Whitmer Cynthia READ 7140 OWA Interdisciplinary Writing Unit School and Student Characteristics and Individual Differences School System and School Your name and grade level Cynthia Whitmer 4thGrade Name of school system Brooks County Name of school Valdosta State Elementary School s Student Characteristics o Students 350 Number of boys 255 Number of girls 5 12 Age range o Ethnicity number of students 350 African American Asian American Native American 90 Hispanic 160 Caucasian Other o Reading Achievement Give percentages Based on CRCT 30 Above average or advanced skill level 65 Average or intermediate skill 5 Below average skill level o Writing Achievement Give percentages Based on GA Writing Test 30 Above average or advanced skill level 65 Average or intermediate skill 5 Below average skill level Classroom s Student Characteristics o Students 15 Number of boys 4 Number of girls 10 11 Age range o Ethnicity number of students 11 African American Asian American Native American 2 Hispanic 6 Caucasian Other 1 Whitmer Cynthia READ 7140 OWA 2 o Reading Achievement Give percentages Based on Dibels Above average or advanced skill level 95 Average or intermediate skill 5 Below average skill level o Writing Achievement Give percentages Based on GA Writing performance test Above average or advanced skill level 95 Average or intermediate skill 5 Below average skill level o Classroom Organization Check as many as apply X Homogeneous X Heterogeneous Self Contained X Team Teaching Departmentalized Parallel Block List other programs Individual Differences o Students Attending Pull Out or Supplementary Programs number of students 6 Title I Reading Gifted 1 Early Intervention Program Safety Net List other programs o Language Proficiency number of students 17 English language 2 Bilingual Other languages List other languages o Students with Individual Education Plans IEP number of students Blind or visual impairment Deaf or hearing impairment Developmental delay Emotional or behavioral disorder Learning disability 1 Mild intellectual disability Whitmer Cynthia READ 7140 OWA 3 1 Other health impairment Physical disability Speech Other Interdisciplinary Exopository Writing Unit READ 7140 Grade level K 5 Fourth Grade Content area connection Content area Science Topic and or concept Previous content area lessons Students have read and discussed the importance of animals and their habitats Students have discussed information regarding decomposers consumers and producers Students have also learned classifies an animal as a carnivore omnivore or herbivore Genre of writing Expository Stage of writing Prewriting English Language Arts GPS ELA4W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure sets a context and engages the reader maintains a coherent focus throughout and signals a satisfying closure The student a Selects a focus an organizational structure and a point of view based on purpose genre expectations audience length and format requirements ELA4W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres Critical Component The student produces a narrative that a Engages the reader by establishing a context creating a speaker s voice and otherwise developing reader interest c Creates an organizing structure Content Area GPS S4L1 Students will describe the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem a Identify the roles of producers consumers and decomposers in a community b Demonstrate the flow of energy through a food web food chain beginning with sunlight and including producers consumers and decomposers c Predict how changes in the environment would affect a community ecosystem of organisms Student Materials Whitmer Cynthia READ 7140 OWA 4 National Geographic 2007 Animals Retrieved May 18 2007 http animals nationalgeographic com animals Whitmer C 2008 Graphic organizer for expository prewriting stage Unpublished Manuscript Valdosta State University GA variety of textbooks encyclopedias computers blank graphic organizer Teacher Materials Tompkins G E 2008 The writing process Teaching writing Balancing process and product 5th ed Upper Saddle River NJ Merrill Prentice Hall Whitmer C 2008 Scoring guide for expository prewriting stage Unpublished Manuscript Valdosta State University GA Teacher Planet 2001 Animals and their habitat Retrieved May 18 2008 www teacherplanet com resource animalhabitats php Whitmer C 2008 Graphic organizer for expository prewriting stage Unpublished Manuscript Valdosta State University GA overhead projector overhead projector pens transparency of graphic organizer graphic organizer Grouping Arrangements Explanation of Instructional Grouping Options Whole group When introducing the expository form of writing I will keep the students in a large group setting This will allow for everyone to hear the same information at the same time Also this will help with time management During the practice activity students will be in a large group setting as well I will be able to scaffold students according to their learning Students zone of proximal development will differ therefore instruction will be provided as needed Once directions have been given and we have finished the practice graphic organizer students will begin work on their own to complete their graphic organizer Students with developmental cultural or linguistic needs will be grouped according to terms below Independent grouping will be used during the assessment activity Students will be working individually Therefore each student has the opportunity to configure his own ideas in creating his graphic organizer Explanation of Grouping Options Relating to Students Developmental Cultural and Linguistic Needs Developmental Needs As these two students complete their graphic organizer I will use close proximity to assure they are on task I will explain in greater detail any part of the graphic organizer that is in question During whole group instruction students with developmental needs may be placed with a higher functioning peer This will allow these students to bounce ideas off of each other and share them during practice activities Students may also need assistance finding more information on their assigned animal Whitmer Cynthia READ 7140 OWA 5 Cultural Needs Culturally related students will be grouped according to their experiences or lack there of These students may need extra prompts to complete the assignments I may also have to re teach the proofreader s marks