Krysta Stenzel ELA Fourth Grade

Fiction Summaries

Focus
This lesson and accompanying activity tier the learning for students at different levels. Students will
receive instruction targeted at building on their prior knowledge, and the activities they complete with
groups and independently will be tiered to their learning levels.

Standards

RL4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

Know Understand Able to Do

- What elements to include in a summary - We include characters, - Read and
- How to frame a summary paragraph setting, problem, and solution comprehend fiction
in summaries text
- We use complete - Summarize a fictional
sentences to summarize text at a secure or
- Summaries are concise exceeds level

Differentiation Elements

Strategy: Tiering
Students will be pretested using Ima and the Great Texas Ostrich Race. Students scoring a level 1 or
2 will be placed into my whole group instruction. Students scoring a 3 or 4 will be placed in Mrs.
Ray’s whole group instruction. As a PLC we work to own and support all students in all levels of
learning. I will serve Mrs. Ray’s level 1 and 2 students, and she will tier instruction for my level 3 and
4 students.

ELT Learning Progression

Exceeds Secure Developing Beginning

Students can summarize a fictional text Students can summarize a fictional Students can recount details from Is developing with
sequentially in a concise way including only text sequentially in a concise way a fictional text (not in order or not adult assistance
story details that support and develop the most important)
theme

Student Friendly Continuum

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

My summary follows the story’s sequence. I
have included the main character, problem,
story events that lead to the solution, and the
solution. I have included only details that show
a pattern to support and develop the theme of
the story.
My summary follows the story’s My summary may not follow the My summary
sequence. I have included the main story sequence. I may have left includes only
character, problem, story events that out important details random details.
lead to the solution, and the
solution. I have included only the
most important details.
Students in my classroom will be introduced to the quad strategy of identifying story elements through
modeling and the gradual release model. They will first practice their summaries orally off of the
quads they create from a read aloud story. They will transition to reading grade level text
independently and writing a summary off of their quads. Text will be modified for our most struggling
students to give them access to the grade level skill.

Students in Mrs. Ray’s classroom will begin with an introduction to the exceeds level of the continuum
and quality examples of work at this level. They will work with a partner to write an exceeds level
summary and then they will accomplish the work independently. They will finish their work by being
introduced to blackout poems. This method asks students to identify the theme of the text (exceeds)
and then summarize this theme by blacking out all words on a page of the text and leaving only words
and phrases that communicate the theme. The leftover words will form a summary poem for the text.

Content Process Product

The process will be
differentiated as students will
begin by summarizing a story
they listened to and then
moving into summarizing a
text they read independently.
They will be given the quad
strategy to organize their
thoughts. They will begin the
process by drawing pictures
and speaking off of the
pictures, and they will move
their skills to writing
paragraphs.
The process will be
differentiated for students at
the higher tier because the
curriculum will be compacted
for this group. They will work
for one week at the exceeds
level and then move to a
blackout poem project.
The product will be
differentiated at each
tier. Students in the
lower tier will have the
options of writing or
drawing in their quads.
They will also be able
to speak or write off of
their quads.
Students in the higher
tier will have the option
of using the quads or
not. They will be
writing to an exceeds
level. Their final
product will be a
creative blackout poem
that they build right on
the text they read.

Student Learner Elements

Readiness Interest Learning Profile

Text will be tiered to students’ reading Students will be
levels. listening and reading.
They will work
The strategies will be introduced based independently and with
on student readiness as well. Some partners. They have
students will be ready to begin writing
 paragraphs, and some will be ready to the option of drawing
draw pictures and speak their summaries. in the quads or writing.
Some students will be allowed to
summarize after hearing a story, and The students in the
others will be ready to begin writing. higher tier will be
asked to work
creatively to blackout
all words except the
phrases that describe
the main theme of the
text.

Instructional Groupings

Students will be working together as a group during the modeling and guided stages of the process.
They will work with a partner to summarize a text, and they will spend some time working
independently. Both tiers will meet in continuum groups to gather peer feedback on their summaries.

Assessment

Pre Assessment Formative Assessment Post Assessment

Students will be pretested using Ima and Students will be formatively Students will
the Great Texas Ostrich Race. Students assessed daily. I will provide summarize Oliver
scoring a level 1 or 2 will be placed into formative feedback as they Button is a Sissy.
my whole group instruction. Students work with partners and Further tiered
scoring a 3 or 4 will be placed in Mrs. independently to summarize. instruction will be
Ray’s whole group instruction. Students will also meet in provided in smaller
continuum groups once to groups.
receive peer feedback on
their work.

Teacher Resources

• Read aloud texts – The Old Woman Who Named Things, Crickwing, The Other Side

Student Resources

• Text – Ima and the Great Texas Ostrich Race, Fly Away Home, Oliver Button is a Sissy