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