Unit 2 - Writing Unit of Study

1. Unit 2 - Writing Unit of Study Small Moment Writing in Personal Narrative

2. Unit 2 – Teaching Point #1 Writers Use a Timeline to Come Up with Stories to Write About! • They think about their life and put the events in order. • They draw a line and write dates on the line. • (The line can go sideways or up and down. Sideways = horizontal & up and down =vertical • 3. Finally, they add information “in order” so they remember all the important events..

3. Unit 2 – Teaching Point #2 Writers “Zoom in” on a Small Moment • They choose one of the moments from their life. (Use the timeline to help you remember.) • Zoom in on the most important part. • Tell it across your fingers. • Then sketch… and write the story.

4. Unit 2 – Teaching Point #3 Writers Choose a Writing Topic Using an “Idea Bag” • Writers collect ideas every day! • They think at first about the “Watermelon Story”. • (The great big story. Example: going to a baseball game) • Then they “zoom in” to the SEED. • (Example: The moment your favorite player it a homerun; the moment you saw yourself on the giant scoreboard; the moment you had your first taste of cotton candy.)

5. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 4Writers use small actions to “stretch out the heart” of the Small Moment Writers close their eyes… zooming in to make a “mind” movie of that small moment . They ask themselves… “What was my body doing? What was happening around me? Writers then sketch and write in great detail about the things that were happening o that the reader can picture it and make a movie in their mind.

6. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 5Writers revise by adding to their small moment using “internal thinking”. • Writers ask themselves questions like… • ”what was I thinking at that moment”. • They write in such detail that the reader • feels like they were right there. • 3. Writers include their “internal thinking” to help the reader do a mind movie.

7. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 5 (Expanded)Writers revise by adding to their small moment using “internal thinking”. Writers make their writing better by rereading their writing, closing their eyes, and asking themselves… “What was I thinking at that moment?” “I don’t want to go…. Please don’t make me go!”

8. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 6 • Writers can write a good beginning for their stories by writing a “story like setting beginning”. • They include when the story takes place… • - the time of day: On a summer evening • - the month: In early September • - the time of year: Late last winter • They include wherethe story takes place • - where: in my back yard • at the beach

9. A Story-Like Setting Beginning Might Include: • They include when the story takes place… • - the time of day: On a summer evening • - the month: In early September • - the time of year: Late last winter • They include wherethe story takes place • - where: in my back yard • at the beach • at school

10. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 7 One way that writers create good endings is by including “Close-in-to-the Moment” Endings. 1. End in the moment with the next thing that happened… 2. You might include a thought… 3. You might include a feeling…

11. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 8 • Writers choose a piece of their writing to publish. • They look through their writing pieces. • 2. They choose the one they like the most. • 3. They choose a piece they think others will enjoy too.

12. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 8 • Writers edit their stories by looking for “run on” and • rambling sentences. • Look for words like “and, then, so, but”. We call these “Wimpy Words”. • Put a dot under these words. • Reread the sentences without the dotted word. If it makes sense, cross out the word. • Remember to place a period at the end of the sentence… and to capitalize the next word.

13. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 9 • How to Edit for Run On • and Rambling Sentences • Put a dot under the words and, then, so, and but everywhere they appear in your writing • 2. Reread those sentences. If the sentence makes sense when you reread it without the dotted word, you should cross the word out. • Place a period before the crossed • out the word and capitalize the first word in the next sentence.

14. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 10 • Writers punctuate dialogue in their writing by using quotation marks and ending punctuation because it helps our readers understand who is speaking. • They find the words the “speaker” said. • They put quotation marks around the “spoken words”. • They use commas and punctuation too.

15. Here’s the way you punctuate dialogue. “I don’t want to go,” I thought. Mom said, “Honey, you look scared.” “I am,” I admitted. That’s when mom said, “I’ll ask the doctor if I could hold your hand.”

16. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 11 • Writers study words in their stories in order to spell them correctly • They circle words that don’t look right. • 2. Writers use many spelling strategies: • - use your dictionary • - use the word wall • - use a personal word wall • - look at word family patterns

17. Writing Unit 2 – Teaching Point 12 • Partners can help us prepare our pieces for an audience by asking specific questions about our piece. • They ask us to explain what we meant. • 2. They help us “catch” mistakes that we might not notice. • 3. They ask “tell me more” questions.

18. How are you doing as a writer? • 1 = little evidence 2 = some evidence 3 = clear evidence 4 = clear and effective evidence • Writers generate their own ideas for writing stories that are focused on a • small moment. • Writers plan by first sketching the moment across several pages. Writers show some evidence of planning their story. • Writers use several strategies to elaborate or stretch out moments. • Writers use a variety of strategies to write effective beginnings and endings • Writers use a variety of strategies to study and spell words correctly. • Writers attempt to edit for run on and rambling sentences. • Writers punctuate dialogue correctly. • Writers work well with a partner.