Our Writing Block Schedule

Sample Writing Prompt:  How is writing like Pizza?

Daily Language and Writing Centers

Each box has all the necessary tools to accomplish the tasks

Excerpts from popular books with writing response

         Our daily block schedule allows for one hour of instruction in writing and language.

1. Each day we will begin our block with 10 minutes of writing in our composition books.  These assignments will be posted prior to students entering the room, so that students may come in and immediately begin writing.  This will be a consistent part of our daily routine.  Some of the assignments will include the following:

• Writing in 1 of 30 different themed books.  These themes will be determined by students at the beginning of the year (see previous post).  Students will then write in a different themed journal each week. This process will also include peer editing.  Students may look forward to taking home one of these journals at the end of the year. 
• Writing in response to current events, pertinent social issues, videos, guest speakers, art work, science assignments, and social studies topics. 
• Free writing on topic of choice.

2.The next portion of our class will be language and writing centers.  Students will work in one of four centers each day, Monday-Thursday.  Language and writing centers will provide students with various language arts challenges that support our current on-demand writing pieces, spelling/vocabulary practice, and response to reading.  These centers will be differentiated for learners.  Students will receive weekly homework assignments related to center tasks and skills.

3. The last segment of our writing block will be dedicated to working on our on-demand writing pieces.  These pieces will include narrative, informational, and argument.  With each new writing piece, students will be introduced to a specific time-line for the piece, tools for writing the piece, collaboration time, writing, peer editing, teacher conferencing, revision, publishing, and presentation.  We will use the Writing Rubric board to narrow our focus and practice different writing skills with each piece.  Students will fill out sentence strips related to the requirements of the piece and place them on the rubric to use as a tool throughout the piece development.  Topics will vary over the year but will be interesting and relevant to sixth graders.  Students should expect to write letters, editorials, reports, personal narratives, argument pieces, poems, and much more!

Editing Resource

Click Here For Peer Edit Form

I will probably tweak this, but it is a great start.  There are some examples on how to model peer editing as well.  I feel this is such a crucial part of the writing process.  One of the most important elements to make this successful is the culture of the classroom. Without a safe space, kids will not take this seriously.

Responsive Writing - Student Blogs

http://kidblog.org/home.php

This website is wonderful. You can set up an account for a teacher blog and then allow each of your students to set up their own blog, which only the teacher may view. Very, very handy.

Ideas:
Students write responses to guest speakers, events in the news, a class topic etc.
Writing prompts
Letters

The teacher is able to leave comments that are private for each student or public for the entire class. The teacher can offer suggestions on how to improve writing, ask for revisions in a new post from the student, and use all the writing as EVIDENCE for student learning.

I would probably use this on a rotating schedule with a weekly theme or question. 5-6 students per day write for 10 minutes in their blog, so that all students will have a blog entry by the end of the week. Or once per week in the computer lab or laptops in the room. Whatever works best.

This also eliminates the need for students to be responsible for another journal.