Language Arts 4 A/B

 Segment A of Language Arts 4 begins with instruction in reading strategies to prepare students for more complex reading tasks, and then provides a review of basic grammar and writing skills. A vocabulary study is included to introduce students to common prefixes and suffixes along with a look at homonyms, antonyms, synonyms and contractions. Students put these skills to work at the end of the segment by reading a non-fiction text on toys and inventions.

Segment B of Language Arts 4 reinforces the idea that purpose, topic and audience guide types of writing. It also teaches that good readers use a variety of strategies to help increase understanding while they are reading, including questioning, making connections, and summarizing. These lessons are delivered through the study of popular literature including Tuck Everlasting and Maniac McGee. Students are introduced to various literary devices through these novels.

PRE-REQUISITES: Language Arts 3

ESTIMATED COMPLETION TIME: 32-36 weeks or approximately 125 – 135 hours

 

MAJOR TOPICS AND CONCEPTS — SEGMENT A

Crossing the Bridge

  • Homonyms, Synonyms, Antonyms

  • Affixes

  • Idioms

  • Nouns

  • Capitalization and punctuation

  • Story Elements

  • Main Ideas

  • Making inferences

  • Supporting inferences

  • Character Traits

  • Predicting

  • Summarizing

  • Fact vs. Opinion

  • Multiple Meaning Words

The Little Prince

  • Stories as allegories and fables to teach important lessons

  • Reading to learn about relationships

  • The quest story as instruction for our lives

  • The journey of self-knowledge–knowing when you are growing up

  • Understanding relationships and responsibilities

  • Symbols to extend meaning in texts

  • Learning to stay connected to important people and things in our lives

Poetry

  • Forms of Poetry

  • Strategies for Reading Poetry

  • Tools of Poetry

  • Author’s Purpose for Writing Poems

  • Narrative Poems

  • Lyric Poetry

Toys and Inventions

  • Determining main idea

  • Summarizing information

  • Explicit Information vs. Drawing conclusions.

  • Retelling events in sequence

  • Retelling procedures

  • Describing text structure.

  • Alternative representations of information.

  • The importance of evidence.

 

MAJOR TOPICS AND CONCEPTS — SEGMENT B

Vocabulary

  • Latin and Greek root words

  • Latin and Greek prefixes

  • Latin and Greek suffixes

  • Idioms

  • Synonyms and Antonyms

Maniac McGee

  • Introduction to Maniac Magee

  • Characterization

  • Figures of Speech

  • Fact and Opinion

  • Reading for Life

  • Components of Great Essay

  • Types of Writing

  • Jargon

  • Making Predictions

  • Irony

How to Eat Fried Worms

  • Pre -Reading Activities and Chapters 1-5

  • Character Analysis and Chapters 6-9

  • Poetry and Chapters 10-12

  • Learning Together and Chapters 13-15

  • Literal and Figurative Language

  • The Writing Process and Chapters 16-20

  • Proper Paragraphs and Chapters 21-24

  • Speaking Skills and Chapters 25-31

  • Using a Dictionary and Chapters 32-37

  • Reading Strategies and Chapters 38-41

Tuck Everlasting (Literature Unit)

  • Foreshadowing

  • Figurative Language

  • Point of View

  • Main Idea

  • Context Clues

  • Author’s Purpose

  • Drawing Conclusions and Inferences

  • Theme

  • Propaganda

  • Character Traits

  • Symbolism

  • Plot

Bud, Not Buddy (Literature Unit)

  • Character Traits

  • Making Predictions

  • Compare and Contrast

  • Summarizing the Main Idea

  • Fact and Opinion

  • Sequencing Story Events

  • Point of View

  • Figurative Language