LibGuides: Resources to Meet Standards: Grade 4

Instructions

Click on the title for a book summary and additional information.

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KAS Standard RI.4.1.: REFER TO DETAILS AND EXAMPLES in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

AASL Standards:

I.D.2.: Learners participate in an ongoing inquiry-based process by: Engaging in sustained inquiry.

IV.D.1.: Learners select and organize information for a variety of audiences by: Performing ongoing analysis of and reflection on the quality, usefulness, and accuracy of curated resources.

Abe's Honest Words by Doreen Rappaport; Gary Kelley (Illustrator); Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781423104087
Publication Date: 2008
This is a biography telling the story of Abraham Lincoln using facts compiled from the author and quotes from Abraham Lincoln. The brilliant illustrations by Kadir Nelson bring to life the stunning details of Lincoln’s life and the difficult decisions he made as America’s president during the Civil War.

Prompts:

1. In the text it says that, “He had just a mite of schooling, yet he loved words the way his papa, a master storyteller, did. He stuffed books inside his shirt. In between splitting wood and plowing, he stood in the field and read. He read some books so many times he knew whole parts by heart”. What inference can you make about Abraham Lincoln based upon this part of the text?

2. When the author tells about Abe’s trip to New Orleans, what did he see that shattered his joy?

3. Did Abraham Lincoln win every election? What positions did he run for?

4. What inference can we make about his character based upon the text?
Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin; Eric Larkin (Illustrator); Will Allen (Afterword by)
ISBN: 9780983661535
Publication Date: 2013
Will Allen is no ordinary farmer. A former basketball star, he's as tall as his truck, and he can hold a cabbage--or a basketball--in one hand. But what is most special about Farmer Will is that he can see what others can't see. When he looked at an abandoned city lot in Milwaukee he saw a huge table, big enough to feed the whole world. No space, no problem. Poor soil, there's a solution. Need help, found it. Farmer Will is a genius in solving problems.

PROMPTS:

1. When did Will realize he "loved digging in the dirt."? What did he do to start farming in a city?

2. What was the first problem Will had to solve before he could start growing plants? What steps did he take to resolve the problem?

3. What helped the garbage become compost? Describe what Will and the kids did to keep these helpers healthy.

4. What inference can we make about his character based upon the text?
The Unstoppable Garrett Morgan by Joan DiCicco; Ebony Glenn (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781620145647
Publication Date: 2019
Garrett Morgan, a prolific African American inventor and entrepreneur...Using his ingenuity and tenacity, Garrett overcame racial barriers and forged a career as a successful businessman and inventor.

PROMPTS:

1. Morgan's motto was, "If a man puts something to block you way, the first time you go around it, the second time you go over it, and the third time you go through it". What inference can you make about Garrett Morgan from his motto?

2. Was every invention of Garrett Morgan's successful? Describe inventions that did not become popular. Describe which inventions were most successful?

3. What conclusions can we make about his ingenuity and perseverance based upon the text?

KAS Standard RI.4.3.: Explain the INDIVIDUALS, EVENTS, PROCEDURES, IDEAS OR CONCEPTS IN A HISTORICAL, SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL TEXT, including what happened and why, based on specific information over the course of a text.

AASL Standards:

I.D.4.: Learners participate in an ongoing inquiry-based process by: Using reflection to guide informed decisions.

IV.B.4.: Learners gather information appropriate to the task by: Organizing information by priority, topic, or other systematic scheme.

All in a Drop by Lori Alexander; Vivien Mildenberger (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781328884206
Publication Date: 2019
The biography of Antony van Leeuwenhoek shows how a self-taught scientist was the first to observe the microbial life in and around us. By building his own microscope, Antony van Leeuwenhoek advanced humanity's understanding of our oft-invisible world around us. Microbes are everywhere: in the soil and oceans, in snow, and inside our bodies.

PROMPTS:

1. How did a vacation in London influence Antony van Leeuwenhoek's life? Describe what he saw there.

2. At the time, people believed that what they saw with their own eyes was all that existed in the world. How did a simple tradesman--who didn't go to college or speak English or Latin like all the other scientists--change everyone's minds?

3. Why is he called the Father of Microbiology?
How to Clean a Hippopotamus by Robin Page; Steve Jenkins (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780547245157
Publication Date: 2010
Many animals help one another in a way that makes them form unusual partnerships. They team up together because each one helps meet the needs of the other in a special way.

Prompts:

Choose a set of two animals and explain how explain each animal helps the other using evidence from the text.
One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul; Elizabeth Zunon (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781467716086
Publication Date: 2015
The inspiring true story of how one African woman began a movement to recycle the plastic bags that were polluting her community.

PROMPTS:

1, What was the problem that Isatou saw in her community? Describe the event that made her know she had to do something to make a change in her community?

2. Describe the actions Isatou took to eliminate the problem in her community.

3. What were the results of Isatou's plan and action? How did these results benefit the community and Isatou?

KAS Standard RI.4.5.: Describe the overall STRUCTURE, in a text or part of the text, the author uses to organize the events, ideas, concepts or information.

AASL Standards:

IV.A.3.: Learners act on an information need by: Making critical choices about information sources to use.

VI.A.3.: Learners follow ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information by: Evaluating information for accuracy, validity, social and cultural context, and appropriateness for need.

The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs by Sandra Markle
ISBN: 9780761351085
Publication Date: 2011
Scientists use observation as a key tool in their investigation into the decline of golden frogs in Panama. After carefully analyzing their observations, they develop hypotheses and then test those hypotheses until a truth emerges.

Prompts:

1. Create a timeline of the important events in Dr. Lips’ research.

2. What might have happened if Dr. Lips had not been so observant?

3. How did the scientific community as a whole contribute to solving this scientific mystery?
River Rescue by Jennifer Keats Curtis; Tammy Yee (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781607188230
Publication Date: 2019
When oil spills, workers hurry to clean the land and water. But oil spills can also affect every animal that lives in the area. Who helps these wild animals?

PROMPTS:

1. When there is an oil spill describe the step by step effects it has on a bird's body and the environment.

2. Explain what would happen to the wildlife if the Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research team doesn't help after an oil spill?

3. Describe in order the tasks that the rescue team uses in the rehabilitation of the wildlife.

KAS Standard RI.4.8.: Explain how an author uses REASONS and EVIDENCE to support particular CLAIMS the author makes in a text.

AASL Standards:

IV.B.3.: Learners gather information appropriate to the task by: Systematically questioning and assessing the validity and accuracy of information.

IV.D.1.: Learners select and organize information for a variety of audiences by: Performing ongoing analysis of and reflection on the quality, usefulness, and accuracy of curated resources.

Zombie Makers by Rebecca L. Johnson
ISBN: 0761386335
Publication Date: 2012
There are living things that have the capacity to enter and grow in a host’s body, essentially making the host a zombie. Students will learn all the gory details about various funguses, insects, and animals that this can happen with.

Prompts:

1. The author makes the title of one section “Can we eat the Babysitter?” What evidence from the text supports the use of this title for this particular section?

2. The author states that in the next few years scientists hope that guinea worms die out completely. What are two reasons that this is likely to happen?

KAS Standard RI.4.10.: By the end of the year, flexibly use a variety of comprehension strategies (i.e., questioning, monitoring, visualizing, inferencing, summarizing, synthesizing, using prior knowledge, determining importance) to read, comprehend...

AASL Standards:

I.A.1.: Learners display curiosity and initiative by: Formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular topic.

I.D.2.: Learners participate in an ongoing inquiry-based process by: Engaging in sustained inquiry.

IV.B.3.: Learners gather information appropriate to the task by: Systematically questioning and assessing the validity and accuracy of information.

Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780399240393
Publication Date: 2012
Readers are introduced to Abraham Lincoln,his family and other historical figures through vibrant illustrations.

Prompt:

The inscription on the Lincoln Memorial contains one of his quotes. It is, "...with malice toward none, with charity for all." After reading this book, what do you think he meant by this statement?
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop by Alice Faye Duncan; R. Gregory Christie (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781629797182
Publication Date: 2018
This historical fiction picture book presents the story of nine-year-old Lorraine Jackson, who in 1968 witnessed the Memphis sanitation strike--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final stand for justice before his assassination--when her father, a sanitation worker, participated in the protest. The strike lasted two months, during which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was called to help with the protests. While his presence was greatly inspiring to the community, this unfortunately would be his last stand for justice. He was assassinated in his Memphis hotel the day after delivering his "I've Been to the Mountaintop" sermon in Mason Temple Church.

PROMPTS:

1. Would you say the point of view of the narration helped or hindered your comprehension? Why or why not?

2.. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "For when people get caught up with that which is right and they are willing to sacrifice for it, there is not stopping point short of victory." After reading this book, what do you think he meant by this statement?

KAS Standard RL.4.1.: REFER TO DETAILS AND EXAMPLES in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

AASL Standards:

I.A.2.: Learners display curiosity and initiative by: Recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new meaning.

V.D.1.: Learners develop through experience and reflection by: Iteratively responding to challenges.

Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Il Sung Na
ISBN: 9780375967863
Publication Date: 2011
Discover what animals do to cope when winter comes.

Prompts:

1. Identify a particular animal from the story, and describe details from the story that show how it prepares for winter.

2. Compare and contrast winter and spring, and animals’ seasonal behavior.

3. How is your life different in winter and spring?
Superlative Birds by Leslie Bulion; Robert Meganck (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781561459513
Publication Date: 2019
Get to know all about the best and brightest -- and smelliest! -- denizens of the bird world with this collection of nonfiction science verses. You won't need your binoculars to observe the superlative characteristics of these avian wonders.

PROMPTS:

1. What traits do all the animals have in common? Describe the traits.

2. Compare and contrast two birds. Why is each considered a superlative bird?

3. Describe the bird that you find the most interesting and explain why.

4. Why do you think the author used the title, "Superlative Birds"?

KAS Standard RL.4.3.: Describe in depth a CHARACTER’S THOUGHTS, WORDS and/or ACTIONS, the SETTING or EVENT(S) IN A STORY OR DRAMA, drawing on specific details to analyze their interaction over the course of the text.

AASL Standards:

I.A.2.: Learners display curiosity and initiative by: Recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new meaning.

I.D.4.: Learners participate in an ongoing inquiry-based process by: Using reflection to guide informed decisions.

IV.D.1.: Learners select and organize information for a variety of audiences by: Performing ongoing analysis of and reflection on the quality, usefulness, and accuracy of curated resources.

Annie's Life in Lists by Kristin Mary Mahoney; Gemma Correll (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781524765095
Publication Date: 2018
Annie's a shy fifth grader with an incredible memory and a love of making lists. It helps her keep track of things when they can seem a little out of control, like her family, her friends, and her life in a new place.

PROMPTS:

1. What sort of person is Annie? Why does she try to hide things about herself from her classmates?

2. Why do you think Annie wrote her thoughts in lists instead of in a story form?

3. Using different events in the story describe how Annie's friendships and family change. Could she have handled the situations differently? Describe how.
Beauty and the Beast by Mahlon F. Craft; Kinuko Y. Craft (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780060539191
Publication Date: 2016
The classic story of Beauty and the Beast in this stunningly illustrated picture book. The tale is as old as time: A man steals a rose from the garden of a beast. His beautiful daughter sacrifices herself to a life in the beast's castle to protect her father. The beast and the girl fall in love and live happily ever after.

PROMPTS:

1.Describe the behaviors between Beauty and her sisters. Compare and contrast the three sisters actions when it comes to their father and the wellbeing of the family.

2. Using different events in the story describe how Beauty's feelings about the Beast changed during the course of the book.
Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord
ISBN: 9780545914246
Publication Date: 2019
On the last night of summer, Emma tags along with her game warden father on a routine call. They're supposed to rescue a wild rabbit from a picket fence, but instead they find a little bunny. Emma convinces her father to bring him home for the night. The next day, Emma starts public school for the very first time after years of being homeschooled. More than anything, Emma wants to make a best friend in school. But things don't go as planned.

PROMPTS:

1. Describe how the title, "Because of Rabbit", ties into the events in the story?

2.Using different events in the story describe how Emma's relationships with her brother changed and how it was the same. What did her brother inspire her to do?

3. After leaving her home school environment what did Emma hope to find at school? Why did Emma worry about being Jack's friend? Describe events in the story that show how Emma struggled with "being yourself" and "belonging".
Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn
ISBN: 9781681197432
Publication Date: 2019
The story a girl, her special needs brother, and the summer they will never forget. Cat and her brother Chicken have always had a very special bond--Cat is one of the few people who can keep Chicken happy...But even the strongest glue sometimes struggles to hold... Cat and Chicken end up spending three weeks with grandparents they never knew... Cat has the opportunity to be a kid again, and the journey she takes shows that even the most broken or strained relationships can be healed.

PROMPTS:

1. What has Cat's main purpose in her family been before this summer? Why?

2. Using different events in the story describe how Cat's family changes. How does Cat's view of herself change?

3.How do you think she will handled future family situations differently? Describe how.
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson; E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780399246524
Publication Date: 2012
Chloe goes out of her way to avoid being friends with Maya, the new girl who doesn’t fit in. It isn’t until too late that she comes to understand how unfair she’s been.

Prompts:

1. What sort of person is Chloe? Why do you suppose she treated Maya the way she did? Imagine how she could have handled the various situations differently.

2. How did her teacher’s example of the pebble’s ripples affect Chloe? Do you think it changed her? Can regret be a positive thing to experience?
The Mad Wolf's Daughter by Diane Magras
ISBN: 9780735229266
Publication Date: 2018
One dark night, Drest's sheltered life on a remote Scottish headland is shattered when invading knights capture her family, but leave Drest behind. Her father, the Mad Wolf of the North, and her beloved brothers are a fearsome war-band, but now Drest is the only one who can save them. So she starts off on a wild rescue attempt, taking a wounded invader along as a hostage. But on her journey, Drest learns that the war-band is legendary for terrorizing the land. Drest thought that all she wanted was her family back; now she has to wonder what their freedom would really mean. Is she her father's daughter or is it time to become her own legend?

PROMPTS:

1.What were the roles of girls and women in the 13th century? Describe Drest's role in her family before the men were captured in the story?

2. Using different events in the story describe how Drest's role changes. How does Drest's view of herself change?

3. What did Drest learn about balancing what she values and feels is right and the actions of her family? Do you think she will handled conflicting future situations differently? If so describe how?
The Rhino in Right Field by Stacy DeKeyser
ISBN: 9781534406261
Publication Date: 2018
A boy who loves baseball must get past his hard-working immigrant parents--and the rhino in the outfield--to become a batboy...Nick wants to change his life...Now he's looking for his own American dream and he thinks he's found it.

PROMPTS:

1. For twelve years, Nick has done what his hard-working, immigrant parents want him to do. Describe what Nick wants to do in the story and how that conflicts with what his parents want from him.

2. Using different events in the story describe the different ways that Nick, Ace and the new girl support each other in pursuing their dreams.

3.Using events in the story compare and contrast the behavior of Nick and Pete.

4. What did Nick learn about balancing what his family wants and what he wants? Do you think he will handled conflicting future situations differently? If so describe how?

5. Describe the purpose that the rhino in the right field played in this story?

KAS Standard RL.4.6.: Compare/contrast the POINT OF VIEW of first and third person narrators and the effect they have on the reader.

AASL Standards:

I.B.3.: Learners engage with new knowledge by following a process that includes: Generating products that illustrate learning.

I.D.4.: Learners participate in an ongoing inquiry-based process by: Using reflection to guide informed decisions.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz; Jacob W. Grimm; Wilhelm K. Grimm; Hugh D'Andrade (Illustrator)
ISBN: 0525423346
Publication Date: 2010
The storylines of several different Grimm tales are tied into this one book with varying similarities. The story of Hansel and Gretel is the most well known and is the central one. The author also narrates the story jumping in at various points to provide explanation, questions to think about, or to add some humor to a dark part.

Prompts:

1. Choose Faithful Joahnnes, Brother and Sister, or The Three Golden Hairs from Grimm Fairy Tales to read and compare them to the same titled chapters in this book. Which ones follow the original closely and which are just loosely based on the story by the same title? What were some of the differences?

2. How would you describe the difference between the central story (third person) and the narration (first person)?

KAS Standard RL.4.9.: Compare/contrast THEMES, TOPICS AND PATTERNS OF EVENTS in STORIES, MYTHS AND TRADITIONAL LITERATURE FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES.

AASL Standard: IV.C.3.: Learners exchange information resources within and beyond their learning community by: Joining with others to compare and contrast information derived from collaboratively constructed information sites.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780062104182
Publication Date: 2012
Goldilocks thinks she is going into the three bears’ house, but is surprised and perplexed by the differences she finds in the three dinosaur’s house.

Prompts:

1. How is the pattern of events in this version of Goldilock’s different from the traditional version?

2. How was the moral for the Dinosaurs, which was “Lock the Back Door”, applicable to this version of the story?

KAS Standard RL.4.10.: By the end of the year, flexibly use a variety of comprehension strategies (i.e., questioning, monitoring, visualizing, inferencing, summarizing, synthesizing, using prior knowledge, determining importance) to read, comprehend...

AASL Standards:

I.D.2.: Learners participate in an ongoing inquiry-based process by: Engaging in sustained inquiry.

V.A.1.: Learners develop and satisfy personal curiosity by: Reading widely and deeply in multiple formats and write and create for a variety of purposes.

The Lemonade Club by Patricia Polacco (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780399245404
Publication Date: 2007
The true accounting of best friends Traci and Marilyn while in Miss Wichelman's fifth grade classroom. Marilyn endures a life altering event and finds compassion and support from her classmates and teacher - a teacher that understands more than Marilyn realizes.

Prompts:

1. Can you make a text-to-text, text-to-world, or text-to-self connection? If so, explain.

2. Have you ever had someone in your life inspire you the way Miss Wichelman did with her students? If so, explain. If not, can you think of someone in history that has inspired others? Explain.
Missing Mike by Shari Green
ISBN: 9781772780451
Publication Date: 2018
A story about the devastation of wildfires and the resilience of the human spirit He's a rescue, a mutt. But Mike is eleven-year-old Cara Donovan's dog, and they love each other absolutely...Pine Grove is in the path of a wildfire, and the family is ordered to evacuate. In the ensuing chaos, Mike runs off. They are forced to leave him behind. Shocked and devastated, Cara watches helplessly as the family drives through a nightmare, with burning debris falling from the sky...Once in the city far from the burn zone...Cara can only think about what she may have lost. What will happen if nothing is left? But as she reflects on what "home" means to her, Cara knows only one thing. She is not going to lose Mike. She will do what it takes to find him, even if it means going back to Pine Grove on her own.

PROMPTS:

1. Can you make a text-to-text, text-to-world, or text-to-self connection? If so, explain. Describe a disaster situation that you may have experienced or have knowledge about.

2. How was Cara affected when she learned the meaning of "home" to her new friend Jewel, her music teacher Miss Passerini, and the young father at the shelter? Describe Cara's new perspective on her definition of "home" after the emotional journey of losing her dog and home.

School Library Catalogs

In the listing below locate the school library catalog of your choice and search by author, title or ISBN.