Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Goals:
1. To review characteristics of
effective autobiographical
writing.
2. To review chronology
3. To explore narration as a
means of giving life to our
stories
Standards:
9-10.RN.2.3; 9-10.W.3.3
Objectives:
1. Students will explore
narration as a literary
technique/device.
2. Students will revise a piece
of writing from their
homework last night.
3. Students will interact with
the text by using text marking
and text coding and will
provide textual evidence for
conclusions about the texts
effectiveness.
Materials: Looking Back
excerpts and photocopies,
Overhead projector, Knots in
my Yo-yo String, My own
journal entry/personal
narrative to revise and edit.
Set:
Today, I will give my
definitions of the vocab words
to students, and will explain
the extra credit for the unit!
The students should be on the
lookout for vocab words in
the real world. Any time they
hear or see one of our vocab
words in a book, newspaper,
video, radio program, or
conversation, students must
write down what the word
was, where they heard it, and
what it means (describe the
context). Students who do
this will receive their names
in a jar that I will draw a
name from for a prize at the
end of the unit.

Goals:
1. To think about the bigger
picture of autobiographical
writinghow do we
communicate our
ideas/purpose to readers?
2. To discuss the So What?
question with students.
3. To continue with
vocabulary development and
integration.
Standards:
9-10.RN.3.3; 9-10.W.3.3; 910.SL.2.1; 9-10.SL.4.1
Objectives:
1. Students will consider the
work of Jerry Spinelli in
Knots to establish a so
what? for their own papers
They will define the purpose
for their writing.
2. Students will participate in
collaborative discussion to
articulate to their Writing
Communities the so what?
of their papers.
Materials: My own list of 5
episodes I will include in my
autobiography, PowerPoint,
Poem photocopiestext
marking and coding
Set: Today, students will play
a review game (explained in
Vocab tab) to prepare for
their vocab quiz tomorrow.
The students will have the
first 15 minutes of class to
play this game.
Purpose:
1. To talk about purpose in
writing with students and
explain the importance of it in
writing.
2. For students to have time
to collaborate with their
writing partners and discuss
their purpose with each other.
3. To continue vocabulary
development and integration.

Goals:
1. To help students begin the
drafting process of their
autobiographies
2. To conference and check-in
with students on their
progress.
3. To successfully complete
the students first book club
meeting.
Standards:
9-10.RN.2.1; 9-10.RN.2.2; 910.W.4
Objectives:
1. Students will participate in
collaborative discussion
during Book Club and will
have completed their
assigned role.
2. Students will begin
drafting their
autobiographies.
3. Students will conference
with the teacher to discuss
the format and goals for the
writing process.
Materials:
Knots
Graphic organizer for Book
Club roles
Conference sheet (teacher
and student copy)
Set:
As soon as the period begins,
I will quickly explain the
agenda and goals for the day;
then, students will take their
vocab quiz. I will choose 10
words for students to explain
their knowledge of. The first
part will be a paragraph with
six words used. The students
must explain which words are
used correctly or incorrectly
based on the context.
Students will draw a
depiction of two words, and
the last two words, students
will write their own definition

Purpose:
In todays lesson, we will
discuss the importance of
narration in autobiographical
and non-fiction writing and
will review chronology.
Body/Activities:
1. Welcome Work-- Copy
several pictures from Looking
Back and place them on the
board at the front of the
classroom using magnets.
Have students put the
pictures in order
chronologically based on what
they see in the pictures. They
must identify the main
character and attempt to
figure out the story being
told.
2. Discuss last two traits of
effective autobiographies
Purpose and significance of
events
3. Mini-lessonnarration with
Looking Backthis will be the
days read aloud. In their
Writing Communities,
students will take turns
reading aloud to their peers. I
will provide students with
copies of these excerpts so
they can take notes on them
and highlight words and
phrases that stand out to
them as I/they read.
4. Text marking and text
codingcircle words that
produce images in the mind,
underline phrases of
dialogue; C will stand for
personal connectionmakes
me think of and N will
stand for effective
Narration with details and
showing not telling.
I will show students first on
the overhead, and after, they
will do this with a partner.
Closure:
I will rewrite one of my own

Body/Activities:
1. Welcome WorkToday, I
will read the poem, Autumn
Perspective by Erica Jong.
After reading, the students
will have a written
conversation in their Writing
Communities to answer the
following question: What do
you think the poets purpose
is in writing this poem? Why
is she sharing some of her life
story in the form of a poem?
2. Mini-lesson: So what?
Discuss the importance of
having a purpose in writing
autobiographythis kind of
writing is more than just
telling the events of your life
but explaining how these
events shaped you.
3. Read-aloud: Vignette from
Then, the students read a
vignette from Sandra
Cisneros House on Mango
Street. While reading aloud
the first small portion of the
vignette, I will text-mark and
text-code (explained in the
Literacy Strategies tab).
Then, the students will finish
reading the vignette, and they
will do the same text-marking
and text-coding process
independently.
4. Writing Communities: In
their writing communities,
students will choose 5
significant events to write
about from the list of 7
created the other day.
5. Next, share their chosen
formats for their final project
and will then begin drafting
their autobiographies with
remaining time. Before the
end of the period, each
student will set a goal for
writing this week for
accountability.
Closure:

for.
Purpose:
1. To invite collaboration into
our classroom as students
discuss their book club
readings together.
2. To accomplish the start of
autobiographies today.
3. To conference with the
teacher to discuss the format
of autobiography and
students goals for this new
project.
Body/Activities:
1. Read-aloud: Knots
2. Welcome Workthe
students will get into their
Book Club groups and share
their Toon-doo comics with
their peers.
3. Book Club meeting #1:
Prior to the unit, students wil
be aware of the roles of book
club and on the first day, will
have chosen their role for the
remainder of the club. Today,
the students will have 20
minutes to share and discuss
in their book club meetings.
4. For the remaining 35
minutes, students will
participate in writing
workshop independently at
their desks. During this time,
I will conference with half of
the class regarding the
autobiographies. I will write
down each students chosen
format, their goals, and will
answer any questions they
might have for me.
Closure:
On a sticky note, students wil
list what they accomplished
today during the writing
workshop and will place it on
the white board upon leaving
the classroom.
Assessment:
Formative
ToonDoo comics

funny stories on the overhead

this will be a Think-Aloud
during which I will interact
with the text while voicing my
ideas; then the students will
do this on their own.
Exit slip- Rewrite funny story
on notecard using narration
details, imagery, dialogue,
etc. Students will place these
in baskets by the door on
their way out. Students will
also choose the format for
their autobiographies and will
write this on the notecard as
well.
Two days from now, there will
be a vocab quiz, and
tomorrow, we will play a
game to review.
Assessment:
Formative
Rewritten stories with
narration
Summative
Personal autobiographies
Adaptations:
Inclusion- Providing all
students with a Before
(pictures and chronology) and
During (Text-marking and
coding) reading strategies
will help them approach the
reading in an effectively.

On an exit slip sticky-note,

students will write their
purpose statements (why they
want to tell their stories), and
they will stick these on the
whiteboard before leaving the
classroom. For homework,
students will respond to what
they are reading in their book
club books by creating a
ToonDoo comic.
Assessment:
Formative
Vocab take home quiz, So
what? worksheets, Sticky
notes with rating from 1-3,
ToonDoo comic
Summative
Personal autobiographies
Adaptations:
Inclusion-The graphic
organizer will provide greater
support for students during
this lesson and throughout
the writing process. For
students who struggle with
writing, during the Written
Conversation, I will allow
them to write in bullet points
instead of full sentences.

Sticky note exit slips

Book Club graphic organizer
Conference notes
Summative
Work towards completion of
personal autobiographies
Adaptations:
The graphic organizers will
help all of the students
process their reading more
effectively, and during the
conferences today, I will be
able to address individual
needs.