Grade 4 ESL Curriculum Guide

  ESL provides students with direct instruction in vocabulary, grammar, and syntax of academic language.  This language instruction planned collaboratively to address core content areas (including ELA Modules) and WIDA Key Language Uses. Students engage with grade-level texts, build content knowledge, and share what they have learned through academic conversations and writing. ESL instruction responds to the cultural and linguistic knowledge and skills that students hold and those that they need for success in school. 

Unit

Timeframe

Big Ideas (Statements or Essential Questions)

Major Learning Experiences from Unit 

Newcomer curriculum

(optional - based on teacher recommendation)

6-8 weeks 

  • How can I be a member of the school community?

  • How is my language different/same as English?


Students will 

  • INFORM by identifying/naming/labeling to participate in grade-appropriate

exchanges of information

  • EXPLAIN by summarizing main ideas and key details to describe or report information


See Grade 4 ELA Overview for more context

Module 1 - Poetry, Poets, and Becoming Writers

10 weeks

  • What makes a poem a poem?

  • What inspires writers to write poetry?

Students will NARRATE, INFORM, EXPLAIN and ARGUE 

  • by using figurative language 

  • by describing

  • by delivering an oral presentation 

  • by incorporating visual displays to support oral presentations


See Grade 4 ELA Overview for more context

Module 2 - Researching to Build Knowledge and Teach Others: Animal Defense Mechanisms

10 weeks

  • How do animals' bodies and behaviors help them survive?

  • How can writers use knowledge from their research to inform and entertain?

Students will NARRATE, INFORM, EXPLAIN and ARGUE 

  • by identifying main ideas and supporting details while reading and writing texts

  • by describing animal characteristics 

  • by creating a story to be shared with an authentic audience


See Grade 4 ELA Overview for more context

Module 3 - The American Revolution

10 weeks

  • How did the American Revolution and the events leading up to it affect the people in the colonies?

Students will NARRATE, INFORM, EXPLAIN and ARGUE 

  • by having collaborative conversations that includes: 

    • an opinion or point of view

    • appropriate evidence to support their opinion

    • relevant facts and details

    • a concluding statement 


See Grade 4 ELA Overview for more context

Module 4 - Responding to Inequality: Ratifying the 19th Amendment

10 weeks

  • What can we learn from the process of ratifying the 19th Amendment?


  • How can stories inspire us to take action to contribute to a better world?


  • How and why can we encourage and support others to contribute to a better world?

Students will NARRATE, INFORM, EXPLAIN and ARGUE 

  • by working collaboratively to create and share writing that includes:

    • Sequence

    • Details

    • cause and effect 




See Grade 4 ELA Overview for more context