Unit 1: What Good Writer s Do Grade Level: 3 Timeframe: 5 weeks Unit Overview: Becoming a Community of Writers is the first experience of Writing Workshop in Third Grade. The unit offers the foundation for students and teachers to become acquainted with one another as writers. A community of writers recognizes writers as individuals, small group, and within the whole. The unit offers the structure and understanding of the Writing Workshop model and routines that will support effective and productive learning for the remainder of the school year. Throughout the year, students will continue to focus and strengthen their ability to use the strategies that good writers utilize when writing. The unit focuses on strategies to aid in recognizing and using conventions to aid in improving students writing independently. Students will apply their knowledge of how to generate ideas, elements of stories, developing ideas, revising, publishing, developmental spelling, capitalization and end punctuation. The writing focus for this unit is Personal Narrative. Students learn to write a personal narrative in which they recount a well elaborated event or sequence of events including details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings. Students will also use temporal words to signal event order and provide some sense of closure. Finally, students will learn to listen responsively to each other s stories and help each other improve their writing. Enduring Understanding We are learning to use the writing process to improve our writing. We are learning that good writers write stories based on their personal experiences. Essential Questions How can we work together as a class and individually to become better writers? What does a writing community look like and how do I recognize myself as an individual writer in the community? How do good writers convey their message? How do words we choose help us share our thinking and communicate? How do writers help their writing make sense? How do you use personal experiences to express and write stories? How does structure in writing aid in engaging a reader? How do we show not tell our writing? What are the elements or qualities of a good story? What are the stages of the writing process? Common Core Standards Standards/Cumulative Progress Indicators (Taught and Assessed): W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. a. Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons. b. Provide reasons that support the opinion. c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons. d. Provide a concluding statement or section. W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. a. Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations. c. Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. d. Provide a sense of closure. W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.) Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 1
SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail. L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. 21 st Century Skills Standard and Progress Indicators: Work creatively with others Develop, implement and communicate new ideas to others effectively Communication and Collaboration Communicate Clearly Articulate thoughts and ideas effectively using oral, written and nonverbal communication skills in a variety of forms and contexts Academic Vocabulary: Week 1: Writing Workshop, topic, topic web, tools Week 2: reread, caret, partner share, word wall, publishing checklist Week 3: character, setting, events, elements Week 4: topic, zoom in, revise, details, endings Week 5: edit, publish, punctuation, editing checklist, dialogue Pre-assessment: Baseline writing sample Instructional Plan SLO - Day 1 Create lists of ideas for prewriting. W.3.4 Instructional Practice Student Strategies Formative Assessment Chart Review list of topics. Provide feedback to students, help them understand this will be a regular process of writing workshop. Activities and Resources Writing Workshop (Supplement L1) Writer s Notebooks Pencils Reflection Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 2
Day 2 Generate writing topics by creating a heart map. W.3.4 Brainstorming List of Ideas Provide feedback on individual student lists of ideas Heart Map (Supplement L2) Anchor charts Markers Notebooks Heart maps (1 for each student) Day 3 Gather ideas for writing by reading books. W.3.3 Day 4 Develop a written narrative after telling their story to a partner. SL.3.3 Day 5 Narrow a topic to a small moment. Topic List Anecdotal notes on student lists Graphic Organizer Provide feedback on topic contents of topic web. Graphic Organizer Exit slip: Explain how your narrowed your topic. Generating Ideas from Reading (L3) Read Aloud: Destiny s Gift, Journeys Chart paper, markers Writing notebooks Loose leaf paper Verbal Drafting and Sample Writing (L4) Heart Map and Idea Bank Writing notebooks Narrowing a topic (L5) Narrow a Topic anchor chart Writing notebooks Chart paper Markers Bed-to-bed writing sample or read aloud with a special event that takes place in one day Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 3
Day 6 Write a short piece after narrowing a topic. W.3.3 Day 7 Prewrite a chronological narrative by creating a timeline. Heart Map Feedback on short write Short Writing (L6) Triangle graphic organizer Guiding Questions Anchor Chart Writing Notebook Stickers, magazines, glue, scissors, paper. Partner talk Student timelines Timeline Organizer (L7) Anchor charts Writers notebooks Day 8 Write a narrative including key narrative elements. W.3.3 Day 9 Write chronological narrative independently and receive feedback during writing conference with teacher. W.3.3.a W.3.3.b W.3.3.c W.3.3.d SL.3.3 Anchor chart Anecdotal notes / checklist of observed behaviors Anchor chart Anecdotal notes / checklist of observed behaviors Narrative Elements (L8) Writing notebooks Days 9 Understanding the Writing Conference (L9) Writing notebooks Narrative elements graphic organizer Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 4
Days 10-12 Introduce conflict (day 10) Draft body paragraphs around essential events (day 11) Insert details into paragraphs (day 12) Student draft with new elements. Drafting the Narrative (L10) Writing notebooks Narrative elements graphic organizer Day 13-14 Write an ending that provides a sense of closure. W.3.3.d Days 15-16 Revise narrative to create a lead that engages the reader. W.3.3.a Day 17-18 Enhance their writing by adding dialogue. W.3.3.b Anchor chart Mentor texts Mentor texts Anchor charts Completed ending Revised lead Student Draft Evidence of dialogue added to writing. Writing Endings (L11) Writing notebooks/student drafts Narrative elements graphic organizer Day 15-16 Revise Lead (L12) Writing notebooks/student drafts Narrative elements graphic organizer Mentor texts with strong leads Journeys Anthology Revise for Dialogue (L13): Writing notebooks/student drafts Mentor texts with examples of dialogue Journeys Anthology Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 5
Day 19 Revise their writing by adding temporal words. W.3.3.c Student Draft Anchor chart Temporal Word handout Circled temporal words and phrases added to the piece. Revise by adding temporal words (L14) Writing notebooks/student drafts Mentor texts with examples of temporal words Journeys Anthology Day 20 Edit their writing using a checklist. L.3.1 L.3.2.d Draft Editing Checklist Peer review Completed edited checklist and draft Editing with a Checklist (L15) Student drafts Writing Sample Checklist for each student Anchor Chart Dry erase boards for class Day 21-23 Publish final drafts using computer. Drafts with revisions and edits Publishing! (L16) Celebrate the completion of narratives as a community of writers. W.3.4 Student drafts with revisions and edits. Computers, laptop cart, Ipad cart, printer Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 6
Day 24-25 Engage in a writing on demand prompt to provide informative writing sample. W.3.1.a W.3.1.b W.3.1.c W.3.1.d Prior knowledge Analysis of/feedback on informative pieces. How to write a narrative (L17) Writing notebooks from throughout the unit Mentor How to text Benchmark Assessment: Published Personal Narrative with normative scoring and grade level analysis Summative Written Assessments NJ Model Curriculum Writing Task. Scored with Model Curriculum rubric provided. Summative Performance Assessment Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 7