Room 9 Writing

Teacher Notes

Term 1 2017

Week 3: Recount

1. Hook learners into recount writing by taking outside class to visit Pt England Reserve and creek.
2. On return, students to discuss what they experienced with a buddy. Whole class sharing/discussion.
3. Check student prior knowledge about recount writing through questioning in whole class, asking students to repeat the words of another at times to promote good listening.
4. Use teacher written model of recount to explore structure and language features before students begin writing individually.
5. Teacher to work with small groups or individual students based on needs.

Week 4: Recount

Note: Cluster-wide testing planned during literacy from Monday to Wednesday and a special event being held on Thursday.

• Whole class discussion about recount: What happened during the experience? What is important to include? What did you see? What did you smell? Afterwards, how did you feel about what you had seen? Students to review personal writing independently.
• Once recount created, encourage students to read their own writing and ask a buddy to read too. Does anything need fixing up - sense and punctuation?
• Publishing: whole class discussion/reminder about protocols for publishing on personal blogs: copy and paste text only; title; labels.
• Teacher to work with small groups or individual students based on needs.

Week 5: Homophones - there, their and they’re

• Following clusterwide writing assessment today (Monday of Week 5), noticed that punctuation, contractions and homophones should become a writing focus within the wider writing programme.
• As a result, this week’s writing focus is emphasising the difference between the homophones there, their and they’re.

Week 6: Recount

• Monday/Tuesday: To build upon authentic opportunities for personal recount writing, students tasked with recounting their experiences/activities at the school picnic at the end of Week 5.
• Students to Think, Pair, Share their ideas and experiences with a buddy/whole class.
• Students to plan their writing using Hamburger template provided to promote sequencing of series of events.
• Teacher to work with individual and/or small groups of students based on individual needs during the writing process, primarily to support those students who are learning to become independent writers.

Year 5-6 Camp held from Wednesday to Friday of Week 6.

Week 7: Recount

• Following the excitement of camp, students to recount their camp experiences to continue to build upon authentic opportunities for personal recount writing.
• Those students who did not attend camp are to write about their experiences over those three days, whether at home or with reliever at school
• Students to Think, Pair, Share their ideas and experiences with a buddy/whole class.
• Students to plan their writing using template provided to promote reflection as well as sequencing of series of events.
• Teacher to work with individual and/or small groups of students based on individual needs during the writing process, primarily to support those students who are learning to become independent writers.
• Some students to share their writing with whole class to make connections with relationship between the writer and his/her audience.

Week 8: Recount

• Student examples of camp recount writing to be shared with whole class.
• Those students yet to complete their recount writing about camp to continue with this writing to completion with teacher support.
• Completed recounts to be shared via student blogs.
• Student choice: early finishers may choose to write a thank-you letter to someone who played an important role for them at camp (ie whānau, Mr Burt).
• Based on strong writing focus in Week 7, this week’s literacy focus is guided reading.

Quality Blog Comments

• To support Cybersmart programme, students in R9 Maths to explore what it means to write a quality blog comment through adaptation of Manaiakalani Smart Relationship lesson.
• Begin by checking student prior knowledge.
• Students to watch and then discuss video content.
• Students to browse through/read blog posts relating to Te Taiao o Tāmaki on buddy class blogs at Stonefields, St Patricks and Tamaki Primary School.
• Students to identify a quality blog comment. Discuss with a buddy/whole class.
• Students to draft quality blog comment about a blog post of their choice within quad-blogging group. Following discussions with a buddy, students to revise and edit draft blog comment to meet criteria for quality blog comment.
• Students to publish blog comment and then complete R9’s comment tracker form by copying and pasting comment url.

Weeks 9 and 10: Animation scripts

• Students have been creating animated movies during Term 1 as part of their specialist Creative Space learning. Now it is time for each to create a voice over. Refer students back to the Myth/Legend Chooser (What did you write in this?)
• Using the planning doc, discuss the expected structure of the writing/voice over:
1. What will you say for each slide/stage of your animation?
2. What messages about the environment will we include in our voice over?
3. Most importantly - timing: How long should it be?
• Students to discuss/retell main ideas of their myth/legend in groups of 3 (same myth/legend). Students to write retelling in planning doc and then read this to group.
• Students to discuss their animation’s message in groups of 3. Whole class sharing.
• Students to complete writing in planning doc. Buddy to read and give oral feedback, including punctuation.
• Students to practise reading/saying script aloud to a buddy. Check timing. Record.

Weeks 11: Creative Writing

• After much focus on writing recounts this term, this week’s writing provides an opportunity for students to create imaginative writing with a link to our inquiry focus. Reading over the last few weeks has seen a focus on New Zealand’s native birds, habitats and the threats they face as it relates to Te Taiao o Tāmaki.
• Monday: Teacher to begin by asking students to share their ideas/thinking about image of birds eggs. Teacher to read the short text to students and explain Task 1. Students to brainstorm ideas for Task 1 with a buddy. Students to complete writing task individually and share to blog. A few students to share their writing with the whole class.
• Wednesday: Students: TPS ideas for writing an imaginative story about a baby seabird: similarities/differences for food, places to have a rest, etc. Focus question: What kind of words will you use in your writing to make it interesting? Whole class exploration/discussion about choosing specific vocabulary. Students to complete Task 2 and share story on individual blogs. A few students to read writing to class.