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Slide 2 Mary Lou Ohnsman West Oakview Elementary School Third Grade Teacher Northview Public Schools - Grand Rapids Michigan mohnsman@nvps.net 1 Slide 3 Why do we writepersonal narratives? Why do we write? To reflect To remember To share To process Frank Kafka, novelist, said Writing is utter solitude, the descent into the cold abyss of oneself. Catherine Drinker Bowen, biographer, said Writing, I think, is not apart from living. Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences everything twice. Once in reality and once in that mirror which waits always before and behind. Henry Miller, novelist, said Writing is its own reward. We write in isolation writing is an alone job. 2 Slide 4 My question: What to do with 50+ journals? A personal narrative is not a diary: Today it is raining. We have a substitute teacher. She seems very nice. We are going to have gym right before lunch. Its not a reading journal in which your teacher tells you to summarize the main idea of a book, or write a letter to a character. A writers notebook is different from any journal youve ever kept before. ~Ralph Fletcher A Writers Notebook 3 Slide 5 What is a Personal Narrative? A personal narrative is a story about something that has happened to YOU. It can't be about someone you know. A personal narrative has to be at least 5 paragraphs long. It is usually about something good that has happened to the person. However, it can be about anything that has happened to you. Personal narratives allow you to share your life with others and vicariously experience the things that happen around you. Your job as a writer is to put the reader in the midst of the action letting him or her live through an experience. 4 Slide 6 What I know by heart is what matters most. Katie Wood Ray Write whats in your heart, write the truth. Georgia Heard There is another quality of good writing that matters tremendously: significance. Teach students to write stories that matter to them. Lucy Calkins 5 Slide 7 * Grade Level Content Expectations *National Core Curriculum *Northview Curriculum Map for Third Grade *October MEAP *District writing prompt 6 Slide 8 National Core Curriculum and MEAP Narrative Writing Rubric 7 Slide 9 How does a Third Grader Write? Writers Workshop - 60 minutes CAF Work on Writing 15 minutes Daily Writing in Journal Week 1 & 2 routine and expectations Week 3 Begin focus-lessons: Six Traits of Writing Writing Process Lucy Calkins lesson What are you working on as a writer? **************************** DAILY CAF - Work on Writing Monday - select a story from journal Tuesday self-edit and peer-edit Wednesday work on final copy Thursday title, illustration & turn in Friday Writers Celebration 8 Slide 10 These will not go away Writing Process Traits of Good Writing 9 Slide 11 Where do ideas come from? 10 Slide 12 Teach a Calkins Strategy Make a list of favorite: People Places Things My List of Favorite Places: The Rockford Dam Lake Michigan My front porch My back yard Bike trail 11 Slide 13 Zoom in 12 Slide 14 The jarthey want to know more about the jar! I hadnt thought about the jar of marbles for quite some time The Jar and it made me realize Pretty marbles Near my jars of Lake Michigan rocks and polished sea glass Smuckers jar brings back memories I am ready to write! 13 Slide 15 The Power of the Interview. You know what you are thinking and writing but when someone listens to you, and interviews you, you realize you have many details to add! 1. Write a quick write about one of your favorite object (from your list) 2. Read it out loud to a neighbor. 3. Neighbor asks questions for further understanding. 4. Thank your neighbor then reverse the above procedure! 14 Slide 16 Product or Process 15 Slide 17 16 Slide 18 17 Slide 19 18 Slide 20 September 2010 A Fall Walk on the Nature Trail Growing Green Writers 19 Slide 21 They arrive looking (and writing) like second graders 20 Slide 22 December 2010 A Winter Walk on the Nature Trail The earth is changing and so are the amazing group of third graders at West Oakview School! 21 Slide 23 Growing Third Graders 22 Slide 24 Length is part of the process but not the focus 23 Slide 25 April 2011 A Spring Walk to the Nature Trail We are heading into the end of the school year and some of the students are starting to check out especially as the weather begins to get nicer. At this point in the year, there are several students I am highly concerned about and I really push the 1-1 time with them! Most of the other students are showing significant progress in their independent writing! 24 Slide 26 Fourth grade student has blossomed into a writer Teach the process, add the heart (or significance) and the product will emerge! 25 Slide 27 June 2011 One more walk to the nature trail Yeah! We made it! Changes on the surface of the earth and within the lives of 23 amazing students. Each student received a copy of each of the walks and wrote about what their memory was. I tell my students Write it down, add a lot of details; otherwise, you will forget! 26 Slide 28 I write for inside me is much to say, too much for me to think alone. 27 Slide 29 Reflection Questions 1. What strategy presented today do you see yourself using in your classroom? How do you motivate passion for writing in your students? 2. Is there a writing strategy you currently use that helps your students create greater details on their own to provide a more significant personal narrative? 3. Reflect on our chosen t-shirt logo and how you will explain it to others: Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. ~ Ben Franklin 28 Slide 30 Resources Boushey, Gail and Moser, Joan The CAF Book Stenhouse Publishers, 2009 Calkins, Lucy Launching the Writing Workshop. Heinemann Publishing Co., 2006 Fletcher, Ralph A Writers Notebook Unlocking the Writer Within You. HarperTrophy Publisher, 1996 Heard, Georgia. Writing Toward Home Tales and Lessons to Find Your Way. Heineman Publishing Co., 1995. Ray, Katie Wood What You Know by Heart How to Develop Curriculum for Your Writing Workshop. Heineman Publishing Co.,2002 29