Publishing Writing: Feathered Friends Savers | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G1:M4:U3:L12

Publishing Writing: Feathered Friends Savers

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • W.1.6: With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
  • L.1.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • L.1.1a: Print all upper- and lowercase letters.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can handwrite a final copy of my Feathered Friends Saver. (L 1.1a)
  • I can type the heading of my informative paragraph for the Feathered Friends Saver. (W 1.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Collect students' handwritten final copy of the Performance Task writing template and use the Language Checklist to track progress toward L.1.1a (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • As students explore technology by typing their heading in Work Time B, use the Informational Writing Checklist to track student progress toward W.1.6 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Song and Movement: "Birds Are Helpful" (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Preparing to Publish: Feathered Friends Savers (10 minutes)

B. Publishing Writing: Feathered Friends Savers (30 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • This lesson has been designed to address W.1.6. Students may need direct instruction on how to use the computer and the selected word-processing tool to type headings for their Performance Task writing template. If students are unable to use technology to type their headings, they can write their headings in their best handwriting and the teacher can affix it to the final Performance Task writing template.
  • Based on the needs of your students, consider repeating all or part of the Lesson 12 Work Time (as an optional Lesson 13 "flex day") to give students more time to explore technology and publish their writing.
  • When students are not typing their headings, they are publishing their writing during Work Time B. Students work with a publishing partner as they copy their writing onto the Performance Task writing template in their best handwriting. Student partnerships promote collaboration and perseverance as they work to handwrite their best published writing.
  • In Work Time B, it is recommended that you pull small groups of four or five students to type their headings for the Performance Task writing template. 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 the "Birds Are Helpful" song and the "Fascinating Birds" jazz chant and invite them to illustrate them as they prepare for the Celebration of Learning.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 11, students revised and edited their informative paragraph. In this lesson, they publish it.

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 B. Consider using the flex day (optional Lesson 13) to allow students to continue publishing their writing.
  • Similarly, 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 one another 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 14.
  • After all students have typed their headings, print the headings in preparation for when you assemble the completed performance tasks. Glue the typed heading onto the Performance Task writing template. Make a copy of the completed template in case students want to share their Feathered Friends Saver with more than one audience.
  • In Lesson 14, students continue working on the Feathered Friends Saver by coloring their final draft of the local bird drawing.
  • Before Lesson 16, assemble students' completed Feathered Friends Saver by affixing the final drawing to a piece of black paper, cutting it out, laminating it if possible, and attaching the completed Performance Task writing template.
  • In Lesson 16, students present their Feathered Friends Savers to an authentic audience at the Celebration of Learning.

In Advance

  • Consider reviewing students' revised and edited writing on in their Caring for Birds notebook, for clarity. If needed, consider writing a "clean copy" of students' writing to support them as they rewrite in their best handwriting to publish.
  • Prepare:
    • Word-processing workstation for small group work during Work Time B with word-processing devices.
    • Student workspaces with their Caring for Birds notebooks, Performance Task writing template, and pencils.
    • Copies of the "Birds Are Helpful" song and the "Fascinating Birds" jazz chant for Work Times A and B and distribute these along with colored pencils to a designated spot in the whole group area.
    • Clipboards with the Feathered Friends Saver progress sheet and pencils for the Closing.
  • Determine publishing partners for Work Time B.
  • Post: Learning targets, "Birds Are Helpful," and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

Consider using an interactive white board or document camera to display lesson materials.

  • 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.
  • Students use word-processing tools to write the headings for their Feathered Friends Savers. Refer to the Unit 3 Overview for suggested word-processing tools.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards I.C.10

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs through opportunities to publish writing using digital tools and in collaboration with peers. This lesson is the culmination of the publishing aspect of the performance task (W.1.6).
  • ELLs may find the feedback and revision process challenging, because they will need to navigate reading the work of their peers. Make sure ELLs understand the feedback and how to act on it (see levels of support and the Meeting Students' Needs column).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Consider allowing additional time for students to publish their writing during Work Time B.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time B, consider working closely with a group of students to model completing the publishing of their work.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support memory and listening skills by providing visual display of directions and discussion questions in this lesson.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support expressive fluency by providing sentence frames or sentence starters for written and verbal expression.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to support sustained interest and engagement by providing opportunities for breaks (e.g., stretching) as appropriate during this lesson.

Vocabulary

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

New:

  • publish, copy (L)

Materials

  • "Birds Are Helpful" (from Lesson 11; one per student and one to display)
  • Model Feathered Friends Saver: Informational Writing (from Lesson 1; one to display)
  • Performance Task writing template (one per student; see Performance Task Overview)
  • Caring for Birds notebook (begun in Lesson 1; page 9; one per student and one to display)
  • Caring for Birds notebook (from Lesson 1; example, for teacher reference)
  • "Fascinating Birds" jazz chant (from Lesson 2; one per student)
  • Colored pencils (class set; variety of colors per student)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Device (one per student; used by students to type their final drafts in Work Time B)
  • Feathered Friends Saver progress sheet (one per student and one to display; see Performance Task Overview)
  • Clipboards (one per student)

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. Song and Movement: "Birds Are Helpful" (10 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Briefly remind students about the new song they learned in the previous lesson.
  • Display "Birds Are Helpful" and read the title aloud.
  • Invite students to stand up and sing the first two verses they already learned.
  • Tell students that you will now sing the third verse of the song first on your own as they listen, and then they will join in. Invite students to think of hand gestures, motions, or actions that could go along with the song as you sing it the first time through.
  • Sing just the third verse of the song, tracking the print as you sing.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What are some hand gestures, motions, or actions that could go along with this verse of the song?" (Responses will vary, but may include: making a beak with one hand and an insect with another and showing the beak eating the insect.)

  • Invite students to stand up and join you in singing the third verse of the song using their chosen hand gestures and actions.
  • Repeat the singing and gesturing process with the fourth verse.
  • Tell students that they will practice singing the whole song in the next lesson!
  • ELLs and students who may need additional support with vocabulary: (Clarifying Meaning) Clarify the meaning of harmful as causing harm; dangerous. (Example: Birds eat harmful insects like grasshoppers and beetles that can destroy the plants people use as food.) (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Preparing to Publish: Feathered Friends Savers (10 minutes)

  • Display the Model Feathered Friends Saver: Informational Writing.
  • 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 heading is typed, and the paragraph is handwritten.)

Conversation Cue: "Do you agree or disagree with what your classmate said? Why?"(Responses will vary.)

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

"I can handwrite a final copy of my Feathered Friends Saver."

  • Tell students that a final copy should be written in their best handwriting.
  • Tell students that to write in your best handwriting means that anyone should be able to pick up your writing 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 as a publishing partner with you.
  • With your publishing partner, model writing a few words for the final copy of the Feathered Friends Saver on page 9 of the Caring for Birds notebook.
    • Read the sentence from page 9 of the Caring for Birds notebook (example, for teacher reference) to your publishing partner.
    • Model copying the first words of the sentence onto the Performance Task writing template.
    • Think aloud by saying: "Copying means I'm writing exactly what is on page 9 of my Caring for Birds notebook. I need to make sure all the letters, words, and punctuation match."
    • Ask your publishing partner and allow him or her to respond:

"Did I copy my writing exactly?"

    • Model putting a dot above the words "Birds are endangered" after they have been written on the Performance Task writing template.
    • Reread the writing on the Performance Task writing template as you continue copying.
    • Once you have copied your paragraph, write your adjective (endangered) clearly on the line after the phrase "Now that you know how."
  • Tell students that if they finish publishing their writing early, they can review the copies of "Fascinating Birds" jazz chant and "Birds Are Helpful" in a designated spot in the whole group area and use colored pencils to illustrate them in preparation for the Celebration of Learning.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can type the heading of my informative paragraph for the Feathered Friends Saver."

  • Focus students on the typed heading of the Model Feathered Friends Saver: Informational Writing.
  • 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 the heading to be included on their final Feathered Friends Saver.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with planning: (Using Visuals: Steps) To support students during publishing, create a brief list of steps for handwriting a final copy of the Feathered Friends Saver: Read the sentence, copy the first words, ask publishing partner for feedback, put a dot above the words "Birds are endangered" after they have been written, reread the writing on the Performance Task template. (MMR, MMAE)

B. Publishing Writing: Feathered Friends Savers (30 minutes)

  • Tell students that they will find their Caring for Birds notebook, Performance Task writing template, and pencils for publishing at their workstations.
    • Remind students that when they publish, they should copy their draft exactly, with all letters, words, and punctuation.
    • Remind students that if they finish publishing early they can review and illustrate the jazz chant and "Birds Are Helpful."
    • Transition students to their workstations and invite them to begin copying in their best handwriting for publishing.
  • As students copy their writing for publishing, invite four or five at a time to join you at the word-processing station.
  • Guide students through the following word-processing routine:
    • Orient students 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 word in their handwritten heading after it is typed. This will help them keep track of words as they type them.
    • Invite students to begin typing their headings.
    • As students type, circulate and provide assistance by reorienting them to the device and reminding them to put dots above each word after it's typed.
    • As students complete their typed heading, 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 heading.
  • Provide specific, positive feedback on students' abilities to publish their writing by copying their sentences in their best handwriting and typing their heading.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Adding Visuals) Create a quick sketch of what Work Time B will look like so students are not overly excited about getting to work at the word-processing station. (Example: Draw a group of children writing at a table and another group of children working on computers. Draw a double arrow to show that the groups will switch.) (MMR)
  • 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 (10 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Tell students that they have worked hard in today's lesson on publishing their writing.
  • Briefly point out that some students may need a bit more time on this task and that you need to know who needs more time so you can plan accordingly.
  • Display the Feathered Friends Saver progress sheet.
  • Tell students that they will use this sheet to track the progress of their performance task by checking off each step as they complete it.
  • Direct students' attention back to the Feathered Friends Saver progress sheet and distribute the prepared clipboards with the progress sheet attached and pencils.
  • Invite students to write their name at the top and hold their pencil in the air when they are done.
  • Focus students on the criteria listed on the Feathered Friends Saver progress sheet. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What parts of the Feathered Friends Saver have we completed?" ("write a first draft of your paragraph" and "revise and edit your paragraph")

  • Model how to draw a checkmark in the box next to those two steps.
  • Invite students to check off "Write a first draft of your paragraph" and "Revise and edit your paragraph" on their Feathered Friends Saver progress sheet.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What did you do today while creating your Feathered Friends Saver?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Today I handwrote my paragraph; today I typed my heading.)

  • After 1 minute, refocus whole group.
  • Invite students to check off the boxes if they completed both the handwriting and the typing of their heading.
  • Remind students that it is okay if they need more time and you will know that because they will not have a check in that box.
  • After a few minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Provide specific, positive feedback on students' ability to think strategically about the work they have done.
  • Tell students that in the coming lessons they will continue to work on finishing their Feathered Friends Savers.
  • For ELLs: (Adding Visuals) Review the Feathered Friends Saver progress sheet and discuss each part, adding visuals to ensure that students understand what they are checking as done.
  • For students who may need additional support with self-assessment: Review the learning targets introduced in this lesson. Ask students to give specific examples of how they worked toward achieving them. (MME)

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