Good Morning 1 Please sit at a table

Good Morning 1. Please sit at a table where you do not usually sit, with people whom you don’t usually sit (unless you are working with the interpreters). 2. Take a look at my personal artifact in one of the shopping bags that is circulating. What does it tell you about me? What questions will you ask to find out more information?

Today’s Activities Respond to each other’s writing Discuss readings Participate in a Shared Writing lesson Share writing Develop characters

Responding to Writing “At first children are caught up in their own thinking, finding it difficult to include thoughts and opinions of others. Gradually, through the process of sharing their writing and showing it to others, they begin to acknowledge other ways of thinking. Understanding point of view is a lifetime journey in both reading and writing. ” Graves, D. (2004, November) What I have learned from teachers of writing, Language Arts, 82, 88 -94. • How can you prepare students for responding to each other’s writing?

Action 3. 5: Writing about an artifact • Share your writing with a partner. • Your partner will… – Listen. – Tell you what they heard. – Ask a question.

Some other formats to consider… 1. One thing I really like about the writing is … 2. One thing I think the author can improve upon is … 3. Something I would like the author to tell me more about is … 4. One last comment is …

1. Students exchange papers. 2. The WRITER directs READERS where help, suggestions are needed 3. READERS read and comment. 4. Emphasize "reader-based feedback" first; then "criterion-based feedback". 5. The first WRITER gives a status report. 6. One of the READERS comments about the content of each paragraph. 7. The WRITER listens and takes notes. 8. The WRITER summarizes feedback, describes possible revisions, asks for other suggestions. 9. All READERS turn over their copies to the WRITER. 10. Drafts and comments are stored. 11. Each student gets a "Critic Grade"

Components of a Balanced Language Arts Program Reading Read aloud Guided Reading Writing aloud/ Modeled Writing Shared and Interactive Writing Guided Writing Independent Reading Independent Writing Shared Reading

The Writing Process

Shared Writing • Goal Writing Strategies (grades 2 and 3): Students will write sentences and paragraphs to develop an idea Written and Oral English Conventions 1. 1 complete sentences (grade 2) 1. 5 punctuate correctly (grade 3) 1. 6 capitalization at beginning of sentences, titles, initials (grade 2) 1. 7 correct capitalization (grade 3) • Objective Given teacher demonstration students will independently write on topic, using demonstrated conventions as measured by completion of focused pieces containing conventions demonstrated. • Assessment Formative: Students will volunteer contributions for conventional spelling, correct punctuation, capitalization and word choice. While writing independently, they will stay on topic and use demonstrated conventions. Summative Student writing will demonstrate understanding topic focus and use of demonstrated conventions.

• Materials A personal artifact in a paper bag Chart paper and markers or overhead Wilfrid Gordon Mc. Donald Partridge, by Mem Fox • Introduction “The story I read to you contained some artifacts that Wilfred Gordon Mc. Donald Partridge used to help Miss Nancy remember. What do you think I mean by ‘artifact’? ” “Earlier today, I shared an artifact. You will be hearing about why it is important and then help me to do some writing about my artifact. What are some things I need to remember when I am writing about my artifact? ” • Procedure • Closure “What are some things you now know about me, from hearing about and seeing my artifact? ” “What are some things you will remember from today’s lesson when you go off to write about your own? ”

Discussion of Readings • • • Discuss chapter and standards. Why is fiction difficult for students to write? Why do they like to read it? What connections do you see between Graves and the standards? What else?

Developing Characters

Character drives plot, which gets sculpted by the setting, which, in its turn, is affected by the characters in the story. Ralph Fletcher, What A Writer Needs The Physical Being • Touch: “When Grandpa kissed me goodnight, his stubbly cheek felt like a piece of sandpaper from the garage. ” • Sound: In the morning, I listened to my mother trying to clear her lungs. Some days she’d hack away for a half hour or forty minutes. She had two distinct kinds of coughs. The wet one sounded like each lung was snarled in long wet strips of cloth. The dry cough sounded like the last few nails being pounded into a block of wood, or a coffin…” • Sight: “She had long arms and boney elbows. When she cut her meat, she reminded me of one of those big sea birds trying to gain altitude…” • Smell: She worked in a candy store, and the smell of fudge was soaked into her; my mouth watered whenever she gave me a hug.

The Telling Detail • “Sometimes Miss Maggie rode to the grocery story with Nat and his grandfather. Nat would wait in the truck when Miss Maggie went into the store, because she always had a wad of tobacco in her jaw and she’d spit it just anywhere she pleased. Nat was afraid people might think she was a relative. ” • “He was a well-dressed young man, and he wore cufflinks reputedly made from human bone. ” • “George’s grandfather was a formal and fastidious dresser. Even on a summer day of 80 degrees, he would come downstairs wearing a clean white shirt, tie, light jacket, with every hair in place. One day, during a visit with his grandfather, George noticed that the old man was as impeccably dressed as usual, except for one thing: the belt was outside one of the loops in his pants. George didn’t say anything. But two mornings later, he noticed his grandfather's belt had missed two loops on one side, and one loop on the other. ”

A Visual Plan 1. Visualize your character. Draw a picture of him/her. 2. Make brief notes about the character. Consider: • attributes • features • personality traits • motivations 3. Draw in a setting.

Sharing Writing: Action 18. 4 1. Writer reads a piece. 2. Listeners: tell what piece is about; writer tells what piece is about. 3. Listeners ask questions.

Organizers that Elicit Character “…. character is all. What occurs in the plot is a result of the nature of the characters themselves. ” Graves, p. 304 Quick Frame for __________ I love porridge. I like a warm soft bed. I put up with bears as neighbors. I dislike broken chairs. I hate being awakened by bears.

Quick Frame for __________ I love the way my stepsisters dress. I like to hear them talk about the parties they go to. I put up with doing their work. I dislike it when they leave me at home. I hate it when they tease and laugh at me.

…we can use the good writing in trade books they are reading to show children how professional authors set the scene, flesh out the characters, and handle dialogue. ” Graves, p. 304 Somebody Wanted But So

Next Time Help Children Read and Write Poetry • Read: Graves, Ch. 20; Review all ELD/ELA standards for your grade level – where does poetry come in? (be prepared to discuss) • Bring: Poem (may be on videotape, transparency, or electronic format) suitable for children for presentation during in-class activity • Write: Actions 20. 1, 20. 2, 20. 3 (these writings will be shared in class)

Picture Books with Strong Characters The Two of Them by Aliki The Song and Dance Man by Karen Ackerman Granpa by John Burningham Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen Miss Rumphius, by Barbara Cooney Through Grandpa’s Eyes by Patricia Mac. Lachlan Mr. Grigg’s Work by Cynthia Rylant Amos and Boris by William Steig Crow Boy by Taro Yashima William’s Doll by Charlotte Zolotow Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch Wilfrid Gordon Mc. Donald Partridge by Mem Fox

Novels with Strong Characters Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt The Stories Julian Tells by Ann Cameron Ramona books by Beverly Cleary Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda by Roald Dahl The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe Great Gilly Hopkins and Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Peterson Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Writing Resources • Teaching Young Writers: Strategies that Work by Lola M. Schaefer • Scaffolding Young Writers: A Writer’s Workshop Approach by Linda J. Dorn and Carla Soffos • Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide by Ralph Fletcher and Jo. Ann Portalupi • Craft Lessons and Nonfiction Craft Lessons by Jo. Ann Portalupi and Ralph Fletcher • What a Writer Needs by Ralph Fletcher