Language Arts	10.1	experiment with a range of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, and presentation strategies
	10.2	use some conventions of written language
	10.3	demonstrate engagement with the creation of pieces of writing and other representation
		*demonstrate pride and sense of ownership in writing/representing efforts
	10.4	experiment with technology in writing and other forms of representing
		*use a tape recorder to tape dramatic presentations, readings of published work, and retellings
		*use a simple word processing program to draft, revise, edit, and publish
		*use a drawing program (computer software)
		*with assistance use the Internet to communicate
Tech	SEHI 3.1	share books, media, electronic information resources, and computer equipment
	PTS 3.1	present their learning by selecting media and software appropriate to the content and purpose, with teacher assistance

Lesson 6: My Voice-Sentence fluency narration

Purpose:

Students are to use their PT to create a short story (5 lines) encompassing images they have created or enhanced. The story can be fiction or non-fiction. Students will use their PT to record or video record themselves narrating this story. The sentences of the story must match up to the photos/images they have created, enhanced or mashed up. The story is to reflect the synthesis of the 3 different authors’ style: Nicola Davies, Wanda Gag, and Vera Williams analyzing their methods to achieve fluent sentences and applying these techniques in their own writing. This activity will reinforce the writing skills of good sentence structure and varied length as part of the sentence fluency skills they are developing.

Preparation:

The teacher will have to communicate to the parents/students that their Pocket Device will be used to create a piece of writing and record themselves reading the sentences. In order to be ready to begin this activity integrating their device requires the device to have certain capabilities. Furthermore the teacher will ask the students/parents to install a free app that allows writing, editing, saving text and email options such as Write 2 Lite from Apple App store. It is important to note that most PT has a voice recorder if not it is important that the PT has one installed prior to the lesson.

· Find the books A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams, Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag, One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies and have them accessible to the students

· Create a picture of a book cover use this as an example

· Have students find a writing app on their PT

Materials:

· wifi

· Pocket Technology-with wifi capability

· Apple IPod 4^th generation or other

· Photo editing app installed found at the Apple App Store

· Voice recorder needed

· Movie maker/editor app installed such as splice for the apple OS

· Blackberry playbook as an example of the PT

· Student access to their own email

· Writing, publishing, storage app installed

· Copy of the books A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams, Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag, and One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies

· 6+1 Traits of Writing by Ruth Culham teachers resource kit

· Classroom provides access to certain tablet technology and pocket technology as well as computers

Lesson:

Begin the lesson by reviewing the techniques that our authors have used to achieve sentence fluency in their own writing. Perhaps the teacher will reread a part of one or several of the texts. Discuss how these books are great examples of sentence fluency. The authors use techniques of varying the length and structure of their sentences to achieve fluency. Using full sentences making the text easy to listen to and read is another technique as well as the use of rhyme for musicality to create fluent text. Following this discussion the students will begin to create a short story synthesizing all of the techniques.

I do:

1. I discuss and review what sentence fluency is indicating how sentences are smooth, varying in length and style, have both a subject and action, sound like music and rhyme

2. I ask for examples from their own writing or reading of sentences that are good examples of sentence fluency

3. I will model creating a mashed up picture using a PT device and ask for a sentence describing the photo or using the photo in a sentence

4. I ask if anyone can make it better

5. I will record the sentence using my PT

6. Then I will play it back and show the photo at the same time using a movie editing app

7. I will monitor and support if there are any questions

You do:

1. Students are asked to choose a sentence to develop into an idea synthesizing the attributes of the 3 focus authors

2. Students are to use their PT and an app to find and mash up pictures to create a short story

3. Students will record themselves narrating their stories

We do:

1. Students will collaborate together to create the story and help each other

2. Students will share their technology

3. We create the pictures

4. We create the voice recording narrations

We share:

1. Students will publish and present their sentences playing their video or recording showing us their awesome examples of sentence fluency

2. We discuss how each sentence began with different beginning words, varied length and rhythm, varied style, had both a subject and an action, sounded like music and rhyme

3. We share the new story

4. We offer critical analysis of the stories

5. Email the pictures and the sentences, or video to themselves to have access to them when they log in to the school computer to have access to their work to save on the school hard drive

Assessment: Anecdotal

· Teacher will have students save their work on the student access shared drive by emailing themselves the images and voice recording

· See sentence fluency assessment piece from book 6+1 Traits of Writing by Ruth Culham

· Did the student successfully work with other students in a group?

· Did the student succeed at writing and recording a narration demonstrating the sentence fluency criteria?

· Did the student discover new skills integrating technology?

· Was it a meaningful and purposeful assignment?

· Did the students make a personal connection to the lesson and activity?

· Did the student meet the outcomes covered for this activity?

Differentiation: Strategies

· EPA support available

· Activities can be scaffolded to meet the individual needs

· Use Google to find pictures on the computer

· Use co-writer on computer to assist students with writing their sentences if they are having problems spelling the words, then copy sentences into the corkboard

· Use Kidspiration on computer to make a an idea web (concept map) to structure and organize their ideas into a sentence, then copy into the corkboard

· Teacher can assist with the use of PT to record their story or use the computer with a microphone and Audacity

· Teacher can provide a picture for the student to use

· Teacher can provide additional time

· Teacher can provide the opportunity for a lesser length of sentences

· Teacher can scribe for the student

· Teacher can assist with using a text to speech program if the student is not able to speak clearly

Assessment: Rubric: My Voice -sentence fluency narration

Name: __________________________________________

Subject	SCO		1 Point -Achieved some	2 Points-Achieved most	3 Points- Consistently achieved and may exceed
Language Arts	10.1	experiment with a range of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, and presentation strategies	1	2	3
	10.2	use some conventions of written language	1	2	3
	10.3	demonstrate engagement with the creation of pieces of writing and other representation	1	2	3
		* demonstrate pride and sense of ownership in writing/representing efforts	1	2	3
	10.4	experiment with technology in writing and other forms of representing	1	2	3
		* use a tape recorder to tape dramatic presentations, readings of published work, and retellings	1	2	3
		* use a simple word processing program to draft, revise, edit, and publish	1	2	3
		* use a drawing program (computer software)	1	2	3
		* with assistance use the Internet to communicate	1	2	3
Tech	SEHI 3.1	share books, media, electronic information resources, and computer equipment	1	2	3
	PTS 3.1	present their learning by selecting media and software appropriate to the content and purpose, with teacher assistance	1	2	3
Comment	Total=

Lesson 6: Handout My Voice

Sentence Fluency: Tricks of the authors

Following this discussion the students will begin to create a short story synthesizing all of the techniques.

Find the different types of tricks the authors use to have great sentence fluency.

Use your PT to create a sentence or simple story using the writing style from the book: A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams and the others we have talked about.

You could record your voice.

Use your PT to find a picture that motivates you to write something awesome.
Then mash up this picture to create a new cool picture that would make you want to write a short story using this picture in your story.
Record yourself saying the story.

Connected Reflections

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Lesson 6: My Voice Sentence Fluency

Outcomes