The Excellent Reader Jr: 4th (Fourth) Grade Language Arts Course (Semester One)
In this Full Curriculum Fourth Grade English Language Arts (Semester One) course, Mrs. VZ uses award-winning literature and excellent Language Arts Instruction as she teaches Reading, Grammar, and Creative Writing.
Evelyn VanZant: 4th and 5th Grade Language Arts
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What's included
24 live meetings
20 in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Homework is not required for this course, however, completing the homework assignments will result in more academic growth. Homework assignments will be uploaded before a unit begins and should take anywhere from 2-4 hours outside of class to complete depending on how fast your learner reads. (Readings may be completed using an audiobook or read aloud by a parent). Below is a sample of homework assignments for the first 2 weeks of class, each homework packet will be accompanied by an assignment sheet with explanations for each assignment. Please note this if a final grade is requested, I will need the homework uploaded to the teacher tab. No Pre-Class homework is needed. Week 1: My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett Class 1 homework assignment: Complete before class 2. o Using your Thesaurus, find one-word definitions for your vocabulary on page 2. o Review Subjects and Predicates using the practice sheet on page 3. o Read Chapters 1 - 4 of My Father’s Dragon o Answer 4 of the 6 questions found on page 4. o Color your Dragon : ) Class 2 homework assignments: Complete before class 3 o Review the types of sentences using the practice sheets on pages 2 and 3. o Read Chapters 5-7 of My Father’s Dragon o Answer 4 of the 6 questions and the thinker question found on page 4. Week 2: My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett Class 1 homework assignments: Complete before class 4 o Review subjects and predicates on pages 2 and 3 o Read Chapters 8-10 of My Father’s Dragon o Answer 4 of the 6 questions and the thinker question found on page 4 Class 2 homework assignments: Complete before class 5 o If you had a secret animal hidden on an island, what would it be and how would you take care of it? o See page 2 for further instructions. o Be prepared to share about your animal in our next class.Letter Grade
If homework is completed and uploaded, a percentage grade will be provided at the end of the course.Progress Report
Each participant will receive a progress report.Class Experience
US Grade 4
The Excellent Reader Jr: 4th Grade Language Arts Class (Semester One) runs only in the fall of the year. Classes will begin the week of September 9, 2024, and run through the week of December 11, 2024. Included in this schedule is a two-week break beginning on November 15, 2024, and ending on November 29, 2024. Completion of this 12-week 4th Grade Language Arts course will have your student showing marked improvement in their reading comprehension, verbal, and written communication skills. The course meets twice weekly for 12 weeks (24 classes). The literature used in this course includes five grade-level books with weekly in-class activities and book discussions. My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet Twenty and Ten by Claire Hutchet Bishop The 21 Balloons by William Pene duBois James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl The Borrowers by Mary Norton A two-week Poetry unit including, but not limited to works by Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, Matsuo Basho (Japanese Haiku poet), and other haiku poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Walt Whitman, and Shel Silverstein. (Teacher provided materials for the Poetry Unit) Embedded within the course are grammar basics (teacher-provided materials) and writing skill lessons that grow from simple sentences to three clear paragraphs of material (teacher-provided materials). Grading: A numerical or letter grade is available upon request. Homework must be uploaded to the teacher tab if a letter grade is desired. Reading and Grammar assignments will be given a completion grade. Writing assignments may be uploaded to Outschool and graded for accuracy. Special projects will be graded for accuracy and completion. Comprehension will be graded through class discussion participation and homework answers. 4th Grade grading rubric 1/5 Homework Completion (These must be uploaded to the teacher tab for full credit) 1/5 Class Participation 1/5 Research Project (class 12 and following) 1/5 Process Paragraph (class 16 and following) 1/5 Imagine If Story (class 23) After the class, each student will be given a teacher evaluation in which I use class time and written examples to clearly communicate how much the student has advanced in their skills. Updated June 2024
Learning Goals
In this 4th grade Language Arts, course students will improve their independent reading, comprehension, and writing skills by means of the five literature books, the two-week poetry unit, weekly vocabulary, grammar, and writing lessons.
Specifically, by the end of this course, students will have improved both their oral and written communication skills.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS)24 Lessons
over 12 WeeksLesson 1:
My Father's Dragon: Lesson One
1. My Father's Dragon introduction
2. Course books introduction
3. Class etiquette lesson
4. Grammar Lesson: Focus on Subjects and Predicates
5. Enriching pre-reading activity: Drawing a dragon.
6. Homework review 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
My Father's Dragon: Lesson Two
1. Thinker Question sharing time
2. My Father's Dragon class discussion
3. Writing Skills Lesson: Sentence Types
4. Homework review 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
My Father's Dragon: Lesson Three
1. Thinker Questions sharing time
2. My Father's Dragon class discussion: Understanding the difference between fact and fiction
3. Vocabulary Review
4. Grammar Lesson: Simple subjects and predicates
5. Homework review 50 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
My Father's Dragon: Lesson Four
1. Thinker Questions sharing time
2. My Father's Dragon class discussion:
3. Enriching post book improvisation activity
4. Homework review: Special sentence writing activity. 50 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
We are reading five age-appropriate novels in this course and comprehension and book discussion are a large part of the in-class activities, so I wanted to summarize the plot and the discussion focus of each book.
My Father's Dragon is the imaginary story of a boy who rescues a baby dragon from a group of unkind animals. Instead of reflecting the animal's unkind choices, our hero helps each animal in turn, and through this process rescues the baby dragon.
Discussion Focus: We will enjoy discussing the imaginary factors in the story such as talking animals, unique solutions to their problems, as well as the bravery of Elmer, our hero. Additionally, we will focus on the kind and helpful choices of our hero.
The book Twenty and Ten is based on the true story of twenty children and their teacher, who show kindness and compassion as they shelter and protect ten child refugees during World War II. This book is set in France and has an excellent underlying theme of kindness and courage.
Discussion Focus: Following a simple age-appropriate introduction of World War II (focused mainly on Germany's invasion of other countries), we will move into how the twenty children and their teacher show sacrificial kindness and compassion to the ten refugee children. Toward the end of this book, the students and I will discuss simple everyday scenarios in which we can show kindness to others. These will include, providing food for someone who has none, helping neighbors and lost animals, and assisting our own families as we show kindness to others.
The book The 21 Balloons is a fictional tale crafted around the true 1883 Krakatoa volcanic eruption. The story bears no resemblance to the actual event, but rather creates a fictional settlement on Krakatoa and focuses on the creativity with which it was settled. The story begins with Professor Sherman being rescued by a passing freighter following his exciting departure from San Francisco in a balloon. His adventures, or should I say, misadventures find him crash landing on the Island of Krakatoa and being rescued by its 80 eccentric citizens. The story is told in retrospect as Professor Sherman recounts his adventures to the Western American Explorers' Club of San Francisco.
Discussion Focus: Following a simple recounting of the actual 1883 Krakatoa volcanic eruption, students will be guided through discussion surrounding the misadventures of Professor Sherman and the creative lifestyle in which the fictional eccentric Krakatoan citizens live. They have grand homes with unusual inventions and lots and lots of diamonds found in the fictional volcano. Through our discussion of this rollicking tale, we will focus on acceptance of one another no matter the circumstances. The citizens of Krakatoa offer unlimited hospitality to Professor Sherman and we will focus strongly on this character development.
The book James and the Giant Peach is the fictional tale of a boy, a giant peach, and 6 oversized insects who embark on exciting adventures. James, an orphan, living with his unkind aunts, finds himself climbing into a giant peach where he discovers the kind insects who live there. James, as the hero of our story, shows kindness and consideration for the insects even though he has not received kindness from his aunts.
Language Alert: In chapter 27 of James and the Giant Peach, the centipede rather annoyingly begins calling the cloud men names including the word "asses." If you are uncomfortable with this term, I suggest that you do a read-aloud of chapter 27 for the purpose of censoring the word.
Discussion Focus: Following a brief scientific discussion of peaches, students will be comparing the unkind aunts with the kindness that James shows the insects in the giant peach. Through the adventures and James' help, we will see the insects and James come to find a happier more accepting group of friends. Throughout the entire discussion, we will focus on the kindness of James and the insects.
The Poetry Unit: Following a brief lesson on the definition of poetry, students will be introduced to famous poets through their poetry. I will focus primarily on the following poets: Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, Basho, and Shel Silverstein.
During this unit, students will learn about rhyming and non-rhyming poetry, writing their own poetry, and dramatically reading poetry.
The book The Borrowers is a fictional story featuring a family of tiny people who live secretly in the walls and floors of an English house and "borrow" from the big people in order to survive. The story more closely follows the tiny Arrietty Clock and her friendship with the boy who lives in the house.
Discussion Focus: This book discussion will focus on friendships and how to be a better friend. What does a friend look like, how do they act, and how can we show kindness to our friends and others? Additionally, we will discuss how to respect others' property and make wise choices when we borrow another's property.
Updated March 16, 2022
Supply List
Student Supplies include: My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop The 21 Balloons by William Pene du Bois James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl The Borrowers by Mary Norton The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms, Newest Edition, Mass-Market Paperback All of these may be purchased on Amazon or another book retailer. A Class 3 ring binder with loose-leaf paper (There will also be weekly printables associated with this class) Pencils or pens. There are some supplies that students will need to complete special projects. Parents will be given at least one week's notice to gather these special supplies.
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined July, 2020
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187reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Mississippi State University
Using knowledge gained in my 23 years of teaching, I will guide your students and the class discussions to focus on the positive and character-developing attributes found in the stories we read. Additionally, using common childhood scenarios, we will brainstorm ways to show kindness and be inclusive as demonstrated by the characters in our stories. Reviews
Live Group Course
$30
weekly or $360 for 24 classes2x per week, 12 weeks
50 min
Completed by 271 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-10
6-10 learners per class
