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| Topic / Subject / Text Extreme Weather/Weather/Texts cited below
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| CENTRAL IDEAS
Content: Weather systems can be extreme, and dangerous. There are certain things people can do to keep themselves safe.
Reading: Students will read and reread to understand the text. (website: http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/storieslist.html
Writing: Students will write two paragraphs using the “hand” structure for paragraph construction, and follow the Painted Essay format in a teacher created frame..
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| Focusing Question
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Focus (answer to focusing question) | ||
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How can weather be dangerous?
| Tornados – wind, randomness Hurricanes – wind, water Flash floods – high water, powerful wate Tsunamis – high water, powerful waves Hailstorms – hard pellets falling from sky
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| Building Content Knowledge, Understanding of Writer’s Craft
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| • 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) | Vocabulary development: evaporate, condense, groundwater, infiltrate, precipitation, runoff, particle, whirlpool, brook, creek, crest, current, drift, tides, lull, spout, Website: http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/storieslist.html
Books: Twister, by Darleen Baily Beard Flash, Crash, Rumble and Roll Hurricane, by David Wiesner Thunder-Boomer! On the Same Day in March –tour of the World’s Weather A The Story of Snow Tornado Alert Norah’s Ark, by Natalie Kinsey Warnock Series: Extreme Weather by Liza Burby (electrical storms, tornadoes, hail, hurricanes) T-charts of each weather types: Weather system/What Happens/ How to be safe
Craft lesson: models of paragraph costruction: Hand: Topic sentence, detail, detail, detail, concluding sentence.
Group write a paragraph about a tsunami, which does not happen in Vermont.
Create frame of introduction ; students fill in two paragraphs, conclusion is provided.
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| How will students know how to organize their ideas and construct the piece of writing?
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| • graphic organizers • teacher-written models • teacher-and-student written models • various types of templates or frames (ex: Painted Essay)
| Basic essay model · Introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion · “Hand” model of paragraph construction · Whole class group write on tsunami · Framed writing template
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| How will students draft / revise so that their final writing is clearly focused, organized, and developed to show understanding of the central ideas?
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• 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
| Draft a paragraph at a time, conference with teacher, revise as necessary. Go on to the next paragraph.
Share - partners | ||
| Lesson Sequence What steps will I follow so that students are able to effectively show their understanding in writing? |
| 1. Read aloud picture books about extreme weather. 2. Introduce “hand” model of paragraph construction. 3. Group write 4. Use Elmo to show website of extreme weather choices to whole class 5. Read through tsunami selection. Highlight portions which describe how a tsunami acts, and what damage it causes 6. Draw pictures of tsunamis. 7. Model writing a paragraph about tsunamis. 8. Talk about choosing two extreme weather patterns, and underlining the text that describes that weather system, and what humans can do to stay safe. 9. Explain the structure (frame) that students will use to write their two paragraphs. 10. Students write one paragraph, and confer with teacher. 11. Revise as necessary. 12. Write second paragraph. 13. Confer and publish. 14. Share with partner. |
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| · Check to see that each student has included at least three details about each weather system. · Assign next writing piece to be written without the frame. Still follow the “hand” structure for paragraph construction.
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| Write an essay without using a frame.
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Hi Mary Jane,
ReplyDeleteNice job. Great resource list. I like the way you incorporated technology into it as well. This will bring it alive for students. Your modeling, frames, and structures will support students nicely as they learn to build strong paragraphs. After taking this course I am even more certain that when we weave reading, writing and content together it will all be more meaningful for students. They will have a purpose and know it right from the start.
Yeah Mary Jane! What a great job you did creating this plan. Your focusing question leads students to many interesting discoveries about weather. For some reason learning about danger is always a motivator for kids! Your resource list is rich and you have provided scaffolding for all students (modeling, public notes, graphic organizers). The website is terrific. Because some of the articles are long, you might want to implement protocols for group readings (ie assign a paragraph to pairs of students to summarize for the whole group). I expect that your students will be writing well composed paragraphs by the end of this unit. Kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteSitting on the porch at 7 a.m. wrapped in a thick wet blanket of humid air and reading "Extreme Weather," I'm thinking, "What an appropriate post." You could add another category called "Heat Wave" and probably write a great teacher example piece. Your plan is well thought out and should guarantee success for all students. You have a great selection of books for this high-interest topic. Students should be engaged and, by the time they start writing, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. By having the whole class write paragraphs about tsunamis with three details in each, the kids should have a good idea how to construct the two paragraphs for whatever extreme weather they choose to write about. With a frame for an introduction and the conclusion provided, they will end up with a good model to refer to when writing the next piece without a frame.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fun idea! I like the stories on the website, and the pictures add a lot as well. One thing that I know would happen in my classroom is that when talking about weather (especially extreme) ALL of my students would want to share their stories about a time when they were stuck in the snow or ice... I wonder if you built in some quick writes or sharing time focusing on some of their personal experiences, that would add to their understanding of how scary/exciting it can be to be in extreme weather. I like your focusing question, How can weather be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteYour students are going to love this writing project! There is something about this age group,extreme weather is so intriquing and exciting to them.
ReplyDeleteI also like your focus on paragraph structure as well as the use of a framed template. It will be a great way to teach main idea and supporting details (something I always find very challenging for 3rd graders). I can't wait to hear how it goes!