SIOP Instructional Unit Plan

Jordan Bettis
Thematic Topic:
Holes by Louis Sachar character descriptions.
Grade/Class/Subject:
4th grade Reading
Standards:
IOWA CORE STANDARDS
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific
details in the text (e.g., a characters thoughts, words, or actions). (RL.4.3)
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text. (RL.4.1)
LESSON PREPARATION
Content Objective(s):
(Day 1)-I can categorize adjectives based on if they are a physical description or
personality description.
(Day 2)-I can refer to details in the text to make inferences about a character.
(Day 3)-I can describe a character in depth using details from the text.
Language Objective(s):
(Day 1)- I can read adjectives out loud to a partner.
(Day 2)- I can verbally ask and reply to yes or no questions about a character.
(Day 3)- I can write adjectives and evidence from the text on their four square.
Materials (including supplementary & adapted): (see SIOP materials PowerPoint)
BUILDING BACKGROUND
Activities
Links to Learning: Adjective graphic organizer (Day 1).
Links to Experience: Relate four square to gym teacher (Day1).
Key Vocabulary: Adjective, evidence, inference, physical characteristics, personal qualities.
COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT
Lesson Sequence
Clear Explanations (oral & written):
(Day 1): Begin the lesson by reviewing the previously learned material about
describing a character using personality traits rather than physical characteristics.
Remind students that it is more descriptive to describe a character as hard working
rather than just saying they have brown hair. Give students an envelope with a variety
of adjectives on slips of paper. Have students take turns choosing an adjective and
reading it to a partner. After they read the word, they should determine if it should be
glued on the physical description side or the personality trait side of their graphic
organizer.
As a whole class we are going to practice describing a person that the entire class is
familiar with, the gym teacher. I am going to demonstrate how to make a four square,

with input from the students. Make a list of about 10 words on the whiteboard taking
responses from the students to describe the gym teacher. They can refer to the graphic
organizer that they created with adjectives that describe personality traits. Narrow the
words down to the four best words that we can provide specific examples for. For
example, the gym teacher is strict because he makes us run laps if we talk when we
are not supposed to. Or the gym teacher is nice because he lets us pick what game we
play on Fridays. Follow up by talking about the importance of providing evidence to
support how we feel about the gym teacher. If we just told someone that the gym
teacher was nice they might ask us why? Giving them evidence helps to prove our
point. After we have four adjectives and four pieces of evidence from the text to
support them, then we can finish by drawing pictures to match our words.

(Day 2): Divide students into 6 small groups to play headbands with characters from
Holes. Model with another student how to play the game. Provide written instructions
(in English and Spanish) about how to play the game to each group. Before the
groups begin playing brainstorm a few yes or no questions and write them down on
the white board. The students can refer to these questions if they are having a difficult
time coming up with questions independently.
Ask students to remain in their small groups to participate in a gallery walk. Have 6
large Post-It notes placed on the walls around the room with character names from
Holes written at the top. Invite the groups to write down one adjective to describe that
character with evidence from the text (remind them that they might want to use some
of the information that they talked about while trying to guess that character during
head bands). Give each group 3-5 minutes to write details about that character and
then rotate to the next character until each group has written about each character.
When they rotate have them read what the other groups wrote so that they write a
different adjective.

(Day 3): Explain to the class that they are going to make a four square about their
favorite character from Holes. Refer to the student objective. Write the instructions on
the board. 1. Brainstorm by writing at least 10 words to describe your character. 2.
Choose the 4 best describing words. 3. Find evidence in the text to support the words
that you choose. 4. Make a four square. 5. Read your four square to a partner.

Variety of Techniques (modeling, visuals, hands-on activities, demos, gestures, body lg):
Modeling- head band rules
Visuals- adjective graphic organizer, gallery walk, four square graphic organizer
Hands-on-activities- head bands, gallery walk, sorting and gluing adjectives
Demos- PE teacher four square demo
Body language- high fives during head bands, pointing to which Post-It note to go to next
during the gallery walk

STRATEGIES
Higher-Order Questions:
(Day 1)-Why do I want you to provide examples to prove your point? For example, why
do I want you to tell me why the gym teacher is nice instead of just telling me they are
nice?
(Day 2)-Why is it important to understand the characters in the stories we read?
(Day 3)-How does understanding the characters make us better readers?
Scaffolding:
(Day 1)-Modeling (whole class gym teacher example)
(Day 2)-Guided (Gallery Walk)
(Day 3)-Independent (Four Square)
Learning Strategies:
Head Bands
Gallery Walk
Four Square
INTERACTION
Grouping: _Day 1_Whole Class _Day 2_Small Group_Day 1_Partners_Day 3_Independent
Opportunities for Interaction:
(Day 1)-Students will work with partners to take turns reading and categorizing
adjectives. Students will work with the whole class when making a four square about the
gym teacher.
(Day 2)-Students will work in small groups while playing Head Bands and participating
in the Gallery Walk.
(Day 3)-Students will work independently when creating their four squares.
Primary Language (L1) Support: Provide Spanish-English vocabulary list, provide headband
directions in Spanish.
PRACTICE/APPLICATION
Use of hands-on materials/manipulatives:
Sorting and gluing vocabulary words
Headbands and gallery walk
Activities to apply content/language knowledge:
Processes: _1,2,3,4_Reading
_1,2,3,4_Writing
_1,2,3,4_Listening
_1,2,3,4_Speaking
LESSON DELIVERY
Content & Lg Objectives shared with students:
1. Write on the whiteboard I can list ______________ that describe personality traits and
I can read _________________ adjectives out loud to a partner. See if they can guess
the word that is missing (adjectives) that we had talked about in a previous lesson.
2. Write the objectives on the whiteboard and have the objective reader read them out
loud to the class.
3. Record the lesson objectives on Voki and show the avatar on the smart board. Have the
students watch and listen to the avatar stating the objectives.
*State objective at the beginning and the end of the lesson.

Student Engagement:
(Day 1)-Students will be engaging in hands on materials and manipulatives during the
sorting and gluing vocabulary activity.
(Day 2)-Students will be engaged by peer interaction and headbands (a fun game).
(Day 3)-Students will be sharing their four square with a partner. The teacher will walk
around the classroom while the students are working to answer questions, provide
assistance, and ask questions. While working on the four squares, the teacher will provide
a brain break where students can get up and do 3-5 minutes of physical activity.
Lesson Pacing (based on student needs):
Strategies to maximize time
o Graphic organizers.
o Set a timer during the gallery walk activity to cue students when to rotate.
Sensitivity to student needs
o Provide modified four square.
o Allow ample time for students to process questions before calling on a student to
answer.
REVIEW/ASSESSMENT
Review of vocabulary & key concepts:
(Day 1)-As an Exit Slip, ask students to write down two adjectives that describe
somebodys personality.
Assessment of lesson objectives:
(Day 2)-Gallery Walk posters displayed in the room.
Feedback provided to students:
(Day 3)-Four Square rubric.

FOUR SQUARE GRADING RUBRIC

Character
traits.

Evidence
from the
text.

1
Four
square
includes 1
character
trait.
Four
square
includes 1
valid piece
of
evidence
from the
text.

2
Four
square
includes 2
character
traits.
Four
square
includes 2
valid
pieces of
evidence
from the
text.

3
Four
square
includes 3
character
traits.
Four
square
includes 3
valid
pieces of
evidence
from the
text.

TOTAL POINTS:
COMMENTS:
*Modify to 2 points per square for the modified foursquare.

4
Four
square
includes 4
character
traits.
Four
square
includes 4
valid
pieces of
evidence
from the
text.

Total

/4

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