Miss Santelli's Classroom
Welcome to the Franktastic 4th Grade!
Thought for the Week:
What's All the Buzz in Fourth Grade?
Day to Day
Writing Focus
This month, our focus in writing will be on opinion pieces. Students will be diving in deeper than in the past to provide supporting evidence (facts and details) that justify their opinion. As students progress through each grade level, they will continue to build upon the foundation of an opinion piece, and writing pieces in general. The requirements and expectations for organization and detail will increase with each transition.
What is expected of a 4th Grade Writer?
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
Within an opinion piece, students will need to...
W.4.1.a Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped to support the writer's purpose.
W.4.1.b Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details.
W.4.1.c Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
W.4.1.d Provide a concluding statement or section related to the opinion presented.
Brainstorming
Once we have discussed our writing focus, our class brainstorms several topics that students can work with. It is important to give our students choice so that they are more successful with their writing. Writing about a topic that you know nothing about or have no connection to, can make a piece very challenging to complete.
Organize, organize, organize!
Now for the Good Stuff!
Writer's in Action!
Where do we begin?
Modeling
Putting it all together
Conferencing
Peer Models
Parent's Corner
Need some ideas or ways to help your Writer at home? Pick up any book below at our local library. After reading, ask your fourth grader some prompting questions. The key to a good fourth grade opinion piece is the evidence/facts that justify their claim. Dive back into their story! Have your child refer to a place in the text that would support their opinion.
Online Resources
This website takes you to an interactive four square organizer. Students are very familiar with the set-up and utilization of a four square. You can access this tool to help students organize their thoughts before they begin writing.