Ps 203 Grade 4 Writing Unit

?Topic/Theme DurationBringing History to LifeEssential Question/sWhy is it important to use nonfiction text structures to share my ideas? How can I also learn to write nonfiction with compelling content and ideas? How can I gather and revise my evidence so that it supports my essay? How can I narrow down my research to find the information I need?Standards S.L4.1, W4.2, W4.7Key Conceptsinformative/explanatory textsideas and information clearlyShort research projectsknowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topiceffectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and textstheir own ideas clearlyKey Student Learning ObjectivesBend I: Informational Books: Making a Conglomerate of FormsStudents will...Make a plan for their writing by thinking about the parts and the wholeMake a plan for the structure of their writing and use the structure to organize research and note-takingPlan and write independently by using strategies they have learned in the pastWrite to teach by teaching about their topic Improve their writing by adding details that help readers picture what happened long agoUse guided imagery to flash-draft the start of a small moment sceneUse facts to develop and support their idea about the mini-essaysReflect on their writing and set goalsBend II: Writing with Greater IndependenceStudents will...Come up with a research planTake notes that they understand and can explain to someone elseDraw on what they know as writers to draft new information booksOrganize information in their informational texts, letting readers in on their organizational plan in their introductionUse text features to highlight the most important information and ideas they are trying to convey for a chapter or sectionAdd quotations to their writing to accentuate a central ideaDraw on what they know about narratives, essays, and how-to-writing to craft chapters for their information booksAddress more than one side of a story in their draftsSet new goals towards their final writing pieceBend III: Building Ideas in Informational WritingStudents will...Write and develop their own ideas about information that they find as they researchConvey larger ideas about people, a nation, and a time in their writingGenerate research questions based on confusions, to guide their researchUse research to create answers to questions that don't have ready-made answersEdit their writing to make sure it is ready for readersShare their writing with an audience, teaching them all they have learned about their topicSequence of Key Learning ActivitiesSession 1:Teach students that writers imagine the text they are going to make. They think about the parts and the whole and then come up with a plan for their writing projectStudents: plan for the work they'll do over the next few weeks. They will set up their notebooks so they are ready to begin taking notesSession 2:Teach students that writers of information texts make a plan for the structure of their writing and then use this structure to organize research and note-takingStudents: figure out subtopics they want to include and decide how it may be organized (chronologically, categorically, etc). Students will decide how to structure their writing as an entire piece that fits together. They will also start drafting their first section.Session 3:Teach students that writers take strategies they've learned in the past and apply them to new situations, working with more independence and skill each time.Students: plan, research, draft, and take notesSession 4:Teach students that when writing to teach, it helps writers to do some actual teaching about their topic.Students: teach before they write, teaching as a way to improve upon their writing. They will jot quick notes about how they will change informationSession 5:Teach students that writers improve their writing by adding details. History writers often try to include details that help readers picture what happened long ago,Students: look for details that will bring their writing to life Session 6:Teach students that writers who are writing a story about a time in history think about the three most important elements in any story: character, setting, and conflict.Students: participate in an improvisation activity that will help them begin imagining their story. They will use guided imagery to flash-draft the start of a small moment sceneSession 7:Teach students that when writers are writing essays about historical topics, they think about all they know about essay writing: the structure, the thesis, and the supports. They also need to do research to find facts to develop and support their ideaStudents: begin planning a frame (outline) for their essays Session 8:Teach students that writers step back from their writing to reflect on how they are doing, asking themselves, "What have I accomplished as a writer and what do I still need to work on?"Students: self-assess and set goalsSession 9:Teach students that when tackling a new piece of informational writing, nonfiction writers come up with a research plan.Students: plan possible chapters of their book and make sure they have enough resources. When they are done, they will researchSession 10:Teach students that note-taking is not the easy part of research writing. When writers take notes, they need to understand what they are writing well enough that they are able to explain their notes to someone else. Students: discuss and assess note-taking and continue researching and taking notesSession 11:Teach students that writers draw on all they know as information writers to draft new information books.Students: use checklist to assess their current work and drafted workSession 12:Teach students that when writing an informational text, writers need to organize information. In an introduction, writers let readers in on their organizational plan.Students: provide their readers with an overview of the information they are presenting, in the form of an introduction.Session 13:Teach students that writers think about the most important information and ideas that they're trying to convey in a chapter or in a section, and they use text features to highlight that informationStudents: add text features to their chapters.Session 14:Teach students that history writers add quotations to their writing to accentuate a central idea.Students: highlight important information in their texts by adding quotationsSession 15:Teach students that writers often draw on what they know about other genres, including narrative, essay, and how-to-writing, to craft chapters for their information books in the style and form of those genres.Students: research and continue writing chapters, deciding the format of writing that works best for their bookSession 16:Teach students that history writers need to remember and address more than one side of a storyStudents: research and continue writing chapters while adding information that addresses another side of the same storySession 17:Teach students that writers reflect on how much they have grown as writers, especially when they are about to take on new and challenging work, so they can set new goals for this upcoming work. Students: self-assess and set goalsSession 18:Teach students that history writers write and develop their own ideas about the information that they find as they researchStudents: reread their reference texts with a pencil in hand, recording their ideas to turn into future writing. They will annotate texts. Session 19:Teach students that history writing is not just made from facts but also from ideas. History writers convey larger ideas about a people, a nation, and a time. As they write they ask themselves, "What life lessons might this be teaching?" And write about them.Students: write entries, drawing on their growing repertoire of strategies for writing about ideas. Session 20:Teach students that nonfiction writers don't always start out as experts on the topic they’re writing about, but instead work to become short-term experts on their topic. They start with their musings, then turn these into research questions, and then see what they can learn.Students: continue researching, using questions to do so but then move towards writingSession 21:Teach students that historians don't always find answers to every question they have. But they can use all of their research and knowledge to create possible answers to questions for which people can’t find ready-made answersStudents: continue researching and writing, using new strategies taught during the mini-lessonSession 22:Teach students that writers edit their writing to make sure it is reader for readersStudents: edit their workSession 23:Teach students that information writers share their writing with an audience, teaching their audience all they have learned about their topicStudents: publish their pieces and reflect on their workKey Texts to be UsedCentral Texts The Revolutionary Way by Josh GregoryTeacher's ChoiceAssessmentsPre- AssessmentInformation on-demand writing assessmentBend 1: Essay PlanBend 2: Revised Drafts with ReseachBend 3: Final Informational PieceFinal Performance TaskPost-AssessmentInformation on-demand writing assessmentMeeting Students’ needsGive student appropriate time to develop ideasRepetition of DirectionsTotal Physical Response to relate the vocabulary to kinesthetic movementSmall group/One to one Large print textbooksAdditional time Review of directions Student restates information Student provides oral responses Concrete examplesSupport auditory presentations with visuals Assistance in maintaining uncluttered space Space for movement or breaks Extra visual and verbal cues and prompts Quiet space to calm down/relax Preferential seating Reduction of distractions Hands-on activities Follow a routine/scheduleAlternate quiet and active time Teach time management skills Rest breaks Verbal and visual cues regarding directions and staying on taskChecklists Immediate feedback Work-in-progress checkHighlight or put vocabulary words in bold for the students to identify the words.Provide the student with a set of sentence starters for their shared writing pieceCreate a reference chart for new vocabulary words including pictures. ................
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