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AFTER READING
OBJECTIVES
Genre Friendly Letter
Writer’s Craft Put Ideas in
Order
Writing Trait Conventions
  • Identify the
    characteristics of a
    friendly letter.
  • Write a friendly letter by
    putting ideas in order.
  • Focus on conventions.
  • Use a rubric.
ELL
Conventions In assessing the writing
of language learners, remember that a
consistent grammatical error may
reflect the writing conventions of the home language. Address the skill by using the appropriate Grammar Transition lessons in the ELL and Transition Handbook.
Writing Trait
FOCUS/IDEAS The letter is
written to a friend about
personal experiences and/or feelings.
ORGANIZATION/PARAGRAPHS
The letter's ideas are in logical order.
VOICE The letter expresses
the personality of the writer.
WORD CHOICE The writer uses
I and vivid descriptive words for
a lively voice.
SENTENCES Sentences have
variety to add interest.
CONVENTIONS Conventions
of friendly letters, such as
the greeting and closing, are used.
Trait of the Week
Conventions
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
  • Night Letters follows a girl as she observes the natural world.
  • The story uses conventions of the friendly letter and time order as structuring devices.
  • Students will write a friendly letter with ideas in logical order and correct use of conventions.
MODEL CONVENTIONS Discuss Writing Transparency 13A. Then discuss the model and conventions.
Think AloudThe writer used conventions of a friendly letter. She began with the date and greeting. The greeting contains the word Dear and the friend's name followed by a comma. Each paragraph in the letter has complete sentences and uses punctuation and grammar correctly: "I saw a zigzag of lightning." Using I seed or I seen is incorrect.
Writing Transparency
Writing Transparency 13A
with | without Answers
WRITER'S CRAFT
Put Ideas in Order
Display Writing Transparency 13B. Read the directions and work together to identify different types of organization in paragraphs.
Think AloudPUTTING IDEAS IN
ORDER Tomorrow we will
write a friendly letter. I
could write a letter to my
friend Sam about my plan to start
a recycling club. How should I
organize the details? I could list
all the steps it will take to start
the club, such as researching the
recycling our town does and
posting flyers for my club. I would
organize the steps in the order
they should be done so my
plan makes sense.
GUIDED WRITING Some students may need more help putting ideas in order. Point out several different ways in which ideas are ordered in other selections.
Writing Transparency
Writing Transparency 13B
with | without Answers
READ THE WRITING PROMPT
on page 351 in the Student Edition.
In Night Letters, Lily makes plans for the next day.
Think about a plan you have for some time in the future.
Now write a friendly letter telling a friend about your plan.
Writing Test Tips
  • Think about why the plan is interesting to tell a friend about.
  • Use vivid verbs, nouns, and specific words to describe the plan.
  • Put the steps in your plan in order.
GETTING STARTED Students
can do any of the following:
  • Make a concept map with Plan to be put into action in the center.
  • Close their eyes and picture themselves carrying out the plan, then jot down action words and descriptive phrases.
  • Talk with a partner about the future and what they hope to do.
EDITING/REVISING
CHECKLIST
  • Are my ideas in a logical
    order?
  • Do I describe the
    experience so that it
    engages my reader?
  • Do action verbs help make
    each detail vivid? Do verbs
    agree with their subjects?
  • Are words with the
    consonant sounds /j/
    and /k/ spelled correctly?
See The Grammar and Writing Book, pp. 122–127.
Revising Tips
Conventions
  • Use a greeting addressed to the person receiving the letter: Dear Sam. Don't forget the comma.
  • Use I throughout to describe a personal experience.
  • Use a closing such as Yours truly or Your friend, followed by a comma.
  • Check for correct capitalization in friendly letters.
PUBLISHING Students can send their letters to the people to whom they are written. Some students may wish to revise their work later.
ASSESSMENT Use the scoring rubric to evaluate students’ work.
Writing Workshop   Friendly Letter
Week 1
Journal Entry 303g–303h
Week 2
Skit 329g–329h
Week 3
Friendly Letter
353g–353h
Week 4
News Story
379g–379h
Week 5
Compare/Contrast Paragraph 399g–399h
Compare and Contrast Essay
PREVIEW THE UNIT PROMPT
Write an essay that compares and contrasts two things in nature.
Your subjects could be two plants, animals, seasons, or weather conditions. Use words that show
what you are describing.
APPLY
  • A compare and contrast
    essay compares and
    contrasts two things. It uses
    transition words and details
    to show likenesses and
    differences.
  • In a compare/contrast
    essay, ideas may be
    ordered by topic or
    by feature.
 
   
Close  
Writing Trait Rubric  
Rubric 4 3 2 1
Conventions
Excellent control of grammar, capitalization,
and punctuation
Good control of grammar, capitalization,
and punctuation
Limited control of grammar, capitalization,
and punctuation
Poor control of grammar, capitalization,
and punctuation
Excellent, accurate control of letter
conventions
Good control of letter conventions
Limited control of letter conventions
No attempt to use letter conventions