English Language Arts 4

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Curriculum English Language Arts Grade 4 PDF Grade-Set: k-9
Introduction
Goals and Rationale
What's New
Curriculum Overview
Supports
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Big Ideas

Grandes idées

Language and text
text
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
can be a source of creativity and joy.
Exploring stories
stories
narrative texts, whether real or imagined, that teach us about human nature, motivation, and experience, and often reflect a personal journey or strengthen a sense of identity. They may also be considered the embodiment of collective wisdom. Stories can be oral, written, or visual, and used to instruct, inspire, and entertain listeners and readers. 
and other texts
texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
Texts
Texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
can be understood from different perspectives.
Using language in creative and playful ways helps
us understand how language works.
Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.

Learning Standards

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Curricular Competencies

Using oral, written, visual, and digital texts, students are expected individually and collaboratively to be able to:

Comprehend and connect (reading, listening, viewing)

Access and integrate information and ideas
Access and integrate information and ideas
posing questions; locating information; identifying main ideas and supporting details; using text features (table of contents, headings, index, glossary, diagrams, tables, charts); organizing information into graphics such as t-charts, Venn diagrams, flow charts, and timelines 
from a variety of sources and from prior knowledge
prior knowledge
personal stories and experiences 
to build understanding
Use a variety of comprehension strategies
comprehension strategies
examples include activating prior knowledge, making predictions, setting a purpose, making connections, asking questions, previewing written text, making inferences, drawing conclusions, using context clues 
before, during, and after reading, listening, or viewing to deepen understanding of text
text
Text and texts are generic terms referring all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
Consider different purposes, audiences, and perspectives in exploring texts
texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
Apply a variety of thinking skills
thinking skills
examples include self-monitoring, reflecting, goal setting 
to gain meaning from texts
texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
Identify how differences in context, perspectives, and voice influence meaning in texts
texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
Recognize the role of language in personal, social, and cultural identity
Use personal experience and knowledge to connect to text
text
Text and texts are generic terms referring all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
and deepen understanding of self, community, and world
Respond to text in personal and creative ways
Respond to text in personal and creative ways
expressing reactions and opinions, providing support for those, giving reasons for choice of favourite text 
Recognize how literary elements, techniques, and devices enhance meaning in texts
texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
Show an increasing understanding of the role of organization in meaning
organization in meaning
the use of paragraphing, chronological order, and order of importance to convey meaning in texts 
Demonstrate awareness of the oral tradition in First Peoples cultures
oral tradition in First Peoples cultures
the means by which culture is transmitted over generations other than through written records
  • Among First Peoples, oral tradition may consist of told stories, songs, and other types of distilled wisdom or information, often complemented by dance or various forms of visual representation, such as carvings or masks.
  • In addition to expressing spiritual and emotional truth (e.g., by symbol and metaphor), it provides a record of literal truth (e.g., about events and situations).
  • The oral tradition was once integrated into every facet of life of First Peoples and was the basis of the education system.
 
and the purposes of First Peoples texts
purposes of First Peoples texts
including to teach life lessons and skills, to convey individual and community responsibilities, to share family and community histories, to explain the natural world, to record history, to map the geography of an area. 
Identify how story in First Peoples cultures connects people to land
story in First Peoples cultures connects people to land
First Peoples stories were created to explain the landscape, the seasons, and local events. 

Create and communicate (writing, speaking, representing)

Exchange ideas and perspectives
Exchange ideas and perspectives
identifying opinions and viewpoints, asking clarifying questions, collaborating in large- and small-group activities, building on others’ ideas, disagreeing respectfully 
to build shared understanding
Use writing and design processes to plan, develop, and create texts
texts
Text and texts are generic terms referring all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
  • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
  • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
  • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
  • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
  • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
 
for a variety of purposes and audiences
Use language in creative and playful ways
creative and playful ways
taking risks in trying out new word choices and formats; playing with words, structures, and ideas 
to develop style
Communicate in sentences and paragraphs, applying conventions of Canadian spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Develop and apply expanding word knowledge
word knowledge
morphology, including roots, affixes, and suffixes 
Use oral storytelling processes
oral storytelling processes
creating an original story or finding an existing story (with permission), sharing the story from memory with others, using vocal expression to clarify the meaning of the text, using non-verbal communication expressively to clarify the meaning, attending to stage presence, differentiating the storyteller’s natural voice from the characters’ voices, presenting the story efficiently, keeping the listener’s interest throughout 
Transform ideas and information to create original texts

Content

Students are expected to know the following:
Story/text
  • forms
    forms
    such as narrative, exposition, report 
    , functions
    functions
    purposes of text 
    , and genres
    genres
    literary or thematic categories such as fantasy, humour, adventure, biography 
    of text
    text
    Text and texts are generic terms referring to all forms of oral, written, visual, and digital communication:
    • Oral texts include speeches, poems, plays, and oral stories.
    • Written texts include novels, articles, and short stories.
    • Visual texts include posters, photographs, and other images.
    • Digital texts include electronic forms of all the above.
    • Oral, written, and visual elements can be combined (e.g., in dramatic presentations, graphic novels, films, web pages, advertisements).
     
  • text features
    text features
    how text and visuals are displayed 
  • literary elements
    literary elements
    theme, character, setting, plot, conflict, and purpose 
  • literary devices
    literary devices
    sensory detail (e.g., imagery) and figurative language (e.g., metaphor, simile) 
  • evidence
Strategies and processes
  • reading strategies
    reading strategies
    using contextual clues; using phonics and word structure; visualizing; questioning; predicting; previewing text; summarizing; making inferences 
  • oral language strategies
    oral language strategies
    focusing on the speaker, asking questions to clarify; listening for specifics, expressing opinions, speaking with expression, staying on topic, taking turns 
  • metacognitive strategies
    metacognitive strategies
    talking and thinking about learning (e.g., through reflecting, questioning, goal setting, self-evaluating) to develop awareness of self as a reader and as a writer 
  • writing processes
    writing processes
    may include revising, editing, considering audience 
Language features, structures, and conventions
  • features of oral language
    features of oral language
    including tone, volume, inflection, pace, gestures 
  • paragraph structure
    paragraph structure
    use of a topic sentence and supporting details 
  • sentence structure and grammar
    grammar
    parts of speech; past, present, and future tenses; subject-verb agreement 
  • conventions
    conventions
    common practices in punctuation, such as use of the comma, quotation marks for dialogue, and the apostrophe 
Note: Some of the learning standards in the PHE curriculum address topics that some students and their parents or guardians may feel more comfortable addressing at home. Refer to ministry policy regarding opting for alternative delivery.