Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
Other Literacy Components
4th Grade: Unit 1 – August/September
Reading Literary Texts RL
RL.5.1 Ask and answer inferential
questions to analyze meaning
beyond the text; refer to details
and examples within a text to
support inferences and
conclusions.
RL.6.1 Determine the
development of a theme within a
text; summarize using key details.
RL.8 Analyze characters, settings,
events, and ideas as they develop
and interact within a particular
context.
RL.9 Interpret and analyze the
author’s use of words, phrases,
and conventions, and how their
relationships shape meaning and
tone in print and multimedia texts.
RL.13 Read independently and
comprehend a variety of text for
the purposes of reading for
enjoyment, acquiring new
learning, and building stamina;
reflect and respond to increasingly
complex text over time
Reading Informational Text RI
Writing
W.3 Write narratives to develop
real or imagined experiences or
events using effective techniques,
well-chosen details, and wellstructured event sequences.
W.4 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing
and speaking.
W.6 Write independently, legibly,
and routinely for a variety of tasks,
purposes, and audiences over
short and extended time frames
Communications
C.1 Interact with others to explore
ideas and concepts, communicate
meaning, and develop logical
interpretations through
collaborative conversations; build
upon the ideas of others to clearly
express one’s on views while
respecting diverse perspectives.
Interpreting Characters: The Heart of the
Story (Heinemann published Unit of Study 1)
The Arc of the Story: Writing Realistic Fiction
(Heinemann published Unit of Study 1)
Bend I: Establishing a Reading Life
 Create a reading environment –
procedures and routines
 Retell to cement comprehension and use
partners and checklists to lift the level of
envisionment
Bend I: Creating and Developing Stories and
Characters that Feel Real
 Live like writers, seeing ideas for fiction
stories everywhere and collect those ideas
 Collect a few true small moment stories to
help launch into fictionalizing these
moments
 Story-tell ideas to a partner
 Choose an idea and develop their ideas,
focusing on the main character – wants and
needs, believable characteristics
Bend II: Thinking Deeply About Characters
 Develop ideas and grow theories about
characters using the story arc to notice
important details about characters
 Notice author’s craft
 Find complications in characters
 Use debates to prompt rich
conversations around books and ground
evidence back in the text
Bend III: Building Interpretations
 Study other elements of the text by
looking at the whole story
 Connect thoughts to build interpretations
 Find meaning in recurring images,
objects, and details
Bend II: Drafting and Revising with an Eye
Toward Believability
 Use a story arc to plan, draft, and revise
 Focus on storytelling rather than
summarizing
Bend III: Preparing for Publication with an
Audience in Mind
 Prepare pieces for audiences through more
focused drafting, deep revision work, and
editing
 Teach writers to consider the importance of
setting in a story
 Rethink the evolution of their stories – the
solutions are those we make; not magic
Bend IV: Embarking on Independent Fiction
Projects
 Teach them how to conceive, develop,
plan, and carry through their own
independent fiction projects
Resources/Assessments
4th Grade: Unit 1 – August/September
Word Study
 Inflected endings (-ing, -ed, -s, -es)
 Unusual past tense words and plurals
Reading Teaching Points
Independent Reading Assessment Fiction





-
Teaching Reading Engagement
Create Read-Aloud Routines (p. T64)
Characters
Mine the Details (p. T35)
Think About What a Character Wants, to
Help You Develop an Idea (p. T36)
Become the Character (p. T36)
Theme
Watch for Character Changes that Reveal
Lessons (p. T62)
Use Prompts to Articulate a Theme (p.
T62)
Plot and Setting
Think Outside – and Inside – the Box (p.
T26)
Author’s Craft
Be a Word Surgeon (p. T54)
Relish the Wordplay (p. T55)
Reading
Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo (main read aloud)
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Fox by Margaret Wild
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
Fly Away Home
Assessments
Reading:
Give Unit 1 pre-assessment before
starting unit
Give Unit 1 post-assessment after
finishing the unit
**See www.heinemann.com for
assessments**
Writing
Three Billy Goats Gruffs or a familiar fairy tale
Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson
Excerpt from Pippi Goes on Board or a text that
shows a character through action
Short video clip of a film or tv show that shows a
variety of camera angles
“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros
An Angel for Solomon Singer
Running Records
Writing:
Give narrative on demand before starting
the unit
Give same narrative on demand after
completing the unit
**See Writing Pathways**
The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer
Serravallo





-
-
p. 1
Read Aloud
And Testing As A Genre
Teaching Reading Engagement
2. 16 Choose Books with Your Identity in
Mind (p. 63)
2. 17 Visualize to Focus (p. 64)
2. 24 Read with a Focus to Focus (p.71)
2. 27 Hear the Story (p. 74) Characters
6. 15 Out-of-Character Character (p. 180)
6. 21 Piling Together Traits to Get Theories
(p. 186
Theme
7. 7 Mistakes Can Lead to Lessons
7. 20 Respond to Issues that Repeat (p.
213)
Plot and Setting
5. 6 Reactions Help You Find the Problem
(p. 139)
5. 8 What’s Your Problem (p. 141)
5. 22 Vivid Setting Description and Impact
on Character (p. 155)
Author’s Craft
11. 12 Mood as a Clue to Meaning (p. 311)
11. 15 Context + Clues = Clarity (p. 314)
11. 23 Be Alert for Word Choice (p. 322)
p. 2
Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
4th Grade: Unit 2 – October
Reading Literary Text (RL)
Reading Informational Texts
RI.5.1 Ask and answer inferential
questions to analyze meaning
beyond the text; refer to the details
and examples within a text to
support inferences and
conclusions.
RI.6 Summarize key details and
ideas to support analysis of central
ideas.
RI.7.1 Compare and contrast how
events, topics, concepts, and
ideas are depicted in primary and
secondary sources.
RI.8 Interpret and analyze the
author’s use of words, phrases,
text features, conventions, and
structures, and how their
relationships shape meaning and
tone in print and multimedia texts.
RI.11 Analyze and critique how
the author uses structures in print
and multimedia texts to craft
informational and argument
writing.
RI.12 Read independently and
comprehend a variety of texts for
the purposes of reading for
enjoyment, acquiring new
learning, and building stamina;
reflect and respond to increasingly
complex text over time
Writing
W.1 Write arguments to support
claims with clear reasons and
relevant evidence.
Communications
C.2 Articulate ideas, claims, and
perspectives in a logical sequence
using information, findings, and
credible evidence from sources.
C.3 Communicate information
through strategic use of multiple
modalities and multimedia to
enrich understanding when
presenting ideas and information.
C.4 Critique how a speaker
addresses content and uses
stylistic and structural craft
techniques to inform, engage, and
impact audiences
Boxes and Bullets: Personal and Persuasive
Essays (Heinemann published Unit of Study 2)
Bend I: Learning from Text
 Embrace the challenge of nonfiction
reading by making connections,
activating prior knowledge, and noticing
text structures
 Use authors’ signals to notice the
challenges posed by texts that are
structured as hybrids
 Tackle tricky vocabulary
Bend I: Writing to Learn
 Begin with a quick, intense immersion into
the whole process of this type of writing
 Gather entries by writing long about ideas
about people, objects, events, etc
 Develop thesis statements and build plans
for their essays
Bend III: Tackling a Second Research Project
with More Agency and Power
 Compare and contrast while reading and
thinking across two topics
 Seek out patterns and relationships of
new topics that lead to new investigations
 Evaluate credible sources
 Analyze author’s craft
Read Aloud
And Testing As A Genre
Resources/Assessments
4th Grade: Unit 2 – October
Reading the Weather, Reading the World
(Heinemann published Unit of Study 2)
Bend II: Launching a Whole-Class Research
Project
 Plan for a research project
 Read multiple texts on a subtopic to
synthesize what has been learned
 Write to grow research-based ideas,
while remembering not to skip the “hard
stuff” (complex texts, technical passages)
Other Literacy Components
Bend II: Raising the Level of Essay Writing
 Collect and write out evidence to support
the reasons for their opinions
 Decide on a system of organizing evidence
 Construct a draft using transition words and
phrases to create cohesion
 Revise with goals in mind
Bend III: Personal to Persuasive
 Transfer and raise the quality of work from
personal to persuasive
 Develop persuasive opinions that are more
generalized and develop and plan for a
persuasive essay
 Include a greater variety of evidence
 Self-assess and reflect on growth
Word Study
 Syllable Juncture
-VCV & VCCV patterns (super, supper)
-V/CV (long), V/CV (short) and VVCV (long)
patterns (human, river, reason)
-VCC/CV, VC/CCV and VV patterns
(athlete, pilgrim, create)
Reading Minilessons
The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer
Serravallo
 Main Idea
8. 1 One Text, Multiple Ideas (or
Topics) p. 222
8. 3 Topic/Subtopic/Details p. 224
8. 5 Boxes and Bullets p. 226
8. 19 Consider Structure p. 240-241
 Key Details
9.2 Reading with a Sense of “Wow” p.
251
9.4 Check Yourself p. 253
9.6 Consistently Ask, “How Do I
Know?” p. 255
9. 18 Answering Questions p. 267
 Text Features
10. 2 Cover Up Then Zoom In p.275
10. 9 Diagrams Show and Tell p.282
10. 12 Don’t Skip It! p. 285
10. 18 Cracking Open Headings p.
291
 Author’s Craft
11. 4 Categorize Context with
Connectors p. 303
11. 6 Look to Text Features p. 305
11. 19 It’s Right There in the
Sentence! P. 318
Reading
High interest NF books on Science topics
National Geographic Everything Weather by
Kathy Furgang (main read aloud)
DK Eyewitness: Hurricane and Tornado by Jack
Challoner
Exploring Weather by Wilmore
Hurricanes by Lauber
Hurricanes by Seymour Simon
Snow is Falling by Branley
Blizzard: The Storm that Changed America by
Murphy
“Phoenix Zoo: The Phoenix Zoo Saves the
Arabian Oryx” – YouTube
Articles from newsela.com
What Do You Do with an Idea? – Kobi Yamada
The following come from the online resources
on readingandwritingproject.com
A Sport
Video clips of extreme weather
“Fire making with sticks – Andrew Newton”
US Drought Monitor website
Calliope: Exploring World History (March 2012
issue)
Assessments:
Reading:
Give Unit 2 pre-assessment before
starting unit
Give Unit 2 post-assessment after
finishing the unit
**See www.heinemann.com for
assessments**
Running Record
Writing:
Give opinion on demand before starting
the unit
Give same opinion on demand after
completing the unit
**See Writing Pathways**
Writing
Teacher exemplar writing
See Lucy Calkins CD-rom for sample student
writing
p. 3
p. 4
Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
4th Grade: Unit 3 – November/December
Reading Literary Texts
RL.7 Analyze the relationship
among ideas, themes, or topics in
multiple media, formats, and in
visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
modalities.
RL.8 Analyze characters, settings,
events, and ideas as they develop
and interact within a particular
context.
RL.10 Apply a range of strategies
to determine and deepen the
meaning of known, unknown, and
multiple-meaning words, phrases,
and jargon; acquire and use
general academic and domainspecific vocabulary
RL.11.1 Compare and contrast
first and third person points of
view; determine how an author’s
choice of point of view influences
the content and meaning.
RL.12.1 Explain how a series of
chapters, scenes, or stanzas fit
together to provide the overall
structure, drama, or poem.
Reading Informational Text (RI)
Writing
W.3 Write narratives to develop
real or imagined experiences or
events using effective techniques,
well-chosen details, and wellstructured event sequences.
W.5 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
Communications
C.2 Articulate ideas, claims, and
perspectives in a logical sequence
using information, findings, and
credible evidence from sources.
Historical Fiction Clubs (Heinemann
published Unit of Study 4)
Bend I: Tackling Complex Texts
 Focus on deep comprehension and
synthesis of complex story elements
 Keep track of multiple plot lines, many
characters, and shifts in time and place
Bend II: Interpreting Complex Texts
 Focus on interpretation, especially to
perspective and point of view while
carrying ideas across a text
 Notice and theorize about significant
details that help convey the larger
messages of the story
Bend III: The Intersection of Historical Fiction
and History
 Read across fiction and nonfiction texts
more critically
 Notice power relationships and
perspectives and consider implications
that these historical stories have for their
present lives
Historical Fiction: Tackling Complex Texts
Curricular Calendar Unit 3/
(If…Then…Curriculum)
Bend I: Collect, Select, and Develop Story Ideas
 Generate ideas for stories through
research
 Generate ideas by thinking of one’s own
desires and problems
 Generate ideas by considering historical
contexts: examine timelines and facts for
possible conflicts, characters, and plots
 Test story ideas and characters for
historical accuracy and consider other
possibilities
Bend II: Choose a First Seed Idea and Take it
Through the Writing Process
 Facilitate planning and storytelling; create
a cohesive, focused plot
 Develop believable, interesting characters
 Draft and revise: craft a compelling
historical fiction story
Bend III: Take a Second Seed Idea Through the
Writing Process, With Greater Attention to
Bringing Out Historical Accuracy and Meaning
 Revisit historical fiction elements with
greater attention to historical detail and
meaning
 Pay attention to story scope and
believability
 Revise for historical accuracy
 Craft satisfying endings
Other Literacy Components
Read Aloud
And Testing As A Genre
Resources/Assessments
4th Grade: Unit 3 – November/December
Word Study
 Ambiguous Vowels (oy/oi, ou/ow, au,
aw, al) (voyage, moisture, county,
drowsy, saucer, awful, also)
 r-Influenced a/o (garden, airplane,
compare, morning, before)
 Schwa + R spelled er, ir, and ur
(nervous, thirty, sturdy)
 Schwa + R influenced e in accented
syllables (er, ear, ere) (mercy, early,
severe)
Reading Minilessons
Lessons taken from The Reading
Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo
 HF Characters, Plot, and Setting
5. 19 Tenses as a Clue to Flashback
and Backstory p. 152
5. 24 FQR
(Facts/Questions/Responses) Sheets
for Filling in Gaps p. 157
5. 26 Historical Notes Prime Prior
Knowledge p.159
6. 22 Consider Character in Context p.
187
Reading
Historical fiction picture and chapter books by SS
topic for clubs
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (main read aloud)
Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti
“Things” by Eloise Greenfield
Out of the Dust
Article from (online resources)
www.gratefulnees.org/giftpeople/duckwitz_danes.htm
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
American Girl
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Writing
HF books from momentous, world-changing events,
such as, The Boston Tea Party, American
Revolution, Civil War, a period already studied in SS
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Assessments:
Reading:
Give Unit 4 pre-assessment before
starting unit
Give Unit 4 post-assessment after
finishing the unit
**See www.heinemann.com for
assessments**
Running Record
Writing:
Give narrative on demand before starting
the unit
Give same narrative on demand after
completing the unit
**See Writing Pathways**
Bend IV: Edit and Publish: Prepare the
Historical Fiction Story for Readers
 Edit and revise story based on students’
needs
 Revisit editing checklists
p. 5
p. 6
Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
Other Literacy Components
4th Grade: Unit 4 – January
Reading Literary Text (RL)
Reading Informational Texts
RI.5.1 Ask and answer inferential
questions to analyze meaning
beyond the text; refer to details
and examples within a text to
support inferences and
conclusions.
RI.6 Summarize key details and
ideas to support analysis of central
ideas.
RI.7.1 Compare and contrast how
events, topics, concepts, and
ideas are depicted in primary and
secondary sources.
RI.8 Interpret and analyze the
author’s use of words, phrases,
text features, conventions, and
structures, and how their
relationships shape meaning.
RI.9 Apply a range of strategies to
determine and deepen the
meaning of known, unknown, and
multiple-meaning words, phrases,
jargon; acquire and use general
academic and domain-specific
vocabulary.
RI.10.1 Identify and describe the
difference between a primary and
secondary account of the same
event or topic.
RI.11 Analyze and critique how
the author uses structures in print
and multimedia texts to craft
informational and argument
writing.
Writing
W.2 Write informative/explanatory
texts to examine and convey
complex ideas and information
clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization,
and analysis and content.
W.5 Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
Communications
C.2 Articulate ideas, claims, and
perspectives in a logical sequence
using information, findings, and
credible evidence from sources
Bringing History to Life
(Heinemann published Unit of Study 3)
Bend I: Researching History
 Orient themselves to a text set
 Use text structures to organize
information and notes
 Note-take on what’s important while
synthesizing across texts
 Bring topic to life
Bend I: Informational Books: Making a
Conglomerate of Forms
 Class topic of the American Revolution,
then students will select a more focused
topic that the class has already studied
 Rely on research already done
 Complete a small book in which each
chapter is written in a different genre (howto, essay, stories, etc)
Bend III: Engaging in a Second Cycle of
Research
 Use easier texts to gain background
knowledge on a topic then use strategies
to tackle harder texts
 Study all parts of a text to determine
main ideas
 Use strategies to develop a richer
conceptual knowledge of key vocabulary
 Draw upon knowledge of interpretation to
ask questions about history to learn
about the past
Resources/Assessments
4th Grade: Unit 4 – January
Reading History: The American Revolution
(Heinemann published Unit of Study 3)
Bend II: Preparing for Debate
 Recognize different points of view
 Analyze evidence to support claim
 Rehearse and stage a debate
Read Aloud
And Testing As A Genre
Bend II: Writing with Greater Independence
 Narrow in on a subtopic
 Choose a logical structure for the book to
help readers understand the most important
information in their pieces
 Use sophisticated transition words and
phrases in a purposeful way
 Present important information though the
use of historical details, text features, and
quotations
Bend III: Building Ideas in Informational Writing
 Develop own ideas about the information
 Generate life lessons from their topics
 Generate questions and then hypothesize
and research answers to those questions
Word Study
 Unaccented final syllables
le, el, il, al (cattle, model, until, final)
er, ar, or (other, collar, color)
Reading Minilesson
The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer
Serravallo
 Text Features
8.6 Survey the Text p. 227
10.13 Integrate Features and Running
Text p. 286
10.14 Hop In and Out Using the Table
of Contents p. 287
10.15 Maps p. 288
10.20 Primary Sources p. 293
10.21 Take your Time (Line) p. 294
 Main Ideas
8.10 What Does the Author Say? What
Do I Say? p. 231
8.11 Add Up Facts to Determine Main
Idea p. 232
8.13 Opinion-Reasons-Evidence p.
234
8.19 Consider Structure p. 240-241
8.20 Determining Author’s Purpose,
Point of View p. 242
 Vocabulary
11.19 It’s Right There in the Sentence!
P. 318
11.22 Read Up a Ladder p. 321
 Writing About Reading
13.5 Nonfiction Readers Stop and Jot
p. 359
13.10 Note Taking Helps to
Understand Nonfiction p. 364
Reading
Subtopics of the American Revolution texts
Video clip of Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or
give me death!” on YouTube at 5:07
Video clip of Samuel Adams speech from Liberty’s
Kids Episode #1 from YouTube at 5:57-6:54
Liberty!: How the Revolutionary War Began by
Penner
The Revolutionary War by Josh Gregory
“No More King” video on www.schooltube, search
terms: kings schoolhouse
King George: What Was His Problem?
The Split History of the American Revolution by
Michael Burgan
“The Famous Ride of Paul Revere”
“Paul Revere’s Ride” by Longfellow
Extra Texts
Short Nonfiction for American History: The
American Revolution and Constitution by Anne
Goudvis and Stephanie Harvey
George Versus George: The American Revolution
as Seen From Both Sides by Schanzer
Give Me Liberty: The Story of the Declaration of
Independence by Russell Freemand
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Longfellow
Assessments:
Reading:
Give Unit 3 pre-assessment before
starting unit
Give Unit 3 post-assessment after
finishing the unit
**See www.heinemann.com for
assessments**
Running Record
Writing:
Give opinion on demand before starting
the unit
Give opinion same narrative on demand
after completing the unit
**See Writing Pathways**
I
Writing
A list of trade books on the American Revolution
Liberty!: How the Revolutionary War Began by
Penner
The Eve of the Revolution by Barbara Burt
What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? By Jean Fritz
Can’t You Make Them Behave , King George? By
Jean Fritz
p. 7
p. 8
Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
4th Grade: Unit 5 – February
Reading Literary Texts
RL.5.1 Ask and answer inferential
questions to analyze meaning
beyond the text; refer to details
and examples within a text to
support inferences and
conclusions.
RL.6.1 Determine the
development of a theme within a
text; summarize using key details.
RL.7.2 Compare and contrast the
treatment of similar themes,
topics, and patterns of events in
texts and diverse media.
RL.9 Interpret and analyze the
author’s use of words, phrases,
and conventions, and how their
relationships shape meaning and
tone in multimedia texts.
RL.11.1 Compare and contrast
first and third person points of
view; determine how an author’s
choice of point of view influences
the content and meaning period.
RL.12 Analyze and critique how
the author uses structures in print
and multimedia texts to shape
meaning and impact the reader.
Reading Informational Texts
RI.7 Research events, topics,
ideas, or concepts through
multiple media, formats, and in
visual, auditory, and kinesthetic
modalities.
Writing
W.1 Write arguments to support
claims with clear reasons and
relevant evidence.
Communications
C.1 Interact with others to explore
ideas and concepts, communicate
meaning, and develop logical
interpretations through
collaborative conversations; build
upon the ideas of others to clearly
express one’s own views while
respecting diverse perspectives
p. 9
Other Literacy Components
Read Aloud
And Testing As A Genre
Resources/Assessments
4th Grade: Unit 5 – February
Interpretation Book Clubs (Curricular Calendar
Unit 5 / If…Then…Book)
The Literary Essay: Writing About Fiction
((Heinemann published Unit of Study 4)
Bend I: Interpretation: Discussing Themes and
Issues in the Company of Clubs
 Revisit familiar texts and think about the
ideas these texts suggest
 Think about themes and lessons learned
Bend I: Writing about Reading: Literary Essays
 Remind students of work completed on
previous essay unit
 Focus on arguing for ideas about
characters
Bend II: Comparing Themes – and How
Characters Relate to Them – Across Texts
 Comparing and contrasting different texts
with similar themes
Bend II: Raising the Quality of Literary Essays
 Apply all previous learning and work to write
more interpretively and analytically
 Mine a text for evidence
Bend III: Reading Closely to See How
Themes are Shaped by Authors
 Be alert to word and image choices and
metaphors in the texts
Bend III: Writing Compare-and-Contrast Essays
 Write compare and contrast essays about
texts with the same theme or issue
 Write to analyze the similarities and
differences the two texts take
 Write more about the point of view,
emphasis and interpretation and be more
aware of the craft moves that authors use
Word Study
 Unaccented final syllables
/chur/, /zhur/, /yur/ (catcher, measure,
figure)
en, on, ain, in (broken, dragon,
mountain, cousin)
et, it, ate (jacket, edit, climate)
Reading Minilessons
The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer
Serravallo
 Themes
7.7 Mistakes Can Lead to Lessons p.
200
7.8 Feelings Help Us Learn p. 201
7.9 Compare Lessons Across Books in
a Series p. 202
7.11 Book-to-Book Connections p. 204
7.16 Stories Teach Us About Life
Lessons p. 209
7.18 Character Change Can Reveal
Lessons p. 211
7.20 Respond to Issues That Repeat
p. 213
Reading
Any previous read alouds
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (main read
aloud)
“Stray” Every Living Thing by Cynthia Rylant
(main read aloud)
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Fox by Margaret Wild
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Edward’s Eye by Patricia McLachan
Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelt
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Writing
Fox by Margaret Wild
Resources from CD-ROM
Assessments
Reading:
Running Records
Writing:
Give opinion on demand before starting
the unit
Give same opinion on demand after
completing the unit
**See Writing Pathways**
p. 10
Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
4th Grade: Unit 6 – March
Reading
Literary Text (RL)
Reading Informational Text RI
Writing
Communication
Test Preparation (Curricular Calendar Unit 6)
Other Literacy Components
Read Aloud
And Testing As A Genre
Resources/Assessments
4th Grade: Unit 6 – March
Test Preparation
Word Study
 Reading and writing testing words
Assessments:
Reading:
Running Records
p. 11
p. 12
Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
4th Grade: Unit 7 – April
Reading Literary Texts (RL)
Reading Informational Texts
RI.7.1 Compare and contrast how
events, topics, concepts, and
ideas are depicted in primary and
secondary sources
RI.8.2 Apply knowledge of text
features to gain meaning; describe
the relationship between these
features and the text.
RI.9.5 Acquire and use general
academic and domain-specific
words or phrases that signal
precise actions, emotions, and
states of being; demonstrate an
understanding of nuances and
jargon.
RI.10.1 Identify and describe the
difference between a primary and
secondary account of the same
event or topic.
RI.11 Analyze and critique how
the author uses structures in print
and multimedia texts to craft
informational and argument
writing.
Writing
W.3 Write narratives to develop
real or imagined experiences or
events using effective techniques,
well-chosen details, and wellstructured event sequences.
Communication
p. 13
Journalism: Curricular Calendar Unit 7/
(If…Then…Curriculum)
Bend I: Investigating Nonfiction Identities and
Setting Out to Make Those More Powerful
 Gather favorite nonfiction reads and
organize themselves as nonfiction
readers
 Focus on series and authors they enjoy
Bend I: Creating and Developing Stories that
Bring Forth Meaning
 Write concise, focused news reports
 Give details about an event
 Write with a sense of drama
Bend III: Expanding Nonfiction Experiences
 Expand their nonfiction tastes and
experiences by leading them to read a
variety of authors’ styles and media
 Encourage readers to step outside their
comfort zone and try out authors and/or
series they weren’t drawn to at first
Read Aloud
And Testing As A Genre
Resources/Assessments
4th Grade: Unit 7 – April
Nonfiction Book Clubs: Curricular Calendar
Unit 7Author Studies/ (If…Then…Curriculum)
Bend II: Investigating Beloved Authors and
Deepening Understanding of Nonfiction
Techniques
 Notice the language authors use to
employ techniques
 Zoom in on a favorite author to
investigate style, comparing and
contrasting, noticing patterns, and
analyzing how authors use certain
techniques to create compelling
nonfiction
Other Literacy Components
Bend II: Drafting and Revising with an Emphasis
on Bringing Out Our Intended Meaning
 Adopt the tone the style of an investigative
journalist
 Write about topics and events that are
important to me and my community
Word Study
 Prefixes: re, un, dis, mis, pre, ex, non,
in, fore, uni, bi, tri (rebuild, unable,
disagree, misspell, preschool, exit,
nonsense, incomplete, forecast,
unicycle, bicycle, tricycle)
Reading Minilessons
The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer
Serravallo
 Writing About Reading
13.12 What Happened/What It Makes
Me Think T-Chart p. 366
13.13 Lifting a Line p. 367
13.17 Compare Books for New Ideas
p. 371
Reading
**Choose parallel topics so your students can
compare and contrast easily**
Texts by the same author:
Seymour Simon
Gail Gibbons
Jean Fritz
Bobbi Kalman
Melissa Stewart
Texts by the same series:
DK Readers
National Geographic Kids
Resources
Reading:
(If…Then…Curriculum pgs. 20-33)
Writing:
(If…Then…Curriculum pgs. 83-93)
Assessments
Informal running records as needed
Main Read Alouds: (feel free to choose topics that
you are studying in Science or S.S.)
Hurricanes by Seymour Simon
Hurricanes by Gail Gibbons
Tornadoes by Seymour Simon
Planet Earth by Gail Gibbons
Tornadoes! By Gail Gibbons
Writing
Local newspapers
Interviews
p. 14
Standards
Calkins Reading Workshop (Bends)
Calkins Writing Workshop (Bends)
4th Grade: Unit 8 – May/June
Reading Literary Texts
RL.5 Determine meaning and
develop logical interpretations by
making predictions, inferring,
drawing conclusions, analyzing,
synthesizing, providing evidence,
and investigating multiple
interpretations
RL.6 Summarize key details and
ideas to support analysis of
thematic development
RL.7.2 Compare and contrast the
treatment of similar themes,
topics, and patterns of events in
texts and diverse media.
RL.8.1a Explain how conflicts
cause the characters to change or
revise plans while moving toward
resolution
RL.12 Analyze and critique how
the author uses structures in print
and multimedia texts to shape
meaning and impact the reader.
Reading Informational Text RI
Writing
W.3 Write narratives to develop
real or imagined experiences or
events using effective techniques,
well-chosen details, wellstructured event sequences.
Communication
Other Literacy Components
Poetry Anthologies: Writing, Thinking, and
Seeing More - Curricular Calendar Unit 8/
(If…Then…Curriculum)
Word Study
 Suffixes: y, ly, ily, er, est, ness, ful,
less (sunny, slowly, happily, braver,
bravest, darkness, graceful, homeless)
Bend I: Mystery Readers Read for Clues
 Use fiction reading skills to puzzle over
clues
 Make observations about characters’
traits and feelings, then grow ideas about
the characters
 Grow ideas and theories based on
observations
Bend I: Create a Class Anthology
 Anthology has a common theme
 Demonstrate ways to take on different
perspectives and approaches within the
same topic
Reading Minilesons
The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer
Serravallo
 Characters
6.11 Character Comparisons p. 176
6.13 Yes, But Why? P. 178
6.17 Talk and Actions as Windows p.
182
6.18 Complex Characters p. 183
6.19 More Than One Side p. 184
6.20 Conflict Brings Complexity p. 185
6.21 Piling Together Traits to Get
Theories p. 186
6.23 What’s in a Character’s Heart? p.
188
 Plot
5.6 Reactions Help You Find the
Problem p. 139
5.7 Series Books Have Predictable
Plots p. 140
5.8 What’s Your Problem? P. 141
 Themes
7.9 Compare Lessons Across Books in
a Series p. 202
7.12 Dig Deeper to Find a Story’s
Topics p. 205
7.20 Respond to Issues that Repeat p.
213
Bend III: Mystery Readers Learn Life Lessons
from Books
 Focus on interpretations
 Take away life lessons by studying
characters and plot lines
 Determine central messages by
identifying how they are conveyed
through key details
 Compare and contrast themes across
mysteries
Resources/Assessments
4th Grade: Unit 8 – May/June
Solving the Mystery Before the Detective:
Inference, Close Reading, Synthesis,
Prediction Curricular Calendar Unit 8/
(If…Then…Curriculum)
Bend II: Reading Across Mysteries
 Compare and contrast the actions of
characters and the plots, sub-plots, and
settings of stories within and across
series
 Growing as readers to read more
complex mysteries
Read Aloud
And Testing As A Genre
Bend II: Generate Ideas for Anthologies and
Collect Poems
 Continue gathering ideas for anthologies
 Revise poems towards a bigger theme
 Revise on the run and mimic the work of
published authors
Bend III: Get Strong Drafts Going and Revise All
Along
 Drafting and revising go hand in hand
 Continue writing new poems while revisiting
and revising old poems
 Turn prose into poetry by bringing out the
intended meaning of the poem
Bend IV: Edit Poems and Assemble Anthologies
for Publication
 Teach children how to publish in meaningful
ways
 Edit and publish to highlight the important
messages and themes
Reading - Series
The Boxcar Children
Half Moon Investigations
Sebastian Barth
Herculeah Jones
Sammy Keyes
Two Minute Mysteries
Writing
This Place I Know: Poems of Comfort by Georgia
Heard
Extra Innings: Baseball Poems by Lee Bennett
Hopkins
If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand:
Poems About School by Kalli Dakos
Fine Feathered Friends by Jane Yolen
Roots and Blues: A Celebration by Arnold Adoff
Resources
Reading:
(If…Then…Curriculum pgs. 34-53)
Writing:
Poetry - (If…Then…Curriculum pgs. 5768)
Revision: (If…Then…Curriculum pgs. 4056)
Assessments
Reading:
Running Records
p. 16
p. 15