Kelly Gibbons CI 476²Cohort 2 Writing Project Dear Mr. Write-A-Lot: A Letter-Writing Unit Overview of the Classroom: Mrs. Reder¶s third grade room is composed of 22 students, each with their own (and very different) writing ability. Students in this third grade room at Thomas Paine Elementary School in Urbana, Illinois are either exceeding grade level standards or fall below grade level requirements. There are no ³yellow´ level, orwarning kids, in Mrs. Reder¶s room. This makes writing instruction difficult in the classroom. Mrs. Rederbreaks her writing instruction down into three different components. First, students work in the ³writing center´ during center times and compose their own stories, poems, etc. Second, students have a structured short response prompt during reading to respond to in order to gauge comprehension. Finally, students have a structured writing block time during their daily schedule where they practice a writing form listed in the curriculum basal book. During writing center, students are able to free write. This writing time is unstructured and allows children to express themselves without having to worry about conforming to specific format. Center writing is especially aimed at lower level students, as a way to develop the listed skills and help them improve theirwriting habits. It also allows lower level children to write in a way that is unpressured and enjoyable. The stories, poems, reports, etc. that are created in the ³writing center´ are shared with the class during share time. After the classmates have given the student feedback, the teacher then edits the story. The child can then go back during another center period and finalize the writing work they have put together. The child has a chance to illustrate this product or copy it into a story book and add illustrations. This process continues on a daily basis throughout the entire year. The goal of writing in centers is to allow children to enjoy writing and learn how to communicate their feelings, experiences, etc. in written form. This thirty minute center period also helps students to build writing stamina and be able to work efficiently for a long period of time. Extended responses during reading time are also a major form of writing that takes place in the third grade classroom. This type of writing is based off of question prompts and helps students develop ³research´ and ³support´ skills. The students are reminded before each prompt that they must go back and review the passage and pull support for their thoughts out of the passage. The teacher models this for the students for each question that they must answer to help those children who are below level have a visual and auditory explanation. Moreover, this writing technique allows for lower level children to answer the question without having to recall the answer, as they are taught to go back and find the answer in their text. This helps to build confidence and allow for explicit, direct instruction. The writing and support skills that are developed during extended responses help the students to prepare for ISAT. Extended responses are a great way for a teacher to
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1) What do letters help people do? What is a letter used for? Why do people write them?2) Have you ever written a letter?3) Who did you write a letter to?
4) Is there a certain format or way that a person must use to write a letter?
For each question, the teacher should ensure that the students have the correct answer. The
following responses to the questions should follow this model:
1) Yes, people write letters to communicate with their friends, to tell their opinion and to businesses so that they can introduce themselves.
2) (if yes) That is really neat! You are going to get to practice those skills more today, so thatyou can become an even better author! (if no) Well, don¶t worry because you are going to
get to write your very first letter today!3) That is very neat! I am sure that he/she enjoyed hearing from you! Did you get a response?
4) Yes, there is a certain format to a letter. Look at the letters in this book. They all look theSame. There are pieces of information that must be included in a letter, such as the date,
A greeting, the body and a salutation or ending. You also can¶t forget a signature, which is
just a fancy word for signing your name.The teacher should then instruct the students to return to their seats quietly so that he/shecan start the mini lesson for the day.
30 minutes Procedure:Mini Lesson:
The teacher should put the overhead template of a letter on the overhead. The
teacher should go through each part of the letter and where it is placed on the paper. For example,the teacher should point to the line where the date goes and then explain to the student that the
date is to be written in the top right corner of a letter. The teacher should go through each part of
the letter with the students and add writing or details to remind the student what goes in each spot.The teacher may write the words, ³date, body, salutation, etc.´ or may write an example of these
components such as ³March 5th, Dear Susie, Sincerely, Ann, etc.´ The teacher should also explain
the words, indent and paragraph to the students. The teacher should leave the overhead template
on. The teacher should pass out a letter template to each student. The teacher should inform the
students that they are going to be writing a letter to a friend in the classroom. The teacher shouldremind the students that they should use the following template in the correct manner.
Work Time:The students should be given 15 minutes to compose their letter to a classmate. The teacher shouldcirculate the room during this time to answer any questions that the students may have. The
teacher should pull individual students who may be struggling to a table in the back of the room
for a writing conference. During the writing conference the teacher should ask the student whathe or she wants to include in the letter and how they are going to organize it. The teacher shouldthen guide the student through the first paragraph. The teacher should send the student back to his
or her desk to finish the rest of the letter, but frequently monitor the progress of the student.Sharing:
The teacher will instruct the students to switch letters with the person sitting next to them. The
teacher should tell the students that they should check their partner¶s letter to make sure that theyhave their ideas in the correct space and that the letter makes sense. The checker should also makesure that there are capital letters and periods at the end of each sentence. Before letting the students
begin this process, the teacher should model the process orally with a letter. The students can then
see what is supposed to be done and how they are supposed to check through a letter for accuracy.
5 minutes Summary/Closing:The teacher should instruct the students to give their letters back to their partners and say: ³Good
job ______! I really enjoyed reading your work!´ The teacher should then collect the letters andmake sure that the student understands the components of a letter and understands the editing
process. If there are any students struggling with these concepts, the teacher should make a note
to pull those students for a conference the next day.
***The teacher should assign the ³formal´ copy of the letter for homework that night.
.Student Assessment:
The student will be assessed based on their completion of the assignment and work ethic duringwork time. The students will be formally assessed on their ³formal copy´ of the letter. The studentwill be graded on punctuation, capitalization, use of paragraphs and correct formatting of
a letter.
Reflection:
The students were very engaged in the lesson and showed understanding of the material by the end of thewriting time. The students met the objectives and showed their knowledge of indenting, using proper headingsand salutations. However, there was a little bit of confusion on how to separate information into different
paragraphs, and some students did not use proper paragraphing at all. Students included their own voice in their writing and wrote letters based on their own inquiries and background knowledge of the student they werewriting to. The students included all of the formal components of a letter and were able to write for the entire
allotted time.
The student¶s revealed in their writing responses that they need to work on proper paragraph formatting. They
also need to work on proofreading their work prior to coming to writing conferences. Many students had major
changes to work when signing up for conferences, and some students had little written work to bring to thewriting conference. Expectations of when to sign up for a writing conference and what is expected during awriting conference need to be reiterated.
I feel that the next lesson should work on letter and paragraph organization, so that the students can put together
Prerequisite Knowledge: Children must know how to write complete sentences. They must also know how togroup similar thoughts into the same paragraphs.
Approximate Time: 50-55 minutes
Student Objectives/Student Outcomes:
y Students will understand the meaning of the words: indent, paragraph, greeting, salutation and body
y Students will be able to organize ideas into a formal letter format
y Students will be able to identify like ideas and group ideas based on commonalities
y Students will be able to apply learned knowledge to their own writing skills.
y Students will develop independent work and listening skills
y Students will develop collaboration skills and learn to adjust writing from constructive criticism
y Students will develop their own ³voice´ in creative writing
Content Standards:
3.A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.3.A.1 Construct complete sentences, which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriate
capitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high frequency words; and appropriate
use of the eight parts of speech.3.B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
3.B.1b Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written compositions (e.g., short
stories, letters, essays, reports).
Materials/Resources/Technology:
y All About Me worksheet (one for each student)
y Overhead copy of All About Me worksheet
y
Overhead projector y Lined paper (one for each student)
y Writing Utensil (one for each student)
y Poster Board
y Markers
ImplementationTime
10 minutes Opening of lesson:
The teacher will tell the students that they are going to be writing a letter to themselves today, asa way to document their likes/dislikes and life in the year 2011. The teacher will tell the studentsthat this letter will be given back to them at the end of their 5 th grade year, right as they are going
into middle school. The teacher will explain to the students that the letter must be organized andwritten in a logical manner. The teacher will explain to the students that they are going to fill outthe All About Me sheet as a way to gather information and organize it. The teacher will go throughsome of the questions on the All About Me sheet on the overhead so that the students understand
what is expected of them. The teacher will pass out the All About Me sheet to each student.
30 minutes Procedure:
Mini Lesson:
The teacher will go through the All About Me sheet on the overhead and have the students
brainstorm ways to group the information. Suggestions that the teacher may give include: all of the student¶s favorite things, the student¶s family and the student¶s hobbies, etc. The teacher willexplain to the students that each of these groups of ideas would be a separate paragraph in the body
of the letter. The teacher will then model the paragraphs of the letter on the poster board. The
teacher will write a model letter with the students help. The teacher should explain to the
students that they must include at least 3 paragraphs in their letter in order for it to meet the
standards of the writing curriculum. The teacher should also show the students during themodeling process that each paragraph starts with an indentation, as a way to show the reader that
a new thought is being explained.Work Time:
The students will then be in charge of grouping their own information during writing time andwriting a letter to themselves about what their life as a third grade is at the moment. The teacher
will have 2 minute conferences with each of the students during this time in order to make surethat the students have organized their thoughts into logical paragraphs and have indented at the
beginning of each paragraph.
Share Time:The students should pass their letters to the person sitting across from them. The checker shouldlook at their partner¶s letter. The checker should make sure that the letter has indented at each
paragraph and that each paragraph contains the same type of information. The checker should thenreturn the letter to the author and explain to them what they think might need changed. The teacher
should model this to the class before allowing them to begin. The teacher should let the studentsknow that constructive criticism is what will allow them to be better writers²opinions should not
be taken as negative statements about the author¶s writing.
10 minutes Summary/Closing:
. The teacher should instruct the students to give their letters back to their partners and say: ³Good job ______! I really enjoyed reading your work!´ The teacher should then collect the letters and
make sure that the student understands the components of a letter and understands the editing
process. If there are any students struggling with these concepts, the teacher should make a noteto pull those students for a conference the next day.
***The teacher should assign the ³formal´ copy of the letter for homework that night.
Student Assessment:
The student will be assessed based on their completion of the assignment and work ethic during
work time. The students will be formally assessed on their ³formal copy´ of the letter. The studentwill be graded on punctuation, capitalization, use of paragraphs and correct formatting of a letter.
Reflection:
The students really enjoyed this lesson and getting to write about themselves. They showed understanding of the material by the end of the writing time and were able to understand proper grouping techniques. Most of thestudents met the objectives, but some of them still need to work on proper paragraphing. It would also behelpful for the students to review the letter formatting before the next lesson, as I believe that the format needs
to be re-taught in order to solidify the knowledge in their mind. Students included their own voice in their writing and wrote letters based on their own inquiries and background knowledge of the student they were
writing to. The students included all of the formal components of a letter and were able to write for the entire
Prerequisite Knowledge: Students must know and understand the letter writing process. Students must be able
to read in order to read their pen pals letter. Students must also know how to answer questions through writing.
Approximate Time: 50-65 minutes
Student Objectives/Student Outcomes:
y Students will be able to organize their thoughts into paragraphs.
y
Students will be able to apply learned letter template skills to their own writing piecesy Students will be able to work independently and build writing stamina
y Students will develop their own ³voice´ in their written work
y Students will demonstrate an ability to create a letter with least 2 paragraphs
y Students will be able to edit letters for clarity, punctuation, capitalization, and organization of thoughtsinto paragraphs.
Content Standards:
3.A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.
3.A.1 Construct complete sentences, which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriatecapitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high frequency words; and appropriateuse of the eight parts of speech.
3.B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.3.B.1b Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written compositions (e.g., shortstories, letters, essays, reports).
Materials/Resources/Technology:
y All About Me Sheet (from previous lesson)
y Writing utensil (one for each student)
y Lined paper (one for each student)
y Poster with model letter (from previous lesson)
y Overhead projector
Implementation
Time15 minutes Opening of lesson:
The teacher should ask the students if they know what a "pen pal" is. The teacher should ask the
students if they have ever had a pen pal. The teacher should then explain to the children that a pen
pal is someone that you either know or don¶t know that you communicate with via letter. Theteacher should tell the students about any personal experience that he or she may have had with
a pen pal when they were in school. An example of a story to share might be:
When I was in fourth grade I started writing a girl in another city in Illinois. We wrote back and
forth and got to know each other from writing letters to one another. We continued to talk over theyears and then found out that we would be attending the same college. We became roommates our first year of college and are still friends today. The teacher should explain to the students, then,
how important it is to communicate via letter and be able to make sense when writing to someone
else who may not know anything about them. The teacher should then tell the students that
they are going to be getting pen pals from a third grade classroom in Urbana, Illinois. The teacher
should pass out the letters and give the children a few seconds to read about the student they are partnered with. The teacher should explain to the students that their task today, is to compose a
friendly, response letter to their pen pal.
25 minutes Procedure:
Mini Lesson:
The teacher should help the children brainstorm ideas to write in their response letter. The teacher should ask the children what information they think should be included in their letter back totheir pen pal. The teacher should offer the first suggestion, then ask the students to further the
possibilities. The teacher should remind the students that their pen pals may have visited this partof Urbana. The teacher should also remind the students that they should try to ask their pen pal
questions, so that person has something to respond to. The teacher should write all of the possible
writing ideas on the overhead for the students to refer back to. The teacher should then reviewwith the students the model letter that was created in the previous lesson. The teacher should tellthe students to first organize their information and then begin to write their letters. Finally, the
teacher should remind the students to use their All About Me sheet as a source for more
information or to guide the organization of their letter.Work Time:The teacher should let the students know prior to work time that their letters must have at least two
paragraphs and include capital letters and correct punctuation. The teacher should have the students begin writing their letters. While the students are writing, the teacher should circulate around the
room. If the teacher sees a student struggling, he or she should pull that student back for a
conference and talk to them about their letter. The teacher should ask the student what parts of theletter are giving him or her trouble.
Share Time:Once letters are completed, the student should switch letters with another classmate whose letter is
completed. The pair should check the partner¶s letter for correct spelling, punctuation and correctnumber of paragraphs. When this step has been completed, the students should make an
appointment with the teacher. The teacher should then conference with the student over his or her letter. Once this final conference has been done, the student can begin writing their final copy of
the letter.
5 minutes Summary/Closing:
Students should continue to work on the final draft of the letter during the allotted time. Once theletter is finished, the student should turn it into the teacher to be mailed.
**If the letter cannot be finished in class, it should be assigned as morning work the followingday.
Student Assessment:
The student will be assessed based on their completion of the assignment and work ethic duringwork time. The students will be formally assessed on their ³formal copy´ of the letter. The student
will be graded on punctuation, capitalization, use of paragraphs and correct formatting of
Reflection:The students really enjoyed this lesson because they knew that another third grader was going to be reading
their work. They all had a lot of motivation to complete the letters and do their best work so that they couldshow their pen pals their writing skills. The children showed understanding of the material by the end of the
writing time and were able to apply their learned writing techniques and ³writing voice´ in their letters. Most of
the students met the objectives, but some of them still need to work on letter formatting. The studentsunderstand the objectives behind writing a friendly letter and know when and how to use the friendly letter format. Students wrote letters based on their personal interests and pen pal information. The students includedall of the formal components of a letter and were able to write for the entire allotted time.
The student¶s revealed in their writing responses that they need to work on proofreading their work beforesaying that they are finished with the draft.
I feel that the next lesson should show the students a different letter writing purpose, as they are very familiar
Prerequisite Knowledge: Students must know and understand the letter writing process. Students must also
know how to explain personal thought process through writing.
Approximate Time: 40 minutes
Student Objectives/Student Outcomes:
y Students will understand the meaning of the words: indent, paragraph, greeting, salutation and body
y Students will be able to organize ideas into a formal, business letter format
y Students will be able to compare the difference between a formal letter and a friendly letter y Students will be able to identify like ideas and group ideas based on commonalities
y Students will be able to apply learned knowledge to their own writing skills.
y Students will develop independent work and listening skills
y Students will develop collaboration skills and learn to adjust writing from constructive criticism
Content Standards:
3.A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.3.A.1 Construct complete sentences, which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriate
capitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high frequency words; and appropriateuse of the eight parts of speech.
3.B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
3.B.1a Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas (e.g., focus on one topic; organize
writing to include a beginning, middle and end; use descriptive words when writing about people, places, things, events).3.B.1b Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written compositions (e.g., short
stories, letters, essays, reports).
3.C. Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.3.C.1a Write for a variety of purposes including description, information, explanation, persuasion and
narration.
Materials/Resources/Technology:
y Overhead of School Issue
y Overhead of business letter template
y Lined sheet of paper (one for each student)
y Writing Utensil (one for each student)
Implementation
Time
10 minutes Opening of lesson:
The teacher should state the words: business letter. The teacher should then ask the kids the
1) When would you write a business letter?2) Who would you write a business letter to?3) Would you write a business letter the same way you would write a letter to your friends?
Why or why not?
The teacher should hold a discussion about the answer to these questions. The teacher
should help the children with the answers if they struggle to come up with logical responses.
The teacher should then tell the students that they are going to write a business letter to the principal of the school. The teacher will pose the following issue to the students. ³Alright. I
want everyone to put on their imagination caps and pretend that Principal ____________ justmade this announcement over the intercom. Students, there has been a lot of loud noise and
outside on the playground at recess. Because of all of this noise, I am going to cancel recessevery day for the entire school.´ The teacher will then tell the students that they need to
write a letter to the principal stating why they think that should or should not have recess.
20 minutes Procedure:
Mini Lesson:The teacher should talk to the students about the type of information that should be included in the
letter. The teacher should make a list on the overhead. The teacher should then go through the
letter format with the children. The teacher should make sure to remind the students that this is a business letter, therefore it should start with Dear Principal ______, start with the sentence µI amwriting to talk to you about _____¶ and use complete sentences.
The teacher should also remind the students that they should make paragraphs that include the
same information. For example, if a student is going to write about their favorite parts of recess,those details should all be included in the same paragraph.
Work Time:
The teacher should give the students 20 minutes to compose their business letter. The teacher should circulate and watch the students work on the letters. The teacher should pull students who
seem to be having trouble in for a conference. The teacher should talk to the students about their ideas and help them formulate paragraphs. After meeting with the students in need of help, the
teacher should start to conference with those that have completed the letter. The teacher should
talk with the students about areas they would like to discuss and work with the student on waysto improve the letter.
Share Time:At the end of the writing period, students can volunteer to share their letters with the class. Theclass can then vote on if the letter would change the Principal¶s mind on the issue.
5 minutes Summary/Closing:The teacher should then collect the letters and make sure that the student understands the
components of a letter and understands the editing process. If there are any students struggling
with these concepts, the teacher should make a note to pull those students for a conference thenext day.
Student Assessment:The student will be assessed based on their completion of the assignment and work ethic during
work time. The students will be formally assessed on their edited version of the letter. The student
will be graded on punctuation, capitalization, use of paragraphs and correct formatting of a letter.
The students really enjoyed this lesson, but did have some confusion about the formal letter context. They
struggled with understanding the purpose of a formal letter and how the language differed from a friendly letter.I feel that the confusion resulted because they do not have a personal application to writing a business letter.
However, the students did show understanding of the material by the end of the writing time and were able tounderstand proper formatting techniques. Most of the students met the objectives, but some of them still need to
work on formal language and formatting. I feel that it would have been helpful to compare and contrast the
friendly letter/formal letter formatting and language prior to writing the letters so that the students had an ideaof what the letter should look and sound like before being introduced to the template. The students included allof the formal components of a letter and were able to write for the entire allotted time.
The student¶s revealed in their writing responses that they need to work on proofreading their work before
saying that they are finished with the draft.
I feel that the next lesson should review the friendly letter and formal letter and teach children a letter formatthat is new, but also applicable to their lives.
Prerequisite Knowledge: : Students must know and understand the letter writing process.
Approximate Time: 40-45 minutes
Student Objectives/Student Outcomes:
y Students will understand the meaning of the words: indent, paragraph, greeting, salutation and body
y Students will be able to organize ideas in a thank you letter format
y Students will be able to compare the difference between the purpose of thank you letter and a businessletter
y Students will be able to identify like ideas and group ideas based on commonalities
y Students will be able to apply learned knowledge to their own writing skills.
y Students will develop independent work and listening skills
y Students will develop collaboration skills and learn to adjust writing from constructive criticism
Content Standards:
3.A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization and structure.
3.A.1 Construct complete sentences, which demonstrate subject/verb agreement; appropriatecapitalization and punctuation; correct spelling of appropriate, high frequency words; and appropriate
use of the eight parts of speech.3.B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific purposes and audiences.
3.B.1a Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas (e.g., focus on one topic; organize
writing to include a beginning, middle and end; use descriptive words when writing about people,
places, things, events).3.B.1b Demonstrate focus, organization, elaboration and integration in written compositions (e.g., shortstories, letters, essays, reports).
3.C. Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
3.C.1a Write for a variety of purposes including description, information, explanation, persuasion andnarration.
Materials/Resources/Technology:
y Overhead of thank you letter template
y Lined sheet of paper (one for each student)
y Writing Utensil (one for each student)
Implementation
Time
10 minutes Opening of lesson:The teacher should state the words: business letter. The teacher should then ask the kids the
following questions:
1) When would you write a thank you letter?2) What might you be thanking someone for?
3) Would you write a thank you letter the same way you would write a letter to your friends?Why or why not?
The teacher should hold a discussion about the answer to these questions. The teacher
should help the children with the answers if they struggle to come up with logical responses.
The teacher should then tell the students that they are going to write a thank letter to their pen pals,
Thanking them for coming to meet them at the playground. The teacher should explain to the
students that a thank you note is often times a friendly note (and will be in this case.) The teacher will ask the students to brainstorm ideas that they might put in their thank you note. Ideas such as,
what words can you use to show the reader that you are thankful? What should you say to let thereader know that you mean what you say? What types of words will make the reader feel good
about him or herself?
20 minutes Procedure:Mini Lesson:The teacher should model the thank you note on the overhead for the students. The students should
help the teacher compose the letter. The teacher should then go through and explain thecomponents of a thank you letter and why they are important. The teacher should review the
proper format of a friendly letter.
Work Time:The teacher should give the students 20 minutes to compose their business letter. The teacher should circulate and watch the students work on the letters. The teacher should pull students who
seem to be having trouble in for a conference. The teacher should talk to the students about their
ideas and help them formulate paragraphs. After meeting with the students in need of help, theteacher should start to conference with those that have completed the letter. The teacher shouldtalk with the students about areas they would like to discuss and work with the student on ways
to improve the letter.Share Time:
At the end of the writing period, students should partner with the person sitting next to them.
The student should read the letter aloud. The partner can help the student talk about the changesthat should be made to the letter before writing a final copy. After writing the final copies, the
students can volunteer to share their letters with the class.
**The teacher should ask the students who shared how their thank you letter was different thantheir business letter.
5 minutes Summary/Closing:
The teacher should then collect the letters and make sure that the student understands thecomponents of a letter and understands the editing process. If there are any students strugglingwith these concepts, the teacher should make a note to pull those students for a conference the
next day.
Student Assessment:
The student will be assessed based on their completion of the assignment and work ethic duringwork time. The students will be formally assessed on their edited version of the letter. The studentwill be graded on punctuation, capitalization, use of paragraphs and correct formatting of a letter.
Reflection:
The students really enjoyed this lesson because of the experience they had prior to writing the letters. They
showed understanding of the material by the end of the writing time and were able to understand proper thank
you letter formatting and language. Most of the students met the objectives, but some of them still need to work
on proper sentence structure and formatting skills. Students included their own voice in their writing and wroteletters that were suitable for the person receiving the letter. The students included all of the formal components
of a letter and were able to write for the entire allotted time.
The student¶s revealed in their writing responses that they have come close to mastering the letter writing
process and have shown great improvement in their writing stamina and paragraphing over the course of theunit.
I feel that the lesson was well organized and was a great closure to the letter-writing unit.