the 1 st twenty days of a writer’s notebook

The 1st Twenty Days of a Writer’s Notebook

ByKimberly WhydeTammy Sharpe

MES

Where did it all begin?

• Loosely based on Ralph Fletcher’s A Writer’s Notebook

http://www.ralphfletcher.com/tips.html

According to Ralphie… Day 1: What is a writer’s notebook

anyway?

• Read the entire chapter to students to establish Ralphie as a mentor and what a writer’s notebook is and is not.

• Create a T-Chart of what a writer’s notebook “is” and “is not.”

According to Tammy and Kim…

Day 2: Setting up the Writer’s Notebook.

Each student will need:• 1 inch binder with clear sleeve• 5 tabbed dividers• Notebook paper


Day 2 continuedLead students in compiling their

Writer’s Notebook with paper between the five dividers. Label sections as:

IdeasPicture File Writing LogWords Examples


What do these sections hold?Ideas- holds students’ thoughts and ideas

that could be developed into a published piece.

Words- holds words that may be used in writing. Examples: Personal nouns, incredible words and sentences, seasonal word banks, personal spelling dictionaries, personal thesauri.


Examples- holds products created from direct instruction, labeled, and saved. Can also hold examples of rubrics, graphic organizers, and genres of writing.

Picture File- holds sketches, photographs, magazine clippings, invitations, ticket stubs. Anything that may trigger a creative idea for writing.

Writing Log- holds student record of published writing pieces to be placed in the ELA folder at the end of the year.

According to Ralphie… Day 3: Ch. 1 Unforgettable Stories

Teacher: Read aloud pages 8-10, list on page 13, and 2nd half of page 14-top of 15. Model creating list of “unforgettables”.

Students: Label a piece of notebook paper with the date and the title “Unforgettables”. Give students time to begin their list. (Remind student that this is a work in progress and can be added to at any time.)

Students clip this into their “Ideas” section of their notebook.

According to Ralphie…Day 4: Ch. 2 Fierce Wonderings

Teacher: Read pages 16-end of italics on page 17, bottom half of pg. 20-22.

Model creating a list of “fierce wonderings”.

Student: Label a piece of notebook paper with the date and the title “Fierce Wonderings”. Give students time to begin their list. (Remind students that this is a work in progress and can be added to at any time.) Students clip this into their “Ideas” section of their notebook.

According to Ralphie…Day 5: Ch.3 Writing Small (details)

Teacher: Read pgs. 23-middle of pg. 25, middle of pg. 27-middle of pg. 29. Need to find a place outside where students can record observations using their senses. Remind students that writing small means paying attention to the small details of writing.

Students: Label a piece of notebook paper with the date and the title “Sensory Details”. Students fold the paper into fourths and label the sections: Smell, Hear, Feel, See.

Students record observations for each box silently.Students clip this into their “Words” section of their

notebook.

According to Ralphie…Day 6: Ch.3 continued

Teacher: Remind students that Ralphie describes “Cracking Open” overused words in writing. Model cracking open the word “fun” with student input.

Students: Label a piece of notebook paper with the date and the title “Words to Crack Open”. Students begin a list of words they overuse and work with a partner to find more vivid words instead (good, nice, stuff). Remind students that this is a work in progress and can be added to at anytime. Students clip this in their “Words” section of their Writer’s Notebook.

According to Ralphie…

Day 7: Ch. 4 Seed Ideas

Teacher: Read pages 31-34, pg. 40 (1st paragraph). Model a “quick-write” on a subject of your choice.

Students: Have 5-10 minutes to write on a pre-selected topic. Their pencil should not leave the page. Students clip this in their “Ideas” section of their Writer’s Notebook.

According to Ralphie…Day 8: Ch. 5 Mind Pictures

Teacher: Read pgs. 43-47 (1st paragraph). Models sketching a vivid picture with a one sentence description.

Student: Sketch a vivid picture based on a memory

(beach, mountains, fair, backyard ,etc.) Write a sentence with vivid adjectives to describe their mental picture. Students clip this in their “Picture File” section of their Writer’s Notebook.

According to Ralphie…Day 9: Ch. 6 Snatches of Talk

Teacher: Read pgs. 57-top of pg. 62. Models creating list of similes, metaphors, idioms, words teacher uses often, unique ways people say things, etc. Emphasize the difference between eavesdropping and snatches of talk. Remind students that this is a work in progress and can be added to at anytime.

Students: Label a piece of notebook paper with the

date and the title “Snatches of Talk” Begin to compile a list of these types of words or phrases. Students clip this in their “Words” section of their Writer’s Notebook.


Day 10: Ch. 7 Lists

Teacher: Read pgs. 72-82 (abbreviate reading of listed words). Model creating a list of “Remarkable” words you love. Brainstorm different things students could list. Remind students that this is a work in progress and can be added to at anytime.

Student: Label a piece(s) of notebook paper with the

date and the title “List of …”. Students clip this in their “Ideas” section of their Writer’s Notebook.

According to Ralphie…Day 11: Ch. 8 Memories

Teacher: Read aloud pgs. 86- up to last paragraph of pg. 91. Model creating a list of memories. Remind students that this is a work in progress and can be added to at anytime.

Students: Label a piece of notebook paper with the date and the title “Memories”. Begin to create a list of memories. (pleasant and not-so pleasant). Students clip this in their “Ideas” section of their Writer’s Notebook.

According to Ralphie…Day 12: Ch. 8 continued

Teacher: Read aloud pg. 91 (last paragraph) – pg. 96.Shows several artifacts/memorabilia that she has put into her own writer’s notebook. Brainstorm a list of types of collectible things they can add to their writer’s notebook. (invitations, ticket stubs, photos, magazine clippings, take-out menus, etc.) Show students how to date and label the item to show where it originated. Remind students that this is a work in progress and can be added to at anytime.

Student: Create a list of possible items they can bring from home to add to their picture file.


Day 13: Ch. 9 Writing that Scrapes the Heart

Teacher: Read pgs. 97-106. Model creating a list of personal moments that have “scraped” your heart. Remind students that this is a work in progress and can be added to at anytime.

Student: Label a piece of notebook paper with the date and the title “Writing That Scrapes the Heart”. Students record a list of those personal moments.


Day 13: Ch. 9 Writing that Scrapes the Heart

Teacher: Read pgs. 97-106. Model creating a list of personal moments that have “scraped” your heart. Remind students that this is a work in progress and can be added to at anytime.

Student: Label a piece of notebook paper with the date and the title “Writing That Scrapes the Heart”. Students record a list of those personal moments. Great time to introduce the use of Personal Journals.


Day 14: Ch. 10 Writing that Inspires

Teacher: Read aloud pgs. 107-111 (except last paragraph). Models creating a list of lines, phrases, and words that expert authors use effectively. (This chapter offers several examples of good picture books to illustrate this.) Remind students that this is a work in progress and can be added to at anytime.

Students: Label a piece of notebook paper with the date and the title “Writing that Inspires.” As teacher exposes to quality read-alouds, students will add to this list.


Day 15: Ch.11 Rereading: Digging Out Crystals

Teacher: Read aloud pgs. 120-126. Demonstrate how to reread personal writer’s notebook to search for ideas as possible writing topics. This is your springboard for introducing the writing process using their first piece of writing.

Student: Reread writer’s notebooks to look for top three ideas as possible writing topics.


Day 16: Ch. 12 Writing About Writing

Teacher: Read aloud pgs. 131-138. Model adding to and continuing notebook throughout the year.

Students: Continue to add to Writer’s Notebook throughout the year, reread Writer’s Notebook for ideas, and use Writer’s Notebook as a tool for writing.


Day 17 Forward: • MODEL, MODEL, MODEL• Use Read-alouds as the basis of mini lessons,

author’s craft, powerful words, beautiful beginnings, colorful closings.

• Portfolios can be used to collect student work.• Rubrics can be used to assign a grade according

to the completion various stages of the writer’s notebook.

• The writer’s notebook is a resource from which students write. You should never hear, “I don’t know what to write about”.


As a result of your mini-lessons:• Students should continue to add to their

writer’s notebook.– Graphic organizers– Quick-writes– Artifacts– Examples of authors’ craft– State writing rubric– Examples of genres of writing

the 1 st twenty days of a writer’s notebook

Documents

students time

continuedlead students

students thoughts

piece of notebook paper

genres of writing

small details of writing

label sections

words section