How Writers Work (Narrative)

Writing workshop is the time when we think about how writers work so students can emulate this process. This unit was created to help students understand the writing process and get to know how and why writers write in the ways they do. They will find out many different reasons for writing and have the chance to build their own writing identities.

Students will:

• Identify reasons why writers write
• Recognize that writing is a process that takes time and hard work
• Use descriptive details and other narrative techniques when developing and organizing narrative texts
• Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, researching, revising, editing and publishing

Biography (Informational/Explanatory

Studying biography gives students the opportunity to read and learn about inspirational people who have made a difference to many. Students will explore the purposes and features of biographies as both readers and writers.

Students will:

• Understand the purpose and structure of biography
• Conduct research that builds knowledge on their subject
• Include a beginning that introduces their subject and expresses their point of view
• Include fats and details to support their opinion
• Create an organizational structure
• Provide a concluding statement or section
• Follow the writing process
• Use pronouns correctly

Essay (Opinion)

Essays can be written to explain, explore, or argue ideas on a specific topic. An essay genre study creates the opportunity to familiarize students with the features of essays and helps them build confidence with and knowledge about the genre.

Students will:

• Write essays that express their opinion on a topic and supply reasons and information to support their point of view
• Introduce a topic by creating an engaging thesis statement
• Develop their essay with facts, quotes and concrete details
• Create paragraphs to logically group ideas
• Correctly cite sources

Memoir (Narrative)

Memoir is a short recounting of a portion of a person’s life (unlike a biography, which is usually the story of a person’s whole life). This unit will introduce students to what memoir is all about, how memoir writers think, how they work, the kinds of books they create, and decisions they make about content, illustrations, and more.

Students will:

• Write memoirs about real experiences using effective technique, descriptive details and clear sequence of events
• Use dialogue to develop characters
• Use concrete words and sensory details to convey events and experiences
• Provide a conclusion that includes reflection