Writing
INFORMATIVE/EXPLANATORY
To aid young students in successfully writing informational text, they need to learn how to navigate through various steps of the process: generate ideas, plan, draft, revise, edit and publish. Teachers assist students in discovering what the different types of informational text look like and the structures and features proficient writers utilize when writing for various purposes.
Essential Questions:
1. How can writers use mentor text to study the characteristics of informational writing and generate ideas?
2. How can writers choose topics by considering areas of expertise, audience, and focus?
3. How can writers plan and draft their information in organized ways?
4. How can writers re-read and revise using a toolbox of elaboration strategies to increase the amount of information they give?
5. How can writers re-read and revise using a toolbox of elaboration strategies to add a variety of information?
6. How can writers prepare to publish by revising and editing?
1. How can writers use mentor text to study the characteristics of informational writing and generate ideas?
2. How can writers choose topics by considering areas of expertise, audience, and focus?
3. How can writers plan and draft their information in organized ways?
4. How can writers re-read and revise using a toolbox of elaboration strategies to increase the amount of information they give?
5. How can writers re-read and revise using a toolbox of elaboration strategies to add a variety of information?
6. How can writers prepare to publish by revising and editing?
NARRATIVE
The overall goal of this unit is for these students to lift the level of their personal narratives to more fully engage and inform an audience. They’ll learn to incorporate a repertoire of strategies to write more focused and compelling pieces. Lessons are designed to teach writers how to navigate through the process: generating story ideas, rehearsing for writing, drafting, rereading, revising and then starting on another piece.
Essential Questions:
1. How do writers apply the writing process to construct personal narratives?
2. How do writers use a repertoire of strategies to generate more focused, informative and engaging pieces?
3. How do writers revise and edit their best piece/s to share with an audience?
4. How do writers self-reflect on their experiences and growth in writing and as writers?
5. How do writers work with partners to learn to work independently?
2. How do writers use a repertoire of strategies to generate more focused, informative and engaging pieces?
3. How do writers revise and edit their best piece/s to share with an audience?
4. How do writers self-reflect on their experiences and growth in writing and as writers?
5. How do writers work with partners to learn to work independently?
6. How do writers celebrate their learning by sharing with others?
OPINION
Students develop and strengthen their writing by cycling through the process of planning, revising, editing, and publicly sharing their opinions with a real audience.
Essential Questions:
1. How do writers use mentor text to understand how to express opinions on a variety of topics?
2. How do writers develop opinions on topics of personal interest?
3. How do writers plan, research, and rehearse their opinions for a particular kind of review?
4. How do writers write in compelling ways to convince an audience?
5. How do writers revise and edit to make a piece more effective?
6. How do writers go public to make an impact on their peers?
1. How do writers use mentor text to understand how to express opinions on a variety of topics?
2. How do writers develop opinions on topics of personal interest?
3. How do writers plan, research, and rehearse their opinions for a particular kind of review?
4. How do writers write in compelling ways to convince an audience?
5. How do writers revise and edit to make a piece more effective?
6. How do writers go public to make an impact on their peers?
RESEARCH
Students will have opportunities across the year to study and write informative/explanatory texts and participate in shared research and writing projects.
Essential Questions:
1. How do writers learn from mentor text the qualities of effective informational text?
2. How do writers access and confirm prior knowledge of a topic?
3. How do writers research to gather and record information?
4. How do writers plan and draft information in an organized way?
5. How do writers reread and revise using strategies to increase the amount and quality of information given?
6. How do writers prepare for publication by checking spelling and punctuation before sharing their work with others?
7. How do writers share their work with others?
1. How do writers learn from mentor text the qualities of effective informational text?
2. How do writers access and confirm prior knowledge of a topic?
3. How do writers research to gather and record information?
4. How do writers plan and draft information in an organized way?
5. How do writers reread and revise using strategies to increase the amount and quality of information given?
6. How do writers prepare for publication by checking spelling and punctuation before sharing their work with others?
7. How do writers share their work with others?