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Transcript
Editing, Revising, and More Teacher’s Manual for Grade 4 the s r e Cov for S K E T e4 d a r G by Martha Hammett with Barbara Mariconda Based on the original work of Barbara Mariconda and Dea Paoletta Auray Introduction How often have you looked at a story a student has written with an eye for a good plot, vivid description, interesting characters and setting, or an expository essay about a curriculum topic and been totally discouraged because you couldn’t read it? One sentence flows into the next with little in the way of punctuation and capitalization. There are issues with grammar, subject/verb agreement, and fluency. Forget about content– this student needs basics concepts and skills such as: • Parts of speech • What is a sentence? • Identifying sentences, phrases, and fragments • Basic sentence construction • Capitalization and punctuation • Subject/verb agreement • Comparative/superlative language • Special usage problems (a/an, they’re/ their/ there, to/too/two) Once these basic grammar/mechanics skills are learned, students can begin to approach more sophisticated skills such as: • Identifying topic sentences, supporting details, extraneous material • Chronological order • Recognizing and revising on and on and run-on sentences • Recognizing and revising awkward construction, sentence fragments • Combining choppy or redundant sentences to build fluency • Eliminating redundant word choice • Using transition words • Using specific versus general details Some students seem to learn these skills naturally as the result of reading and communicating verbally with others. However, most children need specific instruction and practice opportunities in order to recognize, assimilate, internalize, and apply these skills effectively to their own writing. Students must understand the ‘why’ of grammar and mechanics. They need more than uninformed rote drill and will benefit by the deep understanding that comes from powerful direct instruction. Throughout this manual we provide the necessary background knowledge to enable teachers to successfully teach these skills through the use of the activities in the Student Resource Books. Essentially, this resource provides the specific background information, lesson plans and procedures, practice, and application opportunities for success. All of the fourth grade TEKS objectives, both readiness and supporting, are addressed, and a chart that breaks down the editing and revising skills and lessons into nine week modules has been included with this resource. (continued) ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 1 Introduction For each skill area you will find: • A Detailed Lesson Plan with “Think and Discuss” pages for skills addressed in the student resource books. These Lesson Plans provide background information, teaching suggestions, and opportunities to expand on the basic activity found on the student resource pages, as well as student answer sheets. We have also provided opportunities to apply these skills to authentic pieces of narrative, expository and opinion writing. These lessons provide the “how and why” of grammar, mechanics and punctuation that students need in order to use language effectively. The activities are multi-layered and robust – providing student understanding that typical “skill and drill” worksheets cannot deliver. • Assessment Opportunities: An additional feature of this book and CD set is the inclusion of ongoing assessments throughout the resource. These student pages are included on the CD and may be downloaded and printed. They are designed to test understanding and be used as a tool to adjust instruction around review, reinforcement, and reteaching. Each assessment is structured in paragraph form, with each sentence numbered for student reference. Students revise by studying each sentence and responding in a multiple-choice format. These assessments not only demonstrate students’ understanding and growth, but also provide valuable test-taking practice and strategizing in preparation for state testing. The assessments start off simply and become more complex as the year progresses. Some children have difficulty with the multiple choice format. By exposing them to many examples of multiple choice formats, they become more comfortable with the test-taking strategies necessary for success. These assessments should be used after instruction has taken place and students have had the opportunity to understand and practice the skills. The assessments can then be placed in the students’ writing portfolios as documentation of skills taught. In addition to the ongoing assessments, the Teacher’s Manual CD includes the Performance Preview Test. While the on-going assessments are purposely formatted for checking comprehension throughout the year, the Performance Preview Test is formatted exactly like the STAAR test and will give students a chance to become familiar with the format, and allow you an opportunity to see how your students will perform. For your convenience, the instructions for administering the Performance Preview Test have been provided at the end of the manual on pp. 242-246. • Student Resource Books: Each skill is broken down simply for students, and many of the activity pages include an optional WRITING CONNECTION which encourages application of the skill within a writing experience or uses the skill or theme as a link to an authentic writing task. In this way, students see that these skills do not exist in isolation but rather in every type of writing they encounter. 2 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC (continued) Introduction Note to teacher: Many of the optional WRITING CONNECTION activities require prior knowledge of both the narrative and expository writing skills presented in Empowering Writers Comprehensive Narrative Writing Guide, the Comprehensive Expository Writing Guide and the Essential Guides to Writing for grades 3-5. Using the lessons from the Editing, Revising, and More Teacher’s Manual at least three times a week in conjunction with the activities in the Comprehensive and Essential Guides provides a solid foundation and integration of skills, mechanics, craft, and creativity in written communication. By studying the lesson plans in depth and consistently teaching writing, all students will improve. We feel that there is real value in empowering your students as editors and to affirm their efforts in this regard. As their confidence grows, they develop a positive attitude toward revision. Applying the skills in authentic ways also encourages editing and revising to become a natural part of the writing process. We strongly recommend that you incorporate writing across the curriculum daily. For information on Empowering Writers and their complete line of resources and professional development opportunities, please visit us at our Web site: www.empoweringwriters.com or you can contact us at: 731 Main Street, Suite 117 Monroe, CT 06468 866-285-3516 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 3 Table of Contents Note: The lessons have been divided into four 9-week modules. Assessments occur throughout the year and assess skills that have been taught. We recommend teaching one module per nine week grading period with the lessons taught in the order they occur in the guide. A good rule of thumb is to teach 2-4 grammar lessons per week. The first module has 29 lessons. This may sound like a lot to cover those first nine weeks, but many of these lessons may be review for your students. The Think and Discuss activities are listed here with the individual lessons provided at the beginning of each module throughout the guide. Once you have administered the assessments, be sure to review the assessment with your students. This is a wonderful opportunity for re-teaching. We have also included a section of spelling lessons. While these lessons are not designed to replace a district’s spelling curriculum, they will enhance spelling instruction and address the TEKS spelling objectives for fourth grade. Directions for the Performance Preview Test are provided at the end of the guide on pp. 242-246. 4 Module 1: Weeks 1-9 (Total of 29 lessons and 4 assessments) First Nine Weeks Reporting Period Think and Discuss: Recognizing a Sentence..................................................................p. 9 Think and Discuss: The Two Parts of a Sentence: Subject and Predicate................. p. 12 Assessment 1: Autumn, Apple Picking (6 lessons prior to the Assessment 1) Think and Discuss: Recognizing Helping or Linking Verbs.........................................p. 19 Think and Discuss: Other Kinds of Simple Sentences..................................................p. 24 Assessment 2: Election Day, Pilgrims (7 lessons prior to Assessment 2) Think and Discuss: Capitalization and Punctuation....................................................p. 36 Assessment 3: Kawanza and Cranberries (11 lessons Prior to Assessment 3) Think and Discuss: Using Commas................................................................................p. 51 Assessment 4: Recycled Trees, A New Year, Winter Sports (5 lessons prior to Assessment 4) Think and Discuss: Recognizing Sentence Fragments Within a Paragraph..............p. 64 Think and Discuss: Recognizing On and On Sentences...............................................p. 67 Think and Discuss: Revising Run-On Sentences..........................................................p. 73 Assessment 5: The Groundhog, February 14th (8 lessons prior to Assessment 5) Think and Discuss: Using Comparative/Superlative Language............………......….p. 81 Think and Discuss: Revising Choppy Sentences, Improving Sentence Variety.........p. 89 Think and Discuss: Chronological Order.......................................................................p. 94 Assessment 6: 100 Days of School, St. Patrick’s Day, Untitled (11 lessons prior to Assessment 6) Module 2: Weeks 10-19 (Total of 19 lessons and 2 assessments) Second Nine Weeks Reporting Period ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Table of Contents Module 3: Weeks 19-27 (Total of 17 lessons and 3 assessments) Third Nine Weeks Reporting Period Think and Discuss: Recognizing Main Idea Paragraphs and Eliminating Extraneous Details.p. 105 Assessment 7: Lighthouses, Scarecrows (4 lessons prior to Assessment 7) Think and Discuss: Subject Verb Agreement....................................................p. 113 Think and Discuss: Parts of Speech-Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives.................p. 118 Assessment 8: Fall Clean Up, Spring Blooms from Autumn Bulbs, Haunted House (13 lessons prior to Assessment 8) Think and Discuss: Use of Quotations and Quotation Marks.........................p. 138 Think and Discuss: Using Apostrophes.............................................................p. 144 Assessment 9: Getting Home for Thanksgiving, Untitled, Gingerbread Fun (7 lessons prior to Assessment 9) Module 4: Weeks 28-36 (Total of 14 lessons and 2 assessments) Fourth Nine Weeks Reporting Period Think and Discuss: Writing Contractions.......................................................... p. 162 Think and Discuss: Using Words that are Often Tricky.................................. p. 168 Think and Discuss: Homophones........................................................................ p. 172 Think and Discuss: Transitional Words and Phrase........................................ p. 175 Assessment 10: New Year’s Resolutions, Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., Prairie Dogs, Field Day (9 lessons prior to Assessment 10) Think and Discuss: Adverbs................................................................................ p. 196 Think and Discuss: Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases........................... p. 199 Think and Discuss: Punctuation of Coordinating Conjunctions...................... p. 204 Think and Discuss: Interjections........................................................................ p. 206 Assessment 11: Sledding, Japanese Art, Rainforest, Ireland (5 lessons prior to Assessment 11 Spelling Section Spelling TEKS for K-4 Think and Discuss: Spelling Plurals.................................................................. p. 226 Think and Discuss: Alternate Ways of Spelling the /sh/ Sound....................... p. 234 Think and Discuss: Prefixes and Suffixes.......................................................... p. 236 Think and Discuss: Silent Letters...................................................................... p. 240 Directions for administering the Performance Preview Test............................. p. 243 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 5 Modules and Assessments Module One: Weeks 1-9 Think and Discuss: Recognizing a Sentence TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Pick Out the Sentence - Lesson - p. 11 4.20B ______________________________________________________________________________________ A Sentence or Not a Sentence - Lesson - p. 11 4.20B ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: The Two Parts of a Sentence TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ The Two Parts of a Sentence - Lesson - p. 13 4.20B ______________________________________________________________________________________ Who/What and Doing/Describing - Lesson - p. 14 4.20B ______________________________________________________________________________________ Be a Sentence Detective - Lesson - p. 15 4.20B, 4.20C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Be a Sentence Detective - Lesson - p. 16 4.20C Assessment 1: Autumn, Apple Picking Skill: Revising Incomplete Sentences Think and Discuss: Recognizing Helping and Linking Verbs TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Helping/Linking Verbs-1 - Lesson - p. 21 4.20A ______________________________________________________________________________________ Helping/Linking Verbs-2 - Lesson - p. 22 4.20A ______________________________________________________________________________________ Using the Right Helping/Linking Verbs - Lesson - p. 23 4.20Ai ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Other Kinds of Simple Sentences TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Other Kinds of Simple Sentences - Lesson - p. 27 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Play the Sentence Game - Lesson - p. 28 4.20B ______________________________________________________________________________________ Simple Sentences Using Ideas & Feelings - Lesson - p. 29 4.20B ______________________________________________________________________________________ Who? What? - Lesson - p. 30 4.20B Assessment 2: Election Day, Pilgrims Skills: Capitalization: Beginning of a Sentence, End Punctuation, Helping/Linking Verbs, Subject/Verb Agreement 6 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Modules and Assessments Punctuation Rules - Chart - p. 33 ______________________________________________________________________________________ Capitalization Rules - Chart - p. 34 ______________________________________________________________________________________ Comma Rules - Chart - p. 35 ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Capitalization and Punctuation TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Capital Letters and Punctuation - Lesson - p. 37 4.21 B, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Capital Letters and Punctuation - Lesson - p. 38 4.21 B, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Capital Letters and Punctuation - Lesson - p. 39 4.21 B, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Capitalize! Punctuate! - Lesson - p. 40 4.21B, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ When to Capitalize - Lesson - p. 41 4.21B, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ What’s Wrong with Each Sentence - Lesson - p. 42 4.21B 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Too Many Capital Letters - Lesson - p. 43 4.21B,, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Capital Letters and Punctuation - Lesson - p. 44 4.21 B, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Capitalize the Names of Places - Lesson - p. 45 4.21B ______________________________________________________________________________________ Don’t Forget to Capitalize - Lesson - p. 46 4.21B, 4.21Bi, 4.21Bii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Capitalization Counts - Lesson - p. 47 4.21B, 4.21Bi, 4.21Bii, 4.21Biii Assessment 3: Kawanza, Cranberries Skills: End Punctuation, Capitalization, Subject/Verb Agreement, Beginning of a Sentence, Helping/Linking Words, ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 7 Modules and Assessments Think and Discuss: Using Commas TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Commas in a List - Lesson - p. 53 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Commas in a Date - Lesson - p. 54 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Pause for a Moment - Lesson - p. 55 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ The Friendly Letter - Lesson - p. 56 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Commas - Lesson - p. 57 4.21C Assessment 4: Recycling Trees, A New Year, Winter Sports Skills: End Punctuation, Capitalization, Helping/Linking Verbs, Subject/Verb Agreement, Using Commas in a List 8 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Lesson Plans Think and Discuss Skill: The Two Parts of a Sentence: Subject and Predicate Student pages: p. 2 “The Two Parts of a Sentence” (4.20B) p. 3 “Who/What and Doing/Describing” (4.20B) p. 4-5 “Be a Sentence Detective!” (4.20B) (4.20C) Objective: Students will recognize the simple subject and predicate of a variety of sentences. Necessary Background: Explain to the class that sentences are made up of a subject and a predicate. The subject of a sentence tells the reader who or what the sentence is about. The predicate tells something about the subject. In order to make sense, a sentence needs both a subject and a predicate. For teaching purposes we introduce subject and predicate to students as follows: SUBJECT: the WHO/WHAT part of the sentence PREDICATE: the DOING/DESCRIBING part of the sentence Procedure for Whole Group Instruction: Analyze the two parts of a sentence. 1.) Write these sentences on the board or project them and analyze with the class: Libby/ sat on the swing. The slide/ was curvy and twisted. Libby/ played on the jungle gym. She/ loved to go flying high. She/ slid down. She/ played tag with her friend. 2.) Go through the sentences together, pointing out the WHO/WHAT and the DOING/ DESCRIBING part of each sentence. The subject and predicate are delineated by the use of a slash. 3.) Proceed similarly through student pages 2-5. Model for the students what they are to do with each activity. 4.) During Guided Practice you will circulate and check for understanding as students work independently. 12 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Teacher Answer Key The Two Parts of a Sentence (4.20B) REMEMBER: Sentences have two parts. Here’s an easy way to think of the two parts of a sentence: Part 1: WHO/WHAT + Part 2: DOING/DESCRIBING Together, the WHO/WHAT part and the DOING/DESCRIBING part make a sentence! DIRECTIONS: Look at each sentence. The subject (WHO or WHAT) of each sentence is underlined. The predicate (DOING or DESCRIBING) is boldfaced. 1.) Miss Edwards walked into the school. Miss Edwards What did Miss Edwards DO? walked into the school WHO was this about? 2.) She opened her classroom door. She opened her classroom door WHO was this about? What did she DO? 3.) The children came inside. the children What did the children DO? came inside WHO was this about? 4.) Mia put her backpack in the cubby. Mia put her backpack in the cubby WHO was this about? What did Mia DO? 5.) The backpack was pink. The backpack What was the backpack like? was pink WHAT was this about? Refer to Student Page 2 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 13 Teacher Answer Key Be a Sentence Detective! (4.20B) (4.20C) DIRECTIONS: Each sentence is missing a WHO or WHAT (a subject). Think of a WHO or WHAT that will make sense and write it in the blank. (Don’t forget to begin each sentence with a capital letter.) The driver 1.) started the engine. 2.) The race car 3.) Car and driver Now, fill in a missing DOING or DESCRIBING word or phrase! (Don’t forget to end each sentence with a period.) 4.) The race car driver 5.) The crowd 6.) The pit crew roared to life. sped off onto the race track. rounded the turn. cheered. worked fast. WRITING CONNECTION: Read the sentences you wrote. What is the setting? Think of what else you might see or hear in this setting. Then, on the lines below, write 3 more complete sentences about this setting. In each sentence circle the WHO/WHAT part and underline the DOING/DESCRIBING part! ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Refer to Student Page 4 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 15 Teacher Answer Key Assessment 3: Skills: Capitalizing Beginning of a Sentence, End Punctuation, Helping/Linking Words, Subject/Verb Agreement Read this: Cranberries Have you ever had a cranberry. This popular fruit growed on vines in wet areas called bogs. Growers flood the bogs with water to harvest the cranberries. Then, a huge machine that looks like a giant egg beater stirs up the water. The ripe cranberries fall off the vine and float to the top. Growers then wade through the water and gather the cranberries. cranberries harvested this way be used in juice and sauces. cranberries What is this all about? (1) have you ever had a cranberry. (2) This popular fruit growed on vines in wet areas called bogs. (3) Growers flood the bogs with water to harvest the cranberries. (4) Then, a huge machine that looks like a giant egg beater stirs up the water. (5) The ripe cranberries fall off the vine and float to the top. (6) Growers then wade through the water and gather the cranberries. (7) cranberries harvested this way be used in juice and sauces. 1. Sentence 1 should read: a.) have you ever had a cranberry? b.) Have you ever had a cranberry. c.) Have you ever had a cranberry? d.) Have you ever had a cranberry! 2. Sentence 2 is poorly written. Which of these is the CORRECT way to rewrite it? f.) This popular fruit grown on vines in wet areas called bogs. g.) This popular fruit grows on vines in wet areas called bogs. h.) This popular fruit be growed on vines in wet areas called bogs. j.) This popular fruit is growed on vines in wet areas called bogs. 3. Sentence 7 is poorly written. Which of these is the CORRECT way to rewrite it? a.) Cranberries harvest this way be used in juice and sauces. b.) cranberries harvested this way are used in juice and sauces. c.) Cranberries harvested this way is used in juice and sauces. d.) Cranberries harvested this way are used in juice and sauces. 50 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Modules and Assessments Module Two: Weeks 10-19 Think and Discuss: Recognizing Sentence TEKS Objectives Fragments Within a Paragraph ______________________________________________________________________________________ Find the Sentence Fragments-1 - Lesson - p. 65 4.20B ______________________________________________________________________________________ Find the Sentence Fragments-2 - Lesson - p. 66 4.20B, 4.21Bii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Recognizing the On and On TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ On and on and on and on - Lesson - p. 69 4.15C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Each Detail in a Separate Sentence - Lesson - p. 70 4.15C ______________________________________________________________________________________ The Never Ending Sentence - Lesson - p. 714.15C, 4.21B, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ And then, and then, and then… - Lesson - p. 72 4.15C, 4.21B, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Revising Run-On Sentences TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Stop that Sentence - Lesson - p. 75 4.15C, 4.21B, 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ On and on and on and on - Lesson - p. 76 4.15C Assessment 5: The Groundhog, February 14th Skills: Capitalization, Commas in a List, Extraneous Details, Sentence Combining, Sentence Fragments Think and Discuss: Using Comparative TEKS Objectives and Superlative Language ______________________________________________________________________________________ Comparing - Lesson - p. 84 4.20Aiii ______________________________________________________________________________________ More and Most - Lesson - p. 85 4.20Aiii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Special Comparing Words - Lesson - p. 86 4.20Aiii ______________________________________________________________________________________ More Comparing - Lesson - p. 87 4.20Aiii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Bear Comparing - Lesson - p. 88 4.20Aiii ______________________________________________________________________________________ 62 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Modules and Assessments Think and Discuss: Revising Choppy Sentences TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Chop!Chop!Chop! - Lesson - p. 91 4.15C ______________________________________________________________________________________ You Be the Editor - Lesson - p. 92 4.15C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Fixing the Broken Record! - Lesson - p. 93 4.15C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Chronological OrderTEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Chronological Order - Lesson - p. 95 4.20Aviii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Chronological Order - Lesson - p. 95 4.20Aviii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Does This Make Sense - Lesson - p. 96 4.20Aviii 4.15C Assessment 6: 100 Days of School, St. Patrick’s Day, Untitled Skills: Capitalization, Commas in a List, Subject/Verb Agreement, Chronological Order, Sentence Fragments, Sentence Combining, Extraneous Details, Run-On Sentences, On and Ons ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 63 Lesson Plans Think and Discuss Skill: Recognizing Sentence Fragments Within a Paragraph Student pages: p. 32 “Find the Sentence Fragments-1” (4.20B) p. 33 “Find the Sentence Fragments-2” (4.21Bi) (4.21B) (4.21Bii) Objective: Students will identify and revise sentence fragments within a paragraph, even when punctuated to look like sentences. Procedure: 1.) Review the characteristics of a sentence: • A sentence is made up of a WHO/WHAT part and a DOING/DESCRIBING PART (SUBJECT and PREDICATE) • A sentence must make sense when it stands alone. • A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with punctuation (.!?) Write the following on the board: To the sandy beach. 2.) Ask the students: It begins with a capital letter and ends with a period, but is it a sentence? Students should be able to point out that the subject is missing. Who or what was at the sandy beach? To the sandy beach is a sentence fragment. In earlier work, students have identified sentence fragments in isolation. Now, they must recognize fragments in the context of a paragraph. 3.) To help students focus, project a copy of Student p. 32 Find the Sentence Fragments-1. Read it out loud, and see if students can pick out the sentence fragments. In other words, which sentences do not make total sense? (Hay on the ground. Mice or maybe rats. Up to the loft.) If students are unable to recognize these fragments, move through the piece, sentence by sentence, identifying the subject and predicate of each. This will help to reveal the sentence fragments. 4.) On subsequent days, work through Student p. 33 Find The Sentence Fragments-2. You can proceed in a similar directed fashion or assign the page as independent work in order to assess understanding. 5.) Writing Connections: On Student p. 33, you may choose to have students (or some students) actually write the three expository paragraphs. 64 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Teacher Answer Key Find the Sentence Fragments-1 (4.20B) (4.21 Bii) REMEMBER: Sentences have 2 parts - a SUBJECT (the WHO/WHAT part) and a PREDICATE (the DOING/DESCRIBING part). DIRECTIONS: Read this passage. The author needs to go back and edit because there are three sentence fragments. Underline the 3 sentence fragments and insert a caret (^) to add the missing sentence part. The Old Barn I grabbed hold of the creaky old barn door and pushed hard. It made a rusty, squeaky sound. I stared into the dark barn. Hay on the ground. Cobwebs hung from the rafters. I heard soft skittering sounds along the dirt floor. Mice or maybe rats. I tiptoed inside to investigate. It was very dark and spooky. My heart beat faster and faster, and a shiver went down my spine. Up to the loft. I climbed the ladder. Something furry brushed against my shoulder. I screamed and turned my head to see what it was. WRITING CONNECTION: 1.) Do you think that this is part of a narrative story or an expository piece? narrative story 2.) The author has built some SUSPENSE. The reader is wondering about the furry thing. On the line provided, add a sentence that tells what the furry thing was. 3.) On another paper, draw a picture of the mysterious furry thing and write a segment of elaborative detail describing it. Refer to Student Page 32 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 65 Teacher Answer Key Find the Sentence Fragments-2 (4.21B) (4.21Bii) REMEMBER: Sentences have 2 parts - a SUBJECT (the WHO/WHAT part) and a PREDICATE (the DOING/DESCRIBING part). DIRECTIONS: Read this passage. The author needs to go back and edit because there are three sentence fragments. Underline the 3 sentence fragments and insert a caret (^) to add the missing sentence part Add a title that is correctly punctuated. (First word, last word and all important words need a capital letter.) Title: Earthworms 1 Earthworms are found in soil in all parts of the world. Found deep in the sea. Did you know there are 2,700 different kinds of worms? These amazing creatures have been around for millions of years and have played an important role in the history of the world. 2 sticks. These underground farmers eat 10 tons of leaves, sticks, and stems every year. Imagine billions of them tunneling through soil, chewing up debris, and pushing heavy stones. Once, my mother made me move the heavy shoes in the garden. Don’t forget the poop! Their poop, called castings, contains recycled n utrients from the food they eat. Fertilizes and adds air to the soil. 3 alive. They are hatched from a cocoon no bigger than a grain of rice. That must be something to see! 4 its hard work! WRITING CONNECTION: 1.) Is this a narrative or an expository piece of writing? In an acre of dirt you will find a million or more worms eating decayed leaves and Amazingly, the earthworm has five hearts. Each heart beats in turn. Keeps the worm The next time you’re in the garden remember to thank the lowly earthworm for all expository 2.) Go back and number each paragraph. 3.) Can you find the sentence in paragraph number 2 that does not belong? Cross it out when you find it. Refer to Student Page 33 66 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Teacher Answer Key Assessment 5: Skills: Capitalization, Commas in a List, Sentence Fragments, Sentence Combining Read this: February 14th (1) Each year on february 14, millions of people give and receive Valentines. (2) These small tokens of love and friendship come in many forms. (3) Some people send cards to their friends or sweethearts. (4) These cards can be funny sweet and loving fancy or even homemade. (5) Usually they are decorated in the traditional Valentine colors. (6) Of red and white with hearts and lacy designs. (7) In addition to cards, people may send red heart shaped boxes filled with chocolate candy surprises. (8) Still there are those who send flowers to their special valentine. (9) The most popular flower on Valentine’s day. (10) Is the rose. (11) Red roses are usually symbolize love and yellow roses are for friendship. (12) Whether you receive a card candy or flowers it is always exciting for you to receive a valentine sent to you from a friend or loved one. What is this piece of writing all about? What was the author’s purpose? Valentine’s Day The author’s purpose is to give information. What does the author mean by “these small tokens?” gifts 1. A good title for this is: a.) The History of Greeting Cards b.) Valentine’s Day c.) February Holidays d.) Valentine Cards 2. Sentence 1 should read: f.) Each year on February 14, millions of people give and receive Valentines. g.) Each year on february 14, millions of people give and receive valentines. h.) Each year on February 14, millions of people give and receive valentines. j.) No change needed. ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 79 Teacher Answer Key 3. How can you BEST put sentences 5 and 6 together into one sentence without changing the meaning? a.) Traditionally they are decorated in usually Valentine colors of red and white with hearts and lacy designs. b.) Usually they are decorated with hearts and lacy designs in the traditional valentine colors of red and white. c.) Decorated usually in Valentine colors traditionally of red white hearts, and lacy designs. d.) Usually they are decorated in the traditional Valentine colors of red and white with hearts, and lacy designs. 4. Lines 9 and 10 are incomplete sentences: Combine them to read: f.) The most popular flower on Valentine’s day, is the rose. g.) The most popular flower on Valentine’s Day is the Rose. h.) The most popular flower on Valentine’s Day is the rose. j.) The most popular flower on valentine’s day is the rose. 5. Sentence 12 is hard to read. It is better expressed as: a.) Whether you receive a card, candy, or flowers sent to you, it is always exciting to receive a Valentine sent from a friend or loved one. b.) Whether you receive a card, candy, or flowers, it is always exciting to receive a valentine sent from a friend or loved one. c.) It is always exciting to receive a Valentine card, candy, or flowers from a friend or loved one. d.) Whether you receive a card, candy, or flowers. It is always exciting to receive a Valentine sent from a friend or loved one. 80 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Modules and Assessments Module THREE: Weeks 19-27 Think and Discuss: Recognizing Main Idea TEKS OBJECTIVES Paragraphs and Eliminating Extraneous Details ______________________________________________________________________________________ What’s It All About - Lesson - p. 106 4.18Ai ______________________________________________________________________________________ Build a Paragraph - Lesson - p. 107 4.18Aii ______________________________________________________________________________________ What Doesn’t Belong - Lesson - p. 108 4.15C Assessment 7: Lighthouses, Scarecrows Skills: Commas in a List, Extraneous Details, Sentence Fragments, Sentence Combining, Run on Sentences, On and On, Subject/Verb Agreement Think and Discuss: Subject/Verb Agreement TEKS OBJECTIVES ______________________________________________________________________________________ Subjects and Verbs Agree - Lesson - p. 115 4.20C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Past or Present - Lesson - p. 116 4.20Ai ______________________________________________________________________________________ Get Going with Verbs - Lesson - p. 117 4.20Ai ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Parts of Speech TEKS OBJECTIVES ______________________________________________________________________________________ Kinds of Nouns - Lesson - p. 119 4.20Aii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Common and Proper Nouns - Lesson - p. 120 4.20Aii ______________________________________________________________________________________ More Common and Proper Nouns - Lesson - p. 121 4.21 B, 4.21 Bi, 4.21Bii, 4.21 Biii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Using Pronouns TEKS OBJECTIVES ______________________________________________________________________________________ Using Pronouns - Lesson - p. 123 4.20A ______________________________________________________________________________________ Reflexive Pronouns - Lesson - p. 125 4.20Avi ______________________________________________________________________________________ Adjectives - Words that Describe - Lesson - p. 126 4.20Aii ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 103 Modules and Assessments Know your Parts of Speech - Lesson - p. 127 4.20A, 4.20Ai, 4.20Aii, 4.20Aiii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Parts of Speech: Nouns, Verbs & Adjectives - Lesson - p. 128 4.20Ai, 4.20Aii, 4.20Aiii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Adjectives of Purpose - p. 130 4.20Aiii Assessment 8: Fall Clean Up, Spring Blooms from Autumn Bulbs, Haunted House Skills: Capitalization, Punctuation, Sentence Fragments, Usage, Pronouns, Subject/Verb Agreement, Common and Proper Nouns Think and Discuss: Use of Quotations TEKS OBJECTIVES and Quotation Marks ______________________________________________________________________________________ Who’s Talking - Lesson - p. 140 4.21Cii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Tag It - Lesson - p. 141 4.21Cii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Commas and Quotes - Lesson - p. 142 4.21Cii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Dialogue and Quotes - Lesson - p. 143 4. 21Cii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Using Apostrophes TEKS OBJECTIVES ______________________________________________________________________________________ Using Apostrophe “s” to Show Ownership - Lesson - p. 145 4.15D ______________________________________________________________________________________ Plural and Possessive - Lesson - p. 146 4.14D ______________________________________________________________________________________ Help the Editor - Lesson - p. 147 4.15D Assessment 9: Getting Home for Thanksgiving, Friendly Letter, Gingerbread Fun Skills: Capitalization, Punctuation, Pronouns, Helping Verbs, Sentence Fragments, Subject/Verb Agreement, Common and Proper Nouns, Usage, Run-Ons, Quotation Marks, Use of Commas. Redundant Ideas, Sentence Combining, Contractions, Comparative Language, Extraneous Details 104 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Teacher Answer Key What Doesn’t Belong? (4.15C) DIRECTIONS: Read this draft. It is an expository paragraph about skiing. The main idea of the paragraph is about dressing for skiing. The main idea sentence is underlined. The detail sentences follow the main idea sentence. Be careful! The author included a detail sentence that does not support the main idea. Cross out the detail sentence that is NOT about dressing for skiing. If you are planning to hit the slopes for a day of skiing it is important to dress warmly. This is best achieved by dressing in layers. Long johns underneath a turtle neck and pants provide a good base. Wool socks are sure to keep your feet warm, and a pair of waterproof insulated mittens will protect your hands. A warm hat and a facemask are a must! Don’t forget X your lift ticket. Top everything off with ski pants and a down jacket, and you are well prepared to brave the winter elements. WRITING CONNECTION: The author has made some notes about other details he might include in this paragraph. Help the author decide which details from the list below belong in this paragraph. If the sentence is about dressing warmly, put a check beside it. If it is NOT about dressing warmly, cross it out. 1.) Some skiers even put hand warmers in their mittens! 2.) A cup of hot chocolate will warm you up after a day of skiing. 3.) Before slipping into your ski boots, drop in some toe warmers for extra protection. 4.) Ear muffs add an additional barrier from the bitter cold. 5.) The lodge is a good place to take a break. X X Refer to Student Page 52 108 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Teacher Answer Key Adjectives of Purpose (4.20Aiii) REMEMBER: Adjectives of purpose identify the purpose of the noun they modify. DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blank and underline the adjective of purpose in each sentence. 1.) A dining table is a table used for 2.) A tennis racket is a racket used for dining . tennis . 3. ) A fishing lure is a lure used for fishing . 4.) A boxing ring is a ring used for boxing . 5.) A batting glove 6.) A hunting dog 7.) A diving board is a glove used for batting. is a dog used for hunting. is a board used for diving. WRITING CONNECTION: Choose from the following list of objects. Write a 4-5 sentence description. Keep in the mind the questions “What does it look like?” and “Why is it important?” Color each adjective used in your description blue. When finished, illustrate your paragraph, on the back of this page. SWIMMING POOL BULLETIN BOARD Answers will vary. Refer to Student Page 64 130 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC MAGNIFYING GLASS CURLING IRON Modules and Assessments Module Four: Weeks 28-36 Think and Discuss: Writing Contractions TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Contractions - Lesson - p. 164 4.21C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Tricky Contractions - Lesson - p. 165 4.21C, 4.22C ______________________________________________________________________________________ More Tricky Contractions - Lesson - p. 166 4.21C, 4.22C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Use Pronouns & Contractions Correctly! - Lesson - p. 167 4.15D ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Using Words that are TEKS Objectives Often Tricky and Hard to Remember ______________________________________________________________________________________ More Tricky Words - Lesson - p. 169 4.15D ______________________________________________________________________________________ Pronouns as Subjects and Objects “I” and “Me” - 4.14D Lesson - p. 170 ______________________________________________________________________________________ More Tricky Word Choices! - Lesson - p. 171 4.15D ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Homophones TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Using Homophones Correctly - Lesson - p. 174 4.22C ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Using Transitional TEKS Objectives Words and Phrases ______________________________________________________________________________________ Transitional Words and Phrases - Lesson - p. 178 4.20B Assessment 10: New Year’s Resolutions, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Prairie Dogs, Field Day Skills: Punctuation, Pronouns, Subject/Verb Agreement, Common and Proper Nouns, Usage, Run Ons, Use of Commas, Quotation Marks, Redundant Ideas, Contractions, Comparative Language, Extraneous Details, Sentence Combining 160 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Modules and Assessments Think and Discuss: Adverbs TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Adverbs - Lesson - p. 198 4.20Aiv _____________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Prepositions TEKS Objectives and Prepositional Phrases ______________________________________________________________________________________ Prepositions & Prepositional Phrases - Lesson - p. 201 4.20Av ______________________________________________________________________________________ Conjunctions - Lesson - p. 202 4.20A ______________________________________________________________________________________ Correlative Conjunctions - Lesson - p. 203 4.20Aii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Punctuation TEKS Objectives of Coordinating Conjunctions ______________________________________________________________________________________ Coordinating Conjunctions - Lesson - p. 205 4.21Ci ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Interjections TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Interjections - Lesson - p. 207 Assessment 11: Sledding, Japanese Art, Rainforests, Ireland Skills: Capitalization, Punctuation, Verb Tense Agreement, Extraneous Details, Run-On Sentences, Sentence Fragments, Pronouns, Special Usage Words ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 161 Teacher Answer Key More Tricky Word Choices! (4.15D) “Were” or “we’re” or “where?” Were - a linking verb used with an action verb - Sam and Jack were going to the beach. We’re - contraction for we are - We’re asking Ms. Smith if we can go along. (Substitute “we are” to see if the contraction makes sense!) Where - a direction word - Where will we meet when we get there? (TIP: the word “where” contains another direction word: here) DIRECTIONS: Read each sentence and use “were,” “we’re,” or “where” correctly. 1.) We’re going to meet at the movie theater on 42nd Street. 2.) We’ve been waiting for my sister for twenty minutes, and now we’re going to miss the beginning of the movie. 3.) I don’t know where my sister could be! 4.) We were all excited to see this movie. 5.) Jen and Julie were discussing the movie yesterday. 6.) I’m not sure where the movie was filmed. 7.) We’re going to give my sister a call on my cell phone. 8.) We were not allowed to go to the movies without an adult last year. 9.) We don’t know where we are going to sit. 10.) Where is the restroom located? 11.) Jen, Julie, and Chris were hungry so they stopped by the concession stand. WRITING CONNECTION: Think about an activity you enjoy doing with your friends. Explain what you like to do. Be sure to include the words “were,” “where,” and“we’re” in your segment and check to make certain you’ve used them properly. Refer to Student Page 78 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 171 Teacher Answer Key Assessment 10 Skills: Punctuation, Pronouns, Subject/Verb Agreement, Common and Proper Nouns, Usage, Run-Ons, Use of Commas, Quotation Marks, Redundant Ideas, Contractions, Comparative Language, Extraneous Details, Sentence Combining, Homophones Read this: New Year’s Resolutions! (1) On the first day of january a new year begins! (2) Americans celebrate this holiday with parties and gatherings of all kinds. (3) Its also the time when we think about what we want to accomplish in the new year. (4) New Year’s Day is when new year’s resolutions are made. (5) We promise ourselves that we’ll study harder, eat healthier, and break any bad habit’s. (6) It helps to write them resolutions down where we can remind ourselves what we promised. (7) My mom always vows to get to bed earlier but she don’t ever do it! (8) Once February rolls around she be in bed after midnight every night. (9) How does you’re family do with there resolutions? (10) Do they do more better then my mom? (11) My three cousin’s resolutions have helped them out through the years. (12) They promised to study hard and they stuck to it! (13) Now their all in college and earning high honors! (14) So, what kind of resolutions did you make as the new year began? (15) If you already broke your resolution, that’s okay because you can always begin again and you can start fresh too. (16) Its never to late to make a fresh start! 1. What is the correct way to write sentence 1? (1) On the first day of january a new year begins! a.) On the 1st. day of January a New Year begins! b.) On the first day of January a New Year begins! c.) On the first day of January a New Year begins? d.) On the first day of January a new year begins! 2. What is the correct way to write sentence 3? (3) Its also the time when we think about what we want to accomplish in the new year. f.) It’s also the time when we think about what we want to accomplish in the New Year. g.) It’s also the time when we think about what we want to accomplish in the new year. h.) Its also the time when we think about what we want to accomplish in the New Year. j.) Its also the time when we think about what we want to accomplish in the new year. 180 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Teacher Answer Key 3. What is the correct way to write sentence 5? (5) We promise ourselves that we’ll study harder, eat healthier, and break any bad habit’s. a.) We promise ourselves that will study harder, eat healthier, and break any bad habit’s. b.) We promise ourselves that well study harder, eat healthier, and break any bad habit’s. c.) We promise ourselves that we’ll study harder, eat healthier, and break any bad habits. d.) We promise ourselves that we’ll study harder, and eat healthier, and break any bad habits. 4. What is the correct way to write sentence 6? (6) It helps to write them resolutions down where we can remind ourselves what we promised. f.) It helps too write them resolutions down where we can remind ourselves what we promised. g.) It helps to write those resolutions down where we can remind ourselves what we promised. h.) It helps to write these resolutions down were we can remind ourselves what we promised. j.) It helps to write resolution’s down where we can remind ourselves what we promised. 5. What is the correct way to write sentence 7? (7) My mom always vows to get to bed earlier, but she don’t ever do it! a.) My mom always vows to get to bed earlier and she don’t ever do it! b.) My Mom always vows to get too bed earlier but she doesn’t ever do it. c.) My mom always vows to get to bed earlyer but she don’t ever do it! d.) My mom always vows to get to bed earlier, but she doesn’t ever do it! 6. What is the best way to write sentence 8? (18) Once February rolls around she be in bed after midnight every night. f.) Once february rolls around she is in bed after midnight every night. g.) Once February rolls around, she’s in bed after midnight every night. h.) Once February rolls around she be in bed after Midnight every night. j.) Once February rolls around she used to be in bed after midnight every night. ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 181 Lesson Plans Think and Discuss Skill: Adverbs Student Page: p. 81 “Adverbs” (4.20Aiv) Objective: Students will recognize adverbs and use them appropriately when writing. Necessary Background: Adverbs are words that modify or describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. Adverbs answer the questions how, when, where, how often and to what degree. Many adverbs of manner end in the letters “ly”, but just ending in –ly doesn’t make a word an adverb. The words, “friendly,” “lonely” and “lively” are actually adjectives even though they end in -ly. Adverbs of Manner - (tell how) carefully, cautiously, gently Adverbs of Place - (tell where) downstairs, there, here Adverbs of Time - (tell when) before, next, yesterday Adverbs of Frequency - (tell how often) usually, sometimes, never Adverbs of Intensity - (tell to what degree) almost, a lot, always Procedure: 1.) Tell the students that adverbs are important because they provide details for your reader. 2.) Write the following sentence on the board: She/He _____________opened the box. Have the students imagine that they have been given a gift. Ask them to pantomime what it would look like to open the gift eagerly. Next, have them show you what it would look like if they opened the gift cautiously. Point out that both words end in the letters –ly and they both give information about how the gift was opened. Adverbs that answer the question “how” are called adverbs of manner and often end in -ly. Have the students suggest other words that end in –ly. Start a list as students make suggestions. (slowly, calmly, happily) 196 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Lesson Plans 3.) Adverbs also answer the questions, when, where, how often and to what degree. Ask the students to identify the adverbs in the following sentences, and the questions they answer. • She sang loudly. Loudly tells how she sang. • She sang very loudly. Very is an adverb of intensity. It tells us to what degree. • She sang yesterday. Yesterday is an adverb of time. It tells us when she sang. • She sang outside. Outside is an adverb of place. It tells us where she sang. • Sometimes she sang. Sometimes is an adverb of frequency. It tells us how often she sang. 4.) Make five columns on the board and label them Adverbs of Place, Adverbs of Time, Adverbs of Manner, Adverbs of Intensity, and Adverbs of Frequency. Copy the boxed words below on 3 x 5 cards. Adverbs of Place: Indoors, here, there, anywhere, behind, off, on, elsewhere, nowhere, somewhere Tomorrow, yesterday, soon, now, later, recently Adverbs of Time: Adverbs of Manner: Secretly, slowly, quickly, deliberately, joyfully, solemnly, promptly, cautiously Adverbs of Intensity: Somewhat, almost, extremely, rather, very, quite, too Adverbs of Frequency: Sometimes, never, always, often, rarely, seldom Pull one adverb card at a time. Ask the students where the word belongs. Write the word in the appropriate column. 5.) Students will complete the student page 81. Model how to draw an arrow from the adverb to the word that it modifies. Circulate as the students work, checking for understanding. ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 197 Assessments Spelling Section The spelling lessons are to be taught throughout the year in conjunction with your district’s spelling curriculum. Spelling TEKS for Grades K-4 ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Spelling Plurals TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Spelling Plurals - Lesson - p. 228 4.22Ai, 4.22Aii, 4.22Aiii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Plural Rules - Lesson - p. 230 4.22Ai, 4.22Aii, 4.22Aiii ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Recognizing TEKS Objectives Alternate Ways of Spelling /sh/ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Spelling the /sh/ Sound - Lesson - p. 235 4.22Aiv ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Prefixes and Suffixes TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Prefixes - Lesson - p. 238 4.22B ______________________________________________________________________________________ Suffixes - Lesson - p. 239 4.22B ______________________________________________________________________________________ Think and Discuss: Silent Letters TEKS Objectives ______________________________________________________________________________________ Silent Letters - Lesson - p. 241 4.22Av ______________________________________________________________________________________ Directions for Administering the Performance Preview Test - pp. 242-246 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 223 Lesson Plans Think and Discuss Skill: Spelling Plurals Student pages: p. 87 “Spelling Plurals”(4.22Ai) (4.22Aii) (3.24Aiii) p. 88 “Plural Rules”(4.22Ai) (4.22Aii) (3.24Aiii) Objective: Students will learn rules to use when forming the plurals of words. Necessary Background: Learning to spell is a process that is never complete. Most people work on spelling throughout their lives. Learning basic rules will help people learn to spell. However, there are exceptions to every rule that also must be learned. Procedure: 1.) Remind student that singular means “one” and plural means “more than one.” Rule: Most nouns are made plural simply by adding an “s” to the end of the word. Examples: more than one cupcake - cupcakes • more than one animal - animals • more than one ski - skis 2.) Explain the rule. Rule: Words ending in –ch, sh, x, s, or ss will need an “es” to form the plural. Examples: • more than one bus - buses • more than one box - boxes • more than one beach - beaches • more than one glass - glasses • more than one wish - wishes 3.) Explain the rule. Rule: Words ending in f, fe or ff often form their plural by dropping the “f,” “fe” or “ff” adding “ves” Examples: • more than one loaf - loaves • more than one hoof - hooves • more than one elf - elves • more than one knife - knives • more than one shelf - shelves Ask students for additional examples: (wolf, calf, leaf). Create an ongoing list that students can add to as they discover other examples. 226 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC Lesson Plans 4.) Point out that there are exceptions to spelling rules. If in doubt, you should check the dictionary. Two exceptions to note would be roof and dwarf. The plural of roof is roofs and the plural of dwarf is dwarfs. Rule: If a noun ends in a “y” and has a vowel preceding the “y,” you simply add an “s” to form the plural. Boy would become boys. If there is a consonant preceding the “y,” then you change the “y” to an “i” and add “es.” Baby becomes babies when you make it plural. 5.) Play the game Boys and Babies, p. 229 to help your students remember this plural rule. Rule: Irregular nouns are words that form the plural by ways other than adding “s” or “es” to a word. 6.) Ask the students what they think the plural of child would be be? Give them the following sentence: In the library, there were many___________________. Chart the examples: • more than one child - children • more than one tooth - teeth Instruct the students to think of other examples of additional irregular nouns that form their plural in ways other than adding “s” or “es” to a word. Create a chart for future reference. • mouse - mice • person - people • foot - feet • man - men • woman - women • goose - geese • ox - oxen • cactus - cacti EXTENSION ACTIVITY: For a new twist on an old activity, try the Spelling Bee lesson on p. 231. ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC 227 Performance Preview Test NOTE: The Performance Preview Test is included on the CD found in the back of this Teacher’s Manual. Many districts use a released STAAR test to allow the students to become familiar with the testing format and to provide teachers a chance to see how students will perform on the state assessment. The Performance Preview Test mirrors the STAAR and can be used for the same purpose. The test is formatted like the STAAR and is designed to be taken over two days. Each day students will address an editing and revising section along with one written composition. If you choose to administer the test under the same guidelines as the STAAR, you will want to keep these points in mind: • The assessment is to be given in a testing environment where all means of support have been removed or covered. • Test administrators may only answer questions about test directions. They do not answer questions about content. • On the actual day of the test, the administrator only reads the composition test prompt to the students if a student requests that the prompt be read. Otherwise, the students read the prompt to themselves. • Dictionaries are not allowed for the fourth grade test. • Students are permitted to complete the test in the order they choose. They may work on the composition first or start with the editing and revising. • On Day Two, students are not allowed to go back and work on the Day One portion of the test. Another option for administering the Performance Preview Test is to approach it instructionally. For this objective, the focus will be on test-taking strategies students have learned throughout the year. It is important that the testing vehicle itself does not become an obstacle to children demonstrating the editing and revising skills they’ve mastered. So, in addition to giving students the opportunity to test their editing and revising skills, the PPT can provide an opportunity to prepare students to become savvy test-takers. The following list of test-taking tips should be reviewed with your students along with any additional strategies you have taught throughout the year: 242 ©2015 Empowering Writers, LLC