A One Week Poetry Challenge: Day 8 of 8

Saturday April 19, 2008Saturday April 19, 2008 Stacey Shubitz1 Comment

I LOVE Jane Yolen's book Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People. In fact, I read it to my class last year on the first day of our poetry unit of study. They were so inspired that they wanted to write color poems right then and there. I never thought I'd start off… Continue reading A One Week Poetry Challenge: Day 8 of 8

lucy calkins · poetry · student work · units of study

first grade poetry.

Monday March 10, 2008Monday March 10, 2008 Ruth Ayres4 Comments

I've been working alongside Colette Berg & Melissa Possell in their first grade rooms. We've been having students do a lot of collaboration as they make their first foray into poetry. Last week we taught them one secret of poets -- Poets see ordinary stuff in new ways. Then we make "poet goggles" by ringing… Continue reading first grade poetry.

units of study · writing workshop

Units of Study

Tuesday February 26, 2008Thursday March 6, 2008 Stacey Shubitz

polls - Take Our Poll

content-area writing · demonstration · genre · non-narrative writing · units of study

Teacher as Writer.

Friday February 15, 2008 Ruth Ayres3 Comments

One of the most powerful ways to become a better writing teacher is to write. And one of the most essential things to write is what we expect our students to write. Dina Coverstone is doing just that. Her fifth graders are learning about research and speeches. Their charge is to research a president and… Continue reading Teacher as Writer.

poetry · units of study

What’s on your heart?

Friday February 15, 2008Thursday August 21, 2008 Ruth Ayres1 Comment

Yesterday a fourth grade classroom I work with kicked off their poetry study by mapping their hearts (sans Georgia Heard). Stacey & I did this a few months ago for WNW. This is a great way to kick off poetry in the intermediate grades, because it allows a focus on emotion. As Fletcher says, "Poetry… Continue reading What’s on your heart?

expository · focus lesson · non-narrative writing · teaching tools · technology · units of study

research mania.

Tuesday January 15, 2008 Ruth Ayres3 Comments

Let's be honest. How many of you out there about lose your mind during the research phase of expository writing? Here in Indiana, it is expected that beginning in 3rd grade, students use the Internet to find facts for their expository writing. Now I'm all for technology . . . and learning to integrate it… Continue reading research mania.

letter writing · persuasive writing · units of study

Gearing up for persuasive letter writing

Tuesday January 8, 2008 Stacey Shubitz4 Comments

I'm starting one of my favorite units of study tomorrow morning in Writing Workshop: PERSUASIVE LETTERS! It's been a favorite for the past three years due to the amazing things my students have garnered for my former classroom and former school. (It's ranged from DVDs for rainy days, new classroom furniture, a printer/scanner/copier, art supplies,… Continue reading Gearing up for persuasive letter writing

choice · genre · katie wood ray · NCTE · units of study · writing workshop

Choice & Genre Studies

Monday December 3, 2007Monday December 3, 2007 Stacey Shubitz1 Comment

After I attended the November 17th NCTE Workshop entitled "Where Has All The Real Choice Gone?" my mind started turning. Ruth and I went out for cupcakes and coffee at Buttercup Bake Shop hours after attending together and we couldn't stop talking about the issue of choice in the writing classroom. Hence, after grappling with… Continue reading Choice & Genre Studies

units of study · writing about reading

More thinking about “writing about reading”

Tuesday October 30, 2007 Stacey Shubitz1 Comment

Thank you to everyone who made me do some thinking about "writing about reading" today. Using the TCRWP's old binder of lessons for this unit of study, I think I re-crafted a unit of study that I like. Click here to take a look at it. Please let me know what you think.

christina l. rodriguez · letter writing · units of study

Friendly Letter Writing Unit of Study

Tuesday October 9, 2007Tuesday October 9, 2007 Stacey Shubitz3 Comments

Over the summer Kate and I planned out a short unit of study on friendly letter writing for our students. We re-grouped today since we're launching it tomorrow. Here's the plan as it stands right now. DAY 1: Writers learn about the different kinds of letters and the purpose of letter writing. (SHOW students different… Continue reading Friendly Letter Writing Unit of Study

management · process · units of study

lingering in drafts.

Tuesday October 2, 2007 Ruth Ayres2 Comments

In our hurry-up-and-get-it-done-society, sometimes it's tough to get our students to slow down and realize their unique writing processes. Sometimes it's tough for us, as their teachers, to slow things down and give them time to truly live as writers. However, after notebooks have been launched, our writing prompt genre studies completed, and the (Indiana) state… Continue reading lingering in drafts.