Curriculum / ELA / 4th Grade / Unit 2: Preparing for the Worst: Natural Disasters / Lesson 10
ELA
Unit 2
4th Grade
Lesson 10 of 22
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Write a well-structured paragraph that explains where and how earthquakes occur and what hazards they create.
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You have been asked to write an informational resource to help others learn about the dangers of earthquakes. Your resource needs to include:
Your resource should include multiple well-structured paragraphs. You can also include visuals and diagrams to help the reader.
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W.4.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.4.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.4.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.4.6 — Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).
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.4.4 — Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1—3 above.)
W.4.5 — With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
W.4.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
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 9
Lesson 11
Explain what a natural disaster is and why it is important to know if a natural disaster is imminent.
RI.4.3 RI.4.5 RI.4.7
Explain where and how volcanoes occur using the words "plates," "magma," and "erupt."
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.
Writing – 2 days
Write a well-structured paragraph that explains where and how volcanoes occur and what hazards they create.
W.4.2 W.4.2.a W.4.2.b W.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.4.3 RI.4.5
Describe the tools scientists use to measure earthquakes and why one form of measurement is not enough for measuring earthquakes.
Writing
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.
Narrative Writing – 4 days
Write a short narrative about a young person dealing with a natural disaster.
L.4.1.f L.4.2.a L.4.2.b SL.4.1 W.4.3 W.4.3.a W.4.3.b W.4.3.c W.4.5 W.4.8
Assessment
Writing – 5 days
Research and report on a recent natural disaster.
L.4.1.f W.4.2 W.4.2.a W.4.2.b W.4.2.e W.4.7 W.4.8
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