1. Teacher reads the wonderful picture book, Rollercoaster by Maria Frazer. This story adds many specific, exact details in writing to a small moment story. Anyone who has ridden a rollercoaster will recognize this perfect description of a rollercoaster! This is a small moment story.
2. Teacher discusses the importance of adding specific details to a story with students. Details make the reader want to read the story and help the reader make a good picture in his/her mind. These are a few of the specific detail sentences from Rollercoaster that help build a picture in the reader’s mind about the rollercoaster. These are a couple of specific details from the book. There are LOTS more.
a. The roller coaster is very big and very noisy.
b. You must be tall enough to ride it.
c. But sometimes even those who are tall enough decide they don’t want to. (Lots of people change their mind about riding the roller coaster at the very last minute.)
After reading these sentences, what are you seeing in your mind?
3. The following chart will be displayed regarding how to add specific details:
a. Use your five senses (what does it look like, feel like, sound like, etc.)
b. Use color words
c. Use size words and shape words
4. The teacher asks the students, “Where are these attributes in your writing? Add these attributes to your writing.”
2. Teacher discusses the importance of adding specific details to a story with students. Details make the reader want to read the story and help the reader make a good picture in his/her mind. These are a few of the specific detail sentences from Rollercoaster that help build a picture in the reader’s mind about the rollercoaster. These are a couple of specific details from the book. There are LOTS more.
a. The roller coaster is very big and very noisy.
b. You must be tall enough to ride it.
c. But sometimes even those who are tall enough decide they don’t want to. (Lots of people change their mind about riding the roller coaster at the very last minute.)
After reading these sentences, what are you seeing in your mind?
3. The following chart will be displayed regarding how to add specific details:
a. Use your five senses (what does it look like, feel like, sound like, etc.)
b. Use color words
c. Use size words and shape words
4. The teacher asks the students, “Where are these attributes in your writing? Add these attributes to your writing.”
Filed under: Marla Frazee, Rollercoaster, small moments, writing Tagged: | Lucy Calkins, mentor text, Rollercoaster, small moment, Units of Study, writing, writing mini-lesson
Thank you for your blog. I read it every day and it is making me a better teacher. I just bought Roller Coaster to use for my writing lessons.
cg, I appreciate that you took the time to write this today. Just last night I wondered if anyone is reading it. I am glad to know that people are reading. Thank you! deb