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Brown County Schools
3rd and 4th Grade
Writing Curriculum
2010 – 2011
Brown County Schools
Reading and Writing Curriculum Calendars Third and Fourth Grade 2010 – 2011
Month Writing Workshop Reading Workshop August/September Launching Writing Workshop Launching Reading Workshop
September
Personal Narrative
Edge of the Seat (personal
narrative with strong emotion, tension)
Memoir
Punctuation Study (last 2 weeks)
Remembering All We Know
About Tricky Word and
Comprehension Strategies
October
Character Study
October/November
Personal Essay
November/December Literary Essay
Reading about Social Issues:
Talking and Writing About Texts (with partners or book clubs)
January/February Prompt Writing (review of strategies)
Reading and Responding on a
Test
March/April Informational Non-Fiction All-About Books
Feature articles
Travel brochures
Editorials
Non-Fiction Reading Skills and
Strategies
May
Fiction Choice:
Action Adventure
Mystery
Fairy Tale
Realistic Fiction
Fiction Book Club Choice:
Action Adventure Book
Clubs
Mystery Book Clubs
Fairy Tale Book Clubs
Realistic Fiction Book
Clubs
*Teachers may choose how to teach skills and strategies for Letter Writing and Poetry throughout the year.
Alignment with Indiana Academic Standards:
Standards and indicators addressed during each unit will differ depending on mini-lessons and
content taught. The standards listed below are all of Indiana‘s Academic Standards for Language
Arts. Teachers may consider printing out these standards and at the start of each new unit
highlighting standards taught throughout the unit. Reading and Writing standards are included as
students will be reading AND writing during all workshop work as they write about what they‘ve
read during Reader‘s Workshop, and read drafts/published writing during Writer‘s Workshop. For
both third and fourth grade, Standard 7 regarding Listening and Speaking strategies will most
likely be taught using conversation strategies during partner work and book clubs, book talks, and
could also be demonstrated/taught during publishing celebrations/presentations of work.
Third Grade Standards Reading Standard 1: Word Recognition, Fluency, and Vocabulary Development
Students understand the basic features of words. They select letter patterns and know how to translate them into spoken language using phonics (an understanding of the different letters that make different sounds), syllables, word parts (un-, -ful), and context (the meaning of the text around a word). They apply this knowledge to achieve fluent (smooth and clear) oral and silent reading.
Decoding and Word Recognition
3.1.1 Know and use more difficult word families (-ight) when reading unfamiliar words.
3.1.2 Read words with several syllables.
3.1.3 Read aloud grade-level-appropriate literary and informational texts fluently and
accurately and with appropriate timing, change in voice, and expression.
Vocabulary and Concept Development
3.1.4 Determine the meanings of words using knowledge of synonyms (words with the same
meaning), antonyms (words with opposite meanings), homophones (words that sound the
same but have different meanings and spellings), and homographs (words that are spelled
the same but have different meanings).
Example: Understand that words, such as fair and fare, are said the same way but have
different meanings. Know the difference between two meanings of the word lead when
used in sentences, such as ―The pencil has lead in it‖ and ―I will lead the way.‖
3.1.5 Demonstrate knowledge of grade-level-appropriate words to speak specifically about
different issues.
3.1.6 Use sentence and word context to find the meaning of unknown words.
3.1.7 Use a dictionary to learn the meaning and pronunciation of unknown words.
3.1.8 Use knowledge of prefixes (word parts added at the beginning of words such as un-, pre-
) and suffixes (word parts added at the end of words such as -er, -ful, -less) to
determine the meaning of words.
3.1.9 Identify more difficult multiple-meaning words (such as puzzle or fire).
Reading Standard 2: Comprehension and Analysis of Nonfiction and Informational Text
Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. The selections in the Indiana Reading List (www.doe.state.in.us/standards/readinglist.html) illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. At Grade 3, in addition to regular classroom reading, students read a variety of nonfiction, such as biographies, books in many subject areas, children‘s magazines and periodicals, and reference and technical materials.
Structural Features of Informational and Technical Materials
3.2.1 Use titles, tables of contents, chapter headings, a glossary, or an index to locate
information in text.
3.2.9 Identify text that uses sequence or other logical order (alphabetical, time, categorical).
Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Nonfiction and Informational Text
3.2.2 Ask questions and support answers by connecting prior knowledge with literal information
from the text.
Example: When reading informational materials about science topics or social science
subjects, compare what is read to background knowledge about the subject.
3.2.3 Show understanding by identifying answers in the text.
Example: After generating a question about information in a text, skim and scan the
remaining text to find the answer to the question.
3.2.4 Recall major points in the text and make and revise predictions about what is read.
Example: Listen and view Steve Jenkins‘ book Actual Size; discuss his examples
representing the physical dimensions of various animals and their habitats. Also discuss
the artistic methods Jenkins used to represent the animals.
3.2.5 Distinguish the main idea and supporting details in expository (informational) text.
Example: Read an informational text, such as Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helen‘s by Patricia Lauber, and make a chart listing the main ideas from the text and
the details that support them.
3.2.6 Locate appropriate and significant information from the text, including problems and
solutions.
Example: Identify the problem faced by a character in a book, such as A Gift for Tia Rosa by Karen T. Taha, and explain how the character solved his or her problem. Identify
how problems can form the motivations for new discoveries or inventions by reading
informational texts about famous inventors, scientists, or explorers, such as Thomas
Edison or Jonas Salk.
3.2.7 Follow simple multiple-step written instructions.
3.2.8 Distinguish between cause and effect and between fact and opinion in informational text.
Reading Standard 3: Comprehension and Analysis of Literary Text
Structural Features of Literature
3.3.1 Recognize different common genres (types) of literature, such as poetry, drama, fiction,
and nonfiction.
Example: Look at the same topic, such as cranes, and see how it is shown differently in
various forms of literature, such as the poem ―On the Run‖ by Douglas Florian, the play
The Crane Wife by Sumiko Yagawa, Anne Laurin‘s fictional book Perfect Crane, and the
nonfiction counting book Counting Cranes by Mary Beth Owens.
Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Literary Text
3.3.2 Comprehend basic plots of classic fairy tales, myths, folktales, legends, and fables from
around the world.
Example: Read and discuss the plots of the folktales from around the world that explain
why animals are the way they are, such as Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People‘s Ears retold
by Verna Aardema or How the Leopard Got Its Spots by Justine and Ron Fontes. Plot
each story onto a story map.
3.3.3 Determine what characters are like by what they say or do and by how the author or
illustrator portrays them.
Example: Discuss and write about the comical aspects of the motorcycle-riding mouse,
Ralph S. Mouse, the main character in Beverly Cleary‘s book by the same name.
3.3.4 Determine the theme or author‘s message in fiction and nonfiction text.
Example: Look at the admirable qualities in Abraham Lincoln as shown in both the
fictional story More Than Halfway There, by Janet Halliday Ervin, and the nonfiction
biography Abe Lincoln‘s Hat, by Martha Brenner.
3.3.5 Recognize that certain words and rhythmic patterns can be used in a selection to imitate
sounds.
Example: Discuss the different words that are used to imitate sounds. To explore these
words further, read a book on the topic, such as Cock-a-doodle doo!: What Does It Sound Like to You? by Marc Robinson, in which the author discusses the words that
various languages use for such sounds as a dog‘s bark, a train‘s whistle, and water
dripping.
3.3.6 Identify the speaker or narrator in a selection.
Example: Read a book, such as Class Clown by Johanna Hurwitz or Dinner at Aunt Connie‘s House by Faith Ringgold, and identify who is telling the story. Share examples from the
story for how the reader can tell that it is told by that character.
3.3.7 Compare and contrast versions of the same stories from different cultures.
3.3.8 Identify the problem and solutions in a story.
Writing Standard 4: Processes and Features
Students find and discuss ideas for writing and keep a list of writing ideas. Students write clear sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Students progress through the stages of the writing process, including prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing multiple drafts.
Organization and Focus
3.4.1 Find ideas for writing stories and descriptions in conversations with others; in books,
magazines, or school textbooks; or on the Internet.
3.4.2 Discuss ideas for writing, use diagrams and charts to develop ideas, and make a list or
notebook of ideas.
3.4.3 Create single paragraphs with topic sentences and simple supporting facts and details.
3.4.9 Organize related ideas together within a paragraph to maintain a consistent focus.
Research Process and Technology
3.4.4 Use various reference materials (such as a dictionary, thesaurus, atlas, encyclopedia, and
online resources).
3.4.5 Use a computer to draft, revise, and publish writing.
Evaluation and Revision
3.4.6 Review, evaluate, and revise writing for meaning and clarity.
3.4.7 Proofread one‘s own writing, as well as that of others, using an editing checklist or list of
rules.
3.4.8 Revise writing for others to read, improving the focus and progression of ideas.
Writing Standard 5: Applications (Different Types of Writing and Their Characteristics)
At Grade 3, students continue to write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects, events, and experiences. Students write both informal and formal letters. Student writing demonstrates a command of Standard English and the drafting, research, and organizational strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features. Writing demonstrates an awareness of the audience (intended reader) and purpose for writing.
In addition to producing the different writing forms introduced in earlier grades, Grade 3 students use the writing strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features to:
3.5.1 Write narratives that:
provide a context within which an action takes place.
include details to develop the plot.
Example: Write a story based on an article in a magazine, such as Cricket or Stone Soup, about
what life was like 100 years ago.
3.5.2 Write descriptive pieces about people, places, things, or experiences that:
develop a unified main idea.
use details to support the main idea.
Example: Write a description for how to make a model boat. Include clear enough directions so
that a classmate can make the model. Write a description of a favorite place using clear
details so that the reader can picture the place and understand why it is a favorite
place.
3.5.3 Write personal, persuasive, and formal letters, thank-you notes, and invitations that:
show awareness of the knowledge and interests of the audience.
establish a purpose and context.
include the date, proper salutation, body, closing, and signature.
Example: Write a letter to a pen pal in another country describing your family, school, and town
and asking the pen pal questions about himself or herself. Write an invitation asking an
adult to come to speak in the classroom. Write a persuasive letter to your family asking
for your favorite foods on your birthday.
3.5.4 Use varied word choices to make writing interesting.
Example: Write stories using varied words, such as cried, yelled, or whispered instead of
said.
3.5.5 Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person.
Example: Write an article about the library at your school. Include a list of ways that
students use the library.
3.5.6 Write persuasive pieces that ask for an action or response.
Example: Write a persuasive letter to your family asking for your favorite foods on a
special occasion, such as your birthday or a holiday.
3.5.7 Write responses to literature that:
demonstrate an understanding of what is read.
support statements with evidence from the text.
Example: Write a description of a favorite character in a book. Include examples from
the book to show why this character is such a favorite.
Research Application
3.5.8 Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research
process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings)
and that:
uses a variety of sources (books, technology, pictures, charts, tables of contents,
diagrams) and documents sources (titles and authors).
organizes information by categorizing it into more than one category (such as living
and nonliving, hot and cold) or includes information gained through observation.
Example: After making observations and completing research at the library, write a
report that describes things found in nature and things that are found outside of nature.
Writing Standard 6: English Language Conventions
Students write using Standard English conventions appropriate to this grade level.
Handwriting
3.6.1 Write legibly in cursive, leaving space between letters in a word, words in a sentence, and
words and the edges of the paper.
Sentence Structure
3.6.2 Write correctly complete sentences of statement, command, question, or exclamation,
with final punctuation.
Declarative: This tastes very good.
Imperative: Please take your seats.
Interrogative: Are we there yet?
Exclamatory: It‘s a home run!
Grammar
3.6.3 Identify and use subjects and verbs that are in agreement (we are instead of we is).
3.6.4 Identify and use past (he danced), present (he dances), and future (he will dance) verb
tenses properly in writing.
3.6.5 Identify and correctly use pronouns (it, him, her), adjectives (brown eyes, two younger sisters), compound nouns (summertime, snowflakes), and articles (a, an, the) in writing.
Punctuation
3.6.6 Use commas in dates (August 15, 2001), locations (Fort Wayne, Indiana), and addresses
(431 Coral Way, Miami, FL), and for items in a series (football, basketball, soccer, and
tennis).
Capitalization
3.6.7 Capitalize correctly geographical names, holidays, historical periods, and special events
(We always celebrate the Fourth of July by gathering at Mounds State Park in Anderson, Indiana.)
Spelling
3.6.8 Spell correctly one-syllable words that have blends (walk, play, blend), contractions
(isn‘t, can‘t), compounds, common spelling patterns (qu-; changing win to winning; changing
the ending of a word from -y to -ies to make a plural, such as cherry/cherries), and
common homophones (words that sound the same but have different spellings, such as
hair/hare).
3.6.9 Arrange words in alphabetical order.
Example: Given a list of words, such as apple, grapefruit, cherry, banana, pineapple, and
peach, put them into correct alphabetical order: apple, banana, cherry, grapefruit, peach,
and pineapple.
Listening and Speaking Standard 7: Skills, Strategies, and Applications
Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communication. They speak in a manner that guides the listener to understand important ideas by using proper phrasing, pitch, and modulation (raising and lowering voice). Students deliver brief oral presentations about familiar experiences or interests that are organized around a coherent thesis statement (a statement of topic). Students use the same Standard English conventions for oral speech that they use in their writing.
Comprehension
3.7.1 Retell, paraphrase, and explain what a speaker has said.
3.7.2 Connect and relate experiences and ideas to those of a speaker.
3.7.3 Answer questions completely and appropriately.
3.7.4 Identify the musical elements of literary language, such as rhymes, repeated sounds, and
instances of onomatopoeia (naming something by using a sound associated with it, such as
hiss or buzz).
3.7.15 Follow three- and four-step oral directions.
Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication
3.7.5 Organize ideas chronologically (in the order that they happened) or around major points
of information.
3.7.6 Provide a beginning, a middle, and an end to oral presentations, including details that
develop a central idea.
3.7.7 Use clear and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas and establish the tone.
3.7.8 Clarify and enhance oral presentations through the use of appropriate props, including
objects, pictures, and charts.
3.7.9 Read prose and poetry aloud with fluency, rhythm, and timing, using appropriate changes
in the tone of voice to emphasize important passages of the text being read.
Analysis and Evaluation of Oral and Media Communications
3.7.10 Compare ideas and points of view expressed in broadcast and print media or on the
Internet.
3.7.11 Distinguish between the speaker‘s opinions and verifiable facts.
3.7.16 Evaluate different evidence (facts, statistics, quotes, testimonials) used to support
claims.
Speaking Applications
3.7.12 Make brief narrative presentations that:
provide a context for an event that is the subject of the presentation.
provide insight into why the selected event should be of interest to the audience.
include well-chosen details to develop characters, setting, and plot that has a
beginning, middle, and end.
3.7.13 Plan and present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays.
3.7.14 Make descriptive presentations that use concrete sensory details to set forth and
support unified impressions of people, places, things, or experiences.
Fourth Grade Standards
Reading Standard 1: Word Recognition, Fluency, and Vocabulary Development
Students understand the basic features of words. They see letter patterns and know how to translate them into spoken language by using phonics (an understanding of the different letters that make different sounds), syllables, word parts (un-, re-, -est, -ful), and context (the meaning of the text around a word). They apply this knowledge to achieve fluent (smooth and clear) oral and silent reading.
Decoding and Word Recognition
4.1.1 Read aloud grade-level-appropriate literary and informational texts with fluency and
accuracy and with appropriate timing, changes in voice, and expression.
Vocabulary and Concept Development
4.1.2 Apply knowledge of synonyms (words with the same meaning), antonyms (words with
opposite meanings), homographs (words that are spelled the same but have different
meanings), and idioms (expressions that cannot be understood just by knowing the
meanings of the words in the expression, such as couch potato) to determine the meaning
of words and phrases.
4.1.3 Use knowledge of root words (nation, national, nationality) to determine the meaning of
unknown words within a passage.
4.1.4 Use common roots (meter = measure) and word parts (therm = heat) derived from Greek
and Latin to analyze the meaning of complex words (thermometer).
4.1.5 Use a thesaurus to find related words and ideas.
4.1.6 Distinguish and interpret words with multiple meanings (quarters) by using context clues
(the meaning of the text around a word).
4.1.7 Use context to determine the meaning of unknown words.
Reading Standard 2: Comprehension and Analysis of Nonfiction and Informational Text
Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. The selections in the Indiana Reading List (www.doe.state.in.us/standards/readinglist.html) illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. At Grade 4, in addition to regular classroom reading, students read a variety of nonfiction, such as biographies, books in many different subject areas, magazines and periodicals, reference and technical materials, and online information.
Structural Features of Informational and Technical Materials
4.2.1 Use the organization of informational text to strengthen comprehension.
Example: Read informational texts that are organized by comparing and contrasting
ideas, by discussing causes for and effects of events, or by sequential order and use this
organization to understand what is read. Use graphic organizers, such as webs, flow
charts, concept maps, or Venn diagrams to show the organization of the text.
4.2.8 Identify informational texts written in narrative form (sometimes with undeveloped
characters and minimal dialogue) using sequence or chronology.
Example: Read informational texts, such as a science experiment or a short historical
account, and identify the type of organization used to understand what is read
Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Nonfiction and Informational Text
4.2.2 Use appropriate strategies when reading for different purposes.
Example: Read and take notes on an informational text that will be used for a report.
Skim a text to locate specific information. Use graphic organizers to show the
relationship of ideas in the text.
4.2.3 Draw conclusions or make and confirm predictions about text by using prior knowledge
and ideas presented in the text itself, including illustrations, titles, topic sentences,
important words, foreshadowing clues (clues that indicate what might happen next), and
direct quotations.
Example: After reading an informational text, such as Camouflage: A Closer Look by
Joyce Powzyk, use information gained from the text to predict what an animal might do
to camouflage itself in different landscapes.
4.2.4 Evaluate new information and hypotheses (statements of theories or assumptions) by
testing them against known information and ideas.
Example: Compare what is already known and thought about ocean life to new information
encountered in reading, such as in the book Amazing Sea Creatures by Andrew Brown.
4.2.9 Recognize main ideas and supporting details presented in expository (informational
texts).
4.2.5 Compare and contrast information on the same topic after reading several passages or
articles.
Example: Read several informational texts about guide dogs, such as A Guide Dog Puppy Grows Up by Carolyn Arnold, Buddy: The First Seeing Eye Dog by Eva Moore, and Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield, and compare and contrast the information presented in
each.
4.2.6 Distinguish between cause and effect and between fact and opinion in informational text.
Example: In reading an article about how snowshoe rabbits change color, distinguish
facts (such as Snowshoe rabbits change color from brown to white in the winter) from
opinions (such as Snowshoe rabbits are very pretty animals because they can change colors).
4.2.7 Follow multiple-step instructions in a basic technical manual.
Example: Follow directions to learn how to use computer commands or play a video game.
Reading Standard 3: Comprehension and Analysis of Literary Text
Students read and respond to a wide variety of significant works of children‘s literature. The selections in the Indiana Reading List (www.doe.state.in.us/standards/readinglist.html) illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. At Grade 4, students read a wide variety of fiction, such as classic and contemporary literature, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology, poetry, songs, plays, and other genres.
Structural Features of Literature
4.3.1 Describe the differences of various imaginative forms of literature, including fantasies,
fables, myths, legends, and other tales.
Example: After reading some of the Greek or Norse myths found in such books as Book of Greek Myths or Book of Norse Myths, both by Ingri and Edgar D‘Aulaire, discuss how
myths were sometimes used to explain physical phenomena like movement of the sun
across the sky or the sound of thunder.
Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Literary Text
4.3.2 Identify the main events of the plot, including their causes and the effects of each
event on future actions, and the major theme from the story action.
Example: Discuss the causes and effects of the main event of the plot in each story
within Rudyard Kipling‘s collection of animal tales, The Jungle Book.
4.3.3 Use knowledge of the situation, setting, and a character‘s traits, motivations, and
feelings to determine the causes for that character‘s actions.
Example: After reading The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare, tell how the
Native American character‘s actions are influenced by his being in a setting with which
he is very familiar and feels comfortable, as opposed to the reactions of another
character, Matt.
4.3.4 Compare and contrast tales from different cultures by tracing the adventures of one
character type. Tell why there are similar tales in different cultures.
Example: Read a book of trickster tales from other countries, such as The Barefoot Book of Trickster Tales retold by Richard Walker. Describe the similarities in these
tales in which a main character, often an animal, outwits other animals, humans, or forces
in nature. Then, tell how these tales are different from each other.
4.3.5 Define figurative language, such as similes, metaphors, hyperbole, or personification, and
identify its use in literary works.
Simile: a comparison that uses like or as
Metaphor: an implied comparison
Hyperbole: an exaggeration for effect
Personification: a description that represents a thing as a person
Example: Identify a simile, such as Twinkle, twinkle little star... like a diamond in the sky. Identify
a metaphor, such as You were the wind beneath my wings. Identify an example of
hyperbole, such as Cleaner than clean, whiter than white. Identify an example of
personification, such as The North Wind told the girl that he would blow so hard it would be impossible to walk up the steep hill.
4.3.6 Determine the theme.
Example: Identify the theme in the classic novel, Hans Brinker or The Silver Skates by
Mary Mapes Dodge.
4.3.7 Identify the narrator in a selection and tell whether the narrator or speaker is involved
in the story.
Writing Standard 4: Processes and Features
Students write clear sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Students progress through the stages of the writing process, including prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing multiple drafts.
Organization and Focus
4.4.1 Discuss ideas for writing. Find ideas for writing in conversations with others and in
books, magazines, newspapers, school textbooks, or on the Internet. Keep a list or
notebook of ideas.
4.4.2 Select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view based upon purpose,
audience, length, and format requirements for a piece of writing.
4.4.3 Write informational pieces with multiple paragraphs that:
provide an introductory paragraph.
establish and support a central idea with a topic sentence at or near the beginning of
the first paragraph.
include supporting paragraphs with simple facts, details, and explanations.
present important ideas or events in sequence or in chronological order.
provide details and transitions to link paragraphs.
conclude with a paragraph that summarizes the points.
use correct indention at the beginning of paragraphs.
4.4.4 Use logical organizational structures for providing information in writing, such as
chronological order, cause and effect, similarity and difference, and posing and
answering a question.
Research Process and Technology
4.4.5 Quote or paraphrase information sources, citing them appropriately.
4.4.6 Locate information in reference texts by using organizational features, such as prefaces
and appendixes.
4.4.7 Use multiple reference materials and online information (the Internet) as aids to writing.
4.4.8 Understand the organization of almanacs, newspapers, and periodicals and how to use
those print materials.
4.4.9 Use a computer to draft, revise, and publish writing, demonstrating basic keyboarding
skills and familiarity with common computer terminology.
Evaluation and Revision
4.4.10 Review, evaluate, and revise writing for meaning and clarity.
4.4.11 Proofread one‘s own writing, as well as that of others, using an editing checklist or set of
rules, with specific examples of corrections of frequent errors.
4.4.12 Revise writing by combining and moving sentences and paragraphs to improve the focus
and progression of ideas.
Writing Standard 5: Applications (Different Types of Writing and Their Characteristics)
At Grade 4, students are introduced to writing informational reports and responses to literature. Students continue to write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects, events, and experiences. Student writing demonstrates a command of Standard English and the drafting, research, and organizational strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features. Writing demonstrates an awareness of the audience (intended reader) and purpose for writing.
In addition to producing the different writing forms introduced in earlier grades, such as letters, Grade 4 students use the writing strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features to:
4.5.1 Write narratives that:
include ideas, observations, or memories of an event or experience.
provide a context to allow the reader to imagine the world of the event or
experience.
use concrete sensory details.
Example: Prepare a narrative on how and why immigrants come to the United States. To make the
story more realistic, use information from an older person who may remember firsthand
the experience of coming to America.
4.5.2 Write responses to literature that:
demonstrate an understanding of a literary work.
support statements with evidence from the text.
Example: Write a description of a favorite character in a book. Include examples from the book to
show why this character is such a favorite.
4.5.4 Write summaries that contain the main ideas of the reading selection and the most
significant details.
Example: Write a book review, including enough examples and details about the plot,
character, and setting of the book to describe it to a reader who is unfamiliar with it.
4.5.5 Use varied word choices to make writing interesting.
Example: Write stories using descriptive words in place of common words; for instance,
use enormous, gigantic, or giant for the word big.
4.5.6 Write for different purposes (information, persuasion, description) and to a specific
audience or person.
Example: Write a persuasive report for your class about your hobby or interest. Use
charts or pictures, when appropriate, to help motivate your audience to take up your
hobby or interest.
Research Application
4.5.3 Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research
process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings)
and that:
includes information from a variety of sources (books, technology, multimedia) and
documents sources (titles and authors).
demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized.
organizes information by categorizing it into multiple categories (such as solid, liquid,
and gas or reduce, reuse, and recycle) or includes information gained through
observation.
Example: After talking to local officials and conducting library or Internet research,
write a report about the history of the different people and immigrant groups who
settled in Indiana. Include information about where these groups came from, where they
first lived in the state, and what work they did.
Writing Standard 6: English Language Conventions
Students write using Standard English conventions appropriate to this grade level.
Handwriting
4.6.1 Write smoothly and legibly in cursive, forming letters and words that can be read by
others.
Sentence Structure
4.6.2 Use simple sentences (Dr. Vincent Stone is my dentist.) and compound sentences (His
assistant cleans my teeth, and Dr. Stone checks for cavities.) in writing.
4.6.3 Create interesting sentences by using words that describe, explain, or provide additional
details and connections, such as verbs, adjectives, adverbs, appositives, participial
phrases, prepositional phrases, and conjunctions.
Verbs: We strolled by the river.
Adjectives: brown eyes, younger sisters
Adverbs: We walked slowly.
Appositives: noun phrases that function as adjectives, such as We played the Cougars, the team from Newport.
Participial phrases: verb phrases that function as adjectives, such as The man walking down the street saw the delivery truck.
Prepositional phrases: in the field, across the room, over the fence
Conjunctions: and, or, but
Grammar
4.6.4 Identify and use in writing regular (live/lived, shout/shouted) and irregular verbs
(swim/swam, ride/rode, hit/hit), adverbs (constantly, quickly), and prepositions (through,
beyond, between).
Punctuation
4.6.5 Use parentheses to explain something that is not considered of primary importance to
the sentence, commas in direct quotations (He said, ―I‘d be happy to go.‖), apostrophes
to show possession (Jim‘s shoes, the dog‘s food), and apostrophes in contractions (can‘t,
didn‘t, won‘t).
4.6.6 Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to identify titles of documents.
When writing by hand or by computer, use quotation marks to identify the titles of
articles, short stories, poems, or chapters of books.
When writing on a computer italicize the following, when writing by hand underline
them: the titles of books, names of newspapers and magazines, works of art, and
musical compositions.
Capitalization
4.6.7 Capitalize names of magazines, newspapers, works of art, musical compositions,
organizations, and the first word in quotations, when appropriate.
Spelling
4.6.8 Spell correctly roots (bases of words, such as unnecessary, cowardly), inflections (words
like care/careful/caring), words with more than one acceptable spelling (like
advisor/adviser), suffixes and prefixes (-ly, -ness, mis-, un-), and syllables (word parts
each containing a vowel sound, such as sur•prise or e•col•o•gy).
Listening and Speaking Standard 7: Skills, Strategies, and Applications
Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communication. They speak in a manner that guides the listener to understand important ideas by using proper phrasing, pitch, and modulation (raising and lowering voice). Students deliver brief oral presentations about familiar experiences or interests that are organized around a coherent thesis statement (a statement of topic). Students use the same Standard English conventions for oral speech that they use in their writing.
Comprehension
4.7.1 Ask thoughtful questions and respond orally to relevant questions with appropriate
elaboration.
4.7.2 Summarize major ideas and supporting evidence presented in spoken presentations.
4.7.3 Identify how language usage (sayings and expressions) reflects regions and cultures.
4.7.4 Give precise directions and instructions.
4.7.15 Connect and relate experiences and ideas to those of a speaker.
Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication
4.7.5 Present effective introductions and conclusions that guide and inform the listener‘s
understanding of important ideas and details.
4.7.6 Use logical structures for conveying information, including cause and effect, similarity
and difference, and posing and answering a question.
4.7.7 Emphasize points in ways that help the listener or viewer follow important ideas and
concepts.
4.7.8 Use details, examples, anecdotes (stories of a specific event), or experiences to explain
or clarify information.
4.7.9 Engage the audience with appropriate words, facial expressions, and gestures.
Analysis and Evaluation of Oral and Media Communications
4.7.10 Evaluate the role of the media in focusing people‘s attention on events and in forming
their opinions on issues.
4.7.16 Distinguish between the speaker‘s opinions and verifiable facts.
Speaking Applications
4.7.11 Make narrative presentations that:
relate ideas, observations, or memories about an event or experience.
provide a context that allows the listener to imagine the circumstances of the event
or experience.
provide insight into why the selected event or experience should be of interest to the
audience.
4.7.17 Make descriptive presentations that use concrete sensory details to set forth and
support unified impressions of people, places, things, or experiences.
4.7.12 Make informational presentations that:
focus on one main topic.
include facts and details that help listeners focus.
incorporate more than one source of information (including speakers, books,
newspapers, television broadcasts, radio reports, or Web sites).
4.7.13 Deliver oral summaries of articles and books that contain the main ideas of the event or
article and the most significant details.
August/September Launching Writing Workshop
Establishing Routines, Writer’s Notebooks,Essential Skills
Goals for Launching Writing Workshop
1. Students will learn the rituals and routines of Writing Workshop.
2. Students will engage in lots of talk about the stories of their lives.
3. Students will listen to authors‘ stories and read alouds and make connections for their own
writing.
4. Students will learn about authors‘ habits and ―what writers do‖ as a basis for developing
their own habits as writers.
5. Students will begin to develop or continue to grow a love for writing.
6. Students will feel like a writer.
Expectations for Writing Workshop
Writers have a place where they collect their thoughts, feelings, and ideas (typically inside
of a notebook).
Writers are inspired by the lives they lead, always looking for writing ideas from their own
personal experiences.
Writers use tools and supplies appropriately.
Writers have a role during a mini-lesson, conference, and independent writing time.
Writers know how to sit in the meeting area.
Writers write for long periods of time.
Writers move through the writing process (Collecting, Choosing, Nurturing/Developing,
Drafting, Revising, Editing, Publishing, Celebrating).
Writers tell their stories to other writers and effectively work with partners.
Writers revise, edit, and publish their work.
Preparing for Writing Workshop
Is there a meeting area in my classroom where I will teach each day‘s mini-lesson from and
where I will gather the students at the end of the Workshop for the teaching share?
Is the meeting area large enough so that all my students can fit on the floor and be close to
where I am sitting?
Can I use the overhead projector in this area? (often the teacher will use overheads during
the teaching part of the mini-lesson – it‘s good to have your meeting area in a place where
you can use the overhead projector)
Do I have all the supplies for teaching a mini-lesson in the meeting area (chart paper, easel,
chart markers, tape, scissors, Post-it notes, blank overhead transparencies, transparency
markers, some books that support the Unit of Study you are in, and anything else you find
necessary)?
Will students take their Writer‘s Notebook home each day or will they be left at school in a
special place? (Sometimes, if students keep their Notebooks in their desks, they get torn
up and/or lost. It often helps to have a tub in the room in which Notebooks can be kept.)
Where will my students keep their ongoing drafts? (students often have a writing folder
that is kept in a tub somewhere in the room that contains ongoing work outside of the
Writer‘s Notebook)
Will I have wall space in my room designated for an organizer that has kids show where they
are in the writing process? (It has been helpful for teachers to list out the steps in the
writing process where kids can move a clip to the step they are in at a certain time.)
How will I keep/organize my conferring notes?
What are some things I will do to foster independence? (students sharpen pencils without
asking or keep a tub of sharpened pencils in the room / have a writing center where
students can access paper choices, highlighters, scissors, Scotch tape, correction tape,
colored pencils, pens, pencils, dictionaries, thesauruses, check-lists, etc. / have a system for
signing out for the bathroom
Where in my room will I keep charts up that need to stay up all year? (charts like – ―Where
Writers Get Ideas‖ ―How to Collect in you Writer‘s Notebook‖ ―Nurturing Strategies‖
―Revision Strategies‖ & ―Editing Strategies‖ might be left up all year to encourage
independence – Charts specific to a Unit of Study usually will come down after the Unit of
Study is over, but these other, more general charts might stay up all year)
Will I periodically assess each student‘s Writer‘s Notebook? (some teachers create rubrics
that assess the Notebook and they share these with students in the beginning of the year)
What are my expectations for the Writer‘s Notebook?
What can I write before school starts that will show my students that I am a writer too
(notebook entries, short stories, poetry)?
Will I have a catchy phrase or any other way to signal to the kids that it‘s time to gather in
the meeting area for the mini-lesson? (some classrooms have a bell the teacher rings to let
the students know it‘s time for WW – I was in one classroom where the teacher had a wind
chime in the middle of the room that she touched, and the kids would just drop everything
and go to the meeting area – this definitely isn‘t necessary, but it deserves some thought)
What the Physical Room Looks Like – A CHECKLIST:
1. Is there a meeting area where my students can gather for mini-lessons and shares?
_______ Yes _______ No
2. Is there a well organized, well stocked writing center with writing tools ready and available
at the onset of every writing workshop?
_______ Yes _______ No
3. Are the writing folders in a place where students are able to reach them and include spaces
for finished and unfinished writing?
_______ Yes _______ No
4. Are there examples of different genres hanging around the room in places that are clear
and easy to see (a poem, a song, a recipe, a list, different cards, letters, a non-fiction
article, etc.)?
_______ Yes _______ No
5. Are there words that students can copy in meaningful ways (color words, number words,
classmate names, your name, word wall with high frequency words, etc.)?
_______ Yes _______ No
6. Are there places to display examples of student‘s published and unpublished work, or works
in progress?
_______ Yes _______ No
7. Are there places for examples of your modeled writing, your works in progress?
_______ Yes _______ No
8. Is there an editing checklist the students can refer to all year long?
_______ Yes _______ No
9. Is there a large calendar with writing celebration dates/publication deadlines clearly
written in?
_______ Yes _______ No
10. Is there a library with books students can read and refer to for writing, including a place to
put books that are the genre you are currently studying?
_______ Yes _______ No
Teresa Caccavale & Isoke Nia
Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
The first unit of study should focus on helping students understand the structures of writing workshop,
the basic principles of writing process, and revision strategies that you feel they could use, based
upon your early assessments. Many teachers start with personal narrative because they find that
writing form experience is easiest for students. –Janet Angelillo
Overview of Unit
First, introduce Writer‘s Notebooks by sharing your Notebook with students. Create a chart with
the students of ways to Collect in the Notebooks (lists, webs, artifacts, photographs, sketches,
etc.) and a chart of what to Collect in the Notebooks (memories you don‘t want to forget, special
words/phrases, story ideas, fierce wonderings, etc.). Keep adding to these charts as the students
discover new ways to Collect and new ideas for Collecting.
Have kids Collecting in their Notebooks for several days, building stamina as writers and
developing a sense of ―I am a writer.‖
Teach the steps in the writing process and the procedures of writing workshop. Assign students
the task of writing a personal narrative so that they have an authentic assignment. Teach revision
strategies within the context of writing those narratives, choosing strategies that are simple so
that students can be successful right from the start.
Writing Notebooks
Start by giving students time to personalize their notebooks. This is really important. Some
teachers have a launching party where they give the notebooks to the students and give
them time to personalize with wallpaper, stickers, construction paper, markers, etc.
As students start collecting inside their notebook, teach them to date each entry.
It may be good to have 2 starting points inside the notebook: 1 from the front where
students are collecting their thoughts, ideas, and stories during independent writing time
and another starting point from the back of the notebook. Students can flip the notebook
to the back and start keeping notes from mini-lessons. They can also cut down hand-outs
and glue them in this section. This way they can quickly reference something they learned
during a mini-lesson.
Maybe have students put a Post-it in their notebook when they are starting a new Unit of
Study, so they can quickly turn in their notebooks.
We want to teach strategies for finding things to write about, not give prompts. Teaching
strategies rather than assigning prompts will allow our students to become more
independent as they use the strategy over and over.
You want to start a chart of all the ways you can collect inside a Writing Notebook. You will
want to demonstrate each strategy inside your own notebook or on chart paper so that the
students see you being a writer.
Share Writing Notebook rubrics with students right from the start. Teachers often assess
Notebooks for volume, variety, and neatness of entries. It is good to share these
expectations with students right from the start.
It is too overwhelming to collect all of the notebooks at one time for assessment, so you
may want to consider varied collection days. You could have 5 students leave their
notebooks on their desks at the end of the day on Monday, 5 on Tuesday, 5 on Wednesday,
etc. Then, you are assessing their notebooks once a week and only doing 5 a day. This will
make it more manageable.
You may have kids do Daily Pages to increase their writing stamina and fluency. Some
teachers have students write at least 1 full page (no skipping lines, no starting way down on
the page, and no writing HUGE so that only a few words fit on the page) for homework each
night or first thing in the morning. Often, teachers will have students who are not shopping
for books in the morning writing their Daily Page. It can be writing about anything. It can be
mundane and simple, but at least they are writing. They can label the page with D.P. for
Daily Page, so you know when you are assessing.
WHAT’S INSIDE A
NOTEBOOK WHAT’S OUTSIDE A
NOTEBOOK
Daily entries
Collecting around and
nurturing a topic
Revision strategies –
trying out some
possibilities
Editing, Grammar notes
Other notes and hand-
outs from mini-lessons
Drafts – the whole piece is
written outside the
notebook
Revisions the author wants
to use
Editing the actual piece
The final copy
Notebook Expectations
Students are expected to… Students can depend on the
teacher to…
Write daily in their notebooks at
school and at home three times a
week (minimum).
―find‖ topics for their notebook
writing from their life, from
reading, and from natural
curiosity. Students are expected
to make decisions about their
writing topics on a daily basis.
Try strategies from the mini-
lesson before continuing with their
own work for the day.
Respect the integrity of the
notebook by taking care of it and
having it in class every day.
Students will respect other
notebooks by only reading entries
they are invited to read by the
author.
Provide time each day for students
to write during writing workshop.
Teach writing strategies as ways
to discover writing topics.
Teachers will also confer with
students to help nudge their
thinking and writing when students
get stuck.
Teach a mini-lesson each day to
teach students how to be better
writers.
Not write inside of the students’
notebooks.
Collecting Entries
Write about your name – what makes it special, how was it picked, what do you like about it,
what do you not like about it, just think about your name and write. You can use Kevin
Henkes‘ book, Chrysanthemum, to illustrate the power/importance of a name and how often
times there is a story behind our name. So that this doesn‘t just become a prompt, you can
teach kids that anytime they are struggling to find something to write about, they can think
of a person‘s name, put it at the top of a page, and write about the name. Names are special
and usually have a story behind them.
Heart Map: Draw a large heart in your notebook and then mark off sections like a quilt.
Write special people, places, and things in the sections.
School Walk – jot down memories from places throughout the school
Draw a special place and put an X everywhere there is a memory of a story (jot down a few
words to remind you of the story).
Writing from a list – Best life events…jot down the 10 best things that ever happened to
you. Jot down the 7 worst things that ever happened to you. Choose 1 to put at the top of a
clean page and write the story of that time. The important thing about making these lists is
that it leads into writing many stories. We don‘t want kids just to make lists. So, you may
give them 5 or 10 minutes to make a list and then have them move to choosing 1 thing from
the list to write the story of that 1 time. Lists are good, but we want them to lead to long
writing.
Other lists –
*make a list of emotions (sad, happy, mad, disappointed, and jealous). Choose 1, put it at the
top of clean page and list all of the times you felt that emotion. Choose 1 time to write the
story in your notebook.
*make a list of things you are an expert of, choose 1, put it at the top of a clean page and
list all the times you‘ve done that thing. Choose 1 time to write the story.
*make a list of first times and last times
*make a list of all the things you wonder about
Write from a noun. Have students choose any noun, put it at the top of a clean page, and
write for 15 – 20 minutes. They should write anything that comes to mind. Tell them that
it‘s ok to stray from the original noun. This is a good strategy to help writers get past
writer‘s block. So, it‘s good to teach this at the beginning of the year, just-in-case it is
needed by some later in the year.
Teach the importance of rereading the notebook right from the beginning of the year.
Students will get new ideas from reading their old entries. Teach students to reread with a
highlighter in their hand. Have them highlight any interesting lines, words, or ideas that
they might want to write more about later.
Lift a line – have students reread their notebooks and choose a line they want to write more
about. They can put the line at the top of a clean page and continue from there. This helps
them see that there can be more than one starting point for an idea.
Choosing an Idea, Nurturing/Developing that Idea
*You Collect ideas, then Choose a Seed Idea, and begin nurturing/developing that Seed Idea
INSIDE of the Writing Notebook.
Reread the notebook, putting a mark by all of the entries that could be possible seed
ideas.
Choose the one idea that holds enough memory to be developed into a full piece.
Begin nurturing/developing that idea inside the notebook by using multiple strategies.
Use a photograph from the time your writing about to help you think of more details to
include Interview someone who was there to get another perspective and more details to add to
your writing Sketch to help you remember all the tiny details Go to the place (if possible) and write everything you can about it Make a web Make a time-line Make a quick list of everything you can remember Try out different leads (beginnings) Make a list of words you know you want to use (try for exciting verbs and
adjectives/specific nouns) Write questions you have about the time you are writing about and try to answer them Make a square and divide it into 4 boxes - use your senses as titles for each box - write
using your senses
Smell
The smell of salt
water filled my
nose.
Touch
The rough sand
scraped the
bottom of my
feet.
Hear
I could hear the
waves crashing.
See
Sea gulls were
flying over my
head.
Write the bones of your story (just get it down without all the dialogue and wonderful
details) Think about the heart of your story (Where is the most action/emotion?) and just write the
heart in your notebook, stretching it out, writing it in slow motion Tell your story to someone
Drafting and Revising
―If we expect our students to revise, we must provide them with specific strategies with which to revise. We can teach and demonstrate specific revision strategies by modeling our own and professional writers‘ writing and revision processes and by teaching mini-lessons that include specific revision strategies.‖ (Georgia Heard, 2002 – The Revision Toolbox)
The most effective way to teach these strategies is by modeling them with your writing or with a
child‘s writing.
Many of the following strategies were taken from the book, The Revision Toolbox.
Students reread ALL entries about their idea, close their notebook, and begin drafting
their story (skipping lines to save room for later revisions, not writing on the back).
―Cracking Open Words and Phrases‖ – It was a nice day. = The sun peaked its head up from
the edge of the earth and covered the house with warmth. I swung open the squeaky, white
screen-door and stepped onto the porch. The cloudless blue sky was everywhere. I just
knew the fish would be biting today.
―Verbs are the Engines of Sentences‖ – Have students check their piece and change some
tired verbs to more exciting verbs - I walked up the stairs. = I leaped up the stairs.
―Nouns are the Wheels of Sentences‖ – Have students check their nouns and change some
to more specific - I pulled stuff out of my bag. = I pulled sticky gum wrappers, uncapped
lipstick, and broken pretzels out of my bag.
Change the Lead – Try starting with a Question: How will I ever tell my mom I broke the
lamp? Or start with an Image: My feet crackled over the broken lamp pieces.
Every time I moved, more crackling. Or start with Dialogue: ―Johnny! Hurry! I need your
help. Mom is going to kill me!‖ Or start with Action – Crack. Crack. Crack. I tried not to look
as I heard the lamp hit the tile floor.
Find the Heart of the Piece – Choose one or two sentences that are what the piece is mostly
about. Put those sentences at the top of a new page and just write about those sentences.
Rereading – Teach kids to reread right from the start. Model writing a piece, stopping after
every few sentences to reread. We want kids to always do this.
Playing with time – Make a time-line of a piece and try starting the piece from different
places on the time-line.
Change the Point of View – Have students try writing their piece from a different
perspective.
Below is a sample 5 day schedule (easily extended to make a 10 day schedule) for moving
students through the writing process. It is ideal to move students through the writing process
within the first 2 weeks of launching and actually publish a piece to share at the end. Then, you
can start over and move through a 4 week narrative study and slow the process down. It is good
for students to feel that sense of accomplishment (publishing) quickly in the beginning of the
year.
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4 Day 5
Collecting Revising Editing Management Publishing
Mini-
lesson
One way in
which
writers get
ideas for
their work
One way in
which
writers
revise
their work
One way
in which
writers
edit their
work
One thing
writers in our
class need to
know about
management
How writers
celebrate
their work
Workshop
&
Conferring
Students
write a small
moment on
paper,
teacher
confers to
encourage
Students
revise
their work,
teacher
confers to
encourage
Students
edit their
work,
teacher
confers to
encourage
Students
rewrite their
work with their
revisions and
corrections
Students
celebrate
their work as
a class
Share Whatever the teacher deems necessary. Students might share
their work or the teacher may do some management work with
them.
The following might be great to write on chart paper or copy for the kids to keep:
―I Am a Writer When…
I am a writer when I sit alone and write down my favorite memories about my childhood
and my children; when I take time to write by creating space in my life; when I wake up
in the middle of the night and fish around to find a pen and paper to capture my
thoughts.
I am a writer when I write about things that matter to me most…my parents, family,
special people, places, and things in my life; when I access childhood memories; when I
hear things I want to remember and take time to write them down.
I am a writer when I capture thoughts, dreams, noticings, and wonderings in my writer‘s
notebook; when I write as a means of expressing my emotions; when I write poetry that
stems from my personal experiences.
I am a writer when the words in my notebook float effortlessly off the paper like a
musical composition that lingers in my head; when I have time to really express my
ideas and not have to share them with anyone; when I am given time to reflect upon my
personal and professional life.
I am a writer when the words I‘ve created bring me back to the me I should be; when I
allow myself to relax and write whatever I am feeling, whatever I am frustrated by,
whatever I am thinking, and when I am finished, I feel cleansed; when I pour out my
heart through words.
Photographs of charts and bulleting boards:
September/October Personal Narrative, Edge of the Seat(Personal Narrative with strong emotion, tension),
or Memoir Punctuation Study (last 2 weeks)
Goals for either unit:
to help students internalize the shape of traditional stories so they come to tell and
write episodes from their lives as stories in which a character (the writer, him or
herself) has motivations (hopes, fears, intentions) which lead the character to struggle
for something (in ways which create story tension) which in the end is resolved.
to teach students that writers study texts other writers have written in order to notice
what works in those texts. Then the writer thinks, ―What did this author do that works
well? What effect did he (or she( create by doing this?‖ Finally, the writers tries to
incorporate the same techniques in his or her own writing.
to teach students specific techniques and qualities of good writing that are important to
effective narratives. These might include focus, control of time, dialogue, character
development, detail, tension and the importance of showing, not telling.
Teaching Points for Personal Narrative writing:
Immersion
*Spend a lot of time during this initial phase (3 to 5 days) just reading and rereading
personal narrative picture books and/or short texts. Let kids read in small groups, with
partners, and on their own. Maybe have students jot down what they are noticing about
personal narratives inside their notebook. Writing Workshop will feel a little like Reading
Workshop during this week and that’s okay. The better we immerse kids in the new genre,
the better their final pieces will be.
Decide on a mentor text during this phase. Pay close attention to which book or short text
the students seem drawn to. This will make for a good mentor text. It might be good to
have two mentor texts that your kids become very familiar with throughout this study.
Writers learn about the features of a new genre by reading and rereading books in the
genre and asking, ―What do I notice? What makes this a personal narrative? What are
the parts?‖ (Start a chart of personal narrative noticings)
Writers read books in two different ways: as a reader and as a writer. First, we read
books as a reader, just to enjoy. Then, we read as writers, to notice what other writers
do that we might try in our own writing. We read a book that we‘ve already read,
stopping to pause after each section, and asking, ―What do I love about this part? What
really pops out at me that this writer did? Where is a part that makes me feel a strong
emotion?‖ Writers can put post-its on all of these parts to hold onto them for later. (add
to the chart of personal narrative noticings)
One way that writers make writing powerful is by emulating narrative writing we admire.
Writers read through narrative writing and ask, ―What did this writer do that I could do
to make my own writing more powerful?‖ (Add to the chart of personal narrative
noticings)
Writers want to have a large stack of books in a specific genre that can help us be the
best writer possible. We want to learn from multiple books and try out multiple
strategies for making great writing. Writers search the classroom library and at home
for other texts that fit this genre. We search through bins of books looking for books
with the same characteristics as the initial books used. We choose a book, flip through
it, read small chunks, and ask, ―Does this book have the same characteristics as the ones
we have listed on the chart?‖
Sample noticings you may have on a chart at this point:
-Writers often write about a seemingly small episode-yet it has big meaning for the writer.
-Writers often tell the story in such a way that the reader can actually experience it from
start to finish.
-It helps to record exact words a character uses.
-Writers often convey strong feelings, and they often show rather than tell about those
feelings.
-Writers often include two and sometimes three small moments so that there is a sense
that the stories have a beginning, middle, and an end.
Collecting
Writers get ideas for personal narratives by thinking about where other writers may
have gotten their ideas. They choose a book and ask, ―Where might this author have
gotten the idea for this book?‖ Then, we try the same strategy. Writers look through
multiple books and try out multiple strategies inside our writer‘s notebook.
Writers get ideas for personal narratives by listing out turning points in our lives. We
think of first times, last times, or times when we realized something important.
-first/last time you did something hard to do
-first/last time you did something you now do every day
-first/last time with a person, an animal, a place, an activity
-a time you realized something important about yourself or someone else
-a time you realized a huge change in your life almost happened
Writers get ideas by thinking of a person, place, or thing that matters, then listing out
clear, small moments we remember well. Writers can then choose one to sketch and write
the accompanying story.
Writers get ideas by thinking of a strong emotion and listing small moments of when we
felt that strong emotion.
During this phase of the writing process, you can go back and look at the launching
information to get more strategies for generating ideas. You also want to be tucking in
management information during these Writing Workshop sessions. It’s important that
students learn in these first several weeks how to sit in the meeting area, how to get
started with work, and how to stay working for long stretches of time. Don’t feel bad about
weaving management into these workshop times.
Choosing
Writers choose an idea, an idea from our notebook, that we think holds a lot of emotion
and is worthy of writing about over time. We do this by rereading our notebook and
stopping after each entry and asking, ―Would this make a good story? Does it hold a lot
of emotion? Do I love it enough to write about it over time?‖
Nurturing/Developing/Planning
You can refer back to all of the nurturing/developing strategies from the launching unit.
Teach or reteach any strategies that you feel would be helpful to your class. Also,
remember, it is crucial that you are writing in front of your class and trying all strategies on
your own writing first.
Writers plan our stories by making a time-line, story mountain, or story board (choose 1
or 2 to show your class). Writers make a movie in our mind of our story and think about
what happened first, next, next, next, and then, finally. We jot down the main events to
hold onto our story for when we are drafting.
Writers ask ourselves, ―Which part of this story will I tell with lots of details, and which
parts will I write only a little about? Which part seems important? Which part really
shows what my story is mostly about?‖ We go back over our plan, reading each part of
our plan, and deciding if it is a part for lots of details or a part for just a few. We want
to tell lots about parts that seem important to our stories…parts that really show what
our story is mostly about. We can make little marks on our plan for reminders.
Writers study the leads of mentor texts to try out different leads inside our notebook.
We choose a book, read the first several lines and ask, ―What did this writer do to write
this lead? What is it about? What is it telling me?‖ Then, writers think about our own
beginning to our story (refer to the plan), think about what was happening, and then try
to write about what was happening using the mentor text‘s technique. Below is a sample
that could be on a chart and in students‘ notebooks:
Author‘s Lead What the Author Has
Done
Our Lead, Using the
same technique
Drafting
Writers choose the best lead from all of the work we did inside our notebook. We
reread all of our leads and think, ―Which one is best for my story? Which one will invite
my readers in most effectively?‖ We begin our draft using the best lead.
Writers follow our plan as we write. We have it out at all times. Write about each main
event in order of our plan. (It‘s possible to have your students write about each dot on
the time-line or each dot on a story mountain or each box of a story board on a separate
page. This gives them room to revise later and to show them that each dot is a new
episode and needs to be developed.)
Writers use paragraphs in narrative writing when a new character comes along; new
events happen; new setting; new person speaking; or time moves forward a lot (large
chunk of time passes). Writers pay attention as we write to when we might need a new
paragraph. We write a sentence and ask, ―Is a new character coming now? Is a new event
about to happen? Is my character moving to a new setting? Is a new person speaking? Is
a large chunk of time about to pass?‖ Writers do this the whole time we are writing.
Writers write with lots of detail about the parts that seem important. One way to
emphasize a part of the story that really says what the story is about is to take tiny
steps through that bit, writing down every little part. Writers try to see that part in our
minds and write down everything we see in slow motion.
Revising
Writers tell the external story as well as the internal story. We add in what the
characters are thinking. We reread our stories, stop after each chunk, and ask, ―What
was I (or my character) thinking in this part?‖ We add that to our story to show the
internal story.
Writers tell what happens in the story and the response to what happens. We reread our
stories and find parts where something important happens and ask, ―What happened just
seconds after this happened? What did I hear, see, say, feel?‖
Writers tell what might happen in the future or recall the past to give the reader more
information. Writers reread a significant part, stop and ask, ―What event led up to this
moment or what might happen in the future because of it?‖ Example from Sandra
Cisneros‘ Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark: ―Your grandfather died.‖ My papa cries.
I think of what will happen. He‘ll fly to Mexico. The relatives will convene. They‘ll take
pictures by the grave. Meanwhile, I‘ll tell the other kids my papa is sitting on my bed.‖
*For editing, refer to the end of the Edge of the Seat Unit
Option #2: Edge of the Seat
Even before this unit begins, we will want to start reading ―edge of the seat‖ stories to our
students. These stories should feel as if they could be true stories and be lean enough that they
resemble the stories our students will soon be making. Also, they should be structured like
traditional stories with a problem and solution. They should demonstrate story tension – make the
readers sit on the edges of their seats. Some examples are:
-Shortcut by Donald Crews
-Peter‘s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
-Rollercoaster by Marla Frazee
As the unit begins, we tell students that they will be writing true stories, small everyday episodes
from our lives. We will be writing these stories in a way that make our readers sit on the edge of
their seats. We will also study other writers who do this very same thing and borrow some of
their techniques.
As in all of the units, we will be moving through the writing process: immersion, collecting in
notebooks, choosing an idea, developing the idea, drafting, revising, editing, publishing, celebrating.
With it being early in the school year and the first time many students have used notebooks, we
want to highlight this process as we move through it.
***We want to steer clear of noises in the night stories because the goal is to get kids to write
about the everyday stories of their lives in ways which draw in readers.
Teaching Points for Edge of the Seat stories:
Collecting
Writers generate ideas for their work by choosing a significant emotion (worry,
hopelessness, anticipation, fear, anger) and listing out times they felt the significant
emotion.
Writers generate ideas for their work by telling the story of the first time or very last
time that they did something. They can think of the first time they did something that
now they do every day…a hobby they have, a thing they love to do and the first time they
did that thing…the last time they saw a person (or pet) who died, or someone who moved
away.
Writers generate ideas for their work by revisiting old brainstorming strategies and
practicing them: sketch a memory; think of a special person, place or thing and list out
tiny moments that matter.
Writers reread stories they admire often, and they talk about what they especially liked
in the story (reread your mentor text over and over all throughout this study – Shortcut
by Donald Crews is an excellent choice – start a chart of what the students are liking
about this story). They also think about how the writer remembered the memory of this
story…what strategy did the writer use to spark this memory. Brainstorm with the
students, then encourage them to try out what they just said.
Writers get ideas for their own stories by hearing other people‘s stories and letting
them remind them of their own stories. Writers tell stories to each other in small
groups. After each story, writers pause and ask, ―What stories from my own life did this
story remind me of that I might want to put into my notebook?‖ Have students jot in
their notebooks after each telling.
Before moving on to choosing a seed idea, it‘s important that students have had lots of
time to tell their stories to partners and small groups. Encourage students to tell and
retell their stories, trying to get the listeners to feel what they felt when the story
happened. Have them retell to build that tension and suspense.
Choosing Writers choose a seed idea for their edge of the seat story by rereading all of their
notebook entries and thinking which one has the most potential for tension.
Writers choose a seed idea for their edge of the seat story by rereading all of their
notebook entries and thinking which one matters the most.
Nurturing/Developing/Planning Writers develop/nurture their seed idea in their notebook before drafting. They can
start by writing in their notebook, ―What I am really trying to show in this story….‖
Then, they can list out all the details that they can include that might show this.
Writers develop/nurture their seed idea in their notebook before drafting. They ask,
―How did it start?‖ and make a movie in their mind of what exactly happened from start
to finish. They can tell this to a partner first and then begin writing what they
remember in their notebook.
Writers develop/nurture/plan their seed idea in their notebook before drafting. They
say their story across their fingers to a partner, thinking what happened first, next,
next, next, and then, finally. Then they hold onto this plan by making a story board
drawing or a time-line of the main events through time.
Writers reread their plans (story boards or time-lines) and ask themselves questions:
Are all of these things that happened crucial to my story? Are there some things that
happened that maybe don‘t really help the story at all an could be taken out? If so, we
just cross them out of the time-line or mark out the box on our story board.
Writers reread their plans (story boards or time-lines) and ask themselves questions:
What is the heart of my story, the emotional part of my story? Where in my story am I
really trying to make readers feel something-and what am I trying to make readers feel?
Either add this to the plan or write about it in the notebook.
Writers reread their plans (story boards or time-lines) and ask themselves questions:
Where in the sequence of events should I start my story? You probably want to start
your story just before the emotional part, just before the heart of the story. Do you
need to cross off any boxes on your story board or mark off any dots on your time-line?
Do you need to add anything to your plan?
Writers reread their plans (story boards or time-lines) and ask themselves questions:
Where should my story end? Just because one thing actually in real life happened last
does not mean this needs to be the ending of your story. Do you need to cross off any
boxes on your story board or mark off any dots on your time-line? Do you need to add
anything to your plan?
Drafting Writers draft their edge of the seat stories by choosing the most exciting part (the
heart of their story) and telling it across a 3 page booklet. Teachers, show writers how
the events leading up to the heart of the story and leading away from the heart can be
represented by one piece of paper, but the heart of the story needs to be stretched out
over a 3 page stapled booklet. Have students practice telling their story across these
pages (the single, loose pages leading up to and away from the connected 3 or 4 page
booklet).
Writers draft the ends of their stories by pointing back to their stories with a touch of
reflection. They can include something that they learned from this story.
Revising Writers revise their stories by having the pattern in their story of action, dialogue,
thought.
Writers get ideas for revising their own stories by rereading published stories they
admire often, and they talk about what they especially liked in the story (reread your
mentor text over again, like in the beginning of the unit, refer back to the chart the
students started about what they liked). Writers point out sections of the story which
really work for them as readers, and they ask, ―Why did the writer do that?‖ and ―How
did the writer do that?‖ Then, writers try out this same technique in their own writing.
Writers help their readers get into the mind of their character and really stretch out
the important part of their story, the heart of the story, the climax, by including
character self-talk. They find the important part, think about the characters who are
present in this part, and ask, ―What might these characters be saying to themselves in
this part?‖ They include this self-talk to help the reader get into the mind of the
character/s and to make this part feel even more important.
Make the strong emotion clear in the story – what‘s important? What do you want your
reader to know or feel?
Writers revise by showing their feelings by saying what happens to their body when they
feel a certain way.
Editing Writers revise by drawing out the climax by repeating across sentences and pages.
Writers edit their work by checking for spelling mistakes using the Word Wall,
dictionary, partner, and teacher.
Writers edit their work by using an editing checklist.
Option #3 Memoir
This information is mostly from the book: Writing a Life Teaching Memoir to Sharpen
Insight, Shape Meaning – and Triumph Over Tests by Katherine Bomer
Definition of memoir: Memoir is a mere slice of ordinary life-a certain time period, a special
relationship, a particular theme or angle on a life. It contains the elements of honesty, self-
analysis, and self-revelation. The writer stands in one place and time and looks back from that
vantage point to make meaning of a distant time. Retrospection and reflection are crucial elements
of memoir also. The word memoir comes from the French word memoire, which means ―memory.‖
It usually begins right in the midst of a situation, when the author was eight or twenty-five. It is a
slice-of-life story. The writer writes about this slice in a way that makes others care about it and
want to read it. Memoir writing has a reflective quality. It looks back on experiences, finds
patterns in them and organizes them, and then finds meaning in them.
Just a reminder:
How we move through a unit of study (remembering that these steps are not always linear)
Immersion – reading aloud and having kids read what you will expect them to
write
Collecting (generating) – students generate ideas for writing inside the Notebook
– lists, snippets of writing, sketches, and brief renderings of as many memories
as they can squeeze out.
Choosing a seed (selecting a topic)
Nurturing the seed (INSIDE the Notebook - collecting, layering, and planning)
Drafting (OUTSIDE the Notebook - skip lines, only write on the front of a page)
Revising (reseeing the piece – adding details, changing, deleting)
Editing (spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.)
Publishing
Celebrating
A Time Line for a Possible Six-Week Unit of Study in Memoir Writing
Week One: Immersion in the Memoir Genre
-Students read as many memoir picture books and excerpts from book-length memoirs as
possible.
-Teacher reads aloud from book-length memoirs, excerpts, and picture books.
-Students are simply collecting in their notebooks during this immersion time.
-The teacher is facilitating whole class discussions from reading aloud memoirs.
Questions to facilitate discussion into memoir texts:
What kind of person does the ―I‖ seem to be: competent, shy, aggressive, compliant?
Do you believe the stories and memories this author is telling you? What helps you
believe the author? What makes you doubt the author?
What kinds of evidence does the author give you to help you believe the memories?
What does this author use to help remember his or her life-objects, history, places,
photographs, childhood stories, interviews with family members?
How does the author organize time in this story? Does this memoir tell a
chronological story, or does it skip around in time?
Does the author write the memoir from different periods in his or her life?
Where does the story begin and end?
What does this author come to know about him or herself and about the world?
What can the person reading this story learn?
Can this memoir change the world?
-The lines between structured reading and writing times blur during a study like memoir. It
is beneficial to create memoir clubs that will take on reading projects. Some possible
memoir reading projects are:
As you read a memoir, prepare a mock interview of the author. What questions do you
want to ask this writer? What else do you wish you knew about this story?
Gather five autobiographical pieces of writing about a favorite subject of yours, such
as cats, sports, family, or ethnic stories. Notice the different ways each author has
structured his or her story. What has each author included and what has he or she
left out? Notice differences in terms of gender, race, class, or place.
Take an incident from a memoir and try writing it from the point of view of a
different person in the story. What does this say about the author‘s perspective?
List 5 people whose life story you have read. For each person, write something that
you learned from him or her about a place, time period, culture, race, or gender that
you didn‘t know before.
Read a short story. Think about whether it is a memoir or not. What makes it a
memoir or not a memoir?
Imagine the notebook entries that may have led to a memoir you have read.
As you read different published memoirs, what parts or aspects do you find attract
you or hold your interest the most?
Sketch what a scene or place looked like from the narrator‘s perspective. Sketch the
narrator from a different character‘s perspective.
Act out a scene from a memoir. Write a reflection about what it felt like to be in
that scene. Begin the next day‘s discussion with evidence that might support the idea.
Whole class reading response ideas:
Hot Seat – choose some of your students to sit in chairs in front of the class and act
as if they are the characters from a memoir. Have the other students ask the memoir
characters questions. The memoir character students must respond in character.
Have students paint a mural in response to a class reading of a memoir (they can paint
whatever they felt or imagined during the reading).
Suggested memoir texts (not all are technically memoirs, but they are rich, evocative first-person
narratives that will be helpful for kids to think of memories from their lives and also give them
possibilities for structuring their memoirs):
Those Summers by Aliki
Momma, Where Are You From? By Marie Bradby
Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting
Hairs by Sandra Cisneros
Big Mama‘s by Donald Crews
Shortcut by Donald Crews
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs by Tomie DePaola
Abuela by Arthur Dorros
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
My Mama Had a Dancing Heart by Libba Moore Gray
Tell Me a Story Mama by Angela Johnson
Saturdays and Teacakes by Lester Laminack (I have this one.)
Dogteam by Gary Paulsen
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco
Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
The Chalk Doll by Charlotte Pomerantz
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
Grandfather‘s Journey by Allen Say
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
We Had a Picnic This Sunday Past by Jacqueline Woodson
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Suggested memoir texts for grades 4 and up:
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaola
Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid by Ralph Fletcher
Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz
Hey World, Here I Am! by Jean Little
Suggested memoir texts for grades 6 and up:
A Girl from Yamhill by Beverly Cleary
Little by Little by Jean Little
Bad Boy: A Memoir by Walter Dean Myers
But I‘ll Be Back Again by Cynthia Rylant
Knots in My Yo-Yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid by Jerry Spinelli
The Lost Garden by Laurence Yep
Week Two: Collecting/Generating:
-Students generate as many entries in their Writer‘s Notebook as possible, including lists,
sketches, bits of remembered dialogue, events, episodes, and images.
-Writers generate entries by listing out special places and memories at these special places.
-Writers generate entries by thinking of special people and memories of times with those
special people.
-Writers generate ideas by thinking of special objects and memories that special object
sparks.
-Writers generate ideas by thinking of their first memory of something or someone…maybe
the first memory of doing something or meeting someone.
-Writers generate ideas by thinking of turning points – an argument, realizing that someone
is not who or what you thought (good or bad)
-Writers generate ideas by thinking of the first time or last time they did something
-Writers generate ideas by thinking of songs, smells, colors, or textures that evoke
memories.
-Writers generate ideas by looking at a special photograph. They start by describing what it
is – the obvious – and then moving into the layers of the photograph: what‘s not in the
picture? what happened before or after it was taken? who was taking the picture? what‘s
the mystery?
Week Three: Choosing a Seed/Selecting – Nurturing the Seed/Collecting and Layering in the
Writer‘s Notebook
-Writers write more deeply about events or memories by rereading the basic facts of the
event/memory and asking, ―How did this shape or change me?‖ or ―How does it fit into the pattern
of my life?‖ – For example, ―Does this always happen to me? Is this the norm for my life? Was this
out of the norm for my life?‖
-Writers layer more writing into their notebooks, start developing ideas, by writing more in
depth about the people in their memory. They can write more about how the people in the memory
move through life – in a frenzy of activity? Hesitantly? Walking almost on toes? Sitting straight
upright as if there is a wall right behind him/her?
- Writers layer more writing into their notebooks, start developing ideas, by writing more in
depth about the people in their memory. They can focus in on a characters way of dressing. What
would you call it: all business, whatever t-shirt was next in the clean-clothes pile; a flair for the
dramatic; homemade, hippie clothes; always black clothes.
- Writers layer more writing into their notebooks, start developing ideas, by writing more in
depth about the people in their memory. They can write a scene or two in which they are talking
with the person about something. Try to capture the words he/she would most likely say in that
type of discussion.
- Writers layer more writing into their notebooks, start developing ideas, by writing more in
depth about the people in their memory. Write about the very first memory of this person, even if
it‘s simply a feeling or a splash of color.
- Writers layer more writing into their notebooks, start developing ideas, by writing more in
depth about the people in their memory. Write about what the person means to your life. How do
you think you have been shaped by this person? How are you similar to this person and how are you
different?
***If a student is writing mostly about place or an object, you can revise these teaching points to
fit with what they are doing.
Week Four: Planning and Drafting
-Writers decide what shape they will use for their memoir. Some writers choose to write
about one main event or memory. If they choose this shape, they know why they‘ve chosen this one
main event or memory. They say, ―This reveals ______________ about me.‖ and/or ―This
event/memory changed me in this way: _______________________.‖ and/or ―As a result of this
event/memory, I realize _________________________.‖
-Writers plan out the one main event or memory memoir by using a time-line or story board.
They think about what happened first, what happened next, next, next, and then, finally.
Week Five: Revising
-Writers include sensory details to help their readers make a clear movie in their mind.
They read a small section of their memoir, stop and ask, ―In this part, what did I/we see, hear,
touch, taste, or smell?‖ They include some of these details in that section, then read on and
repeat this strategy.
-Writers show readers their character‘s emotions rather than just telling them. They do
this by finding places where their character is feeling a strong emotion and asking, ―What did this
person look like in this part? What did their face, hands, arms, and/or legs look like?‖
-Writers try out things in their own writing that the writer of their mentor piece did. They
reread their mentor piece, find something they like about the writing and ask, ―What did this
writer do in this part? How did he/she do it?‖ Then, they try out the same technique in their own
piece of writing.
Week Six: Editing, Publishing, and Celebrating
Teach students to focus on just one aspect of their writing at a time (punctuation, spelling,
capitalization, etc.) Model doing this with a piece of writing on the overhead. Overemphasize
looking at just one aspect (kids will usually yell out all kinds of mistakes they are seeing, but
make them focus on just one aspect at a time).
Put a student‘s work on the overhead (with permission), and have the student edit the work
in front of the class. With the help of others, have the student make decisions about
punctuation, grammar, and spelling.
Remove the punctuation from a short, published piece of writing and have the students
insert punctuation where they think it is necessary. Then show them the original writing and
discuss their decisions.
Have students ask at least 2 other students to edit their work. Those 2 students must sign
the author‘s work after they are finished. This holds them accountable for editing. Model
editing in partnerships for the class.
Teach kids to use editing check-lists and proofreading marks.
When editing, read the paper from back to front.
Breaking the flow of ideas sometimes helps to focus on language issues rather than on the
content itself. Show kids how to start at the end of the piece and read each word, focused
on spelling and not meaning.
Options for what you might do after students have edited their pieces of writing and have had 2
peer-editors and there are still mistakes:
Don't do anything about the remaining errors.
Respond only to selected kinds of errors.
Put a check mark in the margin of lines where there is an error and invite the writer to find
and correct the error(s).
Comment on the one or two most noticeable kinds or patterns of error, and invite further
scrutiny.
Serve as a copy editor: correct the errors for the writer.
***Adapted from information gathered from a presentation from Katherine Bomer
Punctuation Study
Approximately 2 weeks
Overview of Unit: This unit is designed to help writers see the importance of punctuation in their writing.
Punctuation is used to create meaning for the reader, not just marks to be sprinkled in with no
thought. Writers should use their piece of writing from the previous writing (hopefully it is
unpublished and this work can happen in the editing phase of the writing process) for this work.
Teaching Points for Punctuation Study:
Immersion Ideas
In the beginning of this study, you want to have students looking in books noticing all the
different kinds of punctuation marks. Have kids put post-its where they find interesting
punctuation marks and help them to name the mark. Make a list of all the marks that they find
with the proper name of the mark.
There are many different directions to take this unit, but we‘ve listed out two possibilities:
1. Have students sign up to study a punctuation mark. Form small groups who will study
different marks (make sure there is a partnership/small group to study all of the marks).
They bring in examples of this mark from out in the world (newspapers, menus, magazines,
posters, books). Start a large chart to record information. Some possibilities:
Punctuation
Mark
What it looks
like
What it
makes your
voice do
Example #1
from text &
What it
means
Example #2
from text
(different
use than
example #1)
& What it
means
Punctuation Mark: _____________________
Examples
from books
we‘ve read
Text, Author Text, Author Text, Author Text, Author
What it
means in each
of these
examples
The rules
from a
professional
book
For these studies, you probably want kids choosing punctuation marks besides period and question
mark.
o Writers reread small sections of their writing….maybe 1 or 2 lines at a time…asking, ―What
did I want my reader to feel in this part of the story?‖
o Writers use a mentor sentence to write more complex sentences of their own. They take a
sentence and look at each part asking, ―What is each part? What information does it
include? What does it tell the reader?‖ Then, they try to create sentences in their writing
that are mentored after this sentence.
o Writers choose a punctuation mark, pick a way that it is used, and ask, ―Where in my writing
do I want to do what this punctuation mark does?‖ (Example: ellipses make you stop and
pause – where in my writing do I want my reader to stop and pause?) Then, they try it out in
their own writing.
You may choose to study one punctuation mark for several days, so over the course of this short
study, you may only teach in-depth 2 or 3 marks. If you choose to do this, it might be helpful to
show students an example of the use, and let them come up with the ―rule‖ in kids‘ terms. Then,
you can read the rule from a professional book. Model using the mark in this way in your own work.
Then, students try it in their own work.
October/November Personal Essays
Personal Essay Overview: In this unit students will learn to write idea-based pieces in which they continue to craft powerful
subjects and control structure, now in non-narrative form. Students need scaffolding and support
in order to experience the process of writing effective essays. In this unit, you will reduce some
of the complexity of finished essays, highlight the most essential moves an essayist must make,
and show students that these moves are within their reach. You‘ll elongate the process of writing
an essay in order to show students how to do each aspect of this work, and to give them practice
at each one.
At the start of this unit, you will point out to the writers that they could conceivably write about
a topic as a narrative, retelling it chronologically, or as a non-narrative piece, also referred to as
an essay, in which case they‘ll advance a certain idea. You will teach students that terms narrative
and non-narrative refer to structure and genre, not to content. For some students, the fact that
they can write about personal topics in a genre other than personal narrative will be a new
realization. In this unit, each student will write a personal essay in which he or she advances a
theme of personal significance, arguing, for example, ―It‘s hard being an older sister,‖ or claiming,
―My father is my best teacher.‖
The first step in teaching the craft of personal essays is to help them write rough drafts. Once
they understand the basic structure of an essay, they‘ll move on to doing lots of revision with the
goal of learning as much as possible about logical thought. Then, after helping them spend two to
three weeks writing one essay, you can give them the option of churning out a quick essay in a day,
and revising it on the next, and then show them how to write an essay using the revision strategies
they know in one period. Take your time investing in this work.
Teaching points for Personal Essays:
Writers dig into their interesting lives to get strong ideas for their essays.
o They might ask themselves:
What is important to me?
What struggles do I have?
What is unique about my life?
o They might examine their belongings.
Emptying out a back pack and making a list of what they see, then choosing one of
the items and writing,
―I see…‖ Then,
―The thought I have about this is…‖
o Observing places in their lives. (Family kitchen, bedrooms, etc…)
Looking around a room and taking note of what happens in those places.
―I see…‖ Then,
―The thought I have about this is…‖
Writers will sometimes get strong essay ideas by looking back through their notebooks at ideas
they had for other pieces of writing.
o They might examine an old idea and write about it on a new page using words like:
―The idea I have about this is…‖
―The thing that surprises me about this is…‖
Writers may think about important people to get strong essay ideas.
o They can make a list of the people that matter to them and list small moments they had
with that person
o They can think of someone who matters to them and list out big ideas they have about
that person.
Ex: Grandma. It is hard watching my grandma unable to do the things she used to
do so easily. Grandma has shown me how important it is to take care of the people
who are close to me.
o They can take these big ideas and write individual entries for them.
Writers can make lists of important things to think of strong essay ideas.
Hobbies
Issues that matter to them.
o They can then write big ideas they have about individual items.
o
Essayists push past their first thoughts and linger for awhile within writing about ideas.
o They will use prompts to help them grow their thinking:
―The surprising thing about this is…‖
―To add on…‖
―Furthermore…‖
Writers push themselves to keep working during writing workshop.
o When one entry is finished, they will return to a previously taught strategy and begin a
new entry.
o They do this until it is time to meet with their partners.
Choosing and writing a thesis
Essayists select an idea as the topic for their essay.
o They will read through all of their entries looking for an idea that is especially important
or interesting.
o They try to find ideas that are fresh and important and worth developing.
Essayists play with their seed idea to see if it will work for them.
o They will write their seed idea several times adding the transitional word, because.
o Then they will write many parallel reasons that support their seed idea.
Ex: My Dad is my hero because he is always there when I need him.
My Dad is my hero because he takes care of our family.
My Dad is my hero because he works hard.
Writers can explore other ideas and see which one they really want to defend or prove.
o They can list out supports by writing the seed idea and adding because.
o Then they can look over their thinking and decide which idea seems to be the best one to
write about first.
Gathering Material and constructing a draft (nurturing)
Essayists can create micro-stories that illustrate their supporting ideas.
o They will choose an idea to think about,
o Then ask themselves:
―Has anything happened to me that could help explain this idea?‖
―Have I ever read a story that might help me explain this?‖
―What is something that I might draw a picture of to help explain my idea? How
can I turn that picture into a small story?‖
o Then they can begin jotting the story. Remembering it should be micro… only a few
sentences.
o (Writers need to understand that stories are kind of like pictures in essays. A good
story can illustrate what the writer is trying to say…)
Writers will angle their micro-stories to better highlight and support their ideas.
o One way to do this is to think about which part of the story is the most important to the
idea.
o Then, writers will zoom in on that part and start their story. And make it the beginning
of the micro-story that they add to their essay.
Writers can enrich their essays.
o They will create lists based on their topic sentences.
o They can list stories, statistics, observations, citations; quotations that help illustrate
and explain the big idea of their essay.
Writers choose the information they place in their essays wisely.
o They will look at the claim of their essay, look at their information, then look back at the
claim again.
When doing this they need to be asking themselves: ―Does this point really help my
essay? Or can my essay do without this point?‖
Writers begin drafting essays.
o They can empty the contents of their supporting envelopes one at a time and put the bits
they have been collecting in an order that makes sense.
o It is important to realize that this is a first draft… don‘t fall in love… it will change.
When writers draft, we come out of our notebooks onto loose-leaf.
o One way to do this is to label the top of each sheet of paper. We can label one sheet,
―Introduction,‖ another ―Evidence One‖ and so on.
o That way, we may choose to reorder and rearrange our paragraphs as we draft and
revise.
o We recall that as we draft, we use one side of the paper so that we might rearrange or
cut and paste as we revise, and we often skip lines so that it is easy to make simple
insertions.
Just as readers use certain words and phrases to help them talk longer and more in depth
about a text, writers use these same prompts to help them extend their writing about an
idea. Helpful words and phrases include: o The thing that surprises me about this is o This connects to o This reminds me o When I think about this part of the text, I think o I wonder about this part because… o I'm realizing… o This whole story makes me think o Some people think…but I think… o I used to think…but now I realize… o Some people think…but this text makes me think…
o This is important because…
o This fits with the whole text because…
o On the other hand…
o I think this because…
o Also…
o However…
Partnerships
Writers will compliment their partners.
o After reading through their partners writing, or talking about their writing, they can say
things like:
―I‘m really impressed by the way you…‖
Partners can improve each other‘s writing and thinking by asking good questions like:
o ―What are you trying to say in your piece?‖
o ―What part are you not sure about?‖
o ―Can you be more specific?‖
November/December Literary Essay
Literary essays provide an avenue for students to slow their reading, notice, experience and
reflect on characters and ideas in their books. This unit aims to make reading a more intense,
thoughtful experience for children, and to equip children to write expository essays that advance
an idea about a piece of literature. The unit relies upon children‘s prior experience writing
personal essays, and essentially the unit suggests they do similar work, only this time towards the
goal of writing an essay about a text.
In order for children to write about reading in this way, you will need to decide which piece of
literature your children will study in the unit. If your children are reading novels and talking about
deeper meanings of those novels in book clubs, you could conceivably use literary essays as a way
to harvest their interpretations of these books, and to cross fertilize your reading and writing
workshops. On the other hand, book club work is not essential to this unit. Your children could
write literary essays about a short story or a picture book, and this could be a text that they read
during the writing workshop itself.
In some ways it is easiest for children to write literary essays about a short text such as a short
story or a picture book, and in some ways this is more difficult. Certainly when they write about a
short text, it is easier for them to know that text really well, rereading it several times and
mining it in conversations with others. Then, too, they can locate evidence easily without spending
lots of time rereading to find excerpts.
It is recommended you provide children with a small folder containing three or four possible texts,
letting the writer select which of those texts speak to them. When writers have choices and can
write about topics they care about, the writing is better. And in this instance, the first choice is
the choice of text; the second is the choice of what to say about that text.
If you provide children with a small collection of short texts and invite them to read those,
finding a couple to read and write about and talk about, be sure that you include a text that is
easy enough that your struggling readers can read it. These can be texts you and your class have
studied throughout the year. There is nothing to be gained from the texts being unfamiliar ones.
One way to support the struggling readers is to direct them straight away to a text that you
believe will work for them so that all the work they do during the earliest days ends up being work
that supports their final published work. Others may take some time reading and writing about a
variety of texts before settling on the one that they will address.
You will probably select on text as a mentor text, threading that one short story through many
minilessons, using your responses to it as a way to show children how people go about reading,
thinking, and writing about that one story. You‘ll plan to chart what you do with that one story,
using words that can apply to any writer and any text, and then those charts can remind children
of the work they can do with their own stories. Again, one way to support strugglers is for you to
do some work with the text that you hope they, in fact, will use as the center piece of their
inquiries. We encourage you to provide stories that are rich, complex, and well crafted enough to
be closely studied.
On each of the first few days of the unit, you may decide to demonstrate a way of reading and
writing off of a story, and then invite children to draw from this repertoire of strategies as they
work with any text they choose from their packets. You could remind children that just as
essayists pay attention to our lives, expecting to grow ideas from this wide-awake attentiveness,
so, too, literary essayists pay attention to texts.
TEACHING POINTS
Writers think about which characters they are learning from.
o They think of their favorite (or least favorite) character and ask,
―What have I learned from this character?
What have their actions taught me?‖
Then, write – I have learned _________________ and this makes me think…
Writers have thoughts about characters and write about what in the text is making them
have those thoughts.
Writers make connections to characters.
o They think of a character‘s action/s and think, ―What in my life does this remind me
of?‖
Writers go back and forth between having a thought and jotting it down the whole time
they are reading - Having a thought…quickly jotting it down…reading…having a
thought…quickly jotting it down….reading…..
Thought-starters:
This is a story about (someone…a boy, a girl, an elderly woman), who is (how are they) at the
start of the story, but then ends up (how are they).
This is a story about (someone…a boy, a girl, an elderly woman), who is (how are they) at the
start of the story, but by the end they are (how are they).
This is a story about (someone…a boy, a girl, an elderly woman), who is feeling (how are they
feeling) at the beginning of the story, but by the end of the story they are feeling (how are
they feeling).
This story is really about (what is it really about…what is it trying to show or teach).
This is a story about (someone…a boy, a girl, an elderly woman), who is (how are they) at the
start of the story, and stays (how are they) all the way through the story.
This is a story about (someone…a boy, a girl, an elderly woman), who learns (what…lesson
learned).
When I first read (story title), I thought it was about (external plot), but now, rereading it,
I realize it is about (internal story).
This story teaches me (lesson).
At first I thought (what), but now I think (what).
(Character) is a person who wants (what).
(Character) is a person who needs (what).
(Character) is the kind of person who (what).
In the beginning of the story, I thought (something about a character), but later in the
story I thought (something about the same character), and by the end I thought (something
about the same character).
Writers go back to original thoughts and write more – pushing themselves to say more.
o This makes me think….
o From this, I realize…
o Now I‘m thinking… / How this connects to their life, to other books, to the world)
Writers write about critical moments of choice for a character – especially moments where
they say, ―I‘d like to be like that, I admire the character in this part.‖ Sometimes they
might not admire everything a character does, but they are struck by certain moments or
behaviors or choices – those are worth writing about – describing what the character does,
why it impresses them, what qualities the characters shows that they‘d like to have, and
why.
When writers have an idea about a character or idea in a text, they can push their thinking
on the page.
o They think about their own lives.
o They might ask themselves if they are like the character, or know someone like them
– in what ways do certain characters feel familiar to them, is worth considering, for
instance.
Writers think about the ways in which the characters handle conflict or struggle and the
ways we‘ve handled similar problems. We can use examples from our own lives to push and
extend our ideas about characters.
When we write about literature, we come to realize that characters are complicated – we
can do some writing about parts where we admire the character, and also parts when we
don‘t, or when we‘re not sure what the characters is thinking.
We can also write about what pressures a character endures, and how we experience these
pressures, or what we learn from how the character responds to these pressures.
Sometimes if we‘re going back to a text after reading another or even after talking to our
reading partner, we notice that our thinking has changed either about the story, or about
our own lives, or both. As writers, we want to examine this change in our thinking—
o We can write things like, ―At first I thought… but now I think… because…‖
Just as readers use certain words and phrases to help them talk longer and more in depth
about a text, writers use these same prompts to help them extend their writing about an
idea. Helpful words and phrases include: o The thing that surprises me about this is o This connects to o This reminds me o When I think about this part of the text, I think o I wonder about this part because… o I'm realizing… o This whole story makes me think o Some people think…but I think… o I used to think…but now I realize… o Some people think…but this text makes me think…
o This is important because…
o This fits with the whole text because…
o On the other hand…
o I think this because…
o Also…
o However… You may want to coach students in using these conversation prompts in order to get them to see how using them as writing exercises helps you get to a different or a stronger idea, or find evidence for ideas we have.. You might start by modeling, then give them a prompt like, ―I think…‖ given them a few minutes to write and then have them write, ―I wonder,‖ moving to more difficult and complex writing with things like, ―This makes me think‖ or ―This is important because...‖ Finally, have them reread their work to see the new ideas they have. They could use an idea they find to start a new entry in their notebooks and stretch their thinking. They could share their ideas with a partner and then write more after their conversation.
Writers can extend their ideas about a character
o They can push themselves to write more about how and why characters change.
o We can write about how our own thinking has changed and we can write about the
changes themselves.
o We might write, ―I thought Andrew was… but now I think he‘s…because…‖ Or we can
write, ―Andrew seemed…at first…but now he‘s…because…‖ Taking note of these
changes and thinking about them pushes us to think deeply about the text.
When writers consider committing to an idea, we read over our collected entries and decide
which idea we would like to extend—which idea feels like it would make a strong literary
essay. Writers think about what text appeals to us, but also, what text has led to the most
compelling thinking and writing. As we read our collected entries, we ask ourselves:
o Which do I have more to say about?
o Of all these stories, which one matters most?
o Which idea makes me want to go back and look at the text again? Which is a good lens
to re-see the text with?
o Which one do I have enough evidence to have at least two supporting examples?
After writers explore various ideas about a text, they choose one that is worth exploring
o They consider how compelling the idea feels for the writer and for potential readers.
o Writers then ―test‖ the idea—they ensure that there is enough to say about it—by
seeing whether they can develop supporting ideas from the text.
We can list bullet points, and even free-write about them to make sure we have
enough to say.
We might need to revisit the text, or revisit our notes and jottings and free-
write again.
One way that writers choose to structure essays is to use a thesis-driven structure where
the thesis makes a claim or offers an idea about a text, and each body paragraph supports
the thesis using evidence from the text.
o It might be helpful to plan the essay in boxes and bullets with a box holding the
thesis or claim, and the bullets listing the evidence for that claim.
o We would then return to our notebook and star any entries that we think we will use
as we draft.
Another way to structure a literary essay is to write about part of the text, and part of our
lives.
o In this case, it‘s helpful to plan how the essay will go –
often it can be one part that introduces/describes the novel in a personal,
angled retelling, one part that looks closely at a certain part of the novel, and a
third part that turns to a part of our life and reconsiders it in light of our
reading.
When writers draft, we come out of our notebooks onto loose-leaf.
o One way to do this is to label the top of each sheet of paper. We can label one sheet,
―Introduction,‖ another ―Evidence One‖ and so on.
o That way, we may choose to reorder and rearrange our paragraphs as we draft and
revise.
o We recall that as we draft, we use one side of the paper so that we might rearrange
or cut and paste as we revise, and we often skip lines so that it is easy to make
simple insertions.
An easy way for students to structure their evidence is to move chronologically through the
text—
o have our first examples from the beginning of the text, and the last from the end.
o Another way to structure our essays is to move the example that has the greatest
weight or is surprising to the end of the essay to add power and tension to our work.
Writers think about transition words as we draft to be sure to connect each part of our
essay. Some possibilities are:
o One of the first scenes we see this… (a second scene, a third scene)
o On the other hand…
o However…
o Furthermore…
o In addition…
o And yet…
o One reason… (Another reason…)
o Another
o Also…
o Next…
o Although…
Writers are sure to group like information with like information as they are drafting
o They check that each piece of evidence matches up with the supporting idea.
o Sometimes we eliminate material that, while interesting, just doesn‘t fit the essay.
o We can paste it back in our notebooks and extend it there, if we want.
As we draft our introductory, or thesis, paragraph, we know that there are certain elements
we need to include in order for our Literary Essay to make sense. o We must mention the titles and authors of the texts about which we are writing. o We should also give a very brief and angled retelling of the story. We may need to give a
brief retelling in the introductory paragraph. When writers give angled retellings, they only include the significant parts—those
that pertain to their idea, and those that give the reader a general idea of what
the story is about.
In the parts of our essay where we refer directly to the text, writers often choose to quote
the texts about which they are writing. When we choose to use a direct quote from a text, we
may need to explain the context in order for it to make sense to the reader. o So we introduce the quote by explaining how it relates to our idea, and after the quote,
we may comment on it by saying something like: o ―This scene particularly shows us….or This part is significant because…‖
Writers consider how they want to end their essays.
o Sometimes we end with how our thinking about a text has impacted our thinking about
our own lives or about the world.
o Sometimes we comment on what it is about a text that has most moved us.
Writers strive to make our essays engage the reader. While it may have made sense for us to
write ―Another way Andrew shows he‘s hopeful is…‖ to start each body paragraph, we know that
our work can be more engaging to our readers if we vary the ways in which we begin our
sentences: ―In a particularly compelling scene, Andrew demonstrates his hopefulness by…‖ When we look at our conclusion some possibilities include:
o making a connection to your life
o making a connection to the world
o making a connection to another text
Example of a thesis-driven literary essay:
Fly Away Home is a haunting story by Eve Bunting about a boy named Andrew who is
homeless. He lives in the airport with his father. The story teaches the reader to sympathize
with the homeless rather than condemn them. The story builds sympathy for homelessness by
showing homelessness from a childish perspective, by including tough details of the daily life of a
homeless child, and by portraying Andrew as brave and good.
The point of view from which the story is told is Andrew‘s. He is young enough to not be in
school yet, but old enough to understand his world fully. Because the perspective is so childish,
the reader finds out only some information. For instance, Andrew explains what life in the airport
is like, but he doesn‘t explain how it is that they ended up homeless in the first place. He just
says, ―I‘d like it to be the way it was, before Mom died.‖ This total lack of explanation makes it
seem as if homelessness could happen to anyone. It also makes Andrew seem innocent, and thus
sympathetic.
Andrew does give a lot of details about what his daily life is like, and it is tough. He sleeps
sitting up. He washes in airport bathrooms. He eats only in cafeterias and he doesn‘t eat much.
Even though he is too small for school, he carries baggage for tips, and returns baggage carts. He
wears blue because his Dad thinks it keeps them from getting noticed. He doesn‘t seem to ever
get outside. One of the most important moments for him is when he sees a bird, and it is inside
the terminal, afraid, injured, exhausted.
In spite of how tough his life is, Andrew is brave, and he hardly ever complains. He works
hard, he saves money towards an apartment, he helps his Dad. And he is good. He is happy for the
bird when it escapes the airport. He wants to share an apartment, if he and his Dad do ever get
one, with his friends who are homeless also.
I‘ll never think about homelessness the same way after reading this story. I wonder, now,
when I see homeless people, which happens every day in New York, what they are thinking and
feeling. I wonder if they have kids somewhere, waiting for them. After we read this story, Chiara,
in 601, talked about living in a shelter for awhile, and how it was almost worse than the airport.
Chiara‘s like Andrew. She‘s brave and she‘s good. I don‘t know if she would have told me about her
story, if we hadn‘t read this story. It‘s amazing how one story can teach you not just to look at
something differently, but to care at all.
Transitional Words and Phrases
To Add
Information
To Conclude or
Summarize
Contrast two
things or show a
difference
Emphasize a
point
To Compare /
Show Similarities
and To conclude On the other
hand
again In the same way
again In conclusion Even though In fact Also
and then As I have shown Although For this reason
Besides As I have said however
Equally important As a result
Finally Finally
Further In summary
furthermore To sum up
next I realize
lastly I hope you
realize
In addition As I have
said/stated
first As I have written
second
Clarify Show Location To Show Time To give examples To indicate
logical
relationship
In other words Throughout Immediately For example As a result
To clarify Beyond Finally For instance For this reason
Put another way beneath previously Another example
is
Since
Another way to
think about this
is
alongside First, second,
etc.
To illustrate Accordingly
Next Therefore
then consequently
Conclusions Examples
What I‘ve realized now is when you are mad you say words you don‘t mean to say. My dad said you
hurt people‘s feelings you are just hurting your own feelings. This is important because words are
powerful and can really hurt people.
My Dad said, ―When you hurt people‘s feelings you are just hurting your own feelings. This made
me realize when I was writing that when I was hurting others I was also hurting my own feelings.
A few nights ago my dad told me ―When you hurt people‘s feelings you are just hurting your own
feelings. That made me realize that when I hurt people‘s feelings I feel hurt too. Also, that I don‘t
want to be the person who hurts people‘s feelings.
As I was writing this I realized that now that making a mistake wasn‘t a big deal.
I hope to keep on skating even if I fall. I hope that if people are laughing not to hear them.
I hope that if I make a mistake I just shrug my shoulders and I‘ll just laugh at myself.
Name___________________________________ Date___________________
1st supporting paragraph
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2nd
supporting paragraph
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3rd
supporting paragraph
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Conclusion
(Say again the main point from the box. Wrap up what your essay was about.)
_____________________________________________________________________
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Big Idea/Main Idea/Thesis Statement
(What am I trying to say in just one sentence?)
3 ways I will support what I’m trying to say:
1. ___________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________
January/February Prompt Writing
(See separate curriculum)
March/April Informational Nonfiction
All About Books, Feature Articles, Travel Brochures, Editorials
Overview of Unit From the TC Writing Curriculum for Grades 4-5 2008-2009: In this unit you will rally students to
write powerfully about knowledge they have gained in a content area. You‘ll give them the tools to
use writing process, including the study of mentor texts, in social studies and science writing, so
that your students will be confident that they are able to write well about subjects they have
studied. You‘ll here find an answer to how to craft a unit of study that replaces the amorphous
‗research paper‘ that sometimes haunts content classes, instead learning to look to some of the
actual genres that researchers write in after they have done research or when they care deeply
about a subject.
While the teaching points listed below revolve mostly around students‘ writing ―All-About‖ books,
it should be noted that the 2008-2009 TC curriculum suggests giving students more options,
considering all the different genres within non-fiction writing. This TC curriculum suggests that
all students begin the same in the immersion phase of informational writing, as they ―write to
think: reading and taking notes, accumulating information, and rehearsing ideas.‖ Students would
then begin ―reading as a writer: studying mentor texts and rehearsing genre choices.‖ At this
point, teachers could choose to study one type of informational writing in depth, or multiple genres
over shorter time periods. TC includes information for teaching students to write informational
essays, poetry and song, and literary nonfiction. Teaching partners may choose to each teach a
different genre, allowing students to sign up for their favorite.
Teaching Points for Writing Nonfiction: Teaching points for this unit are listed according to the stages of the writing process.
Writers IMMERSE themselves in non-fiction writing, reading as much as of it as they can, to notice what really sets it apart from other genres.
Non-Fiction writers prepare to write by immersing themselves in great non-fiction writing.
They look for features of non-fiction writing that help them know it is non-fiction. They
scan through non-fiction books looking for features that stand out, and marking them with
post-its. (After students have come up with many post-its with partners, create a chart of
noticings, having students place post-its on the chart).
Non-Fiction writers prepare to write by immersing themselves in great Non-Fiction writing
to notice how the writing is put together. They take all their noticings, and organize them
into categories. (Come up with categories together during the mini-lesson: Text
Organization, Page Features, Special Features, Search Tools, Word Features) (Model
placing post-its under proper categories before allowing students to do so with their
partners).
Non-Fiction writers prepare to write by carefully studying different features of great Non-
Fiction writing. They look at features one at a time, and really think about what that
feature is (looks like) and what it does (how it helps the reader).
Non-Fiction writers realize that there are many great features of Non-Fiction writing that
make it special. Writers help each other realize many of these features. They choose one
in particular to study and really think about, then share that feature and all they know
about it with the class. (Model sharing, then tell students they will be choosing a feature
not-yet looked at to study into and share with the class… adding to the chart as features
are shared).
Non-Fiction writers realize that different Non-Fiction books are written in different ways.
They carefully study different books on the same topic, considering the different
information found in the books, and the Non-Fiction features that were used in the books.
(Model sharing books with a partner on same topic before allowing students to go read
different books, on the same topic, with a partner… the goal is for partners to read
different books on the same topic, and note how they are different during a sharing time).
Writers COLLECT lots of ideas for writing, before choosing their favorite to stick with and research.
Non-Fiction writers realize that Non-Fiction books are all about one topic. They consider
which topics they might be interested in writing about by considering topics they know a lot
about. They ask themselves, ―What are some topics that I know so much about I could
teach a course or write a book about them?‖ Then adding those topics to a list in their
Writer‘s Notebooks.
o Then, writers begin to ―try-on‖ those ideas by brainstorming lists of sub-topics that
might be included in their writing. (This last part could be a mid-workshop
interruption.)
Non-Fiction writers put a lot of thought into possible topics before choosing one to stick
with. They brainstorm possible titles for their topics. It helps to think deeply about one of
their top choices, then list out different titles that might make their writing more, or less
focused. (Demonstrate how you could write a book on Horses, or Breeds of Horses, or
Horse Colors, or Horse…) They try this for many possible topics in order to really think
through their writing.
Non-Fiction writers finally choose a topic to stick to by asking themselves questions about
their top topics. They select their top 3 topics and ask themselves, ―Is this a topic I at
least know a little about?‖ ―Is this a topic I am really curious to learn more about?‖ and ―Am
I interested enough in this topic to stick with it for the entire writing process?‖ Then,
writers devote themselves to the topic by posting it for all to see. (Could do a ―Coming soon!
Movie board previews for soon-to-be published writing.)
Non-Fiction writers organize their writing by really thinking through the different sub-
topics they will address in their writing. They list different sub-topics they should address
leaving space beneath each topic, then list different questions that they‘ll want to answer in
their all about books.
o Then, they choose the top questions they‘d like to answer, and star them. (Could
present this part during the mini-lesson, or as a mid-workshop interruption.)
Non-Fiction writers begin planning how they will answer their questions by considering what
they already know. They make a web in their writer‘s notebooks for each question. They
add as many details as they can to each web before moving on to the next.
Non-Fiction writers DRAFT their writing as they research information and take organized notes in their own words. At this point, many teachers choose to use file folders and envelopes to teach students how to begin organizing information for their writing. In a sense, during this stage, students are still collecting as they research. We want to be sure to teach students how to take notes in their own words, so that their notes can be organized and transferred directly into their drafts. Students need to know that as they take notes, they are really drafting. Each note card could be a sentence in a paragraph, or, for more advanced writers, each note card could be a paragraph in a section. Teachers may choose to help students choose a mentor text, and remind them to refer to it frequently as they begin drafting. Students may benefit by re-entering the immersion stage frequently, looking back to their mentor texts to see how non-fiction writers do things!
Once they have committed to a topic, Non-Fiction writers look closely at a mentor text to
guide the structure of their writing. They ask, ―How will different sections organize my
information?‖ ―How will I make sure that the most important ideas get through to the
reader?‖ and ―How will visual information add to my writing?‖ They look at a variety of
texts while asking these questions, and choose the text that answers them best.
Before writers can start researching and note-taking, they need to be sure of exactly what
sections their writing will entail. They ask themselves, ―What are the most important ideas
about my topic?‖ and, ―What will readers who might not necessarily know as much as me
want to learn about my topic?‖ They use their writing partners to come up with their
sections/chapters.
o Teachers may want to consider limiting the number of sections students have for
their writing. A mid-workshop interruption to do so could be something like: Writers
make sure not to have so many sections in their writing that they aren‘t able to finish
their work on time. They think about their topic, and use their partners choose only
the most important sub-topics to write about. (Teachers might model doing this,
saying she‘ll star a certain number of ―most important‖ sub-topics, before asking
students to do so.) If using envelopes, students can write their topics on the
envelopes, and glue them to file folders.
To help research and take notes, writers think more specifically about the type of
information readers will want to learn in each section/chapter of the book. On each
envelope, under the sub-topics for the chapters, writers list questions that should be
answered in the chapter.
Writers begin researching to find answers to their questions. They look at the questions,
and in texts about their topic, to find key words to look for. (Sometimes, writers might
even write these key words on their chapter envelopes so they remember them!) Once
writers come up with key words, they read texts about their topic, skimming until they get
to a key word, then stopping to read.
Writers know their research in texts written by other others will be used in their own,
published writing! They know it‘s important to put research into their own words. They
read a small section, cover up what they read, and ask themselves, ―What did I just learn?‖
Then they write down what they remember as being important.
Writers make sure they‘re using their own words in their writing. They paraphrase what
they read, using different words to say the same thing as the author. They say what the
author said in their mind, then ask themselves, ―What is another way to say this, using
different words?‖
Writers realize that some of their notes are bigger, more important ideas than others.
They keep track of these thoughts by marking cards that will be worth an entire paragraph
of writing. They may even flip over these cards and do boxes and bullets for the main idea
and supporting details.
Some students may be realizing that some of their note cards fit together! Maybe some
note cards could be combined into one, or some are smaller ideas that might fit as a bullet
for boxes and bullets under a bigger idea.
Good Non-Fiction writers react to notes as they write them, or, go back and react to notes
they‘ve already taken. They write down a fact, and then react to what they‘ve written.
They might react by starting, ―Wow! That makes me think…‖ or ―This makes me feel…‖ ―I‘m
glad…‖ Anything that shows what they think/feel as a result of learning the new
information.
Writers constantly go back and look over their notes to add more. They read their note
cards 1 at a time and ask, ―Why?‖ ―How?‖ ―What‘s this make me think?‖
Writers begin organizing all their research in an order that makes sense. They look at one
chapter/section‘s (envelope‘s) notes at a time, and sort them according to the question they
answer. They re-read their questions, then read, one note card at a time, and ask, ―What
question does this answer?‖
Writers continue to organize their research, knowing that they will need to use paragraphs
in their writing. They read through their note cards, one stack at a time, to see if one note
card sticks out as a topic sentence for the rest of the note cards. They put this note card
first, then organize the rest of the note cards from the biggest idea, to the smallest idea.
Writers put all their hard work and research together. They copy down their notes onto
draft paper, leaving space for pictures and diagrams, etc. They do this in the order they
organized their notes. (Teachers may choose to allow students to use copies of the paper
which will be used for publishing, in order to allow students to consider/begin working on
diagrams, pictures, captions, etc.)
Non-Fiction Writers REVISE what they’ve written to make it even better!
Writers go back and make their writing better by thinking about words that are more
important than others. They read through their writing, and look for ―Words to Know,‖
words that are really about the topic, that the reader may not know yet. They make these
words bold, in a darker print, and make a ―Words to Know‖ glossary page.
Writers go back and make their writing better by adding details. They find a section that
seems to be short, or less informative than others, and add in partner sentences to tell the
reader more. They read a sentence in the section and ask, ―What‘s one more thing I can say
to go with this sentence?‖ and add it to their writing.
Writers add more to their writing by going back to sections that seem short and adding
―one time stories‖ to go with their facts. They read from the section and ask, ―What‘s a
quick story I remember that has to do with this?‖ and add it to their writing, remembering
to keep it short!
Writers make their non-fiction writing better by looking back at their mentor text to
remember things they really liked. They re-read or skim through the mentor text, looking
for ways the author wrote, or features he/she included that they might make fit somehow
in their own writing.
Writers go back and make their writing better. They think about words and concepts that
might be difficult for readers to understand, and compare them to something more familiar
to the audience.
Writers find parts that need more ―Umph,‖ and add to them. They refer back to another
part of the topic or the whole book, saying something like, ―This is a lot like what was talked
about on page 16! Here‘s how…‖
Writers do things to say more about an idea. They go through their writing and add lists of
examples or counter-examples.
Writers go back into their writing to add greater detail. They find sections where a picture
would help readers visualize the topic and add action pictures with labels and captions.
Writers know that readers of Non-Fiction enjoy different types of pages. They vary the
structure of their writing, using alternative types of pages, including, ―Did you know?,‖ ―A
Closer Look…‖ or, ―Crazy Facts.‖
Writers know it can get boring to read writing that‘s written using the same lengths of
sentences over and over. They vary their sentences to make their writing more interesting,
combining short sentences, or breaking up long ones.
Non-Fiction Writers EDIT their writing so it looks beautiful, and so readers will take it seriously.
Writers know it is important to edit their writing, correcting as many different types of
mistakes as possible. They use an editing checklist to make sure they correct all the
mistakes they can! They start with the first thing on the list, and look carefully through
their entire piece for mistakes, before moving on to the next thing on the checklist.
Writer‘s know it is important that the words in their writing are spelled correctly. They
check spelling, re-reading the piece backwards, one word at a time, correcting words that
are spelled wrong.
Writer‘s make sure all their sentences have correct end-punctuation. They do this by re-
reading their piece, listening to when their voice stops or pauses, and checking for
punctuation. If their voice raises, asking a question, they add a question mark. If it gets
loud, and sounds excited, they add an exclamation mark. If they simply pause, and move on
to a new idea, they check for a period.
Writers check their writing to be sure all people‘s names, names of places, and specific
object names are capitalized (proper nouns). They start at the end of the piece, reading
backwards, looking for proper nouns and making sure they are capitalized.
Non-Fiction Writers PUBLISH their writing, so it’s neat and beautiful… they make people want to read it!!!
Writers make sure they include all of their changes, revisions, and editing in their published
piece. They copy down their writing, one word at a time, as neatly as possible. They stop
and re-read often to be sure they didn‘t leave out any changes.
Writers make their writing beautiful and colorful so people will want to read it! They go
through their published piece, looking for pictures that need colored or more details, and
add to them as an illustrator would.
Writers make their published pieces more appealing to readers. They make cover pages and
title pages that bright, neat, and really draw readers in. They think about a picture that
really fits the topic, and make sure to include the book‘s title, and the author‘s name.
Writers make their published pieces as exciting, and appealing as possible by adding an
―About the Author‖ page.
May Choices: Action Adventure, Mystery, Fairy Tales, Realistic Fiction
Choice #1: Action Adventure Overview of Unit: This unit of study calls on many of the common realistic fiction writing aids. Students will be
creating a character and a setting to accompany their story of adventure. They will be taught to
create realistic characters with realistic problems that fit into the setting that they choose. The
elements of suspense and tension are of high importance, and students can look back on their
writing of ―edge of the seat‖ stories for guidance. However, action adventure stories are not a
personal narrative where a student recalls events from his/her own life.
You will want to read aloud a few action/adventure books such as Trouble River by It will be
important to point out the conflict. Is the conflict occurring between the character and a friend,
or the character and nature, or the character and himself? This can be somewhat of an abstract
concept, so discussing it in whole class conversations will be a big help. You will want to point out
the moment when the problem becomes obvious and how the author builds tension. You will also
want to draw your students attention to the ‗turning point‘ of the story. When does the story
change from building tension, to climax, to settling back down again?
Students will be currently studying the aspects of action and adventure books in reading
workshop, so, it will be important to link the work done in each workshop.
**Teaching Points**
This is a menu to pick and choose from. The only order, so to speak, is the basic writing process
(collecting, choosing, nurturing, drafting, revising, editing). In the Collecting and Nurturing
section it is possible to use some similar teaching points. For instance, you may have students
sketch several characters in the collecting process, but then once they have chosen they may do
another sketch in more detail of their main character. So, during the nurturing section you may
choose to pull some teaching points from the collecting section. As you plan your unit, be sure to
look through all the teaching points in a particular part of the process. You may want to take a
few days for setting, character, problem and tension, you also may want to mix it up, doing a little
of each, every week.
Collecting Consider the Setting
Writers make lists to collect ideas for action adventure stories.
o They will list out different places where their story could take place.
Writers will choose a setting to write about.
o They answer questions like:
What kinds of weather are associated with this setting.
What is the lighting like? Is it bight? Or Dark?
Are there any specific people that make this setting unique?
What kinds of hiding places are in this setting?
Writers can familiarize themselves with a setting.
o They might sketch the setting quickly and label the unique parts.
o They might add things that could be a part of their adventure story, and label then
explain.
Writers will play with their settings by thinking of one setting, then listing all the possible
problems that could occur in that particular place.
o They ask themselves: ―What sort of thing could be adventurous in this place?‖
Consider the Characters
Writers develop realistic main characters for their action adventure stories.
o They can think of two people they know and put their names on either side of a T
Chart.
o Under each name they list internal and external characteristics.
o Then they go through and circle traits their character could have and cross out traits
their character won‘t have.
o **Be mindful of being realistic. For instance if Joe loves dogs, and Sandy hates dogs
those traits could not both be circled…
o They can make a new T-Chart for their character. One side for internal traits, and
the other for external.
Writers will get to know their main characters by creating a sketch of the character including
personal possessions the character may own.
o They can label each possession, and on another page, write out why that possession is
important to the character.
Writers not only think of the internal and external traits for their character, but to make
them realistic they can give them a flaw, something that the character struggles with.
o They can think of things that they themselves (the writer) struggle with and choose a
struggle for their character,
o They can think of things that their friends may struggle with and give that struggle
to the character.
o Then they should write a small moment story zooming on a time this character
struggles, and show how they deal with it.
Writers can give their characters silly quirks like twirling hair when nervous, or blinking his/her
eyes when scared.
o They might think of quirky things they do or their friends do, to get ideas.
It is important to carefully plan all the characters in a story, to make it realistic. Writers will
need to think of who their characters friends and enemies are.
o They will think about their main character and his/her traits. Then ask: What kind
of person would be friends with this character? Then, what kinds of people wouldn‘t
be friends.
o Then, they can create a list of family members, friends and enemies of their
character.
To better acquaint themselves with the secondary characters in their story, they can go down
the list and write quick stories about each one, giving them personality traits, struggles, and
quirks.
Considering the Problem
Writers will create realistic, interesting problems for their stories.
o They will reread all of their thinking on characters and settings.
o They might try different characters with different settings until they find one that
really creates a good story.
o They can fill in the blanks of sentences like: (Character) needs
to________________ but has to_______________ before he/she can accomplish
it.
Writers think of what kind of conflict will create the problem in their story. Man vs. Man, Man
vs. Nature, Man vs. Animal, Man vs. Himself.
o They can think of problems that could occur with a friend, or an enemy.
o They can think of problems that could happen due to weather in their setting.
o Maybe their character is fighting an internal battle such as a decision that needs to
be made.
Choosing
Writers want to choose the character who is most realistic, the setting that will be most
intriguing and a problem that will create a lot of tension when they choose their seed idea.
Because once they have chosen, they are committed to making that story great.
o They will look through all of their settings and choose their favorite, the one with the
most possibilities to keep a reader interested.
o Then, they will choose a character that goes with the setting. They want to pick a
character that won‘t be hard to write about. One that‘s not SO different from
themselves or a good friend of theirs that it will be difficult to bring to life in the story.
o Then, most importantly they need to choose a problem for this character in this setting.
One that makes sense, but also holds a lot of potential for tension!
Once they have chosen each of the three main parts,
o They will do some quick writing just to see how it works.
o They will write just a chunk of the story to test their seed idea.
Nurturing **To nurture the setting and/or Character thinking, you may return to the Collecting section for teaching points. Only this time, they will not practice on several options… they will only use the idea they have chosen.
Considering Tension
Writers want their stories to keep their readers guessing and interested.
o After they are really familiar with the problem in their story,
o they can create a story mountain with events the keep the character guessing and
the reader interested.
o They might make a story mountain starting with the character before encountering
the problem.
o Then they think of the moment that will be the big moment in their story and then
write that at the top of the mountain.
o Everything as the sections of the story climb the mountain they get more and more
intense. The reader should be asking, ―What‘s going to happen next? What‘s going to
happen next?‖
Writers create moments where there is tension by thinking about their problem, then asking
themselves:
o ―What sort of things would happen in real life if this problem were happening?‖
o They can then put their character into these stories.
Writers build tension in their story by making their dialogue tags get more and more emotional
throughout the story.
o They start with ―said‖ as their dialogue tag in the beginning and then progressively
making them more emotional (said….exclaimed….shouted….screamed).
Writers build tension in their story by asking questions to help their reader understand what
was going on in the writer‘s head.
o They find a place in their writing where someone is doing something important and
then write, ―Why would they _______?‖
o or find a place where something important happened and write, ―Why would
____________?‖
o or find the moment right before the emotional part and ask, ―What should my
character do?‖
o Asking questions makes your reader ask the same questions and it makes them get
more involved in your story.
Writers build tension in their story by including sounds their character might hear in a list
sentence.
o They do this by picking an important moment before the emotional part and asking,
―What are all the sounds my character could hear in this part?‖
o ―Who or what could be there to make noises and what could those noises have been?‖
o Then, they write all they heard in a list sentence.
Writers build tension in their story by counting down time or counting down anything else until
the emotional part happens.
o They do this by asking themselves,
―How much time will go by in my story or should anything become less in my
story?‖
Then, they do a countdown throughout the story.
(Patricia Polacco‘s book, Thundercake, is a great example of this. She counts
down time until the storm.
Writers build tension in their story by repeating their strong emotion from the beginning of
the story until the emotional part of their story.
o They do this by asking themselves,
o ―What is the strong emotion my character is feeling?‖
o Then, they repeat a sentence like, ―(Character) was _______.‖ all throughout their
story.
Drafting
Writers begin drafting their action-adventure story by starting with the weather and/or time
of day.
o They do this by looking at the first event (dot) on their story mountain, putting
themselves in their character‘s shoes back in that moment, and asking,
―What are the weather and/or time of day?‖
o By starting with the weather and/or time of day, you are really helping to create a
movie in your reader‘s mind.
Writers begin drafting their action-adventure story by starting with sensory details.
o They do this by looking at the first event (dot) on their story mountain, putting
themselves in their character‘s shoes back in that moment, and envisioning the
moment.
o They ask themselves,
What does my character see?
What do they hear?
What do they smell?
What do they touch?
What do they taste?
o They start writing what they envision.
o This helps to create the setting so that their reader can envision what was happening.
Revising
Writers will make sure their story‘s order makes sense.
o They will ask themselves questions like: Do all of the events leading up to the climax of
my story create tension, make you have to keep reading.
o They might have their partner read the story and decide if they see something that
needs to change.
o It is always good to have a second opinion.
Writers will check, and have their partner check, to see if their story is detailed enough.
o They might read where a character is doing something important, and then add a thought
the character might be thinking.
o Is the character talking to themselves? Wondering anything?
Ex: John walked toward the door.
John was wondering who was behind the door as he walked toward it.
―I wonder who is behind this door.‖ John whispered to himself as he approached
the door.
o They might read the climax and think that there needs to be more detail. They will read
a sentence, and then add words at the end of the sentence solely for detail.
John walked toward the door quietly tiptoeing.
Writers want their stories to pop with detail that help the reader really feel and understand
what is happening. They can add adjectives and adverbs to help show what is going on.
o They will find a noun or a verb that could be described, and think of a word to describe
it.
Ex: John walked toward the door.
Becomes > John anxiously walked toward the large, wooden door.
Writers want their reader to be aching to turn the page. They are careful, and thoughtful
about when they change pages.
o They will read through their story and find a place where there is a suspenseful moment.
o They can add an ellipsis or,
o They can put a page turn right there to keep the reader excited.
Editing
Writers are careful to punctuate well to make it easier for their reader to understand their
story.
o They will read through and when they pause their voice they will decide if they need it is
the end of a sentence and they need a period, or if it is a good place for a comma.
Choice #2: Mystery
Overview of Unit:
From TC Writing Curriculum Grades 4-5: One of the most exciting aspects of this unit is that our
reading and writing units will perfectly align. Whichever genre our students are reading and
discussing in their book clubs during reading workshop will be the same genre they are writing. It
is also important to note that although the genre makes the unit feel fresh and engaging to our
students, as teachers we know that at the heart of this unit is the reinforcement of skillful
narrative writing. Some lessons and methods for teaching the craft of story writing will be
common to all the genres. You may want to look at where your children‘s writing falls on the
narrative writing continuum and think about how independent they are in their use of the writing
cycle to decide which of the following reminders you need to spend more time on, no matter which
subgenre of fiction your students are practicing. To remind your young writers that they know a
lot about stories based on their reading lives, you could set up partnerships or small groups to do a
quick inquiry in which they chart qualities of fiction stories that they have enjoyed. They will no
doubt list traits such as how the characters are likeable, have strong emotions and interesting
relationships. Depending on what you‘ve taught them to notice and talk about in the books they
are reading and how often they‘ve had opportunities for talk they might also say how sometimes
characters are complicated, face tough problems, desire things and sometimes teach us lessons.
They‘ll sometimes mention that writers use dialogue, detail, and inner thinking and that they give
details about place, people, and objects.
Next, teach your students to look across this chart of writer‘s craft, and decide which of those
they want to
tackle this time as they write fiction. Don‘t let them choose too many. They should choose a couple
they already do, and add one or two they‘ll focus on in this story. This way, you are teaching your
writers to set writing goals, and to imagine outgrowing themselves as writers.
You may also remind students of what they‘ve already learned in fiction writing. You might repost
fiction charts from October in your classroom and invite students to look once again at their first
published realistic fiction piece. You want to set your writers up so that their notebook work and
first drafts will be of the same quality as their more revised work from earlier projects. Partners
can review their writing process from writing fiction and make a quick plan about how this unit will
progress for them. They might jot down how they started by developing a main character,
particularly by describing what that character wants and struggles with. They might recall they
had
multiple tries at creating timelines for their stories or told them in many ways across mini-books
and began writing some of those scenes or moments that took place within a clear setting. They
will remember how they used their notebook to develop their character and to reflect on the
issues their character faced. They may have rehearsed
their stories by telling them to a partner or through dramatic storytelling with a small group.
Teaching Points for Writing Mystery:
Teaching Points are listed in order according to the stages of the writing process.
Mystery writers IMMERSE themselves in mystery writing, reading as much as of it as they can, to notice what really sets it apart from other genres.
Teachers might consider giving students time over the course of a few days to read mysteries,
alone or with partners. During this time, students should be looking for things that lots of
mysteries have in common. Below is a list of noticings students might develop during immersion
into mysteries:
*clues—lists of clues
*detectives
*police stations
*wanted posters
*question—something‘s missing
*suspects
*element of suspicion
*concentrating on finding something—a search is on
*true clues and trick clues
*red-herrings (the writer tries to lead you in one direction when you should be going in another
direction.)
*crime committed—something‘s stolen
*someone accused or falsely accused
*search—questioning
*solved at the end
Mystery writers prepare to write by immersing themselves in the reading of great mystery
writing. They look for features of mysteries that help them know it is a mystery. They
scan through different mysteries looking for features that stand out, and marking them
with post-its. (After students have come up with many post-its with partners, create a
chart of noticings, having students place post-its on the chart).
Mystery writers COLLECT lots of ideas for writing, before choosing their favorite to stick with and NURTURE.
Mystery writers collect many different ideas for their writing. They think about special,
valuable objects that might get stolen. They create a T-Chart in their notebooks of these
objects, listing the objects and the people that would want to have them.
Mystery writers get ideas by exaggerating everyday mysteries. They list out everyday
mysteries (where did I put my glasses, where are my keys…) and then think of 1-2 ways
those mysteries could be exaggerated to become more exciting. (Are the glasses from a
museum exhibit? Could they have been stolen? Are the keys to a special treasure chest?)
Mystery writers get ideas by thinking of a mystery and changing it to make it their own.
They list out the main elements of a mystery (mystery, clues, suspects, red herring…) and
ask, ―What do I want to change?‖ and ―What do I really like that I could keep the same?‖
(Chart worked well for this… 3 Columns: Mystery Element, In the Story…, What I Would
Change).
Mystery writers get ideas for their writing by listing out possible titles. They star their
favorite ideas in their notebooks and then come up with a funny title, a catchy title, and a
serious title for each. They circle their favorites.
Mystery writers start planning their writing. They describe the scene when the main
character discovers the mystery, thinking about their mystery and asking, ―Where could
this take place?‖ ―What would the area look like?‖ and ―Would anything be destroyed?‖
Then writers sketch the crime scene out in their notebooks.
Mystery writers plan their writing by laying clues around the scene of the crime. They look
at the sketch in their notebooks and ask, ―What clues could have been left behind?‖ and
then drawing those clues into their sketch, or listing them in their notebooks. (Writers
could think about real and fake clues that might be left.)
Mystery writers plan their writing by drawing out a timeline of events in their notebooks.
They label the bottom of the timeline with ―Beginning, Middle, and End‖ and list out what
normally happens at each point in a mystery (Beg: char. Intro, mystery intro, Mid: Clues, try
to solve…). Then, they write in those events for their own mystery where they would
happen on top of the line.
Mystery writers plan the clues for their mystery, thinking of all the things their criminal
could leave behind to lead the detective to him/her.
Mystery writers plan the clues for their mystery, thinking of the setting and asking, ―What
could I put in the setting that the detective could find to start him/her on the search for
the criminal?‖
Mystery writers plan their mystery before they write it. They make a time-line of all the
main actions in their mystery. They make a movie of their story in their minds, retelling it
across their fingers (first, next, then and then, and the, finally), and make a dot on a time-
line for each of their fingers (main actions).
Mystery writers plan where they‘ll put their clues in their story. They look at their time-
line and then at their list of clues (true or untrue) and ask, ―Where does it make sense for
each of these to go in my mystery?‖ They then put each clue next to the appropriate action
dot on the timeline.
Unit of Study: Mysteries
Mini-Lesson Teaching Point: Mystery writers collect lists in their notebooks that will help them come up with an idea for a great mystery. One list they collect is a list of special people, pets, or objects that they‘ve lost or misplaced or could have lost or misplaced. Connection: (activate prior knowledge and focus student attention on the lesson – state teaching
point)
We‘re going to start a new kind of writing today. We‘re going to start learning about mysteries. Today, I am going to teach you… WHAT: One way mystery writers get ideas for mysteries HOW: is by thinking about people, pets, or objects that are special to them that they‘ve lost or misplaced or could have lost or misplaced. They make a list of all the things that are special to them (people, pets, objects) that they may have lost or misplaced or could have lost or misplaced. WHY: They do this because it gets their minds thinking about what their mystery could be about – something missing. Many mysteries are about a lost or stolen item that is special to someone. Teach: (demonstrate the teaching point, providing an example, explanation, and/or demonstrating
with teacher‘s writing – repeat the teaching point several times – teacher talk)
Watch me as I…
Make a list of all the people, pets, or objects that are special to me that I‘ve lost or misplaced or that I could have lost or misplaced. I want to make this list so that it may help me come up with a great idea for a mystery I could write. Model making a list on chart paper. Just spend a couple minutes on this list.
Active Engagement: (provide an opportunity for guided practice – coach and assess during this
time)
Now you are going to have a try. You are going to… Think of all the people, pets, or objects that are special to you that you‘ve lost or misplaced or that you could have lost or misplaced. Put your thumb up when you have some ideas of what will go on your list. Turn and tell your partner. Link: (review and clarify the teaching point, globalizing its utility from now to the future)
Today, and any day when you are thinking about writing a mystery… You can make a list of all the people, pets, or objects that are special to you that you‘ve lost or misplaced or that you could have lost or misplaced. You want to make this list so that it may help you come up with a great idea for a mystery you could write. Possible Mid-Workshop Interruptions/Future Mini-Lessons(additional teaching points that relate to
the mini-lesson teaching point or the Unit of Study):
*Choose one thing from the list to sketch out. This will help you remember all the descriptive details.
*Choose one thing from the list and think about who would want this. Write long about who could want
this person, place, or thing and why.
Mystery writers DRAFT their writing as they copy down all their ideas into story for on draft paper.
Mystery writers begin drafting their writing by carrying their planning over onto draft
paper. They keep their planning (notebooks) open next to their paper. They look at each
event they wrote onto their timeline (or story mountain), and write the events into their
mysteries, one at a time. They don‘t want to leave out their great thoughts and planning!
Mystery writers begin drafting their writing, rereading all the entries in their notebook
that relate to the story. They try out a few different ways to start, creating the setting,
and introducing the characters.
Mystery writers draft their mysteries, continuously paying special attention to their
planning. They take breaks in their drafting to re-read their planning entries, asking,
―Have I left any of this out?‖ and adding details if necessary.
Mystery writers draft their mysteries using their partners for help. At the end of each
writing session, writers read their mysteries to their partners, trying to make it sound
very mysterious, and adding things in if necessary, or jotting down ideas their partners
have on where to continue the next day.
Mystery writers draft their mysteries, paying special attention to the clues they‘re
including. After writing for a while, writers stop to highlight clues as they are introduced
to make sure they have clues distributed nicely throughout the draft.
Mystery writers REVISE what they’ve written to make it even better! Teachers may consider doing immersion here, again, having kids look at several mysteries and think
about what makes them good mysteries. Teachers could make a chart of all the things the writers
did to make the stories mysterious and interesting…specific writing techniques. These could turn
into your revision lessons that you demonstrate on your own mystery. Plus, it would give kids lots
of ideas that they might want to try on their own.
Mystery writers recall good noticings that they intended to incorporate into their writing.
They look back at favorite mysteries and jot down favorite mystery writing
characteristics on post-its to use later. Then, they find the perfect places in their
writing to add these noticings.
Mystery writers add dialogue that is important for the plot. They re-read what they have
written, stopping every so often and saying, ―What might my characters have to say at
this point?‖ (Review using quotation marks.)
Mystery writers expand the exciting moment by giving it an action-thought- dialogue
pattern. They find intense moments in their mysteries and come up with a specific action
to better describe the moment, then the main character‘s thoughts, and finally some
dialogue.
Mystery writers write an opening that will capture the reader‘s attention. They use
exciting dialogue, or maybe jump right into the crime scene or a character introduction.
Mystery writers develop the setting by adding sensory details. They think about what
characters might be hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, or seeing in different scenes, then
add appropriate details to their writing.
Mystery writers add details to give readers more information. They find names of
characters or objects in the story, and add appositives- noun phrases that function as
adjectives. They start at the beginning of their mysteries, and read through them… when
they get to a character, they stop and ask, ―What‘s a little more I could say about this
person?‖ and add an appositive after the character‘s name. (Barb, the crazy lady next door.)
Two charts which could be created to help students revise their writing to add description, or
note the passage of time.
Mystery writers EDIT their writing so it looks beautiful, and so readers will take it seriously.
Mystery writers make their writing easier to read by checking their dialogue for proper
punctuation. They re-read their mysteries, and stop at each bit of dialogue. Then, they
check to be sure there is a quotation mark before the first word spoken, punctuation mark
after the last word spoken, and then another quotation mark. (+ he said, she said rules)
Mystery writers make their writing easier to read by checking it for correct spelling. They
re-read it word by word themselves, circling any and every word that they think might be
spelled wrong. Then, they have 2 others do the same. After circling these words, writers
use a dictionary, computer, or any other available resource to correct/check the words.
Mystery writers make their writing easier to read by starting new paragraphs with each new
thought. They decide where to start new paragraphs by re-reading paying special attention
to when the thought, idea, or setting really changes. Then, skipping to the next line, and
indenting before writing on.
Mystery writers make their writing easier to read, making sure thoughts are written in
good, complete sentences. They read, one sentence at a time asking, ―Was that a complete
thought?‖ fixing incomplete ones.
Mystery writers PUBLISH their writing, so it’s neat and beautiful… they make people want to read it!!!
Writers make sure they include all of their changes, revisions, and editing in their published
piece. They copy down their writing, one word at a time, as neatly as possible. They stop
and re-read often to be sure they didn‘t leave out any changes.
Writers make their writing beautiful and colorful so people will want to read it! They go
through their published piece, looking for pictures that need colored or more details, and
add to them as an illustrator would.
Writers make their published pieces more appealing to readers. They make cover pages and
title pages that bright, neat, and really draw readers in. They think about a picture that
really fits the topic, and make sure to include the book‘s title, and the author‘s name.
Writers make their published pieces as exciting, and appealing as possible by adding an
―About the Author‖ page.
Choice #3: Fairy Tales
Overview of the Unit
In this unit students will become familiar with ―unrealistic‖ fiction, or fantasy. They will be given
the opportunity to hear many traditional fairytales read aloud toward the beginning of the unit,
and then, as you progress, they will hear several adapted fairy tales. You will want to be sure to
point out the parts of the story the author tweaks in order to create an adapted, or fractured
fairy tale. Maybe the author, instead of tweaking the actual story, writes a prequel or a sequel.
Students will be creating their own prequel, sequel or adapted fairy tale. It is a good idea to do
this together as a class before sending them off on their own. One way you may approach this is
to focus in on one fairy tale such as Cinderella. Read the traditional one, and then read several
from different cultures. The students should begin to see a trend in how the setting and
characters can change. For instance, if a fairy tale is changed to be set in the south, then the
characters are most likely going to have southern accents. If it is going to be changed to Alaska
then the characters clothing will change. After reading and discussing several adapted fairy tales
then you can provide the opportunity for your class to re-write Cinderella together as an adapted
fairy tale. You might set it in school, or somewhere where the kids are familiar.
Immersion is highly important in this unit. In order to provide a good picture of what the kids are
supposed to do. If they have a good idea of where they are heading they will feel more freedom in
how to write their own adapted fairy tales.
Once you have quickly gone through the writing process together as a class, then you will want to
allow the students to COLLECT ideas on different fairy tales. A good option for this is having a
traditional fairy tale bin and an adapted bin. Kids can practice on different fairy tales before
choosing one to commit to.
Collecting
Students will try adapting different fairy tales by thinking of a certain tale and then listing all
of the different settings they know where the fairy tale could possibly take place.
Writers can choose a setting to play with and jot down what would change when the fairy tale
is placed in the setting.
o They will think about how the characters accent might change, their clothing…
o They will consider the weather and culture and how that could possibly change the
events.
Ex: A royal ball may become a country ho-down.
Building a stick home may be like an igloo and instead of it being blown away it
might melt.
Choosing/Nurturing
Writers will choose a fairy tale to experiment with and adapt, by looking through the different
options and deciding on their favorite one.
o They will want to pay close attention to the setting and the characters so that they
choose one that will be easier for them to change.
Writers will create a main character for their fairy tale by examining the original and changing
some things to create a new one.
o They might make a list describing the original character then going through and circling
the things that will stay the same, and crossing out and re-writing the things that will
change.
Ex: Cinderella --> Beautiful girl, Kind, Gentle, Old Clothing, Stepdaughter, patient
with her stepsisters and step mother, lives in a beautiful home
Cinder-Anna --> Homely, Kind, Gentle, Cunning, clothes that don‘t fit,
stepdaughter, impatient etc…
Writers might change the setting of their fairy tale.
o They can create a T-chart, one side with the original setting, then the other containing
what will be the same and what might change.
Will a palace become a mansion, or a fancy houseboat?
Writers will organize their thinking by creating a page in their notebook that lists the
traditional fairy tales setting, characters and events. Then, next to them they will write their
adapted fairy tales setting, characters and events.
Writers will notice that there is a strong sense of conflict in most fairy tales, a very good
character, and a very bad character. They need to define these rolls clearly for the reader.
o They might think of a really good person and list out their qualities, and circle the ones
they want their good character to have.
o They could think of bad guys from books or movies and list out traits that bad
characters have.
Writers will do some practice writing to see how parts of their story they have in their head
will work.
o They might think of an even they would like to see happen in their fairy tale, then write
just that part several times, trying out something different each time.
o Some things they might experiment with:
A character‘s quirk or personality trait.
A description of the setting
A description of the event.
o Writers know how important it is for the reader to be able to ―see‖ what is going on, so
they want to practice in order to create their best story.
Writers of fairytales realize that some fairy tales often have events happening in threes. So,
when they recreate a fairy tale, they might check to see if their traditional fairy tale had
things happening in threes, then be sure and recreate three events in their version.
Writers will notice how fairytales often have a classic fairy tale beginning that sets the scene.
o They might scan the beginnings of several fairy tales and try them out in their
notebooks with their fairy tale.
CHART A chart of fairy tale beginnings. During your mini lesson‘s Active Inv.
You can have the kids check up on different fairy tale beginnings.
Writers will create a timeline or story mountain to plot the events of their story.
o They might draw a line, or mountain curve
o They will carefully think about the events in their story. What should happen at the very
beginning, they will lead up to a big event in a story, then come back down to a good
ending event.
Writers will practice writing events in their story by taking a plot off of the story mountain
and writing it.
o They may write it several times before they find the perfect way to describe the event.
Revising Writers will make their fairy tales more fairy tale-like by using fairy tale language.
o They might pay close attention to the language used in their original fairy tale, then find
places in their story where they can use that language (They need to have the ―make-sense‖
filter on. They don‘t want to use language that doesn‘t fit their story
o They might pay close attention to the setting of their story and decide if there is any
specific type of accent or vocabulary that they could use in their story to make it more
realistic.
They can find other books from that culture, or area and see if they can find
language to use.
o CHART IDEA A fairy tale language chart, or a list culture language (maybe a list of
southern accent words, maybe a list of how to say words in a European accent, changing the
―th‖ sound to ―s‖ or ―z‖ and the ―w‖ sound to ―v.‖
Writers use descriptive language or adjectives to make their stories more fun to read.
o They will go to an important part of their story.
o Then they will find a verb or a noun that does not have a description.
If they choose to describe a verb they will use an adverb (CHARTuse a previously
created adverb or ―ly‖ word chart or create a new one.)
If they choose to describe a noun they will use an adjective (CHARTuse a
previously created adjective or describing word chart or create a new one.)
Writers want will sometimes change the order of their stories to see if it makes sense.
o They might read carefully looking for confusing parts,
o Then they could have their partner read and see if they think the same part is confusing.
o If so, then they can either re-write or take out that part.
Writers are careful to realize that when they change one thing, they need to reread
their whole story to make sure that what they changed fits.
Editing
**Use strategies from previous units of study.
Writers want their spellings to be correct.
o They might go through and check to see if all their word wall words are spelled
correctly.
In order not to overlook a word wall word, they may start from the end of the
story, with the last word and read each word going backward. That can ensure
that they won‘t get caught up in what is happening, but can focus on the spelling.
o They might check out the fairy tale language and adjectives chart.
They can start from the end again, looking for words that don‘t look right, and
check them with charts or other books where they know those words show up.
ADAPT A FAIRY TALE!
First, read the traditional fairy tale. Fill in the first side of the paper.
Next, choose how you want to adapt the fairy tale. Fill in the next part of the paper. If it stays the same, just
check in the little circle in the bottom of the box.
Traditional/Normal
fairy tale version
Adapted Version
Main Characters
Good Bad
→→
Main Characters
Good Bad
o Keep the same.
Setting (Where? When?)
→→
o Keep the same.
Main Event #1
→→
o Keep the same.
Main Event #2
→→
o Keep the same.
Main Event #3
→→
o Keep the same.
Ending
→→
o Keep the same.
Point of view:____________________________________
Adapting a Fairy Tale
Characters
The 3 little
__________________
And the big,
bad
_________________
Setting
Problem
Solution
Choice #4: Realistic Fiction
Immersion
- Writers notice the features of realistic fiction books by reading mentor texts (realistic
fiction books – often picture books because they are shorter) and making a list of what they
notice the author has done (create a chart).
- Writers become familiar with realistic fiction writing by reading mentor texts and looking
for the setting, characters and problems and writing these on a chart.
Collecting
- Writers create a character by merging the characteristics of two people they know really
well. They think of 2 real people they know well, list out all of their internal and external
characteristics/traits (T-chart) and then merge characteristics from both to create a new
character. (Hopefully they will try out several different characters and not just one.)
- Writers collect ideas of their character's possible motivations and struggles by writing
wants/needs but and writing small moments in which
they encounter those struggles. (Hopefully they will again try this out for several different
characters and not just one.)
-Writers try out possible characters for realistic fiction stories by choosing a character and
sketching and labeling that character in detail.
- Writers try out possible characters by choosing a label from one of the characters they
sketched and writing a small moment story from that character’s life connected to this label
(label=stringy hair small moment story=the day everyone made fun of her for having stringy
hair).
- Writers try out possible characters by choosing a characteristic/trait from one of their
previous character lists and listing out problems they might have and writing small moments in
which they face those problems (character hates dogs / problem could be he finds a dog
that follows him home).
- Writers plan for their story by thinking through story elements. They can do this by
filling out boxes: setting, problem, solution.
- Writers get to know their possible characters by storytelling different traits and one
time stories with a partner. They can choose a characteristic/trait from their list and think
of a one time story that relates to it. They can start with story language – ―One morning…..
One day….‖ Or with dialogue.
Choosing
- Writers choose a seed idea idea (story idea – problem and solution) and a main character
that they will stick with by re-reading their entries and deciding on the one situation and
the one character which are the most believable and that they feel most interested in
writing about for a long time.
Nurturing/Developing/Planning
- Writers nurture/develop their story idea by sketching the setting, labeling it, and writing
about each label.
-Writers nurture/develop their character by sketching and labeling their character in detail
and writing off of those labels.
- Writers plan for their story by thinking through story elements. They can do this by filling
out boxes: setting, problem, solution.
- Writers nurture their character by writing a small moment that is uncharacteristic of their
main character by looking back over their list of character traits, choosing one, and thinking
about how they might act in contrast to this trait (hates dogs / a dog follows him home and
he secretly picks it up and hugs it).
- Writers nurture their character by creating other characters that might interact with
their main character (family, friends, foils). They do this by thinking of families and friends
they know and modeling this character’s family and friends after those.
- Writers plan events of their story by developing a story mountain. They decide where they
want their story to begin in time and put the main events on the story mountain, building to
the high point.
-Writers develop the events of their story by adding thoughts, feelings, or wonderings to
each event on the story mountain. They do this by looking at each event on their story
mountain and asking, ―What did my character/s think, feel, or wonder in this part of the
story?‖ and adding that to the story mountain.
- Writers nurture their story idea by writing long about the most exciting moment (the high
point on the story mountain). They do this by looking at their story mountain, finding the
event on the mountain that holds the most emotion (normally at the top), putting that event
at the top of a clean page, and writing a list of everything they might want to include in this
part.
- Writers plan what their characters will see in different parts of their story by
drawing/sketching a scene/event from their story mountain and labeling it.
- Writers further explain their characters by creating a senses chart: see, hear, feel,
touch, smell.
- Writers add more details to their stories by making a movie in their mind and writing the
details of what they see.
- Writers get to know their characters by sketching and labeling the characters and
thinking of habits based off of the labels.
-Writers stretch out the heart of their story by making a movie in their mind of that part
and writing long about that part.
- Writers plan their story by making a time-line of all the main events.
- Writers stretch out the heart of their story by making a time-line of just the problem
(heart). They do this by looking at the main time-line and finding the dot on the time-line
that is the start of the problem.
Drafting
- Writers draft their story by choosing the most exciting moment and building a story
around it.
- Writers begin their drafts by rereading all of their entries.
Revise
- Writers expand their most exciting moment by giving it an action-thought-dialogue
pattern.
- Writers create problems for their characters in the beginning of the draft by using
repetition and breaking it.
- Writers show-not-tell the setting in the beginning of the story by including things that
are seen and not heard in that setting.
- Writers write a resolution for their story by stating how the character has grown or
changed at the end of the climax.
- Writers revise their writing with show, not tell by telling what happens to their
character's body when they feel a particular emotion.
- Writers make sure our writing makes sense by a group member reading our draft aloud to
check for missing words.
-Writers write exciting leads by starting with action, dialogue, sound, or setting by putting
themselves back in the moment and thinking what did I do, say, hear, or see.
- Writers build suspense in their stories, slowing down the moment by lifting a line from
their story, where you want it to start and then write all the small actions that happened
from that moment.
-Writers build suspense by adding in a flashback or flashforward – stepping out of the
moment
Editing
- Writers edit their writing by using an editing checklist.
- Writers edit their writing by consulting a partner.
- Writers edit for run-on sentences by reading as a "slave to punctuation" and adjusting
their work.
- Writers make sure all of their words are on their page by everyone have a copy of your
story – the author reads the story and everyone has a copy to check the author.
Some other possible minilesson ideas
- determine strengths and faults of character
- storytelling with partners
- internal and external character traits
- credible character traits (that go together)
- storyboards- each picture a different scene
- plan story across pages in a booklet
- build tension to most exciting moment in story
- Senses chart- see, hear, smell, feel
- Tell every thing that happened- blow by blow, movie in mind
- show-not-tell character’s problem by using dialogue or describing action
- show readers what the character sees
- time-line of just the problem
- fill out boxes in notebook: setting, problem, solution for story idea
- Make a list of problems that correspond with different character traits
- Choose the problem that's the most believable and write more about it
- Plan events of a story on a story mountain
- Add feelings to story mountain
- Sketch and label character, write about labels
- Sketch and label setting, write about labels
- Write long the heart of the story
- Make a movie in your mind, write all of the details
- Read entries, draft on paper
- Lead: action, dialogue, sound, setting
- Making sure what we read is on the page (not omitting words)
- Making sure our writing makes sense
How to Find Ideas for Fiction
Observe the world or reread entries. Mine your notebook for story ideas.
Ask, ―What books do I wish existed in the world?‖ Let this question lead you to invent
a character with traits, struggles, actions.
Think about an issue that is important to you and create a character who struggles
with that issue.
Advice for Developing a Character
Start with whatever you’ve decided matters to you about your character. Is he or she
like you? Like someone you know?
Put together a character so that all the parts fit together into a coherent person.
Reread often, asking, ―Do these different things make sense within one person? Do
they fit together in a believable way? Are these traits here for a reason?‖
Open up any broad, general descriptors—words like sensitive—and ask, ―what exactly
does this word, this trait, mean for this particular character?‖
If a character seems too good to be true, make the character more complex and more
human by asking, ―What is the downside of this trait? How does this characteristic
help and hurt the character?‖
Know your character’s motivations (longings) and struggles.
We Can Develop Characters By Thinking About Their:
collections
favorite clothes
special places on earth
treasures
worries
quirks
secrets
special places on earth
relatives
ways of walking, talking, and gesturing
rituals for waking up, going to sleep
meals and mealtimes
best friends
Key Questions Fiction Writers Consider in Revising Endings
Can the reader see evidence of the main character’s evolution?
Does my ending make sense or come out of nowhere?
Are the loose ends tied up? Have I answered the reader’s key questions?
Have I revealed everything I need to for the story’s purposes?
Ways to Re-see our Stories
Writers use a lens to reread, asking, ―What am I trying to show?‖ and ―What is this
story really about?‖
Writers use a Character Cardboard Alert lens to be sure that our characters,
especially the main characters, look and act so real that the reader feels like the
character could walk right off the pages of their stories.
Writers use a Sound Check lens to see if we’ve missed words or to see if the language
and the rhythm of the sentences flow and make sense in our stories.
Writers reread our drafts, thinking, ―What sections have I summarized in passing?‖
―What sections have I stretched out, like stories?‖ ―Do these choices make sense?‖
Unit of Study: Realistic Fiction Stories
Connection: (activate prior knowledge and focus student attention on the lesson)
We are finally ready to write realistic fiction after so much time writing narratives and
essays and research. We are going to begin collecting ideas for our fictional stories in our
notebooks.
Today I am going to teach you . . .that we get ideas for realistic just like we do from
personal narratives and essays, by paying attention to the moments and issues in our own
lives.
Teach: (demonstrate the teaching point, providing an example and explanation, or providing
an opportunity for guided practice)
Real fiction writers truly get their ideas from their lives. They don’t look up in the clouds
and say, ―Gee, I think I’m getting an idea for a story.‖ Did you know that E. B. White,
who wrote Charlotte’s Web, was laying on a bale of hay in his barn, watching a spider spin
her web? The barn animals, pigs, geese, were all around and on the rafters above them
all, the little spider delicately wove her tapestry. He probably wrote an entry about that
moment in the writer’s notebook, and then later, sitting at his desk, he reread his
notebook, remembered the small moment and thought, ―I could write a story about that!‖
Of course when I say writer’s get ideas for writing by paying attention to our own lives, I
do not mean that writers just record exactly what happened and call that fiction. When
E. B. White laid on the bale of hay and watched a spider, he did not watch her spell out
the words, SOME PIG, and he did not watch her save a runt pig form the butcher. But we
can get ideas from our notebook. Let me show you what I mean. (Slowly look over your
notebook.)Let me show you what I mean. As I look at my notebook, I look at an entry
that can grow into a story. ―Here is one about my a lemonade stand. No, I don‘t think so.
Here is one about my daughter being a teenager. Hmmm, that looks interesting.‖
Active Engagement: (coach and assess during this time)
Now you are going to have a try. You are going to . . .help me look at some some
notebook entries and decide as writers if they can make a story.
(Refer to other sheet – have it written on chart paper.)
Turn and talk to your partner. Can you see a story growing?
Link: (review and clarify key points, globalizing their utility from now to the future)
Today and everyday when you are writing . . .remember to use your imagination just like
real fiction writers do and look at everyday moments in your life.
Put on Chart paper:
I’ve been noticing that the neighbor’s dog barks and runs at me whenever the boys who live
there are in the front yard. When the boys aren’t outside, their dog just sits on the porch
and stares at me.
When I was young, no one taught girls how to bat or catch the ball. I was always picked
last for teams, and then the captain would put me way out in the outfield. I felt so lonely,
and I knew they put me out there because if I had an important role, I would probably make
the team lose. Maybe that’s when I started to become a writer. I had a lot of time to
daydream standing way out there in the grass with nothing to do and no one to talk to.
Realistic Fiction Books
Realistic fiction is simply stated: real kids with real problems in a real world dealt with in a
realistic manner. If a story is excellent, it has more than one great characteristic. Therefore,
realistic stories can and often do have humor, mystery, a sense of adventure, perhaps even danger
or survival.
Realistic Fiction Picture Books:
A Chair For My Mother by Vera B. Williams
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Fireflies by Jane Yolen
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
Contemporary Realistic Fiction (mostly chapter books):
Realistic books have plots, characters, and settings that might be found in real life. The
characters in the books on this list are dealing with life's ups and downs.
Avi. Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel.
A ninth-grader's suspension for humming "The Star-Spangled Banner" during homeroom
becomes a national news story.
Bauer, Joan. Squashed.
As a sixteen-year-old pursues her two goals -- growing the biggest pumpkin in Iowa and
losing twenty pounds herself -- she strengthens her relationship with her father and meets a
young man with interests similar to her own.
Bauer, Marion Dane On My Honor.
When his best friend drowns while they are both swimming in a treacherous river that they
had promised never to go near, Joel is devastated and terrified at having to tell both sets
of parents the terrible consequences of their disobedience.
Bawden, Nina. Granny the Pag.
Originally abandoned by her actor parents, who later attempt to gain custody, Cat wages a
spirited campaign to decide her own fate and remain with her grandmother.
Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
Faced with the difficulties of growing up and choosing a religion, Margaret talks over her
problems with her own private God.
Byars, Betsy. The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown.
A boy is puzzled by the comic and confusing questions of youth and by disturbing insights into
adult conflicts.
Byars, Betsy. The Not-Just-Anybody Family.
With a young brother in the hospital, a grandfather in jail, and their mother traveling with a
rodeo, Maggie and Vern try to settle family problems.
Cleary, Beverly. Dear Mr. Henshaw.
In his letters to his favorite author, Leigh reveals his problems in coping with his parents'
divorce, being the new boy in school, and generally finding his own place in the world.
Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons.
After her mother leaves home suddenly, thirteen-year-old Sal and her grandparents take a
car trip retracing her mother's route.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963.
The ordinary interactions and everyday routines of the Watsons, an African American family
living in Flint, Michigan, are drastically changed after they go to visit Grandma in Alabama in
the summer of 1963.
Danziger, Paula and Ann Martin. P.S. Longer Letter Later.
Best friends Elizabeth and Tara*Starr continue their friendship through letter-writing after
Tara*Starr's family moves to another state.
Fine, Anne. The Tulip Touch.
Natalie, who lives in the large hotel managed by her father, has a dangerous friendship with
Tulip, the wildly uncontrollable girl on a neighboring farm.
Fleischman, Paul. Seedfolks.
One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled
inner-city lot into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners
themselves are transformed.
Freeman, Suzanne. The Cuckoo's Child.
Mia refuses to believe that her parents are not coming back after they're reported lost at
sea.
Konigsburg, E.L. The View From Saturday.
Four students, with their own individual stories, develop a special bond and attract the
attention of their teacher, a paraplegic, who chooses them to represent their sixth-grade
class in the Academic Bowl competition.
MacLachlan, Patricia. Baby.
Taking care of an abandoned baby helps a family come to terms with the death of their own
infant son.
Myers, Walter Dean. Scorpions.
After reluctantly taking on the leadership of a Harlem gang, Jamal finds that his enemies
treat him with respect when he acquires a gun -- until a tragedy occurs.
Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. Shiloh.
When he finds a beagle in the hills near his home, Marty tries to hide it from his family and
the dog's real owner, a mean-spirited man known to mistreat his dogs.
Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia.
The life of a boy in rural Virginia expands when he befriends a newcomer who subsequently
meets an untimely death trying to reach their hideaway, Terabithia, during a storm.
Paterson, Katherine. The Great Gilly Hopkins.
An eleven-year-old foster child tries to cope with her longings and fears as she schemes
against everyone who tries to be friendly.
Paulsen, Gary. The Crossing.
Manny, a street kid fighting for survival in a Mexican border town, develops a strange
friendship with an emotionally disturbed American soldier who decides to help him get across
the border.
Rylant, Cynthia. Missing May.
After the death of her beloved aunt who has raised her, Summer and her uncle Ob leave
their West Virginia trailer in search of the strength to go on living.
Smith, Doris Buchanan. A Taste of Blackberries.
No one, least of all his best friend, dreamed that Jamie's exuberance and a harmless prank
could end in his sudden death. But when it does, his friend must find the strength to bear
his grief and his feeling that he might have saved his friend.
Soto, Gary. Taking Sides.
Lincoln Mendoza, an aspiring basketball player, must come to terms with his divided loyalties
when he moves from the Hispanic inner city to a suburban neighborhood.
Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee.
After his parents die, Jeffrey Lionel Magee's life becomes legendary, as he accomplishes
athletic and other feats which awe his contemporaries.
Spinelli, Jerry. Wringer.
As Palmer comes of age, he must either accept the violence of being a wringer at his town's
annual Pigeon Day or find the courage to oppose it.
Voigt, Cynthia. Bad Girls.
After meeting on the first day in Mrs. Chemsky's fifth-grade class, Margalo and Mikey help
each other in and out of trouble, as they try to maintain a friendship while each asserts her
independence.
More Realistic Fiction Titles:
Molly Albright: The Room of Doom from the Two of a Kind series
Eve Bunting: Sharing Susan, Our Sixth Grade Sugar Babies
Betsy Byars: The Blossoms and the Green Phantom, The Not-Just-Anybody Family, The Cybil War
Judy Delton: Hello, Huckleberry Heights from the Condo Kids series
Patricia Reilly Giff: Girl Who Knew It All, Love, From the Fifth Grade Celebrity
Betsy Haynes: Taffy Sinclair, Queen of the Soaps
Barbara Ware Holmes: Charlotte Cheetham: Master of Disaster
Ann M. Martin: Inside Out, With You and Without You
Betty Miles: The Secret Life of the Underwear Champ
Kate McMullan: The Great Ideas of Lila Fenwick
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: The Mad Gasser of the Bessledorf Hotel
Gary Paulsen: The Voyage of the Frog
Marilyn Sachs: Peter and Veronica
Marjorie Weinman Sharmat: Maggie Marmelstein for President
Jerry Spinelli: Picklemania
Realistic Teaching Points from Tom Marshall
Writers create a character by merging the characteristics of two people they really know.
Writers nurture their character by writing small moments from their (characters’) lives.
Writers nurture their character by listing problems they might have and writing small moments in which they face those problems.
Writers nurture their character by writing a small moment which is uncharacteristic of their main character.
Writers nurture their character by creating other characters which might interact with theirs (family, friends, foils)
Writers choose a seed idea by rereading their entries and deciding on the situation which is the most believable one and writing more about it.
Writers draft their stories by choosing the most exciting moment and building a story around it.
Writers expand their most exciting moment by giving it an action-thought-dialogue pattern.
Writers create problems for their characters in the beginning of the draft by using repetition and breaking it.
Writers show, not tell the setting in the beginning of the story by including things that are seen and heard in that setting.
Writers write a resolution for their story by stating how the character has grown or changed at the end of the climax.
Writers revise their writing with show, not tell by telling what happens to their character’s body when they feel a particular emotion.
Writers revise their writing using strategies learned in the Edge of the Seat writing unit.
Writers edit their writing by using an editing checklist. Writers edit their writing by consulting a partner. Writers edit for run-on sentences by reading as a ―slave to punctuation‖ and adjusting
their work.
Realistic Fiction Seed Ideas
―What if…?‖
This really happened to me… Make it fiction….What If…?
My birthday party Nobody shows up. The candles go on fire. I have a fight with my brother.
Realistic Fiction
Great books that show trouble/solution (not all have realistic characters, but you could use them
when teaching about problem/solution):
TITLE KIND OF TROUBLE SOLUTION TEACHING IDEAS I’m Not Invited? by
Diana Cain Bluthenthal
Character feels left
out.
Character runs into her
friend and discovers it is
just a misunderstanding.
Good for showing how
tension can be built by
a character’s thoughts
and actions.
A Weekend With
Wendall by Kevin
Henkes
Friends are not getting
along.
Sophie stands up for
herself. Wendell decides
to let her be in charge
sometimes. They figure
out how to take turns.
Sing Out, Irene by
James Marshall
Character has to do
something she does not
want to do.
Irene decides to do her
best even though she has
a bad part in the play.
She still acts in a way
that she can be proud
of.
Good examples of
showing emotions
rather than just
telling about them.
It’s MY Birthday! by
Pat Hutchins
Character does not
want to share.
Billy has to ask his
friends to play games
with him because you
can’t play games by
yourself. One of his
friends is nice to him,
even though Billy has
been selfish. He learns
that you have more fun
when you share.
Good for showing how
a repeated refrain can
help move the story
along.
Peter’s Chair by Ezra
Jack Keats
Character does not
want to share.
Character does not like
the change caused by a
new sibling.
Peter has to go off by
himself and be angry for
a while. Then he accepts
that Susie is his sister
and she is there to stay.
He decides to share his
chair and to help his dad
paint it pink for her.
Good for showing
emotions rather than
just telling about
them.
Wilson Sat Alone by
Debra Hess
New boy does not know
how to make friends.
the other kids think he
does not want to make
friends.
New girl comes along and
show everybody how to
make friends by including
Wilson in her game.
Possible Teaching Points:
When we start to plan stories, we can invent characters sort of like ourselves and get them
into trouble. What’s important here is that children work with characters that resemble
themselves. Since they are writing realistic fiction, their characters need to be authentic
and believable. Knowing characters well makes it easier to decide what kind of trouble
they might get into and how they will respond to it when they do.
Now that we know what problems our characters will face, we can tell that part of the story in
greater detail. In the beginning, young ones will write the problem in simple language (One
day Christina and her parents went to the park. Christina got lost. Finally her parents
found her.) You can use this story or one of your own to model for the students how to
say more about it. (She saw a butterfly and walked over to have a closer look. When she
turned around, she couldn’t see her parents anywhere. She was lost.) You can think aloud
about how the character can get lost in a way that makes sense: ―It won’t be very
interesting if she suddenly gets lost for no reason; I have to find a way for her to get
lost.‖
Our stories are about made-up characters, so we should call them he or she, not I. Much good
fiction is written in first person. Here, though, you want children to write in the third
person so the distinction between the writer and the character is clear. This will help
them invent parts of the story even though they might have started from an idea that
really happened. Making the change from I, me, or my to she, her, or hers is simple.
Remembering they are allowed to make up details for the story may be harder. In your
lessons and conferences, demonstrate (in your own writing) how you keep your characters
like yourself but play around with them almost like plauing with dolls-inventing their
reality and circumstances, but having them respond as you yourself might.
Ways to develop, or stretch, stories:
Add characters’ thoughts or feelings.
Include what characters see, hear, smell, taste, and feel.
Let the reader hear characters talking (dialogue).
Give a blow-by-blow account (tell everything that happened in a part of the story).
Find the most important part, or heart, of the story and say more about it.
Make sure details that are in the pictures are also in the words (for example, if
characters are smiling in the picture, write that in the words too).
Add a new beginning or ending.
Tell about the setting.
Poetry Extra Resource
Overview of the Unit: As in any unit of study, you will want to launch the unit by helping children learn how to live
writerly lives. As in previous units, you will probably want to remind your young poets that they
can find significance in the big issues and ordinary details of their lives, gathering entries and
images and lists that might later be developed into publishable texts. Teach them to pay close
attention to images or entries that have surprising beauty, to reconsider memories, to ponder
conversations. They can also search for ideas in past entries. You may make this unit a time for
close observation, teaching students to select scenes, places and images that represent
gigantically important topics, and then to look with depth and honesty at those places, scenes and
images.
All through the unit, children will read poems out loud so that they can learn how to savor
the sounds of this genre. Help them to talk and think about the difference in sound and meaning
between fry and sizzle, shine and sparkle, cry and weep. Ideally, they‘ll hear how the right choice
of words can make a poem funny or wistful/sad. They‘ll learn to create ―mind pictures‖ by placing
an ordinary thing up next to something it‘s never bee compared to before: ―Today the sky looks
soft and worn, like my old baby blanket.‖ Children may learn how to shape words on the page so
that their texts not only sound but also look like poems. That is, they will learn that poets think
about where to break a line so that the sound, rhythm, and look of each line achieve the overall
tone and meaning that the poet wishes to convey. They will learn how poets use the white space
around the words to pause, take a breath, and make something stand out from all the other words.
You will probably emphasize free verse poetry. Rhyming well is a precise skill that many
adult poets find difficult to master. Teach children to aim first for meaning, and for finding a way
to describe what matters with words that will make the reader see the world in a brand new way.
Once student have many beginnings and first tries of poems in their notebooks, teach them
that as poets draft new poems and re-work poems they have already written, they try out many
different versions of their poems. Poets make changes to better express what they most want to
convey to the reader. They sometimes find that the act of revision brings new and more powerful
ideas: What they want to say may change as they play wit the way they‘re saying it.
But above all, the secret of poetry is heart. Poets write from the heart. Poets teach all of
us to look at the world differently. They help us to celebrate small beauties. They inspire us to
outrages over injustices great and small. And so, in this unit, focus on the work that poets do in
the world, the way that poets love the world through words. Focus on the way poets sustain us
during hard times, the way poets express outrage and grief and joy.
For this unit, teaching points created and shared at our collaboration meetings have been
compiled together. The following teaching points are divided into the different steps of the
writing process. There are more teaching points listed for each step than will be used in your unit
of study. As a result, read through and choose those teaching points that will work best for your
classroom.
Immersion Writers become familiar with what poetry looks like. We read poems and jot down what
they see. We ask ourselves, ―What do I see?‖
Writers find poems that are personal to them. We read poems and choose one (or more)
that they feel a connection to. Then, we write that poem in our notebooks noting the
qualities we admire.
Groups of writers become familiar with the craft of poetry. We find pomes that fit into
different forms of poetry and explain how those poems fit that form.
Collecting Writers create a class poem inspired by a mentor text. Students take lines from a mentor
text. Everyone has a copy of the same poem. Each student chooses/highlights 1 line they
love. Someone starts the poem with a line from anywhere in the original poem. This line is
written on a chart. Students say out their line as they see it would fit with the poem.
Other students may say the same line over again. When all the lines have been written, the
class rereads the newly created poem.
Writers create a personal poem inspired by a mentor text. We repeat the previous activity
for creating a class poem, except we use one of our poems we have recorded in our
notebooks or found. We choose a favorite line to start the new poem, and we continue with
the same process written above.
Writers collect ideas for poems. We make a list of questions, things we wonder about, or
things that mystify us. Then, we choose 1 and write a poem that provides a possible answer.
Writers collect ideas for poems using things that are most meaningful to them. We make a
heart map filled with the people, places, things, and ideas that are closest to us. Then we
write poems that explore why these things are important to us.
Writers respond to issues in the world to collect ideas for poems. We look at issues in the
news and ask, ―What do I think about this story? What do I feel about it?‖
Writers use objects to collect ideas for a poem. We brainstorm a list of odd, ordinary
objects, or objects that intrigue us. Then we record everything about it that we notice
(size, shape, texture, or color).
Writers collect poetic words for their poems. We gather interesting and poetic words from
our reading or other poems.
Writers collect ideas for poems from their notebooks. We reread our notebook entries,
lift an important phrase from an entry, and write more about that entry.
Writers collect ideas for poems from their notebooks. We revisit the collections in our
notebooks from the launch/personal narrative units (special people, places, objects, etc…) to
find ideas for poems.
Writers collect ideas from observing the world around us. We take a walk around the
school/house and write down things that spark a memory (memory walk).
Writers remember places from our past and stories that accompany those places to collect
ideas for poems. We draw a memory map remembering every visual detail. Then we focus
on one small place on the map and write stories that happened there, including the visual
details in our writing.
Writers use special places to help them collect ideas for poems. We write what it‘s like to
be in a place that‘s interesting or significant to us. We jot down actual conversations we
hear, other sounds we hear, and the quality or light and color. We write exactly what we
see and hear.
Writers use their emotions to collect ideas for poems. We make a list of strong emotions
and then list times we felt those emotions.
Writers use personal belongings to collect ideas for a poem. We can choose an item from
our keepsake envelope that sparks their interest. Then, they make a list/write about what
it reminds them of as they look at it.
Choosing an Idea Writers choose a seed idea for a poem. We choose a prose entry from our notebooks which
we have strong feelings about.
Writers reread their work to choose poems to further develop. We look for poems we
really love, feel the strongest connections to, or poems that touch on subject that are close
to us.
Writers reread their work to choose poems to further develop. We look for poems that we
enjoy the thought of and were fun to write.
Writers choose poems to further develop. We can ask, ―Which of my poems do I like the
best? Why? What are some ways I could group my poems together? What kind of poetry
writing did I enjoy the most? What images have stayed with me?‖
Nurturing (some of these can be used in revision) Writers add descriptive details using imagery. They visualize the object(s) and make a list
of what they see in their head. Then they use sensory words for these details so that the
reader can visualize the same image in their minds.
Writers use synonyms to vary verbs and nouns in their poems so that their writing is more
interesting. Writers choose an important verb or noun in their poem and brainstorm a list
of all the word that would mean the same thing. Using a word cluster might be helpful. If
they get stuck or need more word choices, a thesaurus will help them add to their word
group.
Writers use metaphors to describe things in a new way. We ask, ―What does this remind me
of? or What does this look like/sound like?‖ Then writers create metaphor comparing those
two things.
Writers use new words to create poems with beautiful and specific language. We can
display words we find in our reading and writing on a poetry word wall, making categories for
words that express color, emotion, action, etc…
Writers develop an idea for a poem using a six room poem. We choose a place we remember
well and envision the place like a detailed photograph. Then we fill in the six rooms
describing the 1) image, 2) light, 3) sound, 4) questions, 5) feelings, and 6) repeating words.
Drafting Writers draft a poem using a notebook entry. We choose an entry in our notebook strongly
connect with, and then we write main words or phrases from the entry. We arrange these
―lifted‖ words/phrases into lines and stanzas for our poem.
Writers develop an anthology of related poems. We find poems that seem to fit together
based on similar settings, themes, issues, style, or voice.
Writers develop an anthology of related poems. We ask, ―Which poems do I like the best?
Why?‖
Revising Writers create interesting and fitting titles that give the reader the gist of what the poem
will be about. We look at titles of mentor poems and ask, ―Why did they choose that title?
and How could I do that for my poem?‖
Writers create interesting and fitting titles that give the reader the gist of what the poem
will be about. We write a title that comes from an important phrase or image in our poem.
Writers create interesting and fitting titles that give the reader the gist of what the poem
will be about. We write a title that clues our readers into the topic of our poem.
Writers insert line breaks to create pauses or emphasize words in our poems. We insert a
line break when you want to toke a breath, before and after important words, or to counter
their natural breath to create tension and change of pace.
Writers revise the tone of our poem. We choose one topic to write about using several
different emotions. We ask ourselves, ―Which tone gives my poem meaning and helps the
reader understand what I am trying to say with my writing?‖
Writers revise the tone of our poem. We write the poem as if we were another person,
picturing in our mind how this other person would sound. Then we ask ourselves, ―Does this
tone give my poem meaning and help the reader understand what I am trying to say with my
writing?‖
Writers revise the tone of our poem. We omit adjectives in our poems and replace them
with image-oriented verbs.
Writers revise our poem for meaning and importance. We choose a meaningful/important
line to repeat at the end of each of our stanza.
Writers use white space to get the reader to pause and think. We choose an important
line(s) and skip lines above and below it.
Writers use white space to get the reader to pause and think. We write small or in a
certain shape to have a lot of white space.
Writers use white space to get the reader to pause and think. We leave a lot of white
space to suggest emptiness or silence. Likewise, we crowd our words together to create
chaos or noise in our poem.
Writers use alliteration in our poems. Writers choose a word in their poem and create
other words that have the same beginning sound. Then we try out these words to see which
word combinations help our poem sound better for the reader.
Writers develop powerful endings for our poems. We write our strongest line at the end of
our poem.
Writers develop powerful endings for our poems. We end our poem with a word that has
been repeated throughout the poem.
Writers develop powerful endings for our poems. We write an ending that ties together
other parts of the poem that may seem unconnected.
Writers develop powerful endings for our poems. We write an ending that is tied back to
the beginning of the poem. We may use the same words or line.
Writers add illustrations to our poems. We ask, ―What picture do I want my reader to
see?‖ Then we create an image/illustration that helps the reader to envision this.
Writers revise the shape of our poem to match an idea or image we are conveying. We find
a mentor poem that has a structure we like. They we try to make our poem look like that
one.
Writers revise the shape of our poem to match an idea or image we are conveying. We make
concrete poems that take the shape of the object or make a metaphorical shape that moves
in a suggested way.
Writers use repetition to get the reader to see the important part(s) of our poem. We
choose an important word or phrase to write more than once in our poem. We can check for
importance by asking, ―Is this the most important idea I want my reader to get from my
poem?‖
Writers use similes to revise our poems. We use a 3 circle chart to find things they can
compare using like or as. Each circle asks/answers a different question. The first circle
asks, ―What am I trying to tell you about?‖ The second circle asks, ―What does it do?‖ The
third circle asks, ―What else does that?‖ Writers connect the information from the first
and second circles to the information in the third circle using the words like or as.
Writers use metaphors to describe things in a new way. We ask, ―What does this remind me
of? or What does this look like/sound like?‖ Then writers create metaphor comparing those
two things.
Writers use personification in our poems. We look at an object, think of what that object
does, and ask, ―How would a person do that?‖
Writers use personification in our poems. We add thoughts and feelings to make the object
come alive for the reader.
Writers can rearrange the order of our lines. We cut the lines of our poem into strips.
Then we move the lines around in various ways to find the arrangement that sounds the
best.
Writers emphasize words in our poems. We capitalize words throughout our poem that we
feel are important.
Writers revise our poems for meaning. We take out unnecessary words or phrases from our
poem.
Writers use writing partners to revise our poems. We read one another‘s poetry and try
one another‘s techniques.
Editing Writers edit their poems for misspelled words. We read our poem backwards and look at
the spelling of each word, one at a time. We fix misspelled words and circle those that we
are uncertain of their spelling. Then we consult print resources (word wall or dictionary)
for the correct spelling.
Writers use an editing checklist to edit our poems. We read each item listed on the
checklist, reread our poems specifically for that item, and make necessary changes.
Publishing/Celebrating Writers publish our poems. We put them into a personal or class anthology of poetry.
Letter Writing Extra Resource
Unit Overview: In this unit we teach children how to channel their natural abilities of persuasion into letters
designed to make a difference in the world. We teach children how to put their hopes and
heartaches on the page, seal them up, and send them into the hands of another person. Letter
writing begins, of course, with believing you have something to say to someone that can make a
difference. We begin, therefore, by telling children that what they have to say is important and
that if they work hard to capture their unique voices, they can help someone to dream their
dreams, to see new possibilities, and perhaps to even take a new stance.
Of course, you will want to give children examples of how persuasive letters can make a real world
difference. Tell children stories of the class in New Hampshire that proposed a state animal and
ended up addressing the state assembly. Tell students stories about children who have protested
when a park was being turned into a parking lot and actually managed to save a patch of earth.
Teach children that they, too, can find problems in the world – in their neighborhoods, at school, in
outside communities – and fight for solutions, not with their fists
but with their words.
A central goal of this unit is to teach children that letter writers see the world as it is, imagine
what it could be, and use writing to make changes. Sometimes this means we see injustices, we see
evidence of neglect, we see untapped opportunities. Because we write, this moves us not only to
complain, but to take positive action. We imagine solutions, and write to advance those causes.
Children should also think carefully about how they can be a part of the solution, researching
available resources and then suggesting how both they and their reader can come together in
solving the problem
Things to Know: In this unit, writers will learn that to truly persuade others on a subject, they will need
to write well, drafting and revising as much as necessary.
It may be a first goal for students to write poor persuasive letters—but to do so with
―confidence, zeal, purpose, pleasure, and above all, independence.‖ In other words, we
want them to be so driven by purpose, that they are confident in their writing, no matter
how poor it is at first! This is a different type of writing—we want the students to have
the same amount of confidence as they have had in prior units.
Students will likely draft multiple letters, and may even take multiple letters through
the entire writing process. REMEMBER: letters are shorter than narratives and all-
abouts!
Since writers will be writing lots, and lots of letters, you‘ll need to think carefully about
what to teach. Consider the types of letters being written, and specific needs of your
students.
Students may keep many drafts of different letters in their writing folders, choosing
some to revise, edit, publish, and send.
Students need to learn, above all, that in persuasive writing, the best way to get results
is by giving good reasons, and writing well so their thoughts and ideas are respected by
the reader/receiver.
By allowing students to send their revised/edited letters out into the real world, you are
giving them more purpose for writing, and writing well.
Preparing for the Unit: The classroom writing center should look different for this unit. You‘ll want to have a
variety of letter paper available for student use, and may even invite students to help
you design some paper choices.
Consider stapling two or three pages together as a choice, to encourage letters being
more than one page in length.
Some teachers change the name of the writing center during this unit to encourage
understanding of the ―mail‖ process. (Stationery Center: letter paper choices… Post
Office Nook: envelopes, stamps, mailbox, etc.)
Have a system ready for gathering addresses and stamps. Consider involving parents,
letting them know how the unit will work, asking for stamp donations.
Students could take home Address Books to collect addresses with family members of
people they want to write letters to during the unit.
Just as with other units, you‘ll want to select some mentors for students to use as
examples. Consider Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin. This book is a
fantastic example of acting on an issue and attempting to use persuasion to create
change.
Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague is another great
choice of mentor text, which reveals a dog using tactics to persuade his owner to get him
home.
Conferences and Strategy Lessons: Push students to picture their readers and think of how their letters may be received.
Students should learn to ask,
o Why am I writing this?
o How do I want my reader to feel?
o What change am I planning to make?
o Writers should consider all parts of their letters: the arguments they‘re making, the
suggested solutions. Look for parts which need strengthened and work together to
add.
Teaching Points for Letter Writing: Teaching points for this unit are listed according to the stages of the writing process.
Letter writers IMMERSE themselves in the new genre of writing, looking carefully at well-written/structured letters to see what they have in common. During this stage in the writing process, teachers may find it beneficial to have examples of
letters photocopied for students to view with partners in making noticings. Students should
notice all the parts of a letter, as well as how they are written correctly (placing on the page, capitalizations, punctuation, etc.) During this immersion time, students may notice things like
abbreviations of directions (N, S, E, W), street names (Ave., St., Rd., SR, CR, etc.), and state
abbreviations. The following list shows noticings we hope students will make when exploring
letters during the immersion stage:
*heading: address and date
*greeting: opening
*body: where message is written
*closing: Sincerely, Your friend, etc.
*signature: from the writer
Letter writers learn about how letters are organized and written, looking at well-written at
examples to find features held by them all. They read multiple letters, and jot down notes
on Post-its when they see something that is the same among all the letters.
Letter writers pay close attention to how different parts of a letter are written. They look
carefully at great examples of letters, and see where writers use capital letters
consistently. (Students should notice that words in the greeting are capitalized, the first
letter of the first word in the closing is capitalized, street names, town names, etc.)
Letter writers pay close attention to how different parts of a letter are written. They look
carefully at great examples of letters and see where writers use punctuation consistently.
(comma after greeting, comma after closing, no period after signature, punctuation of
addresses, etc.)
Persuasive letter writers notice that strong letters have lots of support! They look
carefully at the bodies of well-written persuasive letters to notice how the writer chose to
organize his argument. They may ask questions like, ―Where did this letter writer choose to
put his strongest point?‖ and, ―How many supporting reasons did this writer use?‖ or, ―How
did this writer choose to organize his paragraphs within the body of his letter?‖
Persuasive letter writers notice the way these letters are organized. They look for
how/where writers state their requests, and where they state why the request is
important. (Usually the request is stated in the first paragraph, and the remaining
paragraphs give reasons of importance, with a closure paragraph tying it all together.)
Letter writers COLLECT lots of ideas and inspirations for writing, looking for issues in their lives which they’d like to address.
Letter writers know that collecting ideas for writing a letter is a little different than
collecting ideas for writing a story or an all-about! They look for ideas in their everyday
lives, noticing things they‘d like to address (needs, injustices, neglected tasks, etc.)
Persuasive writers are always paying attention to what they see, looking for writing
inspiration in the world around them. They watch and notice things, thinking, ―How could
this be even better?‖ and jot their ideas in their Writer‘s Notebooks.
Persuasive writers always look not just at what is, but at what could be. They take walks
around the school or neighborhood jotting down things that aren‘t fair or that could be
better. (Teachers can really model this, looking at simple things like a crack in the sidewalk
saying, ―Goodness! This sidewalk needs repaired!‖ or, more complex ideas like, ―It‘s so
frustrating that the restrooms are so far away from our room!‖)
Persuasive writers know that writing can be a way to make change. They‘re always looking
for ideas and inspirations for their writing by looking around themselves in multiple settings
and asking, ―How might I use writing to make the world better?‖ They jot ideas down in
their notebooks.
Persuasive letter writers know they don‘t have to physically take a walk to come up with
ideas for their letters. They can instead come up with ideas for writing by just sitting at
their desks, or laying in bed and imagining things that could be better, or things they‘ve
noticed as they‘ve walked through life. They start up their imaginations thinking something
like, ―My life could be even better if…‖ or, ―If I could write to change something, I would
write to change…‖ They jot their imaginings in their notebooks.
Letter writers NURTURE possible ideas for writing, thinking more deeply about possibilities.
Persuasive letter writers think more about their ideas for writing, talking to their partners
about things they‘d like to change. They say, ―I noticed… and I‘d like to make a change by
writing to… and saying…‖
Persuasive letter writers think about something they‘d like to change, and decide how they
would go about changing it. They ask themselves, ―If I‘m trying to convince someone this is
a good idea, what good reasons can I give?‖ They list these in their writers notebooks. (For
trying to convince the principal the class needs more books= the ones in the classroom are
outdated, there isn‘t enough of a variety to spark everyone‘s interest, there aren‘t enough
for everyone to have them, etc.)
Persuasive letter writers think about who the reader of their letter will be and how this
should influence the way they write. They ask themselves, ―Who will I be writing to?‖ and,
―What will he/she gain by making my suggested change?‖ The list benefits in their
notebooks.
Persuasive letter writers plan for their writing by thinking about counter-arguments the
receiver may make. They ask themselves, ―What might ______ say to argue against the
change I‘d like to see?‖ then, ―How can I respond to this argument to support my change?‖
Letter writers DRAFT their writing, remembering all the different parts of a letter and how they should be written.
Persuasive letter writers begin drafting their writing, rereading all the entries in their
notebook that relate to the issue. They try out a few different ways to start, introducing
themselves, or maybe asking a question about the issue. They might try by first listing
some positive things about the issue, then posing a question to bring up the possible change.
It might look like, ―Our lunchroom is a great place to be. There‘s lots of good food, time to
talk to our friends, and friendly staff who takes great care of us. Wouldn‘t it make our
cafeteria even better if we could have more choices in the lunch line?‖
Persuasive letter writers draft their mysteries, continuously paying special attention to
their planning. They take breaks in their drafting to re-read their planning entries, asking,
―Have I left any of this out?‖ and adding details or support if necessary.
Letter writers know there are certain parts of a letter that have to be included. They look
back at good examples of well-written letters, and use them as mentors to help them be
sure to include all the necessary parts.
Persuasive letter writers draft their letters using their partners for help. At the end of
each writing session, writers read their letters to their partners, trying to make them
sound as convincing as possible, and adding things in if necessary, or jotting down ideas their
partners have on where to continue the next day.
Letter writers REVISE their writing, trying to be as convincing as possible.
Persuasive letter writers know that to make a real impact they need to make sure their
writing is the best it can be, very well thought-out. They look back at their drafted letters
considering the wording they chose, to make sure it is strong, but won‘t be offensive. The
re-read their letter, one section at a time, asking, ―Did that sound like something that would
be a good idea, without hurting anyone‘s feelings?‖
Persuasive letter writers know that to convince the reader a change should be made, they
have to give lots of compelling reasons. They go back through their letter, one section at a
time, thinking about the actions and feelings of those affected by the problem. They add
reasons for change that will make the reader think about how the change will make others
act/feel better.
Persuasive letter writers make their argument stronger, adding as much support as possible.
They go back into their writing, looking for arguments without much support. They think
about a one-time story that would help draw a picture in the reader‘s mind about why the
change would be a good thing. They might start, ―I remember one time when this really
affected me…‖ They write these one-time stories to touch/move the reader, creating
arguments which evoke response.
Persuasive letter writers make their writing more convincing by thinking about why the
change/request is so important. They find sections that don‘t seem as strong as others and
ask, ―Why is this reason for change so important?‖ Then they add a line which starts, ―This
is important because…‖
Persuasive letter writers make their writing more convincing by carefully considering the
tone of their writing. They think about the tone of the letter and how it might affect the
response. They have a partner read the letter to themselves, and then ask, ―What tone do
you think the letter gives?‖ (tones may include one of importance, an offensive tone, a
polite tone, a begging tone, etc.) Then writers ask themselves, ―Is that the tone I really want my letter to have?‖
Persuasive letter writers push their thinking to add more reasons to support their claims.
They re-read their writing and ask, ―What are some more reasons I could give here to
support my thinking?‖
Persuasive letter writers add more support and make their writing more convincing. They
add examples to support their claims, starting, ―For example…‖ and then telling the story of
one particular time when their claim was important to them.
Persuasive letter writers realize that some details might support their writing, but others
might detract. They re-read their writing, looking for parts that don‘t help convince the
reader their arguments should be supported. Then, they decide whether to delete these
parts, or re-word them.
Letter writers EDIT their writing, know that the fewer mistakes it has, the more easily it can be read and the more seriously it can be taken.
Letter writers edit their writing using a letter writing editing checklist. They start with
the first thing on the list, and begin working at the beginning of the piece, looking just to
make the first type of editing change through the entire piece, before moving onto the next
item on the list.
Letter writers edit their writing, thinking about the necessary, required parts of a letter.
They look carefully to be sure each part is there (heading, greeting, body, closing,
signature) and that each part is capitalized and punctuated correctly.
Letter writers make their writing easier to read by checking it for correct spelling. They
re-read it word by word themselves, circling any and every word that they think might be
spelled wrong. Then, they have 2 others do the same. After circling these words, writers
use a dictionary, computer, or any other available resource to correct/check the words. Letter writers make their writing easier to read by starting new paragraphs with each new
thought/argument. They decide where to start new paragraphs by re-reading paying special
attention to when the thought, idea, or argument really changes. Then, skipping to the next
line, and indenting before writing on. Writers make their writing easier to read, making sure thoughts are written in good,
complete sentences. They read, one sentence at a time asking, ―Was that a complete
thought?‖ fixing incomplete ones.
Letter writers PUBLISH their writing, so it’s neat and beautiful… they make people want to read it!!!
Writers make sure they include all of their changes, revisions, and editing in their published
piece. They copy down their writing, one word at a time, as neatly as possible. They stop
and re-read often to be sure they didn‘t leave out any changes.
Letter writers publish their writing on nice, clean, letterhead so it will be taken seriously.
They choose paper that is appropriate for the request being made, looking at their choices
and asking, ―If I‘m trying to convince someone to __________, is this paper appropriate?‖
Letter writers get their letters ready to mail by sealing them in appropriate envelopes, and
addressing them correctly. (Teachers may choose to put a model letter at the writing
center where envelopes will be addressed.) Remember, the outside of the envelope is the
first thing the receiver will see!
Celebrating the Unit: From TC 1st Grade Writing Curriculum 2009: Celebrating this unit will be exciting. Children will put their thoughts and arguments out into the
world as they mail their letters. They will wait eagerly for a response, wondering if they made an
impact on the world in which we live. Share their letters and the responses they receive with the
class. Let the school community know all that your children have accomplished, broadcasting the
social change that may have been put into motion.
