Unit 3: How-to BooksTimeframe: January 28th -March 22nd

Assessment- How will we know if students have learned it? What common formative assessments will we use?*Please find On-Demand assessments attached and in your Writing Pathways book

Pre On-Demand Assessment Informative/Explanatory Writing for baselinePost On-Demand Assessment Informative/Explanatory Writing and Published pieces (with Celebrations)

Writing Checklist/Rubric Formative observation and analysis of writing samples. Individual and small group conferencing

Getting ReadySuggested Mentor Texts:

o My First Soccer Game by Alyssa Satin

o My First Ballet Class by Alyssa Satin

o How to Lose All Your Friends by Nancy Carlson

o How to Be a Friend by Laurie and Mark Brown

Resources- Basket of How-To Books Shared class writing, How to Make A

Snowman or How to Make Peanut Butter and Jelly

A Museum of the School Year (artifacts from across the children’s school day)

Information Writing Checklist (student copies) pgs. 53-54, CD ROM

Alphabet Chart Anchor Charts Large Chart Paper Pre-stapled How-to booklets Paper trays Post-it tape Date stamp Crayons/markers Two Pocket Folders Red and Green colored dots Student set of dry erase boards and

Anchor Charts How to Turn a Word into a Snap

Word (Unit 2 pg. 77) Partnerships Chart How-To Writing, pg. 10 Learning from a Mentor How-To

Text, pg. 63, 98 Making Writing Easy to Read, pg.

(Unit 2, pg. 10) Editing Checklist, pg. 141

markers (30) Materials for Conference notes

What do we want students to learn?The Essential Learning Goals:Big Ideas:Writers (students)…Bend I

build an identity as a writer-compare How-to writing with familiar true stories and notice differences. use anchor charts to check writing. envision the steps in how-to books and revise them if they don’t make sense. use writing time efficiently. read with expression

Bend II use authors as mentors. picture a step and use exactly the right words to describe a process. notice more ways to talk to their readers. use particular words to convey warnings, suggestions or tips.

Bend III envision and write how-to books about what they learn daily. write more about a topic they know about. write introductions and conclusions.

Bend IV self-assess and set goals. publish their work and understand that writers are teachers. read their writing aloud.

Summary of Teaching Points- The time allotted for each session may be revised according to each class’s formative data.

Bend 1: Writing How-to Books Step by Step

Week 1: 1.28-2.1 Sessions 1,2 and 3

Session 1 (2 Days): page 2 “Writers can compare different types of writing (How to, true story narrative) when they plan what type of writing they will do.”

Session 2 (2 Days): page 11 “Writers use what they already know about writing, you still draw pictures and say what you are writing across pages only this time you will touch and tell the steps of how-to do something across pages.”

Session 3 (1 Day): page 19 “How-to writers reread to check to see that their writing makes sense. They reread to a partner or themselves and make sure it is easy to follow the steps.”

Week 2: 2.4-2.8Sessions 4,5 and 6

Session 4 (2 Days): page 27 “Writers feel lucky when readers try to follow their directions, but also when they speak up saying things like, “I’m confused” or “Can you please explain that more clearly?”

Session 5 (2 Days): page 36 “Writers can add details to their how-to books by drawing detailed pictures called diagrams. They can help readers understand by labeling their diagrams using the most precise, specific language that they can.”

Session 6 (1 Day): page 43 “Writers write more how-to books by reviewing the tips that help them write faster, longer and stronger.”

The tips presented to increase stamina can be differentiated depending on the class. (refer to pages pgs. 43-46)

Bend 2: Using Mentor Text for Inspiration

Week 3: 2.11-2.15Sessions 7,8

Session 7: page 47 “Writers can use old charts to review informational writing and make their how-to books the best they can be. These charts can help us set goals.”

Session 8 (2 Days): page 60 “So here is the question: What are some things that Alyssa Satin Capucilli does as a writer that I might try, and why does she do those things?”

Week 4: 2.25-3.1Sessions: 9,10 and 11

Session 9 (2 Days): page 68 “Writers can reach their readers by speaking directly to them. They use the word ‘you’… ‘First you…and then you... “

Session 10 (2 Days): page 74“Writers use how-to steps that a reader can easily follow. First you remember yourself doing something and picture it. Then you think carefully about the exact words to describe what you did.”

Session 11 (1 Day): page 82 “How-to books don’t only teach you the steps, writers also add little warnings and tips. They do this by thinking about how the learner could go wrong and then adding advice to keep that from happening.”

Bend 3: Keeping Readers In Mind*starts at session 13

Week 5: 3.4-3.8Sessions: 12,13 and 14

Session 12 (1 Day): page 90 “Writers can use comparisons to give readers

Session 13 (2 Days): page 100“All of us can write how-to

Session 14 (2 Days) : page 106 “When writers really love a

clear directions.” books about things we have learned to do throughout our school day.”

topic and it is something they know a lot about, they can write many how-to books on the topic by thinking about it in many ways.“

Week 6: 3.11-3.15Sessions: 15 and 16

Session 15 (2 Days): page 112“Writers of how-to books often write a special page to introduce their books to help their readers understand their topic. Writers can also write conclusions to let the reader know that the book is over.”

Session 16 (2 Days): page 119“Writers combine all the strategies they know to make their writing easy to read.”

Bend 4: Giving How-to Books as Gifts

Week 7: 3.18-3.22Sessions: 17, 18 and 19

Session 17 (2 Days):page 126“How-to books make amazing gifts. Writers can write books for people they care about or for people they would like to teach something.”

Session 18 (2 Days):page 136“Writers edit their writing by reading their work and making sure the words look and sound right.”

Session 19 (1 Day): page143 Reading Into the CircleAuthors’ Celebration

What will we do if students do not learn it? What interventions can be provided?Please find detailed intervention strategies:If…Then Information Writing Interventions pgs. 93-97 (included at the end of Launching the Writing Workshop Curriculum Overview)