- RL.4.5 - Distinguishing between poetry, prose, and drama
- W.4.4 - Writing drama and poetry
- RI.4.4 - Finding word meaning
- L.4.1, L.4.2 - Identifying nouns and verbs; capitalizing proper nouns; abbreviating salutations
(Click on image to grab these lesson plans!)
Reading Literature:
- I start the year with a Beginning of Year Reading Assessment. This baseline assessment features "The North Wind and the Sun." Students answer questions and construct responses for RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, RL.4.4, RL.4.5, and RL.4.6.
- We continue with Prose, Drama, and Poetry, a simple unit that teaches kids about the elements of each form of literature.
- On the first day of school, students complete an activity page about themselves then write a paragraph about one area of their lives. This Back-to-School Writing Activity gives me an indication of students' baseline writing skills. (Many thanks to Laura Strickland of Whimsy Clips for the fantastic graphics in this freebie!)
- We continue with two fun activities that reinforce the differences between prose, drama, and poetry. First, in groups, students rewrite "The North Wind and the Sun" as a play then present it to the class. Second, they create simple "I Spy" poetry.
Mechanics:
- We begin our comprehensive eighteen-week Mechanics unit with simple concepts. This first week provides instruction and practice of identifying nouns and verbs, capitalizing proper nouns, and punctuating salutations.
Reading Nonfiction:
- Right from the start, I want my students to explore Finding Word Meaning. They learn to look between commas and parentheses, use context clues, analyze word parts, and consider related words.
My first day of school is tomorrow, and I can't wait to hit the road running! These simple beginning of year lessons will prepare my students for more complex assignments as they move into fourth grade.
Enjoy!
Brenda
