Writing for Understanding Instruction
Teacher Plan
Teacher:_Jodie Tremblay______Class ___4__Date _7/1/09 Writing genre_1.9 Narrative_
Topic / Subject / Text
People depend on each other for a variety of reasons
Green Mountain Hero by Edgar Newman Jackson
CENTRAL IDEAS
Theme: People depend on one another for a variety of reasons.
Content: Early American settlers depended on life lessons from one another as well as each other in order to survive.
Reading: Readers reread to build a deep understanding of the text.
Writing: To write an effective narrative from the first person point of view (possibly from Amos’ perspective) that captures the essence of early American settlers and their struggle to survive.
Focusing Question
Focus (answer to focusing question)
How did Amos’ and the Story family’s dependence on Solomon, the father, help the family survive?
Along the way to Vermont Solomon taught Amos lessons that would keep him alive and safe.
Solomon taught Amos how to settle new land.
Building Content Knowledge, Understanding of Writer’s Craft
• vocabulary
• guided reading
• text mapping
• paraphrasing
• summarizing
• visualizing/
• imaging
• dramatizing
• oral processing / guided
conversation / think-pair-
share
• experience
• debating
• taking notes (graphic
organizers, T-charts, 2 column
notes, etc.)
• craft lessons (intro, transitions, conclusions, etc)
*Read Green Mountain Hero
*Daily diary entry on GMH from the perspective of Solomon
*Pre teach information about early Vermont and how it became a state
*Discuss French/Indian War
*Discuss what was happening at this time
*Discuss New Hampshire Land Grants and struggles of the settlers.
* Use map of North America to show where people came from, specifically the Story family, to settle in Vermont.
* Use map of Vermont to show where the Story family settled their land.
*Vocabulary; settler, grant, Tory, Sympathizer,
*Oral processing after each chapter to discuss central idea/think-pair-share Amos’ experiences
*Discuss elements of a narrative
*Discuss how the government worked during the 1700’s
Structures
How will students know how to organize their ideas
and construct the piece of writing?
• graphic organizers
• teacher-written models
• teacher-and-student
written models
• various types of templates
or frames
(ex: Painted Essay)
· Model use of narrative planner.
· Give students a diary template to begin writing with
· Teacher share written model of diary entries and model of narrative.
· Remind students of the elements of narratives.
· Read through diary entries/historical fiction
· Students share diary entries with one another
Writing / Revising
How will students draft / revise so that their final writing is clearly focused,
organized, and developed to show understanding of the central ideas?
• group write, fully or in
part
• write section at a time
• write full piece
independently
• revise /share full group
• revise /share partners
• proofreading in partners
• proofread w/tubaloos
Students will write a diary entry as Solomon after each chapter is read to them.
After each diary entry students will share with a partner to discuss the central idea and whether or not students captured this idea in their entry.
Teacher will read each diary entry on a daily basis working with students who are having a challenging time.
Stop after each diary entry to recap what was read and to discuss as a class the central idea and focusing question.
Lesson Sequence
What steps will I follow so that students are able to effectively
show their understanding in writing?
*Discuss Samuel de Champlain and his arrival in 1609
*Discuss the French and Indian War and the feuds regarding land.
*Talk about New Hampshire Land Grants, Benning Wentworth and settlements on the land.
*Act out the disagreement between New York and settlers regarding the land we now call Vermont, students pick a side and argue their point using information they have learned throughout the unit. Students will try to convince the King to talk their side.
*Discuss how the government worked during the 1700’s
*Read Green Mountain Hero
*Daily diary entry on GMH from the perspective of Solomon
* Use map of North America to show where people came from, specifically the Story family, to settle in Vermont.
* Use map of Vermont to show where the Story family settled their land.
*Vocabulary; settler, grant, Tory, Sympathizer,
*Oral processing after each chapter to discuss central idea/think-pair-share Amos’ experiences
*Discuss elements of a narrative
*Write in chunks sharing as we go.
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Cooperation and mutual aid are important themes in the settling of Vermont and the rest of what is now the United States. Writing a narrative diary is a good way to help students demonstrate understanding of the many ways people helped each other survive.
ReplyDeleteIn reading your focusing question, I wondered if it was the family members' dependence on Solomon, or their ability to learn from his example, that helped the family survive?
As you build knowledge, will students have copies of Green Mountain Hero so they can re-read or buddy read the same chapter after hearing it for the first time?
During class discussion would it help to record as public notes on chart paper important lessons about survival that Amos received from Solomon?
A strength is how you have taken a big idea and made it approachable for fourth grade students. You have integrated social studies into you language arts instruction seamlessly.
ReplyDeleteI like how you are having students write everyday in their journals from the perspective of Solomon. This will build content knowledge in a non-threatening way for students. I was wondering what will you do if you have a student who doesn't have an entry every day?
The journal entries will help you formatively assess your students understanding as you proceed through your lesson sequence.
What a great idea for students to act out the disagreement between the settlers. Students will have to really delve into the content in order to effectiveley argue their side.
You are covering lots of information. I was wondering what the time frame is for you lesson sequence?
There may be unfamiliar vocabulary for students. How will you manage so that all of your students have an opportunity to better understand that unfamiliar vocabulary?
I think that allowing students to write in chunks is going to minimize misunderstandings for students. It will also make that writing manageable and accessible for students. I was wondering how you will handle the students who want to go ahead of the lesson sequence?
Hi Jodie,
ReplyDeleteI liked your lesson on Vermont settlers, in particular the lesson that people need to depend on one another to survive. I think kids need to hear stuff like that.
The idea of writing a diary for each chapter as the main character is very good, it keeps it fun for the kids without using "chapter summary" For the boys you might want to call it a journal. lol
You might also want to use a cartoon called "Liberty's Kids" It's a series of cartoons where kids go to many important events in our nations early history and they have one on the subject of the NH land grants.
Clarifying that in the writing ideas, Amos is the father and Solomon the son.
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