Alessa Strelecki

EDUC 139
Writing Unit

Purpose:
The purpose of this writing unit is for students to focus on word choice in their
poetry to create poems that use figurative language and are descriptive. Students
will also focus on the writing process by exploring, drafting, revising,
editing/proofread, and publishing

Standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive
details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.5a Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in
context.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults,
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting,
or trying a new approach.

CCL- Use words to evoke imagery and feeling.
Observe closely to capture sensory images in poetry

Day 1:
Topic: Poetry and Word Choice
Materials:
Poem- Eggs by Jack Prelutsky (copy that can be written on under document
camera)
Chart Paper

Teacher Actions:
Read poem aloud to students
Underline/Circle/Highlight good word choice in poem
Use chart paper to write out good word choice and determine other ways to
say the same thing
Student Actions:
Listen to poem
Determine good word choice and share with teacher
Determine other ways to say the same thing

Day 2:
Topic: Poetry and Word Choice
Materials: Poem-The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
Chart paper
Teacher Actions: Read the poem to students
Identify good Word Choice
Lead Interactive Writing
Student Actions: Listen to Poem
Identify good Word Choice
Participate in Interactive Writing


Day 3:
Topic: Poetry
Materials: Class poem from yesterday
Pen for Editing
Pen for Revising
Teacher Actions: Lead class through the editing and revising process with the poem
from the day before
Student Actions: Participate and share ideas during editing and revising

Day 4:
Topic: Poetry and Word Choice
Materials: Poem Blue by Justine Rowden (with picture from book)
Picture for student- Flowers in a Vase by Andre Derain
Teacher Actions: Read Poem
Show students the picture
Share own free write with students
Instruct student on how to complete Free Write (in poem from for
this unit)
Students Actions: Listen to poem
Complete Free Write

Day 5:
Topic: Poetry and the Writing Process
Materials: Students Free Writes from yesterday
Teacher Actions: Lead student through revising process
Students Actions: Revise poems from the day before

Day 6:
Topic: Poetry and the Writing Process
Materials: Student poems from day before
Teacher Actions: Lead students through editing process
Assign students partner to peer edit
Students Actions: Edit own poems
Peer edit

Day 7:
Topic: Poetry and the Writing Process
Materials: Students poems
Computers (go to computer lab)
Teacher Actions: Facilitate the publishing of student poems
Student Actions: Publish poem (type it on the computer)
Fill out reflection for unit







Blue
By: Justine Rowden
From Paint me a Poem

Blue

Its a wonderful blue:

Not the blue of a cool lake, where towboats glide
Into waves that greet them,
Splashing against the sides like high fives,

Not the blue of a ripe blueberry about to join its cousins
In a plump blueberry pie,
With all the berries snuggling up against each other,

Not the blue of the sky on a hot,
Windless summer day,
When even the trees and the grass are caught napping.

Its own blue,
A wonderful blue

Blue.

*This poem does a great job of using good word choice, which is an excellent model
for students! I also chose it because it is based off of a picture, which is what
students will be doing for their poem during this writing unit.

The Road Not Taken
By: Robert Frost
From Poetry for Young People: Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


*This poem also has great word choice and
exposes students to a different type of poetry
than the day before. I like the message the
poem gives readers in addition to the strong
word choice.

Eggs
By: Jack Prelutsky
From The New Kid on the Block

Eggs! Youre excellent, exquisite
I exalt you, hot or cold,
I salute you in a salad
I commend you in a mold,
You are scrumptious lightly scrambled
Fully fascinating fried,
Incandescent over easy,
Dazzling in your sunny side.

Eggs!
Youre dainty when youre coddled,
Where youre stuffed, I long to bite,
Youre angelic when youre deviled,
When youre shirred, youre sheer delight,
You are magic on a muffin,
Gold ambrosia on a bun,
You are princely, poached precisely,
When your yellow starts to run.

Eggs!
Youre nectar in an omelets,
In souffls, a savory dream,
Baked or boiled you are bewitching,
In a quiche, you reign supreme,
Yes, I love you to distraction,
But alas, you have a flaw,
For youre thoroughly revolting
When youre swallowed whole and raw.

*I like this poem because it is funny and has
great word choice. Students will be able to see
that good word choice does not be the poem
has to be complicated or hard to understand.


Teacher Model
Free Write
Based on Meadow by Alfred Sisley

June 23
rd


The clouds filled the sky
Like puffy cotton balls
on the picturesque summer day

I walked into the field
As the breeze brushed against my skin
And the sun warmed the back of my neck

The sweet aroma from the flowers
Filled by head
And made me feel at ease

I hurriedly hopped back over the fence
To get back to the barn
Before anyone knew I was gone.


Reflection:
I liked writing this rough draft of a poem in free write form because I didnt
feel the pressure to finish it quickly or pressed to come up with ideas. I just wrote
about what I saw and did my best to incorporate good word choice. When I would
write poetry in elementary school and the teacher would tell us to go and write, I
would often end up wasting the entire time just trying to think of something.
Because of the free write strategy and the bit f structure it provides, I was able to
better focus and get started on my writing.

Students will be given this worksheet when completing their free write to help them
remember the goals of the unit.







Name:

Remember word choice!
Show, dont tell
Be descriptive
Make sure you use appropriate words
















Assessment
Days 1-3 of the writing unit are based on teacher observations of student
participation in class during the discussion of word choice, the interactive writing,
and the revising and editing process. I will write down any concerns that I may have
with student understanding and address them through differentiation.
Days 4-7 students will be provided with a self-checklist to make sure they
that are staying in track with the unit and addressing the standards that the unit is
based off of. The check list will be turned in at the end of the unit for the teacher
review. The checklist will look like this:




















Day 7- On the last day, students will fill out a reflection about the unit to reflect on
what they learned over the 7 days and how it will influence their writing in the
future.


Name:

Checklist for Poetry and Word Choice Unit

1. I completed my free write
2. I revised my poem
a. Did I use good word choice?
3. I edited my poem
a. Did I fix any spelling or grammar errors?
4. I peer edited a classmates poem
a. Did I look for spelling and grammar errors?
b. Did I look at their word choice?
5. I published my poem































Name:

What did you learn about good word choice?



What was your favorite part about writing poetry?



How did the writing process help you?



How will this help your writing in the future?
I will also grade the students poems and give them feedback. The rubric will include
scores for word choice, the writing process, and conventions.


1 2 3
Word Choice
General or
ordinary words
used. Attempts to
use new and
descriptive words,
but has limited
success (words
may be
inappropriate, or
limited use).
Attempts to use
descriptive words
to create images.
Tries to use
descriptive words
and has success
with some, but
difficulty with
others.
Uses correct and
original descriptive
words that create
good images in the
poem.
Writing Process
Almost no steps of
the writing process
evident.
Some steps of the
writing process
evident.
All steps of the
writing process
evident.
Conventions
Poem has many
grammatical and
spelling errors.
Poem has some
grammatical and
spelling errors.
Poem has no
grammatical or
spelling errors.




Differentiation
The Read Alouds with the poems will be done as a shared reading so there
will be a copy on the document camera. This will help students that may have
difficulties reading and will not hinder those students that may be ahead of grade
level in their reading.
Because this is an open-ended task, differentiating for students will work out
well. I plan to check in with students as they are going through the writing process
to see where they may be struggling or where they may need an extension. For
students that are struggling with word choice I will provide a thesaurus that they
can use to look up similar words and spark some ideas for their poetry. I will also
meet with them and discuss what they are trying to convey in their poem and have
them describe different aspects to me to try to help them to find good, descriptive
words to put into their poems. For students that need an extra push during this unit,
I will challenge them to find different ways to describe whatever they may be
describing in their poem. I do not want to give them any extra work, but rather
extend what we as a class are doing.