Scott Foresman Reading Street

Genre Outline
Writer’s Craft Including
Important Details
Writing Trait Sentences

Identify the characteristics of an outline.
Write an outline on a
topic and include
important details.
Focus on sentences.
Use a rubric.

Sentences Have language learners read their sentences aloud to check rhythm, completeness, and sense. Point out opportunities to change a declarative sentence to another type, or to vary sentence beginnings.

FOCUS/IDEAS The outline

focuses on the topic's most important details.

ORGANIZATION/PARAGRAPHS

The outline is organized by main ideas.

VOICE The writer's voice is

clear and logical.

WORD CHOICE The writer uses

exact words to communicate facts.

SENTENCES Words, phrases,

and/or sentences are used.

CONVENTIONS Grammar and

mechanics are excellent, including use of abbreviations.

Model the Trait

Improve Writing

Prewrite and Draft

Draft and Revise

Connect to Unit Writing

READING-WRITING CONNECTION

Happy Birthday Mr. Kang is realistic fiction about a man who decides to let his long-caged bird go free.
Ideas in Happy Birthday Mr. Kang are expressed through varied sentences with much sensory detail.
Students will outline facts from the story.

MODEL SENTENCES Discuss Writing Transparency 27A. Then discuss the outline and the writing trait of sentences and phrases.

The writer has written an outline for a report on pet birds. The outline uses the correct form of using Roman numerals for main topics and capital letters for subtopics. I see that the writer used phrases, words, and sometimes abbreviations in the outline, not complete sentences.

Writing Transparency 27A

with | without Answers

WRITER'S CRAFT

Including Important Details

Display Writing Transparency 27B. Work together to decide which are the important details in the outline.

INCLUDING IMPORTANT DETAILS Tomorrow we will write an outline about a topic from the story. I should pick a topic about which I can find many important details. I might use the Sara Delano Roosevelt Park in New York City. I can look for details that tell me where the park is. I can research the size of the park and whether it has playground equipment. These would all be important details.

GUIDED WRITING Some students may need help with important details. Review a nonfiction article that students have read. Help them choose the important details in each paragraph.

Writing Transparency 27B

with | without Answers

READ THE WRITING PROMPT

on page 327 in the Student
Edition.

Happy Birthday Mr. Kang tells
about a special bird and a wish.

Think about some of the facts in
the story.

Now use the story and the library
or Internet to outline a topic from
the story.

Writing Test Tips

Take notes on facts in the story and other sources.
Organize the facts into groups such as appearance and special features.
Put the facts into outline form, using words and phrases for headings and subheadings.

GETTING STARTED Students can do any of the following:

Work in a group and write down all the facts about hua mei birds that are stated or implied in the selection.
Work with a partner to find articles on the Internet or in the library about hua mei birds or another bird.
Share information with classmates.

EDITING/REVISING
CHECKLIST

Does the outline organize facts into headings and subheadings?
Does the outline include all important details?
Are abbreviations used and punctuated correctly?
Are words with the schwa sound in an unaccented syllable spelled correctly?

See The Grammar and Writing Book, pp. 210–213.

Revising Tips

Sentences

Use abbreviations for some words.
Use short phrases to support the main subheadings; complete sentences are unnecessary.
Make sure the ideas are expressed clearly.

PUBLISHING Students can post their outlines on a bulletin board and compare them. Some students may wish to revise their work later.

ASSESSMENT Use the scoring rubric to evaluate students' work.

Week 1

Taking Notes
303g–303h

Week 2

Outlining 331g–331h

Week 3

Informational
Paragraph 353g–353h

Week 4

Writing About a
Picture 379g–379h

Week 5

Write Good
Paragraphs
407g–407h

Research Report

PREVIEW THE UNIT PROMPT

Write a research report about a
monument or statue that
symbolizes freedom in the United
States. Discuss the monument
itself, its history, and why it is
important. Find information in
sources such as books,
magazines, CD-ROMs, and the
Internet.

APPLY

A research report is an
informational article based
on research.
The second step in writing a
research report is making an
outline of the important
information in the writer’s
notes.

Writing Workshop Outlining

Sentences