Unit 1 Plan 1
LC Session #1-Lives are Full of Stories to Tell
Lesson Description
Description: Students will learn that writers use events from their lives - things they do or things that have happened to them - to write stories.
Teaching Point: "Today I want to teach you that when authors write a Small Moment story, they think of an idea (maybe about things they do or things that happen to them), then they plan, and then they write the story across pages of a book."
Suggested Instructional Time: 1-2 lessons
Getting Ready: Mentor text: Night of the Veggie Monster (have read before this lesson), Chart for How to Write a Story (title ready and steps prewritten if desired). An idea for a moment that happens in the classroom your whole class witnesses and can use to write from (so, stage a little something if needed), Sample writing: Giancarlo's story, packet of 3 writing pages or preferred writing paper setup with big box for illustrations on each page.
Teacher Tips: For additional teacher moves, please refer to the Coaching Section on page 4 of the Teacher Manual and for additional "Workshop Management Ideas" please refer to pages 7-9 in the Teacher Manual.
One Possible Way to Teach This Lesson (For additional resource ideas, pgs 2-10 in the Teacher Manual)
Connection: Get the students excited about being authors and that, yes, they too have stories to tell. They don't even have to be grand huge ideas, authors use their own lives to create stories to share. Remind them of the Night of the Veggies story. Briefly show how the author just when from one moment through many little small moments until the end. Reread a part and have them listen for details that helped them picture what happened, share with a partner. Get them excited to write many stories just like it.
Teaching Point: "Today I want to teach you that when authors write a Small Moment story, they think of an idea (maybe about things they do or things that happen to them), then they plan, and then they write the story across pages of a book."
Teaching: (here is where your 'created' small incident should happen. Maybe when you are setting up the chart, it rips. Or you spill markers, or whatever)
Begin teaching and begin to model brainstorming for a small idea. Share some examples then get to the incident that happened. Recruit students' help in thinking through how the incident might be told across the pages of a booklet. Showing paper and thinking aloud helps model what the students will do in a moment.
Active Engagement: Channel children to think of and share a small moment, drawing from things they have done. Thumbs up when they think of one. Take turns sharing your story with your partner. Share the whole story! Prep them to go off and write these stories, just like the author you studied a moment ago.
Link: Show a quick example of the finished book, Giancarlo's story, and then ask students to recall a moment, think what happened first, what image is in their mind? When they give theh thumbs up, they can go off and begin.
Considerations for Differentiation: Following this mini lesson, release students to begin their workshop time. Students should be independently writing. The teacher should use this time for small group work or conferring with individual students.
Move quickly around at the start to get a feel for how everyone is doing. Comments/Questions to help after initial glance over:
Put that pencil on the paper and just let it happen!
Wow, I really like how Sam has gone from drawing to writing!
Where were you?
Who is that?
Share: At this stage students will not write but for about 15-20 minutes. Teach them to bring their papers to the carpet for share. Review the task for the day with small moments, telling a story in order and thinking of little details, referring back to the book while reviewing. Ask writers to share some of their writing with a partner, probably don't have to finish. Celebrate, collect and read for tomorrow to see where everyone has landed for the day.
(pg 11 gives you a sense of what to expect from 1st grade writers at this stage. Consider keeping dates on writing so they can see how far they have come by the end of the unit. This first piece (when finished) should be collected and saved for the end of this Bend I/focus area 1 for self-assessment day)
Learning Targets
I can think of an idea for a story. I can make a plan for my story. I can write the story across pages of a book.
Notes
Knowledge and Skills
W.1.A.a
W.1.B.a
W.1.B.b
Resources
How To Write a Story Chart.pdf
Giancarlo's Story.pdf
Paper with 3 lines.pdf
Paper with 4 lines.pdf