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Revising for a Specific Problem

A 40-minute Grade 4 lesson on planning, revising and editing with guidance, focusing each revision on one named problem.

Revising for a Specific Problem is a free 40-minute Grade 4 English lesson plan for Common Core standard W.4.5 — plan, revise and edit, acting on feedback from others. 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:
W.4.5

Grade 4 · Writing

W.4.5

With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

Objective

Students will be able to name one problem in a draft and revise for that problem only.

Students are successful when they can

  • Names one specific problem.
  • Revises for it throughout.
  • Leaves other problems for another pass.

What you need

  • A draft each
  • A problem list: unclear, unsupported, repetitive, out of order
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — name the problem

5 min
  1. Read a flawed paragraph. Name its single biggest problem from the list.
  2. Resist naming three.

Teach — one pass, one problem

13 min
  1. Take a draft and name its problem: unsupported claims.
  2. Go through the whole piece fixing only that.
  3. Point out three other problems noticed on the way and deliberately leave them.
  4. Say why: a pass that fixes everything fixes nothing thoroughly.
  5. Do a second pass for a second problem and show the piece improving in a different dimension.
“You will see other problems. Write them down and leave them for the next pass.”

Guided practice — one pass each

12 min
  1. Students name one problem in their draft.
  2. They do a full pass for that problem only.
  3. They list what they noticed and left.

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the revising page.
  2. A draft with a named problem is on the sheet.

Close

2 min
  1. Take one problem fixed and one deliberately left.

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Fixes whatever is noticed as it is noticed.

Why: It feels efficient and the problems are all there.

Fix: One named problem per pass. The list catches everything else for later.

Names 'it is bad' as the problem.

Why: The dissatisfaction is real but unanalysed.

Fix: Choose from the four-item list. A named problem has a method attached.

Does one pass and calls it revised.

Why: The named problem is gone.

Fix: Two passes minimum. The list from pass one is pass two's agenda.

If they are not there yet

  • Give the problem.
  • Half the draft.

If they finish early

  • Do three passes and rank the improvements.
  • Name a problem not on the list.
  • Revise somebody else's draft for their named problem.

Exit ticket

What problem did you revise for, and what did you leave?

What to look for: One named problem and a list left. Three simultaneous fixes mean the one-pass rule needs enforcing.

Printable practice for W.4.5

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Revising for a Specific Problem

How long does the Revising for a Specific Problem 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 Revising for a Specific Problem teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.5 — W.4.5, Writing for Grade 4: “With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.” In plain terms, plan, revise and edit, acting on feedback from others.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

A draft each, a problem list: unclear, unsupported, repetitive, out of order 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: fixes whatever is noticed as it is noticed; names 'it is bad' as the problem and does one pass and calls it revised. 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: “What problem did you revise for, and what did you leave?.” One named problem and a list left. Three simultaneous fixes mean the one-pass rule needs enforcing. 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 Revising for a Specific Problem?

Yes — 1 printable W.4.5 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 Revising for a Specific Problem 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 W.4.5 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.