Writing
Writing Celebration Snapshots!
Writing
What are we learning?
May
In the beginning of May, we will finish our second literary essay. Then, our amazing student teachers, Miss Firebaugh and Mrs. Barcellos, will lead students through a unit on creating their very own chapter books! So many of our 4th graders have really embraced their identity as writers this year, so this unit is sure to be a hit! We'll focus on character development, sequencing, and cohesiveness.
April
We are working on Literary Essays this month. Each student has chosen a book he or she knows well, and he or she is writing an opinion essay about that book. Each student is working to create a thesis statement that is strong and central to the text. Next, students will collect text evidence that will support his or her opinion. Our writers are doing amazing work!
March
This month, we will work on writing about our reading. Students will practice writing their thoughts about the stories they are reading, focusing on building interpretations about characters and themes. They will also analyze author's craft and cite text evidence in their writings. This work will help us for our upcoming unit called Literary Essay, which we will get into after spring break.
February
At the beginning of February, we will publish our first opinion essay. Then, we'll write another opinion essay, more quickly, to end the unit. Look for a publishing party announcement mid-month!
At the end of the month, we will shift to learning how to write an essay response about two texts that teach about the same topic. This essay response will focus on integrating information from both sources in an organized way.
January
We will begin our opinion essay unit this month. Students will be writing their own opinions and learning how to structure an effective essay using a boxes and bullets structure. In other words, students will craft a thesis, work to develop three reasons why the thesis is true, and they will elaborate their reasons with examples, stories, and evidence.
November & December:
Students are starting to take organized notes in preparation for writing their own informational books about rocks, minerals, and the Earth. Their book will be focused on 3 areas: the main types of rocks and the rock cycle, a specific geological landform in California, and a narrative story that incorporates information about rocks. Students are learning how to convey information in their writing in an organized way, as well as use different informational text structures to keep their writing interesting.
Trimester 1
Students will work on narrative writing.
Mini-lessons include:
- creating a small "twenty-minute" moment
- strong introductions
- descriptive action and thoughts
- transitional words
- creative conclusions
August
Preassessment
September/October
Students will complete the unit by writing personal and/or fictional narratives
Individual conferences with the teacher