**Grade 4 Language Arts Lesson Plan: Writing Essays and Narratives**
**Lesson Title: Writing Essays and Narratives**
**Grade Level:** 4
**Subject:** Language Arts
**Duration:** 5 Days, 45 minutes each day
**Objective:**
Students will learn the structure and elements of essays and narratives, and apply this knowledge to write their own pieces.
**Standards:**
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
**Materials Needed:**
- Chart paper or whiteboard
- Markers
- Writing journals or notebooks
- Graphic organizers for essays and narratives
- Sample essays and narratives
- Rubrics for assessing essays and narratives
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**Day 1: Introduction to Essays and Narratives**
**Objective:**
Students will distinguish between essays and narratives, and identify their purposes and key components.
**Activities:**
1. **Anticipatory Set (10 mins):**
- Discuss with students what they already know about essays and narratives. Write their ideas on the board.
- Introduce the purpose of essays (to inform or persuade) and narratives (to tell a story).
2. **Direct Instruction (15 mins):**
- Show sample essays and narratives.
- Highlight and explain the structure of each:
- **Essays:** Introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion.
- **Narratives:** Beginning, middle, end, character, setting, plot.
3. **Guided Practice (10 mins):**
- Create a T-chart on the board to compare and contrast essays and narratives as a class.
- Have students come up with examples of topics that would fit each form.
4. **Independent Practice (10 mins):**
- Students will receive a worksheet with various statements. They must decide if each statement is more appropriate for an essay or a narrative.
5. **Closing (5 mins):**
- Review what was learned and prepare students for the next day's deeper dive into essay writing.
**Assessment:**
- Class participation and completion of the T-chart.
- Worksheet responses.
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**Day 2: Structure and Elements of an Essay**
**Objective:**
Students will understand the structure of an essay and begin planning their own.
**Activities:**
1. **Anticipatory Set (5 mins):**
- Quick review of essay structure using the samples from Day 1.
2. **Direct Instruction (15 mins):**
- Teach students how to write a strong thesis statement and supporting details.
- Explain the importance of transitions and coherence in essays.
3. **Guided Practice (10 mins):**
- Use a graphic organizer to outline an essay as a class.
- Students will choose a topic and draft a thesis statement.
4. **Independent Practice (10 mins):**
- Students will use the graphic organizer to plan their essays. They should write the main idea for each paragraph and supporting details.
5. **Closing (5 mins):**
- Brief sharing of some students' thesis statements and plans.
- Explain the homework: Write the first draft of their essay.
**Assessment:**
- Participation in class activities.
- Thesis statement and outline completeness.
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**Day 3: Drafting and Revising Essays**
**Objective:**
Students will complete the first draft of their essay and begin revising.
**Activities:**
1. **Anticipatory Set (5 mins):**
- Quick discussion on why revising is important in writing.
2. **Direct Instruction (10 mins):**
- Introduce revision techniques, such as adding details, improving word choice, and ensuring clarity.
3. **Guided Practice (10 mins):**
- Read a sample essay aloud and revise it as a class using the techniques discussed.
4. **Independent Practice (15 mins):**
- Students will revise their own first drafts based on teacher feedback and peer suggestions.
5. **Closing (5 mins):**
- Collect drafts for further teacher review.
- Explain that tomorrow we will switch to narrative writing.
**Assessment:**
- Revised essay drafts.
- Observation during revision activities.
---
**Day 4: Structure and Elements of a Narrative**
**Objective:**
Students will understand the components of a narrative and begin planning their own.
**Activities:**
1. **Anticipatory Set (5 mins):**
- Quick review of the narrative structure using samples from Day 1.
2. **Direct Instruction (15 mins):**
- Teach students about character development, setting description, and plot structure (beginning, middle, end).
3. **Guided Practice (10 mins):**
- Use a story map to outline a narrative as a class.
- Students will brainstorm ideas for their narratives.
4. **Independent Practice (10 mins):**
- Students will use a graphic organizer to plan their narratives. They should outline the key elements: characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end.
5. **Closing (5 mins):**
- Share some students' characters and settings.
- Homework: Write the first draft of their narrative.
**Assessment:**
- Participation in class activities.
- Story map and outline completeness.
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**Day 5: Drafting and Revising Narratives**
**Objective:**
Students will complete the first draft of their narrative and begin revising.
**Activities:**
1. **Anticipatory Set (5 mins):**
- Quick discussion on the importance of vivid details and logical sequences in narratives.
2. **Direct Instruction (10 mins):**
- Introduce revision techniques specific to narratives, such as adding sensory details, dialogue, and checking for plot coherence.
3. **Guided Practice (10 mins):**
- Read a sample narrative aloud and revise it as a class using the techniques discussed.
4. **Independent Practice (15 mins):**
- Students will revise their own first drafts based on teacher feedback and peer suggestions.
5. **Closing (5 mins):**
- Collect drafts for further teacher review.
- Explain that the next class will focus on finalizing their pieces and potentially sharing them with the class.
**Assessment:**
- Revised narrative drafts.
- Observation during revision activities.
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**Reflection and Extensions:**
- Consider including a peer review session to foster constructive feedback.
- Provide opportunities for students to share their final essays and narratives with the class, perhaps through a writing celebration or bulletin board display.
- Offer additional writing prompts for those who finish early or need more practice.
**Differentiation:**
- Provide sentence starters or graphic organizers for students who might need additional support.
- Offer enrichment activities for advanced students, such as incorporating complex sentence structures or exploring thematic elements.
This lesson plan aims to equip Grade 4 students with the essential skills to write structured essays and engaging narratives, fostering both their informative and creative writing abilities.