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Title
Narrative Writing:
Write On!
Expository Writing:
Kids Rule!
Expository WritingResearch and
Technology:
If You Lived with
the Cherokee
Persuasive Writing:
Along the Trail of
Tears
Fictional Narrative:
Tall Tales
Vivid Language:
Children’s Role in
the Civil War
Writing Stories
Using Adjectives:
Yummy, Delicious
Chocolate
Elements of a Story:
Writing a Story
Using Stepping
Stones
Personal Narrative
Stretching
Sentences
Writing Fictional
Narratives:
Creative Creature
Folktale
Third Grade
Table of Contents
Third Grade
Teacher/School
Focus
Kathryn Gunn
Writing a friendly letter to
Arnold Mill
last year’s teacher
Elementary School
Kathryn Gunn
Using a research process to
Arnold Mill
create classroom rules
Elementary School
Deborah Kelly
Researching, writing and
Arnold Mill
preparing a Power Point
Elementary School
presentation about Native
Americans
Pages
1-8
9-17
18-30
Deborah Kelly
Arnold Mill Elementary
School
Deborah Kelly
Arnold Mill
Elementary
School
Deborah Kelly
Arnold Mill
Elementary
School
Writing a persuasive piece
in conjunction with the
study of the Trail of Tears
Creating tall tales in
conjunction with the study
of the westward movement
of the 1800s
Writing narratives to
develop vivid, specific
word choice in conjunction
with an historical novel
31-42
Pat Muster
Oak Grove Elementary
School
Developing written
expression through the use
of sensory language and
varied adjectives
Planning and writing a
good short story
77-87
Writing a personal
narrative that incorporates
dialogue
Developing strong
sentences through sentence
expansion techniques
Planning and writing a
story using a graphic
organizer
97-113
Pat Muster
Oak Grove Elementary
School
Leigh Talley
Arnold Mill Elementary
School
Leigh Talley
Arnold Mill Elementary
School
Leigh Talley
Arnold Mill
Elementary School
43-61
62-76
88-96
114-129
130-145
Title
Analyzing
Characters
Expository Writing:
Urban, Suburban,
and Rural
Communities
Third Grade
Teacher/School
Kathryn Gunn
Arnold Mill Elementary
School
Pat Muster
Oak Grove Elementary
School
Focus
Analysis of literary
elements expository
writing
Inquiry learning writing to
inform
Pages
146-156
157-173
Narrative Writing - Friendly Letter
Write On!
Kathryn Gunn
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
We all like to stay in our comfort zone, and students are no different. One comfort zone
for students is their last year’s teacher. “We’ve all heard them say, Mrs. So and So didn’t
do it that way.” You can use this to your advantage, and cover the genre of friendly letter
format at the same time. After a few weeks of school, tell the students that they are going
to write a letter to their second grade teacher, telling them all about their new classroom.
You can have them tell several things that are the same from last year and several things
that are different.
Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
A collection of friendly letters (ask the students to bring in ones they might have
received, as well as ones you have sent or received). Make transparencies of
several of these.
Overhead projector/markers
Student writing paper
Books with friendly letters such as: The Jolly Postman, My New York, Good
Friends
Transparency with blank lines for all the parts of a friendly letter
Venn Diagram (use with differentiation suggestion for lesson)
Instructional Sequence
1. Read one or more of the books you have selected that contain friendly letters.
Lead a discussion about why people send letters. Have children share some of
the letters they have received.
2. Using the overhead projector, display some of the letters the students have
brought in. Guide the students to discover the five parts of a friendly letter.
3. Display the blank letter transparency. Put the five parts on the transparency as
the students give them to you.
4. Working with a partner, have the students think and discuss ways in which
their second-grade classroom is like their third-grade classroom. Have them
do the same thing for ways in which the classrooms are different.
5. Share these ideas with the class. Write them on the board.
6. Introduce children to the elements of a friendly letter. Emphasis should be on
the proper use of commas in the writing of a friendly letter
7. Ask the children to write a friendly letter to their second-grade teacher telling
them some ways in which their third-grade classroom is like their secondgrade classroom and/or ways in which the two are different.
Third Grade
1
8. Have the children exchange letters with a friend for peer review.
9. Using the Friendly Letter Rubric, have the children self-evaluate their work.
10. Have the children save their work as a Word document on a disk.
11. Using the classroom computers, send the letters to second-grade teachers
using email and Word document attachment. (Teacher would do this.)
Assessment
Informal: Teacher observation of partners
Formal: Friendly Letter Rubric
Performance Standards
W.3.1 Prepares for writing by recording thoughts, focusing on a central idea, and
identifying a purpose for writing by:
• Discussion
• Brainstorming
W.3.4 Writes for a variety of occasions, audiences, and purposes by:
• Identifying a purpose and audience before writing
W.3.5 Uses knowledge and experience to draft writing that:
• Uses prewriting ideas to complete a first draft
W.3.7 Applies knowledge and experience to:
• Write in a variety of narrative forms:
o Letters
W.3.8 Uses available technology to assist in writing
W.3.9 Revises written work by:
• Self-correcting:
o Use legible formation and spacing of letters, numbers, and words
W.3.10 Participates in editing conference by:
• Sharing writing with others to receive feedback
W.3.1 Produces simple documents that have been edited for:
• Correct use of punctuation including:
o Commas in dates, addresses
W.3.12 Uses technology as a tool for publishing writing by:
• Saving to an appropriate location
W.3.13 Publishes writing for a variety of purposes, audiences, and occasions by:
• Sharing work with others
Third Grade
2
Reflection
This lesson is best taught early in the school year, when children can readily recall
similarities and differences in their second and third grade classrooms. This lesson could
easily be differentiated by requiring more able students to include both similarities and
differences in their friendly letter. If this option is chosen, the students could use a Venn
Diagram in the pre-write stage.
Third Grade
3
Assessment Rubric
Narrative Writing - Friendly Letter
Write On!
Name_______________________
Date________________________
Exceeds
Expectations
Parts of a
Friendly
Letter
Meets
Expectations
All 5 friendly
Most (4)
letter parts are
friendly letter
present and
parts are present
accurate
and accurate
Writing
Mechanics
No errors in
use of
commas
Legibility
No visible
errors
Does Not Meet
Expectations
Total
Points
Possible
2-3 friendly
letter parts are
present
50
1-2 errors in use 3-4 errors in use
of commas
of commas
30
Few errors; they
do not impact
understanding
20
Writing is not
legible; impacts
understanding
Points
Earned
Created by: Kathryn Gunn
Third Grade
4
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
5
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
6
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
7
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
8
Expository Writing - Procedures
Kids Rule!
Kathryn Gunn
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
At the beginning of the year, as a way to build classroom cohesiveness and introduce
civic responsibility, I divide the students into neighborhoods and those neighborhoods
form a classroom community. One of the first things we do as a community is to
establish the laws (rules) for the community. Involving them in the process ensures that
they are more likely to abide by the rules that are established. However, getting them to
agree on the rules can be a challenge. One way to make the selection process easier is to
start with a discussion of the purpose of school. Almost immediately, the students will
tell you the purpose of school is to help them learn
With “learning” identified as the ultimate goal, students are asked to write rules that
ensure that learning can take place in the classroom. These rules are to be written as a
positive statement in clear, concise and easily understood language. Prior to the lesson,
read as many books as possible relating to establishing and enforcing rules/laws. Invite
the principal, assistant principal, city manager and/or local police to speak to the
classroom about establishing and enforcing rules/laws.
Materials and preparation
•
Books about rules (example: Officer Buckle from the present Harcourt Brace
basal reader for third grade)
• Guest speakers such as the principal, assistant principal
• Resource: Teaching Children to Care—Classroom Management for Ethical and
Academic Growth, K-8 by Ruth Sidney Charney (particularly Section 1, Chapters
3&4)
Instructional Sequence
Introduction:
1. Ask students the following questions: “Why do we have schools?” “Why do
you come to school?”
2. Brainstorm responses.
3. Guide them to discover the purpose of schools is to provide a safe, secure
environment in which learning can take place.
Homework: Ask each student to bring in five rules they think would be important to the
goal of having learning take place in the classroom.
Third Grade
9
Small Group:
1. Ask each group to choose a moderator and a recorder.
2. Each group (neighborhood) discusses the rules their members brought in. In
order to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to share their rules, a “share
bear” is passed from student to student. The moderator is responsible for
passing the bear to the student who is speaking. The moderator is also
responsible for ensuring that everyone in the group has an opportunity to
speak.
3. Distribute guidelines for making class rules worksheet to groups.
4. Write the rules in a positive, concise manner. Groups need to agree on the
language used. All rules must help establish that learning can take place in
the classroom.
5. Have group recorders share rules with the whole class (community).
Whole Group:
1. Examine rules to eliminate duplicates, those that don’t support the stated
purpose or any that are impossible to enforce.
2. Guide the group to establish 3-5 community rules. Solicit responses from the
students to ensure that rules are positive statements with clear, concise
language. Model examples of clear, concise positive statements.
Example: Talk at appropriate times.
3. Post rules in the classroom.
Extension:
1. After rules have been in place for a few weeks, have the students write about
the rule they think is most important or least important and why.
2. Research outrageous laws
Assessment
Informal: Teacher will observe groups as they work. Observation will include the
following: all members are participating, rules that are written support the goal of
learning in the classroom, and rules are clear, concise positive statements.
Formal: Collect each group’s list of rules. Rules should be clear, concise positive
statements that support the goal of learning in the classroom. Use rubric to score.
Performance Standards
W.3.1 Prepares for writing by recording thoughts, focusing on a central idea, and
identifying a purpose for writing by:
• Generating ideas/information with support by:
-discussion
-brainstorming
-taking notes from relevant sources
Third Grade
10
W. 3.6 Expands knowledge and experience to:
• Focus on one clear idea
• Use precise, accurate, and/or original words
W.3.7 Applies knowledge and experience to:
• Create various expository pieces
-procedures
S.S. 3.19 Demonstrates responsible civic behavior
• Observes set rules of procedure
• Shows respect toward others
• Participates in planning for effective civic action
Reflection
This lesson is best taught at the beginning of the year when the classroom rules would
naturally be developed. Students may need to be reminded that the rules they write must
support the overall goal of learning in the classroom. All learners should be able to
participate successfully in this lesson. The extension activities could be considered later
in the year when the social studies standards regarding laws are presented.
Third Grade
11
Expository Writing – Procedures
Kids Rule!
Assessment Rubric
Name___________________________
Date___________________________
Exceeds
Expectations
Meets
Expectations
Does Not
Meet
Expectations
Points
Possible
Use of precise,
accurate,
and/or
original
words
All five rules
are clear,
concise,
positive
statements
At least three
rules are
clear, concise,
positive
statements
Two or less
rules are
clear, concise,
positive
statements
Writing
Mechanics
Skillful
application of
mechanics
Few errors;
appropriate
for grade
Level
Frequent/
serious
Errors that
impact
understanding
30
Publishing/
Sharing
No visible
errors
Few errors;
does not
impact
understanding
Writing is not
legible;
impacts
understanding
20
Points
Earned
50
Created by: Kathryn Gunn
Third Grade
12
Guidelines for Making Class Rules
1. Rules should provide positive direction - what you do,
not what you don’t do.
2. Rules should serve a purpose. The purpose is to make
our classroom a good and safe place for children and
teacher.
3. Rules need to be specific and concrete. We need to
know when we are following a rule and when we are
not.
4. Few is better than many. Rules should be posted and
easy to read.
Source: Teaching Children to Care
Ruth Sidney Charney
Third Grade
13
Third Grade
Name_______________
Classroom Rules
1.______________________
2.______________________
3.______________________
4.______________________
5.______________________
14
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
15
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
16
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
17
Expository Writing – Research and Technology
If You Lived with the Cherokee
Deborah Kelly
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
Children are often curious as to how our county came to be named after a group of Native
Americans. The goal of this lesson is to build upon this natural interest by providing an
opportunity to research this topic and learn about one early group of Georgians, the
Cherokee Indians. Using traditional means of research combined with the plethora of
information available through technology, students will construct their own answers to
important questions surrounding Cherokee culture, homes, celebrations, and the Indian
Removal ordered by the United States government. (This lesson becomes an integral part
of the pre-writing activities that lead to development of opinions necessary to write the
persuasive piece in Along the Trail of Tears.)
Using Social Studies as a backdrop for developing this writing strategy, children will
divide into jigsaw groups to research the four topics. (Note: In jigsaw grouping, children
become “experts” in a single topic.) A variety of print sources will be available, as well
as a collection of previewed Internet sites that are suitable to the reading level and
interests of all learners. Cooperative groups will then be formed with a member of each
topic being represented in these new teams. Using Microsoft Power Point, the teams will
develop a six-slide presentation to share information gained from these investigations.
Throughout this activity, direct instruction will be offered on note-taking, paraphrasing,
and citing sources used. Technology instruction will include proper use and evaluation of
Internet sites, publishing with Microsoft Power Point, importing graphics into electronic
presentations.
Materials/Preparation
Various levels of reading materials related to the Cherokee Indians
If You Lived with the Cherokee by Peter and Connie Roop
Microsoft Power Point
Note taking forms for jigsaw activity
Power Point storyboard forms for cooperative activity
Computer Lab sessions
Internet access
Having previously worked in cooperative groups, these children are highly capable of
working together to accomplish a task. Each person recognizes that the group is only as
strong as its individual members. The class has been introduced to the skill of evaluating
websites for usefulness and accurate information. Several computer lab sessions have
been devoted to importing graphics into documents and to creating presentations using
Microsoft Power Point.
Third Grade
18
Instructional Sequence
1. An overview of the early history of the Cherokee Indians will be provided
through direct instruction, read-alouds, and videos related to this topic.
2. A variety of research materials should be made available to the children. Care
needs to be taken to insure that reading levels of these materials match the
learners in your classroom. Direct instruction will need to be provided on the
concept of note-taking. Many third graders are unsure of how to paraphrase ideas
taken from books or websites. Conduct mini-lessons prior to allowing the children
to work independently on their research.
3. A computer lab session should be devoted to providing direct instruction on using
search engines to locate information on the Internet. Carefully monitor student
activity and provide direction on evaluating sites for appropriateness, credibility,
and readability.
4. This is also an excellent point at which to introduce the proper way to cite
references used for research purposes. Conduct a mini-lesson in this skill prior to
beginning research. Stress the importance of recording sources as notes are being
taken.
5. Children should then be divided into four research groups to investigate the
culture, homes, Indian removal, and celebrations of the Cherokee Indians. Use the
form provided for note taking, if you like. As the children are not yet experienced
note takers, this form provides questions designed to help direct their research.
The open-ended section at the end of each of the four forms is provided to allow
children to record information of individual interest. This work may be done
individually for independent learners, but you may also pair students to
accommodate for weaker readers.
6. After this research has been thoroughly conducted, form new cooperative groups
comprised of at least one member from each of the four respective topics. Begin
with an opportunity for each of the “experts” from Step 5 to share their
information with other group members. The goal of these groups will be to
combine research from all four topics to produce a six-slide Power Point
presentation (one title page slide, one slide for each of the four topics, and one
works cited slide.) HINT: I would limit the size of these cooperative groups to no
more than five students.
7. Allow time for each group to develop a storyboard of their slide presentation prior
to publication on the computer. Meet with each group to review their rough drafts.
(Form provided for this purpose.) The children are very excited at the prospect of
being able to create a Power Point presentation. They especially love the
transition and background features. You want to encourage this enthusiasm, but,
at the same time, you are looking for quality research.
Third Grade
19
8. In a Computer Lab session, guide the children through the publication process.
Children should be able to set the background color, choose a font style and size,
type a title of each slide, include at least three important facts about their topic,
and include a transition between slides.
9. In a separate Computer Lab session, guide the children through the process of
locating and importing graphics to use on each slide. NOTE: As children are
researching, they should make note of graphics that are of interest to them to be
used for the purpose of creating a Power Point slide presentation.
10. Invite parents or another class in to view slide presentations. Providing children
with an audience for their work will encourage them to give their best effort.
Assessment
Standards-Based Assessment Rubric
Performance Standards
3.2 Prewriting
Writes notes, comments, and observations that reflect comprehension of content and
experiences from a variety of media by: loads, accesses, retrieves and prints
information from resources.
3.13 Publishing
Publishes writing for a variety of purposes, audiences, and occasions by:
Accessing web sites with teacher support
Uses the search tool to locate specific information with teacher support
Citing sources for a bibliography when appropriate with teacher support
Using available technology for word processing
Creating a multi-page document with texts and graphics with teacher support
SS.3.14
Understands how the early history of other cultures impacts the community today by
examining the cultures of the Native American nations found in Georgia, including the
Creek and Cherokee, and describes their interactions with the settlers.
Third Grade
20
Reflection
Research and technology are perfect partners to encourage children to do a thorough job
in investigating new topics. Adding the spice of creating Power Points to the mix results
in the children producing a winning recipe for successful research. Introducing these
research and technology skills early in the school year allows them to become better
learners. By having the opportunity to research in a traditional way using the Media
Center resources and in an electronic fashion, children were able to compare information
taken from both sources and narrow this knowledge to the most salient facts to include in
their slides. The mini-lessons on note-taking and citing references will follow them
throughout their learning experiences.
Appropriate extensions for gifted learners might include allowing the child an
opportunity to suggest additional topics for inclusion in the slide presentation.
If you have students who lack confidence when working with technology, you might
want to consider setting up a Power Point template to which they can easily add their
research. You may also want to set up a desktop folder that contains websites with
information related to the topics being researched. This narrows the possibility that
struggling children will venture into inappropriate websites.
Third Grade
21
Note Taking Form – Cherokee Removal
Name: _____________________________________
Notes:
Why did the settlers want Indian land?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What was the Trail of Tears?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Where did the Cherokee go and how did they get there?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What are your feelings about the Indian Removal? Why?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Other information about Indian removal:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
References:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Third Grade
22
Note Taking Form – Cherokee Celebrations
Name: _____________________________________
Notes:
What was the Green Corn Ceremony?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
When was it held each year?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Why was the Green Corn Ceremony important to the Cherokee?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Describe a game the Cherokee played. Why was this game important to their survival?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Other information about Cherokee celebrations:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
References:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Third Grade
23
Note Taking Form – Cherokee Homes
Name: _____________________________________
Notes:
What materials were Cherokee homes made of?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What was the purpose for each of the different buildings a typical Cherokee family
owned?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Describe the summerhouse. What was its main purpose?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Explain why the kitchen wasn’t part of the main house?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Other information about Cherokee homes:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
References:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Third Grade
24
Note Taking Form – Cherokee Culture
Name: _____________________________________
Notes:
Describe the daily life of the Cherokee.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What were some of the jobs done by Cherokee men and boys?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What were some of the jobs done by Cherokee women and girls?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What foods were eaten and grown by the Cherokee?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Other information about Cherokee culture:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
References:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Third Grade
25
Power Point Storyboard
Name:______________________
Slide No: _________
Slide Title: __________________________
Text:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Graphic: (Be sure to cite the source for your graphic!)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
References:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Third Grade
26
Standards-Based Assessment Rubric
Lesson Title: Research and Technology: If You Lived with the Cherokee
Created by: Deborah Kelly 2004
Exceeds
Expectations
Completely
focused,
purposeful;
smoothly
synthesizes
information
from a variety
of sources
All Power
Point slides
incorporated
appropriate
background,
interesting
graphics, and
smooth
transitions.
All reference
sources cited
correctly
Meets
Expectations
Somewhat
focused on task
and purpose;
includes
information
from more than
one source
Does Not Meet
Expectations
Lacks focus and
purpose; much
or all
information
may have come
from one source
Points
Possible
30
Power Point
slides
incorporated
background,
graphics, and
transitions.
Some slides did
not incorporate
background,
graphics, or
transitions.
30
Most reference
sources cited
correctly
Many errors
present in citing
reference
sources
20
Conventions
Few, if any,
errors
Few errors
present, but do
not affect
understanding
Many errors
that affect
understanding
20
Innovation
Presentation is
innovative
throughout
Some features
of presentation
are innovative
Presentation
lacks
innovation
0
Research
Focus/Ideas
Technology
Skills
References
Third Grade
Points
Earned
27
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
28
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
29
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
30
Persuasive Writing: Along the Trail of Tears
Deborah Kelly
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
An often forgotten part of our Georgia history is the relocation of the Cherokee Indians
that took place because white settlers desired to take over valuable property once
inhabited by the Cherokee. By order of the United States Government, entire groups of
Cherokee were forced to move to less desirable locations in the mid-West under
extremely harsh conditions. This journey became known as the Trail of Tears, so named
because of the tremendous sorrow felt by the travelers due to the loss of loved ones and
their beloved homes.
Using this empathetic backdrop, children can explore and experiment with persuasive
writing as they attempt to express the position that the Cherokee leaders must surely have
taken in an effort to halt the relocation process.
This lesson would be a part of a mid-year two or three-week unit on the study of
Cherokee Indians.
Materials/Preparation
•
•
•
•
•
Variety of levels of literature relating to Cherokee Indians and Trail of Tears.
(Children will have previously read, or otherwise been exposed to background
information regarding the history and culture of the Cherokee Indians as a part of
social studies standards. I consider “The Journal of Jesse Smoke” by Joseph
Bruchae to be an essential piece to read for background.
Map of United States
Overhead of persuasive writing sample
Paper and pencil
Assessment rubric (included)
Instructional Sequence
1. Enlist a student to role play the part of a child who begs his parents to buy the new
Harry Potter book, but in an obnoxious way. Then, have another child make the
same request for the book, this time providing at least three good reasons why this
purchase makes sense.
2. Lead the children in a discussion related to which child best made his point. Be
certain to include why one approach was more effective than the other. (You have
more credibility if you can support your ideas with strong, factual statements.)
3. Pose the question, “What is another way to persuade someone?” Guide the children
to understand that persuasion can also take written form.
Third Grade
31
4. Introduce persuasive writing as a means to communicate point of view. Explain that
this is a powerful tool by which to achieve goals you have set for yourself. Connect
this to advertisements for toys or other children’s products, and professions such as
attorneys and marketing specialists.
5. Read a written scenario of the above role playing that demonstrates effective
persuasive writing. (An example might be: “Mom, I’d really love for you to buy me
a copy of the new Harry Potter book. I know it costs a lot of money, but I feel I must
have this book for my very own. I have already read the other Harry Potter books.
Each book is written as a part of a larger series, and I am anxious to know what will
happen to these characters as they attend Hogwart’s School. Checking the book out
of the library would not be as good as actually owning the book, because I love to
read and re-read passages as I think about the characters. Having the book as my
own will also be helpful when the next book in the series is released, if I need to
refresh my memory about the story line. I hope you can see that owning the Harry
Potter book is important to me. There is nothing like having a new book for my
collection!”)
6. Discuss the elements of effective persuasive writing as presented in the sample. Be
sure to clearly state your position, include factual information to support your
position, and focus on the art of persuasion rather than complaining or whining.
(This becomes the tone of the writing.) Remind students that writing has more
credibility when proper mechanics of writing are employed. As with any published
writing, editing and revision should be accomplished.
7. As a whole group, brainstorm an aspect of school life that could be changed through
a decision by the principal. Model and write a paragraph which seeks to persuade
the principal to see your point of view. (Examples might include a longer recess
period, a different lunch time, placement of trash cans on the playground, or the
benefits of wearing uniforms to school.) The more impassioned the children feel
about the topic, the better the result!
8. Recall the plight of Cherokee Indians as they were forced to journey along the Trail
of Tears. Use a map to retrace the water and land routes taken from Georgia to
Oklahoma. (This is a good time to reinforce previously introduced map skills such
as ordinal and cardinal directions, compass rose, map key, etc.) Allow children to
freely express feelings and opinions about this relocation. (Hint: the ability to
empathize with others is heavily reliant upon the development of the child. You may
wish to employ techniques here that help to insure that all learners begin to
understand the implications of being permanently removed from your home. This
might be a good time to use the Think-Pair-Share strategy and pose the question,
“How would you feel if someone came to your home, told you to pack only the
belongings you could carry, and forced you to immediately leave?”)
9. Student assignment: Provide a variety of writing prompts appropriate to the students
in your class. Each prompt should call for the student to take a position about the
Trail of Tears and then support that position. Be certain to consider the development
of each learner. You may assign the same prompt to the entire class, or it might be
more beneficial to your learners to vary the writing prompt. Of course, a choice of
prompts is always welcomed by students.
Third Grade
32
Suggested prompts:
Assume the role of a Cherokee Indian during the time of the Trail of Tears. Write a
paragraph to persuade the United States Government to allow you to remain on your
land in Georgia rather than be relocated to Oklahoma.
Assume the role of a Cherokee Indian during the time of the Trail of Tears. Write a
persuasive essay that states your opinion/gives your feeling about this difficult time.
Assume the role of a soldier tasked with aiding the government in the removal of
Indians from their homelands.
Write a persuasive essay that states your
opinion/gives your feeling about the job you must do.
Take a more modern perspective on the issue of Indian Removal. Write a letter to
the present-day government to persuade them to reimburse/compensate the Cherokee
Indian descendants for their displacement.
Be certain to state your position clearly, to give three or more supporting pieces of
evidence for this position, to use appropriate tone, and to be mindful of sentence
structure and punctuation and capitalization.
Assessment
Persuasive writing rubric
Performance Standards
SS.3.14 Understands how the early history of other cultures impacts the community today
by examining the cultures of the Native American nations found in Georgia, including the
Creek and Cherokee and describes their interactions with the settlers.
W.3.6 Expands knowledge and experience to:
• focus on one clear idea
• elaborates with details to enhance or support the main idea
• showing an awareness of topic and audience
W. 3.7 Expands knowledge and experience to:
• create various expository persuasive piece
W. 3.11 Produces simple documents that have been edited for:
• correct spelling
• correct use of punctuation
• correct capitalization
Third Grade
33
Reflection
Choice of literature to support this writing will be reliant upon the level of your learners.
Some readers will be quite capable of reading information from a variety of trade books.
Others will benefit from read-alouds. All students should be provided an opportunity to
share ideas about the equity of the Cherokee Indian removal. Providing short daily
writing prompts in the form of journal/diary entries will allow for reflection that can lead
to more powerful student responses.
In teaching this unit, students will gain a surprising amount of knowledge about the
Cherokee Indians. Even more satisfying, perhaps, is the reward of witnessing the
empathy many students developed in connection with the Indian removal event.
Hopefully, this will afford students the opportunity to transfer this empathy to future
occurrences.
Third Grade
34
Assessment Rubric
Lesson Title: Persuasive Writing: Along the Trail of Tears
Name: _______________________________
Exceeds
Expectations
Meets
Expectations
Date: _______________________
Does Not
Meet
Expectations
Statement of
position cannot
be determined.
Points
Possible
Position
Statement
Position is
clearly stated
and
consistently
maintained.
Position is
stated, but is
not maintained
consistently
throughout the
work.
Supporting
Evidence
Evidence
clearly
supports the
position; 3 or
more pieces of
evidence are
given.
Position is
supported by
limited
evidence.
Evidence is
unrelated to
the argument.
30
Sentence
structure is
correct.
Sentence
structure is
generally
correct. Some
awkward
sentences to
appear.
Work pays
little attention
to proper
sentence
structure.
20
Two or three
errors in
punctuation
and/or
capitalization.
Four or more
errors in
punctuation
and/or
capitalization.
15
Some
divergent
thinking
present in
position or
supporting
evidence.
Innovation not
present.
5
Sentence
Structure
Punctuation Punctuation
and
and
capitalization capitalization
are correct.
Divergent
Thinking
Fresh and
innovative
ideas given
with regard to
position and
supporting
evidence.
Points
Earned
30
Created by: Deborah Kelly
Third Grade
35
The Trail of Tears
If you were a Cherokee Indian you would have gone on the Trail of Tears to
Indian Territory—that meant Oklahoma. The Trail of Tears was a very sad time for the
Indians. People were kicked out of their homes. The White men stole from the Indians,
too. I think it was very unfair to do that. I think that the stockades were one of the hardest
things for the Indians. It wasn’t an easy time for the Indians because they couldn’t bring a
lot on the journey.
The Trail of Tears began when the White men forced you to go with the other
Indians. They were kicked out of your house in the middle of the night when you where
sleeping in your bed. The white men just burst right in taking anything they wanted. The
Cherokee might be just getting home from some place and the soldiers would be guarding
your house. The child or children may have already been driven to the stockades or wives
or husbands have been driven to the stockades. They could have also already been on the
Trail of Tears.
The stockades were where the white men kept the Indians. It was like an outside
jail because there wasn’t a roof. The Indians had to use the ground for a pillow and the
sky for a blanket. The white men didn’t provide many blankets in the stockades.
On the Trail of Tears a lot of people died from starvation. So every day at least
one person died and they would have to dig a grave. Wagons broke down, animals died
and the Indians would eat them. When the Indians would settle then the white men would
steal from the Indians.
Continued
Third Grade
36
I don’t like thinking about the Trail of Tears because it is a sad story. It is weird
how the White men could just go right in and take over taking everything the Indians
owned, though the law said they couldn’t take the Indian’s land. I feel badly for the
Indians.
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
37
The Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is where the people cried, and it is where the white men forced
the Indians to leave their homes. I feel mad about the white men and what they did to the
Indians, and I feel bad for all the Cherokees that got locked up in stockades and health
problems.
It was not fair for what the white men did to the Indians. They pulled them out of
their homes with what they had on their backs When they separated the families, there
was screaming, crying, and just everything.
The stockades are where the white men put the Indians. Stockades look like a big
square of wood made into big fences about ten feet tall. Some Cherokees got sick or died
from not having any food or water. When White men put Indians in the stockades,
Indians got little pieces of wood and made forts to protect themselves for the weather by
using blankets. I feel very bad for all of these Cherokee Indians.
The Cherokee’s health in the stockades was horrible. They had no food or water
and it was very hot. The white men did not care about the Indian’s health. They did not
give the Indians food or water. When they were walking to the stockades, a boy named
Jesse Smoke ran back and a white man hit him in his jaw and caused him serious injury.
No one helped Jesse. This was very sad.
I thought learning about he Indians was interesting, buy when I learned about the
Trail of Tears, I felt sad.
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
38
The Trail of Tears
I think the Trail of Tears is sad because the Indians had to be locked up in
stockades, they didn’t have any blankets, and it was unfair. This also very cheerless
because the Indians didn’t do a thing to the White people, buy they made them walk the
Trail of Tears anyway. This is how it went.
Stockades were used as prisons. Stockades are building with no roofs. The White
men put almost every Indian in them. The Indians in the stockades did not have blankets,
so they had to lie on the ground with nothing except rags for clothes. This was very
mean.
The Trail of Tears was a very gloomy time for the Indians because lots of people
passed away. It was also bitter because they had to leave almost everything behind.
Everyone was forced to go. They had no choice. Some people didn’t have many blankets
and had to go barefooted. It was also depressing because people were separated from
their families.
It was very unfair because President Andre Jackson broke the Supreme Court
rules and lied to the Indians. It was also very bad because the Indians didn’t do anything
to the white people. It was foul because the White people had more weapons than the
Indians. The White people also had more soldiers than the Indians and they outnumbered
them.
The Trail of Tears is very interesting, but it is a sad and unfair part of Cherokee
history. When people put the Indians in the stockades, I thought that was mean. I can’t
wait to do some more research!
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
39
The Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is the trail that the Indians walked and cried on. The Trail of
Tears was a sad time for the Indians. It was also known as “the place where the people
cried.” I think the Indian removal was a sad thing for many reasons.
White men set up a lottery so whoever got the correct number would go to that
house. The white men first started moving into Cherokee land when gold was discovered
and that made it even more valuable to white men. Because of the white men wanting the
land, they got impatient and took it over.
Stockades were prisons that had no roof, no bedding, and no protection. The
stockades have very tall walls and a lookout tower. In the stockades Cherokees got very
little food from the white men.
The journey for the Indians was harsh and bitter. Many people died on the journey
because of sickness, very little food, clothes, and not very many blankets. At the end of
the journey the trip paid off and the Cherokee made to Oklahoma.
I feel sad for the Indians because they had to make that long journey. The
stockades, the lottery, and the journey make me feel sadness because of what the
Cherokee had to suffer. I wonder how the Indians felt about the Trail of Tears?
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
40
The Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was when the Indians were forced out of Georgia and had to go
to Oklahoma. My feelings for the Trail of Tears are sadness, madness, and happiness.
The Trail of Tears was sad because Indians were moving to Oklahoma and didn’t
get to bring half of their stuff from home. The families were getting separated. White
men were breaking wagons; some of the group had to walk to Oklahoma. When they got
there, half of the group was dead or sick. It was not right for the Indians to move, but they
had to.
It was not fair for the white men to take over Georgia. It was illegal for them to do
that. If I were an Indian I would have been angry at them, I would tell them you’re not
the boss of me so back off. But I am not an Indian so I can’t do that. White men had more
people that the Indians. They also had guns. White men were more powerful. If it was a
civil war they would have won.
Finally, the Indians are free in Oklahoma. The white men won’t bother them.
They have a family, and some are very happy. Now the grownups are working, and the
kids are at school. They might have more food, lots of homes, can read and write in
Cherokee and in the American way. The may even be like us, but in one way they are still
the Cherokee Indians.
The Trail of Tears was an interesting thing. My feelings were sadness, madness,
happiness. I wonder if I am half Indian.
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
41
Trail of Tears
On November 8, 1838, the Trail of Tears started. I feel sad for the Cherokee who
were forced to walk the Trail of Tears. Andrew Jackson should not have made them
move to Oklahoma, leave their homes, or be put in stockades.
A stockade is a type of jail without a roof. Some Cherokees were put in there for
doing bad things. Other Cherokees were put in from no reason at all and this made the
Cherokees very angry. It took along time to get out because the whites didn’t like them.
It must have been very hard to be driven from their home. They were only
allowed to take the clothes on their back. A lot Cherokee families were separated along
the way.
Some Cherokees traveling by horse or walking were hurt. Others traveled by boat
because the roads were too crowded. There were many who fell of the boat and drowned.
I think it was selfish of Andrew Jackson to make the Cherokee suffer the way he
did. It was not right to take their land and treat them so badly. I wish the Trail of Tears
had never happened.
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
42
Fictional Narrative: Tall Tales
Deborah Kelly
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
Tall tales flourished as America pushed westward during its pioneer days. Stories of
larger-than-life heroes spread from camp to camp, bringing strength to those aiming to
conquer the Great Frontier. This uniquely American genre provides a perfect hook to
encourage children to investigate the westward movement of the early American settlers
and to employ their creative writing abilities as they experiment with humor and
adventure inherent to tall tales.
This lesson would be best taught at mid-year to build upon children’s ability to write
creatively and to use the grammatical conventions previously taught. The tall tales unit
would span a period of two weeks.
Materials/Preparation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Variety of levels of tall tales (S. Kellogg has a wonderful collection of
these!)
Elements of Tall Tales
Whopper storyboard
Tall Tale Organizer
Guidelines for Drafting your Tall Tale
Storybook Weaver Deluxe
Microsoft Word
Map of United States
Collection of tall tale websites
Class web page (Kid’s Work)
Instructional Sequence
1. Introduce tall tales unit by reading a selection of your choice.
2. Discuss elements of tall tales (larger-than-life superhero with a specific task,
problem solved in humorous or outrageous way, exaggerated details, characters
using everyday language). Remind students that many tall tale characters were
based on actual people or were composites of several people. Oftentimes, tall
tales would provide an exaggerated explanation for the existence of natural
phenomena. Use Elements of Tall Tales to assess progress in understanding and
identification of tall tale elements.
3. Visit computer center set up to explore tall tale websites. (Extension)
4. Continue reading tall tales and lead children in discussion to identify elements of
tall tales. Plot the westward movement of characters on a map of the United
Third Grade
43
States. (This is also an excellent opportunity to review previously introduced map
skills.)
5. Practice the art of exaggeration by conducting a group tall tale. Choose a topic
that provides a common background for your students, i.e., a recent field trip, the
first day of school, etc. To model the process, “spin” the tale for a short amount
of time before asking the class to participate. For example, “I once had a teacher
who could teach for so long that…” or “My soccer coach could kick the ball so
far that…” Take turns allowing children to add to the tale.
6. Have students individually draft several “whoppers” (exaggerated statements).
Allow time for students to share. Some students may want to begin with a
drawing and then write. Others may wish to write and then illustrate.
7. Select and draft a best whopper using a storyboard. Children have previewed the
graphics in the Storybook Weaver Deluxe software. The storyboard is used to
draft their exaggerations and to sketch out graphics to be used in the final
publication. (This allows for best use of computer time. The children need to be
ready to publish when taking a turn at the computer.)
8. Students publish their drafts using Storybook Weaver Deluxe.
9. Compile as a class book and share.
10. Continue the exploration of this genre by writing drafts of tall tales about
themselves. (You may wish to model this by writing a tall tale of your own.)
Use Guidelines for Drafting your Tall Tales as a story map outline.
11. Employ the writing process throughout. Use the Tall Tale Organizer to aid with
pre-writing. Prompt children to return to the Guidelines as they revise and selfedit.
12. Students then create an original illustration to depict their tall tale character.
13. Publish students’ tall tales using Microsoft Word. Post on the class web page to
share.
Assessment
Informal assessment of understanding elements (Elements of Tall Tales)
Student self-assessment as follows:
• Whopper rubric that assesses exaggeration, use of detail and creativity, mechanics
of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling, plus the use of the Storybook Weaver
Deluxe.
• Tall Tales Assessment Rubric (student use)
Formal assessment: Standards-Based Rubric for Tall Tale
Performance Standards
R. 3.9 Identifies literary forms by recognizing and distinguishing among such types
of text as tall tales
• Understands and identifies literary terms such as figurative language
Third Grade
44
W. 3.1 Makes a plan for writing that includes:
• gathering ideas/ information with support by:
• discussion
• brainstorming
• using examples from literature
W. 3.5 Uses knowledge and experience to draft writing that includes:
• uses pre-writing ideas to complete a first draft
• drafts writing that includes a beginning, middle, and end
• uses appropriate spelling, punctuation, and capitalization
• has correct subject/verb agreement
W. 3.7 Applies knowledge and experience to write a variety of fictional narratives
that contain a beginning (characters, setting, problem), a middle (eventsroadblocks), and an end (solution, resolution of plot):
• folktales
W. 3.8 Uses available technology to assist in writing
W. 3.11 Produces simple documents that have been edited for: correct spelling,
correct use of punctuation including: ending punctuation marks
W. 3.12 Uses technology as a tool for publishing writing that includes:
• beginning to use correct keyboard practices
• uses spell check to verify spelling
• formats text
• finds and opens saved documents with teacher support
• saving to an appropriate location
SS. 3.15 Relates the past to the present in the study of change and continuity in human
affairs.
Reflection
This writing unit builds upon the whimsical nature of third graders. They love to take an
everyday event and exaggerate to build interest in both characters and plot. The
“whoppers” storyboard provides an easy way to work into the notion of creating an entire
story, developed around one larger-than-life character and/or event. Using the tall tales
retold by Steven Kellogg is both age-appropriate and interesting to eight and nine-year
olds. As a means to reach your more able learners, consider providing tall tales from
other sources. Some children will need extra support in writing exaggerations. They
may be bound by literal meanings and, therefore, might require lots of practice in this
area.
A great opportunity exists within this unit to provide an extension to those students who
love social studies. Allow interested students a choice of a natural feature to research.
Third Grade
45
Focus could be on the formation and geological features, and the impact that this natural
feature has had on surrounding communities and populations.
Don’t be surprised to see a marked increase in interest in this genre after completing this
writing unit. More than ever before, students tend to notice exaggerations made in readalouds and also begin to employ this technique in their own writings, having completed
this unit.
Third Grade
46
Elements of Tall Tales
Name: ______________________
Choose a tall tale that is new to you. As you read, think about the elements of tall tales.
Re-read to complete the information below. Give examples from the tall tale to support
your comments.
1. What makes your tall tale character larger-than-life? What is his or her
specific job?
2. What problems were solved in a funny way?
3. Give examples of exaggerated details that describe things as greater than they
really are.
4. What everyday language does your character use?
5. What natural features of the United States are described in your tall tale?
What explanation for their formation was given in your book?
Name of tall tale: _______________________
Retold by:
Third Grade
_______________________
47
Tall Tale Organizer
Name: ________________________
Character:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Be sure to tell where your character was born and to fully describe your character’s
appearance.
Problem(s):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What problem(s) does your character encounter during the story?
Solutions(s):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
How does your character solve these problems?
Natural Features:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
What natural features does your character encounter in his or her journey? What
explanation will you give for the creation of these natural features?
Third Grade
48
Guidelines for Drafting your Tall Tale
Paragraph 1
Create vivid details to describe your larger-than-life character
Use BIG words!
Be sure to tell where your character is born (East Coast location)
Paragraph 2
Your character takes a journey
Why?
Where?
Paragraph 3
Your character encounters a problem or problems on this journey.
Create a picture with your words for the reader. Help the reader
“see” the problem.
Paragraph 4
Your character solves the problem(s). Again, write this paragraph
in such a way that the reader feels like he or she is “watching” the
solution unfold.
Paragraph 5
Ending to the tall tale should leave the reader feeling satisfied that
he or she has learned everything there is to know about your
character.
Other Points to Consider:
•
Along the way, your character should journey through at least one natural feature.
You must include an explanation as to how this natural feature was formed.
•
Throughout your piece, be sure to include exaggerated language. Consult the
thesaurus for synonyms that will extend your thoughts.
•
As always, it is expected that you write in complete sentences, use Spell Check,
and punctuate correctly.
Third Grade
49
Suggested websites to use for Tall Tale Technology Center:
http://www.hasd.org/ges/talltale/talltale.htm
http://www.americanfolklore.net/tt.html
http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/ls/4/la/4r/talltale/ttintro.htm
http://www.animatedtalltales.com/
http://www.kyrene.k12.az.us/schools/brisas/sunda/talltale/talltale.htm
http://www.42explore.com/talltale.htm
Third Grade
50
Tall Tale Assessment Rubric
My tall tale was organized with a clear beginning, middle and end.
Not Yet
Almost There
Good Job
Excellent
My tall tale utilized exaggerated details and creative language.
Not Yet
Almost There
Good Job
Excellent
My tall tale contained a larger-than-life character involved in extraordinary adventures.
Not Yet
Almost There
Good Job
Excellent
My tall tale was edited for correct use of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
Not Yet
Almost There
Good Job
Excellent
My tall tale demonstrated my ability to publish using Microsoft Word.
Not Yet
Almost There
Good Job
Excellent
COMMENTS:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________
Student: ________________________
Third Grade
51
Whopper Storyboard
Illustration
Text:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Student: ________________________________________________________________
Third Grade
52
Whoppers Rubric
My whopper demonstrated ability to exaggerate.
Not Yet
Almost There
Good Job
Excellent
My whopper was edited for correct use of capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
Not Yet
Almost There
Good Job
Excellent
My whopper demonstrated ability to use Storybook Weaver Deluxe with proficiency.
Not Yet
Almost There
Good Job
Excellent
Good Job
Excellent
My whopper utilized detail and creativity.
Not Yet
Almost There
COMMENTS:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Student: ________________________
Third Grade
53
Standards-Based Assessment Rubric
Narrative Writing – Tall Tales
Name: _____________________________
Exceeds
Expectations
Meets
Expectations
Character and
setting welldeveloped;
events clearly
defined; strong
plot
resolution.
Character and
setting
developed;
events
defined; plot
resolution
Exaggerated
detail and
creative
language
Strong
evidence of
exaggerated
detail and
creative
language
throughout.
Some
evidence of
exaggerated
detail and
creative
language
evident.
Use of
technology as
a tool for
publishing
Document is
nearly free of
publishing
errors; spell
check
employed.
Beginning,
middle, and
end
Few errors of
Capitalization capitalization
or punctuation
and
punctuation are present.
Innovation
Ideas
presented are
innovative
throughout.
Date: ________________________
Does Not
Meet
Expectations
Character and
setting
unevenly
developed;
events not
clearly
defined; no
clear plot
resolution.
Little evidence
of exaggerated
detail and
creative
language
evident.
Points
Possible
Document
contains
publishing
errors; these
do not
interfere with
meaning.
Document
contains many
publishing
errors that
interfere with
meaning.
20
Many errors of
capitalization
or punctuation
are present.
Errors of
capitalization
and
punctuation
interfere with
meaning.
20
Some ideas
presented are
innovative.
Innovative
ideas are not
evident.
0
Points
Earned
30
30
Created by: Deborah Kelly
Third Grade
54
The Big Adventure
Gabrielle
One day a princess named Sunflower went to her magical pond with
her eight friends. That is when they met a witch who cast a spell on nature.
That night they asked their parents if they could try to stop the witch. They
said yes. They packed up at the moment. At sunrise, they left. All nine girlsSunflower, Purple, Elizabeth, Oddness, Tiny, Eleanor, Turquoise, Pinky, and
Bethany. They started in Virginia where they were born and headed west.
When they got a ways from home, they stopped to make a camp for
the night. They made a hut out of grass, leaves, sticks, flowers, mud, vines,
and hay. After that, they put on their pj’s and ate berries. “Let us go explore
the forest tomorrow,” said Tulip full of adventure and excitement. “Okay,”
said the other eight princesses.
The next morning they packed up and headed into the forest. Right
when they got in the forest, they stopped in their tracks. There was a book.
Its title was The Book of Forest Craziness. Then Pinky found a polka dotted
crystal. She tied it to some cut off pigs tail to make it into a crown. She went
over to see what was going on. The crystal opened up the lock on the book.
Continued
Third Grade
55
By then they had traveled far into the forest. Then they stopped in
front of a river. They could see it for miles! They decided that such a long
river must have a long name. That is how the Mississippi Tiver came to be.
They crossed the river and took a dragon to Kansas.
There they found the witch. She was perched up in the tower
SLEEPING! Now for a witch that was weird! It was the perfect time to
break the spell. The girls saw another river they had to cross, so they split
up. Some looked up how to break the spell, while the others figured out how
to cross the ravine.
Then the girls remembered the seeds that they had bought. They threw
a sprinkling of seeds in the river. This became the Great Plains. The girls
crossed the Great Plains. They headed up a hill to a door. Turquoise fell on
the hill, and the girls realized that the hill was made of glass. Turquoise
was rescued with a rope that somehow broke the spell.
They all lived happily ever after. Well, at least the princesses did. I am
not quite sure about the witch.
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
56
John Ugly
Heather
John Ugly was born in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was the smartest, strongest, baby in
Erie. John had blond hair curly hair, blue eyes, and always into mischief. But when he got
into mischief, he got into much trouble!
John loved to dig. Everyday he would go outside and dig. When John turned 17
he got a 50 foot shovel. Well, this became a problem because sometimes John would dig
so deep that he would find oceans of water or even dig up houses and use them as
weights!
But soon the neighbors and some that weren’t neighbors started to complain. The
Ugly family tried everything to stop John but it didn’t help. The Ugly family didn’t want
to move, so they tried to persuade the neighbors but they couldn’t. They had to move. So
they packed up their things, sold their house, and set off west to find new land.
When they got the spot they liked, the Ugly family unpacked and got settled in.
The next day John was up at 5:00 A.M. like he always was. John was now 20 years old
and could go out on his own. John started off toward the mountains. While he was out he
passed millions and millions of mountains.
That made him wonder, “What if I could form mountains that were bigger than
the other mountains that I was that were more than 100,000 million feet tall?” “I can see
it in lights,” he thought to himself. John Ugly built mountains that were taller than
100,000 million feet! So he started to build some mountains. He thought they weren’t big
enough, so he kept on building. Soon they were enormous. But he said, “These need a
name.”
Continued
Third Grade
57
So he named them the Rocky Mountains after his Uncle Rocky, and that is how the
Rockies were formed.
The next day was a Sunday. John wanted to find a church. He found a church,
went to a service. At that service he found a nice, sweet, girl that was as strong as he was
and as smart, too. Her name was Cat. She liked him and he liked her. They got married
and had kids named Cat the second and John the third. They moved up north with their
two children. They lived in a nice little cottage. Well, the children were so big that the
parents had to build a cabin for each of them. The kids loved their parents because they
did all the fun things with them. They had to because none of the other kids wanted to
play because they were scared of them at first. After a while kids started to play with
them. The kids loved their new best friends, but they had to leave them. The kids were
very sad but they made new friends soon.
Cat and John died and Cat the second became a barrel racer. John the third
became a rode rider. Cat the second became a mom of two, and John the third became a
dad of four. The family lived happily forever.
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
58
Mortysn Tyic
Anna
Hi, I’m Mortysn Tyic. I was born in the east. To be exact, I was born in
Providence, Rhode Island. I have long, beautiful, blond hair. My hair is so long it
touches the ground. I am 21 feet and 5 inches tall. Now if you’re wondering how far it is
from where my hair grows to the floor, it is exactly one inch shorter than my height. I
always wear dresses and nothing but dresses. I also have a pet bull. Her name is Rowdy.
You want to know one of my little secrets, don’t you? Which one do you want me
to tell you, my life or building my children a fort? Building my children a fort is in my
life. My life? OK!! It goes a little something like this.
Well, as you know I was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on a Saturday
afternoon about twelve. I was the strongest baby on Earth. But I grew up as a normal
baby. I didn’t show my strengths when I was a baby because people always teased me
about it. On my sixth birthday I decided I was old enough to live by myself and I set our
west to California.
On the way I met a man named Namey Mamey. He was looking for his pet ant
named Flashy. [Like he was going to find an ant!] I knew it was instant love at first
sight. I told him, “Marry me and we can share my pet bull.” He said OK and we
continued the journey together. Later when we reached Carlsbad, New Mexico, we
stopped and had children. We had a boy named Little Jim and a girl named Equator. Our
children were enormous just like us.
Continued
Third Grade
59
A few years later we stopped in Arizona. Our children wanted to play fort. So we
started to take some rocks and nails and build a fort. As we started to put it together there
was a big problem. The nails weren’t strong enough. So we tried again. It still wouldn’t
work. We tried and tried but it nothing worked.
But then I had an idea. If we put 500 nails in each spot we needed to nail, maybe
then it would work. So we went to the store and bought tons and tons of nails. The next
day we tried it. Yah! It worked! I couldn’t believe it! One thing we noticed was that a
huge canyon had formed from all of our hammering. This became known as the Grand
Canyon.
After that our children stayed there and played and played. Little Jim and Equator
went up and down the elevators we built, went under arches, over stumps, and in ends of
tunnels and out the other end. They swung on huge swings and jumped on gigantic
trampolines. They built castles and they even dug a lake and made a beach.
We continued west to California and retired there and lived happily together!
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
60
Jimmy Hoppinweiser
Joe
Along time ago there was a boy by the name of Jimmy Hoppinweiser. He grew
into the strongest man ever. When he was little he could pick up his parents, one in each
hand. And, when he was sixteen he could pick up an elephant. When he was nineteen he
became a builder, but when he mounted things together they always fell over. So
eventually he got fired and he had to look for other work.
A couple years later he took a journey to Arizona. When he got there he was so
tired he fell and carved the Grand Canyon. The cracks were made from the scabs on his
elbows. While he was there he met his friend Johnny Nits. Johnny was an old friend he
had gone to school with. He now lived in Arizona. They met in the south part of the
state. Johnny’s ears were so big that he had to turn sideways to get into a door. Johnny
liked his ears because they made shade.
Jimmy and Johnny decided to go on a journey. They both needed to cross the
Grand Canyon, but they didn’t know how. Then they figured out how to build a bridge.
So they built a bridge and got over the Grand Canyon. There design for bridges became
famous and made them both wealthy.
Now Johnny and Jimmy live in Arizona in a resort. Jimmy’s working as a builder
again. He is really good because he can reach the high spots that others can’t reach. When
they retire and don’t work any more, they plan to live for awhile at a retirement home in
California. When they get tired on that they will move back home to New Jersey and
have room service. They will get free food and free drinks. Every time you come over
they will say, “Ah, this is the best thing we’ve ever had!”
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
61
Vivid Language
Children’s Role in the Civil War
Deborah Kelly
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
So many times when students write, they tend to use the same words over and over again.
The goal of this lesson is to encourage young writers to use more descriptive, vivid
language in place of these “dead” words. The sequence of this lesson moves from helping
the children identify commonly overused words, to generating a variety of synonyms to
replace these words, to providing them with several strategies for improving their word
choice in an effort to make their writing more interesting. This lesson would fit best in
the spring when the children are confident with their technological skills and well able to
revise and edit written pieces. The pacing of this lesson would span a week’s time.
Using Social Studies as a backdrop for developing this writing strategy, the children have
received direct instruction in the history surrounding the seizure and relocation of the
Roswell Mill workers during the Civil War. Turn Homeward, Hannalee by Patricia
Beatty has been read aloud by the teacher as a means to connect the students to children
in this time period. (In this woeful tale, General Sherman charges a young girl and her
brother with treason for their positions as mill workers in Roswell. Their punishment for
their role in producing cloth used by the Confederate Army is removal to points north
where they are forced into servitude.) A narrative writing sample will be developed in
which the children will be asked to assume the voice of a mill worker from this period.
The writing should reflect their personal reaction to the order of General Sherman. As
this is an emotional issue, the assignment easily lends itself to the use of passionate,
descriptive language.
Materials/Preparation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Various levels of reading materials related to the Civil War
Turn Homeward, Hannalee by Patricia Beatty (used as a read-aloud)
Chicken Little, by Steven Kellogg
Thesauraus
Microsoft Word
Computer Lab session
The class has been previously introduced to the skill of synonyms and the basic use of
thesauruses. Direct instruction has been received and practice provided in writing
personal narratives that include a beginning, middle, and ending. Additionally, they are
confident users of Microsoft Word as a means of publishing student work and easily
employ the spell check feature.
Third Grade
62
Instructional Sequence
1. Relate that a challenge that writers face is using vivid, interesting language instead of
the same “dead” words over and over again. Develop enthusiasm by sharing a few of
your own favorite expressive words.
2. Introduce and read Steven Kellogg’s Chicken Little. “In this version the author has
impressed me with his use of many different words in place of the word said.”
Discuss said as being a dead word, and explain that there are many other words that
can express a clearer view of the character’s feelings.
3. Re-read the story. Ask the children to listen for all the words that mean “said.” Ask
them to stop you when one of the words has been used so that it can be recorded.
4. In this story, Chicken Little said…
announced (3)
chuckled (2)
shrieked (2)
asked
cried (5)
observed
demanded
wailed
whispered
murmured
chorused
added
declared
sneered
snapped
squawked
for a total of 16 different ways in which to express the notion of the word said.
5. Lead a discussion on the nuances of meaning of this word. Guide the children toward
recognizing how vivid, descriptive language not only clarifies the meaning of writing
but also increases the pleasure of reading a piece that does not contain repetitive,
uninteresting words.
6. Brainstorm a list of “dead” words. These words will, of course, be class specific to a
particular group of children but might include words such as stuff, neat, and cool.
You may wish to carry out this activity over a period of several days until you feel an
appropriate list of over-used words has been accumulated.
7. Optional. Conduct a burial ceremony to properly dispose of these “dead” words.
(We actually covered a shoe box in black paper, lined it with tissue paper, and
solemnly placed the dead words in the “coffin.” Dressed in black, we led a
procession to the playground, said a eulogy over the recently deceased, and buried
the words deep within a hole. A wake followed the activity, complete with
refreshments. The children absolutely loved this activity! It was something they
referred to often throughout the year. In fact, I must admit that they would delight
any time they could catch me using a “dead” word.)
8. Use a thesaurus to generate more vivid, descriptive words to replace the “dead”
words. (If you use a Student Dictionary, this might be a good place to record these
words.) This could be done as a whole group, small group, or individual activity,
depending upon the ability of your children.
9. Recall plight of Hannalee and her brother, Jem, the child characters from Turn
Homeward, Hannalee.
10. Write a personal narrative in which you assume the voice of one of the mill workers.
Describe your experience as a child being charged with treason against the United
States government for your role in working at the Roswell Mill.
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11. Publish a draft using Microsoft Word.
12. Conduct a mini-lesson to provide direct instruction in use of the grammar check
thesaurus feature in Microsoft Word. Discuss the necessity to preserve the original
meaning when using this feature. Stress that the goal is to improve, clarify and refine
the meaning to give the reader a richer picture of your words.
13. Revise personal narrative piece to include more vivid, descriptive language by
employing the thesaurus feature. Be sure to reflect on how you are feeling about your
imprisonment. (Hint: Good to have students start with identifying and changing
verbs as the children are more likely to be able to identify a synonym for this part of
speech.)
Assessment
Standards-Based Assessment Rubric
Performance Standards
W. 3.6
Expands knowledge and experience to:
• use precise, accurate, and/or original words
• reduce the use of repetition, clichés, or vague language
• create images in the reader’s mind using descriptive words and vivid
language
W. 3.7
Create personal narratives (recounts) that include a beginning (who, what, where,
when, why) a middle (built around a central idea or main event), and ending
(feelings of the writer revealed).
W. 3.8
Uses available technology to assist in writing.
W. 3.10
Participates in editing conferences by:
Revising writing by adding or substituting text to:
•
•
•
clarify meaning
elaborate ideas
improve word choice
SS 3.15
Relates the past to the present in the study of change and continuity in human affairs
References: Lunsford, S. (1998). Literature Based Mini Lesson to Teach Writing.
Scholastic Books, New York.
Third Grade
64
Reflection
Using the thesaurus feature of Microsoft Word is enjoyable for most Third Grade
students. They need guidance, however, to substitute the correct parts of speech. You
might consider setting up some sort of signal that would allow you to check their work
prior to substituting words for more vivid language.
Nearly ever child that listens to Turn Homeward, Hannalee becomes emotionally
involved in the characters’ plight. They especially identify with and are horrified to think
that children could be taken from their parents. In this sense, the story provides an
exceptionally appropriate backdrop from which to evoke powerful writing. Some
students, however, will have a difficult time assuming the voice of another. This is more
related to the developmental level of the child rather than to the lack of empathy that the
student may hold. Because the story holds a high level of interest for listeners, many of
the students wanted to simply retell the story and embellish upon the emotions of the
characters therein. For some children, several revision sessions were necessary in order to
allow the writers an opportunity to reflect upon their feelings attached to being charged
with the crime of treason.
A naturally appropriate extension to this lesson for high-achieving, interested students
would be to provide an opportunity to investigate topics and issues related to the Civil
War. The rubric could be revised to reflect inclusion of accurate historical information
within the personal narrative.
Third Grade
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Vivid Language – Assessment Rubric
Created by: Deborah Kelly 2004
Exceeds
Meets
Does
Not Points
Points
Expectations Expectations Meet
Possible Earned
Expectations
Contains
a
beginning,
middle, and
end.
Character
and setting
welldeveloped;
events
clearly
defined;
strong plot
resolution.
Character
and setting
developed;
events
defined;
plot
resolution
Utilizes
vivid
language.
Strong
evidence of
vivid
language
throughout.
Little vivid 30
Some
evidence of language
evident.
vivid
language
evident.
Uses
technology as
a tool for
publishing.
Document is
nearly free
of
publishing
errors;
spell check
is employed.
Document
contains
a
few
publishing
errors;
these do not
interfere
with
meaning.
Document
contains
many
publishing
errors that
interfere
with
meaning.
20
Capitalization
and
punctuation.
Few
errors
of
capitalization
or
punctuation
are present;
these do not
interfere
with
meaning.
Innovative
ideas
are
presented.
Few
errors
of
capitalization
or
punctuation
are present.
Many errors
of
capitalization
or
punctuation
are present.
20
Some
ideas
presented
are
innovative.
Innovative
0
ideas
are
not
evident.
Innovation
Third Grade
Character
and setting
unevenly
developed;
events
not
clearly
defined; no
clear
plot
resolution.
30
66
Roswell
My name is Hannalee. I used to be a mill worker
in Roswell. I am 12 years old and this is my story.
It was 1863 me and my brother Jem were at the
mill when we were on our way home for lunch we
saw a fire. They were burning the bridge so that the
Yankees couldn’t come. So we went home. But
mama knew that the Yankees were coming.
Before I go on I need to tell you these few details.
Mama is expecting one. Our dad died in the war.
Our brother Davy is at war. And Davy’s girlfriend,
Roseleen is mad at Davy for not marrying her before
he left.
Continued
Third Grade
67
Any who we went to the two top windows to
watch. Then we heard a pound on the door. So I
went to open it. It was a Yankee! He asked mama if
there were any soldiers here. She said no, he asked
if there were any mill workers. She told him that we
were. One took Jem by the arm and told that they
had to take us to the town square then he let go so he
could say good-bye to mama. I said good-bye.
Mama told me that they were not going to kill us, but
they were taking us away. Then she gave me her
button so I could rember her.
They took us to the town square. We did not
know what to do.
Continued
Third Grade
68
Then I heard a voice it was Roseleen. She told us
that we had to follow her
commands. So we did. That night they got whisky
they drank and got drunk.
They were chasing the girls trying to kiss them.
One tied to put his hands around Rosellen’s waist but
Jem came charging into his rear-end.
Then new Yankees came and announced that we
were being accused of being traitor. And we will be
taken to Marietta Then to Indiana.
The wagons arrive. We got on and we left we
went to a Military school. Jem was separated from
us. Then we were tooken to Marietta.
Continued
Third Grade
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We got on the train we were not together. But we
got to stop. I had a plan. We dressed Jem in girl
close so when we goton. Then we were in there. We
were set free there. We left as soon as we could.
When we got home we had a new baby brother
named Mikhail. He was fun to play with.
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
70
The Dairy of Hannalee
July 1, 1861
Today I’m working in the Roswell cotton mill. I work there everyday.
I work from early morning go home for breakfast, work till lunch then go
home for lunch, and then go home for dinner. The next day I do the same.
My dad came home in a wooden nailed down box. Well I forgot to tell you
that we live in Roswell, GA. Our soldiers, the confederates are fighting in
the Civil War. They are fighting the Union soldiers. My brother, Gem and I
are working in the Roswell cotton mill to make cloth/clothes for our soldiers.
July 2, 1861
My oldest brother also fights in the war. He came home only
for a few days. When our dad died he left mom a widow. With the baby
coming and Gem and I working, we don’t know what to expect. Davie the
oldest brother the one I told you about, with him at war he can’t help mama
when the baby comes. No one knows when or what time the baby is due.
July 3, 1861
Today I went to the mill and the owner said that we weren’t
going to go to work today at the mill because the Union soldiers were
coming. Gem and I ran home.
Continued
Third Grade
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Everywhere, there were mill hand girls running and screaming. When we
got home mama had cornbread ready for us on the table. She said that if
there was any shooting we would go down to the seller. Gem and I went up
stairs and looked out separate windows. In just a short moment Gem herd
foot steps and hoof beats on the road. I herd them just a few minutes after
Gem. After we didn’t hear them anymore we ran downstairs to mama. We
were all quiet. Five minutes later we herd a knocking on the door. Mama
answered it. It was some Union soldiers. They asked if there were any mill
workers here. Just my children sir mama said. They Gem and me away to a
group of mill workers.
July 4, 1861
They made us spend the night on the ground last night. It was
hard and hot. Davies’ girlfriend stayed with us. That day they took us to
Marietta and split us up into men and boys, then girls and ladies. The next
day they were going to take us to Indiana.
July 5, 1861
No one knows I have my dairy with me. I try to write in it
everyday.
Continued
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Today they took us on a train trip to TN. We stopped there and they made
the ladies go first stand in line. I thought they were going to split us up like
they did last time. Well I dressed Gem up like a girl and my thought was
right. They did split us up. Gem passed as a girl but not a very good
looking one. Here comes the soldier. They see me with my dairy they are
coming to take it away. I’m scared!
MEETS STANDARDS
Third Grade
73
The Roswell Cotton Mill
1863, July
Dear Journal,
We mill workers have been captured and blamed for treason by the
Yankees. It was scary to have them barge open the door and take me away.
Ma, luckily I managed to sneak my journal with me. I did not try to struggle
when they brought me to the town square because I did not want to arouse
trouble. I saw that every mill worker in town was there. Eventually I found
my friend, Jim. “Hi Jim, why are we here?” I asked. “Hello Ben, we’re here
because we’ve been blamed for treason and the penalty for treason is death.
This last sentence scared me a lot. I tried to escape from the Yankees
once. I tried to sneak past them while they weren’t looking but I got caught.
I overheard some girls saying the Yankees were going to take us to Marietta
on horseback then bring us to Louisiana on a trian.
From,
Ben Tailer
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
74
Civil War in Roswell
Hello my name is Jim. I work as a lap boy during the civil War in 1863. One day
I was working in the mill with my mom pregnant at home. When I was leaving the mill
with my sister I spotted smoke rising up into the sky. I asked an older boy passing by me
“Do you know what that smoke is coming from?” He replied “Our soldiers are burning
the Roswell bridge so the Yankees can’t get across.” I gulped at the though of Yankees
in Roswell. Then my sister and I darted home.
When we arrived their we tended to our mom. Afterwards we told out mom the
news, she answered “If the Yankees come don’t say a word unless I tell you to!” “Yes
mom.” We said. Afterwards we were glued to our window then we spotted them.
Beingsilent as ever we crept down stairs to tell mother. But when we got down there she
was lookingat the windows too. By the way her faced looked we could tell she was
scared. The two Yankee solders knocked knocked on the door mom told me to open it so
I did.
Two Yankee solders darted inside asked ifthere were mill hands in the house. My
mom said “Just him and her.” The Yankees told us to stay right here then they searched
the house. I was felling incredibly angry at this time. At that same time the Yankees
returned, andtook us with them. We arrived at town square which had all the other mill
workers in it. The town square was surrounded by the Yankee army. We stayed there for
many days living off of corn bread, sometimes they break out some raw pig meat that
was stout as a post. At that time I was homesick angry and sad all at once.
Continued
Third Grade
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One day the Yankees loaded us up in to wagons and took us to Marietta. Then
they loaded us onto a waiting train at that time I was devastated. At that same time a
soldier said “You have been charged with treason for producing cloth for the confederacy
army.” Then I was madder than ever. Then the train started rolling. One day later I was
home-sick. One hour later he told us say good-by to Georgia. I felt worse than ever the
only place in the world I’ve been left behind.
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
Third Grade
76
Writing Stories Using Adjectives
Yummy, Delicious Chocolate
Pat. Muster
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
This lesson will capitalize on the sensory experience of eating chocolate to inspire
students to use a variety of adjectives in their writing. At the third grade level, children
are really ready to start writing stories that they have created. They have many ideas they
want to share. They can verbally tell you many exciting things that have occurred in their
life, and when they do, the story usually uses many good adjectives. However, they
often don’t use these adjectives when they write. This lesson will help them to achieve
this process in their writing. They will have one piece or sample modeled by the teacher,
and then they will have the opportunity to create on their own.
Materials/Preparation
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hershey’s Miniatures or candy substitute for those who can not have chocolate
Adjective Chart
Topic Organizer
Graphic Organizer
Paper and pencil for final story
Teacher Rubric
Instructional Sequence
Before the lesson begins, staple the adjective chart, the topic organizer, and the graphic
organizer together. You will use these later in the lesson. For today’s lesson, place a
larger version of the adjective chart on the board, leaving off the word “adjective.” You
will use this at the beginning of your lesson. Also place a piece of the candy on their
desk telling them not to touch it.
Day 1
1. Ask the children to direct their attention to the board. After you have their
attention, ask the children to describe the wrapped candy in front of them. As the
children use these descriptive words, write them on the board under the correct
adjective heading.
2. After describing the outside of the candy, have them open up their piece of candy
and ask them to describe the smell of the candy. Write these words under the
correct heading also.
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3. Next, have the children taste the candy. Ask them to describe its taste and how it
feels in their mouths. Write these descriptive words under the correct heading.
4. Then ask the children to tell you how many pieces of candy they ate, how many
the class ate, and how many candy bars I used in this lesson. (They will probably
give numbers so after you have asked these questions one time, ask them again,
and ask them to use other words to replace the number words. Ex. Several,
couple, many) Record these responses on the adjective chart.
5. Explain to the children that all of these words are adjectives. Explain that
adjectives make a paragraph or story come alive. At this point place the word
adjective on the chart. Tell them that they can use these words and other words to
describe nouns. Remind them that a noun is a person place or thing.
6. Next, place a larger version of the topic organizer on the board. Using the topic
“candy” and the adjectives that were given for that topic, fill out the topic
organizer. Place the word candy next to the word topic. Then under details write
phrases about the topic using the adjectives that were used on the adjective chart.
7. At this time, hand each child an organizer packet that contains the adjective chart,
the topic organizer, and the graphic organizer. Ask the children to turn to the
second page, which should be the topic organizer. Tell them that they will now
choose 4 topics that they are familiar with and write these topics next to each
topic line. Then they will give details about each topic. Remind them to use
adjectives with these details. The details do not have to be in sentence form.
Discuss each child’s topic organizer as they complete it. (This part of the writing
process could take 2 to 3 days.)
Day 2
1. At the beginning of the lesson, review the definition of an adjective. Choose
items around the room and ask the children to use an adjective to describe that
object. Choose enough items that all the children get a chance to participate.
2. Next, using the topic “candy” and the details from yesterday’s assignment explain
to the children how to use the graphic organizer. This is the third sheet in their
packet. Draw a larger version of the graphic organizer on the board. Place the
word candy in the middle. Then number the circles around the middle circle from
1-6. They may add more circles if they need to before numbering. Explain to the
children that the circle marked number 1 will be their main idea sentence. All the
other sentences will be supporting detail sentences. These sentences need to talk
about the first sentence. The sentences should also be in story sequence.
3. At this point, using the topic organizer that the class did together yesterday on
candy, you will model a lesson on how to use the graphic organizer with
adjectives. The children can be seated on the floor in front of you. During the
writing process, ask the children to help you create the story.
• First, decide on a main idea sentence using the topic organizer you completed
with the children yesterday.
• Second, decide on detail sentences that support your main idea.
• Third, write a good ending sentence that summarizes the main idea.
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• Last, read the sentences to the children. Ask them if they feel like the sentences
could be more interesting. Ask them to help you make the sentences more
interesting by adding adjectives. Make corrections as needed.
• When the children feel that the sentences are descriptive enough, write the
sentences in paragraph form stressing indenting, capitalization, and punctuation.
4. Now, the children will use one of their topics and the graphic organizer to begin
writing and sequencing their story. Tell them that they are to follow all the steps
that were modeled.
5. When the children have completed their graphic organizer, they need to proofread
it carefully. Tell them to check their capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
When this has been completed, the teacher needs to check the child’s work. This
is a good time to ask the child if his/her main idea sentence is what the whole
story is about. You can also remind the child to add adjectives before writing the
final paper. At this point the children need to be told that if they want the best
possible grade on their paper, they need to have at least 8 adjectives in their story.
6. Once the child’s graphic organizer has been approved by the teacher, the child is
to write the story in paragraph form. Indenting, spacing of words, and using the
margins should be stressed at this time.
7. When the children have completed their final paragraph, ask them to read over the
topic organizer and the graphic organizer and find all the adjectives that they used
on these 2 papers. Tell them to write these adjectives onto the adjective chart
which is the first page of the packet. Once this is completed, they are to turn the
packet and their final paragraph into the teacher.
Assessment
Informal: The teacher will observe the children during individual work time looking for
the use of adjectives in paragraph form with a beginning, middle, and end.
Formal: The teacher will use the attached rubric to assess this activity.
Performance Standards
R.3.3 Uses simple strategies to determine meaning and increase vocabulary for
reading.
W.3.1 Prepares for writing by recording thoughts, focusing on a central idea, and
identifying a purpose for writing by:
• choosing a narrow topic
• gathering ideas/ information with support by: brainstorming
W.3.3 Organizes information using graphic organizers such as mapping, webbing, listing
W.3.5 Uses knowledge and experience to draft writing that includes:
• a beginning (hooks the reader)
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•
•
a middle (development, reasons, sequence of steps, order of importance)
an ending (brings a closure)
W.3.6 Expands knowledge and experience to use interesting, important details for
support.
W.3.9 Revises written work by self-correcting:
• express ideas clearly
• expand use of descriptive words, including adjectives
Reflection
Because children work at different paces, some children will be ready to write their
paragraph on the second day. However, many of the children will need at least 2 days to
write down their 4 topics and their supporting details. When the children begin writing
on their graphic organizer, close attention needs to be given to the main idea sentence.
Once they have mastered writing a good beginning sentence, the other sentences seem to
be easier for them.
*If a child is allergic to chocolate, you may substitute another type of food for this
topic.
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Yummy, Delicious Chocolate
Writing A Paragraph Using Adjectives
Name: ________________________
Teacher:
Date : ___________________
Title of Work: ___________________
Criteria
1
Use of
adjectives
Paragraph contained
less than 4 adjectives
2
Paragraph
contained 4 to 8
adjectives
Points
3
Paragraph contained
8 or more adjectives
____
Paragraph does not
Paragraph has at
Paragraph has a
have a good
Organization
least 2 parts of a
good beginning,
____
beginning, middle, or
of paper
good paragraph
middle, and end.
end
Details do not go Some details follow Many specific details
explain the topic of ____
Use of details with the topic of the the topic of the
story
story
the story
Did not use topic Only used a part of Completely filled out
Use of topic
____
organizer
the topic organizer the topic organizer
organizer
Only used a part of
Used all of the
Did not use graphic
Use of
the graphic
graphic organizer to
organizer to help
graphic
organizer to help
help write the
write the paragraph.
organizer
write the paragraph.
paragraph.
Total----> ____
Teacher Comments: For children below grade level, more emphasis should be placed
on being able to fill out the graphic organizers. This work can be done with help from a
student peer or a teacher.
Powered by TeAch-nology.com- The Web Portal For Educators! (www.teach-nology.com)
1
Does Not Meet
Expectations
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Meets Expectations
3
Exceeds Expectations
81
My Topic Organizer
Topic:
Details:
Topic:
Details:
Topic:
Details:
Topic:
Details:
How to use this topic organizer
1. Write down 4 topics that you are familiar with.
2. Under each topic give details. Details give specifics about a topic.
3. Choose the topic that has the most details. This is the one you are probably most
familiar with.
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Main Idea and Supporting Details with Adjectives
Name______________________________________
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Adjective Chart
What Kind?
(size, color, shape, smell, taste, see, hear,
touch)
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How Many?
84
MEETS STANDARDS
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MEETS STANDARDS
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EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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Fictional Narrative: Elements of a Story
Writing a Story Using Stepping Stones
Pat Muster
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
At the beginning of third grade, most children need help in beginning the writing process.
When children are given the task of writing a story, the first problem that occurs is
deciding what they will write about. In using the Stepping Stone method, which is a
graphic organizer, they are guided into their story. In this method, the children use stones
made from construction paper, labeled with the parts of the story such as characters,
setting, beginning, middle, and end, to help them write. By choosing familiar characters
or choosing a familiar setting, they can learn to create stories that have a good beginning,
middle, and end. In this two-day lesson plan, the children will have the opportunity to
obtain information that will help them in the writing process during third grade and
beyond.
Materials/Preparation
• Stepping Stones made from laminated construction paper. Cut the paper into
stone-like shapes and label them with the following words: title, author,
illustrator, characters, setting, problem, beginning, middle, end, solution/
• The book, Katie and the Sunflower
• Access to the Internet
• 3-prong folder and loose-leaf paper
• Stepping Stone Story Chart for prewriting
• Stepping Stone List
Instructional Sequence
Day 1
1. Go to the website sunflower-usa.com. Show the children the 80 ft. picture of van
Gogh’s Sunflower. Explain that this picture is going to be in the story that they
will hear.
2. Briefly introduce the Stepping Stones to the class by showing each stone and
telling what is on the stone. Tell the children that the order in which you are
showing the stones is important. It helps with the flow of their story. The
children should recognize many of the words. Explain that they will use these
steps in writing stories.
3. Introduce the book, Katie and the Sunflower, by discussing the title, the
characters, and the setting of the book. Explain to them that there is also a
problem in the story. Ask them to see if they can tell you what that problem is
after hearing the story. Then read the story to the children.
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4. After reading Katie and the Sunflower, explain to the students that they will retell
the story by using the stepping stones. Give one child a stone, starting with the
title, and ask that child to tell you the title of the story. Then give another child
the author stone and ask for the author’s name. Do this with all ten stones. As the
children retell the story, explain each of the stepping stones starting with the title.
(Refer to the Stepping Stone List for the correct order of the stones.)
Day 2
1. Tell the children that today they will make their own story, as a class, using the
Stepping Stone method. They will use the stepping stone list provided by the
teacher to help them with the order of their story. One at a time, hand out the
stepping stones. The first child would receive the setting stone. This child will
choose the setting of the story. Then hand out the character stone to another
child. This child will choose the character or characters for the story. A third
child will then choose the problem of the story. Continue, in this manner, with all
of the stones until the story is completed. While the children are verbally telling
the story, you may wish to be writing the class story on a Stepping Stone Story
Chart on the board. By seeing you model this chart, the children will have a
better understanding when they use their own.
2. When the story is finished, have the children gather around you as you write the
story in paragraph form on the board.
3. When the story is completed, ask the children for the main idea of the story. Once
everyone has agreed on the main idea, ask the children for a title for the story.
Tell them that it needs to relate to the main idea.
4. Next, give each of the children their own copy of a Stepping Stone Story Chart.
Explain to them that they will now begin writing their own story, using this
prewriting chart. Explain to them that it will take more than one day to write their
story. Remind them to use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation as they
write their story in paragraph form.
5. Tell the children that they will be able to read their stories to the class, if they
wish, when their story is complete.
Assessment
Informal - As the children work on their individual papers, the teacher will walk
around the room observing the children’s work.
Formal - The assessment for this lesson is visual and oral. Visually, the teacher will
read the stories. As she reads, she will look for a beginning, middle, and ending. She
will also look for correct usage in grammar. Orally, the teacher will talk to each child
about their paper. During this discussion, the teacher will give the child helpful
information that will be applied to future papers.
Performance Standards
W.3.1 Prepares for writing by recording thoughts, focusing on a central idea, and
- identifying a purpose for writing
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- gathering ideas/ information with support by:
- brainstorming
- free writing
W.3.5 Uses knowledge and experience to draft writing
- uses prewriting ideas to complete a first draft
- writes in paragraph form with teacher support
- drafts writing that includes:
- a beginning (hooks the reader)
- a middle (development, reasons, sequence of steps, order of importance)
- an ending (brings a closure)
- uses appropriate spelling, punctuation, and capitalization
- has correct subject/verb agreement
- uses learned phonetic strategies to spell correctly
W.3.7 Applies knowledge and experiences
- write a variety of fictional narratives that contain a beginning (characters,
setting, problem) a middle (events-roadblocks), and an end (solution, resolution
of plot): fantasy
W.3.8 Uses available technology to assist in writing
Reflections
Before assigning this lesson, the students should have an understanding of what
characters and settings are in a story. They should be able to write thoughts down in
sentence form, using correct grammar and punctuation.
At the beginning of this lesson it was apparent that the children needed extra help in
understanding the setting of the story. Some children wanted to know if all stories
needed a problem in their story. The answer to this question was, “No.” After the lesson
was completed, writing stories on their own seemed to be easier for them, especially
when they used the Stepping Stone Chart.
Variation
You could apply your favorite story to this lesson instead of using Katie and the
Sunflower.
Differentiation
For the below level children, look for a topic idea that is supported by detail phrases.
Legibility should follow the same guidelines as the on-grade-level group. Less emphasis
should be given on grammar.
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Stepping Stone List
When using the stones with a book that has been read to the class, use the following order
for your stepping stones.
1. Title
2. Author
3. Illustrator
4. Characters
5. Setting
6. Problem
7. Beginning
8. Middle
9. End
10. Solution
When the children are writing their own story, the title should come at the end of the list.
This allows the child to think about the story as a whole before giving it a title.
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Stepping Stone Chart
Prewriting
Characters:
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Setting:
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Problem: (What is the problem in the
story?)_____________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
Beginning
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Middle
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
End
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
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Assessment Rubric
Lesson Title: Fictional Narrative: Elements of a Story
Stepping Stone Chart
Name: ________________________ Teacher: _____________________
Date Submitted: ____________
Title of Work: ______________________
Criteria
Points
4
3
2
1
Beginning,
Middle, and
End
Clear
beginning,
middle, & end,
paragraph form
Clear
beginning,
middle, & end,
no paragraphs
Two clear
parts of a
story, but no
paragraphs
No clear
beginning,
middle, and
end.
Main/Topic
Idea
Sentence
Clear
Main/Topic
idea, correctly
placed, and is
restated in the
closing
Main/Topic
idea is either
unclear or
incorrectly
placed, and is
restated in the
closing
Main/Topic
idea sentence
is unclear and
incorrectly
placed, and is
restated in the
closing
Main/Topic
idea is
unclear and
incorrectly
____
placed, and is
not restated
in the closing
Supporting
Detail
Sentence(s)
Each
paragraph has
three or more
supporting
details
Each
Each
paragraph has
paragraph has
one
two supporting
supporting
details
detail
Each
paragraph has
____
no supporting
detail
Legibility
Legible
Somewhat
legible
Marginally
legible
Not legible
Mechanics
and
Grammar
No errors in
punctuation,
capitalization,
and spelling.
One or two
punctuation,
capitalization,
and spelling
errors
Three to five
punctuation,
capitalization,
and spelling
errors
Six or more
punctuation,
capitalization, ____
and spelling
errors
Prewriting
Chart
Numerous
Several details
details given in given in each
each category category
Limited
details in
each
t
No details in
____
each category
Total---->
____
____
http://teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/general/
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MEETS STANDARDS
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MEETS STANDARDS
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EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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Personal Narrative
Leigh Talley
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
This lesson should be taught at the beginning of the school year after reading “Nate the
Great: San Francisco Detective.” If you choose to teach this lesson later in the year you
may want to use another personal narrative story. In this lesson the students will learn
how to write a personal narrative using time-based transition words and how to edit their
own work. The students will review a variety of writing skills in this lesson, such as
prewriting, focusing on a self-selected topic, and creating a work with a beginning (hooks
the reader), a middle (development, reasons, sequence of steps, order of importance), and
an end (brings a closure). They will also use time-based transition words (first, second,
then, next, after, last, finally, etc.) in their stories.
Materials/Preparation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Harcourt Trophies Changing Patterns Theme 1 Textbook, which contains the
story “Nate the Great: San Francisco Detective” pp. 70-94 or another personal
narrative story
Transparency #24 from Harcourt Trophies Changing Patterns Theme 1 or create
your own personal narrative to share with the class
Rubric for writing the personal narrative (attached)
Drafting paper for writing and editing personal narrative (attached)
Chart paper, markers, blank transparency, or board space for brainstorming and
modeling personal narrative
Blank white paper, pencils, editing pens for students
Stapler
Folder to keep students’ papers organized
Instructional Sequence
Day 1
1. Students need to have read “Nate the Great: San Francisco Detective” from Harcourt
Trophies Changing Patterns Theme 1 pp. 70-94 or another personal narrative
2. Tell students that they are going to learn how to write a personal narrative using timebased words.
3. Review with the class what time-based transition words are. (First, second, next, last,
after, finally, etc.)
4. Tell the students that they are also going to learn how to edit their papers.
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5. Discuss with the students that a personal narrative tells about an event that really
happened in the writer’s life. Talk about what the character in the personal narrative that
you read might decide to write about.
6. Pass out a blank piece of white paper. Have the students fold it into half and then half
again, so that there are four squares.
7. Tell the students that you are sure that they have done at least four things in their lives
that are personal and important to them. Tell them that they are going to draw these four
events on the four squares. Each square needs to contain the following: a setting,
characters and enough detail that it will be easy for you to write about the event.
8. Allow class time to finish this part of the prewriting assignment. As class time comes
to an end for the day, ask students to share some of their events with the class.
9. Tell the students that tomorrow they are going to choose one of their pictures to write
about using a draft worksheet.
Day 2
1. Tell the students that they need to take out their drawings for their personal narrative
story.
2. Pass out a copy of the personal narrative rubric to each student and go over what is
expected for this writing assignment.
3. Tell them that they are going to watch you model a personal narrative story on the
board using a draft sheet. Display an example of the draft sheet on the overhead or on
chart paper. Model for the students how to write a personal narrative story on the draft
paper. Be sure to discuss the time-based transition words that the writer has used.
4. After you have modeled your story, pass out the draft paper to the class.
5. Allow the students the rest of the class time to write their drafts.
6. At the end of class time, allow students time to share their stories with the class.
7. Tell the students that tomorrow they will learn how to edit their papers.
8. Have the students put all of their writing in their folder until tomorrow.
Day 3
1. Have students take out all of their writing papers.
2. Display your model of the personal narrative. With the class, edit the narrative.
Periodically look back at the rubric and discuss what it missing in your narrative.
3. When you are finished editing your paper, allow the students time to get with a partner
to edit their papers.
4. Stop the students and have them watch you model how to transfer the draft personal
narrative to a paragraph personal narrative. You will just connect the main idea, all the
details, and the conclusion to one paragraph not skipping any lines between the sections.
5. Allow those students who have finished editing to begin working on their final copy.
6. When everyone is finished, collect the papers in the following order: (going from top
to bottom page) rubric, final copy, draft paper, prewriting drawings.
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Assessment
Informal: Teacher will walk around during the three days to observe students working
through the writing process and conference with students about their personal narratives.
Formal: Student/Teacher rubric
Standards
W. 3.5 Uses knowledge and experience to draft writing that:
• uses prewriting ideas to complete a first draft
• focuses on a self-selected topic
• writes in paragraph form with teacher support
• drafts writing that includes:
1. a beginning(hooks the reader)
2. a middle (development, reasons, sequence of steps, order of
importance)
3. an ending (brings a closure)
4. simple transitional devices
• uses appropriate spelling, punctuation, and capitalization
W3.10 Participates in editing conferences to:
• share writing with others to receive feedback
• respond constructively to the writing of others by listening for specific criteria
(e.g., similes), noting strengths, and asking questions related to meaning.
Reflection
Before this lesson, students should have a good understanding of what makes a good
story – the beginning, middle, and an ending. I really found that by using the draft sheet
the students were able to find it easier to stay on one topic. By modeling the personal
narrative with the students they were able to see more into my life as a person, rather than
just the teacher. They really enjoyed this. They also were able to be involved in my
writing and editing of my story because of the modeling. I feel that this helped the
students that were still a little unsure about how to edit a paper. The place for comments
on the draft sheet, either from the teacher or from a peer, when editing not only helped
the student write the final copy, but allowed the student to realize that he/she needed to
make these corrections in order to score higher on the rubric. The students in my class
really enjoyed this writing assignment and were eager to use their prewriting squares to
write more personal narratives.
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Personal Narrative
Draft Sheet
Comments
Main Idea
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Detail
1
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Detail
2
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Detail
3
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
(refer
to
main
idea)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Personal Narrative
Assessment Rubric
Name______________________
Date ______________________
Topic with a
beginning,
middle and an
end to the
story
30 Points
The writer used
a clear topic,
and the story
has a beginning,
middle and
ending.
20 Points
The writer had a
clear topic with a
beginning,
middle and no
ending.
10 Points
Points Earned
The writer had
no clear topic,
beginning,
middle or ending
to their story.
Time transition
words (first,
next, second,
last, finally,
etc.)
The writer used
at least 4 or
more timebased transition
words.
The writer used
only 2-3 timebased transition
words.
The writer used
very few, if any,
time- based
transition words.
Revisions
The writer
clearly made
revisions on the
paper, making it
have a clear
topic with a
beginning,
middle and an
ending.
The writer made
some revisions
yet the topic is
still unclear, and
the story lacks a
beginning,
middle, and an
ending.
The writer did
not make any
revisions to the
rough draft.
Sentence
Structure
The writer uses The writer's
correct sentence sentence
structure.
structure is
generally
correct. Some
awkward
sentences will
appear.
The writer pays
little attention to
proper sentence
structure.
Punctuation
and
Capitalization
The writer uses
correct
punctuation and
capitalization.
The writer has
four or more
errors in
punctuation
and/or
capitalization.
The writer has
two or three
errors in
punctuation
and/or
capitalization.
Created by: Leigh Talley
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Continued
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Continued
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MEETS STANDARDS
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Continued
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Continued
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MEETS STANDARDS
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Continued
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Continued
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EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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Continued
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Continued
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EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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Stretching Sentences with Descriptive Words
Leigh Talley
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
Many students have a hard time stretching out a simple sentence, without turning the
sentence into a run-on sentence. Run-on sentences are easy for students to make. The
key point to remember is that if you use the word “and,” you need to use ONLY one
before coming to a period. This lesson (inspired by a lesson in Kathleen L. Harden’s
Breaking the Code in Writing Compositions) will help guide students to stretch out a
simple sentence by asking questions such as: which? how? where? when? and why?
Students will also learn that not all sentences have to answer all the questions. By
writing these stretched sentences, the students will help their reader be able to paint a
picture of what he or she is reading. With some guidance and practice, students will find
writing stretch sentences to be fun and challenging.
This lesson would be best to teach in the first few months of school, but could be taught
at any time of the year. Prior knowledge necessary for students would be to know how to
write a simple sentence.
Materials/Preparation
•
•
•
•
Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One by Kate Duke (or any other book that has simple
sentences in it)
Copies of worksheets (attached) 1 per student
Board, transparencies or chart paper for modeling sentences
Breaking the Code in Writing Compositions by Kathleen Laughter Harden; 1995
Pathway Express (optional)
Instructional Sequence
1. Hook the students with a lead in such as: Today we are going to learn how to
S-T-R-E-T-C-H a sentence out, so that our reader will know exactly what we are
saying, because we have painted them a picture. Read aloud Aunt Isabel Tells a
Good One by Kate Duke (or your other book). This story begins with simple
sentences, and then Aunt Isabel asks questions in order to stretch out the sentence
and paint a better picture for the reader. When reading the selected story to the
class, do not show the pictures so that the students (readers or listeners) are
painting their own mental picture of the story.
2. Model on the board a short sentence and draw a picture of the sentence.
(Variation: Have a student volunteer draw a picture of the sentence.)
a. Example: The dogs barked.
b. Ask the students who they are talking about in the simple sentence above.
(Answer: dogs)
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
c. Ask the students which dogs? (Answers will vary: the pretty dog; the
small dog; the big dog, the guard dog, etc.)
d. Rewrite the stretched sentence. (i.e. The guard dogs barked.)
e. Discuss briefly with the students how the picture being painted for the
reader looks. (Example: Can you now see the guard dogs instead of
Dalmatians or the dogs in your back yard? Etc.)
f. Ask the students how were the dogs barking? (Answers will vary: loudly,
often, etc.)
g. Rewrite the stretched sentence. (The guard dogs barked loudly.)
h. Ask the students where would the dogs be when they were barking loudly?
(Answers will vary: The back yard, behind the fence, at the junkyard…)
i. Rewrite the stretched sentence. (The guard dogs at the junkyard barked
loudly.)
j. Discuss the picture that you have now painted with your stretched
sentence. Discuss that the reader needs to know when this dog barking
happened. (Answers will vary: early in the morning, yesterday, late last
night, etc.)
k. Rewrite the new stretched sentence. (The guard dogs at the junkyard
barked loudly late last night.)
l. Tell the students that there is only one question left to ask—why were the
dogs barking? (Answers will vary: something scared them; because they
thought someone was trying to break in; etc.)
m. Rewrite the final stretched sentence:
The guard dogs at the junkyard barked loudly late last night
because someone was trying to break in.
n. Discuss with the class what kind of picture you could paint by reading
the final stretched sentence. Either you draw or have a volunteer draw a
picture of the final sentence that the class created.
o. As a whole class, compare the original picture with the picture of the
stretched sentence that was drawn. Discuss how stretching out the
sentence paints a better picture for the reader.
Model at least 2 more sentences with the class, using steps (a) through (o.).
(Examples of sentences to use: The bird sang. The man ran. The girl swam. The
cow ate.)
Assign worksheet #1. Give the students time to complete the worksheet and to
then share their sentences with the class.
Close by reminding the students that all stretched sentences do not have to answer
all of the questions. Using some simple sentences in their writing is okay, but
now that they know how to stretch sentences, they are expected to use this
strategy in their own writing.
Assign other worksheets for reinforcement of stretching sentences. You may
create other simple sentences or have the students create their own sentences.
Extensions:
• Add sound to their sentences.
• Use similes and metaphors in their sentences.
• Use hyperboles in their sentences.
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•
Use descriptive phrases and clauses in their sentences/
Assessment
•
Informal: Observe students’ participation during class.
•
Formal: Assess student worksheets to determine if a student is answering
the questions which? how? where? when? and why? and correctly
rewriting the sentence each time.
Standards
3.3 Organizes information by:
• Using graphic organizers such as mapping, webbing, listing, etc.
3.9 Revises written work by:
• self-correcting
o express ideas clearly
o expand use of descriptive words, including adjectives and adverbs
o add a variety of sentence types
o improve command of language by including precision in word choice
o use legible formation and spacing of letters, numbers, and words.
Reflection
This lesson may be taught anytime during the year, and you may wish to revisit this
lesson after you have taught it. It is okay to use a book with simple sentences. As an
opening activity, you could read a few sentences aloud and let the students draw a picture
to go with a sentence. Discuss with them how simple the picture is because the sentence
is so simple. As you teach the lesson, allow the students to draw pictures of each of their
sentences and see how the picture grows with each step that is added. After teaching this
lesson, my students will remind each other about writing a good picture sentence or a
good stretching sentence.
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S-T-R-E-T-C-H Sentences
Worksheet 1
Directions: Stretch each sentence by answering the questions. Rewrite the sentence
each time. Try to get at least 13 words in your stretched sentence.
1. The flowers drooped.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Why? ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. The girl laughed.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Why? ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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3. The dog sat.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Why? ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. The van pulled away.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Why? ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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S-T-R-E-T-C-H Sentences
Worksheet 2
Directions: Stretch each sentence by answering the questions. Rewrite the sentence
each time. Try to get at least 13 words in your stretched sentence.
1. A sock was on the floor.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
Why?_____________________________________________________________
2. The boys played basketball.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
Why?_____________________________________________________________
3. The choir sang.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
Why?_____________________________________________________________
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4. The stereo blared.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
Why?_____________________________________________________________
5. The ramp was in the street.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
Why?_____________________________________________________________
6. The car honked.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
Why?_____________________________________________________________
7. The man snored.
Which? ___________________________________________________________
How? ____________________________________________________________
Where? ___________________________________________________________
When? ___________________________________________________________
Why?_____________________________________________________________
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S-T-R-E-T-C-H Sentences
Worksheet 3
Directions: Use the questions which, how, where, when, and why to stretch the
following sentences. Try to get at least 13 words in your stretched sentence.
1. The classroom was loud._________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. The table fell. _________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. The puppy barked. _____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. The car turned. ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. The cork floated. _______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. The star twinkled. ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. The river flooded. ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. The man sang. ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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S-T-R-E-T-C-H Sentences
Assessment
Directions: Use the questions which, how, where, when, and why to stretch the
following sentences. Try to get at least 13 words in your stretched sentence.
1. The girl worked. _______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. The teacher taught. _____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. The girl read. __________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. He hit the ball. _________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. She screamed. _________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. The water spilled. ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. The hippopotamus sank. _________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
8. The nurse worked. ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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Stretching Sentences with Descriptive Words
Assessment Rubric
Name __________________________
Date ____________________________
Expanded
use of
descriptive
words.
Expressing
ideas
clearly
Legibility
Exceeds
Expectations
Unique use of
descriptive
words
Meets
Expectations
Clear use of
descriptive
words
The sentence
The sentence is
is clearly
clearly stated.
stated and well
developed
No visible
errors; legible
and can be
understood
Mechanics: Skillful
application of
capital
letters and mechanics
punctuation
Does Not Meet
Expectations
Few descriptive
words used
The sentence
lacks clarity.
Points
Possible
30
30
Writing is not
Writing is not
legible in
legible; impacts
places; but does understanding
not impact
understanding
20
Few errors;
does not impact
understanding
20
Frequent and
continuous
errors that
make it hard to
understand
Points
Earned
Created by: Leigh Talley
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Continued
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MEETS STANDARDS
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Continued
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MEETS STANDARDS
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Continued
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EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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Writing Fictional Narratives
Creative Creature Folktale
Leigh Talley
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
The “Creative Creature Folktale” lesson capitalizes on the students being able to
understand a plan for a story and how to use the plan to stay on topic. This lesson could
be taught for two to three days or extended longer, depending on the class. Before
teaching this lesson, the students should know how to write detailed sentences and have a
good vocabulary for description of the “big event” that they will write about. The plan is
generic enough to accommodate different ability levels, thus allowing the students to be
as creative as they can. The plan is introduced orally so that the students can begin to get
their creative thoughts going before they begin to write their own plan and story. A
graphic organizer is provided to help students stay focused on their topic.
Materials/Preparation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 copy per student of “How Tortoise Got a Hard Shell” from Summer Success
Reading Magazine, Volume 3 Issue 2 (or a different animal folktale explaining
why the animal looks the way it does today)
Creative Creature Folktale Plan (for the story, the teacher will model) either on a
transparency, chart paper, or written on the board
Teacher’s model of the Creative Creature story (attached) or create your own.
A transparency, or chart paper with a copy of the Student’s Creative Creature
Folktale Plan
1 copy per student of the Student’s Creative Creature Folktale Plan
Notebook paper and pencil for each student
Chart paper or enough board space for modeling a Creative Creature Folktale
Story
Computers for publishing stories (optional)
Creative Creature Folktale Rubric
Instructional Sequence
1. Hook the students with a read aloud of the West African folktale “How Tortoise
Got a Hard Shell” (or other folktale of your choice). Discuss with the class that a
folktale is passed down from generation to generation with each person telling the
story in just a little different way. Ask the students to listen for the characters,
setting, one major event that takes place, and how the story ends as you are
reading it aloud to them.
2. Read the story: “How Tortoise Got a Hard Shell” from Summer Success Reading
Magazine, Volume 3 Issue 2 (or a different folktale about animals, which contains
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characters, setting and an explanation about the animal and why it looks the way
it does today)
3. Distribute a copy of the Creative Creature Folktale Plan to each student. Call on
students to orally answer the questions on the Creative Creatures Folktale Plan in
order to analyze the story, “How Tortoise Got a Hard Shell.” (answer page
included)
4. Follow with a discussion of the Creative Creature Folktale Plan.
5. Now that students are familiar with the plan, put up a copy of the Student Creative
Creature Folktale Plan either on transparency, chart paper, or the board, and begin
to model how to use the plan to map out an animal folktale. Use the Teacher’s
Plan for Creative Creature Folktale included in this lesson, or create your own
animal folktale plan and accompanying story.
6. Tell the students that they are going to create a story of their own, using the same
plan that was just modeled, except they are to decide upon their own animal,
explanation of the animal, setting, characters, big event, and ending for their
creative story.
7. Allow students to work on their plan and get it how they want it. Encourage the
students to make their plan and stick to it. Discourage students from changing
their plan over and over again.
8. Stop students and model how to begin drafting the story using the previously
modeled plan (either the Teacher’s Creative Creature example, or the one you
created). Be sure to demonstrate how to stay on topic using the plan.
9. Allow students to continue working on their plan and begin writing their stories.
10. Model the completion of the story, using the plan once again, while reinforcing
the idea of using the plan to stay on topic.
11. Allow enough time for the students to complete their stories and share them with
others.
12. Students may publish their stories on the computer and add clip art, if they would
like, as time allows.
In future writing lessons, refer back to the plan, reminding students how useful it was in
helping them to stay on topic.
Assessment
Students will turn in their plan and all copies of their Creative Creature Folktale Story.
The teacher will assess the students’ work using the Creative Creature Folktale Rubric.
Performance Standards
W.3.1 Prepares for writing by recording thoughts, focusing on a central idea, and
identifying a purpose for writing by:
• choosing a narrow topic
W.3.3 Organizes information
• using graphic organizers such as mapping, webbing, listing, etc.
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•
identifying a purpose and audience before writing
W.3.5 Uses knowledge and experience to draft writing that:
• uses prewriting ideas to complete a first draft
• focuses on a self-selected topic
• writes in paragraph form with teacher support
• drafts writing that includes:
o a beginning (hooks the reader)
o a middle (development, reasons, sequence of steps, order of
importance)
o an ending (brings a closure)
W.3.6 Expands knowledge and experience to:
• focus on one clear idea
• use interesting, important details for support
W.3.7 Applies knowledge and experience to:
• write a variety of fictional narratives that contain a beginning (characters,
setting, problem) a middle (events-roadblocks), and an end (solution,
resolution of plot):
o folktales
W. 3.8 Uses available technology to assist in writing
*W.3.12 Uses technology as a tool for publishing writing that:
• beginning to use correct keyboard practices
• using spell check to verify spelling
• formats text (e.g., font, bold, underline, font size)
• finds and opens saved documents with teacher support
• downloading and printing information with teacher support
• saving to an appropriate location
*only if students publish stories using computer
W.3.13 Publishes writing for a variety of purposes, audiences, and occasions by:
• sharing work with others
Reflection
This was a successful lesson because the students loved being creative in their writing of
the animal that they chose. They really enjoyed making their story a real-life event. By
modeling the story for them, students were even more excited about getting to write their
own. The students also learned that folktales are passed on by generation to generation,
causing many students to be curious about whether their stories might become a folktale.
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Student’s Plan for Creative Creature Folktale
1. What animal (main character) are you going to write about?
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
2. What will you explain about the animal you chose? _________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
3. What will the setting be? ______________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
4. Who are two other characters in your story? _______________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
5. What is the one big event that will take place? _____________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
6. How will your Creative Creature Folktale end? _____________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
(Use this plan with the whole group when discussing “How Tortoise Got a Hard
Shell.”)
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Creative Creature Folktale Plan
1. Who was the main character in the story?
2. What did the author explain about this animal?
3. Where was the setting?
4. What other characters were in the story?
5. Describe the one big event in the story.
6. How did the story end?
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Creative Creature Folktale Plan Answers
1. Who is the main character in the story?
Tortoise
2. What did the author explain about this animal?
•
•
•
•
Other animals thought Tortoise was small and weak
Tortoise had a soft shell
Tortoise received a reward of a hard shell that protects her from her
enemies
Tortoise still wears the hard shell today
3. Where was the setting?
In the jungle
4. What other characters were in the story?
•
•
•
Leopard
Nyame –The Sky God
Other animals
5. Describe the one big event in the story.
Tortoise goes to the Leopard to get his drum for Nyame.
Tortoise tricks Leopard into climbing inside his drum and then
Tortoise sealed the end of the drum with a large cooking pot.
Tortoise pushed the drum back to Nyame.
6. How did the story end?
Nyame was pleased and rewarded Tortoise with a hard shell to
protect her from her enemies. Tortoise still wears the shell
today.
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Teacher’s Plan for Creative Creature Folktale
1. What animal (main character) are you going to write about?
•
An elephant
2. What will you explain about the animal you chose?
•
That he has really small ears and has a hard time hearing what his other animal
friends are saying.
3. What will the setting be?
• In the jungle
4. Who are two other characters in your story?
• The wise old owl
• The mouse
5. What is the one big event that will take place?
• The elephant has to go into the jungle, look for and locate the magic tree and
bring back a trunk full of sleeping powder for the owl.
6. How will your Creative Creature Folktale end?
• The wise old owl flies up to the elephant’s ears and drops some ear drops into
both of the elephant’s ears. The elephant’s ears begin to grow. He can hear all the
sounds and his ears grow to be very large, which are the way you see them today.
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Teacher’s Creative Creature Folktale Example
In the jungle lived an elephant that had small ears. He had a hard time hearing
what his friends were saying in the jungle. His friend, the mouse, always kept him
informed. He liked this, but wanted really badly to be able to hear for himself.
One day he went to the wise owl and said, “Can you help me hear better?”
The wise owl said, “Yes, but you have to do something for me.” The elephant
listened carefully to the owl. The owl told him that he would have to go deep into
the jungle, find the magic tree, and bring back a trunk full of sleeping powder. The
excited elephant set off for this task.
Stop here and allow the students to write their story. Finish the story later. This
really keeps the students interested in the story.
He went deep into the woods, found the magical tree, reached way up to the top of
the tree, and grabbed a trunk full of the sleeping powder. He returned to the owl with the
powder.
The wise old owl was so pleased that he flew up to the elephant’s ears and
dropped some ear drops into both of the elephant’s ears. Within a matter of seconds, the
elephant’s ears began to grow, and he could hear all of the sounds of the jungle. This is
why the elephants you see today have such large ears.
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Writing Fictional Narratives
Creative Creature Folktale
Assessment Rubric
Name ___________________________
Date____________________________
Exceeds
Expectations
25
The writer clearly
states the main
character in the story.
Meets
Expectations
20
The writer
clearly uses the
main character
in the story.
Does Not Meet
Points
Expectations
Earned
15
The writer uses
many characters in
the story. It is
unclear who the
main character is.
Problem in
the Story
The writer clearly
introduces the problem
in the beginning of the
story. In the middle of
the story the problem is
worked on, and in the
end, there is a solution.
The writer does
not have a
problem stated in
the story, nor is
there a solution.
Stayed on
Topic
The writer clearly
stayed on topic, never
using details that took
away from the problem
and solution. All
details were important
to the story.
The writer
introduces the
problem in the
story. The
problem is
worked on, yet
there is no clear
solution.
The writer stays
mostly on topic,
but some
details are not
needed and
actually do not
help the story.
The writer has
two or three
errors in
punctuation
and/or
capitalization.
The writer has
four or more
errors in
punctuation and/or
capitalization.
Main
Character
Punctuation The writer uses correct
punctuation and
and
Capitalization capitalization.
The writer
wanders off topic
frequently,
causing confusion
within the story.
Created by: Leigh Talley
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MEETS STANDARDS
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Continued
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Continued
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MEETS STANDARDS
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Continued
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EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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Analyzing Characters
Kathryn Gunn
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
Students often have difficulty describing in detail, the characters in their own stories.
This lesson helps them focus on what they know about a character from literature. The
lesson encourages the students to tell things they know about the character, tell how they
know these things, and then write a character summary. Students will brainstorm ideas
which they can refer to when beginning to write their original characters. This lesson
should be taught when the students are comfortable identifying major characters in a
story.
Materials/Preparation
• White board, markers
• Chart paper, markers
• Student activity sheets, pencils
• Book with distinct character such as: Ira Sleeps Over, Fly Away Home, or Best
Friends
Instructional Sequence
1. Discuss a character or person familiar to the group. The example that I used with my
class was Look Homeward, Hannalee. You could use yourself, the school principal, or a
familiar book character such as Clifford or Harry Potter. Brainstorm and list character
traits. Encourage students to move beyond mere physical description.
Lead them
toward traits that show how the character acts or feels. List each response on the board in
four columns: Description of Character, How the Character Acts, What the Character
Says, What Others Say About the Character. Do not put the labels above the columns
until later in the lesson.
2. Ask the students to look over the lists on the board. Guide them to discover what each
list has in common. Through leading questions, help students label the four columns.
3. Using the information from the board, write a group character summary on chart
paper. Illicit responses from as many students as possible. Encourage students to include
something from each of the four categories.
4. Read a book with a distinct character such as: Ira Sleeps Over, Fly Away Home or
Best Friends. Have students brainstorm things they know about the character and how
they know these things. Have students compose a character summary.
5. Differentiate the lesson by having more able students take the list of character traits
that was generated and put them into a summary, average students will write a sentence
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for each of the four categories, and allow less able students to list words for each
category.
Student activity worksheets are provided. Students who write a summary would most
likely exceed expectations, while students who wrote sentences would meet expectations
and those who listed words would not meet expectations.
Performance Standards
W.3.1 Prepares for writing by recording thoughts, focusing on a central idea, and
identifying a purpose for writing by:
• Generating ideas/information with support by:
-Discussion
-Brainstorming
W3.3 Organizes information by:
• Using graphic organizers such as mapping, webbing, listing, etc.
W.3.5 Uses knowledge and experience to draft writing that:
• Uses prewriting ideas to complete a first draft
• Writes in paragraph form with teacher support
• Avoids fragments
R.3.10 Accurately describes story elements (characters, setting, problem, sequence
of events, and resolution)
• Analyzes characters including their traits, feelings, relationships, and
changes
Assessment
Informal: Teacher Observation
Formal: Character Study Rubric
Reflection
Student’s ability to do this activity is heavily reliant on cognitive development.
This lesson requires that the students be able to infer traits, feelings, and relationships
from the text. If your students are not proficient with this skill, it would be best to teach
several lessons on making inferences before attempting this activity. Depending on the
ability of your students, teaching this lesson later in the year may be more successful than
early in the year.
The lesson can easily be differentiated using the included worksheets. To extend the
lesson even further, you could have the students develop a character of their own
including all four elements.
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Analyzing Characters
Assessment Rubric
Name________________________
Date_________________________
Exceeds
Expectations
3
Description Character’s
of character traits were
described in
two or more
ways
Character’s
How the
actions were
character
described in
acts
two or more
ways
Character
What the
was
character
described by
says
what he/she
said in two or
more ways
Character
What others
was
say about
described
by
character
what others
said about
him/her in
two or more
ways
Meets
Does Not Meet
Expectations
Expectations
2
1
Character’s traits Character traits
were described
were not described
in one way
Character’s
actions were
described in one
way
Character’s actions
were not described
Character was
described by
what he/she said
in one way
Character was not
described by what
he/she said.
Character was
described by
what others said
about him/her in
one way
Character was not
described by what
others said about
him/her
Points
Earned
Created by Kathryn Gunn
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Name_______________________
The character
says…
The character
does...
The character
looks like...
What others
say...
Character TraitsSentences
____________________________________________
_________
____________________________________________
________
____________________________________________
_________
_____________________________________________
_________
_____________________________________________
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Character Traits -Summary
By
___________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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MEETS STANDARDS
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MEETS STANDARDS
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Hannalee
In the story, “Turn Homeward Hannalee” Hannalee is tall, has
black hair, and is young.
Hannalee runs away from the Fletchers, and then she goes to
Indiana to see Rosellen, finally she takes Jem from the farm.
She says she hates the Yankees. Hannalee tells her mom “I’ll be
back mama. In addition, she tells Rosellen her plan to get back to
Roswell.
Rosellen, Jem, the Fletchers, and her mama would say
Hannalee was clever, crazy, and brave.
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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Hannalee
In the story “Turn Homeward Hannalee” Hannalee is young, has
black hair, and is tall for her age.
Hannalee saves Jem from the farm, goes to Indiana to see
Roselyn, and runs away from the Fletcher’s.
Hannalee told her mama “I’ll be back mama”. And she told Jem
that she hates the Yankee’s.
Other people in the story said that she was clever, crazy, kind and
brave.
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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Expository Writing:
Urban, Suburban, and Rural Communities
Pat Muster
Cherokee County School District
Third Grade
Overview
Many children grow up knowing only the area in which they live. Even with the
invention of the television, they don’t truly have a concept of other communities. In this
two-week lesson, the children will research the three types of communities which are
urban, suburban, and rural. This lesson should be taught later in the school year after the
students have acquired research and interview skills. They will have the opportunity to
look at books on different communities in the library and in the classroom. They will be
able to talk to their peers and others about places that they have lived. Through these
venues, they will begin to get a better understanding of what life is like in other
communities.
When the children have completed their research, which will be documented on a detail
chart that was based on Brenda Opey’s ideas, they will learn to write an organized set of
paragraphs. Students will begin with sequencing the paragraph. Once the children have
completed this successfully, they will see how to construct a solid main idea sentence for
each of the three area paragraphs and write a solid research paper. Good sentence
structure and spelling will also be emphasized in this assignment.
Materials/Preparation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Harcourt Brace Social Studies book, page 144, “Shaker Lane”
Detail Chart for each child
Folder (provided by child or teacher)
Urban, Suburban, and Rural Chart to use for discussion
Clippings of urban, suburban, and rural communities (provided by child and
teacher)
Display sheets for their urban, suburban, and rural clippings
Rough draft page and final report page
Chart paper, white board, or overhead
Student Rubric
Teacher Rubric
Instructional Sequence
1. Bring the children into a group in front of you. Ask the children to describe
where they live. This includes their neighborhood and the areas around their
neighborhood. After all of the children have had the opportunity to volunteer
their responses, explain to them that they just described either an urban, suburban,
or rural community. (This will depend on the area of the school.)
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2. Tell the children that you are going to read a story to them about a community
that starts out as a rural community and becomes a suburban community. Ask the
children to listen and follow along with you as you read the story “Shaker Lane”
from page 144 of their Harcourt Brace Social Studies book. Tell them that you
want them to see if they can give a definition for rural community after they have
read the story.
3. Read “Shaker Lane” to the children. They may follow along in their Harcourt
Brace social studies book on page 144.
4. Next choose a paragraph from the story “Shaker Lane” that will help the teacher
in explaining how to gather notes from a book. Display the paragraph on an
overhead for the children to see. Ask a child to read the paragraph out loud.
Then, ask the children what information do they feel is important in this
paragraph. Inform the students that they have just picked out a note. Explain to
the students that they should not take out all of the sentence but just the main idea
of the sentence. Write these on the board for the children to see. Explain to the
students that they are going to gather information on their own about each of three
communities that they have discussed. When they do so, they are to write down
only phrases and not complete sentences. They will be writing notes to help them
remember the details they have gathered in their research. Tell them that they can
gather their information from different resources such as the library. Allow the
students time in the library to look at books on the different types of communities.
This should be done at the beginning of the first week. Students may use books
that are provided in the classroom by the teacher, and they may use human
resources. They can talk to relatives or friends who have lived in different areas.
The teacher may also need to invite people to the classroom for the students to
interview. All of the students may not have access to people outside the school
environment that has lived in different communities. As they collect their
information, they will record their notes on the Detail Chart which is included in
this lesson plan.
5. See that each child has a folder containing a detail chart, three display sheets, one
for each urban, suburban, and rural clippings, a rough draft page, a report page,
and a student rubric. A copy of each of these is included in this lesson plan. Tell
the students that they are to keep all of their information in this folder. Remind
the students that you also want them to collect pictures of the three communities.
These pictures can come from old magazines or they can be drawn. Caution the
children that, if they use magazines, they should be sure to get permission from
their parents before cutting up the magazine. Tell the students that they will share
these with other students in a small group discussion during week two of the
lesson. The students will be given one week to gather information about urban,
suburban, and rural communities during the first week of the lesson.
6. After one week, have the students gather in small groups of about 5 each. They
are to share their Detail Charts and their pictures with each other. If they learn
another fact that was not included in their own detail charts, they may add it to
their own at this time.
7. After the students have shared their information, explain to them that they will
now take this information and put it into paragraph form. Starting with the urban
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community, have the students read over their facts silently. Then have the
students share some of their details with the class. Write these details on the
board as the students share them. After share time is over, explain to the students
that the teacher will model for the students how to choose the best details, arrange
them in order, construct a main idea sentence, and then write a factual paragraph.
Ask the students which details they feel are important and which are not needed to
best explain the topic. Mark off the unimportant ones. Then using the remaining
details, model a paragraph for the students on the board or using a computer
projection device such as the InFocus. Explain to the students that a good
paragraph will have at least six sentences or more and provide each student with a
copy of the modeled paragraph for them to keep in the folder to use as a resource
while they write their reports. When this activity is completed, tell the students
that they will now do the same with their details. First, have them read over all of
their details and mark off the ones that they think are unimportant. Then organize
their details in the order they want them to appear in their report and construct a
topic sentence for each of the three topics. They can begin writing their rough
draft paragraphs for all three communities. They will do this on their rough draft
pages. When the children have completed their three paragraphs, have them read
it carefully for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. The students should
apply editing skills using formal editing marks. This may need to be reviewed
with the students before editing takes place.
8. When the student’s rough draft is completed and they have corrected mistakes,
they should then rewrite their reports on the final copy page.
9. When their final copy is completed, the students need to look at the rubric on the
last page of their folder. They should use it as a final guide to make any last
corrections. When all items are completed on the rubric, the students give the
teacher their folder with all of the contents.
Assessment
Informal
The students will be given a self assessment rubric to complete before turning in their
paper.
The teacher will walk around the classroom to check on the students and provide
assistance as the students are writing information on urban, suburban, and rural areas and
writing them under the correct heading.
Formal
The teacher will assess writing with the teacher-prepared rubric:
1. research of each community
2. paragraph structure
3. grammar usage
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Performance Standards
SS 3.11 Describes and classifies the physical characteristics of urban, rural and
suburban communities understands the similarities and differences among urban,
rural and suburban communities
W.3.1 Prepares for writing by recording thoughts, focusing on a central idea, and
identifying a purpose for writing by: gathering ideas/ information with support by:
•
•
•
•
•
researching
interviewing
discussion
taking notes from relevant sources such as Internet, classroom guests, and books
using graphic organizer
W.3.2 Writes notes, comments, and observations that reflect comprehension of
content and experiences from a variety of media
W.3.3 Uses knowledge and experience to draft writing.
W.3.5 Writes in paragraph form with teacher support
drafts writing that includes:
•
•
•
•
a beginning
a middle (development, reasons, sequence of steps, order of importance)
an ending (brings a closure)
uses appropriate spelling, punctuation, and capitalizations information
W.3.7 Applies knowledge and experiences to:
write using a variety of expository forms:
•
•
•
•
lists
notes
research papers
reports
W.3.9 Revises written work by:
•
improve sequence
Reflection
Before beginning this lesson, your children will need to have some knowledge of
researching.
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This lesson began smoothly. As the children began researching, it was observed that
some children did not totally understand how to gather information about their
community. Meeting in groups after the researching, however, helped this process. The
children enjoyed sharing their information with each other. In writing their paper, the
skill of writing in paragraphs had to be reviewed. As a whole, the children did a good job
on their papers. They could have given more attention to the pages that were for
magazine pictures or their own pictures. Overall, the children learned a lot from this
research experience.
Differentiation
For the below-grade-level children, put more emphasis on the three pages dealing with
drawing or cutting out pictures for each of the communities. The students should write 2
to 3 sentences about each picture and then edit their work.
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Detail Chart
Follow these steps for a good detail chart:
1. As you collect facts about each community, write the fact under the correct
heading.
2. Number the facts as you write them.
3. You need to have at least 10 facts under each heading. You may have more facts
if you wish.
4. Do not put your facts in sentence form. Only write down the important part of the
facts. Since they will be under a heading, you will know what the topic of your
fact is. (Remember; do not copy sentences directly from a book. Only copy
down the important part of the sentence.)
A. Details about an urban community
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B. Details about a suburban community
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C. Details about a rural community
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Student Rubric
Name:______________________________________________________________
Date:_______________________________________________________________
Subject:_____________________________________________________________
1. Did I gather ten facts about urban, suburban, and rural areas on my detail chart?
 
2. Did I number my notes in an order that makes sense?
 
3. Did I write my report in paragraph form indenting the first word in each
paragraph?
 
4. Did I check to see if my sentences had a noun and verb, that the spelling was
correct, and that I used the correct punctuation?
 
5. Did I turn my paper into the teacher with my name on it?
 
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Urban
(Collect pictures of this type of community from old magazines that your parents say you
can use. Then glue them to the front and back of this paper. If you do not have pictures,
you may draw and color them.)
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Suburban
(Collect pictures of suburban areas from old magazines that your parents say you can
use. Then, glue them to the front and back of this piece of paper. If you do not have
pictures, you may draw and color them.)
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Rural
(Collect pictures of rural areas from old magazines that your parents say you can use.
Then, glue them to the front and back of this piece of paper. If you do not have pictures,
you may draw and color them.)
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Rough Draft Report Page_____
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Final Report Page____________
Name______________________
Date_______________________
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Assessment Rubric
Expository Writing: Urban, Suburban, and Rural Communities
Name: ________________________
Teacher: _____________
Date : ___________________
Title of Work: ___________________
Criteria
Points
Exceeds
6 or more details
written for each
community
Meets
Does Not Meet
2-5 details written
0-1 details written for
Research of
____
for each
each community
paper
community
Most paragraphs
Paragraphing
All paragraphs
include introductory structure was not
Paragraph include introductory
____
sentence with
clear and sentences
sentence and
Construction
supporting detail
were not typically
supporting details
sentences
in order
More than 5
5 or less
grammatical,
No grammatical,
grammatical,
spelling, or
spelling or
____
Mechanics
spelling or
punctuation errors to
punctuation errors
punctuation errors
understand the
paragraphs
Total----> ____
Teacher Comments: When the below level children are researching at home, they may have
assistance from parents. When they are researching at school, teacher or peer help may be given.
When grading this part of their work, look for details of each community, but do not look for a
certain amount of details.
When checking for paragraph construction, look for phrases only. Give more points for those
details that are grouped together by community.
Mechanics will not be weighted heavily for the below grade level children.
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MEETS STANDARDS
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MEETS STANDARDS
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EXCEEDS STANDARDS
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