Writing– Grade 4
Unit of Study: Personal
Experiences with Plot/ Experiencias personales con un argumento
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Second Grading Period – Week 1- 2
Big Idea
Unit Rationale
“A memoir is often episodic; it is based on a central idea revealed through a series
of events. A short story is essentially a problem that must be solved by a character
or characters. It is the unfolding of events that becomes important in the story,
building to a wonderful conclusion.” (Rog and Kropp, 2004)
Rog, L. J. & Kropp, P., (2004). The write genre: Classroom activities and minilessons that promote writing with clarity, style and flashes of brilliance. Pembroke
Publishers, Ontario, Canada.
A personal memoir does not always have a plot, but sometimes it does. “Personal memoirs
are generally based on events that happened to the writer – the truth “with stretchers,” as
Mark Twain would say. . . Some memoirs are descriptions of events that happened to
others, often with details added to improve the retelling.” (Rog and Kropp, 2004)
Rog, L. J. & Kropp, P., (2004). The write genre: Classroom activities and mini-lessons that
promote writing with clarity, style and flashes of brilliance. Pembroke Publishers, Ontario,
Canada.
TEKS
TEKS Specificity - Intended Outcome
TEKS 4 The student is expected to
15A write to express, discover, record, develop, reflect on ideas, and to problem solve (TAKS 1)
15D write to entertain such as to compose humorous poems or stories (TAKS 1)
16A write legibly by selecting cursive or manuscript as appropriate (TAKS 1)
16B capitalize and punctuate correctly to clarify and enhance meaning such as capitalizing titles, using
possessives, commas in a series, commas in direct address, and sentence punctuation (TAKS 2 ,6)
Concepts
17A write with accurate spelling of syllable constructions including closed, open, consonant before –le, and
syllable boundary patterns(TAKS 2, 6)
17A ii write with accurate spelling of syllable constructions including closed, open, qu together, using n before v,
m before b, m before p, v, changing z to c before ending –es and dipthongs (TAKS 2, 6)
 17C use resources to find correct spellings
17D spell accurately in final drafts (TAKS 2, 6)
 19A generate ideas and plans for writing by using such prewriting strategies as brainstorming, graphic
organizers, notes, and logs
18G write with increasing accuracy when using apostrophes in contractions such as it’s and possessives such as
Jan’s
19C revise selected drafts by adding, elaborating, deleting, combining, and rearranging text (TAKS 1, 3)
19 D revise drafts for coherence, progression, and logical support of ideas (TAKS 1, 3)
19E edit drafts for specific purposes such as to ensure standard usage, varied sentence structure, and
appropriate word choice (TAKS 2, 4, 5)
 19F use available technology to support aspects of creating, revising, editing, and
publishing texts
I can:
 write to express my ideas and feelings about the
past (15A)
 tell a story about myself with a plot (15D)
 generate a list of topics that I can write about
(19A)
 generate ideas for writing (19A)
 develop a plan for writing (19A)
 develop drafts (19B)
 develop my ideas by using detail and sensory
words (19C)
 reenter my draft to revise (19C, 19D)
 use an effective lead sentence to appeal to my
reader (15D)
 reenter my draft to edit (19E)
 punctuate dialogue correctly (16B)
 use possessives and contractions correctly (18G)
 edit spelling by using my knowledge of how to
spell commonly misspelled words (17A, 17C, 17D)
 write legibly (16A)
 publish my writing (19F)
Yo puedo:
 escribir para expresar mis ideas y sentamientos
acerca de mi pasado (15A)
 contar una memoria que incluye un argumento
(15D)
19H proofread his/her own writing and that of others (TAKS 2, 5, 6)
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Page 1 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 19I select and use reference materials and resources as needed for writing, revising, and editing final drafts
 20A apply criteria to evaluate writing
 20B respond in constructive ways to others’ writing
 hacer una lista de temas en que puedo escribir
(19A)
 pensar de ideas para escribir (19A)
 desarrollar un plan para mi escritura (19A)
 desarrollar mi borrador (19B)
 desarrollar mis ideas con mas detalles y palabras
sensoriales (19C)
 revisar mi borrador (19C, D)
 comenzar mi composición con una oración que
atrae al lector (15D)
 editar mi borrador (19E)
 corregir las palabras no deletreadas
correctamente (17Aii)
 escribir con letra clara y bien formada (16A)
 publicar mi escritura (19F)
Evidence of Learning
 Given a choice of topics, students will write personal narratives with a plot that achieve a score of 3 or 4 on the Student-Friendly Rubric.
 Students will use possessives, contractions, and quotation marks with 85% accuracy in their compositions.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Page 2 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Writing– Grade 4
Unit of Study: Personal
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Second Grading Period – Week 1- 2
Essential Questions
 How does plot help my story?
 How can I include a plot in my memoir?
 How can a lead attract my reader and
make him/her want to read more?
 Why would I use dialogue in my writing?
 How can I orchestrate all the skills and
strategies I have learned so far in my
writing?
 What role does word choice play in my
writing?
 How can I add more development or
depth to my writing?
Experiences with Plot/ Experiencias personales con un argumento
Essential Pre-requisite Skills











Write text using the basic conventions of print, including spacing between words and sentences (Grade 1).
Write legibly leaving appropriate margins for readability (Grade 2).
Write legibly in cursive script with spacing between words in a sentence (Grade 3).
Use basic capitalization for: the beginning of sentences, the pronoun ‘I,’ and names of people (Grade 1).
Use capitalization for: proper nouns, months and days of the week . . . (Grade 2)
Use capitalization for: geographical names and places, historical periods, official titles of people (Grade3).
Recognize and use punctuation marks at the end of declarative, exclamatory, and interrogative sentences (Grades 1 and 2).
Recognize and use punctuation marks including apostrophes in contraction,; commas in series and dates (Grade 3).
Recognize and use punctuation marks: apostrophes in possessives; quotation marks (Grade 3)
Spell high frequency words from a commonly used list (Grades 1 and 2).
Spell words with common orthographic patterns and rules (Grade 2).
The Teaching Plan
Instructional Model/Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
Follow this weekly plan. You will need to access the Teacher Toolkit and the Mentor Texts to conduct the lessons.
Prewriting
 Continue to use mentor texts ( picture books, chapter books, teacher’s writing, student writing, scored papers from TEA,
etc.) to serve as models for ideas for writing.
 Have students refer to their bank of personal topics or brainstorm a new one (based on the mentor text) for this writing
assignment. You should model this in front of the students.
 Refer to your list of words you have been collecting and have students choose a few that they will use in this writing.
 Show the students a graphic organizer to develop plot (Teacher Toolkit: Plot)
 Demonstrate how you use it and then have them use the graphic.
 Collect several books with strong leads and have students read and classify the leads.
 Also use the leads in the Teacher Toolkit. With a partner, have your students try out a few of the leads.
 Tell students that sometimes an author may think of his/her lead before beginning the writing. At other times, the author
returns to the beginning of the piece and tries out different leads.
 Ask the students to plan a lead for their compositions. Tell them they may change the lead later. Encourage them to
share with the class and classify the type of leads that they are experimenting with (Teacher Toolkit: Effective Leads).
Week 1
Drafting
 Students should have an organizational plan of their plot, lead, and some powerful vocabulary they will use.
 Remind students to refer to their plan as they write. Model how you do this.
 Write with students (Teacher Toolkit: Teachers as Writers) giving them sufficient time to develop their topics in a first
draft.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
So students can . . .
Prewriting
(19A, 19B, 15A, 15D)
 use the ideas and vocabulary of mentor text to
influence their own writing
 list a variety of topics they could write about in
a topic bank.
 use the words they have been collecting to
make their writing more vivid
 use a graphic organizer to plan their writing
 collect and classify different book leads
 experiment with the use of different leads to
interest and engage their readers
Drafting
(15A, 15D, 16A)
 write to increase fluency
 refer to their prewriting plan as they write.
Page 3 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Sharing
 Choose a few students to share with the whole group and model comments that compliment the writer and the writing,
being specific to the writer’s craft in the comments (Teacher Toolkit: Sharing)
 Highlight some students who have written some great leads or used some powerful vocabulary (or anything else you
wish to reinforce) by having the student write his or her sentence on a sentence strip and signing it. Post these on the
door or another prominent place. Periodically, request that other students read some of the sentences and talk about
what that student did well in the sentence.
Revising
 With a partner, have the students come up with a different type of lead for the composition
Editing
 Teach about singular and plural possessives (Harcourt Language)
 Record and date when the above items are reinforced. (Teacher Toolkit: Editing Checklist)
 Remember: The editing checklist is not a list of editing symbols (though you may certainly use those symbols). It is a
list of editing reminders that you have taught – with the date it was taught. Students need to be continuously held
responsible for checking items listed to date.
 Have students search for any possessives they used in their compositions and have them list them.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Sharing
(19H)
 volunteer to share their own writing and leads
 classify what type of leads their peers have
used
 write exemplary sentences on sentence strips
to share
Revising
(19D)
 work on alternative leads for their partners’
compositions
Editing
(16B, 17A, 17Aii, 17C, 17D, 18G, 19E, 19H)
 edit for singular and plural possessives
 edit for the items on the editing checklist
Page 4 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Week 2
Instructional Model/Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
Prewriting (The lessons for prewriting this week may take several days.)

Use mentor texts to serve as models for writing

Have students refer to their topic banks to choose another topic. If necessary, brainstorm additional ideas based on
the mentor text.

Talk about how an important aspect of writing is idea development. Show students what you mean with the lesson
in the Teacher Toolkit (Teacher Toolkit: Writing with Detail by Barry Lane).

Give students a list of sensory words (Teacher Toolkit: Sensory Words).

Type a short excerpt from a chapter book and have students mark words with the senses they address (Teacher
Toolkit : Sensory Words Lesson).

Have students use a graphic organizer to plan out their plot (Teacher Toolkit: Plot).
Drafting

Model how you use your plan to write your story. Make sure that you include some sensory words in your plan.

If you have a lead in mind for your story, demonstrate that as well. Remind students that they do not have to plan
their leads before writing; they may think of good lead after they have written much of their story.

Demonstrate how to do a “whisper read” in order to edit and revise a paper.

Circulate throughout the class conferencing with students (Teacher Toolkit: Conferencing)
Revising

Have students revise for developed ideas (Teacher Toolkit: Focusing the Binoculars).

Tell students to make sure they have thought out their leads (Teacher toolkit: Effective Leads).
Editing

Teach contractions with Not (Harcourt Language). Add to the editing checklist. You may want to use foldables.

Teach the conventions of quotation marks (Harcourt Language).

Read the book, Problems with Pete the Pencil and Eddie the Eraser (Scholastic) or another picture book with
punctuated dialogue.

Give the students a scenario, such as meeting a friend at Fiesta Texas. Ask that partners write and act out the
dialogue (punctuated correctly).

Remind students that a little dialogue goes a long way. Advise them not to use it unless the quote is important.

Add quotation marks to the editing checklist.
Sharing

Choose a few students to share with the whole group and model comments that compliment the writer and the
writing, giving specific feedback to the author (Teacher Toolkit: Sharing).

Have partners share the conversations they have scripted.
Publishing

Publish student work. Some ideas include: posting work in hallway, class book, an anthology, reading aloud to
class, etc. (Teacher Toolkit – Publishing)
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
So students can . . .
Prewriting
(19A, 19B, 15A, 15D)

use the ideas and vocabulary of mentor
text to influence their own writing

refer to their topic banks to choose a topic

read an excerpt from a story and mark all
the sensory words with their symbols

plan sensory words they will use in their
compositions

use a graphic organizer to plan their
writing
Drafting
(16A, 15A, 15D) )

write a personal narrative with a plot

whisper read the piece and make
changes

conference with the teacher
Editing
(16B, 17A, 17C, 17D, 18G, 19E, 19H)

do a foldable for contractions

edit for the items posted

write and edit a conversation to share with
the class
Sharing
(19H)

share with their peers
Publishing

Publish student work. Some ideas include:
posting work in hallway, class book, an
anthology, reading aloud to class, etc.
(Teacher Toolkit – Publishing)
Page 5 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Vocabulary
English
 dialogue
 lead
 possessives
 plot
 sensory words
 quotation
Vocabulary
Spanish

diálogo

comienzo

posesivos

argumento

palabras sensoriales

guiones
Suggested Mentor Texts
English
 Quick as a Cricket by Audrey and Don Wood (English and Spanish)
 Bubba the Cowboy Prince by Helen Ketteman
 I Love You the Purplest by Barbara Joosse
 Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook by Michael Garland
 Bedhead by Margie Palatini
 Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg
 The BFG by Roald Dahl
 Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park
 Flip-Flop Girl by Katharine Patterson
 Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
 Crazy Hair Day by Barney Saltzberg
Spanish
 My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela/ The Life of Gabriela Mistral/ La vida de Gabriela Mistral por Monica Brown
 It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way/ No tiene que ser asi por Luis J. Rodriguez y Daniel Galvez
 Arroz con frijoles y unos amables ratones por Alma Flor Ada
 Matilda por Roald Dahl
 Doble Fudge por Judy Blume
 El diario de Pedro por Melanie Watt
 Martha habla por Susan Meddaugh
 Lola por Loufane Gladys Rosa-Mendoza
 Dance, Nana, Dance/Baila Nana, baila por Joe Hayes
 Lila y su bolsa de plástico morada por Kevin Henkes
 Henry Huggins por Beverly Cleary
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Textbook:
Harcourt Language
 Singular and Plural Possessive Nouns pp.
102-105
 Possessive Noun or Plural Noun? pp. 106107
Harcourt Lenguaje
 Definición de un artìculo pp. 102-103
 Definición de la conjunción pp. 104-105
Page 6 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Evidence of Learning
Differentiation
What do you do for students who need more
support?
For students that are having trouble getting started,
help them by having them dictate their plan to you.
For students who have difficulty with the physical act of
writing, have them dictate their story to a peer or type
the story on the computer.
What do you do for students who master the
learning quickly?
Add depth to the paper by:
 Using a personal anecdote
 Using more detailed description
Interims/TAKS/Benchmarks
Sample Questions
English: Revising and Editing – 2004
The student must look back on the test to the passage
where the sentence is found. The following is the original
sentence as it appeared in the passage.
(15) He hear’s it scamper in the fallen leaves.
Here is the question about that sentence:
20. What change, if any, should be made to sentence 21?
F Change hear’s to hears
G Change it to them
H Change fallen to falled
J Make no change
Written Composition 2004
Write a composition about an adventure you have had.
Spanish: Revisión y corrección - 2004
The student must look back on the test to the passage
where the sentence is found. The following is the original
sentence as it appeared in the passage.
College-Readiness i.e.,
Anticipated Skills for SAT/ACT/College Board/Careers/Life
College Essay Prompts
"How would you describe yourself as a human being?
What quality do you like best in yourself and what do you
like least? What quality would you most like to see flourish
and which would you like to see wither?" (Bates College)
Write about one of the following:





A conversation that deeply moved you
A person who inspired you
An ethical dilemma you faced
A turning point in your life (tragic or joyful event)
An experience you will never forget
Length: No longer than two typed double spaced pages;
12 point font.
(3) El llego a mi casa cuando acababa de nacer .
Here is the question about that sentence:
17. La oración 4 quedaría más clara si se cambia El por A Mi tío
B Puqui
C El día
D El regalo
Written Composition 2004 -- Spanish
Escribe una composición acerca de una aventura que
hayas tenido.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Page 7 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments
at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Writing– Grade 4
Second Grading Period – Week 3-4
Big Idea
Unit of Study: Poems/La
poesía
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Unit Rationale
“What we need to do is to expose students to a range of poetic forms and
styles so that they understand the unique characteristics of poetry and use it to
express their ideas in a way that is not possible with prose. . . Surprisingly,
poetry is often an appealing genre for reluctant readers. Because it is usually
short, they think it’s going to be easy. As a result, they’re more willing to take
risks about reading and writing poetry. ”
(Rog and Kropp, 2004)
These are features that distinguish poetry from prose:
 “a unique treatment of an ordinary topic
 poetic use of descriptive language
 precise and economical word choice
 focus on the sounds of language as well as the meaning
 repetition of sounds, words and phrases for effect
 attention to line breaks and ‘white space’
 sometimes a formal structure (sonnet, ballad, etc.)” (Rog and Kropp, 2004)
Rog, L. J. & Kropp, P., (2004). The write genre: Classroom activities and mini-lessons that
promote writing with clarity, style and flashes of brilliance. Pembroke Publishers, Ontario, Canada.
Rog, L. J. & Kropp, P., (2004). The write genre: Classroom activities and minilessons that promote writing with clarity, style and flashes of brilliance.
Pembroke Publishers, Ontario, Canada.
TEKS
TEKS Specificity - Intended Outcome
TEKS 4 The student is expected to
 5C present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems or plays to communicate
 7E read aloud in selected texts in ways that both reflect understanding of the text and engage the
listeners
 12G understand literary forms by recognizing and distinguishing among such types of text as stories,
poems, myths, fables, tall tales, limericks, plays, biographies, and autobiographies
I can:
 present a poem dramatically (5C, 7E)
 understand what a poem is and how it is different from a
short story (12G)
 write various types of poems, both rhyming and nonrhyming (15A, 15F)
 revise my poems (19C)
 edit my poetry for spelling (17A, 17C)
 edit for items on the editing checklist (19H)
 use different verb tenses correctly (18C)
 make my subjects and verbs agree (18C)
 publish my writing (21G )
Yo puedo:
 presentar un poema oralmente (5C, 7E)
 entender las diferencias entre un poema y un cuento (12G)
 escribir varios tipos de poemas , los que riman y los que no
riman (15A, 15F)
 revisar mi poemas (19C)
 editar la ortografía de mi poema(17Aii, 17C)
 editar usando la lista de editar (19H)
 usar los tiempos de los verbos correctamente (18Cii)
 usar la conjugación de los verbos correctamente (18Cii)
 publicar mis poemas (21G )
15A write to express, discover, record, develop, reflect on ideas, and to problem solve (TAKS 1)
 15F choose the appropriate form for his/her own purpose for writing, including journals, letters,
reviews, poems , narratives and instructions
Concepts
17B write with accurate spelling of syllable constructions, including closed, open, consonant before –le,
and syllable boundary patterns (TAKS 6)
17Aii write with accurate spelling of syllable constructions such as closed, open, qu together, using n
before v, m before, b, m before p, changing z to c when adding –es, and dipthongs
17C spell accurately in final drafts (TAKS 6)
18C employ standard English usage in writing for audiences, including subject-verb agreement, pronoun
referents, and parts of speech (TAKS 5)
18Cii employ standard Spanish usage with increased complexity in writing for audiences including
subject-verb agreement/conjugation, gender and number agreement, and parts of speech (TAKS 5)
19C revise selected drafts by adding, elaborating, deleting, combining, and rearranging text (TAKS 1)
19H proofread his/her own writing and that of others (TAKS 2, 5, 6)
21G refine selected pieces frequently to “publish” for general and specific audiences
Evidence of Learning


90% of the students will write a poem of each type taught.
90% of students will score 80% or above on a test of verb tenses from Harcourt Language.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Page 8 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments
at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Writing– Grade 4
Unit of Study: Poems/La
poesía
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Second Grading Period – Week 3-4
Essential Questions









What is the difference between a poem and a story?
What are the tools of poetry?
What is the intent of a poem?
What are some other types of poetry besides rhyming poetry?
How can I play with language to compose a poem?
How can verbs help me write poetry?
What is onomatopoeia?
What is alliteration?
How can I use similes and metaphors to write poetry?
Essential Pre-requisite Skills
 Write legibly leaving appropriate margins for readability (Grade 2).
 Write legibly in cursive script with spacing between words in a sentence (Grade 3).
 Write letters whose language is tailored to the audience and purpose (e.g. a thank you
note to a friend) and that use appropriate conventions (e.g., date, salutation, closing).
(Grade 3)
 Identify the complete subject and the complete predicate in a sentence. (Grade 3)
 Identify and use complete sentences with correct subject-verb agreement and
distinguish between complete and incomplete sentences (Grade 3)
The Teaching Plan
Week 3
Instructional Model/Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can . . .
Routines to maintain:
 Mentor Text
 Mini Lessons
 The Writer’s Notebook
 The Writer’s Toolkit
 Word Wall/Word Bank
Follow this weekly plan. You will need to access the Teacher Toolkit and the Mentor Texts to conduct the lessons.
Prewriting
 Poetry is meant to be heard. It is most important in this unit to read a lot of poems aloud, including non-rhyming poems
(See resources – Mentor Text).
 Tell students that poetry is intended to present and idea; rhyme is only one tool to help convey that meaning.
 Divide students into groups of three or four and assign each group a poem of one page or less to prepare and present to
the class (perhaps Shel Silverstein or Jack Prelutsky). The student s in the group must work together to decide who will
say which lines and what they will say in unison. They have to attend to rhythm, pauses, volume, tempo, tone, and
expression (explain what these terms mean – Teacher Toolkit: teaching the Tools of Poetry).
 Ask the students what the difference is between a poem and a story.
Drafting (The drafting stage lessons may take more than one day.)
 Write a class poem together.
 Ask each student to write down a phrase that describes and observation made between waking up and arriving at
school. The observation should not be written as a complete sentence, but as a phrase (“the dog barking” “the cereal
box prize”).
 Take down each phrase (one per line), inserting your own lines at random.
 Ask the class to copy down the poem.
 Use the lesson on Musical Language (Teacher Toolkit: More Than Rhyme Time: Poetry) to teach students how to write
poems with onomatopoeia, invented words, and alliteration (all this may be done in Spanish, as well).
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Prewriting
(5C, 7E)
 listen to poems read aloud.
 orally present a published poem with a group
of students
Drafting
(15A, 15F)
 write a poem collaboratively with the class
 write poems with onomatopoeia, invented
words and alliteration
Page 9 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments
at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 Have students write the poems.
Revising
 Ask the class to reread the collaborative poem to make changes together that they think will make the poem sound
better.
Editing
 Refer to the editing checklist
 Teach the students about verb tenses (Harcourt Language)
Sharing/Publishing
 Create a “Poetry Coffeehouse” where students sit on a stool to read their poems to the class. You could have soft music
(maybe Jazz) playing in the background. Students could each bring a coffee cup from home and you could serve
beverages. Students could applaud each other by snapping their fingers instead of clapping.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Revising
(19C)
 revise the class poem
Editing
(17Aii, 17B, 17C, 18C, 18Cii)
 edit for the items posted
 edit for verb tenses
Sharing/Publishing
(21G)
 present in the Poetry Coffeehouse

Page 10 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments
at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Week 4
Instructional Model/Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can . . .
Prewriting (These lessons may take several days)
 Continue to read poetry aloud (See resources – Mentor Text).
 Repeat the group performance of a published poem (with a new poem this week) (See week 3).
 Tell students that this week you will teach them to write Vivid Verb Poems, Sensory Poems, Simile and Metaphor
Poems, Fun Food Poems, Color Poems, and Rhyming Poems.
 For more fun, your students may wish to try “Why?” poems with such silly questions as “Why do dogs roll on dead
things?” (Teacher Toolkit: Barry Lane’s Poetry Ideas
 Use the lessons in the toolkit for those particular types of poems (Teacher Toolkit: Poetry: More Than Rhyme Time).
Drafting
 Write with students to compose a sample of each type of poetry for the whole class.
 Have students write their own poems.
 Remind students to do a “whisper read” in order to edit and revise a paper
Editing
 Refer to the editing checklist.
 Teach about Past-Tense Verbs (Harcourt Language).
Revising
 Have students whisper-read their poetry to revise for flow of ideas and rhythm.
Sharing/Publishing
 Re-open the Poetry Coffeehouse. This time you may wish to invite parents and other classes.
 Have students add their favorite poems to their portfolios.
Vocabulary
English
 poetry
 alliteration
 onomatopoeia
 sensory
 rhyme
 rhythm
 pauses
 volume
 tempo
 tone
 expression
Prewriting
(12G)
 listen to poems read aloud
 learn to compose different types of poems
Drafting
(15A, 15F)
 practice writing different types of poems (Vivid
Verb Poems, Sensory Poems, Simile and
Metaphor Poems, Fun Food Poems, Color
Poems, Rhyming Poems, and “Why poems.
Editing
(17Aii, 17B, 17C, 18C, 18Cii)
 edit for the items posted
 edit for verb tenses
Revising
(19C)
 revise for flow of ideas and rhythm
Sharing/Publishing
(21G)
 present in the Poetry Coffeehouse
Vocabulary
Spanish
 poesía
 aliteración
 onomatopeya
 sensorial
 rima
 ritmo
 pausas
 volumen
 tempo
 tono
 expresión
Resources
Suggested Mentor Texts
English
 Kids’ Poems: Teaching Third and Fourth Graders to Love Writing Poetry by Regie
Routman
 Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Textbook:
Harcourt Language
 Verb Tenses pp. 164-165
 Present Tense Verbs pp. 166-167
 Past-Tense Verbs pp. 174-175
Writing Grade 4
Page 11 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments
at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield
 Good Rhymes, Good Times by Lee Bennett Hopkins
 Snippets: A Gathering of Poems, Pictures and Possibilities by Charlotte Zolotow
 Rainbows, Head Lice, and Pea Green Tile by Brod Bagert
 Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
 If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand by Kalli Dakos
 The Random House Big Book of Poetry
 The Desert is Theirs by Byrd Baylor
Spanish
 Hola mar por Pam Muñoz Ryan
 Arroz con leche por Lulu Delacre
 La luciérnaga: Antología para niños de la poesía mexicana contemporánea
compilación por Francisco Serrano
 A Movie in My Pillow/ Una película en mi almohada por Jorge Agueta
 Jitomates y otros poemas de primavera por Francisco X. Alarcón
 Del ombligo de la luna; y otros poemas de verano por Franciso X. Alarcon y Maya
Cristina Gonzales
 Sueñan, lloran, cantan/ They Dream, They Cry, They Sing por Perry Higman
 More about Past-Tense Verbs pp. 176-177
Harcourt Lenguaje
 Tiempos verbiales pp. 164-165
 Verbos en tiempo presente pp. 166-167
 Concordancia entre el sujeto y el verbo pp. 174-175
 Práctica adicional pp. 176-177
 Use the Poetry Units in Scott Foresman Reading/Lectura
o pp.130-133
o pp. 232-234
o pp. 338-340
Evidence of Learning
Differentiation
Interims/TAKS/Benchmarks
What do you do for students who need more support?
 Poetry on Tape: Have some poems on tape for the
students to explore individually.
 Partner Writing: Instead of individual pieces, have
students work together to compose their poems.
 Technology Application: Have students type their
pieces on the computer.
Sample Questions
English: Revising and Editing – 2004
The student must look back on the test to the passage
where the sentence is found. The following is the original
sentence as it appeared in the passage.
(1) Last friday Mr. Garza made an announcement to
his students.
What do you do for students who master the learning
quickly?
 The students could record dramatic interpretations of
poetry for their peers.
 Challenge the students to compose individual
anthologies of poetry.
Here is the question about those sentences:
20. What change, if any, should be made in sentence 1?
F Change friday to Friday
G Change made to makes
H Change and to a
J Make no change
Spanish: Revisión y corrección - 2004
The student must look back on the test to the passage
where the sentence is found. The following is the original
sentence as it appeared in the passage.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
College-Readiness i.e.,
Anticipated Skills for SAT/ACT/College Board/Careers/Life
College Essay Prompts from University of
Chicago
Modern improvisational comedy had its start with The
Compass Players, a group of University of Chicago
students, who later formed the Second City comedy
troupe. Here is a chance to play along. Improvise a
story, essay, or script that meets all of the following
requirements:
 It must include the line “And yes I said yes I
will Yes” (Ulysses, by James Joyce).
 Its characters may not have superpowers.
 Your work has to mention the University of
Chicago, but please, no accounts of a high
school student applying to the University–this
is fiction, not autobiography.
 Your work must include at least four of the
following elements:
o a paper airplane
Page 12 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments
at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
(5) En el camino del aeropuerto al hotel, reconoceré
varios de los lugares que he visto en los libros y
revistas.
Here is the question about that sentence:
18. ¿Qué cambio se debe hacer en la oración 5?
F Cambiar aeropuerto por airopuerto
G Cambiar la coma por un punto
H Cambiar reconoceré por reconocí
J No se necesita ningún cambio
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
a transformation
a shoe
the invisible hand
two doors
pointillism
a fanciful explanation of the
Pythagorean Theorem
a ventriloquist or ventriloquism
the Periodic Table of the Elements
number two pencils
Page 13 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Writing– Grade 4
Unit of Study: Fictional
Narratives/Narrativos ficcionarios
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Second Grading Period – Weeks 5 - 9
Big Idea
Unit Rationale
“A short story is essentially a problem that must be solved by a character or characters.
It is the unfolding of events that becomes important in the story, building to a wonderful
conclusion. . . the fictional narrative requires the writer to create characters, build a
story, and then put it all together in a convincing way.”
(Rog and Kropp, 2004)
Rog, L. J. & Kropp, P., (2004). The write genre: Classroom activities and mini-lessons
that promote writing with clarity, style and flashes of brilliance. Pembroke Publishers,
Ontario, Canada.
“Of all the literary genres, the fictional narrative – the short story – is the most familiar to
young readers. We read stories to children long before they begin school and continue
long after they can read to themselves. We talk about many of the elements of a story
as early as Kindergarten. We ask kids to write and illustrate stories as soon as they can
hold a pencil..”
(Rog and Kropp, 2004)
Rog, L. J. & Kropp, P., (2004). The write genre: Classroom activities and mini-lessons
that promote writing with clarity, style and flashes of brilliance. Pembroke Publishers,
Ontario, Canada.
TEKS
TEKS Specificity - Intended Outcome
TEKS 4 The student is expected to
15D write to entertain such as to compose humorous poems or short stories (TAKS 1)
16B capitalize and punctuate correctly to clarify and enhance meaning such as capitalizing titles, using
possessives, commas in a series, commas in direct address, and sentence punctuation (TAKS 2 ,6)
Concepts
17A write with accurate spelling of syllable constructions including closed, open, consonant before –le,
and syllable boundary patterns (TAKS 2, 6)
17A ii write with accurate spelling of syllable constructions including closed, open, qu together, using n
before v, m before b, m before p, v, changing z to c before ending –es and dipthongs (TAKS 2, 6)
17D spell accurately in final drafts (TAKS 2, 6)
18B write in complete sentences, varying the types such as compound and complex to match meanings
and purposes (TAKS 3,4)
18C employ standard English usage in writing for audiences, including subject-verb agreement, pronoun
referents, and parts of speech (TAKS 5)
18Cii employ standard Spanish usage with increased complexity in writing for audiences including
subject-verb agreement/conjugation, gender and number agreement, and parts of speech (TAKS 5)
 18F use conjunctions to connect ideas meaningfully
19A generate ideas and plans for writing by using such prewriting strategies as brainstorming, graphic
organizers, notes, and logs
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
I can:
 write a fictional narrative (15D)
 write effective leads and endings (19D)
 understand what the elements of a short story are (15D)
 develop a character (15D)
 use quotations and quotation marks correctly (16B)
 spell correctly in final drafts (17A, 17D)
 construct compound and complex sentences ( 18B, 18F)
 revise for verb tenses (18C)
 use conjunctions to connect sentences (18F)
 use several different techniques for prewriting a fictional
narrative (19A)
 use paragraphs correctly (19B)
 revise my drafts by developing ideas, deleting or
combining text (19C, 19 D)
 edit for sentence structure and appropriate word choice
(19E, 19H)
 use a rubric to judge my writing (20A, 20C)
 help other students with their writing (20B)
Yo puedo:
 esciribir un narrativo ficcionario (15D)
 escribir con comienzos y conclusiones apropriados (19D)
 entender los componentes importantes de un cuento
corto (15D)
 desarrollar un personaje (15D)
Page 14 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
19B develop drafts by categorizing ideas, organizing them into paragraphs, and blending paragraphs
within larger units of text
19C revise selected drafts by adding, elaborating, deleting, combining, and rearranging text (TAKS 1, 3)
19 D revise drafts for coherence, progression, and logical support of ideas (TAKS 1, 3)
19E edit drafts for specific purposes such as to ensure standard usage, varied sentence structure, and
appropriate word choice (TAKS 2, 4, 5)
19H proofread his/her own writing and that of others (TAKS 2, 5, 6)
 20A apply criteria to evaluate writing
 20B respond in constructive ways to others’ writing
 20C evaluate how well his/her own writing achieves its purposes











usar el diálogo correctamente (16B)
deletrear correctamente (17Aii, 17D)
hacer oraciones compuestas y comlejas ( 18B, 18F)
revisar para los tiempos verbiales correctos (18Cii)
usar los conjunciones para conectar mis oraciones (18F)
planear mi narrativo ficcionario de varias maneras (19A)
hacer los párrafos correctamente
revisar mi borrador por desarrollar las ideas, quitar ideas
y combinar oraciones (19C, 19 D)
editar la estructura de mis oraciones y buscar vocabulario
apropriado (19E, 19H)
usar una rúbrica para calificar mi cuento (20A, 20C)
ayudar los demás con sus composiciones(20B)
Evidence of Learning
 Students will score a 3 or 4 on the Student-friendly Rubric for their compositions.
 80% of students will use the compound and complex sentences 85% of the time in their writing.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Page 15 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Unit of Study: Fictional
Narratives/Narrativos ficcionarios
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Second Grading Period – Weeks 5 – 9
Essential Questions













Essential Pre-requisite Skills
What makes a fictional narrative different than a memoir?
What drives a story?
How do I build a believable character?
How do I create a problem, complication, or challenge?
How will my characters attempt to solve the problem?
How can I use exaggeration in my writing?
How can similes and metaphors help me develop my ideas?
What is the technique of “Ba Da Bing” for idea development?
How can dialogue play a part in my story?
How can I write more compound and complex sentences to add interest to my story?
Why do I start a new paragraph?
How can subject-verb agreement make my writing better?
How do I write a satisfying ending?
 Listen attentively by facing speakers and asking questions to clarify information
(Grade K).
 Follow, restate, and give oral instructions that involve a short related sequence of
actions (Grades 1 and 2).
 Share information and ideas that focus on the topic under discussion, speaking
clearly at an appropriate and understandable pace (Grade 2)
 Identify and use the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing and
speaking: nouns (regular and irregular plurals) (Grade 3)
The Teaching Plan
Week 5
Instructional Model/Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can . . .
Routines to maintain:

Mentor Text

The Writing Process

Mini Lessons

The Writer’s Notebook

The Writer’s Toolkit

Word Wall/Word Bank
Follow this weekly plan. You will need to access the Teacher Toolkit and the Mentor Texts to conduct the lessons.
Prewriting (The ideas in this unit are based on the chapter on ”Fictional Narratives” in The Write Genre by Lori Jamison Rog
and Paul Kropp) (The prewriting lessons and readings should take several days.)
 Students need to learn to read as writers. This means that, as writers, they must start to scrounge ideas and
techniques from other writers.
 So, you need to begin this unit by reading many well-written short stories and picture books. A recommended read is
Library Mouse.

Read a story once to get the meaning and a second time to notice the author’s craft. This is why we call them mentor
text, because they serve as mentors to influence our writing.
 Here are some questions that students should take down (or they should be posted to notice the writer’s craft):
o What makes the lead interesting or uninteresting?
o How did the author get us to know what kind of person the character was?
o How did the author use dialogue?
o Why did the author start a new paragraph or page here or there?
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Prewriting
(15D, 19A)

listen to mentor texts for ideas for their
own writing of fictional narratives

summarize stories with “Somebody . .
.Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then”

refer to a list of questions to know what to
notice about author’s craft in stories read
aloud

generate goals and conflicts for
characters based on the initial description
of the character
Page 16 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
o
o
o





Does the author build up tension? If so, how?
Why did the author repeat a certain phrase?
What kind of language does the author use that you would like to imitate?
o Is the ending satisfying or not? What makes it so?
Have students summarize stories with “Somebody . . .Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then” to show them that every
character has a goal, a conflict, and attempts at resolving a conflict with a final outcome.
You can even generate some ideas of your own with:
o The tired teacher wanted . . .
o The famous bodybuilder wanted . . .
o The lost child wanted . . .
o The brave mouse wanted . . .
o The poor worker wanted . . .
Students may want to hang on to these ideas for their writing later
Teach students that what drives a story is not the plot, but the character. Unless you make your readers care about
your character, they will not care what happens to him/her.
A prewriting plan should include:
o A well-developed character
o The character’s goal or problem
o One or more problems, complications or challenges
o Some form of resolution
Drafting

Try some of the following to begin to develop a character. Do one together before the students try it on their own.
o Describe the character’s appearance, personality, motivations, likes and dislikes
o Think of someone you know in real life. Then add fictional traits and experiences.
o Cut out magazine pictures and create a personality, conflict and resolution
o Take your character and decide what around her/him will change and, as a result, change a character’s life
(such as a new job, a move, a new brother or sister, a fight with a friend, a new school, a divorce, a marriage,
etc.)
o Do a Character Brainstorm, Character Fastwrite, or Character Interview (Teacher Toolkit: Character
Activities).
Sharing

Have some students share the character they have developed.
Editing

Teach irregular past tense (Harcourt Language).
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Drafting
(15D)

develop the appearance and personality
traits of a fictional character)
Sharing
(19H, 20B)

volunteer to share their own writing
Editing
(16B, 17A, 17Aii, 17D,19H)

edit for irregular past tense and other
items on the editing checklist
Page 17 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
The Teaching Plan
Week 6
Instructional Model/Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can . . .
Routines to maintain:

Mentor Text

The Writing Process

Mini Lessons

The Writer’s Notebook

The Writer’s Toolkit

Word Wall/Word Bank
Follow this weekly plan. You will need to access the Teacher Toolkit and the Mentor Texts to conduct the lessons.
Prewriting (The ideas in this unit are based on the chapter on ”Fictional Narratives” in The Write Genre by Lori Jamison Rog
and Paul Kropp) (The prewriting lessons and readings should take several days.)
 Read aloud more stories for students to read as writers and get ideas. Continue to summarize stories with
Somebody . . .Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then.”

Once a writer gets to know his/her character, he/she has a better idea of what problems the character might face.

Have students think about the following characters and brainstorm some ideas for goals, problems, and resolutions:
o The video game addict
o The practical joker
o The school bully
o The popular kid
o The unpopular kid
o The sports fanatic
o The “worry wart”
o The jolly principal
o The anxious father
o The perfectionist
o The “workaholic”
o The champion basketball player
o The teen television star
o The mean babysitter
o The strict mother
o The runaway
o The angry knight
o The athletic princess
o The lucky kid
o The shy boy
o The scared pirate
o The sleepy student
o The smartest kid in the school
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Prewriting
(15D, 19A)

listen to mentor texts for ideas for their
own writing of fictional narratives

summarize stories with “Somebody . .
.Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then”

generate goals , problems , and
resolutions for characters based on the
initial description of the character
Page 18 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Drafting

Review the conventions for writing dialogue ( Week 2).

Remind students that the purpose of dialogue is to give a way to learn about a character or to move the action
forward. Another kind of dialogue you can use with your character is internal dialogue, or the thinking of the
character when he asks himself a question or has a self-doubt.

Take one of the characters listed above and create some dialogue for him/her together with the class.

Next have the students take their own character that they created last week, create a goal, conflict and resolution.
They may add dialogue, if they wish.
Sharing

Have students tell their stories orally to each other within two minutes and then switch turns.
Editing

Teach irregular past tense (Harcourt Language).

Add it to the editing checklist.

Refer to the editing checklist for items listed to date.
Drafting
(15D, 16B)

create a dialogue for a character that
helps to reveal a character trait
Sharing
(19H, 20B)

volunteer to share their own writing
Editing
(16B, 16Bii, 17A, 17Aii, 17D, 18C, 18Cii,19H)

edit for irregular past tense and other
items on the editing checklist
The Teaching Plan
Week 7
Instructional Model/Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can . . .
Routines to maintain:

Mentor Text

The Writing Process

Mini Lessons

The Writer’s Notebook

The Writer’s Toolkit

Word Wall/Word Bank
Follow this weekly plan. You will need to access the Teacher Toolkit and the Mentor Texts to conduct the lessons.
Prewriting (The ideas in this unit are based on the chapter on ”Fictional Narratives” in The Write Genre by Lori Jamison Rog
and Paul Kropp) (The prewriting lessons and readings should take several days.)
 Read aloud more stories for students to read as writers and get ideas. Continue to summarize stories with
Somebody . . .Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then.”

Talk about point of view, and that most stories are told in the third person (like in The Three Pigs – Where the author
talks about the character). Students need to make sure that they do not switch their writing to first person (I) or to
second person (you).

Tell students that once they choose a point of view, they must stick with it. Ask them what their choice is.

Review the types of leads they may use in their narratives (Week 1)(Teacher toolkit: Effective Leads)

Have students write a lead based on the character and the plot they have developed.
Drafting

Teach students about endings. Have them plan their endings, but tell them that they can be flexible and change the
ending when they revise, if they wish (Teacher Toolkit: Satisfying Endings).

Have students draft their stories in their entirety, using the ideas they have developed in the last two weeks.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Prewriting
(15D, 19A)

listen to mentor texts for ideas for their
own writing of fictional narratives

summarize stories with “Somebody . .
.Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then”

choose a point of view appropriate to the
fictional narrative

review the different types of leads
Drafting
(15D)

explore the different choices for satisfying
endings

draft a complete fictional narrative
Page 19 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Revising

Have students revise their leads and endings, if necessary.

Tell them to check to see how well developed their character is and whether they have developed a plot with a goal,
conflict, and attempts at resolution.

Teach students about paragraphing. Paragraphs make sense of what you write and can keep your readers
interested in what you have to say.

They should start a new paragraph when:
o a new person speaks
o the story has moved to a new place
o they’re bringing up a new idea
o they’re introducing a different point of view

They may want to use a very short paragraph:
o for punch (to emphasize something)
o for surprise
o for humor

Have students re-enter their writing to see where they can make a paragraph break. Have them check it over with a
partner.
Editing

Teach future tense (Harcourt Language).

Refer to the editing checklist for items taught to date.
Sharing

Have some students share.
Publishing

Have students publish their pieces and evaluate it with rubric.
Revising
(19B, 19D)

revise the leads and endings

understand the reason for paragraphing
and insert paragraph breaks in their
narratives
Editing
(16B, 16Bii, 17A, 17Aii, 17D, 18C, 18Cii,19H)

edit for future tense and other items on
the editing checklist
Sharing
(19H, 20B)

volunteer to share their own writing
Publishing
(20A, 20B, 20C)

publish and evaluate their writing.
The Teaching Plan
Week 8
Instructional Model/Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can . . .
Routines to maintain:

Mentor Text

The Writing Process

Mini Lessons

The Writer’s Notebook

The Writer’s Toolkit

Word Wall/Word Bank
Follow this weekly plan. You will need to access the Teacher Toolkit and the Mentor Texts to conduct the lessons.
Prewriting (These lessons may take several days.)
 Read aloud more stories for students to read as writers and get ideas. Continue to summarize stories with
Somebody . . .Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then.”

Read a story once to get the meaning and a second time to notice the author’s craft. This is why we call them
mentor text, because they serve as mentors to influence our writing.

Have students develop a new character with a goal, problem, and resolution.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Prewriting
(15D, 19A)

listen to mentor texts for ideas for their
own writing of fictional narratives

summarize stories with “Somebody . .
.Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then”
Page 20 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.





Ask that students use a prewriting graphic to plan this.
Students should also plan their leads and endings.
Tell students that this week you will be concentrating on development of ideas.
Teach students about :
o Using Exaggeration as a Writing Technique (Teacher Toolkit: Using Exaggeration as a Writing Technique)
o Similes and Metaphors (Teacher Toolkit: Similes and Metaphors)
o “Ba Da Bing” by Gretchen Bernabei (Teacher Toolkit: Ba Da Bing)
Challenge students to use these techniques in their writing this week.



choose a new character and plot
plan their leads and endings
experiment with different ways to develop
ideas more deeply
Drafting

Demonstrate how you use this with a class story using one of the characters from Week 6.

Have students write.
Revising

Review paragraphing. They should start a new paragraph when:
o a new person speaks
o the story has moved to a new place
o they’re bringing up a new idea
o they’re introducing a different point of view

Revise for idea development.

Have students re-enter their writing to see where they can make a paragraph break. Have them check it over with a
partner.
Drafting
(15D)

begin to write a new fictional narrative
Revising
(19B, 19C, 19D)

revise for idea development

understand the reason for paragraphing
and insert paragraph breaks in their
narrative
Sharing

Have some students share.
Editing

Teach abbreviations and titles (Harcourt Language).
Sharing
(19H, 20B)

volunteer to share their own writing
Editing
(16B, 16Bii)

edit for abbreviations and titles
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Page 21 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
The Teaching Plan
Week 9
Instructional Model/Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can . . .
Routines to maintain:

Mentor Text

The Writing Process

Mini Lessons

The Writer’s Notebook

The Writer’s Toolkit

Word Wall/Word Bank
Follow this weekly plan. You will need to access the Teacher Toolkit and the Mentor Texts to conduct the lessons.
Prewriting
 Read aloud more stories for students to read as writers and get ideas. Continue to summarize stories with
Somebody . . .Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then.”

Read a story once to get the meaning and a second time to notice the author’s craft. This is why we call them
mentor text, because they serve as mentors to influence our writing.

Review the stories from last week.
Drafting

Write a class story with one of the characters from week 6. Check for paragraphs and idea development.

Have students re-enter their fictional narratives from last week.
Sharing

Have some students share the character they have developed.
Revising

Have students revise for leads and endings, idea development, and paragraphing
Editing

Teach combining sentences and compound and complex sentences (Harcourt Language, Teacher Toolkit:
FANBOYS, Introductory Clauses).
Publishing

Publish student work and class stories in a typed anthology.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Prewriting
(15D, 19A)

listen to mentor texts for ideas for their
own writing of fictional narratives

summarize stories with “Somebody . .
.Wanted . . .But . . .So . . . Then”

review the stories from last week
Drafting
(15D)

collaborate with the class to write a
narrative

complete the fictional narrative
Sharing
(19H, 20B)

volunteer to share their own writing
Revising
(19B, 19C, 19D)

revise for leads and endings, idea
development, and paragraphing
Editing
(16B, 16Bii)

edit for compound and complex sentences
Publishing
20A, 20B, 20C)

evaluate their writing

publish in a class anthology
Page 22 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Vocabulary
English
 fictional narrative
 character
 dialogue
 plot development
 goal
 conflict
 resolution
 irregular
 tension
 motivation
 paragraph
 exaggeration
 point of view
 first person
 second person
 third person
Vocabulary
Spanish
 narrativo ficcionario
 personaje
 diálogo
 desarrollo
 motivo
 conflicto
 resolución
 iregular
 tensión
 motivación
 párrafo
 exageración
 punto de vista
 primera persona
 segunda persona
 tercera persona
Resources
Suggested Mentor Texts
English

Bubba the Cowboy Prince by Helen Ketteman

Newfangled Fairy Tales edited by Bruce Lansky (Examples of Endings)

Old Henry by Joan W. Blos

Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk

Ruby by Maggie Glenn

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown and Scott Nash

The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble and Steven Kellogg

The Memory String Houghton Mifflin

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Lilly’s Big Day by Kevin Henkes

Ruby by Maggie Glenn

George Shrinks by Joyce Williams

Regina’s Big Mistake by Marissa Moss

Chocolatina by Erik Kraft

When I Was Little: A Four Year Old’s Memoir of Her Youth by Jamie Lee Curtis

The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend and John Manders

Miss Smith’s Incredible Storybook by Michael Garland

Nothing Ever Happens on 90th street by Roni Schotter and Kristen Brooker

The Dumb Bunnies by Dav Pilkey

Dogbreath: Horrible Trouble with Hally Tosis by Dav Pilkey
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Textbook:
Harcourt Language

Irregular Past Tense, pp. 204-205

Subject-Verb Agreement, pp. 206-207

Future Tense, pp. 192-193

Choosing the Correct Tense, pp. 196-197

Abbreviations and Titles, pp. 96-97

Dependent Clauses, pp. 320-321

Distinguishing Dependent and Independent Clauses, pp. 222-223
Harcourt Lenguaje

Más verbos iregulares, pp. 204-205

Verbos usados incorrectamente, pp. 206-207

Verbos en tiempo futuro, pp. 192-193

Elegir el tiempo correcto, pp. 196-197

Abreviaturas y títulos, pp. 96-97

Cláusulas dependientes, pp. 320-321

Distinguir las cláusulas independientes y dependientes, pp. 222-223
Writing Grade 4
Page 23 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Spanish

Cuentos populares del mundo por Michelle Bates, Jenny Tyler, and Carmen
Riveiro

Stories that Must Not Die por Juan Sauvigeau

El día que el boa de Jimmy comió la ropa por Trinka Hakes Noble and Steven
Kellogg

Stuart y su capa por Rod Clement

Cuentos con sazón por Lulu Delacre

El águila calva por Gail Gibbons

Sara sencilla y alta por Paticia MacLauglan

An Illustrated Treasury of Latino Read-Aloud Stories: 40 of the Best-Loved Stories
for Parents and Children to Share por Maite Suarez-Rivas, Ruth Araceli, Shannon
Workman, Alexander Levitas, Ana Lopez y Alma Mora

Hally Tosis: El horrible problema de un perro por Dav Pilkey

El sombrero del Tío Nacho por Harriet Rohmer y Mira Reisberg

Doña Flor: Un cuento de una mujer gigante con un gran corazón por Pat Mora y
Raul Colón

El regalo del leñador por Lupe Ruiz-Flores y Elaine Jerome
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Page 24 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Evidence of Learning
Differentiation
Interims/TAKS/Benchmarks
What do you do for students who need more
support?
 Use the Eight Page Booklet (foldable): Have
students limit the length of their story by placing it
in the eight page booklet with illustrations on each
page.
 Technology Application: Have students type their
pieces on the computer.
Sample Questions
English: Revising and Editing – 2004
The student must look back on the test to the passage where
the sentences are found. The following are the original
sentence as they appeared in the passage.
What do you do for students who master the
learning quickly?
Encourage student to write “Quickie Character
Sketches about some more of the characters you have
listed in prewriting.
Here is the question about those sentences:
16 . What is the BEST way to combine sentences 2 and
3?
F Two round eyes stare down from a tree, but the round
eyes are yellow.
G Two round eyes stare down from a tree that are
yellow.
H Two round eyes stare down froma tree, they are
yellow
J Two round yellow eyes stare down from a tree.
(2) Two round eyes stare down from a tree.
(3) They are yellow.
College-Readiness i.e.,
Anticipated Skills for SAT/ACT/College Board/Careers/Life
University of Chicago
College Essay Prompt
Have you ever walked through the aisles of a
warehouse store like Costco or Sam’s Club and
wondered who would buy a jar of mustard a foot and a
half tall? We’ve bought it, but it didn’t stop us from
wondering about other things, like absurd eating
contests, impulse buys, excess, unimagined uses for
mustard, storage, preservatives, notions of bigness . . .
and dozens of other ideas both silly and serious. Write
an essay somehow inspired by super-huge mustard.
Spanish: Revisión y corrección - 2004
The student must look back on the test to the passage where
the sentence is found. The following is the original sentence
as it appeared in the passage.
(16) El centro de la estalagmita en la foto es amarillo
tiene un anillo blanco.
Here is the question about that sentence:
14. ¿Cuál es la MEJOR manera de volver a escribir la
oración 16?
F El centro de la estalagmita en la foto es amarillo el
centro tiene un anillo blanco.
G El centro de la estalagmita en la foto. Es amarillo
con un anillo blanco.
H El centro de la estalagmita en la foto es amarillo con
un anillo blanco.
J El centro de la estalagmita en la foto es amarillo y
es un anillo blanco.
SAISD © 2008-09 – Second Grading Period
Writing Grade 4
Page 25 of 25
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required
assessments at each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.