Fourth Grade - ELA
1: Interdependence
Unit 1: Little House in the Big Woods
Lesson 1
Introducing the Story
Students are asked to research Laura Ingalls Wilder using provided web links and to add dates (1871, 1867) to an Age 8-10 timeline, locating where she lived on a U.S. map. Students are directed to locate pictures and read about Wisconsin online or in reference books and to record examples of plants and animals on a provided chart. The lesson skills explicitly state that students will "conduct research (with assistance) for assigned and self-selected projects from a variety of sources."
Lesson 2
Little House in the Big Woods
Students read multiple chapters and record one way life in the woods differs from life today on the 'Life in the Big Woods vs. Life Today' chart, gathering information across chapters. Students complete the 'Natural Resources and Survival' activity (Option 2) by finding natural resources mentioned in a chapter, listing them, and recording how each was used. Students use word reference materials to confirm meanings and extend vocabulary, locating definitions in a dictionary and recording them on vocabulary cards.
Lesson 5
Christmas
Students are asked to write three questions about Christmas during pioneer days and to check whether those questions are answered as they read. The text explicitly instructs that if questions are not answered, the child should be helped to "research online or in reference books" to answer them. The Getting Started question about how families depended on natural resources also prompts investigation of historical aspects of the topic.
Lesson 6
Sundays and Two Big Bears
Activity 3, "Bear Research," instructs students to conduct research on bears using provided web links and to record factual information in labeled sections of a bear paw print (Bear Habitats, Types of Bears, Bear Foods, Exact enemies, Other facts). The activity asks students to answer integrative questions such as "Why do bears hibernate?" and "How are bears dependent on the environment?" The skills section explicitly states students should "Conduct research (with assistance) for assigned and self-selected projects from a variety of sources" and students are prompted to share findings via an acrostic poem, oral reading, or a zoo visit.
Lesson 7
The Sugar Snow
Students are asked in Activity 3 (Option 2) to refer to the text and record the steps Grandpa took to make maple syrup, requiring them to extract and organize information from the chapter. The Life Application directs students to "Read about maple sugar farming online" and provides three web links for further information, and asks students to discuss how maple sugar farming has changed since the 1880s. The sequencing activity (Option 1) has students cut out and put steps in order, which requires students to assemble information into a logical sequence.
Lesson 8
Dance at Grandpa's
Students are asked to listen to eight to ten different songs and record how each song made them feel (Activity 2), which requires sampling multiple pieces of music and noting observations. In Activity 4 Option 2 (Song Graphing), students list music genres, play a variety of songs to identify each song's genre, and create a labeled bar graph to represent their data. Activity 3 provides links to square dance music and videos that students can visit to gather additional information about square dancing.
Lesson 9
Going to Town
The Life Application section instructs the child to "research the town of Pepin, Wisconsin" and provides a specific website link for information. The Wrapping Up/Life Application also asks the child to visit a historic place in the community, discuss its importance, and then write about the visit and why the place is an important part of the community's history.
Lesson 10
Summertime and Harvest
Students are asked to read about bees online using provided links and "Explore how bees use nectar from flowers and how they help pollinate flowers," which directs an investigation into bee–flower relationships. Students choose between designing a labeled illustration or writing paragraphs describing interdependence and consequences if bees disappeared, producing and presenting their findings. In the seasons activities, students read descriptions, record words and phrases the author uses, illustrate each season, and organize information on "Life in the Big Woods vs. Life Today," which requires gathering and organizing textual details. The skills list explicitly includes "Draw conclusions from gathered information" and "Organize information using notes, charts, and labels."
Final Project
Pioneer Family Night
Students plan and carry out activities that explore multiple aspects of pioneer life: they prepare a meal from scratch, lead a craft and explain how pioneers used natural resources, select and read favorite book sections and explain their choices, and choose or locate a traditional pioneer song (the text even suggests finding one online). The checklist and activity pages prompt students to practice explaining the significance of music, dance, and storytelling and to take notes about each activity.
Unit 2: The Sign of the Beaver
Lesson 1
Background Information
Students are asked to "Help your child find more information about Maine and its geography" and to fill in a Student Activity Page titled "The State of Maine" with sections for Location, Climate, Average Temperatures, Landforms and Bodies of Water, and Historical Fact. The activity directs students to research Native American groups that lived in the state and to use provided web links (Maine Secretary of State, National Geographic, etc.) as sources. Students are also asked to list ten facts about Maine as clues and to complete a graphic organizer with sections for Plants, Animals, Habitats, and what was happening in Maine around 1768.
Lesson 3
A Stranger
Activity 3 asks the child to "do research on natural remedies online or in other resource books," to look at a list of conditions (bee stings, snake bites, poison ivy, sunburn) and describe a natural remedy for each. The activity directs the child to discuss which ingredients can be found in the outside environment and to record remedies on the provided Natural Remedies page. These instructions require students to investigate multiple aspects of the topic (different conditions) and to gather information from external sources.
Lesson 6
The Beaver
Students are asked in Activity 3 (Beaver Research) to reread specified pages and then "use the internet or books to research information about beavers" and to record findings on a provided worksheet. The worksheet directs students to gather information on multiple aspects of the topic (habitat, food, adaptations, predators, babies, and why beavers use trees to make dams). The Skills section explicitly lists "Conduct research for assigned and self-selected projects from a variety of sources."
Final Project
The Sign of the Beaver Movie
Students are asked to examine real movie posters (at a theater or online) to model their own poster, and to browse streaming services or movie websites to read synopses before writing their own. Students use the book (with page references for costume scenes) to design costumes that reflect environmental resources and to choose a favorite scene for set design and a script. Students draft, revise (using a rubric and conferencing), and produce a final synopsis, which shows they engage with examples and source material to produce informed work.
Unit 3: Native American Animal Stories
Lesson 1
Myths, Legends, and Folktales
Students are asked to reread a myth or folktale and identify elements of culture, recording them on the provided "Elements of Culture" chart (Activity 3 and the Student Activity Page). The activities prompt students to read stories from their home library, note definitions, and discuss what each story reveals about its originating culture. An extension explicitly asks students to read another story from a different culture and compare the two, which asks students to investigate multiple examples of the topic.
Lesson 2
People and Animal Stories
The lesson explicitly instructs students to "do research to find the geographical location of the tribe before colonization" and to "record the name of each tribe on the page, 'Map of Native American Tribes,'" with a direction to consult pp. xxvii–xix of the book. The Map activity page repeats the instruction to "Research to find the geographical location of tribes and record the names on the map." The Elements of Culture chart asks students to "Record the cultural elements found in the legends you read," listing aspects such as Transportation, Housing, Food, Clothing, Recreation/Arts, and Language.
Lesson 3
The Natural World
Students are asked to "read about other animals that have camouflage" and to "list the names of three animals that are camouflaged and describe how the Native Americans might have explained" their characteristics (Activity 6). Students complete "Elements of Culture" charts that require them to record cultural elements found in multiple legends (Activities 1 and 5), which asks them to gather details across texts. The Relative Pronouns and journal activities require students to extract specific information (problems/solutions, ingredients, animals) from the readings.
Lesson 4
Survival Stories
The lesson asks students to "research the history of the buffalo" and to "read about the different ways the Plains Indians depended on the buffalo," directing an investigation into that aspect of the topic. The "Animals and Survival" activity page instructs students to research each animal (bison, seal, caribou) and list examples of how Native Americans depended on them. The skills list includes "Locate information from text for specific purposes" and "identify areas for further study," which supports conducting short investigations to build knowledge.
Lesson 5
Legends from Other Cultures
Students are asked to locate Brazil, China, and Central Africa on a world map and to read multiple traditional stories over two days, which exposes them to different sources about cultural topics. Students complete structured investigations such as the "Creation Stories" double-bubble map to compare Pan Gu and a Native American creation story and the "Elements of Culture" chart to record what they have learned about Brazilian culture. Students also summarize stories, answer targeted comprehension questions, and record/illustrate transformations from the Pan Gu myth, building knowledge about aspects of cultural myths.
Final Project
My Own Myth
Students choose a natural occurrence to explain (for example, how seasons came to be or why bees make honey). They are encouraged to read about the occurrence online or in an encyclopedia to learn more and to brainstorm ideas in a journal. Students record elements of their topic (natural phenomenon, characters, setting, problem, resolution) on an "Organizing the Myth" page and use a rubric that asks whether the natural phenomenon is explained in the content.
2: Force and Power
Unit 1: Ben and Me
Lesson 1
Ben Franklin and the Colonies
Students are directed to locate information about Benjamin Franklin using provided web links and to record specific facts (birth/death dates, places he lived, inventions, contributions, personality) on a "The Life of Ben Franklin" activity page and timeline. Students are asked to label and color the thirteen colonies on a map and to locate the Atlantic coast, which requires short geographic investigation. Students explore colonial life and Philadelphia by using a virtual tour, comparing yesterday and today in a poem, and by listing journal responses about how people lived without modern conveniences.
Lesson 2
Setting the Record Straight
Students read Chapters 1 and 2 and answer assigned journal questions about Amos and Ben Franklin. In Activity 3 (Fact and Fiction), students are instructed to record a factual and a fictional event for each chapter, and the directions state that "She may need to do more research on Franklin's life to know more about the actual events that occurred during his lifetime." The reading questions and the vocabulary activity prompt students to look up word definitions and to record sentences from the book.
Lesson 7
France
Students are asked to locate France on a world map or globe and trace a path from the east coast of America to France, and to locate other countries (Russia, Sweden, Italy, Spain, America) on a map. Students are directed to take a "photo journey through France online" using three provided web links and to find pictures of cities, countryside, and Versailles. The Skills section explicitly includes recording own ideas and knowledge of a topic in a variety of ways such as pictures and lists.
Lesson 8
Amos's Account
The introduction tells students they may "read a short biography of Franklin's life," "look back at information she gathered about his life in Lesson 1," or "read more on the Internet," which explicitly asks students to gather information from sources. In Part 1 students are instructed to "list ten facts about the event" and to record the sequence of events, requiring them to collect and organize factual information. The rubric and writing tasks ask students to include factual information and to produce a multi-paragraph account based on the recorded information.
Lesson 10
Back Home
Students are asked to locate each of Ben's maxims in the book and provide their own interpretations, and then interview a different adult for each maxim and record the adult's interpretation. The lesson explicitly suggests as an extension that students "research some of Ben's other maxims (or any other maxims)," record them in a journal, and explain how to apply each one. Students also identify factual and fictional details from the chapter and supply examples for elements of historical fiction, which requires extracting information from the text.
Unit 2: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Lesson 1
The Professor's House
Activity 3 directs students to read about C.S. Lewis using specified websites and then either complete a "Meet the Author" worksheet by filling in biographical and bibliographical details or brainstorm key facts and write a short newspaper article about his life. The worksheet prompts students to record multiple aspects (birth, places lived, other titles, education, important/interesting facts), and the article option requires students to gather and select five or six important details before writing. Activity 2 also has students use an online dictionary to look up and record word meanings, showing use of reference resources for information gathering.
Lesson 4
The Lion
Activity 2 asks students to find a fictional short story about a lion (in the library or online), read it, record words and phrases that describe the lion, and use a Venn diagram to compare that lion to Aslan. The Student Activity Page "Lions in Myths and Legends" provides background information about lion symbolism across cultures (griffin, sphinx, Acker, Chinese and Judeo-Christian references) that students can read as part of their investigation. The lesson provides links to example stories (Aesop, Yaqui myth, Panchatantra) that students can use as primary sources for their short research task.
Lesson 5
A Disappointment
Students are asked to record examples of good vs. evil from the chapters and to describe the White Witch's appearance, actions, and effects on others (Activity 1 and the Villains student page). Students are asked to list two other villains from books or movies, illustrate them, and write descriptive words and sentences about how each villain uses power (Activity 2). The Life Application asks students to go through their books and movies and record names of different villains and write a sentence describing each one, which requires gathering information from multiple texts/media.
Lesson 8
Deep Magic
Activity 4, "A Powerful Leader," asks students to select a ruler to read about online or in other reference sources, fill in "10 Facts about" the chosen leader, and decide whether the leader was more similar to Aslan or the White Witch. The Skills section explicitly lists "Conduct research for assigned projects." The activity directions instruct students to read multiple reference sources and add information to the activity page and answer follow-up questions about how the leader used power.
Lesson 9
Back to Life
Activity 3, Option 2 directs the student to "find information about the habitats of lions in the wild" and then create a shoebox diorama using that information. The instruction explicitly asks the child to gather information (research) about a topic (lion habitats) and use it to produce a final product.
Unit 3: The BFG
Lesson 2
Snatched
Students are asked to locate London, England on a world map and to find information about London in books and online. They are directed to look for pictures of the city, important buildings, and the people. Students record information under specific labels (Location, Language, People, Homes, Buildings, Similarities to America, Differences from America, Other) and illustrate their findings on folded paper flaps.
Lesson 7
A Nightmare for Fleshlumpeater
Students are asked to read two chapters of The BFG and the story "Jack and the Beanstalk," and to compare the two stories by discussing similarities and differences. The lesson explicitly suggests, as an extension, that students locate different versions of "Jack and the Beanstalk" and discuss similarities and differences among the versions. Students are asked to answer comparative questions in their journals and to discuss how characters and events are similar or different across texts.
Lesson 8
A Dreamy Plan
Students are asked to "locate information about the Queen of England," look at pictures, and read about her roles and responsibilities (Activity 2). The Student Activity Page directs students to write responses to prompts comparing the queen's powers and roles with those of the U.S. president and to answer questions such as "The queen has the power to __" and "The queen is different from the president...because __." The Skills section also encourages using resources (dictionaries, glossaries, technology) and using compiled information to raise additional questions.
Lesson 9
The Palace
Students are asked to locate pictures of London online or in books and to view an introductory video and a Buckingham Palace webpage, which requires gathering information from external sources. In Activity 2, students must choose a U.S. city, find information about its buildings, important places, and people, and use that information to write a plan for how the BFG and Sophie could rescue children there. The lesson also asks students to produce a written plan and can demonstrate learning through oral or written reports, which supports creating a short research product.
Lesson 11
Fighting Giants
The Skills section directs students to take simple notes from relevant sources and to use multiple sources, including print, technology, and experts, to locate information. Activity 2 (Armed Forces) has students read about each branch online or in books, take notes on four labeled sheets (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines), and collect information about each branch. Activity 2 also suggests extending the activity by interviewing someone who serves, which is an investigation using an expert source.
Lesson 12
Snozzcumbers
Students are directed in Activity 2 (Author Study) to visit the Roald Dahl website (Britannica link) and read about the author's life. After reading, students are asked to pretend they will interview the author and write five questions about the book and his life, which requires gathering information from the website to inform their questions.
3: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Stories from Africa and Asia
Lesson 1
Meerkats in Botswana
Students are directed to read about Botswana in the back of the book and use the National Geographic kids website, then locate and shade Botswana on a map and record notes in a four-circle graphic organizer labeled Land, Language, Animals, and People. Students are asked to visit Smithsonian and NatGeoKids pages about meerkats and then write a descriptive paragraph or short story that includes at least five facts about the meerkat. Students discuss meerkat adaptations and their functions and create a craft that reflects those features, reinforcing investigation of biological aspects.
Lesson 2
Meeting Precious
Students are directed to read information about ostriches and cobras from specified websites and other sources and then complete activities based on that information. In Activity 2 students list five facts about each animal or fill in a chart that asks for multiple aspects (kind, diet, predators, defense, habitat, special characteristics). The Life Application asks students to identify species near their home, reinforcing investigation of multiple aspects of local wildlife.
Lesson 3
The Surprise
Activity 3 asks students to pretend to be a zoologist, find the names of a variety of African animals, choose one to research, and write a paragraph describing why they would want to study that animal; it also invites illustration or a model of the animal. The Skills list includes "Identify areas of further study when reading text," and the Life Application directs students to find and watch a documentary about meerkats and discuss similarities and differences with the book.
Lesson 5
A Good Idea
Students are asked to find and read the African Wildlife Foundation website and to select an animal to read about (Activity 4). They must use information from that source to create a poster with descriptive sentences or to write a short story that can include factual information from their reading. The Questions to Explore and Wrapping Up prompts ask students to describe what they learned about geography and wildlife, encouraging investigation of aspects of Africa.
Lesson 6
African Bush Diorama
Students are prompted to use descriptions of the book's setting to help design and plan their diorama, which requires locating and using topic-specific details. The book report organizer directs students to produce four paragraphs that address characters and setting, plot, and how Precious's life is similar to and different from life in the United States, prompting investigation of different aspects of the topic. The rubrics require students to summarize main events and describe characters and setting, which asks students to gather and organize information about the topic.
Lesson 7
Japan
Students are asked to read A Kids Guide to Japan and answer factual questions, locate and label places on a map, and complete a Venn diagram comparing Japan and America. The Skills list explicitly includes "Conduct research by gathering information from a variety of sources," and students are offered a web link about bento boxes and a suggestion to visit a museum as additional information sources. Students can produce a travel poster or acrostic poem to report what they have learned.
Lesson 8
Peace Day
Students read the first chapters of Sadako and complete Activity 3 by recording what they learn about Japanese culture (food, clothing, school, family life, celebrations, similarities) in a chapter-by-chapter chart. Students complete Activity 1 by finding definitions, recording the sentence from the book, illustrating each Japanese word, arranging entries alphabetically, and stapling them into a small picture dictionary. Students complete Activity 2 by describing why the Japanese celebrate Peace Day and comparing it to a U.S. holiday, answering guided questions about activities and purposes. The lesson's skills list also directs students to use word reference materials to confirm decoding, verify spelling, and extend meanings of words.
Lesson 9
The Secret is Out
Students are asked to read about cancer prevention online and make a list of ways their own family could live a healthier lifestyle (Activity 4). Students discuss types of cancer, treatments, and lifestyle choices related to cancer, and they record information about Japanese cultural elements (Activity 1) and represent comparisons between themselves and Sadako (Activity 2). The Skills section also directs students to "Read from a variety of genres to acquire information," which supports gathering information.
Lesson 10
Kenji
Students are asked to "fill in information about the Japanese culture" in Activity 1, which requires them to gather facts about a cultural topic. Activity 3 directs students to online origami instructions with two web links, giving students explicit sources to consult to learn how to make a golden crane. The get-well card activity asks students to include Japanese cultural elements in their writing, encouraging them to seek cultural information to inform their product.
Lesson 11
O Bon
Students read chapters about O Bon and are asked to record information on a "Japanese Cultural Elements" chart (Activity 1), which has them gather cultural details from the text. Activity 4 asks students to find a recipe or try foods mentioned in the novel and suggests taking the child to a Japanese restaurant (Life Application), prompting them to seek information outside the text. Activity 2 asks students to discuss and write journal entries comparing how Americans and Japanese honor ancestors, which requires investigating cultural practices and reflecting on different aspects of the topic.
Lesson 12
Racing the Wind
Students are asked to record information they learn about Japanese culture on a "Japanese Cultural Elements" chart, which requires gathering details from the text. Students are instructed to look online for a picture of the Children's Peace Monument and then sketch it, which directs them to use a digital source. Students read the "About the Author" section and answer comprehension questions, which engages them in collecting information from a print passage.
Lesson 13
Precious and Sadako
Students are instructed to record information about Precious and Sadako by citing a description from each book, a quotation, another character's phrase about them, and personality words (Activity 1). Students must explain three or four important events from each story and then create a scrapbook page or write a first-person letter explaining an event and feelings (Activity 3). Students also compile knowledge by designing five questions and an answer key for each novel (Activity 4).
Unit 2: Holes
Lesson 1
Texas and Desert Biomes
Students locate and use maps and provided web links to research Texas and desert regions, labeling major cities and geographic features and drawing or comparing states on a Venn diagram. Students record names of desert animals and plants, write about two special adaptations, and answer guided questions about why few people live in deserts. In Option 2, students research a specific U.S. desert and write a paragraph describing geographic location, rainfall, indigenous plants and animals, and adaptations, and then illustrate their findings. The skills list asks students to take simple notes from relevant sources and compile notes into outlines, reports, summaries, or other written efforts.
Lesson 2
Camp Green Lake
Students are asked to record new information about each boy in "The Happy Campers" pages as they read, which requires investigating different aspects of characters over multiple chapters. Activity 3 asks students to match legal terms to definitions and explicitly tells them to look up unfamiliar terms in a dictionary, prompting independent information-gathering. Activity 1 asks students to identify a problem, brainstorm an invention, list materials, and describe how to build it and how it will change lives, which involves investigating a problem and planning a solution. The Life Application suggests visiting a courthouse to observe a trial, giving students a chance to gather real-world information.
Lesson 3
Digging
Students are directed to "explore the layers" of soil and are given a specific web resource (What Is Soil?) to investigate soil layers. In Activity 2 students draw or cut and order the four soil layers, match labels and definitions, and are asked to "identify and record properties of soils" (color, texture, water retention, support for plant growth). Students also perform a hands-on digging activity with a shovel to examine and discuss the dirt they dig up.
Lesson 6
Sunflower Seeds
Students are prompted on the "Rattlesnake Research" page to write three questions they want to answer about rattlesnakes (one starter question is provided). Students are instructed to use books and/or the Internet to try to find answers to their questions and to write their answers on the lines provided. The activity requires students to investigate aspects of a single topic (rattlesnakes) and record findings.
Lesson 7
Zero
The lesson asks students to discuss any books or movies they have seen about pioneer life and suggests that "it might be helpful to read information online" if they are not familiar with the time period, which encourages seeking outside information. Activity 3 directs students to "find the author's description" of Green Lake and to draw and compare past and present depictions, which requires locating and using textual evidence. Activity 2 asks students to write a journal paragraph or letter about living in the Old West, prompting students to organize information about the topic in writing.
Lesson 11
The Thumb of God
In Activity 1, students are asked to find a good onion recipe by locating recipes in cookbooks and practicing use of the index to find specific words and page numbers. Students select a recipe, gather ingredients, and prepare the dish, which requires investigating recipes as information sources about onions.
Unit 3: Stories from Europe
Lesson 1
Tradition Stories
Students are prompted to gather information from print and digital sources (the Skills section names gathering from print and digital sources, taking notes, categorizing, and providing a list of sources). Students watch a video about myths, fables, legends, and fairy tales and use an online map to label and locate European countries. Students brainstorm and sort recalled childhood stories into categories and match famous stories to their countries of origin by cutting and pasting onto a map.
Lesson 2
Fiona's Luck
Students locate Ireland on a map, watch two linked videos, and are directed to "Read more about Ireland at the following website. Then answer the questions," showing they gather information from external sources. Students complete a Fact and Fantasy page in which they record three factual details about Ireland from the story and three fantasy elements, and they answer Day 2 questions about new things they learned and historical facts (e.g., Norman invasion, 1948 independence). Students also summarize the story and record story elements, which requires them to integrate information about Ireland's culture and geography drawn from multiple activities.
Lesson 3
The Sea King's Daughter
Students locate Russia on maps, record the story title inside the country's borders, and color the country to link geography to the legend. Students follow provided web links (National Geographic Kids, a YouTube video, and other resources) to "learn more about Russia" and read factual information at a specified link, then answer content questions about Russia. Students complete a Fact vs. Fantasy activity by recording three factual details from the story and three fantasy elements, and they examine artworks and an opera clip to investigate cultural and artistic aspects related to the legend.
Lesson 4
The Snow Queen
Students are directed to read an online article about Denmark and answer factual questions (Ice Age, number of islands, transportation, Viking activity). Students then synthesize that information by creating a concise small book with pages for geography, history, transportation, food, and economy. Students also read a biography of Hans Christian Andersen, locate Denmark on a map, and complete a compare/contrast activity that investigates differences and similarities between the story The Snow Queen and the movie Frozen.
4: Exploration and Survival
Unit 1: Abel's Island
Lesson 1
Survival
Students are asked to read about river habitats online using three provided websites and to discuss plants, animals, and their adaptations (Activity 2). Students are instructed to look for names of river plants and animals in the book and to add findings to the "Natural River Resources" chart as they read (Activity 2 and Activity 3). Students list two or three ways river resources can be used for survival in a graphic organizer and compare historical and present-day life along a river (Activity 3 and Wrapping Up). The Skills section explicitly includes using oral and written language to report on a topic, indicating students will report their findings.
Lesson 7
Threats
Students are asked to fill in a "Using Natural Resources" chart by taking information from Chapters 11 and 12, which requires extracting information from a text. For vocabulary cards, students use the book to record sentences and are instructed to use a dictionary to find definitions, syllable counts, and parts of speech, which requires consulting at least two sources. In "Adaptations for a Mouse," students list and describe three adaptations and explain how each aids survival, connecting investigation to a specific topic.
Lesson 8
The Dead of Winter
The Skills section explicitly lists ‘Conduct research for projects from a variety of sources (with assistance).' Activity 2 directs students to research information about hibernation and to answer targeted questions on the Hibernation student page (examples, differences between true hibernation and torpor, reasons, preparation, body changes, and waking). Activity 1 asks students to fill a chart using information from Chapters 13 and 14, and the Wrapping Up directs students to find textual evidence explaining Abel's hibernation/torpor (pp. 74–75). Activity 3 has students collect and compare physiological data (pulse, breaths, temperature) before and after exercise, connecting investigation to understanding hibernation.
Lesson 11
Home at Last
Students are asked to fill in a chart titled "Using Natural Resources" by taking information from Chapters 19 and 20, which requires gathering facts from the text. The Life Application asks students to watch Swiss Family Robinson (or locate it via online search) and compare how the family uses natural resources to Abel, prompting students to gather information from an additional media source. Several activities (Theme Bubble Map, journal prompts) require students to cite evidence from text to support ideas.
Unit 2: Pedro's Journal
Lesson 1
Exploring with Columbus
Students are prompted to record questions about Columbus and then check them as they read Pedro's Journal, showing an initial research question-and-investigate routine. Activity 1 directs students to read a short biography (library or online), use provided web links, and organize findings on a two-column activity sheet listing positive and negative characteristics. Activity 2 and Activity 4 have students analyze reasons for exploration (writing possible positives and negatives) and trace Columbus's route on a map while recording dates and important events, demonstrating investigation of different aspects of the topic.
Lesson 2
August
Students record month-by-month information in the Journey chart (geographic location, important events, and attitudes), which asks them to gather and organize information about different aspects of Columbus' voyage. In Activity 2 students match navigation instruments to descriptions and are told that if they are not familiar with an instrument they can try to locate a picture online and read more about it. Activity 3 Option 2 asks students to record ten factual pieces of information about oceans, illustrate each, and write a descriptive paragraph, which requires collecting and organizing factual information. The lesson provides several web links related to navigation tools that students can use to investigate instruments further.
Lesson 3
September
Students are asked to "read about meteors" and to "find pictures of comets and meteors online," with a specific web link to a NASA page provided as a resource. The Student Activity Page "Meteors as Signs" presents cultural beliefs about meteors from multiple countries for students to read. Students are directed to read the legend and list of omens and then to write their own meaning, myth, or omen after reviewing these sources.
Lesson 4
October
Students are asked to "learn more about the island and some of the animals that live there" and to use linked resources (Google Images, List of Birds of the Bahamas, Amphibians and Reptiles) to view maps and pictures. Students are asked to record words or phrases on bubble maps that describe the native people and the white men, and the Skills section explicitly asks students to "record personal knowledge of a topic in a variety of ways, such as drawing pictures."
Lesson 9
January
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Identify areas for further study" and "Conduct research to learn more about a topic." Activity 3 asks students to find pictures of manatees online, discuss the manatee's ecosystem and threats to its survival, and visit the Save the Manatee website, providing at least one concrete source for investigation. The activity also suggests extension tasks (illustrating a manatee, adopting one online) that involve gathering information and engaging with content about the species.
Lesson 10
February
Students are asked to write a firsthand report pretending to be Pedro in Activity 3, with explicit directions to explain the crew's survival, their discoveries, and what it was like to sail with Columbus. The directions tell students they can look back at information recorded on their "The Journey" pages and finish journal questions (Questions #1-#7) that probe different aspects of the voyage. The assignment includes producing and delivering the report to an audience, which requires students to gather and organize information for a short written project.
Final Project
Story Blocks
Students investigate multiple aspects of Pedro's Journal by completing eight themed cubes (Setting, Characters, Vocabulary, Survival, Similes, Quotes, Historical Fiction, Exploration). Students record facts, list threats to sailors and survival strategies, identify discoveries and cultural impacts, and distinguish historical facts from fictional elements on the Historical Fiction cube. Students also organize and represent information in different formats (illustrations, sentences, labeled cube faces).
Unit 3: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Lesson 2
Spring is Coming
The lesson's Skills section explicitly states students will "Conduct research on assigned topics using books and technology." Activity 3 directs students to read factual information about rats and mice online or in books and then compare them in a Venn diagram, using provided web links. Option 2 allows students to develop their own method to show similarities and differences, which involves investigating different aspects of the topic.
Lesson 4
Rats in the Rosebush
Activity 3 explicitly tells students they can "research information about owls" and suggests they "look for pictures and descriptions online or in books" to help find examples of owls' homes. The Skills section includes "Respond to fiction by identifying areas for further research," which directs students to identify researchable topics from the text. Students are asked to use the information they find to design and build a new home for the owl, showing application of gathered information.
Lesson 8
Life at NIMH
Students are prompted before reading to discuss reasons that scientists use animals for research and why it is controversial, and to discuss how scientific exploration and discovery can change a society. Students answer open-ended journal/discussion questions such as "What do you think the scientists could learn from the rats that might apply to human study?" and "Why do scientists do research on animals?" that invite investigation of the topic. Students are instructed to look up scientific vocabulary in dictionaries and record definitions, then apply those terms in a written dialogue, which requires students to gather and use information from a reference source.
Lesson 10
Amazing Rats
Students are asked to find information online or in an encyclopedia if they are not familiar with a listed tool or machine (Activity 2). Students are directed to research conductors and circuits and brainstorm ways the mice could have obtained electricity in their cave (Activity 3). Students are invited to do their own research on rats to extend the activity and to list things the rats learned about their species after their research (Activity 4).
Lesson 11
The Plan
Activity 3 directs students to read arguments about animal research online and to interview people in their community, then record positives and negatives on a chart. Students are asked to synthesize those findings by writing a speech that states an opinion and provides three reasons using transitional phrases. The chart and speech require students to investigate different aspects of the topic (arguments for and against) and produce a summarized product that builds knowledge.