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Lesson Plans - Grade 4
 Moon Journal
Adjectives as Describing Words
Financing a Party
Composition of Ocean Water, effects of water on land erosion
The following activity may be used as an assessment piece to your Solar System unit. It will require at least a month's commitment from your students. Detailed observations of the moon and its' changes are extremely important in order to determine if the student understands the moon's traits.
This project requires a sense of diligence from family members in helping to ensure that the student completes the journal each night - a great way to get them involved!
Prior Lessons: Phases of the Moon, and physical attributes of the Moon
Lesson Plan: Moon Journal
Main Subject Area: Earth and Space Sciences
Project/Unit: Keeping a Moon Journal
Grade: 4
Disciplines Involved: ESL, Science, Language Arts, Art
Learning Objectives: Science...
Strand Two - Domains of Science:
* Observe and illustrate why the Moon looks a little different every day, but looks the same again about every four weeks.
* Observe and explain why the Sun can be seen only in the daytime, but the Moon can be seen sometimes at night and sometimes during the day. Know that because the earth rotates, the Sun, Moon, and stars all appear to be moving slowly across the sky.
Learning Objectives: ESL...
Goal 2, Standard 1 - To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: Students will use English to obtain, process, construct, and provide subject matter information in spoken and written form.
Goal 2, Standard 3 - To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: Students will use appropriate learning strategies to construct and apply academic knowledge.
Lesson Activity:
Students will observe the Moon and its features, and record the results both in written form and in a drawing on the given template.
Students will record any questions that they may have in relation to what was observed.
Guiding Questions:
What phase is the Moon in on the first night of observation?
Can you predict how your journal will look for the entire month?
If you don't see the Moon on a cloudy evening, where is it? If you do not see the Moon on a clear night, where is it?
How has the position of the Moon changed each week that you are recording results?
Materials/Resources: same nightly location each evening, page of instructions (in English and Spanish), scoring rubric (English and Spanish), Moon Journal with individual boxes for each evening.
Procedures:
(paraphrased from instruction page)
1. Students will go to a location that allows a good view of the Moon. They should use this location at all times when observing the Moon and its' location in the sky.
2. Students will draw all noticeable features on the horizon.
3. Students should go outside at the same time each evening - so they should pick a convenient time - usually between 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
4. Using the given pages, students should draw the moon exactly as they see it, and record any changes or similarities that you observed. Students should be sure to include weather conditions, and any questions they may have. Data to be recorded should incorporate size, shape, color, brightness, and location in terms of the previous night. Accuracy is important!
5. Students will label the date in each box. This will help to clarify the patterns in terms of the Moon's phases.
Extensions:
Literature: Mooncake by Frank Asch
The Moon Seems to Change by Franklin Branley
Evaluation:
I collect the journals each week to check for completion and to catch any problems that may arise before the end of the month is over.
For grading purposes, I use a rubric, which is given to students at the beginning of the assignment, so students can take responsibility for their progress and grades.
** If a month is too long, this project may be adapted by recording observations on index cards, with accurate drawings at the top. Then these cards may be posted in the classroom in calendar form, so that students may see the continuity of the Moon's phases.
This lesson plan encompasses the correct use of adjectives to describe a noun, the use of a thesaurus, and some artistic creativity. Students will choose a noun to describe and then brainstorm at least 5 adjectives to describe the person, place, or thing. Once completed, students will create a cut-out image of that noun, and use the adjectives to complete the art project. An example will be given.
Prior Lessons: Adjectives are describing words, to find synonyms using a thesaurus, when writing in English, adjectives are written before the noun(s) they modify.
Lesson Plan: Adjectives as Describing Words
Main Subject Area: Language Arts
Project/Unit: Adjectives
Grade: 4
Disciplines Involved: ESL, Language Arts, Art
Learning Objective: Language Arts...
Language Strand, Learning Standard 5: Students will identify, describe, and apply knowledge of the structure of the English language, and standard English conventions for sentence structure, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
Learning Objective: ESL...
Goal 2, Standard 2: To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: students will use English to obtain, process, construct, and provide subject matter information in spoken and written form.
Goal 2, Standard 3: To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: students will use appropriate learning strategies to construct and apply academic knowledge.
Lesson Activity:
Students will choose a noun, then list at least 5 adjectives to describe the noun they chose. Once checked for accuracy (peer or teacher), students use construction paper to cut an example of the noun, and then list the adjectives.
Example 1: The noun chose is "school bus". The student may fashion a school bus out of yellow construction paper, and in each window, may write the following adjectives (to describe the bus): noisy, loud, bouncy, boring, treacherous...
Example 2: The noun is "hamburger". Using 2 pieces of brown construction paper for the bun, the student writes "hamburger". Then, using a piece of darker brown for the meat, may write "delicious". red represents tomato, green - lettuce, yellow - cheese, etc. and each piece of paper has another adjective. This could also be glued to a paper plate if desired.
Guiding Questions:
What questions do adjectives answer in a sentence?
What words describe the noun you chose?
Can you increase your vocabulary by using synonyms?
Where could you look to find more synonyms or adjectives for your noun?
Materials/Resources: notebooks, Language Handbook, thesaurus, construction paper, markers, glue/tape
Procedures:
1. Students will choose a noun.
2. Students list at least 5 adjectives to describe that noun.
3. Using construction paper, or drawing, students will create an image of the chosen noun and then fashion the adjectives in the work of art. (see examples given under the heading: Lesson Activity)
Extensions:
Literature: Many Luscious Lollipops, a book about adjectives, by Ruth Heller
Home Extension/Parental Involvement:
Fold a large piece of white construction paper in half. Give each student 7 cut-out circles (or hearts, or whatever shape/form you'd like). Have students put these cut-outs in an envelope and give each child a short note to put in the envelope. The envelope should go home to a parent or guardian. On each cut-out, the guardian writes 1 adjective to describe their child ( you may want to emphasize that all responses be positive). Have parents put these pieces back in the envelope so the student cannot see what was written. In class, the next day, have students write 7 adjectives describing themselves. Then, on the construction paper, on one half, have the child write "My (whomever) describes me as...", and on the other side of the white paper, it should say "I believe I am ..."
Encourage students to share their feelings upon reading what the parent/guardian has said about them.
Evaluation:
Assessment can be measured by observing what was written to describe the chosen nouns. Students should be encourages to use a thesaurus in order to learn new vocabulary and expunge the usual describing words such as "sad", "happy", "good", "boring", etc.
If more examples of mastery are needed, have students write sentences with their Spelling words, incorporating describing words. This will also serve as a check on sentence structure in terms of adjective placement.
This is a fun and easy activity to check students' addition skills. Through the planning of a party, students are given the responsibility of monitoring their spending; thus learning how to make "real-life" purchases, and ensuring enough pieces for everyone.
Lesson Plan: Financing a Party
Main Subject Area: Math
Interdisciplinary Unit: Life Skills
Grade: 4
Disciplines Involved: ESL, Math, Language Arts
Learning Objectives: Math
Learning Standard: Number Standard 1.5 : Whole Number Computation: Students engage in problem solving, communicating, reasoning, and connecting to:
* model, explain, and develop proficiency with basic facts and algorithms.
* use calculators in appropriate computational situations.
Learning Objectives: ESL...
Goal 1, Standard 3 : To use English to communicate in social settings
Goal 2, Standard 1 : To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: Students will use English to interact in the classroom
Lesson Activity:
Students will use newspapers and advertisements to plan a party, making sure to include enough supplies for their guests.
Students will provide an itemized list and compute the total to turn in when the project is completed.
Students will compare lists and totals to see who spent the most, who spent the least, and who planned the most festive party.
Guiding Questions:
When adding items to your list, are you checking to make sure that each package has enough for everyone? (example, if you are having 10 guests, and only 8 spoons in a package, make sure you buy another package).
Is there an easier/faster way to total a number of the same packages?
Materials/Resources: newspapers, party store flyers, chart paper, calculators, scrap paper for figuring (if necessary)
Procedures:
1. Students determine how many people they are going to invite to their party.
2. Have students estimate how much they think their party will cost them. Write this figure down somewhere so students can refer back to it at the end of the lesson.
3. Students peruse the newspapers/party advertisements and record the items they plan to purchase - including quantity.
4. When finished, students will calculate the total, and record this number.
5. Compare the final totals. See who spent the most money, ordered the most items, invited the most guests.
Extensions:
* Have students go back and round their prices. What is the new total?
* Give students a limited budget and ask them to make any changes necessary in order to comply with their new budget.
* Have students work at home with their family to plan the grocery list and try and total the bill before going to the store.
* Review division by having the students find out how much they have spent on each "guest" at their party.
* Allow students to pay with a $100.00 bill and find the change they would receive.
Evaluation:
It is possible to assess this activity by monitoring as students work. If this is used as a review of adding money, check for the use of monetary symbols ( $ and a decimal for cents). Have students check each other's math skills by re-checking their addition.
This experiment allows hands-on insight into erosion, and the topical makeup of the Earth. I find that this coincides nicely with our Land & Water STC kit, and also blends in nicely with our Landform Unit for Social Studies. I believe that the more experiences and visuals my Second Language learners are introduced to, the greater retention of content vocabulary they seem to master.
Prior Lessons: 4 types of landforms - mountains, rivers, deserts, and plains
* also may be used when teaching oceans/water
Lesson Plan: Composition of Ocean Water, effects of water on land erosion
Main Subject Area: Social Studies
Interdisciplinary Unit: Land & Water
Grade: 4
Disciplines Involved: ESL, Social Studies
Learning Objectives: Social Studies...
Strand 2, Standard 7: Physical Spaces of the Earth - Students will describe earth's natural features and their physical and biological characteristics; they will be able to visualize and map oceans and continents....
Learning Objectives: ESL...
Goal 2, Standard 1: To use English to achieve academically in all content areas: Students will use English to interact in the classroom.
Lesson Activity:
Students will be able to explain why the oceans of the world are slowly becoming saltier over long periods of time.
Guiding Questions:
What happens to the salt on the "land' or cookie sheet as the "rain" washes over it?
How does the water change when the salt is washed into it?
What happens to the water as more salt is washed into it over many years?
How does the water taste?
* It is important to stress that under normal experimentation, students should NEVER taste substances.
Do you think that salty oceans have a lot of salt wash into them over many years?
Why are rivers and lakes not salty?
Materials/Resources:
- salt and sand mixed evenly
- cookie sheet
- pan of water
- sprinkling can filled with water
Procedures:
1. Discuss how ocean water is influenced by the erosion of land and the sedimentation in the ocean. Introduce the word salinity, which is the amount of dissolved salts in the water.
2. Ask students if they have ever tasted salt water. Record experiences.
3. Have students taste the pan of water to see whether it is salty.
4. Have students pour 1 cup of the salt/sand onto the cookie sheet (representing land), and then hold the cookie sheet against the pan of water at an angle (the way land slopes toward the ocean).
5. Have students take turns sprinkling the water to represent rain over the cookie sheet. Observe and record observations after each "rainfall".
6. Ask children to taste the water again to see if it is salty.
7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 several times.
8. Ask whether the water gets saltier as each day of rainfall is represented.
Extensions:
Outdoor Activity/ Social Values: Invite a representative from the MWRA to come in to school as a guest speaker.
Take the class to the nearest water-treatment plant. Before the trip, discuss with students the kinds of questions they want to ask about the water they drink.
Discuss with class the importance of fresh water as the source of drinking water, and the appreciation of the high cost of energy needed to transform salt water to fresh water.
Evaluations:
The guiding questions may be used as a form of formal assessment. Also, students may record their observations and thoughts in a journal entry.
This program is supported in part by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, University of Massachusetts, Lowell.
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