Abstract Students enter Second Grade having spent two years writing about important moments from their lives. Now, it is time for them to revisit and re-energize these small moment stories. The overall goal of this unit is for these students to lift the level of their personal narratives to more fully engage and inform an audience. They’ll learn to incorporate a repertoire of strategies to write more focused and compelling pieces. These “seasoned” young writers will utilize a storyteller’s voice to show, not tell; to paint pictures in readers’ minds through the use of details. They’ll learn to bring the heart of a story alive! Special attention will be given to reviewing routines and rituals in order to develop a community of independent writers. Students will learn to build effective partnerships so they can support one another in cycling through the writing process at their own pace, developing increased independence and self-reliance. Lessons are designed to teach writers how to navigate through the process: generating story ideas, rehearsing for writing, drafting, rereading, revising and then starting on another piece. At the end of the unit, children will choose their best work and revise this more deeply and extensively to share with an audience. The unit culminates with a celebration of writing growth, recognizing students’ growing knowledge of good writing, their increasing repertoires of writing strategies and their success with cycling through the writing process. Resources and Materials Needed Mentor or Teaching Text Anchor Charts – See Immersion Information Collecting Story Ideas Writing Process Steps Ideas of Things to do During Writing Workshop “We Are Problem Solvers” Heart of Story/Message Leads “Working with Your Partner” “Things that Make Readers Stumble” Detail Hand Mentor Texts – See Resource Materials Packet. Please note: Any of the following text may be replaced by an available text that has similar qualities. Session 4: Looking Down by Steve Jenkins, Kitchen Dance by Maurie J. Manning (zoom in to a small moment) Session 12: The Best Story Ever by Eileen Spinelli (heart of the story) Session 13: Sample Leads The Haircut by Sophie (student authored work from )
SAMPLE Anchor Chart What Makes a Good Small Moment Story? It is about one thing – narrow topic True story Story is about something people DO (story about something the writer did) Has a beginning, middle and end Lots of details – dialogue, internal thinking… Good message Beginnings that “grab you” Provides a sense of closure Other aspects as noticed by students SAMPLE Anchor Chart Collecting Story Ideas Things I like to do with my pet Things I like to do with my sibling(s) Special time with a special person Going to and from school Observation or favorite place in nature Visit to a place Time I learned something new Time I learned a lesson Special time with a friend Small moment doing one of my favorite activities Small moment at school A time when I had strong feeling –losing a tooth, hurt on the playground These charts should be co-constructed with students based on how they would describe things, mentor text read, and immersion activities completed. Immersion Phase, Continued Lesson Plan Template for Immersion Phase Session 1 Concept Teaching Point Materials Outline immersion lesson:
important feeling while you were writing Active Engagement Read sample 2 aloud and say, “I am going to reread my revised story. Listen carefully and think about HOW I shared the “heart of my story”. What did I include to let you know why this Small Moment was so important to me?” Discuss in partnerships Share and add to the anchor chart Help students to understand that writers often share the “heart of their stories” by simply telling their readers why it was so important. Also, through the use of details they can share the “heart of the story”. “Today we learned something that all authors should do: Before writers draft, they need to think about the heart of their messages and include it in their plans.” Link “Today I am going to give you special “Heart of the Message” paper just like I used. It is important that before writers begin drafting they think about the heart of their stories and what strong feelings they want to show.” Mid-Workshop Teaching Point Select a routine or ritual to review with your class, See Routines and Rituals: Building a Community of Independent Writers section Other option: Review capitalization of beginning of sentences and using ending punctuation correctly. Independent Writing and Conferring Share Read two teacher written pieces, and have students determine which one contains the “heart of the story” and which one doesn’t Another option: Revisit text that were read during immersion and discuss the “Heart of the Message” See Resource Materials Packet for other share options Lesson Plan - Session 12, Continued This chart should be co-constructed with students based on how they would describe things, mentor text read, and immersion activities completed. SAMPLE ANCHOR CHART