Learning Objective(s): Students will be able to explain the meaning of the terms “supply” and “demand” and use them in context.

Target Learner Population: Mixed grade class of 3rd and 4th grade students.

There are a handful of learning differences in the class to be mindful of. Two students have been diagnosed with ADHD. One student has diagnosed autism as well as dyslexia. One student is in the process of getting a neuro-psych evaluation done, with a suspected processing disorder and/or ADHD. There are three additional students who have never had an evaluation, but who show many indicators of ADHD. (Total of 6 students with diagnosed or suspected learning differences.)

In the class we have students reading at F&P levels ranging from K to V. Most students have fairly good literal comprehension, but have more difficulty making inferences. A handful of students (including students in the speech emergent stage as well as my dyslexic student) are still building their reading fluency, and benefit from time to read a text multiple times, or to read with a partner.

Lesson/Activity: Reteaching the terms “supply” and “demand”

• Distribute two index cards to each student, and show them how to draw a vertical and a horizontal line to divide the index cards into four sections. Ask them to write “supply” in the upper right corner of one card and set the other card to the side. 

• Tell a short story that illustrates the concept of supply, such as a story that describes someone who has an abundant supply of something. Say: “This story describes having a high supply of something.” Ask students to turn and tell their neighbor what they think “supply” means. Listen in and share out with the group a couple of good student-created definitions.
• Give students 1 minute to draw a drawing that illustrates “supply” in the upper left corner. Give 1-2 minutes to write at least one synonym for “supply” in the upper right corner. Give 2-3 minutes to write a sentence that includes the word “supply” in the lower left. Then finally project the dictionary definition and have students copy it in the lower right.
• Repeat the process for the word “demand.”
• Then have students find a partner and distribute themselves around the room. Give prompts and have them role play or act out that scenario. For example, say something like “You’re selling at the market and you have a high supply of oranges,” or “you’re at the grocery store and there is a low supply of toilet paper.” Alternative if that seems like too much to manage on a given day: Have students come to the front of the class in groups of 2-3 and act out the scenario in front of the class.
• Exit ticket: Without looking at their index cards, have students write a scenario that demonstrates low supply, and a scenario that demonstrates low demand.

Means of Assessment: Exit ticket to check if students have integrated the meaning of the terms “supply” and “demand.”

Mini Lesson 2: Standard Algorithm

Learning Objective(s): Students will create their own definition of the term “standard algorithm.”

→ Connected to the larger objective: Students will be able to explain the mathematics behind the US standard algorithm for subtraction and apply the steps with accuracy.

Target Learner Population: 4th grade students

My 4th grade math class consists of 9 students. One student has suspected ADHD, which presents  in math as difficulty interpreting story problems, lack of consistency following steps of a given mathematical strategy/benefitting from frequent prompting about next steps in a process, difficulty reviewing and reflecting on their work, difficulty sustaining attention during whole group lessons, and frequent distractions by nearby people and objects. Of the nine students, a total of four are new to the school this year, and they represent a variety of pandemic learning experiences including exclusively online all year, switching to in-person last spring, learning in school (in person) all year, and learning in a small “learning pod” with a privately hired tutor.

Lesson/Activity: Reviewing the US standard algorithm for subtraction

• Write the words “Standard Algorithm for Subtraction” on the white board. Underline “standard” and “algorithm.”
• Ask: What do you know about these words? Invite volunteers to share what they know about each word in turn, and record their ideas.
• Read the dictionary definition of “standard” and “algorithm” aloud, and jot brief notes from these definitions on the board as well. (Definitions sourced from Oxford Languages)
  • Standard: “used or accepted as normal or average”
  • Algorithm: “a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations”
• Ask: Given what we’ve learned about the meaning of the words “standard” and “algorithm,” what does it mean when we say “Standard Algorithm for Subtraction?” Have students write it on their white board, then share by holding it up so everyone can compare definitions.
• Invite students to tell what they know about the process or set of rules we must follow when we use the standard algorithm for subtraction and record their tips on the board. 
  • Make sure the differentiate between the steps we must take (e.g. start in the ones place, subtract the bottom number from the top number) and the steps where we have some choice (e.g. crossing out the number in the ones place vs just adding the new ten next to the existing number in the ones place).

Means of Assessment: Check students definitions written on their white board. (Note: Follow up with students who seem confused or uncertain about the term during independent work time later in the lesson.)

Grade Level and Course: 4th Grade Writing

Learner Profile:

This 4th grade class consists of 18 students. A little less than half of them are native English speakers (although three of those students have a second language in the home as well). About one-third of the class are in the intermediate fluency stage, and there are also a few students in the beginning fluency stage as well as the speech emergent stage. 

There are a handful of learning differences in the class to be mindful of. Two students have been diagnosed with ADHD. One student has diagnosed autism as well as dyslexia. One student is in the process of getting a neuro-psych evaluation done, with a suspected processing disorder and/or ADHD. There are three additional students who have never had an evaluation, but who show many indicators of ADHD. (Total of 6 students with diagnosed or suspected learning differences.)

In the class we have students reading at F&P levels ranging from K to V. Most students have fairly good literal comprehension, but have more difficulty making inferences. A handful of students (including students in the speech emergent stage as well as my dyslexic student) are still building their reading fluency, and benefit from time to read a text multiple times, or read with a partner.

Time Segment of Lesson: 40-45 minutes

Standard(s) Addressed in Lesson: 

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3.C Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).

Objective(s) of the Lesson:  Students will be able to use contractions correctly when the occasion is appropriate for informal writing.

Content Learning Target: I can determine appropriate contexts for formal and informal writing.

Language Learning Target: I can use apostrophes correctly to form contractions.

Series and Sequence of Lesson

Teach (I do) – 15 min

• Activate prior knowledge by asking students to explain the difference between “tu” and “usted.” I expect they will say something about formal vs. informal, or usted showing greater respect.
• Connect this with formal and informal writing. Just like we use “tu” and “usted” in different contexts/with different people, we need to adjust the way we write for different people or different contexts.
• Write “can’t” on the board, ask students to give thumbs up/thumbs down to tell me if they’ve seen this word. Write “cannot” on the board, have students turn and talk about what is similar and different between “can’t” and “cannot.”
• Explain that “can’t” is a contraction of “cannot.” Explain what a contraction is, and how the apostrophe works. Write a few more examples on the board (e.g. “I am,” “we are,”) and ask students to tell me out loud what the contraction is. Give them think time, then have them say the contraction on the count of three. Model writing the contraction for each.
• Ask: How does this connect with formal and informal writing? Which is more formal/informal, “can’t” or “cannot”? Students turn and talk.
• Present a scenario to the board (e.g. texting a friend about weekend plans). Model thinking aloud about whether it’s a formal or informal setting. Think aloud about if it would be ok to use a contraction or if I should use the expanded word.

Guided Practice (We do) – 5-7 min

• Present a second scenario to the board (e.g. writing a thank you letter to my grandmother)
• Have students come to agreement with partner about if this is a formal or informal writing context
• Tell them they need to work together to write a sentence that is either formal or informal based on their agreement. It should include at least one word/phrase from word bank. (Post word bank: I am, I’m, cannot, can’t, I’ve, I have)
• Have students raise hands if they thought this was an informal context; have one partnership read their sentence. Have students raise hands if they thought this was a formal context; have one partnership read their sentence.

Independent Practice (You do) – 15 min

• Distribute a sheet with a few scenarios (e.g. writing an essay for a contest, sending an email to my sister, writing an apology note to my parent, writing a note to a friend).
• The tasks will get progressively more challenging/less scaffolded. The first task will be a fill-in-the-blank with two options (e.g. “we’ve”/“we have”). The second task will include a blank and a small word bank. The third task will include a suggestion of what you’re trying to say and a word bank. The fourth task will include the scenario and a prompt to write 1-3 sentences that would be appropriate for that sentence; must include at least two contractions/expanded phrases as appropriate.
• Students will work independently while I circulate to check in and answer questions.

Share – 5 min

• Students share with the same partner as earlier; they should pick a task they both completed and compare what they wrote. Did they agree on whether it was a formal or informal context? Did they write the same thing?

Differentiation

• My students in the speech emergent stage will be strategically paired with supportive partners.
• Students in the speech emergent stage will receive a modified worksheet with two tasks where they fill in the blank from two options, and two tasks where they fill in the blank from a word bank. I will be on hand to read and check comprehension of the scenarios.
• Extension for students who finish early and demonstrate mastery: turn in worksheet, and on a plain piece of lined paper write a short story that incorporates contractions and/or expanded form of possible contractions without the use of a word bank.

Assessment

• Collect student work as a formative assessment. Check for:
  • Can students appropriately assess whether a context is formal or informal?
  • Do they place apostrophes correctly in the contraction?

Materials Needed

• Slides with sample scenarios for mini-lesson
• Two variations of the worksheet with sample scenarios for students to respond to
• Lined paper

Subject and Grade Level: Reading, 4th Grade

Learner Population:

This 4th grade class consists of 18 students. A little less than half of them are native English speakers (although three of those students have a second language in the home as well). About one-third of the class are in the intermediate fluency stage, and there are also a few students in the beginning fluency stage as well as the speech emergent stage. 

There are a handful of learning differences in the class to be mindful of. Two students have been diagnosed with ADHD. One student has diagnosed autism as well as dyslexia. One student is in the process of getting a neuro-psych evaluation done, with a suspected processing disorder and/or ADHD. There are three additional students who have never had an evaluation, but who show many indicators of ADHD. (Total of 6 students with diagnosed or suspected learning differences.)

This thematic unit comes after a unit on economics, so students will have a baseline understanding of concepts such as goods and services, bartering, money, and natural resources, human resources, and capital resources. These vocabulary charts will remain up during our Community in Poetry unit.

In the class we have students reading at F&P levels ranging from K to V. Most students have fairly good literal comprehension, but I foresee the skill of making inferences as a likely challenge for several students as they practice interpreting poetry and identifying the theme of a poem. A handful of students (including students in the speech emergent stage as well as my dyslexic student) are still building their reading fluency, and will need to be able to read a poem several times to take time to decode new words and practice reading with increasing fluency. Most of my students with either diagnosed or suspected ADHD find it challenging to consistently recall details from their texts, and will benefit from specific note-taking strategies to build this skill.

Standards: 

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4.B Read grade-level poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
• 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) when writing or speaking about a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5.A Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.

Overarching Goals: 

• By the end of this unit, students will be able to explain (orally or in writing) what a poem is mostly about (i.e. identify the theme).
• By the end of this unit, students will be able to read poetry out loud in a way that reflects the emotion and/or theme of the poem.

Objectives:

• Students will compare and contrast poetry and prose.
• Students will be able to identify and name a theme of a poem and provide evidence for their findings.
• Students will explain, orally or in writing, what a simple and familiar simile or metaphor is trying to convey.
• Students will, after practice and feedback, read short poems orally with fluency and appropriate expression.
• Students will record themselves reading their own poetry fluently and with expression.

21st Century Skills addressed: Literacy Skills, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills, Communication, Perseverance, Technology Skills and Digital Literacy

Prerequisite Skills: 

This thematic unit will include reading, writing, and social studies components. It comes after a unit on economics, so students will have a baseline understanding of concepts such as goods and services, bartering, money, and natural resources, human resources, and capital resources. These vocabulary charts will remain up during our Community in Poetry unit.

Students will need a baseline of broad exposure to and familiarity with various types of prose, such as narrative writing, procedural writing, and informational writing.

This unit will come after a unit on nonfiction texts, so students will have an understanding of terms such as “main idea,” “supporting detail,” and “text evidence.”

Summative Assessment:

• Teacher prepares a set of poems students can choose from. These poems are chosen strategically because they include the necessary literary elements (e.g. figurative language), as well as accessible vocabulary and themes.
• Students, with the help of their parents, select a culturally relevant poem to analyze. In this analysis they fill in a word web (speech emergent, beginning fluency stage) or write complete sentences (intermediate fluency, native English speakers) to explain the theme of the poem and what details (word choice, punctuation, rhythm, etc) makes them think that is the theme of the poem. They will also explain the meaning of a simile or metaphor from the poem. Finally, they will record themselves reading the poem out loud to demonstrate their understanding of the poem by reading with fluency and appropriate expression. By recording themselves (and having the opportunity to do more than one take), they can be sure they are submitting their best work.

Formative Assessment: 

• Writing characteristics of poetry on sticky notes to add to class chart
• Exit ticket to briefly compare and contrast poetry and prose (using texts read in class)
• Partner work to create a word web identifying the theme (main idea) and supporting details from the poem
• Exit ticket to name the theme of a poem and give one piece of supporting evidence
• Exit ticket to explain a sample simile
• Exit ticket to explain a sample metaphor

Note: the exit tickets would be differentiated for students in the speech emergent stage by offering a word bank or yes/no questions. They could also be completed in a small group so that I could read the questions out loud and, if necessary, guide  students to write their answers. For all students, exit tickets would include a sample response to scaffold language use. 

Lessons:

Note: For this assignment I have selected one lesson from each week of my Community In Poetry curriculum map. These lessons are not intended to reflect the full scope of the unit, nor would they be done sequentially. Each lesson represents or is indicative of the topic of a particular week from the fuller unit.

Lesson 1: What Is a Poem?

Skills: Reading, speaking, listening, writing

This lesson will come at the end of our first week, during which time students will have been exposed to print and audio of many styles of poems, such as haiku, limericks, free verse, acrostic poems, etc. Poems will be placed around the room, and students will have a small guide to styles of poetry they have constructed over the course of the week. Students will work with a partner, and will visit the poems around the room. They will take turns to read the poem out loud, then tell their partner what style of poetry they believe the poem demonstrates, and why. Their partner will say if they agree/disagree, and why. In the end students will write a brief journal entry about one poem that was harder to identify (or that the two partners disagreed on) and what made that poem’s style challenging to identify.

Lesson 2: Finding the Theme of a Poem 1.0

Skills: Speaking, reading, writing, listening

This will be the introductory lesson on finding the theme of a poem. First students will turn and talk to share what they remember about finding the main idea of a nonfiction text. Sentence frames will be posted to guide the conversation. Then I will make a link between the main idea of a nonfiction text and the theme of a poem. I will present a short poem, and show students how we can look for keywords in the poem (supporting details) and use them to make an inference about the theme of the poem. Then students will work (in pairs if necessary to scaffold language) to read a poem, underline/highlight key words that they find, and fill in a word web with key words around the outside and their suggested theme in the middle.

Lesson 3: Investigating Figurative Language

Skills: Reading, speaking, listening, (writing – for note-takers only)

In this lesson students will be placed in groups of 3 (6 groups in all). Each group will be given a sheet with 6 similes and metaphors on it. In a group, they will discuss what they think each simile/metaphor means until they come to agreement as a group. The note-taker for each group will briefly record the group’s interpretation. Groups that finish early can take turns creating similes/metaphors for their group members to interpret. Once all groups are done, we will go around the room. Group 1 will share out their interpretation of simile/metaphor 1, Group 2 will share out on simile/metaphor 2, and so on. Other groups will have the opportunity to respond, and sentence frames will be posted to guide the discussion (e.g. “I agree because _____,” “I disagree because _____,” etc).

Lesson 4: Finding the Theme of a Poem 2.0

Skills: Reading, writing, speaking

This lesson will build upon the previous two weeks. Students will read and listen (online with headphones) to a poem with figurative language. Poems will be differentiated in difficulty. They will then need to interpret the figurative language in order to understand what the poem is talking about. Students in the beginning fluency stage will have the option to work with a partner, and students in the speech emergent stage will work in a small group with the teaching assistant. After they have interpreted the figurative language, they will need to name what they think the theme is and provide at least two pieces of supporting evidence to back up their inference. Students who read the same poem will share out together by reading their written response to each other.

Lesson 5: Reading Poetry Out Loud

Skills: Reading, speaking, listening

This will be a culminating lesson, and one component of a summative assessment on a poem students chose from a curated set. In this lesson, students will already have a plan for how they would like to read their chosen poem. They will share their plan with a partner, who will give them one glow (compliment) and one grow (idea for how to make it better). Then, in staggered groups over the course of two academic periods (maximum of 4 students recording at one time), students will use their Chromebooks to record themselves reading their poem with fluency and expression on Flipgrid. They can record themselves reading as many times as they want until they feel satisfied with their recording, then they will submit it for their teacher to review. Students who run out of time to record during their designated time slot can have the option to complete their recording at home. Students who finish should read quietly (with the option of headphones) to minimize the total noise in the room.

Learner Population*

• 18 students
• Language Proficiency:
  • 8 students are native English speakers (3 of these students have a second language in the home as well)
  • 5 ELL students in intermediate fluency stage
  • 3 ELL students in beginning fluency stage
  • 2 ELL students in the speech emergent stage
• Learning differences in the class:
  • 2 students with diagnosed ADHD
  • 1 student with diagnosed autism
  • 1 student with diagnosed dyslexia
  • 1 student undergoing neuro-pysch evaluation with suspected processing disorder and/or ADHD; 3 additional students with suspected ADHD

Learner Profile Information

This thematic unit comes after a unit on economics, so students will have a baseline understanding of concepts such as goods and services, bartering, money, and natural resources, human resources, and capital resources. These vocabulary charts will remain up during our Community in Poetry unit.

In the class we have students reading at F&P levels ranging from K to V. Most students have fairly good literal comprehension, but I foresee the skill of making inferences as a likely challenge for several students as they practice interpreting poetry and identifying the theme of a poem. A handful of students (including my students in the speech emergent stage as well as my dyslexic student) are still building their reading fluency, and will need to be able to read a poem several times to take time to decode new words and practice reading with increasing fluency. Most of my students with either diagnosed or suspected ADHD find it challenging to consistently recall details from their texts, and will benefit from specific note-taking strategies to build this skill.

In writing, some students benefit from a lot of scaffolding to organize their thinking and structure their sentences, while other students can adeptly write grammatically correct complex sentences that integrate new and prior information. About half of the class continues to benefit from visual reminders to use beginning capitalization and end punctuation, and will likely appreciate the flexibility that poetry offers in this area! In order to adapt the expectations for the varied levels of writing (and English) proficiency, students will have the ability to choose what style of poetry to use for their final product. I will confer with students to come to an agreement about what expectation for their total production makes sense (e.g. if they choose to write haiku, will they need to write more than one haiku?).
*In reality my class consists of 18 students, all native English speakers, who are a mix of 3rd and 4th grade. For this learner population description I have fictionalized just a bit.

Enduring Understandings

• Poetry is different from prose
• Poets get ideas from their lives, identities, experiences, and the world around them
• Poetry can be used to reflect something you have seen or experienced or to imagine something you would like to see or experience
• Poets make intentional decisions about white space, line breaks, rhythms/rhymes, language, and punctuation

Guiding Questions

• What makes a sustainable (and sustaining) community?
• What is a poem?
• How do poets show their ideas about what makes a sustainable (and sustaining) community?

Standards to Assess

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.4.4.B Read grade-level poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
• 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) when writing or speaking about a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. 
• 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.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.3.B Choose punctuation for effect.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.4.5.A Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
• Maryland Social Studies Standard 4.0: Students shall inquire about decisions made by individuals and groups using economic reasoning in order to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world.

Mentor Texts/Mentor Authors (initial list)

• Joy Harjo (Remember)
• Elizabeth Alexander (Praise Song for the Day)
• Minnie Bruce Pratt (Walking Back Up Depot Street)
• Langston Hughes (Daybreak in Alabama, Dream Variations)
• Nikki Giovanni (Knowville, Tennessee)

Technology Resources & Tools

• YouTube, Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud, Library of Congress, Poets.org, Poets.org Incredible Bridges
• Epic
• Flipgrid
• Smart Board
• Book Creator

How the Use of Classroom Technology, Online Learning Tools, and Resources Will Support Student Learning

• YouTube, Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud, Library of Congress, Poets.org
• Epic
• Flipgrid
• Smart Board
• Book Creator

In this unit one of the most important uses of technology will be making use of a variety of online resources so students can listen to poetry. Websites such as YouTube, Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud, Library of Congress, and Poets.org will be of great use during this unit. Rhythm, syllables, speed, pauses, and more play such an important role in making meaning of poetry, and children who don’t have much experience reading poetry may not have a sense of the many ways poetry can sound. Particularly for language learners, listening to poetry can offer a different access point to understanding. If resources allow, this unit would be well-served by a listening station which students can use during reading time to listen to poems we have read as a class as well as new poems. They could even use this listening station to practice reading poetry with the recording before trying to read the poem (or a new poem) on their own. 

Relatedly, Epic online library will also be quite useful for this unit. It has a number of books of poems, and is a great resource for finding books of different reading levels. It also has books on how to write poetry, which can be quite helpful for the Writing portion of this unit. 

Flipgrid can be used both in class and for homework as a tool for students to practice reading/performing poetry in a low-stress environment. Students can try as many times as they like to get their reading right. For language learners, having the opportunity to record themselves reading poetry out loud may feel less stressful than having to read on the spot in front of someone else. I intend to use Flipgrid for the peer review process, but it could also be used for regular homework throughout the unit to give students more chances to practice reading poetry out loud.

There are a few instances, particularly in the Social Studies portion of the unit, where the class will create a shared list of characteristics or needs. A Smart Board can be used in these cases both to make this shared list easily visible, as well as to save the collaborative lists for future reference. Allowing students to add contributions in writing, instead of only orally, integrates more language skills into a single lesson.

Book Creator will be used for the final product for reading and writing. Students will create their own ebooks of their poetry. Because Book Creator has an audio recording feature, students can not only type their poems up and format them according to their artistic preference, but they can also apply their practice reading poetry orally and an audio book feature to their books.