Grade Level:6th
Focus Trait: Organization
Mentor Text: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Author: Judith Viorst
ISBN: 0689711735
Mentor Text Summary: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a children’s book by Judith Viorst with illustrations by Ray Cruz. The story is about how a young boy named Alexander who ends up having a terrible day. From the time Alexander wakes up, till the time he goes to bed he encounters a string of unfortunate events. 
About the Author:
"Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces."
Lesson:
- Discuss what it is like to have a bad day. Relate to the class a bad day through the eyes of a teacher. Brainstorm together, using the web below, specific details that make up a bad day.
- Give students their own web to use at their desks, for ideas about their own bad day. (Brainstorming Web)This graphic organizer should be used to brainstorm ideas for student writing.
- Share the picture book with the class.
- Point out the author’s organization strategy. "In Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Judith Viorst has chosen to organize her story chronologically from the time Alexander gets out of bed in the morning to the time he goes to bed at night. Throughout his day, Alexander has many bad things happen to him.
- Viorst starts the story with an attention grabbing introduction, jumping right into Alexander’s bad day. The title of the story and Alexander's catch phrase are repeated throughout the story – another organization tool. She finishes the story with a satisfying conclusion – Alexander realizing that everyone has a bad day from time to time – 'even in Australia.'"
- Ask students, "If it was school picture day and you wanted to look your best, what terrible, horrible, no good and very bad things might happen to you?"
- Brainstrom as a class, and create a class chart of all the bad things that would happen on school picture day.
- Tell students, they will be creating an original tale of a fictional bad picture day. If they need further inspiration from a mentor text (and if you have time), share Margie Palatini's Bedhead, a great story about a bad school picture day.
- Have students work independently using ideas from their brainstorming web or other ideas, to construct a "sloppy copy" on the computer of their most horrible day. Explain to students that the "sloppy copy" will be used to get their ideas on paper, not as the final copy.
- Walk around the room conferencing with individual students.
Some of the questions that may be asked are:
Was this the worst day you ever had?
Can you think of anything you left out?
How did you feel that day?
Can you think of any words you can use that might describe this day better? - Download and print the stories.
- Ask students to reread their rough draft. Explain that the revising process gives the opportunity to decide what they need to add to their story and what they should take out.
- Have students get into groups of two or three to read their drafts and get feedback from their peers. Explain to students that they should not to be critical of each other's work. The purpose of getting into groups is to help each other with their writing.
- Let students rearrange, add to or delete material from their rough draft to help clarify and refine their writing. Have students visit the site below and review the checklist for the editing process.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/printouts/Editing%20Checklist.pdf - Have students edit their final copy.
- Students will then turn their stories into slideshows by downloading text to each slide or copying and pasting the text to the slide.
- Allow students to present their stories/slideshows to the class.
Ohio Academic Content Standards for the Lesson:
Standards: Writing Processes
Benchmarks: C. Clarify ideas for writing assignments by using graphics or other organizers.
D. Use revision strategies to improve the overall organization, the clarity and consistency of ideas within and among paragraphs and the logic and effectiveness of word choices.
Indicators:
5. Use organizational strategies (e.g., rough outlines, diagrams, maps, webs and Venn diagrams) to plan writing.
10. Use available technology to compose text.
13. Rearrange words, sentences and paragraphs, and add transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning.
Additional Resources: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/2741
No comments:
Post a Comment