Unit of Study: Fiction Writing

This is a link to a great write up about one of Lucy’s units of study:  fiction.  I am always searching for references to Lucy’s units since many of the teachers I work with use the units as a resource. 
http://bestbookihavenotread.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/unit-of-study-fiction-writing-grades-3-5/

Essay Writing Ideas

Many schools are using Lucy Calkins’ materials and Units of Study.  One of her units includes an essay unit.  Jim Trelease has a site that includes a weekly essay.  It is awesome!  http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/essay-of-week.html  
I am always looking for resources.  This is another site of wonderful resources for us.

Lucy Calkins Writing Kits

 
http://literacybytes.com/  A wonderful site as a Grade 3-5 staff implements Lucy Calkins kits in their building.

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/

Writing Essentials by Regie Routman

Book Study Group – This is a wonderful discussion and book study group
http://essentialsofwriting.blogspot.com/2009/06/week-one-introduction.html
http://essentialsofwriting.blogspot.com/2009/06/week-two-essential-writing-life.html
http://essentialsofwriting.blogspot.com/2009/06/week-three-sharing-your-writing-life.html
http://essentialsofwriting.blogspot.com/2009/06/week-four-written-reflection-section.html
http://essentialsofwriting.blogspot.com/2009/07/week-five-section-three-essential.html

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 [...]

Personal Narrative Unit by Jessica Meachum

Scroll near the bottom of the page and you will see lessons by Jessica on Personal Narrative, Question / Answer and even Pattern books.   http://www.jmeacham.com/writers.workshop/writing.mini.lessons.htm

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 [...]

Small Moments: Person Who is Significant During The Holidays

Often teachers ask me about topic generation. I also know nothing sends terror down the spine of a teacher, then 20 or 25 children who are complaining, “I don’t have anything to write about.” Obviously, I am exaggerating!   Or a child who has written about the same frog for 26 days in a row. It [...]

Writing about a Class Experience

One writing idea is to have the class experience something, then write about this experience.
-Sing a song, then tell the students about it, have the students turn and talk about it, then the teacher writes about it using story language.
-Line up to come inside from recess. If it is a nice day, instead of going [...]