Intrigued with Yo-Yos!

Designed By: Katie Howard , Caughman Road Elementary

1) Core Curriculum Objective:  Use the writing process to record information accurately and to research and report information.  (4-WP-5)

Grade Level: Fourth Grade    Subject: Reading/Language Arts

2) Overview:   If your class is anything like mine you've taken your fair share of yo-yos during school hours.  Why not use the yo-yo to motivate your students in a better understanding of the writing process?  During these five lessons your students will go through the writing process using research skills on and off the Internet.

3) Focus/Essential Question:  If a fourth grade student in a country on the continent of Africa wrote to you and asked "What's the best yo-yo to buy in your state for under $25.00?" Which yo-yo would you recommend and why?

4) Time Frame:  Five fifty minute lessons (it is assumed that your students have been previously introduced to the writing process).

5) Resources/Materials:   

- One copy of Writers Express: A Handbook for Young Writers, Thinkers, and Learners for each student in the class

-Internet, T.V. monitor, Averkey connection, computer

-You Can Yo-Yo! written by Bruce Weber

-Each student should bring a yo-yo

-world map

-writing and publishing materials such as paper, pencils,

dictionaries, thesaurus', construction paper, tape

6) Assessment: Self-Evaluation/Guide and Teacher Evaluation

Name:__________________________________   Date:_____________

Due Date:________________________________________

Note: Each section is worth 25 points.  Students and parents are to use this Evaluation as a guide to successfully complete the assignment.  Teachers will then give their final evaluation on the same sheet.

Prewriting Plan:
Self       Teacher

 -There should be a copy of a map, cluster, or outline that the student used to organize the information they wrote about to the African student.

-The plan should include who your audience will be, the form of publication you choose to use such as a friendly letter, a commercial, an e-mail correspondence.

-The plan should include at least three reasons for choosing the yo-yo you want to suggest for your African friend to purchase.

Research:

-A copy of the note cards used during research or a copy

of the gathering grid used should be included.

-At least two resources from which information was gathered should be included (library book, Internet site, interview, or yo-yo publication).

-Does the information gathered about the yo-yo include such topics as performance ability, cost, manufacturer?

Rough Draft:

-Spelling

-Punctuation                                                                         

-sentence structure                                                                

-evidence of self-editing, peer editing, teacher/parent edit        

-accuracy of facts                                                                 

Final Copy/Publication:

-Best handwriting/keyboarding

-clear format

-illustration

TOTAL POINTS/FINAL GRADE                                         

7) Instructional Activities:

Note: Homework assignment prior to day one should be for everyone in the class to bring in their favorite yo-yo, and extras for the students that don't have one.  Remind students that they are not to bring the yo-yos out of the book sack until the teacher has given permission!)

Day one:

1.  Ask students to bring out their yo-yos and allow five to ten minutes of free share time with peers.

2.  As a whole class, have a discussion on the variety of yo-yos in the class.  Draw attention to the name of the yo-yos and their manufacturer.  Students with the same type of yo-yos could all stand in one section of the room and you could even categorize them and graph them in math that day.  Perhaps you may enjoy allowing the students to measure the length of the strings and graph according to various attributes.  In science that day you could talk about the axle verses the ball-bearing types of yo-yos brought in that day too!

3.  Ask the question "If a student from a country on the continent of Africa were to write you and ask you for your opinion of the best yo-yo to buy under $25.00, which yo-yo would you recommend and why?".  Tell the students that this is going to be their assignment in writing this week. 

4.  Pass out copies of the assessment that will serve not only as the assessment tool but it will also assist the students with the content of their writing.  Go over all detail allowing questions where students need clarification.  Have the students fill in the due date according to your expectations and ask them to have their parents to sign the sheet for tomorrow's homework.

5.  Spend the rest of the class period showing students how to navigate through the newly introduced web site of http://www.pd.net/yoyo.  This is the home page for the American Yo-Yo Association.  You may want to let the students read about the current World Champion listed on the web site.  Scroll down to the Yo-Yo Makers & Sales part of the index and click on it for information of makers of their favorite yo-yo.  If you then scroll down to the order form prices will show up for note taking during research.

6.  Have on hand any books that your school library carries on the subject as well as any publications found on the yo-yo packaging.  Tell students that this information will be used this week to complete their new assignment.

Day 2-5

Note: it is assumed that the students have been accustomed to writing in the writers workshop routine.  This is a system where the students work on their own writing at their own pace within reason of the timeline stipulations set forth on this particular assignment.  The students go through the writing process of planning, rough draft, editing, conferencing with peers and then teacher, and finally producing a publication in the format of their choice, and illustrating.)

Each day, for the writing portion of the day, the teacher should do a fifteen minute mini-lesson on any writing element she/he has noted that the students have not mastered yet and a mini lesson may also be done on the navigation of the Internet or research note taking skills etc.. The teacher should then be available for conferencing or individual assistance for the remaining writing class time.

As students begin to complete their assignments you may want to give a few enrichment ideas:

1. Design a yo-yo bulletin board to display published works, try to tie in the African continent.

2.  Write a paper on the history of the yo-yo.

3.  Compare and contrast the difference between fixed axle yo-yos and ball-bearing yo-yos.

4.  Practice yo-yo tricks and plan a fifteen minute performance for another class such as kindergartners or any grade level you desire.

5.  Try to make your own yo-yo.