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Writing Lesson Plans
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3rd Grade Writing
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The following writing schedule consists of daily:
- 45-minute time frame for writing workshop lessons from Just Write: Expository book. These lessons should take place between Monday and Thursday by reducing the number of main ideas from three to two. Friday’s lessons and homework will utilize activities from Just Write with Details & Elaboration book. These activities were designed to build the quality of student writing with details and elaboration.
- 10-minute center or overhead work from Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book.
- On Monday, students participate in a teacher-designed activity that reminds students about the grammatical concept for the week. (e.g. During a noun review, students might bring a noun from home & discuss the different types of nouns)
- Tuesday – Friday: students rotate to a Language Arts center to complete the exercises on the Just Science Grammar page for the day. An alternative method might be to have the Day’s work on an overhead for students to complete in the morning or at the end of the day.
- 5-minute center or overhead work from Just Conventions book (beginning the week of August 27th)
- On Monday, students participate in a teacher-designed activity that reminds students about the grammatical concept for the week. (e.g. During a beginning punctuation review, students might capitalize the beginning letter in sentences on sentence strips.)
- Tuesday – Friday: students rotate to a Language Arts center to complete the exercises on the Just Conventions page for the day. An alternative method might be to have the Day’s work on an overhead for students to complete in the morning or at the end of the day.
- Since the writing instruction is beginning with the expository genre, it will help students comprehend how to use the narrative graphic organizer if they work with it a little each week during the expository instruction. At least once a week, I recommend taking a story from the reading series or a picture book and plotting it out on the Narrative Graphic Organizer.. This will not only make the narrative lessons run smoothly, it will reinforce the identification of main ideas and support information in the area of reading.
- Students are required to get “in line” to proceed to physical education, art, music, library, lunch, and go home. At least twice a week, award students a position towards the front of student line by raising their hand and naming a detail based on a topic. For example: They might line up by naming a television show this week; next week, by naming a relative; etc.) This will keep the information active in their brains for use at writing time. Rather than writing that they “…drove down the street,” they’ll write that they “…drove down Main Street.” The writing will be more precise and interesting.
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Week 1 of School:
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer. The Narrative Mountain graphic organizer is located in Just Write: All Year Long: Grade Three Part Two: Narrative. (Week 3 page 41)
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Types of cereal (e.g. Kellogg’s ‘Special K’ cereal)
- Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part 1: Expository book:
Week 1:
- Modeling developing Journal ideas
- Creating a vocabulary book
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 1 (Declarative & Interrogative sentences)
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Week 4 of School:
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer.
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Name of a friend (e.g. my friend Jose)
- Daily Morning work: Set up a prompt or list the following information:
- Topic (students name the topic in the prompt)
- Expository or Narrative (students write E or N)
- Brainstorm (students list 3-5 ideas that a they might write if they were writing about this topic.)
- Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part One: Expository book:
Week 2 (Grouping details into Main Ideas/categories)
- Daily topics should be changed to meet your academic needs in science, social studies, etc.
- Always begin by grouping 3-dimensional items .
- Later, group pictures of animals or items into main ideas.
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 3 (Subject & predicate)
- Just Conventions book: Week 2 (Beginning & ending punctuation)
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Week 5 of School:
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer.
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Types of candy bar (e.g. 3 Musketeers chocolate bar)
- Daily Morning work: Set up a prompt or list the following information:
- Topic (students name the topic in the prompt)
- Expository or Narrative (students write E or N)
- Brainstorm (students list 3-5 ideas that a they might write if they were writing about this topic.)
Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part One: Expository book:
Week 3 (Brainstorming & grouping words into Main Ideas)
- Daily topics should be changed to meet your academic needs in science, social studies, etc.
- Lots of group work will occur this week so make sure that students are writing in their journal.
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 4 (Compound predicates)
- Just Conventions book: Week 3 (Quotations)
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Week 6 of School:
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer.
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Names of cities (e.g. New York City)
- Daily Morning work: Set up a prompt or list the following information:
- Topic (students name the topic in the prompt)
- Expository or Narrative (students write E or N)
- Brainstorm (students list 3-5 ideas that a they might write if they were writing about this topic.)
- Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part One: Expository book:
Week 4 (Developing Main Ideas & Leads)
- Graphic organizers contain pictures.
- Promote originality and creativity in creating main ideas.
- If this is the first year that your students have worked on grouping information into Main Ideas, they may need support in creating a topic that unifies their main ideas.
- Continuing practicing brainstorming and grouping details in other subjects: science, social studies, or reading.
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 5 (Subjects)
- Just Conventions book: Week 4 (Direct Address & Quotations)
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Week 7 of School
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer. The Narrative Mountain graphic organizer is located in Just Write: All Year Long: Grade Three Part Two: Narrative. (Week 3 page 41)
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Types of sandwiches (e.g. Big Mac cheeseburger, ham & cheese)
Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part 1: Expository book: Week 5: Writing about planets
- Read a book about each planet.
- Day #1: Topic Sentence
- Make sure that the topic is generic.
- Students share topic sentences aloud before writing them down.
- Day #2: Transition Word(s)
- Practice using a variety of transitional phrases.
- Use transitional words in context. (e.g. “Unlike some planets, Venus…)
- Day #3: First planet
- Read a book and brainstorm information about the planet.
- Through self-talk/thinking aloud choose a fact about this planet. Your choice should be easy to elaborate.
- Every fact should be elaborated with a minimum of three sentences.
- Students may have to read more information before completing this paragraph.
- Students share their writing.
- Make one ‘Cut & Paste’ mark with a highlighter on each student’s paper before the next writing workshop
- Write one question or comment on the page telling the writer exactly what type of information he/she should add. (e.g. Why did this occur? What happened? How did it happen? Describe it.)
- Day #4: Second planet
- Students revise their work by adding the information to their Cut & Paste area.
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Read a book and brainstorm information about the planet.
- Through self-talk/thinking aloud choose a fact about this planet. Your choice should be easy to elaborate.
- Every fact should be elaborated with a minimum of three sentences.
- Students may have to read more information before completing this paragraph.
- Write one question or comment on the page telling the writer exactly what type of information he/she should add. (e.g. Why did this occur? What happened? How did it happen? Describe it.)
- Day #5: Third planet
- Students revise their work by adding the information to their Cut & Paste area.
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Read a book and brainstorm information about the planet.
- Through self-talk and thinking through choosing a fact about this planet. Your choice should be easy to elaborate.
- Every fact should be elaborated with a minimum of three sentences.
- Students may have to read more information before completing this paragraph.
- As soon as the first writers have completed their paragraph, take a highlighter and draw a line under the sentence that requires more information.
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. Tell the students exactly which information is missing.
- After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Students share their writing.
- Write one question or comment on the page telling the writer exactly what type of information he/she should add. (e.g. Why did this occur? What happened? How did it happen? Describe it.)
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 6: Nouns
- Just Conventions book: Week 5: Common vs. Proper Nouns
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Week 8 of School
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer.
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Names of Football/Soccer Teams (e.g. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Daily Morning work: Set up a prompt or list the following information:
- Topic (students name the topic in the prompt)
- Expository or Narrative (students write E or N)
- Brainstorm (students list 3-5 ideas that a they might write if they were writing about this topic.)
Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part One: Expository book: Week 6: Continue writing about planets
- Day #1: Revise 2nd planet & write about 3rd planet
- Students revise their work by completing their Cutting & Pasting…
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Read a book and brainstorm information about the planet.
- Through self-talk and thinking through choosing a fact about this planet. Your choice should be easy to elaborate.
- Every fact should be elaborated with a minimum of three sentences.
- Students may have to read more information before completing this paragraph.
- Students share their writing.
- Write one question or comment on the page telling the writer exactly what type of information he/she should add. (e.g. Why did this occur? What happened? How did it happen? Describe it.)
- Day #2: Revise 3rd planet & write about 4th planet
- Students revise their work by completing their Cutting & Pasting…
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Read a book and brainstorm information about the planet.
- Through self-talk and thinking through choosing a fact about this planet. Your choice should be easy to elaborate.
- Every fact should be elaborated with a minimum of three sentences.
- Students may have to read more information before completing this paragraph.
- Students share their writing.
- Write one question or comment on the page telling the writer exactly what type of information he/she should add. (e.g. Why did this occur? What happened? How did it happen? Describe it.)
- Day #3: Revise 4th planet & Write Conclusion
- Students revise their work by completing their Cutting & Pasting…
- Students cut their paper in two along the highlighted line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Share a well-written conclusion.
- Writers add a conclusion to their book.
- Students share their writing.
- Day #4 & 5: Noun Activities
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 7: More Nouns
- Just Conventions book: Week 6: Capitalization of Proper Nouns; Ellipsis
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Week 9 of School
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer.
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Types of grocery stores (e.g. Publix, Winn Dixie)
- Daily Morning work: Set up a prompt or list the following information:
- Topic (students name the topic in the prompt)
- Expository or Narrative (students write E or N)
- Brainstorm (students list 3-5 ideas that a they might write if they were writing about this topic.)
Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part One: Expository book: Week 7 (Completing a Graphic Organizer)
- Days #1-5: Learning how to brainstorm, combine details into Main Ideas, and fill in a graphic organizer.
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 8: Common & Proper Nouns
- Just Conventions book: Week 7: Plurals of Numbers & Letters
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Week 10 of School
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer.
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Types of grocery stores (e.g. Publix, Winn Dixie)
- Daily Morning work: Set up a prompt or list the following information:
- Topic (students name the topic in the prompt)
- Expository or Narrative (students write E or N)
- Brainstorm (students list 3-5 ideas that a they might write if they were writing about this topic.)
Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part One: Expository book: Week 8 (Simple Machines Book/Paragraph)
- Daily topics should be changed to meet your academic needs in science, social studies, etc.
- Day #1: Filling in a graphic organizer
- Day #2: Practice creating definition leads.
- Day #3: Writing from the graphic organizer about the first main idea.
- Through self-talk and thinking through choosing a fact about this planet. Your choice should be easy to elaborate.
- Every fact should be elaborated with a minimum of three sentences.
- Students may have to read more information before completing this paragraph.
- Students share their writing.
- Write one question or comment on the page telling the writer exactly what type of information he/she should add. (e.g. Why did this occur? What happened? How did it happen? Describe it.)
- Day #4: Revise 1st main idea paragraph & write about 2nd main idea.
- Students revise their work by completing their Cutting & Pasting…
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Read a book and brainstorm information about the planet.
- Through self-talk and thinking through choosing a fact about this planet. Your choice should be easy to elaborate.
- Every fact should be elaborated with a minimum of three sentences.
- Students may have to read more information before completing this paragraph.
- Students share their writing.
- Write one question or comment on the page telling the writer exactly what type of information he/she should add. (e.g. Why did this occur? What happened? How did it happen? Describe it.)
- Day #5: Revise 2nd main idea; write Conclusion & Table of Contents page.
- Students revise their work by completing their Cutting & Pasting…
- Students cut their paper in two along the highlighted line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Share a well-written conclusion.
- Writers add a conclusion to their book.
- Create a Table of Contents for the book. Staple this page directly behind the cover. Eventually this sentence will be the main idea sentence for an essay.
- Students share their writing.
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 9: Singular & Plural Nouns
- Just Conventions book: Week 8: Titles with Names; Interruptions
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Week 11 of School
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer. The Narrative Mountain graphic organizer is located in Just Write: All Year Long: Grade Three Part Two: Narrative. (Week 3 page 41)
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Types of sandwiches (e.g. Big Mac cheeseburger, ham & cheese)
Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part 1: Expository book: Week 9: (Understanding Main Ideas; Additional Leads)
- Day #1: Working backwards from the details to the main idea to the topic. This helps students comprehend the graphic organizer.
- Day #2: Students work with a partner on filling in the Similarities section of the Venn diagram of interests.
- Students share their ideas.
- Day #3: Students work with a partner on filling in the Similarities section of the Venn diagram of interests.
- Students share their ideas.
- Day #4 & 5: Repeat Days #2 & 3 with new partners.
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 10: Action Verbs
- Just Conventions book: Week 9: Commas after Yes, Well, & No; Interruptions
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Week 12 of School
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer.
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Names of Football/Soccer Teams (e.g. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Daily Morning work: Set up a prompt or list the following information:
- Topic (students name the topic in the prompt)
- Expository or Narrative (students write E or N)
- Brainstorm (students list 3-5 ideas that a they might write if they were writing about this topic.)
Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part One: Expository book: Weeks 10-11: (Writing a compare & contrast essay; Practicing a descriptive lead)
- Day #1: Revise 2nd planet & write about 3rd planet
- Read about Vertebrates
- Brainstorming information in a T-Chart and completing a Venn diagram.
- Day #2: Transferring information from a Venn diagram to WriteMath Enterprises’ expository graphic organizer.
- For similarities and differences, model choosing the information for the graphic organizer for each creature. For example, if a writer decides to write about the way that one vertebrate moves, he/she should write about the way that the other vertebrate moves.
- Move among students supporting and guiding the information that they are writing in the graphic organizer.
- Check every student’s graphic organizer and circle the information that might be too difficult to elaborate. (e.g. words like big, cool, or any adjectives; if any term seems like it may not be easy to elaborate, question students during the next writing workshop – before the writer makes a mistake.)
- If a writer cannot rattle off fives sentences easily (one for each finger – the five finger rule), they should not choose this information to include in their graphic organizer.
- Day #3: Discuss examples of descriptive leads.
- Students should practice descriptive leads with a partner before attempting to create their own version.
- Share several student verbal and written responses.
- Day #4: Display a model of a well-written student paragraph or page 10 (Weeks 10-11). Discuss the good elements of this paragraph.
- Guide students while they are writing their first main idea paragraph.
- As students stop and seem to have completed their work, move alongside of them. Request that each writer read their paragraph to you. Then draw ‘cut & paste’ line under the unelaborated information and point out exactly the type of information that is missing. A few students will have time to cut & paste their work during the current writing workshop.
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Writers share their work.
- Days #5: Revise 1st main idea paragraph. The students, who have not cut & pasted their unelaborated information during the previous lesson, will cut & paste their work and add the missing elaborated information before the lesson begins.
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- After students revise their writing, display a model of a well-written student paragraph or page 12 (Weeks 10-11). Discuss the good elements of this paragraph.
- Guide students while they are writing their first main idea paragraph.
- As students stop and seem to have completed their work, move alongside of them. Request that each writer read their paragraph to you. Then draw ‘cut & paste’ line under the unelaborated information and point out exactly the type of information that is missing. A few students will have time to cut & paste their work during the current writing workshop.
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Writers share their work.
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 11: Linking Verbs
- Just Conventions book: Week 10: Initials & Abbreviations
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Week 13 of School
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer.
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Names of Football/Soccer Teams (e.g. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Daily Morning work: Set up a prompt or list the following information:
- Topic (students name the topic in the prompt)
- Expository or Narrative (students write E or N)
- Brainstorm (students list 3-5 ideas that a they might write if they were writing about this topic.)
Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part One: Expository book: Weeks 10-11 (cont’d): (Writing a compare & contrast essay; Practicing a descriptive lead)
- Day #6: Revise 2nd main idea paragraph. The students, who have not cut & pasted their unelaborated information during the previous lesson, will cut & paste their work and add the missing elaborated information before the lesson begins.
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- After students revise their writing, display a model of a well-written student paragraph or page 14 (Weeks 10-11). Discuss the good elements of this paragraph.
- Guide students while they are writing their first main idea paragraph.
- As students stop and seem to have completed their work, move alongside of them. Request that each writer read their paragraph to you. Then draw ‘cut & paste’ line under the unelaborated information and point out exactly the type of information that is missing. A few students will have time to cut & paste their work during the current writing workshop.
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- Writers share their work.
- Day #7: Revise 3rd main idea paragraph. The students, who have not cut & pasted their unelaborated information during the previous lesson, will cut & paste their work and add the missing elaborated information before the lesson begins.
- Students cut their paper in two along this line and glue it to a 4” piece of pre-cut lined paper. After adding 2-3 sentences which elaborate the missing information, students glue the bottom portion of their writing back onto the strip of paper.
- After students revise their writing, display a model of a well-written concluding paragraph or page 16 (Weeks 10-11). Discuss the good elements of this paragraph.
- Practice rewording their introductory paragraph sentence-by-sentence. This is the easiest method of writing a concluding paragraph. During the following weeks, students will practice a variety of conclusions.
- Writers share their work.
- Day #8: You may want to have your writers edit, revise, and recopy one piece of writing per quarter. Writers do not need to complete every step of the writing process with every writing but must occur at least one time per quarter.
- After completing their final draft, writers could get together and share their work publicly. I recommend celebrating each of the four final drafts by sharing their writing with a mini-celebration or party. For example, one celebration might be with another third grade class; another final draft might be shared with a younger/older grade level; the third sharing might be with the students’ parents; the end celebration might be with Pen Pals from another school.
- If time allows, review samples of Interjection-type Leads on page 43. (Weeks 10-11)
- Working with a partner, students practice creating Interjection-type leads.
- Partners share their leads.
- Day #9: Continue rewriting the Final Draft of their Vertebrate essay.
- If time allows, review samples of Onomatopoeia-type Leads on page 45. (Weeks 10-11)
- Working with a partner, students practice creating Onomatopoeia-type leads.
- Partners share their leads.
- Day #10: Continue rewriting the Final Draft of their Vertebrate essay.
- If time allows, review samples of Time Frame-type Leads on page 51. (Weeks 10-11)
- Working with a partner, students practice creating Time Frame-type leads.
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 12: Helping Verbs
- Just Conventions book: Week 11: Parentheses
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Week 14 of School
During the week
- (During Reading Time or any time other than Writing Workshop): plot a story on Narrative Graphic Organizer.
- Two days per week students line up to go to P.E., Art, Music, lunch, etc by naming a specific type of a generic noun that students will use at writing time. For example, this week’s word/details will be about: Names of Football/Soccer Teams (e.g. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Daily Morning work: Set up a prompt or list the following information:
- Topic (students name the topic in the prompt)
- Expository or Narrative (students write E or N)
- Brainstorm (students list 3-5 ideas that a they might write if they were writing about this topic.)
Just Write: All Year Long Grade Three: Part One: Expository book: Week 12: (Elaboration using the ‘Who-What-Where-When-Why & How’ pencils)
- Day #1: After writing your beginning sentence on the board, the sequence of questions is not ‘set in stone’. Any question that suits the needed elaboration could be added in any order. Before adding each subsequent sentence, be sure to reread the paragraph from the top to model taking care that the selected response fits in the paragraph appropriately.
- Point out that the writer does not need to use every question in every paragraph. The use of every question is not always appropriate as support. Some questions (like “what”) can be used in a variety of ways and more than once in a paragraph. Questions like ‘Why’ and ‘How’ often elicit 2-3 sentences of elaboration. The other question words often require only a few words of elaboration.
- Students color their own copy of the elaboration pencils. (Week 12, page 17)
- I recommend laminating the students’ elaboration pencils. Writers will be utilizing the pencils with every writing and laminating will prolong the durability of the pencils.
- Day #2: Students cut out their laminated elaboration pencils. Punch a hole in the eraser end of the pencils and connect them with a brad.
- Use Day #1’s paragraph by the teacher as a model for this writing lesson.
- Students reread Day #1’s paragraph aloud. Reading a piece of writing aloud helps students and writers ‘hear’ their ‘gaps in information’/unelaborated details (missing information).
- Throughout the writing, move among students suggesting the use of a question that might vary from the rest of the students. Depending on the writer, some questions are not appropriate in a designated sequence.
- After completing their paragraphs, writers share their work.
- Day #3: Writers will use their elaboration pencils for self-questioning during this lesson’s and every writing lesson for the rest of the year.
- Using page 19 (Week 12), writers develop questions that they might respond to in relation to the picture at the top of the page. Allow writers to be creative in selecting their topic (e.g. playing in a sprinkler in their backyard or at a park; cooling off in the spray from a fire hydrant; etc.)
- If your writers are having difficulty selecting the appropriate question to add on to their writing, I suggest that students respond to each question on a separate strip of paper. They then arrange the sentences in a logical sequence and glue the strips onto a piece of construction paper. The end paragraph should be recopied onto a piece of lined paper so that your writers can see the final result.
- Throughout the lesson, stop and share the students developing paragraphs.
- After completing their paragraphs, writers share their final work.
- Day #4: Students search a newspaper article to point out the writer’s use of self-questioning strategies. In other words, if the writer includes a name in their paragraph, they probably thinking about including information about specific people (or ‘who’) in their writing.
- Continue to share responses throughout the lesson.
- Day #5: This lesson was designed to assist writers with practicing a variety of leads.
- Foster and reward creativity in this lesson.
Mandatory Writing Support
- Just Science Grammar Grade 3 book: Week 13: Action, Linking, Helping, and Main Verbs
- Just Conventions book: Week 12: Contractions
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