Ridgefield Public Schools

Grade 1 - English/Language Arts

Standards: Connecticut has adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as the Connecticut State Standards (CSS).

BIG IDEAS

Writers follow the writing process.
Writers use many tools to craft their work.
Writers use a combination of words and pictures to represent their ideas.
When appropriate, writers add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
Writers generate writing ideas independently and expand upon them through thoughtful collaboration with their peers.
Writers study craft moves from mentor texts to enhance their writing.
Writers edit and revise to fix and fancy up their work.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

How do writers use events from their lives to write small moment stories?
How can writers choose topics, plan, and write stories about moments from their lives?
How can writers bring their stories to life?
How can writers learn from what a published author did to make her story special?
How can writers use a checklist to fix and fancy up their best work to prepare it for publication?

BIG IDEAS

Writers understand the procedural structure of how-to books to elaborate and add key details.
Writers use a combination of words and pictures to represent their ideas.
Writers generate writing ideas independently and expand upon them through thoughtful collaboration with their peers.
Writers study craft moves from mentor texts to enhance their writing.
Writers edit and revise to fix and fancy up their work.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

How can writers write lots of books that teach people how to do something?
How can writers learn to do a different kind of writing, so that they use diagrams and words to teach people how to do something, step by step?
How can writers learn ways to make how-to books even better by studying what a published author did in his/her book?
How can writers do a better job of making sure that readers understand what they are teaching?
How can writers edit their writing so that it is easier to read?

BIG IDEAS

Writers plan and rehearse topics that teach, not storyteller.
Writers generate multiple pieces on a variety of topics.
Writers write about known topics and write in an expository voice.
Writers try out different structures for their nonfiction chapter books.
Writers do research by conducting interviews, studying photographs, and asking questions of “experts.”
Writers use their new learning from their research to revise and elaborate their nonfiction books.
Writers say more, and more, by thinking about who will read their books, and what sorts of information those readers will need (and want) to learn.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

BIG IDEAS

Writers know that opinion writing differs from narrative and informational writing.
Writers know that opinions are different from facts and must be supported by reasons.
Writers can convince others of an opinion by crafting a clear and meaningful piece.
Opinion writers work quickly and smartly to publish pieces that will affect others.
Writers utilize oral rehearsal to talk about their opinions aloud.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

How do writers write opinions about things they like (and don’t like) to convince others?
How do writers judge collections to explain their opinions in convincing ways?
How do writers learn from mentor texts to write reviews to persuade readers?
How can writers use all they’ve learned about opinion writing to write book reviews?

BIG IDEAS

Poets use a poetic structure.
Poets craft their poems with attention to rhythm, word choice and conventions.
Poets utilize the writing process when creating poems.
Poets observe the world around them closely in order to generate ideas and make choices around language in their poems.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

How can writers write poems and songs about things that they care about?
How can writers study published songs and poems in order to notice what other writers do and try some of those things in their own writing?
How can writers write lots of songs and poems—writing about things that matter to them?
How can writers show their thoughts and feelings in poems?
How can writers make songs and poems longer and then get them ready for publication?

BIG IDEAS

Writers act out and tell the story as part of the oral rehearsal process.
Writers can write a series based on a new character or one they have already written about.
Writers experiment with many different characters.
Writers "Show, Not Tell" by focusing on tiny realistic details.
Writers include chapters to make sure their pieces have a clear beginning, middle and end.
Writers use patterns in their series writing to elaborate.
Writers self-assess, revise, and edit using writing checklists.
Writers reflect and set goals for their writing.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

How do writers invent pretend characters and small moment adventures to write realistic fiction stories?
How do writers plan and write stories about pretend characters?
How do writers develop a series of books about a pretend character?
How do writers develop their stories to make their stories more exciting to read?
How do writers get ready to publish their series books?

BIG IDEAS

Readers of nonfiction read across multiple texts on one topic.
Readers of nonfiction compare and contrast what they are learning and thinking across multiple texts to develop new ideas.
Readers of nonfiction synthesize parts within one text to the whole text asking themselves, "How does this part fit with the entire book?"
Readers share, compare, contrast, and push one another's thinking in book clubs.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

How can readers collect and organize information from several resources on one nonfiction topic?
How can readers work collaboratively to share information on a nonfiction topic in order to develop new ideas on an individual reader basis?
How can readers in a book club grow ideas together?
How can readers synthesize and summarize the information they have read, especially across different parts of a book?
How can readers add their own ideas to facts they have read?
How can readers in a book club compare and contrast two texts on the same topic and put together this information to come up with newer, bigger thinking?

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