Patty Bartlett 3rd Grade Native American Study

Writing for Understanding Instruction
Teacher Plan
Teacher: Patty Bartlett Class: 3rd Date: July, 24, 2009 Writing Genre: Report

Topic / Subject / Text
ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS / BIG IDEAS

Content: The natural environment meets the basic needs of the Native American Indians living in a particular region.

Reading: Read to gather information from non-fiction materials.

Writing: Voice – Writing in the voice of a Native American

Report Writing

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Focusing Question
How did Native Americans of the Northeast region use the environment to meet their basic needs?

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Focus (Answer to the Question)
Native Americans Indians of the Northeast region used land and animals to meet their basic needs.
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Building and Processing Working Knowledge
• vocabulary
• guided reading
• text mapping
• paraphrasing
• summarizing
• visualizing/
• imaging
• dramatizing
• oral processing / guided
conversation / think-pair-
share
• constructed response
• experience
• debating
• taking notes (graphic
organizers, T-charts, 2 column
notes, etc.

-Vocabulary – environment, long houses, wigwams, sash, breech cloth, moccosins, leggings, surviving, basic needs (Frayer model and visual images)
-Read Aloud (Texts about Native Americans of the Northeast as well as pieces written in first person)
-Group construction of the focus
-Work in partners reading from student resource center (located in the classroom) on Native Americans and taking notes. Also read from individual student Native American booklets
-Oral Processing: Discuss in small groups, the information that was obtained in partner groups
-Take Notes: Partnerships take notes as they read: Notes about how animals were used to survive will be taken on yellow post-it notes or yellow paper and notes about how the land was used to survive will be taken on blue post-it notes or blue paper. (Painted Essay: Yellow represents the proof paragraph 1 and blue represents proof paragraph 2.)
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Structures How will students know how to organize their ideas
and construct the piece of writing?
• teacher-written models
• teacher-and-student written models
• various types of templates or frames
(ex: Painted Essay)

-Teacher written models in the first person, written about something real in his/her life
-Teacher and Student written model: Written in the first person of a Native American child telling about what life was like, noting such things as games, schooling, responsibilities, traditions etc.
-Painted Essay: review report model with introduction, proof paragraphs and conclusion
-Painted Essay: Show models of reports written in first person, using the painted essay format (example: Penguins)

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

-Provide plenty of read aloud time to students from various resources using the Frayer model to introduce vocabulary. Provide many opportunities for discussion along the way.
-Introduce to the students that they will be writing a report about how Native Americans of the Northeast used the environment to survive and that they will be writing their report in first person (Define for them what first person means)
-Review with the class the Painted Essay format of writing a report, including the introduction (red), proof paragraph 1 (yellow), proof paragraph 2 (blue) and conclusion (green). Refer to the Painted Essay chart on the wall.
-Share student written models of first person reports such as Penguins.
-Introduce first person writing. Model how to write in the first person by writing about something real in your life and then write a report in the first person from the voice of a Native American child telling about what his/her life was like. (These steps may take place over a couple of days)
-Introduce focusing question.
-As a whole group, form the focus statement.
-Again, review what goes into the introduction of a report
-Students independently write the introduction in the first person.
-Students then share their introductions with a partner and revise as they see needed.
-Students then share their piece with the teacher. They may also share with the whole group if they so choose.
-Students work with a partner to read about the Northeast Native Americans, taking notes related to the focus statement as they proceed using colored paper or post it notes to reflect the Painted Essay.
-Whole Group – Partners share the information they found to support the focus. Public notes are taken.
-Writing – Students work independently to write the 2 proof paragraphs, conferencing with the teacher as needed.
-Remind students to edit for PODV (Punctuation, organization, details and voice). Check in with students in individual or small group conferences, as needed.
-Students partner share and proofread their piece.
-Whole class discussion about conclusion. Brainstorm the “So what” of the report. Reflect as a whole group, making short public notes.
-Students independently write their conclusions, getting support from the teacher as needed.
-Students share their reports with their classroom partner and perhaps a 2nd grade buddy.

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

-Students self assess against a painted essay rubric
-Teacher assesses for content, first person voice, punctuation, organization, and details

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Next Steps: Gradual Release of Responsibility

Depending on the assessment the the teacher may do any of the following:
As students show understanding they can work more independently on the writing of a piece in terms of components, note-taking, conclusions, introductions, PODV, etc. (Note: Brainstorm and sharing discussions remain important)