Unit 1
11 pages please scroll down
Week
Week
The Writing Process
Prewriting
1
2
p. 23
p. 33
Week
Week
Drafting
Revising
3
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p. 43
4
p. 53
Week
Editing
p. 63
Getting Started The writing process helps children grasp how to create a piece of writing. With this unit, they get acquainted with the writing process in small, understandable chunks. They get a sense of what it takes to become capable, confident writers—valuable background knowledge for the following units, in which they will explore the traits of writing.
Unit 1
Week
1
The Steps in the Writing Process Prewriting
T
he writing process gives support as the writer works to capture ideas on the page. It helps young writers develop ideas, build essential skills, and identify and solve problems in their writing. As children apply the writing process, they think aloud on paper with both words and drawings, following the steps all writers do, but at a level that is developmentally right. This provides a sturdy writing foundation as they move up the grades.
Drafting
Revising
Editing
e l p m a s s e Week at a Glanceag p Finishing/Publishing
2
3
Day
4
Day
Pages 28–29
Pages 30–31
Page 32
Day
1
Day
Day
Pages 24–25
Pages 26–27
Focus Lesson
What Writers Do As They Compose
Read aloud Dear Juno by Soyung Pak
Writing activity Letter to a Loved One
Video Screening
Soyung Pak on Writing
Learning about the Writing Process, Phase 1
Learning about the Writing Process, Phase 2
Learning about the Writing Process, Phase 3
Hands-On activity
Whole-Class Share
The Writing Song
5
Independent Writing Whole-Class Reflection
Writing Routine
Finding a Partner
Writing Routine Writers’ Circle
The Writing Process 23
1 Day
The Writing Process Focus Lesson
What Writers Do As They Compose Your Students Will
• learn about the writing process. • listen to and discuss Soyung Pak’s Dear Juno.
• write a letter to someone
important to them, using pictures and words.
Introduce
Tell children that in this unit they are going to learn about what writers do. Review and discuss introduction to The Writing Process in the Student Handbook. Let children know that they will find out more about each step in the writing process—prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing—in the weeks to come.
Ready to Write? • Choose a great idea. • Get your idea down in words and pictures. • Change words to make your writing better. • Watch your spelling and handwriting.
The Writing Process Prewriting
Trait Mates, reporting for duty!
Drafting Revising Editing Finishing/Publishing
Presentation
Organization
Writers do many things. First, they choose one idea and start drawing and writing. Then, they read their writing over and over, and change some things to make it better. Finally, they share their writing with a reader.
Conventions
Word Choice
Ideas
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Sentence Fluency
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The Writing Process 7
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Explore
Materials you’ll Need
• copy of Dear Juno • introduction to The Writing Process
Traitspace; Student Handbook, ( pp. 6–7)
• What Writers Do (Student Handbook, p. 8)
• examples of letters • paper, pencils, and markers • Address Page ( Traitspace)
• Discuss with children what writers do as they compose. List
ideas on the board. Have children contribute to the list as you dramatize the process by saying something such as: I’m going to write a letter to my mother. Before I write, I might ask questions to find out more about what she likes or doesn’t like. I might write notes or draw pictures to help me think of ideas of things to say in my letter. Or, I might sit and think. These are all ways I get ready to write.
• Next, have children think about what you might do as you write. Model writing a story and drawing a picture to go with it while you discuss your process out loud.
The Writing Process
What Writers Do What do writers do? Draw and write your ideas here.
• After you have gathered a number of ideas about the activity of writing, ask children to choose one or two and record them in words and pictures on the What Writers Do sheet in the Student Handbook.
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Wrap Up
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Tell children that writing involves all the things they listed and more. Explain that this year they are going to hear from many different authors about how they write. Say something like: You might be surprised by how much you can learn from an author about writing that will help you with your own writing.
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Read Aloud
Dear Juno by Soyung Pak Synopsis
In this book, Juno’s grandmother sends him a letter from Korea. Juno can’t read Korean, but a dried flower and a photo of Grandmother with a new cat give clues to its contents. How can he reply? Juno solves the problem with three drawings about his life. • Show children the cover of Dear Juno. Read the title and author name and discuss the illustration on the cover. Ask: Who do you think sent the letter to Juno?
e l p m sa ages Writing Activity p • As you read, ask children to think about what Juno and his
grandmother share. What does Juno tell her about himself without using words?
Tips for Teaching the Writing Process Some children will have difficulty remembering all the steps of the writing process. In addition to “The Writing Song” they will learn on Day 3 of this week, you might also use this fun mnemonic: Please Do Remember Every Fun Part! P: prewrite D: draft R: revise E: edit F: finish P: publish
• After reading, discuss with children what Juno might have said if he had been able to write to his grandmother in Korean.
Letter to a Loved One
Show children examples of letters. Then show one of Juno’s drawings in Dear Juno and remind children that his drawing is also a letter. Tell children they will write a letter to a family member or friend in words and pictures, as Juno does. When they’ve finished, collect the signed letters. Put a copy of the Address Page in children’s take-home folders to get the recipient’s address so the letter can be mailed at week’s end.
Looking Ahead to Day 2
• Tell children that next time they
will see Soyung Pak on a video.
• Preview the video clip of Soyung Pak.
• Flag the page in the book Writing Routine Working Together in Writers’ Circle Teach children how to work together during writers’ circle. Demonstrate and explain the following: 1. Put your paper in front of you, faceup if you wish to share, and facedown if you do not. 2. Wait quietly for sharing to begin. Model these behaviors as you explain them.
where Juno is lying on the floor with his dog, writing to his grandmother.
• Prepare a place to store the
filled-in address pages that children will bring from home, for your use on Day 5.
The Writing Process 25
2 Day
The Writing Process Video Screening
Soyung Pak on Writing Your Students Will
• watch a short interview with Soyung Pak.
• share new ideas about the writing process.
• draw and write about where
they like to write and the tools they like to use.
Materials you’ll Need
• copy of Dear Juno • video clip of Soyung Pak (
Traitspace)
• My Writing Place and “Stuff” (Student Handbook, p. 9)
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1. Remind children of what you’ve discussed so far this week about the writing process. 2. Show children the book Dear Juno and allow them to share any thoughts they’ve had about it since you read it to them. Then tell children they are going to watch a video of the author, Soyung Pak, talking about writing. 3. Play the video clip of Pak.
4. Discuss Pak’s writing process and any writing tips she shares. 5. Invite children to share how Pak’s process relates to their own writing process.
Reaching English Language Learners For Spanish-speaking children, connect key terms from the lesson to their Spanish equivalents: writing place (lugar para escribir), writing things (stuff) (materiales para escribir), and writing process (el proceso de la escritura). This will help English language learners connect their prior knowledge to the concepts covered in this lesson. Where possible, do this for speakers of other languages as well.
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Learning About the Writing Process, Phase 1 Introduce
Discuss with children that writers need a place to write, materials with which to write, and to be in the best frame of mind to do their best work.
Explore
• Ask children to share places they
think are good for writing. They might suggest their desk, the class writing corner, outside under a tree, in their kitchen, and so on.
The bathtub is ducky!
My Writing Place and “Stuff” Draw a picture of your favorite place to write.
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• Ask children what materials or “stuff” they need for writing. They might say pencils, crayons, and paper.
Draw pictures of things you use to write.
• Show the page in Dear Juno where Juno
is on the floor with his dog, drawing pictures for his letter. Discuss the Student Handbook, p. 9 materials he gathered and the place he chose to work. Ask questions such as: Why do you think Juno chose the writing stuff he did? Are those your favorites, too? What about his writing place? Why do you think he’s on the floor?
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• Using words, pictures, or a combination of both, ask children to
capture a favorite place and favorite materials for writing on My Writing Place and “Stuff” page in the Student Handbook. Point out how Juno uses pictures to convey his ideas.
• Finally, talk about what it feels like to be in their writing place,
using their writing “stuff.” Say something such as: Imagine you’re in your writing place with all your writing stuff. Do you feel ready to write? Explain.
Wrap Up
Tell children that authors have their favorite writing places and writing “stuff,” too. Explain that on Day 3 they will break into small groups and have a chance to share their ideas about writing.
Looking Ahead to Day 3
• Practice “The Writing Song”
and actions that could go Traitspace; Student with it ( Handbook, p. 196).
The Writing Process 27
3 Day
Learning about the Writing Process, Phase 2 Introduce
Your Students Will
• discuss how writers “borrow” ideas from each other.
• learn the steps in the writing process.
• sing “The Writing Song” and decide on actions to go with it.
Materials you’ll Need
• introduction to The Writing Process
Traitspace; Student Handbook, ( pp. 6–7)
• My Writing Place and “Stuff” (Student Handbook, p. 9)
• The Writing Song (
The Writing Process
Traitspace;
Student Handbook, p. 196)
Have children return to the introduction to The Writing Process in the Student Handbook. Explain that writers develop their work over time, using the steps in the writing process. Briefly discuss each step. 1. Prewriting—when writers choose their ideas 2. Drafting—when writers get down their ideas in pictures and words 3. Revising—when writers add or take away words to make the main idea clear
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4. Editing—when writers make sure a reader can understand what they wrote by using correct conventions 5. Finishing/Publishing—when writers “go public” with their work Then, read over the Ready to Write? questions, linking each step to the first four steps of the writing process.
Explore
• Divide the class into small groups and ask children to share their My Writing Place and “Stuff” pieces from Day 2.
• When they’ve finished, gather children together and ask them to tell everyone about someone in their group who made a particularly wise move. For example: I liked how Mia drew a picture of the pens and pencils she uses to write.
• Invite children to add words or pictures to their pages that
were inspired by their classmates’ work. Explain that when you “borrow” an idea this way, you shouldn’t just copy it, but use it to come up with your own original idea.
Wrap Up
Tell children they will find out more about the writing process in the weeks to come. Explain that its steps are a guide for writing— but only a guide. As children learn the steps, they should feel free to follow them in any order, and to return to any of them whenever they wish. Encourage children to use the list on the Ready to Write? page as a guide.
Whiteboard Connection
Find additional resources on the Interactive WriteBoard.
28 Unit 1 • Week 1
Hands-On Activity The Writing Song
Project “The Writing Song” or have children turn to it in the Student Handbook, and sing it together. Ask children to decide on actions to go with the words, and then practice singing the song while carrying out those actions. For example, children may extend a finger and pretend to write for the line “I’m writing,” and outstretch their arms in a V-shape to suggest cheering.
The Writing Song (sung to the tune of “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring”) I’m writing, I’m writing. The whole world is cheering. I write for you, and I write for me. And every day—I’m improving!
e l p m sa ages p 196 Songs
Student Handbook, p. 196 TS_PE_G1_Songs_196_204.indd 196
Writing Routine Finding a Partner
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Teach children how to find a partner by explaining various kinds of partners. If children are on the floor for pair share time, have them find their right shoulder partner (person to their right), their left shoulder partner (person to their left), and their front partner (person who sits in front of them). If children are at tables, have them find their face partner (person facing them across the table) and their diagonal partner (person who sits diagonally across the table). Call out a partner type and have children locate that partner; for example: Point to your right partner. Problem-solve any confusion children may have about who that person is. Go through all the partner types until children are comfortable finding the asked-for partner.
Looking Ahead to Day 4
• Obtain modeling clay in four
different colors, enough so that each child has a small ball of each of the four colors (or make “fun dough” in four different colors).
• Obtain paper plates or place mats for each child to use as a working surface.
The Writing Process 29
4 Day
Your Students Will
• discuss that writing is a process that involves several steps—prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and finishing/publishing.
• create sculptures with modeling clay or fun dough to model different stages of the writing process. • share their sculptures with others.
The Writing Process Learning about the Writing Process, Phase 3 Introduce
Review with children how skilled writers work: they prewrite, draft, revise, edit, and finish their work in a timely manner.
Explore
• Tell children that today they’re going to create something on their own, just the way a writer does. But instead of using paper and pencil, they’ll be using “fun dough.”
• Distribute the fun dough. Explain that when the music starts,
they can begin to work on their fun-dough art. When it stops, they must stop, too. “Hands off” the fun dough!
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• Ask children what they could make with fun dough, encouraging
them to be inventive. The more creative the better! Write “prewriting” on the board. Remind children that this is when they come up with ideas they are excited about.
Materials you’ll Need
• fun, lively music and a music player • paper plates or place mats, one per student
• modeling clay (or “fun dough”) in four different colors, one small ball of each color per student
• Give children one color of fun dough and give them one minute of music to model it quickly, without worrying about how it looks. Write “drafting” on the board. Remind children that this is when they get their ideas down in words or pictures—or fun dough!
• Give them smaller amounts of dough in the three other colors
and give them one minute of music to add something, one minute to take something away, and finally, one minute to change something. As they work, write “revising” on the board and review that this is their chance to make their work better.
Wrap Up
Give children one minute to clean up their work area and any rough edges on their work. Tell them they are going to display their fundough pieces for classmates to view. Write “editing” on the board and explain that it’s important to clean up your work before showing it to other people.
Whole-Class Share Professional Development Find video of lessons and activities like these on PD Live.
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Have children circulate, stopping to look at each piece. Encourage them to notice the different approaches and interesting details. Write “finishing/publishing” on the board. Have children return to their seats and discuss what they noticed. Point out that the steps they took to create their fun-dough pieces are like the steps in the writing process. Save the words on the board for discussion the next day.
Spotlight Paper Abbie, Grade 1
Prewrite
Revision
e l p m sa ages p Draft
Edit
All children can learn to prewrite, draft, revise, and edit their work, and become competent, confident writers. The Unit 1 Spotlight Paper feature enables you to follow one child’s piece of writing as she takes it through the writing process—from prewriting in Week 2 to draft in Week 3 to revision in Week 4 to final edit in Week 5. Seeing the process in action like this will hopefully be inspirational to you. It’ll give you a better sense of what to expect from the children in your own class. You’ll also find sample conference comments, which provide language you might use to move children forward.
Looking Ahead to Day 5
• Gather blank envelopes for
children’s letters. Leave the space for the recipient’s name blank, but add the address yourself from the information on the address form. Attach an envelope to each child’s letter.
The Writing Process 31
5 Day
The Writing Process Independent Writing • Review what children learned about the writing process when they created fun-dough art.
Your Students Will
• revise and edit the letters they began on Day 1.
• finish addressing an envelope to the person who will receive the letter.
• reflect on what they’ve learned about sharing work. • share their letters with the class,
while the other children practice listening and asking questions.
Materials you’ll Need
• student letters from Day 1 • envelopes, pre-addressed to recipients, with the name left blank
• Describe the writing process, pointing to the steps on the board (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, finish/publish). Tell children they will learn more about those steps as they write throughout the year.
• Hand back the letters children wrote on Day 1, along with the
envelopes. Tell children to set the envelopes aside for now, and invite them to think like writers by revising and editing their ideas. Remind them of the steps they took to create their fundough art.
• When children have finished revising their letters, have them
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turn to the envelopes. Tell them you have written the address of their special person on their envelopes. Have children write the name of their special person above the address.
• If children need help writing the name of the addressee, have them start with the first letter of the first name. Say this or something similar: What is the first letter? Should it be a capital or lowercase letter? Great! Can you write that letter? Have them write the first letter, and then continue to name and write each letter until they have completed the person’s first and last name. You might also write the name for them on a separate sheet of paper, as a model.
Whole-Class Reflection Review the procedures for working together in the writers’ circle that you taught on Day 1. Ask volunteers to share their letters while the rest of the class practices paying attention and asking questions. Spur discussion with questions such as: What do you like about this letter? Did it give you any ideas you might want to use the next time you write a letter?
Looking ahead to Week 2
• Preread My Truck Is Stuck! by Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk.
• Prepare to project The 5 W’s Traitspace; Student ( Handbook, p. 12).
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After each child shares, retrieve the letter and clip it to the envelope. Mail the letters for children, or have them hand-deliver them to recipients. Conclude by discussing the central question: What have I learned about the writing process this week that will help me become a better writer? Chart ideas that can be applied to future work.
