Table of Contents Fourth Grade Title Teacher/School Focus Pages

Table of Contents 

Fourth Grade 

Title Teacher/School Focus Pages 

Introduction to Donna Glandorf 

Punctuating dialogue in 1-5 

Dialogue 

Canton 

Elementary School 

a story (introductory) 

Using a Thesaurus Donna Glandorf 

Using a thesaurus to 6-8 

to Understand the Canton 

better understand the 

Preamble 


Preamble 

An Interview with 

Red Riding Hood 

A Georgian 

Cinderella 

Writing a Friendly 

Letter from Space 

What Side Are You 

On? 

Writing to Learn 

about the Bill of 

Rights 

Writing Sentences 

and Identifying 

Sentence Parts: 

Language of the 

Civil War 

Research and 

Writing about 

Artifacts: 

Time Capsule Trivia 


Donna Glandorf 

Canton 


Kim Hicks 

Buffington 


Kim Hicks 

Buffington 


Kim Hicks 

Buffington 


Carry Holland 

Buffington 


Carry Holland 

Buffington 


Carry Holland 

Buffington 


Dialogue Lesson 2 Debra Templeton 

Canton Elementary School 

Writing Descriptive 

Paragraphs Using 

the Five Senses 

Debra Templeton and Donna 

Glandorf 


Writing a newspaper 

article including the 

“W” questions 

Using cultural fairy 

tales to explore how 

setting affects other 

story elements 

Writing in the content 

area of science – 

friendly letter format 

Examining the 

Revolutionary War 

from alternate points of 

view 


area of social studies – 

creative writing on the 

Bill of Rights 

Using Civil War slang 

to learn subjects, 

predicates, and 

modifiers 


area of social studies – 

researching an artifact 

Using a variety of 

speech tags to enhance 

writing 

Using sensory language 

to write vivid 

descriptions 

9-15 

16-23 

24-29 

30-38 

39-45 

46-54 

55-63 

64-71 

72-77

Title Teacher/School Focus Pages 

Expository Writing: Debra Templeton 

Writing in the content 78-81 

Magnetic Boat Canton Elementary School area of science – 

Races 

expository piece on 

magnetism 

Using Technology Debra Templeton 

Inquiry learning 82-90 

to Publish a News 

Story 

Canton Elementary School writing to inform 

Fourth Grade

Overview 

Introduction to Dialogue 


Cherokee County School District 


The use of dialogue is an important tool in writing. It helps brings actions and feelings to 

the story. When a story is written without properly formatted dialogue, but conversation 

takes place, the story becomes confusing. This lesson introduces the use of dialogue in 

writing. I prefer using this lesson at the beginning of the year so that the students may use 

dialogue in their story writing. This lesson could be followed by Debra Templeton’s 

Dialogue Lesson 2 on page 64. 

Materials/Preparation 

• Provide students with a copy of the rules for punctuation in dialogue. I also make 

a poster that I display on the wall of the classroom. 

• Overheads of the two versions of “The White Cat” story (one with dialogue and 

one without). 

• Provide students with two copies of the “Missing Baseball” story (one with 

punctuation and the other without) for comparison. 

Instructional Sequence 

1. Introduce the lesson by asking the students to share ways that they have learned to 

become better writers. The discussion might include the use of adjectives, adverbs, 

sound words, etc. Explain to the students that they will be learning another tool to 

make their writing interesting to the readers and enjoyable to read. Instead of 

introducing the topic of “using dialogue,” tell the students to follow along as you read 

two paragraphs and see if they can tell what writing tool they will be learning about in 

this lesson. 

2. Place the two versions of “The White Cat” story on the overhead and/or read them 

aloud to the students. Ask the students which version was easier to “see” in their 

minds and why. While discussing the two versions, lead the students to realize that 

although the first version provided plenty of visual description, it was the second that 

provided action and made the story come alive. Discuss how conversation/dialogue 

makes the story seem “animated” and brings the reader into the action. 

3. Next, give the students the two copies of the “Missing Baseball” story. Inquire of the 

students what seems to be different about the two versions. (Note: The first and 

second versions are worded the same. The second version contains proper 

punctuation and the first does not.) As students comment on the differences in the 

two paragraphs, write these on the board. 

4. Finally, provide your students with copies of the rules of punctuation. Compare these 

rules to the students’ responses on the board. Discuss the use of quotation marks, 

capital letters, commas, and speech tags. 

Fourth Grade 1

Assessment 

Informal: Assess students by listening to their responses in class. 

Formal: The standards in this lesson can be formally assessed in a follow-up piece of 

writing in which students are required to use dialogue. An example of formal assessment 

can be found in Dialogue Lesson 2 by Debra Templeton. 

Performance Standards 

W.4.1 Prepares for writing by applying correct principles of grammar, parts of 

speech, usage, and mechanics by: 

• Applying standard rules of capitalization 

• Applying standard rules of punctuation 

Reflection 

It is important to teach the proper format and use of dialogue in student writing early in 

the year, so that students have an opportunity to practice and experiment with the use of 

dialogue before the Georgia Writing Assessment. An added benefit to this lesson was 

students’ enthusiasm and continuing use of new speech tags. When my class 

brainstormed speech tags, they were so excited they opened several thesauri and added to 

the list that I had started. The response was overwhelming! 


The White Cat 

Version 1 

Sarah could not sleep on this cold winter night. She slipped from her bed and 

crossed to the broken window that allowed the chilled air to sneak into her room. 

Shivering, she looked into the cluttered alley below. She was surprised to see a white 

Persian cat wearing a sparkling rhinestone collar. It was daintily picking its way through 

the trash strewn along the alley below. 

Sarah rushed over to her sister, Lisa, whose bed was also in this room. She 

urgently shook her shoulder and told her to come to the window to see the fluffy white 

cat. When they reached the window, the cat was no where in sight and all that was 

visible was the untidy alley below. 

Lisa scowled and grumbled about being taken out of her warm bed to look at the 

ugly alley. Sarah explained that she wanted her to see the white cat that was so fluffy. 

She told her it had a sparkly collar around its neck. Sarah thought it would have been 

neat to have been her cat. She jumped beneath the covers. Lisa told Sarah to go back to 

sleep as she drifted off herself. 

The White Cat 

Version 2 

Sarah could not sleep on this cold winter night. She slipped from her bed and 

crossed to the broken window that allowed the chilled air to sneak into her room. 

Shivering, she looked into the cluttered alley below. She was surprised to see a white 

Persian cat wearing a sparkling rhinestone collar. It was daintily picking its way through 

the trash strewn along the alley below. “What are you doing there?” Sarah whispered to 

the cat as though it could hear her. 

Sarah rushed over to her sister, Lisa, whose bed was also in this room. She 

urgently shook her shoulder and whispered loudly, “There’s a beautiful white cat outside. 

Come and see!” When they reached the window, the cat was no where in sight and all 

that was visible was the untidy alley below. 

Lisa scowled and grumbled, “Why did you get me up out of my warm bed to look 

at that ugly alley?” 

“I wanted you to see that white cat. It was so fluffy. It had a sparkly collar 

around its neck. It would have been neat if it could have been our cat!” exclaimed Sarah 

as she jumped beneath the covers on her bed. 

“Go to sleep,” mumbled Lisa as she drifted back to sleep. 

Created by D. Glandorf and D. Templeton 

Canton Elementary 


The Missing Baseball 

Version 1 

“I can’t find the ball anywhere,” John complained. “I know it went over this 

fence, but it could be in these bushes or it might have landed past that group of trees,” he 

muttered to himself. Finally, in aggravation, he yelled to his brother Fred, “Have you 

found my ball yet?” 

“No,” Fred replied. “It’s not here. I’ve looked in all of those bushes. It’s 

disappeared.” 

The Missing Baseball 

Version 2 

I can’t find the ball anywhere John complained. I know it went over this fence, but it 

could be in these bushes or it might have landed past that group of trees he muttered to 

himself. Finally, in aggravation, he yelled to his brother Fred Have you found my ball 

yet? No Fred replied. It’s not here. I’ve looked in all of those bushes. It’s disappeared. 




How to Punctuate Dialogue 

*Use quotation marks around a speaker’s exact words. 

*Quotation marks are used before and after the speaker’s words. 

*The first word of a quotation should be capitalized. 

Example: speech tag 

“I watched the ballgame,” said Kelly. 

quotation marks around Kelly’s exact words 

*If the speech tag comes before the quotation, put a comma after 

the speech tag. 

Example: 

Roy asked, “Could I have another slice of pizza?” 

Example: 

*If the quotation comes first, you must use a comma (instead of a 

period on a statement), an exclamation mark, or a question mark 

at the end of the direct quotation. A period must be placed at the 

end of the entire sentence. 

Statement: “The dog is large, black and fluffy,” said Marla. 

Question: “Does it have a red collar?” asked Jeff. 

Exclamation: “I see the missing dog in the park!” exclaimed 

Jenny. 




Overview 

Using the Thesaurus to Understand the Preamble 




The Preamble is an important part of the Constitution of the United States. It introduces 

the Constitution and provides the reasons the Framers had for writing it. The Framers 

probably did not realize, however, that fourth graders would be studying the Constitution. 

Therefore, the terminology used in this important document is not fourth-grade user 

friendly. This lesson is designed to provide fourth graders with a better understanding of 

the Preamble through the use of a thesaurus. Prior knowledge of a thesaurus would be 

helpful for this lesson. This lesson could take approximately 30-45 minutes. 


• Overhead transparencies of the Preamble (with the words that will be looked up in 

the thesaurus highlighted in some way) and Vis-à-vis pen, one per group 

• A copy of the book, We the Kids: The Preamble of the United States of America, 

written by David Caltrow 

• Thesauri for each group or use the website http://thesaurus.reference.com/ 


5. Begin the lesson by playing an instrumental version of a patriotic song (softly playing 

as a background) such as “America,” or “America the Beautiful.” Introduce the book, 

We the Kids: The Preamble of the United States of America. Read the book aloud to 

the students as a way to introduce the lesson of the Preamble. 

6. Discuss the reasons for the Preamble. It is an introduction to the Constitution much 

like we use an introductory paragraph to explain what an informative paper is about. 

It provides the reader with the reasons for writing the paper. 

7. Place a transparency of the Preamble (included) on the overhead and read it aloud 

together. Talk about the words that may seem unfamiliar to the students. Explain to 

the students that today’s lesson will incorporate the use of a thesaurus to help us 

understand the Preamble. This would be a good time to talk about times when we 

have used a thesaurus (i.e. revising our written work). Discuss that the thesaurus is a 

book of synonyms to use as a reminder or review for students who may have 

forgotten. 

8. Divide the students into groups of two to four. Give each an overhead transparency 

of the Preamble and a Vis-à-vis pen. Instruct them to use the thesaurus or the 

electronic thesaurus to look up the bold-faced/underlined words and the word bank 

provided. One student in each group could record the word change above the boldfaced/underlined 

word. 

9. After all groups have completed the activity, instruct students to come together as a 

whole group to assess their work. Use the teacher overhead to put the correct 


synonyms above the underlined words in the Preamble. This will allow students to 

check their own responses. After all words have been checked, read the “new” 

Preamble aloud together. Ask the students if they understand what the writers of the 

Constitution were trying to say now that we have substituted harder words with 

synonyms. Listen closely to student responses. 

10. Now that the activity is completed, read the actual Preamble again. As an extension 

to my lesson, I assign every student to memorize the Preamble and then recite it to me 

during the next couple of weeks. I generally reward those that complete the task with 

10 extra credit points, although I make the assignment a requirement because I feel 

that students need to do memory work. 

11. This lesson could be used with other important historical documents such as The 

Gettysburg Address and the Declaration of Independence. 

Assessment 

Informal Assessment: Informally assess students by listening to their group work 

discussion and their responses during the whole group time. 


SS.4.16 Understands the unique historical conditions that influenced the formation 

of the nation 

• Explains and analyzes challenges faced by the new United States 

government, with emphasis on the writing of a new Constitution in 

government, with emphasis on writing a new Constitution in 1787, the 

struggles over ratification and the addition of a Bill of Rights 

W.4.8 Revises written work to ensure that writing: 

• Demonstrates a command of language including precision in word choice 

W.4.9 Revises writing based on feedback, by adding, substituting, deleting, or 

moving text around to: 

• Clarify meaning 

W.4.10 Uses available technology in assisting in revising 

Reflections 

In today’s world it is very important for students to know and understand the creation and 

ideas behind the documents that govern our country. I generally use this lesson to 

introduce the unit on the Constitution. The understanding of this portion of the 

Constitution seems to create a new understanding and pride for the country in which we 

live for my fourth graders. 


Using the Thesaurus to Understand the Preamble 

The Preamble 

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect 

Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for 

the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure 

the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain 

and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. 

Word Bank 

work toward well-being freedom 

future generations create fairness 

protection peace order 


Overview 

Writing Non Fiction Text 

An Interview with Red Riding Hood 




An interview is a fun way to conduct a writing assignment. This lesson is designed to be 

used with the play, “Red Writing Hood” in our new literature series, Harcourt Brace. 

You will go through all of the steps of writing so it will take several days for a final 

product, but the students will have fun creating newsworthy articles! 

Note: This plan is designed to be used during several language arts periods. I would 

introduce the story and have students plan the interview in one day. The next period 

would allow time for the interview and writing of rough draft. Next, editing and revising 

would take place. Finally, publishing and if time, sharing. I usually cover these steps in 

4-5 days. 


• Newspaper articles from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Pre-select 2-3 articles 

that will be high interest for students) 

• Editing/Proofreading Checklist-Providing a poster with the editing/proofreading 

marks is also helpful 

• Each child will need three different colored pens or pencils (suggested colors: 

red, blue, and green) 

• Rubric to assess each student (attached) 

• A copy of the traditional story, Little Red Riding Hood 


1. Students do not naturally know how to write a news article. Start this lesson 

explaining that news articles answer the questions: “Who? What? When? Where? 

and Why?” Read two or three pre-selected newspaper articles. Guide the students in 

finding the answers to the questions: Who? What? When? Where? and Why? Point 

out to the students that within the articles there are statements of facts and 

information. Direct the students’ attention to the fact that most statements that 

answer the five W’s are written as declarative sentences. 

2. Next, do a model of a news article by reminding students of the familiar story, 

Cinderella. Tell students that they will be helping in composing an article for the 

“King’s Quarterly.” This article will be about the Prince’s search for Cinderella using 

the glass slipper. 

Begin by listing the following on the board: 

• Who: Prince Charming 

• What: He is looking for Cinderella, who owns the glass slipper. 


• When: after the ball 

• Where: throughout the kingdom 

• Why: Prince Charming wants to marry the owner of the slipper. 

Brainstorm some questions that you could ask Prince Charming. Some examples are: 

• Where did you meet the girl that has the glass slipper? 

• Why are you looking for her? 

• When did you find the slipper? 

• Who is helping you to find her? 

• What does she look like? 

3. Now, with the information above, model writing the news article with the assistance 

of the students. Use a computer projection device, such as InFocus, or chart paper to 

write the article. After the article is finished, give each student a copy so that he/she 

will have a model for their own articles for the lesson on Interviewing Red Riding 

Hood. 

4. This lesson follows the play “Red Writing Hood” in our McGraw-Hill literature series 

on pages 456-467. After reading this play, read an actual copy of the Little Red 

Riding Hood story. (There are several versions; you should pick the one that you like 

the most.) Discuss the beginning, middle and end of the story. 

5. Continue the lesson by listing with the aid of students the Who? What? When? 

Where? Why? of the news article about Red Riding Hood. 

• Who: Red Riding Hood 

• What: the attack of the Wolf on grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood 

• When: Red Riding Hood went to Grandmother’s house. 

• Where: The wolf attacked Grandmother and Red Riding Hood at 

Grandmother’s house deep in the woods. 

• Why: Red Riding Hood went to visit her Grandmother because she was sick. 

Explain to the students that they will be interviewing Little Red Riding Hood about 

her encounter with Mr. Wolf. Enlist the help of students in listing other people in the 

story who could be interviewed. Possibilities might include Grandmother, the 

Woodsman, the forest authorities, etc. At this point brainstorm some possible 

questions that could be asked of Red Riding Hood and the others. Examples to get 

the students started: 

• How did Mr. Wolf get into your grandmother’s house? 

• What happened to your grandmother? 

You should take a moment here to remind students that all newspaper articles answer 

the questions: Who? What? When? Where? and Why? 

6. Divide the students into pairs. Have each pair of students write the interview 

questions that cover all newspaper article questions. The students should have at least 

six questions, but not more than ten. There should not be questions that can be 

answered with a simple “yes or no.” After the questions are written, the pairs of 

students should decide which will be the interviewer and which will be Red Riding 

Hood, and the other people to be interviewed. Advise the students to conduct their 

interviews. Circulate the room and listen to student questioning and responding. Offer 

guidance where there is a need for assistance. 

7. Give the same pairs of students the task of writing their article about Red Riding 

Hood. Encourage the students to come up with a catchy headline/title that will “grab” 


the reader’s attention. An example might be: “Wolf Attacks Small Girl in a Red 

Hood!” Reiterate once more that the six questions must be answered within the 

article. 

8. Next, assign the pairs of students the task of revising and editing. These students can 

continue this process with their partners. This is my process for editing and revising. 

a. First, students need three different colored pens or pencils. Suggested colors 

to provide are red, blue, and green. 

b. Students will read their articles and look for spelling errors only. These will be 

circled in red and the correct spelling written neatly above it. 

c. Next, students use blue to edit for missing capital letters, missing punctuation, 

indention, and other mechanical errors. Please refer to the editing/revising 

checklist attached. This is given to every student to use throughout the year. 

Have students use these marks. 

d. Finally, use the green pen to revise. Students learn that this is the time that you 

add, delete and/or move words; use a thesaurus to change overused words to 

something more interesting; and add similes, onomatopoeia, metaphors and 

other figurative language. Adding adjectives and adverbs are also ways to 

make writing more interesting. At this point, tell the students a specific 

number of changes to make. 

9. Rewriting the published copy is the next step. This may be accomplished by using a 

word processor such as Student Writing Center or Microsoft Word. Student Writing 

Center has a newspaper format available. 

10. For the final step, provide time for the students to share their articles with the rest of 

the class. Examples of sharing could include reading aloud to peers, making a class 

book, producing a class newspaper, and posting on a writing bulletin board. 

Assessment 

Informal Assessment: Informally assess the students by observing them as they are 

working. 

Formal Assessment: Formally assess the students with a specific rubric. See attached 

rubric. 


W4.1 Prepares for writing by applying correct principles of grammar, parts of 

speech, usage, and mechanics by: 

• Applying standard rules of capitalization 


W.4.2 Prepares for writing by recording thoughts, focusing on a central idea, and 

identifying a purpose for writing by: 

• Gathering information and generating by: 

-interviewing 


W.4.5 Writes for a variety of occasions, audiences, and purpose by: 

• Identifying a purpose and audience before writing 

W.4.6 Drafts writing that: 

• Uses prewriting ideas 

• With few exceptions, has sentences that are complete 

• Generally follows the conventions of punctuation, capitalization and spelling 

W.4.7 Writes in a variety of genres to produce paragraphs and compositions 

including: 

• Responses to literature 


• Expands use of descriptive words 

• Focuses on a topic 

• Demonstrates a sense of completeness or wholeness 

• With few exceptions, as sentences that are complete 

• Generally follows the conventions of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling 

W.4.11 Participates in editing conferences by: 

• Sharing writing with others to give and receive feedback 

• Editing using proofreading marks 

• Editing writing based on feedback, by adding, substituting, deleting, or moving 

text to correct 

-punctuation 

-capitalization 

W.4.13 Produces final documents that have been edited for: 

• Correct use of punctuation, including commas in a series, dates, addresses, 

and beginning and ending quotation marks 

• Correct paragraph indention 

Reflection 

This lesson has been revised often. I have learned from teaching this lesson that news 

article writing is a skill that does not come naturally to all students and not even to their 

teachers. In order for students to have better understanding, the first step of this lesson is 

very important and may have to be repeated several times. To assist in learning how a 

news article should sound, it would be beneficial to provide time for current events a few 

weeks prior to completing this lesson. Designing a bulletin board of newspaper articles 

with catchy titles would also enhance this lesson. 


Story Writing: Interviewing Red Riding Hood 

Teacher name ___________________ Student______________________________ 

CATEGORY Excellent Good Satisfactory Needs 

Improvement 

Writing 

Process 

Focus on 

Assigned Topic 

Student devotes a 

lot of time and effort 

to the writing 

process (prewriting, 

drafting, reviewing, 

and editing). Works 

hard to make the 

news article 

wonderful. 

The entire news 

story is related to the 

assigned topic and 

allows the reader to 

understand the 

“who, what, when, 

where, how and 

why” of the news 

story. 

Title Title is creative, 

sparks interest and 

is related to the 

news story and 

topic. 

Creativity The news story 

contains many 

creative details 

and/or descriptions 

that contribute to the 

reader's enjoyment. 

The author has 

really used his 

imagination. 

Spelling and 

Punctuation 

There are fewer than 

2 spelling or 

punctuation errors in 

the final draft. 

Created by: Donna Glandorf 

Student devotes 

sufficient time and 

effort to the writing 

process (prewriting, 

drafting, reviewing, 

and editing). Works 

and gets the job 

done. 

Most of the news 

story is related to 

the assigned topic. 

The story wanders 

off at one point, but 

the reader stills 

sees the answers 

to the “who, what, 

when, where, how, 

and why” of the 

news story. 

Title is related to 

the news story and 

topic. 

The news story 

contains a few 



that contribute to 

the reader's 

enjoyment. The 

author has used his 

imagination. 

There are 3-5 

spelling or 

punctuation errors 

in the final draft. 


some time and 

effort to the writing 

process but was 

not very thorough. 

Does enough to get 

by. 

Some of the news 


the assigned topic, 

and some of the 

“who, what, when, 

where, how and 

why” of the news 

story are missing. 

Title is present, but 

does not appear to 

be related to the 

news story and 

topic. 

The news story 

contains a few 


and/or descriptions, 

but they distract 

from the story. The 

author has tried to 

use his imagination. 

There are 6-8 

spelling and 

punctuation errors 



little time and effort 

to the writing 

process. 

Doesn't seem to 

care. 

No attempt has 

been made to 

relate the 

news story to the 

assigned topic. 

No title. 

There is little 

evidence of 

creativity in the 

news story. The 

author does not 

seem to have 

used much 

imagination. 

Final draft has 

more than 8 

spelling/punctuation 

errors. 


Wolf Attacks Little Girl and Grandma 

In a far away cottage- inside a far away cottage a little 

girl and grandma were swallowed whole by a wicked vicious 

wolf. A couple of minutes later a brave huntsman saved both 

of their lives this is how it happens. 

One bright morning a little girl named Little Red Riding 

Hood was on her way to her grandma’s house bringing her a 

loaf of bread, sweet butter, and some wine. While she was on 

her way she met a wolf. When she got to her grandma’s house 

the wolf had swallowed her grandma whole. When Little Red 

Riding Hood went inside the house she saw the wolf and 

thought it was her grandma. Then, she asked the three simple 

questions: “What big eyes you have, “What big ears you have!” 

When she got to the question what big mouth you have the 

wolf said “The better to eat you with my dear” the wolf 

swallowed Little Red Riding Hood. 

A couple of minutes later a brave huntsman came and 

cut open the wolf’s stomach and got both of them out then 

Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma were very quiet. 

Then they had a good snack and played. 

MEETS STANDARDS 


The Tragedy! 

In the forest, England 

A tragedy in the forest occurred yesterday. Little Red Riding Hood was walking through 

the forest to get to her grandma’s house. “I was going to give her a loaf of bread, some 

sweet butter, and a bottle of wine. She had caught the virus that was running around.” 

Red says. She knew that the food would do her grandma a world of good. But what she 

didn’t know is that she wasn’t the only person in the woods that day. 

While going along the dirt path toward her grandma’s cabin, she met an old wolf 

who asked. “Where are you going little girl?” “I’m going to my grandma’s house,” she 

replied. “She lives at the end of the forest,” She added. After a short conversation they 

started walking with each other until the wolf said, “Oh look at those flowers!” While 

Little Red Riding Hood picked the flowers the wolf started to head towards Red Riding 

Hood’s Grandma’s house. 

When the wolf got to Grandma’s house, she was asleep. He ate her whole. 

Luckily Little Red Riding Hood’s Grandma was still alive inside of the wolf’s stomach. “It 

was dark, warm, damp, and surprisingly comfortable.” By this time Red had picked 

enough flowers and got back on the trail and was heading to her grandma’s house. By 

the time she was there the wolf was in the bed and dressed in the night gown. 

When Red got there the wolf said, “Hello, come in,” and ate her up. After this the 

wolf fell asleep. After about two hours, the hunter came by and noticed a loud snoring 

sound coming from grandma’s cabin. He went inside the cabin to discover the wolf in 

the bed. “I was going to kill the wolf right then but I thought maybe the person might be 

still alive so I skinned him,” the hunter explained. “After that both Red Riding Hood and 

Grandma jumped out and thanked me”. After awhile the hunter left. Then Little Red 

Riding Hood started to go back home, ready to tell her mom the exiting story. 

EXCEEDS STANDARDS 


Overview 

Understanding Story Elements 

A Georgian Cinderella 

Kim Hicks 

Cherokee County 


In this lesson, culturally different versions of the Cinderella story will be used to inspire 

student writing. After comparing and contrasting the traditional, Egyptian, and Korean 

versions of Cinderella, the students will write a Cinderella story native to their region. 

This lesson will focus on how the setting of a story influences other story elements, such 

as the characters and events. The students need to be proficient in basic computer skills 

such as changing font and spacing. This lesson can be completed in an extended period or 

over the course of several days. 


• The Egyptian Cinderella by Shirley Climo 

• The Korean Cinderella by Shirley Climo 

• Venn Diagram (included) 


1. Begin by reading The Egyptian Cinderella and The Korean Cinderella by Shirley 

Climo. 

2. Using the Venn diagram provided, ask the students to compare and contrast the 

two stories. 

3. After the students have completed this, ask the students what is the same about 

both stories (shoe, main character is made fun of by several girls, magical creature 

comes to her aid, etc.). 

4. Now ask what is different about the two stories (character names, clothing, 

homes, events, etc.). 

5. Ask the students how they think setting influences the differences in the 

Cinderella stories, including the version of Cinderella with which most Americans 

are familiar. Direct the students to understand that although the basic plot of the 

story is the same, some things change to reflect the country and culture of the 

different versions. 

6. Now ask the students how the story would change if it was told as a “Georgian 

Cinderella.” Give the students approximately 10 minutes to brainstorm how the 

clothing, character names, chores, events, and magical creature might change. 

7. Using the brainstormed list (as well as original ideas), the students will then draft 

their version of a Georgian Cinderella using many details to reflect the southern 

setting. 

8. Provide time for students to both peer revise and self-edit their drafts. 


9. Allow students to publish their final draft using the computer if possible, focusing 

on the skills of font selection and editing, changing spacing, and inserting clip art. 

Assessment 

The student’s final draft will be assessed using the rubric provided. 

Standards 


• Has ample development of supporting ideas 


including: 

• Imaginative stories 

• Responses to literature 

W.4.13 Produces final document that has been edited for: 

• Correct spelling 

• Correct use of punctuation, including commas in a series, dates, addresses, and 

the beginning and ending quotation marks 

W.4.14 Uses technology as a tool for publishing writing by: 

• Formats text (e.g., font, bold, underline, font size) 

R.4.8 Accurately describes story elements (characters, setting, problem, sequence of 

events, and resolution) 

R.4.10 Recognizes cultural diversity in literature 

• Reads or listens to books representing a variety of cultures 

Reflection 

Any fairytale can be used to complete this lesson. This lesson can also be used to 

reinforce regions, counties, or continents. This lesson should be taught after reviewing 

the region, state, country or continent in question. The student must have a strong 

understanding of the concepts in order to complete this lesson. 


Name ___________________________________ Date__________________________ 

“ The Korean Cinderella” “ The Egyptian Cinderella” 


Name__________________ 

Date___________________ 

Use of details 

that reflect a 

Georgia 

setting 

Story has a 

clear 

beginning, 

middle, and 

end 

Changes font 

size and 

spacing 

correctly 

Capitalization/ 

Punctuation 

Georgian Cinderella Rubric 

Assessment Rubric 

Created by Kim Hicks 

4 3 2 1 Points 

The story 

includes 

humorous & 

original 

details to 

reflect the 

southern 

setting. 

The story 

has a clear 

beginning, 

middle, and 

end. 

The student 

needs no 

assistance to 

change font 

size and 

spacing. 

Virtually 

error-free 

The story 

includes 3 

or more 

details to 

reflect 

southern 

setting. 

The story 

has a clear 

beginning 

and end, but 

the middle 

is weak 

with few 

supporting 

details. 

The student 

needs very 

little 

assistance 

changing 

font and 

spacing. 

Fewer than 

5 errors 

Spelling No mistakes 4 or fewer 

spelling 

errors 

The story 

includes 1-2 

details to 

reflect the 

southern 

setting. 

The story 

has a clear 

beginning 

but loses 

focus as it 

progresses. 

The student 

changes 

font size 

and spacing 

with 

teacher’s 

help. 

Five or 

more errors 

5-10 

spelling 

mistakes 

No details 

are given. 

The story is 

not clear. 

The student 

is unable to 

change font 

size and 

spelling. 

Not evident 

10 or more 

frequently 

used 

spelling 

words 

incorrect 

TOTAL> 


Cinderella 

With A Georgina Twist 

Once, on a very hot day, a boy named 

Josh was washing the car for his evil stepfather. It was so 

hot, his back was sunburned. He sprayed himself with the 

hose and boy did it feel good. When he finished washing the 

car, he went inside. He had forgotten that he was wet. His 

stepbrothers Riley and T.J. told him about the dance. Josh 

went back outside to dry off. 

When he went outside, he saw a magical copperhead. 

He told him how he wished to go to the dance. With a wave 

of his tail, the snake turned Josh into a handsome and 

nicely dressed man. He found a toy car and the snake 

turned it into a very nice limo. 

Off Josh went to the dance. While at the dance, Josh 

met a fine lady by the name of Madame Angela. They 

danced together and soon after, they married and had a boy 

named Joseph. They lived happily ever after. 




Back on the old plantation, owned by Master Canter, lived a slave named Nasha. 

She had long silky hair and was so light skinned that people thought she was white. 

While she was picking seeds out of cotton, the daughters of the plantation owner, 

Daffodil and Vidalia crept up on Nasha and said “Stupid!” And Nasha said, “leave me 

alone.” And they said, “Why should we?” Nasha got up and tripped over come clay. 

While Nasha slept, Vidalia and Daffodil snuck into the slave quarters to steal a 

dress Nasha had been working on. They took the dress and ripped it into pieces. The 

next day Nasha found out her dress was torn. The next few days Nasha was depressed. 

That night she talked to her friend, Witica, the brown thrasher. Nasha told her 

that it was hopeless, the party is tonight, what am I going to do? “I know,” Witica said. 

Witica then flew up into the sky until she turned into a beautiful woman. Nasha was 

frightened. Witica told her everything. Witica said, “I’m here to make your day.” Nasha 

said, “How?” Witica said, “I have an onion.” “What can you do with an onion?” Nasha 

said. I can turn it into a carriage. I just got to say the magic words. “Icicbobotosha!” 

Wow! A carriage. What else? How about cotton? “Icicbobotosha!” Wow! Shoes made 

of dogwood, Cherokee roses, with a peach sent. The final thing was the dress. “How 

about Georgia Clay,” Witica said. “Icicbobotosha!” Wow a peach dress! How 

beautiful! You got to be home by midnight. “I will,” Nasha said. She was off to the 

party. 

When she got there, she opened the large doors and walked down the stairs and all of the 

people stared and said, “She is very stunning!” The Master came and introduced himself. 

“Hi, I am Master Carter”. “Hi, I am Nava”, she said. Would you like to dance? She 

said, “I would be honored.” So they danced the night away. You see he did not care 

what color she was. She kept dancing, but she forgot she had to be home by midnight or 

the spell would be broken. As soon as she heard the clock strike midnight, she said, “Oh 

no I have to go”. She raced up the stairs, but her shoe fell off. The Master tried to stop 

her to give her the shoe she left behind. As she left she turned into a regular girl again. 

That morning the Master asked for a meeting for all light skinned slaves. He 

wanted all of the salves to try on the shoe that was left at the birthday party. If the shoe 

fits, you will be my bride. The slaves tried the shoe on, all except Nasha. When it was 

Nasha turn, Daffodil pushed the shoe off of her feet and it broke. The Master said, “Oh 

no it is ruin!” Nasha said, “No I have another one.” She tried it on and it fit. They got 

married and lived happily ever after. 



Canton 

Once, on a blazing hot day, a girl named Canton was working in her evil 

stepmother’s garden. Her torn up clothing made her even more hot. So 

while she was watering the plants she sprayed herself with the hose. her 

feet became very muddy , but it felt good. 

When she looked at the sundial it was time to go in. She came in and 

forgot she had mud on her feet. her evil stepsisters came in and yelled 

“Uhhhhh, How are we supposed to get ready for the dinner knowing this 

mess is down here! Clean it up, now” so Canton spent the rest of the day 

cleaning the carpet. 

Canton went to Kim her other stepsister and asked “What dinner?” 

“Well I guess I could show you sense your not going” replied Kim. 

Canton looked at the invitation: 

Mr. Perdue will be holding 

A Formal Dinner for all 

Women who wish to come. 

His son, Brad shall be looking 

A wonderful wife. So come and 

Enjoy. 

Mr. Sunny Perdue 

As Canton was working in the peach grove she said to herself “Oh I’ll 

never get to go to that dinner.” Suddenly she picked a peach that talked! “I 

am Falen, The magical peach” it said in a long dreamy voice. “Then where 

were you when I fell down the chimney?’” Said Canton with a look of 

amazement. “That doesn’t count “it said quickly in a regular old women voice. 

“Are you going to poof me a gown for the dinner?” asked Canton. “Well I 

would, but by wand is at the drycleaners” said Falen. “Then what are you 

holding right now?” “Don’t worry its plastic. I just like waving it around” 

replied Falen. 

Continued 

So Falen helped Canton make a lovely gown with Cherokee roses and 

wonderful shoes from dogwood trees. 


Falen told some brown thrashers, instead of pecking at her to carry 

Canton to the dinner. 

At the dinner Canton saw her stepsisters but avoided them. The 

dinner was great and Brad danced with her. After that Canton and Brad 

lived happily ever after. 



Overview 

Writing a Friendly Letter From Space 


Kim Hicks 


In this lesson, students will be completing a friendly letter in the subject area of science. 

This lesson is used as a culminating activity at the end of my space unit. Before 

beginning this lesson, it is recommended that the students have an understanding of the 

distance, atmosphere, and physical features of the planets in our solar system. It is also 

best taught after the students have compared and contrasted a crewed mission and an 

unmanned mission. Prior to this lesson the students should have compared and 

contrasted the geography, temperature, climate, and atmosphere of each planet with 

Earth. This lesson also requires that students be familiar with the friendly letter format. 

Depending on the organization of instructional time, this lesson takes approximately two 

days to complete. On the first day, the students will gather information, brainstorm, and 

complete a first draft of the paper. On day two, the students will finish any needed 

revisions and complete the final draft. For the purpose of the letter, each student will 

pretend that he/she is a participant in the first colony on Mars. The students will write a 

letter home explaining what daily life is like for them. The teacher has several different 

options for the voice that is used. The students can be adult colonists or children in the 

colony. 

Materials 

• LCD projector 

• Laptop 

• Rubric 

• Fact Sheets for Mars and Earth; digital picture of Mars—both can be found at 

http://spacekids.hq.nasa.gov/osskids/animate/mac.html (Website for Solar 

System Information ) 


1. Using the LCD, project an image of Mars onto the whiteboard. Ask the student to 

write as many adjectives as possible to describe the picture. 

2. After approximately five minutes, ask the students to share their descriptions with 

the class. Write the adjectives on the board. 

3. Pass out the fact sheet for both Mars and Earth. You will obtain the information 

from the website above. Read the information with them. 

4. Using this information, help the students to determine the differences and 

similarities between Mars and Earth. Ask the students how the differences would 

affect human inhabitants. 


5. Have the students brainstorm on paper what it would be like for a human to live 

on Mars. (Where would humans find shelter, food, and water? How would they 

adapt to the temperature and atmospheric differences?) (Would they invent 

anything to help with the changes?) 

6. As students share their ideas aloud, these ideas will also be listed on the board. 

This list and the adjectives list should be left on the board for the duration of the 

lesson. 

7. Tell the students that they are going to pretend that they are the first colonists on 

Mars. They will be writing a letter home to their family on Earth. The students 

can choose the voice used. They can be adults or children and the paper should 

reflect that particular voice but should include the following: 

• Friendly letter format 

• At least three details that show student understanding of the climate, 

temperature and physical features of the planet and their affect on human 

habitation. 

• Evidence of proofreading and editing (use of proofreading marks, 

revisions to include more descriptive language) 

• Give students approximately 30 minutes to complete the rough draft of 

this letter. 

• Upon completion of drafting, provide time for students to self-edit drafts 

and then allow peer editing as well. After both revisions are completed, 

students will begin the final draft. 

• Upon completion, the students’ letters can be read to the class or included 

in space projects. 

Assessment 

Students will turn in both the rough draft and final product. The teacher will assess using 

the attached rubric. 

Standards 

W. 4.5 Writes for a variety of occasions, audiences, and purposes by: 



including: 

• Content area pieces 

• Correspondence (includes writing letters and addressing envelopes) 

W.4.8. Revises written work to ensure that writing: 

• Expanding use of descriptive words 




W.4.9 Revises written work, based on feedback, by adding, substituting, deleting, or 


• Clarify meaning 

• Elaborate Ideas 

• Improve Organization 

• Improve Word Choice 

S4.34 Compares and contrasts the Earth and other planets of our solar system 

Reflection 

Any planet could be used for this lesson. This lesson is best taught as a culminating 

activity at the end of the space unit. Because of this, the students have had ample 

opportunities to compare and contrast Earth with other planets in the solar system. This 

gives the students experience with the concept and knowledge to draw from. Based on 

your students’ abilities, this project can be completed whole group, in partners, or 

individually. Finally, an extra resource that I have discovered that could be beneficial to 

this project is Postcards from Pluto: A Tour of the Solar System, a picture book by 

Loreen Leedy. 


Format 

A Friendly Letter from Space 


Created by: Kim Hicks 


The friendly 

letter format 

is correct 

Content The student 

offers 

several 

examples 

and 

creatively 

describes 

how they 

impact his or 

her life. 

Landforms The student 


several 

examples 

and 

creatively 

describes 

how they 

impact his or 

her life. 

Mechanics The paper is 

free of 

errors. 

The student 

uses the 

format with 

noticeable 

errors 

The student 


several 

examples of 

the climate 

and 

temperature 

on the 

planet. 

Multiple 

examples are 

given. 

The paper 

has few 

errors in 

mechanics. 

The student 

attempts the 

format, but 

multiple 

errors are 

made 

One 

example is 

noted. 

Only one 

example is 

given. 

The paper 

has several 

errors in 

mechanics, 

but it is easy 

to follow. 

The student 

does not use 

the friendly 

letter format 

The student 

offers no 


the climate 

and 

temperature 

on the 

planet. 

The student 

gives no 


the 

landforms 

on the 

planet. 

Errors in 

mechanics 

make the 

paper 

difficult to 

understand. 

Total 


Dear Mom and Dad, 

November 25, 2003 

I am on Mars! I am helping space people build stuff on Mars, so 

people can live there. We are building a greenhouse, and putting some 

plants in it, so they can take up all the carbon dioxide. I have to wear a 

space suit that has an oxygen tank. I have to wear it all the time. it has a 

oxygen tank, because of all the carbon dioxide. We stay near a volcano, 

so we can take a warm bath. We had to bring lots of water. We had to 

bring water, because we have to water t5he plants, and than the plants 

give off oxygen. 


Love, 


Nov 25, 2003 

Dear Mom and Dad, 

As you know I’m on Mars. My daily life is getting up at seven a.m. taking two min 

shower because the shuttle sends us water every month I don’t want to waste it. Then I put on a 

spacesuit and the glass piece is for oxygen so I can breathe. My shoes are a different story. 

Sense there 3.8 gravity I have to where weighted boots. Weighted boots help me stand straight. 

When it’s breakfast; We eat a granola bar and milk sense the shuttle sends food every 

month we have to save it. We have to drink water every two weeks that’s why we have to take two 

min showers. At ten a.m. I go to work at Venations I clean vent’s they get kluged sometimes 

when it’s cold. At three forty five p.m. I get off of work. The atmosphere here is creepy. 

Sometimes it’s 16 degrees that’s hot to us 142 degrees below zero that’s cold to us. I collect rocks 

from volcanoes. I’m trying to build my own; house I’m in the den build a shelf I’m staying at 

a friend’s. I stay in the guest bed room for a year. I have dinner. Then I go to sleep. I love 

you. 

Overview 


What Side Are You On? 

Kimberly Hicks 



In this lesson, the students’ task is to look at a particular event or a series of events from 

alternate viewpoints. Following a unit of study on the Revolutionary War, students will 

write an essay from the viewpoint of either a Patriot or a Redcoat. John Scieszka’s 

humorous Real Story of the Three Little Pigs will be used to explore how a story can 


change when told from a different point of view. In addition to having background 

knowledge of the Revolutionary War, the students should also be familiar with 

persuasive essays prior to implementation of this lesson. This lesson can be taught during 

an extended block of time or over the course of a few days. 

Materials 

• Copy of The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs by John Scieszka 

• 4 th grade copy of Harcourt Brace Social Studies or Picture of Boston Massacre 

• Colonist/Redcoat Chart 

• Rubric 

• Small red and blue strips of paper- will tape these under students’ chairs for 

random assignment of point of view (tape one to the bottom of each student’s 

desk prior to beginning this lesson) 


1. Begin the lesson by asking a student to orally summarize the traditional version of 

“The Three Little Pigs” for the class. After the student completes this task, read 

aloud The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs by John Scieszka. 

2. After reading both selections, ask the students to compare the two stories using 

the Venn diagram provided. 

3. Have students carefully examine the differences they noted on the Venn diagram. 

Discuss: What is responsible for the differences in the story? (point of view) 

4. Explain that just like a character’s point of view can change the way a story is 

told, a historical account can also change depending on point of view. 

5. Have the students open their social studies book to page 278. Review the events 

that led to the Boston Massacre by reading pages 277- 278 together. 

6. After reviewing the events together, ask the students, “Do you think there were 

two different points of view during the Boston Massacre? Who did they belong 

to? (Colonists and Redcoats/English) 

7. Write Colonist and Redcoat on opposite sides of the board and then distribute the 

Colonist/Redcoat visual organizer to students. 

8. Beginning with the Patriot point of view, have the students list the different events 

that led to the Boston Massacre as well as the events during the massacre. Write 

each event on the board. After completing this, ask the students what they think 

the Patriots might have felt at this point. (Possible answers may include: fear, 

anger, resentment, uncertainty). 

9. Now ask the students to think about the Redcoats’ point of view. What did they 

think? What events shaped their point of view? 

10. Next, have the teacher lead the students in discussing each point listed on the 

board from the Redcoat point of view. (Example: If a patriot point of view is the 

Redcoats should not be in the colonies, but in the Ohio River Valley protecting 

the colonists against the Native Americans, then the Redcoat point of view might 

be the King stationed us in Boston and we are following military orders.) 


11. Record each student response on the board under the heading Redcoat and 

discuss. During this time the students should also be filling out their chart. 

12. Explain that not only is point of view relevant to the Boston Massacre but also to 

the entire Revolutionary War. 

13. Again ask the students what two groups had the opposing points of view. (Patriots 

and Redcoats.) 

14. Ask the students to brainstorm things that shaped the Patriots point of view during 

the war using the opposite side of the chart. Give the students approximately 10 

minutes to complete this. Write their answers on a piece of chart paper marked 

“Patriot views.” 

15. Now ask the students to brainstorm things that shaped the Redcoat opinion of the 

war. You may need to review information such as: 

• Reasons for taxation? 

• Who the colonies belonged to? 

• Why the colonies were important to England? 

16. After a few minutes, call on students to share answers. Write their answers on the 

same piece of chart paper under Redcoat views. 

17. Instruct each student to lift his or her chair. This will determine from which point 

of view the student will write. The blue group will explain the Revolutionary War 

from the Patriot point of view, and the red group from the Patriot point of view. 

18. Each student will have 45 minutes to complete the rough draft of the paper. 

19. At the end of the 45 minutes, the students will have 30 minutes to edit and revise 

the paper. 

20. The final draft will then be turned in to the teacher. 

Extensions: 

• Explore with students—how does point of view relate to the Iraqi conflict? 

How does it relate to your everyday relationships with classmates and 

teachers? 

Assessment 

The teacher will assess the final draft of the paper using the rubric attached. 

Standards 

SS.4.16 Understands the unique historical conditions that influenced the formation 

of the nation 

• Identifies the sources of dissatisfaction that led to the American Revolution 

(eg. smuggling, taxation without representation, Intolerable Acts, Stamp Act, 

Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre) 


W.4.7 Writes in a variety of genres to produce paragraphs and compositions including: 

• Content area pieces 

W.4.8 Revises written work by self-correcting to ensure that writing: 

• Focuses on topic 



• Has sentences that are complete 


Reflection 

This lesson should be completed after extensive study of the events that led to the 

Revolutionary War. This activity is best completed alone but if students have difficulty 

can be completed in pairs. This lesson can be easily adapted to teach a comparisoncontrast 

lesson in social studies. Because this lesson is on point of view, the teacher may 

also want to assign the Redcoat point of view as an extension instead. 


Redcoat Point of View 

Patriot Point of View 


Whose Side Are You On? 


Created by: Kimberly Hicks 

Designed using: www.Rubrics.com 

Name: __________________________ Teacher: _________________________ 

Date: ___________________________ Title of Work: ____________________ 

Content 

Persuasive 

Language 

Capitalization/ 

Punctuation 

Spelling 

Criteria Points 

4 3 2 1 

More than Three or Limited Student 

three fewer historical does not 

historical historical detail is give 

details are details are given to concrete 

given to given to justify details that 

justify justify stance. justify his 

stance. stance. 

or her 

stance. 

Strong Adequate Little Persuasive 

persuasive persuasive persuasive language is 

language is language is language is not 

used. used. used. apparent. 

Virtually Fewer than Five or Not evident 

error- free five errors more errors 

No 

misspellings 

Four or 

fewer 

misspellings 

Five-ten 

misspellings 

More than 

ten 

misspellings 

Total 


I am a red coat because of many reasons. I want to be loyal to my king. I lost money 

from them dumping tea into the harbor. Another reason I’m a red coat is because of the 

Boston massacre. Let me tell you more about what I feel like. 

I want to be loyal to the king. I want to fight for my country. I don’t think it’s 

fair that those dumb patriots don’t pay there taxes when we died for them. Every one 

should be loyal to King Gorge the third. 

Those patriots think there funny don’t they. Last night they dumped a whole ship 

full of tea into the harbor. Every red coat in this bloody colonies lost money. King 

Gorge called it the Boston tea party. 

The Boston Massacre was a bad day for both loyalist and colonist. The red coats 

made the colonist start boycotting and the colonist lost five of there people. They were 

throwing rocks and snowball at us. I hate being here. I could get killed any second. The 

only reason I’m here is because I have to. 

I am a red coat for many reasons. Being loyal to King Gorge is important. They 

dumped tea into the harbor and I lost money. I am a red coat because of the Boston 

massacre. Now don’t you think you should be a red coat too. 



Patriot 

There are many reasons why I’m a Patriot. One reason is because of the tea tax. 

The second reason is the taxes. Finally because of the new laws passed. We didn’t like 

none of the new laws, tea tax, or the other taxes. 

One reason I’m a Patriot of the tea tax. I don’t like the tea tax because of they 

charge twice. They tax tea because they get more money. It wasn’t fair because they are 

greedy to us. 

I’m a Patriot because of the taxes. The taxes weren’t fair to us. The King made us pay 

taxes. And we got angry having to pay taxes. 

Colonists were angry because of the new laws passed. This is one of the laws No 

ship carrying colonial goods could leave Boston Harbor. Some of the laws were mean 

and unfair. We didn’t like this law of the other laws. 

There are many reasons why I’m a Patriot. One reason is because of the tea tax. 

The second reason is the taxes. Finally because of the new laws passed. We didn’t like 

none of the new laws, tea tax, or the other taxes. 



Patriots 

There are many reasons I’m a Patriot. One reason is 

little respect. Another reason is the King passed new laws. 

Finally the King should not tax us. We the Patriots should. 

One reason is little respect. They have the nerve to go 

thru are church’s on horse back! They have the nerve to go 

thru are church’s on horse back! They had to live with us in 

our house. I’m so mad that I would like to punch a Red 

coat! 

A second reason I’m a Patriot is because the King 

passed new laws. The King made us fallow all the laws. 

Some of the laws where cruel and mean. The laws made us 

all mad. 

A third reason I’m a Patriot is that the King taxed us. 

They taxed us on tea twice! The King taxed us on sugar and 

newspapers. He taxed us on almost everything. 

There are three reasons I’m a Patriot. One reason is 

they go thru are churches. Another reason is there should 

be no new laws. Finally there should be no taxing. The 

Redcoats should lose the war! 



I am a redcoat for many reasons. One reason is because I am 

loyal to the king. Another reason is because I pay all of my taxes. I 

am also loyal to the king because we have a better military. Would 

you like to know more about why I am a redcoat? 

I pay all of my taxes. Unlike the greedy selfish Patriots! They 

think that the taxes are unfair but they are most definitely fair. We 

fought the French and Indian war for them and they’re not paying! 

Our military is of the finest most trained soldiers in the world. 

We have the best officers in the world. We’ve also got the latest 

technology in the world! They think they can actually beat us. Hah! 

My loyalty to the king is unimaginable. I support him during 

war. I also think that the taxes are very fair. It was their fault the taxes 

even started. They think it’s unfair. Hah! 

Some of the reasons I’m a redcoat are my loyalty to the king. 

Our better military also gets him a loyalty bonus. Not that I’m not loyal 

already. Don’t you think you should be a redcoat too? 



Overview 

Writing to Learn about the Bill of Rights 

Carry Holland 



We live in the greatest country in the world! We are privileged to live in a land that offers 

us so many freedoms. The U.S. Constitution provides us many freedoms that we often 

take for granted. Some of our most basic, precious freedoms are listed in the first ten 

amendments, the Bill of Rights. 

This lesson is designed to help students describe a need for the Bill of Rights. This lesson 

works well in conjunction with a government unit where students are learning about the 

U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It could also cover many concepts taught around 

the Revolutionary War. Students should be given at least 3-5 days to complete the lesson 

and their writing, and they need to have some background knowledge of Bill of Rights. 


• Copy of a chart of Bill of Rights (The reference section of the social 

studies book offers a wonderful summary next to each bill -p. R 36.) 

• Teacher needs a simple T-chart to compare freedoms of Afghanistan and 

United States. (On one side list Afghanistan freedoms; on the other list the 

United States freedoms) 

• A globe or world map to identify Afghanistan. You may also want to use 

an encyclopedia or go online to find specifics on its size, population, or 

type of government. 


1. Review with your students the Bill of Rights (Freedom of speech, freedom of 

religion, freedom of press, etc.) Write the list on the board as the students name 

them. 

2. Introduction: What if we had to give up just one of these rights? Would you be 

willing to live without any of these freedoms? Lead the class in a 10-20 minute 

discussion/debate of life without one of our rights. 

3. Ask the students if they can think of countries around the world that may not 

enjoy these kinds of rights. (Cuba, Afganistán, China, etc.) 

4. Record their responses on piece of chart paper or write them on the board. If they 

listed Afghanistan, circle it. If they don’t mention it, then you may need to 

“probe” a little to get it out of them. 

5. Call on a volunteer to help locate Afghanistan on a map (or use the map in the 

Atlas section of their social studies book). 


6. Compare the governments of Afghanistan and the United States 

A few of the points of discussion are listed below: 

• Area: Which country is larger? 

• Population: Which country has more people living in it? 

• Government type: What is the difference between the government in 

Afghanistan and the government in the U.S.? (*Point out key terms 

Democracy/ Taliban.) 

7. Create a T-chart comparing freedoms of Afghanistan and the United States on the 

overhead or board using the following guidelines: 

• You may want to define who the Taliban is before this discussion. 

• Generate a list of differing freedoms.[For example: In Afghanistan, 

women could not: wear make-up, wear shoes that click, attend school, or 

pursue a career.] 

• Allow time for students to discuss the differences and compare them to the 

freedoms we have in the United States. 

• Discuss: How do you think having a constitution affects our lives? In 

what ways do you think not having one affects the life of the Afghans? 

*Depending on the organization of your instructional time, you could stop here and 

resume with step 8 the next day. 

8. Display a chart from day one that lists The Bill of Rights and its summary 

9. Tell the class to pretend that they are temporary citizens of an imaginary country 

Rottensville. Rottensville is a country with no functioning government, and 

therefore, it has no Constitution or Bill of Rights to protect its citizens. 

10. Have each student choose an amendment from the Bill of Rights and write a 

paragraph about an unjust situation in Rottensville that would not happen in 

America because of the freedoms stated in the amendment. (For example, a 

student chooses the Fifth Amendment and writes about being accused of an 

outrageous crime and being sent straight to prison without the chance for a trial or 

a way to defend him.) 

11. Allow time for students to edit and revise paragraph (author’s work time). 

12. Give students a chance to share their paragraphs with the class. 

13. After a child reads his paragraph to the class, have the class discuss why that 

situation could not happen in America. (Or could it? Under what circumstances?) 

Assessment 

Students should turn in all drafts and copies of their paragraph. The teacher will assess 

the students’ work using the rubric. 

Standards 

SS.4.1 Identifies general characteristics of governments 

• describes the need for the Bill of Rights 

• describes the major individual freedoms it guarantees (e.g., speech, religion, 

press, assembly) 



including 

• imaginative stories 

• content area pieces 


• correct spelling 

• correct paragraph indentation 

W.4.15 Publishes writing for a variety of purposes, audiences, and occasions by: 

• sharing work with others 

Reflection 

Before assigning the writing story, students should have a firm understanding of the Bill 

of Rights and the freedoms it guarantees. In order to help students gain a better 

understanding of the vocabulary used in the amendments, it might be helpful to create a 

glossary sheet that defines specific terms. (violated, fair trial, bear arms). This would be 

an added resource for students to draw from. 

The lesson opened with many “teachable moments’ as we created our Comparing 

Freedoms Chart. This generated a lengthy discussion where students became fascinated 

by the contrasting freedoms between America and Afghanistan. This type of discussion 

would also tie into an extension activity. Students could write a persuasive essay to 

another country (Afghanistan, Iraq, or China) that would convince them of their need for 

a Bill of Rights. Students enjoyed sharing their paragraphs with their classmates, and you 

could also display their work on a bulletin board or a wall. 


Writing to Learn about the Bill of Rights 


Student’s Name _________________________________________________________ 

Knowledge of 

Bill of Rights 

(Amendment) 

Grammar/ 

Mechanics 


Demonstrated 

sophisticated 

understanding, with 3 

facts or details 

supporting the need for 

your amendment 

Few or no errors in 

spelling, punctuation, 

and usage 

Organization Information is clearly 

organized with 

appropriate transitions 

and elaborations. 

Publishing/ 

Sharing 

Teacher comments: 

Format is especially 

neat and attractive; 

obvious attention to 

detail; read paragraph 

to the class 

Created by: Carry Holland 

Demonstrated 

solid 

understanding of 

the amendment 

with 2 supporting 

details 

4-5 errors in 

spelling, 

punctuation, and 

usage 

Information is 

organized 

logically, but the 

piece leaves the 

reader seeking 

more information. 

Format is 

especially neat 

and attractive; 

obvious attention 

to detail 

Demonstrated 

limited 


the amendment 

with only one 

supporting detail 

6-7 errors in 

spelling, 


usage 

There appears to 

be some 

organization, but 

the writer is not 

consistent 

throughout the 

piece. 

Format is neat 

and attractive 

No concrete details 

or facts given to 

demonstrate 

knowledge of the 

amendment 

8 or more errors in 

spelling, 


usage 

Information is not 

presented in a logical 

order. 

Final product not 

published/incomplete 

or not published 

according to 

directions 

________ 

______ 

________ 

______ 

Total Points Earned: _____________ 


The day the Constitution and the Bill-of-right got stolen 

One day I was walking down the street and I saw a 

broken window and somebody jumped out of the window and I 

started running and I looked back and she had taken her 

mask off and I noticed that it was my teacher Mrs. Holland. I 

ran to my house and told my parents but did not believe me. 

So we went outside and we saw her running down the street so 

we got in the car and went to the police station and she did 

not get a trial because there are no trials in rotensville so they 

looked and they could not find her. It took days, weeks, and 

even months to find her and they finally found her. They 

checked her pocket and her house. They found the constitution 

in her house and the bill-of-right in her pocket. She 

automatically went to jail. Everybody was happy because I 

saved the constitution and the bill-of-right. We had a 

substitute for our teacher all in forth grade. She got out of jail 

seventeen years later. She got fired from the school system and 

they would never let her come in a school ever again. They 

also took her child away because they were afraid she might 

abuse him. My teachers rights were violated because there are 

no trials in rottensville. 



Rottensville 

One day I was just walking when, I didn’t notice it, I was crossing the 

border into Rottensville! I thought, “Hmmm…maybe I should go see how 

much a toy costs?” So I found a toy, purchased it, and that was it. (So I 

thought.) Then, a few seconds later, I heard the shopkeeper shouting “Stop 

him, he’s a thief!” They caught me! They then took me to a judge. The 

judge said to me “For stealing a toy, I grant the defendant, guilty!” I had no 

chance to state my case. In Rottensville there were no jury trials, so I was 

sentence to 3 years in jail. I was lucky to get out in 6 months because I had 

such good behavior. Now I pay more attention to signs and I won’t be going 

back to Rottensville any time soon. 

I chose Amendment V because they put me straight in jail without 

them letting me tell them what had happened. I had lost my right to a Fair 

Trial. 



Shoe Store Crime 

One day I was walking by as shoe store in Rottensville and the owner 

saw that the shoes were the same as the ones he sold. He called the police 

and they arrested me. I told the judge that I bought them at a different store, 

but they threw me into jail for no good reason! They told me that I would 

have a trial in 2 years. They broke my rights in Article 5! I told them article 

5, but they would not listen. I had no attorney to represent me and no one to 

listen to my case. I had marked 5 days on the wall in my cell. I had to break 

rocks all day. In America I would have a trial by now. 



Writing Sentences and Identifying Sentence Parts: 

Language of the Civil War 

Carry Holland 



Overview 

The main purpose of this lesson is to reinforce the parts of a sentence in various sentence 

patterns (subject, predicate, and modifiers) while studying a specific content area. 

Students need to realize the impact of words and their effect on our language. What did 

people talk like during the Civil War time? Is it the same way we talk now? How have 

our words and meanings changed over time? This lesson also addresses fourth grade 

writing and social studies standards. Students need significant knowledge of the Civil 

War before beginning this lesson. 


• 3x5 index cards 

• copy of Civil War slang sheet 

• (optional) computer with Internet access-- For a further list of Civil War 

slang phrases visit the Gettysburg National Park website at 

http://www.nps.gov/gett/getteducation/bcast20/act05.htm or search “civil 

war slang” at the web site 


1. Prior to the introduction, give at least 3 “volunteers” an index card with a Civil 

War slang word or phrase on it. “Volunteers” should be students who use good 

expression and will participate in front of the class. (They will need to use lots of 

expression when they read their card.) Instruct them to read their card when you 

give them their cue. (You may want to number each card 1, 2, 3, so they can read 

them in order and not all at once.) 

2. Sample introduction: “Please number your papers #1-3. Now… let’s imagine that 

we’re eavesdropping on some soldiers on the battlefield during the Civil War. We 

can’t quite hear all of their conversation, but we are able to catch a few words and 

phrases. Each ‘soldier’ is going to be giving us a sentence using Civil War slang. 

On your paper, write down what you think this term or phrase meant to them. The 

expression in their voice or the actions that they make may give you a clue to the 

meaning of the terms—so listen and watch carefully!” 

• Begin with student #1 and have him read the phrase on his card while he is 

pretending to run in place or point to the door.(He reads: “Hey boys, let’s 

skedaddle before those Yankees come back!”) 

• Next, student #2 reads his card with a lot of expression and a big smile. 

(His card reads: “Everything seemed hunkey dorey and then ‘BOOM’, we 

were under attack!) 


• Then student #3 reads his card while flexing his muscles.(His card reads: 

“Before this war began, I was fit as a fiddle!”) 

3. Allow enough time for students to respond to each phrase on their papers. 

4. Discuss the correct meaning of each phrase and compare it with the students’ 

written responses. (Do we use these same phrases today? Do they mean the same 

thing?) 

5. Give each student a copy of the paper Civil War Slang that lists the terms and 

meanings. Have students circle the slang phrases that we’ve discussed so far. 

(“hunkey dorey”, “fit as a fiddle” and “skedaddle”) 

6. List on the board the parts of a sentence: subjects, predicates, modifiers. Have 

students tell you the definition for each. Possible answers listed below. 

• Subject: the part of the sentence that tells WHO or WHAT? the sentence 

is about (usually nouns/pronouns) 

• Predicate: VERB part of the sentence (can be action or linking) 

• Modifiers: DESCRIBING part of the sentence (adjective/adverb phrases) 

7. Call on volunteers to use one of the phrases in a complete sentence. Write it on 

the board without capital letters or punctuation (Example: before this war, i was 

fit as a fiddle) Have students correct capitalization and punctuation errors and also 

go back and check the spelling of the Civil War slang terms. 

8. Check students’ understanding of sentence parts before you go on. Underline the 

slang phrase in your sentence: Before this war, I was fit as a fiddle! 

• Ask: What fit as a fiddle means (in good shape, healthy). 

• Do those words name a WHO or WHAT? OR Do they show an action or 

linking part of the sentence? Or Do they DESCRIBE a person, action, or 

feeling? 

• “Fit as a fiddle” means in good shape, healthy. These words DESCRIBE 

a person or how that person is feeling, so it will be used as a modifier. 

• We have identified the phrase “fit as a fiddle” as the modifier. Now label 

the underlined phrase and write a letter m below it to show what part of 

the sentence it is. Before this war, I was fit as a fiddle! 

m 

• Repeat this process with the other 2 words: “skedaddle” and “hunkey 

dorey”. This gives students a chance to practice identifying sentence parts 

and become more familiar with new words. 

9. Assign students to choose at least three terms or phrases and use each of them in a 

complete sentence. Remind them that they are to write as though they are living 

at the time of the Civil War, so they must use the words as they were used back 

then. The sentence must also contain correct information pertaining to the Civil 

War. Choose at least three terms or phrases and use them in a complete sentence. 

Student directions: 

• Write a sentence containing one of the slang phrases you have selected. 

• Underline the slang phrase. 

• Below the phrase, label what part of the sentence it is (subject, predicate, 

or modifier). 

Example: Before this war, I was fit as a fiddle! 

m 


Assessment 

The teacher will assess students’ work by using a sentence checklist worth 105 points. 

To assess social studies standards, sentences should contain correct information 

pertaining to the Civil War. (Exceeds Standard 105-95 points, Meets Standard 90-80 

points, Does Not Meet 75 points and below.) 

Standards 

W.4.1 Prepares for writing by applying correct principles of grammar, parts of 

speech, usage, and mechanics 

• applying standard rules of capitalization 

• applying standard rules of punctuation 

• spelling frequently used words correctly and applies common spelling rules 

• writing simple and compound sentences, and avoiding fragments and runons 

sentences 

• identifying the parts of a sentence in various sentence patterns: 

o subjects (simple and compound) 

o predicates (simple and compound) 

o modifiers 

W.4.5 Writes for a variety of occasions, audiences, and purposes by: 

identifying a purpose and audience before writing 

SS.4.17 Understands the unique historical conditions and events that led to the Civil 

War 

Reflection 

The introduction to this lesson was a great “hook” which helped to draw in student 

interest! However, for students who have trouble with oral directions, you may want to 

prepare for the introduction differently. You may want to pass out a copy of each 

sentence that the volunteers will be reading. This gives them the sentence to look at first, 

and then they can concentrate more on word meanings rather than having to write down 

the sentence as the person is acting it out. 

It is important that students have some significant knowledge of the Civil War prior to 

this lesson. The book Pink and Say by Patricia Pallaco is an excellent resource because it 

familiarizes students with the dialogue and speech patterns between two young soldiers 

of that time. You may also have students label sentences differently. For example, they 

may underline the complete subject once and the complete predicate twice. 


CIVIL WAR SLANG 

Name____________________ Date_______________ 

DIRECTIONS: Read each slang term or phrase and its meaning. On a separate sheet of 

paper, write at least 3 sentences using the slang terms correctly. Remember, you are using 

the phrase as if you were living at the time of the Civil War. Underline the slang term in 

your sentence, and label its sentence part. 

Example: Before this war, I was fit as a fiddle! 

m 

• (S) = SUBJECT : tell WHO or WHAT the sentence is about (usually 

nouns/pronouns) 

• (P) = PREDICATE: verb part of the sentence (can be action or linking) 

• (M) = MODIFIERS: DESCRIBING parts of the sentence 

(adjective/adverb phrases) 

"chief cook and bottle washer": person capable of doing many things 

"sardine box": a cap box 

"bread basket": stomach 

"greenbacks": Union money 

"graybacks": Southern soldiers; also a term for lice 

"Arkansas toothpick": a large knife 

"pepperbox": a type of pistol 

"fit to be tied": angry 

"horse sense": smart, on the ball 

"hunkey dorey": feeling great! 

"greenhorn", "bugger", "skunk": insult to a poor soldier. Sometimes meant for officers 

"shoulder boards", "brass": officers 

"snug as a bug": comfortable, cozy 


"sawbones": a surgeon 

"skedaddle": run away or scatter from battle 

"hornets": bullets in flight 

"bully": brave or worth cheering for 

"possum": a buddy or pal 

"fit as a fiddle":in good shape, healthy 

"uppity": conceited 

"scarce as hen’s teeth": rare or scarce 

"grab a root": have dinner, have a potato 

"bluff": a cheater 

"jailbird": criminal 

"hard knocks": beaten up 

"been through the mill": experienced a lot, or had a rough day 

"played out": exhausted or worn out 

"toeing the mark": doing the job 

"Jonah": a man who is bad luck 

"goobers": peanuts 

"Sunday soldiers", "kid glove boys", "parlor soldiers": insults intended for other soldiers 

"fresh fish": raw recruits or new soldiers 

"whipped": beaten 


Sentence Checklist 

Sentence One (Each worth 5 points- Total of 35) 

1. _____subject 

2. _____ predicate 

3. _____complete sense 

4. _____capital letter 

5. _____end mark 

6. _____correctly identified part of sentence as subject, predicate, or modifier 

7. _____contains at least one detail or fact about the Civil War or life on the 

battlefield. 

Sentence Two (Each worth 5 points- Total of 35) 








battlefield. 

Sentence Three (Each worth 5 points- Total of 35) 








battlefield. 

Exceeds the Standard Meets the Standard Does Not Meet the 

Standard 

105-95 points 90-80 points 75 points and below 

Total Points Earned: ____________ points 

Teacher Comments: 








Overview 

Time Capsule Trivia: Researching and Writing About Artifacts 

Carry Holland 



I teach at a small school that is located in a rural area. Our school has been an existing 

part of the community for over 60 years. In November, we invite many people from our 

community to join us in celebrating and learning more about our past—we call it 

Heritage Day. The entire school participates in activities such as making candles, 

weaving with a loom, and churning butter. Community members set up booths that teach 

children about sheep shearing, antique cars and old time fashions and foods. Each 

classroom is set up with antiques (students are encouraged to bring in “antiques” from 

home). Teachers “decorate” their rooms with items from the past, such as black & white 

photos, wagon wheels, quilts, telephones). The students go on tours through the 

classrooms and even participate in a reenactment of “an old one-room school house 

lesson.” 

This lesson is designed to assess fourth grade social studies and writing standards by 

giving students the opportunity to create and describe their learning experiences about 

their heritage and their past. Since this lesson will be used in conjunction with our 

Heritage Day, we will spend the week before this event preparing and publishing our 

time trivia summaries. This will add to the students’ sense of ownership for their writing 

because most of the school will be able to read their papers as they tour our classroom on 

Heritage Day. You don’t need to end this lesson with a big event involving your entire 

school; however, you may want to invite parents or other classes to take a mini-tour of 

your classroom. 


• Bring in a collection of artifacts that represent life in times past (washboards, 

photos, old coffee grinders, wagon wheels, etc.) Any antique item you aren’t 

afraid to let kids handle! Consider asking for help from local antique dealer. 

• Computer (on line research such as Grolier) 

• Trade books from media center 

• Art supplies for illustrations (optional) 

• Props for skits (optional) 



1. Display all items. Introduction: This week you are going to become historians! 

Scientists and historians re-create ideas of what life was like in the past, based on 

the discovery of artifacts. I have brought some artifacts for you to examine. First, 

you are going to browse each item. Allow students, working as either partners or 

small groups of 3-4, to send a representative to select an item. 

2. Give the students time to work together to “brainstorm” ideas of what the person 

who used the item might have looked like and how they might have used the item. 

The group must decide on a name or a “label” for their chosen artifact. (Ex: Our 

group has labeled this item: “coffee grinder”. Take about 10-15 minutes to let 

students orally share their ideas and labels. (Remember this is before they 

research their artifact.) 

3. Give students Fact Sheet. Explain to students that as historians they must use 

concrete facts to prove their ideas about their artifact. 

• Ask students to name different resources that they might use for their 

research. 

• Write their suggestions on the board (library books, computer, 

encyclopedias, etc.) 

• Discuss their resource options: Grolier and Galileo are excellent computer 

sources, and you could also check out some library books in advance for 

them to use. 

• Ask students to brainstorm a list of questions they might want to answer 

about their artifact. (Who used it? Why was it important to the people of 

the past? Remind them of question words: who, what, where, when, why, 

how) 

• Give each student a copy of the Fact Gather Sheet. (If students come up 

with questions that are not on the sheet, you may have them write it down 

on the back.) Tell the students this is where they will record their notes 

during their research of the artifact. Review the sources that they must 

check off. 

• Also give each student a copy of the Time Capsule Rubric before they 

begin researching their artifact. 

4. Allow time for oral sharing, brainstorming, and note taking within each group. 

They may complete the research and take notes together. 

5. Assign each student in the group to write their own paragraph describing their 

chosen artifact by following the procedures below.(*) Indicates that the activity 

was performed by partners or groups. 

• (*)Gather research using at least two different sources of information. 

• (*)Record notes and information about chosen artifact (take notes on Fact 

Sheet. Students must answer at least 5 of the 6 questions (who, what, 

where, etc.) 

• Organize notes and research into a complete paragraph(s) 

• Include at least five facts that give evidence of their knowledge and 

research about the artifact 

• Publish a final draft using best handwriting OR the computer. 


• (optional) Illustrate your artifact being used by people of the past. 

• (optional) Re-enact a scene showing how people used the item or why it 

was important to them. 

• Share your paragraph orally with the class and/or display them with the 

artifacts for Heritage Day tours. 

6. Allow time for students to share their descriptions of each item and student 

interpretations of life in the past. 

Assessment 

Students will turn in all notes and drafts of their Time Capsule Trivia paragraph. The 

teacher will assess the students’ work using the Time Capsule Trivia Rubric. 

Standards 



gathering information and generating ideas by: 

• discussion 

• researching 

• taking notes from relevant sources such as Internet, electronic 

encyclopedias, video, classroom guests, and books 

W.4.3 Writes notes, comments, and observations that reflect comprehension of 

content and experiences from a variety of media by: 

• loading, accessing, retrieving and printing information from resources 

such as Internet, and computer software 


including:descriptive writing 



• sharing work with others 

• displaying finished document 

SS.4.20 Utilizes information processing skills to gather data and form opinions about 

content 

• locates and utilizes information from a variety of sources (e.g., books, 

newspapers, atlases, glossaries, photographs, laser disks, computer 

software 


Reflection 

The students really showed pride in their work by having it on display during our 

Heritage Day Celebration. If you are not able to participate in a school wide event, you 

may want to have some sort of “classroom museum” and invite other classes to tour your 

room. Some of the students’ research led to discussions that helped them connect history 

of the past and present. For example, when discussing a soldier’s telegram to his family, a 

child made the comment that there are soldiers overseas today who are away from their 

families. An extension activity would be to add students as “experts” or “tour guides” 

who would be able to orally present their artifact or answer any questions that other 

classes may have. 


TIME CAPSULE TRIVIA FACT SHEET 

Name________________________ Artifact____________________________ 

You must use at least two different sources to gather research on your artifact. 

Check the sources you used: 

_____ library books 

_____ Internet search engine 

_____ Grolier On-line 

_____ other 

Who used this item? (men/women/children, was used by the rich or poor or 

everyone?) 

What did they use it for? (entertainment, transportation, communication?) 

When was it used? (estimate the time period or era that is was used) 

Why was it so important to the people of the past? 

Where was it used? (specific part of the U.S., in the kitchen or other rooms of the 

house, inside or outside use) 

How did they use it? 

Other interesting facts: 


Time Capsule Trivia: Researching and Writing About Artifacts 


Student Name________________________________________ 

Research 

Skills 

Knowledge 

of Artifact 

Publishing 

Exceeds the 

Standard 

3 

Used at least 

two sources to 

gather 

information; 1 

must be an 

electronic 

source; and 

answered at 

least 5 fact 

finding 

questions 

correctly 

Demonstrates 

sophisticated 

understanding, 

including why 

the artifact was 

important to the 

people of that 

time, with at 

least 4-5 facts 

or details 

Completed an 

illustration for 

Heritage Day 

display OR 

portrayed a 

re-enactment 

for the class; 

format is 

especially neat 

and attractive; 

obvious 

attention to 

detail 

Created By: Carry Holland 

Meets the 

Standard 

2 

Used at least 

two sources to 

gather 

information 

and 1 must be 

an electronic 

source, but 

answered only 

3-4 fact 

finding 

questions 

correctly 

Demonstrated 

solid 

understanding 

of the artifact 

with only 3-4 

facts or details 

Format is 

especially 

neat and 

attractive; 

obvious 

attention to 

detail 

Does Not Meet 

the Standard 

Fourth Grade 61 

1 

Did not use any 

sources to 

gather 

information 

and/or answered 

only one fact 

finding question 

correctly 

No concrete 

details or facts 

given to 

demonstrate 

knowledge of 

the artifact 

Final product 

not published/ 

incomplete 

or not published 

according to 

directions 

Points 

_____ 

_____ 

______

Scrapbook 

Our artifact is a scrapbook. It is about Mr. and Mrs. Ray Miller. In 

this scrapbook is how Mr. and Mrs. Ray Miller communicated during World 

War II. This Scrapbook was used from 1943 to 1944 it tells about history of 

other people’s lives. Mr. Ray Miller was in the U.S. navy. The scrapbook 

had old postcards in them and they were really neat. There were 2 letters in 

the scrapbook. They were from Naval Training schools and from United 

States naval personnel separation center. They were both from different 

states the first one was from Minneapolis, Minnesota it was sent on February 

24, 1944. The second one was from Great lakes, Illinois and it was sent on 

December 15, 1945. Because most soldiers could not be home for special 

holidays they received Valentines cards to send home. The person that 

received special cards would save them in the scrapbook. The amazing 

thing is that Mr. and Mrs. Ray Miller are my teacher’s grandpa and 

grandma. I hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures and postcards. 



The bullet maker 

The bullet maker was used in the 1660-1840. The 

bullet maker made ammo. It made cylinder and ball ammo. 

(Cylinder looked bigger than the ball ammo.) It was used 

in war by making ammo. Men who where black smiths 

used it most of the time, black smith melted metal and 

poured it into the bullet maker. Cylinder is bigger and has 

a point. The ball ammo is smooth and round. The weapon 

is the Flintlock musket and bayonet. 



THE TELEGRAM 

People used a “Telegram” to tell people messages when they are away. People started 

making telegrams in the late 1800’s. Telegrams were used by all types of people: the rich 

and the poor, men, women, and even children. It was used it as a form of 

communication. It was important because when a man went war he would want to talk to 

family. It was one of the fastest ways to get a long distance message back home. A 

person would write out their message and the telegram operator would type out the 

message to the next city. You could not write a very long message, but it was perfect for 

short simple messages. This telegram was sent in 1946 during World War II. In this 

telegram Ray is asking for someone to get something for him. 



Overview 

Dialogue Lesson 2 

Debra Templeton 



In this lesson the students will use punctuation rules and speech tags to convert a simple 

play into dialogue. Prior to beginning this lesson, students should understand how the use 

of punctuation in dialogue increases the action and interest of a story. Ideally, the 

“Introduction to Dialogue” lesson by Donna Glandorf should be completed before 

attempting this lesson. This is a one-hour lesson that can be broken into two sessions. 

. 


• Copies of a simple five or six scene play with a limited number of characters such 

as “Welcome To The Big Leagues” from ClassWorks!!, 1990 by Scholastic, Inc. 

• A teacher-produced copy of possible speech tags like the one found at the end of 

this lesson, or the students may produce one of their own 

• A copy of the rules for punctuation in dialogue 

• A copy of the rubric for each student 


1. Begin the lesson by asking students to recall how dialogue helped make the 

writing come alive and have a feeling of being in the action in the previous lesson 

Introduction to Dialogue by Donna Glandorf. 

2. Review the rules for using punctuation in conversation. Refer to the rules for 

punctuation the students received in the previous lesson. 

3. Impress upon the students how boring it can become to the reader when the 

speech tag words “said” and “asked” are used over and over in dialogue. 

Demonstrate this by reading aloud or putting on the overhead a short example of 

writing that contains boring speech tags. 

4. Explain to the students that using different speech tags can bring emotions and 

actions into their writing. Brainstorm with students a list of possible speech tags 

that can be used in their dialogue writing. (Option: Prepare a list ahead of time to 

give each student if time is a problem.) 

5. Revisit the “boring” example and revise it using a variety of speech tags. 

Encourage students to add to their list as they come across new or interesting 

speech tags in their outside reading. 

a. Suggested List of Speech Tags 

said yelled asked screamed 

replied whined cried whimpered 

whispered moaned shouted told 

fussed groaned announced explained 

warned reminded exclaimed sighed 


6. Provide students with copies of a simple play. I use the five-scene play 

“Welcome To The Big Leagues,” a story about Jackie Robinson from 

ClassWorks!! 1990 by Scholastic, Inc. Any short simple play with five or six 

short scenes will do. 

7. Divide students into five cooperative groups and assign each group a scene from 

the play to rewrite using dialogue instead of labels. Remind students that the 

narrator is not a character. The narrator only provides story information such as 

setting and characters. As groups work together, circulate throughout the class to 

give suggestions. 

8. Instruct students to be prepared to read their rewritten scenes aloud to the class in 

the correct scene order. Collect the group dialogues to check for correct 

punctuation and proper use of speech tags. 

Assessment 

Informal: Informally assess students by listening to their input during the cooperative 

group session. 

Formal: The students’ dialogue should follow the correct punctuation rules provided to 

the students at the beginning of the lesson. There should be a variety of speech tags used 

in each dialogue. The attached rubric can aid in assessing student work. 


W.4.1 Prepares for writing by applying correct principles of grammar, parts of speech, 

usage, and mechanics by: 





• Correct use of punctuation, including commas in a series, dates, addresses, 

and beginning and ending quotation marks 

W.4.15 Publishes writing for a variety of purposes, audiences and occasions by: 

• Sharing work with others 

Reflection 

This lesson is a great way to introduce the use of dialogue. It would be advisable, 

however, to choose a play with smaller scenes, as it proved to be a time consuming 

process. It is important for students to have a good working knowledge of how 

cooperative groups work before conducting this lesson. 


After utilizing Dialogue Lessons 1 and 2, students were able to use dialogue in all areas 

of writing including all content areas throughout the year. Using these two lessons very 

early in the year provides the students the opportunity to apply and experiment with the 

use of dialogue before the Georgia Writing Assessment. 



Name ____________________________ 

Date _____________________________ 


Improvement 

Dialogue There is enough 

dialogue and 

proper 

punctuation to 

make the story 

interesting. A 

good variety of 

speech tags 

make the action 

and story 

interesting. 


Assigned 

Topic 

Spelling 

and 

Punctuation 

The entire story 


assigned topic 

and allows the 

reader to 

understand 

much more 

about the topic. 

There are no 

spelling or 

punctuation 

errors in the final 

draft. Character 

and place names 

that the author 

invented are 

spelled 

consistently 

throughout. 

Created by: D. Glandorf and D. Templeton 

Introduction to Dialogue II 

There is some 

dialogue in this 

story, and it is 

always clear 

which character 

is speaking. 

There is some 

variety in the use 

of speech tags. 

Most of the story 



The story 

wanders off at 

one point, but 

the reader can 

still learn 

something about 

the topic. 

There is one 

spelling or 

punctuation error 


There is not 

quite enough 

dialogue in this 

story. There is 

little variety in 

the use of 

speech tags. 

Some of the 


the assigned 

topic, but a 

reader does not 

learn much 

about the topic. 

There are 2-3 

spelling and 

punctuation 

errors in the final 

draft. 

It is not clear 

which character 

is speaking. 


been made to 

relate the story 

to the assigned 

topic. 

The final draft 

has more than 3 

spelling and 

punctuation 

errors. 




Suggested List of Speech Tags 

said yelled 

asked screamed 

replied whined 

cried whimpered 

whispered moaned 

shouted told 

fussed groaned 

announced explained 

warned reminded 

exclaimed sighed 

laughed growled 


How To Write Dialogue 

*Use quotation marks around a speaker’s exact words. 

*Quotation marks are used before and after the speaker’s words. 

*The first word of a quotation should be capitalized. 

*Indent when the speaker changes. 

Example: speech tag 

“I watched the ballgame,” said Kelly. 

quotation marks around Kelly’s exact words 

*If the speech tag comes before the quotation, put a comma after the 

speech tag. 

Example: 

Roy asked, “Could I have another slice of pizza?” 

Example: 

*If the quotation comes first, you must use a comma (instead of a 

period on a statement), an exclamation mark, or a question mark 

at the end of the direct quotation. A period must be placed at the 

end of the entire sentence. 

Statement: “The dog is large, black and fluffy,” said Marla. 

Question: “Does it have a red collar?” asked Jeff. 

Exclamation: “I see the missing dog in the park!” exclaimed 

Jenny. 




Continued 




Overview 

Writing a Descriptive Paragraph Using the Senses 

Debra Templeton and Donna Glandorf 



This is an enjoyable lesson in which students practice writing descriptive paragraphs during 

a holiday season or special occasion. This can be used at any season of the school year or 

during a special event such as an author’s birthday. The lesson involves teacher modeling 

and parental response to students’ ideas. This is an ongoing lesson that can be completed in 

approximately one week. 

. 


• A present: Purchase enough inexpensive small toy cars or other small individual 

items so that there will be one for each student in the class. 

• Place the items in a cardboard box so that they rattle when shaken. 

• Wrap the gift so that the wrapping is very colorful and impressive enabling the 

students to use adjectives and similes to describe the package. Wrap the package 

securely to allow numerous students to handle the package. This will allow students 

to pick up and handle the package and experience the sensory aspects of the package. 

• A copy of the rubric for each student 

• A copy of the circular story map for each student 

• A copy of a Student Check List for editing and revising 


1. Surprise! You have just presented your writing class with a superb gift. Pass the gift 

around the room and encourage the students to shake, feel, and look at the package. 

After everyone has enjoyed checking out the package, ask the students to help you to 

think of words or phrases that would describe the package. List the words and 

phrases on a chart. Some examples to look for might be: rattles, crinkles, shiny, 

sounds like rocks in a bucket, rectangular shape, etc. 

2. Using a wagon wheel or wheel spoke story map, model planning a descriptive 

paragraph to describe the package. I use Macmillan/McGraw-Hill’s “Circular Story 

Map: For stories that begin and end in the same place.” Make transparencies or 

draw the story map on a large chart. Write the main idea in the center of the circle: 

“Our teacher surprised our class with a mysterious package today.” In the boxes 

surrounding the center, arrange the sound words together in one circle, the sight 

words in another, and the feel words in a third circle. 

3. Using the story map planner, begin modeling a descriptive paragraph about the 

mysterious package by writing on chart paper or using a computer projection device 

such as the InFocus so that the students can see the paragraph as it is written. Begin 

with the topic sentence from the center of the story map. Add the supporting details 

from the sight, feel, and sound words. Encourage the students to express their ideas 


and help you model the descriptive paragraph. Some possible sentence lead-ins 

might be: 

Think of what fun you’ll have… 

Imagine what it will be like… 

When you and your classmates open… 

Together you can share all of the joys… 

End the paragraph with the topic idea sentence repeated in a different style. 

4. Copy the paragraph and make enough copies for each student. Have students take 

home the description for their parents to read that night. Ask students to have a 

parent read the description that they helped write in class that day and then tell their 

child what they think the gift looks like. The following day allow each student to 

relate to the class how their parent described the package. How close was the 

parent’s description? Talk to the students about their parents’ descriptions and look 

at the paragraph together. Discuss where revisions could be made to improve the 

description. Model using the overhead or a computer projection device the revising 

process. 

5. Encourage students to think about special traditions or activities which they have had 

experiences with and would like to write about. Some possible writing prompts that 

can be used are: 

• You’re an ornament on your Christmas tree. Describe what you smell, hear, see, 

and feel in your home on Christmas morning. 

• Your mom or grandma makes a special dessert at holiday time. Describe how it 

looks, smells, tastes, and feels. 

• Describe one of your favorite trips to see Santa. Describe how it felt, the smells 

you remember, what you might have tasted, and what you heard at your visit. 

• You wake up and it has snowed! No school for you today. Describe your day, 

what you experience, what you feel, see, hear, smell, and taste. 

• You are the piñata at a family or friend’s party. Describe what you smell, hear, 

see, and feel at the party. 

• You are at a spring picnic at the park and you take off your shoes outside for the 

first time this year. Describe how it feels, what you smell, hear, taste, and see. 

• You are a colorful Easter egg. You have been hidden in the tall green grass. 

Describe what you see, hear, and feel as the children begin looking for you. 

• You are standing at the water’s edge at the beach with the waves washing over 

your feet. Describe how it feels, what you smell, hear, taste, and see. 

• You are a bottle rocket being prepared for the fireworks display at your town’s 

Fourth of July parade. Describe how you feel, what you see, hear, and smell. 

• You are going on a fishing trip with your grandfather, dad, or other family 

member. Describe how you feel, what you expect, what you see, hear, smell, and 

taste. 

• You and your best friend have gone to a major league baseball/football game. 

Describe what you hear, see, taste, smell, and feel. 

• You are a leaf on a tree at the beginning of fall. The air has become cooler and 

you have begun to change colors. Describe how you look, what you see around 

you, how you feel knowing you are about to fall from the tree you have lived in. 


• You are an apple at the Fall Festival or Halloween party. You are floating in a 

huge tub of other apples at the Apple-bobbing Booth. Describe how you feel, 

what you see, hear, and smell. 

Allow students to choose other topics or experiences to write about. If they do 

choose their own, it would be beneficial if the teacher allowed the student to relate 

the experience orally to them before the student begins to write. 

6. Provide students with a blank copy of the circular story map and the list of possible 

topics or story prompts so they may chose what to write about. They may want to 

choose their own; however, brainstorm with them so that they are clear as to the 

experience. Allow them to plan and write an essay about the experience or 

imaginary event. 

7. Have the students work in pairs to edit and revise their essays using an editing and 

revising check-list. 

8. The students should publish their work in neat handwriting or using a computer word 

processing program such as Student Writing Project. 

9. Further publishing opportunities can include art work. Try gluing the final copy of 

the essay to a poster and then provide colored paper, glitter, cotton balls, etc. to 

decorate the edges. You may want to try making a class book of Christmas 

experiences, summer vacations, or use a fall theme with each child’s essay. 

Assessment 

Formal assessment: The student’s writing will show each step of the writing process. The 

teacher will collect the story map. The piece of writing will focus on the chosen topic. The 

writing piece will contain many descriptive words and one or more similes. 


W.4.4 Organizes information using alphabetical and numerical systems by: 

• Organizing information by using graphic organizers such as mapping, webbing, 

listing, etc. 




• Uses prewriting ideas 

• Focuses on a self-selected topic 




• Uses a variety of sentence structure 




• Personal narratives 

• Imaginative stories 



• Adds a variety of sentence types 

• Focuses on the topic 


• W.4.9 Revises writing, based on feedback, by adding, substituting, deleting, or 


• Improve word choice 

W4.11 Participates in editing conferences by: 

• Sharing writing with others to give and receive feedback 

• Editing using proofreading marks 


Legibility of writing 

Reflections 

This was a fun lesson! This lesson has been used for years and always proves successful. 

The students are able to experiment with writing descriptive paragraphs and insert them into 

pieces of writing they have already completed. This lesson allows the students to strengthen 

their ability to use vocabulary, the thesaurus, descriptive words, and figurative language in 

their compositions. 


Writing a Descriptive Paragraph Using Senses 


Student’s Name________________________________ 

Date _________________________________________ 


Improvement 

Writing 

Process 


Assigned 

Topic 

Student devotes a lot 

of time and effort to 

the writing process 

(prewriting, drafting, 

reviewing, and 

editing). 

Works hard to make 

the story wonderful. 

The entire story is 

related to the 

assigned topic and 

allows the reader to 

understand much 

more about the topic. 

Creativity The story contains 

many creative details 


that contribute to the 

reader's enjoyment. 

There is more than 

one simile. 

Spelling 

and 

Punctuation 

There are no spelling 

or punctuation errors 


Character and place 

names that the author 

invented are spelled 

consistently 

throughout. 


sufficient time and effort 

to the writing process 

(prewriting, drafting, 

reviewing, and editing). 

Works and gets the job 

done. 

Most of the story is 

related to the assigned 

topic. The story wanders 

off at one point, but the 

reader can still learn 

something about the 

topic. 

The story contains a few 

creative details and/or 

descriptions that 

contribute to the reader's 

enjoyment. There is only 

one simile. 

There is one spelling or 

punctuation error in the 

final draft. 

Created by Debra Templeton and Donna Glandorf 

Student devotes some 

time and effort to the 

writing process but was 

not very thorough. 

Does enough to get by. 

Some of the story is 

related to the assigned 

topic, but a reader does 

not learn much about 

the topic. 

The story contains a 

few creative details 

and/or descriptions, but 

they distract from the 

story. The author has 

tried to use his 

imagination. 

There are 2-3 spelling 

and punctuation errors 



little time and 

effort to the 

writing process. 

Doesn't seem to 

care. 


been made to 

relate the 

story to the 


There is little 

evidence of 

creativity in the 

story. The 

author does not 

seem to have 

used 

much 

imagination. 

The final draft 

has 

more than 3 

spelling 

and punctuation 

errors. 


A Trip to the Beach 

There were big, and small seashells, rushing waves, 

everything you could think of. It was my only dream to come to 

the lovely beach, and just yesterday mom and dad decided we 

needed a vacation. We went to the wonderful beach. There were 

men and women fishing off of a huge dock catching fish as big as 

banners. I saw a herd of beautiful dolphins jumping high. The 

fresh breeze is just like the first day of spring nice and windy. I 

can just taste the saline air blow against my lips. The clear 

water rushing against my feet feels tickly. Woosh, woosh. The 

massive sand castles I built by the water were huge. My dad is 

fishing off of the huge dock, and my mom is doing what she does 

best laying out in the sun. It is a magnificent day. My dream 

has come true. 



Overview 

Expository Writing: 

Magnetic Boat Races 

Debra Templeton 



This is an expository writing lesson that is best done as a culmination to a science unit on 

magnetism. After the students have researched, hypothesized, tested, and collected data 

concerning all aspects of magnetism, they will have the knowledge to complete this activity. 

This writing activity utilizes the student’s knowledge of the properties of magnetism. It will 

take approximately one and a half hours to implement this lesson. 


• Lesson 3, page F16-21 in Harcourt Science 

• Small paper boats made from a 3”x 5” index card (I use the pattern from the 

SAILING! SAILING! activity from ClassWorks!! 1989 by Scholastic Inc.- I have 

included a sample drawing.) 

• 2 strong magnets 

• a large plastic box- the type used to store Christmas wrapping paper in works nicely 

• large metal paper clips 

• a water source 

• a copy of the rubric for each student 


1. After students have researched, tested, and collected data about the properties of 

magnets, come together as a group and brainstorm facts about magnetism. 

Record student responses on a large chart or wipe off mat. 

2. Boat Racing Day! Provide students with a 3”x 5” file card and a pattern to cut 

and fold a simple paper boat. I use the pattern from SAILING! SAILING! From 

ClassWorks!! 1989 by Scholastic Inc. Tape the sides and lay a large paper clip in 

the bottom of each boat. 

3. Fill the plastic box half full of water and place the box on two stacks of books so 

your student’s hand can reach underneath. (A large table or the floor works well.) 

4. Float two boats on one end of the box of water. Mark a finish line on the other 

end of the box. Place a student on each side of the box and hand them each a 

large magnet. Move the magnet along the underside of the box to propel the 

boat. First one to the finish line wins. 

5. Encourage students to return to their desk and record their feelings, sights, 

sounds, and results of their personal race. Have the students write an essay 

describing their race. Prior to beginning, explain to the students they should 

include the reasons why their boats moved and which materials the magnetic 


power passed through. Remind the students to make sure to indent paragraphs 

and write in complete sentences. 

6. As an extension to this activity you may want to include a discussion of the 

differences in factual writing compared to personal/emotional writing. Then 

after the race, have students write two paragraphs: one paragraph on the scientific 

concepts of the properties of magnetism used in the race and another one 

describing feelings, sights, and sounds. You might give each student a 5” x 8” 

index card to write a paragraph on each side. 

7. Have students turn in essays for evaluation. 

Assessment 

Formal assessment: The students’ essays will include statements based on facts. The 

students will explain why the boats were able to move and what materials the magnetic 

power passed through. The attached rubric can aid in assessing students’ work. 


S.4.4 actively engages in the learning process via hands-on/minds-on science activities and 

experiences 

• Uses appropriate tools to collect and analyze data to solve problems 

S.4.6 demonstrates the relationship between electricity and magnetism 

• Recognizes that forces of gravity, magnetism and electricity operate simple machines 



• Gathering information and generating ideas by: 

- discussion 

- researching 




• legibility of writing 

• correct spelling 

Reflection 

Before writing in the content area, students need to have a strong understanding of how to 

write from and utilize an outline. This lesson set the standard for writing conclusions to 

experiments as opposed to writing answers to questions. It provides a format for students to 

use in writing future science conclusions. 


Teacher name: Debra Templeton 

Lab Report: Magnetic Boat Races 

Student Name ___________________ 

CATEGORY 4 Excellent 3 Good 

Understanding 

Scientific 

Concepts 

Scientific 

Concepts 

Spelling, 

Punctuation 

and 

Grammar 

Report illustrates 

an accurate and 

thorough 


scientific 

concepts and 

factual 

statements 

about magnets. 

The report 

illustrates an 

accurate and 

thorough 


scientific 

concepts by 

listing paper, 

water, and 

plastic as 

materials that 

magnetic force 

will pass 

through. 

One or fewer 

errors in spelling, 

punctuation and 

grammar are in 

the report. 

Created by Debra Templeton 


an accurate 


most scientific 

concepts and 

factual 

statements 

about magnets. 

The report 

illustrates an 

accurate 


most scientific 

concepts by 

listing paper and 

water as 

materials that 

magnetic force 

will pass 

through. 

Two or three 




the report. 

2 Needs to Review 

Concepts 


a limited 


scientific 

concepts and 

very few factual 

statements are 

made about 

magnets. 

The report 

illustrates a 

limited 


scientific 

concepts by 

listing water only 

as the material 

that magnetic 

force will pass 

through. 

Four errors in 

spelling, 



the report. 

1 Needs to Repeat 

the Lesson 


inaccurate 


scientific 

concepts about 

magnets. 

The report 

illustrates 

inaccurate 


scientific 

concepts 

underlying the 

lab. 

More than 4 




the report. 


Magnets 

Magnets are attracted to most metals. A few of metals 

that magnets are attracted to are steel, iron, and nickel. 

Magnets don’t attract to all metals. Some metals that magnets 

don’t attract to are gold, copper, and aluminum. 

Magnets repel and attract each other. One example is that 

two north poles or two south poles repel each other. One other 

example is that one south pole and one north pole will attract. 

Magnetic force passes through different matter. We 

learned from the boat experiment that magnetic force can go 

through solids, liquids, and gasses. In the experiment that we 

did with the boats, we put a paper clip in the paper boat and 

used a magnet to race with. The object is to use magnetic 

force to get to the other side of the tub filled with water. The 

magnetic force in the experiment went through the plastic tub, 

the water, and the paper boat. 



Overview 

Using Technology to Publish a News Story 

Debra Templeton and Donna Glandorf 



Today young people are bombarded with information from many areas: internet, 

television news, radio, and various other printed materials. In order for students to 

become discerning learners, they must be able to recognize the differences between facts 

and opinions. Teaching them to properly interview for facts and write a news article that 

includes those facts is a good start for students to become better communicators and 

writers. This lesson may take up to a week to complete. 


• Several pre-selected news articles that are “kid-friendly” (Kid-friendly refers to 

the ease of understanding of an article and that will keep the student’s attention.) 

• A computer projection device such as an InFocus or chart paper 


1. Present to the students a pre-selected newspaper article with a catchy headline and 

have students brainstorm what they think the news article is about. Discuss the 

use of a catchy headline. Why would a newspaper reporter use a headline like 

that? Does it encourage or intrigue us to read the article? 

2. Review with the students that all well-written news articles include the five W’s: 

Who? What? When? Where? and Why? 

3. Next, read the article aloud to the students. Guide the students in finding the 

Who? What? When? Where? and Why? of that news article and list them on the 

board. 

4. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the students with other articles as needed. 

5. Model for the students the writing of a news article. Choose a topic such as school 

field day or another school event which would lend itself to a news article. For 

this lesson, field day was chosen. The following steps are examples of how the 

lesson was presented to the students. 

6. Show each of the W’s that will be used in the model article such as: 

• What: field day 

• When: April 1 st 2004, from 8:30 to 11:00 am 

• Where: out on the playground and on the basketball court at Canton 

Elementary 

• Who: third and fourth grade students at Canton 

• Why: for a day of fun and games 


7. Explain that the teacher also interviewed the coach for the article. Then list the 

questions asked on the board. 

• Why did you plan field day so early this year? 

• Where will we have field day if it rains? 

• What will we do for lunch? 

• What are some of the activities? 

8. Model the writing of this article using a computer projection device such as 

InFocus or chart paper. (See attached examples completed in our class.) Be sure 

to model for the students the proper way to change font, bold, and underline 

within a document. Also, allow students a chance to help write a catchy title for 

the article. 

9. Print a copy of the modeled paper for each student to use as an example when 

writing their own personal article. 

10. Explain to students that they will be writing a news article for a particular purpose 

such as being published in the fourth grade newsletter or the PTA newsletter. 

11. Choose a school activity that the students can become involved with to produce a 

news article such as Invention Convention, Social Science Fair, Science Fair, 

Science Olympiad, Career Day, Cultural Arts Day, etc. 

12. Guide students in coming up with the following W’s for the article. The following 

is an example used with fourth graders: 

• What: Invention Convention 

• When: March 15-19 with judging on March 17 

• Where: Canton Elementary School hallway 

• Who: third, fourth and fifth grade students 

• Why: to compete in creating new inventions 

Also encourage students to brainstorm possible people to interview. For example: 

students participating, students who participated last year, the teachers in charge 

of the Invention Convention, the principal and assistant principal, as well as 

students who looked at the inventions to get their reactions. 

13. Ask students to write at least 5 interview questions for their article. Provide 

students with the time and opportunity to complete their interviews. 

14. Encourage students to be thinking of a catchy title for their articles. 

15. Allow time for the students to arrange their notes in the order they wish to include 

them in their articles. 

16. Send students to the computers with their notes. Allow them to use a word 

processor such as Student Writing Center or Microsoft Word. Instruct them in the 

use of the word processor. Include how to save, print, change font, underline, and 

bold parts of their article. Have students compose their articles with the use of 

technology, save to a disk, and then print a hard copy. 

17. Now, advise students to edit and revise their papers. Refer to the lesson Writers’ 

Guild Lesson, “Interviewing Red Riding Hood,” to instruct editing and revising in 

detail. 

18. Send students back to retrieve their articles on disks and make necessary changes. 

Teach the students how to use the document spell checking device to eliminate 

typing errors. 


19. Select a judge and provide a copy of the rubric so that an article can be chosen for 

the fourth grade newsletter. 

Assessment 

Students should turn in the copy of their final article. The teacher and judge will assess 

the student’s work using the rubric. Use the rubric “Using Technology to Publish a News 

Article.” 




• Gathering information and generating ideas by 

-interviewing 

-brainstorming 

-discussion 

-examples from literature 



W.4.12 Edit using available software and electronic technology 


• Correct spelling 

• Correct use of punctuation 

• Correct capitalization of proper nouns 

W.4.14 Uses technology as a tool for publishing writing that: 

• Uses spell check to verify spelling 

• Formats text (e.g., font, bold, underline, font size) 

• Finds and opens a saved document with teacher support 

• Downloads and prints information with teacher support 

• Saves to an appropriate location with teacher support 


• Entering approved contests 


Reflection 

Before beginning this lesson, students need to have a good understanding of the 

components of a news article. In order for them to have a better understanding, students 

need to read and discuss several news articles. Newspaper writing is very different from 

narrative and descriptive writing. It has a style unto itself, so don’t expect children to 

naturally know how. We found this to be true after beginning the lesson. 

In retrospect, before doing this lesson, it would be helpful to provide a time for current 

events each week to read newspaper and magazine articles to discuss catchy titles, and to 

listen to the language of a newspaper reporter. A bulletin board with articles displayed 

would also be beneficial. 


Lesson Title: Using Technology to Publish a News Article 

Student Name ____________________ Teacher’s Name ______________ 

Exceeds Meets Does Not Meet Points Points 

Expectations Expectations Expectations Possible Earned 

30 

20 

10 

Identifies a 

purpose and 

audience for 

a news 

article 

All five W’s 

were answered 

as well as 

extra 

information was 

included. 

The five W’s 

were answered in 

the article. 

All five W’s were 

not addressed. 

30 

Identifies 

an audience 

and the title 

catches the 

reader’s 

attention 

The title is 

catchy, matches 

the story, and 

is punctuated 

correctly. 

The title is not 

catchy or does 

not match the 

news story. 

The title does not 

match the story or 

is not very 

catchy. 

20 

Edited for 

spelling and 

punctuation 

errors 

The news article 

contains more than 

5 misspelled words 

and/or incorrect 

use of 

punctuation. 

20 

Revised the 


descriptive 

words and 

focus on 

topic 

Used 

technology 

as a tool for 

publishing 

The news 

article has 

been edited for 

spelling 

errors, correct 



was edited 

using available 

software. There 

are no errors. 

The news 

article has 

been revised to 

include 6-12 

descriptive 

words, a 

simile, and 

focuses on 

topic. 

The news 

article was 

typed using a 

word processing 

program, Spell 

Check to edit 

and added 

appropriate 

clip art in 

digital print. 


has been edited 

for spelling 

errors and 

correct use of 

punctuation. 

There are fewer 

than 5 errors. 


has been revised 

to include 6-10 

descriptive 

words and 

focuses on 

topic. 

Used a word 

processing 

program to type 

news article and 

Spell Check to 

edit. 


has been revised 

but had fewer than 

6 revisions for 

descriptive words 

and/or did not 

stay focused on 

topic. 


was typed using 

word processing 

program; however 

it contains too 

many errors for 

readability. 

Spelling was not 

corrected. 

Created by Debra Templeton and Donna Glandorf 

An example of a modeled news article 

Field Day for Canton’s Third and Fourth 

Graders: A Day of Fun 

Fourth Grade 87 

20 

10

By Mrs. Glandorf and her reading class 

Canton Elementary Third and Fourth graders are in for 

a day of fun and games. On Thursday, April 1, 2004 from 

8:30-11:00 am these students will have field day. Field day will 

be held out on the Canton Elementary playground unless 

weather doesn’t permit. Then, field day will move inside the 

gymnasium. Students at Canton are used to having field day 

in May. The coach, Ms. 

Buckner explained that May is often too hot and can cause 

students with asthma to have health problems. Ms. Buckner 

also announced that students will enjoy sack lunches prepared 

by the lunchroom. When we asked Ms. Buckner what kinds of 

activities the third and fourth grade students would enjoy, she 

said, “I don’t want to ruin the surprise.” She did say however, 

that students would not be competing class against class, but 

that they would definitely enjoy their day! 


An example of a revised modeled news article 

Field Day for Canton’s Third and Fourth 

Graders: A Day of Fun 

By Mrs. Glandorf and her reading class 

Canton Elementary Third and Fourth graders are in for 

a day of entertainment and games. On Thursday, April 1, 

2004 from 8:30-11:00 am these students will have field day. 

Field day is usually a day of games such as Tug of War, 

Balloon Toss, and Sack Racing. Field day will be held out on 

the Canton Elementary School playground unless weather 

doesn’t permit. Then, field day will move inside the 

gymnasium. Students at Canton are used to having field day 

in May. The coach, Ms. Buckner explained that May is often 

too hot and can cause students with asthma to have health 

problems. Ms. Buckner also announced that students will 

enjoy sack lunches prepared by the lunchroom staff. When we 

asked Ms. Buckner what kinds of activities the third and 

fourth grade students would enjoy, she said, “I don’t want to 

ruin the surprise.” She did say however, that students would 

not be competing class against class, but that they would 

definitely enjoy their day! So, April 1 for third and fourth 

graders will include no work, but plenty of recreation! 


Example of a planner of a news article 

Invention Convention Article 

What: Invention Convention 

When: Week of March 15-19 (Judging Wednesday, March 17 th ) 

Where: Canton Elementary hallway 

Who: Third, fourth and fifth grade students 

Why: To help people create inventions to solve problems 

Interview Questions: 


Invention Convention 

Strikes Again 

Students have been participating in an 

invention contest. When I asked about winners of 

the Convention, Ms. Young said, “There will be nine 

winners in all for third, fourth, and fifth graders. 

She also said, “Canton Elementary has been 

participating in the invention convention for about 

two years now.” So if a student wins at the school 

Invention Convention, that student’s invention shall 

go to the science Olympiad. Judging will be held 

March 17, 2004, two days after students bring in 

their inventions. “There will about 230 inventions,” 

said Ms. Young. Then I asked Mrs. Dravis if she 

knew what the Invention Convention was about and 

she said, “It is to celebrate the creativity of students 

and share their ideas.” I also asked when the 

invention convention started. She said, “Canton 

Elementary School has been doing the Invention 

Convention for two years”. Some people can’t wait 

until it is time to announce the winners.

Table of Contents Fourth Grade Title Teacher/School Focus Pages

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