Fluency #4 - Revising a Paragraph

VITAL INFORMATION

Subject Matter:

Elementary, Writing

Grades:

1

Software Application:

StarOffice Writer, or any word processing program

LESSON DESCRIPTION

Summary:

Students will revise a piece of writing for sentence fluency. Using the skills learned in the previous three sentence fluency lessons, students will change the sentence structure and combine or break up sentences in order for the writing to read more fluently.

State & National Standards:

CO- Colorado Academic Standards

• Subject : Reading and Writing

• Standard 2: Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences

Writing and speaking are essential tools for learning, for success in the workplace, and for responsible citizenship. Developing a range of writing and speaking abilities requires extensive study, practice, and thinking. Students need frequent opportunities to write and speak for different audiences and purposes, and they need to be able to communicate expressively, informatively, and analytically. Growth in writing and speaking abilities occurs by applying skills to increasingly challenging communication tasks

• Grade/Level : CO- Colorado Academic Standards

• Grade/Level : Grades K-4

 Performance Indicator : organizing their speaking and writing

 Performance Indicator : choosing vocabulary that communicates their messages clearly and precisely

 Performance Indicator : revising and editing speech and writing

 Performance Indicator : creating readable documents with legible handwriting or word processing at the appropriate time• Standard 3: Students write and speak using conventional grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling

Students need to know and be able to use standard English. Proficiency in this standard plays an important role in how the writer or speaker is understood and perceived. All skills in this standard are reinforced and practiced at all grade levels and should be monitored by both the teacher and student to develop lifelong learning skills

• Grade/Level : CO- Colorado Academic Standards

• Grade/Level : Grades K-4

 Performance Indicator : knowing and using subject/verb agreement

 Performance Indicator : knowing and using correct modifiers

 Performance Indicator : knowing and using correct capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviations

 Performance Indicator : spelling frequently used words correctly using phonics rules and exceptions

Local Standards:

Adams 12 Technology Standard 2: Student uses productivity software as a basis for learning and skill building, and demonstrates an understanding of the universal tools of word processing.

- begins to use special function keys: enter/return, space bar, shift, delete and backspace

- locates letters, numbers and ending punctuation characters

- knows how to make capital letters using the shift key.

- uses the backspace/delete key to edit text.

Lesson Outcomes:

Students will be able to highlight the beginning word of each sentence, and be able to identify whether or not the sentence beginnings are varied. Students will be able to revise the sentences by changing the sentence structure, combining or breaking up sentences in order for the writing to read more fluently.

Assessment:

This is the fourth of five lessons on writing fluently. Students will be assessed on the Style portion of the attached rubric.

 

CLASSROOM & TIME MANAGEMENT

Student Prerequisites:

Students should have basic word processing skills, and should have completed the Conventions Unit (Lessons 1-4) as well as Sentence Fluency Unit lessons 1, 2, and 3.

Lesson Preparation:

The teacher should prepare examples of paragraphs with incomplete or run-on sentences and model revising the paragraph, reviewing the elements of the previous Fluency Unit lessons. The teacher should then give students a paragraph to revise, either in print form or placed electronically in the student's folders. Please see Grade 1 examples under Lesson Resources.

Time Frame:

1 class period. 30 Min. per class.

Implementation Steps:

1. The teacher provides the students with a paragraph to revise, either as a handout or loaded into their folders on the server.

2. Students highlight the beginning word of each sentence and determine if the sentence beginnings are varied. If students are given a handout, they highlight the words on the handout with a crayon.

3. Students read the piece aloud to themselves in order to listen for sentence fluency.

4. Students revise some of the sentences by either combining sentences, changing the sentence structure or breaking up sentences. They then retype their new paragraph. If the piece was loaded into the students' folders, they type the new paragraph underneath the one being revised.

5. Students print their work.

6. Teacher should provide time to share in a whole group, small groups, or pairs.

RESOURCES

Lesson Resources:

The attached paragraph for students to revise is at the First Grade level.

Attachments:

 1.  Sample Paragraph to Revise

STUDENT PRODUCT(S)

Product(s) Description:

Attached is an example of a first grade student's work.

Attachments:

 1.  Student Example

REFLECTION

Comments:

This is the fourth lesson in a Fluency Unit of five lessons. Each lesson builds on the previous ones. The paragraph length and complexity can be changed for students in higher grades.

Most of my first graders were able to accomplish this lesson without difficulty. Those who struggled were encouraged to work with a partner.

---

Sentence Fluency #4

Revising a Paragraph

Name:

Revise the sentences in this paragraph so that there are no short, choppy sentences and no run-on sentences.

I went to lunch. I went with Jamie. I ate pizza and then I ate an apple and then I went to recess after lunch.

My Paragraph:

---

Sentence Fluency #4

Revising a Paragraph

Name: Student Sample

Revise the sentences in this paragraph so that there are no short, choppy sentences and no run-on sentences. Highlight the beginning word in each of your sentences to make sure they have varied beginnings.

I went to lunch. I went with Jamie. I ate pizza and then I ate an apple and then I went to recess after lunch.

My Paragraph:

I went to lunch with Jamie. We ate pizza and an apple. After lunch I went to recess.