How to Write Short Stories
ENG 315 Mini-Lesson Template for Studying Author’s Craft# Spring 2013
Mini Lesson Topic
Name the teaching point
For your reference, include a Common Core State Standard for your grade level.
W.K.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
Materials
Gather the materials will you need, including a mentor text or a sample of your own or a student’s writing.
3 page writing book, pencil, eraser, crayons, giant notepad, markers, example of finished student ‘How to’ book, and finished bin.
Connection
Remind them what you taught the previous lesson. “The last writer’s workshop, we learned how to…”
Students will be sitting at carpet ready for writing workshop.
‘In the last writers workshop, we learned how to put together a short story containing a beginning, middle, and end. These short stories were written about any topic you could think of. Well short stories can also have a topic that they focus on. They can teach the people reading your story things, and that’s the type of stories we are going to be writing today.’
Explicit Instruction
Describe to them what you will teach today. “Today I’m going to teach you…”
Demonstrate them exactly how to do it. “Watch me do it.” Or, “Let’s take a look at how (author) does this when s/he writes…”
“Today we are going to be continuing writing our short stories, but instead of you choosing any topic, you are going to choose a topic about ‘How To’ do something. These are called our ‘How To’ stories. A ‘How To’ story is a story that teaches readers how to do something. Some things people write ‘How To’ stories about are, How To Bake a Cake, How To Ride a Bike, or How To Feed a Dog.
We are going to start by looking at a previous students ‘How to Clean’ book. This student uses three main words throughout her book. She begins with the word First. This word shows that she is starting her instruction on how to clean. Her first page shows that first you do one step. That one step for her is pick up your toys. Going onto the second page, she uses another key word. Then. When she says then, she is letting readers know that this is her second step on how to clean. She says ‘And then you pick up your brothers toys.’ That was her second set of instructions. Now for this last page, two different words can be used. Our example writer uses the word ‘then’ again, but you can choose to use the word ‘finally’ as well. As long as this word shows that it is the last step in your ‘How To’ story. Our writer used ‘And then you are done cleaning your toys.’ By using the word done, she showed that this was the final step. This writer did a great job on teaching readers how to do something. She had a beginning, when she used first. She had a middle, when she used then. And she had an end, when she used then and done.”
Guided Practice
Invite them to try it out with a partner, or with you for a few minutes. “Now try it out with a partner…”
“Now, we are going to make our own ‘How To’ story! Lets write one on our giant notebook. I want my ‘How To’ Story to be called, ‘How to Make a Bed.’ I’m going to write that at the top because that is my title. Next I will write my name, By: Mrs. Soliz. Okay, now what is the first step to making a bed? (call on students with hand raised) Okay put on the sheets! So I am going to write ‘First, you put on the sheets.” I wrote first, because it is our first step. Now lets draw a picture of sheets on a bed. (draws picture). Okay, now what is the second step to making a bed? (call on students with hand raised) Put the comforter on! Okay lets write that! What is the word I need to use to show my second step? (call on student) Then! Correct! Lets write, ‘Then, you put on the comforter.’ Now I’ll draw a picture of a bed with a comforter on it. (draws picture) And what is the last step to making a bed? (call on student) Right, put on the pillows and stuffed animals. So what word should we use to show our last step? (call on student) Finally, then, or done! Good jobs guys! I like the words finally and done. So lets write ‘Finally, you put on your pillows and stuffed animals and you are done making your bed.’ Now I’ll draw a picture of a bed that is all made. (draws picture). Now what I want you to do, kindergarteners, is to put on your thinking caps. (puts on thinking cap) I want you to think of what you know how to do, in three steps. Once you have your idea, I want you to raise your hand and tell me. Once you tell me, you can go and grab your 3 page writing book, and write your own ‘How To’ story on what you just told me. (dismisses students one by one, after approving their idea).
Independent Practice
Remind students how the teaching point can be used in independent writing. Reiterate the link between the mini lesson and their writing lives.
Students will sit at their tables and write their own ‘How To’ stories. I will remind them that they can get up and look at the book we wrote as a class to get help if they need it. Remind them throughout their writing workshop time, that they need to continue to use that beginning, middle, and end by using those three step words we talked about.
Group Wrap Up
Restate the teaching point. Ask: “Did you try what was taught? Did it work for you? How will it affect your future writing?”
Once the time is up, Student will be asked to turn in their finished stories (if they finished) to the finished bin. I will then have students come to carpet. At carpet, I will pull 3 stories out of the finished bin to have read aloud to the class. The author of the story will read to the class. Once three students have read, I will ask the students a couple of questions.
“Did you use three steps to teach your how to?”
“What are three main words to use when writing a how to story?”
“Did you like this writing style?”
“Could you use it outside of class? How?”
Resources: Smart teachers learn from their colleagues and adapt the lessons of others, yet are sure to give credit where credit is due. Be sure to identify any outside sources you have used such as Read Write Think (http://www.readwritethink.org/), Writing Fix (http://writingfix.com/), or any other book, journal, or website. Also, be sure to cite the mentor text that you use.
Credit for this mini lesson goes to Stephanie Terpstra, she gave me the idea of the lesson, and I then went off of that.
Mini Lesson Topic
Name the teaching point
For your reference, include a Common Core State Standard for your grade level.
W.K.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
Materials
Gather the materials will you need, including a mentor text or a sample of your own or a student’s writing.
3 page writing book, pencil, eraser, crayons, giant notepad, markers, example of finished student ‘How to’ book, and finished bin.
Connection
Remind them what you taught the previous lesson. “The last writer’s workshop, we learned how to…”
Students will be sitting at carpet ready for writing workshop.
‘In the last writers workshop, we learned how to put together a short story containing a beginning, middle, and end. These short stories were written about any topic you could think of. Well short stories can also have a topic that they focus on. They can teach the people reading your story things, and that’s the type of stories we are going to be writing today.’
Explicit Instruction
Describe to them what you will teach today. “Today I’m going to teach you…”
Demonstrate them exactly how to do it. “Watch me do it.” Or, “Let’s take a look at how (author) does this when s/he writes…”
“Today we are going to be continuing writing our short stories, but instead of you choosing any topic, you are going to choose a topic about ‘How To’ do something. These are called our ‘How To’ stories. A ‘How To’ story is a story that teaches readers how to do something. Some things people write ‘How To’ stories about are, How To Bake a Cake, How To Ride a Bike, or How To Feed a Dog.
We are going to start by looking at a previous students ‘How to Clean’ book. This student uses three main words throughout her book. She begins with the word First. This word shows that she is starting her instruction on how to clean. Her first page shows that first you do one step. That one step for her is pick up your toys. Going onto the second page, she uses another key word. Then. When she says then, she is letting readers know that this is her second step on how to clean. She says ‘And then you pick up your brothers toys.’ That was her second set of instructions. Now for this last page, two different words can be used. Our example writer uses the word ‘then’ again, but you can choose to use the word ‘finally’ as well. As long as this word shows that it is the last step in your ‘How To’ story. Our writer used ‘And then you are done cleaning your toys.’ By using the word done, she showed that this was the final step. This writer did a great job on teaching readers how to do something. She had a beginning, when she used first. She had a middle, when she used then. And she had an end, when she used then and done.”
Guided Practice
Invite them to try it out with a partner, or with you for a few minutes. “Now try it out with a partner…”
“Now, we are going to make our own ‘How To’ story! Lets write one on our giant notebook. I want my ‘How To’ Story to be called, ‘How to Make a Bed.’ I’m going to write that at the top because that is my title. Next I will write my name, By: Mrs. Soliz. Okay, now what is the first step to making a bed? (call on students with hand raised) Okay put on the sheets! So I am going to write ‘First, you put on the sheets.” I wrote first, because it is our first step. Now lets draw a picture of sheets on a bed. (draws picture). Okay, now what is the second step to making a bed? (call on students with hand raised) Put the comforter on! Okay lets write that! What is the word I need to use to show my second step? (call on student) Then! Correct! Lets write, ‘Then, you put on the comforter.’ Now I’ll draw a picture of a bed with a comforter on it. (draws picture) And what is the last step to making a bed? (call on student) Right, put on the pillows and stuffed animals. So what word should we use to show our last step? (call on student) Finally, then, or done! Good jobs guys! I like the words finally and done. So lets write ‘Finally, you put on your pillows and stuffed animals and you are done making your bed.’ Now I’ll draw a picture of a bed that is all made. (draws picture). Now what I want you to do, kindergarteners, is to put on your thinking caps. (puts on thinking cap) I want you to think of what you know how to do, in three steps. Once you have your idea, I want you to raise your hand and tell me. Once you tell me, you can go and grab your 3 page writing book, and write your own ‘How To’ story on what you just told me. (dismisses students one by one, after approving their idea).
Independent Practice
Remind students how the teaching point can be used in independent writing. Reiterate the link between the mini lesson and their writing lives.
Students will sit at their tables and write their own ‘How To’ stories. I will remind them that they can get up and look at the book we wrote as a class to get help if they need it. Remind them throughout their writing workshop time, that they need to continue to use that beginning, middle, and end by using those three step words we talked about.
Group Wrap Up
Restate the teaching point. Ask: “Did you try what was taught? Did it work for you? How will it affect your future writing?”
Once the time is up, Student will be asked to turn in their finished stories (if they finished) to the finished bin. I will then have students come to carpet. At carpet, I will pull 3 stories out of the finished bin to have read aloud to the class. The author of the story will read to the class. Once three students have read, I will ask the students a couple of questions.
“Did you use three steps to teach your how to?”
“What are three main words to use when writing a how to story?”
“Did you like this writing style?”
“Could you use it outside of class? How?”
Resources: Smart teachers learn from their colleagues and adapt the lessons of others, yet are sure to give credit where credit is due. Be sure to identify any outside sources you have used such as Read Write Think (http://www.readwritethink.org/), Writing Fix (http://writingfix.com/), or any other book, journal, or website. Also, be sure to cite the mentor text that you use.
Credit for this mini lesson goes to Stephanie Terpstra, she gave me the idea of the lesson, and I then went off of that.