Stage 3: Learning Plan

Overview / Description of Unit

The writers who are learning this unit have little to no writing experience. Because of this, prior to the unit,
the teacher will have introduced all letters and their sounds. Each lesson will include a whole group
experience for students to gain background knowledge, watch a model, or gain knowledge and understanding.
Independent work and small group instruction provide students time to practice the learned skills. Student
discourse and collaboration is a focus for many of the lessons as well. Students will use background
knowledge on discourse routines to independently have meaningful conversations. Students are expected to
think about their answer to opinion questions as they practice writing skills from drawing, labeling, and
sentence formation. They will think about what they prefer and are interested in, making the tasks and
conversations engaging. Students will have real world connections during each mini unit within the larger
unit through a specific ‘application’ lesson. Students will display and promote their work through gallery
walks to create a meaningful, motivating sense of ownership.

Each lesson is labeled with a letter from the acronym WHERETO which stands for:
• W: What is expected of students
• H: Holding student interest
• E (1): Experiencing and exploring unit ideas
• R: Rethinking, revising and revisiting work
• E(2): Evaluations for students to use
• T: Tailored learning plan to fit all learners
• O: Organizational tools for students

Module 1:
Module 1 has an overarching goal of developing students’ drawing skills. Drawing is a key component to
developing writing and expressing information. Students will be exposed to and explore the essential
questions:
What do details add to drawing?
How do conversations help us learn?
How can editing and revising our work make it, and us better?

Lesson # WHERETO Lesson Development Materials

label

1 E1, H Why are drawings important? The Perfect

Launch: Teacher reads the text: The perfect castle. Castle
Mini Lesson: Teacher asks students what they noticed about (Appendix C)
this text (It has no pictures). Teacher asks students to go to
their designated partner for the day and talk about how the
pictures would have made the text different. Teacher
redirects attention to the whole group and records responses
on chart paper. Teacher tells students that drawings are
important because they help tell a story, they give us more
information. We know the castle is perfect, but do we know
 what it looked like, how big it was, what color, etc?
Independent Practice: Teacher provides the last page from
the text to students. It reads: And the castle was perfect.
Students add their drawing of what they imagine the castle
would be like.
Closure: Students participate in a gallery walk.

2 W, H, E1, R Why are details important? Outline of

Launch: Teacher draws a plain image of a house, in one person
color, no setting or details, just the shape. Teacher asks (Appendix D)
what the students notice.
Mini Lesson: Teacher adds details like characters, colors,
setting, and more while students watch. Teacher asks which
image showed more information? Students meet with their
assigned partner for the day and discuss what the details
added to the image. Teacher redirects the conversation to
the whole group and records their ideas. Teacher tells
students that we can tell readers information through adding
details to our pictures, and today, they will edit an image to
add more information (See appendix D).
Independent practice: Teacher provides students with an
outline of a person. Students add details like hair, facial
expressions, clothes, and setting.
Closure: Gallery walk. Students gallery walk while music
plays. When paused, students turn and talk about what
information they can get from the details added to the
image nearest to them.

3 T, O, E2, R, Revising our work Good Drawers

W Prior to lesson: Teacher collects the artifacts from lesson 2 anchor chart
and forms groupings based on need (color variation, facial
expressions, settings, etc.) Artifacts from
Launch: The teacher looks at an example image they drew lesson 2
of a person and wonders, what can I add? Teacher
introduces the good drawers anchor chart (Appendix E).
Mini Lesson The teacher tells students that revision means
going back to their work they finished and making it better.
Teacher thinks about the characteristics of a good drawing
from the anchor chart and ask students: what can be added?
Teacher adds students' suggestions.
Independent work time: Students spend time adding details
to their drawings from the previous lesson by visiting the
teacher when she calls their skill group to her teacher table.
Teacher lets students know the skill she would like them to
improve on and asks them to come up with an action plan
 to work on that. Students who are not at the teacher table
can practice drawing skills at their desks.

4 H, E1 Drawing about opinions Prepare would

Launch: Play would you rather. Teacher asks in your you rather
opinion, would you rather have a donut or a smoothie for questions in
breakfast and other types of questions. Teacher designates advance that are
an area in the room to move to in order to show their appropriate for
answer. Teacher asks students to share WHY they choose the students in
that side. your class.
Mini Lesson: Teacher reviews what an opinion is. Teacher
tells students that writers can show their opinions through
drawings. Teacher asks students to think of the best school
subject. After thinking, students share their opinion with
their designated partner for the day.
Independent work: Students use drawings to depict their
answer to the question: In your opinion, what is the best
season?
Closure: Peer review. Students meet with their designated
partner for the day and swap drawings. After thinking, each
partner gives an idea for revision that the student can make
for the launch of tomorrow’s lesson.

5 H, E1 What's their opinion? Red Is Best by

Launch: Students revise their work from the prior lesson, Kathy Stinson.
based on their peer’s suggestions.
Mini Lesson: Teacher reads the text Red Is Best by Kathy
Stinson. Teacher states that the character is telling us their
opinion. What is an opinion? What is the character's
opinion? Why is that their opinion?
Teacher records answers on chart paper.
Independent task: Teacher shows drawings that are pre
created and tells students that they will analyze these
images and think about what the artist’s opinion on the best
food is.
Students form 5 small groups. They rotate around the
images, spending 2-3 minutes at each image. Students pass
a ‘talking stick’ and each state what they think the artist’s
opinion is and why.
Closure: Teacher uses a document camera to display the
drawings. Teacher asks students to share the ideas discussed
in their groups. Teacher tells students that opinions can be
shown with our drawings, and we can even add more detail
by adding labels.

Module 2:
Module 2 focusses on adding labels to drawings. Labels add information and are the building blocks of
sentences. Students will use their letter- sound knowledge to use invented spelling to label images that depict
their opinion by the end of the module. Students will be exposed to and explore the essential questions:
Why is writing important?
How can editing and revising our work make it, and us better?
How do conversations help us learn?

1 H, E1 Label the classroom Sticky notes,

Launch: Teacher shows images of different inventions, prepared images
some students may know the name of, others, they may not. of inventions
Teacher draws attention to the word beneath the picture,
and asks what that word might tell us. Teacher tells students
that labels are when we put words under a picture to tell its
name, or describe it.
Mini Lesson: Students will use sticky notes to label items in
the classroom using invented spelling.
Closure; Whole group discussion on how labels can teach
us what images are.

2 W, E1, O Labeling with word banks Photos with

Launch: Students recall what a label is, and tell their word bank sheet
discussion partner for the day the definition of a label. (Appendix F)
Mini Lesson: Students are given sticky notes with labels
pre written. Teacher lets students know they will be
labeling them! Students sound out the words on their sticky
notes (leg, head, arm, hand, pants, etc) and once their turn,
they place it on the appropriate part of the teacher they will
label.
Independent work: Students are given a photo (Appendix F)
and are asked to label it using the word bank words.
Closure: Teacher reviews the work bank and models the
labeling.

3 T, E1, W Label by stretching out sounds Prepare a class

Launch: Teacher begins by saying some cvc words and photo in advance
asks, I wonder how to spell these words? Teacher starts
with ‘cat’ and slowly stretches out the word to hear each
sound, writing the letter for each sound as they hear them.
Mini Lesson: Shared-writing- Teacher displays a class
photo. Teacher asks: How could we add information to our
picture to tell a reader each of our names. That’s right! We
must label our pictures with our names. Teacher takes
volunteers to help stretch out names and write the letters
that make those sounds. Tell students that they will be
stretching out words to label pictures of their favorite
 animals.
Independent work: Tell students they must think of their
favorite animals (3-4) and draw them, after, they will
stretch out the words to label each animal. Teacher meets
with a small group for this independent time. Small group
is based on the task from the previous lesson. Teacher
models stretching out animal names and asks students to
think of the sounds as they write.
Closure: Play snail sounds. Say a few words slowly,
stretching out the sounds. Students try to guess what word
you are saying before you finish.

4 E1, H Label to show our opinion Print opinion vs

Launch: Teacher tells students that opinions are things we fact cards
believe. They do not have to be the same as anyone else’s, (Appendix G)
and there is no ‘right’ opinion. Facts are things that are
ALWAYS true. Sort the opinion vs fact cards by calling on
volunteers (See appendix G)
Mini Lesson: Today we will support our opinions with
reasons. Today, we are going to use writing and drawing to
show our answer to the question: In your opinion, what
should good friends be like?
Musical Mingle- students think about their opinion. When
the music plays, they may dance around the room. When it
stops, they tell the peer closest to them some of their ideas
about good friends.
Independent work: Students draw an image of what a good
friend is like and use labels to add their good friends'
words.
Closure:Play would you rather again.

5 E2, R Revising our labels

Launch: Teacher displays a drawing of what makes a good
friend with labels just of beginning sounds. Teacher asks
students what they can do to revise their work, or make it
better. Students offer suggestions.
Mini Lesson: Revising is a way we can make our writing
better. Teacher directs students to find their designated
partner for the day. Their job is to quick-draw and label an
image of their favorite animal. Next, they swap papers with
their partner, and analyze. Students must try to suggest edits
without using their voice (must use hand gestures and
acting). Teacher then allows students to think about why
peer discussion helps their work.
Independent work: Students edit their images and writing
and use a gallery walk to display their work.
 Closure: Students participate in a discussion about the
benefits for peer review versus working alone.

Module 3
For module 3, students will progress in their writing by composing a sentence to describe their drawings.
Students will explore the following essential questions throughout this unit:
Why is writing important?
How can editing and revising our work make it, and us better?
How do conversations help us learn?
Students will gradually work on their performance task during this module.

1 H, E1 Performance task day 1: Sentences strengthen our Appendix H, text

writing with no
Launch: Teacher reads the text with no sentences, just sentences
labels.
Mini lesson: Teacher asks, what was this book about?
Students give varying answers.
Teacher reads the text again, and this time, with the
sentences, and asks what the students noticed that changed.
Teacher tells students that sentences can add even more
detail to their writing and drawings. Teacher tells students
that they will be working on writing a book about their
favorite season, including drawings, labels, and sentences.
Teacher plays music and has students think about their
favorite season and some reasons why. Students find the
person nearest to them when the music is paused and tells
them their opinion.
Teacher tells students that today, they will be drawing a
picture of their season, and writing the sentence : “______
is my favorite season.”
Independent work: Students work on the first page of their
book.
Closure: Students brainstorm 3 reasons why they love that
season

2 E1, T Performance task day 2: Reason #1

Launch: Teacher lets students know that they will be
working independently and in small groups. Teacher directs
some students to work at their desk, and others to work in a
teacher-facilitated small group. Students will be working on
the second page of their book, which has a drawing, label,
and sentence for their first reason to support their opinion.
Independent work: Teacher creates data-informed groups to
tier small group work time. Some students receive little
modeling, others receive more support, including sentence
 stems.
Closure: Students share their images and writing with a
peer, taking suggestions and questions to use to make 1 edit
before the lesson closes.

3 E!, T Launch: Teacher lets students know that they will be

working independently and in small groups. Teacher directs
some students to work at their desk, and others to work in a
teacher-facilitated small group. Students will be working on
the second page of their book, which has a drawing, label,
and sentence for their second reason to support their
opinion.
Independent work: Teacher creates data-informed groups to
tier small group work time. Some students receive little
modeling, others receive more support, including sentence
stems.
Closure: Students share their images and writing with a
peer, taking suggestions and questions to use to make 1 edit
before the lesson closes.

4 E1, T Launch: Teacher lets students know that they will be

working independently and in small groups. Teacher directs
some students to work at their desk, and others to work in a
teacher-facilitated small group. Students will be working on
the second page of their book, which has a drawing, label,
and sentence for their third reason to support their opinion.
Independent work: Teacher creates data-informed groups to
tier small group work time. Some students receive little
modeling, others receive more support, including sentence
stems.
Closure: Students share their images and writing with a
peer, taking suggestions and questions to use to make 1 edit
before the lesson closes.

5 R, W Revision Day
Launch: Teacher reminds students what good writers and
drawers do, and refers to anchor charts from previous
lessons.
Mini Lesson: Students meet with their designated partner
and swap books, exploring for a few minutes. Peers offer
2-3 suggestions to make their book even better.
Independent work: Students revise their text. Teacher pulls
students who need more support at this time for a small
group, guided revision session.
Closure: Tell students that tomorrow, they will have a book
sharing day, where they can display their finished products.
6 H Book Swap
Launch: Teacher tells students that before they swap books,
they will make a title and cover.
Mini lesson: teacher shows some examples and models of
titles and covers. Teacher asks students what they notice
and what their title and cover should include (Their name,
images, etc.)
Independent work: Book swap. Students find a partner to
swap books with, they each read their book to one another.
After each swapping session, the group comes back to have
a discussion about what they were able to learn about their
peers based on their work, and why writing helps us know
more about others.
Closure: Students bring books home!