June 2014 | Crafting Connections
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Nonfiction Text Structures Anchor Chart

Monday, June 30, 2014
Nonfiction text structures can be a daunting ELA topic to tackle in upper elementary classrooms.  I remember the first time I saw it on the fifth grade state standards a few years back.  (It was my first year coteaching in fifth grade, and I had worked with kindergarten and first grade ELLs the previous couple of years.) Whoa! I felt like a deer caught in headlights! The fifth grade teacher was hoping that I had a grand idea for teaching this topic, and I didn't want to let her down, so I decided to embrace it. It was a bit rough that first year, but I've come to really enjoy teaching text structures!
Nonfiction Text Structures Anchor Chart... focusing on signal words!
The clipboard was a FREEBIE! by Charlotte's Clips!  So cute and crisp!
The text structure clipart is by Aim Less Daze.

From my experience, these are the three key components to teaching text structures in the upper elementary grades:

  1. Use visuals for each text structure (like the ones above)!  Students who understand and can explain how the graphic is related to the text structure almost always understand the concept of text structures overall.
  2. Read several passages together as a class.  This is a skill in which some students will need lots of guided practice!
  3. Have students write their own paragraphs using each text structure.  This seems to be the best way for students to internalize the various structures!

I recently created a free and complete text structure lesson, and wrote a blog post about it. Click HERE to check out the post and download the FREE 23-page printable resource!

Finally, I want to point out the incredible text structure graphics! They were designed by the talented Jena Flanagan by Aim Less Daze.  Aren't they awesome?!?  I contacted her and asked her to consider designing this set for me, and I sent her a very crude set of drawings! (I could only dream of being as talented as she is!) If you would like to purchase this set, click here! I colored the images on my anchor chart by hand because I was in a coloring sort of mood (and my daughter Brooke wanted me to sit down and color with her!), but the set Jena sent me had blackline images as well as color images (the posters below will give you an idea what her color set looks like)!

These are some of my matching products:

Text Structures Flipbook- This resource includes practice passages and lesson plans!

Teach your students about nonfiction text structures with this PowerPoint. It emphasizes signal words.



Or, if you are interested in checking out a bundle of resources, just click on one of the images below.

I designed this bundle with third-grade students in mind:


I designed this bundle with fourth through sixth grade students in mind.
If you are looking for resources to teach your students about nonfiction text structures, be sure to check out this bundle. It is filled with engaging activities!


Thanks for stopping by!

~Deb

Author's Purpose Anchor Chart

Monday, June 23, 2014
Today I am sharing my author's purpose anchor chart:

Author's Purpose PIE'ED Anchor Chart- take author's purpose to the next level for upper elementary students by using the PIE'ED Method!

Does it look a bit different than the author's purpose approach your are used to seeing? I have taught this more advanced version of Author's Purpose {PIE'ED} to upper elementary students (grades 4 and up) for several years now.  Check out this blog post if you're curious about why I switched to teaching Author's Purpose in this manner. (You will find additional FREE posters in this post!)

Also, click on the image below to access my 2-sided worksheet featuring 5 reading passages! All of the passages are related to the days of the week. You can use these worksheets as guided practice or independent practice... whichever best meets your needs!

Finally, if you are looking for related teaching materials, feel free to check out my store. The image below shows my bundle, but all of the items shown can also be purchased individually.

Teach your students to identify the author's purpose for writing. This author's purpose bundle includes many engaging activities. Five author's purpose terms are featured: persuade, inform, entertain, explain, and describe. Get PIE'ED in author's purpose!


Worksheet Wednesday... Fat & Skinny Questions

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

What are the terms you use to help students differentiate between higher-level questions and lower- level questions?

I use the terms "fat" questions and "skinny" questions with my 4th and 5th graders.  I know many teachers use the terms "thick"questions and "thin" questions, and I tried to use these terms for multiple years, also.  However, I quickly realized that these terms were too confusing for my ELLs. I drew pictures and used hand gestures, yet many still had trouble remembering which word was related to higher-level questions, and which words were related to lower-level questions. Finally, I switched to using the terms "fat" and "skinny" because I knew that everyone had a solid understanding of what the terms mean exactly. Once I made this change, my students were much more confident in the questions they were writing because they knew that they were fully understood the concept.

  I found that it worked well to use this worksheet as a lesson before we introduced literature circles for the first time each year. Then, when it was time for students to write their own questions in preparation of their literature circle discussions, they did a great job asking deeper questions!

If you are looking for a worksheet that will help your students differentiate between higher-level and lower-level questions, feel free to download these FREE worksheets for your students! 
If you are looking for a worksheet that will help your students differentiate between higher-level and lower-level questions, feel free to download these FREE worksheets for your students!


If you are looking for a worksheet that will help your students differentiate between higher-level and lower-level questions, feel free to download this for your students!

Anchors Away Monday: Comparatives and Superlatives

Monday, June 16, 2014
Hi everyone!  This is a two-part post!  It's time for another installment of...

                                   
If you missed last week's post, check it out HERE!

Here's the anchor chart I am sharing this week!


The "teeter-totter" rule (for comparatives) and "best ribbon" rule (for superlatives) really seemed to help my lower level ELLs remember when to use each suffix.  If you look carefully (it is rather small), you will notice that I also wrote "is _____er than" on the teeter totter.  This is SUCH a difficult sentence structure for even intermediate and early-advanced ELL's.  There were times when students were writing independently that I spotted students checking the anchor chart for this sentence frame specifically!

An Upper Elementary Take on Author's Purpose

Thursday, June 12, 2014

At a staff meeting about five years back, our principal had us look at the previous year's test results, identify one or two areas of weakness, and then write a plan of action for improving that weak strand.  Well, my colleagues and I recognized that Author's Purpose was a weak area for our third and fourth graders that year.  We wrote what we thought was a fabulous plan to help our students to better understand the concept of Author's Purpose... and thus be better equipped to score higher in that area on the annual standardized tests.  Our plan even included placement of a huge "pie" in the central part of the hallway where each class wrote the titles of books they had read that fit into each category!

As teachers, our confidence soared as State Assessment time approached!  (You know what's coming...)  Well, assessment time arrived, and as an ESL teacher, I was providing the accommodations of reading the test questions aloud to limited-English proficient students.  I got a sinking feeling in my stomach as I read various questions related to Author's Purpose.  I realized that the test authors did not limit the answer choices to persuade, inform, and entertain.  Rather, I saw answer choices that included words like explain, describe, and occasionally even illustrate

Furthermore, I realized that sometimes, the test authors required students to differentiate the main idea.  For example, answer choices might include:
A.  To inform the reader about the formations found in caves
B.  To describe the formations in a cave
C.  To entertain readers with a story about a cave
D.  To inform the reader about how caves are formed

It was then that I set out to do more than just teach the basic PIE method for Author's Purpose!  I found the PIE'ED method online, and from there created several materials to support that method.

What is the PIE'ED method of Author's Purpose?
P-persuade (to convince the reader of something)
I-inform (to provide the reader with information)
E- entertain (to provide a story readers will enjoy - it can be sad, scary, or happy, and often includes dialogue)
E-explain (to give the reader directions)
D-describe (to appeal to most or all of the reader's five senses)

The following three items below are FREE in my TpT store for any teacher who might want to try teaching this method to their students (just click on the images)!
An upper elementary version of teaching author's purpose! The author of this blog post explains why she moved toward the PIE'ED approach to author's purpose. FREE worksheets and posters are included!       An upper elementary version of teaching author's purpose! The author of this blog post explains why she moved toward the PIE'ED approach to author's purpose. FREE worksheets and posters are included!

Have you increased the rigor in order to prepare your students for authors purpose test questions? FREE author's purpose test prep passages, posters (persuade, inform, entertain, explain, describe), and many classroom ideas!

I also have several other items available. Feel free to check them out!
    



Inferences Anchor Chart... with a matching free activity!

Monday, June 9, 2014
Those of you who have been following me for a while already know that I believe it is vital to help students build connections in their brain that they can draw on in the future.  One way I do this is by linking real objects to abstract standards... the components of a S'more to the process of making an inference, for example!

If you are teaching students about making inferences, try the s'more analogy. This blog post contains an inference anchor chart that explains the analogy.

When I created this inference anchor chart to use with students, I prepared most of the anchor chart prior to the beginning of class.  I did NOT, however, write on the second set of S'more ingredients (at the bottom of the chart).  Instead, we read the passage and discussed together what should be written on the bottom S'more pieces.  I wrote on them as we discussed the passage.
Inference Anchor Chart using the Smore analogy! A free matching follow-up activity (with a reading passage!) is also included!

 I continue the lesson (and deepen the connection) by having students create a S'more inference themselves! Click HERE if you want to download this FREE passage and practice activity:
Teaching about making inferences while reading? Check out this anchor chart and FREE inference activity for upper elementary students! This blog post contains a free passage and instructions which will allow your students to make their own s'more inference!

I cut the pieces my students will need before class:
Teaching about making inferences while reading? Check out this anchor chart and FREE inference activity for upper elementary students! This blog post contains a free passage and instructions which will allow your students to make their own s'more inference!

After completing the anchor chart, the lesson proceeds like this:
Teaching about making inferences while reading? Check out this anchor chart and FREE inference activity for upper elementary students! This blog post contains a free passage and instructions which will allow your students to make their own s'more inference!
Students read the passage and complete the worksheet.
I have students create the S'more using question #3 on the worksheet.

Teaching about making inferences while reading? Check out this anchor chart and FREE inference activity for upper elementary students! This blog post contains a free passage and instructions which will allow your students to make their own s'more inference!
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Teaching about making inferences while reading? Check out this anchor chart and FREE inference activity for upper elementary students! This blog post contains a free passage and instructions which will allow your students to make their own s'more inference!

Teaching about making inferences while reading? Check out this anchor chart and FREE inference activity for upper elementary students! This blog post contains a free passage and instructions which will allow your students to make their own s'more inference!

Teaching about making inferences while reading? Check out this anchor chart and FREE inference activity for upper elementary students! This blog post contains a free passage and instructions which will allow your students to make their own s'more inference!

Students are eager to show off their S'more inference. Beware, though, this activity makes everyone crave a s'more. Often I bring the ingredients to class, and we all enjoy an unmelted s'more after we finish the activity. It's not quite as tasty as the real thing, but it's still fun to enjoy a snack! :)

This anchor chart and free activity is actually a "spin-off" of one of my favorite craftivities, My Let's Make S'more Inferences Craftivity.


Point of View Anchor Chart

Monday, June 2, 2014

I remember the first lesson I tried to prepare on teaching students to identify the author's point of view. My state standards indicated that my fifth graders needed to be able to identify first person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient points of view.  I "knew" that my first step was teaching students which pronouns were associated with each point of view. For example, I knew I had to teach my students that the pronouns, "I", "me", "our", and "us" were used by authors writing in first person.

As I was looking for text examples to share with my students, however, I found a flaw with my approach. Consider this paragraph:

My heart was beating like a drum when I approached my father. It was time to tell
him the truth. What if he doesn't believe me? What if he thinks she is telling the truth?

In this sample paragraph, there are both first person pronouns and third person pronouns! Now what?! 

I quickly realized that any pronouns within dialogue have to be ignored when determining point of view... and this included spoken dialogue (in quotation marks) and internal dialogue (written in italics). Furthermore, when teaching students to identify the author's point of view, crossing out dialogue had to be done before pronouns were considered. I also realized that there are a few other "rules". For example, if a text contained both first person pronouns and third person pronouns within the narrative (like in the example above), the point of view was always first person.

Eventually, I came to the conclusion that a step-by-step approach was going to be the best way to introduce these concepts to students. I created the following anchor chart which helped my students immensely.
Point of View Anchor Chart including first person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient points of view.
Do you want to replicate this anchor chart? Click HERE for the FREE images.


I created this anchor chart AFTER my students and I worked through my Point of View PowerPoint, which contains the same concepts. My students had great success when we went through the PowerPoint slides, but then a few of them struggled when the PowerPoint was turned off and they tried to work through the process more independently. I realized that those students still needed a bit of scaffolding before they internalized the process... and that's where this anchor chart came in! It worked like a charm!! Students who needed the support referred to it often. There was no excuse for any student to make a random guess! Also, I always had students justify the point of view they selected by explaining how they found their answer. Referring to this chart helped them to do that!

I also created a flow chart for each student to glue in their interactive notebooks. (I had to reduce the size when I made the copies. Feel free to check out either of these resources by clicking on the images below.)
This 64-slide PowerPoint is a step-by-step presentation that teaches students how to determine the author's point of view. First, students are shown how to determine whether a passage is 1st person, 2nd person, or 3rd person. Once they have had lots of practice with these passages, they are taught the difference between third person "limited" and "omniscient".



I actually have two versions of the PowerPoint because I work with multiple grade levels.  At our school, fourth graders focus mainly on first and third person, while fifth graders also learn second person and the differentiate between 3rd person limited and 3rd person omniscient.



Finally, check out this FREE lesson (with printables to download) that I shared at my collaborative blog, Upper Elementary Snapshots!

Thanks for stopping by today!

~Deb




Pin this for future reference:
Teaching Point of View to upper elementary students with a simple, sequential approach! First person, second person, third person limited, and third person omniscient.


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