Humble ISD 2011-2012 Grade Personal Narrative – Unit of Study · 4th Grade Personal Narrative –...

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Humble ISD 2011-2012

4th

Grade Personal Narrative – Unit of Study

Curric\writing\Units of Study Rev 8/11 1

Planning Calendar

Wee

k 1

Immersion-Doing the work of writers

What does personal narrative writing look and sound like?





Wee

k 2

Idea Development

Storytelling

Resource: Crunchtime by Gretchen Bernabei

Idea Development

Generating Ideas


Generating Ideas


Idea Development

Quickwriting

Resource: Marvelous Minilessons by Lori Rog

Idea Development

Selecting a Story

Resource: Raising the Quality of Narrative Writing Grades 3-5 by

Lucy Calkins

Wee

k 3

Organization


Organization


Organization


Idea Development Organization

Building a Story Arc


Lucy Calkins

Idea Development-Details Word choice/Voice

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k 4

Idea Development-Details

Zooming In

Resource: Reviser’s Toolbox by Barry Lane


Inside Thoughts & Feelings

Resource: Raising the Quality of Narrative Writing Grades 3-5 by Lucy Calkins; Reviser’s Toolbox

by Barry Lane

Idea Development-Details Voice

Inside Thoughts & Feelings

Resource: Raising the Quality of Narrative Writing Grades 3-5 by Lucy Calkins; Reviser’s Toolbox

by Barry Lane

Word Choice and Voice

Show Don’t Tell-“What Are They Doing?”

Resource: Reviser’s Toolbox by

Barry Lane; Crunchtime by Gretchen Bernabei

Word Choice and Voice

Show Don’t Tell-“What Are They Doing?”

Resource: Reviser’s Toolbox by

Barry Lane; Crunchtime by Gretchen Bernabei

Wee

k 5

Organization Studying and Creating Leads


Lucy Calkins

Revising Word Choice and Voice

Cracking Open General Words

Resource: Craft Lessons by Ralph Fletcher

Revising Word Choice and Voice

Resource: Craft Lessons by Ralph Fletcher

Revising

Voice Organization

Effectively Using Dialogue

Organization Ending Stories

Resource: Reviser’s Toolbox by Barry Lane

Wee

k 6

Choosing a Story for Publication

Conventions Editing/Publishing

Resource: Marvelous Minilessons

by Lori Rog

Conventions Editing/Publishing

Reflections Celebration


4th



Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings Essential Questions TEKS Resources 15A, B,C, D, E

16A, 17A

18Ai- 18iii,

20Ai-viii,

20B,C

21A,B,C,

22A,C,D

ELPS

Genre Characteristics/Attributes

• Writers often write about a seemingly small episode-

yet it has big meaning for the writer.

• Writers often tell the story in such a way that the

reader can almost experience it from start to finish.

The story is written step-by-step.

• Writers often convey strong feelings, and they often

show rather than tell about the feelings.

• Writers often include two and sometimes three small,

connected moments so that there is a sense that the

stories have a beginning, middle, and end.

• In telling the story step-by step, writers use a

timeline that includes a beginning, middle, and an

end.

• Have many characteristics of fiction, including

setting, problem, characters, and solution.

• Is usually written in first person.

Craft

• Narratives are focused and with the right amount of

detail

• Words create a vivid picture for the reader

• Uses dialogue with the intention of adding meaning

Writing Process Writers:

• generate personal writing topics

• approach writing with a topic, a plan to use a craft

technique, or an intention to write in a particular way

• may write multiple rough drafts

• reread writing often to revise and edit their writing

• publish their writing using a variety of formats and

media

1. How will I choose a topic that is

important to me and interesting for the

reader?

2. What can I read that is like what I want

to write?

3. How will I use mentor texts to guide my

writing?

4. How will rehearsing my story through

storytelling help me as a writer?

5. How will I know where to begin my

story?

6. What kinds of words and images will I

choose that will help readers?

7. How will I choose the best leads and

endings for my writing?

8. How will I add voice to my writing?

9. How will I “paint a picture” for the

reader with my words?

10. How will I organize my writing?

11. What will I learn from reading and

talking about my writing with others?

1C, 1E, 3E, 5F,

5D, 4F, 5G

Professional Books

Raising the Quality of Narrative Writing Grades

3-5 by Lucy Calkins and Ted Kesler

Craft Lessons by Fletcher and Portalupi

Reviser’s Toolbox by Barry Lane

Crunchtime by Gretchen Bernabei

Marvelous Minilessons by Lori Rog


4th



Personal narrative is telling the big and small stories of our lives. At the beginning of the study, the children spend the first part of writing workshop reading, talking, noticing,

and then sharing their observations about Personal Narrative Writing. Personal narrative is typically the easiest, most natural form of writing for children because the stories are

already complete inside of them, enabling the words to flow more easily onto the paper. This allows the teacher more opportunity to help students refine their writing because they

better understand the heart of the piece. As responsive teachers, we can capitalize on what children are already doing independently to help them grow as writers.

Even if students have been writing personal narratives or personal stories, from the introduction of writing workshop, studying personal narrative as a genre study will help them

better understand the true characteristics of personal narrative writing and to develop their stories with rich detail about the characters, events, setting, etc.

• Gather and study published personal narratives to become familiar with this type of writing.

• Collect books to read in the personal narrative unit of study that are models for what will be taught.

• Read aloud and have conversations with students about: o Responses as readers o Ideas around why this narrative is important to the writer o Elements of personal narratives o Where and how personal narrative writers get ideas o The purpose(s) of personal narrative writing

• The teacher decides on the mentor texts, asking: o Is this text an example of the kind of writing students will do? o Does this text help students envision possibilities to emulate in their own writing? o Is this text a good example of what I’m teaching into? o The topic is one the kids can relate to and will spark ideas for their own writing. o The text is well written and provides many opportunities to teach the qualities of good writing. o Can this text be read in one read aloud?

Take your time reading each story, noticing and embracing your reactions to the text. What strikes you while you are reading? What questions do you have? Do you notice

stories, paragraphs, sentences, or words that illustrate important aspects of writing? Are there word combinations that delight your senses? How did the author do that? What

elements make this story personal narrative? In doing this, you are preparing to share these books from a writer’s point of view.

From exemplary texts, you can teach children how to:

• Generate memories and areas of focus

• Structure the content

• Play with time

• Write with detail, image, and voice

• Write fantastic beginnings and endings

• Revise and edit

It will be important to think about raising the quality of students’ writing as they have probably already produced personal narrative in the introduction to writing workshop. We

teach children strategies for generating narratives that have more emotional weight, creating more powerful stories and for children to look closely at ways writers create texts that

matter. “What has this writer done that has affected me?”

It is essential for children to develop the ability to read and name their understandings of or characteristics of the genre they wish to write.

We will ask children to repeat what they have done before (write personal narrative) only do it better.

Lessons for this unit of study are adapted from: Raising the Quality of Narrative Writing Grades 3-5 by Lucy Calkins and Ted Kesler; Craft Lessons by Fletcher

and Portalupi; Reviser’s Toolbox by Barry Lane; Crunchtime by Gretchen Bernabei; and Marvelous Minilessons by Lori Rog


4th



FRAMEWORK FOR WRITING WORKSHOP TIME TO TEACH

Mini-Lesson

10 to 15 minutes

Ongoing demonstrations are necessary to ensure that students have ideas for writing, expectations for quality, and an understanding of the elements of poetry so

they apply them to their own work, and the knowledge and confidence to write independently.

Demonstrations/modeling may involve one or more of the following, or any combination of these, depending on your purposes:

Students are gathered up close and on the floor. The way we start the workshop should set the tone for the rest of that block of time.

• New focus lesson on one aspect of poetry

• Teacher thinking aloud and writing in front of students, modeling what the students are expected to do

• Reviewing a previous lesson from the previous day or days before

• Sharing a piece of children’s writing that supports the lesson or work we’ve been doing in genre share

• Reading and discussing a poem an its characteristics

• Reviewing workshop routines or ways to use materials

TIME TO PRACTICE

Work & Practice Time 30 to 40 minutes

• Independent writing: time for children to think, write, and talk about their writing either with classmates or with the teacher in individual conferences or

guided writing groups

TIME TO SHARE

Sharing and Celebrating 5 to 10 minutes

• At the end of the workshop, children gather to share their work. Typically, children who share are the ones the teacher has had individual conferences with

that particular day. These children share their poetry teaching points and teach the class what they learned.

• Students may share completed work with peers.

Independent Work: Explain to students that when it’s time for independent writing, the first thing they should do is reread a little bit of what you already wrote the day

before. Then you have two choices. You can keep writing on the same piece or you can start a new piece. If you want to continue with the same pieces, just write the date in the

margins. Model this on chart paper. Have a poster ready to remind students what they need to do.

Conferencing: Affirming Writers’ Efforts • Circulate the room, stopping to briefly talk with students. The following are typical comments:

• Why did you choose this topic? Tell me the story. What is the important part you want to focus on?

• Capture and celebrate the writing “gems.” Listen and look for writings “gems” – those words or phrases that are especially powerful. When a child says or writes one,

may stop and draw everyone’s attention to what the writer has done well. This should continue every day.

Assessment: What students/teacher will complete as documentation of growth • What We Know About Writing (genre) chart (pre-and post study)

• Student work samples from beginning, middle, and end of study with anecdotal notes

• Rough and final draft work

• Reflection

• End of unit rubric

Writing Workshop Structure During Immersion (Framework is ONLY for Immersion)

25 minutes for reading aloud

the mentor texts and discussion Read mentor texts to the class. Stop periodically to share thoughts, observations, or inquiries about text.

15 minutes independent or small group work Optional activities can be done a the meeting area or students’ desks

10 minutes for a share Share work that was done or ideas that were discussed


4th



Suggestions for Mentor Text

Read texts that highlight a range of significant topic possibilities.

After reading several suggested texts, solicit from the students what significant events in the author’s life might have inspired the story. Collect a variety of topics.

• Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen

• Woman Hollering Creek (“Eleven”) by Sandra Cisneros

• Shortcut by Donald Crews

• Fireflies by Elizabeth Partridge

• Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street by Roni Schotter

• Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco-interesting lead, word choice,

dialogue, endings, character change

• The House on Mango Street “Our Good Day” by Sandra Cisneros-

clear character descriptions, strong lead that students can relate to

• The House on Mango Street “Louie, His Cousin & His Other

Cousin”-Descriptions, figurative language, powerful ending

• When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant

• Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold-Figurative language, personal dreams

and fantasies

• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen-Figurative language, well developed mood

• Crow Call by Lois Lowry

• Saturdays and Teacakes by Lester Laminack

• Letter to the Lake by Susan Swanson

• Read texts to highlight how authors build anticipation and/or tension.

■ Following a read aloud, work together to identify where tension

and/or anticipation begins building. Possible texts: Shortcut by

Donald Crews

• Read texts to identify how an author slows down significant events

and speeds up less significant events.

■ Teacher reads familiar texts as students listen for places where

the authors change pacing in a story. Possible text: Alexander

and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. by Judith

Viorst

• Read texts to illustrate how authors develop and/or change main

characters throughout the narrative. Dancing in the Wings by Debbie

Allen, My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother by Patricia Polacco.


4th



WEEK ONE: IMMERSION Students should read and hear narratives before learning to write them. This week is meant to immerse students in reading and thinking about the

key features of personal narrative writing. Students will begin to notice how authors select significant ideas to write about, follow a particular structure when crafting their story

and use a variety of strategies to elaborate. It is also important for the class to remain immersed in model texts throughout the study, to revisit the concepts again and again with

added insights and new experiences, and then to pull in even closer the texts as they compose their own writing. Even though the study begins with reading and discussion about

the features of personal narrative writing, students should continue reading on their own and choose at least one text as a mentor or model to refer to throughout the composing

process. “I want to write like…”


Reading With a Writer’s Eye- Books that fit the genre can also be read during Reading Workshop or Read Aloud and looked at through the eyes of a writer as well as a reader.

Mini-Lesson

Introduce new genre When we teach writing, we need to immerse students in the sorts of texts we hope they will write. We launch this unit by inviting children to read several mentor texts, noticing

not only the content but also the craft of those texts, learning what authors have done. A “mentor piece” is a short text or portion of a text used as a support for the work we are

trying to accomplish in the workshop. Most of these pieces are read aloud or shared using a projector.

1. Create excitement for the unit by showcasing the books in a prominent place. Invite students to explore the books with you. Pick them up and pass them around.

Encourage students to preview the books by looking at the covers, flipping slowly through the inside pages, and thinking about familiar authors. Welcome students’

comments and questions.

2. After previewing the books with students, begin a conversation to define “personal narrative.” Explain: a narrative is a story, so personal narrative is about writing a

personal story-one from your own life. We will all become very familiar with these books as we explore them to discover what makes personal narrative a special kind of

writing. We will also look closely at the writing in these books to notice how the authors carefully crafted words to share their important stories with their readers. What is

Personal Narrative? What does it look and sound like? Anchor chart: “Features of Personal Narrative Writing”

Independent Work 3. Encourage students to gather in small groups to study one of the mentor texts more closely. They can use sticky notes to mark text or illustrations that give them more ideas

about where the personal stories come from.

Share 4. Allow them to come together again as a class to discuss their sticky notes and decide which, if any, items should be added to the anchor chart.

Have students record their thoughts about personal narrative. They can look at this chart later in the unit to see if their thoughts have changed.

My Thoughts About Personal Narratives

What I Learned About Personal Narrative Writing What I liked About the Personal Narratives We Read What I Want to Try in My Own Story


4th



WEEK ONE (continued)

Immersion-Doing the work of writers-What does personal narrative look like?

Mini-Lesson 1. Teacher models with the piece ‘Eleven’ By Sandra Cisneros from Woman Hollering Creek (attached). A section of this text resembles what we will write in

this unit of study, so that’s why I’m choosing it as a mentor text. Demonstrate that you move from reading and experiencing to reading and noticing or

bringing out pointers about good writing. Continue scanning the story and modeling your thinking. Name what you have demonstrated; tell students you

expect them to be able to do the same.

• Reread the story as thoughtfully as I could

• Asked, “What are the main things this author has done that I need to keep in mind if I’m going to write like this?”

• I’m trying to understand how her text mainly goes.

2. As the teacher continues to read, students experience the text, making a movie in their mind. Then she rereads, and this time they think about it as a writer,

trying to notice the ways the author has written that allows them to experience her story. Think, What are the main things she’s done with her writing that I

could do? Continue reading, stopping for students to report/share out their findings/thinking adding their observations to the list.

Add student observations/findings to the class chart-“What

are the main things this author has done that I could do? Need

to keep in mind if I’m going to write this?”

Features of Personal Narrative Writings

• Writers often write about a seemingly small episode-yet

it has big meaning for the writer.

• Writers often tell the story in such a way that the reader

can almost experience it from start to finish. It helps to

record the exact words a character uses. (dialogue)

• Writers often convey strong feelings, and they often

show rather than tell about those feelings.

• Writers often include two and sometimes three small,

connected moments so that there is a sense that the

stories have a beginning, middle, and end.


4th



WEEK TWO: GENERATING IDEAS Repeat or use these lessons as needed for students to be able to generate their own ideas/stories to write about. Mentor texts are revisited and significant ideas in these texts are explored. Students will be expected to include the essential story elements identified during the previous week. Students will collect and begin writing in their writer’s notebooks “seed” stories that they can go back to and develop throughout the unit of study. Students generate as many entries in their writer’s notebook as possible, including lists, sketches, and bits of remembered dialogue, events, episodes, and images

Idea Development-Generating Ideas (Adapted from Crunchtime – Selecting a Topic)

Mini-Lesson 1. To show students how to pick a totally one-of-a-kind experience to write about, discuss the

following levels with the class:

Level 1 experiences are: (ex. what you got for Christmas, a birthday party, playing at a friend’s house etc.) 1) everyday things that happen just about the same way to everybody 2) the kind of thing you’d tell anybody about. 3) probably a lot more interesting to you than to anybody else. 4) boring to read because they are too predictable – we’ve been there/done that/know it

already.

Example of level 1 paper: It was Christmas morning and we are about to open our presents…then we start opening our

presents…Then we to go to my mom’s hose….etc.

Level 2 experiences are: 1) more personal-although these things happen to other people, too, they happen differently

for everyone. 2) the kind of thing you’d probably tell only your group of friends about.. 3) interesting for other people to hear about – they want to find out what happened. 4) more interesting to read because they are not predictable.

Level 3 experiences are: 1) very personal 2) the kind of thing you might write about in a journal or talk about only to your best friend. 3) something you normally tell someone only because you’re unhappy and want some

support. 4) extremely interesting to read because it takes courage and honesty to write them..

Example of a higher level paper: As tears swam down my face, Amazing Grace was playing in my head. I watched in agony as

my baby calf, Coffee, was lowered into the ground. My brother stood beside me with his hand on my shoulder telling me to be strong…

Level 4 experiences are: …things that happen in your life that you probably never talk about, don’t want to think about, and will possibly never write a word about in your life.

2. Chart and discuss these questions for students to consider.

• Did you choose an experience that you were a part of, that you saw with your own eyes and heard with your own ears?

• Can you see this experience in your mind well enough to write about it? You won’t need every little insignificant detail. You will want to examine the “frozen pictures” that you always see when you think about what happened.

• Is this an experience where you might share some things you could have said/ would have said/should have said but didn’t at the time?

Independent Work 3. Challenge students to brainstorm a list of their personal experiences that fit Levels 2 and 3.

Student will check with a partner to see if their topics are truly unique and then choose one to write about. Students continue drafting “seed” stories in their writing notebooks.

Share 4. Choose 2 or 3 students to share their ideas from their brainstorming session.

Idea Development-Generating Ideas (Adapted from Crunchtime – Selecting a Topic)

Mini-Lessons 1. We have been talking about where authors get their ideas (Week One) and yesterday we

brainstormed a list of personal experiences. Today we are going to try another strategy to help us think of ideas to write about. We’re going to think of moments from your life.

2. Ask students to title a sheet of paper Quicklist, then number their papers down the side, 1-12. Model on the board or with document camera.

3. For 1, 2, and 3, write down words or phrases that remind you of moments in your life when you were proud of someone.

4. For 4, 5, and 6, write down moments in your life when you had to struggle in some way. 5. For 7, 8, and 9, list the memories you would choose to keep if robots were erasing the rest

of your memory tomorrow. 6. For 10, write a memory involving an animal- someone’s pet, a wild animal, or any animal

memory. 7. For 11, write down a memory involving a gift you gave someone else. 8. For 12, write down a time someone put money into your hands, any money – a nickel, a

dollar, a check – any memory about money. 9. Now choose any three of these memories that you wouldn’t mind letting other people hear

about. Put a star by the one you’d choose to talk about first. Independent Work 10. Students choose three memories they want to talk about first. With partners, students take

turns telling their stories. Students continue writing their stories as “seed” ideas in their notebooks.

Share 11. Choose 3 or 4 students to share their top 3 topics. Ask students, Of all the millions of

moments you’ve experienced in your life, the one you put a star by bubbled up to the top. Why do you think that happened?

Extending the Lesson

• The teacher models her own Quicklist and chooses 2 or 3 topics to write about. Orally tell the story then begin writing (or show students previously written “seed” story) “seed” story that you can later expand.


4th



WEEK TWO (continued) Idea Development-Generating Ideas

Mini-Lesson Freewriting (also known as quickwriting) is a strategy that writers use to warm up, build

fluency, and generate ideas. Writers simply write nonstop for a certain time frame, without

worrying about spelling, conventions, sentence structure, or even clarity and craft.

1. Tell students that they will be doing a writing warm-up in this lesson that will help them get

their minds and writing fingers ready for writing. (Try starting with 2 or 3 minutes)

2. Today you will learn the easiest writing strategy you have ever tried-freewriting. You don’t

have to worry about spelling, or making sense… The only rule is you can’t NOT write!

You just write and write and write until you’re told to stop. Sometimes you’ll write

sentences, sometimes you’ll just write random words, and sometimes you might even write

‘I don’t know what to write’ until something else comes to your mind. Lots of professional

writers use this technique to help them warm up or bust that writers’ block, when you can’t

think of what to write. The amazing thing is that out of all this mess of words, most writers

can find a sparkling idea, a nugget of gold, buried deep in the mess of words that can loop

to another piece of writing.

3. The rules of freewriting are simple: Set a timer, write whatever comes to mind, don’t stop

moving your pencil, don’t think about what you are writing, and don’t get up until the time

is up. (Create an anchor chart with these rules.)

4. Before we give freewriting a try, I want you to reread one of the memoires you have

already written in your notebook. (Instead you may have students freewrite from their

topic list).

5. Select a line or word that resonates or calls your attention. Write that line or word on the

top of a new page. (Create and show students an example.) Use the sample below or create

one of your own. Point out that there are some complete sentences and some sentence

fragments. Sometimes you just used a word or group of words one idea just led to another.

Discuss how one idea led to another.

(Sample: Ice cream. Love it. Not every kind of ice cream. Mostly soft ice cream. Vanilla. Kind

of boring isn’t it? Some people say vanilla is dull like white bread there’s also gelato. Now

that’s a treat mmmmm a delicious cross between sorbet and ice cream. Creamy like ice cream

but tart flavors…)

Independent Work 6. Provide a topic or have students choose their own. Set the timer; monitor your students to

judge their stamina. You might give a 20 second warning to allow students to complete a

word or thought. Have students count the words they’ve written as an incentive to write

more the next time.

Share 7. Have students turn and talk about how and when they might use freewriting in their own

writing process. Encourage them to take a timer and use freewriting to bust writer’s block.


• Have students reread what they have written and highlight at least one word, phrase, or idea

that they think might be a nugget for future writing. They now use that nugget as the

starting point for another freewrite. This time, add another 30 seconds to the time limit to

extend their writing stamina.

Idea Development-Generating Ideas

Mini-Lesson 1. Selecting a story. Students should have several “seed” stories in their notebooks.

Discuss with students that they have gathered up so many good and special ideas that have

the potential to blossom into full-grown stories and how will they decide which one to

focus on? It could be as simple as just deciding they have more to say on the topic. They

will read through their Writers’ Notebooks, paying close attention to their inside feelings.

Refer back to mentor texts and discussion last week about why the authors may have

chosen to write their stories.

2. You have many memories collected in your Writers’ notebooks, and now it’s time to think

about which one of your stories you want to spend more time on. Today, you are going to

reread your Writers’ Notebooks, really listening to your thoughts as you read each entry.

Some stories will feel like they’re finished being written for now. But, if you listen

carefully, some will make you want to share more. You will want to tell the whole story.

Those are the ones you want to mark with a sticky note because those are the beginning

ideas where your personal narratives may come from.

3. Tell students that writers need to ask, “What am I really trying to say in this story?” and

then let that question guide us as we develop seed ideas into drafts. You need to decide

what you really want to say in your story. What is my story really about? Do I want to

focus on the plan ride to grandma’s or do I want to share how wonderful it felt to stand at

her sink and try on all her makeup.

4. Next, model how to choose a mentor text to model writing from.

Independent Work 5. Students spend time rereading the memories in their Writers’ Notebooks and use sticky

notes to mark the ones they want to develop. When they finish, they should share with a

partner the memory they chose and why they want to write about it. What is their mentor

text? Who do they want to write like?

6. Students rehearse their stories by storytelling, telling their stories aloud to a partner with the

partner asking questions about what they want to know more about.

Share 7. Writers share/read a small snippet of their seed story.

.


4th



WEEK THREE: Begin an anchor chart on the Qualities of Good Personal Narrative Writing. Add on to the chart throughout the unit of study. At the end of the writing workshop,

always reiterate the teaching point. Ideas, Organization This lesson focuses on supporting the writer in planning key details for each section of an organizer

(beginning, middle, and end).

Mini-Lesson 1. Students will be able to plan the beginning, middle, and end of their writing as well as generate key

details for each section. Review what students know about stories having a beginning, middle, and

end. Tell students that they will learn a simple organizer for planning the beginning, middle, and

end of a pieced of writing, using a trifold (a paper folded in three sections).

2. Use a piece of chart paper folded into three columns. Demonstrate how to fold a paper in thirds,

then how to use the trifold planner to prewrite the beginning, middle, and end of a personal narrative

story.

3. In the first column, write a sentence that summarizes the beginning of your story. Then, do the same

with the middle and end of your plan in the second and third columns. Talk about your plans as you

are composing them the planner. After talking about the “big picture,” discuss which key details

you will put in each column. Jot these down, along with any interesting or special words or phrases

you might include in your writing. Writing out these details in complete sentences now is optional.

4. Walk students step by step through the process of folding the paper and completing the planner.

• Choose a topic.

• Use the trifold planner to write one sentence each for the beginning, the middle, and the

end of your story.

• Turn and talk to a partner about your beginning, middle, and end. Have your partner ask you

questions about each part. This will help you plan the details you need in each section.

• Add at least three details to each section.

Independent Work 5. Students complete the planner then begin draft. When students have mastered using this planner,

introduce adding a one-inch horizontal fold to the top and bottom of the page. These will be used to

plan the opening and closing of the piece.

Share 6. Students share their planning/thinking for beginning drafts. Example of trifold

Janie and I snuck out of

Grandma’s house and went down

to the pond.

We poled the raft out to the

middle of the pond, but the raft

sank.

We sat in the treehouse all

afternoon waiting for our jeans to

dry.

• We were 10 and not allowed

to go rafting on the pond.

• We had to get past

Grandma’s watchful eye.

• The raft was an old

waterlogged door, and the

pole was a broom handle.

• The freezing water camp up

to our ankles then our knees.

• Be the time we go to the

middle….

• Our jeans were soaking wet.

• We couldn’t go in the house

this way.

• We hung our jeans in the

tree house to dry.

• We sat in the tree house

shivering and freezing.


Demonstrate how to turn the plan into a draft, showing students how to flesh out the details.

Organization This lesson focuses on students starting their stories close to the main focus.

Mini-Lesson 1. Picking a good beginning helps you to focus your story on just one main event. Refer

back to mentor texts. Shortcut by Donald Crews is a good example. Ask students

what the most important event or focus of the story is. Discuss where the story

begins.

2. Be prepared to orally tell a story of your own. (Example: I’m planning to write a

story about something that happened to me when I was in 4th grade. The most

important event/focus of the story is that I caught a fly ball during a softball game. It

was the third out in the last inning, and because I caught the ball, my team won (or

didn’t catch the ball…). Now I need to decide where my story should begin. I’m

going to ask you to help me with that part.

3. Begin to draw a timeline of your life and exaggerate where you could start your

story. My Birth-Joining the Softball Team-Waking Up the Day of the Game-The Big

Game. Let’s see. I’ll start my story when I was born and tell everything until I

caught the fly ball in fourth grade. Does that make sense? Maybe I should tell

everything about playing on the softball team. Would that make sense? No? Maybe

I should think like Donald Crews (or the author of the mentor text used) and start my

story close to the where the main even happens. Does that make sense?

4. Reinforce the idea that, when deciding where to begin telling a story, it is helpful to

first decide where in the story the main event takes place. The story should get to

that location as quickly as possible. If the story happens in the grocery store with

Dad, don’t begin with getting dressed to go (unless clothing plays an important part

in the story) or at the beach, don’t start the story with packing a suitcase and loading

the car for the trip.

5. The students can practice choosing where to begin a story with the following

exercise. If the story is about the roller coaster ride at Six Flags, where should the

story begin?

• The car ride to Six Flags

• The hotel where you stayed

• All the rides that were fun to go on

• Waiting in line for the roller coaster ride

6. Students turn and talk about where the story should begin. If a student can justify

their choice, accept their answer.

Independent Work 7. Students select a personal narrative they are working on or have finished. Ask them

to identify the main event and write down 3 places/time during that day that they

could begin their story. Ask them to read their 3 beginnings to a partner and select

the best place to start the story.

Share 8. Choose 2 or 3 students to share their thinking about where to begin their stories.


4th



WEEK THREE (continued)

Organization

Mini-Lesson 1. Tell students that stories usually follow one plan or format; they have a ‘way they usually go.’

We want an unfolding of interrelated events. We need to bring out the story structure that is

probably hiding underneath our personal narratives. Yesterday we learned how knowing

where to begin our stories helps us focus on just one main event.

2. Analyze aloud the story structure of a well-known story, (mentor text such as Shortcut by

Donald Crews is a good example). Show them the story arc in this story. Read the story

aloud, skipping irrelevant passages to keep it quick.

3. Point out the problems and the events around the problems. Talk about how the story events

are winding up toward a climax-the heart of the story. Graphically represent this with an arc

(vs. a flat line) with the climax at the top Call it a story mountain. Then the turning point

Retell the important events moving up the “mountain” or arc showing students how a good

story has a climax. This is how an author develops plot and builds anticipation and/or tension

in their piece.

4. Students will need to look at whether their story is still more like a timeline, with one event

leading to the next, each of equal size and importance. If that’s the case, they’ll want to be

sure to figure out what their story is really about and what they can do to show that. If you

haven’t built up the incline in your story, take the key section and stretch it out.

Independent Work 5. What is the climax or peak of your story? What events lead up to that moment? Turn and tell

your partner. Make sure the events that lead up to the climax really add tension to the piece.

(The teacher circulates and listens in to partners as well as guiding students. Remind students

they can start their stories close the trouble, or rising action.

Share 6. Students share their story arcs/ mountains.


• Retell the story of _______ (mentor text) pointing to the story mountain as you retell the

story. Is there a problem? A climax in the story? Then events leading to the resolution?

• Students work with a peer to select several ideas from topic lists that will result in interesting

story arcs. Students create story arcs for the stories practiced in oral rehearsal.

• Share mentor texts that contain big ideas. Students locate and articulate the big ideas in

several mentor texts, and find places in the text that provide evidence. Students read through

drafts to locate own big ideas.

• If students are still not writing on focused topics then use the following mini-lesson

(Resource lesson-“Focusing on a Slice of the Pie” Pg. 58 from Craft Lessons by Ralph

Fletcher.)


Word choice/Voice

Mini-Lesson 1. Good writers stretch out the important scenes in a story to make them more

interesting to their readers. In this lesson, students will learn to stretch out a

scene by adding things that they see, hear, think, and say to others.

2. Tell students that today they will be learning how to stretch out a scene in a

story to make it more interesting. Even unimportant events, such as eating a

hamburger, can be stretched out to make them more interesting. However, it is

important to stretch out the important events in a story to make them interesting

to the reader.

3. Put a “list” type story up for students to see. (Example: Trip to Disney World

One day last summer my mom told me we were going to Disney World. First

we packed our suitcases and ran to the car. Then we started the long drive

Florida……We went into the Magic Kingdom and rode on a big roller coaster.

Then we went to eat lunch. We went to Epcot and bought things from lots of

different countries. We ate supper…)

4. Have students decide which event was the most important or which was the

main event. (In this example, probably the roller coaster ride.)

5. Begin to cross off or combine less important or irrelevant events. Zoom in on

the most important event and have students stretch it out by brainstorming what

they would see, hear, think, and say to others to show their feelings on the

“Stretch It Out” chart.

6. Students take turns sharing out their elaborated main event.

7. Students can pair up and using a mentor text, look for the sensory details that

the author used. (Teacher may reread excerpts to the whole group, letting the

students use their “Stretch It Out” chart as they notice the sensory details the

author used). What did the main characters see, hear, think, or say to others.

Independent Work 8. Encourage students to find the main event in their draft to elaborate, using the

“Stretch It Out” chart. Students can also use the chart to plan their writing

before they begin a new draft.

Share 9. Choose 2 or 3 students to share a place they “stretched it out” using sensory

details.

Stretch It Out

Fill in the chart below imagining what you might see, hear, think, or say to others.

See Hear Think Say to Others


4th



WEEK FOUR: IDEA DEVELOPMENT Mentor texts are revisited as students carefully explore the story arc of narrative texts as well as other key features of the genre. Each lesson may be repeated over the course of several days with teacher modeling own writing, using examples from mentor text, or student writing. Focus on what will contribute to the meaning and place the reader next to the writer in the story. At the end of the writing workshop, always reiterate the teaching point.


Mini-Lesson Zooming in – Narrowing the focus ”Zooming In/Turning the Knob” (lessons from Reviser’s Toolbox by Barry Lane) 1. Read and display the two fourth-grade writing samples (below). Discuss what

makes the second piece of writing more interesting to read. Explain that with the second piece, the writer has chosen a place to “zoom” in and given us details about the details. Share with students that now that their writing is focused on a “seed” idea, their job as writers is to zoom in, by turning the knob (use binoculars or a camera as a prop) to add the more surprising details to their writing. As we “zoom in” our writing becomes clearer, more specific. We start big and move in.

My Trip to Disneyland I went to Disneyland with my brother, grandparents and cousins. We checked into our hotel and the next day we went on all the rides. They had a light parade, we watched it at night. My favorite ride was Star Tours. We also went on the Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansions. I liked Splash Mountain too. The next morning we went to Knots Berry Farm. We went swimming in a large pool. We went home the very next day.

My Memory I have a lot of memories but my favorite memory was my trip to Disney World. My whole family had blast. The rides, the shows and meeting all the characters was so fun. I liked Star Tours. You sit down and buckle your seat belt and watch a movie screen while the room spins. But my favorite ride was Splash Mountain. First I would wait in line full of excitement. Then I would get in a log with butterflies in my stomach and ride through the story. Soon I would go up the hill and all of a sudden I went whooshing down with the water splashing in my face and frogs jumping in my stomach. It was so much fun and that’s probably why I went on it five times! I loved that trip and it’s a memory I’ll never forget.

2. The second piece is more interesting because the writer zoomed in and elaborated on some of the rides. Elaborating means telling more; when we elaborate, we add details to make our writing more interesting and easy to understand. In today’s lesson, you are going to learn about elaboration in writing.

3. Revisit the two sample texts to discuss what techniques the writer has used to elaborate on his/her ideas, such as the following:

• Focused on only a few attractions rather than listing them all. • Described how the rides worked. • Included feelings and emotions. • Showed instead of told. • Used vivid verbs such as “whooshing” • Used figurative language such as “frogs jumping in my stomach.”

4. Remind students that good writers zoom in on important parts of their story and elaborate on details by providing descriptive details, describing feelings, and using powerful words.

Independent Work 5. Students reread their drafts and to revised by inserting one or more elaborative

details to an existing idea.

Share 6. Choose 2 or 3 students to share a place where they zoomed in and added details.

Idea Development-Details Voice, Word Choice

Mini-Lesson-Inside thoughts and feelings (thoughtshots) 1. Explain to students that when authors are writing personal narrative they make them more interesting

by including their inside thoughts and feelings. Today, you will think about some of the thoughts and feelings that you had about particular events and you will consider adding them to your piece. Specifically, I want to teach you that if I’m going write not only not only what happens but also my response to what happens, then much of the story will be the internal story, and not just the external one.

2. Refer back to example from mentor text (Eleven) text that illustrates an author’s feelings/thoughts. When I pause in the middle of a draft to read my writing, I sometimes say to myself ‘let me reread and pay attention to whether I’ve told the internal as well as the external story.’

3. And I sometimes study mentor texts, thinking,’ How has this author written the story of what she was thinking and feeling?’ I ask, ‘What has this author done that I could do also?’

4. Display copy of the red-sweater scene in Eleven. Watch me as I study what Cisneros had done, and try to see how that helps me. One thing I notice is that she seems to go back and forth between writing what happens and writing what she’s thinking. Give examples of the external-what happens and the internal thoughts. I move the red sweater to the corner of my desk with my ruler. I move my pencil and books and eraser as far away from it as possible. I even move my chair a little to the right. (external-what happens) Not mine, not mine, not mine. (internal thought) In my head I’m thinking how long till lunchtime, how long till I can take red sweater and throw it over the schoolyard fence, or leave it hanging on a parking meter, or bunch it up into a little ball and toss it in the alley. (internal) Except when math period ends Mrs. Price says loud and in front of everybody, “Now, Rachel…” (external)

5. Provide a brief scene from another mentor text and ask students to study the balance of external and internal writing. Read aloud the scene then ask students to turn and talk then share out the sequence of external events that happened in the story. Reread the scene, but this time they tell the internal events or feeling or thoughts that occur in the story. You can learn from what ____has done.

6. Remind student to reread and revise their drafts, bringing out the internal story, and to rely on mentor texts for support. Add to anchor chart qualities of Good Personal Narrative Writing.

Independent Work 7. Students find a place in their writing to zoom in to add thoughts and feelings. Add thoughts and

feelings to draft. 8. Teacher conferences with writers, scaffolding their thinking by questioning what they were thinking

and feeling. Choose students for sharing that tried the strategy in their own writing. Students having difficulty finding places to include the internal story should look for the most important parts of their pieces. Remind them they can always storytell the important bits of their story with the internal story added to try to strengthen their writing.

Share 9. Students tell (not read) their story to their writing partners. Make notes to the draft if they think of

more inner feelings while telling their story.

Extending the Lesson • Discuss with students how thoughtshots can be divided into different categories:

� Flashback: She remembered the day he came for the first time. He was a little boy then… � Flash-ahead: Her dad would have to go to Mexico. She would have to tell her brothers that

their grandfather had died. � Internal Monologue or Dialogue: There was no way she was getting on that ride. No way, no

how. � Pick a page in a mentor text. Find an interesting character and give him or her 3 extra

thoughts.


4th



WEEK FOUR (continued) Idea Development-Details

Word Choice/Voice

Mini-Lesson-Two days Show Don’t Tell

1. One way to use the binoculars is to zoom in on gestures and motions of your characters. Mannerisms give readers a

chance to see the characters and tell how they are feeling without overtly stating it. (Show Don’t Tell) For example,

instead of saying he was mad, you could say his face was red and his hands were clenched tight into fists. He stomped

into the house and slammed the door. (Lesson adapted from “What Are They Doing?” RTBL)

2. Using a mentor text, read excerpts that demonstrate the author showing not just telling. Chart the examples.

3. Choosing from a list of emotions, have partners pick an emotion and act it out without words. See if the class can guess

the emotion, then use words to describe the emotion.

4. Model using this strategy in your own writing piece.

Independent Work

5. In their own writing, students look for a place where they can do the same for a character, writing like the authors in the

mentor texts.

Share

6. Students share a place where they tried “Show Don’t Tell” in their writing.

7. Add to the anchor chart on Narrative Writing


(Adapted from Crunchtime)

• This is a different way of saying “Show Don’t Tell.” Students are asked to take one sentence, think BA-and add where

they were, think DA-and tell what they saw, thing BING and write what they were thinking. Revising one sentence at a

time is not so overwhelming to students, and this effective tool adds voice and style naturally.

• One way to introduce this is to walk into the classroom wearing something unusual. Ask students to jot down their

immediate thoughts. Pass around the item you were wearing and have students give one word to describe it; students

may use any of the five senses, and words cannot be repeated.

• Draw three large boxes, creating the chart below.

Ba-

Where You Were

Da-

What You Saw

Bing-

What You Thought

• Describe Ba-da-bing sentences. Ask small groups or partners to write a sentence describing your entrance that includes

information from each of the three boxes. Share and discuss student group sentences.

• May try this by replacing the last box (Bing) with Bang-what you or someone else said or Boom-what physical

sensation you had (for example, blushed, butterflies in stomach, sweating).

Organization

Mini-Lesson 1. We want students to use paragraphing as a drafting tool, not

just an editing tool.

2. Discuss with students that if we really want readers to take in

our writing, we need to chunk our writing into paragraphs.

Paragraphs gives pauses in which to envision what we’ve

said, allowing them to take in one thing we’ve said before the

thing happens. Writers break up the text into paragraphs that

connect around a central idea. Explain the five Ps of

paragraphing.

3. General guidelines:

• Person speaking: every time a new character speaks.

• Point in time: Phrases like “later that night” or “the next

day” are signals.

• Place: If the action moves from one location to another,

it’s a good time change paragraphs.

• Plot Direction: Often a change in the action signals a

new paragraph.

• Point of View: If the narrative has been focusing on one

character and shifts to another, change the paragraph.

4. Add to an anchor chart titled, “Narrative Writing.”

5. Model-Have students watch while you reread your own story

(one you’ve used before in this unit) or “Sleepover”

(Resource) and divide it into paragraphs. Think aloud your

reasons for paragraphing where you did.

6. Show students how to mark their own drafts where

paragraphs should go.

7. When you write think about making new paragraphs each

time you shift from one main idea to another. This not only

helps the reader, but helps you organize your ideas.

Independent Work 8. Students reread what they have written to make sure they

have made good decisions about where to put paragraphs.

Share 9. Students share their thinking about their reasons for adding

paragraphs to their writing.


4th



WEEK FIVE: At the end of writing workshop, always reiterate the teaching point.

Organization and Sentence Fluency

Studying and Creating Leads

Mini-Lesson 1. By studying the leads in mentor texts, students can

learn new techniques. Demonstrate a process

children can go through as they study the

craftsmanship in another author’s lead. Highlight

the author’s technique by contrasting it with what

the author could have done.

2. Help students describe, name what the author did

exactly. Did they summarize the whole story? Did

they give us information that makes us wonder

what is going to happen? Is it a “give-away” lead

that gives away the ending of the story? (These are

just a few examples.)

3. Chart examples of favorite leads.

4. With partners, have students study leads in other

mentor texts and name what that author has done.

Independent Work 5. Remind students that if they want to write really

powerful leads, it helps to study the leads of

writers we admire. Think about which kind of lead

would work best for the story you are writing. You

may want to try a lead we explored today.

Share 6. Share the process by which a student has crafted a

stronger lead than the one they had before.


• Model revising the lead in your own writing.

Revision-“So What?” details

Mini-Lesson 1. Students will learn that adding details to a piece of writing doesn’t make it

better if the details are “So What?” details. Details and elaboration should

be related to the main idea and should move the story along in an

interesting manner. 2. Sometimes when we’re talking with friends, people say, “So what?” to

show that something that was said was totally unimportant. For example,

if I said that I was going to the store to buy you a birthday present, and

then described in great detail what I was going to wear to the store, you

might want to say, ‘so what?’

You wouldn’t really care about what I was wearing because it has

nothing to do with the birthday present.

3. Remind students that when we write, we sometimes put in descriptive

details, but they have no real purpose and don’t move the story along. We

can call those “So what?” details.

4. Display a short personal piece or a piece of student writing that contains

details that don’t add to the story. Read aloud then have students think for

a moment what this story is mainly about. What is the focus?

5. Let’s look at the story and notice the details that the writer included.

Continue to explain/point out the details that aren’t needed, that are “So

What?” details and have nothing to do with the main idea or focus of the

story.

6. Have students/partner talk about examples they notice in the rest of the

story that could be called “So What?” details. Share examples.

7. Point out now the relevant details that are related to the main idea and

move the story along.

8. Have students reread the story and identify several details that are relevant

to the main idea/focus, those that are NOT “So What?” details. Have

them share their ideas with a partner and explain why they aren’t “So

What?” details.

9. Using a piece/excerpt of mentor text, identify how all the details used help

move the story along\ by adding details to the character, the setting or the

scene.

Independent Work 10. Students identify one place in their drafts where the details are “So

What?” details that don’t support the main idea. Then have them find one

place where the details are relevant and support the main idea.

11. Revise their drafts by deleting any “So What?” details and adding relevant

details.

Share 12. Choose students to share that deleted “So What?” details and added

relevant ones.


4th



WEEK FIVE (continued)

Voice

Organization

Mini-Lesson 1. Dialogue is one strategy that can be used to revise writing in order to make it more meaningful to the

reader. Explain that today the students will explore the ways that they might use dialogue to add

meaning to their own stories.

2. Discuss how dialogue is an element of personal narrative. Authors use dialogue to better understand the

characters and reveal their personalities.

3. Using mentor texts, share an excerpt from the book. Think aloud about how the conversation helped

the reader understand the characters better.

4. Read another excerpt and have students turn and talk to a partner about what is revealed about the

character and what it tells us about their personalities and relationship.

5. Students read through their story and jot down any ideas they have about dialogue and their characters.

Share with writing partner ideas about dialogue.

Independent Work 6. Ask students to think about how they might use dialogue in their story to help readers learn more about

the character. Ask them to try to insert a few well-chosen lines of dialogue into their writing to make it

more meaningful for the reader. What are some things that your characters might say in a conversation

with other?

Conference questions;

• How can you use this dialogue to show the reader what you’d like to tell them?

• Are these words that you think the character would use in real life?

Share 7. Students share dialogue they have created for their characters.

At the end of the writing workshop, always reiterate the teaching point.

Extending the Lesson If students need more time:

• Students look through the personal narrative mentor texts and identify places in which dialogue adds to

the development of the characters. Put a post-it note on that page and be prepared to share/talk about it.

• Use own writing from previous lessons and add dialogue.

• Use a piece of student writing and together decide where and how to add dialogue.

Organization

Mini-Lesson-Ending Stories

1. Remind students that they’ve learned to consider personal

narratives as stories. Tell students you will teach them how to

write the resolution to their stories.

2. Using mentor texts, share several narrative endings that

highlight different ways authors bring closure. As you look at

the different ways authors choose to end their stories, record

what students notice. Does the ending stay focused on what is

important in the story?

3. Discuss the way we choose to end our stories is as important

as how we begin our stories. We need to end on a point that

will keep our stories in focus. The end is the last point that

our readers will remember.

4. Ask yourselves how this ending connects back to what’s

important in the story.

5. Model using your own story (can be the same story you have

modeled with before in the unit) different endings. Students

help choose the best ending.

Independent Work 6. Students read over their work, try at least 2 different endings.

7. During conferencing, ask students how/if the ending connects

to what is most important in the story.

Share 8. Ask students to share drafts with their partners, who will read

over the draft checking for sense and clarity. If there are

places they are confused, leave a sticky note, explain the

confusion, and may suggest a way to clarify. (Not looking at

spelling etc.)


• May also choose from Reviser’s Toolbox Resource lessons

( “Endings Grow from Beginnings” Pg. 35, “Types of

Endings” Pg. 39)


4th



WEEK SIX Mini-Lesson 1. Students select a narrative they want to

publish.

2. Teacher models how to think about what

a narrative should include based on the

teaching in this unit.

3. Teachers uses a think aloud strategy to

show how he/she would use a rubric or

checklist to discover places where his/her

story is week or needs further

development. (Refer back to anchor chart

created at beginning of unit on the

Qualities of Personal Narrative Writing.)

Independent Work 4. Students work alone then with partners

using the rubric/ checklist to decide if

they have included all the elements of a

narrative in their piece.

Share 5. Students share their thinking about their

writing piece. Based on the

rubric/checklist, what areas they need to

work on/revise.

Conventions-Editing

Mini-Lesson 1. Explain how authors prepare their work

for publishing by editing their writing to

make it as polished and clear as possible.

Today they will edit their own writing.

2. Talk about how writing can feel

unfriendly to read and difficult to

understand if there are capitalization,

word usage, punctuation, and spelling

errors. It makes sense that when we are

publishing our work, we want our

writing to be understood.

3. Model a routine for students to follow.

• Use a special editing pen. Read

each sentence twice: First read:

Check the beginning capital and

ending punctuation, replace, or

take out any words that aren’t

right.

• Second read: Use your pen to tap

each word as you read it. Correct

the spelling of any words you

know. Circle words you’re not

sure of so you can look them up

later.

Independent Work 1. Reiterate that authors edit their writing to

prepare it for publishing and that during

writing time today they will continue to

edit there piece.

Share 2. Invite a few students to share how they

used the checklist and the editing

changes they made.

Conventions-Editing/Publishing

Mini-Lesson 1. Refer back to the editing checklist from

the day before where students checked

their own spelling. Today they will work

with another writer to proofread and edit

each other’s writing for spelling

mistakes.

2. After proofreading and editing their own

writing for misspelled words, most

authors ask someone they know to help

them double-check their writing because

someone reading a story with “new eyes”

will often notice misspelled words more

easily than the author.

3. Use a piece of student writing or your

own work that needs editing. Model how

students will help each other with

proofreading and editing misspelled

words. Explain how you already edited

it for misspelled words but, now need

“new eyes” to help find anything you

missed. Read and think aloud along with

the students. When they notice a

misspelled word, put a small circle

around it.

Independent Work 4. Partners read each other’s writing, using

a colored pencil to put a small circle

around any misspelled words they notice

while reading. When they are finished,

they talk with their partner about the

misspelled words they found. Writers use

the strategies they know to correct any

misspelled words.

Share 5. Students can share how having another

writer proofread their work helped them.


• Students decide how they want to publish

their piece, either typing or rewriting.

They need to consider what paper to use,

whether or not to make it into a book

with pages and illustrations or a one page

piece. Will they decorate the paper or

mount it etc.?

Student Reflections on Writing Personal

Narrative

1. By reflecting, or thinking back, on how

their writing went while working on a

project, writers can make decisions and

set goals for what they want to

accomplish with their writing in the

future.

2. Explain that today; students/authors will

have a chance to think back on their

writing and journey as an author.

3. Model the act of reflection by looking

back through your writing, stopping to

read pieces of it here and there. Reveal

your process of self-reflection by

modeling reading, thinking, and writing

aloud as you reflect on your growth as a

writer. (Example: I notice that most of

my sentences used to be short and

choppy, but here, toward the end of my

notebook, my sentences are longer and

more interesting.)

Independent Work 4. Ask students to look back through their

writing during this unit and

reflect/answer the following questions:

• How have I changed as a writer?

• What do I want to work on to make

my writing better? (This is your

goal.)

• What do I like about my writing?

• What do I need to help me work

toward my goal?

Share 5. As partners finish their reflections, they

share them with each other.


4th



WEEK SIX (continued)

Celebration

Think about different ways your class can celebrate. Consider:

1. Invite guests-parents, siblings, former teachers etc. so that each child has someone there for them.

2. Prepare four children to read their writing or an excerpt from their writing to the whole group.

3. Pre-assign each child to one of four groups. Prepare the rest of the children to read their writing or an excerpt from their writing to their small group.

4. Set up room to allow for all present to hear first four children and then divide into four groups.

5. Prepare refreshments and baskets of note cards, enough for 3-4 per child, and set up in prominent places around the room.

After a few students read aloud to the whole community, students and guests move to a corner of the room and the students can read/share their stories with the

group.

After the reading, provide everyone with snacks. Ask parents and children to circulate, writing notes to the readers. They can respond to writing they already

heard and also read more children’s writing during this time. (Students keep their writing with them and guests/classmates can ask to read their pieces.)

Be sure to write a note to each child telling him/her what you have noticed that he or she can do uniquely well.

Other considerations:

1. Students could travel in small groups to other (assigned) classrooms reading their stories.

2. Authors’ Tea-students create programs, invite guests, everyone takes turns reading, and then refreshments are served. This can become quite lengthy, so

it is better to do ½ of the students one day and ½ another day.

3. Students could be seated around the room or in the library and the guests gather at individual student stations to hear their stories, and then move on to

another student.


4th



Rubric for Fourth Grade Personal Narrative Unit of Study: Teacher Assessment of Student Performance Score

Generating Ideas

• Generates personal writing topics • Understands what mentor texts are and how to use them as a writer • Writer approaches writing with a topic, a plan to use a craft technique, or an intention to write in a particular way

Selecting Ideas

• Demonstrates the ability to select a topic from several choices and develop this idea further

Qualities of Good Writing

Idea Development-Details-Word Choice-Voice

• Narratives are focused and with the right amount of detail • Writer chose unusual details-things not everyone knows • Writer knew where to “zoom” in and extend the small moment or focus of the story • Writer’s words “show” and create a vivid picture for the reader. • Demonstrates the ability to look “inside” for more information about their thoughts and feeling-enhances their voice in writing by revealing inner feelings • Demonstrates the ability to use their senses to add dimension and interest to a story • Experiments with putting words together in interesting ways to make writing more descriptive • Uses dialogue with the intention of adding meaning to writing

Organization

• Demonstrates awareness that most stories have a beginning, middle, and end • Demonstrates understanding of using paragraphs to organize writing

Mechanics

• Uses end punctuation and correctly spells high-frequency words • Proofreads and edits text • Proofreads and edits spelling with a peer editor

Evaluation

• Demonstrates the ability to self-reflect on writing growth and to set a new writing goal

4 Advanced

3 Proficient 2 Basic 1 Below Basic

Standard Consistently meets and often exceeds.

Regularly meets. Beginning to meet. Working below level.

Errors Rare to none Limited Many N/A

Teacher Support

Rarely needs support to meet standard.

Occasionally needs support. Demonstrates proficiency.

Frequently needs support. Needs strong instructional support.


Eleven By Sandra Cisneros

What they don’t understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you’re eleven,

you’re also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one. And

when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven, but you don’t. You open your eyes and

everything’s just like yesterday, only it’s today. And you don’t feel eleven at all. You feel like you’re still ten.

And you are – underneath the year that makes you eleven.

Like some days you might say something stupid, and that’ the part of you that’s still ten. Or maybe some

days you might need to sit on your mama’s lap because you’re scared, and that’s the part of you that’s five. And

maybe one day when you’re all grown up maybe you will need to cry like if you’re three, and that’s okay.

That’s what I tell Mama when she’s sad and needs to cry. Maybe she’s feeling three.

Because the way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk or like my

little wooden dolls that fit one inside the other, each year inside the next one. That’s how being eleven years old

is.

You don’t feel eleven. Not right away. It takes a few days, weeks, even, sometimes even months before

you say Eleven when they ask you. And you don’t feel smart eleven, not until you’re almost twelve. That’s the

way it is.

Only today I wish I didn’t have only eleven years rattling inside me like pennies in a tin Band-Aid box.

Today I wish I was one hundred and two instead of eleven because if I was one hundred and two I’d have

known what to say when Mrs. Price put the red sweater on my desk. I would’ve known how to tell her it wasn’t

mine instead of just sitting there with that look on my face and nothing coming out of my mouth.

“Whose is this?” Mrs. Price says, and she holds the red sweater up in the air for all the class to see.

“Whose? It’s been sitting in the coatroom for a month.”

“Not mine,” says everybody. “Not me.”

“It has to belong to somebody,” Mrs. Price keeps saying, but nobody can remember. It’s an ugly sweater

with red plastic buttons and a collar and sleeves all stretched out like you could use it for a jump rope. It’s

maybe a thousand years old and even if it belonged to me I wouldn’t say so.

Maybe because I’m skinny, maybe because she doesn’t like me, that stupid Sylvia Saldivar says, “I

think it belongs to Rachel.” An ugly sweater like that, all raggedy and old, but Mrs. Price believes her. Mrs.

Price takes the sweater and puts it right on my desk, but when I open my mouth nothing comes out.

“That’s not, I don’t, you’re not…Not mine,” I finally say in a little voice that was maybe me when I was

four.

“Of course it’s yours,” Mrs. Price says, “I remember you wearing it once.” Because she’s older and the

teacher, she’s right and I’m not.

Not mine, not mine, not mine, but Mrs. Price is already turning to page thirty-two, and math problem

number four. I don’t know why but all of a sudden I’m feeling sick inside, like the part of me that’s three wants

to come out of my eyes, only I squeeze them shut tight and bite down on my teeth real hard and try to remember

today I am eleven, eleven. Mama is making a cake for me for tonight, and when Papa comes home everybody

will sing Happy birthday, happy birthday to you.

But when the sick feeling goes away and I open my eyes, the red sweater’s still sitting there like a big

red mountain. I move the red sweater to the corner of my desk with my ruler. I move my pencil and books and

eraser as far from it as possible. I even move my chair a little to the right. Not mine, not mine, not mine.

In my head I’m thinking how long till lunchtime, how long till I can take the red sweater and throw it

over the schoolyard fence, or leave it hanging on a parking meter, or bunch it up into a little ball and toss it in

the alley. Except when math period ends Mrs. Price says loud and in front of everybody, “Now, Rachel, that’s

enough,” because she sees I’ve shoved the red sweater to the tippy-tip corner of my desk and it’s hanging all

over the edge like a waterfall, but I don’t care.

“Rachel,” Mrs. Price says. She says it like she’s getting mad. “You put that sweater on right now and no

more nonsense.”

“But it’s not – “


“Now!” Mrs. Price says.

This is when I wish I wasn’t eleven, because all the years inside of me – ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,

four, three, two, and one – are pushing at the back of my eyes when I put one arm through one sleeve of the

sweater that smells like cottage cheese, and then the other arm through the other and stand there with my arms

apart like if the sweater hurts me and it does, all itchy and full of germs that aren’t mine.

That’s when everything I’ve been holding in since this morning, since when Mrs. Price put the sweater

on my desk, finally lets go, and all of a sudden I’m crying in front of everybody. I wish I was invisible but I’m

not. I’m eleven and it’s my birthday today and I’m crying like I’m three in front of everybody. I put my head

down on the desk and bury my face in my stupid clown-sweater arms. My face all hot and spit coming out of

my mouth because I can’t stop the little animal noises from coming out of me, until there aren’t any more tears

left in my eyes, and it’s just my body shaking like when you have the hiccups, and my whole head hurts like

when you drink milk too fast.

But the worst part is right before the bell rings for lunch. That stupid Phyllis Lopez, who is even dumber

than Sylvia Saldivar, says she remembers the red sweater is hers! I take it off right away and give it to her, only

Mrs. Price pretends like everything’s okay.

Today I’m eleven. There’s a cake Mama’s making for tonight, and when Papa comes home from work

we’ll eat it. There’ll be candles and presents and everybody will sing Happy birthday, happy birthday to you,

Rachel, only it’s too late.

I’m eleven today. I’m eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one, but I wish I was

one hundred and two. I wish I was anything but eleven, because I want today to be far away already, far away

like a runaway balloon, like a tiny o in the sky, so tiny-tiny you have to close your eyes to see it.

From Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros.


Sleepover Party (without paragraphs)

It was my birthday and mom said I could have a sleep over party with four friends. Mom asked

me a bunch of questions like what did I want for dinner, what movie should we rent, and what

kind of cake? The day before the party we went shopping for snacks. We bought Reese’s

Peanut Butter Cups, Twizzlers, and cheese puffs. Finally the day came. Trevor, Ryan, Alex, and

Luis came home after school. We played baseball in the backyard for hours, had pizza, and then

settled down to watch our movie. After a while we started looking for the Reese’s Peanut

Butter Cups. We looked everywhere but couldn’t find them until Luis noticed they were in the

bag on top of the heater. We all reached in to grab some. They were smooshy and melted, but

still good. Our hands were covered so we cleaned up in the bathroom. By the time we were

done, we had chocolate on everything. When the movie was over we turned off the light and

tried to sleep. Right away Ryan started telling jokes like he always does and we started

laughing like crazy. We couldn’t stop. Finally we did. It was 3:00 a.m. before we stopped

laughing. Then Mom yelled downstairs, “Wake up! Pancakes.” It felt like one minute had gone

by but it was nine o’clock in the morning. We went upstairs and sat around the table fighting

over who would get the next pancake. Mom kept cooking pancakes until we were stuffed. Ryan

started telling jokes again, but this time we were too full or too tired to laugh. We just said,

“Save it for later.” Pretty soon everyone’s parents came. When they were all gone, Mom asked

if I wanted more pancakes. I told her no and went back to bed.

Craft Lessons by Fletcher and Portalupi, page 143.


Sleepover Party (revised)

It was my birthday and mom said I could have a sleep over party with four friends. Mom asked

me a bunch of questions like what did I want for dinner, what movie should we rent, and what

kind of cake? The day before the party we went shopping for snacks. We bought Reese’s

Peanut Butter Cups, Twizzlers, and cheese puffs.

Finally the day came. Trevor, Ryan, Alex, and Luis came home after school. We played baseball

in the backyard for hours, had pizza, and then settled down to watch our movie. After a while

we started looking for the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. We looked everywhere but couldn’t find

them until Luis noticed they were in the bag on top of the heater. We all reached in to grab

some. They were smooshy and melted, but still good. Our hands were covered so we cleaned up

in the bathroom. By the time we were done, we had chocolate on everything.

When the movie was over we turned off the light and tried to sleep. Right away Ryan started

telling jokes like he always does and we started laughing like crazy. We couldn’t stop. Finally we

did. It was 3:00 a.m. before we stopped laughing. Then Mom yelled downstairs, “Wake up!

Pancakes.” It felt like one minute had gone by but it was nine o’clock in the morning.

We went upstairs and sat around the table fighting over who would get the next pancake. Mom

kept cooking pancakes until we were stuffed. Ryan started telling jokes again, but this time we

were too full or too tired to laugh. We just said, “Save it for later.” Pretty soon everyone’s

parents came. When they were all gone, Mom asked if I wanted more pancakes. I told her no

and went back to bed.

Craft Lessons by Fletcher and Portalupi, page 144.

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