Unit Plan 34 (Grade 4 ELA): Revising & Editing for Clarity

Focus: Grammar/usage, punctuation/capitalization, spelling conventions

Grade Level: 4

Subject Area: English Language Arts (Language, Writing)

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

I. Introduction

This week, writers become clarity engineers. Students will diagnose their own writing needs and then revise and edit for grammar/usage, punctuation/capitalization, and spelling conventions. They’ll use practical tools (ARMS for revising, CUPS for editing), fix fragments/run-ons, choose precise words, apply commas/quotes/apostrophes, and check spelling patterns with references. By Friday, each learner will produce a cleaned, polished paragraph that demonstrates clear, correct, and readable writing.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…

1. Strengthen writing by revising for clarity and meaning (add, remove, move, substitute) and by editing for conventions (W.4.5).
2. Apply grade-level grammar/usage: complete sentences; verb tenses and modals; ordering adjectives; prepositional phrases; frequently confused words; subject–verb/pronoun clarity (L.4.1).
3. Apply punctuation/capitalization/spelling: commas (series, direct address), quotation marks in dialogue/quotations, apostrophes in possessives; capitals for proper nouns/titles; spelling patterns and reference tools (L.4.2).

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 4

• L.4.1, L.4.2, W.4.5

Success Criteria — student language

• I can identify and fix fragments/run-ons so every sentence is complete.
• I can use correct punctuation (commas, quotation marks, apostrophes) and capital letters.
• I can choose the right word (its/it’s, there/their/they’re; to/too/two) and order adjectives correctly.
• I can spell grade-level words using patterns and check with a dictionary/tool.
• I can use ARMS/CUPS to produce a clearer final draft.