Grade 4 Language Arts- Writing

Writing- Opinion Writing

Grade: 4

Unit Focus: Opinion

writing: literary analysis

Unit Dates: January 9mid February

Teacher: Kelsey Lunde

Overview:
Writing critically and thoughtfully about what is read is an important skill for students to begin developing. Nobodys
Perfect by Ellen Burns is the text used for analysis in this unit. However, other grade level works of fiction would
work just as well. First students will read and demonstrate understanding in a summary of the text. After that they
grapple with the idea of theme and develop working definitions of various themes in the story. Once they
understand theme, they collect evidence in support of a theme and begin writing. Many of the lessons are designed
with steps of collaborative practice. Working together students can accomplish better work than working alone. That
said, as the teacher, you will need to plan for various groupings as you move through this unit.
There is a collaborative editing lesson to end the unit. I wanted to stress the procedures effective editors use as
students become more proficient with editing.
Rationale:
Using a text as a reference will allow students direct examples to aid them in their writing. Each lesson will begin
with whole group work to exemplify what good writing does and does not look like. Throughout the unit many
different group pairings will also be used to help students brainstorm ideas, revise, and edit their work. By the end
of the unit, students will have created an entire literary analysis that will be presented in a group sharing.
Planning for Diversity:
There are a few students that require quiet to do
their writing. These students are allowed to work
at a table in the hallway, or wear headphones if
available.
Students will be allowed to work in groups, those
that have difficulty focusing may need to work
alone

Assessment and Evaluation:

Each individual portion of the essay will be
formatively assessed throughout the unit, and
revised. The final copy will be summatively
assessed at the end of the unit.

Opinion Writing: Literary Analysis (6 weeks)

Portland Writing 4 Program
Topic
Skills
Read and Summarize
-combine reading and
writing
- read Nobodys Perfect
- 5 fingers of writing
(characters, setting,
beginning, middle, end)
Just do character and
setting- day one
-as I read, draw setting
and add main characters

Resources
Graphic Organizer

Outcomes

compare new ideas,

information and
experiences to prior
knowledge and
experiences

connect the thoughts

and actions of
characters portrayed
in oral, print and
other media texts to
personal and
classroom
experiences

identify the main

events in oral, print
and other media
texts; explain their
causes, and describe
how they influence
subsequent events

experience oral, print

and other media
texts from a variety
of cultural traditions

and genres,

Beginning, middle, end

plan the summary
graphic organizer- setting,
character, bme

Graphic organizer

retell events of
stories in another
form or medium
experience oral, print
and other media
texts from a variety
of cultural traditions
and genres,

retell events of
stories in another
form or medium

connect the thoughts

and actions of
characters portrayed
in oral, print and
other media texts to
personal and
classroom
experiences

identify the main

events in oral, print
and other media
texts; explain their
causes, and describe
how they influence

subsequent events
Write the summary

Compare Summaries and

Essays

Re-read summaries
Introduce analysis/essay
Read an analysis
Compare

Venn diagram
Anchor chart for analysis,
bme

Defining Themes

-The literary analysis

talked about family
-Introduce what a theme is
-List other themes
-How did the writer include
the theme? Where in the
story was it mentioned?
-Choose a theme word and
write why it is a good word
for the story in notebooks.

Theme chart

-proof. Supporting
evidence in the book for

Theme Chart

Collecting Evidence

experience oral, print

and other media
texts from a variety
of cultural traditions
and genres,

retell events of
stories in another
form or medium

experience oral, print

and other media
texts from a variety
of cultural traditions
and genres,

identify and explain

connections among
events, setting and
main characters in
oral, print and other
media texts

retell events of
stories in another
form or medium

identify and explain

family.
- add scenes to the theme
chart- not quotes. Only 1
book.
- do quote as a class.

Writing Introductions

Writing Body Paragraphs

- May take many classes

connections among
events, setting and
main characters in
oral, print and other
media texts

Revisit beginning, middle,

end
In an essay the beginning
is the intro- but different.
Do not just retell story.
Re-read intro of analysis
Underline and circle family
things
-Make general sentence
about themes together
- make sentence that links
theme to the story
- practice. Choose a word
and do the same.
- underline and circle in
own intro.

Hamburger or oreo?
Hamburger organizer on
smart board with parts in
it.
Hamburger organizer for
their ideas
Lined paper

-Body paragraphs are in

the middle.
-Same topic but each

Hamburger organizer
Lined paper
Colors

retell events of
stories in another
form or medium

use organizational
patterns of expository
texts to understand
ideas and information

use organizational
patterns of expository

different
-Look at body paragraphs
in analysis- -first- sentence
about theme
- last- connecting sentence
- middle sentencesexamples
- add to practice from
yesterday.
- underline own sentences
Body Paragraphs
Continued

Writing Conclusions

texts to understand
ideas and information

-they only have 2 body

paragraphs, but you can
use as many as makes
sense
- we have more examples
so we will use 3
- quotes strength
argument
- add at least one quote.
Model some on the board
to choose from.

Hamburger organizer
Lined paper

-review intro and body

paragraph parts
- introduce conclusion- not
an ending- why your
theme is good
- reread conclusion of
analysis
-think-pair- share why your

Hamburger organizer
Lined paper

organize oral, print

and other media
texts into sections
that relate to and
develop the topic

use organizational
patterns of expository
texts to understand
ideas and information

organize oral, print

and other media
texts into sections
that relate to and
develop the topic

use organizational
patterns of expository
texts to understand
ideas and information

organize oral, print

and other media

theme is good
- first sentence-connection
- last ideas about the
theme- why did you
choose that theme for the
story.
- practice.
Revision

Peer Editing Procedures

and Applications
Round robin editing.

-bad example as a class

-find mistake together
-rewrite it better
individually
- 3 changes to own work
with colored pencil

-whole group editing

lesson
- how to kindly make
suggestions
-edit own
- pass and edit in diff color
- pass again
- go over change
- hand in for teacher to
check

texts into sections

that relate to and
develop the topic

Got it, oops handout

Colors

Editing checklist
Colors

revise to ensure an
understandable
progression of ideas
and information

identify and reduce

fragments and run-on
sentences

edit for subject-verb

agreement

use capitalization to
designate organizations
and to indicate the
beginning of quotations
in own writing

use commas after

introductory words in
sentences and when

identify quotation
marks in passages of
dialogue, and use them
to assist comprehension

select and use visuals

that enhance meaning
of oral, print and other
media texts

editing Uses an

grade- Uses

Uses
gradelevel

grade- Uses

Finished Copies

satisfying Writes a

Round circle sharing time

paragrap Body
hs include

special paper
illustration cover page

more Writes

- make illustration page to

break up the writing
process
- copy final copy over.
Those who are done can
have silent reading time
inviting Writes an

Finds
evidence

Student
names
Sharing

es Recogniz

Final Draft

revision Uses a

citing addresses in own

writing

write legibly, using a

style that demonstrates
awareness of
alignment, shape and
slant

add interest to
presentations through
the use of props, such
as pictures, overheads
and artifacts

present to peers ideas

and information on a
topic of interest, in a
well-organized form