Go to page
AFTER READING
OBJECTIVES
Genre Feature Story
Writer's Craft Know Your Purpose
Writing Trait Voice
  • Identify the characteristics of a feature story.
  • Compose a feature story with a clear purpose.
  • Focus on voice.
  • Use a rubric.
ELL
Voice Show pictures that convey people's feelings, such as being proud or frightened. Model discussion of these feelings: "The girl is proud of her drawing." Explain that proud tells a feeling. Remind language learners to show their feelings when they write.
Writing Trait
FOCUS/IDEAS An interesting
event and characters are described.
ORGANIZATION/PARAGRAPHS
The event is narrated in time order.
VOICE Writing is lively and
indicates a clear
purpose—to amuse readers.
WORD CHOICE The writer uses
quotations and vivid words to engage readers. Time-order words make sequence clear.
SENTENCES Varying sentence
lengths and kinds create interest and clarity.
CONVENTIONS There is
excellent control and accuracy.
Writing Workshop Feature Story
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
  • Tops and Bottoms tells the story of a lazy bear and a clever, industrious rabbit.
  • The story uses a humorous voice to amuse and instruct readers.
  • Students will write a feature story in a humorous voice to entertain readers.
MODEL VOICE Discuss Writing Transparency 9A. Then discuss the model and the writing trait of voice.
Think AloudThe writer has used informal language like ok and awesome to make his voice informal. He made the feature story lively with words such as big break and bright lights and cameras. Including Jay's words ("It was fun!") helped keep the voice exciting and interesting.
Writing Transparency
Writing Transparency 9A
with | without Answers
WRITER'S CRAFT
Know Your Purpose
Display Writing Transparency 9B. Work together to identify the writer's purpose in each paragraph.
Think AloudSUPPORTING YOUR
PURPOSE FOR WRITING Tomorrow we will write a feature story. I might write about my aunt's creative plan to get rich by trading. My purpose will be to entertain and inform. I could write, "Aunt Rosa used the Internet to trade small things for bigger, more expensive things." This sentence tells who, what, and how. I could write, "From a pen and pencil set, she traded up to a stuffed owl." This detail is interesting and entertaining.
GUIDED WRITING Some students may need more help knowing their purpose. Point out something that students have previously read and help them identify the author's purpose.
Writing Transparency
Writing Transparency 9B
with | without Answers
READ THE WRITING PROMPT
on page 247 in the Student Edition.
In Tops and Bottoms, a character uses his creativity to get ahead.
Think about an event that happened because of one or more creative people.
Now write a feature story about the event and the person.
Writing Test Tips
  • Describe the traits of the main characters of the event.
  • Describe the events in order.
  • Use time-order words to make the order of events clear.
  • Consider using a quotation.
GETTING STARTED Students can do any of the following:
  • Make a concept web with Creative people that made things happen in the center.
  • In a small group, share stories about people who are creative or original.
  • Look through magazine articles and newspaper features for stories about creative people.
EDITING/REVISING
CHECKLIST
  • Is the purpose of the story clear?
  • Are the characters and events of the story described vividly?
  • Are singular possessive nouns used correctly?
  • Are words with consonant blends spl, thr, squ, and str spelled correctly?
See The Grammar and Writing Book, pp. 98–103.
Revising Tips
Voice
  • Support your story using words that fit your personality and purpose.
  • Choose details about the characters and events that bring them to life and fit your purpose.
  • Show your feelings about the characters and events.
PUBLISHING Students can illustrate their stories and collect them in a class magazine. Some students may wish to revise their work later.
ASSESSMENT Use the scoring rubric to evaluate students' work.
Week 1
Summary 173g–173h
Week 2
Rules 197g–197h
Week 3
Problem/Solution
223g–223h
Week 4
Feature Story
249g–249h
Week 5
Explanatory
Paragraph 271g–271h
How-to Report
PREVIEW THE UNIT PROMPT
Think of something you learned or figured out how to do that involves
a few simple steps. Write the steps
in a how-to report. Make sure you provide all the necessary information.
APPLY
  • A how-to report explains the steps for making or doing something.
  • Remember that the purpose for writing a how-to report is to explain the steps in the process clearly.
Trait of the Week
Voice
 
   
Close  
Writing Trait Rubric  
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 feature
story to clearly show feelings toward
topic
Uses words in feature story that
show some feelings about topic
Needs to use more words in feature
story that show feelings about topic
Uses no words in feature story that
show feelings about topic