Wichita falls ISD
4th Grade
Lesson Planner
Unit 7: Connecting Literary Texts/Writing
Prompts
Time Frame: 2 weeks
Objectives
Skills: The student will be able to…
Reading:
 Determine the meaning of grade-level academic English words
 Use the context of a sentence to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words
 Summarize and explain the lesson or message of a work of fiction as its theme
 Describe the interaction of characters including their relationships and the changes they
undergo
 Identify the author’s use of similes and metaphors to produce imagery
 Describe explicit and implicit relationships among ideas in texts organized by cause and effect
 Sequence and summarize the plot’s main events and explain their influence on future events
 Author’s purpose (persuade, inform, entertain, explain, express)
 Complete analogies using knowledge of antonyms and synonyms
 Identify the meaning of common idioms
 Compare and contrast the adventures or exploits of characters
 Establish purposes for reading
 Ask literal, interpretative, and evaluative questions
 Monitor and adjust comprehension
 Make connections between texts with similar ideas and provide textual evidence
 Summarize information in text, maintaining meaning and logical order
TEKS
Reading:
Readiness:
4.2A, B
4.6A, B
4.11C
Supporting:
4.2C, D
4.3A, B
4.8A
Fig. 19A-F
Writing:
Readiness:
4.15A-E
4.17A
Supporting:
4.17Ai, ii, iii
4.22A, B
Writing:
 Use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to
compose text
 Revise drafts for coherence, organization, use of simple and compound sentences, and audience
 Edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling using a teacher-developed rubric
 Spell base words and roots with affixes: -ful and -less (Unit 28 Spelling Connections) (1st week)
 Spell words with more advanced orthographic patterns and rules: Calendar Words (Unit 29
Spelling Connections) (2nd week)
Lesson Information
Activities
Reading: (1st week):
 “Me and Uncle Romie” (Journeys Lesson 8):
As this story is being taught, remember to
focus on the following skills: characters,
imagery, cause and effect, theme and plot.
 Teachers may choose to use additional
resources, trade books, picture books,
novels, etc. to teach these skills.
 Study guide for “Me and Uncle Romie”
 Ups and Downs Character Activity (see
Resources)
Wichita Falls ISD (2013-2014)
Vocabulary
Academic Vocabulary Reading:
 context clues
 theme
 characters
 simile
 metaphor
 imagery
 cause
 effect
 plot
 sequence
“Me and Uncle Romie”
Vocabulary:
 glorious
 studio
 smeared
 ruined
 yanked
 model
 concerned
 streak
 schedule





Response Card: Theme (see Resources)
Imagery Activities (see Resources)
Plot Graphic Organizer (see Resources)
Cause and Effect Battleship (see Resources)
Reading Detective Cause and Effect (see
Resources)
 Reading Detective Theme (see Resources)
 Martin Luther King, Jr. compare and contrast
practice (see Resources)
Writing: (1st week):
 Spelling Connections (pgs. 184-189)
 Review characteristics of expository
compositions
 Examine the different parts of an expository
prompt [e.g. Read (text box), Think,
(reflective statement), Write (prompt), and
Be Sure To (checklist)].
 Expository compositions can be a how to or
procedural texts. Make sure to look at
recipes, experiments, etc.
 Discuss how transitions are used in an
expository composition versus how they are
used in a procedural composition [e.g. The
first reason (expository) vs. The first step
(procedural)].
 During this week, your students will be
writing expository compositions, making
sure to follow the writing process.
 Be sure to spiral in Revising/Editing passages
and go over/review as a class. (resources will
vary among teachers).
Reading: (2nd week):
 “Jose! Born to Dance” (Journeys Lesson 10):
As this story is being taught, remember to
focus on the following skills: author’s
purpose, analogies, compare and contrast,
figurative language, theme and plot.
 Teachers may choose to use additional
resources, trade books, picture books,
novels, etc. to teach these skills.
 Martin Luther King, Jr. compare and contrast
practice (see Resources)
 Study guide for “Jose! Born to Dance”
 Spelling City website for Analogies (see
Resources)
 Developing Readers Synonyms and
Antonyms (to use with “Jose! Born to
Dance”) pgs. 29-36.
 Developing Readers Figurative Language (to
use with “Jose! Born to Dance”) pgs. 67-74.
 Response Card: Author’s Viewpoint (see
Wichita Falls ISD (2013-2014)









summarize
author’s purpose
analogies
antonyms
synonyms
idioms
compare
contrast
connections
Academic Vocabulary Writing:
 prompt
 truism
(generalizations)
 brainstorm
 graphic organizer
 revise
 edit
 draft
 publish
 expository
 personal narrative
 rubric
 evaluate
 paragraph
 introduction
 transitions
 conclusion
 conference

feast
“Jose! Born to Dance”
Vocabulary:
 debut
 stubborn
 mournful
 towered
 triumph
 permission
 hauling
 discouraged
 toured
 border
Prefixes/Suffixes/Roots:
 intra fore -ic
 -ous
 --eous
 -ious
 ped
 phon
*as indicated by district list
Resources)
 Response Card: Plot and Setting (see
Resources)
 Antonym and Synonym Football (see
Resources)
 Author’s Purpose Mini lessons (see
Resources)
 Compare and Contrast Activities (see
Resources)
 Figurative Language Activities (see
Resources)
 Figurative Puzzlers (see Resources)
 Author’s purpose activity (see Resources)
Writing: (2nd week):
 Spelling Connections (pgs. 190-195)
 Review characteristics of personal narrative
compositions
 Examine the different parts of a personal
narrative prompt (picture, truism, prompt,
and Be Sure To).
 Review narrative grabbers and transitions.
 During this week, your students will be
writing personal narratives, making sure to
follow the writing process.
 Be sure to spiral in Revising/Editing passages
and go over/review as a class. (resources will
vary among teachers).
Additional Information
Materials/Resources
Reading Resources:
 Study Guide “Me and Uncle Romie”
 Study Guide “Jose! Born to Dance”
 Response Card for Theme/Mood
 Ups and Downs Character Activity
 Imagery Activity
 Theme Activity
 KimsKorner website
 SpellingCity Analogies
 Readquarium website
 Plot Graphic Organizer
 Cause and Effect Battleship
 Reading Detective Cause and Effect
 Reading Detective Theme
 Response Card for Author’s Viewpoint
 Response Card for Plot
 Response Card for Setting
 Antonym and Synonym Football
 Author’s Purpose Mini lessons
 Comparing and Contrasting Activities
Wichita Falls ISD (2013-2014)
Notes from Council
 If your campus requires you to reserve technology,
library, etc. for research projects, this would be a great
time to do so for future units (Unit 13 in reading and
Unit 14 in writing).
 Finalize testing groups, accommodations, and
modifications for the STAAR test.
 Developing Readers has the anchor charts on the
provided CD for interactive notebooks.
 Remember to add to your interactive notebooks as you
are teaching new skills/concepts and review previous
skills/concepts.
 Some of the websites may require memberships but
they are worth exploring.
 Teachers are encouraged to include ELPS strategies, not
just for second language learners, but for all students.
(The ELPS strategies are good teaching practices.)
 Teachers are also encouraged to integrate student use
of technology into lessons as appropriate.
 If you are a stand-alone writing teacher, work with your
reading teacher to borrow Journeys resources.
 Teacher discretion as to whether to use Journeys stories,



Figurative Language Activities
Figurative Puzzlers
Martin Luther King, Jr. compare and contrast
activity
 Author’s Purpose Activity
 Gourmet Curriculum Press Desserts
 http://livebinders.com/play/play/353326
 discoveryeducation.com
 Reading a to z website
 Raz Kids website
 Teaching channel website
 Eduplace
 Thinkcentral
 ReadWriteThink
 Scholastic
 Austin ISD
 Teachers Lounge on website
 Daily Teaching Tools
Writing Resources:
 Pictures and Truisms Narrative Prompts
 Personal Narrative vs. Expository Anchor
Chart
 Write Source pgs. 133-187 Expository essays
 Expository Anchor Chart
 Personal Narrative Anchor Chart
 Personal Narrative Organizer
 Razzle Dazzle Writing
 http://livebinders.com/play/play/353326
 discoveryeducation.com
 Eduplace

trade books, picture books, novels, etc.
WRITING TEACHERS (starting this semester): Make sure
to conference with your students individually focusing
on their independent needs (focusing on praising their
strengths and choosing one or two skills not yet
mastered).
Parent Resources
 http://livebinders.com/play/play/353326
 Academic Vocabulary Note Cards (Review previously made note cards from prior units.)
 Readquarium website
 thinkcentral.com
 discoveryeducation.com
 Eduplace
Wichita Falls ISD (2013-2014)