Grade 4 ELA Sample Lesson Plan

Sample Lesson Plan Template

Lesson Title

Thinking Through Theme CC.4.RL.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. CC.4.RL.2: Determine a theme of the story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text. CC.4.SL.1a: Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required materials; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about a topic to explore ideas under discussion CC.4.W.3d: Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experience and events precisely. Students will be able to identify a theme or important message from a book and, using evidence from the story explain why that theme was chosen. 1 week (dependent on the length of text you select) SESSION 1 - Use a short text, poem, or excerpt from a story to engage students in a close reading activity. Close Reading of Story: When readers read, they look for messages in the text. Guiding questions: What is the author telling me? What does the author want me to understand? The students will: Ask and answer text-dependent questions while reading. Cite evidence from the text to support answers.

Connecticut Standards (CCSS)

Lesson Objectives in Language Students will Understand Timeline Description of Learning Tasks/ Activities

Recognize and discuss key vocabulary in the story

(teacher chooses key vocabulary based on student need.) Identify clues (key words and phrases) within the text that help the reader make inferences. Teacher will model note-taking using key words and phrases that were identified by students during reading. (e.g., T-Chart organizer, highlighting) SESSION 2 - Digging Deeper Close Reading of Story: Readers use details in stories to make inferences and determine theme or important message. Use with Grade 4, Reading Unit 1: How Themes Communicate Different Messages Reference Grade 4, Writing Unit 2: Supporting Ideas with Information June 2012

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Grade 4 ELA Sample Lesson Plan

Sample Lesson Plan Template

Guiding Questions: What message did you infer in the story? What details helped you make this inference? What do you think the author wanted you to know? Why do you think the author wrote this story? Re-read the story from Session 1. The students will work collaboratively in small groups to: Complete a graphic organizer (T-Chart) noting clues and inferences made. Use the information on the graphic organizer to determine the theme of the story, or the message conveyed. SESSION 3 - Share Out Each group will come together as a class, prepared to discuss. As a class, each group will: Share the information from their graphic organizers/charts. Options for sharing may include a gallery walk, carousel walk, or using post-it notes for comments. As students are listening to each group share, they will add new information to their individual graphic organizers. Upon completion of group sharing, the teacher will facilitate a class discussion about determining the theme or message of the selection in preparation for independent writing. SESSION 5 - Independent Writing: The students will refer to their graphic organizers and notes to write a summary, key concrete words and phrases from the story to convey the authors theme or message. Materials, Resources, Technology Needed (Based on LEA resources) Prior Learning, Connections, Student Short story, or picture book Story excerpt Poem T-Chart graphic organizer To review inference, show concrete items with which students may not be familiar. Have students use prior knowledge to infer

Use with Grade 4, Reading Unit 1: How Themes Communicate Different Messages Reference Grade 4, Writing Unit 2: Supporting Ideas with Information June 2012

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Grade 4 ELA Sample Lesson Plan

Sample Lesson Plan Template

how these items may be used. Needs or Interests, Common Misconceptions Review meaning of theme in fiction text Review meaning of message in fiction text Students should have prior knowledge of narrative story structure. Limit before reading scaffolding; Teachers should not preteach what the text is designed to provide. During reading scaffolding should begin with two strategic questions: What is the author telling me? What does the author want me to understand? Follow with textdependent questions when needed. Digging deeper: Provide a follow-up lesson to revisit the text for a more intensive analysis of the text matched to a specific objective (in this case summarizing based on a sequential structure, incorporating cause and effect). Oral collaboration: Students work in small groups to reflect orally and complete a graphic organizer for sequence of events; share organizers with the whole class. Independent writing: Students are assessed for informational writing performance using evidence from the story including sequence of events, important vocabulary, and cause and effect. ELL/Struggling Readers: Provide visuals to support vocabulary; pre-read the story; provide concrete examples to build background; provide realia; utilize video resources. For writing, provide scaffolded. Cross disciplinary Connections Dependent on the text selected, link to other content areas. Pre- Display a picture, photograph, or print. Have students engage in a quick-write explaining their inferences based on details in the picture, photograph, or print. Post- The students will refer to their graphic organizers and notes to write a summary, using key words and phrases from the story to convey the authors theme or message.

Instructional Strategies/ Grouping

Differentiation

Formative Assessment processes (including student self-assessment)

Use with Grade 4, Reading Unit 1: How Themes Communicate Different Messages Reference Grade 4, Writing Unit 2: Supporting Ideas with Information June 2012

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