UNIT 1 Project

Will Owens
EDUC 3410
4th Grade
Reading: Foundational Skills Grade 4
Fluency:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4.B
Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and
expression on successive readings.

Reading: Literature Grade 4

Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on
specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).

Table of Contents

1.

Balanced Literacy Block

2.

Reading Foundational Lesson

3.

5 Literacy Centers

4.

Parent Newsletter

Balanced Literacy Block Schedule

8:30-9:00

Writer's Workshop

9:00-9:15

World of the Words

9:15-10:15

Reader's Workshop

10:15-10:30

Read Aloud / Author's Chair

Teacher
Subject & Grade
NC Common Core/ES Goal
NC Common Core/ES
Objective(s)

Materials
Lesson Title
Time
ANTICIPATORY SET
(Get my attention)
OBJECTIVES
PRESENTATION OF
MATERIAL
(Explain and show it to me)

Will Owens
Reading: Foundational Skills
4th Grade
Fluency:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4.B
Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy,
appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
Copies of two poems for each student, highlighters (one each)
Reading loud and proud!
Approximately 30 minutes
Teacher will begin lesson by having students listen to him read The
Star Spangled Banner with great emotion and emphasis.
Today in class, students will read poems with accuracy, fluency,
appropriate rate and expression on successive readings.
INPUT
As teacher reads the first stanza of the Star Spangled Banner, he
will have the words on the screen of the SmartBoard. The teacher
will read a line first without emphasis or inflection, then re-read it
making notes of important words to emphasis, passages that should
be read slowly or more quickly, etc.
Teacher leads discussion why reading with emphasis improves
understanding of a work and better communicates the author's
meaning.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
Teacher asks class orally:
Why is it better to read and then re-read? Why make notes about
certain words or phrases?
Why is pacing important? Define these terms: inflection, emotion,
emphasis and pacing.

GUIDED PRACTICE
(Do it with me)
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
(Let me do it myself)

CLOSURE

Teacher will read the last stanza of the Star Spangled Banner and the class will
offer suggestions as to how to read it with more feeling and better pacing. Teacher
will make highlighted notes on the SmartBoard.
Teacher will pair students with partners.
Each pair will be given a sheet with 2 poems--the other partner's poem and their own.
Partners will work together alternating reading their own poem while the partner
makes highlights of "trouble" spots or poor pacing.
After multiple readings, each student will present before the class.
Today we learned to re and re-read in order to improve oral presentation of an author's work.
This is important because we can show emotion and feeling through
our inflection and pacing and thus communicate to our audience how
the author wanted to communicate with the reader.

The Star Spangled Banner

by Francis Scott Key
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
(Last stanza)
O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Students Poems:
SONG FOR YOUNG AMERICANS
by Gail Brooke Burket
I live in a land
Where the people are free
And joy is a birthright
Belonging to me.
Love shelters my home
Like a wide-branching tree.
The doors of the church
Are open to me.
The schools unlock treasure
With truth for a key.
A whole world of wonder
Is waiting for me.
I live in a land
Where the people are free;
The future shines golden
For children like me.
OUR FLAG
Author Unknown
You may call it an old piece of bunting;
You may call it an old tattered rag;
But thousands have died for its honor
And shed their best blood for the flag.
You may call it an old piece of bunting;
You may call it an old tattered rag;
But Freedom has made it majestic,
And Time has ennobled Our Flag.

5 Literacy Centers-1. Guided Reading in small groups (4-6 students) to combine students reading at the same
instructional level books (slightly beyond their independent level). Each guided reading group
will focus on word decoding strategies, reading fluency and accuracy, as well as, reading for
comprehension. Groups may be reformed occasionally to address progress by students.
Today's Guided reading lesson (example)-Each group will listen as the teacher reads the beginning of today's chapter, pausing to check student's
understanding of the story--specifically, how they might describe the emotions of characters in the story
based upon those character's words or actions. Then students will take turns reading aloud with the
teacher stopping them at appropriate times to check for understanding. At the end of the session, the
teacher will give each of them a question to paste into their Reading Journal about something significant
to the story just read. Students must write a thoughtful response using complete sentences.
Reading: Foundational Skills Grade 4

Fluency:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4
Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
Reading: Literature Grade 4

Key Ideas and Details:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the
text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).

2. Independent reading students will read silently from their (approved) personal or selected
book from the school or class library. Students will write a short reflection in their reading
journal making a connection to their life and their book.
3. Scholastic News Center students must read the current week's articles and complete work
sheets and answer online questions.
4. Listening Center students may either listen to a recorded book on tape, CD or from a linked
website for the classroom. At the end of their session, they will be responsible for writing a
daily entry to summarize today's story or chapter, and will write either a thoughtful question
they would like answered about the story or make a prediction about what is going to happen
next.
5. Poetry/Drama Center students in this center will read or view plays, poetry, artistic renderings
or even listen to songs to understand the message of the author or producer of the art and the
differing ways messages can be delivered through various media.

"Hello," to all our wonderful "teachers" at home!

Your students have been working very hard lately, so I thought it would
be a good time for an update on just what we are doing in class.
For the next few days our focus is on how author's use their craft to
reveal the emotions and feelings of characters in a story. We are also
looking for every opportunity to read aloud and polish our fluency skills.
What's that you say....???
You want to help...???

FANTASTIC!!!!
Give your child a chance to show you
what they can do! Have them read
out loud for you from their book, a
comic strip, or even from your book
(if it's not too grown-up for their
tender eyes!) You can even watch a show
together!
Then ask them to tell you what they might have learned about the way
a character feels from the language that is being used. Reinforcing
what we do at school, at home, extends your child's learning
environment!
Mr. Owens