Text and Visual or Oral Presentation
A 40-minute Grade 4 lesson on connecting a written story or drama to a visual or oral presentation of the same text.
Text and Visual or Oral Presentation is a free 40-minute Grade 4 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RL.4.7 — match a film or performance back to the lines of the text it came from. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 4
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RL.4.7
Grade 4 · Reading: Literature
RL.4.7
Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.
Objective
Students will be able to identify where a presentation reflects the text and where it departs from it.
Students are successful when they can
- Finds a moment the presentation matches.
- Finds a moment it changes.
- Says what the change does to the meaning.
What you need
- A text extract and a filmed or audio version of it
- A three-column sheet: text says, version shows, effect
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — picture it first
5 min- Read a scene. Everybody pictures it before seeing anything.
- Note two things about your own version.
Teach — every choice is a reading
13 min- Watch or hear the version. Fill the three columns for two moments.
- Find a departure — a cut, a changed line, a different tone.
- Ask what the change does to the meaning, not whether it is faithful.
- Show a change that improves clarity and one that loses something.
- Say the point: adapting is interpreting, and every choice is an argument about the text.
“They cut that line. What did the scene lose, and what did it gain?”
Guided practice — three moments
12 min- Pairs fill the sheet for three moments.
- At least one must be a departure.
- They judge one departure as a gain or a loss and say why.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the presentation page.
- It gives a text and a described version.
Close
2 min- Take one departure and its effect.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Judges only faithfulness.
Why: Matching the book is the obvious standard.
Fix: Ask what the change does. Faithful and good are different questions.
Notices only what was cut.
Why: Absence is easier to spot than emphasis.
Fix: Look for what was added or lingered on. Emphasis is a change too.
Says the version is 'wrong'.
Why: The text came first.
Fix: Ask what reading of the text the version is arguing for. It usually has one.
If they are not there yet
- One moment rather than three.
- Give the departure.
If they finish early
- Compare two versions of one scene.
- Say how you would direct a moment and why.
- Find a departure that only a reader of the book would notice.
Exit ticket
Name one place the version departs from the text and what that does.
What to look for: An effect, not a verdict. 'It was wrong' means the what-does-it-do question needs restating.
Printable practice for RL.4.7
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- Text and PerformanceRead the text, then answer the questions.
Questions about Text and Visual or Oral Presentation
How long does the Text and Visual or Oral Presentation lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Text and Visual or Oral Presentation teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.7 — RL.4.7, Reading: Literature for Grade 4: “Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text.” In plain terms, match a film or performance back to the lines of the text it came from.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A text extract and a filmed or audio version of it, a three-column sheet: text says, version shows, effect and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: judges only faithfulness; notices only what was cut and says the version is 'wrong'. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Name one place the version departs from the text and what that does.” An effect, not a verdict. 'It was wrong' means the what-does-it-do question needs restating. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Text and Visual or Oral Presentation?
Yes — 1 printable RL.4.7 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Text and Visual or Oral Presentation free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RL.4.7 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.