Building Writers of

Informational Text

Grades 3-5

Your Workshop FacilitatorDr. Dea Conrad-Curry

Your Partner in Educationwww.partnerinedu.com

Today’s Goals• Analyze the language of the CCSS for writing

in the informational / explanatory genre• Identify expected progression in writing skills

from third grade through fifth grade• Develop a grade-level approach to definition

writing• Analyze the relationship between PARCC

prototypes and Common Core grade level standards

• Develop three approaches to support student acquisition of grade level performance skills

2© 2012-2013 Partner in Education

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TEXT TYPES & PURPOSES: INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATORY

GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.

c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information.

d. Provide a concluding statement or section.

a. Introduce topic clearly; group related information in paragraphs and sections; include headings, illustrations, and multimedia when useful to comprehension.

b. Develop the topic w/facts, details, definitions, quotations & topic information/ examples.

c. Link ideas within categories of information w/words & phrases (another, for example, also, because).

d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

e. Provide related concluding statement or section

a. Introduce topic clearly, provide general observation & focus; group related information logically; include headings, illustrations, and multimedia when useful to comprehension.

b. Develop topic w/facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or topical information & examples.

c. Link ideas w/words, phrases, & clauses (in contrast, especially).

d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

e. Provide related concluding statement or section

Source: Common Core State Standards, 2010.

Writing a Definition• A definition first identifies the term, then names

the class to which the word belongs, and finally, describes the term to let the reader know how the term is different from other terms in that same class.– A horse is a four legged animal that has a mane and

tail. Unlike a donkey, an four legged animal that also has a mane and tail, the horse has longer legs and is able to run much faster. Unlike the zebra, another animal with a mane and tail, a horse never has striped markings. A horse may have more than one color, but the patterns of color are like patches rather than regular patterns.

Definition Writing & Writer’s Workshop

• Mini Lesson #1• Read Aloud: share samples of definitions

– Read definitions found in the dictionary carefully– Identify passages in authentic text that share the

definitional organization passage– Other ideas?

• Model writing a definition • Pass the task off to the students

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Extended Definition & Writer’s Workshop

• Mini Lesson #2• Read Aloud: share samples of extended

definitions – Identify extended definitions in content text– Use the internet to search out extended definitions in

authentic text – Other ideas?

• Begin with a simple definition and then model writing an extended definition

• Pass the task off to the students• What might be mini lesson #3?

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In the fifteenth century the adjective "pretty" joined the English language (derived from the Old Teutonic noun pratti or pratta, meaning trick or wile). At first everyone thought the world of pretty. To be a pretty fellow was to be clever, apt, skillful; a pretty soldier was gallant and brave; a pretty thing was ingenious and artful. It was not until the sixteenth century that something started to go wrong with the idea of prettiness. Although women and children could still take pleasure in being called pretty, a pretty man had degenerated into a fop with a tendency to slyness. Pretty objects continued to be admired until 1875 when the phrase "pretty pretty" was coined. That did it. For the truly clever, apt, and skillful, the adjective pretty could only be used in the pejorative sense, as I discovered thirty years ago while being shown around King's College by E.M. Forster. As we approached the celebrated chapel (magnificent, superb, a bit much), I said, "Pretty." Forster thought I meant the chapel when, actually, I was referring to a youthful couple in the damp middle distance. A ruthless moralist, Forster publicized my use of the dread word. Told in Fitzrovia and published in the streets of Dacca, the daughters of the Philistines rejoiced; the daughters of the uncircumcised triumphed. For a time, my mighty shield was vilely cast away.

In the last thirty years the adjective pretty has been pretty much abandoned, while the notion of beauty has become so complex that only the dullest of the daughters of the uncircumcised dares use it. Santayana was the last aesthetician to describe beauty without self-consciousness; and that was in 1896. As a result, we now live in a relativist's world where one man's beauty is another man's beast. This means that physical ugliness tends to be highly prized on the ground that it would be not only cruel, but provocative for, let us say, a popular performer to look better than the plainest member of the audience. This is democracy at its most endearing; and only a beauty or a Beaton would have it otherwise.

Orignianlly Published in the New Statesman, March 17, 1978, "On Prettiness" by Gore Vidal was reprinted in The Second American Revolution and Other Essays: 1976-1982 (Random House, 1982) and again in United States: Essays 1952-1992 (Random House, 1993).

Linking Phrases• For example…• Another example is…• To add on…• This makes me

realize…. • This is important

because…• This is giving me the idea

that…• The reason for this is…• Another reason is…

• This connects with…• On the other hand…• I partly agree but…

because…• Could it also be that…• Might the reason for this

be…• This is similar to…• This is different from…• I think this is important

because….

More Linking Phrases

• I noticed that …and I think this connects to the whole story because…

• I see (the item you are discussing), and then a similar thing happens (in this place), I think this is repeated because….

• There is one thing in the story that doesn’t ‘fit’ for me and it’s…

• This might be present because...

• In the beginning….then later…..finally……

• In the beginning… in the middle… at the end…

• Many people think… but I think…

• I used to think… but now I’m realizing…

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PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF WRITING

GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5

4. With guidance & support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Stnds 1-3)

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriateto task, purpose, and audience.(Stnds 1-3)

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriateto task, purpose, and audience. (Stnds 1-3)

5. With guidance & support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising & editing. (Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 3)

5. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 4)

5. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 5)

6. With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

Source: Common Core State Standards, 2010.

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RESEARCH TO BUILD & PRESENT KNOWLEDGE

GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5

7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

7. Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

8. Recall information from experiences or gatherinformation from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources; sort evidence into provided categories.

8. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information; provide a list of sources.

8. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print & digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work; provide a list of sources.

9. (Begins in grade 4) 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.a. Apply grade 4 reading standards to literature.b. Apply grade 4 reading standards to informational texts.

9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.a. Apply grade 5 reading standards to literature. b. Apply grade 5 reading standards to informational texts.

Source: Common Core State Standards, 2010.

Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010). p.18-21. 12

Grade 3 Annotations

• Introduces a topic.– I chose horses because I like to ride them. . . . Horses

are so beautiful and fun to ride.

• Creates an organizational structure (using headers) that groups related information together.– Horse Families; Markings; Breeds and Color Coats;

Horses from Different Countries

• Develops the topic with facts and details.– Hocaidos are from Japan, Sumbas are from Indonesia,

and Pintos are from America.– A horse can walk, trot, canter, and gallop.– They [horses] live about 12 to 14 years.– The most dangerous horse is the Percheron.

Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010). p. 18-21. 13

• Uses linking words and phrases to connect ideas within categories of information.– I like Morgans because they have a beautiful reddish-brown coat.

– When a foal is ready to be born, the mare (the mother horse) lies down.

– The first horses were no bigger than a fox and looked like a donkey.

– Most horses live on farms or ranches, but some horses are wild.

• Provides a concluding section.– I like horses and I know a lot about them. I like to ride them and

they’re so beautiful!

– Their coats are beautiful, I wish I had a horse of my own!

• Demonstrates growing command of the conventions of standard written English (with occasional errors that do not interfere materially with the underlying message).

Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010). p. 18-21.14

15Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010). p. 29-30.

Grade 5 Annotations• Introduces the topic clearly, provides a general observation

and focus, and groups related information logically.– Roald Dahl is a very interesting author to me. That’s because he knows

what a kid wants to hear.

• Develops the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.– He is the only author that I know that makes up interesting words like

Inkland, fizz wizard, and gobble funking.

– Roald Dahl uses a lot of similes. Some similes that he used that I like are: Up he shot again like a bullet in the barrel of a gun. And my favorite is: They were like a chorus of dentists’ drills all grinding away together.

– In all of Roald Dahl’s books, I have noticed that the plot or the main problem of the story is either someone killing someone else, or a kid having a bad life.

16Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010). p. 29-30.

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• Links ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses.

‒ The Witches is the book that I am reading right now, and it is like The BFG, another book that is by Roald Dahl. They are alike because . . .

•Uses precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

‒ Roald Dahl uses a lot of similes.‒ I have noticed that the plot or the main problem of the

story . . .‒ All the characters . . .

• Demonstrates good command of the conventions of standard written English

Source: Common Core State Standards , Appendix C (2010). p. 29-30.

Understanding the Literary Analysis Task

• Students carefully consider two literary texts worthy of close study.• They are asked to answer a few EBSR and TECR questions about each

text to demonstrate their ability to do close analytic reading and to compare and synthesize ideas.

• Students write a literary analysis about the two texts.

PARCC Prototypes & Appendix C Examples 

Source: Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Career and http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes

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PARCC Assessment Questions

Grade 3 Evidence-Based Selected-Response

Grade 3 Technology-Enhanced Constructed-Response

20Source: Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Career and http://www.parcconline.org/samples/item-task-prototypes

COMPONENTS OF THE WRITING WORSKHOP

Third Fourth Fifth

READ ALOUD 5 – 7 minutes

5 – 7 minutes

5 – 7 minutes

MINI-LESSON

INDEPENDENT WRITING

20 minutes

20 minutes

20 minutes

Three days a week, teacher conducts individual conferences; two days each week,

teacher leads guided writing sessions.

SHARING 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes

© 2012-2013 Partner in Education21

Writing Inside the Story

• Read trying to experience the story.• Choose a part that matters.• Step into the story. As you envision, fill in the

details.• Write a bit to help you get into the story. Write a

few lines that could belong in the story. Resume reading.

• Pause to write again when it feels right.

22Source: Calkins, L. & McEvoy, M. (2006). Literary essays: Writing about reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. p. 5.

Students read Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting and describe in depth the idyllic setting of the story, drawingon specific details in the text, from the color of the sky to the sounds of the pond, to describe the scene.[RL.4.3]

Performance Task: RL.4.3.

Source: Common Core State Standards, Appendix B. (2010). p. 70. 23

GENERATE & REHEARSE IDEAS

Writing about LiteratureMinilesson #1

Select an exemplar from a text students are reading. Don’t take the easiest excerpt.Model your own thinking process as you annotate the text: highlight and write notes to yourselfExplain that you will use these notes later to write about analytically about a piece of literaturePass the task off to students

24© 2012-2013 Partner in Education

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The sky was a ragged blaze of red and pink and orange, and its double trembled on the

surface of the pond like color spilled from a paintbox. The sun was dropping fast now, a

soft red sliding egg yolk, and already to the east there was a darkening to purple. Winnie,

newly brave with her thoughts of being rescued, climbed boldly into the rowboat. The

hard heels of her buttoned boots made a hollow banging sound against its wet boards,

loud in the warm and breathless quiet. Across the pond a bullfrog spoke a deep note of

warning. Tuck climbed in, too, pushing off, and, settling the oars into their locks, dipped

them into the silty bottom in one strong pull. The rowboat slipped from the bank then,

silently, and glided out, tall water grasses whispering away from its sides, releasing it.

Here and there the still surface of the water dimpled, and bright rings spread noiselessly

and vanished. “Feeding time,” said Tuck softly. And Winnie, looking down, saw hosts of

tiny insects skittering and skating on the surface.

“Best time of all for fishing,” he said, “when they come up to feed.”

Source: Common Core State Standards, Appendix B. (2010). Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, ). ).1975. (1975) From Chapter 12.

Excerpt: Tuck Everlasting

Invite to WriteWriting about Literature

Minilesson #2Return to your annotations from the previous minilessonReread the performance task. Model your thinking process as you move through the text annotations connecting your ideas to describe in depth the scene evoked through the author’s words.Write quickly noting that there will be time to edit for errors later. Pass the task off to students

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27Source: Common Core State Standards, Appendix B. (2010). Babbitt, Natalie. Tuck Everlasting. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, ). ).1975. (1975) From Chapter 12.

He dragged on the oars. The rowboat slowed and began to drift gently toward the

farthest end of the pond. It was so quiet that Winnie almost jumped when the bullfrog

spoke again. And then, from the tall pines and birches that ringed the pond, a wood

thrush caroled. The silver notes were pure and clear and lovely.

“Know what that is, all around us, Winnie?” said Tuck, his voice low. “Life. Moving,

growing, changing, never the same two minutes together. This water, you look out at it

every morning, and it looks the same, but it ain’t. All night long it’s been moving,

coming in through the stream back there to the west, slipping out through the stream

down east here, always quiet, always new, moving on. You can’t hardly see the

current, can you? And sometimes the wind makes it look like it’s going the other way.

But it’s always there, the water’s always moving on, and someday, after a long while, it

comes to the ocean.”

Writing About Literary Characters

• Review the process of annotation– Notice and underline details.– Write a thought about what you underline.

• Read closely; think about author’s language choices, even in small words like ‘so.’

• Pay special attention to characters’ actions, motivations, struggles, and changes.

• Ask, “What is this story really about?” Look closely at…– The section(s) that best capture the whole story’s

meaning– What the character learns in the story– How all elements of the story contribute to the story’s

message 28

Comparing and Contrasting Characters

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Character

Aspect

Block

Side by Side

© 2012-2013 Partner in Education

Editing: Teaching Conventions

The writing workshop values instruction in word choice and writing conventions: sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

Identify a convention or word choice that may be new to students or is frequently misused by students. Discover an authentic text that uses the convention or word choice advantageously.Read the text aloud, stopping to discs the author’s use of the convention or word choice.Continue to read the text, asking students to identify additional uses of the convention or word choice. Ask students to return to their writing and

1. Check spelling2. Add focus convention (capitalization, apostrophes, commas, etc. ).3. Replace tired words with carefully selected words.

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LANGUAGE STANDARDS

CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH

GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.a. Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.b. Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.c. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).d. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.e. Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.f. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.*g. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.h. Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.i. Produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.a. Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which, that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).b. Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.c. Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to convey various conditions.d. Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).e. Form and use prepositional phrases.f. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.*g. Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).*

1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writingor speaking.a. Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences.b. Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb tenses.c. Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.*e. Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).

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LANGUAGE STANDARDS

CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH

GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.a. Capitalize appropriate words in titles.b. Use commas in addresses.c. Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.d. Form and use possessives.e. Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).f. Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.g. Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions ofstandard English capitalization, punctuation, andspelling when writing.a. Use correct capitalization.b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.c. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.d. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

2. Demonstrate command of the conventions ofstandard English capitalization, punctuation, andspelling when writing.a. Use punctuation to separate items in a series.*b. Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence.c. Use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you), to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence (e.g., It’s true, isn’t it?), and to indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).d. Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.e. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

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LANGUAGE STANDARDS

KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGE

GRADE 3 GRADE 4 GRADE 5

3. Use knowledge of language and its conventionswhen writing, speaking, reading, or listening.a. Choose words and phrases for effect.*b. Recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English.

3. Use knowledge of language and its conventionswhen writing, speaking, reading, or listening.a. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely.*b. Choose punctuation for effect.*c. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion).

3. Use knowledge of language and its conventionswhen writing, speaking, reading, or listening.a. Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.b. Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.

Source: Common Core State Standards, (2010). p. 28-29.

Understanding the Precise Nature of Language

There many different words that express the distance between two emotions. Enter today’s date into your writing notebook and copy the continuum on the left beneath the date. On the continuum, place as many words on that continuum to describe the varying degrees between nice and mean.

Now choose one of those words (other than nice or mean) that reminds you of an experience you have had or can imagine.

Beneath the continuum, begin writing about your experience without using the word you chose. Use sentences that will help the reader picture what you want them to see or feel.

Trade writing notebooks with a peer. Read one another’s sentences and try to match the situation you described with a word written on your continuum.

Discuss and compare your thinking. Reflect on your conversation.

Nice

Mean

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LANGUAGE STANDARDS

CONVENTIONS OF STANDARD ENGLISH (STANDARDS 1 & 2)

GRADE K GRADE 1 GRADE 2

5. With guidance and support from adults, explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings.a.Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes, foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.b. Demonstrate understanding of frequently occurring verbs and adjectives by relating them to their opposites (antonyms).c. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at school that are colorful).d. Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs describing the same general action (e.g., walk, march, strut, prance) by acting out the meanings.

5. With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.a. Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.b. Define words by category and by one or more key attributes (e.g., a duck is a bird that swims; a tiger is a large cat with stripes).c. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., note places at home that are cozy).d. Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs differing in manner (e.g., look, peek, glance, stare, glare, scowl) and adjectives differing in intensity (e.g., large, gigantic) by defining or choosing them or by acting out the meanings.

5. Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.a. Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy).b. Distinguish shades of meaning among closely related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny, scrawny).

ASSESSMENT OF WRITING AND THE WRITING

PROCESS

• Assessing not only the written product but writing process.

• Incorporating district level expectations into CCSS

37Source: Lucy Calkins Resources for Teaching Writing CD.

Source: State of Delaware Department of Education. Assessment Tools. http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/English_Language_Arts/ela_assessment_tools.shtml 38

39Source: State of Delaware Department of Education. Assessment Tools. http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/English_Language_Arts/ela_assessment_tools.shtml

40Source: State of Delaware Department of Education. Assessment Tools. http://www.doe.k12.de.us/aab/English_Language_Arts/ela_assessment_tools.shtml

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Text Types and Purposes*1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences.Production and Distribution of Writing4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.Research to Build and Present Knowledge7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.Range of Writing10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (asingle sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.