Foundations and Modelsfor ProficiencyFoundations and Modelsfor Proficiency

CURRICULUM ASSOCIATES®, Inc.

TM

TM

Part I: foundations

Part II: models

Part I: foundations

A. Using Words in Writing

Lesson 1: Common and Proper Nouns ....4

Lesson 2: Plural Nouns.............................6

Lesson 3: Possessive Nouns ......................8

Lesson 4: Pronouns.................................10

Lesson 5: Pronouns Before and After Verbs ........................12

Lesson 6: Action Verbs and Linking Verbs ......................................14

Lesson 7: Present, Past, and Future Verbs.........................................16

Lesson 8: Irregular Verbs ........................18

Lesson 9: Main Verbs and Helping Verbs ......................................20

Lesson 10: Subject-Verb Agreement ......22

Lesson 11: More Subject-Verb Agreement ...........................................24

Lesson 12: Exact Verbs...........................26

Lesson 13: Adjectives..............................28

Lesson 14: Adjectives That Compare .....30

Lesson 15: Exact Adjectives ...................32

Lesson 16: Adverbs.................................34

Lesson 17: Homophones ........................36

B. Giving Form to Writing

Lesson 18: Kinds of Sentences ...............38

Lesson 19: Sentence Fragments..............40

Lesson 20: Joining Sentences..................42

Lesson 21: Run-on Sentences.................44

C. Giving Voice to Writing

Lesson 22: Capitalization .......................46

Lesson 23: More Capitalization .............48

Lesson 24: Commas................................50

Lesson 25: Apostrophes in Contractions ........................................52

Lesson 26: Quotations in Dialogue ........54

D. Giving Structure to Writing

Lesson 27: Paragraphs ............................56

Lesson 28: Main Idea and Details ..........58

Lesson 29: Varying Sentences inParagraphs............................................60

E. Revising and Editing

Lesson 30: Proofreading .........................62

Prepare for a Test, Part I .........................64

Part II: modelsLesson 31: Descriptions..........................76

Lesson 32: Personal Narratives ...............86

Lesson 33: Fictional Narratives ..............96

Lesson 34: Expository Essays ...............106

Lesson 35: Opinions .............................116

Lesson 36: Summaries ..........................126

Lesson 37: Research Reports ................138

Prepare for a Test, Part II .....................141

4

Each word in a sentence has a job. The job of naming a person, place,or thing belongs to a noun.

Nouns such as uncle, country, and building are called common nouns.They name any person, place, or thing. Nouns such as Uncle Phil,Brazil, and White House name a particular person, place, or thing.These nouns are called proper nouns. Always capitalize proper nouns.

In the first sentence, the nounsBenjamin Franklin, Boston, andMassachusetts name a particularperson and place. They are propernouns and are capitalized.

Many proper nouns, like ThePennsylvania Gazette, have morethan one word. The first word,the last word, and each importantword between is capitalized. Findanother proper noun with threewords. One word does not beginwith a capital letter. Guess why.

Read the true story of a famous American. The words in red arecommon nouns. The words in blue are proper nouns.

ThinkAbout

LESS

ON 1

ThinkAbout

Stud

y A Model

Stud

y A Model

PART I

Benjamin Franklin was born in

Boston, Massachusetts, in 1706.

As a young man, he set up a print

shop in Philadelphia. There he

published a newspaper called The

Pennsylvania Gazette. He also

set up the first fire department

and library. Franklin was a scientist

and an inventor too. Later, he

helped to write the Declaration

of Independence.

People

Places

Things

AmeliaMayor RamirezCanadaSouth PoleJulyLibrary of Congress

cousinteachermountainlibrarypancakesvacation

Common Nouns Proper Nouns

5

Common Nouns Proper Nouns1. president a. Cedar Street2. street b. Dr. Anne I. Mills3. book c. Seattle4. veterinarian d. Detroit Tigers5. city e. George Washington6. team f. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

1. We ate lunch at Gina’s Café.2. Jack Kelley works at the airport.3. Is that building the Chicago Art Museum?4. My relatives will arrive in June.5. They are taking the train to Florida.6. The Langs own a small business.

B

C

Match each commonnoun with a propernoun.

Read each sentence.Find and write thecommon noun andthe proper nounin the sentence.

Read the paragraph.Write the 7 commonnouns and the 7 proper nouns.Don’t include anoun more thanonce.

Write a story about a famous person youhave learned about. Explain why thisperson is famous. Remember to capitalizethe proper nouns.

Writing TipTry to use proper nouns instead ofcommon nouns in your writing becausethey make your writing more exact.• The boys went to a restaurant

in the city. (vague and boring)• Victor and Pete went to Jimbo’s Fish

Shanty in New Orleans. (more exact and informative)

How did the Los Angeles Dodgers get their name? It all

started in Brooklyn, New York, in 1890. The team was named

the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers because of the many tracks for

trolleys near the Brooklyn Bridge. People were constantly having

to dodge the streetcars. Later, the name was shortened to

Dodgers. In 1958, the team moved to Los Angeles. This city has

no trolleys to dodge, but the name stuck anyway.

Practice

Write

A

Practice

WriteLE

SSON

1

A common noun names any person, place, or thing. A proper noun names a particular person, place, or thing. Always capitalize each important word in a proper noun.

Our Calico Cat

Our calico cat is named Melinda. Like all

calico cats, she is white, tan, and dark brown.

She’s really mostly a white cat with patches of

color. There is one large dark spot on her back

that looks like a permanent saddle.

Most of the day, Melinda sits on a wide

windowsill over the kitchen sink. When the

window is open, she is always sniffing the air.

I wonder what she’s smelling. Could it be the

newly cut grass or a bird in a nearby tree? If a

bird comes close to the window, Melinda

freezes like a statue for a minute. Her long,

fluffy tail swishes back and forth like a

broom. Then she makes a funny chattering

sound. I think she is talking to the birds.

Melinda likes people too. She’s always

looking for an empty lap to sleep in. Everyone

in my family loves Melinda, but she loves

me the most!

76

When you write, you often have to describe people, places, and things.When you write descriptions, you are really painting a colorful picturein the mind of your reader. To do this, you need to use exact words andwords related to the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

Here is a sample writing prompt for a description.

Read the description. It was written in response to the prompt.Then read the Writing Tips to learn more about descriptions.

❉ Choose a specific subject. For example,instead of writing about birds, writeabout a specific kind of bird, like a parakeet.

❉ Create a clear beginning, middle, andending. Arrange the details in an orderthat makes sense.

❉ Introduce the subject clearly at thebeginning.

❉ Use your five senses to think of wordsthat describe the subject. Ask yourselfthese questions: How does this animallook? Sound? Feel? Smell?

❉ Use comparisons to paint pictures with words. For example, a simile usesthe word like or as to compare twothings. (A large dark spot on Melinda’sback is like a saddle.)

❉ In your ending, sum up your thoughtsand feelings about the subject with afinal concluding statement.

Write a description of an animal that can be kept as a pet.

Writing Tips

PART II In Lessons 31–37 you write. Use what you’ve learned in Part I to WRITE!LE

SSON

31

77

USING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERSUSING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

Before you write, use graphic organizers. These charts and diagramscan help you think about, gather, and sort information for your description.

The person who wrote the description of the calico cat on page 76might have used a Looks and Actions Chart, such as the one below.

A Sensory Words Web is another way to gather colorful words thatdescribe Melinda, the calico cat. Read the description on page 76 again.How might the writer have filled in this web? Some sensory words arealready given. Fill in the rest of the ovals with words that will create a lively image of Melinda.

A Looks and ActionsChart helpswriters organizetwo differentkinds of detailsabout the subject.

A Sensory Words Web helps writersthink of the best words to create strongimages in readers’ minds.

Looks Actions

mostly white with tan and dark brown patches

large spot on back shapedlike a saddle

long, fluffy tail

sniffs the airholds still when birds

appearsits on a windowsillmakes a chattering soundcurls up in laps

Melinda

Sound

Smell

Sight Touch

chatters in a funny way

3

78

Read the description below. It was written in responseto the prompt on page 76. This description scored a 4 on a scale that ranges from 1 to 4 (with 4 being the best).Next, read the comments and think about why thisdescription scored a 4.

My Friend Maxie

Maxie is our dog. She is part spaniel part beagle,

and all fun. Her long body starts at the tip

of a pointed nose and ends in a long, fluffy tail.

Floppy ears droop down the sides of Maxies head, and

her dark brown eyes always look friendly. Her soft,

wavy coat is black on her back and tan everywhere else.

When I get home from school, Maxie greets me

with three sharp barks. Her tail wags back and forth

like a flag flying in the wind. Then her barks change

to a soft whine. That’s Maxie saying, “I want to go out!”

In the backyard, Maxie loves to chase squirrels!

Sometimes she brings me a stick, and we play

tug-of-war. Then she drops the stick so that I’ll pick

it up and throw it. I’m so lucky to have such a

playful friend!

TAKING A LOOK AT DESCRIPTIONSTAKING A LOOK AT DESCRIPTIONS

▲ Good job introducing thesubject right away!

▲ Your details paint acomplete picture of Maxieand are well organized.

▲ Sensory words, such as fluffy and sharp, make thedescription come alive.

▲ Beginning your sentences in different ways makes your writing flow.

▲ I like your simile comparingMaxie’s tail to a flag.

Now it’s your turn to helpthe writer. Find and fix theerrors in the description.Go back to the pages ingreen if you need help.

1. Find and fix the missingcomma in a series.See pp. 50–51.

2. Find and fix the incorrectpossessive noun.See pp. 8–9.

TeacherComments

Partner Comments

1

2

4

Score:

The first sentence let me know what the descriptionwas about. It also let me know how you feel aboutthe subject. I got a good picture of what Maxie lookslike and how she acts. She seems like a nice dog.

3

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▲ Your description is well organized.▲ You cover all the important physical

details of how Maxie looks.▲ Try to come up with a more

interesting title.▲ Try adding more descriptive words,

such as exact adjectives and adverbs.See pp. 32–35 for help.

▲ Vary the kinds of sentences you use.See pp. 38–39 and 60–61.

Now it’s your turn to help thewriter. Find and fix the errors in thedescription. Go back to the pages ingreen if you need help.

1. Find and fix the missing commain a series. See pp. 50–51.

2. Find the paragraph error. Markwhere a new paragraph shouldbegin. See pp. 56–57.

3. Find and fix the incorrectpossessive noun. See pp. 8–9.

4. Find the sentence fragment.Rewrite it as a complete sentence.See pp. 40–41.

5. Find and fix the contractionthat is missing an apostrophe.See pp. 52–53.

TeacherComments 4

Read the description and the comments that follow.Think about why this description scored a 3.

Description of Maxie

Maxie is our dog. She is medium-sized.

She has a long tail and long ears like a cocker

spaniel. She has a pointed nose brown eyes,

and white teeth. Her fur is black on her back

and tan everywhere else. When I get home

from school, Maxies barking greets me. Her tail

always wagging back and forth happily. Then

she starts whining to go out. She loves to chase

squirrels. Then she brings me a stick to throw

for her. I don’t mind throwing it. Its kind of fun.

Maxie is fun.

Partner Comments

1

2

Score:

You organized your description well, butmore colorful details right away would havehelped me get a better picture of Maxie. The rest of the description gave me a senseof how Maxie acts, but more interestingwords would have improved it.

80

TAKING A LOOK AT DESCRIPTIONS continuedTAKING A LOOK AT DESCRIPTIONS

Read the description and the comments that follow.Think about why this description scored a 2.

3

▲ You mention all the main parts of Maxie, but you need to describe them in greater detail.

▲ Try writing a more exact and exciting title.▲ Add more sensory words.▲ Try to vary your sentences and join some

of the short sentences. See pp. 38–39,42–43, and 60–61 for help.

Now it’s your turn to help the writer. Findand fix the errors in the description. Go backto the pages in green if you need help.

1. Indent the paragraph. See pp. 56–57.2. Find the sentence fragment. Rewrite it

as a complete sentence. See pp. 40–41.3. Find and fix the error in subject-verb

agreement. See pp. 22–23.4. Find and fix the incorrect homophone.

See pp. 36–37.5. Find and fix the missing commas

in a series. See pp. 50–51.6. Find and fix the contraction that is

missing an apostrophe. See pp. 52–53.7. Find the run-on sentence. Rewrite it as

two shorter sentences. See pp. 44–45.

TeacherComments

An Animal

Maxie is not too big and not too

small. Her ears are long. Her eyes are

brown. Her teeth white. Her fur is

black, but some of it is tan. Maxie

barks sometimes. Her tail is long.

It wag like a stick. Then I no she

is happy. She wants to go out and

chase squirrels sticks and balls.

I dont mind. She has fun and I have

fun too she is my special friend.

Partner Comments

1

2

Score:

4I couldn’t tell that you weredescribing a dog until the middle of the description. I learned somethings about Maxie, but you needbetter words and more details.Some sentences were too short, too.

81

4

Read the description and the comments that follow.Think about why this description scored a 1.

Maxie is furry and fun. I likes all kinds of animals.

She likes to chase squirrels They have bushy tails

and run fast. Her fur is black and tan. her tail is

always moving. Side to side. Its long and furry.

maxie and me play after school. She want to

go outside.

▲ A title would help readers know what yoursubject is. You also should tell what your subject is in your first sentence.

▲ You shouldn’t describe squirrels if they are notyour subject.

▲ Try to add more details to your description.See pp. 58–59 for help.

▲ You could use more exact verbs and adjectives.See pp. 26–27 and 32–33.

Now it’s your turn to helpthe writer. Find and fix theerrors in the description. Goback to the pages in green if you need help.

1. Indent the paragraph.See pp. 56–57.

2. Find and fix the two errorsin subject-verb agreement.See pp. 22–23.

3. Find and fix the sentencethat has no end punctuation.See pp. 38–39.

4. Find and fix the twocapitalization errors.See pp. 46–47.

5. Find and fix the sentencefragment. See pp. 40–41.

6. Find and fix thecontraction that is missing an apostrophe.See pp. 52–53.

7. Find and fix the incorrectpronoun. See pp. 12–13.

TeacherComments

Partner Comments

1

2

3

Score:

You gave details about Maxie’s tail and fur. Youalso said that she runs and likes to chasesquirrels. It was still not clear what you weredescribing. Is Maxie a dog?

This rubric is based on a point scale of 1 to 4. It was used to score thedescriptions on pages 78–81. Use the rubric to remember what’s important in descriptions.

A score of 4 means that the writer❑ connects the writing directly to the prompt.❑ almost always uses the correct forms of words.❑ almost always uses capitalization, punctuation,

and indentation correctly.❑ almost always uses clear and complete sentences

and includes variety in sentences.❑ introduces the subject clearly at the beginning

of the description.❑ creates a clear beginning, middle, and ending.❑ includes colorful, sensory words to create

a strong image for readers.❑ creates an interesting title that relates directly

to the subject.❑ presents many interesting details in a clear,

meaningful order.❑ uses comparisons that make the image clearer.

A score of 3 means that the writer❑ connects the writing to the prompt.❑ usually uses the correct forms of words.❑ usually uses capitalization, punctuation,

and indentation correctly.❑ usually uses clear and complete sentences

and includes some variety in sentences.❑ introduces the subject toward the beginning

of the description.❑ creates a beginning, middle, and ending.❑ includes some colorful, sensory words to create

a clear image for readers.❑ creates a title that relates to the subject.❑ presents some interesting details in an order

that makes sense.❑ uses some simple comparisons.

A score of 2 means that the writer❑ connects the writing to the prompt

in a general way.❑ uses some incorrect forms of words and

some incorrect capitalization, punctuation,and indentation.

❑ includes little variety in sentences and usessome run-on sentences or sentence fragments.

❑ names the subject somewhere within the description.

❑ creates a weak beginning, middle, or ending.❑ includes too few sensory words to create

a strong image for readers.❑ creates a title that relates somewhat

to the topic.❑ uses few details and presents them

in a confusing order.❑ uses no comparisons or uses them

unsuccessfully.

A score of 1 means that the writer❑ does not successfully connect the writing

to the prompt.❑ uses many incorrect forms of words and often

uses incorrect capitalization, punctuation,and indentation.

❑ includes almost no variety in sentences and usesseveral run-on sentences or sentence fragments.

❑ names the subject in an unclear way or not at all.

❑ creates an unclear beginning, middle,or ending.

❑ uses only simple words that do not create a clear image for readers.

❑ creates a poor title or has no title at all.❑ presents weak details in an unclear or

confusing order.❑ uses no comparisons.

82

USING A RUBRIC TO SCORE DESCRIPTIONSUSING A RUBRIC TO SCORE DESCRIPTIONS

Now it’s your turn to score some descriptions. The four descriptionson pages 83–84 were written in response to this prompt.

Read each description. Write a few comments about it and then giveit a score from 1 to 4. Think about what you’ve learned in this lesson asyou match each description with its correct score.

Squirrels

Squirrels are cute animals. Their bushy tails looklike feather dusters. They have small gray bodiespointed ears, and shiny black eyes.

Often squirrels sit on their hind legs eating foodthat they hold in there front paws then they run off,making noises and chasing each other up and downtrees. Theyre busy little animals.

83

M

odel A

M

odel A Score:

SCORING DESCRIPTIONSSCORING DESCRIPTIONS

Write a description of a wild animal.

Comments: ____________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

Running all over the grass and jumping into trees.their gray all over they have really big tales. Theylike to eat nuts. Its fun to watch them chase eachother. I like to go to the park and watch them. A squirrels ears is pointed.

M

odel B

M

odel B Score:

Comments: ____________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

84

SCORING DESCRIPTIONS continuedSCORING DESCRIPTIONS

Gray Squirrels

Gray squirrels have short gray fur, but their tailsare very bushy. There are rust-colored highlights intheir fur, but the squirrels’ chests and bellies are white.Their shiny black eyes, pointed ears, and twitchingnose make the squirrels look full of energy and fun.

Squirrels climb expertly up and down tree trunks.On the ground, they leap from place to place. Sittingon their hind legs, they gnaw on nuts and seeds.Then they bound off, chasing each other andchattering like school children at recess.

M

odel C

M

odel C Score:

Comments: ____________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

A Wild Animal

Theyre small and gray they have grate big gray tailsand pointed ears. They run a lot. They climb a lot.They jump a lot. They likes eating nuts. They sit on there back legs. Eat with their front legs. raccoonsdo that to. Then they go chasing after other squirrels.

M

odel D

M

odel D Score:

Comments: ____________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

Now you get to write your own description.Use the prompt below.

When You Write Your Description

1. Think about your subject. If possible, observe the animal you aregoing to describe or look at a picture of it. Ask yourself questions.• What does the animal look like? • What sounds does it make? • What does it feel like? • How does it act?

Use graphic organizers to gather and sort your information.

2. Write your first draft. Name the animal you are describing at the beginning. Describe the animal with exact words and words that relate to the five senses. Use comparisons likesimiles if they add to your description.

3. Read your draft. Use the checklist that your teacher will give you to review your writing.

4. Edit your description until it creates a colorful image of theanimal you’re describing.

5. Proofread your description one last time.

6. Write a neat copy of your description and give it to your partner.

Work with a Partner

7. Read your partner’s description.

8. Score your partner’s description from 1 to 4, using the rubricon page 82. Then complete the Partner Comments sheet thatyour teacher will give you. Tell what you liked about thedescription and what you think would make it better.

9. Switch papers.

10. Think about your partner’s comments. Read your descriptionagain and make any changes that you think will improve it.

11. Write a neat final copy of your description.

85

◆ ◆Making Connections

◆ When people witnessan accident, the policeask them to describewhat they saw in detail.Practice payingattention to details bylooking out a windowand noticing everythingin sight. Then lookaway and try todescribe the scene in detail.

◆ Some similes, such as “ashungry as a bear” and“as busy as a bee,” havebeen used too often.Make a list of otheroverused similes. Thenuse your imaginationto turn them intofresh, new similes.

◆ Make a list of wordsthat you associate witheach of the five senses.For example: you mightinclude the word shinyin the Sight column,squealing in Sound,silky in Touch, lemonyin Smell, and tart inTaste. Challenge afriend or familymember to name onething that each wordcould describe.

Writing DescriptionsWriting Descriptions

Write a description of your favorite animal.