Scope and sequence · English
Grade 4 Composition & Creative Writing: The Fable Grown Up, and Narrative
The second year of classical writing: amplify and condense a fable as Aphthonius taught, tell true narratives with Theon’s six questions, build characters and settings with Kenneth Grahame, tell the Wright brothers’ flight three ways, write ballads after Longfellow and mail real letters.
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What to cover
32 of 35 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Fable Review: Amplify and Condense
- MUST COVER 1.1 Aphthonius’ Fable ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Amplify · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Condense · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Moral First, Moral Last · unit test
Unit 2: Narrative: The Six Questions
- MUST COVER 2.1 Who, What, When, Where, How, Why ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 A Bible Narrative: David and Goliath ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 A History Narrative: Paul Revere’s Ride · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Telling It Clearly · unit test
Unit 3: ✎ Story: Character and Setting
- MUST COVER 3.1 A Character You Can See ✎ ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 What a Character Wants ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 A Setting You Can Feel ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 My Character in My Place ✎ · unit test
Unit 4: Narrative II: Changing the Order
- MUST COVER 4.1 Start at the Beginning ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Start in the Middle · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Start at the End · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk ★ 🏆 · unit test
Unit 5: ✎ Poetry: The Ballad
- MUST COVER 5.1 Story Poems ✎ ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 The Ballad Stanza ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Refrains ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 My Ballad ✎ · unit test
Unit 6: Description of Persons and Things
- MUST COVER 6.1 Head to Toe ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Describing a Tool · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Describing by Comparison · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Wanted Poster · unit test
Unit 7: ✎ Personal Narrative: The Friendly Letter
- MUST COVER 7.1 Letters That Made History ✎ ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Writing to Grandparents ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Letters to a Soldier or Missionary ✎ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Mail It ✎ · unit test
Unit 8: Review, Revise, Read Aloud
- MUST COVER 8.1 The Revision Checklist ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Peer Reading with a Sibling · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Fable and Narrative Showcase · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Portfolio · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Contest Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Reading a Real Rule Sheet 🏆
- OPTIONAL 9.2 An Eight-Line Poem ✎ 🏆
- OPTIONAL 9.3 A One-Page Essay 🏆
36-week pacing calendar
This is a 18-week course. Pair it with another course in the same subject, or spread it over the year at a lighter pace.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Lesson 1.1 Aphthonius’ Fable ★ Lesson 1.2 Amplify | ||
| Wk 2 | Lesson 1.3 Condense Lesson 1.4 Moral First, Moral Last | ||
| Wk 3 | Lesson 2.1 Who, What, When, Where, How, Why ★ Lesson 2.2 A Bible Narrative: David and Goliath ★ | ||
| Wk 4 | Lesson 2.3 A History Narrative: Paul Revere’s Ride Lesson 2.4 Telling It Clearly | ||
| Wk 5 | Lesson 3.1 A Character You Can See ✎ ★ Lesson 3.2 What a Character Wants ✎ | ||
| Wk 6 | Lesson 3.3 A Setting You Can Feel ✎ Lesson 3.4 My Character in My Place ✎ | ||
| Wk 7 | Lesson 4.1 Start at the Beginning ★ Lesson 4.2 Start in the Middle | ||
| Wk 8 | Lesson 4.3 Start at the End Lesson 4.4 The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk ★ 🏆 | ||
| Wk 9 | Lesson 5.1 Story Poems ✎ ★ Lesson 5.2 The Ballad Stanza ✎ | ||
| Wk 10 | Lesson 5.3 Refrains ✎ Lesson 5.4 My Ballad ✎ | ||
| Wk 11 | Lesson 6.1 Head to Toe ★ Lesson 6.2 Describing a Tool | ||
| Wk 12 | Lesson 6.3 Describing by Comparison Lesson 6.4 Wanted Poster | ||
| Wk 13 | Lesson 7.1 Letters That Made History ✎ ★ Lesson 7.2 Writing to Grandparents ✎ | ||
| Wk 14 | Lesson 7.3 Letters to a Soldier or Missionary ✎ Lesson 7.4 Mail It ✎ | ||
| Wk 15 | Lesson 8.1 The Revision Checklist ★ Lesson 8.2 Peer Reading with a Sibling | ||
| Wk 16 | Lesson 8.3 Fable and Narrative Showcase Lesson 8.4 Portfolio | ||
| Wk 17 | Lesson 9.1 Reading a Real Rule Sheet 🏆 Lesson 9.2 An Eight-Line Poem ✎ 🏆 | ||
| Wk 18 | Lesson 9.3 A One-Page Essay 🏆 | ||
| Wk 19 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 20 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 21 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 22 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 23 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 24 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 25 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 26 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 27 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 28 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 29 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 30 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 31 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 32 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 33 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 34 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 35 | Open week: second course, project or review | ||
| Wk 36 | Open week: second course, project or review |
Grading: Writing projects 50%, Writing notebook 20%, Unit reviews 15%, Unit portfolio pieces 15%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79. Below 70: revise with help and resubmit.