FRAMINGHAM Public Schools CURRICULUM UNIT TEMPLATE: June 9, 2012 2011-2012
Unit Title: Authors as MentorsGrade Level: 2 / Length
Unit Overview
Key Understandings (Students will understand that….)
…authors can be mentors.
…authors use a variety of writing devices to craft a story.
…writing is an ongoing process.
…authors possess a unique writing style.
Essential Questions (Students explore important ideas in the unit through such questions as…)
How do authors’ crafting techniques help to make our stories more interesting for readers?
How does the author know when a crafting technique works in a piece of writing?
To what extent can you serve as a mentor to others?
Focus Standards
Reading for Literature (RL) / RL.2.4 Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.
RL.2.5 Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
Reading for Information (RI)
Writing (W) / W.2.3 Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.
W.2.5 With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
W.MA.3.a Write stories or poems with dialogue.
Speaking and Listening (SL) / SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.[FPS implementation note: This is a part of setting up classroom routines]
SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in
coherent sentences.
SL.2.6 Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation.
Language (L) / L.2.1d Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told).
L.2.1b Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish).
L.2.1e Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.
L.2.2d Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage → badge; boy → boil). [FPS Implementation note: Lesson IX in Writing for Readers…perhaps also look at Lesson XIII Peer Editing]
L.2.2e Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.
L.2.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.2.2a Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names.
L.2.c Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.
L.2.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, and listening.
Reading Foundational Skills / [FPS Implementation note: These standards are addressed during guided reading, shared reading, and word study.]
Overarching Standards
RL.2.10 By the end of year, read and comprehend literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding at the high end of the range.
SL.2.6 Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. (See grade 2 Language standards 1 and 3 on pages 36–37 for specific expectations.)
L.2.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).
Knowledge / Skills
Students will know…
That the study of authors provides help with learning new conventions and techniques to enhance their writing.
That authors can give tips on how to come up with ideas for writing.
They will know the purpose of ellipses and other writing conventions.
Key Vocabulary:
Mentor
Craft chart
Watermelon topic
Seed-like topic
Details
Research
Ellipses
Dialogue
Comeback lines
Conventions
Strategies
Punctuation
Many moments story
setting / Students will be able to….
Distinguish the difference between watermelon and seed stories.
Use a craft chart to list what they see in mentor texts(types of punctuation and other conventions).
To incorporate features from the craft chart into their own writing pieces.
To use temporal words to signal event order in their writing (such as then, later, first, finally, afterwards, and suddenly).
To research in order to add facts and relevant details to their stories.
To use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives in their writing.
Assessment
Performance Assessment
Students will produce a piece of writing on demand which will scored on a district rubric. / Other Assessment (formative and summative)
Student conferences
Informal observations
Core Texts/Reading Selections
Informational Texts: Literary Nonfiction, History/Social Studies, Science/Technical / Literature: Stories, Drama, Poetry
Angela Johnson:
Joshua’s Night Whispers
The Leaving morning
Do Like Kyla
When I am Old with You
Just Like Josh Gibson
Ezra Jack Keats:
The Snowy Day
Shortcut
Pet Show
Other suggested books and authors:
Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Grandpa Never Lies by Ralph Fletcher
When I was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
Do you Know What I’ll do by Charlotte Zolotow
The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
Short Cut by Donald Crews
Big Mamas by Donald Crews
The Listening Walk by Paul Showers
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Other Way to Listen by Byrd Baylor
Differentiated Texts/Reading Selections
Intervention / Enrichment / ELL
Other Resources
Online Resources
Art/Music/Media Connections
Math/Science/Social Studies Connections
Learning Progression for this Unit
1. Book 5, Session I: Discovering Small Moments through Angela Johnson and Ezra Jack Keats’ texts as mentor text read alouds, students will learn to stretch small moment stories.
2. Book 5, Session II: Stretching Small Moments as Angela Might. (See “Time to Confer” for temporal words).
3. Book 5, Session III: Studying Angela’s Writing: Ellipses Create Dramatic tension.
4. Book 5, Session IV: Learning from Angela: Writing with Ellipses.
5. Book 5, Session V and VI: Studying Angela Johnson: Writing Comeback Lines: Identify the comeback lines and then apply in own writing.
6. Mastering the Mechanics: Capitalize Proper Nouns :Names, Places , Things pages 50-51
7. Book 5, Session VII: Studying Johnson and Keat’s writing, then learning from it: Using Research Details
8. Book 5, Session VIII: Studying One Text for Many Lessons, the use of the chart and identification of other crafts not yet discussed (onomatopoeia, dashes, etc.) such as Shortcut and The Snowy Day. *Choose a favorite story to revise in the following lessons.
9. Book 4, Session III: Adding dialogue. Use Keats’ Pet Show
10. Book 4, Session II: Middle of the Text
11. Book 4, Session IV: Revising Leads (Two lessons including introduction to leads and applying them.)
12. Book 4, Session VIII: Showing, Not Telling
13. Book 4, Session IX: Learning More About Showing Not Telling
14. Book 4, Session X : Revising Endings
15. Book 5, Session IX Noticing a New Text Structure: A Many Moment Story
16. Book 5, Session X Trying a New Text Structure, Writing a Many Moments Story
17. Book 5, Session XII, Studying New Authors as Mentors
18. Mastering the Mechanics: Apostrophes and Contractions and Possessions, pages 90-93
19. Book 5, Session XV: Editing for Publication
20. Book 5, Session XVI: Writing “About the Author” blurbs.
21. Book, 5, Session XVII: Talking and Reading to an Audience: An Author’s Celebration
Lesson Plan Mini-Map for Unit
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session I: Discovering Small Moments through Angela Johnson and Ezra Jack Keats’ texts as mentor text read alouds, students will learn to stretch small moment stories.
Lesson Summary : Students will notice that Angela Johnson finds tiny moments to write about and they will try to find tiny moments of their own about which they can write .
Learning Objectives:
Joshua will distinguish between watermelon topics and tiny seed topics.
Students will identify small moments in Angela Johnsons ‘ story, Joshua’s Night Whispers.
Students will use small notepads to create a list of tiny topics of their own.
Materials:
small notebooks
Joshua’s Night Whispers
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session II: Stretching Small Moments as Angela Might. (See “Time to Confer” for temporal words
Lesson Summary: In this lesson, students build upon their small moment ideas from their notepads towards writing a small moment story. Students first observe how a small moment story develops from a tiny seed topic using The leaving Morning. Students practice with a partner and then whole class to grow a story. Students then try to write their own story.
Learning Objectives:
Students will use tiny topics to build a small moment story.
Students will use strategies to plan their stories, such as sketching and telling the story across their fingers, and touching each page.
Students will work cooperatively with a partner.
Materials:
Tiny topics notepad
The Leaving Morning by Angela Johnson
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session III: Studying Angela’s Writing: Ellipses Create Dramatic tension.
Lesson Summary: In this lesson, a chart will be created to begin highlighting various writing techniques and their purpose. Specifically, this lesson focuses on ellipses that authors use to create dramatic tension.
Learning Objectives:
Students will become familiar with the craft chart.
Students will identify special features (such as ellipses) they notice in Angela Johnson and/or Ezra Jack Keats’ stories.
Students will understand the purpose of an ellipse.
Students will participate in a class discussion of other features they notice in the authors’ writing.
Materials:
Joshua’s Night Whispers by Angela Johnson
Whistle for Willie by Ezra jack Keats
Chart paper to create the “Craft” chart
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session IV: Learning from Angela: Writing with Ellipses.
Lesson Summary
In this session students will incorporate a feature (craft) such as ellipses into their own writing.
Learning Objectives
Students will use ellipses in their own Small Moment stories.
Students will be able to determine where an ellipse appropriately fits into their written piece.
Materials
The Leaving Morning by Angela Johnson
A teacher created story for demonstration
“:Craft” Chart began in previous lessons
Lesson Plan Mini-Map for Unit
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session V and VI: Studying Angela Johnson: Writing Comeback Lines: Identify the comeback lines and then apply in own writing.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, students are given time to notice other techniques. A focus on comeback lines is highlighted and added to the “Craft” chart along with its purpose to hold the main idea of the story. Once an understanding is established, students use this technique in their own writing.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to identify comeback lines within mentor texts.
Students will understand the purpose of comeback lines and how to apply this technique to their own story.
Students will select a comeback line of their own that captures the main idea of the story and add the lines in appropriate places in their writing.
Materials
“Craft” chart
Joshua’s Night Whispers by Angela Johnson
The Leaving Morning by Angela Johnson
When I Am Old with You by Angela Johnson
One of Three by Angela Johnson
Lesson Title: Mastering the Mechanics: Capitalize Proper Nouns :Names, Places , Things pages 50-51
Lesson Summary
As students build their stories, they are encouraged to add details to their stories. The focus on this lesson is to capitalize proper nouns.
Learning Objectives
Students will capitalize proper nouns (people, places and things) in a modeled writing sample and in their stories.
Students will share examples of proper nouns in their writing with a partner.
Materials
Mastering the Mechanics Grades 2-3 pages 50-51
A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session VII: Studying Johnson and Keats’ writing, then learning from it: Using Research Details
Lesson Summary
The focus of this lesson is to help student realize that research helps to provide precise detail to an author’s writing.
Learning Objectives
Students will understand that research can be conducted through observation, personal experience, experimentation or from written non-fiction texts (resources).
Students compare and contrast examples of original stories with new versions containing
Materials
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
Leaving Morning by Angela Johnson
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session VIII: Studying One Text for Many Lessons, the use of the chart and identification of other crafts not yet discussed (onomatopoeia, dashes, etc.) such as Shortcut and The Snowy Day. *Choose a favorite story to revise in the following lessons.
Lesson Summary:
In this lesson, students will read other books to identify author techniques which they add to a “Craft” chart.
Learning Objectives
Students will work in small groups to identify author crafts and add them to their own “craft” chart.
Students will identify previously discussed techniques as well as find new crafts.
Materials
“Craft” chart for individual students to use in small groups
Clipboards
Variety of books written by Johnson, Keats and other authors such as Shortcut by Donald Crews
Lesson Plan Mini-Map for Unit
Lesson Title: Book 4, Session III: Adding dialogue. Use Keats’ Pet Show
Lesson Summary
In this lesson students will see how writers add to their stories for purpose. The focus here is on adding dialogue to their stories.
Learning Objectives
Students will connect what they know about dialogue as readers to using dialogue as writers
Students will incorporate dialogue into their stories
Materials
Pet Show by Ezra Jack Keats
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Lesson Title: Book 4, Session II: Middle of the Text
Lesson Summary
In this session, students will learn tools and techniques for inserting material into the middle of their drafts and reread to determine where material should be added.
Learning Objectives
Students will revise their Small Moment story by adding to the middle of their text where necessary.
Materials
Revision pen, scissors, staplers and tape
Lesson Title: Book 4, Session IV: Revising Leads (Two lessons including introduction to leads and applying them.)
Lesson Summary
In this session students will become aware and gain knowledge of effective leads in stories. This knowledge will then be applied to student stories where they will revise their leads to their stories.
Learning Objectives
Students will recognize different ways authors begin their stories.
Students use their knowledge of leads and apply effective leads for their piece of writing.
Materials
A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats
The Leaving Morning by Angela Johnson
Other titles with a variety of effective leads
Lesson Title: Book 4, Session VIII: Showing, Not Telling
Lesson Summary
This lesson focuses on how to elaborate on telling their story by adding detail that shows not tells what happens in their story.
Learning Objectives
Students will learn what “ show not” tell is
Students will practice how to show feelings instead of telling about it through acting out a situation
Students will revise their writing to include the show not tell strategy
Materials
A model of student writing that states an emotion such as” I was happy” or “I am afraid” which tells the feeling rather shows the feeling
Lesson Title: Book 4, Session IX: Learning More About Showing Not Telling
Lesson Summary
This session employs the use of books that illustrate the technique of “show not tell”
Learning Objectives
Students will find a place in their stories where they can show not tell
Materials
Mike Mulligan by Virginia Burton
Lesson Title: Book Iv Session X Revising Endings
Lesson Summary
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session IX Noticing a New Text Structure: A Many Moment Story
Lesson Summary
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session X Trying a New Text Structure, Writing a Many Moments Story
Lesson Summary
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Plan Mini-Map for Unit
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session XII, Studying New Authors as Mentors
Lesson Summary
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: Mastering the Mechanics: Apostrophes and Contractions and Possessions, pages 90-93
Lesson Summary
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session XV: Editing for Publication
Lesson Summary
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: Book 5, Session XVI: Writing “About the Author” blurbs.
Lesson Summary
Learning Objectives
Materials
Lesson Title: Book, 5, Session XVII: Talking and Reading to an Audience: An Author’s Celebration
Lesson Summary
Learning Objectives
Materials
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