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Part 21.) Writing Activities Descriptions

Informative Writing

Standard- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital
sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
3.1.2 Science standard- Compares basic needs of different organisms in their
environment
Writing Activity- The students will be creating a Venn diagram that compares and
contrasts elephants to giraffes The Venn diagram will also show students the
differences and similarities between elephants and giraffes, both being from the
same region. On the elephants side it says the weight of the elephant, how tall they
can get, the food they eat, their habitat and who is the head of the pack of
elephants. On the giraffes side it explains their weight, height, food they eat, and
that they can run well considering their height. In the middle of this graphic
organizer it explains how they live in the same areas, they both will eat leaves, and
how they both live on grasslands. This would be a great graphic organizer to use in
the classroom to help show how these animals are the same, but different at the
same time.

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Argumentative Writing I am doing a writing activity with one of my narrative

books because I could not find a argumentative book about elephants.
Standard- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3.a
Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event
sequence that unfolds naturally.
Writing Activity- The students will be completing a graphic organizer that is
shown below. The students will be filling out the graphic organizer that explains
how elephants travel in herds which was previously read to them in a narrative. It
explains how the oldest female elephant is the head of the herd. The graphic
organizer explains how male elephant do not stay with the herd, and males leave
the herd when they are 13 years old. Then the organizer explains how in the dry
season the elephant herd gathers around lakes, water holes and swamps. Then
when it rains and grasses quickly sprout and elephants start on their seasonal
hundred mile journey to wet season feeding grounds.

The earthquake came and was a long, slow spongy motion. The
earthquake made the house rock several times.

Six Trait Writing Sentence Fluency

Standard- R1.3.7

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Use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate
understand of the text (e.g. where, when, why, and how key events occurred).
Writing Activity- The students will make a large paper elephant and write
sentences that are fun to read (sentence fluency) of the who, where, when, why of a
narrative previously read about elephants. To do this the teacher will outline on
paper a large elephant. Students will cut and color the elephant to their liking.
Then after practicing on notebook paper, students will use information from the
book, to write in the middle of their elephant. They will write four fluent sentences
about the who, where, when why of the story. Once this is finished students
elephants with sentences will be hung up in the hall for everyone to see their
colorful sentences.

Poetry

Standard- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and
information clearly.
Writing Activity- The students will be writing a cinquain poem about elephants.
Below is the format in which this poem will need to be written. This poem will help
students engage in the lesson, and examine elephants body, movements, food, and
habitat. The first line of the poem will start with elephants, and from there students
will use their knowledge and imagination to write the rest of the poem.
Line one: one word (elephants)
Line two: two adjectives
Line three: three ing words
Line four: a short phrase
Line five: one word to sum it all up
2.) Language/Grammar
Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
Video:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-ItzSsd897IN1p4T0ZUZnl3OUU
Objective: Students will understand what a noun is, and how to use a noun in a
sentence.
3.) Language/Spelling
Desk Top Spelling

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Directions: All students will properly sit on their desk, and be asked to spell words.
They will be asked one by one to spell a word. If student gets it right, they stay
sitting on their desk. If they get it wrong, they have to sit down. Also, if students
are talking, they have to sit down. Students who are not spelling the word aloud are
writing it on a piece of paper, so they are still spellingThe last person sitting on their
desk wins!
Materials: desk, and students!
Sample spelling word list from unit:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Tusk
Trunk
Elephant
Heard
Calf

4.) Speaking/listening
Standard
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2
Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information
presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and
orally.
Narrative Text- Bateman, R., & Archbold, R. (1998). Safari. Boston: Little, Brown
This narrative begins by talking about being on a safari, and then it breaks into
chapters and explains what types of animals you would see on this safari. This
includes elephants, and what their habitat is and what they do and eat. It does this
with a lot of different animals, like leopard, giraffe, lion and more.

5.) Viewing

Reader Friendliness Checklist

Name ____Crystal Allman______________________ Class Date
Directions: Do a search on an appropriate topic and choose a website from the search results
list. Go to the website and use this checklist to see if the site would be helpful for learning about
your topic.
URL: https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/elephant

Yes No

Does the title of the page tell you what it is about?

Is there an introduction or message on the page that tells you what is

included?

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Are the links easy to distinguish from the rest of the text by color, size, or
shape?

Is it easy to find a place to search for information on the website?

5
6

If you go to a bunch of other pages within the website, is it easy to get back to X
the homepage without using the back button?
Is each page or section clearly labeled with a heading?
X

Is the layout uncluttered and easy to use?

Do the visuals help you understand the ideas on the website?

Are there lots of ads?

10 Would you use this website to help you learn more about the topic? Explain X
your thinking here:
This website has a lot of colorful information about elephants. It gives vivid
detail about elephants size, habitat, location, social tendencies and food. This
is not all this website displays, it also goes into detail the danger humans bring
to elephants, and how we as humans can help the elephants. This website
could be motivational to students that may want to be a part of the help
elephants are getting, like adopting an elephant. Also, this website displays
colorful pictures of elephants for students to go through. Lastly, this website
sites all of its sources at the bottom, so if you were to question anything it had
to say you could see where they got their information.

From Reading the Web by Maya B. Eagleton and Elizabeth Dobler. Copyright 2015 by The
Guilford Press. Permission to photocopy this handout is granted to purchasers of this book for
personal use only (see copyright page for details).