Curriculum / ELA / 4th Grade / Unit 1: Finding Fortune: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon / Lesson 1
ELA
Unit 1
4th Grade
Lesson 1 of 28
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Describe Fruitless Mountain and Minli’s family.
Book: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin — Preview and Ch. 1
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Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved
Describe Fruitless Mountain and how Minli’s family lives. How does the setting impact the mood?
How does Minli’s family feel about stories?
An example response to the Target Task at the level of detail expected of the students.
Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
What details does Grace Lin include about Minli? What do they show us?
Why was Jade Dragon so offended? What does she do as a result of this anger? How do her children react?
According to the story, why is Fruitless Mountain bare? What needs to happen for it to flourish again?
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
impractical
adj.
(p. 9)
not right for the situation
impulsive
(p. 2)
doing something suddenly without thought
resentfully
adv.
(p. 6)
to do something in a way that shows anger or displeasure over unfairness
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RL.4.3 — Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
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.
L.4.4.b — Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
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.
RL.4.1 — Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL.4.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
RL.4.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, 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.4.9.a — Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions].").
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.
Lesson 2
RL.4.3
Describe why Minli and her family act in certain ways.
Describe why Minli acts in certain ways.
RL.4.3 RL.4.4
Writing – 2 days
Write a paragraph that describes Minli.
L.4.1.a L.4.1.f L.4.2.c W.4.1.a W.4.1.b
Describe how Ma and Ba are feeling and why.
Describe how Dragon was born and why the author includes this story.
RL.4.3 SL.4.1 SL.4.1.c
Analyze the Goldfish Man’s perspective on fortune and if it is similar to Ma and Ba’s.
Analyze the significance of "The Story of the Paper of Happiness."
RL.4.2 RL.4.3
Explain what the quote "I'll find a way" shows about Minli.
Describe how Minli is beginning to change.
Analyze how Minli’s parents and Minli are starting to transform through their relationships with others.
Describe the king.
L.4.1.a L.4.1.f L.4.2.c W.4.1 W.4.1.a W.4.1.b
Summarize how Dragon ended up with the borrowed line.
Explain why Minli feels ashamed and how she is changing.
Summarize how the girl outsmarted the tiger.
Explain what Minli might learn from the twins and grandfather.
Describe the gift the people of Moon Rain give Minli and why it is an example of true generosity.
Describe what idea Minli puts into action to get the message to the Old Man of the Moon and where the idea came from.
Explain what lesson the Old Man of the Moon is trying to teach Wu Kang and how it connects to Minli’s quest for fortune.
Explain how Ma changes.
Explain how Minli came to realize that she already had the best fortune.
Analyze how Minli knew that all of her questions had been answered.
Writing
L.4.1.a L.4.1.f L.4.2.c RL.4.3 W.4.1.a W.4.1.b
Discussion
Debate two essential questions using evidence and arguments from the entire unit and personal experience.
SL.4.1 SL.4.1.c SL.4.2
Opinion Writing – 4 days
Write a persuasive letter from the perspective of one of the characters, asking the reader to agree with your point of view.
SL.4.1 W.4.1 W.4.1.a W.4.1.b W.4.1.c W.4.4 W.4.5 W.4.9
Assessment
Narrative Writing – 4 days
Write a narrative story that recounts a moment on Minli’s journey where things go wrong.
L.4.1.g L.4.2.b L.4.3 W.4.3.a W.4.3.b W.4.3.d
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