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Unit Title: 6+1 Writing Traits: THE OVERVIEW Grade/Subject: K-6

Duration of Unit: VARIABLE

STAGE 1 – DESIRED RESULTSEstablished Goals:• comprehend and respond to oral and written language critically, creatively, and articulately

• think critically and creatively, and reflect on and articulate their thinking and learning

Understanding(s) /Big Ideas: Students will understand that there

are many different components to writing.

Students will understand that writing is a process.

Essential Question(s):Why do people write?

What makes a piece of writing good?

What do good writers do to improve their work?

Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes:KindergartenStrategies for Learning to Write and RepresentC4 engage in discussions before writing and representing to generate ideas when responding to text andclassroom experiences (e.g., observing, listening, using the other senses, drawing, brainstorming,listing, webbing, partner-talk)C5 express meaning during writing and representing by using invented spelling and copying existingwords/representationsC6 engage in discussions after writing or representing about the experience of writing or representingand share work with others

Grade 1Strategies (Writing and Representing)C4 use strategies before writing and representing, including– setting a purpose– identifying an audience

– participating in developing class-generated criteria– generating, selecting, and organizing ideas from home and/or school experiencesC5 use strategies during writing and representing to express thoughts in written and visual form (e.g.,looking at picture books and student writing samples as models)C6 use a strategy after writing and representing to improve their work (e.g., sharing their written workand representations, checking for completeness, adding details)

Grade 2Strategies (Writing and Representing)C4 use strategies before writing and representing, including– setting a purpose– identifying an audience– participating in developing class-generated criteria– generating, selecting, developing, and organizing ideas from personal interest, prompts, models of good literature, and/or graphicsC5 use strategies during writing and representing to express thoughts, including– referring to class-generated criteria– referring to word banks– examining models of literature/visuals– revising and editingC6 use strategies after writing and representing to improve their work, including– checking their work against established criteria– revising to enhance a writing trait (e.g., ideas, sentence fluency, word choice, voice, organization)– editing for conventions (e.g., capitals, punctuation, spelling)

Grade 3Strategies (Writing and Representing)C4 use a variety of strategies before writing and representing, including– setting a purpose– identifying an audience– participating in developing class-generated criteria– generating, selecting, developing, and organizing ideas from personal interest, prompts, models of good literature, and/or graphicsC5 use a variety of strategies during writing and representing to express thoughts, including– referring to class-generated criteria– referring to word banks– examining models of literature/visuals– using information from multiple sources– consulting reference materials– revising and editingC6 use a variety of strategies after writing and representing to improve their work, including– checking their work against established criteria– revising to enhance writing traits (e.g., ideas, sentence fluency, word choice, voice, organization)– editing for conventions (e.g., capitals, punctuation, spelling)

Grade 4

Strategies (Writing and Representing)C5 select and use strategies before writing and representing, including– setting a purpose– identifying an audience– selecting a genre and form from samples provided– developing class-generated criteria based on analysis of the form of writing or representing– generating, selecting, developing, and organizing ideas from personal interest, prompts, models of good literature, and/or graphicsC6 select and use strategies during writing and representing to express and refine thoughts, including– referring to class-generated criteria– examining models of literature– combining multiple sources of information– consulting reference material– considering and applying feedback from conferences to revise ideas, organization, voice, word choice, and sentence fluency– ongoing revising and editingC7 select and use strategies after writing and representing to improve their work, including– checking their work against established criteria– reading aloud and listening for fluency– revising to enhance writing traits (e.g., ideas, sentence fluency, word choice, voice, organization)– editing for conventions (e.g., grammar and usage, capitalization, punctuation, spelling)

Grade 5Strategies (Writing and Representing)C5 select and use strategies before writing and representing, including– setting a purpose– identifying an audience, genre, and form– analysing examples of successful writing and representing in different forms and genres toidentify key criteria– developing class-generated criteria based on analysis of the form of writing or representing– generating, selecting, developing, and organizing ideas from personal interest, prompts, models of good literature, and/or graphicsC6 select and use strategies during writing and representing to express and refine thoughts, including– referring to class-generated criteria– analysing models of literature– accessing multiple sources of information– consulting reference materials– considering and applying feedback to revise ideas, organization, voice, word choice, andsentence fluency– ongoing revising and editingC7 select and use strategies after writing and representing to improve their work, including– checking their work against established criteria

– revising to enhance writing traits (e.g., ideas, sentence fluency, word choice, voice, organization)– editing for conventions (e.g., grammar and usage, capitalization, punctuation, spelling)

Grade 6Strategies (Writing and Representing)C5 select and use strategies before writing and representing, including– setting a purpose– identifying an audience, genre, and form– analysing examples of successful writing and representing in different forms and genres to identify key criteria– developing class-generated criteria– generating, selecting, developing, and organizing ideas from personal interest, prompts, texts,and/or researchC6 select and use strategies during writing and representing to express and refine thoughts, including– referring to class-generated criteria– analysing models of literature– accessing multiple sources of information– consulting reference materials– considering and applying feedback from conferences to revise ideas, organization, voice, wordchoice, and sentence fluency– ongoing revising and editingC7 select and use strategies after writing and representing to improve their work, including– checking their work against established criteria– reading aloud and listening for fluency– revising to enhance writing traits (e.g., ideas, sentence fluency, word choice, voice, organization)– editing for conventions (e.g., grammar and usage, capitalization, punctuation, spelling)

STAGE 2 – ASSESSMENT EVIDENCEPerformance Task(s):

Kindergarten:Identify traits orallyRecognize traits in literatureCompare, evaluate/judge how well a writer has used a trait

Grade One/Two:Students can answer “what does good writing look like?”Students create journal entry “What trait is most difficult/easiest for you?”

Other Evidence:

Product/Observations/Conversations

Product/Observations/Conversations:Students using the languageDiscussionsStudents asking questions using trait language

Highlight text based on trait

Grade Two/Three:Class based examplesRecognize component of good writing in literatureFind ideas in everyday things and other booksAnswer “what are ideas?” verbally and/or in writing

Grade Two/Three/Four:Show enjoyment (risk taking)Write with ease/independentlyComponents of powerful writing are evidentSelf-assessment-compare to traits/exemplarsStudent writing

Grade Four:Class Discussion (review of traits)Why/how is this writing example demonstrative of 6 traits/good writing?

Grade Five/Six:Journal writingEnter/exit slipsProcess to publish different traitsExamples in literatureConvention: edit practice

Grade Five/Six:Self/peer assessment using 6+1 language (rubric/oral discussion)Discussion around the evolution of a piece of writing (how it changes)Analyze exemplars using rubric

Student writing

Product/Observations/Conversations:Writing piece/SWWChart for narrowing ideasWritten workPeer sharingStudents taking risksPositive attitude

Product/Observations/Conversations:PortfolioWriting foldersStudent use of language about writingSWW

Product/Observations/Conversations:A/B partner share/report outStudent exemplar of recognition of traitsSWW

Product/Observations/Conversations:PortfolioSWWMini lessons/conferenceSelf/peer assessmentExemplarsClass discussionProduct/Observations/Conversations:Writing conferencePortfolio (showcase BEST evidence)Video/visual/oral representation of understandingSWW

STAGE 3 – LEARNING ACTIVITIESLearning Activities:

Kindergarten:ORAL Based-use two books and compare:Conventions-capitals/periodsVoice-feelings, flashcards, how does the book make you feel?

Word choice-“Fancy Nancy”Organization-beginning, middle, end of stories- Sequencing picturesIdeas-brainstormingSentence fluency- compare sentences from low level reader to literature

Grade One/Two:Create unique symbols as a class to represent the traitsAnalyze pieces of writing/stories orallyTeach steps-process (have a visual)

Grade Two/Three:BINGOUsing stories to find evidence of the traits

Grade Two/Three/Four:Using literature and examplesDiscussion about traits in various activitiesSharing and assessingModeling/examplesPresenting

Grade Four:Starting point: What is good writing?Read Robert Munsch book while asking students to think about 6+1 traits (re-introduce all 6 traits)Whole class discussion, identifying different traits in writing. A/B partners share out.Review of the writing process in conjunction with the traitsSecond review-handout a few pages of a new Robert Munsch book and have students see if they can identify key traits (like: sentence fluency, ideas, organization, etc.)

Grade Five/Six:HandoutsPower pointsPostersIsolation of individual traitWhole group-partner-independent workCross curriculum integrationBooks to base writing on

Grade Five/Six:Introduction to traitsShow relevance in the real worldRevising samplesActivities that isolate the trait

Finding examples in samples/own/others’ work (and non-examples)Highlight the extremes (1 vs. 5)Quality vs Quantity lesson

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