Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 1

Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 1

Day 1—Workshop Routines and Prewriting (L1)

Writing Teaching Point(s):

Setting up the writing workshop—rituals, routines and expectations

Standard(s):

W.4.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and

organization are appropriate to task and purpose.

W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as

needed by planning, revising, and editing.)

Materials:

Writer’s Notebooks

Pencils

Anchor Charts

Connection:

Hello writers! Many of you have worked in writing workshops before. We are going to do a lot

of writing this year and we want to make the best use of our writing workshop time.

Teach (modeling):

Today, I am going to teach you that writers prepare to write by setting up their writing space and

gathering their writing tools. This makes the writing process go more smoothly.

Each time I get ready to write, I know I will need my writer’s notebook and a pencil. The process

for gathering my tools will look like this…

Active Engagement (guided practice):

Now that I have modeled for you how I gathered my writing tools, I would like you to practice

gathering your tools. Remember, the process will look like this…

Consider the precise language that will be used to indicate to students that it is time to transition

into writing workshop. How will students indicate that they are ready to begin the lesson?

Teach (modeling):

Now that we have our materials, we can begin writing workshop. Most days we will follow a

similar procedure. We will gather our tools and then show that we are ready to begin by…When

I see that everyone is ready, I will start with our “mini-lesson”. The mini-lesson is the part of

the workshop where I introduce a new writing skill. I will teach you about it and I will show you

how to do it; then we will “practice” our new skill together. After we practice together and you

ask clarifying questions, you will have “work time.” During work time, you will practice the new

skill by writing independently. While you are writing, I will circulate to check in with you and

have “writing conferences”. Writers, when our work time is over, we will have time to “share”

our writing with a partner, in small groups or with the whole class.

These key terms and definitions can be written on an anchor chart and placed in the room for

reference throughout the year.

Writing workshop is an exciting time of our day. We will learn new skills and practice them as

we write about a variety of things. I know I will look forward to writing each day—I am excited

to fill my notebooks with ideas and pieces written just by me.


Now, as we practice, I would like you to turn and talk to your partner. Tell them what you are


most excited to write about this year.

Link to Independent Practice:

Now that you have talked to your partner about what you are most excited to write about this

year, open your writing notebook and make a list of topics you are most excited to write about

this year. Use specific words and descriptions so you will remember your ideas later.

Closure:

Writers, it is time to stop writing. I would like at least 4 volunteers to share their list of topics.

It is time to end our workshop. Great job today writers! Each day we will end writing workshop

by returning our materials.

Model the transition and allow students to practice it a few times.

Notes:

Resources & References: (adapted from, acknowledgments)

A Curricular Plan for Writing Workshop, Lucy Calkins


Day 2—Heart Map (L2)


Students will be able to identify personal writing topics that are important or special to

them.

Standard(s):

W.4.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and

organization are appropriate to task and purpose.

W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as


Materials:

Anchor charts

Markers

Notebooks

Heart maps (1 for each student)

Connection:

Hello writers, yesterday we reviewed the process for getting ready for writing workshop. We

also talked about the different parts of the workshop. My friends, I am going to ask you to tell

your partners about the different parts of writing workshop. Remember you can look around the

room for support if you need it.

Teach (modeling):

Today, I want to teach you that writers often choose to write about people they love and things

they cherish or experiences they know the best. With this in mind, I would like us to make a heart

map. A heart map is a writer’s reference tool—the writer can look back at the words, phrases,

ideas, people and events they have included in the heart map. These serve as seeds for writing.

Here is my heart (heart on chart paper). As I fill my heart with people I love and experiences that

I know best, I am going to talk you through my thinking.

Model filling the heart map with words like family, Mom, brother, vacations, beach, picnics,

visiting relatives, exploring new places, Niagara Falls, Grand Canyon, Delaware River, Jersey

Shore, favorite foods…


Let’s practice making a heart map together. One thing we all have in common is school. Here is

a fresh heart. Turn and talk to your partner about people or moments or experiences we could

place in our classroom heart.

Collect suggestions from partners. The classroom heart map serves as a common writing

reference for the class.


Today, as you write, your will work to gather writing topics in your heart map. Remember that

you will want to include people, pets, friends, and experiences that you cherish. Writers write

about topics that are important to them. Think about what is important to you and fill your

heart.

Closure:

Writers, thank you for your focus today. We are ready to close our writing workshop by sharing.

As you listen to your friends, if you hear a topic from their heart map that sparks an idea for you,

quickly and quietly write it on your own map. Let’s listen carefully to our friends.


Students can share whole group or small groups. Teacher can model adding to heart map as new

ideas are shared.

Great job today! Now we can use our heart map when we need ideas for writing topics or to

enhance our writing. Yesterday we established a routine from ending writing workshop.

Remember we will…

Notes:


Portland Public Schools



Day 3—Generating Ideas from Reading (L3)


Students get ideas for their own writing from books/mentor text

Students talk about their ideas with a partner

Standard(s): W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique,

descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

Materials:

Read Aloud: Winn Dixie, Journeys

Chart paper, markers

Writing notebooks

Loose leaf paper

Connection:

Writers, yesterday we created a heart map to gather some writing topics that are close to

your heart. Writers collect ideas and topics from many different sources. I will teach

you one of these strategies and you will have the opportunity to practice.

Teach (modeling):

Today, I am going to teach you how writers connect to what they are reading and collect

ideas for writing as they are reading. First, I am going to open to the back of my

notebook and create an Idea Bank. I want to leave plenty of room for ideas, so I am

going to count 4-6 pages from the back and write the title, “Idea Bank” at the top.

(Model on chart paper) Now, I am ready to read and collect ideas.

Read aloud a portion of Winn Dixie. During reading, stop and think aloud about the

various topics you have in common with the author. Add these to the idea bank: i.e.

librarian, special books, giving gifts.


After reading the rest of the story, allow students to turn and talk about additional

suggestions that could be added to the Idea Bank chart paper.


My goal today was to show you that we collect ideas for writing when we read.

Remember, I created my word bank at the back of my writing notebook. I counted in 4-6

pages because I want plenty of room to collect my ideas. Go ahead and create your Idea

Bank space.

Now that you have the space, you are going to begin making your lists of ideas. I like to

create two columns on my page and use words or short phrases. (Model)

You should begin creating your list, think about the ideas that came to you while I was

reading aloud Winn Dixie. Think about other books you have read and ideas that might

inspire your writing.

Closure:

Wow, writers! Between yesterday and today we have generated many ideas and topics


that we can write about in our notebooks! Just like yesterday, as our friends share ideas

from their Idea Bank, if you hear something that sparks an idea for you, quickly and

quietly write it down.

Allow students to share whole group or in small groups.

It is time we end our writing workshop. We have been working on a routine to put our

writing tools away. Do your best to show me how efficiently you can transition to …

Notes:





Day 4—Verbal Drafting and Sample Writing (L4)


Students will select a writing topic.

Students will use verbal drafting technique as a prewriting tool.

Standard(s): W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as

needed by planning, revising, and editing. SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)

with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own

clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that

preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.

Materials:

Heart Map and Idea Bank Anchor Charts

Writing notebooks

Connection:

Writers, we have collected many ideas for writing so far! Before we begin, please take a

moment to add any new ideas you might have thought of since you started your Idea

Bank yesterday.

Teach (modeling):

Today, we are going to use our many resources to choose a topic and we will write about

it. Remember that writers choose to write about topics they know well or are close to

their hearts. I am going to begin by looking over my heart map and my idea bank.

Model choosing two or three topics and then narrowing your choice down to one. Think

aloud about why you are choosing this particular topic—explain why this topic will

result in a good piece of writing.

Students choose an idea: Now it is your turn. Read through your ideas in your Idea Bank

and Heart Map and selection and idea that you would like to write about today. Give a

thumbs up with you have an idea.

Model Partner Sharing: One of the things that writers do as a pre-writing activity is to

verbally draft their piece. That means they will tell their story aloud to a partner.*

Today, since I am writing a narrative about one of my memories, I am going to tell my

partner the important parts and add a few details. Watch and listen.

*If verbal drafting/rehearsing/meeting with partners should look a certain way in your

classroom, explicitly explain the routine to the students.


It is your turn! You are going to verbally draft or rehearse your story. You are not

telling everything that happened, but you will focus on main events and key details.


I heard a lot of interesting stories as I moved around the room! It is now time for you to

begin writing. Remember all of the great writing strategies that you learned last year.


You can use these as you draft your story today. I would like you to do your best writing.

You will have 20-25 minutes to write. Enjoy your writing time!

Closure:

Excellent work writers! Today, before we began our writing, we learned that one way of

prewriting is to verbally draft our story—that means we will tell our partner our story

and get our thoughts in line before we begin writing. I am very excited to read these first

stories you have written!

It is now time to end our writing workshop. You have become pros at our closing

routine. Let me see it!

Notes:





Day 5—Narrowing a topic (L5)


Students will explore how to narrow a topic.

Standard(s): W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as


Materials:

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

Connection:

Writer, you have been doing a great job collecting ideas. Remember, during writing

workshop, you can add ideas and topics to your Idea Bank.

Now that we have so many ideas, we are going to look at choosing a writing topic and

narrowing it down to make a really interesting story focused on a particular moment.

Teach (modeling):

Today I am going to teach that good writers know how to select and topic and narrow

their writing to make it engaging for the reader. Let’s look at some of my writing and

see if I can make it better.

What an exciting summer day! My family and I planed a trip to the beach. I woke up

early that day and packed a lunch. While I waited for the rest of my family to get ready

and pile into the car, I played with my puppy. With everyone finally in the car, we set

off. We sang songs to make the long ride seem shorter. I was excited to be at the beach

because I like to watch all of the people. I had the most fun watching the mother teach

her son how to make a sand castle. After he succeeded, I played in the water with my

sister. It was time to go when the sun was going down. I had a fun day at the beach. I

crawled into bed with a smile on my face.

You can see that I told the reader a lot of things, but I did not really elaborate on any of

them. It is like I listed everything I did in a day. I know that good writers use specific

details in their stories. I want to see if I can look at this piece and narrow it down and

then tell the readers some specific details.

When I say that I need to narrow my topic, I mean I need to write about less. Summer is

a large territory with so many possibilities to write about.

I am going to use this inverted triangle to see if I can narrow my topic:

Summer>family>beach>mother/sun building a sandcastle


I am going to try and zoom in on one particular element of this story. There is so much I

can say about summer and my family. We had several trips to the beach, but I really

enjoyed watching the mother teach her son how to build a sandcastle.

See how I started with a big idea and narrowed it to what was most interesting to me—a

small moment. This is a strategy that we will use throughout writing workshop this year.


Let’s practice this together. I am thinking that we all experienced a pretty big event

recently—the first day of school. We will use this chart to narrow our thinking from all

that happened on the first day of school to a small moment. We will use the questions on

this anchor chart to guide our thinking.

What do I especially care or know about this topic?

Which part seems particularly interesting and exciting?

Is there one part that keeps ‘tugging’ at me?

What happened (exact details)?

Why is this memory important?

Teacher guides class through triangle flow chart.


I think we did a pretty good job in zooming in on a small moment about the first day of

school. Now it is your turn to practice this strategy! Choose a memory or big idea from

your heart map. I want you to narrow this topic to the most meaningful small moment.

Remember to use the questions on our anchor chart to guide your thinking.

After you narrow the topic for one idea, go ahead and try narrowing another topic. This

time you might want to choose from your Idea Bank. One thing I know about good

writers is they keep writing and practicing their craft.

Closure:

Today you learned another strategy that writers use: narrowing a topic to a small

moment. Good writers zoom in on their topics and focus on one small moment—they

writer more about less.

Good writers also share their work. In groups of three, choose on of the topics you

narrowed today.

Ok. It is time for our writing workshop to end. I want to remind you that we end each

day by…Show me how you do this!

Notes:




Narrow A Topic

“Zoom In” on One Moment

These questions may help:

What do I especially care or know

about this topic? Which part seems particularly

interesting and exciting? Is there one part that keeps ‘tugging’

at me? What happened (exact details)? Why is this memory important?


Narrowing a Topic


Day 6—Short Writing (L6)


Students will compose a short write in their writing notebooks



Materials:

Triangle graphic organizer

Guiding Questions Anchor Chart

Writing Notebook

Stickers, magazines, glue, scissors, paper

Connection:

Writers, we have done a lot of work thinking about how authors gather ideas and how

they narrow their ideas into small moments. Today you will practice using what you

have learned to create a new short write in your notebook.

Teach (modeling):

Today I want to model for you how I am going to choose an idea from my heart map,

narrow it down and begin writing. As I look at my heart map there are so many ideas to

choose from. I think I will write about my best friend. Using the triangle organizer and

our guiding questions, I will narrow my topic.

Jenny (my bff)>going everywhere together>walking to the park>the time Jenny flopped

off of the see-saw.

Now I am ready to write about this crazy experience!


Now it is your turn! Choose an idea from your heart map or your idea bank. Use our

graphic organizer and guiding questions to narrow the idea to a small moment. When

you have gotten your small moment, you may want to jot down some specific details that

you want to include on your graphic organizer. When you are ready to begin writing,

open your notebook to the next empty page and start your story! Enjoy your writing

time.

Closure:

Ok, writers, as I circled around the room, I read some very interesting short writes. I

would like one person from each group to share with your peers.

Now, we have a bit of extra time and to celebrate our hard work, I would like to provide

you with time to decorate and personalize your notebooks in a school-appropriate way.

Notes:





Day 7—Timeline Organizer (L7)


Using a timeline as an organizer for narrative writing

Standard(s): W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by

planning, revising, and editing.

Materials:

Anchor charts

Writers notebooks

Connection:

Wow, writers, we are accumulating many writing strategies. We have practiced

gathering ideas on our heart map and idea bank. We have selected and narrowed a

topic to a small moment. And we have taken that small moment and written a short piece

about it. You should feel proud!

Teach (modeling):

Today, I am going to teach you another prewriting strategy that writers use when they

are telling a story in chronological order. That means they are telling the story in time

order. Because they tell the story in time order, they use a time line. I will show you

how to do this. I know that I am going to write a narrative—a true narrative. A true

narrative is a story that really happened. I am going to write about myself, so I am

going to look at my heart map and choose a topic.

I think I will write about my 7th

birthday. I remember being very excited because my

birthday was on a Saturday and I was having a party. So let’s look at my timeline for this

story:

6:00am woke my mom, told me to go back to bed

8:30am watched cartoons, ate pancakes and drank 2 chocolate milks

9:30am asked when everyone would arrive, ate a banana and drank a glass of juice

10:00am my mom let me sample the icing for the cake

11:00am I was jumping and playing with my brother, we snuck a cupcake from the

kitchen

11:30am my mom said we had to eat lunch—we had hotdogs, red kool-aid and mac and

cheese, I asked my mom when everyone would arrive—she said in an hour

12 o’clock I put on my birthday outfit, drank a big glass of milk and played on the porch

waiting for everyone to arrive

12:30pm my grandparents were first, excited to see them, then my best friend arrived,

jumped up to greet him and there was too much in my stomach—I threw up all over his

shoes!

1 o’clock in the shower to clean up so I could go back to the party.

You can see my story goes in sequential order. I have a beginning, middle and end, and

there is a culminating event—I threw up on my friend’s shoes.


Let’s try this strategy together. Think back to our first day of school. While we do not

want to write about each little thing that happened in the day, we do want to include

some events that led up to a culminating event.

Guide students through the process.



Now it is your turn to try! Remember you are writing a true narrative, so you will want

to pick a topic that happened to you. As you get ready to create your timeline, think back

to the start of the memory and play it forward in your mind like a movie. Make notes on

your timeline about the important moments or the moments that stand out. In my story, it

was important for the reader to know how much I ate before I threw up. Are you ready

to try your timeline? Enjoy your writing time.

If you finish one timeline, you should begin another. All of these ideas will come in

handy as we are writing throughout the year. And good writers always welcome the

opportunity to practice their craft.

Closure:

Great job writers! As I looked over your shoulders, I was impressed with the timelines

you are creating! Now that you have worked quietly and diligently, take a few moments

and share one of your timelines with your partner.

Our writing time has come to an end. You know how to close out writing workshop.

Please show me!

Notes:




Day 8—Narrative Elements (L8)


Narrative elements: introduction, events, culminating event, resolution

Students will begin writing a narrative



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.

Materials:

Anchor Charts

Writing notebooks

Timelines

Connection:

Writers, yesterday we created timelines. Our timelines are part of the prewriting step in

the writing process. We will use these timelines as we begin writing our chronological

narratives.

Teach (modeling):

Today, I am going to teach you the elements of the narrative so we can begin writing!

Narrative Elements

Narrator—someone who tells the story

Setting—the time and place of the story

Characters—actors in the story, people or animals

Plot—the actions of the story

Resolution—how the conflict is solved

As you can see, there are a lot of elements that go into writing a narrative. The great

thing about these elements is that you have been practicing identifying them for a long

time in reading. We can incorporate them into our story telling. Let me show you.

I am going to use my timeline about my 7th

birthday and complete this graphic organizer:

Narrator I will tell the story first person

Setting In and around my house on my 7th

birthday

Characters Me, my mother, brother, grandparents and best friend

Plot On a really exciting day, I ate and ate and ate while I

anticipated the arrival of my guests. When they arrived, I

ate so much and was so excited that I got sick.

Resolution I took a shower, put on clean clothes and went back to the

party

You can see, just from reading my timeline, I was able to complete the narrative elements

graphic organizer.



Now it is your turn. Choose one of the stories that you have completed the timeline for

and clarify your thinking in the Narrative Elements graphic organizer. Remember you

can reference the anchor chart to remind yourself of the definitions.

As you finish preparing for one narrative, you can always try another.

Closure:

Writers, thank you so much for your concentration today! I think we are ready to write

some great stories!

Our writing time has ended; it is now time to close out writing workshop. You know what

you are supposed to do!

Notes:




Days 9-11—Understanding the Writing Conference (L9)


Students will engage in writing conferences with the teacher



a. Orient the reader by establishing 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.

e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experience or events.

SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)


clearly.



Materials:

Chart paper and markers

Writing notebooks

Connection:

Hello writers. We have been busy practicing strategies for writing and implementing the

rituals and routines of our writing workshop. Thank you for your hard work!

Teach (modeling):

Today, I am going to teach you about writing conferences. The writing conference will

be a tool that you can use to make your writing better and it will also be a routine part of

our writing workshop.

Teacher will develop anchor chart for that inform students about:

How to prepare for the writing conference

Writing conference schedule

How to request a writing conference

What writers should do while the teacher is conducting a conference


You can see the guidelines I have put together to make our workshop run smoothly while

writing conferences are happening. Now I would like you to think quietly for a moment

about what you need to happen during writing workshop that will help you focus and be

the best writer you can be. Turn and talk to your partner about your needs. Negotiate

with them and come to a consensus—that means both of you agree—come to consensus

on one recommendation for making our writing workshop better.

Teacher charts students’ suggestions. These are posted with the rituals and routines of

the writing workshop and teacher can reference throughout the year.


Today, as you work independently, I want you to review the writing you have done so far

and follow our guidelines for preparing for your writing conference. I will not be able to

see all of you in one day, but it is important to be prepared. After you have identified


writing you would like to discuss, you may practice creating another timeline prewrite or

identifying the elements of a chronological narrative that you plan to write.

Closure:

Writers, I am very impressed with your preparation for your writing conference. I look

forward to talking with each of you about your writing in the next few days. I would like

the students I conferenced with to share what their experience was like so the rest of you

can know what to expect.

Our writing time has ended; it is now time to close out writing workshop. You know

what you are supposed to do!

Notes:




Days 10-11-12—Drafting the Narrative (L10)


Student will begin writing narrative.





b. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and

events or show the response of characters to situations.

e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experience or events.

SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)


clearly.



Materials:

Anchor Charts

Writing notebooks

Timelines

Narrative elements graphic organizer

Connection:

Writers, now our writing workshop is ready to be in full swing!

Teach (modeling):

Day 10:Today, I want to teach you to begin writing you narrative. If you look at my

narrative graphic organizer, you can see that I need to let the reader know the setting,

characters and introduce the conflict. As I introduce the reader to these things, this is

called the exposition.

Teacher models writing exposition or uses appropriate read aloud text.

Day 11: Today I will teach you how to use your timeline to create the body of your

paper. I am going to look at the essential events—the most important events on the

timeline that the author needs to know about. Once I select these, I will write a

paragraph about each one.

Teacher models turning an event into paragraph.

Day 12: Today I will teach you how to add specific details to your paragraphs. I am

going to start by rereading my work. When I come to a spot where I think the reader

needs additional information, I will use this ^ caret symbol to insert additional

information.

Teacher models using additional information.


As you go off to write today, be certain to stay focused and practice the guideline for

writing workshop that we have created. You have access to many resources that we have

created in your notebook and on our walls. Be a wise writer and use your resources!

Focus on writing the best chronological narrative you can.


Closure:

Offer praise or correction as you prepare to close writing workshop. Writers, great job

staying focused on your writing today. I like how you…. OR Writers, I know we are in

the beginning stages of writing workshop, but we have discussed the expectation and

guidelines that direct our time. I like how you …, but I would also like to see you …

Notes:




Day 13-14— Writing Endings (L11)


Students will write endings to their narrative pieces.

Standard(s):

W.4.3.e Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Materials:

Anchor Charts

Writing notebooks/student drafts

Timelines


Connection:

Writers, we have spent three days drafting our chronological narratives. Great job.

While some of us are ready to end our story, others may still be working toward that. It

is ok.

Teach (modeling):

Day 13: Today, I am going to teach you that writers think very carefully about how they

end their narratives. First, I am going to reread my writing to make certain it makes

sense.

Teacher models rereading.

Now, I am going to look at my timeline and see how it ends. I might replay the movie in

my mind to think about how everything ended. I know just like great presents come

wrapped up with a bow, I want to make sure my story is wrapped up with a bow—this

may be a lesson I have learned or explaining why the memory was so important.

Teacher models writing last paragraph or uses appropriate mentor text with a solid

ending.

Day 14: Today, we are going to continue to work on our endings. I want to remind you

that good writers often refer to a mentor text. We have been reading many stories during

reading workshop. Let’s examine one of the story’s endings as a writer.

Teacher models rereading the ending of a selected text from


Day 13: As you go off to write today, I want you to first work with a partner. You are

going to reread your writing aloud and then verbally draft your ending paragraph. After

you complete this, you will begin writing your ending.

Day 14: As you go off to write today, you can choose to either rewrite the ending you

worked on yesterday or you can write an ending to another narrative you are working

on.

Closure:

Writers, I appreciate your focus of your during our writing time. Can I have some

friends to please share their endings? Remember, as you listen to your peers, you may

hear some writing that you want to emulate, so take notes if you need to.

Our writing time has ended; it is now time to close out writing workshop. You know

what you are supposed to do!


Notes:




Day 15-16—Revise Lead (L12)


Students will revise work to make the lead stronger





Materials:

Anchor Charts


Timelines


Mentor texts with strong leads

Journeys Anthology

Connection:

Writers, I hope that you are proud of yourselves! You have completed at least one draft

of your chronological narrative and some of you have completed or started other

narratives as well. Nice work!

Teach (modeling):

Today I want to teach you about the revising process. All great writers revise—in fact,

some writers feel that revising is the most important step in the writing process. You can

revise your writing in many different ways:

Revising—the process of making good writing stronger

Some Ways to Revise

--to improve specific areas of the writing

--to add, take away or change dialogue

--to add, take away or change details

--to clarify events, ideas or topics

--to strengthen a character

There are many ways that writers revise their pieces, and we will add to this list

throughout the year. Today, I want to show you one way a write might go about revising

their piece to make a stronger opening or lead. Lead is the technical writing term we use

for the opening of a piece. The lead draws the reader in and can help to set the mood of

the piece. Remember, I told you that writers often look to other writers for ideas. Let’s

look at the model text.

Teacher models reading and discussing elements of a strong lead.


Let’s practice this together. At each table, I have placed several books. I want you each

to take a book and read the opening. Think about how the writer uses the lead to draw

readers into the book. Once everyone has read the leads in their books, I would like you


to have a conversation about what you read—what you see the writer doing to make the

lead interesting.

Teach (modeling):

Now that we have looked at some samples of how other writers open or lead into their

stories, I want to show you how I am going to revise my lead.

Teacher models


It’s your turn! Take out your drafts and begin revising your lead! I will circulate to

assist you if needed. Enjoy your writing time.

Closure:

Writers! I have seen some very interesting revisions! It is time to share. Turn to your

partner and share with them the new lead you have created. Partners, you can provide

feedback by asking a question, providing a comment or offering a critique.

Teachers should model the question, comment, critique and create an anchor chart of

sentence stems to introduce students to appropriate, accountable talk in writing

workshop.

Notes:




Day 17-18—Revise for Dialogue (L13)


Students will reread their writing.

Students will use mentor text to identify dialogue.

Students will revise draft to add dialogue.

Standard(s):

W.4.3. b. Use dialogue and descriptions to develop experiences or events or show the response of

characters to situations.

Materials:

Anchor Charts


Mentor texts with examples of dialogue

Journeys Anthology

Connection:

Writers, we have been working hard revising our writing. I would like you to turn and

talk with your partner about the revision process—what are you enjoying about it, what

are you struggling with?

Teach (modeling):

Today, I want to teach you how writers revise their writing by adding dialogue.

Dialogue is common in almost every narrative text we read, so it should be in our texts

too.

Let’s look at a text we have read—Winn Dixie. I would like everyone to open their books

to page __. We will examine how the author sets up the dialogue and read the

conversation that takes place between ________.

Teacher reads aloud, stops and notes points about dialogue as necessary. (As we can see

from the text, dialogue allows us to hear exactly what the character is saying. I noticed

the author uses a dialogue tag word like ________. And the direct words are offset by

quotation marks.

Now I am going to look at my writing. I want to ask myself, “Where can I add dialogue

so that my readers can know the exact words my characters are saying?”

Teacher models adding dialogue to draft.


Let’s practice together. First, we will list some additional dialogue tags. Work with

your partner quickly and quietly to come up with three.

Go around the group and add dialogue tags to an anchor chart.

Now, let’s look at my writing and see where we can add some additional dialogue.

Guide students in adding dialogue. Model adding appropriate punctuation (comma,

quotation marks, ending punctuation marks).


As you go off to write today, you will revise you draft by adding dialogue and dialogue

tags. Dialogue lets us know exactly what the characters are saying. Adding dialogue

tags lets us know how they said the words. Make certain to add at least three pieces of

dialogue and try different dialogue tags. Remember that I will meet with some of you for


writing conferences; I look forward to our conversations! Enjoy your writing time.

Possible questions for conference time:

Where are you planning to add dialogue?

What dialogue tags can you add?

How was your character feeling when he/she said that?

What other areas of your writing do you want help with?

Closure:

Writers, today we revised our drafts by incorporating dialogue and dialogue tags. Today

and everyday when you write, consider adding dialogue so your readers know the exact

words your character said and how they were feeling when talking.

Let’s have three writers share one piece of dialogue they added.

Notes:


Portland Public School



Day 19— Revise by adding temporal words (L14)


Students will be able to identify and list temporal words for narrative writing.

Students will revise their writing by adding temporal words.

Standard(s):

W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using

effective technique, descriptive details and clear event sequences.

Materials:

Anchor Charts


Mentor texts with examples of temporal words

Journeys Anthology

Connection:

Writers, we have been revising our writing by looking at how we lead readers into our

narratives and adding dialogue so our readers understand the exact words our

characters use when speaking. Revising is a step in the writing process

Teach (modeling):

During the school day I often let our class know that something new is about to happen.

You have heard me say, ‘It’s time for reading’, or ‘Let’s line up for recess,’ when we

change from one activity to another. Writers do the same for their readers. Writers use

special transition words to let the reader know a change in time or place is about to

happen. We call them temporal transition words, temporal means ‘time.’

Guide students through mentor texts that have examples of temporal words.

Distribute Transition Word List. After the lesson this list will be stored in the Writing

Folder as a reference tool.

Here are a few examples of transition words that authors sometimes use instead of the

word ‘then’. Let’s review these words together.

Model revising sample writing by selecting temporal words that will replace then and

improve reader understanding.

Remind students that when events change in the story, they should signal that change to

the reader. The way writers do this is with temporal words.


Partners, review my writing and think together. Did I select the best transition word or

phrase? Are there others that might have been a better choice?

Now review events 2 and 3 on your planner. Talk to your partner about transition words

you might use instead of ‘then’ as you move to these events. Add the transition words to

your planner.



Since you have planned with your partner the temporal words that you want to use, I

would like you to reread your narrative pieces, adding in the temporal words. You may

need to change the words to make clearer meaning for the reader. Enjoy your writing

time. I look forward to conferencing with students during this time.

Closure:

Share with your partner your transition word and sentence. Partners, tell how this word

creates a better picture than the word ‘then.’

Notes:




Day 20—Editing with a Checklist (L15)


Students will understand the effectiveness of using a checklist.

Students will look for and correct the use of possessive nouns using an apostrophe.

Students will edit writing in preparation for final draft.

Standard(s): L.4.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or

speaking.

f. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-

ons.

L.4.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and

spelling when writing.

a. Use correct capitalization.

b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text.

d. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

Materials:

Student drafts

Writing Sample

Checklist for each student

Anchor Chart

Dry erase boards for class

Connection: People use checklists every day to help them remember things. Writers use an Editing Checklist

to help them remember to look for certain kinds of errors as they edit. Though there are several

items on the checklist, writers carefully focus on one point at a time.

Today you will use the Editing Checklist to focus on grammar. You will make sure that when you

are showing that something belongs to someone, you are indicating possession by using an

apostrophe ‘s’ when it is needed.

Teach (modeling):

Reference pg. T218 in Journeys for introducing possessive nouns.

Writers, I want you to know the tools that are used to indicate information to readers.

We definitely use words, but we also use punctuation. When I want to say this notebook

belongs to Valerie, I could say “This is Valerie’s notebook.” You heard me add an ‘s’ to

Valerie’s name. That indicates that the notebook is hers. Let me show you what this

looks like when we write it: Valerie’s.

Model several other examples.


Let’s practice together.

Allow students to create examples and write them on dry erase boards for showing or

they can come to the board and give examples. Assist them in punctuating correctly.

Teach (modeling): Now that we have an understanding of possessive nouns, let’s look at how we will use

our Editing Checklist to improve our writing. Today, I am going to carefully read each


sentence of my piece several times and ask myself these questions. It takes a while, so I

will show you with our sample writing and then you will begin.

The editing checklist asks, Did I begin each sentence with a capital letter? I am going to

look through my piece and make certain that the beginning of every sentence has a

capital letter. Once I make certain that every beginning word is capitalized, I can check

this off the list. And go on to the next one.

Teacher can model each step of the checklist or continue on. This will depend on the

level of writers in the room. A small group who needs more direction may be pulled to

go through the checklist step by step.

Let’s review the checklist to make certain you understand all of the elements.


Ok, writers, it is your turn. You will now carefully read and reread your piece and begin

making corrections as needed and checking the questions off as you complete them.

Enjoy your writing time.

Closure:

Thank you for staying focused and working hard to edit your writing. This is a very

exciting step in the writing process because it means we are almost ready to publish our

final drafts! Great job!

Notes:




Editing Checklist 1 Personal Narrative Capitalization:

Did I begin each sentence with a capital letter?

Did I capitalize proper nouns? Punctuation:

Did I end each sentence with a period, question mark or exclamation point?

Did I use quotation marks around the exact words the speaker says?

Is the punctuation for the dialogue within the quotation marks?

Did I use a comma to separate a city or town from state?

Did I use an apostrophe to show possession? Grammar:

Did I use past tense verbs?

Did I use possessive nouns? Spelling:

Did I check for spelling by reading aloud and tapping each word with a pencil?

Did I spell past tense verbs with an –ed ending?

Did I use the dictionary to correct misspellings of at least five words?


Day 21-23—Publishing! (L16)


Students will use computers to publish their pieces.

Students will celebrate their final products with classmates and invited guests.

Standard(s): W.4.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization

are appropriate to task and purpose.

Materials:

Student drafts with revisions and edits.

Computers, laptop cart, Ipad cart, printer

Connection:

Writers, we have worked very diligently to make certain our narratives are just right.

We have thought about a topic special to us, focused on small moments, crafted strong

leads and conclusions, developed interesting characters, included dialogue, and made

certain that our grammar, mechanics and spelling are correct. What a journey!

Teach (modeling):

Today, I am going to teach you how to publish your piece.

Model on projector or have students gather around. Consider what of the following needs

modeled:

How to set up space around computer for efficiency

Open a new document

Indenting paragraphs

How to make capital letters

Specific requirements you have (margins, font size, pictures)

Explain to students what they should do if they finish typing (ie. Before printing, I would

like to look over your piece one final time. Please raise your hand when you have finished

and we will look at it together.)


It is your turn to begin publishing. I will be here to support you with questions you might

have. I am really excited to see the final product, so enjoy your writing time today!

Closure:

Wow! We have done great work on our narratives. Before we end our writing time, I

would like you to select one section of your piece that you would like to share with the

class. Use a sticky note to mark the section and then clean up from Writing Workshop.

Notes:

It may take 2 days for the class to complete the typing, depending on access to

technology. Consider working with technology teacher—may students bring their drafts

to work on in class? One day should be set aside for celebration. Planning for the

celebration, consider having an author’s chair and a room set up conducive to sharing

reading. Will parents, administrators or other classes be invited? How can students be

engaged in the planning—especially the students who are finishing quickly and

appropriately?




Day 24-25—How to write a narrative (L17)


Brief introduction to informative writing

Writing on demand

Standard(s): W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which

related ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.

b. Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.

c. Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).

d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.

Materials:

Writing notebooks

Anchor Charts from throughout the unit

Mentor “How to” text

Connection:

Writers, we have really focused on narrative writing—creating a personal story that has

characters and takes the reader on sequence of events. This is a general formula for true

or imagined narratives. Our next unit, we will explore informative writing.

Teach (modeling):

Before we begin our next unit, I want to collect a informative writing sample from you.

This type of writing is called “writing on demand.” You will use this type of writing

when you need to respond to questions on tests or turn in an assignment in a single day.

In many ways, you follow all of the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting,

revising, editing and publishing, but you simply do all of the steps in one document…that

means that the reader will see your revision and editing marks. That is perfectly fine.

Let me show you. The specific type of writing we are going to do today is “How-to”

writing. You will write “How to Write a Narrative.” I am going to model with a

different topic. I will model “How to set up for Writing Workshop.”

Model how-to writing by thinking aloud about the topic (prewriting), organizing

thoughts (prewriting), beginning the piece (drafting), looking at beginning, ending and

transitions (revising) and rereading and correcting grammar, mechanical and spelling

issues (editing).

(This may be split over 2 days)


Allow students to support your efforts, or work in small groups to offer advice on what

to include, what to write, where to revise and edit.


Now it is your turn. You are going to turn to a clean page in your notebook and do your

best how-to writing. Remember, you can look around the room to remind you of the

steps we used in writing a narrative. You will tell your reader how to write a narrative.


Keep in mind, you have a limited amount of writing time, so include and explain the most

important steps. You will apply many of the same writing strategies that we used during

narrative writing. I will circulate the room and offer support by asking you questions to

guide your work. Do your best and enjoy your writing time.

Closure:

Nicely done writers. I look forward to reading your first piece of informative writing.

We will focus more on informative writing in our next unit. You will have to opportunity to

write your own informative article. I encourage you to look through magazines or

newspapers to get a general idea of what informative article writing looks like before we

begin. Writing workshop is now ending, please close out the way you know to do.

Notes:

Use this writing sample to assess areas where students may need support during the

informative writing unit.



Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 1

Documents

Transcript of Trenton Public Schools Unit 1 Grade 4 1