Unit Plan 22 (Grade 4 ELA): Poetry, Drama, and Prose Structures

Focus: Structural elements; connecting text and performance/visuals

Grade Level: 4

Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Literature, Speaking & Listening)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

This week, students become structure sleuths—learning how poetry, drama, and prose are built and why those choices matter. They’ll identify structural elements (poetry: lines/stanzas/refrain; drama: cast, scenes, dialogue, stage directions; prose: chapters/paragraphs/narration) and explain how those features shape meaning. Then they’ll connect text to performances or visuals—like a staged reading, a storyboard, or an illustration—to explain what new understanding the presentation adds. By Friday, each learner will accurately name structures, cite textual features, and explain connections between a passage and a performance/visual.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…

1. Describe major differences among poetry, drama, and prose, citing structural elements that signal each form.
2. Explain how structure supports meaning, mood, and pacing within a text.
3. Make connections between a written passage and a visual/oral presentation (performance, diagram, storyboard), noting what the presentation clarifies or emphasizes.
4. Engage in collaborative discussions that build on others’ ideas using evidence and accountable talk.

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 4

• RL.4.5 (explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose; refer to structural elements)
• RL.4.7 (make connections between text and visual/oral presentations; identify what adds to understanding)
• SL.4.1 (engage effectively in collaborative discussions)

Success Criteria — student language

• I can name the form (poem, drama, prose) and prove it with two structural clues.
• I can explain how a stanza, scene, or paragraph affects meaning or mood.
• I can tell what a performance/visual adds (e.g., tone, pacing, setting details) that I didn’t get from the text alone.
• I can discuss with a partner using evidence starters and turn-taking moves.