FOURTH GRADE LITERARY ESSAY WRITING UNIT



|Personal Essays |

|2nd Grade |

|Desired Results for the Unit |

|GOALS (What are our relevant goals for this unit?) |

|Students will articulate opinions and provide supporting evidence. |

|Students will share personal experiences and justify their thoughts. |

|OUTCOMES OF UNDERSTANDING (To achieve our goals, what understandings will be needed?) |ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: (What essential questions will focus our goals, stimulate conversation, and guide our|

|Students will understand that… |actions?) |

|Students will understand the structure of a personal essay with the support of an outline. | |

|Students will understand what a thesis statement is. |How do people justify their thoughts and ideas using personal experiences? |

|Students will use ideas to support a thesis statement. | |

|Students will understand that a conclusion highlights the key points in their essay | |

|Students will self edit their essays | |

|Assessment Evidence |

|CULMINATING PROJECTS AND PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF LEARNING: |INFORMAL ASSESSMENTS: (What are the key observable indicators of short and long term progress? What data |

| |should be collected?) |

|Personal Essays |Conferences |

|Resources |

|UNIT RESOURCES: (What materials and resources are needed to support this unit? |STUDENT RESOURCES: |

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|Teachers’ Mentor texts (My Mother, Rules, Chewing Gum, Bermuda etc.) | |

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|Date | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY |

|WEEK 1: |TP: Immersion - Studying a mentor |TP: Immersion - Studying a mentor |TP: Writers can list ideas for thesis |TP: Writers can select a big idea |TP: Writers can select a big idea |

| |text - Personal Essay. |text - Personal Essay. |statements and select topics that they |and use a graphic organizer to |and use a graphic organizer to |

|Immersion/Drafting |Identify the structure – |Identify the structure – |care about. |develop their thinking – tell it to |develop their thinking – tell it to |

| |-A clearly written big idea or |-A clearly written big idea or |Preparation: List as many ideas as you |a partner and provide a personal |a partner and provide a personal |

| |thesis statement that tells us what |thesis statement that tells us what |can that people could write personal |experience or idea to support a |experience or idea to support a |

| |the essay is about in an |the essay is about in an |essays about. Have this as a reference |chosen thesis statement. |chosen thesis statement. |

| |introduction paragraph. |introduction paragraph. |for yourself. |Preparation: Have your personal |Preparation: Have your personal |

| |-Supporting idea that is presented |-Supporting idea that is presented |Connect: The past two days we have been|essay that you have written as a |essay that you have written as a |

| |in the essay body paragraph. |in the essay body paragraph. |looking at different personal essays. |reference to you. |reference |

| |-A conclusion that wraps up and |-A conclusion that wraps up and |Today we are going to start listing |Connect: Yesterday we made a list of|Connect; Yesterday we began to write|

| |restates the thesis statement. |restates the thesis statement. |some ideas that we may want to write |things that we care about because |a thesis a statement for our essay. |

| |Preparation:. Copy the essay “My |Preparation:. Copy of a personal |about for our personal essays. |they were important to us or they |Today we’re going to continue to |

| |Mother” onto chart paper or onto an |the essay onto chart paper or onto |Teach: Writers of essays write about |made us happy, or we were thankful |d3evelop a thesis statement and |

| |overhead transparency. |an overhead transparency. |things they care about. At this time |for them. Today we are going to |start thinking about the structure |

| |Connect: We have just finished |Connect: Yesterday we looked at the |start a think aloud and show the |develop a thesis statement and start|of our essay. |

| |working on our poetry unit where |personal essay “My Mother” and the |students how to think about what they |thinking about the structure of our |Teach: A thesis statement is the big|

| |people expressed their feelings and |structure of the essay. Today we are|feel strongly about. For example: “Hmm…|essay. |idea that we are writing about. It |

| |emotions in their writing. Today we |going to look at another essay and |when I think about things that I care |Teach: A thesis statement is the |is the point that we want our |

| |are going to start our personal |we are going to identify the |about, I think of things that that make|“big idea” that we are writing |readers to reemmebr whent hey have |

| |essay unit where writers express |structure. |me really happy or that I am thankful |about. It is the point that we want |finished reading our essay. Provide|

| |their feelings and opinions in a |Teach: Remind the students of the |for. A couple of things come to |our readers to remember when they |another essay example. Point out |

| |different format. |form a personal essay takes. Revisit|mind….my mom because…, my niece |have finished reading our essay. |thesis statement. Show students |

| |Teach: Tell the students that |the graphic organizer you showed |because…, my dog because…, my dad |Look back at the essay that you read|list of ideas from other day. Take |

| |writers write about things they feel|them the previous day.. Tell the |because…, the students in my classroom |with the class yesterday. Point out |a different idea from te list and |

| |passionate about. One form that |students that you are going to read |because…, health and fitness because…, |the thesis statement to them. Show |show the student how to develop a |

| |their writing can take is in a |them a different personal essay that|people not smoking because…, (make sure|the students your list of ideas from|thesis statement using it. |

| |personal essay. At this time bring |follows this format. Read the |each because has a relatable personal |the previous day. Take one of the |Use a graphic organizer as a guide. |

| |the graphic organizer out and |essay. After the students have |experience that the students |ideas and show the students how to |Active Engagement: Have the |

| |explain the format of a personal |listened to the essay, show them how|understand). List the different |develop a thesis statement using one|students look at their list of |

| |essay. Tell the students that you |the thesis and first supporting |subjects on chart paper. |of the ideas. Use a graphic |ideas. Have them choose one idea |

| |are going to read them a personal |detail fit into the structure. |Active Engagement: Have the students |organizer as a guide. |that they want to develop a thesis |

| |essay that someone wrote about their|Active Engagement: Have the students|turn and talk to their partner to talk |Active Engagement: Have the |statement for. Have them star the |

| |mother. Read the essay “My Mother.”|turn and talk to their partner to |about someone or something they feel |students look at their list of |idea in their notebook and share it |

| |After the students have listened to |discuss and identify the second |strongly about and why. |ideas. Have them choose one idea |with a partner. |

| |the essay, show them how the thesis |supporting detail and the |Link: Today you will list as many |that they want to develop a thesis |Link: Today you will be taking the |

| |and first supporting detail fit into|conclusion. Then label these on the |things in your notebook that you care |statement for. Have them star the |idea that you starred in your |

| |the structure. |essay when the class comes back |about and the reason that you care |idea in their notebook and share it |notebook and developing it into a |

| |Active Engagement: Have the students|together. |about them just like I did today with |with a partner. |thesis statement just like I did |

| |turn and talk to their partner to |Link: Children read another personal|you. |Link: Today you will be taking the |with my idea. |

| |discuss and identify the second |essay at their seats with a partner.|Conference: |idea that you starred in your | |

| |supporting detail and the |They will label the thesis, |Share: 2-3 students |notebook and developing it into a |Conference: |

| |conclusion. Then label these on the |supporting idea 1, supporting idea 2| |thesis statement just like I did | |

| |essay when the class comes back |and the conclusion. | |with my idea. |Share: 2-3 Students |

| |together. |Conference: | | | |

| |Link: Children read another personal|Share: 2-3 students | |Conference: | |

| |essay at their seats with a partner.| | | | |

| |They will label the thesis, | | |Share: 2-3 Students | |

| |supporting idea 1, supporting idea 2| | | | |

| |and the conclusion. | | | | |

| |Conference: | | | | |

| |Share: 2-3 students | | | | |

|WEEK 2: |TP: Writers draft a supporting idea |TP: Writers draft a supporting idea |TP: writers draft a supporting idea in |TP: writers draft a supporting idea |TP: writers draft a supporting idea |

| |in support of the thesis statement |in support of the thesis statement |support of the thesis statement |in support of the thesis statement |in support of the thesis statement |

| |(paper 1) |(paper 1) |(paper 2) |(paper 2) |(paper 3) |

| |Preparation: prepare copies of paper|Preparation: prepare copies of paper|Preparation: prepare copies of paper 2 |Preparation: prepare copies of paper|Preparation: prepare copies of paper|

| |1 for class. Prepare a large copy |1 for class. Prepare a large copy |for class. Prepare a large copy of |2 for class. Prepare a large copy |3 for class. Prepare a large copy |

| |of paper 1 for you to model on |of paper 1 for you to model on |paper 1 for you to model on |of paper 1 for you to model on |of paper 1 for you to model on |

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|WEEK 3: |TP: Writers draft a supporting idea |TP: Writers develop an introductory |TP: Writers can develop a conclusion |Writers read their essays to a |Writers read their essays to a |

| |in support of the thesis statement |paragraph that includes their thesis|paragraph that restates the thesis and |partner to check That |partner to check That |

| |(paper 3) |statements and list of their |drives the point home. |the body paragraph supports the |the body paragraph supports the |

| |Preparation: prepare copies of paper|supporting ideas. | |thesis statement |thesis statement |

| |3 for class. Prepare a large copy | | |the intro is focused on the thesis |the intro is focused on the thesis |

| |of paper 1 for you to model on | | |statement. |statement. |

| | | | |the conclusion is focused on the |the conclusion is focused on the |

| |. | | |thesis statement. |thesis statement. |

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|WEEK 4: |Writers reread their essays and make|Writers reread their essays and make|Writers reread their essays and make |Publish |Publish |

| |corrections |corrections |corrections | | |

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