ASHLEY BARNETTSHAE HAREDOROTHY

MCDOUGAL

Grade 3

DR. TONJA ROOTECED 4300ASPRING 2010

PLO: The student will pre-write by completing a graphic organizer to arrange ideas using only words and phrases.

Communication from the student to the author or illustrator in the form of a letter

Response to Literature

Students express Feelings Thoughts Concerns Likes/Dislikes Lessons learned, etc.

Heading Name & Address Date Greeting

Dear____________,

(author/illustrator)

Body Thoughts, feelings,

concerns, likes/dislikes, etc.

Lessons learned Questions and ideas

Closing Closing

Sincerely, Yours Truly, Your Friend, etc.

Signature

Identify Form Topic Audience Purpose

Focus on thoughts & ideas

Largest part of the writing process spent here 70%

Spelling & grammar not important (at this stage) Words and phrases

only No complete

sentences

Graphic organizer is very important Structures

information, ideas, thoughts, etc.

See where more planning is needed

Hare, S. (2010). Author/Illustrator letter graphic organizer. Unpublished graphic organizer.

Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA. Modified

from: Root, T. (n.d.). Friendly letter graphic organizer. Retrieved April 2, 2010, from Dr. Tonja Root’s website: http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu

/troot/eced4300/Graphic%20O rganizers.htm

HeadingWhat is your address? ________________________________________(Your street number, street name, & apartment number (if living in an apartment))_________________________________________(Your city, state, and zip code)_________________________________________(Today’s date)

Who will get your letter, the author or the illustrator?___________________________(Greeting) BodyWhat are your thoughts, feelings, concerns, likes/dislikes, etc. about the story and/or illustrations? •_________________________________________________

•_________________________________________________ •_________________________________________________

•_________________________________________________

•_________________________________________________ Did you learn anything by reading this book?•_________________________________________________

•________________________________________________ Do you have any questions or ideas for the author and/or illustrator?•_________________________________________________

•_________________________________________________ •_________________________________________________ _____________________(Closing)

_____________________(Your signature)

Letters to Jack. (n.d.) Retrieved April 2, 2010,

from Jack Prelutsky’s web site:

http://www.jackprelutsk

y.com/flash/index.html

Read The Giving Tree aloud to students

Class discussion thoughts on text

Complete chart-sized graphic organizer as a class providing specific feedback

Read The Lorax aloud to class

Discuss thoughts on text as a class

Individually complete graphic organizer following example provided during practice activity

Discuss drafting Creating ‘sloppy copy’ Use phrases from graphic

organizer to write sentences

Explain Revising Focus on content, not

mechanics Add, delete, and change

facts and information

Dunbar, F. From readers. Retrieved April 1, 2010 from Fiona Dunbar’s web site: http://www.fionadunbar.com/lulubaker/lulubaker_reviews.htm

I am11 years old and I think you are the best author in the world and your books are fantastic, but my favourite would have to be CUPID CAKES. At the moment I am doing a project about you and the books you have written. I think the characters in your books are fantastic. I would just like to know what made you decide to be an author instead of an illustrator. I would also like to thank you for making reading fun. thank you, from Clodagh

I am11 years old and I think you are the best author in the world and your books are fantastic, but my favourite would have to be CUPID CAKES. At the moment I am doing a project about you and the books you have written. I think the characters in your books are fantastic. I would just like to know what made you decide to be an author instead of an illustrator. I would also like to thank you for making reading fun. thank you, from Clodagh

Class activity Use phrases from the graphic

organizer from pre-writing Create complete sentences and place

them in order to form a rough draft Revise the draft by reading the piece

as a class Make any necessary additions,

deletions, or changes to the content of the piece using the correct proofreader’s marks

Revise the draft by reading the piece as a class

Make any necessary additions, deletions, or changes to the content of the piece using the correct proofreader’s marks

Students use individual graphic organizers

Follow the class practice example to write their own draft of a letter to an author

Use correct proofreader’s marks

Revise piece for content, add and delete

information as needed

PLO: The student will edit the revised rough draft to correct mechanical and grammatical errors.

Letter written by the reader

Reader expresses thoughts and ideas about text and/or illustrations

Reader may pose questions to author/illustrator

Focus on mechanics Proofread piece by

reading word-by-word Find errors Make corrections using

correct Proofreader’s Marks

Pay attention to Spelling Capitalization Punctuation Paragraph formation

Look for capitalization errors

Look for punctuation errors

Look for spelling errors

Look for grammatical errors

Check sentence structure, usage, and formatting

Guide to proofreading marks. (2009). Retrieved April 5, 2010, from The Proofreading Girl: Professional Proofreading Services’ web site: http://www.theproofreadinggirl.com/index.php/proofreading-marks-guide/

1. ____ I have checked to make sure each sentence begins with a capital letter.

2. ____ I have checked to make sure each sentence ends with correct punctuation.

3. ____ I have checked to make sure proper nouns within sentences are capitalized.

4. ____ I have checked to make sure each sentence has subject and verb agreement.

5. ____ I have checked to make sure commas are used correctly in sentences.

6. ____ I have identified misspelled words and listed the correct spelling.

 7. ____ I have checked for run-on sentences.

 8. ____ I have checked for pronouns being used correctly in sentences.

 9. ____ I have inserted proofreaders’ marks correctly with a red pen.

Foster, M. (2009). 2009 Read Across America KNEA Read Aloud Contest Entries. Retrieved

April 5, 2010, from the KNEA web site:

http://www.knea.org/readac ross/maddiefoster.html

//www.knea.org/readacross/maddiefoster.html

Dear Christopher Paul Curtis,

I read Elijah of Buxton. This book taught me to be thankful for everything new that I get. When this book takes place Elijah Didn’t get to use his parents money to go out and buy new clothes, shoes, ect. He had to raise the money or just do helpful things just to be nice. Now days, kids just say I need some money and they get money so it taught me to not just say I need money, I need to earn it.

It also made me proud to be an American because I am free to go and do whatever I want. It made me really stop and think about all that I get to have and do, because Elijah was the first child bon into freedom, so he was lucky just like me. So we have some in common. It just makes me feel good to think that I am like a character in one of my favorite books. A lot of people feel that they need to go everywhere and do everything, so I think Elijah should make them think that they don’t need everything.

It reflected me as a person because it showed me how much I have and how lucky I am. I am lucky because my parents work for me so that I can have food, a home, and everything I need to survive. Just like Elijah. This book was like one of my life experiences because it taught me how to live without electricity. I had to live with out electricity during and ice storm in Northeast Kansas. We had now electricity for about a week. When I stared to get cold I thought what would Elijah do?

In this book Elijah was very fragile. He was scared of snakes. So it taught me to not be so scared of everything because when you are scared it takes up your whole lifetime. So you have no time to do anything fun. It made me think that I need to stop being so scared of everything and get out there and have some fun, because before I know it my life will be over. I don’t want to be inside scared of everything all day long every day. So I thought about it and I told my self quit being scared and I did. So I think that beings cared is just mind over matter. These are some ways the book reflects on me and how it changed me as a person.

  Maddie Foster5th grade, Central Elementary SchoolHolton, KS

Class activity Use the revised

drafted piece Edit using red marker Use correct

proofreader’s marks

Individual activity Use the revised

drafted piece Edit using red pen Use correct

proofreader’s marks