Whitman Elementary - Tulsa Public Schools

Grade / Instructional Focus: 4th Grade Reading / Language Arts
Groups: _X_ Regular; _X_ IEP; _X_ ELL; _X_ Econ. Disadvantaged; _X_ Race; X_ Gender
Goal: All fourth grade students will demonstrate reading/language arts proficiency at grade
level or above grade level on the Oklahoma Core Curriculum Test.
Achievement Objective / Benchmark (median scores or assessment nomenclature):
Standard Objective PASS Current %
or
assessment
nomenclature
Vocabulary
12/24%
Synonyms,
Antonyms, &
Homonyms
4 test items
@ least half
will score
__ as %
or
assessment
nomenclature
Years as
Issue
1.3 50% 75% 07-08,
08-09
Comprehension/Critical
Literacy
23/46%
Analysis &
Evaluation
6 test items
3.4 50% 67% N/A
Interventions / Strategies:
The following research-based strategies have been chosen specifically to meet the needs of
students of each gender and race as well as those who are Special Needs or economically
challenged. Female students benefit from verbal interaction, descriptive narration, and
expressing emotional connections/experiences to the information. Male students benefit from
simple, analytic explanation, kinesthetic movement, and visual images to aid in retention of
information. According to Ruby Payne, economically challenged students, need to know the
“why” and “how” of a topic, before they can learn it. With those needs in mind, the following
interventions/strategies have been chosen:
1.3
Fourth grade teachers will use visual tools as well as kinesthetic games to build an
understanding of synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms.
3.4
Fourth grade teachers will use Marzano’s Comprehension Development Strategy as well as
the Cues, Questions, and Advanced Organizers Strategy to compare and contrast two literary
selections. Step 1, have the students read the Scott Foresman selections, “Blame It on the
Wolf” by Douglas Love and the information article “What is the Supreme Court?” by Barbara
Aria. Step 2, discuss the two views of the court. Step 3, divide the students into learning
groups, and give each group two long, different-colored pieces of yarn. Step 4, ask each
group to form two overlapping circles on a flat surface. (The yarn circles should resemble a
Venn diagram and must be big enough to place several literary terms within each.) Step 5,
Walt Whitman SIPlan 0910.1 - Page 43