Six Traits Activities Source: so024.k12.sd/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

1. Six Traits Activities Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

2. 1) Conventions • • Have a daily editing time.  Choose a • sentence a paragraph or a section of a • student written work(ask the student’s • permission before using).  Use this as a time • when the group's job is to make this piece as • perfect as they can.  Have students reflect on • how editing as a group is different than • editing individually. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

3. 1) Conventions • • Introduce proofreading marks to students.  Have them use these marks on a sample paragraph in pen or marker. Post these editing • marks in the classroom for all to see and use.  Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

4. 1) Conventions • • Individual conferencing is an excellent way • to teach one on one editing.  Have a focus of • one or two concepts for students to focus on • and once those are mastered other concepts • can be added. Partner editing can be very • powerful if handled in a constructive manner.  • Have students take what they learned about • editing and apply that to peer editing.  Giving a • checklist can give students added direction. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

5. 2) Fluency • • Choose two different reading basal stories...one story at the pre primer level and at the comprehension level of your students.  Read a portion of both to aloud and ask students what differences they heard, what they enjoyed listening to more.  Highlight the variety of sentence lengths and beginnings.  Use this example as a guideline to use for their writing.  Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

6. 2) Fluency • • Reading poetry aloud is something that students find they truly enjoy.  It will also help them tune their ear to good sentence fluency. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

7. 2) Fluency • • Have students brainstorm some catchy sentence beginnings.  Write them on the board and have students choose four to six to finish in the form of a paragraph.  At the same time the teacher uses only one beginning and writes a paragraph. Once everyone is finished writing share the teachers versus some of the other students.  Question the students on what they noticed and can learn. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

8. 2) Fluency • • Use poetry to give students practice reading aloud and break it up into parts for a choral reading.  Have the small group present their choral reading  to the class. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

9. 3) Ideas and Content • • Use graphic organizers to brainstorm • writing topics. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

10. 3) Ideas and Content • • Use unusual pictures from magazines, • calendars, cards, or from your own album that will help jumpstart detailed writing.Have students describe the picture in great detail. Post the pictures and read the writing and challenge students to match the description with the cards. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

11. 3) Ideas and Content • • Rewrite a familiar tale or story using only • the main events and characters leave out the • details.  Read the rewritten story to students. • Challenge students to decide what is missing. • Brainstorm ways to improve on the story.  To • end this mini lesson read the original full length • version of the story. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

12. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm 3) Ideas and Content • • Find a busy scene with lots of action and • people (beach, shopping mall, farm, etc.)Show • the picture to students and have them write • things they see on sticky notes. Post the • picture and the sticky notes on a bulletin board. • Discuss what students thought this activity • showed about writing.  Details are important • but sometimes too many details can overwhelm • and bog down writing. 

13. 3) Ideas and Content • •Have students write about some exciting • event that happened to them recently. • Concentrate on a narrow topic and fresh • exciting details. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

14. 4) Organization • • Once a topic is chosen, use a variety of • graphic organizers to help students clarify • andorganize their thoughts. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

15. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm 4) Organization • • Read one of the organization picture books • aloud to the class.  Stop periodically and ask • students: "Why do you think the author began • the book this way?"  "Where do you think the • author will take us next?"  "How will the book • end?"  After the book is finished break the • students up into groups and have them create • a story board mapping out the organization of • the book.  Once each group is finished, have • them present their story board.

16. 4) Organization • • Use five or six sequence cards with pictures. • Place them out of order and ask for a volunteer • to try to tell the story of the cards without • changing the order.  Discuss the difficulty of the • task and how it pertains to writing.  Put the • cards in the correct order and have the • students write their own version of the story. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

17. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm 4) Organization • • Read the story Alexander and the Terrible, • Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith • Viorst.  Discuss the book in terms of • organization.  (Why did she organize the book • the way she did?, Why is organization • important to this book?, Would you change • the organization?) Map out the organization on • the board or using a technological graphic • organizer.  (continued next slide)

18. 4) Organization • • Use the organization of the book to create a • book all their own.Have student brainstorm • a time when they had an Awesome, Fabulous, • Just Fine, Very Good Day and write and • illustrate a book accordingly. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

19. 4) Organization • • Use some of the organizational trade books • or other books from your library with good • beginnings.  Read the beginnings to the class.  • Have them discuss the attributes of a good • beginning versus a poor beginning. Define a • good story beginning.  (the same can be done • for endings/conclusions)  Have the students • choose one of the beginnings and finish writing • the story from there. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

20. 5) Voice • • Use two contrasting artistic pieces have • students use a Venn diagram to describe the • similarities and differences.  Write a few • sentences about the voice of the pieces.  • Discuss as a class. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

21. 5) Voice • • Read two pieces of writing, one containing • lots of voice the other having weak voice. • Have the students identify the strong voice • piece and the weak voice piece.  Have • students talk about the two pieces in terms of • likeability and voice. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

22. 5) Voice • • Have students write a persuasive piece using • voice.  Have them chose a topic that is near • and dear to their hearts.  Put these pieces into • a class book entitled, Let us Persuade You. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

23. 5) Voice • • Have students sit in a circle on the ground • start the game by having students close their • eyes.  Have one student be 'it' and choose one • person to touch gently on the head.  This will • give the signal to that student to share their • 'I love/hate statement'.  Have others guess • who is talking.  Continue this game until • everyone has had a turn.  Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

24. 5) Voice • • After the game, talk about how voices were • easy or hard to recognize. Discuss how the • voice was one clue to the person but the • statement was another big clue.  Many times • the student would have been recognized bystatement alone. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

25. 5) Voice • • After reading one of the voice picture books • have the students form some opinions of the • author.  Ask the students to describe the author • and draw a picture of him/her.  Use sections of • the book to back up students' opinions. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

26. 5) Voice • • After reading many voice picture books have • students make a list of other words that • describe voice.  (angry, passionate, loving, • hateful, charming, thoughtful, kind)  Post this • as a wall poster for students to reference, • Voice is...

27. 6) Word Choice • • Create a class book that will aid students in • boosting their word choice skills.  On one pagewrite a word like, good in boring grey print. • On the following page have students write • substitutes for the words good.  Use other • boring words to find substitutes for like cool, • bad, sad, mad, happy, fun, etc.  Students will • surprise you with their list of tired boring • words. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

28. 6) Word Choice • Have a tired word funeral.  Put one tired word • per slip of paper.  Invite each student to place • one tired word in a small cardboard box. Have a small tired word funeral by banning • these words from ever being used again. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

29. 6) Word Choice • • Use simple tired word in short sentences. • Have students replace words or rewrite the • sentence using specific nouns, colorful verbs • and snappy adjectives and adverbs. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

30. 6) Word Choice • • Use a big book full of excellent word choices.  • Cover up some of the colorful words with • sticky notes and as you read the book to the • class have them guess what the covered word • may be.  Often times they will guess words • that would go well in that place write them • down and talk about how many words can be • substituted in its place.  (continued next slide)

31. 6) Word Choice • • If they are unfamiliar with the covered word • direct them to the list of optional words to find • their own meaning.This is an excellent skill • that can help students during test taking time. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

32. 6) Word Choice • • Create a class alphabet book using fresh, • exciting, colorful words.  Put this book in thelibrary for students to reference when having • trouble finding just the right word. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm

33. 6) Word Choice • • Challenge students to write a description of • something simple like the smell of spaghetti, • feel of their bed, or the sunset.  Have them • review their writing once they have finished • and concentrate on using word choice to show • not tell. Source: http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20Traits.htm