- I can describe what inspired Jack to write poetry using evidence from his thoughts, words, and actions. (RL.4.1, RL.4.3)
- I can write a focus statement that clearly states what inspired Jack to write poetry. (W.4.2a)
These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:
- 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.
- RL.4.3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
- W.4.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
- W.4.2a: Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Daily Learning Targets
Ongoing Assessment
- Gist of each page on sticky notes in Love That Dog
- What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart (RL.4.1, RL.4.3)
- Focus statement (W.4.2a)
Agenda
Agenda | Teaching Notes |
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1. Opening A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Reading Aloud and Finding the Gist: Love That Dog, Pages 73-86 (15 minutes) B. Analyzing a Model Paragraph (15 minutes) C. Guided Practice: Writing a Focus Statement (15 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face: Sharing Our Work (10 minutes) 4. Homework A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal. |
Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:
How it builds on previous work:
Areas in which students may need additional support:
Assessment guidance:
Down the road:
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In Advance
- Review the Thumb-O-Meter and Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocols. See Classroom Protocols.
- Post: Learning targets, Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, and What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart.
Tech and Multimedia
- Work Time A: Students annotate the text on a word-processing document--for example, a Google Doc.
- Work Time A: For students who will benefit from hearing the text read aloud multiple times, consider using a text-to-speech tool such as Natural Reader, SpeakIt! for Google Chrome, or the Safari reader. Note that to use a web-based text-to-speech tool such as SpeakIt! or Safari reader, you will need to create an online doc, such as a Google Doc, containing the text.
Supporting English Language Learners
Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 4.I.B.6, 4.II.A.1, and 4.II.A.2
Important points in the lesson itself
- The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by repeating the pattern of analysis of Love That Dog using the What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart. In preparation for the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment, students analyze and color-code a model paragraph and craft a focus statement to use in the assessment that describes Jack's inspiration for writing poetry.
- ELLs may find it challenging to analyze a model paragraph in Work Time B. Encourage them to persevere as they read and think about the paragraph. Turn this into a kinesthetic activity by copying the introduction and focus statement onto a piece of chart paper and the details and evidence sentences (underlined in yellow) onto separate sentence strips. Include a distractor sentence, such as Jack writes a lot of poems. Read each sentence aloud and invite students to paste the sentences that provide evidence for the focus statement onto the chart, and to crumple up the sentence that does not provide evidence.
Levels of support
For lighter support:
- During Work Time A, challenge students to generate questions about the key sentence from Love That Dog before asking the prepared questions. (Example: "What questions can we ask about this sentence? Let's see if we can answer them together.")
For heavier support:
- During Work Time A, consider providing students with the gist of the first three journal entries on sticky notes. As partners read and discuss, invite them to match the gist represented in those journal entries, and to write the gist in the last four journal entries.
- During Work Time A, turn the What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart into a kinesthetic activity. Copy descriptions for each section of the chart onto separate strips. Students can paste the descriptions into each column on the chart.
Universal Design for Learning
- Multiples Means of Representation (MMR): In the basic structure of this lesson, you will color-code sections of the model informational paragraph to help differentiate each component. Consider carrying this visualization tool into the guided practice section by color-coding the focus statement created by the class. This will help students to generalize their skills.
- Multiples Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Because this is the first time students write informative paragraphs, consider how to reduce the complexity of the tasks. For instance, during the guided practice portion, some students may benefit from identifying focus statements versus generating them on their own. Consider providing examples and non-examples of focus statements where students need to circle the examples.
- Multiples Means of Engagement (MME): Some students may feel frustrated or overwhelmed because informative paragraph writing is a new skill that they are developing. Remind them that they will have multiple opportunities to practice and build their skills over the unit. You do not expect them to be perfect right away but to show effort and growth.
Vocabulary
Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)
- persevere, analyze, focus, focus statement (L)
Materials
- Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
- Love That Dog (from Unit 1, Lesson 2; one per student)
- Equity sticks (class set; one per student)
- Sticky notes (eight per student)
- What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2; added to during Work Time A)
- What Happens and How Does Jack Feel about It? anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
- Mid-Unit 2 Assessment prompt (one per student; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
- What Inspires Poets to Write Poetry? note-catcher (from Unit 1, Lesson 10; one per student and one to display)
- Model informative paragraph (one per student and one to display)
- Annotated model informative paragraph (for teacher reference)
- Red, green, and yellow markers (one of each per student)
Materials from Previous Lessons
New Materials
Assessment
Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.
Opening
Opening | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)
"I can describe what inspired Jack to write poetry using evidence from his thoughts, words, and actions." "I can write a focus statement that clearly states what inspired Jack to write poetry."
"What does it mean to persevere?" (You challenge yourself and when something is difficult, you keep trying and ask for help if you need it.)
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"What is another way to say clearly states?" (describes in a way that's easy to understand) |
Work Time
Work Time | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Reading Aloud and Finding the Gist: Love That Dog, Pages 73-86 (15 minutes)
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B. Analyzing a Model Paragraph (15 minutes)
"What does it mean to analyze a text?" (to examine or study it closely)
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"What does it mean to briefly explain what the book is about?" (It means to use only a few words to tell what happens in the book.)
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C. Guided Practice: Writing a Focus Statement (15 minutes)
"What inspires Jack to write poetry?" (Jack is inspired by things that happen in his classroom; Jack is inspired by his dog, Sky; Jack is inspired by other poets.)
"How can we say this focus statement in a different way?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Jack was inspired by things that happened in his classroom; Jack was inspired by many things when writing poetry, like things that happened in his classroom.)
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Closing & Assessments
Closing | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face: Sharing Our Work (10 minutes)
"What inspires Jack to write poetry? Where is this seen in his poetry?"
"Can you say more about that?" (Responses will vary.)
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Homework
Homework | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal. |
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