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AFTER READING
OBJECTIVES
Genre Song
Writer's Craft Repetition and Rhyme
Writing Trait Voice
  • Identify the characteristics
    of a song.
  • Write a song that includes repetition and rhyme.
  • Focus on voice.
  • Use a rubric.
ELL
Voice Encourage English learners to use a bilingual dictionary if available to find powerful verbs to express feelings. For example, tremble or faint could express nervousness. See more writing support in the ELL and Transition Handbook.
Writing Trait
FOCUS/IDEAS The song focuses
on an experience the writer had.
ORGANIZATION/PARAGRAPHS
Each stanza of the song tells something new about the dog and its owner.
VOICE Writing is original and
lively. The writer is engaged
with the subject.
WORD CHOICE The writer uses
repetition (funny dog, silly pup) and rhyming words (ball/fall; pet/yet) as part of the song form.
SENTENCES The song includes
complete sentences in a stanza form.
CONVENTIONS There is
excellent control and accuracy, including use of complete sentences.
DAY 1
Model the Trait
DAY 2
Improve Writing
DAY 3
Prewrite and Draft
DAY 4
Draft and Revise
DAY 5
Connect to Unit Writing
READING-WRITING CONNECTION
  • What About Me? is a fable that teaches a lesson about knowledge and helping.
  • The story uses repetition and a wise voice to teach a lesson.
  • Students will write a song using repetition and rhyme to create voice.
MODEL VOICE Discuss Writing Transparency 2A. Then discuss the model and the writing trait of voice.
Think AloudThe writer has repeated phrases such as funny dog and silly pup to make the song lively and bouncy. Adjectives used to describe the dog (crazy, silly, funny) show the writer's affection and exasperation with the dog. I can tell the writer is very interested in the subject.
Writing Transparency
Writing Transparency 2A
with | without Answers
WRITER'S CRAFT
Repetition and Rhyme
Display Writing Transparency 2B. Read the directions and work together to identify repeated and rhyming words.
GUIDED WRITING Some students may need more help with repetition and rhyme. Work with them to identify these elements in some familiar texts.
Think AloudUSE REPETITION AND RHYME Tomorrow we will write a song. It should have rhyme and repetition. I could write a song about how I like to jump rope. Some rhyming words I could use are hop and stop, skip and trip, jump and thump. Repeating words can set up the rhythm of jumping rope: Jump into the turning ropes and hop, hop, hop. I can go all day and never stop, stop, stop.
Writing Transparency
Writing Transparency 2B
with | without Answers
READ THE WRITING PROMPT
on page 61 in the Student Edition.
What About Me? tells what
happened to a boy as he searches for knowledge.
Think about something that has happened to you.
Now write a song about the experience, using a lively voice.
Writing Test Tips
  • Write details about something funny, strange, or exciting that happened to you.
  • Make some of your lines rhyme to make your song fun.
  • Repeat some words to give your song a lively voice.
GETTING STARTED Students can do any of the following:
  • Make a word web with the phrase Things that have happened to me in the center, and possible topics in connected circles.
  • Brainstorm a catchy phrase to use as a song refrain.
  • Brainstorm rhyming words that describe what they did or felt.
EDITING/REVISING
CHECKLIST
  • Does my song tell about something that happened to me?
  • Does repetition of words make my song lively?
  • Do I use rhyme regularly, such as in every two lines?
  • Does my personality show through to give my song a strong voice?
See The Grammar and Writing Book, pp. 56–61.
Revising Tips
Voice
  • Support your song with words that are specific and vivid.
  • Express your feelings—happy, sad, thoughtful—about your topic.
  • Write about a topic that interests you.
PUBLISHING Have students sing or read their songs to the class. Some students may wish to revise their work later.
ASSESSMENT Use the scoring rubric to evaluate students' work.
Week 1
Describe a Character 41g–41h
Week 2
A Song 63g–63h
Week 3
Math Story 85g–85h
Week 4
E-mail 115g–115h
Week 5
Narrative Paragraph 141g–141h
Personal Narrative
PREVIEW THE UNIT PROMPT
Write a personal narrative about a time that you worked hard for something you wanted. Tell what you wanted, why you wanted it, and how you worked to get it.
APPLY
  • A personal narrative is a story about an interesting experience or event in the storyteller's life.
  • Students may want to use words or ideas from their songs in a personal narrative.
Writing Workshop   Song
Trait of the Week
Voice
 
   
Close  
Writing Trait Rubric  
4 3 2 1
Voice
Excellent sense of writer's attitude toward topic; strongly engages audience and speaks directly to them
Clear sense of how writer feels and thinks; engages audience
Some sense of how writer feels and thinks; weak attempt to engage audience
No sense of how
writer feels and
thinks about topic;
no attempt to
engage audience
Uses well-chosen words in song to clearly show feelings toward topic
Uses words in song that show some feelings about topic
Needs to use more words in song that show feelings about topic
Uses no words in song that show feelings about topic