.
Readers notice elements
Assessment
Resources
Picture Books –
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Fly Away Home (M) by Eve
Bunting
The Name Jar (L) by
Yangsook Choi
Nim and the War Effort (P)
by Yangsook Choi
The Old Woman Who Named
Things (M) by Cynthia Rylant
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Week 2: Readers pay attention to
characters’ actions and look for
underlying causes.
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of the story that are
similar to our own world
and real life experiences.
As readers we ask
ourselves, how does this
social issue affect people’s
lives today?
Readers ask, is this story
fair? Are characters and
ideas presented
accurately or
stereotypically? Is this
how things are in real life?
Readers read with
empathy, imagine what it
would be like to be in the
characters’ shoes, and
think about what we
would do if we were in the
characters’ place.
Readers think about
character motivation and
how characters’ actions
may be influenced by the
social issue.
Readers consider
interactions between
characters and how the
social issue could be a
driving force.
Readers pay attention to
how different characters

Those shoes by Maribeth
Boelts
 One Green Apple by Eve
Bunting
 Brave Irene (S) by William
Steig
 Thank you, Mr. Falker (M) by
Patricia Polacco
 My Rotten Redheaded Older
Brother (M) by Patricia
Polacco
 A Chair for my Mother (M)
by Vera B. Williams
 Smoky Night (P) by Eve
Bunting
 Freedom Summer (M) by
Deborah Wiles
Chapter Books –
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Every Living Things (R) by
Cynthia Rylant
Sun & Spoon (R) by Kevin
Henkes
Ida B (S) by Katherine
Hannigan
The Report Card (R) by
Andrew Clements
Pictures of Hollis Woods (V)
by Patricia Reilly Giff
Wringer (U) by Jerry Spinelli
Because of Winn-Dixie (R) by
Kate DiCamillo
How to Steal a Dog by
Barbara O’Connor

Week 3: Readers notice people
are members of particular groups
that represent multiple
perspectives and consider how
power is not necessarily
distributed equally amongst
groups.
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are allowed to be from
one another. We ask,
how do other characters
respond to those who are
different?
Readers notice any
resistance to the
characters or the author’s
choices and ask ourselves,
what about this bothers
me?
Readers notice what
groups are being
presented in the text and
think about what groups
we personally have
membership in.
Readers consider whether
or not characters face a
difficulty because they are
members of a particular
group.
As readers we ask
ourselves, whose
perspective is being told
in the story and whose is
being left out?
Readers think about point
of view and speculate how
the story might be
different if told from the
missing perspective or if
missing voices were
included. We ask, how
does it feel to be on the
other side?
Close Reading Passage –
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Through Grandpa’s Eyes by
Patricia MacLachlan
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Week 4: Readers use texts to
inform opinions and look for
ways to take action in our own
lives.
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Readers think about which
groups have power in the
text and how that power
is shown. Then we ask
ourselves, is this
distribution of power
justified?
When reading with a
particular lens, readers
maintain sight of the
whole story.
Readers develop big ideas
or opinions about the
social issue.
Readers support their big
ideas about the social
issue with examples from
the text.
Readers continue reading
other texts about the
same social issue to gain
more insight into topics
that engage us.
Readers think about these
social issues and how we
might combat them in our
own lives.
Universal Design for Learning
REPRESENTATION
The ‘what’ of teaching & learning..
Student Friendly Checklist to Guide Teacher
Questioning during 1-1 conference
ACTION & EXPRESSION
The ‘how’ of teaching & learning…
Independent Reading
ENGAGEMENT
The ‘why’ of teaching and learning…
Students choose independent level books
Thematic Attribute Chart, Venn Diagram,
Shared Reading, Interactive Read Aloud,
Character Traits & Story Summary
Guided Reading
Organizers, “Somebody wants something,
but…” Anchor Chart, “Know/Wonder” Chart,
Sentence Frame/Discussion Starter Chart
Students Response Menu (See Appendix),
Instructional level texts, Grade level/complex
text, Movie clip – Because of Winn Dixie
From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (pbk)
Appendix
Read aloud and accountable talk will be valuable components of this unit. Teacher think alouds, turn and talks, and stop and jots will all be
utilized throughout read alouds. Prompts for accountable talk will aim to trigger interpretation, empathy, and personal response skills:
Interpretation
 What is this story really about? What is the author’s message or purpose for writing this book?
 Why do you think the author made this choice or wrote this part in this way?
 What social issues do I see in this book? What does this book say about the social issue?
 Why do you think the character did this or acted this way?
 How are characters’ interactions affected by the social issue and/or group membership?
 Does the character’s involvement in a group affect the way he or she is treated?
 Whose perspective is being told? Whose perspective is missing? Why?
 How might this story be different if told from the opposing point of view?
Empathy
 How do you think the character feels?
 What would you do or how would you feel if you were the character?
 Would you do things the same or differently as the character?
 Role play and imagine you are a character from the book, what would you say?
 How different are characters allowed to be? How do characters respond to those who are different?
 What groups have power? Is power distributed equally? Is this fair?
Personal Response
 Has something like this happened in your own life?
 Do we see this in the world around us?
 How is this book similar to my life? How is it different?
 Is this a fair or accurate depiction of how life really is?
 What do you like about this book? What do you dislike?
 Is this social issue still affecting people today?
 What groups are represented in this book? Am I a member of those groups? What groups do I belong to?
 What have I learned about this social issue by reading this book? What’s my big idea about this issue?
 How can I address this social issue in my own life?
In addition, students will be held accountable to listening to each other and engaging with one another in meaningful conversation by
building off of each other’s comments. These skills should have been introduced earlier in the year, but will undoubtedly be reinforced
throughout all future units, including this one. Prompts may include:
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
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In my opinion…
I agree with
because…
I disagree with
because…
Adding on to what
said…
I think we’re getting off topic. Going back to what
said…
How did we get from
to
?
Another example of that is…
An example of that is on page…
Could you explain what you mean?
So what you’re saying is…?
What do you mean by…?
Can you show me what part of the book made you think that?
Are you sure about that? Remember when
happened?
You look like you want to say something. What do you think
? (inviting in quieter voices)
Additional Recommended Children’s Literature
Animals and People/Animal Rights
Every Living Thing
Family Relationships/Issues
Pinballs
The Janitor’s Boy
The House on Mango Street
Absolutely Normal Chaos
Walk Two Moons
Baby
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Skylark
Felita
Generational Issues
The Lemon Sisters
Miss Rumphius
Wilford Gordon McDonald Partridge
Saturdays and Teacakes
The Hundred Penny Box
Junebug and the Reverend
My Feet are Laughing
The Tree is Older Than You Are
Circle Unbroken
Our Granny
Sibling Rivalry
Barfburger Baby: I Was Here First
She Coming Bringing Me That Little Baby
Girl
My Rotten Red-Headed Older Brother
Divorce
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Amber Brown Sees Red
Arthur for the Very First Time
Cynthia Rylant
Betsy Byars
Andrew Clements
Sandra Cisneros
Sharon Creech
Sharon Creech
Patricia MacLachlan
Patricia MacLachlan
Patricia MacLachlan
Nicholasa Mohr
Andrea Cheng
Barbara Cooney
Mem Fox
Lester Laminack
Sharon Bell Mathis
Alice Mead
Lissette Norman
Naomi Shihab Nye
Margot Raven
Margaret Wild
Paula Danziger
Eloise Greenfield
Patricia Polacco
Beverly Cleary
Paula Danziger
Patricia MacLachlan
My Mother Got Married (and Other
Disasters)
Zachary’s Divorce (from Free to Be You and
Me)
Accidental Lily series
Loss/Loneliness
Flying Solo
Love You Soldier
The Island of the Blue Dolphins
The Graduation of Jake Moon
Mick Harte Was Here
Bridge to Teribithia
An Angel for Solomon Singer
Missing May
A Taste of Blackberries
Charlotte’s Web
Social Pressure/Bullying
Blubber
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Riding the Tiger
Your Move
How to Be Cool in Third Grade
Stars in the Darkness
Martin Bridges: Sound the Alarm!
King of the Playground
Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business
Priscilla and the Wimps
Freak the Mighty
Holes
Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me?
Hope
Crash
Fourth Grade Rats
Stargirl
Wringer
Barbara Park
Linda Sitea
Sally Warner
Ralph Fletcher
Amy Hest
Scott O’Dell
Barbara Park
Barbara Park
Katherine Paterson
Cynthia Rylant
Cynthia Rylant
Doris B. Smith
E.B. White
Judy Blume
Judy Blume
Eve Bunting
Eve Bunting
Betsy Duffy
Barbara Joose
Jessica Scott Kerrin
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Barbara Park
Richard Peck
Rodman Philbrick
Louis Sachar
Louis Sachar
Shaggy
Jerry Spinelli
Jerry Spinelli
Jerry Spinelli
Jerry Spinelli
Fitting In/Being New
My Name is Maria Isabela
Blubber
Freckle Juice
Chalk Box Kid
The Hundred Dresses
Little by Little
Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia
Flip-Flop Girl
Marvin One Too Many
The Monument
Freak the Mighty
Loser
Maniac Magee
Growing Up
Just Us Women
Eleven (from Woman Hollering Creek)
Fig Pudding
The Last Kiss
Knots on a Yo-Yo String
The Giving Tree
Gender Issues
Be Boy Buzz
Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young
Girl’s Baseball Dream
Baseball Snakes and Summer Squash
My Feet Are Laughing
Girls Hold Up This World
Language
Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being
Young and Latino in the U.S.
Frindle
Laundry News
Donovan’s Word Jar
The Girl’s Room (from Tripping Over the
Alma Flor Ada
Judy Blume
Judy Blume
Robert Clyde Bulla
Eleanor Estes
Jean Little
Barbara O’Connor
Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson
Gary Paulsen
Rodman Philbrick
Jerry Spinelli
Jerry Spinelli
Janette Caines
Sandra Cisneros
Ralph Fletcher
Ralph Fletcher
Jerry Spinelli
Shel Silverstein
bell hooks
Crystal Hubbard
Donald Murray
Lissette Norman
Jada Pinkett Smith
edited by Lori Marie Carlson
Andrew Clements
Andrew Clements
Monalisa DeGross
Susan Shreve
Lunch Lady and Other School Stories)
The Color of My Words
Community
No Jumping on the Bed
Smoky Night
Donovan’s Word Jar
Seedfolks
Gracie Graves and the Kids from Room 402
Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam
Affair
Chicken Sunday
The Memory Box
How to Live Forever
Something Beautiful
The Other Side
Identity
Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being
Young and Latino in the U.S.
Border Crossing
Becoming Naomi Leon
Skin Again
Esperanza Rising
Mental/Physical Disabilities
The Wild Kid
Freak the Mighty
Small Steps
Hank Zipper: The World’s Greatest
Underachiever: The Night I Flunked My
Field Trip
Illiteracy
More Than Anything Else
The Wednesday Surprise
The Most Beautiful Place in the World
Just Juice
Thank You Mr. Faulker
edited by Nancy Mercado
Lynn Jospeh
Tedd Arnold
Eve Bunting
Monalisa DeGross
Paul Fleishman
Michael Paraskevas
Patricia Polacco
Patricia Polacco
Mary Kay Shanley
Colin Thompson
Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Jacqueline Woodson
edited by Lori Marie Carlson
Colleen M. Cruz
Nancy Farmer
bell hooks
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Harry Mazer
Rodman Philbrick
Louis Sachar
Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver
Marie Bradby
Eve Bunting
Ann Cameron
Karen Hesse
Patricia Polacco
Immigration/Assimilation
How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay
A Days Work
One Green Apple
The Name Jar
Everybody Cooks Rice
How My Parents Learned to Eat
Soledad (from The Circuit: Stories from the
Life of a Migrant Child)
My Name is Hussein
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
Day of Ahmed’s Secret
Grandfather’s Journey
Coming to America
Apple Pie Fourth of July
Racism/Discrimination
Iggie’s House
The Jacket
White Socks Only
Sister Anne’s Hands
Number the Stars
Mouse Rap
The Other Side
Homelessness
Fly Away Home
The Family Under the Bridge
Monkey Island
A Shelter in Our Car
Slake’s Limbo
Poverty
The Most Beautiful Place in the World
Bud, Not Buddy
Tight Times
Sable
Julia Alvarez
Eve Bunting
Eve Bunting
Yangsook Choi
Norah Dooley
Ina R. Friedman
Francisco Jimenez
Hristo Kyuchukov
Betty Bao Lord
Florence H. Parry & Ted Lewin
Allen Say
Bernard Wolf
Janet S. Wong
Judy Blume
Andrew Clements
Evelyn Coleman
Marybeth Lorbiecki
Lois Lowry
Walter Dean Myers
Jacqueline Woodson
Eve Bunting
Natalia Carlson
Paula Fox
Monica Gunning
Felice Hoffman
Ann Cameron
Christopher Paul Curtis
Barbara Shook Hazen
Karen Hesse
Just Juice
Out of the Dust
Sidewalk Story
A Year Down Yonder
J.T.
War
The Wall
Number the Stars
When My Name Was Keoko
Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost
Boys of Sudan
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story From
Iraq
Karen Hesse
Karen Hesse
Sharon Bell Mathis
Richard Peck
Jane Wagner
Eve Bunting
Lois Lowry
Linda Sue Park
Mary Williams
Jeanette Winter
Name:
Class: ____________________
Social Issue/ Overcoming Adversity
Date
Title
Author
What I learned About Adversity
Thematic Attribute Chart
Title/Author
Character(s)
What problem or
adversity they face
How they dealt
with/overcome/solve
the problem
What author trying to
tell us (theme)
4th Grade Rubric for Unit 3 Pre- and Post-Assessment
Organization
W11 Response to
Literature
Summary
RL 4.1 and 4. 2
W9a
Interpretation
RL 4.2
W9a and 11
Content Comparison
RL 4.9
Voice
Language Standard 3
Mechanics and
Conventions
Language Standard 1 and
2
4
Introduces the book, thoroughly
addresses all parts of the
questions and provide a sense of
closure.
Summary reflects accurate
comprehension and focuses on
the kinds of people the
characters are, and how they
were able to deal and solve the
problem with evidence from the
text to support all points.
Clearly articulates and
elaborates on the theme based
on the evidence from the text
provided in the summary
3
Introduces the book, addresses
all parts of questions and
provides a sense of closure.
2
Introduces the book, attempts
to address all parts of questions
and provide a sense of closure.
1
Introduces the book, fail to
address all parts of questions
and/or provide a sense of
closure.
Summary reflects some
comprehension and may focus
on the kinds of people the
characters or how they solve the
problem with minimal evidence
from the text to support points.
Summary reflects accurate
comprehension and focuses on
the kinds of people the
characters are, and how they
were able to deal and solve the
problem with evidence from the
text to support most points.
Articulates the theme based on
the evidence from the text
provided in the summary
Summary reflects partial
comprehension and attempts to
focus on the kinds of people the
characters are and how they
solve the problem with evidence
from the text to support some
points.
Attempts to articulate the
theme, but is not effectively
based on the evidence from the
text.
Selects important characteristics
that can provide insight into the
nature of those items being
compared. Accurately selects all
major similarities and differences
for each item selected. Draws
some thoughtful
conclusions from the
comparison, usually
highlighting either the
similarities or the differences.
Integrates personal opinion and
development with compared
material fully and thoughtfully.
Uses variety of lengths and
sentence structures. Chooses
words, phrases, and punctuation
to convey ideas precisely and
effectively
Demonstrates command of
grade 5 language standard 1
and 2
Selects characteristics
that can provide for a
meaningful comparison.
Identifies similarities and
differences for each item
selected. Draws some thoughtful
conclusions from the
comparison. Integrates personal
opinion and development with
compared material
Selects characteristics
that provide for a partial
comparison of the items.
Identifies some of the major
similarities and differences.
Attempts to make conclusions
about the compared items but
has some difficulty explaining
the significance of those
conclusions.
Acknowledges personal opinion
though integration with
compared material is incomplete
Selects characteristics that are
not important and don’t lead to
insightful conclusions.
Inaccurately identifies
major similarities and
differences. Does not get far
beyond noting similarities and
differences.
Writes clear comprehensible
sentences: Chooses words and
phrases to convey ideas
precisely. Choose punctuation
for effect.
Demonstrates command of 4th
grade language standard 1 and
2
Mostly writes clear
comprehensible sentences with
some attempts to choose words
and punctuation for effect to
convey ideas.
Demonstrates command of 3rd
grade language standards 1 and
2
Lacks clear comprehensible
sentence structures and
no/limited evidence of word
consideration
Does not attempt to articulate
the theme or attempts without
any evidence
Demonstrates command of 2nd
grade language standards 1 and
2
Name: ______________________________________
Class: _________________________________
Date: __________________________________
Character Traits Graphic Organizer
Character’s Name:
What character says
What character does
What character thinks
What other characters say, do, think
towards character
Character’s Traits
 ______________
______________
______________
 ______________
______________
______________
 ______________
______________
______________
Name :
Student
Reading: Theme – Overcoming Adversity
I can solve unknown words using my strategies
I can talk about the setting
I can talk about the problems my character faces
I can talk about the characters’ traits
I can infer characters’ feeling
I can talk about the important details in a story
I can identify the author’s message/main idea
I can summarize the story
I can talk about why the author wrote the story
I can state the theme
I can compare the theme
Writing: Review of Literature
I can explain the problems in my stories
I can give a summary of my stories
I can put the events of my stories in order
I can explain how the characters deal with their problems
I can compare and contrast how 2 characters deal with their problems
I can explain how the events of my stories
I can compare and contrast how 2 author’s write about the same theme
I can group ideas together into paragraphs
I can revise my own writing
I can edit my own writing
I am proud of my writing
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Teacher
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