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Learning Experience/Unit

Voice - 6 + 1 Traits of Writing by St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES

Subject

English Language Arts (NYS P-12 Common Core)

Grade Levels

Elementary, 4th Grade

Assessment

A rubric will be used for assessing the culminating project.

Assessment Rubric

Learning Context/ Introduction

As part of our fourth grade writing curriculum, we will be using the Six + One Traits of Writing Strategies. The focus of this lesson will be on Voice. After listening to Up North at the Cabin, the students will be asked to write a piece from a specific viewpoint about a place that they like to visit. Using Kidspiration, they will create a graphic organizer to illustrate what they are describing using their five senses. The graphic organizer will then be used to develop their piece of writing.

Duration

Day One: Approximately 15 minutes for mini lesson
Day Two: Approximately 45 minutes to share the PowerPoint and book
Day Three: Approximately 40 minutes for modeling of graphic organizer and independent organizer
Day Four: Approximately 75 minutes for completion of graphic organizer using Kidspiration, modeling of paragraph, and independent paragraph completion
Day Five: Approximately 45 minutes to complete typing paragraph in Word program

Essential Question

How can young writers VOICE be heard? Can they come through in words, as if they are speaking to us? Do they care about the message?

Instructional/Environment Modifications

Due to the fact that the class includes AIS students whose language, writing, and skills are not as proficient as their classmates, either the AIS support staff or myself worked with those children on completing their tasks.

Procedure

Day One

Before reading Up North at the Cabin by, Marsha Chall, we completed a mini lesson focusing on voice. The title of the lesson was, "Can you hear the author in writing?"

Teacher: If your best friend called you on the phone and somehow disguised their voice, would you be able to recognize them?
Students (Share responses): Many would say yes.
Teacher: How would you recognize them?
Students (Share responses):
Teacher: So, we can recognize people by the language that they use, or the tone and mood of their voice. These same types of patterns are also in a person's writing. (Share two written statements about being surprised about a party- one that has little true emotion and one that has a lot of emotion about being excited.) In which statement can you hear the author?
Students (Share responses):
Teacher: That's the kind of voice we hope to have in our writing this year. The easiest way to find our writing voices is to write about something we care about. Any time you feel as if the author is speaking directly to you, then writing has voice. Voice brings the author, the writing, and the reader together in a tight circle of sharing.

Day Two

The Voice PowerPoint will be used to reinforce the remainder of the lesson. For each section of the lesson, the PowerPoint coincides.

Introduce the book Up North at the Cabin by, Marsha Cabin by using the website. The students will be introduced to other books by Marsha Chall and information about the author http://marshachall.com/index.html on the SMART Board.

The teacher will then discuss where Minnesota is in comparison to New York using a map of the United States of America on the SMART Board. Please note the map may be viewed using the Voice PowerPoint below.

The teacher will read a loud Up North at the Cabin by, Marsha Chall.

The class will respond and reflect on the book during a reading discussion.

The students will be assigned to think about a place that they love to visit

Day Three

The students will share with the class the place that they love to visit.
The teacher will then model on the SMART Board, using the Voice PowerPoint, how to complete a Kidspiration graphic organizer.
The students will close their eyes and pretend that they are the sun shining down on Lake George. Students that have not been to Lake George should think about a body of water that they are familiar with.
The students will describe what they saw, tasted, touched, and smelled being the sun.
The students then complete a paper copy of the graphic organizer becoming their own object at their special place.

Day Four

The students will then put their written graphic organizer into a Kidspiration program in the computer lab.

After finishing the graphic organizers in the computer lab, the students will return to the classroom.

The teacher will model how to develop a piece of writing that has Voice.

The information from the teacher's Kidspiration graphic organizer - the sun- will be used to develop the writing.

The students will then use the modeled writing example to develop their own paragraphs about their favorite place and the object they have become.

The students will revise their rough drafts, with either a teacher or peer, and be ready to type their final copies on Day 5.

Day Five

The class will return to the computer lab and the students will type their final paragraphs using a Word program.

Extension:

The students will be developing "Voice Your Life" journals in the classroom. After every special event that our classroom experiences, the students will reflect in their journals using writing and illustrations. The students will also be taking home a class "Voice Your Life" journal to be completed with their family.

Voice Powerpoint

Reflections and Feedback

Although this lesson was completed in November, I would definitely plan on doing it again in September next year. The students were very motivated throughout the entire lesson. The use of the SMART Board, Kidspiration, and Word was appealing to my fourth graders. I will continue to develop the 6 + 1 Traits of Writing in other lessons.