ELA  /  4th Grade  /  Unit 5: Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Students read about and discuss United States history through the stories of Black Americans, from the times of enslavement through the civil rights movement and today, exploring how the fight for equality helped make for a stronger and more equal nation.

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ELA

Unit 5

4th Grade

Unit Summary

In this unit, students learn about the impact of Black Americans on United States history by reading the core text, Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans, and excerpts from Let It Shine: Stories of Black Freedom Fighters and Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America.

The unit highlights how resistance, community-building, innovation, and advocacy are central to the history of African Americans from the era of enslavement through the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. By examining key events, influential individuals, and vibrant social movements, students learn how African American communities have consistently expanded the possibilities of American democracy. They consider the enduring impact of these contributions and develop a richer understanding of both America’s past and its present. The goal is for students to feel inspired to uphold principles of equity, justice, and human dignity—and to recognize their own capacity to contribute to a more just and inclusive society.

The goal of this unit is not to provide in-depth coverage, but to introduce students to the history that shaped the Civil Rights Movement. In 5th Grade ELA, students study the Civil Rights Movement more extensively, exploring the advocacy and action of young people in the movement. 

This unit requires students to deeply analyze a text to see how an author develops different ideas and points using evidence in both the text and illustrations. Students study the author's word choice, the different details an author includes, and the way in which an author organizes information to build a deeper understanding of the time period and the text. Students are also challenged to carry information across multiple texts to build a deeper understanding of content and themes.

When discussing the text, students focus on critiquing and analyzing the reasoning of others, using what they learned from previous units on how to clarify and share their own thoughts and how to engage with the thinking of others to push the discussion to a deeper level. Students also have multiple opportunities to write informative paragraphs and essays, using what they learned from previous units about topic sentences, supporting details, and elaboration to write multiple paragraphs and essays in response to a question. Students will write an opinion piece making an argument for naming a public building after one particular Black leader, and will culminate the unit by writing an informational report, researching an African American leader in depth.

Please Note: In January 2026, this unit and its lesson plans received a round of enhancements. Writing projects throughout the unit have been adjusted. This unit is now 34 instructional days (previously 31 days). Teachers should pay close attention as they intellectually prepare to account for the updated pacing, sequencing, and content.

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Texts and Materials

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Core Texts

Supporting Texts

Rubrics

Resources for Lessons and Projects

Text Selection Rationale
All Course Materials

Assessment

The following assessments accompany Unit 5.

Content Assessment

The Content Assessment pushes students to synthesize unit content knowledge or unit essential questions in writing. The Content Assessment should be used as the primary assessment because it shows mastery of unit content knowledge and standards.

Cold Read Assessment

The Cold Read Assessment tests students' ability to comprehend a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer standards-based questions. The Cold Read Assessment can be given in addition to the Content Assessment as a pulse point for what students can read and analyze independently, a skill often required for standardized testing.

Fluency Assessment

The Fluency Assessment allows teachers to monitor students' oral reading fluency progress with a reading passage drawn from one of the unit's core texts. Find guidance for using this assessment and supporting reading fluency in Teacher Tools.

Unit Prep

Intellectual Prep

Unit Launch

Before you teach this unit, unpack the texts, themes, and core standards through our guided intellectual preparation process. Each Unit Launch includes a series of short videos, targeted readings, and opportunities for action planning to ensure you're prepared to support every student.

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Essential Questions

  •  
  • How has the African American community in particular contributed to making the United States of America stronger and more equal?
  • How can courageous individuals create and drive change?
  •  

Reading Focus Areas

  • The point of view of a text directly influences the type of evidence and reasons the author uses to support particular points in the text.

  • Authors use a variety of text structures to help a reader understand key ideas and information.

  • Readers close read illustrations in order to deepen their understanding of key content.

Writing Focus Areas

Informational Writing

  • Take notes and organize into appropriate categories.

  • Select the most important information and group by topic in a plan.

  • Choose an appropriate paragraph structure and include signal words that show the relationship between ideas.

  • Include appropriate background information in the introduction and a strong final thought in the conclusion.

  • Include illustrations that contribute to the mood or main idea of a text.

Opinion Writing

  • Identify the most relevant details that support an opinion.

  • Elaborate on details by clearly explaining how details support their position.

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

  • Question and clarify to build understanding. Seek to clarify a particular point a peer makes by asking follow-up questions.

  • Build on and challenge a partner's ideas.

  • Synthesize to build deeper meaning. Synthesize everything from the discussion into a coherent statement at the end of the discussion.

Vocabulary

Text-based

Reconstructionabolishapprehensivebannedboycottcontradictfleeguidanceharassedilliterateintegratinginnovationjustifylongedpracticalprivilegereputationsympathytensionvowed

Root/Affix

-ist-sionen-ill-in-re-

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 5, view our 4th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.

Supporting All Students

In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the intellectual preparation protocol and the Unit Launch to determine which support students will need. To learn more, visit the Supporting All Students Teacher Tool.

Content Knowledge and Connections

Previous Fishtank ELA Connections

Notes to the Teacher

Resources for Building Background Knowledge

Before teaching the unit, Fishtank recommends that teachers build their own knowledge and understanding of the Key Understandings of the unit. To do so, consider exploring the following resources:

  • Teaching Hard History K–5 from Learning for Justice outlines ten important ideas that all students must understand to truly grasp slavery. The Teaching Hard History project also outlines essential knowledge students need to know and understand, along with videos and resources for building a deeper understanding of the content. 
  • Listen to the Teaching Hard History Podcasts about teaching slavery. 
  • Build your own comfort with facilitating difficult conversations about race using Learning for Justice’s Let’s Talk! Facilitating Conversations with Students guide. 

A Note About Language

When discussing slavery in the United States, historians now use the term "enslaved people" and "systems of enslavement" instead of "slaves" or "slavery." This language change is subtle, but powerful; the prefix en- means "to cause to be," and therefore emphasizes that enslaved peoples were thrust into that condition against their will, but were not themselves defined by the fact of their enslavement. Therefore, in Fishtank lesson plans, you will see the adjective "enslaved," instead of a noun, "slave." Even though the author of the text frequently uses the term "slaves," students should be taught to use the term "enslaved people" when writing or speaking about the text. Students do not need to change direct quotations from the text, but they should be mindful of the language they use in their own writing.

For more context about the language used when discussing slavery, read "Language of Slavery" from the National Park Service.

Many people use the terms "African American" and "Black American" interchangeably. However, it is important to note that not all Black people in the United States consider themselves African American, and typically, today, the more inclusive term "Black" is used. Fishtank has chosen to use the term "African American" in the unit title and framing because the content of the unit centers the specific story of those whose origins in America were as a result of the trans-atlantic slave trade. Regardless of the term students choose to use, it is important for students to understand that people identify with different terms in different ways. Both terms are used throughout this unit.

Lesson Map

25
Lesson
Writing

6 days

Overview

Research and present on an African American leader who made a significant impact on America.
Day 1 - Researching

Organize research notes into categories.

Materials
  • Research Recording Page (G4, U5, L25)

Standards

W.4.7W.4.8

Day 2 - Planning

Select the most important information and group by topic in a plan.

Materials
  • Research Recording Page (G4, U5, L25) — Completed on Day 1
  • Two Paragraph Outline (G4, U5, L25)

Standards

W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.2.eW.4.7

Day 3 - Drafting

Choose an appropriate paragraph structure and include signal words that show the relationship between ideas.

Materials
  • Research Recording Page (G4, U5, L25) — Completed on Day 1
  • Two Paragraph Outline (G4, U5, L25) — Completed on Day 2

Standards

W.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.7

Day 4 - Drafting

Include appropriate background information in the introduction and a strong final thought in the conclusion.

Materials
  • Research Recording Page (G4, U5, L25) — Completed on Day 1
  • Two Paragraph Outline (G4, U5, L25) — Completed on Day 2

Standards

W.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.e

Day 5 - Revision & Editing

Revise and edit an opinion paragraph by selecting the most appropriate strategy.

Materials
  • Revision Strategy Menu (G4, U5, L9)

Standards

L.4.1.eL.4.1.fW.4.4W.4.5

Day 6 - Publishing

Include illustrations that contribute to the mood or main idea of a text.

Standards

SL.4.1W.4.2.a

Common Core Standards

Core Standards

RI.4.3
RI.4.5
RI.4.6
RI.4.7
RI.4.8
RI.4.9
RL.4.3
W.4.1
W.4.2
W.4.2.a
W.4.2.b
W.4.2.c
W.4.2.d
W.4.2.e
W.4.7
W.4.8
W.4.9
L.4.1.e
L.4.1.f
SL.4.1
SL.4.1.a
SL.4.4
SL.4.5

Supporting Standards

RI.4.1
RI.4.4
RI.4.10
RL.4.1
RL.4.9
RF.4.3
RF.4.4
W.4.1.b
W.4.1.c
W.4.4
W.4.5
W.4.6
W.4.10
L.4.1
L.4.2
L.4.3
L.4.4
L.4.4.b
L.4.5
L.4.6
SL.4.6
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