Grade Level: 4th

Genre: (Free write choice) informational, personal narrative, or pattern/poetry

Topic: Informational- Animals
Personal narrative- Vacation
Pattern/poetry- Alphabet
Focus trait: The writing process: revisions and rough drafts
Common Core Standard:
Literacy
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the students development and organization
are appropriate to tasks, purpose, and audience.
Objective:
I can develop and organize my writing clearly so my reader understands what I am trying to say.
I can develop and organize my writing to fit the task, purpose, and audience for which I am
writing.
Day-by-day Unit Breakdown
Day 1
Topic: Analyzing and Revising Drafts~ Interesting synonyms
Resources:
Chart paper and markers
Students selected pieces for editing
Highlighters
Clipboard for conferences
Introduction/modeling/discussion with the teacher and whole group:
Relay the importance of our objectives by reminding students of our audience and their
need to clearly understand their message.
Give examples synonyms that can add a more clear understanding of what I as a writer
am trying to tell the reader.
Model and support students when deciding/brainstorming words that can improve their
writing.
In a whole group setting the students will partner share and support each other in finding
interesting words to replace good, said, and look.
Student independent work:
Students will search their selected pieces to find a minimum of two words revise with a
synonym to make their story more interesting.
Independently students will continue to make revisions and edit their piece.
During independent time individuals will conference with the teacher about their piece
and where they are in the writing process.

Teacher tasks during independent work:

During independent work I will conference with the students to see how their progress is
going.
During conferencing I will note on my clipboard if they have made changes to their piece
to make the purpose clear to the audience.
Closure/conclusion:
During conclusion/closure I will facilitate a productive session for students to share their
progress and take note on what students have been doing that I did not conference with.
During the conclusion/closure students will volunteer to share a revision they have made
using a more interesting word.
Day 2
Topic: Analyzing and Revising Drafts~ Identifying confusing or extraneous parts
Resources:
ELMO projector
Sample draft
Sticky notes
Students selected piece
Writing utensils
Introduction/modeling/discussion with the teacher and whole group:
Remind students of the objective to write clearly for my audience.
Model for the students how to analyze my work and identify a sentence that needs to be
deleted from my draft.
Model for the students how to analyze a section in a draft that is confusing and should be
rewritten to be clearly understood by my audience.
Model how to use sticky notes appropriately to make notes on my draft.
Pass out sticky notes for students to practice finding either one confusing sentence or one
unnecessary sentence and share during whole group.
Student independent work:
Continue to analyze their selected pieces and identify confusing parts and mark it with a
question mark.
Attempt to find extraneous sentences that could be deleted and cross it out.
Share their writing with a peer and a peer will help analyze the others piece to identify
parts that may be confusing.
Teacher:
Conference with the students to see how their progress is going.
Note on my clipboard if they have identified a sentence to delete or clarify as well as
make changes based on the previous lesson.
Day 3
Resources:

Topic: Analyzing and Revising Drafts~ Introductions and Leads/Hooks

Sample leads: Charlottes Web by E. B. White, Gorky Rises by William Steig,

Everything Reptile by Cherie Winner and Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson
Haddix,
Markers and chart paper
Blank notebook paper and writing utensils

Introduction/modeling/discussion with the teacher and whole group:

Review the objective and how to grab the readers attention.
Discuss how leads/hooks help catch the readers interest.
As a whole group the class will discuss three types of leads/hooks (sound, description,
question).
Provide examples of leads/hooks that are familiar to the whole group.
Model how to create a lead/hook for my story about flying to South Korea.
As a whole group the class will facilitate a brainstorming session for leads/hooks.
Student independent work:
Create three leads/hooks; one example of each style of lead presented in the whole group
discussion.
Continue to work on their writing.
Teacher during independent time:
Conference with the students to see how their progress is going.
Note on my clipboard if student has implemented any skill taught in previous lessons.
Inquire about what lead may work for their writing and how it fits their purpose.
Conclusion/Closure:
Share leads/hooks with peers during reflection.
Evaluate student created leads/hooks during sharing and after collecting them.
Day 4:
Topic: Proofreading for Mechanic/Editing
Resources:
Overhead/whiteboard/poster board
Students writing that is still in progress
Introduction/modeling/discussion with the teacher and whole group:
Review the objective and how proofreading can help clarify the writing.
Discuss concepts of proofreading.
As a whole group the class will chart ways to mark places to edit.
The teacher will direct the conversation towards basics like capital letters, tense, spelling
and ending punctuation.
Student independent work:
Proofread their entire piece and mark for editing.
Work with a peer to proofread each others work if time allows.
Begin working on a final draft.

Teacher during independent work:

Conference with the students to see how their progress is going.
Note on my clipboard if they have used proofreading techniques as modeled in the mini
lesson.
Support students who need review of tasks taught in prior lessons if they have not shown
progress in implementing them.
Day 5:
Topic: Publishing/Final copy
Resources:
Teachers unedited copy
Paper to write example final copy
Students work almost completed
Example of a mentor text
Introduction/modeling/discussion with the teacher and whole group:
Model common mistakes on rough draft to review what has been taught throughout the
week with student support in editing.
As a whole group the class will discuss how it should be presented in a final format.
As a whole group the class will use the mentor texts as examples of how to present their
information when deciding on how to publish the final piece.
Student independent work:
Finish editing and work towards final product.
Decide if visual support is needed if time allows.
Students will decide how they will present the final copy.
Teacher:
Conference with the students to see how their progress is going.
Note on my clipboard if they have shown growth in making their writing clear and
purposeful using the tasks taught throughout the week.
Evaluate students final writing pieces using a rubric.
Assessment:
Rubric:
Students will be formally assessed using a writing rubric. This will allow a numerical
value to be placed on their work based on the criteria described. Students names may be
removed from the work and given a number instead to allow for unbiased grading. Exceptions
may be allowed for students who are identified with IEPs.
Clipboard Cruise list:
The clipboard cruise list will have students names listed with space provided for notes.
Items to be listed will include:
students name
the topic and genre they are writing about
notes taken during conferences:
o What is the purpose of your piece?

o
o

Where have you made a change in your writing because of an error?

Where have you make a change in your writing to make it clearer for your
audience?
notes taken during sharing
notes on any special arrangements (challenges, supports, ESL supports)

Informal assessment (Leads/hooks):

Students will be asked to turn in examples of three hooks/leads on Day 3 to show their
understanding of a lead or hook. Students are not given a score for this since not all students are
writing pieces where a lead fits. The leads and hooks that the students have written are gathered
to provide information for future instruction.
Differentiation:
Challenging:
Students who need to be challenged will be asked to look at their work more critically.
For example students who are needing to be challenged in their writing will be advised during
conferences to look at their sentence structure and analyze if it is repetitive or look at the
connecting sentence to see how it leads the reader to the next paragraph if they have written a
personal narrative. They will also be asked to use descriptive words or use their strengths to
build upon certain aspects of their writing. Other students may have strength with their words
and will be encouraged to use alliteration or similes.
Students who are strong with their writing content will be questioned on what resources
they are using for an informational topic. For example if they are writing about an animal then
they will be encouraged look beyond the basics such as what an animal looks like or what it eats.
They would be asked to analyze the differences between the habitats where that animal may live.
Support:
Students who are identified as needing support will get the same supports as the rest of
the students. They will also get additional support with assistance in their writing by being
allowed to dictate their ideas. They may also have resources already pulled with detailed clues as
to where to find the information they are being asked to find. Students have also been guided to
stick with one piece and develop that piece instead of starting several different pieces that are left
unfinished.
Additional support can be given based on a students IEP. This may vary and support will
be determined by the intervention staff and verbally communicated during transition.
ESL support:
ELLs with higher proficiency levels have been allowed to choose topics they are
comfortable writing about that may not match one of the topics listed above which includes, but
is not limited to informational writing about other countries and personal narratives about their
native country. Also ELLs with lower proficiency levels have been guided towards editing their
pattern piece. Sentence frames have been provided with the pattern piece to support their writing
needs.

*All students who need supports or challenges will be graded on the work they are capable of
creating. The rubric will not be altered to add points for those needed to be challenged or have
points deducted for those who need support. Grades will be recorded as percentages.
References:
Being a Writer:Grade 4 Volume 1 Unit 2 Week 3 by Developmental Studies Center