Language Arts Learning Activity--Grade 4 Library
This lesson is part of a Grade 4 Language Arts cross-curricular unit with a Grade 4 Library study of Caldecott and Award Winning Picture Books.
Description of Lesson:
Using an award-winning picture book, students will create their own narrative. This lesson is meant to elicit student writing guided by illustrations. Students will develop their ability to identify and describe story elements. This lesson can be done with all students, including ELL and less proficient readers. Students will use the online tool Storyjumper to publish their finished product.
LESSON CONTENT
Learning Objectives:
Reading Literature:
b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.
c. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
d. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
Prior Knowledge:
Learning Activities:
Day 1:
Day 2-3
Students may choose any picture from Imagine a Day and complete this next activity on their own.
Have students individually create a sentence for each question below based on the illustration they chose from the book. They can write the sentences in their writing journals.
Day 4-6
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations can include:
This assignment can be done emphasizing a different aspect of the writer's craft. For example, the teacher may ask the students to use onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, and alliteration in their narratives.
Resources:
Findlay, D. (2015, January). Caldecott and more! Curriculum connections. Library Sparks, 12(5), 8-15.
Kettinger, S. (n.d.). Using picture books to elicit creative writing. In cpalms. Retrieved October 29, 2016, from http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/50960
4th Grade ela kentucky academic standards with targets . (2011). Retrieved October 29, 2016, from http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/standards/kyacadstand/Documents/Fourth%20Grade%20ELA.pdf
Description of Lesson:
Using an award-winning picture book, students will create their own narrative. This lesson is meant to elicit student writing guided by illustrations. Students will develop their ability to identify and describe story elements. This lesson can be done with all students, including ELL and less proficient readers. Students will use the online tool Storyjumper to publish their finished product.
LESSON CONTENT
Learning Objectives:
- When given an illustration in a picture book, students will describe the characters, plot, or events in the story.
- Students will describe the sequence of events in correct order based on provided illustrations.
- Students will write an organized narrative that includes temporal words to signal event order.
- Students will write a narrative that includes descriptions that describe a character's feeling and mood.
Reading Literature:
- 4.7 Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.
- 4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to manage the sequence of events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
- 4.4 Produce clear and cohesive writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- 4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
- 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
- 4.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.
c. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
d. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
Prior Knowledge:
- Students should be able to write complete sentences.
- Students should be able to use correct capitalization and punctuation in their writing.
- Students should be able to use a dictionary (either print or online) to look up the meaning or spelling of a word.
- Students should have had some experience with describing or determining a sequence of events and using words that signal event order.
- What does the picture tell us about the how the character is feeling?
- Based on the picture, what do you think will happen next in the story?
- Can you describe the setting in this story? When and where is this scene or story happening?
- Can you imagine yourself as the character? What would you be feeling or doing?
- 5 copies of Imagine A Day by Sarah L. Thomson
- SmartBoard and Projector
- Laptop Computer to connect to the SmartBoard
- Desktop Computers in a computer lab
- Storyjumper student accounts
- Whiteboard and markers
- Student writing journals
- Narrative writing checklist
- Group assessment checklist
Learning Activities:
Day 1:
- The teacher will present her own Storyjumper book about Caldecott and other award winning picture books on the SmartBoard. This book includes an example of the cover of Imagine A Day by Sarah L. Thompson (Governor General's Winner, 2005). On the front cover of this book is an illustration of children building a sand castle on the beach. Stop on that page in Storyjumper to engage in a discussion with the students about what is going on in the picture. Remind students that there are no "right" or "wrong" answers about what is happening in the picture. Students can draw on past experiences of going to the beach to answer the questions on the page.
- Have the students take out their journals and answer the questions listed on page 15 of the Storyjumper book. Give them about 5 minutes to finish writing.
- Then call on different students to share with the class their responses to the questions.
- The teacher will create a sentence based on the answers the students gave. Example: On a cloudy and cool day, Christian, Sally, and their friends are working hard to build a sand castle at the beach.
- Group students into groups of 5.
- Give each group a copy of Imagine a Day by Sarah L. Thompson.
- Students will write their narrative on a piece of notebook paper.
- Have students turn to the first illustration in the story and have them discuss in their groups what the illustration is telling them about the setting, the characters, and what the characters are doing.
- What do you think is happening in the picture?
- How do you think the characters feel?
- When and where is the event captured in the picture happening?
- Can you tell what might happen next?
- What names can you give the characters?
- Each student in the group can take turns creating one sentence to add to the story they are creating together. It is important that all group members participate and each give equal input. If a student gets stuck, the group can help them along by asking them the questions above.
- The other group members can help edit and revise the sentences for any corrections.
- The teacher should be taking time to work with each group reminding them to include transitional phrases that signal event order. The teacher will also refer to the writer's checklist and remind students that they need to follow the checklist.
- Once complete, each group can share their story with the class. The teacher can provide verbal feedback as needed.
Day 2-3
Students may choose any picture from Imagine a Day and complete this next activity on their own.
Have students individually create a sentence for each question below based on the illustration they chose from the book. They can write the sentences in their writing journals.
- What do you think is happening in the picture?
- How do you think the characters feel?
- When and where is the event captured in the picture happening?
- Can you tell me what might happen next?
- What names can you give the characters?
- Beginning: Introduce characters and setting
- Middle: Plot development
- End: Provide a sense of closure or a way to wrap up
- Transitional words to signal event order
- Correct use of writing conventions: grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Day 4-6
- Using Storyjumper, the students will create a picture book using the final draft of their narrative.
- Students will log in to our class account and watch the short video that teaches them how to create an eBook.
- Students will use the narrative they created to create their story and add pictures.
- Students will edit and proofread their stories.
- The students will be assessed on both reading and writing skills in this lesson. As students analyze the illustrations in the picture books they will be strengthening their ability to describe and identify the setting, the plot, and most importantly, the characters. They will also be writing a narrative with a group and then working on their own individual narrative.
- During the Guided Practice students will be working in groups and will have the opportunity to discuss their ideas with the other members of the group. Also, the teacher will be walking around the room listening and prompting students. During this part of the lesson the teacher will be able to identify the students who need more prompting and assistance by having them share their ideas with the class before any writing takes place.
- During the Independent Practice the teacher will be conferencing with students individually to check their writing and provide feedback.
- The teacher will assess the final individual narrative using the writing checklist. The student's individual narrative should include a description of the setting, characters, and the plot throughout the beginning/middle/end of their story. The student will also be assessed on their ability to organize their writing and use transition words to signal event order, as well as correctly use writing conventions (grammar, spelling, punctuation).
- Feedback will be given orally to the students in the Guided Practice portion of this lesson. Students will be working in groups and will first use peer evaluation to help with their reading and writing skills. The teacher will be walking around and evaluating each group members' participation and contribution using the group assessment checklist.
- When the students are working on their individual narratives, the teacher will conference with each student to make sure they are on task and following directions. The students will have the writing checklist to make sure they are including everything in their narratives that the teacher will assess.
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations can include:
- having struggling readers or writers work with a peer during the independent practice assignment
- having students write in their native language and then translate it
- provide a writing frame or outline for struggling writers to use to organize their writing.
This assignment can be done emphasizing a different aspect of the writer's craft. For example, the teacher may ask the students to use onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, and alliteration in their narratives.
Resources:
Findlay, D. (2015, January). Caldecott and more! Curriculum connections. Library Sparks, 12(5), 8-15.
Kettinger, S. (n.d.). Using picture books to elicit creative writing. In cpalms. Retrieved October 29, 2016, from http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/50960
4th Grade ela kentucky academic standards with targets . (2011). Retrieved October 29, 2016, from http://education.ky.gov/curriculum/standards/kyacadstand/Documents/Fourth%20Grade%20ELA.pdf