Write a Silly Story

Designed by: Lori B. Douroux    School: Caughman Road Elementary

Grade Level: 2nd        Subject(s): Language Arts

Core Curriculum Objective(s):  Engage in sustained writing of various types of compositions ( journals, letters, report, poetry, stories) (2-WA-3)

Overview: The students will go through the writing process to write a silly story. The students will publish these stories using computers. 

Focus/Essential Question(s): How can we write a silly story? 

Time Frame: 5-6 one-hour class periods

Resources/Materials: 
* paper 
* pencils 
* story event cards 
* story place cards 
* story person 
* Chart paper 
* Computers (lab if possible)
 * Alphasmarts 
* Overhead 
* Transparencies 
* Averkey 
* Television 
* www.dictionary.com 
* www.wordcentral.com 
* www.EnchantedLearning.com/dictionary.html/ 

Culminating Assessment: Students will submit their rough drafts and final copy of their story to the teacher. The teacher will assess the student's understanding by using the following rubric.

Instructional Activities:

Activity One: The teacher will review writing components: person, setting and events. She will model examples of each one. A person is whom the story is about, a setting is where it takes place and the event is something that happened in the story. Good examples are to use the teacher's name, in New York City, being chased by a monster. Explain to the students that although this is going to be a silly story it must follow a logical sequence. The teacher will model writing a story using these elements on a transparency. Students will volunteer ideas to add to the story. The teacher will model how to make it more interesting by adding lots of detail. The teacher will model the editing process. The teacher will encourage correct sentence structure emphasizing on capitalization, punctuation and content. The class will chorally reread the story. If time permits allow students make illustrations to go along with the story.

Activity Two: The teacher will review yesterday's story. The teacher will have 3 charts on the board, person, event and setting. She will again go over each one to ensure the students understanding of this lesson. The students will brainstorm people, settings and events to add to the charts. The teacher should encourage creativity such as George Washington, in a whale's stomach, watching TV. The teacher should monitor the students understanding by observing their responses. * Teacher Preparation: After this activity, the teacher should type all of the students volunteered people, settings and events using a word processing document. Next, the teacher should cut them out into little cards and place them in a brown mailing envelope. Clearly mark the envelope, people, setting and event.

Activity Three: The teacher will explain that she took all the people, events and settings, made them into cards and placed them in the brown envelopes. The students will then choose a card, without peeking, from each envelope. The students will use these cards to write a story. The teacher will monitor and assist students with their writing. Dictionaries will be available as needed. From prior knowledge, the students may use on line dictionaries at the following sites, www.dictionary.com, www.EnchantedLearning.com, www.wordcentral.com. If the teacher observes one or more students struggling with this activity she may want to pull a small group to offer assistance. Upon completion the students will self edit, peer and teacher edit. Together the teacher and the student will locate and correct errors. During teacher student editing, the teacher will focus on the individual needs of each child.

Activity Four: Using a computer, TV and averkey the teacher will review simple keyboarding skills such as font size, capitalization, indentation, spacing, spell check etc. The students will use their edited rough drafts to type their story on the computer. If computers are limited you may allow students to use Alphasmarts. The teacher will monitor and assist where needed. The students will reread and spell check their story prior to printing. The students will print out their stories.

Activity Five: The students will make an illustration to go along with their silly story. When all students have a complete story and illustration, they will get a chance to read their story to the class. When a student is finished reading his/her story they may choose volunteers from the audience to orally give 3 pluses and a wish. The students will turn in their rough draft and final copy to the teacher. The teacher will assess the students writing by using the scoring rubric. The teacher can take the typed copies and the illustrations and compile a class Silly Story Book. This book can be housed at the reading center. This book can also be entered in Richland One's Book Production Contest. Note: This activity may take 2 one-hour class periods.

Extension: Allow the students to read their stories to other people in the school. Perhaps a Kindergarten class or the principal. Another extension would be to have the students write a silly story with a partner.