4th Grade ELA | Preparing for the Worst: Natural Disasters

Unit Summary

Natural disasters such as volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and wildfires happen all over the world. Understanding how natural disasters happen and why helps children feel less anxious and more prepared. Therefore, this unit focuses on teaching students the science behind each natural disaster while also explaining what to do if they live in an area prone to a particular natural disaster. Over the course of the unit, students hear about many famous natural disasters, but the unit places more of an emphasis on how the disasters happen rather than exploring the devastation or destruction caused by previous natural disasters. The unit provides many opportunities for students to learn more about recent natural disasters, including a culminating research project.

The texts in this unit were chosen because of their wide variety of text features, content, and accessibility. Over the course of the unit, students will read texts that are very technical and rely heavily on text features, diagrams, and illustrations, as well as texts that are written as informational narratives. Students will be challenged to think about the structures the authors use to help the reader interact with and learn the content, noticing the author's use of cause-and-effect and chronology. Additionally, students will learn the importance of referring to specific details from the text and using those details to explain and teach back the newly learned material.

Students build their writing fluency by writing daily in response to the Target Task question. Throughout the unit, students also learn to craft strong informational paragraphs, focusing on introducing a topic, providing details and reasons, and elaborating on details. Students also have an opportunity to write a short narrative, using what they learned about a particular natural disaster and the features of a narrative to retell an experience. The unit culminates with students conducting research and writing a report on a recent natural disaster.

Please Note: In April 2025, this unit and its lesson plans received a round of enhancements. The cold read assessment now has the text incorporated into the assessment document. This unit will now be 33 instructional days (previously 30 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 Materials

Book: Unforgettable Natural Disasters (TIME FOR KIDS Nonfiction Readers) by Tamara Hollingsworth (Teacher Created Materials; 2 edition, 2013)
Book: Hurricanes by Seymour Simon (HarperCollins, 2007)
Book: Wildfires by Seymour Simon (Collins, 2016) — 990L
Book: Earthquakes by Seymour Simon (Collins, 2006) — 1010L
Book: Volcanoes by Seymour Simon (Collins, 2006) — 880L

Supporting Materials

Resource: FEMA Earthquakes Fact Sheet
Resource: FEMA Hurricanes Fact Sheet
Resource: FEMA Winter Storms and Extreme Cold Fact Sheet (FEMA)
Resource: FEMA Droughts Fact Sheet (FEMA)
Resource: FEMA Extreme Heat Fact Sheet (FEMA)
Rubric: Narrative Writing Rubric (G4)
Rubric: Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G4, U2, L12)
Rubric: Single Point Research Rubric (G4, U2, L24)
Rubric: Editing Checklist 1 (G4, U2)
Rubric: Editing Checklist 2 (G4, U2)
Resource: Narrative Brainstorming Graphic Organizer
Resource: Single Paragraph Outline
Resource: Two Paragraph Outline
Resource: Sequence of Events Graphic Organizer
Resource: Verb Tense Scavenger Hunt (G4, U2, L3)
Resource: Sample Response (G4, U2, L5)
Resource: Verb Tense Cards (G4, U2, L10)
Resource: Temporal Words and Phrases Mentor Text (G4, U2, L12)
Resource: Progressive Verb Tense Handout (G4, U2, L17)
Resource: Single Paragraph Outline Sample Response (G4, U2, L18)
Resource: Research Brainstorming Template (G4, U2, L24)
Supplies: 3 Posters with Headings - Past, Present, Future
Research Materials
Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading

Text Selection Rationale

All Course Materials

Assessment

The following assessments accompany Unit 2.

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.

Download Fluency Assessment

Unit Prep

Intellectual Prep

Suggestions for how to prepare to teach this unit

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.

Essential Questions

The central thematic questions addressed in the unit or across units

Where and how do earthquakes occur? What hazards do earthquakes create? How can the hazards be reduced?
Where and how do volcanoes occur? What hazards do volcanoes create? How can the hazards be reduced?
Where and how do hurricanes occur? What hazards do hurricanes create? How can the hazards be reduced?
Where and how do wildfires occur? What hazards do wildfires create? How can the hazards be reduced?

Reading Focus Areas

To describe events and the scientific reasons they occur, readers need to be able to identify and describe the cause-and-effect connection between ideas.
To explain scientific concepts, readers need to be able to identify and explain details that describe the sequence or chronology of events.

Writing Focus Areas

Informational Writing

Introduce a topic clearly using a topic sentence.
Group related information into paragraphs and sections.
Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and concrete details.
Order details strategically.
Provide a concluding statement or section.
Add headings, illustrations, and graphics.

Narrative Writing

Brainstorm and draft a story with a logical sequence of events that unfolds naturally.
Use details to orient the reader to the setting.
Use dialogue, concrete words and phrases, and sensory details to develop experiences.
Use transitional words and phrases to show a sequence of events.
Provide a sense of closure.

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

Prepare for discussion.
Elaborate to support ideas. Provide evidence or examples to justify and defend a point clearly.
Use specific vocabulary. Use vocabulary that is specific to the subject and task to clarify and share their thoughts.

Vocabulary

Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text

Text-based

absorbatmospherecatastrophiccarelessnessdestructivedroughtepicenterextinctexcessfaultfamineflammableforecasthavocimmenseimminentinactivemagnitudemoderatenatural disaster

Root/Affix

-able-less-nessin-re-

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 2, 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.

Lesson Map

Lesson

Explain what a natural disaster is and why it is important to know if a natural disaster is imminent.

Preparing for the Worst: Natural Disasters

Unit Summary

Texts and Materials

Core Materials

Supporting Materials

Assessment

Content Assessment

Cold Read Assessment

Fluency Assessment

Unit Prep

Intellectual Prep

Essential Questions

Reading Focus Areas

Writing Focus Areas

Informational Writing

Narrative Writing

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

Vocabulary

Text-based

Root/Affix

Supporting All Students

Lesson Map

Common Core Standards

Core Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Supporting Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

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