Catawba County Schools Writing Plan 4th Grade Catawba County Schools Writing Plan

Components of Writing Plan NCSCOS Objectives Essential Questions Activities/Strategies Resources Assessment Rubric Writing Products Portfolios

Writing Genres/Products Taken from: NCSCOS 4th Grade Writing Genres/Products Notes Poems Directions Instructions Learning Logs Diary Entries Autobiography Biography Personal/Imaginative Narratives Journal Entries Research Reports Business Letters: Letters of Request Letters of Complaint Letters to the Editor

Writing is all around us…

Portfolios 4 published pieces will be collected in the Writing Portfolio Each nine weeks one piece of writing will be taken to the publishing stage and submitted to the portfolio Each of the final four published pieces should represent a variety of genres of writing Students should be involved in the decision making process as to which pieces will be included in their writing portfolio

Short Reports Probes What is a probe?- “to search into; examine thoroughly; investigate”; Probes are notebooks (MEAD marble composition books) that are bound together and used for writing research reports on various topics. These will be kept all year.

Examples of Probes

Recipes Writing Directions Instructions Zoo fun Kid recipes Recipe for procedural writing Creature Recipes Purposeful Writing Ideas/Activities

Poetry Poetry as a Writing Genre 5 Ws Poem Poem A Week

Business Letters Lesson plans for writing letters Ideas for writing letters Writing Business Letters lesson plan Letters of Complaint

Response Journals Journal Writing Tips

Writing Directions/ Instructions Recipes

Learning Logs Interactive Notebooks I.N. Examples Right Side of the Notebook Notes on a: mini-lesson lecture lab reading film/video/documentary small group or large group discussion collaborative group process a copied excerpt of a text Interactive Notebooks I.N. Examples Rubric for Grading I.N. I.N. Powerpoint I.N. Information Left Side of the Notebook Paraphrase or clarify items Enter a drawing, photo, sketch, or magazine picture that illustrates the concept, ideas, or facts Pose questions about the information Form and express an opinion Predict outcomes or next steps Create a metaphor that captures the essence of the information/issue Write a reflection on the information or experience Find a quote that connects to the concept; record it and explain your rationale Make connections between the information/text and your own life, another text, and/or the world Create a mind map that captures the main topic and key concepts and supportive detail Create an acronym that will help you to remember the information covered Make connections to the content/processes of other courses      Interactive Notebooks

Learning Logs continued What are learning logs? Writing Focus for Learning Logs Learning Logs and Double Entry Journal Explanations

Have students write in the Dear Diary… Diary Entries Have students write in the Dear Diary… format. They can write the entries in their Writer’s Notebook, or on special paper. They can write the entries to a scenario that you have written on the board, or in a center. They can also write to a character in the book they are reading, or one from history. My Diary

Notes Note writing lesson plan Thank you notes Note taking tips for students

Autobiographies/Biographies Writing an Autobiography tips Mini Unit Technology Autobiography Alphabet Autobiography Book Auto biography poem Biography Maker Student Biographers

Lucy Calkins Units of Study Writing Grades 3-5

What does Writing Workshop look like? Mini Lesson Independent Writing/Collecting Entries (Writer’s Notebooks) Conferring Sharing

Narrative Writing Personal Experiences Small Moments in time

Lucy Calkins Units of Study Grades 3-5 Lucy Calkins Units of Study Components Connection Teaching (Mini Lesson) Active Engagement Link Writing Mid-workshop Teaching Point Conferring Sharing

Connection Links what has been done to what is expected to be learned in the present lesson May serve as a quick review of previous learning Explicitly name what will be taught/learned The connection links what has been done before to what is expected in the present lesson. It provides the young writer with the purpose for the skill or objective being taught.

Has a Clear Objective - Teaching Point States the Purpose Explicitly Teach (Mini-lesson) Has a Clear Objective - Teaching Point States the Purpose Explicitly Teacher Models – Demonstrate May Provide Guided Practice Explains and Gives Examples The mini-lesson last no more than 10 minutes. Younger children may need less time than older children. This is direct teaching to the whole class on a specific topic. It regularly occurs in a specific spot. It follows a similar format each time. The teacher states and restates her objective using the vocabulary that she will use throughout the year. The teacher may use modeling, demonstrations, guided practice, or explanations with examples

Mini Lesson The mini-lesson is where the teacher can make a suggestion to the whole class...raise a concern, explore an issue, model a technique, reinforce a strategy. After observing students’ writing and identifying concerns, ask yourself: "What is the one thing I can suggest or demonstrate that might help most?"   A mini-lesson generally lasts 5-10 minutes. Try to choose a teaching point that you feel would benefit the majority of the class.

Mini-Lesson Ideas Conventions Focus Content Focus Getting an idea -making lists -things you love -writing from emotion -experiences -moments in time Adding detail Adds responses/telling the inside story Choice of words/ descriptive language Replacing tired words Great beginnings Wow endings One moment in time Observations "I wonder" writings Something ordinary Staying on focus Working with a seed idea Developing a plan for writing Finding your voice Genre studies: -poetry -informational reports -letters -autobiographies -biographies Use appropriate spacing Spelling phonetically Spell "High Frequency" words correctly Spell using analogies Capitalize I, names Capitalize beginnings of sentences Ending punctuation marks Quotation marks Commas Use of "and" Using appropriate grammar Using paragraphs Recognizing and correcting run-on sentences Sample chart created during a Mini-Lesson Content Focus

Active Engagement At the end of the mini-lesson students are given the opportunity to try-out the lesson through sharing with a partner At times students may watch other students trying something out This is where turn and talk procedures must be clearly expected.

Link Before sending student off to write independently, restate the teaching point and encourage students to use the skill taught in the mini-lesson in their ongoing work for the day. Using phrases like “Writers today and everyday you can use______.” helps focus students’ attention on using that skill during the writing time.

Writing Time Students write Teacher confers with individual students or small groups Student writing time increases as students develop their stamina. The teacher starts the launching unit teaching students how to be independent during writing time. After the first mini-lesson on developing independence, she may revisit what students do during this time. An anchor chart posted serves as a reminder. The teacher must decide what she needs to put in this chart, depending upon her procedures.

When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing. ~Enrique Jardiel Poncela~   The students need to understand that there will be times when they can “free write” for themselves, but there will also be times when their writing needs to be in a form that is easily read by others. This is the published form of writing. The students will have many “unfinished” pieces throughout the year.

Independent Writing/Collecting Entries After the mini lesson, students work in their Writer's Notebook to collect entries that may later become published pieces of writing.  The total writing time lasts for about 35 minutes, but during that time some students may be involved in conferences with the teacher or with their peers. Students choose entries in their notebooks to take into "draft form."  It is these carefully selected pieces of writing that will be taken through the process of editing and revising so that they can be published and shared with others.  All entries in the Writer's Notebook do not become published pieces of writing.  All published writing is added to each student's Writing Portfolio, and some pieces will even be put into student created books.

(Mid-workshop teaching point) Sometimes you will find it necessary to stop and teach/re-teach a concept/skill during the writing workshop- this will be necessary when you are seeing several children struggling with the same issues

Conferring The teacher may meet with students individually. The teacher may meet with small groups of students with similar needs The teacher takes the time to record her compliment and teaching points

Conferring While students are involved in independent writing, use this time to confer with your writers.  Take notes during conferences to document students' progress and to plan future mini-lessons.  During this time the teacher may: Listen to students read their entries aloud Help students decide what they want to say Provide feedback Re-teach skills taught during mini lessons Teach necessary new skills Reinforce a writer's strengths Give writers new ways of thinking

Conferring Teaching Points The teacher looks for what the student knows. The teacher looks for what the student needs to know next The teacher asks herself what is the most important thing that she can teach this student next? The teacher must decide how she is going to teach the child The teacher aids the student(s) learning by saying,”I am going to teach you something. I am going to teach you how to____” During the conference she will repeat several times what she is teaching. Conferences are conversations, not interrogations

Sharing Students return to same place that they were for the mini-lesson. The teacher may decide to restate the teaching point of the mini-lesson and share examples of student work. The teacher may decide to introduce a new writing behavior that was observed. Students are given opportunities to share their work During this time the teacher may decide to have students turn and talk.

Sharing At the end of writing workshop everyday, students are brought back together for a 5-10 minute group share and reflection.  When students sign up to share or are asked to share, they take a seat in our coveted "Author's Chair."  Sometimes a writer might come to the author's chair to ask for help or receive feedback from his or her classmates ("I like my story, but I can't think of a good title.").  The author might also want to share part of an entry of which he or she is especially proud. During “many” group shares, each student gets a turn to share a small part of an entry, especially if you have asked students to try a particular new skill during the day's mini-lesson.

Getting Ready for Writer’s Workshop Getting Your Room and Yourself Ready -   Plans for 1st week – First Things First Have a carpet large enough for everyone to sit with an assigned partner (A,B) Arrange your room so students are in groups (this is needed for conferencing purposes and sharing materials) Have baskets made up for each group (containing pencils, colored pencils, highlighters, tape, scissors, date stamps)  Anchor charts on your walls as you make them with your class Have writing folders with students names on them to house writing resources, rough drafts, and final copies  Make sure you have Word Wall and mini offices available for student use   Decide how you will record conferences and make appropriate paperwork   Introduce parents to your writing program through newsletters, parent night, etc.   Establish "writing territories" (place where children write independently) -  Decide on writing environment (lights dim, soft music) Decide on transition procedures (song to go to the carpet, etc)

Anchor Charts Anchor charts are tools for students to use during Writers' Workshop and aid children in remembering procedures and expectations.  Charts should be made with the children and added to throughout the year. Anchor charts need to be posted in the classroom where they are easily accessible to students. This is an example of an anchor chart used to teach children how to write a small moment story.

Writer’s Notebook

Writer’s Notebook Entries “Gathering Ideas” Poetry Family stories that we know Writing generated from conversations we've had or have heard Lists of people or place names of interest Entries about things we care about Things we wonder about Celebrations or victories Dreams

Once a draft has been completed and students have conferenced with the teacher in the final step of the editing/revising process, students can choose a special themed paper on which to publish their final copy of the story.  The Writing Center should be stocked with a variety of decorated paper on which lines have been printed for students to write. PUBLISHING IDEAS

PORTFOLIO IDEAS The final product then becomes part of the students' Writing Portfolios. 1 Final Product will be selected to be included in each student’s portfolio each nine weeks. Each nine weeks’ final product for the portfolio should be from a different writing genre.

Ideas for Supporting Writing

Mini- Offices Teaching Heart writing mini offices JMeacham's Mini Offices Busy Teacher's Cafe

Word Bags Purpose: To prevent overuse of words and to encourage accelerated vocabulary. Place a word on the bag and have the students fill the bag with synonyms as they come across words in their reading. spectacular marvelous Good fabulous

Word Closets

Word Bank

Link Chains Purpose: Sequencing Events Accelerated Vocabulary Run Purpose: Sequencing Events Accelerated Vocabulary (synonyms, antonyms) Life Cycles Contractions dart dash scamper trot

Picture Word Inductive Model Emily Calhoun

Picture Word Induction Model Research In terms of general academic success, vocabulary knowledge is one of the best predictors of overall verbal intelligence, yielding correlations of .80 (Anderson & Freebody, 1981; Sternberg & Powell). Each word a student can comprehend and use appropriately adds to personal cognitive processing abilities. Plus, “one of the most consistent findings of educational research is that having a small vocabulary portends poor school performance” (Anderson & Nagy, 1992).