Essays for Lucy Calkin’s Units of Study

Site that supports teachers searching for essays for Lucy’s Essay’s Unit

http://eolit.hrw.com/hlla/newmainlinks/writ.jsp

Getting Ready for Writing Day 1

What will your students write about on day one?

What will you model on day one?

What will your mini-lesson be on day one?

What will you expect your students write on day one?

http://eledblog.com/content/learning-about-units-study-launching-writing-workshop

http://abeaver.wordpress.com/2006/08/01/valentine-for-ernest-mann-by-naomi-shihab-nye/

Stars and Wishes

When conferring with a student, tell what works in the writing.  What did you notice?  What are the “stars“?  These are the positives of the writing!  Then the teacher decides on a teaching point.  I wish you would ….  This is the place where the teacher makes a suggestion to improve the writing.  There should be more writing positives than suggestions.

Writing A List Minilesson

             

These books are all about making lists.  Jessica suggests these books and writes awesome writing lessons on her site:    http://www.jmeacham.com/writers.workshop/list.making/list.making.htm 

Teacher says, “When have you ever made a list or seen someone else make a list?” 

Possible Ideas for List Making

Class Names List           

Grocery List         

Vacation List              

Shapes List

Telephone Number List  

Lunch Menu List   

Word Wall List           

Colors List

Numbers List                

Pets List               

Zoo Animal List          

Ocean Animal List

Picnic List                            

Beach List               

School Supply List        

Christmas List

Fruits List                     

Vegetables List    

Favorite Songs List

Deb said to the students, “One time I planned on taking my family to the beach.  I had to make a list of items to take with us to the beach.” 

Teacher says, “A list is a tool that people use to help them remember something.”  I don’t want to get to the beach and think, “Oh, no I forgot something.”  I will write down a list of what I want to take to the beach. 

On my fingers I tell items I take to the beach:  towel, beach pail, beach shovel, water, book, and suntan lotion.

How To or Procedure Ideas

Read lots of books that build the understanding of “How To” or “Procedures” books at a variety of levels from Newbridge and Sundance Publishing.

A teaching point that the students need to understand is, “What can you (the students) teach someone?”

Students brainstorm ideas…
How to make a sundae?
How to line-up to go outside.
How to ride a bike.
How to make a peanut butter sandwich.
How to be a good friend.
How to brush your teeth.
How to make your bed.
How to take care of your pet.
How to make ________.
How to pick out a just-right book.

Read several examples of pictures with captions to build understanding of how-to text.  The students realize through the lesson that how-to writing to told in order (sequence) and clearly is about one idea (on topic).   I used 6 picture sequences.

Teacher models writing in order. 

Teacher shares student writing samples.  ( I will post this in a few weeks since I had a computer glitch and need to retake these in April.  I have awesome examples!)

Stellaluna Mentor Text

Mentor texts using picture books are effective and one of my favorite ways to approach teaching.  I label the teaching strategy simply first in one-three words, then find it in the picture book.  I explain the teaching strategy in simple, general terms.  Finally, I explain the writing strategy specifically combining the picture book and the writing strategy.  It sounds complicated when I write about it, but actually it is very simple for students and the teachers I train to understand.  I have numerous books done now.  This is one of the teachers’ favorite trainings that I offer now. 

Stellaluna by Janell Cannon is wonderful for a Mentor Text to use with grades 2 and 3.  I use Jeff Anderson’s book,  Mechanically Inclined and his book, Everyday Editing as resources. 

I hope you find this resource useful.  Many other teachers have found it useful.  I bought 25 copies of Stellaluna to model this lesson with teachers and students. 

View this document on Scribd

 

Stacey wrote about The Pencil on her site:  http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/draft-of-a-new-craft-table-about-ahlbergs-the-pencil-a-work-in-progress/

I wrote about mentor texts and gave lots of examples of craft lessons on my other blog here:  http://debwritingcraftlessons.blogspot.com/

Who cares? Why did you write this?

“No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.” Robert Frost

Donald Murray about Writing and Teaching For Surprise in his book, expecting the unexpected Teaching Myself – and Others - to Read and Write.  Don writes that his students become writers when they first write what they do not expect to write. 

My niece Abby and I often confer about writing.  She writes.  She loves school.  She willing shares her writing with Aunt Debbie.  I appreciate her willing spirit.  I often ask her, “Who cares? Why did you write this?”  I remember the first time I asked Abby, “Who cares?”  She looked at me with a shocked look.  I wanted to know why anyone would care about her topic of choice.  She interpreted the question as if who would care about her personally.  It is interesting looking at our words from the child’s perspective.  Words matter. 

Writing Lesson Structure

Before Writing
Teacher models how to do the skill / strategy (Power of 3 – gradual release; I do, we do, you do).   The teacher uses demonstration most of the time.  The teacher writes on chart paper or transparencies so that the writing is revisited in the future by the teacher and students in future lessons.
Student Engagement - How will the students be engaged in the before reading section today?
One teaching point (setting purpose for lesson)

During Writing
Setting Purpose for Writing Today… “Your Job Today is…” or “While you are writing today, you will…”

While the students write, the teacher confers with students.

After Writing
Revisit teaching point - What was the teaching point?
What will you do from this day and every day forward? How will the students know to transfer today’s lesson to future learning and application?

Filling up Emotional Tanks

Two Writing Teachers were discussing the concept of Caring Enough on their blog a few days ago.  It triggered this post.   http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/2009/01/07/the-big-picture-series-care-enough/

My mom always talked about filling up our emotional tank when I was growing up.  When kids get home from school and are so crabby and irritable, parents flinch and sometimes want to avoid the outbursts.  However, what the children really need is emotional tank filling up.  All our students are worrying about how they are coming across to each other in this world.  What do I look like?  Will I be smart enough?  Does everyone like me?  Does anyone like me?  If their emotional needs are not met, then how can their educational needs be met? 

There are lots of ways that teachers fill the emotional tanks of their students at school.  I believe it starts with small steps.    It helps to make eye contact and talk one on one with their students during writing conferences and reading conferences.  Emotional comfort has to do with relationship building.  A child who is afraid of a teacher or an adult who is angry won’t learn much from that person.  Ish by Peter Reynolds is a great book that reassures kids that you don’t have to be perfect, you can try and that that is enough. 

Writing about an Object

My mom and a few of her closest friends, painted the nativity many years ago.  The grandchildren and my parents set out the nativity each year on Thanksgiving.  I could write about this tradition of setting up the nativity.  My dad gets the boxes out of the attic.  The little ones are under his feet ‘helping.’

As a new member joins the family they receive a stocking that stays at my parents’ house.  My parents have 4 children who now have married.  We also have stockings at our own houses for our children.  I cross-stitched stockings for my 4 ‘Smith’ family members at our house.  I could write about this.  The grandchildren write notes to the Santa sometimes.  We put candy in the stockings sometimes.  We don’t really have one tradition of what is done with stockings at my parents. 

I could write about decorating the tree on Thanksgiving at my parents.  The grandchildren help Grandpa decorate the tree.  The bottom half that they can reach is well decorated.  I remember the year the tree fell over! 

Writing about an object is an effective writing lesson. I wrote objects in June.  http://writingeverydayworks.wordpress.com/2008/06/06/connections-to-special-object-hats/    I find there are so many objects related to the Christmas holidays that students could write about:  stockings, christmas trees, dinner, etc. 

It is not that Christmas objects is so important, it is just that kids are so excited about Christmas, so how can I help connect what they are excited to to real writing? 

What is helpful to my students is getting to the WHY and HOW.  Why is the object important and special?  Why are you remembering the object?

If you have students who don’t celebrate Christmas or if you are not allowed to discuss Christmas see my link for ideas.  Also, you could discuss FOOD items (objects).  I remember making cookies, cupcakes, special pies with family members for holidays. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cupcakesfrenzy/3159333148/