Quarter 1
ELA- In 2017, WCPSS adapted a new ELA curriculum, EL. Each quarter, we focus on a new module that focuses on different standards. Below is information about each module.
Module 1- Quarter 1:
In Unit 1,students read literary texts about children who face challenges with access to education. Throughout the course of the unit, students read three literary texts: Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown, Rain School by James Rumford, and Nasreen’s Secret School by Jeanette Winter. They read each text for gist, recount the text, determine its central message or lesson, and then closely read and answer text-dependent questions designed to help them explain how that central message or lesson is conveyed through details in the text. Students also identify the challenges faced by the characters and how they are able to overcome them.
Throughout the unit, students are introduced to routines and anchor charts that will be used throughout the rest of the module, as well as the rest of the year. In the first half of the unit, students learn about independent reading and discussion norms and receive their independent reading journals and vocabulary logs. For the mid-unit assessment, students discuss what they like about their independent reading books and the things that they have found challenging. In the second half of the unit, after learning how to write short constructed responses, students read a new literary text, answer selected response questions, and write short constructed responses about questions having to do with the text.
Module 2- Quarter 2: "Adaptations and the Wild World of Frogs"
In this module, students will use literacy skills to become experts—people who use reading, writing, listening, and speaking to build and share deep knowledge about a topic. The module begins with students reading poetry and pourquoi tales about different kinds of frogs to generate “why” questions. At the end of the unit, they write their own fictional pourquoi narratives to attempt to answer some of their “why” questions. In Unit 2, students research to find out the real answers to their frog questions and write paragraphs to communicate their research. In Unit 3, students will form research groups to become experts on various “freaky” frogs—frogs that have unusual adaptations that help them to survive in extreme environments throughout the world. Students will build their reading, research, writing, and collaborative discussion skills through studying their expert frog. Throughout the module, students will consistently reflect on the role of literacy in building and sharing expertise. They will demonstrate their expertise through a Freaky Frog book and trading card.
Module 3- Quarter 3: "Exploring Literary Classics"
What can we learn from reading literary classics? In this module, students consider the answer to this question through a case study of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. In Unit 1, students begin reading Peter Pan. At the beginning of the unit, they also read an informational text about the author and historical context. As students read chapters of Peter Pan, they make connections between what they have read in Peter Pan and the issues presented in the informational text. Students also consider how each new chapter of Peter Pan builds on the events in previous chapters. In the second half of the unit, students analyze character traits and actions and compare their point of view to the point of view of the characters. Once students have finished reading Peter Pan, in the second half of Unit 2, they write a book review explaining whether they would recommend the story to a friend. They finish the unit by participating in a discussion about their opinions of the book. In Unit 3, students revise a scene of Peter Pan using some of the reasons students would not recommend the story to a friend. After revising one part of the story, they create a presentation explaining why and how they have revised that scene. For the performance task, students read aloud their revised scenes to an
audience before explaining how and why they revised the scene.
MATH
Addition
subtraction strategies up to 1000
Rounding to the nearest 10 and 100
Problem solving
2D shapes and their characteristics
The students will understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes
(e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). They will recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories.
Multiplication and basic multiplication strategies
Area and Perimeter
Fractions
SCIENCE
Soil & Plants: Understand how plants survive in their environments.
Remember the function of the following plant structures as it relates to the survival of plants in their environment
Roots-absorb nutrients Stems-provide support Leaves-synthesize food Flowers - attract pollinators and produce seed for reproduction
Explain how environmental conditions determine how well plants survive and grow.
Summarize the distinct stages of the life cycle of seed plants.
Explain how the basic properties (texture and capacity to hold water) and components (sand, clay and humus) of soil determine
the ability of soil to support growth and survival of many plants.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Civics/Government: This unit will teach students how the local government is patterned after the state and national government. They will examine the structure of government and how it functions to serve its citizens. Finally, they will learn the roles, rights and responsibilities of a good citizen and a good leader.
Branches of Government (Legislative, Executive and Judicial)
County and City Government Leaders
County and City Government Budgeting