Day 1: Understanding the writing process
Olympic athletes set goals as they train. In the beginning, their goals might be small. For example, a young Olympic swimmer might be happy to beat their own personal best record. As that swimmer becomes more skilled and more relaxed in competition, their goal may be to win a gold, silver, or bronze medal, or break the world record.
|
becoming a writer
The steps in the writing process
Discussion |
Activity |
Look at the steps above. Turn and talk to a partner about the following questions:
Questions about first drafts
|
I would like for you to carefully reread all the drafts you have written in your notebooks and select one draft to revise, edit and publish.
Select a draft that interests you, that you can imagine making changes to, and that will be fun to develop into books for your classmates to read. |
Day 2: The process in action
Using the writing process is like following a recipe. The graphic above shows how writing can move forward AND backward. Collecting more details after writing a first draft is an example of moving backward.
Prewriting
Selecting a Topic:
wRITINGDEVELOPING THE FIRST DRAFT
ActivityThink about a topic that interests you, or use the draft you picked yesterday. Use your strategies learned from last week in order to find a topic, or use an idea in the back of your notebook. Use the sequence order graphic organizer to make a list of the steps or events in the order you plan to describe or explain them in. Once you have the order right, then you can revise your story.
|
Gathering Details:
|
day 3 The process in action
Revising
IMPROVING YOUR WRITING
What if, as you were about to hand in a test, you were told that you could look in your textbook to make sure that all your answers were correct? Wouldn't you want that second chance to get all the answers right and improve your grade? The revising step of the writing process is your second chance to get it right before you turn in your work. Day 4: Peer Conferencing |
ActivityLook through your draft you created yesterday. Think about how you might revise and improve your drafts to make them into pieces that are as interesting and clear as possible.
|
Today we will meet with our peers to confer about our drafts. In the writing community the goal of giving feedback is to help the other person create the best possible piece of writing. It is important that each of you share what you like about your partner's piece and offer suggestions and questions to help your partner improve the piece.
What kind of feedback do you think would be helpful to improve a piece of writing? Why? If you have qustions about or suggestions for improving the piece, how would you want to communicate those suggestions so it helps your partner? |
Today you will take turns with your partner reading your drafts. Use the questions on the picture above to get specific feedback before switching partners.
You might say: "Would you like to read first or would you like me to read first?" "Is there anything in my draft that you found confusing?" " I thought the part [ ] was exciting. I wasn't sure if you were [ ] when that happened. Maybe you can make that part clearer. |
Day 5: Writing an Introduction
Today you will focus on the opening sentences (the first few sentences) of their pieces. Author's pay especially close attention to these sentences because good opening sentences get readers interested and make them want to keep reading.
Let's listen to opening sentences from several of the read-aloud books from earlier this year.
As I read, I would like for you to think about how each author tries to grab your attention at the very beginning of the book.
Let's listen to opening sentences from several of the read-aloud books from earlier this year.
As I read, I would like for you to think about how each author tries to grab your attention at the very beginning of the book.
How might you revise your opening sentences to grab your reader's attention?
Get with your writing partner.
Reread the first few sentences of your own draft.
How might you revise your opening sentences to grab your reader's attention and make him or her want to keep reading? Discuss with your partner.
Get with your writing partner.
Reread the first few sentences of your own draft.
How might you revise your opening sentences to grab your reader's attention and make him or her want to keep reading? Discuss with your partner.