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Writing Poetry Unit Fourth Grade
Writing Poetry Unit Fourth Grade
Genre and Audience: What genre are students writing and who will the audience be?
● Genre: Poetry
● Audience: Classmates and parents (for final poem).
● Criteria for Success: Define the criteria for success for each goal and then describe what it will
look like if students meet these criteria at the 3 different levels of success.
Students will understand Student is able to Student is able to Student believes that
what poetry is, the structure, identify that poetry identify that poetry can poems must rhyme.
and how it differs can be many different be many different They understand that
things. They things. They there are one or two
understand the understand that there different elements of
different elements of are different elements poetry, and that there
poetry, and the of poetry and that there are one or two types of
different types of are different types of poems.
poems poems, but they do not
know what the
elements of poetry are.
Students will be able to Student is able to Student is able to write Student is able to write
write various types of write different kinds different kinds of some kinds of poems
poems of poems without poems without with some help.
individual scaffolding. individual scaffolding.
The poems include The poems might
things like imagery, include a small amount
metaphors, similes, of imagery and other
and other elements. elements.
Connection to CCSS Writing Standards:
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.5
Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements
of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions,
dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.6
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient
command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
● CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in
standards 1-3 above.)
Mentor Texts:
Various songs chosen by This will help my students meet the writing goals because it will help
students them to understand what poetry is. It is relevant because these are songs
that students suggested and listen to on a daily basis, so it is something
they are very interested in and familiar with.
Falling Down the Page by This will help my students to understand what poetry is and the structure
Georgia Heard of certain kinds of poems. It will also be a good model for the list poem
they will write on their own. Many of the poems in the book are about
topics my students are familiar with and interested in.
Haiku Hike by fifth graders at This will help students understand the structure of haiku poetry, and it
St. Mary’s Catholic School in will be a good model for their own haiku writing. These haikus were
Mansfield, Massachusetts written by students around the same age as my students, so it will make
it feel more relevant to them.
“Ode to My Shoes” by This will help students understand the concept and structure of an ode
Francisco X. Alarcón poem, setting them up to be able to write their own. It will help them tap
into their background knowledge and interests as they write an ode to
whatever they would like.
“Be Glad Your Nose Is on This will help students get a picture for what poetry is, and how it is
Your Face” by Jack often structured. It also shows examples of several elements of poetry.
Prelutsky. This is a funny and rhythmic poem that will pique student interest and
engagement.
Student poems Showing students’ poems as models will be a great way to tap into funds
of knowledge, as it makes it much more relevant coming from one of
their peers. It will also help meet learning goals, as it is encouraging and
helping students to continue writing their own poems.
The Red Wheelbarrow by These will give students a glimpse into what poetry is. It will tap into
William Carlos Williams and students’ knowledge, as these poems are very descriptive. It will enable
The Blue Car by Sharon students to picture what they are hearing, and then write their own poem
Creech. based on an image.
“I Am From” by a fifth grade This will really tap into students’ cultural background knowledge, as
student from Indianapolis they will think about their lives, what and where they have come from,
and who they are. The mentor text will allow them to see the structure
and concept of an “I Am From” poem.
The Important Book by This will help students meet the learning goals as it helps them to
Margaret Wise Brown understand more about what poetry is, and it will model how they can
write their own poems. It will tap into their linguistic and cultural
knowledge, as they have to really focus on one word and what that
means to them.
My own poems (“Important” My own poems will help students achieve the learning goals, as they will
poem, I Am From poem, show what poetry is, the elements it contains, and it will model for
haiku, list poem…) students how to write their own poems. These will be more relevant to
my students coming from me than coming from authors they do not
know.
Unit Sequence
Planning for Conferring Planning for Conferring Planning for Conferring Planning for Conferring
&/or Small-Group &/or Small-Group &/or Small-Group &/or Small-Group
Instruction: Instruction: Instruction: Instruction:
This day will not have any I will walk around the I will choose a small group I will choose a few
small group instruction or room, specifically of students who struggled students to individually
conferences, as it is scaffolding the students a bit more the day before work with during this time.
mainly whole group who I know tend to to come sit with me at the These are students who I
instruction. struggle with thinking of kidney table to work on have noticed have had
things to write, but also their poems. I will scaffold many areas for growth in
helping anyone who may where needed. the preceding days’ work.
need it.
Assessment (How will Assessment (How will Assessment (How will Assessment (How will
you quickly evaluate you quickly evaluate you quickly evaluate you quickly evaluate
students’ progress?): students’ progress?): students’ progress?): students’ progress?):
I will look at students’ Students will hand in their I will collect students’ I will collect students’
journal entries. poems whether they are poems at the end of poems at the end of
done or not, and I will go independent writing time independent writing time
through and read them. to look at and gauge their to look at and gauge their
level of understanding and level of understanding and
writing. writing.
Planning for Planning for Conferring Planning for Conferring Planning for Conferring
Conferring &/or &/or Small-Group &/or Small-Group &/or Small-Group
Small-Group Instruction: Instruction: Instruction:
Instruction: I will choose a few I will be walking around I will walk around to help
I will walk around the students to come work on the room to help students students as they are
room to help and scaffold their poems by me. These who may need it. I will not thinking about ideas and
students who need it, and will be students who have give them ideas, but I will planning their poems.
I will be looking at really struggled help scaffold them to
students’ work on their completing poems in the choosing words if they
poems to get a feel for preceding days. I will need it.
how they are doing and scaffold their writing
who might need help. process, helping them
think of ideas when
needed.
Assessment (How will Assessment (How will Assessment (How will Assessment (How will
you quickly evaluate you quickly evaluate you quickly evaluate you quickly evaluate
students’ progress?): students’ progress?): students’ progress?): students’ progress?):
I will collect students’ I will have students turn I will collect students’ I will walk around and
poems to look at their in whatever they have poems at the end of the look at students’ progress
content and structure, completed for this day, lesson and review how to see how they are coming
determining their level of and I will look through they are doing. along with their poems.
understanding and them to determine how
writing. well they are
understanding and
writing, and if they need
any intervention or help in
the coming days.