Humble ISD ELAR Department
4th Grade Writing
Some lesson possibilities as you prepare your students for 4th Grade STAAR Writing.
Personal Narrative
If students need more help with:
Focused/Specific Idea/Experience
§ What Am I Really Trying To Say? Revision Toolbox Pg. 77-78
§ The Hot Spot Craft Lessons pg. 97 (Craft Lessons Second Edition pg. 112)
§ Draw a Picture Crunchtime pg. 106
Organization/Development of Ideas
Developing the “heart” of the story-the middle
§ Time Focus-Craft Lessons pg. 59-60 (Resource: Waking Joseph) (Craft Lessons Second Edition pg. 69)
§ Telling the Story, Asking Questions Crunchtime pg. 73
Using specific authentic details to support the central idea
§ Elaboration- Crunchtime pg. 67-70
§ Thoughtshots-Revisor’s Toolbox pg. 94
§ Choosing Emblematic Details Memoir: the Art of Writing Well-(Caulkins’ Unit of Study for 3-5) pg 129
§ Using Interior Monologue Craft Lessons pg. 92 (Craft Lessons Second Edition pg. 107)
§ Snapshots: recreate a scene, character or experience through physical descriptions and sensations. Reviser’s Toolbox pg. 74-81, 245, 295
§ Dialogue (If you use it, be judicious. It takes up quite a bit of space.) Getting Your Characters Talking (Craft Lessons Second Edition pg. 106) A Roomful of company: Dialogue The Revision Toolbox pg. 59-61
§ What Are They Doing? (Show Don’t Tell) Reviser’s Toolbox pg. 51; Crunchtime pg. 108
§ Using Sensory Details-Craft Lessons pg. 53 (Second Edition pg. 62)
Students must plan and revise before writing so that they are efficient with space and content! What works for your students – individually?
Progression of Ideas
§ Staying on Topic-Craft Lessons Second Edition pg. 80
§ Pruning the Bushes-Cutting what You Don’t Need- Craft Lessons pg. 82 (Second Edition pg. 96)
§ Writing a Kernel Essay with Text Structures Crunchtime pg. 67-70
§ Great Beginnings Crunchtime pg. 104 (Cannot waste space. Opening & Closing: Get in and get out)
§ Deciding Where to Begin Craft Lessons pg. 80 (Craft Lessons Second Edition pg. 94)
§ Process/Progress Revision-The Revision Toolbox: Teaching Techniques That Work pg. 109-111
§ The F.I.T. Chart Crunchtime pg. 77
§ Using a Transition Sentence Craft Lessons Second Edition pg. 115
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Some lesson possibilities as you prepare your students for 4th Grade STAAR Writing.
Explanatory
If students need more help with:
Clear Central Idea
§ What Am I Really Trying To Say? Revision Toolbox Pg. 77-78
§ Varying Placement of Topic Sentences Nonfiction Craft Lessons pg. 93
Organization/Development of Ideas
§ Using Supporting Details and Examples Nonfiction Craft Lessons pg. 62
§ Sharpening Your Lead Nonfiction Craft Lessons pg. 87
Students must plan and revise before writing so that they are efficient with space and content! What works for your students – individually?
Progression of Ideas
§ Transitions Between Paragraphs Nonfiction Craft Lessons pg. 93
Some lesson possibilities as you prepare your students for 4th Grade STAAR Writing.
Transition to Testing
Compare and Contrast Personal Narrative and Expository Writing
· Create T-Chart: Characteristics of Personal Narrative, Characteristics of Expository/Explanatory Writing – Prompt: As a writer, what would I need to do writing a personal narrative (list); What’s different in expository writing? What will we find or use in expository writing? How would we approach facts, examples, central idea, etc.?
The EX Factor
· What is the “EX” factor in expository writing? Generate a list, create a poster of “EX” factors – i.e.: explain, expose, example, examine, expand, excite, etc.
Topic List
· During this testing as genre period, have students general a list of things based on the following ideas: List things you spend time doing (whether you enjoy it or not); People you hang out with; Places you go; Persons or things you are around: etc.
· For quick-writes or prompts, make it simple –
§ Select something from your list to explain to the reader.
§ Select something from your list and write about a personal experience you want to share with your reader.
· Show how the topic might sound if personal narrative vs. explanatory. Ex: Christmas or holidays, a personal narrative could be all about the details of the day or a part of the day, when you received the new bike, etc. and with an explanatory piece you might be asked what your favorite holiday is and explain why.
Develop Fluency (Writing and Thought)
· Quick-write: from the list-
§ Sts take 3 minutes and write the central idea. What is your message?
§ Sts take 3 minutes and jot down some notes and ideas
§ Take 2 minutes and extract your central idea
§ Take 1 minute getting the central idea and 4 minutes writing the lead
Transition to Testing
Test Design/Scoring
· The prompt, the composition page, the planning pages -
§ Prompt: How to read the prompt, how to digest it: What does it mean as a writer? The purpose is to help students “build” a concept of what they might write about and to provide students with important reminders that will help them be successful on the writing task. Students MUST move from the stimulus (the “Read”) to the generalization (the “Think”) to the charge (the “Write about”). Student can NOT get stuck in the stimulus or ignore the charge and writing only about the “Think” statement.
Expository:
Prompts focus on issues/questions that don’t require students to bring particular background knowledge or facts to the table in order to write a good essay. Task requires students to clearly explain what they think about something.
· Read: A short synopsis of some kind or a quotation
· Think: The synopsis or quotation generalized and reworded
· Write: A focused charge statement
· Be Sure To: 4-5 bullets (state a central idea, organize your writing, develop your writing/explanation, choose your words carefully, a reminder to proofread for correct spelling, etc.)
§ Lined Paper: LOOK AT THE TOP: It will clearly state Expository or Personal Narrative. What does that mean?
· Economical use of space: tight, specific, logical development – no wasted words!
· Short, effective introduction and conclusion! Get in and get out!
· Think quality over quantity!
§ 2 ½ blank pages per prompt in the test booklet for planning purposes: Students must plan and revise before writing.
§ Scoring: Focused on Organization; Progression of Ideas; Expository – Clear Central Idea; Personal Narrative – Narrow Focus; True Experience
· Several times a week, use the rubric to analyze student writing
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2/2012