Name ________________________ Gathering Grid Topic_________________________
Research Questions
|
Source 1:
|
Source: 2
|
Source 3:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Topic Sentence:
#1
Evidence 1.
Evidence 2.
Evidence 3.
#2
Evidence 1.
Evidence 2.
Evidence 3.
#3
Evidence 1.
Evidence 2.
Evidence 3
Topic Sentence:
Linking* words and phrases
Words or phrases to help sequence
Words or phrases to show time
• while
• at that moment
• meanwhile
• soon
• then
• after
• second
• today
• later
• next
• tomorrow
• afterward
• as soon as
• before
• now
• next week
• about
• when suddenly
• during
• until
• yesterday
• _nally
ideas or transition between sentences
or paragraphs
• first... second... third...
• in the first place... also... lastly
• after
• afterwards
• as soon as
• at first
• at last
• before
• before long
• finally
• in the meantime
• later
• meanwhile
• next
• soon
• then
Words or phrases to show location
• above
• across
Words or phrases to indicate
more information
• besides • therefore
• furthermore • for instance
• in addition • since
• in fact • also
• for example • and
• in other words • because
• around
• behind
• beside
• between
• in back of
• in front of
• inside
Words or phrases to help conclude
a piece of writing • I’m sure you’ll agree
• in conclusion • as a result
• finally • all in all
• lastly • in summary
• to sum up • as you can see
• near
• outside
• over
• under
Words or phrases to persuade or give an opinion
• for this reason • you can see why
• most importantly
• in fact Words or phrases to compare and contrast
• especially • similarly • even though
• truly • in contrast • on the other hand
• in most cases • in comparison • yet
• similarly • in the same way • while
• surely • although • but
*Transition words • however • also
A female loggerhead sea turtle may travel thousands of miles to return to the beach where she hatched as a baby to lay her own eggs as an adult. A loggerhead female generally nests every two to three years. After mating, she heads to shore to lay her eggs. The female loggerhead emerges onto the nesting beach. She clears away the dry sand with her front flippers and digs an egg chamber with her rear flippers. She deposits her eggs into the nest chamber. The eggs are pliable and white, about the size of ping-pong balls. Once, she has laid her clutch of eggs, her job is done. The eggs are on their own.
The eggs incubate for approximately 60 days before hatching. The hatchlings emerge from their shells. The babies work together to push the sand and shells down to the bottom of the nest chamber and wait just beneath the surface of the sand for the cooler temperatures of night. When they emerge, they crawl down the beach toward the brightest horizon, which on a natural beach is always toward the sea. Artificial lights confuse hatchlings. They will head toward the lights of houses, parking lots or roads instead where they often die. On that dangerous journey to the water, they face raccoons, crabs, birds, and other predators. The hatchlings that make it to the water spend the first 6-12 years of their lives floating in the open ocean, living in or near sargassum before returning to shallow coastal waters.
A female loggerhead sea turtle may travel thousands of miles to return to the beach where she hatched as a baby to lay her own eggs as an adult. A loggerhead female generally nests every two to three years. After mating, she heads to shore to lay her eggs. First, the female loggerhead emerges onto the nesting beach. Next, she clears away the dry sand with her front flippers and digs an egg chamber with her rear flippers. Then, she deposits her eggs into the nest chamber. The eggs are pliable and white, about the size of ping-pong balls. Once, she has laid her clutch of eggs, her job is done. The eggs are on their own.
The eggs incubate for approximately 60 days before hatching. When the hatchlings emerge from their shells, the babies work together to push the sand and shells down to the bottom of the nest chamber. Then, they wait just beneath the surface of the sand for the cooler temperatures of night. When they emerge, they crawl down the beach toward the brightest horizon, which on a natural beach is always toward the sea, but artificial lights confuse hatchlings. For example, they will head toward the lights of houses, parking lots or roads instead where they often die. On that dangerous journey to the water, they also face raccoons, crabs, birds, and other predators. The hatchlings that finally make it to the water spend the first 6-12 years of their lives floating in the open ocean, living in or near sargassum before returning to shallow coastal waters.
Content Area or Topic Word Wall
For example:
Topic: Loggerhead turtle
Words:
reptile
|
flippers
|
endangered
|
protection
|
clams
|
conches
|
crustaceans
|
subtropical
|
Mediterranean Sea
|
Atlantic Ocean
|
Pacific Ocean
|
Indian Ocean
|
hatch
|
shore
|
pollution
|
enemies
|
Florida
|
South Carolina
|
|
|
|
Techniques for Writing a Conclusion or Go Back Sentence
Rephrase your topic or go sentence.
Reinforce the point you want to make.
Quote an expert to back your point or opinion.
Short story or anecdote that relates to your point or opinion.
Humor or a play on words if appropriate.
Question that will leave the reader thinking.
Summarize the content in a new way.
Reaction or feeling about the content.
Encouragement to think about your topic.
Encouragement to act on your topic.
Techniques for Writing a Lead or Go Sentence
Direct statement about the topic.
“Draw In” Question to make the reader think about a personal connection.
Fact-based Question about an important fact.
Fact or Detail about the topic.
Compare the topic to something the reader knows.
Quotation from an expert.
Scene setting with a description.
Connection to the audience-have they ever experienced what you are writing about?
Observation from the senses- similar to scene setting but with more description.
Personal Connection or Snapshot is a real life connection to the topic similar to an anecdote.
Analogy is comparing the topic to something known.
Snapshot –similar to personal connection but shorter.
Name: ______________________________
Text Feature Scavenger Hunt
Name: _______________________________________
Using Text Features
Text Feature
| Title of Book | How Does the Text Feature Help You as a Reader? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Key Qualities of the
Word Choice
Trait
The words paint pictures in the reader’s mind.
The just right words make the writer’s message crystal clear.
The words are precise*, specific, and powerful.
The active verbs add energy and punch.
The words and phrases have a marvelous sound.
*precise is a PSSA term
Think About Word Choice:
Using Strong Verbs
Use words that show action.
Stretch to get precision; use scurry not run.
Avoid is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been whenever possible.
Replace a weak verb and adjective or adverb with one strong verb. Replace
ate hungrily with gobbled.
Adjective Collection Sheet
|
Which one? ex. green
|
What Kind? ex. fluffy
|
How many? ex. two
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Where do readers find adjectives in a sentence (next to, between)?______________________________________________
What do adjectives do in sentences?_____________________________________________________________________
What question do adjectives answer most frequently?______________________________________________________
Pick several adjectives from above. Form the comparative form using either –er or by adding more. Form the superlative by adding either –est or by adding most.
comparative adjectives (comparing just two)
|
superlative adjectives (comparing three or more)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tell It to the Notebook!-In your writer’s notebook, use either the comparative or superlative forms of these adjectives to write five sentences.
Adverb Collection Sheet
|
When? ex. often
|
Where? ex. nearby, outside
|
How? ex. quickly, nightly
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Where do readers usually find adverbs in sentences (next to, between)?__________________________________________
What do adverbs do in sentences? _______________________________________________________________________
What question do the adverbs you found answer most frequently?_____________________________________________
Pick several adverbs from above. Form the comparative form using either –er or by adding more. Form the superlative by adding either –est or by adding most. Use more or most when the adverb is multisyllabic.
comparative adverbs (comparing just two)
|
superlative adverbs (comparing three or more)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tell it to the Notebook-In your writer’s notebook, use either the comparative or superlative forms of these adverbs to write five sentences.
Antecedent-Pronoun Collection Chart
Antecedent-noun
Person, Place, Thing
ante-before
cede-to yield or give way
The antecedent usually comes in the sentence before the pronoun. Then, yields its place to the pronoun in the next sentence.
|
Pronoun-a noun substitute
I, me, my we, us, our, ours
you, your you, your, yours
he, him, his they, them
she, her, hers their, theirs
it, its
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Making the writing CORRECT
Name __________________________________________________ Date ______________________________________
Title ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Reread your writing carefully once for each type of error in CUPS.
Use a colored pen to make all editing marks.
C…Capitalization
First words of sentences
Proper Nouns: Names, Months, Days
Titles
U…Usage
Use correct grammar
Make subjects/verbs agree
Make nouns/pronouns agree
Use consistent verb tense: past, present, or future
P…Punctuation
Ends of sentences: period, question mark, exclamation point
Apostrophes for contractions and possessives
Commas when needed
S…Spelling
Use a word list or word wall
Use a dictionary
Use print in the classroom
I peer conferenced with _____________________________ to edit my work.
I edited my work to show that I care about correctness.
Signature _______________________________________
ARMS Revising Checklist
Making the Writing Better
Name _______________________________________ Date ______________________________________
Title _____________________________________________________________________________________
Reread your writing piece carefully.
Use a blue colored pen to make all revisions.
A…Add more to your writing.
Facts
Explanations
Examples
Details
R…Remove parts that don’t work or make
sense.
I left my bookbag on the bus on Saturday.
M…Move a word or sentence
to another place in the writing.
Friday
I worried all weekend! I left my bookbag on the the bus on ^Saturday.
S…Substitute a better word or sentence.
Friday
I left my bookbag on the the bus on ^ Saturday.
I peer conferenced with ____________________________ to revise my work.
I met with my teacher for a final conference.
Teacher _______________________________________________
Date _________________________________________________
Name___________________________________________Date______________________________________ Self-Reflection
Title:_________________________________________________________________________________________________
The strengths of this writing are _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
With this piece I learned ________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I know I grew as a writer because ______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Name_______________________________________________ Date_________________________________ Self-Reflection
Title:_________________________________________________________________________________________________
The strengths of this writing are _______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
With this piece I learned ________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
I know I grew as a writer because ______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Elephant Poem
Rumbling
Rumbling
Rumbling
12,000 pounds are coming.
Crashing,
bashing,
trashing, mashing,
dashing, gnashing,
on
leaves.
Elephant noises all around.
-Claudia Mark
How to Write Your Own Animal Cinquain
“To the Sea”
loggerhead hatchling
tiny, tenacious
digging, scooting, swimming
fighting for it life
sea turtle
Write your own cinquain (`sin-kane) about your animal!
Poetry is all about the Word Choice trait!
Title _________________________________
One word topic _________________________________
Two adjectives or adverbs __________________________ ______________________________
Three –ing verbs _______________________ ________________________ ____________________
Four word phrase ________________ __________________ ________________ ________________
One synonym for the topic ________________________________
Reread, revise, proofread, and edit.
Write then illustrate. Or type and insert a photo with a caption.
Share with your friends: |