4th Grade English Language Arts: Unit 1 of 4 of Fourth Grade ELA (Flex)

Unit 1 of Fourth Grade English Language Arts uses Lynne Kelly’s novel Song for a Whale to teach common core standards, covering literature, foundational skills, writing, speaking and listening. Students practice reading for fluency, comprehension and vocabulary. They will learn to look for the theme, describe characters and settings, draw inferences from the text, and compare the point of view of different characters. There is a strong focus on grammar, which includes subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, adjective and adverb usage. There are weekly spelling word lists for learners to practice and a weekly spelling quiz. There are also weekly writing assignments with students practicing opinion writing, letter writing, poetry, dialogue, and using reference materials for research. 

I have bachelor’s degrees in English, journalism, and political science, and am currently a master’s student in American history. I was a newspaper editor and reporter for 15 years, director of a social justice center for three years, and have been teaching English Language Arts, English As a Second Language, and social studies for the past five years. I am currently co-director of the Foster Woods Folk School.

This flex class is for learners who just want to practice their English Language Arts Skills, as well as students who want to get a letter of competition. For learners who are just practicing skills, homework is optional but highly recommended. For those learners seeking a letter of completion, there is 4 hours of homework to be completed each week. Homework includes a weekly reading and writing assignment, as well as worksheets, online quizzes and other learning projects. 

Weekly Evaluation Rubric 

Reading: 20 Points 
- Participation in classroom journal 5 points
- Comprehension Quiz 5 Points
- Classroom Discussion Question Participation 5 Points
- Vocabulary Quiz 5 Points 

Spelling: 15 Points
- Writing Each Word 3 Times 5 Points 
- Spelling Word Project 5 Points 
- Spelling Quiz 5 Points

Grammar: 15 Points
- Grammar Worksheet 5 Points
- Grammar Project 5 Points
- Grammar Quiz 5 Points

Classroom Journal: 10 Points

Writing Assignment: 40 Points 

No live meetings, and an estimated 4+ hours per week outside of class.

Students will need either a paper or digital copy of Lynne Kelly’s novel "Song for a Whale."