Star Writer Mini Unit

Writing Workshop

Star Prompt Writers MiniUnit– 4-5 Days

Key Concepts:
• Informational reading
• Narrative writing (story elements)
• Writer’s perspective/style
• Writing short story or narrative (adequate for audience and topic)
• presenting revision information

Students will be able to
• Use a variety of prewriting strategies
• Sequence ideas
• Write focused paragraphs including connected main idea and details
• Revise based on written and oral responses from teacher and peers

Lesson 1 –
Review rubric and an anchor paper orally
Introduce cooperative learning groups
Fishbowl expectations
Practice a cooperative learning group
Write on a prompt in-group
Practice writing on the prompt on own

Lesson 2 –
Post objectives
Review prompt writing in group
Use stars and wishes to revise drafts
Revise using revision checklist
Revise and publish drafts
SS
Use cooperative groups to complete comprehension questions, additional cooperative practice
Focus on shared knowledge, all members need to know the answers
Teach strategies-practice writing, or speaking, round robin…

Lesson 3 –
New writing from Knowledge and Experience Prompt
Revisit cooperative groups to brainstorm, draft as group
Draft on own

Lesson 4 –
Post objectives
Review prompt writing in group
Use stars and wishes to revise drafts
Revise using revision checklist-then submit

Lesson 5 –
Revise and publish drafts

Lesson 6 –
Work on presentations
Group presentation rubric

Lesson 7-
Work and share presentations

PRIDE: A Writing Prompt Lesson Bill Martin November 13, 2006

Objectives

• W.PR.05.03 draft focused ideas using linguistic structures and textual features needed to clearly communicate information composing coherent, mechanically sound paragraphs when writing compositions.
• W.PR.05.02 apply a variety of pre-writing strategies for both narrative and informational writing (e.g., graphic organizers such as maps, webs, Venn diagrams) in order to generate, sequence, and structure ideas (e.g., role and relationships of characters, settings, ideas, relationship of theory/evidence, or compare/contrast)
• W.PR.05.01 set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing a narrative or informational piece
• W.PR.05.05 independently and collaboratively edit and proofread writing using grade level checklists.
• W.AT.05.01 be enthusiastic about writing and learning to write
Materials needed

Writing from Knowledge and Experience-Pride Packets, Overhead, Pencils, Composition Notebooks, Student Composition notebook, White boards, white board markers, classroom chart paper

Assessment
• Assess writing according to 6-point (MEAP) rubric

• Assess group discussions

Purpose

Tuesday, January 23, 2007-from a Detroit Free Press Article that reads
MEAP writing scores lag: Why can't kids do better? Written by Jennifer Mrozowski, Mike Wilkinson and Shawn D. Lewis An excerpt from the article states that “Writing is a more sophisticated and subjective topic that demands a higher level of thinking than reading and math.” A caption reads “Carol Gursky, a language arts teacher at Barth Elementary School in Romulus, helps Alexis Davison, 9, as she writes a composition. After increasing training, MEAP writing scores jumped at the school this year.” Our school has a focus on writing for the same reasons, so it is imperitive that we focus on lessons such as these, where students become the sages and the teacher becomes one who sets the stage.

Anticipatory Set

Today is a big day for you, we have prepared only two days for this, but as you know I will not be there with you when you need to write to a topic, now and in the future. You have all learned so much about writing this year, and you have all learned different things. Today you will have another opportunity to teach each other to be accomplished writers.

Learning Activity

Students work in cooperative groups on prewriting and brainstorming the topic of Pride. Cooperative groups are already set up, and they will be working as a team. They will write a two-sentence answer about what pride is. They will then join in groups and share their answer. At that time the group recorder will decide on a pre writing strategy such as webbing, outlining, listing, or bulls eyeing. Once the prewriting strategy is complete, the hopper will convene in a new group to share what their group has come up with. They return to their group to draft a first paragraph

Independent Practice

Students pick up their own packets. They go through the process that their group has done.

Closure

What worked for you?
What didn’t work?