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American Community School of Abu Dhabi 2009-10

UNIT OF STUDY 1 Launching the WritingWorkshop MONTH Aug/

Oct 09 GRADE 4SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

AUG. 30 31 SEPT. 1 2 3

WEEK 1

L1/2 Starting theWriter’s Workshop,Generating MoreWritingA

L3/4 Qualities ofGood Writing, TheWriter’s Job in aConference A

L 5/6 Building StoriesStep by Step M

6 7 8 9 10

WEEK 2L 6 and Selecting aSeed Idea A

L7 Revising LeadsC L9 RevisingEndings M

L8 Writing DiscoveryDrafts M

13 14 15 16 17

WEEK 3

L- 10 Taking Chargeof Our Own Writing,A

L- 11/12 Timelines:Planning andDeveloping C/C

L 13 Writing FromInside a Memory A

27 28 29 30 OCT 1

WEEK 4L14 Writing inPassages ofThought- Intro to PM

L15 Developing theHeart of the StoryM (Revision)

L16 Using EditingChecklistsA

4 5 6 7 8WEEK 5

Editing Read lesson #17Publishing Celebration

UNIT 1: LAUNCHING THE WRITING WORKSHOP OVERVIEWGrade 4

Created by Jen MunnerlynMarch 4, 2009

From Welcome To The Unit: p. 6-7

About the UnitThe year starts by teaching children big lessons such as:

1. Their lives and their thoughts are worth writing about2. We help children realize that the small moments of their lives can be

compelling stories3. We help them feel committed to capturing the truth of their experience

in words

Notes about the unit:• The first lessons in this unit center on topic choice. We teach children

a number of strategies they can draw on in order to generate their ownideas for writing, and we set them free from a dependency on theteacher.

• Many teachers find that in this first unit, it helps to celebrate the factthat stories of significance can be found in the smallest and mostordinary occasions.

• During this unit children will learn to try and focus their writing. Forexample, a child might initially plan to write a page-long piecedepicting his whole day at the beach, but because of our teaching,he’ll write instead about body surfing on one wave.

• This unit is designed to launch a writing workshop that is well-managed enough that children can proceed with some independence.

• Children learn that they can get themselves started on writing, workpast the hard parts, rely on one another as well as on themselves, sharetheir writing. Soon children will be able to get themselves startedwriting new entries without needing any input from the teacher.

The Essentials About Narrative Writing:1. Narratives are stories.2. One character (presumably the writer) experiences one thing, then the

next, then the next.3. These texts are usually chronologically ordered.4. Narratives will be more effective if the writer has zoomed in on a small

episode, written with detail, expanded the heart of the story, made theircharacters talk—and above all “made a movie in the mind” and thenrecorded that movie on the page.

5. As writing improves students recognize that learning to write well isimportant.

The Plan for the Unit- Read p. 7 (attached)

UNIT 1: LAUNCHING THE WRITING WORKSHOP OVERVIEWGrade 4

Created by Jen MunnerlynMarch 4, 2009

Supplies:1. Writer’s notebooks- for teachers and

each child2. Writing folders3. Blank booklets (with 4-5 pages)4. Lined Paper5. Sticky notes6. Chart Paper, Markers, Easel7. Word Wall or substitute (for teaching

high-frequency words)8. Writer’s notepads (for students to take

home- optional)

Mentor Texts Used Across the Grades:• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate

DiCamillo• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White• The Witch of Blackbird Pond• Bigmama’s by Donald Crews• Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats• Shortcut by Donald Crews• The Paperboy by Dave Pilkey• Fireflies! By Julie Brinckloe (ACS

Library)• Salt Hands by Jane Chelsea Aragon

(ACS Library)

**Grade 4-5 Specific Books:• Each Little Bird That Sings by

Deborah Wiles• Ida B… And Her Plans to Maximize

Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly)Save The World by KatherineHannigan

• The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale OfFour Sisters, Two Rabbits, And AVery Interesting Boy by JeanneBirdsall

• The Secret School by Avi• The Watsons Go To

Birmingham—1963 by ChristopherCurtis

• Unclaimed Treasures by PatriciaMacLachlan

• Cassie Binegar by PatriciaMacLachlan

• And Still the Turtle Watched by SheilaMacGill-Callahan

• Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam MunozRyan

• Freedom Summer, Deborah Wiles• Martin’s Big Words: The Life Of Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. by DoreenRappaport

• The Secret-Keeper by Kate Coombs• Weasel by Cynthia DeFelice• A Cache of Jewels and Other

Collective Nouns by Ruther Heller• Amelia’s Notebook by Marissa Moss• Behind the Mask: A Book About

Prepositions by Ruth Heller• CDB! By William Steig• Daydreamers by Tom Feelings• Fantastic! Wow! And Unreal! A Book

About Interjections and Conjunctions!By Ruth Heller

• How Writers Work: Finding a ProcessThat Works For You by Ralph Fletcher

• It Came From Beneath the Bed! ByJames Howe

• Live Writing by Ralph Fletcher• You Have to Write by Janet S. Wong• A Taste of Blackberries by Doris

Smith• Creativity by John Steptoe• Days Like This: A Collection of Small

Poems by Simon James• Fig Pudding by Ralph Fletcher• Going Back Home: An Artist Returns

to the South by Toyomi Igus• Silent Movie by Avi• Smoky Night by Eve Bunting• Tales of A Gambling Grandma by

Dayal Kaur Khalsa• The Flag of Childgood: Poems From

the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye• The Man Who Walked Between the

Towers by Mordicai Gerstein• Because of Winn Dixie by Kate

DiCamillo

** GL teachers need to determine whowill use what for our sanctioned booklist after a year trial.

SESSION 1: STARTING THE WRITING WORKSHOP Unit: 1

Created by Jen MunnerlynMarch 4, 2009

GRADE 4

Intention: To invite children to become writers and to teach them a strategy for generatingpersonal narrative entries. It will be suggested that writers often think of a person, brainstormfocused stories of times with that person, then sketch and write one of those as stories.

Connection:• Build your children’s identities as writers by exclaiming over the stories they’ve told.• Build your children’s enthusiasm for writing and explain writing workshop.• Name the teaching point: “ Today you will teach them a strategy for generating personal

narratives.” (Show “Strategies” Chart- p.3)

Teaching:• First, teach children the contexts in which a writer might use the strategy you are about to

teach. Then, teach the strategy: one-way to generate personal narrative writing.• Demonstrate the step-by-step process of using the strategy. In this case, think of a person, list

focused memories related to that person, choose one of these stories, then sketch and story tellit. (Chart your example- p.4/5)

• Tuck bits of advice into your demonstration. In this case, tuck in pointers about envisioningyour story and sketching it quickly.

• Debrief. Help children recall the situation in which writers would use this strategy and thesequence of actions the strategy requires.

Active Engagement:• Set children up to try the strategy. First help them imagine themselves in the situation that

calls for the strategy. Then lead them through the steps you’ve demonstrated. (Refer to“Strategies” Chart- p. 7)

• Debrief. Share the good work one child has done in a way that provides yet another model.

Link:• State your teaching point. Remind children that whenever they want help thinking of a true

story, they now have a strategy they can use.• Send children off to write, reminding them of your expectations for their independent work.

Writing and Conferring: (suggestion)Using Table Conferences to Reinforce the Minilesson: “…each one has a story to tell…” p. 9Mid-Workshop:

• Writing More: If students attention is waning remind them of the saying “When you’re done,you’ve just begun!” (Don’t stop- start another small moment story.)

Share:• Convene children in the meeting area. Establish the seating arrangements and systems that

underlie partnership conversations.• Set children up so they name some qualities of effective writing partners, then plan with their

partner how they can assume this role for each other.• Bring closure to today’s workshop: Recall and share one thing that was learned

Homework:• Decorating Notebooks… p. 12 Teacher should also have a W. Notebook created.Assessment following this lesson: See page 14 and DRAFT Rubric: Rubric for Writing Process Unit 1

SESSION 1: STARTING THE WRITING WORKSHOP Unit: 1

Created by Jen MunnerlynMarch 4, 2009

GRADE 4

Benchmarks:5A: Writes for a purpose and selects the genre accordingly.4F: Use tools (writer’s notebooks, webs, t-charts, outlines, flow charts) forcollecting ideas, experimenting, planning, sketching, or drafting.Continuum:Technology:

Notes for Next Year’s Use:

SESSION 8: WRITING DISCOVERY DRAFTS Unit: 1

Created by Jen MunnerlynMarch 4, 2009

GRADE 4

Intention: To show children that one way writers draft is by writing fast and long in order toget a whole story down on paper as it comes to mind.

Connection:• Remind children of the work they’ve done so far in the process of drafting, and tell

them they are ready to go one step farther.• Name the teaching point. In this case, teach children that some writers fast-write

discovery drafts to get their story out on paper.

Teaching:• Use a metaphor to tell children that writers sometimes fast-write a discovery draft.

Tell how this is done and show an example. (Student Sample: p. 85)

Active Engagement:• Recruit children to be willing to write discovery drafts and channel then toward being

ready to start this work. “To get started, reread the lead you already copied onto pageone of your drafting booklet… p. 86”

Link:• Remind writers of what you’ve taught today and tell them they can use this new

strategy for the rest of their lives.

Writing and Conferring:• Supporting Writing Fluency: “… during discovery drafting your conferring will

probably be a little different than usual…” (p. 87)Mid-Workshop:

• Rereading To Build Writing Stamina: “… I reread it to myself as if the story is anutter masterpiece…when I come to the last word I’ve written, I just pick up my penand write for dear life, scrawling down the page.” (p. 87)

Share:• Remind writers of the strategies they already know for giving themselves more

writing stamina. Lay out a new one. “Second wind…”:p. 88• Ask students to try this strategy by reading favorite parts to the whole class.• Voice your appreciation for the writing the children have read aloud. Remind children

to use this strategy when they need writing energy.Homework:

• Mechanics Teaching Opportunity: see p. 91

SESSION 8: WRITING DISCOVERY DRAFTS Unit: 1

Created by Jen MunnerlynMarch 4, 2009

GRADE 4

Benchmarks:5A: Writes for a purpose and selects the genre accordingly.Continuum:Writes organized nonfiction pieces with guidance.Technology:

Notes for Next Year’s Use:

SESSION 16: USING EDITING CHECKLISTS Unit: 1

Created by Jen MunnerlynMarch 4, 2009

GRADE 4

Intention: To remind children that writers edit to make our writing exactly how we intendedit to be for readers. Checklists can help.

Connection:• Create a context for today’s lesson by talking about self-help books that fill

bookstores and top best-seller lists.• Name your teaching point. Specifically, tell children that writers use editing checklists

to remind us of strategies we can use to edit our writing.

Teaching:• Tell children they each have a personalized editing checklist. Demonstrate how to

read through a draft, using an item on the checklist as a lens. (See p. 170)

Active Engagement:• Ask children to read through their draft with their partner, focusing on one item on the

editing checklist.

Link:• Remind children that they can use this strategy forever when they write.

Writing and Conferring (suggestion):• Focusing on Tenses and Pronouns: help students review their work looking for

shifting tenses: p. 174Mid-Workshop:

• Reading with Writing Partners: after children review own work…Share:

• Ask children to show each other what they’ve done, what they’ve learned, and whatthey’ve resolved to do next.

Homework:•

Assessment Opportunity: see p. 178

SESSION 16: USING EDITING CHECKLISTS Unit: 1

Created by Jen MunnerlynMarch 4, 2009

GRADE 4

Benchmarks:4H: Edit for spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.Continuum:Edits for punctuation, spelling, and grammar.Uses criteria for effective writing to set own writing goals with guidance.Technology:

Notes for Next Year’s Use: