a model unit for grade 4: voices and visions of the north · a model unit for grade 4: voices and...

A Model Unit for Grade 4: Voices and Visions of the North

Canada’s North, Light, Sound

Jennifer Katz

Tools for INsTrUcTIoN ANd reAdING AssessMeNT

TtD_Gr4_Model_v6.indd 1 10/1/13 1:26 PM

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© 2013 by Jennifer Katz

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Contents

Plan for School Year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Introduction to Model Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Theme: Voices and Visions of the North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Instructional Planner/Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Suggested Materials for Unit Lessons and Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Other Recommended Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Plan for Integrating Social Studies and Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Plan for English Language Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Plan for Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Mathematics Inquiry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Assessment Rubric for Social Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Assessment Rubric for Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Assessment Rubric for Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Preparations for MI Activities and Work Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Introductory Work with Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Brainstorming Activity Ideas for MI Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Inquiry Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Project Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Project #1 (Group) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Project #2 (Individual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Assessment and Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Activity Cards for MI Work Centres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25



4 Grade 4: Voices and Visions of the North

© Portage & Main Press, 2013, A Model Unit for Grade 4: Voices and Visions of the North, ISBN: 978-1-55379-386-1

Gra

de 4

Scho

ol Y

ear

Sept

embe

r to

Dec

embe

rTe

rm/U

nit O

neJa

nuar

y to

Mar

chTe

rm/U

nit T

wo

Apr

il to

Jun

eTe

rm/U

nit T

hree

ThEM

ES C

hO

SEN

TO

IN

TEG

RATE

DIS

CIPL

INES

Voic

es a

nd V

isio

ns o

f the

Nor

thM

anito

ba: D

iver

sity

—Pe

ople

and

Pla

ces

Cana

da: R

oots

and

Roc

ks

RATI

ON

ALE

AN

D

CON

NEC

TIO

NS

Light

and

sou

nd d

iffer

in th

e N

orth

. It i

s ei

ther

ligh

t or d

ark

all d

ay fo

r per

iods

of

the

year

. As

wel

l, so

und

carr

ies

diffe

rent

ly

on th

e co

ld tu

ndra

.

The

Inui

t who

live

d in

the

Nor

th u

sed

the

soun

ds o

f dru

mm

ing

and

thro

at s

ingi

ng in

un

ique

way

s.

Expl

orin

g sa

fety

and

fitn

ess

in c

old

clim

ates

is a

nat

ural

tie-

in.

Man

itoba

is a

div

erse

pro

vinc

e—in

bot

h its

cul

ture

s an

d its

eco

logy

.G

eogr

aphy

ties

in n

atur

ally

to ro

cks,

m

iner

als,

and

ero

sion

.

Whi

le e

xplo

ring

mou

ntai

ns a

nd th

e C

anad

ian

Shie

ld, w

e ca

n al

so e

xplo

re

shap

e an

d sp

ace

in m

athe

mat

ics,

and

m

ovem

ent i

n di

ffere

nt te

rrai

ns.

SOCI

AL

STU

DIE

SCa

nada

’s N

orth

Livi

ng in

Man

itoba

his

tory

of M

anito

baG

eogr

aphy

of C

anad

aLi

ving

in C

anad

a

Skill

s, K

now

ledg

e, V

alue

s—A

pplic

atio

ns a

ll ye

ar

SCIE

NCE

Ligh

t

Soun

dh

abita

ts a

nd C

omm

uniti

esRo

cks,

Min

eral

s, a

nd E

rosi

on

Skill

s, K

now

ledg

e, V

alue

s—A

pplic

atio

ns a

ll ye

ar

MAT

hEM

ATIC

S

Num

ber

(incl

. Fra

ctio

ns, D

ecim

als)

Stat

istic

s an

d Pr

obab

ility

(Dat

a A

naly

sis)

Num

ber

(incl

. Fra

ctio

ns, D

ecim

als)

Patte

rns

and

Rela

tions

Num

ber

(incl

. Fra

ctio

ns, D

ecim

als)

Shap

e an

d Sp

ace

Num

ber c

once

pts

and

num

eric

al o

pera

tions

all

year

PhYS

ICA

L A

ND

h

EALT

h E

DU

CATI

ON

Safe

ty, F

itnes

s M

anag

emen

tFi

tnes

s M

anag

emen

tM

ovem

ent

Pers

onal

and

soc

ial m

anag

emen

t all

year

long

LAN

GU

AG

E A

RTS

ACT

IVIT

IES

Inte

grat

ed a

ll ye

ar lo

ng

FIN

E A

RTS

ACT

IVIT

IES

Inte

grat

ed a

ll ye

ar lo

ng

Plan

for

Scho

ol Y

ear



Grade 4: Voices and Visions of the North 5


Introduction to Model UnitThe publications included in the series Tools for Instruction and Reading Assessment support the three-block model of universal design for learning, presented in my book Teaching to Diversity (TtD). For each grade from 1–12, this series offers two tools:

1. A Model Unit in two parts: (i) the instructional manual for one integrated thematic unit of the school year plan; (ii) a full set of activities drawing on the concept of multiple intelligences (MI). Part ii is not available for grades 11 and 12.

2. A Reading Assessment Program Guide, also in two parts: (i) the guide with templates and grade-specific rubrics; (ii) four levelled Reading Passages to use for assessment throughout the school year.

In chapter 4 of Teaching to Diversity, I described the rationale for planning thematic units for a full academic year. I also included an overview of “how-to” procedures. In this book, I include a working plan for the school year (see chart, opposite page). The plan integrates major themes from Manitoba’s curricula into manageable units of study that correspond to three terms in one school year.

In this model unit for the first term in grade 4, teachers will find planners that outline the essential understandings, essential questions, and final project(s) for the unit. The rubrics included are based on Bloom’s taxonomy; that is, the criteria in the rubrics show a progression of conceptual thinking from rote, basic understanding to synthesized, higher-order analysis.

Be aware that the language of Bloom is unique to cognitive thought, and is developmental. For instance, identify or recognize means the teacher has provided examples, and students can “pick the right one,” or reiterate a fact taught earlier, such as “Aboriginal peoples were the first people in Canada.” Describe means students can provide supporting detail. Explain, assess, and analyze require students to provide multiple perspectives; that is, the pros and cons, or both sides, of an argument. Finally, evaluate means students, after considering both pros and cons or differing perspectives, form an opinion; that is, place a value on the analysis. For young children, this might simply mean explaining likes and dislikes, or being able to say, “Sometimes…, but sometimes….” For example, grade-one students may tell us how their families’ cultures have aspects that the students like and enjoy because they are their favourite ___. These same students may tell us aspects that make them feel ___. These students are meeting the criterion for “Evaluates how his or her family’s culture influences who he or she is.”

The material shows how I integrate the social studies and science topics while bringing them into other disciplines—mathematics, physical education and health, language arts, and fine arts—particularly through the lens of the multiple intelligences (MI). Differentiated activities based on MI approaches, as sketched out in the brainstormed ideas on page 18, are chosen to inspire diverse students and accommodate their individual learning styles. The MI activity cards that flesh out the topics for such centre-based activities follow the list on page 25.

As implied by the title, A Model Unit for Grade 4, I encourage teachers not only to adapt my ideas and materials as needed for their own class but also apply what they learn from working with their own students to their planning, whether individually or collaboratively, for the second and third terms.



Grade 4: Voices and Visions of the North 25


Activity Cards for MI Work Centres

Categorizing Light

Measuring SoundSound Intensity 1Sound Intensity 2

Voices of the North

Music of the North

Poetic Expression

Creating Problems and Authoring Stories

Artistic Expression

Technological Collage

Dark Days

Dioramas

Comparing Environments

Reflections

Cultural Communication

Interpersonal Connections

Progress?

Global Vision

Light Refraction and Snow

Natural Light and Sound




VISUA

L- SPATIA

LTechnological Collage

The w

ord “technology” includes more than just com

puters and other electronics. It includes any tool w

e use to help us live or solve problem

s. A pencil is a type of technology because w

e use it to write.

A car is also a type of technology because w

e use it to travel around and to m

ove people and materials.

Create a collage of pictures and w

ords to show the technology that

Inuit developed to help them live in the N

orth.




ExISTENTIA

LG

lobal Vision

Think of “com

munities” as “the people.”

Think of “ecosystem

s” as “the environment.”

Why should w

e care about the comm

unities and the ecosystems of the N

orth?

Why should w

e care if icebergs melt, polar bears die, or Inuit

cannot hunt anymore?

Write, draw

, sing, or role play your thinking.



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