Salt Lake City School District (3/7/12)
Elementary English Language Arts (Grs. 2-6) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Template
For Comprehending and Composing*
Use this form to plan your weekly lessons within a unit (several lessons) around a core theme.
Core Theme ____ Grade _____
What is the theme?
What is the essential
question I would like
students to engage at the
end of the theme?
What is the essential subquestion for each lesson, as
it relates to the theme?
Background knowledge:
build or activate students’
related knowledge to the
theme or topic.
BEFORE READING
What reading instruction is
needed? (skills, strategies,
higher level questions)
Core Theme:
Essential Question:
Week 1
Title of Main Reading
Selection:
Week 2
Title of Main Reading
Selection:
Week 3
Title of Main Reading
Selection:
Week 4
Title of Main Reading Selection:
Essential Sub-Question:
(At this point, this is an
oral activity and later
becomes the writing
task.):
Essential Sub-Question:
Essential Sub-Question:
Essential Sub-Question:
Focus Comprehension Skill:
Focus Comprehension Skill:
Focus Comprehension Strategy:
Focus Comprehension Strategy:
Comprehension
Objective:
Comprehension
Objective:
DURING READING
What is the intended
comprehension objective of
student learning?
Comprehension
Objective:
Comprehension Objective:
* This template is for the teaching of comprehending and composing only within the core reading program. Teach
other components of the reading program as you normally would—including phonics and word work, fluency,
spelling, writing conventions, etc.
2
Writing to Learn
Short Response
Create the writing task by
turning the sub-question into
a prompt. Discuss the subquestion and answer it orally
before students write.
AFTER READING
Extended Response
-Use paired selections from
core reading program.
-Writing task reflects
comprehension across 2
reading selections.
AFTER READING
What rubric or assessment
checklist will I use to
evaluate student products?
Writing Task:
Weekly Writing Tasks
Writing Task:
Writing Task:
Writing Task:
Writing Task:
Writing Task:
3
Learning to Write
What kind of writing will
instruction and/or intended
outcome result in?

Opinion: opinion,
opinion with
rationale, opinion
with evidence

Informational:
report, statement,
explanation

Narrative: Tell a
story; convey facts
Select one genre per lesson
(week).
Week 5: Select, revise,
publish, share:
What strategies will I use to
move students through
multiple revisions of a
document?
What digital resources will I
use to support lesson
activities, assignments or the
final product? (depends on
resources at your school)
When and in what structure
will I critically examine this
student work, and discuss
the instruction with
colleagues?
End of theme response to
essential question
Weekly Writing Component of Core Program Using Themes and Essential Questions
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Opinion writing task:
NOTE: All of the prompts
used for instructional
writing should be discussed
in small and large groups
before students begin to
write.
Informational writing task:
Narrative writing task:
Writing on Demand: Write a response to the essential question. (30 minutes to pre-write, draft, revise and proofread)
4
Principles of the CCSS found in this template:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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7)
8)
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10)
11)
12)
Working around an essential question that binds selections together.
Facilitating extended thinking and reasoning.
Reading across multiple texts for different purposes.
Writing to deepen reading comprehension.
Scaffolding and extensive practice using oral language to support written language.
Learning of academic language and vocabulary.
Learning to write in different genres.
Using on-line resources to support learning.
Ability to substitute CCSS standards for basal reading and writing skills and strategies.
Using various elements of the writing process.
Practicing short responses to a prompt.
Practicing extended responses to a prompt.