Essay P/C

Jaimi and Deirdre

State Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9.A
Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Describe in depth
a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific
details in the text [e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions].").

Learning Objectives

SWBAT describe specific story details such as character, setting, and plot.

SWBAT compare the main characters story with personal experiences.

SWBAT use details from the story to support opinion.

Language Objectives

SWBAT use proper grammar conventions, correct spelling and punctuation.

SWBAT write an organized 3 paragraph essay.

Dispositional Objectives
SWBAT maintain a silent reading atmosphere.
SWBAT show respect for different cultural backgrounds.
SWBAT demonstrate on-task behavior while working alone.
Table of Specifications
Learning Knowled Understand Analys Classificati Synthes Evaluati Performan
Objective ge ing is on is on ce
s
Objective 4
1
Objective 4
2
Objective 4
3

Rubric
Exemplary Accomplishe Developing Beginning
d
Story 4 3 2 1
Details
In-depth
description of
character,
setting and
plot. Student
uses detail
and pulls
examples
from the
text.
Compare 4 3 2 1
Makes
connections
between text
and self.
Student has
understandin
g of cultural
differences
and
similarities.
Opinion 4 3 2 1
Clearly states
opinion and
supports with
evidence
from the
text.
Grammar 4 3 2 1
Student
make little to
no spelling or
grammatical
errors.
Student
writes
complete
essay in 5
paragraph
format.

Prompt
Read the given passage Elena in America by Robin Bloksberg. Elena is a
young, Russian girl who is experiencing America for the first time. Your role
as a writer is to include both information from the text and your personal
experiences. Pretend you are writing this essay to an adult who has never
read about Elenas story. Be sure to include specific details from the text.
Write a 3 paragraph opinion-based essay explaining the following three
prompts listed below. There should be little to no spelling or grammatical
errors. You will have 15 minutes to brainstorm your ideas. Then, you will have
35 minutes to complete your first draft.
Prompts: (spend no more than 10-12 minutes on each)
1. Give a short summary of the story including characters, setting and
plot.
2. Think about your experience living in America. What are the similarities
and differences between your personal experiences and Elenas
experiences?
3. Do you agree with Elenas fathers decision to move to America? Use
evidence from the text to explain why or why not?
Personal Communication
Content Objective 1
Individual: What country is Elena from?
Group: How does Elenas attitude about moving change throughout the
story?
Content Objective 2
Individual: Have you ever had an experience similar to Elenas?
Group: Talk with a partner about how Elenas life in Russia was different from
her life in America.
Content Objective 3
Individual: Do you think it is easy to make new friends? Why or why not?
Group: What would you do if your parents/guardians decided to move to
another country?
Language Objective 1
Individual: Remember that the name of a country is a proper noun. Should it
be capitalized?
Group: What should we put at the end of our sentences? What should we put
at the beginning of our sentences?
Language Objective 2
Individual: What is a good starter sentence for your introduction?
Group: What should be in each of your 5 paragraphs?
Dispositional Objective 1
Individual: Do you need to go in a corner by yourself to read quietly?
Group: Why is it important for us to be silent when reading?
Dispositional Objective 2
Individual: What kind of cultural background do you come from?
Group: How is culture in America similar or different from culture in Russia? Is
it okay that they are different?
Dispositional Objective 3
Individual: What should you be doing right now?
Group: Who can tell me one way to show that you are on task?
Personal communication is very important in this lesson because essay
assignments can be tricky for students. In order for students to write an
effective essay, they not only need to know the content information, but also
proper grammar, spelling and organization. Even if a student knows what
he/she wants to say in their paper, it can be hard to write if that student does
not know how to structure their ideas into a fluid paper. By asking students
clarifying questions they will have a better idea on what to do. In order to
build a safe classroom environment one of our dispositional objectives is
respect cultural backgrounds. Because this essay topic revolves around
comparing and contrasting different cultures, it is extremely important for all
students to feel safe and welcomed. We want our students to be able to
express their opinions while also being sensitive and respectful. In order to
maintain records of personal communication we will take anecdotal notes for
each student. We will do this as we ask the personal communication
questions and as they work on writing their essays. This will allow us to
understand where each student is at and help us when grading their essay
assessment.
Student Involvement
In order to get students involved in the assessment process they will do a
peer review after they complete their essays. By switching papers with
another student and grading it by the given rubric, students will understand
what the learning objectives are and will have a better understanding of their
own academic achievement. It is good practice for them to peer review and
give feedback. After students grade each other and are given time to revise,
the teacher will grade the final product. It is important to include student
involvement because students need to feel a sense of ownership and
responsibility. Peer reviewing makes it feel less like a formal assessment and
more like a way to show their knowledge and reflect on learning.

Student Voice
Students are given a few different opportunities to analyze why the learning
targets are important. First the students have a rubric in their hand while
they write that way they are double checking that every learning target is
getting answered and correctly used. Another way for them to analyze would
be for the student to exchange essays with a partner and for them to correct
their peers work. A rubric is also a helpful way for the students to correct
their essays to get the best possible grade they can get. Students will have a
chance to revise their essay and take comments from their peers into
consideration. The student can base their essay on the highest level on the
rubric that way they can assess their mastery learning targets. It is important
for students to be given the opportunity to share their student voice because
it helps us as the teacher be able to alter our future lessons and activities to
help that students later.