Unit 1: Writing Realistic Fiction Vernon Public Schools Grade 4 Unit 1 Writing, Realistic Fiction Lesson Plans Objective: What is writer s workshop? Writers keep a notebook. Lesson: Teaching Point 1 Process: Prewriting, Drafting Trait: Organization, Ideas, Voice References: Below is a list of books to use at mentor texts in this unit: A Writer s Notebook by Ralph Fletcher Nothing Ever Happens on 90 th Street by Roni Schotter You Have to Write by Janet S. Wong Dot by Peter Reynolds Ish by Peter Reynolds Materials: conference notebook (to record teacher observations) anchor chart entitled Seed Ideas in our Writer s Notebook (to be created together) your own filled teacher s writing notebook student writing notebooks pencils sheets of paper, each with the names of 2 children numbered 1 and 2, to place on the floor to indicate partners spots Connection/Teaching Point Relate today s teaching point to prior work. Articulate the goal of the lesson Yesterday we talked about Today I want to teach you that whenever Today I want to remind you Class, can I have your eyes and your attention? I want to tell you something very important. I have been listening to the stories of your summer-to stories of helping your grandma shuck corn and stories of building model trucks and stories of learning to whistle-and these stories are so extraordinary that we can t let them float away. We have been together for only one day, one hour, and twenty minutes (fill in correct time), but I m already awed by all of you. You have amazing stories from your lives! You have such extraordinary stories to tell that I m thinking that this year I should teach you how to write like professional writers! We need to save these stories forever! We need to hold on to them so that as we learn how to be better and better
Teaching ( I Do ) What are the steps? Will I use an anchor chart? What will my language sound like? Watch me as I Did you see how I writers, we can make our stories better and better too! To be writers, you need the tools that real writers use, and the most important tool is this: a writer s notebook. I ve been learning to become a writer, too, and so I keep my own writer s notebook. (Hold up your own well-decorated and much-used notebook and turn a few pages so the children can see your pages filled with writing, sometimes also containing a sketch or a photograph.) We will also need to spend time writing every day, just like professional writers do. Our writing workshop will be at the heart of our whole year. We will dedicate a big chunk of time each day to writing. (Point to the daily schedule to show students the time allotted for writing workshop.) Our workshop will be like all sorts of other workshops. Usually workshops begin with the artists-they might be writers, they might be painters-convening to elarn a new strategy. The teacher says Let me show you a strategy, a technique that has been important to my work, and then she models it. After about ten minutes together, everyone goes to work on his own project, and the teacher becomes the coach. Each day during writing time we will gather at the carpet, sitting with our writing partners. The workshop will begin with a mini-lesson. During this time I will share with you specific writing strategies. This is my turn to talk and your turn to listen. Next, we will practice or try out a strategy with each other. This could include a turn and talk, a stop and jot in your notebook, or creating an anchor chart together. Then, I will send you to your writing spot to begin your independent work. In fourth grade, you will be given abundant time to write. This is your chance to tell your stories. You may even find there is not enough time! I will be conferring with a few students each day at during this independent time. Finally, we will gather again at the carpet to share our work and restate what we have learned. Every great writer has one thing in common they keep a writing notebook. This is something very personal and special to every writer. You are in charge of your writing notebook. You decide what goes into your notebook. You can include your thoughts, your ideas, your wonderings, your observations, and all of the things you are interested in and care about! It is a place for you to write about what matters to you. It s a place to try out all sorts of interesting things, without worrying too much about hot it will turn out in the end. It s a place to collect and
Active Engagement ( We Do ) How will students participate and practice? Link Restate the skill/strategy Invite students to try it This is the start of Independent Practice ( You Do ) Now you try it Turn and talk to your partner about Stop and jot List across your fingers... Today and every day Who thinks they will try this strategy today? Off you go! imagine the writing you might want to come back to again in the future, a place to hold onto all those ideas. That s what a writing notebook is for me. Let me show you my writing notebook. (Briefly show a few entries and explain how important it is to you.) Finally, I want you to notice how I use the notebook. Each page has a date. I use all the pages in order. I always keep a pen with it. I take to not bend or crinkle the pages. Now let s make an anchor chart to remind us of all the seed ideas we can put in our writing notebook. Turn and talk with your partner. Can you come up with three things you might put in your notebook? Call on students to share ideas. Write ideas on anchor chart. Example chart: Seed Ideas In our Writing Notebook wonderings memories overheard conversations dreams special events favorite places descriptions of people we know opinions on issues Today and every day you will write things that are important to you in your writing notebook. It is about you and what matters to you. Today at your seats I want you to begin writing in your notebook. Off you go! Suggestions: students could generate topics by listing people, places, events important to them students could write about their summer vacation students could decorate their notebooks to make them personal and special (or this could be done as a homework assignment to help get kids into the routine of bringing the notebook back and forth to school each day)
Mid-Workshop Teaching Point After ten or fifteen minutes of the workshop, you may feel that your students attention is waning. This is a good time to intervene. You will probably stand in the middle of the room gathering students attention, using the mid-workshop teaching point whenever necessary to teach additional, smallish points. Writers, can I have your eyes and your attention? (When I say this, that means stop what you are doing, pens down, and all eyes on me, please.) I want to teach you one more thing. Some of you are telling me that you are done. Writers have a saying, When you re done, you ve just begun. That means that when you think you are done, there is a lot more to do. One thing we writers do when we re done is think, What s another small moment I have experiend-maybe about the same person, maybe about someone else? Then we leave a little space on our page or move to another page and we think, How did it start? What happened first? and we sketch and/or write another story. Or we simply think, What s another true story I could tell, another memory that for some reason lingers for me? How many of you think you are done with your first story, your first entry? Thumbs up. Okay. Well, for the rest of the writing time, I am going to admire what you do now that you know the saying, When you re done, you ve just begun. Return to your work. Other anticipated need: What do you do if you don t know how to spell a word? circle it and move on What does writers workshop sound like? I hear pencils on paper, I see students thinking and writing. Respect the writing community Conferring During writing time today, you ll want to begin getting to know your students as writers. You may be focusing upon reteaching today s teaching point or mid-workshop teaching point, or going around the room briefly asking students what they are working on as a writer today. This time can be used to evaluate individual student learning goals. This time may also be used to target within the classroom individual learning goals specific to SRBI plans, 504 plans, and/or IEPs.
After the Workshop Share Writers, can I have eyes and your attention? (I love the way most of you stopped what you were doing as soon as you hear me say that! Thank You!) Let s gather in the meeting area because I need to talk with you today (as I will at the end of nearly all of our writing workshop times). When you go to the meeting area, you ll see a paper that has two names on it-your name and another child s name-and the number, 1 or 2, next to each name. Sit where I ve put the paper containing your name and your number. You and your partner will sit facing each other, knee to knee, and each hold two corners of the paper. Writers, these papers are really important because they signify that the two people whose names are listed will work together as writing partners for our first unit of study in our new writing workshop. You won t write the same stories, but you ll sit alongside each other in your designated place every time we gather and you ll help each other write really great stories. The numbers 1 and 2 are just a system to help us know who will talk first or share first. If you are partner 1, give me a thumbs up. If you are partner 2, give me a thumbs up. Terrific! As partners, you ll help each other write well. In my life, I ve had a few people who have helped me be a better writer. Would you each think of a person who has helped you in your writing life. Partner 2, will you tell partner 1 what that person did that helped you? After the children talk for a while, add Over the next few days, I want you to pay attention to ways that you both can be effective writing partners. Can I have your eyes and your attention? I wonder if writers like Patricia Polacco and Cynthia Rylant and Patricia MacLachlan can remember back to the day they began keeping their writer s notebook or the day they first had a person who really helped them as writers. We are lucky because all year, we will remember today, the day when we launched our writing workshop. Right now, will you each think of one thing that you did today or that a friend did or that you learned-one thing that you are going to remember-and tell it to your writing partner. Listen in as children share their ideas in pairs. Convene the group. I heard you say so many important things! (Repeat a few ideas you heard). Assessment Did the student write in their notebook? Record observations and conference in your notebook.
Unit 1: Writing Realistic Fiction Objective: Writers generate ideas using phrases about people and places. Lesson: Teaching Point 2 Process: Prewriting, Drafting Trait: Ideas Materials: chart paper Anchor Chart entitled Strategies for Generating Ideas writing notebooks conferring notebook Connection/Teaching Point Relate today s teaching point to prior work. Articulate the goal of the lesson Yesterday we talked about Today I want to teach you that whenever Today I want to remind you Before children convene at meeting area establish routines. Please remember to check the section of the board that says Writing Workshop, because every day it will tell you what you need to bring to the meeting area. That way we won t waste one precious minute on linguistics. Today it tells you to sit beside your writing partner on the rug spot I gave you yesterday, and to bring your notebook with a pencil tucked inside. Writers, can I have your eyes and your attention? I had a chance to peek at many of your writer s notebooks as you were coming in this morning, and you did a beautiful job making them your own by inscribing and decorating them. And many of you told me stories of what happened last night! I could tell you lived like writers-you paid attention to the stories that were around you. Some of you even went ahead and wrote them in your notebooks! Donald Murray, a Pulitzer-Prize winning writer, once said, Writers see more, hear more, think more because we are writing, (1968) and I could tell that was true for you. (Share a student s short entry from last night.) Although we did great work in writing yesterday, it was also hard work. At the start of writing time, some of you sat with the blank page in front of you and thought, Nothing happens to me. I don t have anything to write.
This happens to every writer. Today I want to teach you a strategy I use to help me decide which story to write (because writers aren t usually given topics; we decide which stories we will tell). If I can t figure out what to write, one strategy I use is this: I think of a person who matters to me and then I list small moments I ve had with that person. I list moment that, for some reason, I remember with crystal-clear clarity. Then I sketch the memory and write the story of that one time. Using the anchor chart, write: Strategies for Generating Ideas Think of a person who matters to you or a place that matters to you. Then list clear phrases you remember about that person or place. Choose one to sketch and then write the accompanying story. Teaching ( I Do ) What are the steps? Will I use an anchor chart? What will my language sound like? Watch me as I Did you see how I So let s say it s writing time, and I ve got my writer s notebook in front of me, open to the first blank page. I might pick up my pencil and think, I already know what I want to write, in which case I d just get started writing an entry. But, on the other hand, I might pick up my pencil and think, Hmmm What am I going to write about? When I don t know what to write, I think, What strategies do I know for generating ideas? and I use a strategy to help me generate an idea for a story. Point to the start with the strategy. Using our strategy, I ll think of a person or place that matters to me and list moments or phrases connected to that person or place, moments I remember with crystal-clear clarity. So watch me while I use that strategy. Pick up marker and turn to chart paper. The person I write down should be someone who really matters a lot to me, not just someone like the man at the checkout counter. So let me think hmmmm, I ll write Mom. It s a good choice because my mom matters a whole, whole lot to me, and also because I have a zillion tiny stories I remember with crystal-clear clarity that I could tell about her.
Active Engagement ( We Do ) How will students participate and practice? Link Restate the skill/strategy Now you try it Turn and talk to your partner about Stop and jot List across your fingers... Today and every day Who thinks I m thinking of my Mom. The first thing that comes to my mind is that last Saturday I woke up, and she said, I m going to make breakfast for you, and so I sat and read my book while she went into the kitchen. I hear her get out the bowl and pretty soon I started to smell bacon. Write on the chart paper (example): Mom when Mom made me Saturday breakfast riding the train to NYC, feeling excited opening stockings this past Christmas morning when my Mom walked into the basketball game Belle (my dog) first night in the house fight with neighbor s cat Mashapaug Lake first canoe ride without my parents jumping off the big rock with my sister Create anchor chart. Example: Generating Ideas 1. jot down a person you care about 2. brainstorm several moments you recall 3. select some of these times 4. write memories in phrases, making a movie in your mind as you think about those times Now I want you to try. Close your eyes. Think about one or two important people or places. Now think about specific memories of that person or place. Try and remember that small moment that was special. Turn and talk to your partner. Share your ideas. Have a few students share with the class. (Model how to write ideas in a notebook.) Today I want you to use this strategy to generate ideas for writing. This should take about 5-10 minutes to quickly jot down several ideas. Choose one to begin writing about. Off you go!
Invite students to try it This is the start of Independent Practice ( You Do ) Mid-Workshop Teaching Point Conferring they will try this strategy today? Off you go! Anticipated needs: Remember to jot several ideas. You will be looking back in your notebook for ideas in the future. This is the time to record your thoughts. Not all of these ideas will turn into stories. Remember we are not writing topics. Each moment can best be described in a sentence or long phrase, not a single word. Tell me about that time specifically. Why was that time special? (to encourage students to write in specific phrases). Reteach lesson from today is students are struggling to generate ideas. During writing time today, you ll want to convene small groups based upon the assessments you made from studying children s notebooks. You may be focusing upon reteaching today s teaching point or you may want to focus this time to work with groups based on specific need, including enrichment. This time can be used to evaluate individual student learning goals. This time may also be used to target within the classroom individual learning goals specific to SRBI plans, 504 plans, and/or IEPs. After the Workshop Share Call students back to carpet. Give students the opportunity to share a special moment from their notebook and orally rehearse the story which they may end up writing later on. Turn and talk to your partner. Choose one moment from your notebook. Briefly tell your partner the story (not just read from notebook. Assessment Did student generate ideas as phrases in their notebook?
Grade 4 Unit 1: Writing Realistic Fiction Lesson: Teaching Point 3 Objective: Writers generate ideas by thinking about turning points and important issues (first times, last times, something important). Process: Prewriting, Drafting Trait: Ideas, Voice Materials: Chart Paper conference notebook student writers notebook teacher writers notebook Connection/Teaching Point Relate today s teaching point to prior work. Articulate the goal of the lesson Teaching ( I Do ) What are the steps? Will I use an anchor chart? What will my language sound like? Yesterday we talked about Today I want to teach you that whenever Today I want to remind you Watch me as I Did you see how I Yesterday we learned a strategy to generate story ideas about people and places that are important to us. Today I want to teach you that another way writers often generate ideas is by thinking about turning points and important issues. Today, before you start generating personal narrative entries, I want to teach you one more strategy that I often use when I want to write personal narratives. This is a strategy that especially helps me write entries that can become powerful stories. Specifically, I find it helps to list moments in my life that have been turning points for me. These are often first times, last times, or times when I realized something important. Let me show you how I use the strategies of thinking of first times I did something, thinking of last times I did something, and thinking of when I realized something important, because these are all ways for me to think of turning point stories.
Active Engagement ( We Do ) How will students participate and practice? Now you try it Turn and talk to your partner about Stop and jot List across your fingers... In order to come up with a first or last time, I take something anything I do all the time. So I pick ice skating. Then I think, When is the first time I ice skated? And suddenly I remember a time (it might not have been the very first time, but it was an early time) when I skated out to an island, pushing a little red chair in front of me so I wouldn t fall. I write that time on my list, knowing I might come back and tell the story of it later. Jot a phrase representing the episode on chart paper. (ice skating to island with red chair) In order to come up with a last time I did something, I go through the same steps and this time, I end up remembering the last time I saw my grandfather, on a visit to the nursing home. When I want to pick a topic for a personal narrative that will make a really good story, one that will have the shape of a story a beginning, middle, and an end and one that matters, it often helps to think about turning point moments. Here is a turning point my son wrote about It was his last recess as a fifth grader. He realized he would never have recess again. He was growing up. The turning point was his realization that he was becoming a young adult. That last recess was that turning point moment. *Note teachers will want to come up with their own examples of first times, last times, and turning points. Make it your own. Let s try it. I m going to suggest some general topics, and you try to think of a turning point story you could write. If you think of one, jot it down in your writer s notebook so that later you ll have a list of ideas you can come back to. Think about the first time you did something that felt, at the time, like it was hard for you, like swimming across the pool, or climbing to the very top of a mountain, or taking the subway by yourself Think about the first time you did something that now you do every day, like seeing your younger brother, or coming into this classroom, or walking to school from your apartment/
house, or playing a sport, or reading a chapter book Think about the last time you saw a person (or a pet) who died, or the last time you saw someone who left you. Think about a time when realized something about yourself, or about a person you know well. Example: When you realized that the scary neighbor across the street was a friendly, caring older lady, that you now help shovel her driveway Link Restate the skill/strategy Invite students to try it This is the start of Independent Practice ( You Do ) Today and every day Who thinks they will try this strategy today? Off you go! Writers, I hope you remember that you carry with you an invisible backpack full of strategies, including all the strategies we ve learned so far, for generating personal narratives. Today, you learned one more strategy to add your backpack. You learned that if you want to turn a small moment in your life into a really good story, it can help to start by thinking of turning point moments, and, more specifically, to think of first time or last time moments, or times when you realized something important. I ll add that to our chart over here. As you gather entries today, draw on any strategy from this chart. Remember that it should take you just a few minutes to jot a few quick lists of ideas for entries, and then you ll need to select an idea from your list and write it. You may have time to write two entries (as well as some lists) today. Take a minute to think about some first time, last time, or other turning point moments. Once you have an idea, give me a thumbs up, then quietly head back to your seat to begin writing in your Writers Notebook. Mid-Workshop Teaching Point If you re having a difficult time thinking of turning point moments, think about something you do every day, or would like to do every day, and write down your earliest memory of that activity When writing your entry, focus on getting your ideas and details on the paper. Write how you felt, what you saw, who was there. We might use this quick write and the details to write a story about this small moment later. It s important to
Conferring get your ideas down now, so we won t forget when we begin writing the story later. Tell me about your ideas What strategies from the anchor chart did you use today? Read me what you have so far. Be sure to give student a positive note, and something to work on every time you meet with them. During writing time today, you ll want to convene small groups based upon the assessments you made from studying children s notebooks. You may be focusing upon reteaching today s teaching point or you may want to focus this time to work with groups based on specific need, including enrichment. This time can be used to evaluate individual student learning goals. This time may also be used to target within the classroom individual learning goals specific to SRBI plans, 504 plans, and/or IEPs. After the Workshop Share Call students back to the carpet with their Writers Notebook, sitting next to their writing partners. Today we focused on generating ideas from turning point moments in our lives. We thought about first times, last times, or realized something important about ourselves. If you used this strategy today, give me a thumbs up. Ask 2-3 students to share their Turning Point ideas with the class. Assessment Did students generate turning point story ideas in their Writers Notebook?
Grade 4 Unit 1: Writing Realistic Fiction Lesson: Teaching Point 4 Objective: Writers weigh ideas and record promising ones (how is it important to your life?) Process: Prewriting, Drafting Trait: Ideas, Voice Materials: Owl Moon Chart Paper Anchor Chart Connection/Teaching Point Relate today s teaching point to prior work. Articulate the goal of the lesson Teaching ( I Do ) What are the steps? Will I use an anchor chart? What will my language sound like? Yesterday we talked about Today I want to teach you that whenever Today I want to remind you Watch me as I Did you see how I We ve spent time working on ideas for our personal narrative stories. We ve worked on strategies to help us generate story ideas. Today, I want to show you how writers weigh ideas, and choose promising ones to actually write about. Good writers are always able to put their feelings across in their writing, and allow the reader to feel the same way. Today I want to share with you how writers choose topics that have a powerful meaning to them. I m going to read the story, Owl Moon, and I want you to think about what the author is trying to say. Also, ask yourself, What did this author do that I could also do in order to make my writing powerful? Now, watch me as I weigh two different story ideas I came up with the other day, and how I choose which story will be the most promising idea to write about, just like Jane Yolen did with Owl Moon. In my notebook, I m looking at two ideas; one, is about the first time I had a Salmon dinner at a restaurant in Seattle. The other idea I was looking at, was when my mother and I went to NYC together, and I realized she was not just my mother, but that we had a lot in common, and were starting to become friends.
Active Engagement ( We Do ) How will students participate and practice? Link Restate the skill/strategy Invite students to try it This is the start of Independent Practice ( You Do ) Mid-Workshop Teaching Point Conferring Now you try it Turn and talk to your partner about Stop and jot List across your fingers... Today and every day Who thinks they will try this strategy today? Off you go! Which of these two ideas have the most meaning to me, so I can turn it into a powerful writing piece? Hmmm.The salmon was really good, but it doesn t carry a powerful meaning, or a strong emotion. Going to NYC with my mother was fun, but it was the beginning of our friendship, and a turning point in how I view her as a person not just my mother any more. I think there is a lot more meaning and feeling behind the story with my mother, and as I writer, I think I can put meaning behind what actually happened, to help the reader feel what I felt on that trip. Now it s time for you to try. Look back into your writer s notebook, and choose two story ideas that you think carry strong meanings. Share these two ideas with your partner to weigh out which of these ideas would be the most promising to write about and why. Put a star next to the idea that has the most meaning. Today and every day, I want you as good writers to weigh out your ideas to find meaningful story ideas, that carry powerful feelings. Now that you and your partner have selected a meaningful story idea, I want you to go back to your desk, and continue weighing and staring other ideas, or begin writing about this meaningful story. I want you to think about the feelings, or meaning that goes with each idea, and not just select an idea you want to write about. Don t forget that once you have weighed out and selected several story ideas, this would be a great time to begin writing. During writing time today, you ll want to convene small groups based upon the assessments you made from studying children s notebooks. You may be focusing upon reteaching today s teaching point or you may want to focus this time to
After the Workshop Share work with groups based on specific need, including enrichment. This time can be used to evaluate individual student learning goals. This time may also be used to target within the classroom individual learning goals specific to SRBI plans, 504 plans, and/or IEPs. Assessment
Grade 4 Unit 1: Writing Realistic Fiction Lesson: Teaching Point 5 Objective: Once writers have many seed ideas, they choose one that calls to them because it carries a strong meaning. Process: Prewriting, Drafting Trait: Ideas, Voice Reference: Launching the Writing Workshop by Lucy Calkins, session 6 Materials: anchor chart paper teacher s writing notebook students writing notebooks sticky notes Connection/Teaching Point Relate today s teaching point to prior work. Articulate the goal of the lesson Teaching ( I Do ) What are the steps? Will I use an anchor chart? What will my language sound like? Yesterday we talked about Today I want to teach you that whenever Today I want to remind you Watch me as I Did you see how I We ve been collecting lots of entries, at school and at home, in our writer s notebooks. We call these seed ideas. At some point, writers have to make decisions about which seeds they ll turn into writing projects to publish. I m going to show you what authors do to choose a seed to develop and publish so you can do it too. Today we re going to choose a seed from our writer s notebook. But before we talk about that seed, let s talk about a regular seed. What happens to a regular seed? (It grows.) What does it need to grow? (It needs water, sun, soil, and care.) Well, a writing seed is just like a regular seed. It is a piece of writing you are going to take care of for a while. Over the next few lessons, your seed will grow as you think about it more and add more information. You ll want to choose an entry that really matters and make a commitment to that one entry. Once we decide to work on it, it can become our very best writing.
Your important job today is to look for a piece in your notebook that you would like to spend time nurturing so you may publish it as a finished piece. Let s talk about the best way to do that. For most writers, the answer begins with rereading all of the things you ve collected so you can find the most valuable pieces. When you reread your notebook, try to be the best possible reader in the world. If you re like me, you ll probably talk to yourself while you reread. Here are some writer s questions you might ask yourself, questions to help you focus on your reactions to the entries. Create chart as you are talking. Let me show you how I would choose a seed from my writer s notebook. Model rereading some entries in your writer s notebook, using some of the questions in your think aloud to see if the entries would be good seed ideas. Below is an example, but it is best to use your own seed ideas. Here s an entry about my trip to Greece. I have a lot to say about that topic, so maybe it could be my seed idea. I m going to put a post-it there. Here s another entry I really enjoyed writing, the one about my cousin s laugh. I don t really have anything more to say about that idea, so I m not going to put a post-it. This entry about what I did when I visited my grandparents might be something to explore. Visiting my grandparents was really important when I was a kid, so I think it would be a good seed to choose. I like what I wrote already, and I think I could make it even better. Let me think about
Active Engagement ( We Do ) How will students participate and practice? Link Restate the skill/strategy Invite students to try it This is the start of Independent Practice ( You Do ) Mid-Workshop Teaching Point Now you try it Turn and talk to your partner about Stop and jot List across your fingers... Today and every day Who thinks they will try this strategy today? Off you go! whether I d rather write about my trip or my grandparents I ll choose visiting my grandparents for my seed idea since they were so important to me. Refer to the chart to show them how you went through the process. Now I want you to try. Reread the ideas in your notebook. Give students a few minutes to read. Turn and talk to your partner. Tell them one seed idea that you would like to nurture and grow. Today when you go back to your desks, get three sticky notes. Use our Choosing a Seed chart to help you narrow your notebook entries down to three likely possibilities. Look for entries that draw you in. Then reread those possibilities even more carefully and leave the sticky note on the one you finally select. When we return for share time today, be prepared to share which entry you chose and why you chose it. Off you go! Writers, can I have your eyes and your attention? Thumbs up if you ve chosen one entry that matters to you, an entry that you think you could work on more. Great. Before you write the story of that entry, please turn to the person next to you, and tell the story of your seed idea. Tell it long. Tell it in ways that gives your listener goose bumps. After just a couple of minutes Writers, let me stop you. I m not surprised you selected these particular stories from your notebooks. They are incredible! I loved hearing that the stories grew as you told them; you seemed to remember more things right in the middle of the stories! That s exactly why we often story-tell before we write. But let me tell you something else. Writers don t just tell our stories once before we write them we tell and retell them. When you go back to your writing,
would you tell your story again to yourself, not to your partner? Conferring Where are you with choosing a seed? Tell me what you ve thought about as you go through your notebook. Let s look at the Choosing a Seed chart how could that help? After the Workshop Share Have students bring their writer s notebooks back to the meeting area. Tell them to turn and talk to their response partner about which seed idea they chose to nurture and grow and why they chose it. You may want to demonstrate this process with one student if your class still needs modeling for effective partner talk. Ask a few students to share out. Assessment Did the student choose a strong seed idea to develop into a story?
Grade 4 Unit 1: Writing Realistic Fiction Objective: Writers take time to plan their story (timelines, consider possible events to include, continuously revise, which dot is not essential) Lesson: Teaching Point 6 (Part 1) Process: Planning Trait: Organization Materials: Chart paper Your own (short) story to share (plan parts for timeline) Idea for a shared class story (an event class experienced together) Connection/Teaching Point Relate today s teaching point to prior work. Articulate the goal of the lesson Yesterday we talked about Today I want to teach you that whenever Today I want to remind you Writers, yesterday we talked about how writers that generate many seed ideas choose one that calls to them because it carries a strong meaning. Today, I want to teach you that once you have selected that strong and meaningful idea, writers then take time to plan their story, including the most essential events. Teaching ( I Do ) What are the steps? Will I use an anchor chart? What will my language sound like? Watch me as I Did you see how I Sometimes people use plans or diagrams before they start to build something or when they are stuck and don t know where to begin. When you build a story, sometimes a plan helps too. Writers need to imagine how their story is going to go based on the memory they have of that episode from their life. They need to plan and organize so their story comes out the way they imagined. Today I m going to show you a tool that writers sometimes use to help them plan. Some writers use timelines to help them plan and organize. Timelines can also help you remember what happened first, then next, until the end of the story. Watch how I create a timeline to help me plan for writing a story from one of my seed ideas. I want to write a story about (refer to your chosen seed idea from previous lesson). I will use a timeline to do that (draw vertical line on chart paper). Model and think aloud through a story that you have written. Model by mapping out a timeline, taking big steps through your story, including only the most essential events (add in a few extra points to be used
Active Engagement ( We Do ) How will students participate and practice? Now you try it Turn and talk to your partner about Stop and jot List across your fingers... later during the mid-workshop lesson). Possible prompts to include: When I think back to the memory of that time, the first thing I see is. I will write that here, as the first dot on my timeline If I think of the order in which things happened within my memory, my next dot would be The next thing I remember is You ll notice I write just a few words on each dot of my timeline, and that each dot represents a new action. Did you notice about how I thought of the order in which they occurred and how I used this timeline as a tool for planning out my story? Let s try making a timeline together. We will use a timeline to plan a story we could write as a class about the time ( choose the memory the whole class selected from the previous lesson).. With your partner, say how a timeline could go for our class story. For now use your fingers as dots on your timeline. Call back your writer s attention. Call on student volunteers to visually create your class timeline. Did you notice how we took our class event and used the timeline to help us remember what happened first, and next until the end? Planning on this timeline has helped us organize our writing so that we can grow our seed idea into an actual story. Link Restate the skill/strategy Invite students to try it This is the start of Independent Practice ( You Do ) Today and every day Who thinks they will try this strategy today? Off you go! When I send you off, you are going to practice using a timeline as a tool to organize your seed idea and begin growing it into a story. Today and everyday, remember that writers take time to plan out their stories and a timeline is one way that we can do this work.
Mid-Workshop Teaching Point Conferring After the Workshop Share Writers, can I have your eyes and ears? As I was revisiting my timeline, I noticed that I might have included a few events in my story that are not the most essential to my story. This makes me realize that I need to go back and revise my planning, stretching out the most essential parts of my story and taking out parts that are NOT necessary. Take 1-2 minutes to evaluate your timeline aloud, adding to and/or removing events from the timeline. Other possible ways to utilize the mid-workshop TP: Celebrate the work that students are doing, pinpointing a particular observation Reiterate the teaching point or ask students to reinterate the teaching point (ex: Writers, so remind me of the type of work we are focusing upon today and everyday? ) Solve a problem that has come up Ask a few students to reflect upon their work thus far (a helpful hint, something that has worked for them, how they have problem solved a particular situation) During writing time today, you ll want to convene small groups based upon the assessments you made from studying children s notebooks. You may be focusing upon reteaching today s teaching point or you may want to focus this time to work with groups based on specific need, including enrichment. This time can be used to evaluate individual student learning goals. This time may also be used to target within the classroom individual learning goals specific to SRBI plans, 504 plans, and/or IEPs. Gather students together to share student work. This time may be used in different ways such as : Gather partnerships together. Have students share their work within their partnerships, celebrating their progress towards the day s teaching point or their own personal learning goal. Once students have shared within partnerships, call the attention of the whole group, selecting one or two students to share to the entire group. Gather the entire group together. Pre-select one or two students, and/or ask for a few student
volunteers to share their progress towards the teaching objective and/or learning goal. Assessment Did the writer take the time to plan their story, using a timeline as a tool to organize the essential events of what happened first, next, until the end? This is an opportunity for students to self-assess their progress towards the teaching objective and/or learning goal.
Grade 4 Unit 1: Writing Realistic Fiction Objective: Writers take time to plan their story Lesson: Teaching Point 6 (Part 2 of 2) Process: Planning Trait: Organization Materials: Chart paper Your own (short) story to share (plan parts for timeline) Idea for a shared class story (an event class experienced together) Connection/Teaching Point Relate today s teaching point to prior work. Articulate the goal of the lesson Yesterday we talked about Today I want to teach you that whenever Today I want to remind you Writers, yesterday we talked about how writers that generate many seed ideas choose one that calls to them because it carries a strong meaning. Today, I want to teach you that once you have selected that strong and meaningful idea, writers then take time to plan their story, including the most essential events. Teaching ( I Do ) What are the steps? Will I use an anchor chart? What will my language sound like? Watch me as I Did you see how I Sometimes people use plans or diagrams before they start to build something or when they are stuck and don t know where to begin. When you build a story, sometimes a plan helps too. Writers need to imagine how their story is going to go based on the memory they have of that episode from their life. They need to plan and organize so their story comes out the way they imagined. Today I m going to show you a tool that writers sometimes use to help them plan. Some writers use timelines to help them plan and organize. Timelines can also help you remember what happened first, then next, until the end of the story. Watch how I create a timeline to help me plan for writing a story from one of my seed ideas. I want to write a story about (refer to your chosen seed idea from previous lesson). I will use a timeline to do that (draw vertical line on chart paper).
Active Engagement ( We Do ) How will students participate and practice? Now you try it Turn and talk to your partner about Stop and jot List across your fingers... Model and think aloud through a story that you have written. Model by mapping out a timeline, taking big steps through your story, including only the most essential events (add in a few extra points to be used later during the mid-workshop lesson). Possible prompts to include: When I think back to the memory of that time, the first thing I see is. I will write that here, as the first dot on my timeline If I think of the order in which things happened within my memory, my next dot would be The next thing I remember is You ll notice I write just a few words on each dot of my timeline, and that each dot represents a new action. Did you notice about how I thought of the order in which they occurred and how I used this timeline as a tool for planning out my story? Let s try making a timeline together. We will use a timeline to plan a story we could write as a class about the time ( choose the memory the whole class selected from the previous lesson).. With your partner, say how a timeline could go for our class story. For now use your fingers as dots on your timeline. Call back your writer s attention. Call on student volunteers to visually create your class timeline. Did you notice how we took our class event and used the timeline to help us remember what happened first, and next until the end? Planning on this timeline has helped us organize our writing so that we can grow our seed idea into an actual story.
Link Restate the skill/strategy Invite students to try it This is the start of Independent Practice ( You Do ) Mid-Workshop Teaching Point Conferring Today and every day Who thinks they will try this strategy today? Off you go! When I send you off, you are going to practice using a timeline as a tool to organize your seed idea and begin growing it into a story. Today and everyday, remember that writers take time to plan out their stories and a timeline is one way that we can do this work. Writers, can I have your eyes and ears? As I was revisiting my timeline, I noticed that I might have included a few events in my story that are not the most essential to my story. This makes me realize that I need to go back and revise my planning, stretching out the most essential parts of my story and taking out parts that are NOT necessary. Take 1-2 minutes to evaluate your timeline aloud, adding to and/or removing events from the timeline. Other possible ways to utilize the mid-workshop TP: Celebrate the work that students are doing, pinpointing a particular observation Reiterate the teaching point or ask students to reinterate the teaching point (ex: Writers, so remind me of the type of work we are focusing upon today and everyday? ) Solve a problem that has come up Ask a few students to reflect upon their work thus far (a helpful hint, something that has worked for them, how they have problem solved a particular situation) During writing time today, you ll want to convene small groups based upon the assessments you made from studying children s notebooks. You may be focusing upon reteaching today s teaching point or you may want to focus this time to work with groups based on specific need, including enrichment. This time can be used to evaluate individual student learning goals. This time may also be used to target within the classroom individual learning goals specific to SRBI plans, 504 plans, and/or IEPs.
After the Workshop Share Assessment Gather students together to share student work. This time may be used in different ways such as : Gather partnerships together. Have students share their work within their partnerships, celebrating their progress towards the day s teaching point or their own personal learning goal. Once students have shared within partnerships, call the attention of the whole group, selecting one or two students to share to the entire group. Gather the entire group together. Pre-select one or two students, and/or ask for a few student volunteers to share their progress towards the teaching objective and/or learning goal. Did the writer take the time to plan their story, using a timeline as a tool to organize the essential events of what happened first, next, until the end? This is an opportunity for students to self-assess their progress towards the teaching objective and/or learning goal.
Grade 4 Unit 1: Writing Realistic Fiction Objective: Writers draft multiple beginnings and endings, selecting the one that conveys their message most effectively. Lesson: Teaching Point 7 Process: Drafting Trait: Organization, Ideas, Voice Materials: Chart paper (beginning drafting story, use every other line, leave room for revision) Your own (short) story to share (plan parts for timeline) **Important Note: As you model drafting your story ideas with the students, include sentence fragments and run-on sentences-see lesson 10)** Connection/Teaching Point Relate today s teaching point to prior work. Articulate the goal of the lesson Teaching ( I Do ) What are the steps? Will I use an anchor chart? What will my language sound like? Yesterday we talked about Today I want to teach you that whenever Today I want to remind you Watch me as I Did you see how I Writers, yesterday we learned that writers identify an emotion they want their readers to feel. They then revise their timelines in order to include the events most essential in capturing that emotion. Today, I want to teach you that writers draft multiple beginnings and endings, selecting the one that conveys their message the most effectively. As writers get ready to draft their stories, they begin to try different ways to tell their story, thinking, How do I want to start my story? Maybe my story will go like this. Then we reimagine the story, and think, Or maybe the story will go like this, and try a second starting point, a second ending. I step back and realize that the same story can be told differently, depending upon the perspective the writer wants to bring out. Watch me as I ask myself a few questions, considering where I want to begin and end my story. (Think aloud, using the questions mentioned above. Tie in the emotions identified yesterday, as you try different beginnings and endings.).
Active Engagement ( We Do ) How will students participate and practice? Link Restate the skill/strategy Invite students to try it This is the start of Independent Practice ( You Do ) Mid-Workshop Teaching Point Now you try it Turn and talk to your partner about Stop and jot List across your fingers... Today and every day Who thinks they will try this strategy today? Off you go! Using the class story timelined from the day before, select a starting point. Begin to live write a beginning, discussing the perspective and emotion communicated with this starting point. Think aloud to the class, asking Is this how I want my story to begin? Maybe the story should start in a different spot? Then select, using yesterday s timeline, a different place to start your story. Begin to write that beginning with the class. When finished compare the perspective and emotion communicated. Model a think aloud regarding which beginning to select. Now, model the same thinking, this time selecting an ending from your timeline. Practice writing an ending for your story, asking yourself, does this ending communicate my message to the reader? When I send you off, you are going to draft multiple beginnings for your story, deciding which beginning most effectively communicates your message. Once you have decided upon your beginning, draft at least one ending for your story, asking yourself, does this beginning most effectively communicate your message. Today and everyday, remember that writers can begin and end their stories in multiple ways. It is important to choose the starting and ending point for your story that most clearly communicates your message as an author. Writers, can I have your eyes and ears? Possible ways to utilize the mid-workshop TP: Celebrate the work that students are doing, pinpointing a particular observation Reiterate the teaching point or ask students to reinterate the teaching point (ex: Writers, so remind me of the type of work we are focusing upon today and everyday? ) Solve a problem that has come up