Speaking, Listening, and Publishing Writing: Performance Task Writing Template | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA GK:M4:U3:L8

Speaking, Listening, and Publishing Writing: Performance Task Writing Template

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • W.K.6: With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
  • SL.K.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
  • SL.K.1a: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).
  • SL.K.6: Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.
  • L.K.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • L.K.2a: Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.
  • L.K.2b: Recognize and name end punctuation.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can handwrite a final copy of my Performance Task: Tree Appreciation card sentence. (L.K.2a, L.K.2b)
  • I can explore technology by typing my name. (W.K.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Collect students' handwritten final copy of the Performance Task Writing template and use the Language Checklist to track student progress toward L.K.2a and L.K.2b (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • As students explore technology by typing their name in Work Time B, consider using the Opinion Writing Checklist to track student progress toward W.K.6 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Poem and Movement: "The Cat, the Tree, and Me" (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Preparing to Publish: Performance Task Writing (15 minutes)

B. Publishing Writing: Performance Task Writing Template (35 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • Based on the needs of your students, consider repeating all or part of Work Time in Lesson 8 (as an optional Lesson 9 "flex day") to give students more time to explore technology and publish their writing.
  • This lesson is designed to address W.K.6. If students are unable to use technology to type their names, they can write their names in the best handwriting and the teacher can affix it to the final Performance Task: Tree Appreciation card. In this case, consider extending Work Time B and minimizing the time allocated for typing their names.
  • During Work Time B, when students are not typing their names, they are publishing their writing. Students work with a publishing partner as they work to copy their writing onto the Performance Task Writing template in their best handwriting. Student partnerships promote collaboration and perseverance as students work to handwrite their best published writing.
  • In Work Time B, consider pulling small groups of four or five students to type their names for the Performance Task: Tree Appreciation card. Consider your classroom's access to technology and adjust the size of the group accordingly.
  • If students finish publishing early, direct them to the student copies of poems and songs and invite them to practice reciting the poems and songs quietly and to illustrate the poem as they prepare for the Celebration of Learning.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 3, students wrote a sentence for Unit 3 Assessment, Part I: Why a Tree Is Nice. In Lessons 6-7, students revised and edited their writing. In this lesson, they publish their writing. 

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Some students may find it challenging to decipher and rewrite their writing for publishing in the time allocated for Work Time A. Consider allotting more time elsewhere in the daily schedule to allow students to continue publishing their writing.
  • Similarly, some students may find it challenging to reread their writing with the edits and revisions. Consider pairing students with varied reading and writing abilities to support each other in deciphering their revised and edited writing and publishing in their best handwriting.

Down the road:

  • As noted above, consider repeating all or part of this lesson before moving on to Lesson 10.
  • After all students have typed their names, print the names and cut them to the appropriate size as you assemble the students' completed Performance Task: Tree Appreciation cards.
  • In Lesson 10, students will continue working on the Performance Task Artwork template by watercoloring the tree part in their artwork. Then, in Lessons 11 and 12, students will complete their artwork by adding layers and details to their watercolor painting.
  • Before Lesson 13, assemble students' completed Performance Task: Tree Appreciation card with student art, writing, and typed names, so they can practice presenting their cards to a small group.
  • In Lessons 14 and 15, students present their Performance Task: Tree Appreciation cards at the Celebration of Learning.

In Advance

  • Review students' revised and edited writing on Unit 3 Assessment, Part I: Why a Tree Is Nice for clarity. If needed, consider writing a "clean copy" of students' writing to support students as they rewrite in their best handwriting to publish.
  • Prepare:
    • Word-processing workstation for Work Time B with word-processing devices, blank paper, and pencils.
    • Student workspaces with their revised and edited Unit 3 Assessment, Part I: A Tree Is Nice writing, Performance Task Writing template, and pencils.
  • Strategically pair students with publishing partners for Work Time B. Consider pairing students of varying writing and reading levels together to support each other during the publishing process.
  • Post: Learning targets, "The Cat, the Tree, and Me," and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-3 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.
  • Work Time B: Students use word-processing tools to type their name. Refer to the Unit 3 Overview for suggested word-processing tools.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided by in part by CA ELD Standards K.I.A.1, K.I.C.10, and K.I.C.12

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by revisiting key vocabulary and syntax in familiar songs and poems. They are supported in using technology to publish their performance task.  
  • ELLs may find it challenging to illustrate the words and concepts in the songs and poems. Create strategic partners and groups to support them and remind them to use the Word Wall and anchor charts as resources.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • In Work Time A, invite students to be peer tutors for their classmates if they have questions about words in the poems and songs.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Times A and B, consider printing out a paper copy of the keyboard for each student, and guide them to highlight the letters in their names on the paper keyboard before they type.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support students by offering options for perception. Pausing for clarification of new vocabulary will also help students who may need additional support with comprehension.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students who are learning to monitor their own progress by prompting them to identify the type of feedback they are seeking during this lesson.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Invite students to reflect on their learning from previous lessons to help them understand the value and relevance of the activities in this lesson. Continue to provide prompts and sentences frames for those students who require them.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

New:

  • publish, copy, technology, type (L)
  • fearful, careful, joyful (T)

Review:

  • inflectional ending (L)

Materials

  • "The Cat, the Tree, and Me" (from Lesson 6; one to display)
  • Model Performance Task: Tree Appreciation card (from Lesson 1; one to display; see Performance Task Overview)
  • Model Unit 3 Assessment, Part I: Why a Tree Is Nice (completed in Lesson 7; one to display)
  • Performance Task Writing template (one per student and one for teacher modeling; see Performance Task Overview)
  • Colored pencils (a variety of colors per student)
  • "We Depend on Trees" (from Module 3; one per student and one to display)
  • "Trees in Our Community" (from Unit 2, Lesson 2; one per student and one to display)
  • "The Many Meanings of Words" (from Unit 1, Lesson 2; one per student and one to display)
  • Unit 3 Assessment, Part I: Why a Tree Is Nice (completed in Lesson 7; one per student) 
  • Device (four or five; used by students to type their name in Work Time B)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Paper (blank; one piece per student)
  • Opinion Writing Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

Assessment

Each unit in the K-2 Language Arts Curriculum has one standards-based assessment built in. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Poem and Movement: "The Cat, the Tree, and Me" (5 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Display "The Cat, the Tree, and Me" poem and read the title.
  • Follow the same routine established in Modules 1-3 to read "The Cat, the Tree, and Me":
    • Direct students' attention to the posted poem.
    • Invite them to read along as you point to the text and act out their motions.
  • Tell students that this poem includes more words with inflectional endings. Remind students that an inflectional ending is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning.
  • Underline the inflectional ending -ful in the poem and tell students that when a word ends with -ful that means it is full of something. Review the meanings of the following words and invite students to act out the meaning of each:
    • fearful: full of fear; afraid
    • careful: full of care; cautious
    • joyful: full of joy; happy
  • If time permits, reread the poem and invite students to act out the different meanings of the words with the inflectional ending -ful.
  • For ELLs: (Leadership and Peer Modeling) Invite a few students to lead the class in reading the poem.
  • For students who may need additional support with language: Provide visual display of root words and inflectional ending using prepared index cards to join the ending to root word. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Preparing to Publish: Performance Task Writing (15 minutes)

  • Display the Model Performance Task: Tree Appreciation card.
  • Tell students that this model is a final published copy. Define publish (to prepare writing for others to read).
  • Turn and Talk:

"What do you notice about the published writing on this model?" (The name is typed, and the sentence is handwritten.)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can handwrite a final copy of my Performance Task: Tree Appreciation card sentence."

  • Tell students that a final copy should be written in their best handwriting. 
  • Tell students that to write in their best handwriting means that anyone should be able to pick up the sentence and read it without asking for help.
  • Tell students that while they copy their writing, they will work with a publishing partner. As partners, they will work together to reread their writing and copy it onto the Performance Task Writing template in their best handwriting.
  • Invite a student volunteer to model working with a publishing partner with you.
  • With your publishing partner, model writing a few words for the final copy of the Model Unit 3 Assessment, Part I: Why a Tree Is Nice on the Performance Task Writing template.
    • Read the sentence from the model to your publishing partner.
    • Model copying the first words of the sentence onto the Performance Task Writing template.
    • Think aloud: "Copying means I'm writing exactly what is on my Unit 3 Assessment, Part I: Why a Tree Is Nice. I need to make sure all the letters, words, and punctuation match."
    • Ask your publishing partner and allow your partner to respond: 

"Did I copy my writing exactly?" 

    • Model putting a dot above the word on the Unit 3 Assessment, Part I: Why a Tree Is Nice after it has been written on the Performance Task Writing template.
    • Reread the writing on the Performance Task Writing template as you continue copying.
  • Tell students that if they finish publishing their writing early, they can recite the poems and songs from Units 1-2 and illustrate them in preparation for the Celebration of Learning.
  • Display the following songs and poems and place them in an easily accessible area in the classroom with colored pencils:
    • "We Depend on Trees" 
    • "Trees in Our Community" 
    • "The Many Meanings of Words" 
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can explore technology by typing my name."

  • Focus students on the typed name on the Model Performance Task: Tree Appreciation card.
  • Tell students that while they are copying their writing in their best handwriting, you will invite a few students at a time to go to the word-processing station. At the word-processing station, students will type their name to be included on their final Tree Appreciation card.
  • Transition students to their workstations and invite them to begin copying in their best handwriting for publishing the writing from Unit 3 Assessment, Part 1: Why a Tree Is Nice.
  • For ELLs: (Visual artifacts) To provide additional examples of published work in context, consider showing students a few of the texts used in this module. Point out where and when they were published. Ask students to consider what some of the steps were that the author took to make the book look as it does. (Responses will vary, but may include: She wrote first, and then it was typed. She practiced writing many times. She made sure there were periods.)
  • For students who may need additional support with planning: Invite students to restate the steps they will follow with their publishing partners during Work Time A. (MMAE, MME)

B. Publishing Writing: Performance Task Writing Template (35 minutes)

  • As students copy their writing for publishing, invite four or five students at a time to join you at the word-processing station.
  • Guide students through the following word-processing routine:
    • Orient students to the device.
    • Tell students to write their name with a pencil on the paper next to the device.
    • Remind students that to publish means to prepare writing for others to read and that typing is another way of publishing.
    • Tell students that as they type, they should put a dot above each letter of their name after it is typed.
    • Invite students to begin typing their names.
    • As students type, circulate and provide assistance by reorienting them to the device and reminding them to put dots above each letter after it's typed. Use the Opinion Writing Checklist to track student progress toward W.K.6.
    • As students complete their typed name, circulate the small group and save the files.
    • Transition students back to their workspaces.
  • Continue to invite students to the word-processing station to complete the above routine until all students have published their writing on the device by typing their name.
  • For ELLs: (Example/Non-Example: Typing Instructions) To ensure students understand the instructions, invite a few to role-play how to type your name (gently, copying your letters carefully) and how not to type your name (banging on all the keys at the same time). Ask other students to share which example is correct and incorrect and why. 
  • For students who may need additional support with visual perception: Invite students to highlight each letter after it has been typed. (MMR)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Provide specific, positive feedback on students' ability to work independently as they published their writing and explore technology by typing their name.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What was the most exciting part of exploring technology?" (Responses will vary.)

"What was the most challenging part of exploring technology?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell students that their typed names will be printed and attached to their final Performance Task: Tree Appreciation cards for the Celebration of Learning.
  • For ELLs: (Partner Share-out) Invite students to share what their partners said.

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