Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

 Topic: The Writing Process

Images/Video Resources

A Cute Writing Process Song performed by other 4th graders! 

This is an example of a Writing Process Poster! 

Scenario:

Every year 4th graders around the state of Texas take the state assessment STAAR , including STAAR Writing. However, recent scores have showed that many schools around Texas are not meeting their Annual Yearly Progress or AYP.

AYP is like a report card for a school. If a large number of students fail the STAAR Writing Test then the Texas Education Agency can place sanctions on the school and even close the school down. 

This year only 44% of Texas schools meet AYP and the criteria standards for AYP have risen once more.  

With a lot of hard work and student dedication, the teachers and students at Las Yescas Elementary meet AYP last year and now have to surpass last years scores in order to meet AYP this year. 

Why is Writing Important? 

Writing is an important skill you need to have in order to have a successful career, graduate college, and even drive. Think about how many times we use writing in our daily lives. We write stories, T.V shows, computer programs, grocery list, letters, blogs on Facebook, comic strips, movies, poems, plays, music, resumes etc. The list is endless.

Why do we Write?

We write to be entertained, to record history, to share and communicate with each other.  Writing is how information is passed on from generation to generation. 

Task

Sample Investigations/Teacher Resources

You have been hired by the 4th grade teachers of Las Yescas Elementary to come up with a way to teach students to remember the writing process so that they can remember it on the day of the Writing STAAR Test. You may use Web 2.0 tools to present your idea to the teachers of Las Yescas Elementary at the next PTA meeting. 

 Rubric for grading this assignment! 

Helpful Writing Site

Web 2.0 Sites  

Student Resources

Check out these Writing Process Books for Kids!

Use this Google Custom Search Engine to research The Writing Process. 

Other Resources:

AngelFire.Com- A Writing Process Website 

http://www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/

BrainPop- The Writing Process

http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/writingprocess/

Writing Tips from Scholastic 

http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/teachwriting/

Purdue Online Writing Lab

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/587/01/

Publish Kids Site

http://publishkids.com/writingprocessforkids.html

THE PLOT CHICKENS by Mary Jane Auch, illustrated by Herm Auch (Holiday House, 2010) Henrietta loves to read so much she decides to write a book of her own. With the help of her three old aunties, she hatches a plot, gives her character lots of problems, and writes what she knows. But when Henrietta publishes her story, the critics say she's laid an egg! Is this the end of Henrietta's career as an author?

By: Donna Bowman Bratton

Click here for more children's book titles! 

Student Work

Standards

1. List your personal understanding, ideas or hunches.

Now that you are familiar with the writing proces you will write everything you know about writing process. Describe your thoughts or ideas about how to solve the problem. There are not incorrect answers in this step, just feel free to brainstorm your ideas.

2. List what is known.

 With your team use all the information available in the scenario to list everything that you know about the writing process. You do not have to conduct any research yet. Just use the information given and write the facts that you already know about the writing process.

3. List what is unknown.

With your team, make a list about what you do not know and would like to learn. List all the questions you will need to answer to solve the problem.  

4. List what needs to be done.
"What should we do?" List actions to be taken, e.g., question an expert, conduct research, go to a board meeting about topic. List possible actions. 

5. Develop a problem statement.

You will be responsible for thinking and choosing one of the questions to solve the problem.  A problem statement should come from your analysis of what you know. In one or two sentences, you should be able to describe what it is that your group is trying to solve, produce, respond to, or find out. The problem statement may have to be revised as new information is discovered and brought to bear on the situation.

6. Gather information

Use all the resources available (Internet, library, etc) to research about the problem/topic and find a solution.

7. Present Findings

You will be able to use any method possible to present your findings to the teachers. You will have access to a camera, video recorder, computer with internet access,editing software and Web 2.0 tools.  

4th Grade Writing TEKS

(15) Writing/Writing Process. Students use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) to compose text. 

 
Resources:                                                 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.