FRAMINGHAM Public Schools CURRICULUM UNIT TEMPLATE: June 6, 2012 2011-2012
Unit Title: Writing Fiction: Big Dreams, Tall AmbitionsGrade Level: 3 / Length 6-8 weeks
Unit Overview Develop understanding of the structure of a realistic fiction piece by building on their knowledge of the characteristics of personal narratives and story elements. Students are exposed to mentor texts and develop strategies for generating ideas from their writer’s notebook. Writing stamina, elaboration, editing, revising skills will be developed in this unit.
Key Understandings (Students will understand that….)
Realistic fiction has certain elements. Using a story mountain helps in planning a story. Good writers study mentor text to improve their writing. Develop characters by telling about their motivations, struggles, and creating scenes in the story.
Essential Questions (Students explore important ideas in the unit through such questions as…)
What are the elements of realistic fiction? How can studying mentor text help improve writing? What is a story mountain? How do you develop characters in your story?
Focus Standards
Reading for Literature (RL) / RL3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RL3.3. Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Writing (W) / W3.3Write narrative to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
W.3.3a Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
W.3.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
W.3.3c Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order.
W.3.3d Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
W3.4. With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.
Speaking and Listening (SL)
Language (L) / L.3.1 e. Form and use the simple (e.g. I walked, I walk, I will walk) verb tenses
L.3.1 h Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions
L3.2a Capitalize appropriate words in titles
L3.2.c Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue
L3.2g Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check correct spellings
L3.5b Identify real-life connections between words and their use
Reading Foundational Skills / [FPS Implementation note: These standards are addressed during guided reading, shared reading, and word study.]
Overarching Standards
W3.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. (See grade 3 Language standards 1 and 3 on pages 36–37 for specific expectations.)
L.3.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate conversational, general academic, and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went looking for them).
Knowledge / Skills
Students will know…
What is realistic fiction
What are character traits (internal and external)
What a good lead is
What a good ending is
What a scene is
When a new paragraph should begin
How a story tends to go (structure of a story)
Key Vocabulary:
Scenes
Character
Character traits
Internal
External
Story mountain
Climax
Problem/conflict
Setting
Show-don’t-tell
Leads
Endings
Paragraph
Adjectives
Verbs
Subjects / Students will be able to….
Make a story mountain to plan out their stories
Write scene instead of a summary
Write for a long duration of time
Punctuate dialogue correctly
Use appropriate capital letters
Use end punctuation correctly
Use strategies for spelling correctly (including previous strategies + dictionary)
Identify character traits
Develop the traits of a character
Write powerful endings
Use a checklist to edit and revise
Assessment
Performance Assessment
Framingham Public School Writing Rubric for Lucy Calkins’ Writers’ Workshop / Other Assessment (formative and summative)
Teacher-Student Conferences
Core Texts/Reading Selections
Informational Texts:
Lucy Calkins’ Writer’s Workshop (Grades 3-5) Book 4: Writing Fiction: Big Dreams, Tall Ambitions
Mastering the Mechanics Grades 2-3, Linda Hoyt and Teresa Therriault / Literature: My name is Maria Isabel, by Alma Flor Ada
Peter’s Chair, by Ezra Jack Keats
Knuffle Bunny, by Mo Williams
Ruby the Copy Cat, by Peggy Rathman
Mr. Tannen’s Ties, by Maryanne Coccaleffler (or any others by her)
Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
Brave Irene, by William Steig (or any others by him)
Ish, by Peter H. Reynolds
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkese
Many Luscious Lollipops, by Ruth Heller
*Texts in bold are key texts and necessary to teach the unit
Differentiated Texts/Reading Selections
Intervention / Enrichment / ELL
Other Resources
Online Resources
Lucy Calkins’ Writer’s Workshop (Grades 3-5) CD-ROM
Art/Music/Media Connections
Math/Science/Social Studies Connections
Learning Progression for this Unit
1. Session 1. Imagining stories from ordinary moments
2. Session 2. Imagining stories we wish existed in the world
3. Session 3. Developing believable characters
4. Mastering Mechanics: Adjectives to lift descriptions p. 70-71 (two days)
5. Session 4. Giving characters struggles
6. Session 5. Plotting with a Story mountain (take extra days for this since Book 2 was cut)
7. Session 6. Show-Don’t-Tell, Planning and writing scenes (take extra days for this: one day for summary vs. scene, one for dialogue and action, one for revising – mid-workshop teaching point p.79-80)
8. Vocabulary lesson: transitional words and phrases (can use Mastering Mechanics: Comma: Transitional Words to Show Passage of Time as reference p. 88-89 but will need more vocabulary support) Supplements session 6
9. Mastering Mechanics: Punctuation and dialogue (To supplement session 6)
10. Session 7. Feeling and Drafting the Heart of your Story
11. Session 8. Study Published Texts to write Leads
12. Mastering Mechanics: Singular Subject-Verb Agreement, Plural Subject-Verb Agreement p. 66-69 (two days)
13. Session 9. Orienting Readers with Setting
14. Session 10. Writing Powerful Endings
15. Session 11. Revision: Rereading with a lens.
16. Session 13: Using Mentor Texts to Flesh Out Characters (please use this lesson to address any needs you see in your students’ writing e.g. Dialogue followed by small action, adjectives describing speaker)
17. Session 14: Editing with various lenses
18. Dictionary lesson
19. Session 15: Publishing
Lesson Plan Mini-Map for Unit
Most sessions should take 1-2 days unless otherwise noted. See attached Barbieri Planning Notes (Session 1-10)
Lesson Title: Session 1. Imagining stories from ordinary moments
Lesson Summary
You will teach students that fiction writers get ideas for stories from daily life and from past writing. You will help them get started doing that.
Learning Objectives
Materials
My name is Maria Isabel, writers’ notebook,
Lesson Title: Session 2. Imagining stories we wish existed in the world
Lesson Summary
You will tell students that when they sit down to write fiction they might get ideas for stories by imagining the books they wish existed in the world. You can also teach them that fiction writers get ideas for stories by thinking about issues in our lives.
Learning Objectives
Materials
The Three Billy Goat’s Gruff, writers’ notebook, chart paper
Lesson Title: Session 3. Developing believable characters
Lesson Summary
Students learn that like all writers, fiction writers need to choose a seed idea (a story idea) and then begin to develop characters by creating their internal and external traits.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Chart from Session 2, T-chart internal-external features/ character questionnaire, My name is Maria Isabel, writers’ notebook,
Lesson Title: Mastering Mechanics: Adjectives to lift descriptions p. 70-71
Lesson Summary (two days)
Teacher models a writing sample about adjectives. Students learn powerful adjectives to improve their descriptions.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Mastering Mechanics: Adjectives to lift descriptions p. 70-71, class record chart of mechanics
Lesson Title: Session 4. Giving characters struggles
Lesson Summary
You will teach children that writers develop characters by telling about their characters’ motivations and struggles and also by creating scenes that show these things
Learning Objectives
Materials
My name is Maria Isabel, writers’ notebook, chart paper,
Lesson Title: Session 5. Plotting with a Story mountain
Lesson Summary
You will teach children that writers sketch out possible plot lines for stories often on story mountains which represent traditional story structure. Take extra days for this since Book 2 where this was first introduced was cut.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Peter’s Chair, chart paper, writers’ notebook,
Lesson Title: Session 6. Show-Don’t-Tell, Planning and writing scenes
Lesson Summary
Students will learn and realize that writing scene are in a sense the same as writing small moment stories. Writers often begin by putting the characters into action or by laying out the characters’ exact words, unfolding the moment step by step. Take extra days for this: one day for summary vs. scene, one for dialogue and action, one for revising – mid-workshop teaching point p.79-80. Also, integrate the following two vocabulary and mechanics lesson as desired in this extra time.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Skit, The Three Billy Goat’s Gruff, My name is Maria Isabel, writers’ notebook, chart paper,
Lesson Title: Vocabulary lesson: transitional words and phrases
Lesson Summary
Create a word bank of transitional words and phrases. You can use Mastering Mechanics: Comma: Transitional Words to Show Passage of Time as reference p. 88-89. This lesson supplements session 6 and you can use it where you’d like in the elongation of session 6. Have students locate transition words in an example, perhaps teaching comma here.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Mastering Mechanics, p. 88-89 and p 152, student writing sample (can use p. 185)
Lesson Title: Mastering Mechanics: Punctuation and dialogue
Lesson Summary
Reteach these lessons from Unit 1 as a review during the elaboration of session 6 – show-don’t-tell dialogue
Learning Objectives
Materials
Mastering Mechanics: Punctuation and dialogue, p. 96
Lesson Title: Session 7. Feeling and Drafting the Heart of your Story
Lesson Summary
Children will learn that fiction writers will write our best drafts when we experience the world through our characters’ skin, letting the world unfold as it happens to us. This is a discovery draft.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Fireflies!, My name is Maria Isabel, writers’ notebook, chart paper, story mountain, lead example
Lesson Title: Session 8. Study Published Texts to write Leads
Lesson Summary
You will remind writers of various strategies for writing effective leads. You will remind children that writers re-read literature letting it teach techniques for writing. Please remember that Book 2 was cut and so some of these “reminders” may not be reminders.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lead examples: Ruby the Copy Cat, My name is Maria Isabel, Because of Winn-Dixie, Ish, Shortcut, Fireflies, Stevie,
Lead examples of student work, chart paper
Lesson Title: Mastering Mechanics: Singular Subject-Verb Agreement, Plural Subject-Verb Agreement
Lesson Summary
When we write sentences about a singular subject the verb has to match. When we write sentences about a plural subject the verb has to match. Repeat back sentences to see if they make sense. Take two days for this.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Mastering Mechanics: Singular Subject-Verb Agreement, Plural Subject-Verb Agreement p. 66-69, student writing sample (or p.187)
Lesson Title: Session 9. Orienting Readers with Setting
Lesson Summary
Teachers will remind writers that as they write they need to “stay in scene” making sure that the action and dialogue are well grounded in the setting.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Anecdote of confusion due to lack of setting, scene example on chart paper with nothing but dialogue, Yo! Yes, chart paper, My name is Maria Isabel
Lesson Title: Session 10. Writing Powerful Endings
Lesson Summary
You will teach children that writers of fiction do their best to craft the ending of stories they deserve. In consequence, we make sure our endings mesh and serve the purposes of the stories.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Ending examples: Ruby the Copy Cat, My name is Maria Isabel, Because of Winn-Dixie, Ish, Shortcut, Fireflies, Peter’s Chair, Chrysanthemum, class example
Lesson Title: Session 11. Revision: Rereading with a lens.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you will teach children that when revising, we don’t simply re-read, we re-read with a “lens”. Writers vary their lenses according to what the writer values for their work.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Chart paper, student example
Lesson Title: Session 13: Using Mentor Texts to Flesh Out Characters
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, teachers will remind students that writers study mentor authors to notice what other writers do that really works. One thing that writers do is use actions and revealing details to show rather than tell about or explain the character. Please use this lesson to address any needs you see in your students’ writing for example: dialogue followed by small action, adjectives describing speaker.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Student work samples, Ruby the Copy Cat, My name is Maria Isabel, Because of Winn-Dixie, Fireflies, class story
Lesson Title: Session 14: Editing with various lenses
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, teachers will explain that just as fiction writers revise with “lenses” they edit with them as well. Writers that reread their stories several times for several reasons can make edits as they go.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Class story,
Lesson Title: Dictionary lesson
Lesson Summary
Teacher will create a lesson teaching students how to use a dictionary to check their spelling, the meaning of words, and parts of speech
Learning Objectives
Materials
Dictionaries,
Lesson Title: Session 15: Publishing
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, writers will have an opportunity to see their work “published” in book form as well as receiving the thrill of receiving “reviews” from their classmates. Students will also reflect on their involvement and their contributions to class story.
Learning Objectives
Materials
Published work,
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