Conventions #4 - My Own Writing

VITAL INFORMATION

Subject Matter:

Elementary, Writing

Grades:

1

Software Application:

StarOffice Writer, or any word processing program

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Summary:

Students will edit a piece of their own writing for correct use of capital letters and end punctuation marks.

State & National Standards:

CO- Colorado Academic Standards

• Subject : Reading and Writing

• Standard 2: Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences

Writing and speaking are essential tools for learning, for success in the workplace, and for responsible citizenship. Developing a range of writing and speaking abilities requires extensive study, practice, and thinking. Students need frequent opportunities to write and speak for different audiences and purposes, and they need to be able to communicate expressively, informatively, and analytically. Growth in writing and speaking abilities occurs by applying skills to increasingly challenging communication tasks

• Grade/Level : Grades K-4

 Performance Indicator : generating topics and developing ideas for a variety of writing and speaking purposes (for example, telling a story, publishing a class newsletter, writing a letter to an adult, writing or orally presenting a book report, creating and producing a play, introducing a speaker or an event, narrating a presentation);

 Performance Indicator : organizing their speaking and writing

 Performance Indicator : choosing vocabulary that communicates their messages clearly and precisely

 Performance Indicator : revising and editing speech and writing

 Performance Indicator : creating readable documents with legible handwriting or word processing at the appropriate time• Standard 3: Students write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling

Students need to know and be able to use standard English. Proficiency in this standard plays an important role in how the writer or speaker is understood and perceived. All skills in this standard are reinforced and practiced at all grade levels and should be monitored by both the teacher and student to develop lifelong learning skills

• Grade/Level : Grades K-4

 Performance Indicator : knowing and using correct capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviations

Local Standards:

Adams 12 Technology Standard 2: Student uses productivity software as a basis for learning and skill building, and demonstrates an understanding of the universal tools of word processing.

- begins to use special function keys: enter/return, space bar, shift, delete and backspace

- locates letters, numbers and ending punctuation characters

- knows how to make capital letters using the shift key.

- uses the backspace/delete key to edit text.

Lesson Outcomes:

Given a prompt or allowed to choose their own topic, students will be able to correctly use capital letters and end punctuation marks in a piece of their own writing.

Assessment:

Student paragraphs will be assessed using the attached First Grade Writing Rubric.

CLASSROOM & TIME MANAGEMENT

Student Prerequisites:

Students will need to have basic word processing skills, and should have completed Conventions Lessons 1, 2 and 3. They should also have been continuously exposed to correct capitalization and punctuation through daily language experiences in classroom reading and writing.

Lesson Preparation:

We have been looking for the use of capital letters and various end punctuation marks in our reading books, stories, and other print materials used in the classroom. We have also been practicing correct usage in all of our written work.

Time Frame:

1 class period. 40 Min. per class.

Implementation Steps:

1. Students write a short piece (4 or 5 sentences) either to a prompt or free choice. Depending on students' keyboarding skills, this could take more than one period.

2. Students edit the piece for capitals and end marks by deleting/adding characters.

3. Students share their work with a partner for editing suggestions.

4. Students revise and print their piece. Those who finish early may add clip art to their paper before printing.

RESOURCES

Lesson Resources:

Teacher Example

STUDENT PRODUCT(S)

Product(s) Description:

A sample of a first grader's work is attached.

Attachments:

 1.  Sample Paragraph

REFLECTION

Comments:

After much practice in the classroom and in the computer lab, most students understand where capitals and end marks go. They do fairly well editing other work. When it comes to their own writing, however, they need several reminders to go back and edit. Some students still struggle with understanding what a sentence is.

---

Conventions Lesson #4

My paragraph

Write four or five sentences about something that happened to you. Be sure to use correct capital letters and punctuation. Give your story a title. When you are done, save and print your work.

 

---

My Birthday

by Student

I had the best brthday ever. I had fun. I got a bike. We played games at my brthday. Now I'm seven. How old are you?