Writing Portfolio Lesson. Grade: 4 Quarter 1: Informative/Explanatory Time Frame: 7-10 days. Topics: Strands: Standard Statements:

Transcription

1 Grade: 4 Quarter 1: Informative/Explanatory Time Frame: 7-10 days Strands: Writing: W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.6, W.4.7, W.4.8, W.4.9, W.4.10 Language: L.4.1, L.4.2, L.4.3, L.4.4, L.4.5, L.4.6 Standard Statements: Writing: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single setting. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Topics: Writing: Text Types and Purposes Production and Distribution of Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge Range of Writing Language: Conventions of Standard English Knowledge of Language Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Content Elaborations: Writers use a repertoire of strategies to craft Text Types and develop Purposes. Using these strategies, they make decisions about content based on the format and purposes for which they are writing. Writers select structures, precise language, tone and style to communicate a point of view and/or purpose to their audience. They use writing as a tool for thinking through issues, solving problems, constructing questions, conveying information, and expressing or critiquing real or imagined experiences. Their ideas are best fostered in a literate environment, filled with books of all genres and multiple writing resources (i.e., dictionaries, thesauruses, pens, pencils, images, technology for drafting and producing text). An informational report documents, organizes, and stores factual information on a topic. As its name suggests, the general purpose of an informational report is to inform the reader.

2 Language: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Demonstrate an understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic. In the next grade band, student writers are expected to produce writing in a more formal style that reflects a deep, conceptual understanding of the genre and its characteristics. Students are also expected to continue development of a cohesive writing style that reflects a full range of the writing process and an authentic independent or collaborative use of technology to enhance and extend that writing, while using the skills of paraphrasing to present research that has been gathered and evaluated for accuracy in response to specific works of literature or to address a particular topic. In addition, students are expected to write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences. Writing Prompt: After researching mountains, write an informative/explanatory report. You will gather information about mountains from nonfiction and reference books, as well as from other sources. You will organize your information and present your findings in a written report. Support your writing with evidence from your research. Materials and Resources: Storytown Student Textbook: Suggested text Mountains by Seymour Simon. (optional Storytown, Theme 3, Lesson 12) Online resource: Chart Paper KWL Chart* Student Note Taking Forms* Student Revision Checklists Reports* Student Editing Checklists* *See Appendix

3 Lesson Instructions: Prewriting: Getting Started Prewriting is the planning stage of the writing process. It may include reading, drawing, observing, discussing, jot listing, and webbing. Basically, prewriting is the thinking process, thinking about what to write and how to organize it. Developing writers should be encouraged to spend adequate time in the prewriting stage. During a discussion Display and discuss an informational report that has been written by either a professional or a student writer. Have students talk about different reports that they have written. Allow students to brainstorm ideas and come up with a good definition of an informational report. After the discussion Inform students that an informational report consists of three main parts. List the parts on chart paper. Discuss what information goes in each part, using examples from student reports. Compare a report to a story. Place the parts of a story beside those of a report. As a class, have students discuss the differences between a report and a story. Inform students that they will be writing an informational report using the story Mountains by Seymour Simon (optional). The story is located in Storytown, Harcourt School Publishers, 2008 on pp (pp. T ). They will use the writing process to write their reports. They will share their reports with their teacher, other students at the school, and perhaps parents and other adults as well. Begin a K-W-L Chart. (See Appendix.) Ask students what they already know about mountains and list their responses under the K (Know) column of the chart. Then ask students what they want to find out about mountains, and list these responses under the W (Want to Know) column of the chart. Have students read Mountains located in Storytown, Theme 3, Lesson 12. If your students have already read this story, you may wish to simply review the story in a discussion with your students and/or have them read it again independently. You might also have students read about mountains and erosion in their science textbooks. Ask students what they learned about mountains. List the responses under the L (Learned) column of the K-W-L chart.

4 In order to gain information on their topic, tell students they will take notes while rereading the story Mountains as well as information in their science textbook. They will use a note taking form (See Appendix.) to help them organize their information. Display it on chart paper. Tell students that they can form questions using the headings on the note taking form. The answers to these questions will be included in their notes. Model how you would turn headings into questions: Height of Mountains - How high are mountains around the world? How Mountains Form - What are the different ways mountains can form? Erosion and Weathering - What is erosion? What is weathering? How are mountains affected by erosion and weathering? Tip: If taking notes is a first experience for your students, you may wish to display the questions on chart paper so students can refer to them while taking their own notes. Explain to students that paraphrasing, i.e., putting the writer s information in their own words, is an important part of report writing. Define plagiarism and why students should not copy an author s exact words. For the purpose of this report, students should not copy the exact words from the reading text, but should paraphrase the author s words. Model how paraphrasing can be done, using some of the above questions. Tell students that their notes should be written in short phrases and/or clauses, not sentences. Model how students should write their notes on the note taking form. Distribute note taking forms to students and allow students time to complete them. Tell students they will use their notes when they write their reports. Individual students may need teacher conferencing during this prewriting stage. Students may wish to share their notes with a peer for feedback. After teacher and peer conferencing, allow time for students to make changes to their notes. Writing Prompt: After researching mountains, write an informative/explanatory report. You will gather information about mountains from nonfiction and reference books, as well as from other sources. You will organize your information and present your findings in a written report. Support your writing with evidence from your research. Drafting: Getting It Down During the drafting stage, writers get their thoughts down on paper. Drafting allows students to develop their ideas into sentences. During drafting, students should not be too concerned about spelling and other conventional skills. They will have time to correct errors later. TIP: During drafting, tell students that writing on every other line will make it easier to revise later on.

5 DRAFTING Tell students that they will now use their prewriting to help them write their reports. Refer them to the three main parts of a report listed on chart paper and review the components of each. Point out to students that their purpose in writing this report is to learn how to find and organize information. They will share their information with classmates and their teacher. Inform students that it is important to consider their audience as they write. They should be sure that they are making the information clear for their readers. In addition, they will want to make their report interesting and enjoyable for the audience to read. INTRODUCTION Talk with students about how they would incorporate the information from their notes into the three main parts of a report. Tell students that the first paragraph will tell the reader what the report is about. Ask students to think about the introduction they will write. Tell them that the introduction should do these things: Explain the purpose for writing the report. State the main ideas that follow. Get the reader interested. Point out how the author of Mountains introduced the topic. BODY Students will probably have the most difficulty drafting the body of the report. Students should write three more paragraphs using the information from the three subtopics. Tell students that the note headings are the subtopics for their report. In writing about each subtopic, they will need to include the following: A topic sentence which includes a main idea about the subtopic Details that explain more about the topic sentence Details that include facts, examples, and/or evidence Model how you could write a paragraph on one of the subtopics, using a think aloud as you write. CONCLUSION Inform students that the closing often summarizes the information presented in the report, or it restates the main idea. Model how you might write a conclusion.

6 WHILE STUDENTS ARE DRAFTING Give students the opportunity to begin drafting their reports. Circulate and provide assistance to individual students. If students are having difficulty making the transition from prewriting to drafting, it may be advisable to insert a mini-lesson at points where students are having difficulty. Allow time for students to complete their rough drafts. Individual students may need teacher or peer conferencing during this part of the process. Students may need assistance in identifying details, examples, and evidence. Some will need a reminder about using their own words, not the words straight from the text. Revising: Taking a Fresh Look During revision, students go back to their own writing to view it again as readers as well as writers. They can make changes to the draft that will expand, develop, clarify, and improve the content. While some revisions have already occurred during the process, most revising takes place after the drafting stage. Review the importance of revision. Explain that since writers already understand what they are trying to say, it is often difficult for them to see where their writing is unclear. Be sure students are familiar with some revising techniques. If not, the teacher should model the following revision strategies: Skipping lines in their drafts will enable students to make changes and additions more easily. Students should not take time to erase on drafts. Instead, they should cross out unwanted words and use a carat (^) to add words and phrases. If students need to add longer passages to their drafts, they may cut the draft apart and use transparent tape to insert the passages where they belong. Have students reread their reports and use the checklist in the appendix to help them revise their writing. (See Appendix.) TIP: Observe your students during peer conferencing. Take note of appropriate conference behaviors as you observe. After peer conferences, share your observations with the class. Praise specific behaviors to reinforce them. Discuss appropriate ways to handle problem situations.

7 Editing: Getting It Right During the editing stage of the writing process, students make changes to make their writing as error-free as possible. Editing focuses on the mechanics (sentence structure, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling), and should not be taught in isolation from the writing process. Students will not comprehend the skill unless they apply it to their own writing. EDITING THE INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATORY TEXT To demonstrate comprehension of editing skills, students must apply them when writing. Focus on one or two new editing skills at a time, and have students edit for those particular skills. Some editing skills apply to particular kinds of writing. Review with students the purpose for editing to make writing easier for an audience to read. (Students should have had previous experience in editing for correct end marks and capital letters. Review these skills with students and have them edit their reports. You may wish to use the editing checklist in the appendix.) Tip: If a new skill is being introduced, the teacher should use a mini-lesson to model it. Publishing: Going Public The publishing stage of the writing process involves students writing a final draft of their writing to be read and enjoyed by others. When students recopy their work, they should pay particular attention to their revisions and editing changes. Final drafts should be neatly written and as error-free as possible. Have students share their reports by reading them to peers, parents, and other adults. Book layout and publishing ideas can be found in the appendix. Students may wish to make replicas of mountains using clay, Play-Doh, or salt and flour. Dioramas depicting the process of erosion can also be completed. These projects can be done independently or in small groups. Published copies of reports may be displayed in the classroom and hallways, or they may become parts of the classroom/school libraries. These copies might be displayed for a parent night or a visit from another class. Student authors could talk about their reports and explain their projects.

8 Students might wish to combine their reports into a class book which might be kept in the classroom or the school library. Interested students might want to expand their nonfiction reports into fictional writings. As a class, in groups, or individually, they might wish to create characters and write stories that use the mountains as a setting. Details from their reports might be the basis for interesting story conflicts. TIP: This lesson on writing an informational report might easily be expanded to include library or Internet research on this or other topics which students find interesting. Assessment Use the Columbus Rubric for Writing to evaluate each student s writing product from this lesson. Highlighting specific information in each column of the rubric will assist teachers in providing valuable feedback on writing strengths and areas of improvement to the student during writing conferences. The rubric should be attached to the student s paper with identifying information and scores. Place the student s writing in the Student Writing Portfolio. See the writing portfolio folder for complete instructions. You may wish to use additional developmental or trait rubrics for writing or the assessment rubrics included in the Storytown language arts series to evaluate other pieces of student writing.

9 SUGGESTED INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATORY REPORT PROMPTS The social studies and science texts offer many opportunities for possible prompts on informational writing. Examples of fourth grade social studies prompts are listed below: 1. Write a report tracking Ohio s journey to statehood. 2. Write a report on the Great Depression. Include how World War II helped to rebuild Ohio s economy. 3. Write a report on one of the immigrant groups of people that settled in Ohio. 4. Write a report on one of the famous statesmen from Ohio. 5. Write a report on one of the following kinds of government: Local government State government National government Other topics for informational reports should come from student choice and interest. NOTE: Many of the topics listed here, as well as others in the social studies and science texts, might easily be expanded to include library or Internet research on topics which students find interesting.

10 APPENDIX

11 KWL CHART Name What I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned

12 Note Taking Form TOPIC: Mountains Height of Mountains Name How Mountains Form Erosion and Weathering

13 Name REVISION CHECKLIST: INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATORY REPORT The first few sentences of my report introduce my topic. My report contains information on three subtopics. I used a topic sentence to introduce each subtopic. I included details, examples, and/or evidence for each subtopic. My last few sentences summarize the information and conclude my report. My report is written in my own words.

14 Name EDITING CHECKLIST I used correct punctuation at the end of my sentences. I capitalized the first word in all my sentences. I capitalized all proper nouns. I tried to spell all words correctly.

15 Grade: 4 Quarter 2: Opinion Writing Time Frame: 7-10 days Strands: Writing: W.4.1, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.6, W.4.7, W.4.8, W.4.9, W.4.10 Language: L.4.1, L.4.2, L.4.3, L.4.4, L.4.5, L.4.6 Standard Statements: Writing: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization and are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Recall information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Topics: Writing: Text Types and Purposes Production and Distribution of Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge Range of Writing Language: Conventions of Standard English Knowledge of Language Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Content Elaborations: Student writers use a variety of Text Types and Purposes when composing text. They learn that writing isn t just a way to demonstrate knowledge, but also a way to provide greater content understanding. Student writers use writing as a tool for thinking through issues, solving problems, investigating questions, conveying and critiquing information, and expressing real or imagined experiences. The best writers understand the connection between reading and writing and flourish in print environments in which a variety of text types are evident. Learning and practicing a variety of organizational writing patterns encourages critical thinking and fosters the understanding that writing is a process as well as a product. Opinion writing provides students the opportunity to write their beliefs. They will learn that words matter, decide which ideas will be presented, and support those ideas with evidence from the text. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

16 Language: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meaning. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domainspecific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic. In the next grade band, student writers are expected to produce writing in a more formal style that reflects a deep, conceptual understanding of the genre and its characteristics. Students are also expected to continue development of a cohesive writing style that reflects a full range of the writing process and an authentic independent or collaborative use of technology to enhance and extend that writing, while using the skills of paraphrasing to present research that has been gathered and evaluated for accuracy in response to specific works of literature or to address a particular topic. In addition, students are expected to write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences. Writing Prompt: After reading Fire Storm by Jean Craighead George, write an opinion piece answering the following question: Do you think Axel and his aunt and uncle made the right decision by moving to the burned out campsite? Support your point of view with evidence from the text. Materials and Resources: For and Against Opinion T-chart* Student copies of For and Against T-chart* Teacher copy of Fact and Opinion Chart* Student copies of Fact and Opinion Chart * Student Writing Paper Revising Checklists* Editing Checklists* Storytown text: Fire Storm by Jean Craighead George (Theme 3, lesson 13) (Online resource: *See Appendix Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

17 Lesson Instructions: Prewriting: Getting Started Prewriting is the planning stage of the writing process. It may include reading, drawing, observing, discussing, jot listing, and webbing. Basically, prewriting is the thinking process, thinking about what to write and how to organize it. Developing writers should be encouraged to spend adequate time in the prewriting stage. Building Background/Accessing Prior Knowledge Review/re-read Fire Storm by Jean Craighead George. Tell students that they will be writing an opinion piece and using evidence from the story to support their point of view. They will share their writing with other students, their teacher, and their parents. Writing Prompt: After reading Fire Storm by Jean Craighead George, write an opinion piece answering the following question: Do you think Axel and his aunt and uncle made the right decision by moving to the burned out campsite? Support your point of view with evidence from the text. Teacher Modeling: Forming an Opinion Teacher discusses with students what it means to have an opinion. Ask students opinion questions such as: Which is better: Coke or Mt. Dew? ; Which is safer: canoeing or swimming? ; Which is more dangerous: camping in a burned out campsite or moving on? Discuss with students that they not only form an opinion, but they have to support it. (Emphasize that everyone can have an opinion. But the opinion is strengthened when it is supported by evidence). Select one of the questions discussed and model completing For or Against chart (appendix) to allow students to support their opinions. Display completed chart. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

18 Guided Practice: Have students work with a partner to Think, Pair, and Share their opinion whether camping in a burned out campsite or moving on is more dangerous. Use chart provided in appendix to record students opinions of how safe they feel they would be. (You may complete this as a class or have students work with a partner.) Collect charts or have students store them in their writing folders. Independent Practice: Revisit Fire Storm by Jean Craighead George. Distribute For or Against chart (appendix) for students to complete independently. Individual conferencing may be necessary to assist students. Collect charts or have students store them in their writing folders. Teacher Modeling: Writing an Opinion Refer to and discuss class created For and Against chart. Teacher models using the information from the chart to form an opinion. (Think aloud while forming an opinion.) Next, model writing the opinion and using information to complete the Fact and Opinion chart as supporting details. Guided/Independent Practice Distribute or have students take out the T-charts regarding camping in a burned out campsite. Tell students that the T-chart will help them in making some decisions on what to include when they write their opinion piece. Students work independently completing their new Fact and Opinion chart. They will use this to form their own opinion for their paper. The facts will be their supporting details. Have students share their opinion pieces with their partners. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

19 Drafting: Getting It Down During the drafting stage, writers get their thoughts down on paper. Drafting allows students to develop their ideas into sentences. During drafting, students should not be too concerned about spelling and other conventional skills. They will have time to correct errors later. Tell students that they will use their chart to help them write their opinion. Point out that the purpose in writing the opinion is to learn how to write their beliefs and support their beliefs with evidence. They will share their writing with their classmates and teachers. When working with these young writers, it is important that drafting is modeled by the teacher first. When showing your students how to draft, verbalize your thoughts aloud so students know what you are thinking as you write. In this way, students are shown how to draft while learning that they need to think critically about what they write as they go along. DRAFTING THE OPINION Explain to students that they are going to begin drafting their opinion pieces. They will use their Fact and Opinion charts to help them write. Teacher Modeling Display the class opinion piece. Tell students that the first couple sentences of the opinion piece should introduce the text they are writing about and state an opinion. Remind students to use linking words and phrases to connect their opinion and reasons. Finally, reinforce that all opinion pieces must have a concluding statement or section. Guided/Independent Practice Have students use their Fact and Opinion charts (appendix) to write their opinion pieces.. Individual students will need assistance and conferencing in writing opinion pieces. After conferencing, allow time for students to make changes. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

20 Revising: Taking a Fresh Look During revision, students go back to their own writing to view it again as readers as well as writers. They can make changes to the draft that will expand, develop, clarify, and improve the content. While some revisions have already occurred during the process, most revising takes place after the drafting stage. Building Background/Accessing Prior Knowledge Review the importance of revision. Explain that since writers already understand what they are trying to say, it is often difficult for them to see where their writing is unclear. Teacher Modeling: Revising the Opinion Piece Be sure students are familiar with some revising techniques. If not, the teacher should model the following revision strategies: Skipping lines in their drafts will enable students to make changes and additions more easily. Students should not take time to erase on drafts. Instead, they should cross out unwanted words and use a carat (^) to add words and phrases. If students need to add longer passages to their drafts, they may cut the draft apart and use transparent tape to insert the passages where they belong. Independent Practice Have students reread their opinion pieces and use the checklist that follows to help them revise their writing. (See Appendix.) Assign each student a revising partner. Allow time for each writer to revise the opinions using the top part of the checklist. Have students meet with their revising partners and follow the steps on the bottom part of the checklist. Allow time for each writer to make changes to his/her draft copy. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

21 Editing: Getting It Right During the editing stage of the writing process, students make changes to make their writing as error-free as possible. Editing focuses on the mechanics (sentence structure, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling), and should not be taught in isolation from the writing process. Students will not comprehend the skill unless they apply it to their own writing. EDITING THE OPINION PIECE To demonstrate comprehension of editing skills, students must apply them when writing. Focus on one or two new editing skills at a time, and have students edit for those particular skills. Some editing skills apply to particular kinds of writing. Teacher Modeling Review with students the purpose for editing (to make writing easier for an audience to read). Students should have had previous experience in editing for correct end marks and capital letters for proper nouns and the beginnings of sentences. Review these skills with students and have them edit their opinion pieces. You may wish to use an editing checklist. (See Appendix.) Independent Practice Assign each student an editing partner. Allow time for each writer to edit his/her opinion pieces using the top part of the checklist. Have students meet with their editing partners and follow the steps on the bottom part of the checklist. Allow time for each writer to make final corrections to his/her draft copy. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

22 Publishing: Going Public The publishing stage of the writing process involves students writing a final draft of their writing to be read and enjoyed by others. When students recopy their work, they should pay particular attention to their revisions and editing changes. Final drafts should be neatly written and as error-free as possible. Have students share their opinion pieces by reading them to peers, parents, and other adults. Published copies of opinion pieces may be displayed in the classroom and hallways, or they may become parts of the classroom/school libraries. These copies might be displayed for a parent night or a visit from another class. Student authors could talk about their opinion pieces and explain the process they used to reach their opinions. Students might wish to combine their writing into a class book which might be kept in the classroom or the school library. See appendix for handout on book layout and publishing. Assessment Use the Columbus Rubric for Writing to evaluate each student s writing product from this lesson. Highlighting specific information in each column of the rubric will assist teachers in providing valuable feedback on writing strengths and areas of improvement to the student during writing conferences. The rubric should be attached to the student s paper with identifying information and scores. Place the student s writing in the Student Writing Portfolio. See the writing portfolio folder for complete instructions. You may wish to use developmental continuums for writing or the assessment rubrics included in the Storytown language arts series to evaluate other pieces of student writing. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

23 APPENDIX Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

24 Name For For and Against Chart Against ` Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

25 Name My opinion is: Fact and Opinion Chart Fact (supporting statements from the text) Opinion Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

26 Name On Your Own: Reread what you wrote. REVISING CHECKLIST: OPINION PIECE Writing to Explain a Point of View My writing includes the topic or text I am writing about. I stated an opinion about the topic or text. I provided reasons to support my opinion. I linked my opinion and reasons using words and phrases. My writing has a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented. With a Partner: Follow these steps: Tell your partner what you wanted your writing to do. Read your writing to your partner. Have your partner summarize it. (Tell back.) Discuss ways to make your writing clearer. Thank your partner for helping you. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

27 Name EDITING CHECKLIST: Opinion Piece On Your Own: Reread what you wrote. Ask yourself these questions. Make corrections on your draft copy. Circle any places where you need help. Did I use correct capitalization? Did I use correct punctuation? Did I spell grade appropriate words correctly consulting references as needed? Did I choose words and phrases to convey my idea? With a Partner: Follow these steps. Be sure to look at each place where you circled something. Have your partner proofread your letter. Discuss and make corrections. Get help on spelling any words you have circled. Get help on any capitalization and punctuation errors you have circled. Thank your partner for helping you. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

28 BOOK LAYOUT AND PUBLISHING Divide the class into groups of 3-5 students. Give each group several library books to examine. Ask students to look for the different kinds of information authors include in their books. Bring groups back together, and compile information in a class list containing data such as title, author s name, copyright name, place of publication, dedication, etc. Point out where each type of information is generally located. Students should plan how they want their published books to look. They should decide what size and kind of paper to use, and how they want their writing to appear on the page. (This page-by-page model is called a layout or dummy.) Next, students need to plan their title page, copyright page, cover, etc. They may need to make decisions about picture placement as well. After students make layout decisions, they may type their text or recopy it on the selected paper. Books may be assembled by stapling, sewing, gluing, etc. Students will enjoy seeing their books displayed in the classroom or the school library. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Opinion Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

29 Grade: 4 Quarter 3: Narrative Writing Time Frame: 7-10 days Strands: Writing: W.4.3, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.6, W.4.7, W.4.8, W.4.9, W.4.10 Language: L.4.1, L.4.2, L.4.3, L.4.4, L.4.5, L.4.6 Standard Statements: Writing: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. With guidance and support from adults, use technology including the internet to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command to keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Topics: Writing: Text Types and Purposes Production and Distribution of Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge Range of Writing Language: Conventions of Standard English Knowledge of Language Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Content Elaborations: Student writers use a variety of Text Types and Purposes when composing text. They learn that writing isn t just a way to demonstrate knowledge, but also a way to provide greater content understanding. Student writers use writing as a tool for thinking through issues, solving problems, investigating questions, conveying and critiquing information, and expressing real or imagined experiences. The best writers understand the connection between reading and writing and flourish in print environments in which a variety of text types are evident. Learning and practicing a variety of organizational writing patterns encourages critical thinking and fosters the understanding that writing is a process as well as a product. A narrative tells a story or recounts an event or sequence of events. The story may be a true story (personal experience narrative), or one that is not true but is created in the writer s imagination (fictional narrative). Generally, the purpose of a narrative is to entertain the reader. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Narrative Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

30 Language: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Demonstrate an understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being, and that are basic to a particular topic. In the next grade band, student writers are expected to produce writing in a more formal style that reflects a deep, conceptual understanding of the genre and its characteristics. Students are also expected to continue development of a cohesive writing style that reflects a full range of the writing process and an authentic independent or collaborative use of technology to enhance and extend that writing, while using the skills of paraphrasing to present research that has been gathered and evaluated for accuracy in response to specific works of literature or to address a particular topic. In addition, students are expected to write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences. Writing Prompt: Write a true story about something that has happened to you. Your story may be about an experience in your life that was funny, happy, embarrassing, scary, or sad, etc. Materials and Resources: Chart paper Student webs* Story Map* Revising Checklist: Narrative* Peer Conference Rules* Editing Checklist: Narrative* Book Layout and Publishing *See appendix. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Narrative Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

31 Lesson Instructions: Prewriting: Getting Started Prewriting is the planning stage of the writing process. It may include reading, drawing, observing, discussing, jot listing, and webbing. Basically, prewriting is the thinking process, thinking about what to write and how to organize it. Developing writers should be encouraged to spend adequate time in the prewriting stage. Building Background/Accessing Prior Knowledge During a discussion, define a narrative; distinguish between a personal experience narrative (a true story) and a fictional narrative (a made-up story). List some stories and/or books that students have recently read that are narratives. After the discussion, review the major elements of a narrative (characters, setting, plot, problem/solution), referring to the specific stories and books that students have recently read. Inform students they will be writing a personal experience narrative using the writing process. They will share their narratives with other students. Writing Prompt: Write a true story about something that has happened to you. Your story may be about an experience in your life that was funny, happy, embarrassing, scary, or sad, etc. Teacher Modeling: Teacher discusses the prompt with students, and engages them in a brainstorming session on choosing a life experience to write about. Using the web, allow students to give ideas for topics. Share the prompt with students, and engage them in a brainstorming session on choosing a special place to write about. Model how you would go about choosing a topic. Display completed web. Guided Practice: Have students decide on a topic (a life experience) to write about. The experience may be one that is listed on the web or one that is not. Grade 4 Writing Portfolio Lesson: Narrative Writing Columbus City Schools June 2012

32 Grade: 4 Quarter 4: Informative/Explanatory Time Frame: 7-10 days Strands: Writing: W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.5, W.4.6, W.4.7, W.4.8, W.4.9, W.4.10 Language: L.4.1, L.4.2, L.4.3, L.4.4, L.4.5, L.4.6 Standard Statements: Writing: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology including the internet to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Topics: Writing: Text Types and Purposes Production and Distribution of Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge Range of Writing Language: Conventions of Standard English Knowledge of Language Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Content Elaborations: Student writers use a variety of Text Types and Purposes when composing text. They learn that writing isn t just a way to demonstrate knowledge, but also a way to provide greater content understanding. Student writers use writing as a tool for thinking through issues, solving problems, investigating questions, conveying and critiquing information, and expressing real or imagined experiences. The best writers understand the connection between reading and writing and flourish in print environments in which a variety of text types are evident. Learning and practicing a variety of organizational writing patterns encourages critical thinking and fosters the understanding that writing is a process as well as a product. An informational report documents, organizes, and stores factual information on a topic. As its name suggests, the general purpose of an informational report is to inform the reader.

33 Language: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic. In the next grade band, student writers are expected to produce writing in a more formal style that reflects a deep, conceptual understanding of the genre and its characteristics. Students are also expected to continue development of a cohesive writing style that reflects a full range of the writing process and an authentic independent or collaborative use of technology to enhance and extend that writing, while using the skills of paraphrasing to present research that has been gathered and evaluated for accuracy in response to specific works of literature or to address a particular topic. In addition, students are expected to write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences. Writing Prompt: After researching a topic that interests you, write an informative report. You will gather information about your topic from nonfiction and reference books, as well as from other sources. You will organize your information and present your findings in a written report. Support your writing with evidence from your research. Materials and Resources: Nonfiction books Reference books Index cards GO6 (Storytown Resources- ) Web graphic organizer* Planning My Research Report: Clustering* Planning My Research Report: Note Taking* Revising Checklist: Informational Report* Peer Conference Rules* Editing Checklist: Report* Book Layout and Publishing* Storytown texts: Lesson 27, Lesson 28 (optional) *See appendix.

34 Lesson Instructions: Prewriting: Getting Started Prewriting is the planning stage of the writing process. It may include reading, drawing, observing, discussing, jot listing, and webbing. Basically, prewriting is the thinking process, thinking about what to write and how to organize it. Developing writers should be encouraged to spend adequate time in the prewriting stage. Building Background/Accessing Prior Knowledge Display and talk about different nonfiction selections/books available in the classroom library or in the Storytown series. Make sure students understand the differences between fiction and nonfiction selections. Have students identify the topic of each nonfiction selection. Allow time for students to talk about nonfiction selections or books that they have recently read. These selections may come from their reading texts or from independent reading. Assist students in identifying the topics of each selection. Have students tell the things they liked about these nonfiction selections. List responses on a chart and save for future use. Tell students that they will be writing an informational report. They will choose a topic that interests them. They will share their reports with other students, their teacher, and their parents. Shared Writing: Choosing a Topic Share the prompt with students and engage them in a brainstorming session on choosing a topic to write about. Student responses can be recorded using a class web (appendix). Let students know that they can research topics that are not only appropriate for school but also useful for real life situations at home. For example, a student may be getting a new pet at home and wishes to get information on a breed of dog, cat, etc. Make sure the brainstorming list includes some real life topics. Give students index cards and tell them to jot down some topics that interest them. The topics may or may not be on the class web. Limit the number of topics that students may list (perhaps no more than five).you will need to jot down some ideas of your own for the purpose of modeling throughout the lesson. Write these questions on the board/chart paper. Tell students that the answers to these three questions will help them in choosing a topic. Will the topic be interesting to write about? Will there be enough information about the topic? Will there be too much information about the topic?