Through researching, students discover new information and obtain answers to questions that will help them better comprehend the books and texts they read. Writing a report about an author, for example, gives fourth-graders the opportunity to find out about the person behind the story and then draw conclusions regarding the author's life experiences and how he writes. Or, have students dramatize a scene from a book the entire class is reading. Research the time period and what the characters would wear, for example, and then decide how the scene will play out based on the way characters are depicted in the book.
Invite students to better understand themselves, their family and the world around them by discovering their community. Reading specialist Bernice Cullinan says, "Children use real life experiences to understand books, and books help them to understand real life." A fourth-grader is capable of researching someone, such as a local artist, formulating questions and conducting an interview to learn more about the person. Comprehension skills are practiced while students are speaking publicly and recording their findings.
Have students rewrite a book scene that alters the outcome of the story. If the main character gets sick and spends most of her time confined to a bed, for example, rewrite the story as if she lived her life running around outside and see how different the plot turns out. Or, create a crossword puzzle based on elements of a book or story, in which children have to recall important information. In addition, perhaps the main character is in trouble and could use advice. Have children write a Dear Abby letter to get them thinking about the character's real issue and what advice could help them out.
Many fourth-grade level books do not have pictures, so invite children to create artwork that supports the story. This helps students better comprehend story and character elements. Take a scene in a book, such as the cobweb chapter in "M.C. Higgins, The Great," and have students re-create the cobweb scene using string or play dough, for example, in a shoebox diorama. Sharing their artwork with the class enables children to better understand complex scenes through pictures and diagrams.