Oh where oh where did I leave off?  I am sorry if you have been waiting to see samples of the next mini-lessons!  I think all teachers have what I call TADD.  Teacher ADD.  We are all so busy with this and that and zero time to plan, meet individual needs, email parents, grade papers, etc etc.  I feel like the time just slips on by and the next thing here we are in November!  Half-way through November!  Now that I am done with my ramble, let's get to the writing lessons!

We are ready to move onto Narrative Writing!  I love love love our notebooks and referring back to our previous lessons!  I hold them accountable for the skills we already learned!  I even have my Math/Science partner on board and she is keeping up with it too!  After introducing the Narrative Writing elements, and looking at our checklist, we were ready for

Step One- Prewriting.  Woo woo!  Let the writing begin!!!!!  We reviewed this poster:

It is very helpful to talk out loud as you are brainstorming for the class sample!  I used "A Shattered Window."  I talked about why I chose it for my writing and how I could come up with many ideas to go along with it.  Then I showed this slide that shows different scenarios for my idea.


We added a few more ideas to the list.  For my GT class, I didn't want them using the same prompt.  Since we are currently studying mysteries, it worked out great.  I told them to think of ideas for a mystery story.  Then brainstorm different scenarios for it.  They had light bulbs to put in their interactive notebooks.  I told them to write their ideas on the front of the light bulb, then choose one idea and put it under the light bulb.  Here are some student samples:

We glued the base and the very top so they could lift it up to put their top choice.

Next we has a lesson on task, purpose, and audience.  I taught the lesson with this poster on my smart board and then talked through my sample.  Students took notes and then decided on the task, purpose, and audience for their own writing and added it to their notebooks:



Before moving on, I wanted my students to create a writing goal.  Since we have already covered complete sentences, fragments, run-ons, capitals, punctuation, and some spelling patterns, I told them to choose something that I frequently have to correct in their writing.  If I don't have to correct many errors (just a select few) then they may use things like using a thesaurus or adding figurative language.  I had a student say, "I can't wait to write this story!"  I love hearing their anticipation.  I explained that everyone who listens to the lessons and follows directions in the notebooks, should have no problem getting an A on the final product because we are going to go through this first writing piece step-by-step so they completely understand the best strategy to take them through the writing process.  Here are some of my students' goals.  I was proud of them for thinking about these goals.  I probably would have chosen the same ones for them!



Now this creative student took her goal and although I didn't provide or instruct for students to make their goal interactive, she took it upon herself to make hers more fun.  She made my day!  I loved her "Secret Door" with the goal inside!

And she had even more doors to open!

Graphic Organizer:  I showed them many different organizers that they may choose from at a later date but we would use the same one this time.  After placing this in our notebooks, I told my cherubs that we will go back to it after each lesson and add to it. 


Today, we focused on crafting a plot.  My students loved it so much that they asked me to do it again and then asked if we could videotape it.  I love being spontaneous and said, "Why not?"  Then they said let's put it on Youtube!  Oh geeze.  Seriously?  I said absolutely no at first.  I can act out in front of them but others?  Not so much.  Then I thought if they loved the lesson so much......why not embarrass myself completely and let other students be motivated in writing?  So here it is!  Enjoy the ride!  NO JUDGEMENT ZONE!!  Youtube Video on Crafting Plot This is the poster in the background of the video.


Although I had a printable for their notebooks, I recently was told that I need to start being careful of my copies!  Oopssss!  So I thought this could be one they can draw and take notes.

This is one of my favorite units! It motivates students to want to learn about the Native Americans of North America (Eastern Woodlands, Great Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast, Southeast). I have included 54 pages of lesson plans and printables. All printables fit paper size 8.5 by 11 inches.

For each region, there is a 2-page informational text that gives information about the climate, religious beliefs, resources, homes, food, etc.  Along with the informational text, there is a printable for with a reading skill.  This one shows context clues/vocabulary.






1.  We begin the unit by playing Native American Music - fun fun fun!  This is a must and we play it anytime we are making one of our crafts!  



2.  We create our own Native American names. Cute!!!  There are two versions!  Printable to draw yourself as a Native American or printable with craft.








2. Then students get a symbols printable and create their own picture writing on brown grocery bags.



3. A project with directions is given using the Informational Text printables and rubric for easy grading!














5. Students map the regions by coloring the map according to how they create the map key.





6. Dream Catchers is a motivational activity to lead to writing! (information about dream catchers, step-by-step instructions on how to make them, printable for Writing center to write about them.)






7. Students create Totem Poles with animals that have meaning to their family dynamics.  It also leads to a great writing piece! (information sheet, animal meanings printable, totem pole parts printables, Writing Center printable, Student and Teacher writing printable and rubric.)



8. Also included are Rain Dance instructions.
9.  Quiz. 
10.  Acrostic Poem

Fun fun fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   If interested in this unit- best seller on Teachers Pay Teachers:    Native American Unit

Need more ideas?

 

I am so excited to see my post on Rachel Lynette's site!

Go to Rachel's website:  Minds In Bloom to learn more about high-level thinking activities and freebies!!!!!!

Oki Ni-Kso-Ko-Wa (Hello my relatives)!  What better way to teach Native American culture than to make a dream catcher!  Whenever I want to motivate my fourth graders for a writing assignment, I like to incorporate a craft or something fun.  We are studying the Native Americans in North America and this is one of the crafts I made with my class.  I taught paragraph writing with this craft.  What dreams do you want the web to catch?  What dreams do you want to go through?

 Oh yeah, I had to dress for the part.  I had parent volunteers cut out the center of the plastic plates and hole punch them.  Other than that, you need beads, yarn and feathers and you are ready to go!

1.  Create a knot and then start weaving in and out of holes and even through the yarn. 
2.  Don't forget to leave a center hole for the good dreams to filter through!
3.  Put beads on yarn whenever you please.
4.  Knot at the end.
5.  Cut another string, put beads, and tie feathers hanging down.

Our next mini lessons were on topic sentences and relevant details.  My little Einsteins guessed why I put "Main Street" as the graphic.  "It is the main idea of the sentence!"  Such smartie pants!  As you can see in their Interactive Notebook examples below, some students chose to create flaps and others chose to simply paste their notes and examples.  I tell my students that as long as they have the right information, they can display it however they choose.  I put the teaching slide up on my smart board while introducing the mini lesson.  Then students add it to their notebooks.  Last, I give them a printable for independent practice.

This one has tape at the top and flaps up.

This one is taped at the top to create a flap.

The examples are under the flap.

My interactive notebooks are selling like hotcakes!  I am so glad that everyone finds them so useful!  I created it for myself to make sure I covered all the standards and had teaching tools for each all nicely placed in one location.   Many lessons I've created throughout the years but finally compiled it into one file!  Woo woo!  It has been so easy so far!  If you are interested in Interactive Notebooks for your classroom, you can follow this blog!  If you need the teaching tools, printables, tracking forms, rubrics, etc, you can find them below or in my store!

Grades 3-6-  This one was created with Common Core Standards in mind.  I included standards but not the Grade and numbers.  That way if a teacher didn't use the Common Core or taught several grade levels, they could pick and choose from the slides.

The Interactive bundles below are aligned to the Common Core and have standards with numbers on each slide and printable.  There are other slides included not in the Common Core standards but necessary to go through the Writing Process effectively.
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6

I also have shortened versions with standards and numbers.  This is great for someone who wants the numbers aligned and teaches two grade levels.  I took out all the same slides and charts, etc.  The standards are there but not all the fluff!
Grade 4 Shortened Version
Grade 6 Shortened Version

Last, if you are just looking for paragraph writing, this one is for you!
Paragraph Writing


Happy Writing Everyone!

After we added Complete Sentences to the notebooks, we moved onto Fragments and Run-ons.  A fragment is missing a subject or a predicate so it is considered to be an incomplete sentence.  A run-on is two complete sentences that run together.  I love starting off the year with these lessons because I refer to them all the time!  Especially when students are writing a response to a question.  I always ask them to write in complete sentences and incorporate part of the question into the answer.

I start off with a teaching slide on my smart board and we practice together.  Then they work on notes and samples for interactive notebooks.  Don't forget to make flaps!  Last, I give them some independent practice that I may use for a daily grade.

Tilt your head sideways!  I can't seem to be able to flip them around!  Ha!