Complete writing lessons for the middle grades

Complete Hritinfi Lessen*:;^, n c e n t i V e P u b I i c a t i n s Ccmplete Writina Lessons for tne Hlaaie erases By Illustrated rathleen IBullcck Ccntents TABLE OF CONTENTS You Use This Book How To Use The Lessons Before The Writing Process Writina Skills Checklist THE WRTTING LESSONS Questions Reports Cure Guaranteed Paraaraphs Blueprint For An Escape Expbnations But Does It Fly? Directions Strange Encounters Conversations What A Character! Character Studies Hold Your Horses! Idiom Stories What's Up? Stories with Multiple Uses of Words In Pursuit of Trivia Just Report The Facts 10 Detective Thriller 11 Cliff 12 Eerie Tales 13 Modem 14 Aesop Hangers Mifstery Stories Suspenseful Beginnings Spookif Stories Mother Goose News Articles and Headlines 16 Fables Slightly Stretched TaU Tales Whither The Weather? Myfhs 17 On The Track 18 You'd Better Watch Out Warnings/Posters It's A Great Buy Advertisements Ghastly Giggles Jokes 15 19 20 Revisited Of Bigfoot To The Invitations 21 Straight 22 To A Roller Coaster 23 25 Of Lizards and Leprechauns Color Poetr^f Opulent Opposites Diamante Poetry dutdoor Observations Poetry/ Weathergrams 26 Fm 24 27 28 29 30 Future Diarif Entries Odes Bugged! Poetry/Comp/aints A Ticklish Matier Poetry/ Cinquains Mc Now and Then Poetry So Sorry! Poetry/ Apologies The Surf's Up Painted Poetry 10 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 100 104 108 112 116 120 124 Cefcre Tcu Use This Deck • • • For 15 years Fve been listening to teachers talk about writing Fve learned tiiat they're hungry for exciting writing activities They want loads of great motivators that vjSi help students start writing However, teachers are just as interested in the entire writing process In fact, move than anything else, teachers ask for help with the steps that follow the great motivating activity They want to know: how to get their students to gather raw material how to get kids through the painful "rough draff* stage how to get young writers to organize ideas and give form to the written piece how to get kids to criticize and polish their own (and others') writing • how to work on different kinds of writing skills (which ones to work on and • • • • when) • how to evaluate finished products and what I wrote IF YOUTO TRYING TO TEACH KIDS to with them HOW TO WRITE, YOLTVE GOTTA HAVE THIS BOOKl because I believe that teachers must include both the and tfie "heavier" skills that include oiganizing, refining, and editing I still believe that Now,however, teachers want more than ideas or an outline of the writing process They want actual lessons - from start to finish fun activities that stimulate writing Ideas are easy to come by, but complete directions for implementing kleas are notas easy to find COMPLETE WRITING LESSONS FOR THE MIDDLE GRADES is what teachers have requested Each lesson be^s with a high-interest activity that will motivate writers Then the lesson shows you, the teacher, how to help students and organize ideas, write a rough draft, criticize and revise work on specific writing slulls, aikl share the finished product collect written material, These lessons are just the beginning Once you*ve used them, youH be able tocreate your own By choosing a topic that sparks the interest of your students and by following the format used in ^s Book, you can turn a topic into a complete writing experience By the time youVe finished this book, you will have grown as much as your writersl Marjorie Frank licw Tc Use The Lessens • The major premise of this book is tiiis: students leam the writina process best throuah teacher-directed writins lessons This doesn't mean that kids shouldn't write on their own They should be writing in on independent projects However, kids not leam the writing process effectively unless someone teaches it to them, step by step Once students know the process, they are able to write on their own more diaries and journals, in learning centers, and successfully why the activities in this book have been created as teacher-directed lessons Each lesson of four pages (with the exception of the first lesson of two pages) contains This is the following elements: Pages 1&2: Teacher Lesson Plan pages These pages explain how to guide writers through each step of the writing process for the specific activity (This process is explained on pages and 7.) & 4: Pages Student Pages* and/or Example Pages* In every lesson you will find one page (in some cases, two) designed for students to use as a part of one stage of the process These pages are not meant to be given out as independent writing assignments, but are to be used as a part of a teacher-directed lesson Most lessons contcun one page of examples Use the examples to get an idea of some of the kinds of finished products that might result from the lesson The examples can also serve as motivators for students Read the examples aloud to get students excited about a topic and to show them possibilities for writing * *Y6u have permission to reproduce any of the student or example pages quantities sufficient for your students in fhe Writina Process Each lesson in this book includes these steps: Romancing This step describes a specific activity, discussion, piece of Kterature, or situation that will get studentsexcitedabouta writing form or an idea (Be sure to spend plenty of time on this stage.) When kids don't want to write or can't think of anything to say, they haven't been "romanced" enough CoUectins This step is an extension of the ''romancing" stage Collecting is the most fun and most creative part of the writing process Each lesson has questions to ask, directions to give, and suggestions to make which help writers gather phrases, words and thoughts for the "raw material" This step goes by quickly, so collect plenty of ideas (You don't have to use all of the ideas, but you may choose from the assortment.) Writing This step will give you precise and questions which will direct and combine "raw material" into a written instructions writers as they choose, organize, piece Praiang This is the stage in which good writing techniques are reinforced The positive "judging" of a written piece should not be omitted Each lesson plan gives specific suggestions for what you can say to help students see the strengths of their writing You will teach your writers to search for examples of good writing skills and to compliment one another on them For example: The phrase "shimmering with ^nce" set a soft, hushed mood You chose wonderful "wet" words drizzle, slurp, and soggy for this rain The opening word "Crash!" rca//y grabbed poem such as my interest slush, Th& iVriUna'Process PoEshing This step in tiie lesson wiH reorganizing, refining, and tell you what to do, say, rewriting their pieces and ask to get writers One or two specific editing each lesson You can also teach kkls to ask questionsand make suggestions that are helpful to other writers For example: skills will lit be emphasized in seems these two sentences say the same "Pretty" is such an overused word thins Why don't you use 'lovely" instead? I tfiinfc tMs idea might fit better in the next paragraph You gave away the ending too sentence to increase the suspense? soon Could you add ano^er blowing Off You give purpose and dignity to a piece of writing vA\en you provide a way for writers to share what they've written Each lesson suggests one or more ways to ''show ofT the students' writing NOTE Be sure to instruct students to check and correct grammar, speBng, and mechanics at the "polishing" stage of each piece Writina Skills Checklist Substituting stronger words (more colorful, more specific) Replacing inactive verbs with active ones Eliminating redundancies Rearran^ng words \Mthin a sentence Expanding sentences to include more Adding sentences to give more detail detail Rearranging sentences for better clarity Rearran^ng sentences sequence Rearranging sentences for a different meaning or sound for better Writing strong, "catchy" tities Changing endings Creating smashing beginnings Eliminating repetitive ideas or words Eliminating unnecessary ideas or words Eliminating long sentences Deciding if the written piece accomplishes the purpose Adding words or phrases that create a certzdn mood Varying sentence length and structure Strengthening and varying transitions Elinunating overused words, phrases, and cliches Adding more interesting words Including words that convince Adapting the content and form to fit the audience Rearranging ideas to change outcomes Adding dialogue Adding understatement, exaggeration, foreshadowing, or irony Including figures of speech Varying rhymes and rhythms Varying punctuation Exzmnining pieces for bias Examining pieces for clarity Examining pieces for effectiveness Examining pieces for reader appeal The Writina Lessens In l^ursuitCf Trivia Materials ^U«*»'^0 M VMS tC0IT O'MU WARS? pmewcti vuMT «B$Atoa was • • trivia • index cards game appropriate for students textbooks and resource books Romancing • Have the class play a trivia game Divide the class into teams of five players each Each team may consult on each answer • After playing, let the students examine several game cards to see how the questions and answers are written Point out the variety in the • kinds of questions and answers Using one textbook (science, for instance), interesting 6ame Cards work together to bits of find infonnnation Have the class use the informatk>n to write trivia questions CoOecting five or six categories (use those on page 11 or substitute others) students work in pairs to collect facts from textbooks and other resources Students shoukl write tfie facts on scrap paper and label each with Agree on Then let the appropriate category Writing • Distribute tiie student page use "A Question Of Trivia" (page 11) Students may (You may choose to their collected facts to write questions and answers make changes in the categories.) Praisins • • Each pair trades ^ets with anotiier pair of writers Have tiie students lookfor examples which ask questions clearly Point out variety in sentence structure and in the format of questions and answers Pofishing • • If there are any questions that are too long or confusing> have each pair woxic to shorten, clarify, or add sufficient information Tell the students to review each question, making sure it is not too obscure or difficult lowing Off • Have each student use index cards to make two trivia cards (questions on one and answers on the other) Ha ve the students put the cards in a box Now the class has a custom-made trivia game! side • 28i A4c • • • Nov And Then Maxe:riials • pr.-: :-:cr2pr or es:.- scjoe::: a: a '^xxngs: 295 Rcraaajaciag r.ôer-Sc:'.es wrier, ris y tc _- ã AiiK • L«-: rjii -UT-Ts 'ti^TTS :: ^o-rger a-t: riea a: r!cr necsat izz^ Tk srjC'tT.s rc -"i^t Tjgv' 'jssd 3e5 accct hem sea to^ssd wte: ',0: 5x1 isrr '^ccr rrje wri=: ,o-'."c wra: ,c - : C'-icr.": -^: r,.:^ r- ã at rÊ ôÊ le SCJQgOS row dc rjcT ra: >cc csri ac rc-XHe :cr ccing SLic ±£1.' Cs*^ idiSiS dow S ±lg I& Mi' Totems Writing 1) 2) Give each student a copy of the "Me-Stuff student page (page 118) first pair of sentences in regard to their personal appearances Direct the students to complete the used to But now I I 3) Guide the students through one pair of sentences at a tinie Instruct the students to complete the sentences by following directions such as: describe something you used to and something you now describe something you used to fear and something you fear describe what used to anger you and what angers you now Note: The students used to 4) will need to adapt the form: I used to be, I now may become, I like think believe Jiave wish, etc Allow the students to complete a few pairs on their own Praisins • Instruct the students to share their sentences wi^ each other and to look for interesting, amusing, or surprising ideas Pofishing • Ask the students to be sure they haven't left out anything interesting about themselves • • Remind the students to check the order of the choose a good opening and closing sentence Each student should choose a good title lines Each student should Showing Off • Have the students make name designs by drawing the letters of their first names in various positions on large pieces of drawing paper (see page markers • 116) Tell the students to use wide, black Instruct the students to fill in the spaces between the lines with interesting color designs using crayons or markers • HaVe^^e students copy their poems on clean paper Students may glue colored construction paper to the backs of their poems and mount the poems on top of their name designs Have the students mount their name designs on colored construction paper They also might like to glue photos to the fronts of their designs Me-$tuff I«9idto bts rxDv I -jasc r) bx I I use I ^««ed to teeth Maine ' '^'*e«>oked I used to have a chubby fece, but now it is scrawny I used to be clumsy, but now Fm coordinated I used to hate vegetables, but now I hate honiework I used to think my dad knew everything, but now I know better I used to be afraid at monsters, but now Fm afraid of strangers I used to wish for new toys, but now I wish for athletic skill I used to want to be 10, but now I can't wait to be 16 /•J-iT/l //9 19 $ Đrry! Materials ã ã ã paper construction paper, piece$, feibric pencQs scissors slue or poster board Romancing • Read aloud **This Is Just To Say~, a poem by William Carlos Williams found in REFLECTIONS ON A GIFT OF WATERMELON PICKLE and other poetry you may choose to read the below.) the apologies on page 123 to the class collections (Or, apology • Read poem Conectins • Ask students to tell the class about times they've apologized for doing something for • which they were not really sorry Make a list on the chalkboard of things the students have apologized for doing that they were not truly sorry they had done Writing 1) Have the class select a topic to work on together Help the students use their own ideas to write a class apology poem, following the form below: What I did I just hit a Softball through the dining room window Why Fm not And I know happy about it you're having company for dinner Ask to be Forgive me Forgiven Why I'm not But it was a fine and I made a truly sorry home 2) hit, run Give each student a copy of the student page "My Apology" (page 122), and let each student follow the form to write an apology poem Note: Students need not follow the form exactly Each part of the poem may have any number 120 of lines Apo^^i^ Fkaidng • • Point out interesting} brief besinnings that clearly state a misdeed Look for strong words that make the apology sound ?A?£? Kite" convincing • Toms Point out phrases that make the rewards of doing the deed seem to outweigh the possible punishment (ie: "a fine hit") MCCEPr MY' Pofishing The students should check to see that the four parts of the form have been included Have the students give their poems interesting titles Have the students add or substitute words to improve unconvincing apologies Each student should rework the last section, if necessary, to make it clear that he or she is not really sorry Showing Off • The students can flags, kites, make 'Tm sorry" banners, pennants, ''fly" their poems below for making or windsocks on which to (See the illustrated windsocks.) instructions f21 Write an apology poem for something you've done or ndg^t have done that was not a good idea, but that you weren't really sorry for doing What you did Why someone Is be unhappy about it likely to Your apology or request for forgiveness Why you did it and why you're not really sorry 122 Apofo^u Toems APOLOGY I have eaten the big piece of cherry pie I'm sure you were saving Which for your I own dessert am sorry But the pie u^s delicious, and you wouldn't have wanted all of those calories anyuay! I put bubble in OH, gum OH my sister's hair, And now shell have to remove it asked her to forgive me But she really did look funny with purple "goo" in her bangsl cut a lot of hair to I 123 30 The Surr§ Up ideas ^ : Materials Tofncuio Teacock Octopus colored chalk large, white drawing • spray fixative • newspaper paper muial paper • colored construction paper Romancing Sunset • • Mountcuyi cww/yi^ Share with the class one or more examples of ''painted writing'' which are written on poster board or the chalkboard Use samples from page 127 or create your own Discuss how the shape of the writing "expresses^ what the • writing is about Explain that "painted writing" is a way of placing words on paper to give a visualeffectto matdi the "feeling" of the writing ' ^Stairs • Have the class brainstorm to write a list of other topics that would be good for "painted writings^ CoIIectins • Ask the students to use copies of fhe student page "Once Upon A Wave" (page 126) as a guide to collect ideas for a group "painted poem"about a wave or • the ocean Write the collected words, phrases, and kieas on the board as the students write them on paper Writing 1) Ask 2) words and phrases into lines for the poem Build several good lines as a class questions to help the students combine PlaisinS Look for strong words tiiat describe the motion, sound, smell, or appearance of water, the ocean, or waves Point out lines and phrases that are appealing to the senses Look for good uses of imagery and strikins metaphors Polishing • • • any lines that are too much alike Help the class choose good beginning and ending lines Have the studentsarrange the other lines in an order that "flows" The class should try to add at least two more vivid words to the poem Instruct the students to eliminate Slowing Off • Copy the finished poem in large letters on a piece of mural paper Let the students • help decide how to place the words on the paper so as to give a strong visual "feel** for the topic Have a couple of students strengthen the visual idea by adding color to the words with strokes of colored chalk or crayon Moie Painted Writing • • • a Let the students choose their own topics for individual poems Make sure the students write the words large enough to fill most of the paper The students should add the chalk design after they have finished writing their poems Remind the students that the goal is to make the words "paint" the pk:ture Spray the poems (outdoors) with fixative so the chalk won't smear (Laminate the poems if possible.) The students may frame or mount their "painted poems" on colored construction paper Cnce Upcn A Wave How does a wave look? (Write descriptive words and phrases.) How waves soimd? How does sea air smell and taste? What sensations you feel when standing on a beach near a poundins surf? Think about being caught in a large wave doing? (Write action words.) Finish each senterKe below in What is one or more ways A wave is like The surf sounds Waves make me like think of 12b the wave )1 li U iZ7 COMPLETE WRITING LESSONS FOR THE MIDDLE GRADES IF YOU'RE TRYING TO TEACH KIDS YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE THIS BOOK! comes the writing book middle grade teachers have been asking for! COMPLETE WRITING LESSONS FOR THE MIDDLE GRADES is exactly that complete teacher-directed From the author of HOW TO WRITE, — writing lessons Each from start to finish a high-interest activity that will The lesson then outlines specific steps which show you how to help students collect and organize ideas, write rough drafts, criticize and revise written material, work on various writing skills, and share lesson begins with motivate writers finished products What's more, each page is marked as a teacher page, a student-ready reproducible activity page, or a reproducible example page, making the lessons easy to prepare and present Tailored just for the middle grade student, these creative, fun-filled writing lessons will have your writers "growing" right away! lesson plan ... find COMPLETE WRITING LESSONS FOR THE MIDDLE GRADES is what teachers have requested Each lesson be^s with a high-interest activity that will motivate writers Then the lesson shows you, the teacher,... count the different uses of the word "up" Brainstorm together to add other uses of Hie ^e students a few word "up" CoUecting Have the class work together to gather as many uses as they can for the. .. posters The students should write the uses for the words on the appropriate posters They may add uses to the OUT poster, too 40 StofLt^S Writing 1) hstruct the students to choose one of the words