Rachael Kollar

TDA Unit Plan—4th grade

Day 1— CC.1.4.4.E—Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain
the topic.

EU—A TDA is a reading question. Analysis is explaining how you know something. An inference
is an observation and knowledge. There is a process to completing a TDA (cold read/close reading
strategies, annotating the prompt, annotating the text, graphic organizer, and the final response).

SLOs

Students will be able to draw on previous knowledge to complete the pre-test and post-test.

Students will be able to list the order in which a TDA is completed.

Assessment—

Students will complete a pre-test to see what they remember about TDAs. After students are done with
the pre-test, we will discuss the correct answers and we will go over the rubric used to assess a TDA.
After all of this review of a TDA, students will complete a post-test (exact same as the pre-test) to assess
what they learned from the lesson.

Day 2— E04.B-K.1.1.2—Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details;
summarize the text. E04.B-V.4.1—Demonstrate understanding of vocabulary and figurative language in
informational texts.

EU— Good readers are constantly asking questions as they read.

SLOs

Students will be able to annotate a text using close reading strategies.

Students will be able to summarize a text or part of a text.

Assessment—

We will practice using the notice and note signpost close reading strategies as a class with a passage.
After practicing together, students will try the same thing with a different passage on their own.
Students will also provide a short summary of parts of the passage or the whole passage.
Day 3—

EU— There are many literary elements that could show up on a TDA prompt. There are literary
elements for fiction and literary elements for non-fiction.

SLOs

Students will be able to categorize literary elements into fiction and non-fiction.

Students will be able to explain each literary element.

Assessment—

We will review the literary elements and practice using some of them and thinking of when we have
used them in our Journey’s texts. Independently, students will choose a total of 4 literary elements (2
fiction, 2 non-fiction) to explain as an exit ticket.

Day 4— E04.1.1.2—Develop the analysis using a variety of evidence from text(s) to support claims,
opinions, ideas, and inferences.

EU— Analysis is explaining how you know something. An inference is an observation +

knowledge.

SLOs

Students will be able to list observations made about an advertisement.

Students will be able to group observations into related categories.

Students will be able to analyze the advertisement (besides a car, what are they trying to sell
you?)

Assessment—

Together, we will make observations about a car advertisement. We will then come up with what the
car represents besides just a car (analysis). After completing the advertisement, students will
independently apply this strategy to a Pixar short film (“Geri’s Game”) thinking about what big ideas the
creators want us to take away. The next day, to review, students will practice with another
advertisement.

Day 5— CC.1.4.4.E—Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain
the topic.

EU— To really understand what the prompt is asking, we need to annotate it. Each sentence has
a purpose. The first sentence of the prompt leads students to analyze the literary elements, the second
sentence describes the task, and the third sentence is a clear expectation to use evidence from the
passage.
 SLOs—

Students will be able to annotate multiple prompts.

Students will be able to identify the literary elements in each prompt.

Assessment—

Together we will annotate multiple TDA prompts and identify what literary elements students are being
asked to know. After practicing together, students will annotate 2 prompts on their own.

Day 6— E04.E.1.1.2—Develop analysis using a variety of evidence from text(s) to support claims,
opinions, ideas, and inferences.

EU— Graphic organizers are another way to organize information. RACES (restate, analyze, cite
evidence, explain, sum it up) is used for TDAs.

SLOs—

Students will be able to complete the RACES graphic organizer based on the passage, Author
and Illustrator Ed Young.

Students will be able to fold their RACES graphic organizer.

Assessment—

We will read a passage and a student response as a class and students will identify each part of the
RACES graphic organizer (restating the prompt/question, analyzing the text, citing evidence, explaining
that evidence, sum it up). Students will add the information to the correct section of the RACES graphic
organizer. Students will need to correctly fold the RACES graphic organizer independently so that they
can do it for the PSSAs.

Day 7— CC.1.2.4.H— Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a
text. CC.1.4.4.I—Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

EU— A TDA response is scored on a 4-point rubric and each response is given a score from 1-4.

SLOs—Students will be able to critique student responses of a TDA.

Students will be able to apply sentence starters to their TDA response.

Assessment—

Students will be given copies of released item student responses. We will practice some together and
then students will be asked to score one on their own and explain why they gave it that score.
Day 8— E04.E.1.1—Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and/or research. E04.E.1.1.1—Introduce text(s) for the intended audience, state an opinion and/or
topic, establish a situation, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are logically
grouped to support the writer’s purpose. E04.E.1.1.5—Provide a concluding statement or section
related to the analysis presented.

EU-- A text dependent analysis includes a passage, a prompt, and a written response.

SLOs— Students will be able to complete a TDA written response.

Students will be able to annotate a prompt and passage.

Students will be able to complete a RACES graphic organizer.

Students will be able to write a 5-paragraph answering the prompt.

Assessment—

Students will individually complete their own TDA response. They will be given the entire class time to
prepare their response. I will read the prompt out loud because it is part of the process. Students will
also be given a piece of scrap paper to complete their RACES graphic organizer.

Day 9 and 10— CC.1.2.4.J—Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general
academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions,
or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.

EU-- Reading multiple TDA responses will give students a feeling for how well or poor responses
are written (what earns a 4 and what earns a 1).

SLOs— Students will be able to evaluate five peer TDA responses using the TDA rubric.

Students will be able to write notes on the rubric (one thing they did well, something to improve
on, something else they did well).

Assessment—

Students will be given 5 TDAs to read from their peers. The responses will be anonymous. They will be
given 5 rubrics to complete for each TDA they read. Students will evaluate each other on the response
that they give to the TDA. On the back of each rubric students will write at least 3 comments. The first
comment will be about something the writer did well, the second comment will be something that the
writer could improve on, and the third comment is another comment about something the writer did
well. I will collect all the rubrics at the end of class.