End of Unit 3 Assessment: Reading a New Poem Aloud for Fluency | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G4:M1:U3:L8

End of Unit 3 Assessment: Reading a New Poem Aloud for Fluency

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RF.4.3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
  • RF.4.4: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
  • RF.4.4a: Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
  • RF.4.4b: Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
  • RF.4.4c: Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
  • SL.4.4: 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.
  • SL.4.5: Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can read a new poem aloud fluently. (RF.4.3, RF.4.4)
  • I can select visuals for my poetry presentation that will help the audience understand what I was inspired by. (SL.4.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • End of Unit 3 Assessment: Reading a New Poem Aloud for Fluency (RF.4.3, RF.4.4)
  • Images for poetry presentation (SL.4.5)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Analyzing a Model: Images (10 minutes)

B. End of Unit 3 Assessment: Reading Aloud a New Poem for Fluency (90 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Tracking Progress (15 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:

  • In this lesson, students begin by analyzing the model poetry presentation with photographs in order to understand why the poet chose those photographs and how the photographs contribute to the audience's understanding of what inspired the poem (SL.4.5).
  • Students then select images for their own presentations and revise their presentations to include references to the images (SL.4.5). As they do this, students are called on to individually read aloud for the teacher a new poem for fluency for the End of Unit 3 Assessment.
  • It will probably take more than one lesson to listen to all students read aloud, so two lessons have been allocated for this. If students finish choosing images and revising their presentations to include those images, they can practice presenting with their images.
  • During the Closing and Assessment, students reflect on their learning using the Tracking Progress: Reading Fluency recording form. This exercise is meant to provide them with time to formally keep track of and reflect on their own learning. This self-reflection supports metacognition and pride in work and learning.
  • In this lesson, the habits of character focus is on working to become an effective learner and working to become an ethical person. The characteristics that students are reminded of specifically are perseverance as they read aloud a new poem/excerpt of a poem for the End of Unit 3 Assessment, and respect as they bring in visuals (photographs, videos and objects) from home.
  • The research reading that students complete for homework will help build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to poetry and creative writing. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it.

How it builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 4, students generated criteria for reading fluently and practiced reading new poems aloud fluently. In this lesson, they are assessed on this skill.
  • In Lessons 1-7, students wrote their poem and poetry presentations. In this lesson, they select images to help the audience better understand what they were inspired by and why.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • If students receive accommodations for assessments, communicate with the cooperating service providers regarding the practices of instruction in use during this study as well as the goals of the assessment.

Assessment guidance:

  • Assessment materials (student copy, teacher checklist) are included in the Assessment Overview and Resources. Provide immediate feedback for students based on the notes taken.
  • When meeting with students to give the End of Unit assessment, consider using the Reading: Foundational Skills Informal Assessment: Reading Fluency Checklist to gather phonics and word analysis data (see the Tools page).
  • When assessing and providing feedback to students on this assessment, use the teacher checklist to help you complete the student Tracking Progress recording form. Consider making notes in the appropriate column for each criterion in a different color from that used for student responses. There is also space provided to respond to student comments.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will prepare to present their poems and presentations. They will present them in Lesson 11. Consider inviting an audience to the poetry presentations--for example, families, teachers, other classes, and community members.
  • In the next lesson, students' Mid-Unit 3 Assessments are returned with feedback. 

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Technology necessary for students to select photographs for their presentations (see Technology and Multimedia). Practice using the technology in preparation for modeling how to use it with the class.
    • Technology for students who have brought in videos to use as their visuals.
    • An End of Unit 3 Assessment excerpt for each student based on his or her reading ability (see Assessment Overview and Resources for original excerpt).
    • List that details the order in which students will read aloud for their End of Unit 3 Assessment.
  • Gather Tracking Progress folders.
  • Post: Learning targets, Performance Task anchor chart, Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart, Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, and Fluent Readers Do These Things anchor chart.

Tech and Multimedia

  • 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 to tool such as SpeakIt! or Safari reader, you will need to create an online doc--for example, a Google Doc, containing the text.
  • Work Time A: Record students reading aloud for them to listen back to using audio or video recording software or apps such as Audacity or GarageBand. If available, consider using a microphone to ensure a good-quality recording.
  • Work Time A: Prepare technology for students to select images to accompany their presentations. Free image sites such as Flickr are a good starting point. Depending on the technology you have available for the presentations, students may need to print these photographs, or download them somewhere to be printed out before the next lesson. If using printed copies of images, consider enlarging them for students to pin up, or printing multiple copies of each for students to hand out to the audience. If using technology for the presentation and students have brought in hard copies of photographs or images, scan them before the next lesson.
  • Work Time A: Students revise their poetry presentations using word-processing software--for example, a Google Doc.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 4.I.C.9, 4.I.C.11, 4.I.C.12, 4.II.A.1, 4.II.A.2, and 4.II.C.6

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to formally assess their progress as fluent readers, drawing on the reading fluency practice they have had in Lessons 4-7. In addition, students are invited to infuse the curriculum and classroom with with visuals from home, creating an environment where students may feel a greater sense of belonging, success, growth, and value.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to fluently read an unfamiliar text. Consider limiting the excerpt to the first stanza or two and providing ample thinking and processing time before the student begins reading aloud (see Meeting Students' Needs column).

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In this lesson, students select and organize images to add to their poetry presentation. To help students in the selection process, consider varied ways to help them navigate the meanings of their presentation (e.g., explicitly discuss nonverbal forms of communication that can enhance the presentation of visuals, or provide sentence frames to help facilitate expressive language skills to discuss the images during the partner exercise).
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Because the fluency portion of this lesson is an assessment, all students use the same poem. However, for students whose independent reading level is below the selected poem, consider conducting an additional assessment with a poem on their level. Then compare the data between the assessments to inform future fluency instruction.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): To increase engagement, consider multiple ways for students to locate or create images for their poetry. The original structure in this lesson has them bringing them from home but allows students to identify images on the internet, cut out portions of magazines, or draw their own images. This will help stimulate increased creativity.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  • visuals (L)

Materials

  • Performance Task anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Affix List (from Unit 1, Lesson 11)
  • Model presentation with images (one per student and one to display)
  • Poetry presentations (begun in Lesson 4; one per student)
  • Visuals (images, videos, objects brought from home)
  • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2)
  • Paper (lined; one piece per student)
  • Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (from Unit 2, Lesson 1)
  • End of Unit 3 Assessment: Reading a New Poem Aloud for Fluency (one per student; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Fluent Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Lesson 4)
  • Reading Fluency Checklist (one per student)
  • Tracking Progress folders (from Unit 1, Lesson 8; one per student)
    • Tracking Progress: Reading Fluency (one per student and one to display)

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.

Download this Lesson’s Assessment

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:

"I can read a new poem aloud fluently."

"I can select visuals for my poetry presentation that will help the audience understand what I was inspired by."

  • Focus students on the first learning target and remind them that in this lesson they will be reading a new poem/excerpt of a poem aloud for fluency.
  • Focus students on the Performance Task anchor chart and quickly review it.
  • Focus students on the second learning target and underline the word visuals.
  • Invite students to retrieve their Affix List. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What are visuals? What clue does the root vis give us?" (The root vis means to see. So visuals are something to do with seeing. Visuals are something to look at--for example, a picture, a video, or an object.)

"How does this learning target link to the performance task? What is the purpose of adding visuals to your presentation?" (In the performance task, we present with visuals that help the audience better understand what they are inspired by and why.)

  • Explain to students that visuals make it easier for some people to understand what is being said.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: To provide heavier support toward understanding the second learning target, collect visuals that illustrate "Breathing Fire"--and some that don't. Model going through each visual, considering it, and then displaying and saying either:
    • "This visual helps the audience understand that she was inspired by her horse/horse's coat/the horse snorting heavily." or
    • "This visual does NOT help the audience understand that she was inspired by her horse/horse's coat/the horse snorting heavily."
  • Then invite students to use the sentence frames to say whether the visual helps the reader understand the inspiration. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Analyzing a Model: Images (10 minutes)

  • Distribute and display the model presentation with images. Explain that this is a completed presentation with images.
  • Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads and looking at the images as you perform the presentation.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What do the images help you to understand?" (what the horse looks like when it is doing the things the poet describes)

"How do these visuals add to the presentation?" (They help the audience picture what the poet is saying rather than just imagining.)

"How does the poet signal when to show the image in the presentation?" (He has written in parentheses--"(show picture 1)"--and he has directed the audience to look at specific things within his presentation.)

  • Tell students that while you are calling them up individually to read aloud for the End of Unit 3 Assessment, they will choose images and revise their presentations to include their images, just as the poet has in the model.
  • Post and read aloud the following directions:
  1. Read your poetry presentation.
  2. Select no more than three images that will help the audience see what you are describing.
  3. Find a partner who has also chosen his or her images, and use evidence from your speech to explain to each other why you chose those images.
  4. Revise your presentation to include directions to yourself for when to show your images.
  5. Write a final draft of your presentation.
  • Demonstrate how to use the technology tools you have selected for students to find visuals.
  • Invite students to retrieve their poetry presentations and any visuals they have brought from home.
  • Focus students on the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart and remind them specifically of respect. Remind them that because they have brought in meaningful visuals from home, they need to be respectful of the things brought in. Remind students of the "What does it look like?" and "What does it sound like?" columns to guide their actions.
  • Remind students that they also need to be respectful of the noise level because students will be reading aloud for their end of unit assessment. Remind them to whisper when speaking to each other.
  • Distribute paper for students to write the final draft of their presentation.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with receptive/expressive language: As they discuss the questions, write, display, and repeat their on-target responses. Invite students to point out and write the phrases and body language used to direct audience attention to the visuals. Students can use these phrases and body language as they revise their presentation later in Work Time A. Examples:
    • (raise eyebrows, point with pinky) "This is a picture of _____."
    • (smile, direct eyes toward picture) "As you can see from the picture, _____." (MMR)
  • In addition to bringing in visuals from home, consider allowing students to use other avenues to find or create images (e.g., allowing them to use a computer and print the visuals out, providing magazines and scissors, or having students create original drawings). (MME, MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with expressive language: To provide heavier support and bolster student participation, offer sentence frames to use as students discuss images with their partner. Model using the frames. (Example: "I chose this visual because of the part of my speech where I say _____.") (MMR, MMAE)

B. End of Unit 3 Assessment: Reading Aloud a New Poem for Fluency (90 minutes)

  • Explain that you will be calling up students one by one to read aloud for their end of unit fluency assessment.
  • Focus students on the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and remind them specifically of perseverance. Remind them that because they are going to be reading a new text for fluency for the end of unit assessment, they may need to persevere. Remind students of the "What does it look like?" and "What does it sound like?" columns to guide their actions.
  • Invite students to begin working on selecting their visuals, following the directions posted on the board.
  • Call the first student over to a designated area of the room to read his or her fluency excerpt. Give this student the End of Unit 3 Assessment: Reading a New Poem Aloud for Fluency and conduct the assessment as follows:
  1. Read aloud the prompt and answer clarifying questions.
  2. Explain that the poem he or she is going to read is called "Good Hours" by Robert Frost. Remind the student that the class read "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and "The Pasture" by Robert Frost when reading Love That Dog.
  3. Show the student the excerpt he or she will read.
  4. Remind the student of the Fluent Readers Do These Things anchor chart.
  5. Invite the student to begin reading the excerpt aloud and use the Reading Fluency Checklist to assess his or her fluency.
  6. Ask the student to briefly explain what the poem was about.
  7. Provide the student with immediate feedback: something he or she did really well and something he or she could improve on next time.
  8. Ensure that the student understands that this is the first reading fluency assessment of many that he or she will complete this year, so there is plenty of time to practice and improve.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with fluency: Remind them of the strategies they have been practicing to read unfamiliar texts. This will help them to generalize skills across lessons.
    • Chunk the text into manageable amounts, e.g., sentences or paragraphs.
    • Circle unfamiliar words.
    • Use context or a dictionary to define unfamiliar words.
    • Annotate unfamiliar words with synonyms or translation.
    • Underline important people, places, and things.
    • Read aloud.
    • Read repeatedly.
    • Silently paraphrase the chunks.
    • Summarize what you read for someone else, perhaps first in your home language. (MMR)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: Encourage them to focus mainly on the gist and meaning of the excerpt, moving past unfamiliar words when possible. (MME)
  • For students whose independent reading level is below this excerpt, consider doing an official and an unofficial assessment. The official assessment will be with "Good Hours" and the unofficial assessment will be with a poem at their independent reading level. Compare the two assessments to provide important data to inform future fluency instruction. (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Tracking Progress (15 minutes)

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on their completion of the End of Unit 3 Assessment (Example: "I noticed a lot of you were self-correcting when you made a mistake.")
  • Distribute students' Tracking Progress folders and Tracking Progress: Reading Fluency recording forms. Tell students that successful learners keep track of and reflect on their own learning and that they will do this after most assessments this school year.
  • Read the directions aloud and answer clarifying questions. Explain the scale and what each number represents. Students should score themselves a 3 if they think they have achieved that criterion in their reading of new texts, a 4 if they think they have done even more than the criterion asks, 2 if they think they are nearly there but not quite, and 1 if they think they still have a lot of work to do.
  • Read aloud each criterion on the chart, pausing after each to draw comparisons to the Fluent Readers Do These Things anchor chart and give students 30 seconds to self-assess before moving on to the next criterion.
  • Once the chart is completed, move on to the things students feel they did well and where they feel they could improve next time. Remind them that their self-assessment on the chart can help them determine what they did well and what they could improve on.
  • Collect in Tracking Progress folders containing Tracking Progress forms.
  • Invite students to give a thumbs-up, thumbs-down, or thumbs-sideways to indicate how well they persevered and showed respect in this lesson.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with fluency: Consider inviting them to track only those criteria on Tracking Progress: Reading Fluency that they focused on during the past few lessons of fluency practice. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with fluency: Allow students who have been sketching learning targets and using the Fluent Readers Do These Things anchor chart throughout this unit to refer to those sketches as they discuss the criteria on Tracking Progress: Reading Fluency. (MMAE)
  • Build a support and inclusive classroom environment by highlighting and praising effort and growth rather than relative performance. (MME)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: Read aloud and discuss the gist of the excerpt students choose. Encourage developing readers to focus more on the meaning of the fluency passage, spending time figuring out the meaning of unfamiliar words in context or using a translation dictionary to understand unfamiliar words. Consider providing students with a recording of the excerpt to practice with. (MMAE)

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