Wex grade5 level-c:book1

WEX The Writer’s Express

Level C / Book 1

Rules for Sharing1.The reader reads loudly and

slowly.

2.The reader calls on other students for their responses.

3.The listeners respond by saying only what the writer did well.

4.The listeners identify specific words, phrases, or sentences that made an impression.

The WEX Writer’s Mindset

WEX Writers:

1.Take academic and social risks.

2.Write about one thing that really grabs their attention.

3.Experiment with their writing.

4.Support one another.

5.Write with the reader in mind.

Rules for Writing Time

1.No talking.

2.No trips to the bathroom or water fountain

3.Keep focused on your own work - don’t distract your classmates.

4.Use the whole time to write.

5.Ask for help once, if necessary, then continue writing.

Response Starters1. I liked when you used the word ______ because ________.

2. You created a picture of the setting when you wrote

______.

3. You created a picture of the person when you wrote

______.

4. You created a picture of the moment when you wrote

_____.

5. You created a picture of the object when you wrote

______.

6. When you described _________, it made me think of the

scene from the book _______ when the main character

__________.

Unit OneGetting Started

Lesson OneIntroducing the Writer’s Express (WEX)

WEX Journal Sample Page

Targeted Skill: ________________________ Date: _________________Title: _______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________

Revision Assignment

Verbal Warm-UpRaise your hand if...

you like eating.

you can remember eating something incredibly delicious.

while eating that incredibly delicious thing, you reacted in some way-- talking or making a noise, moving or gesturing in some way,

looking to see how others reacted.

I’m sorry to do this to you, but now raise your hand if you can remember eating something totally disgusting.

while eating that AWFUL thing, you reacted in some way-- talking or making a noise, moving or gesturing in some way, looking to see

how others reacted.

Lesson 1- PromptDescribe a moment when you ate or tasted

something disgusting. Include details about

where you were and how the food looked, felt, and

tasted.

Lesson TwoIntroducing WEX Sharing

Topics for Brainstorming• Things that have numbers in them

• Things that move quickly

• Things that never move at all

• Kinds of stores

• Kinds of buildings

• Kinds of books

• Things that live in the ocean

• Things that live underground

• Things that break easily.


you or someone in your group laughed today.

you felt stressed out at some point .

you saw a facial expression or a gesture that showed thinking.

you and your group had any moments when ideas were coming fast.

anyone interrupted anyone else when they were talking.

there was a lot of talking in your group.

there was a moment of misunderstanding in your group.

you were looking forward to being the writeryou were dreading being the writer.

Lesson 2- PromptDescribe one particularly memorable moment

during today’s brainstorming activity.

Include dialogue, description, and details

that show why the moment was so

memorable.

Lesson ThreeIntroducing the Skill of Focus

Definition of Focus

To focus is to concentrate on one specific moment, object, or theme and use precise details to write

about it.

Sample ParagraphSkill Drill- Focus

One time that I had trouble working with tools in art class. I had a tough time with the paintbrush and

watercolor. Lunch was more fun for me because I had grape juice. At recess we were feeding the birds bread.

Tonight if I’m lucky I’ll get to go to the movies. I like Saturday’s best.

What to Do:1. Think of a single moment in time today, maybe when

you were in class. 2. Write at least five sentences about what happened during that one small moment. Your goal is to focus

ONLY on that moment.

Lesson FourActing in Focus Theater

Focus Theater ActivityWhat I Did On the Weekend


you felt successful at some point today.

you felt confused at some point today.

you overheard a conversation at some point today.

you were really paying attention at some point today.

you felt super hungry at some point today.

you laughed out loud at some point today.

Lesson 4- Prompt

Use detail to describe one focused moment in your

day.

Lesson FiveFocusing on Adding Detail

Sample Passage

Some kids were playing basketball on the court. Someone was flying a kite in the field. Sitting

under a tree, a family had a picnic.

What to Do:

1. Choose one of the moments in the Sample Passage.

2. Write at least TWO more sentences that focus on the details

of that single moment.

Response Starters1. I liked when you used the word ______ because ________.

2. You created a picture of the setting when you wrote

______.

3. You created a picture of the person when you wrote

______.

4. You created a picture of the moment when you wrote

_____.

5. You created a picture of the object when you wrote

______.

6. When you described _________, it made me think of the

scene from the book _______ when the main character

__________.

Lesson SixFocusing on a Moment

Sample Paragraph

Mel slipped on the ice. Fabian threw a snowball.Everyone said how cold it was that day.

What to Do:1. Choose one of the moments in the Sample

Paragraph2. Write at least three sentences that add detail

about that moment.


your hilarious moment included a sibling.

it involved a friend.

it involved no one but you.

it involved your parents, teacher, or some other adult.

you were laughing inside as you wrote.

you think you’ll tell your story to a friend or relative in the next few days.

Lesson 6- Prompt

Describe a hilarious moment. Make sure you

use detail and description to focus on just that

single moment.

Lesson SevenFocusing on Perspective

Lesson 7- Prompt

Imagine that you suddenly shrank to 1 inch tall and you’re about to climb over the backpack you just drew. Write a

story about what happens to you.

Lesson EightFocusing on an Object

Skill Drill

What to Do:1. Choose an object from somewhere in the

classroom.2. Write three sentences about that object. Focus on the object and describe it using very specific

details. Try to create a picture of the object in the reader’s mind.


you have an object in your room at home that is important or special to you.

you have an important object that you carry around with you.

you’ve owned an object for a long time.

you have an object that is new to you.

you have an object that was a gift to you.

you found your important object somewhere.

Lesson 8- Prompt

Describe something you own that is important to

you.

Lesson NineFocusing on Setting

Sample Paragraph

In art class I had fun. Janice got in trouble during lunch. Carl acted silly in gym.

What to Do:1. Read the passage and choose one sentence, such as, “Janice got in trouble during lunch.”2. Write the sentence you’ve chosen in your

journal. 3. Write two more sentences that take place in the

same setting.


you’ve ever been in a very crowded place.

you’ve ever been to-- a big concert, a professional sports event, a giant supermarket, the school

cafeteria.

you like being in crowded places.

you don’t like being in crowded places.

Lesson 9- Prompt

Write about a moment when you were in a place that was very crowded. Use details about sounds to show the reader how

crowded it was.

Lesson TenFocusing on Sound


you have ever been bothered or irritated by a particular noise.

you ever felt calmed or soothed by a noise.

some noises make you feel nervous or on edge.

you can imagine the best sound in the whole world.

you can imagine where you are when you hear that sound.

Lesson 10- Prompt

Choose a sound that you hear regularly or have

heard in the past. Describe the place where you hear the sound and how you feel when you

hear it.

Lesson ElevenIntroducing Revision Assignments

Definition of a Revision Assignment

A quick, in-class assignment in which you practice a specific skill by

changing or adding something you have written.

RA: Showing

Look at the sentence I bracketed. This is a telling sentence. Write 2-3 more sentences that help me picture the moment. Your details should really

convince the reader.

What to Do:

1. Complete the RA2. Make sure you wrote 2-3 sentences3. Check by comparing “before” with

the “after.”

Unit TwoShowing Details

Lesson TwelveIntroduction to Showing

Showing EmotionsTelling Showing


in the last few days you felt really happy.

in the last few days you felt proud.

in the last few days you felt frustrated.

you sneaked somewhere in the last few days.

you recently argued with a friend.

you recently were surprised and tried not to show it.

you recently had to do a chore that you hate doing.

Lesson 12- PromptWrite about a moment when you recently felt a

strong emotion. Describe what made you feel that way, and how you acted

that showed that emotion. Show how

every part of your face looked when you felt that

emotion.

Lesson ThirteenReplacing Telling with Showing

Telling & Showing Sentences

Telling Sentence: The man was sad.

Showing Sentence: The man sobbed like his heart was breaking. Tears spilled out of

his eyes and dribbled down his cheeks. Every few minutes he blew his nose into a

hanky.

What to Do:

1. Write the following sentence in your journal:

Telling Sentence: The girl was excited.

2. Write THREE sentences that show the reader that the girl was excited.

Sample Sentences

Tony’s feelings were hurt.

Lisa didn’t get the joke.

Dave was an avid Bears fan.

Tia was frustrated.


you remember the last birthday party you went to.

you remember what a friend or sibling looked like while opening a gift.

you ever opened a gift that you didn’t like in front of the person that gave it to you.

you ever opened a gift and were surprised because you were expecting something else.

you have ever given a gift and wondered if the person really liked it as much as he or she said.

Lesson 13- Prompt

Describe a time recently when you watched

someone open a gift. Write details about how

they reacted to show how they felt about the gift.

Lesson FourteenIdentifying Subjects & Predicates

Subject & Predicate Definitions

The subject of a sentence is who or what the sentence is about.

It includes a noun: a person place or thing.

The predicate of a sentence tells what the subject is DOING.

The predicate includes a verb (an action word).

Sample Sentences A - DSample Sentence A:

The girl slept.

Sample Sentence B:The drowsy girl with brown hair slept as late as she

possibly could the first day of summer vacation.

Sample Sentence C:The man, who was walking down the street, stopped at the

traffic lights on the corner.

Sample Sentence D:The tall, thin man plucked his banjo in the park.

Sample Sentences 1 - 3

Harriet, who was starting to feel a little sick, sat down on the bench.

The dress fluttered on the clothesline as the wind blew.

Mr. Smith, who was sweating profusely, slid down the fireman’s pole.

Lesson FifteenShowing Subjects Relay

Sample Predicate

galloped swiftly across the finish line.

Sample Sentence

The seventeen hand chestnut thoroughbred carrying the jockey in

yellow and green checked silks galloped swiftly across the finish line.

Relay Race Directions• 1. Pick a predicate

• 2. Write a showing subject that contains at least FIVE words.

• 3. Punctuate your complete sentence.

• 4. Write MN over the main noun.

• 5. Return to your line.

• (See predicate sets, p. 111)


you bumped into anyone today.

you saw anyone lose his or her balance.

you laughed at something that happened during the relay race.

anything happened during the relay race that you wish you didn’t happen.

you think you took an academic or social risk today.

Lesson 15- PromptWrite about one moment

in the relay race that sticks out in your mind. Show exactly what you

were doing at that moment, and describe

how you felt.

Lesson SixteenAdding Showing Sentences

Showing Definition

Showing is writing that uses details and descriptions to create

a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.

Telling Example

I went home. I was really tired. Then I ate my snack. It was so good and really delicious.

The dog wanted to play.

The poodle bounded towards me and dropped the ball at my feet.

What to Do:1. Write 3-5 more sentences showing how the

dog wants to play.

What to Do

Telling Sentences:- My sneakers were completely ruined.

- The dinner tasted delicious- My brother was happy.

1. Write the first sentence in your journal. 2. Write two showing sentences to add to the

telling sentence. 3. Repeat steps 1 & 2, above, for the other telling

sentences.


you noticed anyone being a show-off at school or at home this week.

you have ever done something just to get someone’s attention.

you have ever tried to communicate something without using words.

you have ever been involved in a performance of any kind.

you sometimes act in a way that’s not typical for you.

Lesson 16- Prompt

Think of one moment today (or this week) when you saw someone acting

silly. Describe each motion you made.

Include the changing expressions on your face.

Lesson SeventeenShowing the Subject



It includes a noun: a person, place or thing.

The predicate of a sentence tells what the subject is DOING.

The predicate includes a verb (action word).

Sample Sentence A

Kiki, who had been standing all day, shifted her weight from one

foot to the other.

Sample Sentences B

1. The boy pulled the window shut.

2. The noisy crowd crossed the street.

3. Jeremy, the youngest one in the group, stopped to look in a store window.

What to Do:

1. Choose one of the numbered sample sentences and write it in your journal.

2.Add two or three showing sentences that give more information about the

subject.


you participate in a sport.

you ever tried to describe what happened during a game to someone who wasn’t there.

you moved your arms and legs to show them what happened.

you remember a time when you had to do an action to show someone else how to do it.

Lesson 17- PromptImagine an instant replay in slow motion of a

moment when you were doing something quickly. Describe each motion you

made. Include the changing expressions on

your face.

Lesson EighteenShowing the Setting

Definition of Setting

The setting is the time and place of the action of a story. This may include the hour, the time of day,

the season of the year, the period of history as well as the location of the action.

Sample Setting Photos

What to Do:

1. Examine your photo carefully and discuss the details you see with your partner.

2. Decide exactly where this setting is.

3. In your journals, make a list of all the setting details that you can see in this photo, and don’t

forget about the part of the setting that deals with time.


you have ever been in a place that felt really different from your home.

you have ever opened your eyes underwater.

you thought the world looked weird under the water.

you have ever been in a cave.

you have ever imagined living on another planet or in another galaxy.

you have ever imagined what it would be like if objects could talk or plants could get up and move.

Lesson 18- PromptClose your eyes for a minute and imagine a

place that is very different from this

classroom, a place that exists only in your own imagination. Use all of

the senses to show what it’s like to be there. Make

it seem real.

Lesson NineteenDesigning a Creature

Definition of Showing

Showing is writing with details and descriptions to create a vivid

picture in the reader’s mind.

Verbal Warm-UpIf I told you that a creature from another planet came into my house, you might each picture a

different creature.

Okay everyone, let’s try it. Close your eyes. Imagine an unbelievably strange creature from

outer space. This is the most bizarre creature you could ever imagine.

What does it look like? How does it move? How does it sound?

Lesson 19- PromptDescribe a creature from outer space. Show what it looks like and how it

acts. Your main purpose is to show what the

creature looks like so that someone else can get a

clear enough picture of it to draw it.

Unit ThreeWriting a Personal Narrative

Lesson TwentyDefining the Personal Narrative


Setting is the time, place, and circumstances of a story or narrative.

Definition of a Personal Narrative

A personal narrative is a true story about a moment or event that the

writer has experienced.

Four Elements of a Personal Narrative

1. The writer tells a story that is true.

2. The writer is part of the story or saw the events happen.

3. The writer uses detail to show what happened in the story.

4. The writer uses detail to show what he or she thinks and feels about what happened.

Rolling River by Alex The river was still as we glided our way down stream in the shiny canoe. I traced a small circle in the water with each paddle stroke. I heard splashing water, sharp instructions, and the smooth chirping of birds. Everyone was happy and calm. We were paddling by tall trees and riverbanks covered with ferns, far away from any roads. The edges of the river where the water moved slower had rafts of lily pads, I imagined frogs and turtles sitting on them but we were too far away to see any. We couldn’t hear any cars or other city noises, and the rushing, crushing world started to fade away. Currents of murky water swirled around us.

Rolling River con’tI put my hand in the brownish water. I caught a little heart shaped leaf that floated by. The river currents carried us toward an old, dark bridge. We paddled our way under the bridge, and tried to stay there to hear our voices make echoes. Mostly we heard our paddles splashing as we fought the currents in the shadowed water. When we gave up and came out from under the bridge, we saw that at the next bend in the river was a wooden doc.k. There were lots of rowboats, canoes, and kayaks, people wearing bright red, orange, or yellow shirts and hats stood out from the greens and browns of the land and water. We were leaving one world and entering another.

Choosing and entry to expand...

Ask yourself:

1. Do I really like this entry?

2. Is there even more I could write about the event?

Lesson Twenty-OneDeveloping the Essay

Lesson 21- Prompt

Write about a second moment that takes place in the same setting as the journal entry you chose.

Lesson Twenty-TwoRevising and Adding More Sentences

What to Do:1. Underline two parts of your writing with good focus,

showing, or strong verbs.

2. Underline two parts that really need more details or better focus.

3. Write two or three more sentences to add to each of the parts you underlined. Add more focus, showing, or strong

verbs.

4. Read the passage with and without your revisions. Decide whether you’re happy with each revision. If so, put a check next to it. If not, change the revision, or decide not

to use it.

Lesson Twenty-ThreeExperimenting with Lead Sentences

Purpose of the Lead

The lead grabs the reader’s attention and gives the reader a sense of what the narrative will

contain.

Strategies for Writing Strong Leads

Reveal the character’s thoughts as dialogue.

Use a sound effect.

Ask a question.

Make a shocking or surprising statement.

Give a detailed description of a setting.

Have the main character describe the setting.

What to Do:

1. Using the Strategies for Writing Strong Leads, write as many different types of

leads as you can.

2. Choose the lead that you like the most, and put a star next to it.

Strategies for Writing Strong Leads

Use a Sound EffectLife was going along okay when my mother and father dropped the news. Bam! Just like that. - Superfudge by

Judy Blume

Reveal Character’s Thoughts or Dialogue.

It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant

that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. -The Giver by Lois Lowry

Make a Surprising Statement

Turner Buckminster had lived in Phippsburg, Maine, for fifteen minutes shy of six hours. He had dipped his hand in its waves and

licked the salt from his fingers. - Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt

Have the Main Character Talk to the

Reader about the Setting (Circumstance)

I should have been in school that April day. But instead I was up on the ridge near the old mine above our farm whipping the gray trunk of a rock maple

with a dead stick and hating Edward Thatcher. -A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck

Give a Detailed Description of the

Setting.

It was one of those super-duper-cold Saturdays. One of those days that when you breathed out your breath kind of hung frozen in the air like a hunk of smoke and you could walk along and look exactly like a train blowing out big, fat, white puffs

of smoke. -The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1964 by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Have the Main Character Talk to the Reader about

the Setting (Place)

There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. There once was a very large lake here, the largest lake in Texas. That was

over a hundred years ago. Now it’s just a dry, flat wasteland. -Holes by Louis Sachar

Lesson Twenty-FourAdding Revisions & Forming Paragraphs



Revision Process1. Read the first set of revision sentences and, in a circle beside it, write the

number 1 with a colored pencil.

2. On the draft, put brackets or highlight around any words the revision will replace.

3. Insert a carat in front of the bracketed sentence or where the new sentences should be added and write the number 1 in a circle above the

carat.

4. Read the passage aloud with the revision added to make sure it sounds right.

5. Use the same process for revision 2 and any other changes you want to make.

6. Add the paragraph symbol to mark the places where a new idea means that a new paragraph should begin.

Lesson Twenty-FiveEditing & Writing the Final Draft



Editing Process1. Read your draft aloud to yourself,

speaking softly and slowly.

2. Use your colored pen to make corrections. Pay special attention to capitalization &

punctuation.

3. Read through the entire draft to make sure you made all the necessary corrections.

Unit FourShowing Action

Lesson Twenty-SixComplete Sentence Relay Race




The predicate of a sentence tells what the subject is doing.


Relay Race Rules

1. Run to the board.

2. Write a sentence with at least 8 words.

3. Circle the subject and underline the predicate.

4. Run back to your team, tag the next person, and sit down on the floor.

Verbal Warm-Up

Raise your hand if...

you felt like you rushed too much today.

you felt pressured during the game.

you expected the relay race to be challenging.

you were surprised by how easy it was.

you were surprised how hard it was.

Lesson 26- Prompt

Think about one moment today or in the last week when you felt challenged. Write about how you felt and show what you did to

face that challenge.

Lesson Twenty-SevenMain Nouns & Main Verbs




The predicate of a sentence tells what the subject is doing.


Skill Drill- Main Noun & Main Verb

Sample Sentences:1. Amy, who was distressed about the fact that she didn’t understand advanced Algebra, joined a study group called

MathPath.

2. Twelve geese, their wings flapping up and down angrily, barged through the white picket fence.

3. It wasn’t the first time Samantha had missed practice.

4. The moldy orange on the table rolled right over to my sandwich.

5. A tiny gold beetle scurried across the quivering leaf.

6. David, who obviously wasn’t the best basketball player in the world, missed the hoop three times in a row.

What to Do:

1. Copy the sample sentences (2-6) into your journal.

2. For each sentence, label the main noun (MN) and main verb (MV).

Verbal Warm-Up Raise your hand if...

you have ever tried to do two things at once.

you have ever tried to pay attention to two people talking at the same time.

you have ever tried to rub your head and pat your stomach at the same time.

you prefer to do just one thing at a time.

you like to do all sorts of things at once.

you can think of a moment when you had to do more than two things at once.

Lesson 27- PromptThink about a moment in

time when you were handling two things at

once. Describe the two things you were doing (or

coping with) and show how you managed to

juggle two things at once.

Lesson Twenty-EightShowing Action-- Predicate Relay

Relay Race Directions

1. Pick a Subject.

2. Write a predicate of at least five words that shows the action.

3. Punctuate your complete sentences.

4. Write a MV over the main verb.

5. Return to your line.

Verbal Warm-UpDid anyone bump into anyone else today?

Did anyone lose his or her balance?

Did you laugh at someone that happened during the relay race?

Did anything happen during the relay race that you wish didn’t happen?

Did you think you took an academic or social risk today?

Lesson 28- Prompt

Write about one moment in the relay race that

sticks out in your mind. Show exactly what you

were doing at that moment, and describe

how it felt.

Lesson Twenty-NineIntroducing Strong Verbs

Sample Sentences

A. Jeff went through the door. He went down the hall. He took a book off the table.

B. Jeff came in the door. He put his backpack on the floor. He walked upstairs.

What to Do:1. Imagine that Jeff is extremely happy.

2. Rewrite the sentences in your journals, replacing weak verbs with strong verbs that indicate how happy

and joyful Jeff is.

Verbal Warm-UpDoes anyone here watch sports?

Have you ever seen an instant replay?

Have you ever wanted to do something over again when you were playing a sport?

If you haven’t played a sport, have you ever done something else that was physically challenging, like

learn how to swim?

Did you ever have to try doing something physical over and over again to get it right-- like learn how to tie your

shoes?

Lesson 29Think of a specific moment when you were playing a

sport or a game. Imagine a magic instant reply that allows you to change the action in that moment in any way you want. Show the reader what happens,

using strong verbs associated with cooking to

describe the action.

Lesson ThirtyFinding a Place to Write Your Own Revision Assignment

RA: Showing

Bracket a Passage in your entry that tells more than it shows. Now, change those telling

sentences to 2-3 showing sentences.

What to Do:1. Complete the RA

2. Make sure you wrote 2-3 sentences. 3. Check by comparing “before” with the “after.”

4. I’ll stop you after five minutes.

Lesson Thirty-OneStrong Verbs in Dialogue

Sample Dialogue A

“I don’t want any!” Pat said.

Jesse said, “Where do you think you’re going?”

Sample Dialogue B

“Watch out!” Erica ________ from across the field.

Paul drove to the ground as the baseball sailed over his head. “Wow!” he ________, looking up from the grass. “That was close.”

“Too close. You could have been hurt. This is not a safe place to have a picnic,” ________ Thea. “Let’s move to the other side of the

park.”

“You want to move,” ________ Paul, “don’t you?”

“Yes,” ________ Thea. “I would enjoy the day more if we could just eat our picnic safely.”

Verbal Warm-UpRaise your hand if you can answer yes to any of these questions:

Has anyone ever told you, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it that matters” ?

Have you ever had a conversation in which someone accused you of having the wrong tone of voice?

Have you ever sensed that someone wasn’t telling you the whole truth, just from the sound of his or her voice.

Has anyone you know ever whined in order to get something from someone else?

Have you ever tried to speak in front of a large crowd?

Can you think of a situation when it would be a good idea to yell?

Lesson 31 Describe one moment when you changed your tone of voice (or the way you were talking) while

you were having a conversation with

someone. Use strong verbs in dialogue to show

what the conversation was like.

Lesson Thirty-TwoVarying Sentence Structure

Paragraph A

I opened the book. I looked at the pages. Then I saw the picture. I saw blue and pink swirls. Then I

saw thick red splats. I wondered what it was. I touched it with my finger. Then I realized it felt

crusty. I looked closer and saw that ketchup had dried on the blue and pink swirls. Then I closed the

book.

Ways to Vary a Sentence

Rearrange the words.

Change the verb.

Make it a question.

Make it an exclamation.

What to Do:

1. Choose another sentence from the paragraph to rewrite four different ways.

2. Write the original sentence in your journal.

3. Write your four new sentences.

Verbal Warm-UpRaise your hand if you can answer yes to any of these

questions:

Do you remember a time when you had to teach someone how to do something?

Do you ever have to explain the rules of a game to a friend?

Can you think of a time when you had to show someone who didn’t know what to do how to do something pretty complicated.

Have you ever tried to follow instructions that someone else wrote?

Have you ever gotten lost trying to follow someone else’s directions?

Lesson 32- Prompt

Write about a chore or job you have learned to do. Show each part of the

process.

Lesson Thirty-ThreeWriting Directions for Human Sculptures

Making a Human Sculpture

1. All team members must be a part of the human sculpture, except for the facilitator.

2. Each member of the team must be interacting with at least one other person. Making eye contact counts as interacting.

3. The team will help the facilitator describe how to create the sculpture.

4. The facilitator will write directions for how to create the sculpture on chart paper.

5. Be specific! Another group ill try to recreate your team’s sculpture so give them all the details they need.

6. Once the facilitator is finished writing the directions, try them out. Use the written directions to recreate the sculpture. That way you can make sure another group can follow them,

and that they actually make sense. Fix any parts that are unclear.

Verbal Warm-UpRaise your hand if you can answer yes to any of these questions:

Do you remember what it felt like to be part of the human sculpture?

Do you remember what you or someone else did with your arms to help create this sculpture.

Do you remember if you or someone else bumped into someone else while creating the sculpture?

Did anyone laugh while creating the sculpture?

Did anyone get angry, upset, or frustrated while creating this sculpture?

Did you have to get into an uncomfortable position to create this sculpture?

Did you feel perfectly comfortable while creating the sculpture?

Lesson 33- Prompt

Describe one moment when you were trying to

make your own or someone else’s sculpture. Show what it looked like

and how it felt.

Lesson Thirty-FourShowing Sequence-- Connecting Ideas in Time

Skill Drill- Combining Sentences

Example A:

The bear lumbered down the path. The raccoon scampered up the pine tree.

Words That Tell When

Some words show the order in which the action happens.

while before after when

Example B

Grandma knocked the caterpillar off the flower stem.

Grandma cut the fragrant roses to make a bouquet.

What to Do: 1. Write “Combining Sentences” at the top of a new page in

your journal.

2. Combine each of the following pairs of sentences using words that show time relationships.

She tried on her mother’s shoes. She clunked down the stairs.

He devoured the turkey sandwich. He was so thirsty he gulped down the entire pitcher of

lemonade.

The horse trotted across the grassy pasture.The horse sniffed the air and looked around for the rest of

the herd.

The energetic Labrador Retriever pawed at the screen door.

The screen door swung open and let in the flies.


you like making things.

you like making food.

you like making art projects.

you like building things.

you ever had to do two things at once while you were making something.

Lesson 34- PromptWrite about a moment

when you made, built, or created something. Show

the reader what you made, how you made it, and how you felt making

it.

Lesson Thirty-FiveShowing Cause & Effect

Example Sentences A:

She worked hard on her astronomy project. She won a prize at the science fair.

B:She won a prize at the science fair, because she worked hard to complete her astronomy project.

ORBecause she worked hard to complete her

astronomy project, she won a prize at the science fair.

What to Do:Using the word “because,” combine each of the

following pairs of sentences to make one:

On the internet, I am researching the Hubble telescope. I am interested in space exploration.

There was a strong wind during the storm. The tree swayed and some small branches fell onto the cars.

I practiced running long distances. I am participating in a charity race this weekend.

The crowd clapped and cheered and gave me a standing ovation. They were amazed to see such an amazing

performance by a fifth grader.


you remember working hard for something you wanted.

you remember gaining respect of others for something you did.

you remember helping someone in need.

you remember feeling proud of what you did.

Lesson 35- PromptWrite about a time when you were proud of

something you accomplished. Show the reader the steps you took

to complete your accomplishment, what

happened, and how you felt.

Unit FiveWriting a Personal Narrative

Lesson Thirty-SixDefining the Personal Narrative


Setting is the time, place, and circumstances in which a story take

place.

Definition of a Personal Narrative

A personal narrative is a true story about a moment or event that the

writer experienced.

Four Elements of a Personal Narrative

1. The writer tells a story that is true.

2. The writer is part of the story or saw the events happen.

3. The writer uses detail to show what happened in the story.

4. The writer uses detail to show what he or she thinks and feels about what happened.

A Moment on the Farm by Mel

I stood in the field, just stood with the hoe in my hands. Not working. I am just looking around. The sun is beating down making warm earth smells. About 20 feet away a man is breaking clods of dirt with his hoe and singing “I Been Working on the Railroad.” He makes a rhythm of the song match each stroke with the hoe. All

sorts of bits of stuff go flying into the air each time he hits a clod. I am not hoeing because I am afraid. I am afraid of the bugs. I am afraid of the buzzing bees that might fly by and sting me, of huge clicking bugs crawling up my arm by surprise. I close my eyes and imagine bugs all around and even start to feel them on me. I open my eyes and there IS a bug on my shoulder. I am paralyzed with fear. The bug is round and orange with black spots and tiny black legs. It does not bite me or sting me. I watch it march down my sleeve and take off. Why was I afraid? I look at people working.

Remembering that the food must go to shelters and I am slacking I want to help.

Lesson Thirty-SevenDeveloping the Essay

Second Moment on the Farm by Mel

The work of hoeing is full of surprises, every time you break a big clod of dirt you don’t know what you will find in it. I found a worm in one. It was long and pinkish brown and looked slimy. I didn’t touch it or anything but it was wiggling around and so I

pushed some dirt on top of it. I was finally getting good at hoeing but the row of dirt clods I was supposed to be breaking up seemed to go on forever. I tried to work faster. The faster I worked, the hotter I got. I was dripping sweat and swiped my forehead and the back of my neck with my sleeve. I stopped looking so carefully at each clod I clobbered. Any bugs that

might be there had no chance to get me because I was moving so fast. At least that’s what I thought. I didn’t see the yellow

jacket until it was too late. It landed on my hand and I freaked out. I ran across the field screaming, sure it was chasing me.

Lesson 37

Write about a second moment that takes place in the same setting as the journal entry you chose.

Lesson Thirty-EightRevising and Adding More Showing

What to Do: 1. Underline two places where your writing has good

focus, showing, or strong verbs. 2. Underline two parts that really need more details or

better focus. 3. Write two or three more sentences to add to each of the parts you underlined. Add more focus, showing, or

strong verbs. 4. Read the passage with and without your revisions.

Decide whether you’re happy with each revision. If so, put a check next to it. If not, change the revision, or

decide not to use it.

Lesson Thirty-NineExperimenting with Sequence

Experimenting with Sequence

Carefully cut the two moments out of your journal.

Put one before the other and read how they sound in this order. Switch the order and reread how they

sound.

Choose the order that makes the impact you want to have, and tape the pieces together in that order.

Write the new lead sentences to try out with your new or original order.

Lesson FortyWriting Transitions

Crafting Smooth Transitions

Rewrite the last sentence of the first moment and the first sentence of the second moment in your journal on

a new page, leaving 4 or 5 lines in between.

In the space between the two sentences, add a sentence or two that will help the reader move easily

from one moment to the next.

Copy the transition onto a strip of paper and tape it where you want the transition to go between your two

moments.

Lesson Forty-OneAdding Revisions & Forming Paragraphs

Revision Process1. Read the first set of revision sentences and, in a circle beside it, write the

number 1 with a colored pencil.

2. On the draft, put brackets or highlight around any words the revision will replace.

3. Insert a carat in front of the bracketed sentence or where the new sentences should be added and write the number 1 in a circle above the

carat.

4. Read the passage aloud with the revision added to make sure it sounds right.

5. Use the same process for revision 2 and any other changes you want to make.

6. Add the paragraph symbol to mark the places where a new idea means that a new paragraph should begin.

Lesson Forty-TwoEditing and Writing the Final Draft

Editing Process

1. Read your draft out loud and clearly.

2. Use your colored pen, pencil, or highlighter to make any corrections. Pay special attention to

capitaliation & punctuation.

3. Read through the entire draft to make sure you found all the errors and correct them.

Education

Wex grade5 level-c:book1