Lucy Caulkins Writer's Workshop Mini-lesson Archive

Authors as Mentors
Mini-lesson 6.0
Writers create catchy introductions by beginning with a sound word, a short and quick action, the time of day, the weather, or the setting.

Connection:
Say, “Remember the lessons where I taught you that writers use a noise or interesting description to hook the reader? We called it story hooks.” Show the students the old anchor chart.

“And, we read about the boy who was in a car crash with his mom? Raise your hand if you remember that?”

Wait for response.

Continue on, “Well, today I’m going to show you that writers can not only hook their readers by using a noise or sound word, but they can describe a quick action, the time of day, weather or the setting.”

Teaching Point:
Writers create catchy introductions by beginning with a sound word, a short and quick action, the time of day, the weather, or the setting.

Teaching:
Say, “Please listen to me read the first two pages of Peter’s Chair and then quietly raise your hand and wait for me to call on you to tell me what kind of hook the author uses.” (answer: sound words or noise)

Read the first two pages and then call on a student. If the student is correct (the author uses a sound word) then ask. ”If you think that is _____ right? showme the yes finger. If you think ___ is wrong show me the no finger.” Wait for response.

“Let’s watch about a minute of the story, Little Red Ridinghood. Pay attention and be prepared to tell me kind of story hook the author uses.”
Play video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CkCpx3CE2Q

Say, “Please quietly raise your hand and tell me, What kind of hook did the author use in the story of Little Red Ridinghood? ” (answer: setting)
Wait for response. Call on a student.

Say, ”If you think that is _____ right? show me the yes finger. If you think ___ is wrong show me the no finger.” Wait for response.


Turn and Talk:
Say, “We are going to listen to the first few sentences from the story Thunder Cakes by Patricia Polacco.

Here’s a little bit of background information about the story we are going to listen to...Thunder Cakes is the story of how Patricia Polacco conquered her childhood fear of Michigan thunderstorms with the assistance her grandmother. By encouraging the young Patricia to ignore the approaching storm, the two wander outside to gather the ingredients for Thunder Cake, the perfect recipe for a rainy day…

Now it’s your turn to work with your partner to decide what kind of story hook the author used. Be prepared to share with your partner. Listen carefully because in this video, the author Patricia Polacco, is reading the story herself.”  (answer: weather)
Play the first minute of video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhhtKGCsAyY
(start at :11- end at :39)

“The partners wearing the most white can go first. If you both have on the same amount of white the boy can go first. Ready set, turn!”

Set timer. Allow students one minute to talk.

Say, “Show me the ‘yes finger’ if you said it was weather.”

Wait for response.

“Let’s go back and listen to the beginning to the story again, because she describes the weather a little bit differently than you might imagine.”

Replay the first few sentences of the story. (start at :11- end at :39)

Say, “Writers did you pay attention to the special words that Patricia Polacco used to describe the weather?” Which words did she use?”

“She starts off by writing, ‘On sultry summer days at my grandma’s farm in Michigan...hmmm… Patricia Polacco used a special word, She used the word ‘sultry’ to describe the weather...’sultry summer days.’ What does ‘sultry’ mean?” Write sultry on the board  with the definition: sultry - very hot and humid :  sweltering <a sultry day> or scroll down and show the anchor chart below.

“Get your red notebook out and write this down in a new section of your notebook. Find the middle pages. At the top of a page in the middle portion of your notebook write My Personal Dictionary and then write the word ‘sultry’ and it’s definition.
 
What are some of the other words that Patricia Polacco used?  Let’s listen to it again. (play :11 to :39 again) She wrote that the, ‘air gets damp and heavy, storm clouds drift low to the fields, birds fly close to the ground, and the clouds glow for an instant with a sharp crackling light and then a low, roaring, tumbling sound of thunder makes the windows shudder in their panes.” 

Do you know what a windowpane is? (scroll down to anchor chart)
Write this definition down in your red notebook. In the My Personal Dictionary portion in the middle of your notebook.

Link:
Say, “Today and everyday, remember that writers create catchy introductions by beginning with a sound word, a short and quick action, the time of day, the weather, or the setting.”

Teacher Share:
Say, “I saw that ___ & ___ were really engaged in finding words that help show how Patricia Polacco described the weather. Great job!”


Anchor Chart
Writers create catchy introductions by beginning with a sound word, a short and quick action, the time of day, the weather, or the setting.

sultry - very hot and humid : sweltering
a sultry day

windowpane - a piece of glass that covers an opening in a window
Thunder rattled the windowpane.

“The air gets damp and heavy, storm clouds drift low to the fields, birds fly close to the ground, and the clouds glow for an instant with a sharp crackling light and then a  low, roaring, tumbling sound of thunder makes the windows shudder in their panes.” 
~Patricia Polacco, Thunder Cakes

7.0 Mini-lesson
Authors as Mentors

Writers help their readers to visualize the setting by using their 5 senses.

Connection:
Say, “Remember the beginning part of the story, Thunder Cakes by Patricia Polacco and how the author used descriptive words such as sultry and described the setting on her grandmother’s farm in Michigan right before a summer thunder storm? Turn to the page in your notebook where you wrote the words down.”
 
(This is what they should have written down in their notebooks from lesson 12.)
“The air gets damp and heavy, storm clouds drift low to the fields, birds fly close to the ground, and the clouds glow for an instant with a sharp crackling light and then a  low, roaring, tumbling sound of thunder makes the windows shudder in their panes.

“Today we are going to focus on how we can help our readers  visualize the setting by using their 5 senses. What kind of words will we be using?” (answer: spicy words or descriptive sensory words)


Teaching Point:
Writers help their readers to visualize the setting by using their 5 senses.
Teaching:

Say, “Raise your hand quietly if you can name the 5 senses.”

If they can’t remember, remind them. As you say, “The 5 senses are sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch,” gesture to your eyes, nose, ears, mouth & hand with your hands.

You are writers, just like Patricia Polacco, so you are going to use all 5 of your senses to help your readers ‘see’ what you are writing about.”
 
Turn and Talk:
Say, “Now we get to watch a short video about descriptive language, for the last half of the video we will watch some chefs make pizza. You and your partner will come up with a list of descriptive sensory words (spicy words)  that you can use to describe the pizza from the beginning, where it is a just dough right on through to the end where the chefs are placing it in the box for the hungry customers to cleaning up the crumbs.
Quietly show me the ‘yes finger’ if you are ready. “

Play video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csAP32wVIlw

After the video plays say, “It’s turn and talk tie, but first let’s decide who goes first. The person with the most red goes first. If you both have the same amount of red on then the person with the most white will go next.

“Be thinking about the beginning, middle and end of the pizza making process. Write down:
taste
touch
smell
seeing
hearing
on a fresh sheet in your notebook. Be sure to leave some space between the 5 senses so you can fill in your spicy descriptive sensory words.

(Scroll down to the anchor chart below.)
Set the timer for 3 minutes. Play the pizza portion of the video again, if they need it and then reset the timer for another 5 minutes in order for them to exhaust their list of descriptive words.

Fill in the anchor chart with the students as they share the words generated with their partner.


Link:
Say, “Today and everyday, remember that writers help their readers to visualize the setting by using their 5 senses.”

Teacher Share:
Say, “I saw that ___ & ___ were really engaged in finding words that help their readers  visualize the pizza kitchen setting by using their 5 senses. Great job  ___ & ___!”



Anchor Chart

Writers help their readers to visualize the setting by using their 5 senses.
Use all the spicy descriptive sensory words that you can in order to tell your readers how the pizza was made.

List the spicy descriptive sensory words next to each 5 sense word.
For example: hearing: crackle, crunch, scrape

taste:

touch:

smell:

seeing:

hearing:

 
Authors as Mentors
Teaching Point: Writers describe their main character’s external character traits by thinking about what their character looks like, their actions and what their character says.

Connection:
Remember when we used those spicy words to turn those boring noodle sentences into yummy noodles? Well we are going to use spice descriptive words to describe what our characters look like. Let’s watch a short video to help you remember what adjectives are about.
(show video: Unpack Your Adjectives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkuuZEey_bs)


Teaching Point:
Writers describe their main character’s external character traits by thinking about what their character looks like, their actions and what their character says.


Teaching:
When you think about your characters, I want you to think about what they look like, what they sound like and their likes and dislikes. What they like and dislike will be reflected in their actions and the words that they say.


Turn & Talk:
Say,”Think about the main character in the story you are writing right now. Switch notebooks. When I say “Go!” turn and tell your partner what they look like. Partner’s write down all the descriptive adjectives that your partner tells you in their notebook. the person with te most red on goes first. Ready, set, go!”

Link:
Say, “Today and everyday, remember that writers help their readers to visualize what their characters look like by describing their physical appearance.”

Teacher Share:
Say, “I saw that ___ & ___ really worked like a team coming up with words to describe what their main character looks like. Good job  ___ & ___!”



Descriptive Word Bank (Physical Characteristics)
brunette
blonde
brown-eyed
blue-eyed
albino
rosy
heavy
thin
fat
thick
short
tall
muscular
attractive
masculine
feminine
petite
tiny
large
small
pierced
tattooed
scarred
painted
polished
cute

http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/word-lists/list-of-descriptive-words-for-appearance.html

Authors as Mentors
Writers create problems in their realistic fiction stories by describing the conflicts their characters have.

Connection:
Say, “Yesterday we worked on physically describing what your main character looks like. Today we are going to use the plot diagram to describe your character’s conflicts.”

Teaching Point:
Writers create problems in their realistic fiction stories by describing the conflicts their characters have.

Teaching:
Say, “When you are writing your story always keep the realistic fiction plot diagram in mind. Be prepared to answer this question at the bottom of the diagram, when we are describing our character’s physical description and setting, we want to ask ourselves, “What does my character feel and why” and “Could there be another reason?”
 
When we get to the middle on the way up, we have already identified what our main character’s problem is and your character has failed to solve the problem, we want to ask ourselves this question, “How does my character’s problems relate to his/hers thoughts and feelings?” Then describe a few more problems that your character can’t solve.

Once your character reaches the climax. (This is the part where your character is struggling)  Now you’re on the falling action portion of the plot diagram and your character begins to figure out how to solve their problem.

Finally, once your character has solved their problem, ask yourself the these questions: “What did my character learn?” and “How has my character changed?” 


Turn and Talk:
Talk to your partner about where you are on the realistic fiction plot diagram. Open up to the realistic fiction plot diagram n you notebook. Put your finger on where you think you are on the plot line. Then show your partner the parts in your story where you answered the following questions:


“What does my character feel and why”
 “How does my character’s problems relate to his/hers thoughts and feelings?”

If you haven’t finished your story yet, that's OK, but I want you to talk to your partner about how your character is going to solve their problems and then answer the following questions:
“What did my character learn?”
“How has my character changed?” 

Write down the answers to the questions in your notebook when the timer goes off, so it will be fresh in your memory.

Capture those good ideas on paper.

Say,
“Today and everyday, remember that writers create problems in their realistic fiction stories by thinking about their characters dislikes and what conflicts their characters would have.”

Teacher Share:
Say, “I saw that ___ & ___ really worked like a team identifying where they were on the realistic fiction plot diagram and answering the questions. Good job  ___ & ___!”


Plot Diagram Link:
http://www.pinterest.com/explore/plot-diagram/

Authors as Mentors - Story Arc

Writers include a solution to the problem in their realistic fiction by showing how their character fixes their problem

Connection:
Say, Yesterday we took a fresh look at the realistic fiction plot diagram. Today we are going to focus on using descriptive sensory words to describe how your character solves their problem(s).”

Teaching Points:
Writers include a solution to the problem in their realistic fiction by showing how their character fixes their problem.

Teaching:
Say, “When your character’s problems get to be too much, then you need to introduce an idea for a  solution during the climax. The climax is the turning point where things start to get better, but aren’t quite solved yet. Then describe how your character solves the problem in detail. Your readers are interested in your character and they want to know how your character solves their problem. Be sure to include what your character thinks about how their problem was solved. Include descriptive sensory words (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching words) so that your readers can visualize what your character goes through while they are solving their problem.”

Turn & Talk:
Say, “Get ready to turn to your partner and describe how your character solves their problem using descriptive sensory words that involve all 5 senses. Trade notebooks with your partner. Each partner has 2 minutes to tell you what the problem was and how the problem was solved using descriptive words that involve all 5 senses. Girls go first. Now switch notebooks (wait for partners to switch notebooks) and get ready. Ready, set go!”

Link:
Say, “Today and everyday, remember that writers include a solution to the problem in their realistic fiction story by showing how their character fixes their problem.”

Teacher Share:
Say, “I saw ___ & ___ using some really awesome descriptive sensory words to describe how their character solves their problem. Good job ___ & ___!”

Authors as Mentors - Story Arc
Writers include a solution to the problem in their realistic fiction by showing how their character fixes their problem

Connection:
Say, Yesterday we took a fresh look at the realistic fiction plot diagram. Today we are going to focus on using descriptive sensory words to describe how your character solves their problem(s). Next, we are going to watch a video about a very clever pig and how he solves his problem. Be prepared to share how the pig solved his problem with your partner.”
(Show video http://youtu.be/EUm-vAOmV1o)


Teaching Points:
Writers include a solution to the problem in their realistic fiction by showing how their character fixes their problem.

Teaching:
Say, “When your character’s problems get to be too much, then you need to introduce an idea for a  solution during the climax. The climax is the turning point where things start to get better, but aren’t quite solved yet.

Can you tell me where the pig had a turning point in the story? What happened? But, then something else happened that prevented the pig from eating his cookie. What was it?

Just like the pig in the story tried many different things in order to solve his problem, you can keep your readers interested by introducing additional problems.

Then describe how your character solves the problem in detail. Your readers are interested in your character and they want to know how your character solves their problem. Be sure to include what your character thinks about how their problem was solved. Include descriptive sensory words (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching words) so that your readers can visualize what your character goes through while they are solving their problem.”

Turn & Talk:
Say, “Get ready to turn to your partner and describe how your character solves their problem using descriptive sensory words that involve all 5 senses. Trade notebooks with your partner. Each partner has 2 minutes to tell you what the problem was and how the problem was solved using descriptive words that involve all 5 senses. Girls go first. Now switch notebooks (wait for partners to switch notebooks) and get ready. Ready, set go!”

Link:
Say, “Today and everyday, remember that writers include a solution to the problem in their realistic fiction story by showing how their character fixes their problem.”

Teacher Share:
Say, “I saw ___ & ___ using some really awesome descriptive sensory words to describe how their character solves their problem. Good job ___ & ___!”

Authors as Mentors - Story Arc
Writers show important conversation among characters by using dialogue.



Connection:
Say, “Yesterday we worked on including a solution to the problem in their realistic fiction by showing how their character fixes their problem today we are going to show important conversation among characters by using dialogue. Let’s watch this rap short song about how to use quotation marks.”

(Show video - http://youtu.be/Bea_2ANKJ5o)


Teaching Point:
Writers show important conversation among characters by using dialogue.

Teaching:
Say, “When we read a dialogue between two or more characters in a story or even when a character having a conversation to themselves or in their head or out loud, we need to follow certain rules. Please pay attention because you must be able to share how to use commas in a quotation sentence.”

(show video - http://youtu.be/V7LNkNcDMEY)
Turn and Talk:
Say,”We just watched a short how to video on how to write a sentence using quotation marks.  Your job is to share with your partner what your remember from the video on how to insert commas into a quotation sentence. The student who wins rock, paper scissors will go first. Ready, set go!”

Link:
Say, “Today and every day, remember that writers show important conversation among characters by using dialogue.”

Teacher Share:
Say, “I saw ___ & ___ really do an amazing job finding those mistakes. Together, you are helping eachother become better writer.. Great job ___ & ___.”

Authors as Mentors - Story Arc
Writers show important conversation among characters by using dialogue.



Connection:
Say, “Yesterday we worked on including a solution to the problem in their realistic fiction by showing how their character fixes their problem today we are going to show important conversation among characters by using dialogue. Let’s watch this rap short song about how to use quotation marks.”

(Show video - http://youtu.be/Bea_2ANKJ5o)


Teaching Point:
Writers show important conversation among characters by using dialogue.

Teaching:
Say, “When we read a dialogue between two or more characters in a story or even when a character having a conversation to themselves or in their head or out loud, we need to follow certain rules. Please pay attention because you must be able to share how to use commas in a quotation sentence.”

(show video - http://youtu.be/V7LNkNcDMEY)

Turn and Talk:
Say,”We just watched a short how to video on how to write a sentence using quotation marks.  Your job is to share with your partner what your remember from the video on how to insert commas into a quotation sentence. The student who wins rock, paper scissors will go first. Ready, set go!”

Link:
Say, “Today and every day, remember that writers show important conversation among characters by using dialogue.”

Teacher Share:
Say, “I saw ___ & ___ really do an amazing job finding those mistakes. Together, you are helping eachother become better writer.. Great job ___ & ___.”

Authors as Mentors - Story Arc
Writers edit their realistic fiction stories for readers by using an editing checklist and rereading their writing.

Connection:
Say, “The last time we published our stories, we got with a classmate to help them edit, so that our work is free of mistakes. Today we are going to do the same thing.”
Teaching Point:
Writers edit their realistic fiction stories for readers by using an editing checklist and rereading their writing.

Teaching:
(Project the anchor chart below on the screen.)

Say, “Today we are all going to use the same editing marks to edit each other's writing, that way,  we will all be able to understand what we need to do in order to correct our work, but first we must reread our work to see if we can catch any mistakes on our own.

So, today you are going to reread your story and act like a detective to see if you can catch any mistakes that you made, also you will want to fix your spelling mistakes at this time,. You’ll need a dictionary to do that, but before we even do that, we are going to practice on our writing buddy’s story (just the first page) just to get an idea of what kind of things need to be done.”

(Place an example on the board next to each item, so that the students can see how they should do it. The tell them to copy down the checklist and the examples into their writing notebook. Answer any questions they have about the editing marks. Make adjustments to the editing marks in order to make the process easier. For Instance, instead of using the suggested editing mark for delete, I chose to use the tried and true strike through.)

Turn & Talk:
Say, “Switch notebooks with your partner and practice editing the first page of their story. Take your time and really look at it. so you can help them make their writing better.”

Link:
Say, Today and everyday, remember that writers edit their realistic fiction stories for readers by using an editing checklist and rereading their writing.”

Teacher Share:
Say, “I saw ___ & ___ really do an amazing job finding those mistakes. Together, you are helping eachother become better writer.. Great job ___ & ___!”

That concludes the Author's as Mentors unit. My literacy rep has yet to share the grammar point mini-lessons he agreed to do, so that's that. The publishing party is at the end of this month. We are supposed to be moving on to another unit, but the catch is that we don't have the resources to do it right.  I'm hoping we can weasel our way out of it based on that fact and move on to opinion essays.

Poetry

We just concluded the poetry unit.

At the end of each unit we generally have to throw a publishing party where the parents are invited to come and listen tho the children read their work. They sit with their child and in small groups and listen other children read their writings.

For this unit, I included the UBD.


Identify Desired Results
Learning Outcomes (Benchmarks)
LA.4.4.1.2 Write a variety of expressive forms that employ figurative language (simile. metaphor, personification, etc.)
LA.4.3.4.1 Edit for correct use of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and articles.
LA. 4.3.4.1. Edit for correct use of present verb tenses.



Enduring Understandings (Big Ideas)
Writers of poetry, read poetry.
Authors think thoughtfully about language and word choices when writing poetry.
All poetry has a purpose, such as establishing a mood, creating a feeling or creating an image.
Writers make meaningful decisions regarding form and conventions when writing poetry.
Poetry allows writers to express their deepest feelings and emotions.
Poetry exists all around us.
Poetry is read differently from other types of writing.
Writers of poetry use the writing process.



Essential Questions (Guide Inquiry)
What are the reasons for writing poetry?
Why is language and word choice important in poetry?
How is the form and convention of poetry different from other types of writing?
Where can we find poetry in our lives?
How is the writing process applied to poetry?
How is poetry read differently from other types of writing?




Knowledge (Concepts)
Students will be able to:
recognize certain features of poetry
recognize poetry that display certain features such as a repeating line or alliteration
write poems about topics that are important to them or feel strongly about.



Skills
Explain examples of figurative language and sensory details within the context of poetry.
Follow the writing process including: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing and independant publishing.
Incorporate figurative language and sensory details in their writing.
Write poems that display one or more craft features covered in the mini-lesson teaching points.


Knowledge (Vocabulary)
figurative language - language that make use of certain literary devices or literary techniques often called “figures of speech” in which something other than the literal meaning is applied.
sensory detail - details that appeal to the 5 senses and evokes how something looks, sounds, tastes, feels, and smells; sensory details may be literal (figurative language) or figurative (imagery).
simile - figurative language in which two like things are compared, using the words, like or as.
alliteration - repetition of the initial consonant in stressed syllables or words in a sequence; a sound device
metaphor - figurative language that makes a direct comparison between two unlike things
fragment - a word or phrase that does not express a complete thought
rhythm - a sound device characterized by the musical quality conveyed by a sound or pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables


Summative:
G - produce a variety of poems ready for publishing
R - the students will be, thinking like a poet and seeing   through the eyes of a poet
A - classmates and parents
S - publish a booklet of personal poems
P - publishing party
S -


Performance Tasks:
Students will be able to apply the teaching points in order to create two poems that use at least two of the skills covered in the poetry unit.


Other Evidence (Formative Assessments)
work samples, observations, quizzes, tests, journals or other means
anecdotal records
published poems


How will the students demonstrate their understanding?
Students will  pick two poems to publish.

Teaching Point:
Writers write poems about things they feel strongly about.


Connection:
Say, “Are you puzzled by poetry? Find out how this librarian finally “got” poetry. Turn to your partner and ask them, ‘Are you puzzled by poetry?’ Wait for partners to share, then say, “Are you ready to learn all out poetry? This unit will help you become a better poet and you to can unfurl you poetry leaves and learn how to use metaphors, similes, descriptive sensory words, make connections and write about things you feel strongly about. “

(Show video http://youtu.be/FTbryKzH2bI)

Teaching Point:
Say, “The next video is about a boy named TD, who is struggling to find the right words to use for his poem, but a poet named Billy Collins helps him by helping him realize that he can write about things that he feels strongly about.”

(Show the video.http://youtu.be/PGf9RXM2Ztg)

“Just like TD was having problems finding the right word, you to may get stuck, when that happens, think about something you feel strongly about. In this video, what did TD feel strongly about?  (He wished he was a dog so he didn’t have to go to school.) It doesn’t matter what the emotion is, you can feel happy about something, such as watching a kite fly in the sky, or a beautiful rose garden, or you can feel mad about something, like the how you feel when you see a homeless man wandering the streets or performing juggling in order to earn money for his family. Whatever you feel strongly about can be turned into a poem.”

Turn & Talk:
Say, “What do you feel strongly about? In the anchor chart on the screen I want you to list 6 things you feel strongly about, but first I want you to talk to your partner about the things you feel strongly about. Tell your partner about the things you feel strongly about. Remember them because you can use them on your list. You have 2 minutes each.
(Set timer.) Boys go first. Ready, set, go!”

Link:
Say, Remember, today and everyday, writers write poems about things they feel strongly about.”

Teaching Point:
Writers of poetry, read poetry.

Connection:
“Today  is the second day on our new unit of poetry. We are going to be looking at many different poems and experiencing poems in different way, but first, we are going to take a look at this picture and try to figure out what these two flowers have incommon.”

(Scroll down for pictures of dandelions and gladiolas.)

“I think you all have great ideas, but soon we are going to read a poem and maybe you will never look at these two flowers the same way again. And, that’s the beauty of poetry. It helps us look at life differently. W0’ell talk more about looking at life through the eyes of a poet later, but first, we are going to experiment with different ways to read different poems.”

Teaching:
Say, “Today we are going to have fun with reading different poems in different ways. Some poems are meant to be read together in a group. Sometimes we can echo read, choral read or partner read poems. It’s also fun to clap or snap your fingers to the rhythm of a poem as you read it or as it is being read to you. And, sometimes it’s fun when you can take your poetry and turn it into a dramatic skit. Let’s watch a short video of a couple of teenagers that did just that.“
(Show video - http://youtu.be/6twypjnDN0c)

“or you can clap to a poem  like this grandma and her garand daughter” (Show video  - http://youtu.be/hP9V0S51GVo )
“Or if you put it to a song, it then becomes lyrics. Let’s watch a short Shel Silverstein poem titled, Ickle Me, Pickle Me, Tickle Me Too from the book, Where the Sidewalk Ends.”
(Show video - http://youtu.be/CNiaYHZme_U)
Turn & Talk:
Say, “As you can see there are many different ways we can read a poem. Right now, I want all the odd numbers to read the red stanzas and all the even numbers to read the blue stanzas (Scroll down for poem.) When we are done, I want you to tell your partner what the poem means to you. Ready, set, go.”   

(Read the poem chorley, as described above, and then allow the students about 2 minutes total to discuss the meaning of the poem with their partner.)

“The next time you look at a field of dandelions, I think you'll see them a bit differently after you read this poem.”

Link:
Say, “Remember, today and everyday, writers of poetry, read poetry. Next time, when you are reading poetry by yourself, try reading it aloud and see if it doesn't sound better.”

Teaching Point:
Poetry can create a mood.

Connection:
Say, Let’s take a look at the pictures of three different kitties. (Scroll down to pictures.) Each picture creates a mood. Just like each picture one of these powerful kitty pictures has created a mood, so can your poetry. Turn and tell your partner about the different moods represented in each picture.”

(Allow about 1 minute for partner share.)

Teaching:
Say, “ We use a variety of words to create a mood when we write our poems. Writers understand how descriptive words affect and set the mood in poetry.This also applies to when we are writing our stories. How can we find words to help us create the right kind of mood for our story? We can use the thesaurus to help us pick out appropriate words that will help our reader understand the mod we want to create.

Turn & Talk:
Say, “Next, we are going to take a look at two different poems. You and your partner are going to read the poems together and pick out the mood words. Be prepared. I’ll be calling on students to randomly share with the class.”

(Scroll down to the poems. Give the students about 5 minutes to identify the mood words. Then randomly call on students to share.)

“You know what I noticed? If you take out the mood words, you have a very boring poem. Listen to this:

(Scroll down below the poems if you want the students to view the ‘boring’ version.)

Flower stalks
Stand in the breeze
The sun hides
Behind clouds
Trees and leaves
Grass in the day
Spring

The original is much better and gives you a clear picture as to how the author feels about springtime.”

Link:
Say, “Remember, today and everyday, remember that poetry can create a mood.”

Teaching Point:
Writers create images using five senses descriptive adjectives when they write poems.

Connection:
Say, “In the back of your red notebook, you all have a list of spicy descriptive sensory words that you should be recycling when you write. Raise your hand, whose recycling their descriptive spicy words?

(Acknowledge student who have raised their hands.)

Today we are going to be looking at ways in which to make our poems come alive with descriptive sensory words.”
Teaching:
Say,”Who can name the 5 senses?”

(Call on student - seeing, smelling, touching, hearing, tasting)

Not only will we use our five sense, but we will use a little more and these extra tools you can put into your back pocket and pull out to help you become a better writer. Let’s take a look at what I’m talking about.

(Scroll down to anchor chart. Review the definitions and examples of visual, tactile, auditory, olfactory, kinesthetic, & gustatory.)

When we write our poems we can use descriptive sensory words (spicy words) to help our reader create an image in their mind.”

Turn & Talk:
Say, “Let’s take a close look at the difference between olfactory and gustatory. The anchor chat says: Olfactory images suggest the smells of things and Gustatory images suggest the tastes of things. How is that different? Take a look at the two examples and decide which words describe olfactory images and which words describe gustatory images. You have 3 minutes. use the chart to help you organize the words.”

(After turn & talk, randomly call on children to share their discoveries.)

LInk:
Say, “Today and everyday, remember that writers create images when they write poems.”
Connection:
(Scroll down for picture.)

Say,”In the pictures, you will see 4 pictures. Why do they look so different?

(Accept all reasonable answers.)

How does each picture make you feel? Just like the trees in the picture look different throughout the year, you can make the words in your poem more impactful by using patterning to help our audience understand your meaning on a deeper level.“

Teaching:

Say,” Poets are thoughtful about the way the words appear on the page. The pattern of words on a page can be related to the meaning of the poem or give clues to the reader about how to emphasize words and phrasing when reading the poem aloud.

Next, we are going to listen to a poem in French. If you know French please don’t give away the meaning of the words. I have the translation which I will share with you soon. I want you to just relax and listen to the patterns in the poem. In other words, pay attention to the rhythm of the words. See if you notice any patterns emerge.

(Show video - http://youtu.be/qRwyNtH4qg8. Wait until after turn and talk scroll down to the side by side translation of the poem in the anchor chart below.)

This is a very famous poem and as you can hear and see, this poem is very rhythmic. It follows a pattern which is easy to detect when it is spoken.”

Turn & Talk:

Say, “As you listen to this poem being read, I want you to write down your observations and impressions of how the poem makes you feel. We are going to listen to the poem again and please listen to the sound of the poem, and not the meaning of the words. Afterwards, you’ll get a chance to share with your partner.”

(Play the video again. Then give them about 2 minutes to discuss their impressions with their partner.)

Link:
Say,” Today and everyday, remember that  writers use patterning to make their poems have a stronger impact.”