Teacher Candidate: Evelyn Musto

Grade Level: Fourth

Date of Lesson: March 22, 2024

Content Standards CCSS.W.2.b

Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and examples related to the
topic.

CCSS.W.2.d
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to
inform about or explain the topic.

Lesson Context This lesson comes in the middle of the Writing Unit on
Westward Expansion. Students will meet with another
student who has the same topic as them to compare and
compile notes for their research. This will give students the
opportunity to learn more about their own topic from a
different perspective and what they still need to complete
their research. Students will then take what they learned to
add to their book chapters and expand their research.

Learner Background Students have already researched their topic for two weeks at
the beginning of this lesson. They are familiar with writing
an informational piece and understand the structure of an
essay. At the beginning of the unit, we looked at an example
of different chapters as a class and the different parts that
make up a chapter. Students also are familiar with various
note-taking strategies and have practiced them over the
course of the unit. There are twenty-two students in the
classroom, three of which have an IEP in place for
academics. There is a paraeducator in the room for two of the
students that also functions as a paraeducator for a student
with diabetes.

Student Learning Objectives Students will write about their topic using topic sentences
and supporting details..

Assessment 1. Chapter about their topic

2. Goals Exit Slip

Materials/Resources 1. Smartboard/Whiteboard
2. Reader’s Notebooks
3. Writer’s Notebooks
4. Pens and Pencils
5. Classroom texts based on topic
 6. Book Bins

Key Concepts/Vocabulary 1. Partnership

2. Main Idea
3. Supporting Details

Teaching/Learning Activities Initiation:

● Call students one table at a time to grab their book
bins and Writer’s Notebooks. When students are at
their seats, remind them that by now, they already
planned or wrote the first two chapters of their book
on their topic for Westward Expansion. Review the
structure of their first chapter and the model
demonstrated on Thursday. Model taking the second
topic from their graphic organizer and writing it as a
topic sentence before adding supporting details to the
paragraph. With each sentence, brainstorm aloud your
thought process so the students can see how their
second paragraph is written. Do not call on students
for input on this section as this is a demonstration of
what they should be doing. Tell the students that this
will be the same process they follow when they write
their third chapter.
● Once the second paragraph is written out, remind the
students that their goal today is to complete their first
chapter of their book. Tell them they already have the
outline of what they are writing done in their graphic
organizer and they can use their notes in their
Reader’s Notebook if they get stuck. Remind the
students where they can look for more notes if they
get stuck and phrase it as a question (i.e. “If you don’t
have enough information to write your chapter, where
can you go to fill-in the blanks?”)
● Before sending them off to work, remind them of the
expectations while they are working. This will be
posted on the SmartBoard alongside the task list for
the students. Students should:
○ Stay in their seats while writing
○ Work at a Level 0 volume
○ Raise their hand if they have a question or
need help
○ Not stop to talk to another student while
getting a tissue, going to the bathroom, or
receiving help
○ ***Tell students that when they are finished,
they’ll have the chance to share part of their
 first chapters with the class. However, only
the students that demonstrate the above
mentioned expectations may participate

Lesson Development:
● Tell students to have their graphic organizers (located
in their Writing Folders) and Reader’s Notebooks on
hand while they write because this will help them
write their first chapter. Remind them of the model of
how to write their second chapter on the board and
the poster regarding transition words on the
Whiteboard as they get started. Tell the students if
they complete their second chapter, they may
continue on to the third chapter following the same
format shown in the beginning of the lesson.
● Based on their work Thursday, students will be sorted
into groups. These groups will target their areas of
need, such as research, writing, and extensions with
the chapter and have the necessary supports for
students. Not all of the students will be sorted into
these groups as they are based on what students’
areas of needs are, but the resources will be available
to all students. The projected students for these three
groups are as follows:
○ Group One (Research):
■ A.K., C.C., S.R., J.H., J.M., J.E. (will
have a paraeducator with them), E.S.
○ Group Two (Writing):
■ M.L. (will have a paraeducator with
them), C.M., C.C., Z.E., A.N., M.B.,
P.C., V.S., E.S., G.R.
○ Group Three (Higher Level):
■ F.P., D.K., D.S., F.O.
● Pass out the supports for Group One and Two while
the students are getting started on their work. While
the students are working, pull a few students at a time
for a small group session focusing on their area of
need. This group should not have any more than three
students at a time and will serve as a quick check-in
to guide students in the right direction. Make sure
you are pulling students from the same area of need
to address the same area of difficulty. Work with the
students on their writing and set goals for them as
they continue their work. Give the students a sticky
note or a piece of paper with their goal written on it
so they have it to refer back to during their writing.
 ● For Group Three, have their extension written as a
checklist for them to review with their writing. This
will be an extension of another lesson about revising
for those who finish early. The checklist will include:
○ Written all three paragraphs of chapter one
○ Reviewed for punctuation and sentence
structure
○ Topic sentences with supporting details
○ Transition words
○ Full elaboration and connection of ideas
○ ***This revision checklist will be available to
all students who finish, but the last bullet is
assigned to Group Three only
● A recent behavior plan for E.S. and D.K. has been
installed where if the students complete an
individualized checklist on their own, they may take
a break with one another out in the hallway.
However, they are required to follow the same
behavioral expectations as the rest of the class.
● Due to students being continuously pulled during
their usually scheduled Reading block, these groups
and their assigned tasks may be adjusted based on
how long they are present during the lesson.
● If the paraeducator for M.L. and J.E. is not present
for the lesson, the cooperating teacher may step in
and act as their paraeducator for the lesson. When the
above-mentioned students are working at their seats,
a paraeducator or the classroom teacher may pull one
or both to the back table to work on their assignment.
The paraeducator may pull A.K. and/or P.C. to the
back table as well.

Closure:
● With about ten minutes left, call on a few students to
come up to the document camera and share the first
paragraph or two of their first chapter. When the
student has finished, ask the students what they
learned about the student’s topic and what they
thought the student did well. Start this discussion off
with your own comment on what the student did well
on.
● After sharing with the class, pass out the Goals Exit
Slip to every student present. Tell students that they
will fill out a goal they want to set for themselves for
the next time they write. When they are done filling
out their slip, they will turn it in with their name on it,
 put away their book bin, and take out their science
folder. Remind them that if they do a good job getting
ready for science, they can earn several cubes
towards extra recess.

Which students do you anticipate may struggle with the content/learning objectives of
this lesson?

Student name Evidence that the student How will you differentiate
needs differentiated instruction in this lesson to
instruction support student learning?

J.H. Student does not have Model of how to research in

sufficient research due to books for notes and Four
several absences and Lens Organizer as well as
struggles to get started on fill-in-the blank outline for
writing projects. writing.

A.K. Student struggles to get Model of how to research in

started on writing projects books for notes and Four
and is oftentimes distracted Lens Organizer and
during work. fill-in-the-blank outline for
writing.

Which students will need opportunities for enrichment/higher level of challenge?

Student name Evidence that the student How will you differentiate
needs differentiated instruction in this lesson to
instruction support student learning?

F.P. Student often finishes work Checklist to revise and revisit

early and requires further writing.
instruction after meeting the
expectations of the lesson.
 Writing Checklist

All three paragraphs

Three topic sentences

Facts in each of my paragraphs

Transition words

Fully explained ideas and connections

What else could I add:

Writing Checklist

All three paragraphs

Three topic sentences

Facts in each of my paragraphs

Transition words

What else could I add:

Group One (Research)
● Scaffolded Questioning:
○ Grab a book on your topic and open to the index. Looking at the index, where do
you think we can find the information we are looking for?
○ Read the first couple of paragraphs in the chapter. Can you tell me what
happened?
○ Read a bit further. Can you tell me who was there?
○ Does what you just read say when this was? If not, read a little further and see if
you can find a date.
○ Why do you think these people did what they did? What do you think caused
them to act in this way?
● Four Lens Model
○
Who What/When
(key people and relationships) (what happened and when)

Where Why
(places/geography) (motivation)

Group Two (Writing)

● Scaffolded Questioning:
○ What is your second paragraph about? Can you tell me about your topic?
○ Your topic for this paragraph can be written as your topic sentence. What is one
way we can talk about our topic?
○ What is one supporting detail you can write about your topic?
○ We use transition words to move from one idea to another. What transition word
can you use to introduce another idea? (Tell them to look at the board as a hint)
○ How can you introduce your last detail? What transition word can you use?
● Written outline of the “Who, What, When, Where, Why” Model the student can fill in
with their own details