June23,2016

DearElana,

Thankyouforsharingyourdemonstrationwithusandforgoingfirst.Weappreciatethatyoudid
alotofactivities,butfoundtherightbalanceanddidnotdotoomuch.Thankyouforinspiring
fictionandcreativity!

AFFECT/MOTIVATION

Wefeltreaffirmedwhenwesawsomesimilarpracticesinyourdemonstrationthatwealsovalue
inourownteaching,suchasexplorationofthenarrativeandusingallpartsoftheplot.We
appreciatedyouruseofvisuals,graphicorganizers,andtechnology.Wealsolikedhowthe
workyoudidcouldbeminilessonsanyofuscoulduseintheclassroom.

WeappreciatethewaythatyouincorporatedtheEETwithnarrativewriting.Younamedideas
forextensionsandadaptationsthroughoutthelessonandweappreciatedthat.Wefelt
challengedaswriterstoengageinfictionwriting,togooutofourcomfortzonesandput
ourselvesintheshoesofstudents.Youledustowriteafictionalnarrativeandweappreciate
thatwecouldbeimaginativeandthattherearevariousgenrestoexploreinwriting.

Asbothwritersandteachers,weappreciatedyourreflectionsontheordertostartthewriting
plotorcharacter.

Theconversationsaboutpicturesandworkwithobservationandinferencesparkedideasfor
ourwriting.Eachchunkoftimeleftuswantingmorebecausewewereengaged.

Weappreciatedseeingwaystobuildinfictionwithnarrativewriting.Weappreciatedallofthe
resourcesthatyouprovidedaswell.Theintroductionhandoutwithmentortextsisfantastic.

Thankyoualsoforprovidingthehandoutwithmentortextexamplesofvariousintroductionsto
narratives.

PROMISINGPRACTICES

UsingLamottinyourdemonstrationshowedusthatyouareincorporatingyourlearninginto
yourteachingandthefocusonstartingwithcharactersresonatedwithus.

Youincorporatedalltheelementsofstoryinthelesson.Werecognizethatthiswouldinclude
workwithminilessonsandweappreciatedit.

EETrelatednotonlytodescriptivewriting,butalsowithnarrative.

PrewritingactivitywithHarrisBurdickworkedwellforus.Thissparkedourcuriosityaswriters!

Asyouwillnoteinthepolicysectionbelow,wesawmanypromisingpractices,withprocess
writing,curiosity,engagement.Themodelingofwedoit,thenyoudoitworkedwell.Youclearly
sparkedideasforallofusaswritersbecauseofthemodels,givingustheopportunitytothink
andshare.

WealsoappreciatedtheroleofperspectiveinwritingtoothatyouinspiredwiththeBurdick
pictures.

CCSS/POLICY/PR

CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.5.3
Writenarrativestodeveloprealorimaginedexperiencesoreventsusingeffectivetechnique,
descriptivedetails,andcleareventsequences.

CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.5.3.A
Orientthereaderbyestablishingasituationand
introducing
anarratorand/or
characters
organizeaneventsequencethatunfoldsnaturally.

CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.5.3.B
Usenarrativetechniques,suchasdialogue,description,andpacing,todevelop
experiencesandeventsorshowtheresponsesofcharacterstosituations.

CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.5.4
Produceclearandcoherentwritinginwhichthedevelopmentandorganizationareappropriate
totask,purpose,andaudience.

CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.5.10
Writeroutinelyoverextendedtimeframes(timeforresearch,reflection,andrevision)and
shortertimeframes(asinglesittingoradayortwo)forarangeofdisciplinespecifictasks,
purposes,andaudiences.

CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.5.1
Engageeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions(oneonone,ingroups,and
teacherled)withdiversepartnerson
grade5topicsandtexts,
buildingonothers'ideasand
expressingtheirownclearly.

CCSS.ELALITERACY.SL.5.1.C
Poseandrespondtospecificquestionsbymakingcommentsthatcontributetothediscussion
andelaborateontheremarksofothers.

WritingNext:Collaborativeprewritingprocesswritingapproachinquirywasdemonstratedwith
picturesinobservationandinferencesstudyofmodels.

HabitsofMind

Encouraged
curiosity
inanalyzingthepictures,
openness
inconsideringothers
interpretationsoftheillustrations,and
persistence
inanalyzingthephotoswhenit
seemedlikeweweredone
Referenced
flexibility
whendiscussingthevariousordersofintroducingtheplot
diagramandcharacterdevelopment.Allowedforflexibilityofstudentwritingwhen
providedextraplotdiagrams.
Exhibited
persistence
whencreatingshorttermassignmentswithintheprocessofthe
longtermprojectofcreatinganarrative.Shorttermassignmentsincludedobservation
vs.inference,plotstructure,characterdevelopment,anduseoftheEET.

EXTENSIONS/ADAPTATIONS

HowcouldHarrisBurdickfitwithotherstoriesIntrotomystery?Prewritingforargument
throughfindingclues/evidence?

HowcanIcreateacreativewritingunittobeabletousethesestrategieswithmyhighschool
students?

Howcanwecreateanauthenticaudienceformystudentsstories?Website?Readingbuddies
withayoungerelementaryclass?Boundbook?CouldIcreateanaudiencethatwouldalso
allowmystudentstocreateusingtechnology?

Howcanweextendthislessontoothergenres?Poetry?Drama?

TheEETcanalmostbelikeatoyortoolforbrainstorming.Oritwouldworkwellfor
accommodatingsomestudents,similartoagraphicorganizer.Thiswouldalsoworkwellfor
differentiatedinstructioninsmallgroupsoroneononeconferencing.

TheEETprovidesaconcretegraphicorganizer.Thiscouldalsobeagoodoptionfortactileor
kinestheticlearners.

QUESTIONSARISEN

Manyofyourscaffoldspreparestudentswellforwritingthisfictionalpiece.Whatdoyoudo
whenastudentisstillstuck?

Howmuchworkdoyoudowithplotbeforealessonlikethis?Howdoyouintroducetheterms
andhelpstudentsrememberthevocabulary?

Howmuchtimedoyoutypicallygiveyourstudentstofinishwritingtheirstories?

Howcanwecreateanauthenticaudienceforourstudentsstories?Website?Collection/book?
Readingbuddiesforyoungerstudents/elementaryclasses?

WeseethevalueinEET,butwerecuriousabouthowaudienceandpurposedrivethewriting.
HowdoyoufindthebalancewithEETandstructuresofwriting,whilealsonotbeingoverly
structured?

YourwritinggroupbudsCaitlin,Caitlin,Alecia,Dawn