Grade 1 Response to Literature Essays - Character Change

Writing for Understanding Instruction: Teacher Plan

Teacher_Nancy Radley_Class _1st grade_Date _7/16/09_
Writing genre_ Response to Literature Essay


Topic / Subject / Text: CENTRAL IDEAS


Content: People change in different ways.

Reading: Students will comprehend how a character changes in a story, and
will identify the catalyst for the character change.

Writing: Students will generate a supported, written response to a text
that shows analytical thinking.




Focusing Question


Focus (answer to focusing question)

How did the character change, and
what was the catalyst for the change?


Salt in His Shoes: Michael changed in the story because he became a much better basketball player. The catalysts were time and practice.

Leo the Late Bloomer: Leo changed in the story because he learned to do things that his friends could already do, like read, write, draw, and talk. The catalyst for Leo’s change was time. He bloomed when he was ready.

There’s A Nightmare in My Closet: The little boy changed in the story because he stopped being afraid of the nightmare. The catalyst for the change was when he shot the nightmare and the nightmare cried.

The Recess Queen: Mean Jean changed in the story because she stopped being mean and bossy and became a good friend. The catalyst for this change was the new kid, Katie Sue, when she asked Jean to play with her and be her friend.


Building Content Knowledge, Understanding of Writer’s Craft

• vocabulary
• guided reading
• text mapping
• paraphrasing
• summarizing
• visualizing/
• imaging
• dramatizing
• oral processing / guided
conversation / think-pair-
share
• experience
• debating
• taking notes (graphic
organizers, T-charts, 2 column
notes, etc.)
• craft lessons (intro, transitions, conclusions, etc)

Preteaching

Read Alouds – We respond to texts.
Children will orally converse about read
aloud stories, and orally respond to texts:
How What
Whole class Open ended –
Partners What did you notice?
Sticky notes Guided or structured –
Characters do, say, feel, and
think things. How did the
character in this story … ?

Vocabulary –
beginning, middle, end
introduction, paragraph, conclusion
catalyst

Dramatize –
Children will be given the opportunity to take
on the role of a character and act out that
characters actions and feelings as a story is
retold. (Solo Acts, page 33, from Words Come
Alive! Toolkit, Flynn Center for the Performing
Arts).


Note taking –
Chart size graphic organizers will be developed
with children, detailing the characters change in the story, and the catalyst for the change, using
_______________/\__________________ structure.

Children will also be given colored (yellow and
blue) sticky notes to go back into the story and
tag pages that show how the character was at the
beginning and the end of the story, and the page
that shows the catalyst for the change.


Structures
How will students know how to organize their ideas and construct the piece of writing?

• graphic organizers
• teacher-written models
• teacher-and-student
written models
• various types of templates
or frames
(ex: Painted Essay)

Graphic organizers will be used as described above.

Teacher models will be used.

Whole class written models will be used.

Frames will be provided for those who choose to use
them (ie. Proof paragraph 1 At the beginning of the
story, Leo …).

Painted essay structure will be explicitly taught and
used throughout.

Multiple copies of books (preferably one book for every
two students).

Multiple readings of the text will occur:
1st reading is a teacher read aloud
2nd and subsequent (at least three or four readings)
will occur with students following along and choral
reading as their familiarity with the text increases.


Writing / Revising
How will students draft / revise so that their final writing is clearly focused, organized, and developed to show understanding of the central ideas?

• group write, fully or in
part
• write section at a time
• write full piece
independently
• revise /share full group
• revise /share partners
• proofreading in partners
• proofread w/tubaloos


Revising will occur through oral planning and sticky noting pages
in text prior to writing.

Writing will occur one section at a time, with a gradual release
of responsibility over time, as detailed in the lesson sequence.

Children will work with partners in the oral planning, and possibly
within the writing (although each partner will create their own
written essay). They will proofread with their partner to check
for meaning and accuracy.


Lesson Sequence
What steps will I follow so that students are able to effectively
show their understanding in writing?


Book Essay
1. Salt in His Shoes by Deloris Jordan Teacher models creating
a response to literature
essay, writing in a chart-
size painted essay frame.

2. Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus A whole class essay is written
on a chart-size painted essay
frame.

3. There’s A Nightmare in My Closet The introduction is teacher
by Mercer Mayer written, students will write
their own proof paragraphs
1 & 2, and the conclusion will
be written as a whole class.

4. The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill Students will generate their own
response to literature essay.
Essay sections will be written on
colored paper, matching the
painted essay. Children will have
the choice of using a frame.



Assessment:
How are students doing? What are my next steps as a teacher?

Using essay number 3, There’s a Nightmare in My Closet, I will be able to assess how well children are accurately identifying how the character has changed in the story, and what was the catalyst for change.

If many children are struggling with this, then we will use other books, creating graphic organizers as a whole class, that identify how the character changed, and the catalyst for the change. Depending on what is needed, we more also write more whole class essays using other books (Harry and the Terrible Whatzit by Dick Gackenbach, Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes, Big Al by___).

If a few children are struggling with this, then depending on their needs, I will work with them in a small group, rereading the book together and orally discussing the character and how they changed from the beginning to the end of the book. We will use the book to find evidence of this change. If need be, we will generate a shared writing piece, and / or conduct the same set of lessons as recommended for the whole class, with a smaller group.



Next Steps: Gradual Release of Responsibility

Defined in lesson sequence.


Teacher Model Response to Literature Essay - Character Change

I read Salt in his Shoes by Deloris Jordan, with Roslyn Jordan. This is a story about the basketball super star Michael Jordan, when he was a child. Michael loved basketball and wanted to be a good player, but that wasn't always the case. He wanted to get better as a player.

In the beginning of the story, Michael couldn't play basketball as well as his older brothers and their friends. He got very frustrated. He asked his Mama how to get taller, so that he would be a better ball player.

Michael did everything his Mama told him to do. While he waited and waited and waited to grow taller, he practiced basketball every day. After many months he had not grown taller. The catalyst for the change in Michael came when his parents convinced him that he was already a better basketball player.

At the end of the story, Michael decided to play ball with his brothers again. When he did, he played a great game. He found that he was already a much better player, even though he was no taller.

We can all be like Michael Jordan. If we work hard to make our dreams come true, we can do anything we set our minds to.