Interdisciplinary Writing Unit Narrative & Informational Writing 4 th Grade By: Sheri Bashlor

Georgia Writing Test There are standard guidelines that teachers go by to identify what stage of writing each student belongs to. When putting a student in a particular stage, teachers must collect and consider several written pieces from the child. This following general guidelines give students the feedback needed in becoming effective writers. The following is a list of stages and descriptions for grade 5.

Georgia Writing Test Stage 1 – Emerging Writer Little of no evidence of topic development, organization, and/or detail. Little awareness of the audience or the writing task. Errors in surface features that prevent the reader from understanding the writer’s message. Stage 2 – The Developing Writer A topic that is beginning or developed. The beginning of an organizational plan. Limited awareness of the audience and/or the task. Simple word choice and simple sentence patterns. Errors in surface features that interfere with communication.

Georgia Writing Test Stage 3 – The Focusing Writer A clear topic although development of the topic is incomplete. An apparent plan with loosely organized ideas. A sense of audience and/or task. Minimal variety of vocabulary and of sentence patterns. Errors in surface features that interrupt the flow of communication. Stage 4 – The Developing Writer A clear and developed topic although the development may be uneven. A clear plan with a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning and/or end may be clumsy. Evidence of writing for an audience. Evidence of experimentation with language and sentence patterns. Word combinations and word choice may be novel. Errors in surface features that may interrupt the flow of communication.

Georgia Writing Test Stage 5 – The Emerging Writer A topic that is well developed. A plan with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Organization that sustains the writer’s purpose. Audience awareness techniques that engage the reader. Effective use of varied language and sentence patterns. Errors in surface features that do not interfere with the reader’s understanding of the writer’s message. Stage 6 – The Extending Writer A topic that is fully elaborated with rich details. Organization that sustains the writer’s purpose and moves the reader through the piece. Audience awareness techniques that engage and sustain the reader’s interest. Effective use of varied sentence patterns. Creative and novel language. Errors in surface features that do not interfere with the reader’s understanding of the writer’s message.

Narrative Writing Unit Grade: 4 th Genre: Narrative Social Studies Connection

Pre-Assessment Prompt Directions: The teacher will write the following prompts on the board. Each child will pick one topic to write a narrative story on, which should include: characters, a setting, conflict, events, solution, and conclusion. I will remind the children that each story should have a beginning, middle, and end. The following page are the topic choices for the pre-assessment.

Pre-Assessment Prompts Choice #1: How did you meet your closest friend? Choice #2: Describe a place you remember going to that was really fun. Choice #3: Tell your life story from someone else’s point of view. Choice #4: Describe a typical day in the life of your mother or father. Choice #5: Describe the adventure from your most favorite vacation.

Prewriting Stage Grouping Arrangements Modeling: whole group instruction Practice Activity: whole group (shared pen) Assessment Activity: individual Instructional Procedures Modeling: A Day in the Life of a Seminole Woman is the name of the story I wrote as a model. The graphic organizer is below.

Prewriting Stage

Instructional Procedures Continued: Practice Activity: We completed a graphic organizer on the beginning of a story about a Seminole man. Assessment Activity: The students completed a story map on either Hopi/Pawnee man or woman. They were required to use the checklist to make sure they included everything. I used the rubric to grade the assessment activity. Accommodations: A student with poor motor skills used the computer during the assessment activity. Two gifted and one high achieving student started assessment activity early.

Prewriting Stage: Checklist

Prewriting Stage Grading Rubric

Drafting Stage Grouping Arrangements are the same as prewriting. During the assessment activity, the Spanish speaking children sat with me to confirm understanding of subject-verb agreement (accommodation). Instructional Procedures Modeling: Modeled story about the day in the life of a Seminole woman Practice Activity: shared pen (interactive writing) with whole group Assessment Activity: Students completed individual rough drafts from their story maps.

Drafting Stage - Checklist

Drafting Stage – Scoring Guide

Revising Stage The grouping arrangements are the same as prewriting. Modeling: Main focus is to show students my paper with marks adding, deleting, changing, and rearranging words/sentences in paper. Practice Activity: Main focus is to show kids how to add, delete, change, rearrange information using proofreaders’ marks. Make sure kids know not to worry about grammatical errors at this point.

Revising Stage - Checklist

Revising Stage – Scoring Guide

Editing Stage Grouping Arrangements are consistent throughout the entire writing process. I will make an accommodation during the editing stage for linguistic need children spending one-on-one time with each of them. Instructional Procedures Modeling: Main focus is to show students how to change grammatical errors using proofreaders’ marks. Practice Activity: Shared pen activity (interactive writing) Assessment Activity: Individual activity

Editing Stage - Checklist

Editing Stage – Scoring Guide

Publishing Stage Grouping arrangements are consistent throughout the writing process. Instructional Procedures Modeling: silhouette Indian with story attached (typed product) Practice Activity: I type story while children dictate what to type/changes to make. Assessment Activity: Individual publishing/computer use will take place.

Publishing Stage - Checklist

Publishing Stage – Scoring Guide

Informational Unit Grade: 4 th Genre: Informational Science Connection

Pre-Assessment Prompts Directions: The teacher will write the following prompts on the board. Each child will pick one topic to write an informational essay on, which should include: an introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion paragraph. The purpose of the essay will be to inform. Prompt #1: Write an essay about three major rules at the school you attend (explain each rule and why you like or dislike the rule). Prompt #2: Write an essay about the life of a butterfly (previously taught).

Prewriting Stage Grouping Arrangements: Whole group for both modeling and practice activities will be most appropriate. Individual work during the assessment activity will be expected. Instructional Procedures Modeling: Precipitation Practice Activity: Formation of Clouds Assessment Activity: Water Cycle (graphic organizer)

Prewriting Stage

Drafting Stage Grouping arrangements are consistent throughout process. Instructional Procedures: Modeling: Show and review model, checklist, and proofreaders’ marks. Practice Activity: shared pen with class (whole group instruction) Assessment Activity: Individual (with help for linguistically challenged students).

Drafting Stage

Revising Stage The grouping arrangements are consistent throughout writing process. Instructional Procedures: Modeling: I will show my model and correct revision marks adding, deleting, changing, and rearranging any words/sentences needed. Practice Activity: Shared pen Assessment Activity: Students must complete a checklist before turning in revised paper.

Revising Stage

Editing Stage Grouping arrangements are consistent throughout the writing process (except for practice activity – see below) Instructional Procedures Modeling: Will model editing by showing proofreaders’ marks and model paper Practice Activity: Children will practice editing a paper in small groups. The paper will be the practice paper used from previous sessions. Assessment Activity: Individual editing with self and one other person.

Editing Stage - Checklist

Editing Stage – Scoring Guide

Publishing Stage Grouping arrangements are the same. Instructional Procedures Modeling: Model of finished product Practice: Make model of practice writing Assessment: individual to see strengths and weaknesses of every student

Publishing Stage - Checklist

Publishing Stage – Scoring Guide

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