Conventions: Punctuation Takes a Vacation, by Robin Pulver

Lesson Focus: Conventions
Grade Level: 3rd
Mentor Text: Punctuation Takes a Vacation, by Robin Pulver
Materials: Punctuation Takes a Vacation, paper, pencil, highlighter, chart paper
Ohio Academic Content Standards:

• Writing Process

• Writing Conventions

Ohio Benchmarks 3-4:
D. Spend the necessary amount of time to revisit, rework, and refine pieces of writing.

C. Use conventions of punctuation and capitalization in written work.

Grade Level Indicators, 3rd Grade:
14. Proofread writing and edit to improve conventions and identify and correct fragments and run-ons.

8. Use end punctuation marks correctly.
9. Use quotation marks around dialogue, commas in a series and apostrophes in contractions and possessives.
10. Use correct capitalization.
Book Summary: Punctuation has shown up everyday in Mr. Wright's classroom. Doing their job so well, that one day he decides to let them go on vacation. The class starts to miss them almost immediately because nothing makes sense that they are reading. Everything has lost order until the punctuation marks send postcards and the children have to try and figure out which marks sent which cards. The kids write back apologizing and soon order is restored by the punctuation marks returning home.
About the Author, Robin Pulver: http://www.robinpulver.com/bio.html
"My first writing for children was about nature. I wrote about pileated woodpeckers and Cynthia moths and Cecropia caterpillas and Monarch butterlflies and bagworms and honeybees for magazines such as Highlights for Children, Ranger Rick, and Cricket. Then, when I had children of my own, reading with them brought back wonderful memories of my mother reading to me. Books are powerful!

Besides reading and writing, I enjoy bird-watching, hiking, cross-country skiing, and playing Frisbee with Sadie. I love to swim too, in pool or lake or ocean. And guess what? When I'm doing any of these things (or even washing dishes), I can think about stories in my head!"

Introduction: Do things make sense if we get rid of punctuation marks? Have kids discuss whether or not they believe this to be true and why. Have them think/pair/share and predict what will happen in the story Punctuation Takes a Vacation.
Lesson Plan:

1.  Read Punctuation Takes a Vacation to the class. If you have an Elmo it would be very beneficial to read the story with that so that children can see where the punctuation is and get an idea where it needs to be. 
2. Briefly discuss the story and ask children again whether or not punctuation is important. On chart paper write down all the things that conventions include: punctuation, capitalization, commas, etc.
3. Conduct a conventions mini-lesson by printing off 2-3 pages from the story and have students correct the punctuation mistakes as a class. They can highlight where they think there was an error.
4. Prompt: Students will write a letter to someone in the class about their favorite vacation. However, they must not use any correct punctuation. They can either leave it out, or use the wrong punctuation marks. Writing their letter this way, with the wrong marks, will have them constantly thinking about "what is right?" and conscious that punctuation does belong there. 
5. After students finish their letters, have them work with a partner and with a different color, correct their friends paper. 
6. Have students reflect on the lesson with a short paragraph as to why conventions are important when we write. You can assess the letter they edited as well as their reflection as to whether or not they grasped the concept.

Additional Resources:
http://www.robinpulver.com/ 
http://users.manchester.edu/Student/DLBungitak/Index.htm
Across the Curriculum Ideas 

Sentence Fluency: Would I Trade My Parents? By Laura Numeroff

Lesson Focus: Sentence Fluency
Grade Level: 3rd
Mentor Text: Would I Trade My Parents? by Laura Numeroff
Materials: Would I Trade My Parents?, paper, pencil, SMARTBOARD, Elmo, highlighters, writing paper, sentence fluency check sheets
Ohio Academic Content Standards:
Writing Process
Writing Applications
Ohio Benchmarks 3-4:
D. Spend the necessary amount of time to revisit, rework, and refine pieces of writing.
G. Edit to improve sentence fluency, grammar, and usage.
Grade Level Indicators, 3rd Grade:
6. Use a wide range of simply, compound, and complex sentences.
10. Reread and assess writing for clarity, using a variety of methods.

3. Write formal and informal letters that include relevant information and date, proper salutation, body, closing, and signature.
Book Summary: This is a fun and friendly book for both kids and their parents as kids remember why they would never trade their parents. However, it has crossed most kids' minds at somepoint to trade their parents in for a set of new ones...usually when things are not going their way. As a little boys ponders the thought, he is quickly reminded why his parents are so special and no one could take their place.
About the author, Laura Numeroff:  http://www.lauranumeroff.com/

"I am the youngest of three girls! I was born in 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. Both of my parents enriched my life with the love of reading, playing piano, singing, dancing, science, and stamp collecting. I also loved to draw, read, and make up stories. I started writing my own stories and drew pictures to go along with them. I would make a book cover for them and write down the name of a publisher. I also spent a great deal of time reading. Some of my favorite books are: Eloise, Stuart Little, and The Cat in the Hat. I am happy to say that the publisher of those three books, are the same publishers of my books!"
Introduction: Today we will be working on sentence fluency with the book, Would I Trade My Parents? by Laura Numeroff. Do the sentences flow into one another? Or are they short, choppy, and distracting? Before reading the book to look at sentence fluency, teachers should have students read this book for aesthetic purposes before and then introduce how you are going to read it for efferent purposes.
Lesson Plan:

1. Reread the book, Would I Trade My Parents? by Laura Numeroff and have students pay particular attention to sentence variety, sentence structure, and how the sentences help the story to flow across the page. Remind them that when you look at sentence fluency, the words should sound natural as if somebody is talking and should not be written in fragments.
2. Print off a couple pages of your choice from the story to display either on the projector, or ELMO machine so that students can see the words blown up. Highlight the first two-three words of every sentence on the page and look for patterns? Are there any? Do all sentences start the same way or is there a variety? 
3. Print a sentence fluency check sheet and read through each statement and evaluate the sentences. Conduct a mini-lesson on sentence fluency by going through the check sheet. The best way for students to really recognize how fluent the sentences are is to hear them out loud.
4. After you see that students have the concept of checking sentence fluency and an idea how to write fluently, have students start thinking about writing a letter to their parents. Prompt: Students write a letter to their parents telling them why they think they are the best parents and why they wouldn't trade them for anything else in this world. 
5. Review the 5 parts of a friendly letter and pass out scratch paper for students to write their rough draft letter. 
6. As students finish, have them complete the mini-lesson like what was done in class. Students will highlight their beginnings and then get with a partner to study each others beginnings. Model how to offer suggestions and encouragement. Have partner ask the questions on the check sheet and then make necessary revisions before writing their final copy. 
7. Hand out letter template paper and have students write their final copy. Have students share their writing with you in a conference format, then practice addressing envelope to mail to their parents.

Additional Resources: 
Laura Numeroff Tour 
http://www.lauranumeroff.com/ 
Sentence Fluency Lesson Ideas

Word Choice: Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root

Lesson Focus: Word choice
Grade Level: 3rd Grade
Mentor Text: Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root
Materials: Rattletrap Car, paper, pencil, computers, chart paper
Ohio Academic Content Standards: 
Writing Process
Ohio Benchmarks 3-4:
A. Generate ideas and determine a topic suitable for writing.
F. Use a variety of resources and reference materials to select more effective vocabulary when editing.
H. Apply tools to judge the quality of writing.
Grade Level Indicators 3rd Grade:
1. Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material.
4. Use organizational strategies to plan writing.
8. Use language for writing that is different from oral language, mimicking writing style of books when appropriate.
15. Apply tools to judge the quality of writing.
Book Summary: Phyllis Root does an impeccable job with word choice in this delightful story by using onomatopoeia. Two kids, Junie and Jakie, ask their Poppa to go to the lake for the day but Poppa knows that their car is so old, he is afraid that it won't survive the trip. Before getting very far at all, they start to have problems with the car. The children come up with quick solutions; such as using a beach ball for a flat tire. Root uses creative word choices to describe the sounds, bumps, and adventures along the way that keeps her readers reading it all the way to the end.
About the Author, Phyllis Root: 

"I was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Valentine's Day, 1949 and grew up among green grass, gardens, trees, open fields, and books, books, books. My father says he remembers me reading in my high chair. I used to make up stories in bed at night when I couldn't sleep and my parents had caught me with my book and flashlight. I did not start writing books until I was thirty, when I took a class that taught me all those tools of writing I had never encountered before, tools like character, setting, plot, tension, dialogue, and so on. I have published thirty books. I am currently teaching in the MFA Writing for Children program of Hamline University."

Introduction: Onomatopoeia is a word formed to represent sound: Examples could be, cukoo, boom, clickity, clack, etc. We are going to read a story today, called Rattletrap Car that is filled with onomatopoeia's and excellent word choice. As I read you the story, pay close attention to the words that make this story come alive. What does Phyllis Root do with the words she chooses? Your job after we are done reading will be to create a list of sound words that you can incorporate into a story. You will get to choose your setting; today the setting will be inside a car.

Lesson Plan: 

1. Read the story, Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root with a lot of expression and discuss again with the children what this author and illustrator do really well throughout the story.
2. On chart paper write down all of the onomatopoeias that Phyllis Root uses throughout the story. Ask the students how the words that Root chose for her story have a purpose and bring the story to life. 
3. Have students complete this interactive site for ideas and directions on their writing assignment. This website will help them come up with ideas for a class trip that their class is going to take to a place they decide. They will then brainstorm a list of sound words that they could incorporate into their story.
4. After students have picked their setting and have a list of words that they could possibly like to use, have them come up with 3 possible exciting events that could take place in their story and then choose a couple onomatopoeias that they wrote down that they could use when writing about that event. You can also give each student this onomatopoeia list to offer suggestions.
5. Have students brainstorm at least three details that could also happen during the exciting event that takes place on their field trip and then complete a rough draft and self-editing checklist.
6. As students complete their writing, have them read their story to a buddy and find as least three places where they can either add more descriptive "showing" words (instead of telling--we want action verbs!) in their story.
7. Students write final copy and share in the author's chair.

Additional Resources:
Wild Rose Reader Blog

Voice: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka

Lesson Focus: Voice
Focus Grade Level: 3rd
Mentor Text: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Materials: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, pencil, paper, computer,white board, graphic organizer
Ohio Academic Content Standards:
      Writing Process 

Ohio Benchmarks 3-4:
D. Spend the necessary amount of time to revisit, rework, and refine pieces of writing.
E. Use revision strategies to improve the coherence of ideas, clarity of sentence structure, and effectiveness of word choices.
F. Use a variety of resources and materials to select more effective vocabulary when editing.
G. Edit to improve sentence fluency, grammar, and usage.
I. Prepare writing for publication that is legible, follows an appropriate format and uses techniques such as electronic resources and graphics.

Grade Level Indicators 3rd Grade:
3. Develop a purpose and audience for writing.
8. Use language for writing that is different from oral language, mimicking writing style of books when appropriate.
11. Add descriptive words and details and delete extraneous information.
13. Use resources and reference materials, including dictionaries, to select more effective vocabulary.
14. Proofread writing and edit to improve conventions and identify and correct fragments and run-ons.

Book Summary: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is said to be the rest of the story to the classic fairy tale, The Three Little Pigs. However, it is written from the perspective of the wolf and how he feels that everything is just a big misunderstanding. He claims that he had a cold when he was going over to see the three little pigs, and he couldn't help but to sneeze when he arrived at the front door. In this funny tale, the wolf claims that the pigs houses were so poorly constructed and he shouldn't be to blame for eating them after they were already killed.

About the Author, Jon Scieszka: 

"Before I became an author, I attended military school, studied pre-med in college, and worked as a lifeguard and house painter. I also taught computers, math, science, and history to kids in grades 1-8. 

I write books because I love to make kids laugh. I read everything--comic books, newspapers, cereal boxes, poems--anything with writing on it. One of the first books I read was Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss. It made me realize that books could be goofy. It's the book that made The Stinky Cheese Man possible."

Introduction: Today, after we reread The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, we are going to talk about how the author used "voice" throughout the story. So I want you to really listen to the story efferently now and figure out where and when the author is using "voice." What is voice? Why do you think it is an important element to include in a story, or is it important? Then, we are going to get a chance to write our own fractured fairy tale with three little voices, and one big bad voice.

Lesson Plan:

1. Read the True Story of the Three Little Pigs again to students. Tell them to pay attention to the wolf and everything he says and does throughout the story. They can take notes while reading if you desire them to do so. 
2. Read the story with passion and expression so kids can really grasp the concept of "voice."
3. After reading, reference the original fairy tale, The Three Little Pigs. 
4. Ask the students to describe how the voice of the characters change from the original fairy tale to the fractured fairy tale. On the white board, have students come up and write something that the wolf said that stood out to them in the new story. 
5. Have students return to their seats and go over what stood out the most in the story. Revisit the question, "Why is voice important?" "Why did these certain points stick out to you while we were reading?"
6. Discuss with the students how Scieszka did such an excellent job at creating voice throughout the story because we were truly able to understand the wolf based on hearing the tale from his perspective. When you add perspective to someone's point of view, in this case, the wolf's, voice is created. Tone, mood, and humor are all important to look at also. So now, knowing more about voice, how is voice evident throughout the story?
7. Have students brainstorm animals that they will write about in their own fairy tale based off of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs for a pre-writing activity. Students will be inspired by the fairy tales just read, however, encourage them to write their own version of the story, using their own characters and voice. They can create a sequencing chart for the three events that will take place in their fairy tale.They can also write down next to the certain event different things they think they want their character to say.
8. As you check each students' graphic organizer, have them go back to their seats and start writing their story. Give each student a self-check post-it that will help them know what you will be looking for as you look for evidence of THEIR voice. This is a lesson focused on voice, however, remind students there needs to be a beginning, middle, and end to their story.
9. Remind them they need to try and capture the perspective of the character that they chose to be the narrator of their story.
10. As students finish, have them whisper read their writing and use their self check-list to see if their writing reveals their voice and personality.
11. Complete a mini-lesson on voice and have students work with a partner. Have students highlight different parts of their story that show dialogue, humor, tone, perspective, etc. Students will then try to come up with at least 2 other words or phrases that might fit there to make their story more entertaining or exciting. Then have them read their fairy tale to a partner and offer suggestions to each other.  Students can use a Thesaurus to help them come up with different vocabulary words.
12. Conference with each student as they finish to help them with the editing process (since they will be submitting their story online for publishing).
13. Have students write their final copy and then they can use one of the two different publishing links listed below.

Additional Resources:  

• http://www.teachingheart.net/truepigs.html 
• http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/mff/fractured_fairy_true.htm 
•  Publish Your Fairy Tale Online
• Writing Fix Publishing 

Idea Development: Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey

Lesson Focus: Idea Development

Focus Grade Level: 3rd

Mentor Text: Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey

Materials: Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey, paper, pencil, graphic organizer

Ohio Academic Content Standards:Writing Process


Ohio Benchmarks 3-4:
A. Generate ideas and determine a topic suitable for writing.
E. Use revision strategies to improve the coherence of ideas, clarity of sentence structure and effectiveness of word choices.

Grade Level Indicators 3rd Grade:
1. Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material.
4. Use organizational strategies to plan writing.
10. Reread and assess writing for clarity, using a variety of methods.
11. Add descriptive words and details and delete extraneous information.
14. Proofread writing and edit to improve conventions and identify and correct fragments and run-ons.

Book Summary: Based off of one of Dav's own dogs growing up, Halle Tosis (meaning bad breath), he has come up with another fun loving adventure about a family dog, coincidentally named Hally. Hally Tosis has such bad breath that she omits green puffs every time she breaths. Mr. and Mrs. Tosis try putting her up for adoption when they just can't bear the smell any longer. The children work at saving her and the dog ends up saving the family from two robbers.

About the Author, Dav Pilkey: Dog Breath was the second book Dav Pilkey ever wrote. He sent it around to more than thirty different publishers, and was rejected every time. One publisher even told Dav that Dog Breath was an "un-publishable" book. Thanks to many re-writes and his stubborn determination not to give up on this story, Dog Breath was finally published by Scholastic's Blue Sky Press. It has become Dav Pilkey's best-selling picture book.

Introduction: To use  this book as a mentor text, the students should have already read the book for aesthetic purposes. Tell students that today, like in the book Dog Breath, they will be writing a story about silly animal problems. They will choose an ordinary animal that has an interesting problem.

Lesson Plan:

1. Reread the story Dog Breath and discuss with the students how Dav Pilkey has wonderful illustrations and pictures that showcase Hally's problem; however, it is through his wonderful descriptions and great details that bring this story to life. He paces each piece of his story together to keep the reader involved through each of Hally's situations that she must face because of her bad breath. 
2. Give each student this graphic organizer and have them start filling out their ideas on what their animal is going to be and the silly problem they are going to face. If they have trouble coming up with ideas, they can try this interactive website on a computer (if accessible) to help generate thought. 
3. After students fill out the top of their graphic organizer, pull up on an overhead, projector, or SMARTBOARD, this 3rd grade student's writing about her silly animal. Discuss the details that Jessica shows in her writing piece and why those details made her story more exciting. Compare those ideas with how Dav Pilkey described Hally in Dog Breath. Are there common things happening in each story? What kinds of descriptions do you see?
4. Have students finish filling out their graphic organizer to keep generating ideas. Before students start to write have them sit with a partner and share their ideas with a friend. 
5. As students finish peer sharing, have students go back to their seats. Model how to take ideas and turn them into a story. Start your story as an example and then have students write independently for the remainder of the time.
6. As students finish their drafts, go over the editing process and have students try editing their papers on their own. Then have them switch with a friend and edit each others papers. Since we are focusing on idea development, give each student one of the idea development post-it notes so they can self-check their writing.
7. Model how to take editing marks into account for a final copy and have students write their final copy.
8. Share writing in an author's chair and have students share specifically an idea they liked about each story.

Additional Resources:  
 http://www.pilkey.com/bookview.php?id=13

Reading Comprehension Quiz Dog Breath

http://writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/Dogbreath3.htm

Organization: Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey

Lesson Focus: Organization of purposeful paragraphs

Focus Grade Level:  3rd 

Time Frame: Several Days

Focus Text/Author: Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey

Materials: Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey, Paper, Pencil, 

Ohio Academic Content Standard: Writing Process

Ohio Benchmarks 3-4: E. Use revision strategies to improve the coherence of ideas, clarity of sentence structure and effectiveness of word choices.

Grade Level Indicators 3rd Grade: 

• 4. Use organizational strategies (e.g., brainstorming, lists, webs, and Venn diagrams) to plan writing
• 5. Organize writing by providing a simple introduction, body, and a clear sense of closure

Book Summary: In this fun and friendly book, Dav Pilkey has the town of Mousopolis run by mice and they are about to host their first annual barbecue. As the town is getting ready for the big event, Dogzilla is awakened by the wonderful smells. The mice become terrified and try to get away from the "creature" before it's too late.

About the author, Dav Pilkey: http://www.pilkey.com/meet-dav.php

"Most people pronounce it "Dave" (rhymes with "rave"), but "Dav" (rhymes with "have") is also correct. Bonus points are given for "Däv" (rhymes with "suave"). In 2005 I married my sweetheart, Sayuri (pronounced "Sy-you-dee"). We don't have any children yet. 

I had a pretty tough time in school.  I've always had reading problems, and I didn't learn the same way that most of the kids in my class learned  (being severely hyperactive didn't help much, either).

I was discouraged a lot, and sometimes I felt like a total failure.  But I had a lot of encouragement and support from my parents.  They helped me get through the hard times.  It's good to know that even if you're not successful in school, you can still be successful in life.  (Thomas Edison was terrible at school, but he turned out o.k!)"

Before the Lesson: 

Read through the book, Dogzilla, with the students the first day so that they are familiar with the content and can use for learning purposes the following day.

Introduction:  

Before reading the story the second time, discuss with the students that today while they read, they will be looking for how Dogzilla is organized and what they notice about the paragraphs in the story. All of the paragraphs have purpose. I will share with the students that Dogzilla  is a dog, and has the traits of dog; however, his size and strength is that of Godzilla. We will then discuss reasons as to why they think Dogzilla may be so large and how it might be because of something that went terribly wrong in a lab experiment. I will tell the students that they will be writing their own story about a scientific mishap that may have created a new creature (two words put together to make a new word-- Dog + Godzilla = Dogzilla) and all of the events that take place after it happens. They will need to make sure their story is organized in a meaningful way.

Lesson: 

1. Students will listen to the story Dogzilla and discuss the different writing styles of the text. We will specifically talk about the organization of the paragraphs.
2. Students will spend some time writing their ideas about what they noticed in the story (pertaining to the organization) on a piece of chart paper.
3. We will discuss as a group what we found and why it's important and then look at excerpts from A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon and discuss how the paragraphs captivate the readers attention through their details, humor, etc.
4. Students will then complete a story web for a pre-writing activity and be asked to come up with their own creature that went through a "mishap" in the lab. For example, maybe they mix an elephant and a turtle to get "Elephurtle."
5. They will then put that creature in the center of their web and start brainstorming different events that are going to take place in their story.
6. Now would be a good time to get "into the students' head" and see what they are thinking and have them talk through their ideas with you.
7. Remind students that as they finish writing they need to then think about how they are going to turn those ideas into a meaningful story with details and purpose. Refer back to list they made on chart paper. In the third grade they need reminded to start each paragraph indented and then they should have a beginning, middle, and end. 
8. Play soft music in the background as students are writing and walk around to monitor their progress--intervening at your discretion. 
9. As students finish their writing (this step can be done on the next day depending on your time block for writing) have them pair up with a partner and read their stories to each other.
10. Model for students how to listen and then give feedback. Have students give two things they like about their writing and two suggestions on how to make it better, or stronger. 
11. Have students edit their papers, you will probably have to model how since they are so young, and write their final copy.
12. Have students share their story in an "Author's Chair" with the class about their creature.
13. Follow-up Activity: Have students write a short paragraph describing what they learned about organizing their story and writing a purposeful paragraph, and why they think it is important to organize your thoughts when you write. Then create a second chart and list all their responses so they can refer back to this each time they write.

Additional Resources:
http://www.writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/Dogzilla3.htm 

http://www.campbell.k12.ky.us/schools/crossroads/crossroadselementary/6+1Organization.html 

http://www.pilkey.com/