Unit 2: Raising the Quality of Narrative Writing Lucy Calkins’ Writing Workshop
*To introduce the unit “You will return to personal narrative writing in this unit, just like we did in the last. But this time, our goal will be to improve the quality of our writing! We will aim especially to write in ways that affect readers. To do this, we will learn from mentor texts.”
*change partners, since this is a new unit
Session 1: Reading with a Writer’s Eye
Mini-Lesson (10 min)
Connection:
Support your children’s identities as writers by telling them anecdotes to show that their published writing affected their readers. (who stopped by to read their stories on the bulletin board?) Rally their enthusiasm for writing other stories that matter to readers.
Name teaching point. Tell children that to improve their writing, they can emulate published authors.
Teaching:
Show children that to emulate a piece of writing we first select a mentor text, and then we read and experience the text we select. Then we reread as writers to derive techniques worth emulating.
- When I had to give a toast at my friend’s wedding, I had no idea what to say- I had to research
- So if we want to write in a way that makes our readers gasp, wince, laugh, or try to change the world, we need to first study stories that make us feel that way and learn from them!
- We will try this with Sandra Cisneros’ Eleven. We’ve already read Eleven this year, so watch me read just the excerpt about the sweater, and how I try to really experience the moment.
Demonstrate that you shift from reading and experiencing…to reading and extrapolating pointers about good writing. Reread aloud.
- What do I notice about this story? What has she done that I need to keep in mind if I’m going to write like this? She’s written about an episode in her life that really mattered to her, even if other people might not realize it’s a big deal.
- Start Chart: Lessons from Mentor Personal Narratives- add “writers often write about a seemingly small episode-yet it has big meaning for the writer”
- Hmm…she writes it from start to finish with so much detail that I feel like I’m living it- one way is by recording the exact words Mrs. Price said. (add to chart)
Debrief. Name what you’ve demonstrated in a way that is transferable to other texts and other days.
Active Engagement:
Suggest children read first like readers (envisioning and experiencing the text) and then like writers (analyzing what the author has done). Ask them to list main things the author has done and share.
- I will keep reading. First listen as a reader, then as a writer when I reread. Then jot & share.
Ask children to report on their findings, and then add their observations to the class chart.
- Maybe “Writers often convey strong feelings, and they often show rather than tell about them”
Link:
Reiterate the teaching point and send children off to study mentor texts. (Place copies of short texts in a folder on each table). Read instead of writing today…and jot down what you notice, we’ll share later
Writing and Conferring (40+ min)
Walk around making a big deal of the texts. Share your feelings and ask kids to share theirs.
Mid-Workshop Teaching Point:
Rereading Texts: Reread a section of a story you’ve already admired, this time try to see more.
Share Time (5 min)
Think about all the texts you read, what do they all have in common? Share. Reconvene and chart.
Be to mention: “Writers often include 2-3 small moments so their story has a sense of beg, mid, end.”
Homework:
Studying Mentor Texts: Read this story, mark all over your copy, think how the story was created
Session 2: Starting With Turning Points
Mini-Lesson (10 min)
Connection:
Tell children in this unit they will be writing even more powerful small moment stories-and one way to do this is to start with turning points.
- “In the stories we read yesterday, we saw a shared form- there is a beginning, then something happens to change things, and an end. That moment that changes things=turning point. In this moment the character feels or learns something important.”
Remind children that they already have a repertoire of strategies (invisible backpack) for generating narrative writing, represented in charts that can become vitally important tools for them.
- Refer to chart (can consolidate the chart so far, to make room for new additions)
Name the teaching point. Teach children that when writers want to generate ideas for personal narratives, they often think of turning-point moments (often firsts, lasts, when you realize import.)
Teaching:
Demonstrate the step-by-step sequence of using the strategy. Generate ideas for firsts, lasts, times you realized something important. (“Let me show you how I do it”-add new list page in back of notebook)
- Firsts- think of something you do all the time, when was the first? (close to it)…same for lasts
- Important- think of ‘Your Name in Gold’, she realized her sister really cared for her.
- If you didn’t use ‘Your Name in Gold’ as a mentor text, refer to other texts for example
Debrief. Remind children of the purpose for the strategy. Remind them that thinking of turning points can help them generate ideas for personal narratives.
Active Engagement
Ask your children to think of turning-point stories they could write, and to jot those ideas in their writer’s notebooks so they have a list for later. “Let’s try. I’m going to suggest some topics & you jot”
- First time you did something that felt, at the time, like it was hard for you
- First time you did something that you now do every day
- Last time you saw a person (or a pet) who died, or the last time you saw someone who left you
- Time you realized something about yourself, or about a person you know well
- Time you realized something almost happened to you-something that would’ve changed your life
- Reveal ‘Questions to Ask to Find Turning Points’ chart for reference in future
Link:
Remind children that writers draw from their growing repertoire of strategies. Add the turning-point strategy to the ‘Strategies for Generating Personal Narrative Writing’ chart (“Now you have one more for your invisible backpack!”)
- “As you gather entries today, draw on any strategy from this chart. It should only take you a couple of minutes to jot down lists, then you’ll need to select an item from your list and write it. You may have time to write two entries today!”
Writing and Conferring (40+ min)
If kids start writing like they forgot what they did last unit, act surprised-they’re too good for that
Mid-Workshop Teaching Point:
Making Planning Boxes- Just like in Eleven she was 5 and 4 and 3…we are in Unit 2 and Unit 1- we need to use all we’ve learned-mark your plan in a box for every entry before you start writing
Share Time (5 min)
Ask partners to share and discuss their own writing, just as they did the day before with publ. Texts
Ask one partner to share an entry with the class and the other to share observations of it. Then debrief in a way that reminds writers of the lessons they can hold on to.
Homework: Emulating Writers’ Lives: Robert McCloskey got idea for Make Way for Ducklings-when it actually happened to him-ducks stopped traffic on a Boston highway. He lived a writers’ life and thought- I could write about this! Tonight-jot in notebook how you could live your life like a writer
Session 3: Starting with Strong Feelings
Mini-Lesson (10 min)
Connection:
Celebrate the way children share their entries with each other, and celebrate they’re living like writers
- At first you “had nothing to write about,” now look at all your lists and stories!
Name the teaching point. Tell children that you will teach them another strategy writers use to generate powerful personal narratives. (powerful stories usually come from powerful feelings, a time we wanted something badly or felt something strongly…worry, hopefulness, embarrassment, sadness…Make a list- can I remember one specific time?)
Teaching:
Tell children about a time when you needed help generating ideas and reached for this strategy. Share what you did, then demonstrate to show the step-by-step sequence to make a list or two.
- “Then I’d select one that seems the most significant, make movie in mind, think who did or said something that I could use as a lead?”
Write some of story for the kids to see on board– write w/out paragraphs-so you can teach on it later
Active Engagement:
Set children up to try strategy, reiterating the moves students will make by sharing one child’s work.
- “So lets try hope-start a page for hope at the back of your notebook…you may’ve been hoping for a present, for recognition, someone to call, to say yes. Be specific-instead of saying “hoping for a bike” say “looking through the Sears catalog, tore page out, put on refrigerator.”
- “Writers, listen to ___’s list. See how they used big emotion to help remember specific times?”
Link:
Restate today’s teaching point. “So today we’ll continue writing entries that could grow into stories like those we read. Remember to use a planning box. I’ve put some examples on the board. Use any of the strategies in your ‘backpack.’ (Add today’s strategy to chart).
Writing and Conferring (40+ min)
By now most kids should be able to work independently, so you can take some time off from conferring and just do some assessing by observation.
Observe: levels of engagement, distractions, class layout, time rereading, etc.
If pencils are an issue-provide a can full of sharpened pencils (or do pens) at each table during writing
Ask strugglers “What could I do, or could we do, that would make writing time go better for you?
If lots of kids are writing at an extremely low level-visit a primary classroom to get scaffolding ideas
**Have 1 student review 1st paragraph of their first piece and make a list of all they learned/used -so they can remember to do it from now on while drafting-rewrite current piece using list. (ex. tomorrow)
Mid-Workshop Teaching Point:
Remembering to Paragraph: “You’re letting your words flow fast onto the page; you’re writing fast and long-awesome! Since we want readers to really take in our writing, we need to chunk our writing into paragraphs-this allows them to take in one thing we’ve said before the next happens.” Present chart that lists: new characters, new events, new ideas, new setting, new person speaking, time moves a lot. Divide your story from teaching segment as example. Ask kids to paragraph what they’ve written so far
Share Time (5 min)
Congratulate writers for writing personal narratives of significance. Tell children another strategy for generating personal narrative stories of significance is to retell our family stories (trouble stories)
Demonstrate telling a family story that could become a personal narrative entry.
Set children up to share their own family stories in small groups. Add this strategy to the chart.
Homework: Making and Using Topic Lists: Work on lists at home- start your own (I remember… or My pet…)
Session 4: Yesterday’s Revisions Become Today’s Standard Practice
Mini-Lesson (10 min)
Connection:
Point out that children now have a repertoire of strategies for generating writing ideas, but that many of them aren’t needing these strategies as they now come to school brimming with ideas.
Name the teaching point. Tell children that what they once did through revision and editing, can now become part of planning and drafting.
Teaching:
Show children how one child studied the first paragraphs of their first publication, gleaning from it lessons they could incorporate into upcoming drafts (you had someone work on this yesterday).
- “We’ve been talking about how important it is to study other authors. Well, yesterday, ____ studied a really important author—herself!” It reminded her of all that she’s learned as a writer. She paused when she reached something she did on purpose, and jotted it down -a goal.
- Show overhead of 1st paragraph of student’s text. Read. Show the list they made.
Active Engagement:
Recruit children to help the child study the next sections of her publication, gleaning more lessons. Turn & Talk. Share aloud & add to her list.
- “I need to tell you what ___ did next. After writing some goals, she opened up her notebook to the piece she’d been working on and watch what she did. She decided ‘I can do better’ and she began a new draft of that same story. I’ll show you the start of it. Is she incorporating her goals this time?
Link:
Rename the teaching point: Writers can draw from all we’ve learned from past writing experiences and apply those lessons early in the process of writing future texts.
- “Remember what you’ve already done. Then use it, use it, use it, until its easy enough for you that you can just do it automatically when you write- and you can move on to something new and more challenging. So go ahead- make some plans and take some action!”
Writing and Conferring (40+ min)
How are you feeling about what you’ve done (referencing today’s minilesson)
Don’t let a child shrug off your questions- try rephrasing the question.
If a child is working on paragraphing, have them reread a mentor text-studying only paragraphing
Mid-Workshop Teaching Point:
Paragraphing: choose any page of a book and squint so you cant see what it says- just the shape and spacing and length of the paragraphs. Then read it for real to see how its organized…might help!
Share Time (5 min)
Demonstrate for children studying a mentor author’s work to learn ways to achieve a writing goal. “Writers, I love that you are making plans for what you need to work on to become a better writer. I have a hint for you. This is the hint: Whatever writing goal you take on for yourself, a mentor text can usually give you examples of ways to get there!” Use Eleven to demonstrate a goal of true, exact details
Homework:
Living Like Writers, Paying Attention to the Details of Our Lives- share a student’s entry that shows they’ve been noticing the world around them. Its like she put a planning box in the corner of her mind, not just on her page. “Catch details all around!” Try that- put your goal in a planning box in the corner of your mind and live your lie with that writing goal!
Session 5: Listening for Significance in Seed Ideas
Mini-Lesson (10 min)
Connection:
Remind children that they are job captains for their writing and that they can use the writing process charts to guide them as they progress along a predictable course. Invite them to choose seed ideas when they feel ready, and use the chart.
Confide that for you, it’s comforting to share writing decisions with a partner, someone who will listen!
Name the teaching point. Tell writers that in order to write a great story, writers need to become writing teachers for ourselves and others, listening raptly to our own stories and those of our partners.
- “Each of you needs someone who can listen so deeply and so intently that you find yourself saying more than you though you had to say.”
Teaching:
Tell the story of one time when you listened so intently to a writer that you helped the writer find significance in a seemingly small moment. “I want to tell you about one time that I was a good writing teacher because I listened, and then I’m going to help each of you become good writing teachers too-for others and yourself!”
- Looking at ____’s entry, I was tempted to say ‘Come on, you need to write more than this!’ But instead, I reminded myself that writers need listeners who are affected by our stories. So I told myself to really listen, and I did. I found out what the story was really about, and then ____ was ready to write more after we’d talked about it! I helped them remember things…just by listening!!!”
Active Engagement: