Be Thankful

What were you thankful for this Thanksgiving? 

Identify ONE thing or person you were thankful for this Thanksgiving. Describe this thing or person in at least 5 sentences. Remember that good descriptive writers use sensory and concrete details and strong verbs to describe. Also, they vary their sentence beginnings.

A Descriptive Food Dish

I hope everyone had a delicious Thanksgiving holiday. For your blog this week, identify and describe your favorite Thanksgiving food item/dish in at least 5 sentences. Remember that good descriptive writers use sensory and concrete details and strong verbs to describe. Also, they vary their sentence beginnings.

THANKSGIVING BREAK

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

THERE WILL BE NO BLOG ASSIGNMENT FOR THE WEEK OF 11/22-11/28. 

Identifying Descriptive Writing Structures

This week, we learned that there are a variety of structures that we can use in our writing. In groups, we read and analyzed the structures of picture books, such as In November, Near One Cattail, The Music Inside Me, A Quiet Place, etc. We noticed that some of these books had the following structures: chronological, cumulative, and circular/cyclical. We also learned that flashbacks and common/repeated phrases also impact the structure of the text.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Read a picture book from home or from Mrs. Shur’s room.

2. Identify the title and author of the book.

I read ________________ by _______________.

3. Determine what the structure of the story is and why (just like we did in groups in class when we presented).

This story had a ______________ structure. I know this because in the story_______________.

Descriptive Writing Structure Ideas

This week, we learned that there are a variety of structures that we can use in our writing. In groups, we read and analyzed the structures of picture books, such as In November, Near One Cattail, The Music Inside Me, A Quiet Place, etc. We noticed that some of these books had the following structures: chronological, cumulative, and circular/cyclical. We also learned that flashbacks and common/repeated phrases also impact the structure of the text.  On Tuesday, we learned that we can fit our stories to these structures. What kind of stories do you plan on writing based on the structures of the stories we analyzed?

DIRECTIONS:

1. Identify the text read in class.

I read ___________ in class.

2. List the structure used in this book.

This book had a _____________ structure.

3. List 2 story ideas that you can fit to this SAME structure.

My first idea is to write about _________.

I think this structure is the best for this piece because __________.

My second idea is to write about _________.

I think this structure is the best for this piece because __________.

PED / POD words

For the next two weeks, we are studying words with the root ped/pod, meaning feet. Each week, we play a game to practice the words. What ideas for games do YOU have? Practice writing descriptive directions for games.


DIRECTIONS
1. Choose a game that already exists (of course you will need to make some minor adjustments to the game in order to practice the vocabulary words) OR create a game THAT CAN BE USED TO PRACTICE VOCABULARY WORDS.
2. Record the title, materials, and number of players necessary for the game.
3. Write numbered directions for how to play the game. (Remember that you will need to describe the directions in detail if players are going to play correctly!)

Important Poems

We’ve been working on descriptive writing. We learned that good descriptive writers include sensory details, figurative language, strong verbs, and descriptive adjectives. Today, we read The Important Book and wrote poems about ped/ pod words. Try this same structure on a different object. Remember to begin and end with “The important thing about ____ is _______.”

DIRECTIONS:

1.     Choose an object to describe.

2.     Write a descriptive important poem about the object. Remember to include the strategies that descriptive writers use (sensory details, figurative language, strong verbs, repetition, lists, onomatopoeia, and descriptive adjectives)!

3.     Be sure to follow the structure of the important poem; the ending should repeat the beginning.

4.     See Mrs. Shur’s example poem called “Pedestrian” if you need a model.

Pedestrian

The important thing about pedestrians is that they all move one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other.

Pedestrians can be young or old,

crossing at the crosswalk-

to attend school,

to show up at work,

to visit a friend,

to shop at the next store,

to blow off steam,

to walk for the sake and enjoyment of walking.

They are travelers -

sprinting, wandering, skipping,  meandering.

Car drivers yield to them.

Some drivers patiently wait while others tap, tap, tap their fingers on the wheel.

But the most important thing about pedestrians is that they all move one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other.

Figurative Language

This week we're working on descriptive writing. We read Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan on Tuesday. We noticed that she uses similes, metaphors, and personification in her writing. We can use these in our writing as well!

Directions:

1. Identify the book and author of your reading workshop book.

2. Record 1-2 sentences in which the author uses similes, metaphors, or personification.

3. Identify whether the sentence(s) you recorded includes a simile, metaphor, or personification.

4. Record a sentence in which you use this SAME type of figurative language.

Concrete Details

This week we’re working on descriptive writing. Good writers include concrete details to make their writing more descriptive.

Charlotte Zolotow included concrete details in her writing and was able to paint a mental image in our heads of the seashore. An example of this is when she writes, “The tide is going out. ‘I’m hungry’ you say. I am too, so we wade over to a big rock covered with seaweed and moss. We sit there together and eat our sandwiches and drink lemonade from our thermos and watch the small brown sand crabs squiggling at our toes.” Notice how she includes action, dialogue, and sensory details. 

Most likely, the author of the book that you’re reading now also includes concrete details that make his or her writing more descriptive. Remember that when you visualize, you are reading descriptive writing!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Identify the title and author of the book you’re reading.

2. Record 2-3 sentences in which the author uses concrete details. 

3. Write 2-3 sentences in which you use concrete details in your writing.