CONTENT STANDARD 3.0 Writing
How Organized Are You?
Materials:
· Copies of the books Punctuation Takes a Vacation and Formative/Summative Assessments
Description:
Graphic organizers are designed to help students to focus on the most important information in a piece of fiction or non-fiction. They are usually one page forms with blank areas for students to fill in with related ideas and information. Graphic organizers are extremely useful as part of the writing process and in processing information from a piece of literature.
Step-by-Step:
1. Tell the participants that you would like to share a book with them. Give them each a copy of the Formative/Summative Assessment book.
2. Give them a few minutes to look through the book.
3. Lead a discussion concerning different concepts mentioned in the book. This would be a good time for participants to share how they apply these concepts in their own classroom. If the discussion is difficult to start, direct the participant’s attention to the section on portfolios. Have participants share how they use portfolios in their classrooms.
4. Next, have the participants open the book to page 89. Lead a discussion on how the participants use graphic organizers in the classroom.
5. Tell them that we will use graphic organizers as part of a class writing assignment using the book Punctuation Takes a Vacation.
6. Draw a graphic organizer on the board. You may want to use the bubble map that is shown on page 89. Write “Question Mark” in the middle circle. Have the participants think of different adjectives that describe him in the outer circles.
7. Next, divide the participants into equal groups. Assign each one a different punctuation mark and have them complete a graphic organizer describing the mark’s personality based on what they learned about him in the story.
8. When they have completed the graphic organizer, they should compose a paragraph describing the assigned punctuation mark. Explain that, when completing this activity with students, the class would discuss each graphic organizer as a class before completing the paragraph.
9. Have the participants share their graphic organizers and paragraphs. Next, organize the paragraphs into a summary. Write introductory and closing paragraphs as a group.
CONTENT STANDARD 3.0 Writing
Grade Level Expectations
· GLE 0301.3.1 Write for a variety of purposes and to a variety of audiences.
· GLE 0501.3.2 Write in a variety of modes and genres, including narration, literary response, personal expression, and subject matter content
Check for Understanding
· 0301.3.9 Construct graphic organizers to group ideas for writing (e.g., webs, charts, graphs, diagrams, illustrations)
State Performance Indicators
· SPI 0301.3.9 Complete a simple graphic organizer to group ideas for writing.
Materials needed:• pencil and paper
* Copy of the book Punctuation Takes a Vacation
Assessment Activity Title: How Organized Are You?
Description of Activity:
1. Read the book, Punctuation Takes a Vacation aloud to the students. As you read, you may want to introduce the concept of personification to the students.
2. Tell the students that there are a number of ways to respond to literature.
3. Have a picture of a graphic organizer on the board. Tell the students that the organizer will help them focus on the personalities of the characters in the story and will be completed as a group.
4. Place the words “Question Mark” inside the middle square. Fill out the rest of the graphic organizer by brainstorming adjectives that describe Question Mark’s personality based on his actions and comments in the story.
5. Have the students explain to the class what Question Mark said or did that led them to use the adjective that they chose.
6. Divide the students into six groups of equal size. Assign each group one of the following punctuation marks from the book: commas, exclamation marks, colons, apostrophes, quotation marks, and periods. Have them complete a graphic organizer about their punctuation mark that is just like the one on the board.
7. Have the students share their graphic organizer with the class, explaining why they chose the adjectives that they used.
8. Finally, have each group write a paragraph describing their punctuation mark. Combine these paragraphs into a class story. Write the introductory and closing paragraph as a class.
Assignment Extensions:
1. The students could write a class book about math symbols or map symbols that take a vacation.
CONTENT STANDARD 1- Language
Punctuation Takes a Vacation
Materials:
· One box each: macaroni noodles, spaghetti noodles, and pasta shells
· A copy of the book Punctuation Takes a Vacation
· Laminated copies of a friendly letter that has not been punctuated.
Description:
Grammar can not only be difficult to learn because of all the “rules”, it can also be very boring. This approach to learning how to correctly use punctuation marks will not only engage your kinesthetic learners, but it will also add some fun and variety to your lesson.
Step-by-Step:
1. Tell the participants that you would like to share a book with them.
2. Tell the participants that, if you were using this activity with your students, you would use the letter in the book that the students write to punctuation to review correct usage of end marks and how to punctuate a friendly letter.
3. Have the participant work in pairs.
4. Pass out the laminated copy of the friendly letter as well as a handful of the different types of noodles. Tell them that they will use the macaroni noodles as commas, pasta shells as periods, and both spaghetti and pasta shells to make exclamation points.
5. Give the participants time to correctly punctuate the letter.
6. As they finish, point out that this would also make a great center activity. Discuss different situations where this activity may be used.
7. The students would enjoy decorating the noodles to look like the punctuation in the book. They could keep it to use in other punctuation lessons.
CONTENT STANDARD 1- LANGUAGE
Punctuation Takes a Vacation
Grade Level Expectations
0401.1.1 Demonstrate knowledge of Standard English usage, mechanics, and spelling
0401.1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of strategies and resources to determine the definition, pronunciation, and usage of words and phrases.
0401.1.3 Demonstrate knowledge of Standard English sentence structure
Check for Understanding
0401.1.4. Use correct punctuation at the ends of sentences (e.g., period, question marks).
0401.1.5 Demonstrate the correct usage of commas (e.g., series direct address, following introductory words, dates, addresses, quotations, letters, and compound sentences.)
State Performance Indicators
*0401.1.4 Identify declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences by recognizing end marks.
*0401.1.6 Identify the correct use of commas (i.e., series, dates, addresses, friendly letters, introductory words, compound sentences) within context.
*0401.1.10 Choose the correct use of quotation marks and commas in direct quotations.
Materials needed:*Copy of the book, Punctuation Takes A Vacation
* one box each of macaroni, spaghetti, and pasta shells
* copy of a friendly letter, without punctuation marks
Assessment Activity Title: Punctuation Takes A Vacation
Description of Activity:
Read the book aloud to the students. Discuss what an important role punctuation plays in our speech and our writing by reviewing the page in the book where the students write punctuation a letter. Correct the mistakes with the help of the students. Point out where commas and end marks are used in dates and friendly letters.
1. Give each pair of students a copy of a friendly letter that has not been punctuated.
2. Give each group some macaroni, spaghetti, and pasta shells.
3. Explain to the students that the macaroni represents commas, the pasta shell
represent periods, and the spaghetti and pasta shells can be combined to
represent exclamation points. They are to work with their partners and place the
punctuation places in the correct places.
4. Give the students time to complete the activity.
5. When the students are finished, have them discuss where the punctuation marks were placed and why.
6. Some students might have used a period at the end of a sentence, while some may have used exclamation points in the same sentence. Have the students defend their decision for this choice.
Assignment Extensions:
1. The students could use the noodles to show where to use commas in a series, introductory words, and compound sentences.
2. Macaroni noodles also make great quotation marks.
3. This is a good activity to use in a center.
4. The students can use paint and markers to decorate the noodles so that they look like the punctuation marks in the book.
123 Pine Street
Evergreen TN 45678
August 28 2009
Dear Mrs Spruce
How are you today I have missed you since you moved away The neighborhood is just not the same
I miss our long talks You always made the best cookies Have you made friends in your new home Mom Dad and I hope that you like living in your new city
Your friend
Linda
CONTENT STANDARD 3.0 WRITING
Can You Haiku?
Materials:
· Pencil and paper
· A copy of the book The Gardener
Description:
There are a variety of ways to respond to literature. Beside the usual summary or critique, the students can respond through poetry. This is an effective way to use descriptive language while engaging the students in a creative response to literature.
Step-by-Step:
1. Tell the participants that you would like to share a book with them. After you have read the book, discuss the format of the text as well as how the pictures contribute to the student’s understanding of the story. For example, a student in rural Tennessee would have no concept of living in an apartment in a crowded city. The pictures in the book help them understand the concept of a roof garden. Tell them that we are going to respond to what we have read and seen in the book through poetry.
2. A haiku is an unrhymed Japanese poem. It consists of three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables, and the final line has five syllables. Remind participants that, if their students would have to go through the steps of the writing process to complete this activity. Due to time constraints, we are not going to do that today.
3. Divide the participants into groups of 4. Have one half of the groups write a haiku describing the rooftop as seen on the pages after the March 16th letter. The rest of the groups will write a haiku describing the rooftop as pictured after the July 4th letter.
4. As the groups finish, have one member of each group share their haiku and turn it in to you.
5. Explain that a tanka is another form of Japanese poetry. In ancient times, a man would send a haiku to the woman he loved. If she liked the poem, she would respond with a tanka. It consists of five lines. The first three lines follow the same format as haiku. Lines four and five have seven syllables each.
6. Pass out the haiku, making sure that the participants do not receive the one that their group wrote. Have each group write a tandem in response to the haiku.
7. As the groups finish, have one member of each group share the original haiku and the responding tanka.
CONTENT STANDARD 3.0 WRITING
Can You Haiku?
Grade Level Expectations
· GLE 0501.3.1 Write for a variety of purposes and to a variety of audiences.
· GLE 0501.3.2 Write in a variety of modes and genres, including narration, literary response, personal expression, description, and imaginative.
· GLE 0501.3.3
·
Check for Understanding
· 0501.3.1 Determine an audience and purpose for writing.
· 0501.3.2 Write for a variety of purposes: to entertain, persuade, inform, describe, demonstrate knowledge, answer questions, respond to literature, acquire knowledge (e.g., clarify thinking, take notes, synthesize information, enhance communication).
· 0501.3.4 Write poems, stories, and essays based upon personal reflections, observations, and experiences.
· 0501.3.10 Recognize and use all steps in the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing/proofing, publishing.
· 0501.3.16 Use precise language, including vivid words and figurative language
State Performance Indicators
• SPI 0501.3.1 Identify the audience for which a text is written.
· SPI 0501.3.2 Identify the purpose for writing (i.e., to entertain, to inform, to share experiences, to persuade, to report).
· SPI 0501.3.8 Select vivid and active words for a writing sample.
· SPI 0501.3.12 Select an appropriate title that reflects the topic of a written selection.
· SPI 0501.3.13 Complete a graphic organizer (i.e., clustering, listing, mapping, grouping) to group ideas for writing.
Materials needed:• pencil and paper
*Copy of the book, The Gardener
Assessment Activity Title: Can You Haiku?
Description of Activity:
1. Read the book aloud to the students. Discuss format of the book. Discuss what an important part the illustrations play in understanding the story.
2. Tell the students that there are a number of ways to respond to literature.
3. Discuss the format of a haiku. Line 1 has 5 syllables; line 2 has 7 syllables, and line 3 has 5 syllables.
4. Divide the students into groups of 4. Have one half of the groups write a haiku describing the picture of the roof on the pages after the March 5 letter. Have the other half of the groups write a haiku describing the picture of the roof on the pages after the July 4 letter. The students should follow the steps of the writing process throughout this activity.
5. Give the students time to complete the haiku.
6. When the students have finished, have them share their haiku.
7. Discuss the format of a tanka. It has 5 lines. The first 3 lines follow the same format as haiku. Lines 4 and 5 have 7 syllables each...
8. Pick up the haiku that have been written and pass them back out, making sure that no group receives the haiku that they wrote.
9. Have each group share the tankas that they wrote in response to the haiku.
Assignment Extensions:
1. The students could pretend that they are Lydia Grace and write a letter to Uncle Jim after she returns back home.
2. Compose a Venn diagram comparing Lydia Grace’s experience during the Great Depression and what is happening to children during the current recession.
The Gardener- Writing Station