Appendix on implementing district standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3 Key Ideas and Detail
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
In this unit, students closely read A Journey Into Adaptations with Max Axiom to understand scientific concepts such as animal survival, behavior, and physical traits. They use graphic organizers and guided questions to explain how and why animals adapt, with support from both text and visuals.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7 Integration of knowledge and ideas
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, timelines, animations, or interactive elements) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
This standard is central to the unit, as students must analyze images and diagrams in a graphic novel to support scientific understanding. During peer group discussions and visual inference tasks, students practice interpreting visuals as part of building meaning.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2 Text types and purposes
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
Students will demonstrate mastery of this standard through the creation of a research-based comic that explains animal adaptations. Their writing process includes prewriting, drafting, revising, and publishing. It mirrors a traditional explanatory writing assignment, but is presented in a multimodal format that includes visual storytelling.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4 Presentation of knowledge and ideas
Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
Students present their completed adaptation comics to the class, explaining their research and creative choices. This fosters public speaking, confidence, and the ability to communicate complex scientific information in a student-friendly, accessible format.
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