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Launching the Writing Aug/

UNIT OF STUDY 1 MONTH Oct 09 GRADE 4
Workshop
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
AUG. 30 31 SEPT. 1 2 3
L1/2 Starting the L3/4 Qualities of
Writer’s Workshop, Good Writing, The
WEEK 1 L 5/6 Building Stories
Generating More Writer’s Job in a
Step by Step M
Writing Conference A
A

6 7 8 9 10
L 6 and Selecting a L7 Revising Leads
WEEK 2 L8 Writing Discovery
Seed Idea A C L9 Revising
Drafts M
Endings M

13 14 15 16 17
L- 10 Taking Charge
of Our Own Writing, L- 11/12 Timelines:
WEEK 3 A Planning and L 13 Writing From
Developing C/C Inside a Memory A

27 28 29 30 OCT 1
L14 Writing in L15 Developing the
WEEK 4 L16 Using Editing
Passages of Heart of the Story
(Revision) Checklists
Thought- Intro to P M
A
M
4 5 6 7 8
WEEK 5 Read lesson #17
Editing Celebration
Publishing

American Community School of Abu Dhabi 2009-10

 UNIT 1: LAUNCHING THE WRITING WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Grade 4

From Welcome To The Unit: p. 6-7

About the Unit

The year starts by teaching children big lessons such as:
1. Their lives and their thoughts are worth writing about
2. We help children realize that the small moments of their lives can be
compelling stories
3. We help them feel committed to capturing the truth of their experience
in words

Notes about the unit:

• The first lessons in this unit center on topic choice. We teach children
a number of strategies they can draw on in order to generate their own
ideas for writing, and we set them free from a dependency on the
teacher.
• Many teachers find that in this first unit, it helps to celebrate the fact
that stories of significance can be found in the smallest and most
ordinary occasions.
• During this unit children will learn to try and focus their writing. For
example, a child might initially plan to write a page-long piece
depicting his whole day at the beach, but because of our teaching,
he’ll write instead about body surfing on one wave.
• This unit is designed to launch a writing workshop that is well-
managed enough that children can proceed with some independence.
• Children learn that they can get themselves started on writing, work
past the hard parts, rely on one another as well as on themselves, share
their writing. Soon children will be able to get themselves started
writing new entries without needing any input from the teacher.

The Essentials About Narrative Writing:

1. Narratives are stories.
2. One character (presumably the writer) experiences one thing, then the
next, then the next.
3. These texts are usually chronologically ordered.
4. Narratives will be more effective if the writer has zoomed in on a small
episode, written with detail, expanded the heart of the story, made their
characters talk—and above all “made a movie in the mind” and then
recorded that movie on the page.
5. As writing improves students recognize that learning to write well is
important.

The Plan for the Unit- Read p. 7 (attached)

Created by Jen Munnerlyn
March 4, 2009
 UNIT 1: LAUNCHING THE WRITING WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Grade 4
Supplies:
1. Writer’s notebooks- for teachers and
each child
2. Writing folders
3. Blank booklets (with 4-5 pages)
4. Lined Paper
5. Sticky notes
6. Chart Paper, Markers, Easel
7. Word Wall or substitute (for teaching
high-frequency words)
8. Writer’s notepads (for students to take
home- optional)
Mentor Texts Used Across the Grades:
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate
DiCamillo
• Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond
• Bigmama’s by Donald Crews
• Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
• Shortcut by Donald Crews
• The Paperboy by Dave Pilkey
• Fireflies! By Julie Brinckloe (ACS
Library)
• Salt Hands by Jane Chelsea Aragon
(ACS Library)
**Grade 4-5 Specific Books:
• Each Little Bird That Sings by
Deborah Wiles
• Ida B… And Her Plans to Maximize
Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly)
Save The World by Katherine
Hannigan
• The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale Of
Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, And A
Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne
Birdsall
• The Secret School by Avi
• The Watsons Go To
Birmingham—1963 by Christopher
Curtis
• Unclaimed Treasures by Patricia
MacLachlan
• Cassie Binegar by Patricia
MacLachlan
Created by Jen Munnerlyn
March 4, 2009
• And Still the Turtle Watched by Sheila
MacGill-Callahan
• Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz
Ryan
• Freedom Summer, Deborah Wiles
• Martin’s Big Words: The Life Of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen
Rappaport
• The Secret-Keeper by Kate Coombs
• Weasel by Cynthia DeFelice
• A Cache of Jewels and Other
Collective Nouns by Ruther Heller
• Amelia’s Notebook by Marissa Moss
• Behind the Mask: A Book About
Prepositions by Ruth Heller
• CDB! By William Steig
• Daydreamers by Tom Feelings
• Fantastic! Wow! And Unreal! A Book
About Interjections and Conjunctions!
By Ruth Heller
• How Writers Work: Finding a Process
That Works For You by Ralph Fletcher
• It Came From Beneath the Bed! By
James Howe
• Live Writing by Ralph Fletcher
• You Have to Write by Janet S. Wong
• A Taste of Blackberries by Doris
Smith
• Creativity by John Steptoe
• Days Like This: A Collection of Small
Poems by Simon James
• Fig Pudding by Ralph Fletcher
• Going Back Home: An Artist Returns
to the South by Toyomi Igus
• Silent Movie by Avi
• Smoky Night by Eve Bunting
• Tales of A Gambling Grandma by
Dayal Kaur Khalsa
• The Flag of Childgood: Poems From
the Middle East by Naomi Shihab Nye
• The Man Who Walked Between the
Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
• Because of Winn Dixie by Kate
DiCamillo
** GL teachers need to determine who
will use what for our sanctioned book
list after a year trial.
 SESSION 1: STARTING THE WRITING WORKSHOP Unit: 1

Intention: To invite children to become writers and to teach them a strategy for generating
personal narrative entries. It will be suggested that writers often think of a person, brainstorm
focused stories of times with that person, then sketch and write one of those as stories.

Connection:
• Build your children’s identities as writers by exclaiming over the stories they’ve told.
• Build your children’s enthusiasm for writing and explain writing workshop.
• Name the teaching point: “ Today you will teach them a strategy for generating personal
narratives.” (Show “Strategies” Chart- p.3)

Teaching:
• First, teach children the contexts in which a writer might use the strategy you are about to
teach. Then, teach the strategy: one-way to generate personal narrative writing.
• Demonstrate the step-by-step process of using the strategy. In this case, think of a person, list
focused memories related to that person, choose one of these stories, then sketch and story tell
it. (Chart your example- p.4/5)
• Tuck bits of advice into your demonstration. In this case, tuck in pointers about envisioning
your story and sketching it quickly.
• Debrief. Help children recall the situation in which writers would use this strategy and the
sequence of actions the strategy requires.

Active Engagement:
• Set children up to try the strategy. First help them imagine themselves in the situation that
calls for the strategy. Then lead them through the steps you’ve demonstrated. (Refer to
“Strategies” Chart- p. 7)
• Debrief. Share the good work one child has done in a way that provides yet another model.

Link:
• State your teaching point. Remind children that whenever they want help thinking of a true
story, they now have a strategy they can use.
• Send children off to write, reminding them of your expectations for their independent work.

Writing and Conferring: (suggestion)

Using Table Conferences to Reinforce the Minilesson: “…each one has a story to tell…” p. 9
Mid-Workshop:
• Writing More: If students attention is waning remind them of the saying “When you’re done,
you’ve just begun!” (Don’t stop- start another small moment story.)
Share:
• Convene children in the meeting area. Establish the seating arrangements and systems that
underlie partnership conversations.
• Set children up so they name some qualities of effective writing partners, then plan with their
partner how they can assume this role for each other.
• Bring closure to today’s workshop: Recall and share one thing that was learned
Homework:
• Decorating Notebooks… p. 12 Teacher should also have a W. Notebook created.
Assessment following this lesson: See page 14 and DRAFT Rubric: Rubric for Writing Process Unit 1

Created by Jen Munnerlyn

March 4, 2009
GRADE 4
 SESSION 1: STARTING THE WRITING WORKSHOP Unit: 1

Benchmarks:
5A: Writes for a purpose and selects the genre accordingly.
4F: Use tools (writer’s notebooks, webs, t-charts, outlines, flow charts) for
collecting ideas, experimenting, planning, sketching, or drafting.
Continuum:
Technology:

Notes for Next Year’s Use:

Created by Jen Munnerlyn

March 4, 2009
GRADE 4
 SESSION 8: WRITING DISCOVERY DRAFTS Unit: 1

Intention: To show children that one way writers draft is by writing fast and long in order to
get a whole story down on paper as it comes to mind.

Connection:
• Remind children of the work they’ve done so far in the process of drafting, and tell
them they are ready to go one step farther.
• Name the teaching point. In this case, teach children that some writers fast-write
discovery drafts to get their story out on paper.

Teaching:
• Use a metaphor to tell children that writers sometimes fast-write a discovery draft.
Tell how this is done and show an example. (Student Sample: p. 85)

Active Engagement:
• Recruit children to be willing to write discovery drafts and channel then toward being
ready to start this work. “To get started, reread the lead you already copied onto page
one of your drafting booklet… p. 86”

Link:
• Remind writers of what you’ve taught today and tell them they can use this new
strategy for the rest of their lives.

Writing and Conferring:

• Supporting Writing Fluency: “… during discovery drafting your conferring will
probably be a little different than usual…” (p. 87)
Mid-Workshop:
• Rereading To Build Writing Stamina: “… I reread it to myself as if the story is an
utter masterpiece…when I come to the last word I’ve written, I just pick up my pen
and write for dear life, scrawling down the page.” (p. 87)
Share:
• Remind writers of the strategies they already know for giving themselves more
writing stamina. Lay out a new one. “Second wind…”:p. 88
• Ask students to try this strategy by reading favorite parts to the whole class.
• Voice your appreciation for the writing the children have read aloud. Remind children
to use this strategy when they need writing energy.
Homework:
•
Mechanics Teaching Opportunity: see p. 91

Created by Jen Munnerlyn

March 4, 2009
GRADE 4
 SESSION 8: WRITING DISCOVERY DRAFTS Unit: 1

Benchmarks:
5A: Writes for a purpose and selects the genre accordingly.
Continuum:
Writes organized nonfiction pieces with guidance.
Technology:

Notes for Next Year’s Use:

Created by Jen Munnerlyn

March 4, 2009
GRADE 4
 SESSION 16: USING EDITING CHECKLISTS Unit: 1

Intention: To remind children that writers edit to make our writing exactly how we intended
it to be for readers. Checklists can help.

Connection:
• Create a context for today’s lesson by talking about self-help books that fill
bookstores and top best-seller lists.
• Name your teaching point. Specifically, tell children that writers use editing checklists
to remind us of strategies we can use to edit our writing.

Teaching:
• Tell children they each have a personalized editing checklist. Demonstrate how to
read through a draft, using an item on the checklist as a lens. (See p. 170)

Active Engagement:
• Ask children to read through their draft with their partner, focusing on one item on the
editing checklist.

Link:
• Remind children that they can use this strategy forever when they write.

Writing and Conferring (suggestion):

• Focusing on Tenses and Pronouns: help students review their work looking for
shifting tenses: p. 174
Mid-Workshop:
• Reading with Writing Partners: after children review own work…
Share:
• Ask children to show each other what they’ve done, what they’ve learned, and what
they’ve resolved to do next.
Homework:
•
Assessment Opportunity: see p. 178

Created by Jen Munnerlyn

March 4, 2009
GRADE 4
 SESSION 16: USING EDITING CHECKLISTS Unit: 1

Benchmarks:
4H: Edit for spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.
Continuum:
Edits for punctuation, spelling, and grammar.
Uses criteria for effective writing to set own writing goals with guidance.
Technology:

Notes for Next Year’s Use:

Created by Jen Munnerlyn

March 4, 2009
GRADE 4