WEEKLY BLOCK PLAN

Name: Samuel Bishop Dates: 2/21-2/24, Class Period or Subject: Reading

2023
Topic: Argumentative Texts Grade Level: 4th Co-op initials with date:

Monday No School
PA Anchor/Standard or N/A
Eligible Content
Lesson Objectives N/A
Sequence of activities N/A
Differentiation N/A
Assessment N/A
Tuesday Finish Shared read of “Food Fight”, begin reading “A New Kind
of Corn”
PA Anchor/Standard or Standard - CC.1.2.4.A
Eligible Content Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is
supported by key details; summarize the text.
Eligible Content - E04.B-K.1.1.2 Determine the main
idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text.
Standard - CC.1.3.4.F
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
grade-level text, including figurative language.
Eligible Content - E04.A-V.4.1.1 Determine or clarify
the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly
from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., definitions,
examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase, including words or phrases that allude to
significant characters found in literature (e.g., Herculean effort).
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and
roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph,
photograph, autograph).
Lesson Objectives Students will be able to write down information about different
points of view in argumentative texts
Students will be able to appropriately define vocabulary used
within the context of the texts.
Sequence of activities Have students open their workbooks to page 61.
Students will peer summarize p. 59, 60, then group summarize.
Students will read page 61 with their partners, then answer the
questions on the side of the workbook
Students put away their workbooks. Get out the reading text
books though and turn to page 220
Review the genre and what it means-argumentative text, an
 author states an opinion and tries to get readers to agree with
him/her using reasons.
Students preview the text “A new Kind of Corn”
“What do you notice about the text?”
Ask, “Why is the pie chart important?” (easy to visualize how
much of the corn grown in the US is used for certain things)
Peer reading p. 221
Ask, “Why do farmers like BT corn?” and have students turn &
talk (kills harmful insects, no pesticides)
What is the author’s purpose to this text so far? Ho does the
author feel about BT corn?
Students turn to page 222 and begin reading.
As students read, I hand out graphic organizers.
Students use the graphic organizers on their own, looking for the
point of view being expressed on p. 222, and reasons for it.
As students work on this, I hand out the worksheet packets.
When finished with the point of view on p. 222, students can
begin the vocabulary sheets in the work packet.
Now, transition to writing, need journals and pencils, as well as
their graphic organizers
Differentiation Students only need two reasons filled out instead of three
(product)
Students can talk with Ms. Spearman about the text for extra
help (process)
Assessment What students write or circle in response to the text questions in
their workbooks.
What arguments did the students write on their organizer?
What reasons did students write on the organizer?
How did students use the vocabulary as they talked about the
story?
Wednesday Continue “A New Kind of Corn”
PA Anchor/Standard or Standard - CC.1.2.4.A
Eligible Content Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is
supported by key details; summarize the text.
Eligible Content - E04.B-K.1.1.2 Determine the main
idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text.
Standard - CC.1.3.4.F
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
grade-level text, including figurative language.
Eligible Content - E04.A-V.4.1.1 Determine or clarify
the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly
from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., definitions,
examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase, including words or phrases that allude to
 significant characters found in literature (e.g., Herculean effort).
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and
roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph,
photograph, autograph).
Lesson Objectives Students will be able to write down information about different
points of view in argumentative texts
Students will be able to appropriately define vocabulary used
within the context of the texts.
Sequence of activities Students come in and turn to p. 222. Review with each other
what has been discussed so far
Read p. 223 with partners.
Students fill in the second side of the graphic organizer. I review
what students have on each side of the organizer.
Group summarize the argumentative text.
Students will fill in the vocabulary for the rest of class because
their vocabulary test is the following day.
Differentiation Students will only need to fill in two of the three reasons shown
on point of view sheets (product)
Students will be given more explicit help looking for the
information for their graphic organizer (they will be shown the
column of the story to look at for the reasons given) (process)
Assessment The points of view that students found and wrote about for the
farmer point of view packet.
How well they matched the vocabulary to the definitions in the
worksheet packets
Thursday Vocabulary quiz, finish “A New Kind of Corn”
PA Anchor/Standard or Standard - CC.1.2.4.A
Eligible Content Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is
supported by key details; summarize the text.
Eligible Content - E04.B-K.1.1.2 Determine the main
idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text.
Standard - CC.1.3.4.F
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
grade-level text, including figurative language.
Eligible Content - E04.A-V.4.1.1 Determine or clarify
the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly
from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., definitions,
examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase, including words or phrases that allude to
significant characters found in literature (e.g., Herculean effort).
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and
roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph,
photograph, autograph).
Lesson Objectives Students will be able to write down information about BT corn
 according to the story using a worksheet to look at ideas.
Students will be able to appropriately place vocabulary words
based on context clues within their vocabulary test.
Sequence of activities Students do a quick summary of “A New Kind of Corn” to each
other.
Students then use the comprehension sheet (last page in the
worksheet packet) and look back in the story for the
information.
Students do their vocabulary test
When finished with this, I will call them individually to check
their vocabulary.
When students finish, they begin their comprehension test that is
for Friday. (shortened class tomorrow, so getting started is a
good thing today)
If students finish both, they can use the time for their realistic
fiction personal narratives
IF finished with that, they can use the time to read for AR
Differentiation Students will be given an adapted test with four possible
vocabulary words instead of eight split into two sections.
(content)
Students will be taken to a different room (learning
environment) so that questions can be read aloud. (process)
Students will not be required to write as many details for the
comprehension portion of the test. (product)
Assessment This is the test for the unit “A New Kind of Corn”. This will
show whether students understood the vocabulary of the unit.
The comprehension portion will check for student understanding
of the content presented in the unit.
Friday Comprehension test, finish realistic fiction narratives, read for
AR
PA Anchor/Standard or Standard - CC.1.2.4.A
Eligible Content Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is
supported by key details; summarize the text.
Eligible Content - E04.B-K.1.1.2 Determine the main
idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text.
Standard - CC.1.3.4.F
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
grade-level text, including figurative language.
Eligible Content - E04.A-V.4.1.1 Determine or clarify
the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly
from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., definitions,
examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase, including words or phrases that allude to
significant characters found in literature (e.g., Herculean effort).
 b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and
roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., telegraph,
photograph, autograph).
Lesson Objectives Students will be able to use text information to write about the
story when given comprehension questions. Students will be
able to prove their answer by writing down page numbers.
Sequence of activities Students begin (or continue) their comprehension test
When finished, I can call them individually to check their test.
If students finish both, they can use the time for their realistic
fiction narratives
If finished with that, they can use the time to read for AR
Differentiation Students will be taken to a different room so that questions can
be read aloud.
Students will not be required to write as many details for the
comprehension portion of the test.
Assessment The comprehension portion will check for student understanding
of the content presented in the unit.

Modification/Accommodation (Generalized across the week):

Students will be allowed to move seats if necessary so that each person has a partner. (accom)
Students will not be required to write as much details when given a comprehension question
(mod)

End of the week self-evaluation:

What connections did I help students make with their prior knowledge and experiences
and the new material?
Students were able to connect going to a grocery store with the idea of GM foods that was
presented in the passage. Multiple students asked about GM corn being in Walmart, to which
the answer is yes.
I helped students use their past knowledge of graphics to recognize maps, the key used with
the map, and a pie chart that was within the story being read.
I helped students see the different sides of the argument (both for and against GM foods,
especially corn). Some students, based on the text, made a decision about GM corn. Some said
that they would still eat it, but most students who made a decision stated that they would not
eat GM corn or any other GM foods.
Students saw the connection of the passage to farms and hard work. Even though they may not
know how hard it is to maintain a farm, they noticed that having GM foods meant that farmers
did not have to use as many pesticides on their crops, which allows them to save both time and
money for other things.