1st semester summary 2023-2024

The Dragon Problem Genre: Fairy Tale

• During the day Liang builds wood tables. At night he makes original wood toys.
• Liang carved dragons with long tails and sharp claws.
• Liang used wood.
• The problem is that there is a dragon. No one knows how to make the dragon go away.
• After Princess Peng smiled at Liang, he told his father he wanted to marry her.
• First, Liang made a big, scary dragon. Next, he pulled it up the mountain. Then, he set it by the cave.
• First, Liang hid behind a tree. Next, he made a loud roar. Then the dragon ran out of the cave.

Specific Vocabulary
Serious = thoughtful Unlucky = not lucky Kindly = in a kind way Carved = cut something hard into a shape

A World of Change Genre: Expository Text

• Some changes are slow like (weathering, erosion, and deposition)

• Weathering, erosion, and deposition are alike because they all take a long time to change Earth’s surface.
• Some changes are fast like volcanic eruption and landslides.
• An example of a landform is a mountain.
• A volcanic eruption is when hot melted rock is pushed up. The melted rock flows out of the volcano.

Specific Vocabulary
Surface = top Warn = tell

Natural processes = things that happen in nature that cause changes Loosens = to make something less tight

The Big Race Genre: Narrative Nonfiction

• Push and pull are forces.

• Forces cause things to move.
• Speed is how far an object moves in a certain amount of time.
• Gravity is the force that will pull your car down the hill.
• Friction is a force between two surfaces.
• A big push will increase the speed of the car.
• A big push will accelerate the car.

Specific Vocabulary
Claimed = said was true Increase = go faster Exhibit = a show, display or presentation

The ending -er is used to compare two things (bigger- faster – steeper - taller).

The ending -est is used to compare three or more things (biggest -fastest – steepest- tallest )
 The Fisherman and the Kaha Bird Genre: Folktale
• A fisherman does not catch enough fish.
• He and his wife are always hungry.
• The Kaha will bring fish to the fisherman’s house.
• The Kaha kept its promise and brought a fish every day.
• The Shah’s crier announced: “If you find the great Kaha, you will receive fifty bags of gold”.
• The fisherman wants to catch the Kaha, so he will get the gold. (because of his greed).
• The fisherman puts out a meal for the Kaha. The Kaha comes to eat the meal.
• The fisherman betrayed the Kaha.
• The fisherman and the servants fell into the river because the fisherman let go of the bird’s feet.

Specific Vocabulary
Assistance = helping Healed = got well Crier = a person who shouts important news.

Startled = to be suddenly surprised Betrayed = turned against A word with ‘s tells who owns or has
someone and helped the enemy. something.

The Ant and the Grasshopper Genre: Drama

• The ants are carrying leaves filled with water while it rains
• The grasshopper is napping while it rains.
• Ant is annoyed because Grasshopper is napping and not working.
• Ant feels frustrated because Grasshopper laughs and will not work.
• Grasshopper is sick because he does not have water to drink.
• Ant is healthy because he has water to drink.
• Ant gives Grasshopper a sip of water.
• Grasshopper has learned that he has to work hard and not be lazy.

Specific Vocabulary
Advice = help Approach = move near Suffer = to be in pain or have a hard time
The contraction we’re = we are The contraction you’re = you are

Rescuing the Reefs Genre: Narrative Nonfiction

• Algae and coral are connected because they depend on each other.
• Algae depends on coral for a home. The coral depends on algae for food.
• Algae use sunlight to make food. This is called photosynthesis.
• The healthy coral is colorful.
• The sick coral is bleached white.
• Parrotfish cannot make their own food
• The barracuda is a predator because it wants to eat the parrotfish.
• The reef died because of pollution and climate change.

Specific Vocabulary
Depend on = need Rescue = save • The word in tells where people are. The word into tells where people are going.
 At the Library Genre: Fantasy

• Rick was about to leave but saw a pile of books on a table.

• Rick was required to move across the country.
• Small World is the title of the book on the floor.
• The library would have a file giving information about each of its employees.
• The Bookers make sure things run smoothly by keeping mice away, oiling the chairs, and sharpening the pencils.
• Rick grinned because he felt happy and welcomed by his new friends.
• At the beginning of the story, Rick feels sad and lonely.
• At the end of the story, Rick is sharing a cupcake with the Bookers each year on his birthday.

Specific Vocabulary
Admired = liked Arrived = came Bent down = moved the body lower Grinned = smiled

Required = needed to do something File = a set of papers that gives information about a person or thing

Remembering Hurricane Katrina Genre: Realistic Fiction

• Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, causing damage, and people were evacuated to Houston.
• There are thousands of people in the Astrodome because they have been evacuated there from Hurricane Katrina.
• The people are wearing torn and dirty clothes and no shoes because they had to escape the terrible storm. They may
have lost their homes and possessions.
• The donation boxes were filled with new toys.
• Hector and his friend had a club called the Houston Helpers.
• They devised a plan to collect toys for kids.
• They wanted to give the children a little joy.

Specific Vocabulary
Efforts = to use energy to try to do something Improved = got better

Glanced = looked at quickly Devised = came up with a way to do something

 Judy’s Appalachia Genre: biography

• The coal mining companies were harming her home.

• Marfork is important to Judy. It is her home and her family has lived there for a long time.
• The valley was covered with leafy green forests.
• The dust filled the air and covered nearby towns.
• Judy was heartbroken because she had to leave.
• She wanted the mining to stop.
• She volunteered for a group that worked against mountaintop removal mining.
• Many coal miners supported the mining process because they needed their jobs.

Specific Vocabulary
coal sludge= a mixture of mud, chemicals, and coal Afford = is able to do something Destroyed = broken down
dust.
Held up = raised something up in the air Grew up = the place where a person spent time as a child.

Process = actions that help to get something done Explosions = loud sounds caused by something being blown apart.

Words for Change

• Elizabeth’s father wished she was a boy because women did not have the same rights as men.
Genre:
• Elizabeth’s
biography father could not help women because they did not have the same rights as men.
• Women could not own property or vote.
• Elizabeth was an activist who believed that women and African Americans should have the right to vote.
• Elizabeth and Susan B. Anthony could not be stopped. They were unstoppable.
• Because of the work of Elizabeth and others, women gained the right to vote on August 18, 1920.

Specific Vocabulary
Determined= wanted to do Refused= would not do
Inactive= not active Unhappy= not happy
 Grammar: Conjunctions
Name

• A clause has a subject and a verb. An independent clause can stand

alone as a sentence.
• A simple sentence has one independent clause. A compound
sentence has two or more independent clauses.
• Independent clauses in a compound sentence are usually joined by
a coordinating conjunction, such as and, but, or, for, nor, or yet.

Read each sentence. Circle the coordinating conjunction that best

completes the sentence and write it on the line provided.

1. We can go to Florida for vacation, (or / nor) we can visit California. or

2. My sister asked me to go with her, (for / but) I did not want to. but

3. I brought a stool into the kitchen, (or / for) I could not reach the cabinet. for

4. The ostrich has feathers and wings, (yet / nor) this bird cannot fly. yet

5. Haley is good at math, (but / for) Raul is better at science. but

6. She got home late from work, (or / and) we asked if she was tired. and

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7. They did not see the solar eclipse, (nor / yet) did they see the comet. nor

8. Firefighters put their lives at risk, (for / yet) they take important safety
measures. yet

9. The dog ate his biscuit, (and / or) a squirrel stole the treat. or

10. Summer is almost over, (and / nor) school will begin soon. and

12 Grammar • Grade 4 • Unit 1 • Week 3

 Grammar: Concrete Nouns and Abstract Nouns
Name

• A noun is a word that names a person, a place, or a thing.

• A common noun names any person, place, or thing. A proper noun is
the name or title of a specific person, place, or organization.
• A concrete noun names a person, place, or thing that can be identified
with any of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste.
• An abstract noun names a person, place, or thing that cannot be
identified with any of the five senses. Abstract nouns usually name
ideas.

Read the list of nouns below. Decide whether each word is a concrete noun
or an abstract noun. Sort the words in the correct columns.

paper loyalty pain watermelon

trust baseball pride courage
student honesty music sunshine
love animal perfume peace

CONCRETE ABSTRACT
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1. paper 9. trust

2. student 10. love

3. baseball 11. loyalty

4. animal 12. honesty

5. music 13. pain

6. perfume 14. pride

7. watermelon 15. courage

8. sunshine 16. peace

Grammar • Grade 4 • Unit 2 • Week 1 27

 Grammar: Plural Nouns
Name

• A singular noun names one person, place, or thing. A plural noun

names more than one person, place, or thing.
• Add -s to form the plural of most singular nouns.
• Add -es to form the plural of singular nouns that end in s, sh, ch, x, or z.
• To form the plural of nouns ending in a consonant followed by the letter
y, change y to i and add -es.

On the line provided, write the correct plural form of each noun in
parentheses.

1. We saw baby (bear) bears coming out of the den.

2. The (bush) bushes needed to be trimmed.

3. After the rain, the (match) matches were useless.

4. How many (phone) phones are in the house?

5. Name two (country) countries that border the United States.

Airplanes

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6. (Airplane) make travel a lot easier.

7. Do you know what is in those (box) boxes ?

8. The store was filled with colorful (dress) dresses .

9. How many (quiz) quizzes did you have this week?

10. There are ten (copy) copies of the book on the shelf.

32 Grammar • Grade 4 • Unit 2 • Week 2

 Grammar: Irregular Plural Nouns
Name

• Some nouns have irregular plurals that do not follow regular plural
rules.
• Many nouns that end in -f or -fe are made plural by changing the f to a v
and adding -es, such as life/lives.
• Some nouns are made plural by changing their vowel sound and
spelling, such as foot/feet.
• Some nouns are made plural by using different endings, such as
child/children.

Read each sentence. Circle the irregular plural and write it on the line
provided.

1. We watched the geese fly into the clouds. geese

2. The men picked up their suitcases and boarded the plane. men

3. Two halves of the pie equal one whole. halves

4. The patients waited for the dentist to look at their teeth. teeth

5. They asked their wives to join them on stage. wives

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6. The teams of oxen pulled the plows across the field. oxen

7. Are there enough knives for all of the dishes on the table? knives

8. All the women were asked to come onto the dance floor. women

9. We needed rakes to clean up the fallen leaves. leaves

10. The gentlemen arrived wearing suits and ties. gentlemen

36 Grammar • Grade 4 • Unit 2 • Week 3

 Grammar: Plural Possessive Nouns
Name

• When a possessive noun is used before another noun, it shows to what

or whom that noun belongs.
• To form the possessive of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an
-s to the end of the noun.
• To form the possessive of a plural noun that ends in s, add only an
apostrophe to the end of the noun.
• To form the possessive of a plural noun that does not end in s, add an
apostrophe and an -s to the end of the noun.

Read each sentence. Write the possessive form of the underlined plural
noun.

1. The mayor honored the two firefighters heroic act. firefighters’

2. The people opinion is that none of the candidates are good. people’s

3. I found the insects habits interesting to watch in the ant farm. insects’

4. The women purses were all black and quite large. women’s

5. Photos show different flowers petals and how they open in the morning.

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flowers’

6. The workers lunch was waiting for them in the cafeteria. workers’

7. Some visitors wished they had the men coats to keep warm! men’s

8. Several countries athletes ran in the race. countries’

9. All of the robes linings were torn. robes’

10. My sheep wool will keep them warm. sheep’s

42 Grammar • Grade 4 • Unit 2 • Week 4

 Grammar: More Verb Tenses
Name

• A verb in the present tense shows that the action is happening now or
over and over.
• A verb in the past tense shows that the action has already happened.
Use was or were with the -ing form of a main verb to create the
progressive form of a past-tense verb.
• A verb in the future tense shows action that will happen. Use will be
with the -ing form of a main verb to create the progressive form of a
future-tense verb.

Read each sentence and underline the verb. On the line provided, identify
the verb as past, past progressive, future, or future progressive.

1. The telephone was ringing all day. past progressive

2. I watched the deer in the woods. past

3. My grandmother will call soon. future

4. Dr. Lewis will be teaching a course next year. future progressive

5. The television broke a long time ago. past

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6. The ocean tide will be rising in the next few hours. future progressive

7. My sister was crying about the broken toy. past progressive

8. I will leave early for school. future

9. We talked for hours on the phone. past

10. The plane was flying high in the clouds. past progressive

Grammar • Grade 4 • Unit 3 • Week 2 57

 Grammar: Tense and Agreement of Linking Verbs
Name

• A linking verb connects the subject to a noun or adjective in the

predicate.
• Linking verbs are usually forms of be, but can be other verbs.
• A linking verb must agree in number with the subject of the sentence.

Circle the correct linking verb in parentheses to complete the sentence.

Then rewrite the sentence on the line.

1. This meat (is / are) not good anymore.

This meat is not good anymore.

2. Some of my toys (was / were) in the yard sale.

Some of my toys were in the yard sale.

3. The bed (feels / smells) nice and soft.

The bed feels nice and soft.

4. My hair (was / were) longer last year.

My hair was longer last year.
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5. Your backpack (are / seems) newer than mine.

Your backpack seems newer than mine.

6. I (am / are) happy to see you!

I am happy to see you!

Grammar • Grade 4 • Unit 3 • Week 4 67

 Grammar: Subject-Verb Agreement
Name

• The present-tense forms of be are am, is, and are. The past-tense forms
of be are was and were. The future-tense form of be is will be.
• Use am, was, or will be with I. Use is, was, or will be with all singular
subjects. Use are, were, or will be with all plural subjects.

A. Write am, is, or are to complete each sentence.

1. I am late for the birthday party.

2. The cat and dog are good pals.

3. My lampshade is old and ripped.

4. The jewelry is very valuable.

5. Robbie and Katrina are class leaders.

B. Write was, were, or will be to complete each sentence.

6. She will be tired soon.

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7. They were braver yesterday.

8. I was angry at first about what she did.

9. David will be here later tonight.

10. June and I were confused until you explained it.

68 Grammar • Grade 4 • Unit 3 • Week 4

 Spelling: r-Controlled Vowels /är/ and /ôr/
Name

dart argue charge fort worn

guard spark carpet morning stormy
award target warp stork core
backyard smart door cord bore

A. Circle the spelling word in each row that rhymes with the word
in bold type. Write the spelling word on the line.

1. chore door dare sort door

2. scarred snared carted guard guard

3. large charge charm flag charge

4. horn word worn war worn

5. fork spook stork lark stork

6. start hard note dart dart

7. aboard award colored apart award

8. four first pair bore bore

9. short pour fort fit fort

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10. cart smart smelled port smart

11. board cord card crowed cord

12. shark stork clock spark spark

13. pour pair core cope core

14. warning morning forty started morning

B. Write these spelling words in alphabetical order:

carpet, argue, backyard, warp, stormy, target.

15. argue 17. carpet 18. target

16. backyard 18. stormy 20. warp

50 Phonics/Spelling • Grade 4 • Unit 2 • Week 4

 Spelling: r-Controlled Vowels er, ir, ur
Name

herb worse shirt curl turkey

person pearl twirl curve turnip
sternly dirty swirl curb purpose
serpent birth purse hurl blurred

A. Underline the spelling word in each row that rhymes with the word in
bold type. Write the spelling word on the line.

1. whirl swirl wind fur swirl

2. heard steer fed blurred blurred

3. worsen lesson winded person person

4. perky turkey corny funny turkey

5. spurt spent shirt blur shirt

curb
6. verb curb nerve fern
7. nurse must bees worse worse
hurl
8. girl grunt hurl ball
9. worth wart birth teeth birth

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10. verse purse belts serve purse

11. serve knee love curve curve

12. blurb bulb glad herb herb

13. earl twirl tell end twirl

B. Write these spelling words in alphabetical order. Alphabetize them to the

second letter. pearl, serpent, turnip, curl, sternly, purpose, dirty

curl purpose turnip

14. 17. 20.
dirty serpent
15. 18.
pearl sternly
16. 19.

62 Phonics/Spelling • Grade 4 • Unit 3 • Week 1

 Spelling: Silent Letters
Name

wrinkle answer kneel thumbs doubtful

wriggle knead knew lambs hour
wrapper knives plumber condemn honest
wrench known combs resign honor

A. Fill in the missing letter of each word to form a spelling word.

1. w riggle 11. k neel

2. dou b tful 12. resi g n
3. k nown 13. k nives
4. plum b er 14. lam b s
5. thum b s 15. h onest
6. condem n 16. w rinkle
7. k nead 17. ans w er
8. h onor 18. k new
9. w rench 19. h our
10. com b s 20. w rapper

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B. Write these spelling words in alphabetical order. Alphabetize them to the
third letter. wrinkle, honor, wrench, hour, resign

21. honor 24. wrench

22. hour 25. wrinkle

23. resign

68 Phonics/Spelling • Grade 4 • Unit 3 • Week 2

 Spelling: Soft c and g
Name

center circus ounce badge wedge

once cement glance strange arrange
scene police germs orange sponge
spice certain bridge ginger village

A. Circle the spelling word in each row that rhymes with the word in
bold type. Write the spelling word on the line.

1. ridge ride bridge brought bridge

2. bean scene bone need scene

3. percent printed correct cement cement

4. pledge trudge welt wedge wedge

5. renter rater blender center center

certain
6. curtain captain certain crept
7. twice spice spruce stick spice
ounce
8. bounce pound inch ounce
9. injure ginger before jailor ginger

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10. worms charms forms germs germs

11. plunge plum sponge surge sponge

12. range rage store strange strange

13. chance glance charge gates glance

B. Fill in the missing letter of each word to form a spelling word.

14. poli c e 18. c ircus

15. arran g e 19. villa g e
16. on c e 20. bad g e
17. oran g e

74 Phonics/Spelling • Grade 4 • Unit 3 • Week 3