Personal Narratives Have Certain Elements

FRAMINGHAM Public SchoolsCURRICULUM UNIT TEMPLATE September 10, 20122012-2013

Unit Title: Raising the Quality of Narrative Writing
Grade Level: 4 / Length: 7-8 weeks
Unit Overview: In the first writing unit of fourth grade, students will continue to learn and refine the elements of writing personal narratives. They will start with a quick review using lessons from Lucy Calkins Book 1, Launching Writing Workshop. Then, they will dive into Lucy Calkins Book 2, Raising the Quality of Narrative Writing todeepen their knowledge of the steps of the writing process and the roles and responsibilities of students and the teacher within the writing workshop model.
Key Understandings (Students will understand that….)

Personal narratives have certain elements.
Writers have different strategies for creating and refining personal narratives.
Writers go through different steps/stages of the writing process when creating different kinds of writing.
Students and teachers have different roles and responsibilities within the context of a writer’s workshop.

Essential Questions(Students explore important ideas in the unit through such questions as…)

What is a personal narrative?
What do good writers do to create and improve personal narratives?
How do you know when your writing is “done?”
How can working together in a writer’s workshop improve your writing?

Focus Standards(Assessed Standards in Bold)
Reading for Literature (RL) / RL.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Reading for Information (RI)
Writing (W) / W.4.3.Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
W.4.3aOrient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.(informally and formally assessed throughout and at end of unit)
W.4.3bUse dialogue and description to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations. (informally assessed throughout the unit)
W.4.3dUse concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.(formally and informally throughout the unit)
W.4.3e.Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.
W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
W.4.5.With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 4 on page 39)
Speaking and Listening (SL) / SL.4.1b Follow agreed upon rules for discussion and carry out assigned roles.
Language (L) / L.4.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.4.1d.Order adjectives within sentences according to conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather than a red small bag).
L.4.1fProduce complete sentences, recognizing and correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.
L.4.1gCorrectly use frequently confused words (e.g., to, too, two; there, their).
L.4.MA.1.h. Write legibly by hand, using either printing or cursive handwriting.
L.4.3b Choose punctuation for its effect.
Reading Foundational Skills / [FPS Implementation note: These standards are addressed during guided reading, shared reading, and word study.]
Overarching Standards
W.4.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
SL.4.6 Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 4 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 39 for specific expectations.)
L.4.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation).
Knowledge / Skills
Students will know…

That personal narratives include: characters, setting, a problem that the character(s) take steps to resolve, and an ending/resolution.
The process writers go through to write a personal narrative.
What roles and responsibilities teachers and students play in a writer’s workshop.
What makes writing clear and coherent (make sense).
The difference between concrete words and phrases and sensory details.

Key Vocabulary: Brainstorm, draft, revision, editing, publishing, conferencing, writer’s notebook, peer, audience / Students will be able to….
(W.4.3)

use strategies to come up with ideas for their personal narratives

Write a narrative about a real or imagined experience.

Establish an unfolding situation with a narrator and/or characters.
Include dialogue and descriptive details of actions, thoughts, and feelings to show character responses to situations.
Use a variety of transitional words and phrases.
Include concrete words and phrases and sensory details.

Write an ending to the narrative.

(W.4.4)

Use transition words and phrases in their writing.
Use concrete words and phrases in their writing
Use sensory details in their writing.

(W.4.5)

Plan a writing topic.
Revise writing.
Edit writing based on Language standards 1-3, including grade 4

Assessment
Performance Assessment

Pre-assessment; have students write a personal narrative prior to beginning the unit, or after having reviewed strategies taught during the launch. (W.4.3abde)
Rubric to assess published piece. (Students should be introduced to the rubric early in the unit so that they are familiar with the criteria.) (W.4.3, W.4.4, W.4.5, L.4.1, L.4.MA.1.h.)
Teachers may place students’ assessments on the Calkins Narrative Writing Continuum: in order to inform instruction and monitor growth

/ Other Assessment (formative and summative)

Writing conference notes
Observations of student participation during active engagement, sharing and peer conferences.

Core Texts/Reading Selections
Informational Texts: / Literature:
Lucy Calkins Mentor Texts

Eleven” from Woman Hollering Creekor “Once” in El arroyo de la Lloronaby Sandra Cisneros**
“Your Name in Gold” from Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul**
Shortcut (El atajo) by Donald Crews**
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Fireflies by Julie Brinckloe
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Other books purchased for pilot

Letting Swift River Go by Jane Yolen
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
My Great Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston (time transitions)
ZoomIstvanBanyai (seed vs. watermelon)**
True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka**

**These titles exist in both English and Spanish. For Shortcut, Barbieri teachers have created a Spanish translation.
Differentiated Texts/Reading Selections
Intervention / Enrichment / ELL

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
The Snowy Dayby E. J. Keats

“Your Name in Gold” from Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul

Peter’s Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
The Snowy Dayby E. J. Keats

Other Resources
Online Resources

Explore Discovery Ed resources.

Art/Music/Media Connections
Math/Science/Social Studies Connections

Science: owl pellets (Owl Moon)
S.S.: regions, My Great-Aunt Arizona

Learning Progression for this UnitBook 1 (Launching) Lessons are Bolded

Review strategies for coming up with ideas for personal narratives. (Bk. 1 #1-3 Think of a person, place, or object). Set up your writer’s notebook.

Pre-assessment (Write a personal narrative of your choice.)

Book 2, # 1, “Reading with a Writer’s Eye”

Book 2, #2, “Starting with Turning Points”

Book 2, # 3, “Starting with Strong Feelings”

Bk. 1, # 11, “Timelines as Tools for Planning Stories”

Bk. 2, # 4, “Yesterday’s Revisions Become Today’s Standard Practice” and paragraphing – 2 sessions

Bk. 1, # 4, “The Writer’s Job in a Conference”

(Bk. 2, # 5, “Teaching for Significance in Seed Ideas,”)

Bk. 2, # 6, “Writer’s Ask, ‘What Am I Really Trying to Say?’”

Bk. 2, # 7, “Studying and Creating Leads”

Punctuation in Mastering the Mechanics (See pp. 53-75)

Bk. 1, # 8, “Writing Discovery Drafts”

Complete sentences vs. fragments (See Mastering the Mechanics p. 78)

Bk. 1, # 12, “Timelines as Tools for Developing Stories”

Bk. 1, # 15, “Developing the Heart of a Story: Revision”

Bk. 2, # 8, “Telling the Story from Inside It,” or modified approach (The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka)

Word Choice/Vocabulary building session

Bk. 2, # 9, “Bringing Forth the Internal Story”

Bk. 1, # 9, “Revising Endings: Learning from Published Writing”

Bk. 1, # 16, “Using Editing Checklists”

Bk. 2, 14, “Reading Aloud Our Writing: A Ceremony of Celebrations” or other culminating celebration

Lesson Plan Mini-Map for Unit
Lesson Title: #1 - Generating Ideas Review (1-2 days)
Lesson Summary: Review strategies for coming up with ideas for personal narratives. (Launch – think of a person, place, or object: sessions 1-3). Set up your writer’s notebook. May use Book 1, Launching the Writing Workshop Lessons 1, 2, and 3 for this lesson.
Learning Objectives:
Materials: notebooks, teacher’s writer’s notebook
Lesson Title: #2 - Pre-assessment (Write a personal narrative of your choice.)
Lesson Summary
Learning Objectives: Obtain a personal narrative writing sample in order to inform instruction.
Materials:
For prompt language and the Calkins Narrative Writing Continuum see:
Lesson Title: #3 - Book 2, Session 1, “Reading with a Writer’s Eye” (2 days)
Lesson Summary: Do as is or try these adaptations based on student need:

Have student read Elevena few days before the lesson.
If students need more time to practice, some other personal narratives you may use are: The Snowy Day, Shortcut, Because of Winn Dixie
Language structures to practice (L.4.1, L.4.1f): This part makes me feel, I like this part because, The author uses, The author writes, What I liked most was when, The author did ______and I can do ______too.
Read Hey World Here I Am by Jean Little as your class read aloud during this time.

Learning Objectives:

Studying mentor texts in partnerships to identify the qualities of strong narrative writing.
Students will know that personal narratives include: characters, setting, a problem that the character(s) take steps to resolve, and an ending/resolution.
Point out adjective-noun order in English or language of instruction (e.g., Spanish or Portuguese), as contrasted with other languages. E.g., “The red sweater.” (As needed, do a more complete minilesson related to this topic, particularly if you work with a lot of English Language Learners.) (L.4.1d) You could create a class chart or bulletin board with examples of nouns modified by adjectives that students find during their reading or that the teacher finds during a read aloud.

Materials: Eleven and other personal narratives
Lesson Title: #4 - Book 2, Session 2, “Starting with Turning Points”
Lesson Summary: Do as is or try these adaptations based on student need:

Language structures to practice (L.4.1, L.4.1f): The first time that I, The last time that I,
Focus only on ONE type of turning point.

Learning Objectives: Teaching students strategy of thinking of first times, last times, or times of important realizations to generate writing.
Materials: Own story of a first time, Questions to ask to find Turning Points p. 21
Lesson Plan Mini-Map for Unit
Lesson Title: # 5 - Book 2, Session 3, “Starting with Strong Feelings”
Lesson Summary: Do as is or try these adaptations based on student need:

Focus on only one feeling for the first day. Extend this lesson to a second day when you introduce more feelings.
Use visuals of faces that show target feelings (worried, hopeful, embarrassed, sad)
Language structures to practice (L.4.1, L.4.1f): I felt sad because, I was ashamed because, I was hoping, I was worried because

Learning Objectives: Strategy of generating a personal narrative by choosing a strong feeling and then writing the story of one particular time feeling that feeling.
Materials: Own story and ideas related to 2 feelings
Lesson Title:# 6 - Bk. 1, Session 11, “Timelines as Tools for Planning Stories” (2 days)
Lesson Summary: No changes.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: #7 - Bk. 2, Session 4, “Yesterday’s Revisions Become Today’s Standard Practice” and paragraphing – (2 days)
Lesson Summary: Do as is or try these adaptations based on student need:

Language structures to practice (L.4.1, L.4.1f): I used, He used, My writing plan is,

Learning Objectives: Teaching children to incorporate more of the revision process into the brainstorming/drafting phases of writing.
Materials: Student text, chart of “Qualities of Good Narrative Writing” page 40
Lesson Title: #8 - Bk. 1, Session 4, “The Writer’s Job in a Conference”
Lesson Summary: No changes.
Learning Objectives: Review with students their job in a conference
Materials: pre-written skit
Lesson Title: #9 – Bk. 2, Session 5, “Teaching for Significance in Seed Ideas” (Optional, depending on skill level of group)
Lesson Summary: Do as is or try these adaptations based on student need:

Review Open Circle lesson on Active Listening

Learning Objectives: Teaching children to pick a seed idea.
Materials: Monitoring my Writing Process (p. 58) with blank spaces
Lesson Title: #10 - Bk. 2, Session 6, “Writers Ask, ‘What Am I Really Trying to Say?’”
Lesson Summary: Do as is or try these adaptations based on student need:

Language structures to practice (L.4.1, L.4.1f): The most important idea is
Practice storytelling in a way that highlights the deeper meaning (share p. 77)

Learning Objectives: Having students determine what their stories are “really about” (deeper meaning).
Materials: Excerpts from “Eleven” or Hey World Here I Am by Jean Little
Lesson Title:# 11 - Bk. 2, Session 7, “Studying and Creating Leads”
Lesson Summary: Do as is or try these adaptations based on student need:

Introduce other strong leads: Too Many Tamales
Homework: Copy the lead of your independent reading book. What has the author done in this lead?
Language structures to practice (L.4.1, L.4.1f): The author used, The author answers the questions who/what/where/when/how in the lead, I think the author does)
Extend this lesson to last for 2 days.

Learning Objectives: Using mentor texts to help students draft and revise leads.
Materials: Owl Moon, Too Many Tamales, and other books with strong leads
Lesson Title:#12 - Punctuation in Mastering the Mechanics (See pp. 53-75)
Lesson Summary: Given student needs, they will learn to identify and correctly use punctuation.
Learning Objectives: Dependent upon results of pre-assessment and informal observation/assessment, focusing on commas, end punctuation, and/or apostrophes
Materials: Mastering the Mechanicsby Linda Hoyt and Teresa Therriault
Lesson Title:# 13 - Bk. 1, Session 8, “Writing Discovery Drafts”
Lesson Summary: No changes.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: #14 - Complete Sentences vs. Fragments (See Mastering the Mechanics p. 78)
Lesson Summary: Students will learn the components of complete sentences, how to identify fragments and how to convert them to complete sentences.
Learning Objectives:

Understand that complete sentences include a subject and a verb.
Identify fragments.
Convert fragments to complete sentences.

Materials: Mastering the Mechanicsby Linda Hoyt and Teresa Therriault
Lesson Title: # 15 - Bk. 1, Session 12, “Timelines as Tools for Developing Stories”
Lesson Summary: No changes.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: #16 - Bk. 1, Session 15, “Developing the Heart of a Story: Revision”
Lesson Summary: No changes.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: #17 - Bk. 2, Session 8, “Telling the Story from Inside It”
Lesson Summary: Do as is or try these adaptations based on student need:

Read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka orThe Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume and discuss point of view.
Give students an extra day to practice telling the same story (Three little pigs or other familiar stories) from different points of view.

Vocabulary: Point of view, narrator, relive
Language structures to practice (L.4.1, L.4.1f) What did you think/feel/say/do?

Learning Objectives: Teach students to write from the narrator’s point of view.
Materials: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume
Lesson Title: #18 -Word Choice/Vocabulary Building Session
Lesson Summary: Strengthen word choice
Learning Objectives: Students will know the difference between a weak word and a more powerful one. They will identify weak word choices. They will substitute more powerful words.
Materials Bk. 2, P. 126, “Collaborating with Colleagues” and “Supplementary Vocabulary Building Session” in attachment, Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan, Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, Brave Irene by William Steig
Lesson Title: #19 - Bk. 2, Session 9, “Bringing Forth the Internal Story”
Lesson Summary: Do as is or try these adaptations based on student need:.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: #20 - Bk.1, Session 9, “Revising Endings: Learning from Published Writing”
Lesson Summary: No changes.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: #21 - Bk. 1, Session 16, “Using Editing Checklists”
Lesson Summary: Do as is but make sure to include a section on regularly confused words (to, too, two) in this checklist. Ask students to reread their work using these confusions as a lens and work with a partner to make corrections.
Learning Objectives
Materials: Pre-made editing checklists.
Lesson Title:# 22 - Bk. 2, Session 14, “Reading Aloud our Writing: A Ceremony of Celebrations” or other culminating celebration
Lesson Summary: No changes.
Learning Objectives
Materials

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