Alexis A. Fruia6 th Grade EnglishMarch 2-6

RESPONDING TO TEXT

Response ParagraphBook ReviewResponse to a Magazine Article

WRITING FOCUS

Passive and Active VerbsCompounding Sentences

GRAMMAR FOCUS

With a partner, read the prompts and share your answers.

A modifier is a word that describes.Which word modifies the noun ship in the sentence?

Explain you answer. The ship is tall.Someone who is knowledgeable knows a lot of information.

Name someone who is knowledgeable about sports.

LEARNING LANGUAGE

Understand the content and structure of a response paragraph.

Choose a topic (an important event from a book) to write about.

Plan, Draft, Revise, and edit a response paragraph.

OBJECTIVES

A response paragraph highlights or summarize an important event in a book or a short story. A paragraph has a topic sentence, they body and a closing sentence.

WHAT IS A RESPONSE PARAGRAPH?

What are they?What is their purpose?What do you think of them??

MOVIE REVIEWS.. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE?

You’re sitting in a movies theater, the lights dim, and the “Coming Attractions” begin. Each preview highlights a new movies. In a very short time, you know weather or not your want to see it. A response to literature in the form of a paragraph is much like a movie preview. The writing must get right to the point and say something meaningful about the story. This type of response usually highlights an important event. On the next page, you will read a sample paragraph that responds to a book. Then you will write a response paragraph of your own.

Writing Guidel ines Subject: An important event in a book or short story. Purpose: To respond to a story. Form: A paragraph. Audience: Classmates

RESPONDING TO TEXTRESPONSE PARAGRAPH

When you write a paragraph about something you’ve read, it should focuses on event. The topic sentence identifies the story, the author, and the event. The details in the body of the paragraph describe the event, and the closing sentence tells why the event is important.

In the following response, Shandra writes about the book Bride to Terabithia. She shares an event she thinks is very important.

RESPONSE PARAGRAPH

The most important event in Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia is when Jess and Leslies build their fort. Jess is a shy boy who wants to be an artist, and Leslie is the new girl in the neighborhood. They don’t fit in with other kids, but they get along with each other. Together, Jess and Leslie create Terabithia, a secret meeting place in the woods. To get there, they must cross a creak by swinging on a old rope. Jess and Leslie build a wooden fort in Terabithia and spend a lot of thyme there. Their little wooden fort takes them to a thousand places. The day Jess and Leslies create Terabithia is the day they begin to build their friendship.

Topic Sentence Body Closing Sentence

A FRIENDSHIP FORT

On your own paper, answer the following questions. Discuss your answers with a partner.

Development of Ideas: (1) What part of the story does the writer think is

important. (2) Why is it important?Organization: (3) Is the paragraph organized by time, by order of

importance, or by some other logical order?Voice: (4) Does the writer sound knowledgeable about the

story? (5) What words or phrases tell you so?

RESPOND TO THE READING

Development of Ideas: (1) What part of the story does the writer think is important.A: The writer thinks building the fort is the most important part. (2) Why is it important?A: This is when Jess and Leslie begin their friendship.Organization: (3) Is the paragraph organized by time, by order of

importance, or by some other logical order?A: Time order or logical order. Voice: (4) Does the writer sound knowledgeable about the story?A: Yes (5) What words or phrases tell you so? A: Shy boy… wants to be an artistnew girlTerabithia, a secret meeting place

RESPOND TO READING ANSWERS

Your fi rst step in writing a response to literature is using strategies to determine your topic. Sofi a began by listing novels and stories she had read and could respond to.

List Book Holes The Cay Bride to Terabithia Short Stories “The Gift of the Magi” “The Bell” “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”Choose a book or short story. Use the list strategy to determine an appropriate topic. On your worn paper, list some of your favorite books or short stories, Circle the one that interests you the most.

PREWRITING: SELECTING A TOPIC

Think about things that happen in the story you’ve chosen. Focus on events that affect the whole story. You will develop your paragraph’s controlling idea based on one event. A cluster can help you find events.

ClusterCreate a cluster. In the center of your cluster,

write the title of the book or short story. Around it, write a number of important events. Then choose one event around which you can develop a controlling idea.

FOCUSING ON AN IMPORTANT EVENT

Remember that a paragraph has three main parts: a topic sentence, the body, and a closing sentence

Topic Sentence: Write a sentence that names the book, short story, or expository text, its author, and the main event your will focus on.

Body: Write sentence that describe and explain the event.

Closing Sentence: End with a sentence that tell why the event is important.

Write the first draft of your paragraph. Use the information above as a guide.

DRAFTING: CREATING YOUR FIRST DRAFT

Getting started is often the hardest part of writing.

The most important event in _________________’s {insert author's name}_________________ {give title of boo or story}

is when_________________ {name important event}.

You can use the sentence patter to write their own topic sentence by fi lling in the blanks.

DRAFTING

After you’ve written your first draft, you need to revise your paragraph or focus and coherence, organization, deployment of ideas, and voice.

Review your paragraph. Use the following questions as a guide when you revise.

1. Have I written about an important event?2. Do I need to rearrange my sentences to be in

the best order?3. Do my sentences flow smoothly?4. Have I used specific nouns and strong verbs?5. Does my interest in the story show in my

voice?

REVISING IMPROVING YOUR PARAGRAPH

Opinions and feeling do not belong in a paragraph summarizing an important event. As students revise, tell them to look for words that signal opinions, such as I think or I believe.

REVISING

Check your revise paragraph for correct use of conventions.

Edit your work. Use the following questions to guide your editing:

1. Have I checked my grammar, mechanics, sentence structure, and spelling? Have I underlined the title (or used quotations marks)?

2. Have I used the right words ( to, two, too; who’s whose)?

Proofread your paragraph. After making a neat copy of your final paragraph, check it one more time for errors. Read your paragraph aloud to a partner.

EDITING: CHECKING FOR CONVENTIONS