Explanatory Writing: Unit 4 Writing Workshop

[Pages:42]Unit 4 Writing Workshop

Objectives

? Identify features of explanatory writing

? Plan and organize ideas by using a graphic organizer to prewrite

? Draft and revise a how-to article

? Proofread, publish, and present a how-to article

Materials ? Unit Writing Transparencies

19?24

Features of Explanatory

Writing

It informs or explains how to complete a certain task.

It gives step-by-step directions in a logical order.

It provides clear details that are easy to follow.

It uses time-order words, such as first or next, or spatial words, such as under or above, to make the steps clear and provide smooth transitions between steps.

539A

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Use Illustrations to Construct Meaning To help students understand the process explained in the excerpt, invite a student with good visual abilities to illustrate the steps as you read. Then ask other students to take turns retelling the steps in their own words as they look at the illustration.

Explanatory Writing: How-to Article

Read Like a Writer

Read the following excerpt from Me and Uncle Romie. Explain that this excerpt comes from a how-to article that explains a process or task. Ask students to listen for an introduction that identifies the task that will be

explained; step-by-step directions; specific details that clarify the steps; time-order and spatial words.

Making a Collage

To begin your project, pick a story or theme for your collage. . . .

Once you've settled on the story or theme, think about images you can use in your collage to illustrate what you want to say. . . .

Start by deciding whether or not it's important to have the images you'll be using in any particular order. If it is, you can lay them out to get an idea of how they will look together.

Next, paint or color the background on your paper or board. Use colors you want to peek through in the finished picture.

Discuss the Features

After reading, discuss the following questions with students. What is the topic? (how to make a collage) What is the first step in the process? (picking a story or

theme for the collage) What details does the author give about making the

background for the collage? (Choose colors that you want to peek through in the finished picture.) What time-order words does the author use? (begin, once, start, next) What spatial word? (on)

Prewrite

Set a Purpose Explain that one purpose of explanatory writing is to inform the reader by explaining a task.

Know the Audience Tell students to think about the audience for their explanatory writing. Ask, How can you explain this process to someone who knows little about the subject?

Choose a Topic Tell students that they will be writing an article that explains how to do a specific task. Ask the following questions to help students brainstorm, then narrow the focus of their ideas. What do you like to do or make? Consider a game you play, a

food you make, or a project you've completed. Would others be interested in learning to do this? Could you explain the process in a few simple steps? Encourage students to look back through their weekly writing and other work in their portfolios. They may choose to develop one of these pieces instead or self-select a different topic.

Mini Lesson ORGANIZATION Display Transparency 19. Explain that together you will follow Diana J.'s progress as she develops a how-to article. Point out the following details in Diana J.'s sequence chart: She gives step-by-step directions. She puts the steps in order. She explains how to make and use a code wheel. Organize Ideas After discussing Diana J.'s sequence chart, ask students to create their own sequence charts to plan their how-to articles. Use Transparency 19 to demonstrate how to organize ideas.

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Think, Pair, Share Ask students to discuss their charts with partners and identify details about each step that need to be explained. Have students note these details on their charts. Flexible Pairing Option Pair students with similar topics so they can share ideas.

Writing Topic

Think of a task or project to explain. Narrow your choice to one that you think is easy to understand, is interesting, and is appealing to your audience. Write a how-to article that explains how to do this task or project. Remember to use details to clarify each step in the process.

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Unit Writing Transparency 19

Viewpoints 539B

Unit 4 Writing Workshop

539C

Draft

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Draw On separate index cards, have students draw pictures to show each step they want to explain. Ask students to put the cards in the right order. Then help them write a sentence or two below each picture to explain the step. Tell students to refer to the cards as they write their essays.

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Unit Writing Transparency 20

Mini Lesson STEP-BY-STEP DIRECTIONS

Display Transparency 20 and read it with students. As you discuss Diana J.'s draft, point out the following features:

When I read this draft, I notice that Diana J.'s opening paragraph shows enthusiasm and tells the reader what she's going to explain.

She gives step-by-step directions. She explains each step in its own paragraph.

She gives details that explain each step.

She uses time-order words and spatial words to provide smooth transitions through the directions.

Note that Diana will have the chance to revise and proofread in later stages.

Review Your Sequence Chart Have students review their sequence charts. As they write, tell them to refer to their charts to help keep their steps in order.

Write the Draft Remind students to concentrate on getting their main ideas on paper. They will have plenty of time to revise and correct their work later. Share the following tips as students begin to write:

Gain your audience's attention from the start. Try opening with a question or a bold statement.

Picture yourself doing the task. Then write what you see. Give the steps in a logical order.

Provide details to explain the fine points.

Use precise adjectives and verbs, time-order words, and spatial words to tell the reader exactly what to do.

Maintain a consistent tone throughout.

Writer's Resources

Use Spell Check Tell students that when they use a wordprocessing program for their writing, the computer's spell checker can be a useful tool for catching spelling errors. Emphasize, however, that a computer's spell checker will not catch all errors. For example, the spell checker cannot tell when a writer is using the wrong homophone, as in My parents drove there car to the beach. Similarly, it cannot indicate that you typed form instead of from. Writers still need to proofread with a careful eye.

Revise

Mini Lesson ORGANIZATION Display Transparency 21 and point out how Diana J. revises a good how-to article to make it excellent. She organizes a list of supplies in the first paragraph.

(Organization) She adds more time-order words and rearranges steps to

clarify procedure. (Organization) She replaces the vague verbs make and put with more

precise ones, punch and push. (Word Choice) She adds a detail about how to write the secret message.

She deletes an unnecessary comment. (Ideas and Content) You may want to note that Diana J. will need to proofread her writing to make final corrections. Guide students to think about the following writing traits as they revise their articles.

Ideas and Content Do you explain all the steps and details someone would need to carry out the task or project? Do you anticipate readers' questions and answer them?

Organization Do you start with a topic sentence, then present the steps in a logical order? Should you move any paragraphs or sentences?

Voice Is your enthusiasm and knowledge of the subject obvious? Are your language and tone right for the audience?

Word Choice Do you use precise adjectives and verbs to paint a clear picture of the process? Do you use spatial words and time-order words to guide readers?

Sentence Fluency Do you use a variety of sentence lengths and types?

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Think, Pair, Share Have partners take turns reading their drafts aloud. Ask listeners to describe which steps were easy to follow and which were more difficult. In a collaborative drafting effort, have pairs discuss revisions that would clarify confusing steps. Then have students share how their partners helped. Flexible Pairing Option Consider pairing two who are unfamiliar with each other's topics.

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Extend Vocabulary On the board, draw a twocolumn chart with the following labels: timeorder words, spatial words. List appropriate words under each category, such as first, then, next, now, after, and finally for timeorder words and over, under, behind, through, above, right, and left for spatial words. Invite students to offer sentences using these words.

Transparency 21

How to Make a Code Wheel

by Diana J. Its fun to send secret messages. Here's how you

You need two paper plates, a scissors, a ruler, a pencil or pen, a paper fastener can create a code wheel to write a coded message. (also called a brad), and a sheet of paper.

First, cut about two inches from the outside edge of a paper plate. Trim all the way around the plate. Next,

punch Use the tip of a pencil or pen to make a whole in the center of each plate. Be careful not to poke yourself! Push Put the brad through the wholes to connect the plates. Place the small plate over the large one and line up the wholes.

Then Use the ruler to divide the rim of the large wheel exactly

into 26 equal spaces. In each space, write a letter of the alphabet. Go from A to Z. Divide the small wheel in the same wa'y. This time write a number from 1 to 26 in each space.

Now Your ready to use your code wheel. Turn the small

wheel so that a number is right under the letter A. Let's say you lined up the letter A with the number 10. Write A=10 on a scrap of paper. This is the key to your

Examine code. Look at the code wheel to tell what number to write for each letter. As you write, put a dash between

Leave a space between words. numbers to show that each stands for one letter. I've made three code wheels.

Finally, have some fun! Send your secret message to some friends. Share the key with him if he needs help.

Unit Writing Transparency 21

Viewpoints 539D

Unit 4 Writing Workshop

539E

Proofread

Have students read their how-to pieces aloud and present their visuals. Share these strategies.

SPEAKING STRATEGIES

Practice speaking in a loud, clear voice.

Watch the audience. Slow down or repeat steps if they look confused.

Organize visual aids so you can find what you need.

LISTENING STRATEGIES

Prepare to listen. Predict if the explanation will help you.

Focus on the speaker. Ask for clarifications at the end.

Try to paraphrase information. Analyze where organization needs improvement.

Transparency 22

How to Make a Code Wheel

by Diana J.

It'sIts fun to send secret messages. Here's how you

You need two paper plates, a scissors, a ruler, a pencil or pen, a paper fastener can create a code wheel to write a coded message.

(also called a brad), and a sheet of paper. First, cut about two inches from the outside edge

Next, of a paper plate. Trim all the way around the plate.

punch

hole

Use the tip of a pencil or pen to make a whole in the

center of each plate. Be careful not to poke yourself!

Push

holes

Put the brad through the wholes to connect the plates.

Place the small plate over the large one and line up the holes wholes.

Then Use the ruler to divide the rim of the large wheel exactly

into 26 equal spaces. In each space, write a letter of

the alphabet. Go from A to Z. Divide the small wheel in the same wa'y. This time write a number from 1 to 26 in

each space. Now you're Your ready to use your code wheel. Turn the small

wheel so that a number is right under the letter A.

Let's say you lined up the letter A with the number 10.

Write A=10 on a scrap of paper. This is the key to your Examine

code. Look at the code wheel to tell what number to

write for each letter. As you write, put a dash between Leave a space between words.

numbers to show that each stands for one letter. I've

made three code wheels.

Finally, have some fun! Send your secret message to them they

some friends. Share the key with him if he needs help.

Unit Writing Transparency 22

Mini Lesson CONVENTIONS Display Transparency 22 to point out Diana J.'s proofreading corrections. She added apostrophes in contractions. She changed incorrect homophones to hole and holes. She made pronouns agree with the antecedent and made

the verb agree with the plural pronoun. Have students reread their articles to correct mistakes. Suggest they check for one kind of error at a time. Have students use the proofreading marks on Teacher's Resource Book page 152. Tell students that proofreading involves correcting punctuation, spelling, paragraphing, capitalization, and grammar. Review pronouns and antecedent agreement.

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Think, Pair, Share Ask students to proofread their partners' edited drafts. Urge them to look at homophones carefully to make sure they are correct. Have students share some of their partners' corrections.

TEACHER CONFERENCE

As students finalize their articles, circulate and ask questions to foster self-assessment: In what way did you inform your audience? Could a reader perform the process based on your explanation? Do you tell readers more than they need to know?

Publish

Ask students to write or type final copies of their how-to articles. Remind them to correctly form letters and use appropriate spacing between words, sentences, and paragraphs. Ask them to use standard margins. Have students add visual aids and compile a classroom "how-to" book. Display the book in the class library. You may also wish to encourage students to publish weekly writing pieces in a similar way.

PRESENTATION

Consider asking students to give "how-to" demonstrations, with props and supplies, to teach classmates the tasks.

Author's Chair Invite students with effective work to present their how-to articles from the Author's Chair.

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