Scott Foresman Reading Street

Genre Story Review
Writer’s Craft Know Your Audience
Writing Trait Conventions

Identify the characteristics of a story review.
Write a story review, keeping the audience in mind.
Focus on conventions.
Use a rubric.

Conventions Identify a particular grammar convention that presents difficulty for a student or a small group. Explicitly teach the English convention using an appropriate lesson in the ELL and Transition Handbook.

FOCUS/IDEAS The review

focuses on a story the
audience would like.

ORGANIZATION/PARAGRAPHS

The review states an opinion and then lists reasons for it.

VOICE The writer has an

individual, persuasive voice.

WORD CHOICE The writer uses

persuasive words and vivid descriptive words.

SENTENCES Sentences of

different lengths and kinds are used.

CONVENTIONS Grammar and

mechanics are excellent,
including use of conjunctions.

Model the Trait

Improve Writing

Prewrite and Draft

Draft and Revise

Connect to Unit Writing

READING-WRITING CONNECTION

Me and Uncle Romie is realistic fiction.
Ideas in Me and Uncle Romie are selected for an audience that the writer can describe.
Students will write a story review that will tell the audience why they would or would not like the story.

MODEL CONVENTIONS Discuss Writing Transparency 25A. Then discuss the model and the writing trait of conventions.

The writer has reviewed the story Me and Uncle Romie. The writer gives an opinion about the story and supports the opinion with reasons. The reasons are in increasing order of importance. Finally, the writer suggests that the audience take action and read the story.

Writing Transparency 25A

with | without Answers

WRITER'S CRAFT

Know Your Audience

Display Writing Transparency 25B. Read the directions and identify the audience for the writing.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE When I write a story
review, it is helpful to
know who is likely to read
it. I try to figure out who my audience will be. Am I writing for my classmates or an audience who loves animals or maybe sports? Identifying the audience will help you select and write the details in your story review.

GUIDED PRACTICE Some
students may need more help
knowing their audience. Review
different kinds of writing, such
as a story for young people, a
newspaper article, and a recipe.
Have students identify the
audience for the writing and
explain how it affects the details
the author has chosen.

Writing Transparency 25B

with | without Answers

READ THE WRITING PROMPT

on page 271 in the Student Edition.

In Me and Uncle Romie, Uncle Romie says everyone has special stories that he or she loves.

Think about a story that is special to you.

Now write a story review telling why readers should read the story.

Writing Test Tips

State your opinion in the first sentence
or two.
Use descriptions and examples of the book's characters, setting, and plot to support your opinion.
Do not tell the entire plot of the story. You may mention story events as you give reasons for enjoying the story.

GETTING STARTED Students can do any of the following:

Create a chart showing characters, settings, and important events of the story that will be reviewed.
As a group, discuss stories they have enjoyed.
Use the textbook to review other stories they particularly liked.

EDITING/REVISING
CHECKLIST

Does the review focus on a specific work of fiction and why it is recommended?
Does the review show that the writer knows his or her audience?
Are conjunctions used correctly?
Are words with the suffixes -y, -ish, -hood, and -ment spelled correctly?

See The Grammar and Writing Book, pp. 198–203.

Revising Tips

Conventions

Begin every sentence with a capital letter and end with the correct end punctuation.
Make sure pronouns are used correctly.
Use conjunctions to combine some short sentences into longer ones.

PUBLISHING Students can form story review groups and discuss the stories they reviewed. Some students may wish to revise their work later.

ASSESSMENT Use the scoring rubric to evaluate students' work.

Week 1

Editorial 169g–169h

Week 2

Write Your Opinion
193g–193h

Week 3

Ad 219g–219h

Week 4

Answer a Question 243g–243h

Week 5

Story Review
275g–275h

Persuasive Letter

PREVIEW THE UNIT PROMPT

Write a letter asking a parent to let you travel to another country, dress in a special way, or eat a particular food. Think of reasons you should be allowed to do this thing.

APPLY

A persuasive letter tries to convince a reader to think or act a certain way. It uses facts, reasons, and examples to make a point.
In a persuasive letter, writers put their reasons in the order they think will be most persuasive to readers.

Writing Workshop Story Review

Conventions