Curriculum / ELA / 4th Grade / Unit 2: Preparing for the Worst: Natural Disasters / Lesson 1
ELA
Unit 2
4th Grade
Lesson 1 of 22
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Explain what a natural disaster is and why it is important to know if a natural disaster is imminent.
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What is a natural disaster? Why is it important to know if a natural disaster is imminent?
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Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
Why is it important to learn facts about natural disasters?
Why was the Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) created?
Why does the author include the map on pages 8–9? How does it help the reader better understand how the GDACS works?
Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
natural disaster
n.
(p. 6)
an event in nature that causes a lot of damage and often deaths
imminent
adj.
(p. 8)
happening soon
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RI.4.3 — Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
RI.4.5 — Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
RI.4.7 — Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.4.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
RF.4.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
RF.4.4 — Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RI.4.1 — Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.4.4 — Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
RI.4.10 — By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4—5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
SL.4.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
W.4.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Next
Explain where and how volcanoes occur using the words "plates," "magma," and "erupt."
Standards
RI.4.3RI.4.5RI.4.7
Explain what happened when Mount St. Helens erupted and the destruction it caused.
Describe what makes Hawaiian volcanoes unique.
Describe the four different types of volcanoes.
2 days
Write a well-structured paragraph that explains where and how volcanoes occur and what hazards they create.
W.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.2.e
Explain where and why earthquakes occur.
Explain why a person living in Boston is significantly less likely to experience an earthquake than a person in California.
RI.4.3RI.4.5
Describe the tools scientists use to measure earthquakes and why one form of measurement is not enough for measuring earthquakes.
Write a well-structured paragraph that explains where and how earthquakes occur and what hazards they create.
W.4.2
Explain the type of damage and destruction caused by flooding.
Describe where and how hurricanes occur.
Describe the destruction caused by each category of hurricane.
Explain how you know when a hurricane is coming and what you should do if you are in the path of a hurricane.
Write a well-structured paragraph that explains where and how hurricanes occur and what hazards they create.
Explain what happened during the Yellowstone fires of 1988 and the impact the fires had on the park.
Analyze why wildfires are neither good nor bad.
RI.4.3
Write a well-structured paragraph that explains where and how wildfires occur and what hazards they create.
Explain other types of natural disasters and what to do to prepare for or prevent them.
4 days
Write a short narrative about a young person dealing with a natural disaster.
L.4.1.fL.4.2.aL.4.2.bSL.4.1W.4.3W.4.3.aW.4.3.bW.4.3.cW.4.5W.4.8
Gauge student understanding of unit content and skills with one of Fishtank's unit assessments.
5 days
Research and report on a recent natural disaster.
L.4.1.fW.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.2.eW.4.7W.4.8
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