STRATEGIES FOR WRITING IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM

K-5 Writing from Sourcesand the Common Core State

Standards

Essential Questions

To what extent does our curriculum reflect higher order thinking?

To what extent does our curriculum engage a diversity of learners in a culturally proficient learning community?

2

Objectives

Analyze and discuss the format of PARCC Prose Constructed Responses.

Develop writing prompts that elicit evidence from texts and require writing to sources.

Plan mini-lessons to support students’ completion of writing response tasks.

Agenda

Types of PCRs and how it is differentSample PCR promptsUsing FAP and RAPPMini-lessons to teach PCRs

PCRs

Prose Constructed ResponsesAllow students to elicit evidence

demonstrating that they .Allow students to demonstrate that they can

communicate that understanding well both in terms of written expression and knowledge of language and conventions.

Three Kinds of PCRs

Literature Task Narrative Task Research Simulation Task

This task will ask students to carefully consider literature worthy of close study and compose an analytic essay.

In this task, students may be asked to write a story (or the next part of a story), detail a scientific process, write a historical account of important figures, or to describe an account of events, scenes or objects, for example.

In this task, students will analyze an informational topic presented through articles or multimedia, the first text being an anchor text that introduces the topic.

Students will engage with the texts by answering a series of questions and synthesizing information from multiple sources in order to write an analytic essay.

Performance-Based Assessment Structure

Session Focus Could Include Details

Literary Analysis

Influence of Narrator’s Point of ViewCentral Idea/LessonComparison of Characters, settings, or eventsComparison of themes/Topics

2 texts (extended literary text, additional text)1 Constructed Response6 Selected ResponseTotal Items-7

Research Simulation

Analyze:Relationship between series of concepts Role of illustrationsMultiple accountsAuthor’s use of evidence

2 texts (1 extended informational, 2 additional texts) 1 Constructed Response9 additional itemsTotal Items-10

Narrative Narrative storyNarrative description

1 text (short literary text)1 Constructed Response5 additional itemsTotal Items-6

Grade Level Before Common Core

Common Core

Kindergarten Sample

Each one of us is different. What makes you “amazing” and why

Use My Amazing Body to draw, tell or write about why the author thinks our bodies are amazing.

1st Grade Sample

We have read about how our bodies area amazing. In what special ways are you amazing?

Use facts from the text to describe how your body uses the food you eat.

2nd & 3rd Grade Sample

Why do you think it is important to eat healthy foods?

Why does the author think it is important to eat healthy foods? Use reasons from the text to support your answer.

4th & 5th Grade Sample

Why is it important to maintain a healthy diet?

Examine and describe the relationship between proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Use facts, concrete details, quotations, and other evidence from the textto explain how this information contributes to an understanding of overall health.

Three Text Types

Argument/Opinion Informative/Explanatory Narrative

Three Types of Writing

Narrative Explain/Inform

Opinion/Argumentative

Elementary

35% 35% 30%

Middle School

30% 35% 35%

High School

20% 40% 40%

What is FAP?

FAP stands for FORM, AUDIENCE, and PURPOSE. FAP can be used to organize the information

that you will see in the prompts. FAP is found in the writing task of the

prompts.

FAP is an acronym that helps you identify what you are being asked to do

F is for FORM

WHAT are you writing?

The two FORMS are letter and article.

A is for AUDIENCE

To WHOM are you writing? You will be able to find the AUDIENCE in the writing task of

the prompts, such as parents friend principal teacher site-based council author student(s) neighbor(s) board of education, and others

P is for PURPOSE

WHY are you writing?You will be able to find the PURPOSE in the

writing task of the prompts.You will write for one of three purposes:

inform persuade, or narrate an event for a specific purpose (inform or

persuade)

Let’s FAP!

Write an article for the school newspaper informing readers about an upcoming event

Write a letter to your teacher persuading him or her to allow you to have a class pet

Write a letter to a new student about the importance of school rules. Support your idea by writing about a time when knowing the rules was really important

form

form

form

audienc

e

audience

audience

purpose

purpose

purpose

estate the questionestate the question

nswer the questionnswer the question

rove it with evidencerove it with evidence

roofread and editroofread and edit

Let’s Let’s break break this this

down!down!

Writing Strategies

Use Authentic Writing As ModelsUsing documents, newspapers, children’s books, magazines, how-to books, etc….

Use Visuals As Springboards to WritingPaintings, drawings, and photos can be excellent springboards to writing.