Punctuation Takes A Vacation by Robin Pulver tells the story of a classroom that lost all forms of punctuation one day. Books cannot be read and writing is impossible. The students ultimately end up appreciating punctuation and understanding the importance each holds.   

The focus of conventions is the accuracy of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. In the book, Punctuation Takes A Vacation, the main focus is how imperative it is to utilize punctuation.

Following the reading of this story we will look at a few sample paragraphs where the punctuation is missing. From there we will attempt to read the passages and discuss where punctuation is needed. This will set students up to be able to reread and edit their writing in search of missing punctuation. Students may also peer-review one another's work adding in needed punctuation markings.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes tells the story of a little mouse who brings her new purse to school. Throughout the day the purse ends up becoming more of a distraction and hindrance to the day. 

The writing trait idea centers around enhancing a story through the addition of intentional details throughout the text. Kevin Henkes does an excellent job of including details that add to the story rather than simply filling space. His word choice strengthens the reader's ability to envision the scene and empathize with Lilly all while propelling the story forward. 

As I read the book I will ask students what they think the main idea is. Following the read-aloud we will go through the book again to find what details were used to support the main idea. We will make a chart showing how these details collectively enhance the main idea. After students will read a narrative they are working on and identify the main idea. Students will make a chart highlighting the important details they have used to support their ideas. If they notice they do not have enough details they can brainstorm more on their list.

The Great Escape from City Zoo by Tohby Riddle is a light-hearted story about a group of animals who escape from the zoo and attempt to start a life living amongst humans. 

The organization trait encompasses a writer's ability to create a lead, utilize sequencing and transition words, and the overall structure of the piece. The Great Escape from City Zoo begins with a strong lead, "Something was brewing." This catches the reader's attention and draws them in. The book is also filled with strong transition words. There is a steady pacing built upon by the focus narrowing in from a larger to a more close-up lens quickly. 

Before reading the book aloud I will assign groups of students to be different organizational detects responsible for locating specific elements. This grouping will prevent students from becoming overwhelmed having too many tasks to focus on. The groups will be 1. Lead and Resolution, 2. Transition and Sequence Words, 3. Body Structure and Pacing. Students will record their findings as we read and a discussion will follow. Later on, students will choose one of these elements to focus on in their writing and break into groups accordingly. Peer-review of writing and group brainstorming will occur within groups to help strengthen one another's work. 

The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds tells the story of a young boy who has a unique collection, of words. When Jerome hears a word he particularly likes he writes it down to save. He also practices unique pairings of words in his collection. 

The writing trait word choice centers around the use of strong unique, descriptive language. Word choice also includes precise language to enforce an idea. The narrative follows a boy who compiles strong language daily. This practice demonstrates one way to gather words to enhance writing. 

After reading The Word Collector students will each share their favorite word Jerome chose within the story. Following this students will then go on a language scavenger hunt. Poems, articles, newspaper headlines, and short stories will be placed around the room. Students will be allowed to travel around the room and create a word collection of their own. This tool can then be referenced during the revision and editing stages of the writing process for students to add strong word choice into their writing. 

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin tells the story of a young worm through various journal entries. He writes about various situations of daily life. Many entries are humorous with some even being relatable to students. 

Voice focuses on how words are used to dictate the tone of a piece of writing. It also can be used to show a character or author's personality, a strong emotion, or an individual's perspective. Since the book was written from the perspective of the worm his personality was able to come through.  

While reading the story aloud I will pause and ask students questions about how they think the worm feels. We also will discuss how he is able to convey his emotions within the text. After this students will write a diary entry about a day in their life. Students will be encouraged to write in a way that feels authentic to them, mirroring how they think or speak. This activity will allow students to explore and showcase their voice as a writer.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss is an encouraging story about finding your own path and starting an adventure of your own. The text is directed to the reader with words such as "you" and "your." 

Sentence fluency is the idea that when sentences fit together, flow, and vary in structure a piece is easier to read. Fluidity comes when language smoothly moves a story along. Books including Oh, the Places You'll Go!, rhyme as a way to fit sentences together. When the story is read aloud the reader can move smoothly from one sentence to another. This is a combined result of rhyming word choice and intentional punctuation. 

As I read the story I will be sure to pause at the end of each sentence to reinforce the rhythm intended by the author. After reading the book out loud students will each be assigned a page to read out loud. They will gain the experience of hearing and reading a fluid text. Students can then reread their own writing aloud to check for sentence fluency.