Name: Marquita Hall

Date: 1/12/16
I. LESSON FOUNDATION
Lesson Title: Book Conversations
Grade Level(s): 4th

Time Allotted: 60 mins

Subject Area(s)/Subject Content Explanation:

Standard(s)/Anchors:
1. RI. 4.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support
particular points in a text.
2. SL. 4.1b Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out
assigned roles.
3. SL. 4.1c Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow
up on information and make comments that contribute to the
discussion and link to the remarks of others.
4. SL 4.1d Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas
and understanding in light of the discussion.
5. W. 4.1b Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
Essential Question(s): Can students attend to finding important details in a
text? Can students use strategies to maintain a conversation using prompts?
Instructional Objective(s): Students will gain knowledge from stories and
learn strategies to apply in understanding the text and have purposeful
conversations. Students will illustrate these strategies by staying on topic,
agreeing with, building on, or disagreeing with other students in positive
ways.
Formative Assessment: During the class discussion attend to the students
that use the conversation cues without direction. Also attend to the details
students choose to discuss with the class.
Summative Assessment: Collect students question cards to know whether
students are correctly identifying key details from the story. If unclear discuss
with student what point they would have made with that detail (if you had
not heard that point brought up during the discussion). Students should also
fill out the Thinking About Thinking worksheet.
II. LESSON BODY

INTRODUCTION: This lesson can apply to any story covered in the

book/novel/short story. Ask students what do good readers do when they
have a question or a good idea while they are reading? Students may say
write it down or use sticky notes to mark the page. Agree and direct
students that they will be doing just that. This time students will pay
attention to what point the author is trying to make and how the story helps
support that idea and there will be a class discussion afterwards on the story.
TEACHING PROCEDURES:
1. Pass out large index cards and read the story/novel/short story.
2. Throughout the story model what good questions or details would be to
write down. Have students write it down.
3. After the story is read post on chart paper or using a document viewer
statements that help aid a good conversation. The statements could
include: I agree with that idea and Id like to add
Id like to build on _________ s thinking.
I don't really agree with _________ about that. Im thinking that
That makes me think
4. Allow students to finish writing questions or ideas to be discussed. Take up
the students conversation cards.
5. Model the conversation for students by telling them you will pick one of the
questions or ideas and as a class you will all discuss it for a period of time.
For the discussion to work they must listen to what one another is saying
and respond by first using one of the statements listed. They should also
make eye contact with the person they are responding to.
6. Tell the students that the statements will help them in creating
conversation. Begin by finding an idea and ask who would like to respond
to the persons idea. Encourage the students by saying that the class will
discuss this idea for five minutes before moving on.
7. The time of the conversation can be extended as needed, and interject to
keep the students on task as needed. The conversation may need to be
redirected or moved along to another idea.
CLOSURE:
Bring the conversation to a close by having the students reflect on the
discussion. Ask students questions such as:
Did you talk about one idea?
How did you keep the conversation going?
Did your thinking change? Why? How?
Were you able to find the authors purpose using the text?
Students will then fill out the Thinking about Thinking worksheet.
III. LESSON ESSENTIALS
DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING ACTIVITIES:

For future lessons this could be done in small groups or across subjects. This
lesson could be modified as an opener to get students to think about a new
topic, or to extract vital information from a news article.
For ELL students can still participate by writing their questions and being
answered in the class. If the student has an aide they could translate, or as a
class use google translate to communicate with the student as well.

Materials:
Pencils
Large index cards
Chart paper or document viewer
Thinking about Thinking Worksheet/Checklist