Classroom Resource

Our Classroom: Writing an Owner's Manual

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

3, 4, 5

Overview

There are many back to school activities that take place to help create a classroom community. It is important for students to feel that they own the space and the learning that takes place in their classroom. Foster such ownership for students by collaboratively writing an owner's manual that describes the classroom's areas and procedures. Students begin by sharing thoughts and feelings about school so far and brainstorming a list of important classroom places, routines, and events. Next, they select an item from the brainstormed list and write a draft description of how their topic “works” in the classroom and after peer-review, make appropriate revisions. Then students use interactive tools to create their piece of the classroom owner's manual. Finally, students share their work and decide as a class how to share the information with others, such as an Open House or when new students join the classroom.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.R5

Utilize the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.13

Utilize new academic, content-specific, grade-level vocabulary to make connections to previously learned words and relate new words to background knowledge.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.13

Vocabulary

  • Utilize
  • Academic vocabulary
  • Content-specific vocabulary
  • Grade-level vocabulary
  • Connections
  • Relating
  • Background knowledge

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Academic, content-specific, grade-level vocabulary words.
  • Content-specific vocabulary refers to words used in different subjects learned in school such as reading, math, social studies, science.
  • New vocabulary words can be learned by relating them to previously learned words and background knowledge.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use new academic, content-specific vocabulary by making connections to previously learned words.
  • Use new academic, content-specific vocabulary by relating new words to background knowledge.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Academic, content-specific vocabulary words are used in different school subjects, like reading, math, social studies, and science.
  • They can learn new vocabulary words by making connections to previously learned words or their background knowledge.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.34

Write informative or explanatory texts about a topic using sources, including an introduction, facts, relevant details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.34

Vocabulary

  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Sources
  • Topic
  • Introduction
  • Facts
  • Relevant details
  • Elaboration
  • Conclusion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaboration means to supply additional information about a detail by using academic, content-specific vocabulary or by including text features.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Gather information from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text that begins with introducing the topic, provides facts and details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaborate on details included in the text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from a research source.
  • Informative or explanatory writing can be used to tell facts about a topic.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using academic, content-specific vocabulary and text features.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.R1

Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.R1

Vocabulary

  • Active listening
  • Discussion
  • Conversation
  • Rules
  • Participation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • How to engage in discussions and conversations in a variety of settings.
  • Agreed-upon rules for participation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings.
  • Converse in pairs, small groups, and large groups.
  • Practice the agreed-upon rules for participation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow agreed-upon rules which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.R4

Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.R4

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.9

Accurately interpret general academic and domain-specific words and phrases.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.9

Vocabulary

  • Interpret
  • General academic vocabulary
  • Domain-specific vocabulary

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Academic vocabulary is language that is more formal than spoken language.
  • Domain-specific vocabulary refers to words that are used specifically in school subject areas, like math, science, and social studies.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Correctly identify the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There are multiple strategies they can use to interpret the meaning of academic and domain-specific vocabulary, including using context clues in the text, their background knowledge, the morphological structure of the word, and outside resources.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.36

Write informative or explanatory text about a topic using sources, incorporating academic vocabulary, and including an introduction, facts, details with elaboration, and a conclusion.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.36

Vocabulary

  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Topic
  • Sources
  • Academic vocabulary
  • Introduction
  • Facts
  • Details with elaboration
  • Conclusion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaboration means to supply additional information about a detail by using academic vocabulary or by including text features.
  • Academic vocabulary is more formal and specific than spoken language.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Gather information from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text that begins with introducing the topic, provides facts and details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaborate on details included in the text using academic vocabulary.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from a research source.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic vocabulary and text features.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.R1

Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.5.R1

Vocabulary

  • Active listening
  • Discussion
  • Conversation
  • Rules
  • Participation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • How to engage in discussions and conversations in a variety of settings.
  • Agreed-upon rules for participation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings.
  • Converse in pairs, small groups, and large groups.
  • Practice the agreed-upon rules for participation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow agreed-upon rules which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.R4

Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.5.R4

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.14

Write using grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases accurately, including those that signal contrasting ideas, additional information, and other logical relationships.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.5.14

Vocabulary

  • General academic vocabulary
  • Domain-specific vocabulary
  • Words that signal contrasting ideas
  • Words that signal additional information
  • Words that signal other logical relationships

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Academic vocabulary is language that is more formal than spoken language.
  • Domain-specific vocabulary refers to words that are used specifically in school subject areas, like math, science, and social studies.
  • There are words and phrases that can be used in writing to signal relationships between ideas.
  • Academic, domain-specific vocabulary should be used in school writing.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Accurately use grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in writing.
  • Accurately use words and phrases that signal contrasting ideas, additional information, and other logical relationships between ideas in writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • It is important to use academic, domain-specific vocabulary in formal settings, like school writing.
  • They can show relationships between their ideas in writings by using particular words and phrases.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 5

ELA21.5.35

Write informative or explanatory texts using multiple sources to examine a topic, conveying ideas and information clearly and incorporating a strong organizational structure, relevant details, and elaboration.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.5.35

Vocabulary

  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Sources
  • Topic
  • Organizational structure
  • Details
  • Elaboration

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaboration means supplying additional information about details by using academic vocabulary or including text features.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Gather information from multiple sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text with a clear, organized structure.
  • Elaborate on details included in the text using academic vocabulary or text features.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from multiple research sources.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic vocabulary and text features.
Link to Resource
http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/classroom-writing-ow…

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

ReadWriteThink
Accessibility
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html

Comments or Notes

ReadWriteThink is a free resource with links to additional videos, interactives, and printables.

Approved Date

raulstoncg
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