Fourth Grade - ELA
1: Interdependence
Unit 1: Little House in the Big Woods
Lesson 1
Introducing the Story
Activity 1 asks students to identify the story's setting (Wisconsin), the time (1871) and characters (Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family) and even suggests role-playing as Laura to introduce a narrator/character. Activity 2 asks students to write an account of an early memory using a prewriting organizer that prompts them to describe the memory and list who was involved and emotional details. Activity 3 has students define and record the setting's plants and animals, reinforcing how to orient a reader to time and place.
Lesson 4
The Long Rifle
Students are asked to retell aloud Pa's story about searching for the cows, requiring them to recall and sequence events. Students are prompted to make up a story about an adventure in the Big Woods and practice storytelling techniques such as using vivid details, exciting language, varying character voices, and using gestures. Students are encouraged to practice their story before sharing it with family, which supports rehearsal of event order and character presentation.
Lesson 6
Sundays and Two Big Bears
The lesson asks students to recount events from the chapters (questions about why Laura and Mary disliked Sundays, what happened on Laura's birthday, and what happened with the bear), which requires students to retell sequences. The Skills section states students will "recount or narrate" and "compose a variety of fiction...selections," implying practice with narrative forms. Activity 2 asks students to write a five-senses poem from Laura's point of view, which has students adopt a narrator's voice.
Lesson 7
The Sugar Snow
Students are asked to order the steps Grandpa took to make maple syrup in the Maple Sugar Farming activity (Option 1) and to record the steps from the text in Option 2, which requires arranging events in a logical sequence. Students are asked to make a recipe card with step-by-step directions and to follow a recipe to make maple bars, practicing clear sequencing of actions. The Skills section explicitly states that students will use oral and written language to recount or narrate and to present information in a sequenced, logical manner, and the Wrapping Up prompt asks students to summarize what happened in the chapter.
Lesson 9
Going to Town
Students read the narrative chapter "Going to Town" and answer questions about how the author describes the woods and why the family dressed up, which engages them with characters and events. Students identify character traits and differences between Laura and Mary by drawing the sisters, listing five adjectives for each, and acting out how each would behave in specific situations. Students are asked to write about a real outing to a historic place and describe why it is important, which asks them to recount an experience in writing.
Lesson 10
Summertime and Harvest
In Activity 4 students are prompted to plan a story by answering questions such as Who will the main character be?, What will the setting be?, Who will the main character lie to?, What will he lie about three times?, What will he tell the truth about the last time?, and What will happen when he tells the truth?. Students are then instructed to write their story in their journal and illustrate it in the box at the bottom of the page. The planning questions require students to establish a situation, introduce characters, and sequence events (three lies followed by the truthful event and its consequence).
Lesson 11
Finishing the Book
Students are asked to write a letter using an organizer that begins with Paragraph 1: who you are, age, and location, which requires them to introduce a narrator. The rubric and directions require formal letter format with clear paragraph focus, and students are told to compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus. The Skills section explicitly instructs students to revise writing by sequencing events and ideas and to produce work that follows the conventions of a friendly letter genre.
Final Project
Pioneer Family Night
The Skills section tells students to "use oral and written language to present information in a sequenced, logical manner" and to "recount or narrate," which directs students to practice sequencing and narration. The Storytelling Activity asks students to "prepare a story to tell" and to "tell family about the importance of stories in Laura's family," prompting students to create and present narratives orally. The Reading Activity asks students to choose and practice reading two to three favorite sections aloud and to be ready to explain their choices, giving students practice with narrative selection and oral presentation.
Unit 2: The Sign of the Beaver
Lesson 2
Alone
Students are introduced to the main character Matt and prompted to predict his upcoming challenge, which orients them to the story situation and characters. Students answer targeted comprehension questions (e.g., why Matt is alone; describe Matt's home) and are directed to write selected answers in a journal. Students complete character timelines that record feelings, attitudes, and actions across chapters to track changes and the sequence of events.
Lesson 3
A Stranger
Students are prompted to note and discuss the situation that "a stranger comes to Matt's house," which orients readers to a setting and event. Students complete a "Character Timelines" activity where they record words or phrases describing Matt's feelings, attitudes, and actions across chapters, supporting sequencing of events and character development. Students write five sentences about characters, events, and setting (Option 1/2), which requires them to introduce characters and describe scenes in writing.
Lesson 4
A Treaty
Students are asked to describe what happened to Matt and who saved him and to describe the treaty Matt and Saknis made, which prompts recounting of situation and characters. The Character Timelines activity asks students to fill in information about Attean and Matt and their experiences, which requires organizing details about characters and sequencing events. Reading Chapter 6 and answering questions about character feelings, actions, and gifts asks students to identify and recount events and attributes of characters.
Lesson 5
A Story
Students are asked to fill in "Character Timelines" for Matt and Attean, which requires them to identify and order events for each character. Students read Chapters 7–9 and answer comprehension questions that require recounting actions (for example, how Matt prepared for Attean and what Attean taught Matt), which practices sequencing events. The skills list includes summarizing main ideas and interacting with text, which involves organizing events from the reading.
Lesson 6
The Beaver
Students are asked to fill in Character Timelines for Matt and Attean, which requires them to order events for each character. Students answer guided reading questions that identify and describe characters (e.g., Attean, Matt, and the dog) and explain how the relationship and situations change. Students compare characters and situations using a Venn diagram activity, which reinforces identifying character roles and similarities/differences.
Lesson 7
Real Life Learning
Students are asked to complete a "Character Timelines" page in which they record descriptions of what they learned about Matt and Attean, which requires identifying characters and details about their actions. The reading questions require students to recount specific events (how Attean taught Matt to make a bow; what Matt and Attean discovered; why Matt was upset), prompting students to retell and order events from the chapters. Activity 3 asks students to make a small book and add pages as the story continues, which has students organize content across pages and think about what to include sequentially.
Lesson 8
The Bear
Students record information about the two main characters using the "Character Timelines" activity, which requires organizing events related to each character. Students identify cause-and-effect relationships and write effects for given causes, practicing sequencing of events in Activity 3. Students plan and practice telling a personal campfire story in Activity 2 (Option 2) and compare two retellings of flood stories using a double-bubble map, which involves organizing story elements and events.
Lesson 9
Attean's Past
Students are asked to summarize previous chapters in a journal and to answer selected comprehension questions about events in Chapters 17 and 18, which requires recounting who did what and when. Students complete "Character Timelines" for Matt and Attean, which has them order events related to characters chronologically. The "Keeping Track of Time" activity has students describe and devise ways to mark time and to describe their method in their journal, reinforcing temporal sequencing in writing.
Lesson 10
Manitou
Students are asked to fill out Character Timelines, which requires them to identify and place character events in chronological order. Students record three vivid passages on the "Word Pictures" page and illustrate them, practicing use of descriptive details and imagery tied to characters and events. Students identify Matt's and Attean's actions and values on the "Values" page, describing what each character did or said to demonstrate those values.
Final Project
The Sign of the Beaver Movie
Students are directed to write a 6–8 sentence movie synopsis and the rubric asks whether the synopsis accurately describes the setting and the main characters, which requires them to introduce characters and orient readers. Students are asked to write a script for a scene between Attean and Matt and to design sets and costumes that reflect story context, which has them establish situation and character details in multiple formats. The Skills list also explicitly includes sequencing events and ideas (with assistance) and composing a draft using preliminary plans, indicating practice with ordering content.
Unit 3: Native American Animal Stories
Lesson 2
People and Animal Stories
Students complete a story map for "The Dogs Who Saved Their Master" that requires listing main characters, setting, the problem, story events, how the problem is solved, and the ending, which practices organizing an event sequence. Students use the "Animal Characters" and "An Animal Tale" pages to create and describe animal characters, drawing them and listing five human characteristics, which practices developing and introducing characters. Students record cultural and character details in journal activities (e.g., Elements of Culture, Lessons from Animals) that reinforce identification of situation and character roles within stories.
Lesson 3
The Natural World
Students are asked to retell the butterfly story to someone who has never heard it before and to use props (Activity 3), which requires them to present the story's characters and sequence. Students are instructed to write a short script for a puppet show with specified lines for Rabbit, Possum, and Chief Bear (Activity 8), which has them produce character dialogue and a scripted event sequence. Students are also asked to record the problem and solution for each myth in a journal (Activity 7), which directs them to identify and organize the story's events.
Lesson 5
Legends from Other Cultures
Students answer comprehension questions that require them to identify characters and plot points (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks who Polo, Ntambo, and Kalulu were; other questions ask what Polo discovered and how Kalulu tricked the animals). Students are asked to summarize stories (Brazilian story) in their journals and to retell or clarify spoken messages (listed skills). Students complete a story map (the "Creation Stories" double bubble map) which asks them to record and organize details from two creation myths into a sequence.
Final Project
My Own Myth
Students are asked to choose a natural occurrence and to brainstorm ideas, then complete an "Organizing the Myth" page that requires them to record the Natural Phenomenon, Characters, Setting, Problem in the story, and How the problem is solved. Students write a rough draft and use a rubric that checks for descriptive settings, character interest, and that the story provides a problem and a solution. Students are instructed to read through their draft focusing first on organization, and the rubric's Organization category checks paragraph structure and sentence variety.
2: Force and Power
Unit 1: Ben and Me
Lesson 1
Ben Franklin and the Colonies
Students are asked to record Ben Franklin's birth and death on an Age 8-10 Timeline and fill timeline entries on the Life of Ben Franklin activity, which has them place events in chronological order. The Elements of Historical Fiction activity directs students to identify Characters and Plot (noting that plot includes actual historical events as well as fictional events), so students analyze how characters and event sequences function in narratives. The student activity pages prompt students to locate setting and describe characters, which connects to recognizing elements that contribute to orienting a reader.
Lesson 2
Setting the Record Straight
The Introduction directs students to consider Amos as the eyewitness narrator, explicitly identifying the narrator and his claim to tell the true story of Ben Franklin. The reading questions ask students to explain Amos's reasons for writing his account and to describe Amos's family and circumstances, prompting attention to character, situation, and motivation. The 'Fact and Fiction' activity asks students to record factual and fictional events from each chapter, which requires students to identify events and distinguish elements of the narrative sequence.
Lesson 4
Electricity
Students are asked in Activity 3 to write a paragraph in the first person using the word I, which explicitly requires them to use a narrator. Activity 1 has students record a factual and a fictional event from each chapter, prompting them to identify events from the text. The Wrapping Up step asks students to verbally summarize the events of the chapters, which has students practice sequencing events orally.
Lesson 5
Electrifying
Students are prompted to "write a first-person account of the event in his journal," which requires them to adopt a narrator and describe what happened and their feelings. The chapter questions ask students to recount specific events (for example, "What happened when the lightning struck?" and "What happened when Amos was up on the kite?"), which requires recalling and describing sequences of events. Activity 1 asks students to record a factual and fictional event from each chapter, prompting them to distinguish and summarize events.
Lesson 7
France
Activity 2 asks students to write a step-by-step plan for the mice to rescue Sophia's children, which requires them to sequence events and describe actions. Chapter questions prompt students to identify and describe characters (e.g., "Who was Sophia?" and descriptions of mice from different countries). Activity 1 (Fact and Fiction) and the Wrapping Up summary ask students to record and summarize events from each chapter, which practices ordering events.
Lesson 8
Amos's Account
Students are instructed to write an account from Amos's point of view, directing them to adopt a first-person narrator and include Amos's ideas, thoughts, and feelings. The "Organizing My Writing" page has students list the event, ten facts, five thoughts Amos would have, and a numbered sequence of what occurred, and it explicitly teaches transitional words (first, then, after that, finally) for ordering events. The rough-draft instructions give a three-paragraph outline (what led up to the event, the event, and outcomes) and the rubric checks for clarity of paragraph descriptions and the logical order of the account.
Lesson 9
The Rescue
Students are asked to write a new verse for "Yankee Doodle" from Amos's account, which requires adopting a narrator's voice and perspective. Students complete a "Ben and Amos Bags" graphic organizer and place items in sacks to identify and describe characters' appearance, personality, and uses of power. Students are asked to summarize the chapters and to choose factual versus fictional events, which requires recounting and distinguishing events in sequence.
Lesson 10
Back Home
Students are asked to identify characters, setting, plot, themes, and descriptions on the "Elements of Historical Fiction" page, providing examples from the book for each element. Students are prompted to list factual and fictional details and to describe some of the main events in the book during the "Wrapping Up" discussion. Students also interpret characters' actions and recount events through guided discussion questions about Chapter XV.
Final Project
An Interview or Party for Ben
Students are asked to pretend that Ben Franklin has traveled forward in time to be interviewed, which establishes a situation and requires a student to take on the role of Ben (introducing a character/narrator). Students write ten interview questions and answers and practice acting out the interview, using Ben's voice to respond to events and accomplishments. In the birthday-party option, students plan a card, choose or draw a gift, design an activity/game with written directions, and write a song, which asks them to create and describe parts of an event.
Unit 2: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Lesson 4
The Lion
Students are asked to invent an animal character and write a paragraph or song that describes that animal, including what human characteristics it has and what role it will play in the story (Activity 3). Students record words and phrases that describe lions in other stories and use a Venn diagram to compare those lions to Aslan (Activity 2), which has them practice describing and distinguishing characters. Reading questions ask students to identify who Aslan is and how characters react to his name, prompting students to attend to character introduction and responses in text.
Lesson 5
A Disappointment
Students are asked to summarize what the children learned from Mr. and Mrs. Beaver and to recall what happened to Edmund, and they answer guided comprehension questions in a journal about events in Chapters 9–10. Activity prompts ask students to record descriptions of the White Witch (appearance and actions), write a sentence describing how she uses her power, and list/illustrate other villains with sentences about how those villains use their power. Wrapping Up asks students to describe the White Witch's castle and recall Father Christmas's gifts and their uses, reinforcing character and situational details.
Lesson 6
A Gift from Father Christmas
Students are asked to "pretend that she is a character in a fantasy book," which prompts them to introduce a narrator/character. The writing task is explicitly organized into three paragraphs with clear prompts: Paragraph 1 asks students to describe the problem (establishing the situation), Paragraph 2 asks how they received the gift, and Paragraph 3 asks them to describe the gift and how it can be used for good, creating a chronological event sequence. The rubric and revision prompts direct students to stay focused on main ideas and to use action verbs and descriptive adjectives, supporting clear orientation and unfolding of events.
Lesson 7
Spring
Students are asked in Activity 4 to write a paragraph describing a time when they were tempted to do something wrong but chose to do right, which requires recounting an event and its outcome. Activity 2 prompts students to describe a hero (who the person is, what they do, and examples of deeds) and offers an option to write a letter giving examples of heroic actions. The listed skills include "Write to discover, develop, and refine ideas" and "Write to record ideas and reflections," indicating opportunities for students to produce personal narratives or recountings.
Lesson 8
Deep Magic
Students are asked to identify and describe characters in the "The Four Siblings" activity by drawing each sibling and listing five words or phrases that describe them, which practices character identification. Students answer journal questions about plot events (for example, how Edmund was rescued, why Aslan did not escape, and why the witch killed Aslan), which requires recalling and describing event sequence. Students analyze and illustrate imagery from a vivid scene, connecting descriptive details to characters and actions, which supports descriptive writing skills.
Lesson 10
Back Through the Wardrobe
Activity 1 asks students to describe and illustrate the next route the children will discover and then act out the situation as one of the siblings, which requires creating a scenario and taking a character's perspective. Activity 2, Option 2 asks students to list characters and add a brief explanation for each casting choice, which has students introduce and describe characters. Several comprehension questions (e.g., Q7 and Q8) ask students to recount discoveries and what happened when the children returned through the wardrobe, prompting students to put events into sequence.
Final Project
Narnia Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to "Write a short story" and to "Write a journal entry as one of the characters that was lost and searching for a way out," as well as a journal entry "after making his return to Narnia the second time," which require adopting a narrator's voice and depicting events. Students are also prompted to "Pretend that you are Edmund" and to "summarize the book for [their] audience" before presentations, which involve presenting character perspective and recounting events.
Unit 3: The BFG
Lesson 2
Snatched
Students read two chapters and answer comprehension questions that require them to retell events (e.g., "What happened to Sophie when the giant came?") and describe characters' feelings, which practices sequencing and character-focused description. Students are asked in the wrapping up to describe what happened in the chapters and to predict what will happen next, which asks them to organize events and infer future sequence. Students copy and write descriptive passages about the giant's setting and create illustrations, which practices establishing a situation and describing the context.
Lesson 6
Catching People and Dreams
Students are asked to read chapters and answer journal questions about plot and characters (e.g., questions about how the giants catch people and what happened when the BFG caught a nightmare). In Activity 3, students name and draw a new giant and write a description of how that giant catches human beans, which requires creating and introducing a character and describing an action. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to describe how the BFG captures dreams, prompting them to recount procedures or events in text.
Lesson 8
A Dreamy Plan
Students are asked in Option 2 (Advanced) to write a paragraph describing an encounter a child has with a giant, which requires creating a situation and characters. In Option 1 students fill in a narrative cloze that sequences events (child hiding, giant approaches, child climbs tree, giant vanishes), practicing ordering of actions. Question #3 asks students to describe Sophie's plan, which asks them to recount a sequence of events (mix dream, girl on windowsill, queen wakes, soldiers led to giants).
Lesson 9
The Palace
Students are asked in Activity 2 (A Different Setting) to write out a plan with steps describing how the BFG and Sophie could rescue children in a new city, which requires organizing an event sequence. The Wrapping Up section asks students to summarize the events of the chapters and to predict what will happen next, which engages them in ordering and recounting events. The Skills list and Quotable Quotes activity prompt students to generate ideas for writing and to identify character dialogue, which touches on character awareness and the importance of setting.
Final Project
Recipe for a Dream or Newspaper Report
The "A Dream in a Jar" task asks students to "write in three paragraphs, detailing: The recipe for the dream; The beginning, middle, and end of the dream; Who you would gift the dream to and why; Why the dream is powerful," and its rubric lists "Sequence" and paragraph structure. The "London Times" task asks students to "write a detailed description of the event in three paragraphs" that includes what happened, how the Queen found out and responded, how the Queen, BFG, and Sophie used their power, and an interview with the BFG using three quotes.
3: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Stories from Africa and Asia
Lesson 1
Meerkats in Botswana
Students are asked in Option 2 to draw a meerkat and write a short story about a meerkat that includes at least five facts. The introduction has students look at the cover and illustrations and make predictions about what the story might be about, which prompts initial thinking about characters and situation. The drawing task also has students create a visual representation of a character in a setting.
Lesson 2
Meeting Precious
Students read chapters and answer journal questions that require them to identify setting and character details (e.g., Question #1 asks how the narrator describes Botswana; Question #3 asks how Precious feels about new children). The Skills section asks students to 'Relate plot, setting, and characters to own experiences,' and Activity 3 ('Precious and Me') has students record similarities and differences about Precious by chapter. Students also reconstruct event details (e.g., Question #2 about how Precious's father's hat saved his life), which practices understanding event sequence.
Lesson 3
The Surprise
Students identify the narrator and point of view in Activity 4 by finding examples of authorial intrusion and noting that the book is told in third person. In the Editing activity, students work with three paragraphs that introduce Precious, her home (Botswana), and other characters, correcting grammar and punctuation in text that orients the reader. During reading and discussion, students answer questions about character responses and the sequence of events (e.g., how Pontsho came to have a meerkat, what happened with the cobra), which requires them to follow and explain event order.
Lesson 4
A Missing Cow
Students are asked to write a script for the scene where Pontsho brings Kosi to school, composing dialogue between Precious and Pontsho and adding stage directions; this requires naming characters and showing actions. Reading questions ask students to recount specific events (e.g., what Pontsho brought, what happened when Kosi got out) and the wrapping-up prompt asks students to predict what will happen next, which practices ordering events and sequencing. The "Precious and Me" chart has students describe Precious (a character) and compare themselves, reinforcing character identification.
Lesson 5
A Good Idea
Students are asked to recount chapters and predict events (Introduction and Reading And Questions), practicing retelling and sequencing events. Activity 2 directs students to write a paragraph about a personal challenging experience, which requires describing events and actions. Activity 4 Option 2 asks students to write a short fictional story about an animal that can include factual information, giving students a direct narrative writing task. The Skills list explicitly includes 'Present information in a sequenced, logical manner' and 'Recount or narrate.'
Lesson 6
African Bush Diorama
The rubric asks that the first paragraph focus on the setting and characters and that the second paragraph focus on the plot, and the organizing pages explicitly label Paragraph 1: Characters and Setting and Paragraph 2: Plot. The lesson instructs students to use the "Organizing My Report" pages to draft four paragraphs and includes the skill "Use oral and written language to present information in a sequenced, logical manner." The book report rubric also asks students to summarize the main events (plot) of the story.
Lesson 8
Peace Day
Students identify and write who Sadako's family members are and describe Sadako's characteristics in response to directed questions (Question #1 and #4). Students recount the sequence of Peace Day activities (visit to the Peace Park, speeches, dove release, lighting paper lanterns) in Question #5 and on the Peace Day activity page. Students complete graphic organizers that record cultural elements and compare Peace Day to an American holiday, which requires ordering and connecting related events and details across chapters.
Lesson 9
The Secret is Out
Students read chapters about Sadako and answer targeted comprehension questions (e.g., Q4, Q6) that require them to recount what happened and how her parents learned her secret. The Skills section and Activities ask students to "represent text information in different ways, including story maps," and to analyze characters, which prompts students to organize events and describe characters. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to explain Sadako's secret and how her family came to know it, requiring students to sequence events in writing or discussion.
Lesson 10
Kenji
Students answer guided comprehension questions that require identifying characters (e.g., "Who was Kenji?") and recalling specific events (e.g., what Chizuko brought and why). Students are asked to summarize the events that occurred in the chapters, which requires putting events in sequence. Students practice first-person writing in the get-well card activity and review letter elements (greeting, date, closing), reinforcing how to introduce a speaker in a written piece.
Lesson 11
O Bon
The lesson asks students to "Write a journal entry as an American child reflecting on one way you remember family members who have died. Then write a journal entry for a Japanese child who has just finished celebrating O Bon in Japan," which directs students to adopt a narrator and a situation. The Skills section includes "Respond to stories...in writing," supporting written responses tied to characters and cultural events. The reading activity has students read chapters about Sadako and answer questions about events (for example, how the family celebrated O Bon), which provides content students can use when writing from a character's perspective.
Lesson 13
Precious and Sadako
Activity 3, Option 2 directs students to write an eight-sentence letter in first person from Precious to Sadako (or vice versa) in which the character explains an important event, the circumstances, and how she felt, which requires students to adopt a narrator and describe a situation. Activity 3 also asks students to explain three or four important events from each story and offers a Photo Moment scrapbook option for depicting specific life events, prompting students to identify and select events. The student activity pages ask students to record a character's description, actions, quotes, and personality traits, which orients a reader to who the characters are.
Unit 2: Holes
Lesson 3
Digging
Students are asked to answer reading questions in a journal about Chapters 5–7 (e.g., describing Mr. Pendanski, explaining Stanley's actions, and how Stanley felt after digging his first hole). The Skills section instructs students to "Relate plot, setting, and characters to personal experiences," and the Nicknames activity directs students to list characters' given names and nicknames and to write in a journal about their own or family members' nicknames. The wrap-up prompts students to report what they learned about Stanley and Camp Green Lake, which requires summarizing character and situation information.
Lesson 4
Caveman
Students read Chapters 8–12 and answer guided questions about characters (e.g., nickname "Caveman," X-Ray as leader, similarities/differences among boys), which has them identify and describe characters and their roles. Students record information about the boys on the "Happy Campers" pages, practicing character description and relationships. Students write a journal response pretending to be a camper asked what they want to do with their life, which asks them to write from a narrator's perspective.
Lesson 7
Zero
Activity 2 offers two writing tasks in which the student assumes a role in the Old West: Option 1 asks the student to write a paragraph describing his experiences and occupation after moving west, and Option 2 asks the student to write a letter describing his journey, job, and hardships. Activity 1 asks the student to record information learned about characters on the "Happy Campers" pages, which requires attention to character details. The Skills section includes describing how the setting affects characters and plot, which relates to situating events and people in context.
Lesson 8
Sam the Onion Man
The student rewrite activity asks students to correct a paragraph that begins, "In the town of Green Lake 100 years ago," and names characters such as Kate Barlow and Sam the onion man, so students practice producing complete sentences that establish time, place, and characters. The rewrite requires students to fix run-ons and fragments in a short narrative passage that presents a sequence of events (Kate teaching, Sam repairing the school, their relationship, the town's reaction). The wrap-up asks students to summarize the story and discuss that the book contains two simultaneous plots, prompting attention to event sequences.
Lesson 9
Driving a Truck
Students are asked to summarize Chapters 29–32 and to record information about the boys on a "Happy Campers" page, which requires them to identify events and characters. In Activity 2 Option 1, students design a Wanted Poster that requires them to describe a character (the Warden or Mr. Sir) and provide identifying details. In Activity 2 Option 2, students write similarities and differences among five named characters, explicitly working with character traits and relationships.
Lesson 12
Treasure and Lizards
Students are asked to summarize the last chapter and to read Chapters 42–45 and answer journal questions about what happened to Stanley and Zero, which requires recounting events and character reactions. The Activity 1 'Conflict in Holes' asks students to choose conflicts from the novel, describe each conflict on the activity page, and illustrate them, which has students describe character situations and events. The Wrapping Up prompts ask students to describe what happened to Stanley and Zero and to identify which character they enjoy most, encouraging students to refer to characters and events in their responses.
Lesson 13
Innocent
Students are asked to divide events into two character-based plots and place those events in chronological order (Activity 3, Multiple Story Plots). The skills list explicitly tells students to "Put story events in proper sequence" and to "Identify the problem, climax, and solution of a story," which requires them to organize events that unfold. The student activity pages provide numbered events to sequence and label as belonging to Stanley or Katherine Barlow, engaging students with characters and event order.
Final Project
Welcome to Camp
Students are asked to write two descriptive paragraphs that provide the camp's name, geography, sleeping and eating quarters, and staff, which orients a reader to the situation. Students are also asked to describe activities, how activities build character, and how staff interact with campers, which introduces characters and their roles. Additional tasks (designing a uniform, a welcome pack, a song/chant, and an exercise routine) require students to elaborate on setting and participant roles.
Unit 3: Stories from Europe
Lesson 2
Fiona's Luck
Students are asked to record story elements (setting, characters, plot, conflict, resolution, theme) on the "Fiona's Luck Story Elements" page and the answer key explicitly identifies the setting and characters and summarizes the plot and resolution. Students answer comprehension questions about who Fiona is and what happened in the story, and the Wrapping Up directs students to give a verbal summary and to name and describe the story elements they identified.
Lesson 3
The Sea King's Daughter
Students are asked to complete a Story Elements page that prompts them to list and describe Characters, Setting, Conflict, Resolution, and Theme, which requires them to identify who is in the story and the order of events. Students are directed to perform a Reader's Theater role, select parts, read through the script, and act out parts of the story, which has them engage with characters and event sequence through performance. Students are also asked to verbally summarize The Sea King's Daughter and to record facts and fantasies, which requires recounting events in sequence and noting story details.
Lesson 4
The Snow Queen
Students are asked to complete a "The Snow Queen Story Elements" organizer that requires them to record Setting, Characters, Conflict, and Resolution, which prompts them to identify situation and key events. In Activity 6 students must select a scene from specified story sections and create a script that preserves characters' interactions and the plot, requiring them to condense and order dialogue from those events. Several reading-and-question activities ask students to recount what happens in specific story sections, reinforcing the sequence of events.
Lesson 5
Comparing and Contrasting Stories
Students are asked to identify and compare first- and third-person point of view, including labeling the point of view of The Snow Queen and summarizing each story. Students are instructed to choose a story segment and retell selected events from the main character's first-person perspective, with an 8–10 sentence writing task. The lesson provides a first-person example paragraph that orients the narration with "One day I was walking across a meadow..." and shows a character narrator describing events.
Final Project
Writing Your Own Story
The Skills list and directions explicitly state that students should "orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters." In Part 2 students name characters, list five adjectives, write three sentences about each character, and choose first or third person (identifying which character will tell the story). The Plot Organizer (Part 5) and the Rough Draft page layouts require students to outline a Beginning, Conflict, Events, and Resolution and to create five pages that introduce setting/characters and then present a sequence of events leading to a resolution.
4: Exploration and Survival
Unit 1: Abel's Island
Lesson 1
Survival
Students are asked in Activity 1 to choose an animal to represent themselves, decide clothing, voice, physical and personality traits, character flaws, and a challenge, and to create a title and cover for a novel, which has them define a narrator/character and an initial situation. Activity 4 asks students to imagine being shipwrecked and to journal three things they would miss and why, placing them in the perspective of a stranded character. The activities prompt students to connect character traits and challenges to plot elements by asking which parts of the novel would be based on reality and to compare their responses to Abel's experiences in the story.
Lesson 2
The Storm
Students answer specific comprehension questions that require identifying characters and situation (e.g., "What were Abel and his wife doing?", "Describe the weather", "What kind of shelter did Abel and his wife find?"). Students make predictions and inferences about what will happen next (Prediction and Inference activities ask them to record likely future events and reasons). Students track events across chapters by recording natural resources Abel uses in a multi-chapter organizer, which requires following actions across a sequence of chapters.
Lesson 3
Where Am I?
Students are asked to answer journal questions about Abel (e.g., where Abel was stuck, what he ate, how he adapted) which requires identifying characters and recounting events. Students are asked to summarize what happened to Abel, a task that requires sequencing the story's events. Students can choose to write a "Sailing Song" about Abel's experiences, which asks them to represent events from Abel's perspective.
Lesson 4
Who Is Abel?
Students are asked to analyze and record details about the character Abel by illustrating him and listing physical appearance and personality traits with textual evidence (Activity 2 and the Student Activity Page). The skills list directs students to "make inferences and draw conclusions about characters and events" and to "represent text information in different ways, including story maps," which supports organizing story information. Reading questions prompt students to answer journal questions about Abel's actions, plans, and how he is adapting, engaging students with the sequence of events in Chapters 5 and 6.
Lesson 5
Perseverance
Students are prompted to write a three-paragraph personal narrative with Paragraph 1 focused on the goal or problem, Paragraph 2 on obstacles, and Paragraph 3 on how they persevered, which orients a situation and lays out a chronological event sequence. The Reflective Writing Organizer labels topic sentence, support, and conclusion for each paragraph, guiding students to create clear paragraph-level orientation and sequence. The lesson asks students to describe the conflict in the story and includes a rubric checking organization (topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence), reinforcing these elements in student writing.
Lesson 6
Surprises
Students cut apart and order Abel's routines (Activity 2 Option 1) and create a daily schedule for Abel and for themselves (Activity 2 Option 2), which requires arranging events in a logical sequence. Reading questions and discussion prompts ask students to identify why Abel was not lonely, how he prepared for winter, and what objects he found, which directs students to attend to character and situation. In Activity 3 students pretend they will live on a deserted island and select five items, then describe why they chose each and how they will be used, which has students place themselves in a situation and explain actions.
Lesson 9
The Newcomer
Activity 3 asks students to prepare a script that includes lines for two characters, stage directions, a set description, and props, which requires students to introduce characters and establish the scene. The directions tell students to reread specific pages (93–96) and to discuss the action and dialogue, prompting them to sequence events from the scene. The listed skill "Use oral and written language to present information in a sequenced, logical manner" explicitly connects student writing and presentation to organizing information in order.
Lesson 10
Escape
Students are asked to analyze Abel's character before and after his time on the island and to explain what caused his change (Activity 3). Students write acrostic poems describing Abel's before-and-after traits and are prompted to describe a personal situation that caused change (Wrapping Up). The skills list includes composing original poems and analyzing characters, and Activity 1 has students generate questions about chapters as they read, which engages with the story's events.
Lesson 11
Home at Last
Students are asked in Activity 2 to write an alternate ending for the story and to "describe his new ending for the story," with a provided starter sentence: "Abel knew there had to be a way off the island...." This starter orients the reader by placing Abel in a situation and naming the main character. The directions also tell students the new ending should be realistic and fit with the story, which requires students to produce an event sequence consistent with prior events.
Final Project
Your Own Deserted Island
Students write an opening paragraph describing the island environment (Part 1) and a paragraph that explains how they landed on the island and what they have with them (Day 2, Part 2), which orients the reader and establishes the narrator and situation. Students compose a letter (Part 3) that develops feelings and relationships with a named person, and they create a numbered, step-by-step escape plan (Part 4) with a rubric criterion that checks for realistic, logical order. The Final Project Rubric explicitly asks whether escape steps are in logical order and whether the opening paragraphs and maps include descriptive details and vocabulary.
Unit 2: Pedro's Journal
Lesson 1
Exploring with Columbus
Students identify and describe characters by completing the "Historical Fiction" bubble map (two factual descriptions of characters and examples of fiction in the story). Students analyze Columbus' traits on the "Columbus, The Man" organizer by listing positive and negative characteristics. Students sequence events by tracing Columbus' route on a map and recording dates and important events along the journey.
Lesson 2
August
Students read Pedro's journal entries for August, exposing them to a first-person narrator and characters (Pedro, Columbus, crew). Students complete "The Journey" chart by recording a geographic location, an important event, and the attitudes of Columbus, Pedro, and the crew for each month, which requires organizing events chronologically. Students are given a personal narrative prompt (Option 1) to write about a time they went to the ocean and are prompted to recount or narrate in writing or orally.
Lesson 3
September
Students are asked to describe how Pedro's journey began and to discuss the characters that were introduced and the important events that occurred, which prompts them to identify a story's situation and characters. Students answer guided journal questions about Pedro's watch, signs of land, and sailors' reactions, and then fill out a "The Journey" sheet for September, encouraging them to recount events. Students are also asked to make up their own myth or omen about a meteor and to write in their journal what they would do with 10,000 Maravedis, giving opportunities for original written responses.
Lesson 4
October
Students read the October journal entries and answer comprehension questions that identify characters (Pedro, Columbus, sailors, natives) and sequence events such as landing on an island and observations of animals. Students complete a bubble-map activity to record words or phrases the crew might use to describe the native people and vice versa, which asks them to consider character perspectives. Students are asked to fill out "The Journey" sheet for October and to write or draw in a journal about what the island looked like and what their thoughts would have been upon landing.
Lesson 5
Journal Writing
Students read about Pedro's journal entries and are asked to identify three events Pedro writes about and three places where Pedro records his feelings, modeling a first-person narrator perspective. Students choose a recent important event and answer guided questions about how it changed them and what feelings they had, which supports establishing a situation. Students complete a Pre-Writing organizer to list ten facts, three feelings, and quotes and then use that organizer to write a dated journal entry.
Lesson 7
December
Students read the December journal entries and answer targeted questions about specific events (e.g., the sailors' encounter with the natives on December 3 and Pedro sinking the Santa Maria on Christmas Eve). Students are asked to predict what might happen to Pedro and to record answers in a journal, prompting them to recount events and note characters. Students complete a "The Journey" page and the treasure comparison activity, which requires them to list and compare expected versus actual outcomes of the voyage.
Lesson 9
January
Students read Pedro's journal entry for January that names Pedro and Columbus and describes their discovery of manatees, giving an example of a narrated account with characters. Students answer comprehension questions about events (why men stayed, where Pedro went, condition of the ships), and are asked to fill in information on a "The Journey" page, which prompts attention to events. Students practice writing at least five lines of dialogue between Pedro and Columbus using alternatives to "said" and correct punctuation, placing characters in a spoken interaction.
Lesson 10
February
Students are asked to pretend they are Pedro and write a firsthand report from his perspective (Activity 3), which requires adopting a narrator and recounting events. The instruction tells students to explain the crew's survival, their discoveries, and what it was like to sail with Columbus, and to deliver the report to an audience. Students are directed to fill in "The Journey" page for journal entries (Activity 1) and to use those notes to remind them of what they have learned. The lesson's skills list includes "Use oral or written language to recount or narrate," reinforcing practice in narrative recounting.
Final Project
Story Blocks
Students create a Characters Cube where they write the names of six characters and two to three descriptive words or phrases for each, and a Setting Cube where they illustrate different aspects of the story's setting. The skills list explicitly includes "Use oral or written language to recount or narrate" and "Use planning strategies (with assistance) to generate topics and organize ideas." The Wrapping Up step asks students to place each block on a story tower and explain the information on the block, prompting students to recount elements of the story aloud.
Unit 3: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Lesson 1
Sickness
Students are asked to identify and record characterization, setting, plot, theme, and style/tone from a fantasy novel on the Fantasy Genre activity page, which requires them to note characters and descriptions. Journal questions prompt students to describe Mrs. Frisby and her family, asking for character details. The Plot Flowchart activity requires students to record a major event for each chapter and to retell what they read each day, guiding students to organize events in sequence.
Lesson 2
Spring is Coming
Students are asked to identify and describe the setting of stories and to discuss similarities and differences in characters (Skills; Activity 2). The lesson's questions prompt students to describe a specific character (How does the author describe the cat?) and to answer events in the chapters (What happens in the garden in the spring?). The Plot Flowchart activity asks students to record an event from each chapter, supporting practice in ordering events.
Lesson 3
A Visit to an Owl
Students are asked to identify Mrs. Frisby's problem and answer targeted comprehension questions about what Jeremy told her and how the owl is described, which orients attention to the situation and characters. Activity 1 asks students to fill out a "Plot Flowchart" with an event from the chapters, prompting them to place events in sequence. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to describe what happened to Mrs. Frisby, reinforcing recounting of events and character actions.
Lesson 4
Rats in the Rosebush
Students fill in a Plot Flowchart for the chapters they read, which has them identify and sequence events from the text. Students answer targeted journal questions about specific events (for example, the owl's advice and Mrs. Frisby's decisions) that require recalling and ordering plot details. Students describe and draw Mrs. Frisby, labeling her as the main character and listing ways she showed bravery, which asks them to identify and introduce a central character and the situation (Timothy's illness) motivating her actions.
Lesson 5
Meeting the Rats
Students are prompted to read chapters that begin with Mrs. Frisby exploring the rosebush and encountering the rats and to predict what the rats will be like, which orients them to the situation and characters. Multiple comprehension questions ask students to describe characters (e.g., Brutus, Nicodemus) and to explain how the rats responded to Mrs. Frisby. Activity 1 asks students to describe important events from both chapters on a "Plot Flowchart," which requires them to identify and order events.
Lesson 6
A Plan for Mrs. Frisby
Students answer comprehension questions that identify characters (e.g., "Who is Isabella?") and describe what the rats planned and learned about one another. Students complete a Plot Flowchart activity in which they describe important events from the chapters, practicing ordering events. In Activity 3 students illustrate the garden, rock, and Mrs. Frisby's house and show where the rats want to move the house, which requires establishing setting and participants.
Lesson 7
The Capture
Students read chapters in which Nicodemus tells Mrs. Frisby about life at the farmers' market, the rats' capture, and life at NIMH, and the introduction explicitly orients the reader to that narrator/interaction. Students answer specific comprehension questions about where the rats lived, how they were caught, and what happened when they were taken to the lab, which requires identifying characters and sequence of events. Students complete a Plot Flowchart and make a list of important events before writing a summary, practicing organization of event sequence and summarization.
Lesson 8
Life at NIMH
Students complete Activity 1: Plot Flowchart, where they describe important events from the chapters, which requires identifying and ordering events. In Option 2 of the vocabulary activity, students are asked to write a dialogue between two scientists, explicitly creating and naming two characters who interact. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to describe life at NIMH and evaluate the scientists, prompting character- and situation-based description.
Lesson 9
The Escape
Students are asked to record an important event from each chapter on a Plot Flowchart, which has them identify and order events. Students write examples in a journal of how Nicodemus changed and complete a worksheet comparing Nicodemus before and after NIMH, which has them describe a character. Students are prompted to describe how the mice escaped and what they did at Boniface Estates, prompting narrative recounting of events.
Lesson 10
Amazing Rats
Students are asked to record an important event from each chapter on a Plot Flowchart, which requires them to sequence events. Several guided comprehension questions (e.g., questions about the plan for moving Mrs. Frisby, what she saw in the main hall, and where Nicodemus got his ideas) prompt students to identify the situation and characters. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to describe the Main Hall, the rats' plan, and why they devised it, which elicits description of setting and characters.
Lesson 11
The Plan
Students are asked to complete a Plot Flowchart in Activity 1, recording an important event from each chapter, which has them identify and sequence events. In Activity 2, students write a paragraph to accompany a pop-up picture describing Thorn Valley or compose a poem/song about a desired place to live, which asks them to describe setting and reasons for it. Journal questions and reading comprehension items require students to recount events and character actions from the chapters.
Lesson 12
Working in the Night
Students are asked to summarize previous chapters and to answer comprehension questions about characters and events (e.g., who rescued Mrs. Frisby, what happened to Jenner), which requires identifying and describing characters and situations. Activity 1 has students fill in an event on a Plot Flowchart, which has them order events from the chapters. The Wrapping Up and discussion prompts ask students to describe examples from the text, reinforcing identification of characters and the sequence of events.
Lesson 13
A New Home
Students complete a Plot Flowchart and a Plot Diagram in which they identify the problem, three major events leading to the climax, a post-climax event, and the solution, and Option 2 explicitly asks them to label rising action, climax, falling action, problem, and solution. The Skills list includes organizing ideas and determining plot, conflict, sequence of events, and resolution, which students practice through the charting activities. Discussion questions and the Elements of Fantasy page prompt students to identify and describe characters and characterization from the book.
Final Project
The Next Chapter or Book Float
Students write detailed character descriptions and a description of Thorn Valley (Part 1), which orients the reader by establishing characters and setting. Students create an outline listing four major events and a chapter opening/ending (Part 2) and review a rubric that asks whether events are easy to follow and whether the chapter's organization makes the reader want to continue. Students draft dialogue using correct punctuation (Part 3) and then write a chapter that describes the four outlined events and includes character interaction and survival details (Day 2, Part 4).