Writing


 * 7:50-8:40 Flight Plan, Current Events (radio and RC Journal), spelling/writing class

[] bio-cube

[] acrostic poem

[] friendly letter M** work on spelling lesson
 * T - W** Each week, students should complete editing and diagramming exercises. Spelling lesson due on Tuesday.

Spelling Vocabulary Lesson given on Wednesday.
 * W** Writing Workship Wednesdays :) This is for writing activity found in our //Editing 4 Today.//
 * R** Spelling Test

Writing/Reading: 10:45-11:05 DEAR/Journal-Literature Log 11:50-12:10 DEAR... 12:10-12:20 Read aloud, then chosen assignment from this wiki page. 12:20-1:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays are computer lab time... first fifteen minutes are for keyboarding (one lesson, then math website game). Then, we can work on current writing/reading assignment on Tuesdays. Thursdays, we will do writing/reading assignment or for those with a ticket, a social studies powerpoint. 1:00-1:10 Snack

A Daily DEAR Program: Drop Everything, and Read! [] Overview: The teacher shouts, "Drop Everything and Read!" and students settle into their seats to read books they've selected. This independent reading is much more than a just-sit-there-and-read experience. It gives the teacher a structured time to touch base with each student over a period of time, assess progress, and target instruction. Even more important, it gives students time to read what they want to read, share what they've read, and receive the support they need for further reading explorations and reflections.
 * Notes for teacher and company:**

Story Elements Alive! [] Remember our own character map project too! Overview: From exposure to this lesson, students will gain a clear understanding of setting, characters, problem/solution, and plot. Each day students listen to a read-aloud of a story and are guided by discussions related to the focus story element for the lesson. After working collaboratively, students engage in independent activities such as completing a character map; a setting illustration; a problem/solution chart; a beginning, middle, and end activity; and a story map. Activities can be modified for early readers by allowing them to work with partners.

Spelling Cheerleading: Integrating Movement and Spelling Generalizations [] Overview: Spelling should not be taught in isolation; weekly spelling lists should include either related words or high-frequency words that appear in student writing. This lesson teaches the spelling generalization for adding suffixes to words that end with the letter //y.// Using the technique of spelling cheerleading, this lesson integrates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities to meet the needs of all learners. Students "cheer" new words based upon the formation of each letter. Students also have the opportunity to apply their understanding of the //y// generalization in small groups through word sorts and the creation of a group book.

Lesson Ideas based on national reading standards
 * Literacy Strand > Literacy Engagement**

Zines for Kids: Multigenre Texts About Media Icons [] Overview: This lesson reviews a variety of writing genres: letter writing, persuasive writing, narrative, acrostic poetry, comic writing, and biography/autobiography. Each student chooses a prominent figure from popular culture as the focus for a multigenre zine, and plans the project using the Facts–Questions–Interpretations method developed by Allen & Swistak (2004). Students then write in each of the listed genres about their chosen subjects, using a variety of ReadWriteThink.org tools. Finally, students design covers for their projects and the teacher binds all of the printed documents into individual zines.

Figurative Language Awards Ceremony [] Overview: In this lesson students will use their background knowledge of figurative language. They will listen to texts read aloud to them, as well as explore texts to find their favorite examples of similes, metaphors, and personification. The students will nominate their terms, vote on them, and write an acceptance speech incorporating figurative language of their own.

Using Pictures to Build Schema for Social Studies Content [] Overview: Looking to help students practice “reading” images for a variety of contextual meanings while engaging in content area study? This lesson uses images of the Boston Massacre to deepen students’ comprehension of both the event and the effects of propaganda. Students analyze images and make inferences. The culminating activity demonstrates students’ knowledge of the Boston Massacre and propaganda in a variety of ways. This lesson benefits English-language learners (ELLs) and struggling readers because it involves viewing images, participating in discussions, working with peers, and listening to a read-aloud that reinforces the lesson content and vocabulary.

Unwinding A Circular Plot: Prediction Strategies in Reading and Writing [] Overview: Circular stories follow a “round” pattern—they begin and end in the same. Like the cycle of seasons or the life cycle, circular stories follow a predictable series of events that returns to the starting point. Building on students’ existing knowledge of plot structure and of cycles in other content areas, this lesson invites students to use a circle plot graphic organizer to explore the structure of this type of story. The cyclical nature of the stories is an excellent match for discussion of prediction and sequencing skills. After exploring the features of circular plot stories in this activity, students write their own stories individually or in small groups.

Traveling Terrain: Comprehending Nonfiction Text on the Web [] Overview: Strategic instruction and explicit teaching of targeted comprehension strategies can allow students to integrate skills into their current competencies, thus improving their overall reading ability. This lesson identifies three skills (i.e., identifying text features of nonfiction text in a Web format, locating specific information, and generalizing information) to be taught in strategic lessons that build upon each other and allow for scaffolding of skills when necessary.

Thundering Tall Tales: Using Read-Aloud as a Springboard to Writing [] Overview: This lesson, intended for the end of a unit on tall tales, uses the book //Thunder Rose// by Jerdine Nolen to reinforce the common elements, or text structure, of tall tales. As the text is read aloud, students examine the elements of the book that are characteristic of tall tales and then use that knowledge to write their own tall tales.

Thoughtshots Can Bring Your Characters to Life! [] Overview: Students learn how to add detail to their stories in the form of //thoughtshots//: flashbacks, flash-aheads, and internal dialogue. Students identify and discuss thoughtshots in //The Old Woman Who Named Things// by Cynthia Rylant. Next, students work in pairs to identify thoughtshots in other stories. In the final session, the teacher models how to insert thoughtshots into a text, using //An Angel for Solomon Singer// (also by Rylant). Students then write their own thoughtshots for Solomon Singer, and also write thoughtshots to add to their own works-in-progress.

To, Too, or Two: Developing an Understanding of Homophones [] Overview: As students begin to develop as writers, they often run into some "word demons" that can complicate spelling and vocabulary. Some of the most common of these "demons" are homophones—words that sound the same, but are spelled differently and have very different meanings. An integral part of students' vocabulary and spelling development is to learn and understand the meanings of these homophones.

This lesson uses multiple modalities to introduce and practice many common homophones. Students will engage in singing, acting, creative writing, and drawing to demonstrate their understanding of homophones.

Seasonal Haiku: Writing Poems to Celebrate Any Season [] Overview: In this three-part lesson, students write and illustrate haiku depicting seasonal images. First they use their observation skills, real-world knowledge, and knowledge of parts of speech to help them create seasonal word charts. They then listen to and read samples of haiku to identify haiku criteria, followed by a writing session where they create haiku that depict seasonal images. Finally, they publish their poetry mounted on colorful backgrounds that illustrate the images in their poems.

Searching for Gold: A Collaborative Inquiry Project [] Overview: In this collaborative inquiry activity, the real gold is the inquiry skills and content area knowledge that students develop. In small groups, students research one aspect of the Gold Rush and teach that topic to the rest of the class. Students create a project to aid in their oral presentation of their researched topic. Once research is complete, each group teaches the rest of the class what they’ve learned through an activity of their choice. Group accountability and individual responsibility are built in to this lesson process.

While this lesson plan uses the Gold Rush as an example, any event or geographical area could be substituted.

Once Upon a Time Rethought: Writing Fractured Fairy Tales [] Overview: What makes a fairy tale a fairy tale? Students work together to craft a list of common fairy tale elements; then, they explore and analyze a variety of tales, recording their information using a story map. The story map becomes a launching point for students’ own fairy tales. Students use the characteristics of a known tale and change one literary elements to create a new tale, which includes a different set of characters, has a new setting, or includes a changed conflict or resolution. Students publish and illustrate their new tales for others to enjoy.

Once They’re Hooked, Reel Them In: Writing Good Endings [] Overview: Student writers may start out with a catchy beginning, only to get bogged down and just stop at the end. By exploring endings from children’s literature, students learn that a good ending leaves the reader with something to think about, and that it often refers back to the beginning through repetition of words or ideas. This lesson encourages students to recognize literary techniques and use them in their own writing, and is a logical follow up to “Fishing for Readers: Identifying and Writing Effective Opening ‘Hooks’.” It should be used after students are able to write effective opening lines.

Graphing Plot and Character in a Novel [] Overview: Comprehension of a story is typically based on understanding the plot. The process of comprehension includes not only understanding what happens in the story, but also recognizing the effect these events have on the characters and the rest of the story. In this lesson, students graphically illustrate the plot of the story, and then assigning positive and negative values to each of those occurrences. Students can then draw conclusions based on their visual representation of the plot.

While this lesson uses //The Watsons Go To Birmingham—1963// by Christopher Paul Curtis as an example, any text used in class can be substituted.

Figurative Language: Teaching Idioms [] Overview: By developing a clear understanding of figurative language, students can further comprehend texts that contain metaphorical and lexical meanings beyond the basic word level. In this lesson, students explore figurative language with a focus on the literal versus the metaphorical translations of idioms. Through read-alouds, teacher modeling, and student-centered activities that are presented in the classroom, students will further develop their understanding of figurative language.

Comics in the Classroom as an Introduction to Genre Study [] Overview: Teachers of reading and writing always look for new and engaging texts to use in the classroom. An often-overlooked genre is comics. While comics in the past were thought to not be challenging enough for students, the opposite is true. The space between the comic panels forces readers to infer, to let their imaginations take over. Comics are multidimensional—they combine both words and images. They can be used to teach a variety of things—character development, dialogue, transitions, conclusions, etc. Since comics are often thought of as recreational reading, students are often immediately drawn in by the opportunity to play with images and language.

Buzz! Whiz! Bang! Using Comic Books to Teach Onomatopoeia [] Overview: Comic books can be useful tools in improving literacy and teaching even reluctant readers some of the terminology typically associated with other forms of text. In this lesson, students will be introduced to onomatopoeia, which describes words that imitate the natural sound associated with an action or an object. Using comic books and strips, students will find onomatopoetic words, develop a vocabulary list from the words, and discuss why writers, especially writers of comics, use onomatopoeia. Students then use an online tool to create their own comic strips using onomatopoeia.

Alliteration All Around [] Overview: In this lesson, students are introduced to alliteration through picture books by Pamela Duncan Edwards. Using her illustrations as inspiration, students write original, alliterative sentences and share them with the class. Opportunities for additional modeling, guided practice, and individual writing activities occur in follow-up sessions as students use alliteration to write acrostic poems, alphabet books, number books, and tongue twisters. Throughout the lesson, students gain exposure to authors who use alliteration, including Pamela Duncan Edwards, Maurice Sendak, and Bruce Lansky. Students also use an online resource to create original, alliterative acrostic poems.


 * Learning Language> Fluency...Process Writing...Writers' Notebook**

Readers Theatre [] Overview: Students become excited and enthusiastic about reading when they are presented with the opportunity to participate in Readers Theatre. In this lesson, students develop scripts, perform in groups, and practice using their voice to depict characters from texts. Through this activity, students have the opportunity to develop fluency and further enhance comprehension of what they are reading.

Multipurpose Poetry: Introducing Science Concepts and Increasing Fluency [] Overview: Poetry is a fun and unintimidating way for ESL students to develop their oral fluency. Poetry can be read aloud chorally or individually, and can also serve as an introduction to other forms of literature or content area studies. In this lesson, students work in small groups to develop a choral reading of two poems about an assigned insect. The poems serve as an introduction to a research investigation (via the Internet) about the insect. Students compile factual information about the insect and present the information, along with their choral poetry readings to the class.

Dynamite Diamante Poetry [] Overview: Grammar study is important for developing reading, writing, and speaking skills, but many teachers are unsure how best to include it in their curriculum. Providing grammar instruction through engaging literacy activities teaches basic concepts while developing students' vocabularies and spelling proficiency. In this lesson, students review nouns, adjectives, and verbs and learn about gerunds. They then practice using them as new vocabulary words by composing structured diamante poems as a class and independently using an online interactive tool. The poems can be printed off and displayed or published as a class book or magazine.

Learning About Research and Writing Using the American Revolution [] Overview: Internet research can add depth to content area study; so can using the information found to write in various genres. This lesson combines historical research and acrostic poetry. Students begin the lesson by activating background knowledge about the American Revolution. They then conduct research on a historical figure using a variety of resources. When research is complete, students write an acrostic poem informing their classmates about the historical figure's importance to the American Revolution.

BioBags: Linking Literature and Life []

Overview: A BioBag is a kind of literature autobiography, a collection of written works that represent memories or milestones in a person’s life. The texts might include books, letters, diaries, recipes, and so on, all representing various aspects of a life story. In this lesson, the teacher starts by sharing his or her own BioBag with the class. Next, students visit a website to learn about several children’s authors and the texts that inspired them. Then students interview one another about the texts that have been important in their lives. Finally, students put together their own BioBags and present them to the class.

Guided Comprehension: Monitoring Using the INSERT Technique []

Overview: A majority of students in grades 4 to 6 are beyond decoding instruction and need more assistance with comprehension to help them become successful, independent readers. Strategic reading allows students to monitor their own thinking and make connections between texts and their own experiences. Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the comprehension strategy of monitoring. Students learn the INSERT technique, which teaches them to monitor their thinking and comprehension using a coding system. Students also learn about the Great Pyramid and other information about ancient Egypt.

Guided Comprehension: Visualizing Using the Sketch-to-Stretch Strategy [] Overview: A majority of students in grades 4 to 6 are beyond decoding instruction and need more assistance with comprehension to help them become successful, independent readers. Strategic reading allows students to monitor their own thinking and make connections between texts and their own experiences. Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the comprehension strategy of visualizing using sketch-to-stretch, a strategy that teaches them to interpret texts through drawings. Students also have the opportunity to interpret the drawings of others and explore friendships that beat the odds.

QARs + Tables = Successful Comprehension of Math Word Problems [] Overview: In this lesson, students apply the question-answer relationship (QAR) strategy to word problems that refer to data displayed in a table. By following the QAR framework, students can determine whether mathematical calculations are required to formulate a correct response. Students apply this learning to selected online census information comparing data collected in 1902 and 2002. In addition, they work in collaborative groups to apply and demonstrate the QAR strategy by creating their own word problems identifying the type of QAR for each question, and providing an explanation for how the answer is reached.
 * Learning about Language> Comprehension...Critiquing Texts...Genre Study**

Alaska Native Stories: Using Narrative to Introduce Expository Text [] Overview: This lesson uses traditional stories of the Native peoples (i.e., narrative text) to introduce students to the study of animals in Alaska (i.e., expository text). Students use the Internet to listen to a Yu'pik tale told by John Active, a Native person living in Alaska. They also use online resources to find facts about animals in Alaska. Students compare and contrast the two types of text in terms of fiction and nonfiction. The narrative stories provide students with a context to begin studying a content area topic, and thus, this lesson emphasizes the integration of curriculum.

Using Writing and Role-Play to Engage the Reluctant Writer [] Overview: Writing in role allows students to understand the importance of characterization when writing stories. In this lesson, students explore the different characters in the story //The Three Little Javalinas// and then select one of the characters to write a letter to the author in role. By creating their own context, students are able to hone their creativity and move forward on the writing process continuum.

Investigating Junk Mail: Negotiating Critical Literacy at the Mailbox [] Overview: By investigating junk mail, students learn to think about and question texts in ways that develop their analytical capacities and critical reading practices. To become critical consumers, students must develop the ability to sift through and analyze the texts in multiple media that inform, entertain and sell, by asking questions about what’s in a text, what’s not there, who a text is for. Their ability to bring critical thinking skills to bear on all media— from television ads to magazine ads and junk mail to billboards—enables students to partite more fully in members of a variety of literacy communities.

Genre Study: A Collaborative Approach [] Overview: Genre Studies are an opportunity for classroom teachers to collaborate with the School Library Media Specialist and make multiple connections in literacy instructions. A genre study can take the form of a literary lunch bunch, co-teaching, or collaborative planning. In a genre study, students have the opportunity to expand their models of effective writing while identifying the writer's craft often used within genres typically studied in late elementary grades.

My Family Traditions: A Class Book and a Potluck Lunch [] Overview: Inspire students' creativity, collaboration, and community in this lesson using the bilingual children’s book //Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia// by Carmen Lomas Garza. After a read aloud and analysis of this book about a Mexican-American family, students write descriptions of the book’s pictures and discuss what family traditions are. They then create a class book, which includes their artwork, information about their ancestral countries, descriptions of their own unique family traditions, and family recipes. The final community-building activity is a class potluck where students share both a special food and the class book with their families and peers.
 * Learning through Language>Content Reading...Critique Literacy**

Using the Internet to Facilitate Improved Reading Comprehension [] Overview: The ability to correctly make inferences is an important skill for beginning readers to develop, as it aids reading comprehension. This lesson targets facilitation of inferential language by having students use a motivating web-based technology, Really Simple Syndication (or RSS) feeds, to infer meaning. Thus, the lesson provides instruction in two principal areas for reading success: reading comprehension and acquisition of new literacy skills.

Myth and Truth: Independence Day [] Overview: Most Americans think of the Fourth of July as Independence Day—but is it really the day the United States declared its independence? This lesson explores all the dates and stories associated with the Declaration of Independence, focusing on the reason there are so many different dates and signings of the document and why we celebrate the nation's birthday on July 4th rather than one of the other dates.