Annotated Bibliography for Research Question: How can using literature in my writing workshop help my 1st grade students’ become better writers?
Cianciolo, P. (1985). Reading, literature, and writing from writer’s perspectives. The English Journal, 74(8), 65-69. Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/
Journals/EJ/1985/0748-dec1985/EJ0748Reading.pdf
Though this article is an older publication, December1985, Patricia Ciaciolo, professor at Michigan State University, writes to address a, then, void in research on how literature impacts writers. Ciaciolo asks herself what qualities literature and “good writers” have in common, and by researching authors of children’s literature and what they have said about the qualities writers have in connection to literature through interviews, essays, and comments, she is able to define six qualities that good writers share. The six qualities that Ciaciolo find common among writers still hold true today: good writers are good readers, they like to “play” with words, they like to asks questions and want to learn more, they observe the world around them, they tell and re-tell stories, and they have a need to write, a motivation beyond just acknowledgement. This article, though somewhat dated, would still help me with my own research as it gives me a place to define in my head what qualities writers need, how that connects to their experiences of literature, and how I can give them the necessary experiences in my classroom to foster good writers and good writing habits.
Fletcher R, & Portalupi J. (2001). Writing workshop: The essential guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
In 2001 Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi collaborated for a third time on a book to introduce teachers to the writing workshop and the elements that are contained within the workshop. Fletcher and Portalupi have a chapter on Literature in the Writing Workshop. This chapter is the chapter that made me question my own use of literature in my classroom, especially in my writing workshop. This chapter drove my research question. Fletcher and Portalupi assert that there are four important parts of literature in the classroom, especially in relation to writing: read aloud, independent reading, book discussions, and using literature in teacher/student conferences. The writers pull from their experiences of working with teachers and being teachers for over twenty years to create a chapter on the importance of incorporating literature in the writing workshop. They assert that primary students model their own writing after books and story forms they have heard or read, some students come to the classroom with a wide range and background in literature, but some students need more support in accessing literature. By exposing students to a variety of literature when they are read to, when they read independently, when you discuss books as a class, or when working one on one with a student to conference their writing their writing pieces will become more vivid and well rounded. This chapter, actually the whole book, will be really helpful in making my writing workshop run more smoothly while I work on my research question.
Hammerberg, D. D. (2001). Reading and writing “hypertextually”: Children’s literature, technology, and early writing instruction. Language Arts, 8(3), 207-216. Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/LA/0783-jan01/
LA0783Reading.pdf
In 2001 Assistant Faculty Associate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the area of literacy education, Dwanene D. Hammerberg, conducted research on how contemporary children’s literature uses “hypertextual elements” (i.e color, size, font), and other visual cues to impart understanding. This in turn needs to be included in writing instruction as a means for students to expand and explore their own writing. Hammerberg challenges teachers of writing, especially those with primary students, to use texts that have these elements in them as mentor texts for their students writing. Hammerberg ascertains that by allowing students to use these hypertextual elements in their own writing their imagination and their writing will improve. This is article is helpful for my own research as I would not have thought to use hypertextual elements as a springboard for my instruction of writing. In my class students draw their pictures then write the story, this use of hypertextual cues in their drawings will help my students to create more vibrant writings.
Hassett, D. D., & Curwood, J. S. (2009). Theories and practices of multimodal education: The instructional dynamics of picture books and primary classrooms. The Reading Teacher, 63(4), 270–282. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=014b8f4e-15c0-4af8-a738-731c8f6703f2%40sessionmgr113&vid=5&hid=125
In 2009 Dwnene Hassette, teacher in the department of curriculum and instruction at the university of Wisconsin-Madison, and Jen Scottt Curwood, doctoral candidate there as well, collaborated with 3 kindergarten through 3rd grade teachers with master’s degrees in literacy to create and teach a literature rich curriculum that uses contemporary books that contain hypertextual elements to help students become more interactive with the literature. Hassett and Curwood hope that their research on how these hypertextual elements change reader/writter’s view of literature and literacy will, in turn, challenge teachers to use the contemporary literature to change their instruction of both reading and writing to reflect how hypertextual elements of contemporary literature will effect their students’ writings. This, like Hammerberg’s research, will definitely help my own research on how literature can improve my own students’ writings. Since contemporary children’s literature uses elements of text than just the words, (color, shape, format) to being deeper understanding to the reader, my own students can use these in their writings as well.
Paquette, K. R. (2007). Encouraging primary students’ writing through children’s literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(2), 155-165. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7a24f35a-59d3-4
abf-ba2890e78af04805%40sessionmgr114&vid=5&hid=125
In 2007 Kelli Paquette, Professor of Professional Studies in Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, researches how picture books provide mentor texts for the 6+1 writing traits of good writers by taking the excitement students have from read aloud stories and transferring it over to writing, a subject often noted by teachers as a challenge. Paquette creates a list of mentor texts for each of the six writing traits and comments on how those texts can influence student writing. This article is very helpful for my research as it gives me a beginning list of books to include in my classroom for my writing block as instructional texts, as well as how these books can be used in a connected activity. This list of books that Paquette has accumulated will be very helpful as a springboard for me to find texts that are mentor texts for more specific lessons in my writing block.
*format would not cross over from Word to blogger.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Chapter 11 Year Long Goals
This chapter looks at year-long goals for the writing workshop. It was very short and concise. A few things that stuck with me were the authors’ re-iteration of how flexibility and formatting lessons to fit YOUR class is very important. A year-long plan needs to include a series of sessions with “closures and new beginnings…reflections and challenges.” I LOVE how they writers gave us a calendar of events to look for during the year. This will be really important when I go to plan my writing workshop using our 1st grade roll out of the year. Weaving this in with the other teachers will be a challenge, though a rewarding one. August and January are similar in ways because they are “fresh starts” to workshop. I’ve found this in my own classroom. How I present writing to my students in August really sets the tone for how they see themselves as writers and how they perceive me as a teacher of writing. January is my chance to change anything that wasn’t working previously and to hash out any problems as well as a time to remind and reinforce practices that are working. December and May are also very similar as they are natural “closures” to various projects.
I found this chapter to be very helpful for me while looking towards next year and how I can improve my writing workshop. I like how the writers found common themes that happen throughout a school year, no matter the curricula being used or the grade level being taught. These common threads gave me an overview of what my teaching needs to look like to help my students take to writing instead of dread it. Their pacing, allowing for pauses and breaks in genre I think is really important, especially for my students who's attention span is limited.
I found this chapter to be very helpful for me while looking towards next year and how I can improve my writing workshop. I like how the writers found common themes that happen throughout a school year, no matter the curricula being used or the grade level being taught. These common threads gave me an overview of what my teaching needs to look like to help my students take to writing instead of dread it. Their pacing, allowing for pauses and breaks in genre I think is really important, especially for my students who's attention span is limited.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Chapter 10 Troubleshooting
“Like weeds in a garden, certain problems will show up from time to time.” This chapter covers some of the common problems teachers encounter during the writing workshop.
-To much noise: This could be a caused by not just noisy kids but also a deeper issue. It could be students are confused with what they should be doing, if they don’t know what to do if they are done, or if they aren’t writing about something that they find meaningful and therefore are too distracted. Address these problems during your mini-lessons, re-teach writing workshop rituals and routines, what is expected, or guide topic choices so that they don’t feel so confused.
-When you don’t like the topic they are writing about: Students might write about offensive, violent, or silly things that we don’t feel comfortable with. Students will probably be pulling from pop culture. Make sure that you have clearly stated boundaries of what is allowed in the writing. Try to steer away from retelling of videos and video games by telling them that you want to hear THEIR ideas and thoughts not something that you can rent and see for yourself.
-Finishing work too quickly: I found that in my class this was helped by having a saying “When you’re done you’ve just begun: STOP re-read your work, add to the pictures, add to the words, star a new piece. In this book they give a few other options- make a certain number of pieces must be done. Let students share unfinished work too, draw pictures in the story, ask them to add more details.
-Don’t finish what they start: Ask yourself if you are giving them enough time, are they picking topics they can get in depth with? Use those questions to help fix this problem
-Writing is boring: use other books to show how authors add fancy details. Have them remember what they told you and how it is different from what they wrote. Describing words they may not know could be taught in a mini- lesson
-Don’t know what to teach: read through student writing to focus your lessons: can re-teach routines, celebrate writing, use mentor texts, share your own writing. One quote I really liked was “It’s NOT absolutely necessary to have a mini-lesson at the beginning of every writing workshop, you may just want to get the writing SHARE time might be where you do your lesson.
-Overwhelmed by student conference: Don’t let the students be ducks and follow you around. Teach them to be independent thinkers and problem solve so that you can get your conferences in.
-editing: make a checklist have them read their writing for each item on the checklist not just once for all things on the checklist. Give them opportunities to share writing so they can make it “reader friendly.”
-Energy is low: genre study, change their genre of writing to give them a break. Give an author’s day celebration publishing day
-Too many/none to share: reserve share time for 2 or 3 students, small groups share or partner shares so that all students get to give their writing a spotlight.
-Don’t want to revise: Let students choose what they will revise. Be Patient and let them develop in their writing the way they need to.
This chapter was really nice having a chapter on troubleshooting this writing time. This chapter really gave me knew ideas on how to structure my writing workshop so that less problems and fires need to be put out and so that I have more time to have my student conferences.
-To much noise: This could be a caused by not just noisy kids but also a deeper issue. It could be students are confused with what they should be doing, if they don’t know what to do if they are done, or if they aren’t writing about something that they find meaningful and therefore are too distracted. Address these problems during your mini-lessons, re-teach writing workshop rituals and routines, what is expected, or guide topic choices so that they don’t feel so confused.
-When you don’t like the topic they are writing about: Students might write about offensive, violent, or silly things that we don’t feel comfortable with. Students will probably be pulling from pop culture. Make sure that you have clearly stated boundaries of what is allowed in the writing. Try to steer away from retelling of videos and video games by telling them that you want to hear THEIR ideas and thoughts not something that you can rent and see for yourself.
-Finishing work too quickly: I found that in my class this was helped by having a saying “When you’re done you’ve just begun: STOP re-read your work, add to the pictures, add to the words, star a new piece. In this book they give a few other options- make a certain number of pieces must be done. Let students share unfinished work too, draw pictures in the story, ask them to add more details.
-Don’t finish what they start: Ask yourself if you are giving them enough time, are they picking topics they can get in depth with? Use those questions to help fix this problem
-Writing is boring: use other books to show how authors add fancy details. Have them remember what they told you and how it is different from what they wrote. Describing words they may not know could be taught in a mini- lesson
-Don’t know what to teach: read through student writing to focus your lessons: can re-teach routines, celebrate writing, use mentor texts, share your own writing. One quote I really liked was “It’s NOT absolutely necessary to have a mini-lesson at the beginning of every writing workshop, you may just want to get the writing SHARE time might be where you do your lesson.
-Overwhelmed by student conference: Don’t let the students be ducks and follow you around. Teach them to be independent thinkers and problem solve so that you can get your conferences in.
-editing: make a checklist have them read their writing for each item on the checklist not just once for all things on the checklist. Give them opportunities to share writing so they can make it “reader friendly.”
-Energy is low: genre study, change their genre of writing to give them a break. Give an author’s day celebration publishing day
-Too many/none to share: reserve share time for 2 or 3 students, small groups share or partner shares so that all students get to give their writing a spotlight.
-Don’t want to revise: Let students choose what they will revise. Be Patient and let them develop in their writing the way they need to.
This chapter was really nice having a chapter on troubleshooting this writing time. This chapter really gave me knew ideas on how to structure my writing workshop so that less problems and fires need to be put out and so that I have more time to have my student conferences.
Cinnamon Toast and Tea
Cinnamon Toast and Tea
Darkness cuddled around the sleeping child, holding her in warm cozy arms as she snoozed dreaming youthful, playful dreams. The house was quiet, the mummers and mumbles of conversation long since silenced by breathing and rustling of covers. It was night, the best night, a new moon, clear sky, a cinnamon toast and tea night.
“Jessie, Jessie” a low voice whispered as a gentle shake woke her from her slumbers. Wiping her eyes she rolled over, remembering at the last second to not roll too far, least she fall from her perch on the bed-in-the-wall.
“Daddy?” she whispered back “what’s wrong?”
“You have to come see this” her daddy, her hero, murmured as he lifted her up in his big strong arms and carried her out of the room. Her sisters snuggled sleeping in their beds unaware of the adventure that was happening around them. “See what daddy?” She whispered, her excitement wiping away the last cobwebs of sleep from her brain. Giggling under her breath at the thought of what they would be missing.
Her daddy wrapped her in his fuzzy, faded, flannel sweater; the one she loved to sleep with that carried that comforting smell of her hero. He carried her up the stairs and outside into the arms of the night. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the dark. Her daddy had not turned on any lights, nor brought a flashlight to guide their way. She looked around, felt the cool mountain breeze sliding through the trees, the sound, soothing, reminiscent of the waves crashing on a beach. Her naked toes wiggled, tickled by the fingers of wind that passed by. Her daddy placed her down gently on the cold, hard asphalt as he settled next to her. “Lay back and look up,” he whispered.
Before her eyes spread this glorious velvet canvas, sprinkled with thousands of glittering, sparkling diamonds. “Wow” she breathed; somehow it felt necessary to speak in whispers while looking at these shards of heaven, twinkling down upon them. They lay, side by side, her daddy pointing out the heroes and creatures, the stories in the stars. Orion, the great hunter, for eternity chasing the seven beautiful sisters, the Pleiades, across the wheel of the sky. Tarus, the brawny bull, intervening on Artimis’ order, his red eye gleaming among the drops of white. Cassiopeia, the vain queen who put her daughters up against Aphrodite in a contest of beauty, and in punishment was thrown upside down into the heavens.
The blacktop soaked up her body heat, stealing it away until shivers made her body twitch. “Are you cold, pumpkin?” Her daddy whispered, turning his head to check on her. “Yeth” she lisped out, her teeth chattering against each other. Her hero scooped her up in his warm strong arms, holding her close to his heart. Over his shoulder she took a final peek at the winking drops of light. They snuck back into the house, tiptoeing across the creaky, groaning, floorboards to the kitchen. One small light illuminated the kitchen as her daddy set her down at the sturdy brown table and tucked the warm fuzzy sweater closer around her.
As she watched he filled the shiny black teapot with water, the rushing, shushing, sound of the water filling the pot echoed through the silence. He placed it carefully on the stove and clicked of the knob so the coil ignited. She listened as he started to sing, his voice reminding her of her favorite singer, Raffi. “Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain, telling me just what a fool I’ve been…” Curled up in her chair she was warm, and cozy, fighting sleep; it’s silken voice calling her to bed. She blinked.
DING! Her eyes flew open. Her dad was still singing and moving around the kitchen. Toast had popped up, to be spread with golden, creamy goodness and sprinkled with a shower of silver and bronze delight. WHHHHHHHoooooooo! The clear crisp whistle of the hot steam shooting through the kettle was silenced as her father lifted it up and poured the bubbling, steaming, liquid into two brightly colored mugs. The tails of two tea sachets peeked over the edge. She uncurled herself from the chair and padded into the kitchen. Peering over the edge of the counter she looked at her hero’s handy work. “Grab some milk!” He whispered as he pulled on the tea tails to take them to the trash. She turned to the refrigerator and pulled open the door—the cold air making her curl her toes along the floor. She brought him the milk and he put it on the counter and lifted her up so she could watch. As she watched the milk created creamy clouds in the depths of the mug. Handing her a spoon he cautioned “Careful, now” as she shakily spooned in the glistening grains. He swung her off the counter and gave her the plate of cinnamon toast as he carried the steaming mugs to the table. As she clambered up onto the chair he went to the bookshelf and brought out the BIG book of the Universe. They flipped through the pages as they crunched on their toast and sipped their tea. The illustrations and myths about the planets and stars starting to swim before her eyes. “Ok, pumpkin, time for bed.” “NOOO!” She whispered back, “I’m not tired yet, PROMISE!” Shaking his head knowingly they carried their cups to the sink to be quickly washed. He scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her back downstairs to her cozy bed—careful not to wake her slumbering sisters. She crawled back under the covers; cool now that they’d been empty so long. Giving him one last kiss goodnight, “Night daddy! Thank you!” she whispered. “Good night, sweetheart.” He replied tucking her covers closer around her. She snuggled back into their soft depths and closed her eyes as sleep washed over her—her dreams filled with the stories and myths of long ago.
Darkness cuddled around the sleeping child, holding her in warm cozy arms as she snoozed dreaming youthful, playful dreams. The house was quiet, the mummers and mumbles of conversation long since silenced by breathing and rustling of covers. It was night, the best night, a new moon, clear sky, a cinnamon toast and tea night.
“Jessie, Jessie” a low voice whispered as a gentle shake woke her from her slumbers. Wiping her eyes she rolled over, remembering at the last second to not roll too far, least she fall from her perch on the bed-in-the-wall.
“Daddy?” she whispered back “what’s wrong?”
“You have to come see this” her daddy, her hero, murmured as he lifted her up in his big strong arms and carried her out of the room. Her sisters snuggled sleeping in their beds unaware of the adventure that was happening around them. “See what daddy?” She whispered, her excitement wiping away the last cobwebs of sleep from her brain. Giggling under her breath at the thought of what they would be missing.
Her daddy wrapped her in his fuzzy, faded, flannel sweater; the one she loved to sleep with that carried that comforting smell of her hero. He carried her up the stairs and outside into the arms of the night. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the dark. Her daddy had not turned on any lights, nor brought a flashlight to guide their way. She looked around, felt the cool mountain breeze sliding through the trees, the sound, soothing, reminiscent of the waves crashing on a beach. Her naked toes wiggled, tickled by the fingers of wind that passed by. Her daddy placed her down gently on the cold, hard asphalt as he settled next to her. “Lay back and look up,” he whispered.
Before her eyes spread this glorious velvet canvas, sprinkled with thousands of glittering, sparkling diamonds. “Wow” she breathed; somehow it felt necessary to speak in whispers while looking at these shards of heaven, twinkling down upon them. They lay, side by side, her daddy pointing out the heroes and creatures, the stories in the stars. Orion, the great hunter, for eternity chasing the seven beautiful sisters, the Pleiades, across the wheel of the sky. Tarus, the brawny bull, intervening on Artimis’ order, his red eye gleaming among the drops of white. Cassiopeia, the vain queen who put her daughters up against Aphrodite in a contest of beauty, and in punishment was thrown upside down into the heavens.
The blacktop soaked up her body heat, stealing it away until shivers made her body twitch. “Are you cold, pumpkin?” Her daddy whispered, turning his head to check on her. “Yeth” she lisped out, her teeth chattering against each other. Her hero scooped her up in his warm strong arms, holding her close to his heart. Over his shoulder she took a final peek at the winking drops of light. They snuck back into the house, tiptoeing across the creaky, groaning, floorboards to the kitchen. One small light illuminated the kitchen as her daddy set her down at the sturdy brown table and tucked the warm fuzzy sweater closer around her.
As she watched he filled the shiny black teapot with water, the rushing, shushing, sound of the water filling the pot echoed through the silence. He placed it carefully on the stove and clicked of the knob so the coil ignited. She listened as he started to sing, his voice reminding her of her favorite singer, Raffi. “Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain, telling me just what a fool I’ve been…” Curled up in her chair she was warm, and cozy, fighting sleep; it’s silken voice calling her to bed. She blinked.
DING! Her eyes flew open. Her dad was still singing and moving around the kitchen. Toast had popped up, to be spread with golden, creamy goodness and sprinkled with a shower of silver and bronze delight. WHHHHHHHoooooooo! The clear crisp whistle of the hot steam shooting through the kettle was silenced as her father lifted it up and poured the bubbling, steaming, liquid into two brightly colored mugs. The tails of two tea sachets peeked over the edge. She uncurled herself from the chair and padded into the kitchen. Peering over the edge of the counter she looked at her hero’s handy work. “Grab some milk!” He whispered as he pulled on the tea tails to take them to the trash. She turned to the refrigerator and pulled open the door—the cold air making her curl her toes along the floor. She brought him the milk and he put it on the counter and lifted her up so she could watch. As she watched the milk created creamy clouds in the depths of the mug. Handing her a spoon he cautioned “Careful, now” as she shakily spooned in the glistening grains. He swung her off the counter and gave her the plate of cinnamon toast as he carried the steaming mugs to the table. As she clambered up onto the chair he went to the bookshelf and brought out the BIG book of the Universe. They flipped through the pages as they crunched on their toast and sipped their tea. The illustrations and myths about the planets and stars starting to swim before her eyes. “Ok, pumpkin, time for bed.” “NOOO!” She whispered back, “I’m not tired yet, PROMISE!” Shaking his head knowingly they carried their cups to the sink to be quickly washed. He scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her back downstairs to her cozy bed—careful not to wake her slumbering sisters. She crawled back under the covers; cool now that they’d been empty so long. Giving him one last kiss goodnight, “Night daddy! Thank you!” she whispered. “Good night, sweetheart.” He replied tucking her covers closer around her. She snuggled back into their soft depths and closed her eyes as sleep washed over her—her dreams filled with the stories and myths of long ago.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Lesson Plan: Opinion
Name: Jessica Garcia
Length of Time: 90 min
Grade:1
Common Core Standards:
w.1.1 write opinion pieces in which they introduce the name of book, state an opinion, reason for opinion, and closure
Content Concepts: Write and support an Opinion
GLO’S: Self Directed Learner- students can work on their own, managing their time to complete the assignment. Community contributor-students can share in the whole group/small group discussions at the beginning and end of the lessons.
Ojectives: Student will write an opinion about the book read and be able to state a reason for their opinion
Assessment(s) and or Evaluation:
Students are able to clearly state their opinion and support their opinion.
3-students are able to give one reason to support their opinion
2-students are able to give an opinion but not a reason why the have that opinion
1-students are unable to state an opinion but can tell the book that we were using
0-students are not able to put anything on the paper.
Resources:
-The Little Mouse, the RED Ripe Strawberry, and the BIG HUNGRY BEAR by Don and Audry Wood
-Chart paper
-Individual writing paper for students
Beginning Procedures (Lesson Introduction/Anticipatory Set/Connection to Prior Knowledge)
Call students to group meeting area. Have a whole group discussion on the differences between fact and opinion. Use examples like it is a fact that an apple is a fruit, but if you like to eat apples that is your opinion. Have students discuss if everyone needs to have the same opinion as someone else. (guide discussion so students gain understanding that having other opinions are ok) Also, model and discuss that you have to be able to tell WHY you have that opinion. I do not like coconut because it makes my stomach upset when I eat it. I like chocolate because it is sweet. I like going to to movies because… BECAUSE is the key word in their writing
GO over rubric for writing: Show what it would look like.
TO GET A 3 You need: Name on your paper, The title of the book, your opinion AND a reason why you have that opinion.
Middle Procedures (Learning Activities)
Read story to students. Have them close their eyes (NO TALKING) and think about the story and have them decide “Is there really a bear?” Students grab writing paper and work individually on their opinion paper. Pull aside small group if there needs to be any modifications for diverse learners. Circulate while students are working asking their opinions etc.
Closing Procedures
Have students discuss their opinions with others at their table. Did they agree or disagree. Table groups pick ONE or TWO people to share out to the class their opinions.
Modifications for Diverse Learners:
Re-read the story and allow students to use the book to look for support.
Verbal opinions while teacher or peer writes down for them.
Teacher’s Reflection on Lesson:
This was a different lesson when geared towards writing rather than a reading standard. It will be interesting to see how this goes next year when I do this lesson this way rather than an verbal discussion in a reading lesson like I did this year and the year before. I need to find a few more ambiguous texts that will help my students formulate opinions. I think this lesson will have to be moved to the end part of the year as writing is a very stressful content area for this age group. I want to practice with simpler texts and scaffold more for opinions in general.
Length of Time: 90 min
Grade:1
Common Core Standards:
w.1.1 write opinion pieces in which they introduce the name of book, state an opinion, reason for opinion, and closure
Content Concepts: Write and support an Opinion
GLO’S: Self Directed Learner- students can work on their own, managing their time to complete the assignment. Community contributor-students can share in the whole group/small group discussions at the beginning and end of the lessons.
Ojectives: Student will write an opinion about the book read and be able to state a reason for their opinion
Assessment(s) and or Evaluation:
Students are able to clearly state their opinion and support their opinion.
3-students are able to give one reason to support their opinion
2-students are able to give an opinion but not a reason why the have that opinion
1-students are unable to state an opinion but can tell the book that we were using
0-students are not able to put anything on the paper.
Resources:
-The Little Mouse, the RED Ripe Strawberry, and the BIG HUNGRY BEAR by Don and Audry Wood
-Chart paper
-Individual writing paper for students
Beginning Procedures (Lesson Introduction/Anticipatory Set/Connection to Prior Knowledge)
Call students to group meeting area. Have a whole group discussion on the differences between fact and opinion. Use examples like it is a fact that an apple is a fruit, but if you like to eat apples that is your opinion. Have students discuss if everyone needs to have the same opinion as someone else. (guide discussion so students gain understanding that having other opinions are ok) Also, model and discuss that you have to be able to tell WHY you have that opinion. I do not like coconut because it makes my stomach upset when I eat it. I like chocolate because it is sweet. I like going to to movies because… BECAUSE is the key word in their writing
GO over rubric for writing: Show what it would look like.
TO GET A 3 You need: Name on your paper, The title of the book, your opinion AND a reason why you have that opinion.
Middle Procedures (Learning Activities)
Read story to students. Have them close their eyes (NO TALKING) and think about the story and have them decide “Is there really a bear?” Students grab writing paper and work individually on their opinion paper. Pull aside small group if there needs to be any modifications for diverse learners. Circulate while students are working asking their opinions etc.
Closing Procedures
Have students discuss their opinions with others at their table. Did they agree or disagree. Table groups pick ONE or TWO people to share out to the class their opinions.
Modifications for Diverse Learners:
Re-read the story and allow students to use the book to look for support.
Verbal opinions while teacher or peer writes down for them.
Teacher’s Reflection on Lesson:
This was a different lesson when geared towards writing rather than a reading standard. It will be interesting to see how this goes next year when I do this lesson this way rather than an verbal discussion in a reading lesson like I did this year and the year before. I need to find a few more ambiguous texts that will help my students formulate opinions. I think this lesson will have to be moved to the end part of the year as writing is a very stressful content area for this age group. I want to practice with simpler texts and scaffold more for opinions in general.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Research question
How will using literature as a focus for my mini-lesson improve my students' writing?
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