first grade writing curriculum map 2014-2015 unit 1 … grade...first grade writing curriculum map...

First Grade Writing Curriculum Map 2014-2015

Unit 1 August/September How can I write small moments with focus/detail and that have dialogue?

(Work towards building writing stamina! Goal should be at least 15 minutes by the end of this unit.)

Bend/Standards/

Time/Essential

Questions

Goals & Strategies for

Mini - Lessons

C denotes a mini-lesson to chart

Assessments Frontloading Book List

Choose from this list for reading prior to the

mini-lesson (IRA). Refer back to small parts of

the book during the mini-lesson.

Bend #1: "Writing Goals: On Demand- Ask the • Night of the Veggie Monster by Small Moment • Planning, Prewriting, and Writing students to write their best George McClements Stories with small moment/narrative • Night Whispers by Angela Johnson Independence." Possible Mini-Lessons/Session: about something they have • A Chair for My Mother by Vera B.

• Writers use events from their lives-- things they do or things that have done. This assessment is to Williams Standards: happened to them-- to write small moment stories. (Chart: How to Write a be completed independently • Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats W 1.3, W 1.5,

W 1.8, RL 1.1,

RL 1.7, RFS 1.1-1.4,

Story)

Narrative Launching Chart:

http://readingandwritingproject.com/resources/classroom-

without teacher support.

Resource for On Demand

• The Listening Walk by Paul Showers

• Shortcut by Donald Crews

• A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats SL 1.1-1.5, L 1.1,

L 1.2 environments/classroom-charts/first-grade.html C

• Writers plan what they want to write about before they start writing. (Touch

and Tell, Sketch, then Write; Rehearse; Snake- Teaching the Youngest Writers

Prompts: Writing Pathways

(New) Calkins, 2013 Chapter

1 &2 pages 2-31

• Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe

• Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

• Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee

• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen by Marcia Freeman pg 114-117) C Essential Questions: • Writers use pictures to help add words to their stories. (Feelings with • Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts How do I write small Questions) moment stories • Writers spell by stretching out each word, listening for all the sounds, and *Charts and other resources

independently? recording what they hear. (Chart: Ways to Spell Words) C

• Writers write with focus. (Watermelon and Seed, Mentor Texts) Narrative

Small Moments 2 (Same Link as Above) C

• Writers talk to other writers about their writing, storytelling their ideas out

loud. (Model, Discussion)

for the units can be found in

the Lucy Calkins series or

online at

http://readingandwritingproj

ect.com/resources/classroom

• Writers reread their writing, making sure their writing is clear and makes

sense (Coaching and Choosing Teacher of the Day, Review Charts)

-environments/classroom-charts/first-grade.html

From the Lucy Calkins book, each bulleted mini-lesson is a session. (8 mini-lessons=8 sessions)




Bend #2: "Bringing

Small Moment

Stories to Life"

Goals:

• Elaboration

Possible Mini-Lessons:

Standards: • Writers bring their stories to life by making their characters move and speak.

W 1.3, W 1.5, ("Unfreeze" characters—Chart: Ways to Bring Stories to LIFE) C (Introducing

RL 1.1, RL 1.3, Talking Marks)

RL 1.4, • Writers bring their stories to life by unfolding the action bit by bit. (Add to RFS 1.2-1.4, Chart: Tell Small Steps; telling the story across your fingers) Narrative Small SL 1.1, SL1.4, Moments 3 (Same link as above) C SL 1.5, L 1.1, L 1.2, • Writers bring their stories to life by making characters think and feel (Add to L 1.5 chart: Bring Out the Inside; Different Feelings Chart; Show-not Tell) C

• Writers act out their stories with a partner to notice what you need to add. Essential Questions: (Act it out with a partner) How can I bring small • Writers use words they know to spell new and more challenging words. (Add moment stories to to Ways to Spell Words Chart: Use words you know, Write it part by part) C life? • Writers use capital letters and include end marks to help readers read it

better. (Small story from your life. First Read: without punctuation. Second

Read: with punctuation; checklist)

Bend #3: "Studying Goals:

Other Writers' Craft" • Author's Craft

• Mentors Standards:

W 1.3, W 1.7, W 1.5, Possible Author Mentors: RL 1.1, RL 1.4, SL 1.1, Mo Willems, Geroge McClements, Angela Johnson, Donald Crews, Ezra Jack Keats

SL 1.2, SL 1.6,

L 1.1, L 1.2, L 1.5, Possible Mini-Lessons: L 1.6 • Writers study other authors' craft, seeing what special things the authors do

that they could try in their own writing. (Learning Craft Moves from a Mentor





Author—ellipses, exact actions, POP out words, etc.) Non Narrative Authors

Essential Questions: As Mentors and Non Narrative Authors As Mentors 2 (Same link as above) C

How can studying • Once writers have discovered a craft move to emulate, they could try out in

other writers' craft their own writing helping their readers make a movie in their mind, drawing

make my writing them into the story by including the exact actions of their characters.

better? • Once writers have discovered a craft move to emulate, they try it out in

writing. In this case, they could try out giving their readers clues about how to

read their story, including writing words bigger and bolder for emphasis.

• Find your own mentor author.

Bend #4: "Fixing and Goals:

Fancying Up" • Revising, Editing, and Publishing

Standards: Possible Mini-Lessons:

W 1.3, W 1.5, • Writers fix up and publish pieces that they especially love.

W 1.6, RFS 1.1, • Writers reread their writing using an editing checklist, to remind themselves RFS 1.2, RFS 1.4, of all the ways they know how to make their writing easy to read before their SL 1.1-1.5, L 1.1, readers. 11.2, L1.6 • Writers get their books ready to publish by including a title, detailed pictures,

and a cover.

• Celebration. Essential Questions:

How do I "fix up" and

publish my writing?



Unit 2 October How can I write lots of books that teach people how to do something?


Bend/Standards/

Time/Essential

Questions


Mini-Lessons




mini-lesson (IRA). Refer back to small parts of the book dLirg-i the mini-lesson.

Bend #1: "Getting

Started: Thinking of

Goals: No recommended

• Procedural Writing (Cooking,

instructions for toys and games, craft • Students will tap in to their inner expert.

Topics, Rehearsing,

and Writing Tons of • Students will notice the procedure (the steps involved) in the things they do

across the day.

assessment for this unit. projects)

• The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons

Books." • Students will rehearse their how-to books, with an emphasis on being

sequenced, explicit, and specific.

• My First Soccer Game by Alyssa Satin

Capucilli

Standards: • How to Be a Baby, by Me the Big W 1.2, W 1.7, SL 1.1,

L 1.1, L 1.2, L 1.5.d Possible Mini-Lessons: Sister by Sally Lloyd-Jones

• How to Teach a Slug to Read Susan • This type of writing is distinct because it teaches others. (Chart: What is How-

To Writing? Add recipes, game instructions, etc.) C Pearson Essential Questions: • Children need to reflect on what they know how to do so they know what • How to Babysit a Grandpa Jean How can I learn to do they can teach others. (Kids make a list of things they know how to do.) Reagan a different kind of • Use classroom environments and routines to create a shared list of common • How to Be a Ballerina by Harriet writing, so that I use experiences. (ex: how to unpack bookbag, how to get lunch, etc.) C Castor diagrams and words to

teach people how to • Have students consider things they care about to generate topics. (sports,

food, games)

• How to Make Bubbles, How to Make a Bouncing Egg, How to Make Slime

do something, step by • Give students opportunities to act out and talk through with their peers to by Lori Shore (and other books in the step? revise and/or add.

• Model how to use specific and precise words (not just "put on" toothpaste).

science experiment series published

by Pebble Plus

• Transitional and sequencing words. (Chart: Use words to Show Order) C • Change It! Solids, Liquids, and Gases,

and You by Adrienne Mason

• How a House is Built by Gail Gibbons

• How to Lose All Your Friends by

Nancy Carlson

This unit comes from the If...Then...Curriculum from the Lucy Calkins writing series.




• Let's Cook! Backpack Books

• My First Ballet Class by Alyssa Satin

Capucilli

Bend #2: "Write in Goals:

Such a Way that • Students will consider their audience as well as their purpose for writing by Readers Can Read the using mentor texts as models for how-to components. Text and Follow the • Students make sure every step is there and maintain voice and clarity. Directions"

Possible Mini-Lessons: Standards: • Audience is important to consider. Students can sketch a picture of their W 1.2, W 1.7, SL 1.1, audience to keep next to them as they write. L 1.1, L 1.2, L 1.5.d • Help children see their purpose for writing, by using mentor texts as models.

(Chart: Name and notice features in mentor texts, much like authors as Essential Questions: mentors) C How can I learn ways • Using books, teacher and student created work, create challenges and have to make my How-to children help you fix it (ex: left out a step). books even better by • Students make movies in their mind and rehearse with a partner to make sure studying what a all steps are there. published author did • Voice- When writing how-to, you have to be bossy or use an "in-charge" in her book? voice.

• Make sure to embed the teaching of punctuation and simple sentence

structure within mini-lessons and conferences.

Bend #3: "With Goals:

Feedback, Writers Can • Students will revise texts, make new texts better, and share. Revise their How-To

Texts, Make New Possible Mini-Lessons:

Texts Worlds Better,

and Share Them With • Revision- Remind students of available resources (mentor texts, partnerships,

charts, checklists, etc.) an Audience" • Zoom in to add labels, arrows, speech bubbles to include directions for how,





Standards: where, and why to do steps.

W 1.2, W 1.7, SL 1.1,

L 1.1, L 1.2, L 1.5.d • Editing- You may introduce students to parentheses to add a point and colons

before a list. Review editing concepts.

• Celebrate Essential Questions:

When I am writing

how-to books, how

can I do a better job of

making sure that

readers understand

what I am saying?

How can I edit my best

How-to book and then

reread it, thinking

about my readers, so

that I make it work for

them?



Unit 3 November/December How can I write Nonfiction Chapter Books with independence?


Bend/Standards/ Time/Essential

Questions


Mini-Lessons






Bend #1: "Writing Goals: On Demand: Have students • Night of the Veggie Monster by

Teaching Books with • Students will independently write a teaching book. think of a topic they know a George McClements

Independence" lot about. Give each child a • Sharks by Anne Schreiber

Possible Mini-Lessons: five-page booklet to • Bugs, Bugs, Bugs by Jennifer Dussling

Standards: • Writers teach about their topic by organizing their information and using a complete their all-about • My Football Book by Gail Gibbons W 1.2, W 1.5, W 1.7, teaching voice. book assessment. Students • Star Wars: R2-D2 and Friends by W 1.8, RI 1.1, RI 1.2, • Writers plan what they are going to say before they write. They do this by may use a text if they choose Simon Beecroft RI 1.4, RI 1.5, RI 1.6, telling information across their fingers, sketching, and then writing. (Chart: to. Use one writing session • The Story of Chocolate by Caryn RI 1.7, SL 1.1, SL 1.2, How to Write a Teaching Book; Touch, Tell, Sketch, and Write) C for the completion of this Jenner SL 1.4, SL 1.5, SL 1.6,

L 1.1, L 1.2, L 1.5,

L 1.6

• Writers try to picture who their readers will be. Then, to reach their readers,

they imagine and answer the questions their readers might ask. (Chart: How

Can I Teach My Readers?) C

assessment. • Invaders from Outer Space by Phillip

Brooks

• Animal Families by DK Publishing

• Writers teach with pictures and words. They include illustrations in their • Star Wars: Spaceships by Scholastic Essential Questions: teaching books to help teach their readers even more. (Add to Chart: How Can • Trucks by Will Mara How do I write I Teach My Readers- Show Numbers, Size, Color, and Shape.) • Pumpkins by Gail Gibbons teaching books • Writers bravely spell the challenging, expert words that help teach about their • Apples by Gail Gibbons independently? topic (Chart: Ways to Spell Words-from Small Moments; Model with own

demonstration text.) C • Dogs by Gail Gibbons

• Time for Kids: Ants! by Editors of • Writers need readers to help them revise. Readers help writers know where to

add more detail and where to subtract details. (Model with own

demonstration texts- one with missing words or information, one with a new

page added that has confusing information.)

TIME for Kids

• Insects by Robin Bernard

• Slinky, Scaly, Snakes by Jennifer

Dussling • Writers assess how well they are doing and set goals to become even better • National Geographic Young Explorer:

writers. (Information Writing Checklist; Use mentor authors to make your

writing better.) A Butterfly is Born




• Writers edit their writing by hearing all the sounds in a word, writing capital

letters or adding stopping points.

Bend #2: Goals:

"Nonfiction Writers • Students will write nonfiction chapter books.

Can Write Chapter

Books" Possible Mini-Lessons:

• Nonfiction writers learn how a book might go by studying books written by

Standards: other authors, including their table of contents. (Mentor text: Sharks! Chart:

W 1.2, W 1.5, W 1.7, Chapter Titles) C W 1.8, RI 1.1, RI 1.2, • Writers plan individual chapters the same way they plan their teaching books. RI 1.4, RI 1.5, RI 1.6, They tell the information across- and down- their fingers before they write. RI 1.7, SL 1.1, SL 1.2, • Nonfiction writers use different strategies to say more and teach others. One SL 1.4, SL 1.5, SL 1.6, strategy is using comparisons to teach. Another is to give an example. (Mentor L 1.1, L 1.2, L 1.5, texts: Sharks!; Chart: How Can I Teach My Readers?) C L 1.6 • Writers draw on everything they have already learned to teach their readers,

including writing how-to pages, persuasive writing and stories in their teaching Essential Questions: books. How do I write • Writers include a beginning and an ending to their nonfiction chapter books. nonfiction chapter (Mentor text: Sharks!) books? • Writers fix up their writing for readers by thinking, "Does this match what I

know about how to write this kind of writing?" (Revisit: Ways to Spell Words

Chart from Session 5)

• Additional teaching point- Using commas in a list and in dates

Bend #3: Goals:

"Writing Chapter • Students will independently write nonfiction chapter books.

Books with Greater

Independence" Possible Mini-Lessons:

• Writers use all of the tools around them to make a plan to write their best

Standards:




W 1.2, W 1.5, W 1.7,

W 1.8, RI 1.1, RI 1.2,

RI 1.4, RI 1.5, RI 1.6,

RI 1.7, SL 1.1, SL 1.2,

SL 1.4, SL 1.5, SL 1.6,

L 1.1, L 1.2, L 1.5,

L 1.6

•

•

book ever. These tools include charts, mentor texts, and other writers. (Basket

of Mentor Texts; Revisit Charts: How to Write a Teaching Book, How Can I

Teach My Readers?, Informational Writing Checklist.)

Nonfiction writers use images and photos to help them say more about their

topic. (Photograph that supports demonstration text; Revisit Chart: How Can I

Teach My Readers?)

Writers use their voices to help teach their readers. One way they could do

this is by decoding how to punctuate their sentences. (Demonstration Text; Essential Questions: Chart: Punctuation) C How do I write • Writers rely on all the craft moves they have learned, even craft moves from chapter books with other genres, to write their teaching books. (Mentor text Night of the Veggie even more Monster; Revisit Chart: How Can I Teach My Readers? and Authors as Mentors) independence? C

• Writers edit their writing so that it is ready to be published and go out into the

world. Mid teaching point: Add Color and Texture to Illustrations (Editing

Checklist, Revisit Chart: Ways to Spell Words)

• Museum Share Class Celebration


Unit 4 January/February How can I begin to make judgments and give opinions to review things, including books?


Bend/Standards/

Time/Essential

Questions


Mini-Lessons

C denotes a mini- lesson to chart




the book dm jrgi the mini-lesson.

Bend #1: Goals: On Demand: Ask the students Books with strong persuasive voices

"Judging Our • Students will judge their own collections and will try to convince others of to write their best piece Earrings by Judith Viorst

Collections" their opinions trying to persuade someone

about something they

Pigeon books by Mo Willems

A Pet for Petunia by Paul Schmid

Standards: Possible Mini-Lessons: believe strongly about. It can / Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufmann Orloff

W.1.1, W.1.5, RI.1.8, • When people really love things, they might collect them — like legos, dolls, or be something they are for OR / Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufmann

Rl.1.1, RL.1.1, stuffed animals. When you collect things, you also might give your opinions against. This assessment is to Orloff

RFS.1.1, RFS.1.2, and try to convince others why your opinion is the best. (Chart: To Judge be completed independently Hey, Little Ant by Phillip Hoose

RFS.1.3, RFS.1.4,

SL.1.1-SL.1.4, SL.1.6,

Fairly) C

• When writers try to convince people of something, they give reasons and

details to support their opinion. (Chart: Convince Your Readers) C

without any teacher support. The Perfect Pet by Margie Palatini

Dear Mrs. LaRue by Mark Teague

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Mark

L.1.1, L.1.2 • Writers can look to other writers in this genre to try to do what they do in their

writing.

Teague

Posters or pictures from well-known movies

• Not everyone will agree. Writers need to back up their opinions with reasons. Menus from local restaurants Essential Questions: Video game cartridges with the titles visible How can you make

judgments about a

topic or item?

• Opinion writers don't always write about the best or their favorite; they can

also write about the worst or their least favorite, with opinions and evidence.

• Writers can use partners to help them think of other reasons and evidence.

Mentor reviews of a game, movie, or

restaurant

• Writers can use their own checklists to edit and publish.




Bend #2:

"Writing a Persuasive

Review"

Goals:

• Students will write a thoughtful persuasive review.


Standards: • Sometimes you don't just write reviews to share your opinion, but to get

W.1.1, W.1.3, W.1.5, others to share your opinion.

Rl.1.8, Rl.1.1-RL.1.3, • Writers can use a persuasive voice by writing just like they are talking to a

Rl.1.8, RL.1.4, friend — sharing the most important information that will matter to the

RFS.1.1-RFS.1.4, audience.

SL.1.1, SL.1.2, SL.1.4, • Persuasive writers use comparisons (mine is better... that is worse).

L.1.1, L.1.2 • Persuasive writers need to think about grabbing readers' attention with a

great introduction, just like a commercial or a movie trailer does. (Chart: Hook Essential Questions: Your Reader with a Catchy Introduction) C How do we write a • Writing partners can use checklists to check each other's work to make it persuasive review? better.

• Writers could also come together to sort their reviews — make a class book of

all restaurant reviews, another book of movie reviews, another of game

reviews, etc.

Bend #3: Goals:

"Writing Persuasive • Students should be able to write a thoughtful, persuasive book review.

Book Reviews" Possible Mini-Lessons:

Standards: • Students should understand that writers write book reviews to share books

W.1.1, W.1.3, W.1.5, that others might want to read. (Just like Reading Rainbow)

W.1.6, RL.1.1, RL.1.2, • In book reviews, you just give a sneak peak — you don't tell everything that

RL.1.3, RL.1.9, Rl.1.2, happens in the book. You want to tell just enough to get others interested but

RI.1.3, RI.1.8, RFS.1.4, don't tell the whole book.

• Writers should look at their sentences to make sure they are just right — not SL.1.1-SL.1.4, SL.1.6,

too long, not to short — by using punctuation, linking words, and other tools.




L.1.1, L.1.2 •

•

Writers use checklists as they revise and edit to make sure their work is their

best.

Idea: Reading Rainbow style book review celebration! Essential Questions:

How do we write

persuasive book

reviews?


Unit 5 February/March How can I write poems and songs about things I care about?


Bend/Standards/

Time/Essential

Questions


Mini-Lessons





the book cluiirgl the mini-lesson.

Bend #1: Goals: There is no suggested Blast Off! Poems About Space by Lee Bennett

"Immersion in

Songwriting and • Students will read and reread poems and songs, noticing characteristics of the

genre and the author's purpose.

assessment for this unit. Hopkins

Poetry: Setting the Possible Mini -Lessons: Creatures of Earth, Sea, and Sky by Georgia

Stage" • Use shared texts (enlarged songs and poems) to help students notice

characteristics of poetry, such as line breaks, punctuation, or repetition.

Heard

Good Luck Gold and Other Poems by Janet S. Standards:

W.1.1, W.1.2, W.1.3,

W.1.5, W.1.6, SL.1.4,

SL.1.5

• You might help guide students to think of the author's purpose for those

decisions.

• Spend time noticing verses, repeated lines, white space, capital letters, and

fonts. These features show readers how to read the poems and sing the

songs. You might want to use Post-its to label certain aspects.

Wong

Little Dog Poems by Kristine O'Connell

George

Essential Questions: • How did the author or poet want us to feel? (Chart for feelings or emotions). Songs to put you to sleep: "Hush Little Baby,"

What can I learn

about poems and

songs by reading

them?

This would be a great opportunity to discuss shades of meaning. C

• Immersion through centers/stations: listening to songs/poems with paper to

illustrate what they see in their minds, illustrating poems, use instruments or

pencils to keep the beat of certain songs or poems, look with poet's eyes

"Hush-a-Bye Baby"

Songs to show a strong feeling: "I Can See

Clearly Now," "Oh What a Beautiful Morning"

(everyday objects), place paper and art supplies near the window so students

can respond as they see things with poet's eyes. Songs to teach a dance: "Hokey-Pokey"

Songs for people you love: "You are My

Sunshine," "You've Got a Friend"

Songs that teach about something: "Wheels

on the Bus"

Songs that tell a story: "Itsy Bitsy Spider,"




"Mary Had a Little Lamb"

Other Songs: "The Eensy Weensy Spider,"

"Skip to My Lou," "Take Me Out of the

Bathtub," "Are You Quite Polite?," "Smelly

Locker," "If You're Happy and You Know It,"

"This Little Light of Mine"

Other Professional Texts

For the Good of the Earth and Sun; Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School by Georgia

Heard

Bend #2: Goals:

"Studying the • Students will look back at their work during bend 1 to help them write songs Rhythm and Voice of on their own. From the beginning, children need to see that they have already Songs to Help Us begun to write songs without knowing it. Write Our Own"

Possible Mini -Lessons: Standards: • Take some of the work from Bend 1, and model how it can be turned into a W.1.1, W.1.2, W.1.3,

W.1.5, W.1.6, SL.1.4,

SL.1.5

song or an almost-song. The message you want to send is that almost

anything can be turned into a song.

• Model how to turn flat words into a melody, with pen in hand. Maybe this will

include experimenting with line breaks or punctuation. Essential Questions: • You may teach students to take a familiar song or tune, and give it their own How do I write my words. own songs by • You might write class adaptations to songs through shared or interactive studying the rhythm writing.




and voice of songs? • Emphasize that writing needs to make sense if we want readers to understand

our work.

• You can teach students that they can write songs that teach something, to

celebrate, to give directions, to remember things, to tell about a feeling, to tell

about something that we want to happen, or any other purpose. (Chart: Types

of Songs to Write) C

• Another strategy might be to look at or think of an object and let it inspire a

song.

• Encourage students to "sing it out."

Bend #3: Goals:

"Songwriters and • Students will write about topics that are important to them, with strong

Poets Write from the feelings.

Heart: Writing

Meaningful Songs Possible Mini-Lessons: and Poems" • Encourage kids to reach deeper by finding topics that are important to them.

• You might invite children to bring in something he or she cherishes to inspire Standards: strong feelings. W.1.1, W.1.2, W.1.3, • You can teach children strategies for showing strong feelings — speak directly

W.1.5, W.1.6, SL.1.4, to the object, for example.

SL.1.5 • This bend may be where you pull out old charts ("Ways to Bring Stories to Life"

from Small Moments, for example).

Essential Questions: • Each day, give students a few minutes to share with partners, encouraging

How can I write them to sing with expression and feeling. Remind them to keep the pen in meaningful songs and

poems?

their hands in case they need to make revisions or additions.

Bend #4: Goals:

"Songwriters and • Students will learn how to be good partners by listening, reading,

Poets Revise and complementing, and questioning. They will revise through elaboration.




Write New Songs and

Poems"

Standards:


As you teach the following mini-lessons, create a chart titled: Important Jobs of

Writing Partners. W.1.1, W.1.2, W.1.3,

W.1.5, W.1.6, SL.1.4,

SL.1.5 • The first job of a writing partner is to be an active listener — to look with your

eyes at your partner, and then to listen very closely with your ears. You might

teach students to point along with their partner on their partner's work to Essential Questions: keep them engaged and to help them find mix-ups. How can I revise my • The second job of being a writing partner is to read your work to your partner songs and poems? so that he or she understands what your song or poem is really about. Voice

carries a lot of meaning.

• You can teach students that an important job is to complement the strategies

that the writer is trying out by saying "I can see that you..." or "I noticed that

you tried..."

• Children should learn that they can support their partner by making nice

suggestions by saying "Have you tried..."

• You may teach writers to add more by teaching about verses, using

comparisons, thinking of language and word choice.

• Encourage students to think about words, letters, and punctuation to make

their purpose for their poem or song clear to the reader.


Unit 6 March/April How can I write Realistic Fiction?



Questions


Mini-Lessons





the book duringthe mini-lesson.

Bend #1: Goals: On Demand: Describe to • Henry and Mudge Series

"Fiction Writers Set • Students will use pretending, dialogue, and feeling to write realistic fiction students "What is • Little Bill by Bill Cosby

Out to Write Realistic Realistic Fiction?" Give • Mr. Putter and Tabby by Cynthia

Fiction" Possible Mini -Lessons: students an example Rylant

• Writers use their best imaginations to invent their own characters. An idea from the frontloading • Nate the Great by Marjorie Weiman

Standards: W.1.3, might be to let children draw a picture of their character and write book list. Give students Sharmat W.1.5, W.1.8, RL.1.1- characteristics around their character. (Chart: How to Write a Realistic Fiction time to write a short • You may want to look for some good RL.1.3, RL.1.10, Book) C realistic fiction story. boxed sets -- Captain Underpants RFS.1.1, RFS.1.2,

SL.1.1, SL.1.2, SL.1.4,

L.1.1, L.1.2

• Writers develop a "can-do" attitude to write and write more.

• Writers make endings that will make readers happy, maybe by saving their

character from trouble. They make something happen through action,

dialogue, or feeling to get their characters out of trouble. (Revisit Chart: Ways

Remind students how to

write a story in order by

referring to charts made

during Small Moments

series, etc.

Essential Questions: to Bring Stories to LIFE) Unit.

How can I begin to

write realistic fiction? • Writers make courageous choices about words in their stories. They don't

stick with safe, easy words; they grow into sparkling or wondrous words.

(Revisit Chart: Ways To Spell Words)

• Writers use checklists to review their writing and set goals. (Chart: Narrative

Writing Checklist)C; Individual checklists




Bend #2: "Fiction

Writers Set Out to

Write Series."

Goals:

• Students will grow their characters into series characters.

Possible Mini -Lessons:

Standards: W.1.3, • Writers can think of more than one story for their own realistic fiction W.1.5, W.1.7, W.1.8, character (just like Junie B. or Henry & Mudge). (Chart: How to Write Series RL.1.1-RL.1.4, RL.1.7, Books) C RL.1.10, SL.1.1, • In book one of any series, the author shares a lot of details about the character SL.1.2, SL.1.4, SL.1.6, so that readers get to know the character. (Revisit Chart: Ways to Bring L.1.1, L.1.2 Stories to Life) C; (Chart: Book One of a Series Has) C

• Writers give characters a voice in their books, possibly with speech bubbles Essential Questions: and dialogue, for different purposes (such as showing thoughts or feelings). How can writers build • Revision party with editing carefully (Chart: Our Favorite Series Authors...) C; on their realistic (Chart: My Editing Checklist) C; Individual checklists fiction characters to • Students can celebrate their first series by creating a box to put their first write a series? boxed set in (ex: maybe a cereal box).

Bend #3: "Becoming Goals:

More Powerful at • Students will become more powerful with their realistic fiction writing.

Realistic Fiction:

Studying the Genre Possible Mini -Lessons: and Studying • To make realistic fiction seem so real, writers can use their own small Ourselves as Writers" moments to include real details. (Revisit charts from earlier in unit)

• Writers can help readers get a picture in their minds by showing, not just Standards: W.1.3, telling — using teeny tiny details that seem real. W.1.5, W.1.7, W.1.8, • Fiction writers might use chapters — each chapter with a beginning, middle,




RL.1.1-RL.1.4, RL.1.7,

SL.1.1, SL.1.2, SL.1.4,

L.1.1, L.1.2

Essential Questions:

How can students

strengthen their

realistic fiction

writing?

and end. (Revisit B,M,E Snake chart, "Teaching the Youngest Writers" p. 1160

• Writers use patterns to elaborate. (Revisit examples from mentor text: Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat

• Writers use their superpowers — all they know and have learned about writing

— to get better. (Chart: The Super Writing Powers of Super Series Writers) C

Bend #4: "Getting Goals:

Ready to Publish Our • Students will get their writing ready to publish their second series.

Second Series"

Possible Mini-Lessons: Standards: W.1.3, • Writers will work hard on revising their realistic fiction, including fabulous W.1.5, RL.1.1, RL.1.4, punctuation. RL.1.7, RFS.1.4, • Writers can look to mentor texts to explore how illustrations play an important SL.1.1, SL.1.5, SL.1.6, role, and how they can use their illustrations in their own writing. (Revisit L.1.1, L.1.2 mentor text: Knuffle Bunny)

• Students could create a "Meet the Author" page. (Sample meet the author Essential Questions: pages, Chart: "Meet the Author" List) C How can students get

their writing ready to • Realistic fiction writers get their writing ready to publish by revising, editing,

and polishing their work. (Chart: Are You Ready to Celebrate?) C publish their second

series? • Celebrate!


Unit 7 April/May How can I write like a scientist, writing to record observations, to learn about things, and to teach readers?



Questions


Mini-Lessons






Bend #1:

"Scientist Write to

Learn about the

World, Experiment to

Answer Lingering

Questions, and Use

What They Know

about Information

Writing to Teach

Others"

Standards:

RI.1.1-R1.1.6, W.1.2,

W.1.5, W.1.6, W.1.8,

L.1.1, L.1.2, L.1.4,

L.1.6

Essential Questions:

How can we, as

scientists, take what

we learn about the

world and use it in

writing to teach

Goals: On Demand- Ask the

students to write their

best informational piece

based on a science

experiment you have just

done together as a class.

The first thing you will do is choose a whole-

class topic that aligns to your science

standards. The students will be living like

scientists around and inside this topic for the

whole month, so make sure there are plenty

of opportunities for experiments and

authentic experiences. This choice will

determine where you need to begin

frontloading your books, as you will likely

read and explore those books during your

science unit but refer back to the portions or

parts of those books during writing.

• It is suggested that you locate one

nonfiction book to use as your

mentor text.

• • Remember to include: narrative

nonfiction, expository nonfiction,

nonfiction procedural texts, and

question and answer books.

• Students will take what they have learned in their science unit and write

informational text.


• Immersion in scientific study — for example: For motion, you might spread

materials out on the tables and let them explore; for plants, you might give

students magnifying glasses and let them look closely at a variety of seeds or

plants.

• Show students how to record observations and questions.

• Help students understand the volume of this type of writing — sketching an

experiment's set up, captions, labels, sentences to match, etc.

• After the first day or two, you need to conduct a teacher-led experiment to

create a shared experience all students can draw from. From this experience,

you can teach several possible mini-lessons:

o Before an experiment, researchers can record questions and

predictions/hypotheses.

o During an experiment, researchers record the steps.

o After an experiment, come up with big ideas or conclusions. What did

we learn?

• Then, students can look back at their notes to try to write informational books

about all they learned. Keep the materials on hand because they may need to

reenact the experiment to add details.

• Teach children to design their own experiments from their own wonderings.

This might set you up for another class experiment OR your kids might be




others? ready to conduct experiments in small groups or partnerships.

Bend #2: "Scientists

Collaborate with Goals: Partners and Record • Students will use experiments as their topics for writing. Their Experiments,

Raising the Level of Possible Mini -Lessons:

Their Non-Narrative • For this bend, you will want to draw from as many resources as you can to lay Writing" out as many materials as you can get your hands on.

• Children will begin their own experiments, but the teacher should guide them Standards: with questions like "Do we have all the materials we need?," "How long will it RI.1.1-R1.1.6, W.1.2, take?," or "How do we start?" W.1.5, W.1.6, W.1.8, • In this bend, you will help guide children through the scientific process to L.1.1, L.1.2, L.1.4, conduct their own experiments — materials, steps, hypothesis, and sketching a L.1.6 plan.

• When the students give it a go, they can write a how-to book on their step-by- Essential Questions: step plans and their findings. How do we take • Elaboration: Writers of science need to remember that researchers write with experiments, record precise words, and return to their sketches over and over to add as much

the data, and turn it

into writing that

detail as possible. One way may be to help children think about color, shape, texture, size, etc. Help students to use sentence starters, such as "I wonder...,"

teaches? "I think...," "I noticed..."

• Show students how to sort, classify, and record data. This means you might teach them to use different types of paper with their booklets, such as T-charts, diagrams, before-and-after pages, compare and contrast pages, cause and effect pages, etc. or it may mean teaching them to record data with units.

• Teach students that learning often leads to more questions, and since those questions are important, we need to jot those down, too!

• Children may need some coaching with how-to writing, so that their writing




documents experiments with accuracy and detail, and they may need to work

with writing partners to revise their writing (replaying it like a movie in their

minds).

Teach children how to add to their writing from facts they have read in

nonfiction texts.

Bend #3: "Scientists

Put All Their Learning Goals:

Together and Publish • Students will compile all they have learned to publish an informational book. Information Books"

Possible Mini-Lessons: Standards: • Students will take all of their information and put it together to create RI.1.1-R1.1.6, W.1.2, informational books to teach each other. W.1.5, W.1.6, W.1.8, • The way students create and organize their books should reflect how they L.1.1, L.1.2, L.1.4, want to teach people. Researchers have to think of how they want to teach L.1.6 the world all that they have discovered.

• Students may want to sort/categorize their information into chapters in Essential Questions: various ways — by topic (such as seeds, roots, stems), by page type (for How do scientists put example: before/after pages, cause/effect pages, etc.) or they may want to all their learning

together to publish

separate them into individual books. Students have to make those decisions,

with their audience in mind.

informational books? • Revisit mentor texts to use as models for revision and pull ideas for revision

there — possibly adding to your nonfiction features, to add more detail or

specific vocabulary, etc.

• Writers might work with their illustrations by zooming in close on one part that

teaches or using labels and arrows in pictures.

• Writers might add to their words by adding cautions, warnings, or tips, as well




•

as other craft moves they have learned throughout the year!

Celebrate! Consider celebrating in a way that all students can share their

scientific findings — maybe with a science fair atmosphere — where they really

are the experts.

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