About the Class
Welcome to Writing with Ms. Howell!
This class is taught during a 45 minute class period Monday through Thursday. The class teaches grade level standards in writing; these include grammar, writing narratives and essays, and more!
For a full list of standards taught in this class, please visit this link and scroll down to the writing standards!
The classroom is located in Relo 6, outside the 4th and 5th grade hall.
What does writing class look like?
Students from half of one class 4th grade class and half of another 4th grade class bring their chromebooks to Ms. Howell's room at the same time each day. Students are expected to come prepared and be willing to collaborate with their peers to come up with ideas, provide feedback, and learn from one another. Additionally, they are asked to develop the skills they learn throughout the year to improve their independent writing abilities.
On weeks with breaks, class periods will include lessons on writing craft, activities, and games that support academic vocabulary, English grammar, and descriptive details. On many full weeks, students will spend each class period working on an ongoing story or essay. The following week, they will work with others to workshop and revise their writing. You will always be able to check what students are working on by clicking on the "This Week..." tab on this website.
What is expected of students outside of class?
GOOD WRITERS READ!! Students in 4th grade should be reading at least 20 minutes each day outside of school. While reading, good writers pay attention to word choice, plot development, text organization, and more.
Students will have assignments and projects to do each day during class. If students are unable to finish during the class period, they will be expected to take the necessary resources home in order to be prepared for class the following day. Often, this will include creating an outline for a story or essay we will start tomorrow. This is a class that moves quickly, so it is critical that students show responsibility by keeping up with coursework.
How will students be graded?
Ms. Howell will be grading students using the same Proficiency Based Learning (PBL) metrics that all teachers in Granite use. Writing grades are included in the subject "ELA" (short for English Language Arts) in Focus. Each quarter, writing grades are factored into the overall ELA average. You can access individual writing grades at any time using the same portal you use to check math, reading, or science grades. Please keep in mind that only grades for standards beginning with W are given by Ms. Howell; all other reading grades are given by students' homeroom teachers.
