Writing instruction will happen during Writer's Workshop, a structured way for teachers to present content and students to practice and share their work. We will follow the Lucy Calkins' Units of Study curriculum, which has been adopted by New Prospect and perfectly aligns with the writing CCGPS. For a list of these standards, click on the 'RELA' tab above. There are four units that focus on narrative, informational, and persuasive writing. The units will always conclude with an on-demand writing assessment where students must apply what they have learned during that unit to a writing prompt that is given "on-demand" which must be finished within the time frame of one Writer's Workshop session (about 45-60 minutes). Roughly 80% of your child's Language Arts grade will come from writing assignments (a Fulton Co. directive).
The first few weeks of school will focus on setting up Writer's Workshop in the classroom. After Writer's Workshop has been established and students know procedures and expectations, the first unit will begin.
Unit 1: Crafting True Stories
This unit focuses on writing personal narratives. The students will write about their own lives, whether it be about a person who matters to them, a first moment or experience, a small moment, an accomplishment or goal, or a last moment.
Unit 2: The Art of Information Writing
This unit focuses on writing about topics that the students are already "experts" on. Researching topics for informational pieces is NOT a focus for this unit. Students will choose a topic they already know very well (and consider themselves to be experts on) and will create informational books about that topic.
Unit 3: Changing the World
This unit is a persuasive unit where students will write persuasive speeches, editorials, petitions, and persuasive letters. In the past, persuasive writing for third graders has been focused on themselves and something that will only benefit them. For example, more recess, no homework, a later bedtime, etc. This unit does away with that thinking and focuses students on writing about causes that can make a difference for local or global issues. In other words, students are writing to affect others through positive change.
Unit 4: Once Upon a Time
This is our last unit and will be taught after Milestone testing because it is such a fun way to end the year! Applying some of what students learned in the first narrative unit, they will use classic fairy tales as mentor texts to adapt and re-write. Towards the end of the unit, students will then get to write their own original fairy tale that follows the "rules" of classic and traditional fairy tales.
The first few weeks of school will focus on setting up Writer's Workshop in the classroom. After Writer's Workshop has been established and students know procedures and expectations, the first unit will begin.
Unit 1: Crafting True Stories
This unit focuses on writing personal narratives. The students will write about their own lives, whether it be about a person who matters to them, a first moment or experience, a small moment, an accomplishment or goal, or a last moment.
Unit 2: The Art of Information Writing
This unit focuses on writing about topics that the students are already "experts" on. Researching topics for informational pieces is NOT a focus for this unit. Students will choose a topic they already know very well (and consider themselves to be experts on) and will create informational books about that topic.
Unit 3: Changing the World
This unit is a persuasive unit where students will write persuasive speeches, editorials, petitions, and persuasive letters. In the past, persuasive writing for third graders has been focused on themselves and something that will only benefit them. For example, more recess, no homework, a later bedtime, etc. This unit does away with that thinking and focuses students on writing about causes that can make a difference for local or global issues. In other words, students are writing to affect others through positive change.
Unit 4: Once Upon a Time
This is our last unit and will be taught after Milestone testing because it is such a fun way to end the year! Applying some of what students learned in the first narrative unit, they will use classic fairy tales as mentor texts to adapt and re-write. Towards the end of the unit, students will then get to write their own original fairy tale that follows the "rules" of classic and traditional fairy tales.