Using Storybird.

com to teach Nouns with fairy tale stories

Wendy Gladigan

Grade 3/ Subject: Writing

Common Core Standards: Grade 3

Text Types and Purposes

W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons. a. Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons. b. Provide reasons that support the opinion. c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because, therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and reasons. d. Provide a concluding statement or section. W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information. d. Provide a concluding statement or section. W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. a. Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally. b. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings to develop experiences and events or show the response of characters to situations. c. Use temporal words and phrases to signal event order. d. Provide a sense of closure.

Production and Distribution of Writing W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 13 above.) W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 13 up to and including grade 3 on pages 28 and 29.) W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others. Research to Build and Present Knowledge W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. 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.

Range of Writing W.3.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Lesson Summary: Students will be learning how to create an original story, focusing on using nouns. I will start by telling them an original story using fairytale characters by using the phrase once upon a time that I wrote about, telling them what the nouns are in my story. For this lesson plan the students will explore and use the website storybird.com. I will start by leading a discussion about fairytale characters using the phrase once upon a time, as this is their topic for their original story. After telling them what the nouns are in a story and explaining to the students what they will be writing about then they can go and explore storybird.com where they can be creative, pick artwork that will be incorporated in their original story. Students will create original stories using the artwork and their imagination using fairytale characters using nouns to describe the story they are writing about. The students will group together in groups of four, and show their ideas. Each group will brainstorm, create/write and review their story. Estimated Duration: The lesson plan will take 4 hours to do. The plan is to divide this lesson into 4 days, each day 60 mins time periods. Commentary: Learners will have fun exploring and creating on storybird.com. Learners will enjoy creating stories by using artwork and showing their ideas to their group. By showing students storybird.com together as a class and showing them other students work, I believe this will help them to be creative and use their imagination. The challenge that students might face will be deciding which artwork to use and which fairytale characters ever they will decide.

Instructional Procedures: Day 1: First 15 mins: Introductory activity: Students will listen to teachers original fairytale story. If students have question then I will answer them. Second 20 mins: I will lead my students to view the website, I will show my students stories that other students have written and show how their stories coordinate with the art work on storybird.com Last 30 mins: I will pair them up in groups of four, and I will let the students explore the website storybird.com and students will be able to discuss and choose an artwork that they will use for their groups original fairytale story. Day 2: First 60mins: Students will go into their groups and each group will receive a fairytale story planner and discuss, brainstorm and write the setting, characters, conflict and conclusion for their fairytale story using the phrase, once upon a time.

Day 3: First 60 mins: Students will go back into their groups of four and incorporate their fairytale story with the artwork they choose, and then they will write their entire story online using storybird.com with a minimum of 5 pages and maximum of 8 pages. Day 4: First 25 mins: Students will be in their groups of four to review/revise their story and they will be asked to make sure their grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence completion is correct and the story is smooth. Pre-Assessment: The strategy that I will be using to pre-assess my students will be reflection strategy. Reflecting over their stories the students will be engaged in a class discussion after presenting their original fairytale stories. In our class discussion we will talk about what the students like and disliked about our activity. I will ask the students if they had little or no trouble with navigating storybird.com. Using reflection strategy is a great way to discover what my students have learned. Post-Assessment: After the classroom discussion, I will ask my students to write a paragraph to explain what they liked or disliked about our class discussion and what was their favorite part of this whole activity and why or why not if they liked it. By doing this as an educator this will help me see if changes need to be made or anything I need to add for future activities to help this be an enjoyable learning experience for my students using storybird.com.

Third Grade Writing Assessment Rubric

Scoring Guidelines:
FOCUS 4
You consistently show that you are writing with the audience in mind. You clearly focus on a well-narrowed topic that makes a point.

CONTENT You write with many supporting details that are specific to the topic.

ORGANIZATION You organize ideas in paragraph form. You include: a beginning, middle, and end, transition words, a good lead/hook, or topic sentence, and a strong conclusion.

STYLE You consistently use effective word choice, interesting sentence variety, and some of your voice shows in your writing.

CONVENTIONS You write with a polished look. You use conventional spelling for most words. You use punctuation and capitalization correctly most of the time. You have clear control of spacing, grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage, and letter and sentence formation.

You often show that

You write with enough details

You have a clear

You often use effective

You spell third grade words

you are writing with the audience in mind. You narrow the topic and write to the prompt while making a point.

that support the topic.

beginning, middle, and end. You include: transition words, a good lead/hook, or topic sentence, and a conclusion.

word choice, and interesting sentence variety.

correctly and apply spelling strategies. You use end marks, commas, and apostrophes in contractions and possessives correctly. You capitalize: proper names/nouns, initials, first word in a quote, and titles. You have clear control of spacing, grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage, and letter and sentence formation.

You sometimes show evidence of writing with the audience in mind. You try to narrow the topic while also trying to write to the topic.

Your sentences on the topic have few details that support the topic.

You have a clear beginning, middle, and end.

You sometimes use effective word choice and interesting sentence variety.

You spell second grade words correctly and use phonetic spelling. Limited control of spacing, grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage, and letter and sentence formation. You have little or no control of spacing, grammar, mechanics, spelling, usage, and letter and sentence formation. Your writing is difficult to understand.

You show little or no evidence of writing for the audience. You show little or no evidence of writing to your topic. Your ideas dont all go with your topic.

You write with little or no details; your details do not support your topic.

Your beginning, middle, and end are missing. Your writing is not in order.

You have little or no evidence of effective word choice or sentence variety.

NOT ABLE TO SCORE Your writing cannot be read. sloppy. Your paper is blank. It is

OFF-PROMPT Your writing is readable, but you did not respond to the prompt.

You receive a zero in focus and content, but

There isnt enough writing to score.

other domains will be scored.

Your writing makes no sense.

Differentiated Instructional Support: The students will be graded on whether they know and understand the concepts of what we did for the classroom activity using storybird.com. I will use my students stories, their reflection paragraph and their class participation as part of their grade to see if what they have learned from this activity. This will give me an idea so I understand what they understood and what they didnt understand for this assignment.

Extension: http://www.readingrockets.org/looking_at_writing/third_grade/writing_sample_1/ This website will lead the students to continue their writing skills and it provides samples of childrens writing and you can explore and view topics, childrens books and more fun learning experiences. This website will strengthen the students writing allowing them to become better writers.

Homework Options and Home Connections: As an educator I would encourage the students parents to explore storybird.com at home with their children. You can sign up for free and explore with your family. The website can be used at home, school or a public library; wherever they have access to a computer. Interdisciplinary Connections: This lesson plan for writing fairy tale stories can explore in other areas as well. For example: History, students can research historical fairy tale stories or original stories and compare and contrast with the Disney film version and the book version. Students can also compare and contrast the musical or play version of the fairy tale stories. For example: Snow White (book) or the film adaptation. Materials and Resources:

For teachers

Once upon a time worksheet for each group. http://www.studenthandouts.com/01-Web-Pages/writing-prompts/once-upon-a-timewriting-prompt.htm Fairy tale story planner worksheet.

http://www.abcteach.com/free/s/storyplanner_fairytale.pdf nouns worksheet http://www.kidslearningstation.com/grammar/nouns/3rd-grade/worksheets/third-gradenoun-worksheet-sentences1.pdf The materials needed for this class assignment is computer and internet access, and storybird.com Rubric

For students

Pencils, Fairy tale story planner worksheet and the Once upon a time worksheet. Access to a computer and internet, or computer lab and Storybird.com