Grade 1
Module 4-1
Lesson A: Independent Writing: Simple Rhymes and Poetry
Content Overview for Lesson
If necessary, remind students of the procedures for independent writing. Refer to the anchor chart created with the students in Module 1-1 Lesson A. This lesson will focus on using the familiar words and characters of nursery rhymes. Children will be encouraged to connect the familiar rhyming patterns from familiar nursery rhymes that can also be used to help students identify familiar chunks of words that they can use to create their own simple rhymes and poems,
Teacher Preparation
Write the nursery rhyme: Hey, Diddle, Diddle on chart paper. Pre-read Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball by Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge.
Pre-plan your simple rhyme to demonstrate for students. Make an anchor chart titled: Rhyming Words.
Instructional Considerations (Misconceptions/Common Errors, Additional Instructional Strategies)
Writing to a prompt should come only after children begin to write fluently and the reason for prompted writing should be solely for the purpose of assessing children’s writing skills. Prompt writing should not be a daily regular approach to topic choice when the focus is on developing and improving writing skills.
Children are not expected to all be at the same place in the writing process. For example, everyone does not pre-write on Monday and publish on Friday.
Key Vocabulary and Concepts
Conferencing notebook a notebook with a page dedicated to each student to record conferencing notes with each student.
Mini lesson teacher provides a brief explicit lesson on a particular aspect of writing
Rhyming words words that have identical or very similar final sounds.
Anchor chart a chart compiled with the teacher and students such as, Rituals and Routines for Independent Writing
Objective for Lesson A
The student will create written text using simple rhymes and poems.
Materials Needed
· 2 pocket folders
· Journals
· Assorted types of paper
· Pencils
· Markers and crayons
Teaching Lesson A Introduction to the lesson
Demonstration and Guided Practice within a Mini-lesson
Have students read the poem "Hey Diddle, Diddle" aloud together.
Highlight the part of the words moon and spoon that are visually similar. Say, "See how these two words look the same at the end? They both have “oon”. Since words that look alike at the end may rhyme, you can try to read new words by thinking about words you already know that look the same." Write these words on a chart titled: Rhyming Words. Have students identify other rhyming words from the poem and add these to the chart.
Read the story Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball by Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge. Have students predict words that rhyme with ball based on what would sound right and look right. Model how to use a word, like small, which has a similar ending letter cluster. Explain that since both words end with all, they may rhyme. Add rhyming words from this book to the Rhyming Words anchor chart.
Demonstrate how to use these words by writing a simple rhyme such as:
I have a ball,
It is red and small.
I kicked it down the hall.
Independent Practice:
Encourage students to try using rhyming words during independent writing time. During sharing time, have students that tried out the technique to share in complete sentences what they did in writing using rhyming words.
Assessing the Lesson Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment
Formative Assessment
Conferencing notes should be kept on every child in your conferencing notebook. These notes might include that the child is writing or drawing about rhyming words discussed during the mini-lesson, writing conference, instructional needs and plans for the writer.
The teacher can also make specific observations such as:
§ Is the writer able to generate writing ideas independently or through conversations with others?
§ Does the writer’s genre match his purpose?
§ Is the writer able to write and or draw independently for an extended amount of time?
§ Does the writer understand how to use the Word Wall to help them match sounds and write the letters that represent those sounds?
§ Is the writer using the Word Wall when writing independently?
§ Does the writer identify the rhyming words in his writing?
§ Does the writer generate rhyming words to record on the anchor charts?
§ Does the writer use the anchor charts when writing independently?
§ Does the writer see himself as a reader and writer?
Conferring with students will occur daily throughout the year.
Summative Assessment
Students will be expected to choose one piece of writing and take it through the entire writing process. Students are not expected to all be at the same place in the writing process. For example, everyone does not pre-write on Monday and publish on Friday.
Assess this piece of writing using a writing rubric (See sample rubric at end of the first nine weeks).
Extending the Learning
For differentiation and enrichment, provide a variety of simple rhyming books containing simple poems and rhymes for students to refer to as they write. Some students may need to work in pairs to complete their simple rhyme or poem.
For intervention, provide small group or one-on one instruction for those students needing more assistance in completing the simple rhymes and poems.
Grade 1
Module 4-1
Lesson C: Independent Writing: Simple Rhymes and Poetry
Teacher Preparation
Pre-read a poem such as Good Sports by Jack Prelutsky
Rhyming Words anchor chart (Module 4-1 Lesson A)
Objective for Lesson C
The student will create simple rhymes and poems using complete sentences when orally presenting rhymes.
Teaching Lesson C Introduction to the lesson
Demonstration and/or Guided Practice in a Mini-lesson:
Read a poem such as Good Sports by Jack Prelutsky.
Have students predict words that rhyme with running, jumping, throwing. Record these rhyming words on the Rhyming Words anchor chart (Module 4-1 Lesson A). Discuss how Jack Prelutsky used these words to write his book.
Independent Practice:
Encourage students to try using rhyming words during independent writing time. Record attempts in conferencing notebook. During sharing time, have students that tried out the technique share in complete sentences what they did in writing using rhyming words.
Assessing the Lesson Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment
Formative Assessment
Same as above lesson
Summative Assessment
Same as above lesson
Extending the Learning
For differentiation and enrichment, provide a variety of simple rhyming books containing simple poems and rhymes for students to refer to as they write. Some students may need to work in pairs to complete their simple rhyme or poem.
For intervention, provide small group or one-on one instruction for those students needing more assistance in completing the simple rhymes and poems.
Grade 1
Module 4-1
Lesson E: Independent Writing of Poetry
Teacher Preparation
Choose any favorite children’s book, preferably one you have read previously to the students.
Create your (”found poem”) on chart paper.
Instructional Considerations (Misconceptions/Common Errors, Additional Instructional Strategies)
Always take your lesson focus back to the text, such as, reading the sentence that a student identified a high frequency word, etc. If the book is short enough, read entire text after teaching the focus for the lesson using “Whole-Part-Whole” instruction.
Use different books and poems to re-teach strategies, as needed.
Key Vocabulary and Concepts
Conferencing notebook: a notebook with a page dedicated to each student to record conferencing notes with each student.
Mini lesson: teacher provides a brief explicit lesson on a particular aspect of writing.
Rhyming words: words that have identical or very similar final sounds.
Found poem: using words from a book that you read aloud and creating a poem by taking words and phrases from a text and arranging them into a poem.
Anchor chart a chart compiled with the teacher and students such as, Rituals and Routines for Independent Writing
Objective for Lesson E
The student will create poetry to entertain others.
Materials Needed
· Various fiction texts, poetry books
· 2 pocket folders
· Journals
· Assorted types of paper
· Pencils
· Markers and crayons
Teaching Lesson Introduction to the lesson
Lesson E-This lesson will take multiple days.
Mini-lesson
Read a favorite children’s book aloud to the class. Invite the students to share any thoughts or comments about the story. Next, share your “found poem” with the students that you wrote based upon your read-aloud book. However, do not use the vocabulary “found poem” with the students yet. Ask the students to share any thoughts or reactions they have to your poem. Explain to the students that there are similar words and phrases between the book and that piece of writing. See if they can identify them.
On a chart, write the phrase “Found Poem” or “Found Poetry.” Explain to the students that your poem is a “found poem”, using words from the book that you just read aloud. Explain that a “found poem” is a poem created by taking words and phrases from a text and arranging them into a poem. Together have the students come up with a definition that you will use for found poetry. Record it on an anchor chart. Using the children’s book that you read aloud, take the children through the procedures for creating a found poem. This will take several days to take the students through the procedure. Introduce a step each day using a familiar book. This will take 7-8 days.
Found Poem Procedures (add to anchor chart as you explain)
§ Carefully re-read the text and highlight or underline details, words, and phrases that you find powerful, moving, or interesting.
§ Make a list of these words and phrases.
§ Look back at this list and cut out anything that you don’t want or think is dull or doesn’t seem right to use in a poem.
§ Make minor changes to the words to make them fit together better. You may need to add a word or two of your own. No more than two words.
§ Read over your draft and make changes as needed.
§ Choose a title.
§ Read aloud as you write your final draft so that is sounds “poem like”.
§ At the bottom of your poem, write the name of the book where the words came from.
Repeat this lesson using different books to develop classroom “found poems”.
Independent Writing
Say, "Today during Independent writing experiment with writing a “found poem”. During sharing time, have students that tried out the technique to share in complete sentences what they did in writing using rhyming words.
Assessing the Lesson Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment
Formative Assessment
Record the behaviors of students that you notice during Shared Reading, Small Group Instruction and Independent writing in your conferencing notebook.
Observe the student's independent writing. Does he or she apply the skills learned during the poetry lessons to other assignments?
Note whether the student's independent poetry writings demonstrate an understanding of print concepts.
Summative Assessment
After each student writes a poem, use a poetry rubric created by the teacher or found on READ-WRITE-THINK website (see link below to access).
§ http://www.readwritethink.org
Extending the Learning
For differentiation and enrichment, provide extensions through literacy centers:
§ Students can illustrate the poem;
§ Poems can also be placed in a listening center so that students can have more opportunities to hear the text read aloud.
§ Re-read the poem in a big book or chart center. Read for specific high frequency words, rhyming words, and vocabulary and highlight them in Big Books or poem with highlighter tape or wikki stix.
§ Write a different version of the poem in a writing center.
Through Independent Reading:
Students should be reading poetry from their independent reading bags each day to practice applying these strategies that you have demonstrated. Some students may read in pairs.
For differentiation and intervention, provide guided practice with Small Group Instruction. Based on observations and anecdotal notes, form small groups and provide additional instruction to write “found poems” scaffolding as needed. Some students may need 1-1 attention during reading and writing poetry.