In this lesson, students begin by working in small groups to analyze differences and similarities among a selection of comics from a variety of subgenres. Based on their discussion, they determine what subgenres are represented and divide the comics accordingly. Students then analyze the professional comics' uses of conventions such as layout and page design. Finally, they create their own comics using an online tool.

A strong plot is a basic requirement of any narrative. Students are sometimes confused, however, by the difference between a series of events that happen in a story and the plot elements, or the events that are significant to the story. In this lesson, students select a topic for a personal narrative and then do the prewriting in comic-strip format to reinforce the plot structure. Finally, they write their own original narratives based on the comic strip prewriting activity, keeping the elements of narrative writing in mind. This lesson uses a version of "The Three Little Pigs" fairy tale to demonstrate the literary element; however, any picture book with a strong plot would work for this lesson.

Students will read two different texts (an excerpt from Moondial by Helen Cresswell and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll) and compare them. Questions are provided for each passage.

In this lesson, sample cinquains are read aloud as a class, allowing students to familiarize themselves with the form. Students then write simple cinquain of their own as a follow-up to a subject they have been exploring in class. Although students can write about any subject, graphic organizers and other resources are available to support units on animals, community, fairy tales, healthy foods, picture books, and rainforest/habitats.

Novel based curriculum is an amazing tool. Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty is sure to grab the attention of the students and keep them engaged throughout. These are standard aligned comprehension questions that force the students to develop a deeper understanding of the characters and the novel.

In this lesson, students participate in read-alouds and discussions about memories and family. After this exploration, students brainstorm questions to ask family members in order to learn more about important and/or memorable family events. Once students determine a list of questions, they interview family members, taking notes on the events and giving each a positive or negative rating. Using their interview notes, students create a graphic family timeline which includes illustrations or photographs.

The teacher reads aloud Thank You, Mr. Falker. There is a follow-up whole-group instruction that provides a basis for improved higher-level reading comprehension. The teacher works with the whole class to model making predictions and personal connections, envisioning character change, and understanding the themes of the book. Response journals can also be used to further student connections to the characters and themes in the book.

Most people read and understand better when reading print. Usually when we are online, we are jumping around from place to place. To read online and really understand, we need to slow down and really think about what we are reading. In this lesson, students practice strategies to help them read deeply online. These strategies are based on the article in the lesson resources: "Strategies to Help Students 'Go Deep' When Reading Digitally" by Katrina Schwartz.Teacher copies the text from an online article into a Google Doc and shares it with students. Students use the highlighting tool to mark the most challenging vocabulary words and use strategies to determine their meaning. Then they develop a main idea for a paragraph by choosing one, two, three, and finally four words that make up the main idea. They type this above the paragraph and use formatting tools to make it a heading. As they repeat this process with additional paragraphs they are developing a summary of the article in the document outline.

In this activity, students read a story and answer questions about the text. The resource contains guided reading and assessment questions.

In this activity, students read a poem and answer questions about the text. The resource contains guided reading and assessment questions.

As a way to support teachers with English Language Arts (ELA) instruction during the pandemic, the NCDPI ELA team created choice boards featuring standards-aligned ELA activities.The intended purpose of these choice boards is to provide a way for students to continue standards-based learning while schools are closed. Each activity can be adapted and modified to be completed with or without the use of digital tools. Many activities can also be repeated with different texts. These standards-based activities are meant to be a low-stress approach to reinforcing and enriching the skills learned during the 2019-2020 school year. The choice boards are to be used flexibly by teachers, parents, and students in order to meet the unique needs of each learner.Exploration activities are provided for a more self-directed or guided approach to independent learning for students. These activities and sites should be used as a way to explore concepts, topics, skills, and social and emotional competencies that interest the learner. 

In this activity, students read a story and answer questions about the text. The resource contains guided reading and assessment questions.

In this activity, students read a story and answer questions about the text. The resource contains guided reading and assessment questions.

In this activity, students read a story and answer questions about the text. The resource contains guided reading and assessment questions.

In this lesson, students will look behind the story at the historical, social, and cultural circumstances that shape the narrative throughout Esperanza Rising. The lesson also invites students to contemplate some of the changes Esperanza undergoes as she grows into a responsible young woman and the contradictions that she experiences.

In this activity, students read a story and answer questions about the text. The resource contains guided reading and assessment questions.

Students will read as a whole class or small group Extra Credit by Andrew Clements in conjunction with Wonders Unit 3 (4th grade).  Teachers will assign the google slides to each individual as a reading comprehension completion activity.  Students can use these slides as a springboard for book discussions.  Technology enhanced culminating activities are included in google slides 9-10 for transfer of knowledge at the end of the novel study.  

In this lesson based on From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, students use the experiences of Claudia and Jamie to learn about income, expenses, and the budget process. The book follows the adventures of two runaway children hiding out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Students complete an activity emphasizing the need for income and the importance of planning and budgets. Students also have an opportunity to update some of the 1967 prices used in the book. The assessment activity has students sort through expenses and income sources to construct their own weekly budget.

In this activity, students read about the different games that Native American children played. The resource contains guided reading and assessment questions.

In this lesson, students explore the processes involved in getting food from the farm to the table. Note: This lesson was created in accordance with the VIF Global Competence Indicators for Grade 4. For more information about VIF and these indicators, please visit https://www.vifprogram.com/. This lesson was developed by Brenda Todd as part of their completion of the North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge program. This lesson plan has been vetted at the local and state level for standards alignment, Global Education focus, and content accuracy.