Colorado Grade 4 English

Explain what happened and why without adding an unsupported cause

A report can describe events in order and also explain why someone acted. Students need to notice both relationships without treating every earlier event as a cause.

Curriculum source: 2020 Colorado Academic Standards: Reading, Writing, and Communicating (adopted 2018), from the Colorado Department of Education resource directory.

Colorado Grade 4 references for this activity

Colorado’s official English language arts document contains the Grade 4 expectations across its subject strands. These are two selected references for the activity on this page; use the full document for curriculum planning.

The RW code identifies Colorado’s grade-level expectation; the smaller code is the CCSS reference attached to the selected evidence outcome in the document. Read the full expectation, its other outcomes, and the Colorado context. These activity labels do not reproduce every requirement.

A worked Grade 4 reading and writing activity

This original classroom example is separate from official assessment questions.

At eight o’clock, the custodian noticed water dripping through the library roof. To protect the books, she moved the nearby cart away from the leak and covered the shelf. The maintenance team repaired the damaged roof section before lunch. In the afternoon, the librarian returned the cart to its usual place after checking that the area was dry.

Try the activity

Put the actions in order and explain why the custodian moved the cart. Identify words that help organize time and a phrase that gives a reason. Then decide whether the report establishes that any books were damaged.

Follow the reasoning

The report begins with the leak being noticed, continues with moving the cart and covering the shelf, then describes the repair and the afternoon return. “At eight o’clock,” “before lunch,” and “in the afternoon” guide the chronology. “To protect the books” explains the custodian’s purpose. The report does not say that books were damaged. Taking protective action shows concern about a possible problem; it does not establish that the problem already happened.

Notice what needs more practice

If a student says moving the cart caused the roof repair, ask whether the report makes that connection. The actions occur in that order, but the report does not identify the cart movement as the cause of the repair. If a student says the librarian returned the cart before lunch, compare the time markers. If a response lists events accurately but cannot explain the protective action, reread the phrase beginning “To protect.” That part supplies a reason rather than another time marker.

Grade 4 English worksheets

Choose printable practice that matches the skill being taught. Check the task, reading difficulty, and directions before assigning it; the collection is independently published.

Browse Grade 4 English worksheets

Use the next session to build independence

1. List the four main stages without adding an event.
2. Mark time words and phrases separately from reasons.
3. Explain one action with a specific detail from the report.
4. Identify a question the report cannot answer and state what more information would be needed.

Have the student write a short summary that includes both the sequence and the purpose of the custodian’s actions. Then draft a question for the librarian, such as whether any materials required replacement. The question identifies missing information; it is not evidence that replacement occurred. For another practice text, compare a chronological notice with a paragraph organized around a problem and possible solutions. Discuss how the structure helps readers locate information.

For more general reading and writing resources, visit the Grade 4 English Online Center.

Colorado Grade 4 English: useful planning questions

Does an event happening first prove that it caused the next event?

No. Chronology gives an order. A causal explanation needs supporting information connecting the events. Use the report’s stated reasons and distinguish them from a reader’s guess.

Where are the complete state requirements?

Colorado’s official English language arts document contains the Grade 4 expectations across its subject strands. These are two selected references for the activity on this page; use the full document for curriculum planning. The school’s sequence also includes reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language work beyond this example.