Kindergarten Writing Lesson

Lesson Theme: Unit 8Plants– Poetry

Writing Objectives: Students will learn how to write poetry.
Standards (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills):
K.13A plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing through class discussion
K.13B develop drafts by sequencing the action or details in the story
K.13C revise drafts by adding details or sentences
K.13D edit drafts by leaving spaces between letters and words
K.13E share writing with others
K.14A dictate or write sentences to tell a story and put the sentences in chronological sequence
K.14B write short poems
K.15 Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to dictate or write information for lists, captions, or invitations.
K.16A understand and use the following parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking (with adult assistance):
(i) past and future tenses when speaking
(ii) nouns (singular/plural)
(iii) descriptive words
(iv) prepositions and simple prepositional phrases appropriately when speaking or writing (e.g., in, on, under, over)
(v) pronouns (e.g., I, me)
K.16B speak in complete sentences to communicate
K.16C use complete simple sentences
K.17A form upper- and lower-case letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (left-to-right and top-to-bottom progression)
K.17B capitalize the first letter in a sentence
K.17C use punctuation at the end of a sentence
K.18A use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters
K.18B use letter-sound correspondences to spell consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words (e.g., "cut")
K.18C write one's own name
K.19A ask questions about topics of class-wide interest
K.19B decide what sources or people in the classroom, school, library, or home can answer these questions
K.20A gather evidence from provided text sources
K.20B use pictures in conjunction with writing when documenting research
Enduring Understanding:
  • Students will build routines for their writing.
  • Students will identify topics for a poem.
  • Students will know poetry is meant to read-aloud.
  • Students will understand that poetry tell stories in different ways.
/ Essential Questions:
  • Why should we reread our work?
  • How does adding details make my work better?
  • Why do I need to do my best work?
  • Why is sharing my poems with others important?
  • Do poems have to rhyme?
  • How does poetry tell a story?
  • Why would I write poetry?
  • How can I express my emotions in a poem?

Vocabulary
Journal, topic, details, facts, expository, poetry, emotions
Journal
Journals should be used when needed to teach the mechanics and conventions of writing. Entries in the journals may not happen daily or even weekly. These journal pages will act as a reference for the students when they are writing during Writer’s Workshop.
Writer’s Workshop – WW
Writer's Workshop is a teaching technique that invites students to write by making the process a meaningful part of the classroom curriculum on a daily basis. Students are exposed to the organization and thought required to create a story or write about a favorite topic. The Writer's Workshop format includes story planning, revision, teacher editing, and direct instruction in the mechanics of grammar. The goal is to move pre-emergent/ emergent readers into the writing process by eliciting a story from a drawing, recording the student's words in dictation form on the drawing, and encouraging the student to move from drawing to writing by guiding the student in the use of phonics to sound out words.
Writer’s Workshop:
10 minutes: establish purpose/read mentor text
5 minutes: discuss lesson with class
5-20 minutes: writing time (must establish stamina)
10 minutes sharing
5 minutes: In the beginning of the school year you will use this time to check procedures and routines and
re-teach if necessary
*Shared and interactive writing should be incorporated throughout the day in addition to the independent Writer’s Workshop.
Anchor Charts – Created with Students
Books: Mimascota (A Explorar); Doña Carmiña (Cartelón de enseñanza); Kid and Kitten (Teacher Chart 51); In My Garden (Big Book of Exploration); Mary, Mary Quite Contrary (Big Book of Exploration), Tortillas para Mama and Other Nursery by Margot C. Griego,Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué Rico!: America's Sproutings byPat Mora and Rafael Lopez (available in English and Spanish),Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein,Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey
Materials:
Journals
Graphic Organizers on Treasures Flip Chart
Poetrytech.pbworks.com
haikupoetrytech.pbworks.com

Anchor Charts
Writing Lessons
When modeling writing, remind children about conventions of writing: capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, spaces between words, period at the end of the sentence. You may refer to Jessica Meacham for specific lessons or Lucy Calkins books.
Lesson 1: Writing poetry
  • Books:Choose a book from the Materials and Resources section above or from your own library.
  • Mini Lesson:Start unit by teaching children to use all their senses, plus their hearts and minds and imaginations, to take in the details of their lives in fresh ways. Book: The Other Way to Listen by Byrd Baylor (can listen to a portion on Amazon). Poetry is meant to be read aloud, expose your students to as many different types of poetry as possible. Teach kids that anything can be a poem if you listen to the music in the words. When writing poetry, it helps to write aloud – say what you are writing.
  • Observe an object, what does it sound like, what does it feel like, etc. Example: show a pencil sharpener ask, what do you your senses tell you about this? A machine to sharpen pencils is noisy, etc.
  • Chart responses.
  • Place different objects at tables and children travel and write in their journals what their senses tell them about each object.
  • Sharing: Select 2 or 3 students to share their findings in front of the class. Set expectations for audience.
Lesson 2: Writing Poetry *Journal
  • Book: Choose a book from the Materials and Resources section above or from your own library.
  • Mini Lesson: Read a poem and discuss. Review previous lesson. Remind students to use all their senses, plus their hearts and minds and imaginations, to take in the details of their lives in fresh ways. “Today we will choose an object and will write a poem about it. Let’s talk about the flower (or other object), let’s look at it with fresh eyes.”
  • Model Your Thinking: Guide children to use their senses to describe the flower. “It smells like outside. Its petals feel smooth. Ask: smooth like what? It looks like a sun. It is a velvet color.” Now write each sentence on a separate line and read with expression. “Flower; Smells like outside; Smooth like silk; Round like a sun; Velvet color; flower.”
  • Students will choose an object from box and will write about it in their journal.
  • Sharing: Select 2-3 students to share their writing in front of the class. The audience’s job is to listen quietly. Teacher models questioning during this time.
Lesson 3: Writing Poetry: *Journal
  • Book: Choose a book from the Materials and Resources section above or from your own library.
  • Mini Lesson: Read story and discuss. Review previous lesson and chart.
  • Model Your Thinking: Instead of using a published poem try this activity: Write the word “drip” on 8 index cards, the word “drop” on 8 index cards and the word “sunshine” on 3 index cards. If this were a poem named “Sudden Storm” how might it go? If it were named “Spring Showers”, how might it go? Arrange words on the floor or pocket chart, ex:
Drip, drip, drip
Drop
Sunshine
Drip, drip, drop
  • Journal:Allow students to write their own poems in their journals using the words drop, drip and sunshine. Students create their own titleand illustrate.
  • Sharing: Select 2-3 students to share their writing in front of the class or read to the principal. The audience’s job is to listen quietly. Teacher models questioning during this time.
Lesson 4: Writing Poetry*Journal
  • Book: Choose a book from the Materials and Resources section above or from your own library.
  • Mini Lesson: Review previous lessons and charts. Brainstorm ideas that the students are interested in. After a few suggestions, take a vote or choose a topic that many expressed interest in. Remind students to use all their senses, plus their hearts, minds and imaginations, to take in the details of their lives in fresh ways.
  • Model Your Thinking:Ex: “Who likes rain? Tell me something you like about rain – chart their responses (splashing in puddles, playing inside, smell reminds me of summertime, it’s wet, grass grows) Turn responses into a poem:
Who likes rain?
Splashing in puddles
Playing inside
Smells like summertime
Grass grows
We like rain!
  • Encourage students to write their own poem. Begin with a brainstorming web, in the middle they write their topic, on the outside as many details/ideas as they can think of about their topic. Turn ideas into a poem and illustrate.
  • Students may turn their poems into “shape” poems. See example above about writing around their picture or if writing about rain, write the poem in the shape of an umbrella.
  • Sharing: Select 2-3 students to share their writing in front of the class. The audience’s job is to listen quietly. Teacher models questioning during this time.
Lesson 5: Writing Poetry: Writing about people
  • Book: Choose a book from the Materials and Resources section above or from your own library.
  • Mini Lesson: Review previous day lesson and chart. Encourage children to read their poems, to use different line breaks and voices to change the meaning.Remind students to use all their senses, plus their hearts, minds, and imaginations, to take in the details of their lives in fresh ways.
  • Model Your Thinking: “Today we will write about someone/something important or special to us. You may write about your mom, a friend, a pet. Close your eyes and think about that special person and why he/she is important to you. I am going to write about my mom. Remember to use your 5 senses when describing this person.” Model and brainstorm images together. For example if they say soft and warm, ask soft like what? Write aloud: my mom is nice, I love the way she laughs, she cooks my favorite meals, her perfume is so strong I can smell it even when she is not around, she has curly brown hair, etc.
My Mom
My mom is nice and warm
Warm like a day at the beach
Curly brown hair
Soft like flower petals
Vigorous perfume
I can always smell her
  • Allow students to choose topic and brainstorm images and write about their topic. Soft like…; warm like…,
Lesson 6: Writing Poetry: *WW Class Book
  • Book: Choose a book from the Materials and Resources section above or from your own library.
  • Mini Lesson: Review previous lessons and charts. Continue working on special person poems.
  • Model Your Thinking:Read book. Share some of the students’ poetry. Encourage imagery and add details. Edit and revise. When students are done, allow them time to illustrate and publish their work. Make a class poem book.
  • Celebrate:Poetry Café, invite reading buddies, another class, parent, to share poems.
  • Sharing: Select 2-3 students to share their writing in front of the class. The audience’s job is to listen quietly. Teacher models questioning during this time.

Austin ISD K Department, 2014/ 2015 Page 1