6 minute read
Major Assessments
Focusing Question Task
1. For an audience who might be interested in learning more about myths and why people created them, write a well-developed paragraph in which you explain what a myth is and why the Greeks created them. Develop your ideas with evidence and examples from pages 6–23 of Understanding Greek Myths and from the book, Gifts from the Gods.
Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards
Build conceptual understanding of mythology and why people created myths.
Practice with explanatory writing.
Understand the purposes of mythology to assist with understanding a variety of myths from various cultures. RL.4.1, RI.4.1, W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.8, L.4.1.g, L.4.2.d
2. Choose two myths or stories that come from different cultures and share a similar theme. Write a welldeveloped essay to describe each story and compare how they convey the theme.
Use evidence from two different texts listed below:
Understanding Greek Myths
Gifts from the Gods
Pushing Up the Sky
“When Raven Soared”
3. For your teacher and classmates, write a well-developed paragraph in which you explain how Sal’s and Phoebe’s stories are connected. Include at least three connections, including the main connection.
Support your response using evidence from the text, Walk Two Moons. Summarize myths to state the most important ideas.
Identify the purpose of a myth.
Explain what can be learned from a myth.
Compare the treatment of similar themes or topics in different myths.
Write a full explanatory essay citing evidence from multiple texts.
Make connections between similar stories.
Infer themes.
Analyze characters’ thoughts and actions to understand how the themes are revealed in a story.
Support points with text evidence.
Use at least three linking words and three vocabulary words.
Create a focus and support it with evidence and elaboration. RL.4.1, RL.4.3, W.4.2, W.4.4, L.4.2.d, L.4.6
RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.9, L.4.1.c, L.4.2.d, W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.9
4. For an audience who has read and studied the texts in this module as you have, write a well-developed essay to answer the question, What does Sal learn in Walk Two Moons? Identify two main lessons Sal learns. Then choose at least two of the messages left on the porch in Walk Two Moons. Explain what each message means, and how it connects to each lesson Sal learns. You may choose to include one way “Pandora’s Box” is related to one of the lessons.
Use evidence from Walk Two Moons, and from “Pandora’s Box” if you include an example from the myth. Students identify idioms, adages, or proverbs and explain their meaning.
Students explain what can be learned from stories and myths.
Students compare the treatment of similar themes or topics in a story and myth.
Write a full explanatory essay referring to text evidence. RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, RL.4.4, W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.9.a, L.4.2.d
New-Read Assessment
1. Read the Native American myth “When Raven Soared” and answer a set of questions. Students analyze story elements in a myth.
Students analyze a myth to determine its purpose or lesson taught.
Students demonstrate understanding of the meaning of words in context.
Students write short, explanatory texts to articulate their own ideas and support them with text evidence. RL.4.1, RL.4.3, RL.4.4, RL.4.5, RL.4.7, RL.4.9, L.4.1.g, L.4.5.b
2. Read chapter 33 of Walk Two Moons, then answer the questions.
Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards
Articulating adages/proverbs, meanings and themes, and supporting text evidence prepares students to distill central themes in module texts.
Emphasis placed on inferencing skills that are needed to respond to EOM Task.
Analyzing a story about a realistic character helps students express complex ideas using familiar story elements. RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, RL.4.4, RL.4.9, L.4.4.a, L.4.4.b, L.4.5.b, W.4.10
Socratic Seminar
1. Discuss ideas that answer the question: How are Sal’s and Phoebe’s stories connected? Include their main connection.
State your points clearly supporting them with text evidence and elaborating on ideas and evidence to demonstrate understanding of how the plot is developing to reveal more about the characters. Use linking words and vocabulary learned from reading the module texts to be more concise when speaking.
2. Discuss the following question: Which message in Walk Two Moons do you think is most helpful to Sal, and why?
State your points clearly supporting them with text evidence and elaborating on ideas and evidence to demonstrate understanding of the inferred themes. Use vocabulary learned from reading the module texts to be more concise when speaking.
3. Discuss the following questions: What can we learn from myths and stories? What do the myths we’ve studied have in common?
State your points clearly, supporting them with text evidence and elaborating on ideas and evidence to demonstrate understanding of the inferred themes. Use vocabulary learned from reading the module texts to be more concise when speaking. Discuss information learned from both literary and informational texts.
Elements That Support Success on the EOM Task Standards
Explain similarities in different characters’ stories.
Infer how characters’ thoughts and actions reveal unspoken feelings and perspectives.
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker gives to support particular points before adding one’s own ideas to the conversation.
Practice explaining connections between different stories. RL.4.1, RL.4.3, SL.4.1, SL.4.6, W.4.2.c, L.4.2.d, L.4.6
Distill importance of messages in Walk Two Moons.
Articulate relationship between lessons in myths and lessons Sal learns in Walk Two Moons.
Clearly state opinion and support it with text evidence and elaboration of points.
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker gives to support particular points before adding one’s own ideas to the conversation.
Practice elaborating on points to make the inferred ideas visible. RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, SL.4.1, SL.4.2, SL.4.3, SL.4.4, L.4.5.b
Provides oral rehearsal time before writing EOM Task response.
Allows students to hear other ideas gleaned from reading module texts.
Provides opportunity for students to synthesize new learning gained in discussion before writing the EOM task response. RL.4.1, RL.4.2, L.4.9, RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.9, SL.4.1, SL.4.2, SL.4.3, SL.4.4, L.4.3.c, L.4.5.b
End-of-Module Task
Write an essay to explain two themes that myths and stories can teach us. Write your essay for new Grade 4 students who want to know more about what they will learn in this module.
Use evidence from two informational texts to describe the ancient Greeks and Native American tribes:
Understanding Greek Myths
Introductions in Pushing Up the Sky
Use evidence from two literary texts to provide examples that help you explain what we can learn from myths and stories:
Pushing Up the Sky
Walk Two Moons
“When Raven Soared”
“Legend of the Moccasin Flower”
“The Sun, Moon, and Stars” An introduction that provides background using evidence from the informational texts to describe the people whose myths you have studied.
A clear thesis that states two themes we can learn from reading myths and stories.
Two supporting paragraphs—one that develops each theme you identified in your thesis.
In each supporting paragraph, evidence from myths and stories that demonstrate the theme.
In each supporting paragraph, elaboration of evidence to explain how the examples demonstrate the theme.
Transitions within and between paragraphs.
A conclusion that reinforces your thesis and reflects on its significance.
Use two modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) correctly.
Underline them.
Use correct spelling, punctuation and capitalization.
Use at least three vocabulary words from your
Vocabulary Journal. RL.4.1, RL.4.9, RI.4.1, RI.4.9, W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.9, L.4.1.c, L.4.1.g, L.4.2.d, L.4.6
