Although this particular writer's workshop is designed for a second grade classroom, many of the lessons and activities can be adapted to meet the needs of first of third graders as well.
By the end of the year, students will be able to:
Essential Questions:
Overarching Themes:
Genres by month:
August: "The First 20 Days" (introduce students to writing workshop, create routines, set expectations and begin to explore concepts we will use throughout the year, like revising and editing, planning and drafting etc... this continues through the first week of September)
September: Narrative Writing (small moment)
October: Narrative Writing (small moment)
November: Realistic Fiction
December: Realistic Fiction
January: Informational Writing
February: Informational Writing
March: Poetry (this genre is woven throughout the year in reading, as it is a great access point to teaching concepts like figurative language, description, voice etc... but we focus on poetry during this month)
April: Persuasive Writing
May: Persuasive Writing
June: Workshop Wrap-up
*References:
Calkins, L. M. (1986). The art of teaching writing. Heinemann Educational Books Inc., 70 Court St., Portsmouth, NH 03801.
Calkins, L. M., & Parsons, S. (2003). Poetry: Powerful thoughts in tiny packages(Vol. 7). Firsthand Books.
Ray, K. W. (1999). Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom. National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096
Ray, K. W. (2001). The Writing Workshop: Working through the Hard Parts (And They're All Hard Parts). National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096
*All rubrics, class profile sheets, conference sheets, and lessons plans were made collaboratively by the 2nd grade team at Sigsbee Charter school with the help of our Literacy Coach Angie Castonguay and our Literacy Consultant Dr. Susan Lloyd Ph.D.
By the end of the year, students will be able to:
- utilize a variety of techniques to brainstorm and plan a topic in preparation for a written piece
- use a mixture of developmental and conventional spelling to write about a topic
- create a story with a beginning, middle and end
- begin to use punctuation and capitalization correctly
- revise a piece by adding information or inserting or substituting words or phrases
- edit a piece for spelling, capitalization and mechanics
- create an organizational structure that focuses on a specific topic
- begin to recognize and use interesting language
- write short fiction and poetry with guidance
- write a variety of nonfiction pieces (facts about a topic, letters, lists) with some guidance
- form all letters correctly
- choose topics within a selected genre independently
- utilize text features to enhance an informational piece
- keep their writing folder neat and organized
- produce multiple drafts
- publish four pieces of writing (narrative, small moment, informational book, persuasive essay or book)
- complete four smaller prompted pieces (the the beginning of each unit, to compare with their final published piece)
- utilize a variety of transitional words and phrases to create a cohesive piece
- write for specific audiences
- write for specific purposes
Essential Questions:
- How do writers pick topics for their writing?
- How does the writing process help me grow as a writer?
- How do writers use their writing to communicate their thoughts/ feelings and information?
- How does the use of standard language conventions help my audience understand my writing?
- How do listening and speaking clearly help me communicate with others?
Overarching Themes:
- The writing process--planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing
- Focus/ Organization
- Technique/ Craft
- Mechanics
- Habits
Genres by month:
August: "The First 20 Days" (introduce students to writing workshop, create routines, set expectations and begin to explore concepts we will use throughout the year, like revising and editing, planning and drafting etc... this continues through the first week of September)
September: Narrative Writing (small moment)
October: Narrative Writing (small moment)
November: Realistic Fiction
December: Realistic Fiction
January: Informational Writing
February: Informational Writing
March: Poetry (this genre is woven throughout the year in reading, as it is a great access point to teaching concepts like figurative language, description, voice etc... but we focus on poetry during this month)
April: Persuasive Writing
May: Persuasive Writing
June: Workshop Wrap-up
*References:
Calkins, L. M. (1986). The art of teaching writing. Heinemann Educational Books Inc., 70 Court St., Portsmouth, NH 03801.
Calkins, L. M., & Parsons, S. (2003). Poetry: Powerful thoughts in tiny packages(Vol. 7). Firsthand Books.
Ray, K. W. (1999). Wondrous Words: Writers and Writing in the Elementary Classroom. National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096
Ray, K. W. (2001). The Writing Workshop: Working through the Hard Parts (And They're All Hard Parts). National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096
*All rubrics, class profile sheets, conference sheets, and lessons plans were made collaboratively by the 2nd grade team at Sigsbee Charter school with the help of our Literacy Coach Angie Castonguay and our Literacy Consultant Dr. Susan Lloyd Ph.D.