Writer's Workshop

Introduction to our Writing program: Conventions and the Writing Process in stages.

Our Conventions and Grammar highlights and practice will include: Building proficiency in knowledge of spelling patterns, using punctuation (periods, question marks, exclamation points, commas and apostrophes).

Units of Study:

• Narrative Writing: Refining our Storytelling using Master Authors as an example.  Skills Focus: Read text from master authors as an example of how to tell effective and engaging stories from a personal perspective.

• Informational Chapter Books: This unit is aligned with our Nonfiction reading unit.  Students will immerse in the world of nonfiction and use some research and personal knowledge in order to write their own nonfiction book.  Skills focus: Students will synthesize the knowledge gained in our reading unit in order to structure a nonfiction text by organizing their facts into chapters.  Students will understand what a heading means and how to group their facts under a larger topic.

• Book Reviews: Students will gain confidence in sharing their opinion regarding books that they have read.  The end goal will be for students to proficiently write a friendly letter that shares their opinion in the form of a book review.  Skills focus: Students will define and actively use the term "opinion", become familiar with the format of the friendly letter and be able to explain their thoughts using main idea and details.

• Poetry Study: "Big Thoughts in Small Packages": Students will be immersed in a study of the genre of Poetry.  We will focus on the fact that poets have grand ideas. They put these concepts into small words and phrases to create a strong impact for their reader.  Skills focus: Understand the concepts of phrasing, lines and stanzas.  Students will also define words such as: alliteration, onomatopoeia