Grade: Grade 4 Subject: English Language Arts Created by: Kayla Spayde Lesson Length: 45 minutes Keywords/Tags: Compare and Contrast, Critical Thinking. Lesson Description: The students will read the story 'My Painting' then answer vocabulary questions, then use critical thinking skills to answer in depth questions about the story, then write a short essay comparing their own thoughts and feelings to that of the author's.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.
My Painting
I wanted to show people how I felt about my new country. My family had moved here 5 years ago when I was just 7 years old. When we came I did not know any English. Everything was new and I was surprised every day. I had lived in a remote village far from the city. Now I was living in a city where there were so many people.
We would take the elevated train downtown. There we saw buildings that noted architects had designed. These architects were so famous that people all over the world knew their names. But I had never heard of them before. I looked up and was astonished at how high the buildings were.
I went to a school that was bigger than my whole village. More than 1,000 students go to the school. I remember my first day. The principal was friendly. So was the teacher. But I was mystified. I could not understand what the teacher and students were saying. Then another student came up to me during lunch. She said hello in Russian. I was so glad.
The teacher asked her to sit next to me for the rest of the school year and help me understand what they were saying. She was my official translator. But I wanted to learn English. So every day after school we would go to my home. She would help me learn English. To reciprocate, my mother would cook her family dinner. Once a week they would come to dinner. We would try hard to learn English, so instead of Russian everyone would talk in English.
Now I have learned English, and I have learned a lot about the United States. I will put some symbols in my painting that show how I feel about this land. It is a land of helpful people. It is a land of many heritages. It is a land of collaboration. People here work together to help each other make progress. I'm thinking of putting a flag on the background and then putting people holding hands in the foreground. I'll make a sketch first and then
will paint it.
Making a painting is a lot like writing an essay. First you think of the idea you want to express. Then you think of ways to communicate that idea. I think my painting will be a great way to tell people how I feel about my new homeland.
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity
(40 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.
Vocabulary Questions
Word/Phrase: Astonished | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q1
"I looked up and was astonished at how high the buildings were," In this quote from the passage the author uses the word astonished, what does this word mean?
A. Amazed, Suprised *
B. Scared, Terrified
C. Uninterested, Bored
D. Concerned, Worried
Which sentences is the proper use of the word "astonished".
A. I was astonished that I was not going to finish the test.
B. He sighed in boredom and was astonished at the dull homework he was given.
C. Taylor looked at the haunted house astonished, they were scared to even walk through the gate.
D. Alice looked at the sunrise astonished, she had never seen anything so amazing. *
Word/Phrase: Mystified | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q2
In this text the author goes into detail about their first day: "The principal was friendly. So was the teacher. But I was mystified. I could not understand what the teacher and students were saying." What does the word "mystified" mean in this context?
A. Angry, Frustrated
B. Happy, Cheerful
C. Baffled, Puzzled *
D. Mysterious, Unknown
Which of the following sentences uses the word "mystified" correctly?
A. Karly lost the tournament, she was mystified to say the least.
B. Bradley stared at the confusing question mystified. *
C. Charlie got an 'A' on the test, they were mystified because their hard work paid off.
D. The location of the Lost City of Atlantis was mystified.
Word/Phrase: Reciprocate | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q3
"She would help me learn English. To reciprocate, my mother would cook her family dinner."
The excerpt above is from the text you just read. Using context clues, what does the word "reciprocate" mean?
A. To feed, the giving of food
B. To return the favor, to give something in return *
C. To have fun
D. To laugh
Which of the following is the correct use of the word "reciprocate".
A. Tommy liked Leon as a friend and Leon reciprocated his feelings, therefore they became great friends. *
B. Tommy was hungry so his Dad reciprocated him food.
C. Tommy made a job and Leon reciprocated into a laughing fit.
D. Tommy was reciprocating at the park with Leon, he never wanted to leave.
Word/Phrase: Architect | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q4
In the text the author says, "There we saw buildings that noted architects had designed. These architects were so famous that people all over the world knew their names." In this context, what does the word "architects" mean?
A. Actors
B. Fashion designers
C. People who designs buildings *
D. Artists
Which sentence uses the word "architects" correctly?
A. The architects stared in a lot of movies.
B. The architects painted a new painting.
C. The architects designed the sleek silver dress on the model that was walking across the runway.
D. The architects designed the building into a sphere shape so that it looked like a golf ball. *
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4,
Task 2: Discussion Activity
(30 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.
At first how did the Author feel about their new country...
At first how did the Author feel about their new country and how did that change by the end of the story? What do you think caused the change in veiws about their new country?
Sent on: Mar 3, 2020 by: Kayla Spayde
0
Why did the other student help the Author?
Why do you think the other student helped the author? What was the other students modivation to go above and beyond what they were asked to do?
Sent on: Mar 3, 2020 by: Kayla Spayde
0
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3,
Task 3: Writing Activity
(30 points)
Instructions: The Author in this story move to a new country and had to learn English while also learning new material in school. Put yourself in the Author's shoes, how would you feel and how would you react? Now put yourself in the shoes of the student translator, would you do what they did and go above and beyond or would you only do what the teacher asked of you. Compare and contrast the author's feelings and reactions as well as the student-translator's reactions compared to how you would react in both the author's position and the student-translator's position. Use at least 250 words and use examples from the text.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.1,
