Understanding By Design Unit Template
(Revised & adapted)
Title of Unit
Subject
Developed By
Thematic Unit: Literature Review of a Theme
Grade Level
Grade 4
Reading
Time Frame
Jan 13, 2014 – Feb 28, 2014
The 4th Grade teachers
Stage 1 - Identify Desired Results
Narrative about this Unit of Study: (including the Big Idea)
Big Idea: How does the author’s use of craft help readers interpret the meaning of a text?
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 4.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in
mythology (e.g., Herculean).
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.
RL.4.10 By the end of the year read and comprehends literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4–5 text complexity
band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
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.
What did the author want me to get out of this piece?
What techniques did the author use to get his/her point across?
How were those techniques used to develop theme? character?
etc...
How were those techniques used to manipulate the reader?
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: “In each passage the author communicates a clear message
to the reader. Write a response comparing and contrasting what the theme of each passage is. Explain what decisions the authors made in
order to make this message clear. Use details from both passages to support your answer.”
In your response, be sure to:
 Compare and contrast the theme of each passage
 Describe what the author did in order to communicate the theme (message) to you
 Use details from both passages to support your answer
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
 Extended Response Writing Sheet
Post Assessment
Task: Have the students write a Response to Literature by asking the following: “In each passage the author communicates a clear message
to the reader. Write a response comparing and contrasting what the theme of each passage is. Explain what decisions the authors made in
order to make this message clear. Use details from both passages to support your answer.”
In your response, be sure to:
 Compare and contrast the theme of each passage
 Describe what the author did in order to communicate the theme (message) to you
 Use details from both passages to support your answer
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
 Extended Response Writing Sheet
Additional Assessment Option: ELA Response to LIterature Grade 4 on PARCC Public Assessment for Exclusion
Reading Rubric – See Attachment
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?
Session 1 (Passage 1)
 Read the book
 Get details and make inferences
Listed Aim or Learning Intention of Each Lesson.
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Who are the characters in the story? What do we
know about these characters?
How do Andrew and his father feel about characters
they encountered in the book? Use evidence in the
text to support your thinking.
Why do Andrew and his father live at the airport?
Refer to page 6 – 8. Why did they try not to get
noticed? What do you think the dad means when he
said, “Delta, TWA … we love them all.”
How do you think the dad must feel in this
situation? Give evidence from the text to support
your inference.
How do you think Andrew must feel in this
situation? Give evidence from the text to support
your inference.
Assessment
Resources
Fly Away Home by Eve
Bunting
Chart students’ responses
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Session 2
 Summarizing
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Session 3
 Determine Theme
Session 4
 Continue determining theme
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Session 5
 Determine symbolism
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Refer to the first line on page 25. Ask students what
this information tells us. Why do you think they
ended up in the airport?
Chart the main events in the story
Encourage students (in pair) to condense the
content of the story into 2/3 sentences
(Framing question: If you had to tell someone what
this book was about in only 2/3 sentences, what
would you tell them?)
Share their summaries
(Summary: Andrew and his father live in the airport
because they are homeless.)
Discuss/justify which statement best summarize the
text. Why?
Have different themes written on different cards.
Discuss what each one means. Examples: hope,
believe in yourself, teamwork/cooperation,
compassion, forgiveness, accept the situation,
differences, courage, kindness, never give up,
loyalty, honesty. acceptance, tolerance (Refer to
grade 3 and 4 server)
Discuss what some of these mean
Give real life examples
Review the theme cards and their meanings from
session 3
Pair students and ask them: “If you have to choose
one or more of these cards to describe the theme of
the book, which one would you choose? Justify your
thinking.”
If you have to select only one theme, which one
would you choose? Justify your thinking.
Share their themes.
Discuss with the students which of the themes
would best support the story’s content.
Discuss with students: “What is symbolism?”
Explain the symbolism is when the symbol/object is
used to represent an idea.
Examples of symbolism:
Statue of Liberty – Freedom
American Flag – Unity, stars and stripes represent
states and original 13 colonies
Red for blood; blue for courage; white for purity.
Hearts – Love
Smiley face – Happiness
Server files:
 Common themes in books
 Theme anchor chart
 Theme example definitions
Anchor chart: different themes
Suggested Strategy:
Think-Pair-Share
Chart their responses
Session 6
 Continue determining symbolism
Session 7
 Connection between theme,
symbolism, and metaphor
Session 8 (Passage 2)
 Read the book
 Get details and make inferences
Dove – Peace
Dragon – Chinese
 Pair students brainstorm symbols that they know.
Share their symbols they came up.
 Revisit the concept of symbolism
Questions:
 The author has included a symbol in this book, what
do you think it might be? Explain your thinking. (If
the students cannot identify the brown bird, then
focus on page 16.)
 What do you think the significant of the bird might
be?
 Why did the author choose the bird, but not a cat or
a dog?
 Make the connection with the Eagle being the
symbol of freedom.
 The author has used significant words/phrases in
this page. Identify them.
 Why do you think the author made the choice to
name the book and mention it in the story “Fly
Away Home”?
 Alert them to the back cover to confirm the
significant of the bird.
 Discuss the concept of metaphor.
 Read the book again. Stop at pivotal points and ask
the students: How they are feeling? Make self to
text connection.
 Describe what the author is doing to make you feel
this way.
 Why is the author doing this?
 How does this help communicate or convey the
theme (message) to you?
 Use T-chart of what and why to chart students’
responses in order to look for patterns occurring
throughout the text.
 Encourage students to identify author’s craft in their
independent book. (Students may use the thematic
attribute chart)
 Who are the characters in this story?
 Where does this story take place?
 Refer to page 6. Why do you think some of the
students give her a cruel smile?
 How does she feel at the beginning of the story?
 How do you know this? What words/phrases or
T-chart
Thematic Attribute Chart
(school server)
One Green Apple by Eve
Bunting
Chart students’ responses
Session 9
 Summary
Session 10
 Determine theme
Session 11
 Continue determining theme
Session 12 & 13
 Determine symbolism
sentences does the author use to tell us about her
feelings?
 How is she feeling at the end of the story? What
events led to this change?
 What words/phrases or sentences does the author
use to tell about this change?
 Chart the main events from the story.
 Encourage the students to condense the content of
the story into 2- 3sentences. (In pairs)
 Framing Question” If you had to tell someone what
this book was about in only 2 to 3 sentences, what
would you tell them?”
 Get them to share their summaries.
 Discuss with the students which are the best
summaries and why.
 Have different themes written on different cards.
Discuss what each one means. Examples: hope,
believe in yourself, teamwork/cooperation,
compassion, forgiveness, accept the situation,
differences, courage, kindness, never give up,
loyalty, honesty. acceptance, tolerance (Refer to
grade 3 and 4 server)
 Discuss what some of these mean
 Give real life examples
 Review the theme cards and their meanings from
session three.
 Pair the students. Ask them “If you had to choose
one or more of these cards to describe the book’s
theme, which ones would you choose? Justify your
thinking.
 If you had to select only one theme, which one
would you choose? Justify your thinking.
 Get them to share their themes.
 Discuss with the students which of the themes
would best support the story’s content.
 Review the concepts and examples of symbolism.
Teacher’s note on what the symbolism is of the Green
Apple. Taken from website.
The author used the apple as a form of
symbolism. For example, in this story the green
apple is not just a green apple; it represents
something much bigger to the main character,
which is defined as symbolism. Being from
Suggested Strategy:
Think Pair Share.
another country, Farah doesn’t fit in because she
is not use to the customs of the other students in
her class. When she is picking apples, she sees a
small green apple and comments that, “it is small
and alone, like me.” In this sentence, Farah is
associating herself with the apple. To Farah, the
apple symbolizes her because she feels small
and alone compared to her classmates, just like
the green apple does compared to the red ones.
Later, after Farah drops the apple into the cider
maker, she comments that, “I will blend with the
others the way my apple blended with the cider.”
Again, the author has Farah relate herself to the
apple because Farah will one day too be able to
blend and fit-in with the other students like her
green apple blended with the red apples. I think
the author uses symbolism to allow you to see a
connection between people and everyday
objects—only the object represents a “bigger
picture.” For example in this story, the apple
represented the ability to blend with others that
are not like you. You can use this technique in
your writing by allowing your character to have
something in common with a non-human object.
Throughout the story, your character can keep
connecting himself and referencing to this
object, and the character and object can
change/connect at the end of the story to
represent a “bigger picture” for the reader, much
like Farah did with the blending of the green
apple with the red.
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Questions for discussion with the students.
Why did the author call this book “One Green
Apple?” What makes you think this?
 Refer to and read page 14 of the book. What does
the girl have in common with the green apple?
Which words, phrases or sentences tell you this?
 Why do you think she says the apple fits perfectly
in her hand? Justify your thinking.
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Why was it a green apple she chose and not a red
one?
 How do you think she feels about picking this
apple?
 Refer to and read page 28 – 29 of the book. What
statement strongly suggests that Farah’s feelings
changed about herself?
 How does the picture support your thinking?
 Revisit the picture on pg. 6, how does the picture
reflect the change in Farah’s feeling?
 Suggested strategy to assist students with the
concept of symbolism. Bring in some red apples and
one small green apple. (Make the concept more
tangible for the students)
 Discuss how the child with the green apple must
be feeling?
 Cut the apples and mix them together and have
the children select pieces.
 Discuss with the child how they feel now and
why their feelings have changed.
 Extension Questions:
 Refer to pages 18 & 19. What do you think the
teacher’s thinking?
 Why does she shrug and smile? Justify your
thinking.
 Why does the boy shout “Hey” What do you
think the boy is thinking? Why do you think he
is thinking this?
 Ask the students what was similar about each book.
Chart these onto a T Chart. Explain your thinking.
Give evidence.
Note for teacher: Similarities
Child facing a difficult situation
Child who is different from other kids
Blending In
Never giving up
Having Hope
Both written from the perspective of the child.
First person
Courage
Both used symbolism
Types of pictures but different illustrators.
Same author
Symbolism in the title
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Session 14
 Compare
Theme/craft/content (Passage 1
and 2)
T-Chart
Session 15
 Continue Comparing
Theme/craft/content (Passage 1
and 2)
Session 16 (Passage 3)
 Get details and determine theme
Session 17
 Author’s Craft
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Refer back to the T chart and ask them what was
different. Explain your thinking. Give evidence.
Note: for Differences
Setting- Why was the setting important for each book?
How did it help the author tell their story?
One included a family member
Time frame of events
Used different symbolism
They both faced different situations.
The way the books are written.
 Who are the main characters in the story?
 What does Tony want to do? What does Tony have
to do?
 How do you think Tony feels when he hears his
Father talking about him to his Grandfather? What
makes you think that?
 How does Grandpa encourage Tony? Go back to the
text to give evidence.
 Review the theme cards and their meanings from
session 3.
 Pair the students. Ask them “If you had to choose
one or more of these cards to describe the book’s
theme, which ones would you choose?” Justify your
thinking.
 If you had to select only one theme, which one
would you choose? Justify your thinking.
 Get them to share their themes.
 Discuss with the students which of the themes
would best support the story’s content.
 Review and define: Similes, Metaphors and
Personification.
 Have the students give examples of each.
 Examples:
Similes/Metaphors
A quiet as a mouse
As hungry as a horse
It’s fleece was white as snow
Fly like an eagle
Ants in my pants
I’m all tied up now
Personification
Clouds floated across the sky
The stars danced in the sky
The wind howled
A Special Talent (ELA Lesson
7)
Suggested Strategy:
Think Pair Share
Think, pair Share with you
partner
Session 18 & 19 (Passage 4)
 Get details, determine theme and
author’s craft
The tide crept up
Time creeps up on you
 Look at the passage and see if the students can
identify the similes, metaphors and personification.
 Why do you think the author used these in the
story?
 How does this make the story sound better?
 How does this paint better pictures in your mind?
 Look at each line separately. Identify what subjects
they are talking about, then the action, and finally
the author’s craft.
 Look at each Chart in the three columns table, see
below:
Subject
Action
Author’s Craft
(What?)
The wind
Rustled
Like a woman shaking
a rug (Similes)
The branches Creaked
and
clapped
The leaves
Falling /
Were dancers;
tumbling
Running and leaping
(Personification)
The birds
Held on
Stirred their feathers
and rumpled their
form – the wind
(Visualization)
The clouds
Moving
Playing follow-theleader with the wind
(Personification)
The rain
Falling
Like the grains of
falling rice (Similes)
The wind
Blew
Colder and colder
(Adverbs)
The land
Silvery, shadowy glow
of autumn ice
(Adjectives)
 Model the first stanza, and then have students work
in pair to see if they can complete the second
stanza.
 Share their findings
 Continue to fill out the chart.
 After filling out the story, look at the third column
and see if the students can actually identify the
Autumn Storm
similes, metaphors and personification.
How does this paint a picture in your mind? How
does the author make it better?
 Then set the students off to continue with the third
stanza.
 Bring them back to share.
 Ask students what is this about? What is the theme?
 Have the children act out each stanza.
 Ask the students what was similar about each
passage. Chart these onto a T Chart. Explain your
thinking. Give evidence.
Note for teachers: Similarities
Personification
Similes
Adjectives/adverbs that lead to richer visualization
Clear setting in both
Structure: Beginning, Middle, End
 Refer back to the T chart and ask them what was
different. Explain your thinking. Give evidence.
Note for teachers: Differences
Theme
Structure: narrative vs. poem
One uses stanza (poem)
One has a plot (narrative)
Narrative has a life lesson – believe in yourself (theme)
Poem is purely descriptive (interaction of the nature)
The use of capitalization and punctuation
Universal Design for Learning
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Session 20 (Passage 3 and 4)
 Compare / Contrast theme and
author’s craft
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
T-Chart
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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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
Thematic Attribute Chart
Title/Author
Lesson Learned by the Message (theme) you
Character
can take from the story
What is the author
doing? (example)
Why is the author
doing?
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 Study
I can give important details of a story
I can make inferences
I can give a summary of a story
I can determine the theme of a story
I can find symbolism within a story
I can compare themes
I can identify author’s craft
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
I
M
Teacher
P
I
M
P
Grade 4 Unit 4 English Language Arts Reading Performance Level Rubric
Anchor Standard
Students read closely to
determine what the text
says explicitly and to
make logical inferences
from it; cite specific
textual evidence when
writing or speaking to
support conclusions
drawn from the text.
(CCR R1)
Students determine
central ideas or themes
of a text and analyze
their development;
summarize the key
supporting details and
ideas.
(CCR R2)
Students interpret words
and phrases as they are
used in a text, including
determining technical,
connotative, and
figurative meanings, and
analyze how specific
word choices shape
meaning or tone.
(CCR R4)
Students analyze how
two or more texts
address similar themes or
topics in order to build
knowledge or to compare
the approaches the
authors take.
(CCR R9)
Performance Level 4
Performance Level 3
Performance Level 2
Demonstrate an in-depth understanding by
referring to illuminating details and
examples in a text when explaining what
the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text.
Demonstrate a thorough understanding by
referring to appropriate details and
examples in a text when explaining what
the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text.
Demonstrate a basic understanding by
inconsistently referring to appropriate
details when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from
the text.
Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a
literary text by noting subtle connections
between details in the text and the theme;
provide a detailed, nuanced, and accurate
summary of the text.
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of a
literary text by determining a theme of a
story, drama, or poem from details in the
text; provide a thorough summary of the
text.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of a
literary text by determining the subject
matter addressed in a story without noting
how the details in the text support a theme;
provide a summary of the text that is
insufficient in detail and/or scope.
Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a
text by formulating a sophisticated
statement of the main idea of a text and
providing a sophisticated explanation of
how it is supported by key details; provide a
detailed, nuanced, and accurate summary
of the text
Determine with precision and detail the
meaning of words and phrases as they are
used in a literary text, including those that
allude to significant characters found in
mythology (e.g., Herculean).
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of a
text by determining the main idea of a text
and explaining how it is supported by key
details; provide a thorough summary of the
text.
Determine with precision and detail the
meaning of general academic and domainspecific words or phrases in a text relevant
to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Determine the meaning of general academic
and domain-specific words or phrases in a
text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject
area.
Demonstrate an in-depth textual analysis by
aptly and insightfully comparing and
contrasting 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.
Demonstrate a thorough textual analysis by
comparing and contrasting 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.
Demonstrate an in-depth textual analysis by
aptly and insightfully integrating information
from two informational texts on the same
topic in order to write about the subject
knowledgeably.
Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a literary text,
including those that allude to significant
characters found in mythology (e.g.,
Herculean).
Demonstrate a thorough textual analysis by
integrating information from two
informational texts on the same topic in
order to write about the subject
knowledgeably.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of a text
by determining the subject matter
addressed in a text without providing an
explanation of how details support a main
idea; provide summary of the text that is
insufficient in detail and/or scope.
Determine inconsistently and/or
inadequately the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a literary text,
including those that allude to significant
characters found in mythology (e.g.,
Herculean).
Determine inconsistently and/or
inadequately the meaning of general
academic and domain-specific words or
phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic
or subject area.
Demonstrate a limited or basic textual
analysis by insufficiently or inaccurately
comparing and contrasting 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.
Demonstrate a limited or basic textual
analysis by insufficiently or inaccurately
integrating information from two
informational texts on the same topic in
order to write about the subject
knowledgeably.
Performance Level 1*
* Level 1 PLDs describe
students who did not
demonstrate sufficient
evidence to be classified
into Level 2; Level 1
contains the widest
range of performance on
the test: from the
lowest-scoring students,
including those students
who attempted but got
no answers correct, to
those students who are
on the cusp but just
below Level 2