Curriculum Analysis Project

Elizabeth Redmond

Michigan State University

TE 848: Writing Assessment and Instruction

Ayah Issa

April 24, 2023

I. Description of the Curriculum

Since my school district has not adopted a formal writing curriculum, I will be focusing

on the First Grade Writing Units in the MAISA ELA-Common Core-Aligned Units of Study.

The MAISA ELA-Common Core-Aligned Units of Study is a K-12 reading and writing

curriculum that is aligned by both the Common Core State Standards and across grade-levels.

The MAISA ELA-Common Core-Aligned Units of Study is located within the Oakland Schools

Intermediate School District and supports 28 different districts who have adopted and facilitate

this curriculum. Oakland Literacy Team (2014), explains that this curriculum was written by The

Oakland Schools Literacy Team which includes educational consultants with expertise and

knowledge in content area literacy, special education, and English Language Arts. The literacy

team includes Ashelin Currie, Dalyce DePauw, Michele Farah, Jill Jessen-Maneice, Diane

Katakowski, Megan Kortlandt, Jenelle Williams, Colleen Meszler, Jacqueline Mitchell, Asha

Wiliams and Andrea Zellner. Oakland Literacy Team (2014), explains that in addition to creating

the curriculum, this team also provides professional learning, coaching and consulting to K-12

teachers and administrators across Oakland County, Michigan.

In the First Grade Units of Study for writing, students will explore writing in three

different genres of writing: Narrative, Informational and Opinion. Faria Education Group Ltd.

(2023), describes that in these units, first graders will learn that writing carries meaning and that

the words they write convey thoughts, ideas and feelings and teaches students to become

independent with the writing process (generating ideas, drafting, revising and editing) as well as

the application of this process to their daily writing. The curriculum progresses by both building

upon previous learned skills and introducing new genres/concepts. Faria Education Group Ltd.

(2023), explains that children advancing through the grades are expected to meet each year’s
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grade-specific standards and retain or further develop skills and understandings mastered in

preceding grades. For example, in first grade students will review and dig-deeper into learned

kindergarten concepts of Personal Narratives, How-To Writing and Informational Writing while

also being introduced to new concepts such as Informative/Explanatory Writing, Revision and

Craft. This continues as they progress into second grade by continuing to review Personal

Narratives, Informational Writing, Craft and Revision while also being introduced to the new

genres of Realistic Fiction and Descriptive Reports.

Within this writing curriculum, each unit ranges from three to six weeks and generally

follows the same instructional routines and procedures. Each unit starts with an “immersion”

period where students study various mentor texts to understand the definition and purpose,

characteristics, and components of each genre of writing. Faria Education Group Ltd. (2023),

explains that immersion helps students to create a vision of how their own texts may be written,

possible items to include, and moving students from explorers of the text type to writers of it.

After the immersion period, using the gradual release of responsibility model, students begin to

independently practice these learned skills on their own. In first grade specifically, there is an

emphasis on the increase in the quantity of writing pieces students create and giving them a

multitude of opportunities for practice before completing a final writing piece. After much

practice, students pick a final writing piece that is revised both individually and with peers.

Throughout the revision process in each unit, there is an emphasis on readability and making

sure student’s writing pieces can be read accurately and shared with others. Last, students create

a final writing piece that is published and shared with others through a variety of school

celebrations.
Curriculum Analysis Project 4

In the First Grade Units of Study, students will explore seven different writing units

which both builds upon prior background knowledge as well as introduces new writing concepts

and thinking strategies. The first four units in this curriculum focus on Narrative Writing which

places an emphasis on writing more detailed Personal Narratives with more complex crafting and

revision components than in kindergarten. In Unit 1: Launching the Writing Workshop, students

learn from a variety of mentor texts which focus on the “small moments” of Personal Narrative

writing. Faria Education Group Ltd. (2023), explains that small moment stories are when an

author takes a true story from his/her life and instead of telling the whole story, s/he tells a small

part of the story and stretches it across pages. Students use the learned information from mentor

texts and shared writing experiences, to create their own small moment Personal Narrative

writings using details, sequence, dialogue and setting. Students also begin to engage in revision

work both individually and with peers as they engage with this unit. In Unit 2: Revision, students

activate their prior knowledge about what they already know about revision. Faria Education

Group Ltd. (2023), explains that students build upon their knowledge of revision by being

introduced to the different tools, materials and knowledge needed for revision. In this unit,

students start to use “Revision Folders” and put their learning into practice by keeping track of

revised work and drafts as they progress throughout the units. Students also have various

conversations and opportunities for revision with peers in this unit. In Unit 3: Writing a

Sequence of Instructions: How-To-Books, students expand on their learning from kindergarten

by using mentor texts to notice the components of How-To Books. Students dedicate a large

amount of time in this unit to writing How-To Books on the variety of topics that they are experts

in with increasingly more details and steps. After spending time writing multiple pieces, students

choose one writing to revise, edit and publish. Student’s final pieces are published and
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celebrated. In Unit 4: Apprenticeship Writing- Studying Craft, students study and learn from

authors they admire and focus on crafting techniques used by these authors (using the five

senses, dialogue, temporal words, and ellipses) that they can incorporate into their own writing.

After analyzing a variety of mentor texts, students choose one mentor text that inspires them to

try a new crafting technique in their own writing. Students then work with peers to revise this

work as they prepare to publish and celebrate it with others. Overall, in the first four units that

focus on Personal Narrative Writing, students learn that Personal Narratives include a narrowed

focus with specific crafting and revision components instead of just simply reciting a broad story

from their life.

In Unit 5: Opinion Writing Letters for Social Action, students build upon prior

knowledge of writing about personal opinions and learn to use Opinion Writing through writing

a letter to express their opinions about a current social issue. Faria Education Group Ltd. (2023),

explains that in this unit children learn how to channel their natural abilities of persuasion into

letters designated to state and opinion to make a difference in the world, teaching students that

what they have to say is important and matters. At the start of this unit, students use a variety of

mentor texts to understand how author’s express their opinions and the crafting techniques

(greeting, opinion, reasons, solution, closing, signature) used in this genre of writing. Students

then brainstorm and create opinions on social issues within their home, school, and community.

Once choosing a topic, students spend time incorporating convincing details and crafting

techniques used in Opinion Writing to compose a written letter. Last, students revise and edit

their work with peers before publishing their writing and mailing their letters out into the

real-world.
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In the last two units of this curriculum, students learn about nonfiction reading and

writing as they engage in Informational and Explanatory Writing. In Unit 6: Informational

Books: Personal Expertise, students use mentor texts to analyze the nonfiction text features

(headings, zoom-ins, labels, captions, table of contents, etc.) used in Informational Writing.

Students then create their own informational book about a topic they are passionate about that

they can teach and share with others (animals, people, places, etc.). Students spend time taking

their original ideas and incorporating new crafting techniques, receiving feedback from others,

and going through multiple edits. Students then publish and share their informational writing

with others at the school’s Expert Share Fair. In Unit 7: Writing Like a Scientist: Investigation

Notebooks, students engage in a series of experiments and observations within the 1st grade

science curriculum and learn the various processes of how writers record their scientific findings

and share it with others. Faria Education Group Ltd. (2023), explains that in this unit, students

combine standards from both the writing and science standards record, to question, to access

prior knowledge, to predict and observe, to explain data and to share out their findings with

others. This work is done through the gradual release model and initially is taught full-group,

then in small group pairings and eventually into individual practice. Students then create an

informational book about one of these scientific content areas to teach others what they have

learned about the scientific process and writing procedures.

II. Curriculum Analysis

MAISA ELA- Common Core-Aligned Units of Study uses a variety of characteristics of

an effective writing program including building background knowledge, explicit teacher

scaffolding, authentic writing opportunities, feedback and revision. These characteristics, in

addition to instruction from a skilled writing teacher, leads to this writing curriculum's
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effectiveness. MacArthur (2018), explains that the process approach to writing includes the

following motivating and supportive practices: writing for real audiences; encouraging personal

responsibility and ownership of writing projects; promoting high levels of student interactions,

creating a pleasant and positive writing environment; and encouraging self-reflection and

evaluation. In addition to the effective characteristics of this writing curriculum, its pacing and

progression also lend to its overall success. Students are able to refine their learning on writing

genres from previous grades as well as be introduced to new genres, crafting techniques, and

authentic writing opportunities in each grade they progress through. This not only leads to the

development of skilled writers, but also creates writers who are motivated and share their

thinking through writing in a variety of different ways.

Throughout this writing curriculum, teachers begin every unit by activating and building

upon student’s background knowledge. Angelo (1993), explains that teachers increase the

likelihood that students will be able to recall and use what we teach by helping them engage in

their prior knowledge and connect new information to their prior understanding. In this

curriculum, teachers open lessons with a variety of questions about what students already know

from personal experiences and previous grade-level experiences. In Unit 2: Revision, student

background knowledge is measured by kicking off the first lesson with the question “What is

Revision?” Through this discussion and charting of ideas, the teacher is able to gauge what

students already know about revision and any misconceptions they might have moving forward.

By assessing student’s current background knowledge at the start of each unit, teachers are able

to plan future instruction based on students' current level of understanding. Teachers are then

able to model and build upon specific background knowledge about each genre of writing using

a variety of mentor texts during the immersion phase of each unit. The use of mentor texts allow
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students to see the components of each genre of writing brought to life in real, authentic texts.

MacArthur (2018), explains that one of the scientifically based best practices for acquiring

information about specific genres or characteristics of good writing includes providing students

with good models for the types of writing they are expected to create. This scaffolds students'

understanding of each genre of writing and allows them to generate ideas for their own writing in

upcoming lessons. After engaging with these mentor texts, students are able to participate in

class discussions and writing opportunities where their prior background knowledge and new

learning is brought to life in the composition of new writing pieces.

Within this curriculum, teachers provide explicit scaffolded instruction throughout each

writing unit by using the gradual release of responsibility model. MacArthur (2018), describes

that providing direct and explicit instruction in how and when to use learning strategies, such as

how to plan, draft and revise, has a positive impact on student learning. In this curriculum, the

teacher does this through the “I Do, We Do, You Do” model starting first with mentor texts and

teacher-modeled writing pieces, then completing shared writing pieces as a class, and then

having students individually try it on their own. In Unit 3: Writing a Sequence of Instructions:

How-To Books the teacher does this by breaking down the components of this genre of writing

into individual parts (generating writing topics, planning, including clear steps, introduction,

closure, etc.). The teacher then models each part of writing and then asks students to focus on

that part during their own independent practice. For example, when teaching students how to

include an introduction page for their How-To Book, the teacher gives very clear instructions on

what an introduction page is, what needs to be included and why it’s important to include in this

genre of writing. The teacher then uses a mentor text that includes an introduction page and

explicitly discusses its importance. Next, the teacher models writing an introduction page for a
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previously used mentor text that does not include an introduction page. During this process, she

also asks students for input and ideas on what could be included. After providing students with

explicit instruction and modeling on this component of writing, the teacher has students try out

writing an introduction page in their own How-To Books. During this time, the teacher meets

with students individually or in small groups to give guidance through feedback and further

instruction if needed. The teacher then brings student writing examples to reflection time to share

with the rest of the class. This gives students an opportunity to see student-work examples of this

genre of writing and provide feedback if needed. Overall, this curriculum's use of explicit teacher

instruction allows students to be given the proper scaffolded support and skills necessary to be

successful independently with each genre of writing.

Another effective component of this writing curriculum is that students are able to create

final writing pieces that are made for an authentic audience or task. MacArthur (2018), explains

that authentic is used to indicate tasks with a real expressive or communicative goal, which

students view is important, and this importance is underlined by the written form. Specifically, in

Unit 5: Opinion Letters for Social Action, students create a final written letter based on an

important social issue within their school, families, and the community. This letter not only

connects with students' personal experiences but is also mailed out into the real-world showing

students that their writing carries meaning that can make a change in our world. Within this

curriculum, the incorporation of authentic learning opportunities also makes the writing tasks

more motivating for students. MacArthur (2018), explains that it is important to create a writing

context in which students can flourish by developing typified routines that facilitate writing

development as well as addressing motivation and effect related to the writing process. The

inclusion of authentic writing tasks within this curriculum makes it both motivating and
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engaging for students because they know they are not just writing final pieces for their teacher to

review. Within this curriculum as a whole, students create final writing pieces that are mailed out

into the world, presented at school celebrations, and shared with their peers showing students

their writing pieces carry real meaning for real audiences.

Within this curriculum, students have an ample amount of opportunities for revision and

to receive feedback on their writing pieces throughout each unit. MacArthur (2018), explains that

revising provides an opportunity for teachers to guide students in learning about the

characteristics of effective writing in ways that will not only improve the current piece but that

will also carry over to future writing. Within each unit, multiple opportunities for revision

(individual, peer, and teacher-provided) are offered before completing final writing pieces. In

Unit 6: Informational Books: Personal Expertise, after engaging in a series of self-revision

activities students receive feedback from peers on their informational writing piece. During this

process, partners take turns reading each other's writing pieces to check if they have any

questions or if there are any parts that are confusing. This allows the writer to receive feedback

from an outside perspective and revise anything that might be unclear to readers. This process

also benefits the partner in being able to notice any components of their peers' writing piece that

might not be in their own writing. Moore (2012), explains that instructional approaches suggest

that when writers take the perspective of the reader, they are able to develop a better

understanding of the communicative needs of their work and make effective revisions that affect

writing quality. The components of revision and feedback in this writing curriculum are

beneficial to students so that they have multiple opportunities for feedback and revision from a

variety of perspectives.
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Although this curriculum includes a variety of strong characteristics of an effective

writing curriculum, I feel that it’s missing the components of using student work examples to

teach the criteria of success and having opportunities for student choice writing. Throughout this

curriculum, students are often given specific prompts or topics to write about and respond to

within each unit. For example, throughout Unit 3: Writing a Sequence of Instruction: How-To

Books, students spend each lesson engaging solely with this genre of Instructional Writing.

While students can continue to pick new topics within this genre, they repeatedly write in this

same style of writing week after week. I think it would be beneficial to incorporate a few lessons

in each unit where students have the choice of either continuing to work on Instructional Writing

pieces or writing about a topic of their choice. MacArthur (2018), explains that both academic

and everyday writing can be used fruitfully to make students aware of the different ways in

which thoughts and feelings can be authentically expressed. In doing this, I feel students would

be able to meet the academic milestones of each unit while continuing to be motivated by having

opportunities to pick to write about topics of their choice that intrinsically motivate them.

A second component that I feel is missing from this curriculum, is the use of student

examples to teach the criteria for success at the beginning of each unit. This curriculum does an

exceptional job of exposing students to high-quality examples of each genre of writing using

mentor texts. However, it does not provide opportunities during the immersion phase where

students can see final writing pieces from students their age with varying abilities (above level, at

level, below level). I feel that it is important during the introduction of each unit to include

examples of final writing pieces from students in the same grade-level so students understand

their expectations for the final outcome of each writing task. Graham (2007), explains that

introducing criteria in this way makes it explicit to students what they will be expected to do and
Curriculum Analysis Project 12

what they will be evaluated on. Students are then able to explicitly notice the components that

are included or not included in the student examples as they create their own writing pieces.

Including student examples would also better prepare students for the opportunities throughout

the units where they have to offer specific and helpful feedback to peers. Overall, while this

curriculum includes many of the characteristics of an effective writing curriculum, the addition

of student choice writing and student work samples for criteria success would lead to greater

levels of motivation and success for student writers.

III. Curriculum Revision

A portion of the MAISA curriculum that I feel should be revised for the 1st grade

writing units is the addition of student-writing samples and real-life experts during the

immersion phase of every unit. Within the MAISA curriculum, every unit begins with an

immersion phase that typically ranges from five to eight lessons that introduces students to each

genre of writing before trying it out on their own. Faria Education Group Ltd. (2023), explains

that the purpose of the immersion phase is to help students develop a thorough understanding of

the type of text they will be writing by developing background knowledge, generating possible

writing ideas, and completing a shared class writing. During the immersion phase, students learn

about each type of writing through the use of various mentor texts. However, while I feel mentor

texts are a necessary component of the immersion phase, this is the only supplemental material

used to expose students to each genre of writing. In addition to mentor texts, I feel that the

addition of student work samples and bringing in real-life experts (authors, community members,

staff, family members, etc.) would give students a more authentic and well-rounded

understanding of each genre of writing before trying it out on their own.

I believe that this curriculum should incorporate a combination of both mentor texts and

student work samples during the immersion phase of each unit. In doing so, students would be

exposed to what different writing styles look like from both real authors and students their own

age. MacArthur (2018), explains that starting with published texts help students make the

connection between reading and writing and understand that they are learning skills that real

authors use, then the teacher should proceed by using student examples to illustrate how the

criteria are manifested at a developmentally appropriate level. Although mentor texts show

students high-quality examples of each genre of writing, they are often not written by students or

in student friendly language. I believe students take the most insight away from student writing

examples done by others their own age with varying abilities. I think the curriculum could do

this effectively by continuing to have students explore mentor texts during reading instruction

and then using student work samples as models during writing instruction. This would allow

students to gain insight from both real authors and students their age before beginning writing on

their own.

In order to include this revision into the writing curriculum, teachers would need to

thoughtfully pick out and save student work samples of varying abilities (at-grade level, below

grade-level and advanced) each year. These work samples could be stored in a working binder

and would be introduced at the beginning of each unit during the immersion phase the following

year. WritingCity (2018), explains that not all writing samples we use should be models of what

we think our students can achieve but also how we can improve it and learn from it. The use of

student work samples not only exposes students to each genre of writing but also allows them to

offer feedback for revision. Philippakos (2017), explains that instructional approaches suggest

that when writers take the perspective of the reader, they are able to develop a better
Curriculum Analysis Project 14

understanding of the communicative needs of their work and make effective revisions that affect

writing quality. Overall the addition of student work samples during the immersion phase would

allow students to understand the components of each genre of writing by seeing written pieces by

different types of writers, opportunities to analyze the work of others, and apply these learned

skills into their own writing.

The second addition that I think should be included in the MAISA writing curriculum is

including the opportunity to bring in real-life experts during the immersion phase of each unit. I

feel that this experience would be both motivating to students and allow them to make real-world

connections of why their writing is important. MacArthur (2018), explains that giving authentic

writing tasks has been recommended as the best way to involve students in writing. This

experience could be included during the immersion phase as students are exploring different

mentor texts and student work samples. During this time, the teacher could plan for real-life

experts (authors, school staff members, community members, family members, etc.) to come in

and talk about each unit of writing. Platt (2017) explains that when real writers talk with students

they share the message that writing is rigorous and they allow students to see themselves as part

of a writing community which leads to them thinking of themselves as writers too. The

curriculum could do this by providing ideas of real-life experts that could be listed in the unit

overviews and immersion phase lesson plans.

An example of recommendations the curriculum could suggest for real-life experts that

could be invited into the classrooms are included as follows: For Unit 1: Launching the Writing

Workshop, the teacher could invite in authors, virtual author visits, higher grade-level students,

or other writing teachers to explain the routines and expectations of what a writer does during

Writer’s Workshop. In Unit 2: Revision, the teacher could invite in authors, virtual author visits,
Curriculum Analysis Project 15

or higher grade-level students to explain the importance of the revision process and receiving

feedback. In Unit 3: Writing a Sequence of Instructions: How-To Books, the teacher could invite

in local community workers (sandwich shop workers, gardeners, veterinarians, dentists, etc.) or

family members who could explain one of the aspects of their job into steps the students could

write about (how to make a sandwich, how to brush your teeth, how to grow a plant, etc.). In

Unit 4: Apprenticeship Writing: Studying Craft, the teacher could invite in authors, virtual author

visits, school librarians, or higher grade-level students to offer insight into the personalized

crafting techniques they use in their own writing. In Unit 5: Opinion Writing Letters for Social

Action, the teacher could invite in local government representatives, postal workers, and news

reporters to give opinions on issues within the community that could be improved. In Unit 6:

Informational Books: Personal Expertise, the teacher could invite in parents, staff members,

community workers, authors, or virtual author visits to give insight into the specific knowledge

and skills they have within their jobs. In Unit 7: Writing Like a Scientist: Investigation

Notebooks, the teacher could invite in science teachers, science museum workers, or community

members who could give students insight into the scientific process and the importance of

writing down their scientific findings. Overall, I feel the addition of including real-life experts

during the immersion phase of every unit would be highly motivating to students and provide

authentic opportunities to interact with these areas of study.

Overall, including student work samples and real-life experts into the immersion phases

of this curriculum would be highly motivating and provide authentic experiences for students.

Since the goal of the immersion phases is to build proper background knowledge, these

experiences would further solidify student learning and allow students to be successful when

taking on each writing genre independently.

IV. Reflection on Teaching of Writing

Areas I feel I excel at as a teacher of writing include providing explicit scaffolded

instruction and opportunities for student collaboration. I provide my writing instruction through

the Workshop Model, which gives my students explicit scaffolded instruction, structured routines

and procedures, independent writing time, and opportunities for collaboration. During my

whole-group instruction, I provide my students with genre-specific mentor texts that allow them

firsthand to see a variety of different writing styles. During this time, I also use think-alouds,

anchor charts and teacher-modeled writing to talk through and demonstrate the entire writing

process. MacArthur (2018), explains that when modeling, we speak aloud all of the things we are

thinking- the ideas, the process, doubts, frustrations, encouragement, and more ideas. This

explicit scaffolded instruction allows my students to be exposed to a broad range of content

knowledge on each genre of writing and gain the necessary background knowledge to apply

these learned skills into their independent practice.

As a writing teacher, I also feel I provide my students with plenty of opportunities for

collaboration. MacArthur (2018), explains that empirical tests of interventions that include

collaboration among writers in a classroom demonstrate that students working together can have

a positive impact on writing quality. In my classroom, I offer opportunities for students to

collaborate throughout each cycle of our work time (whole-group instruction, independent

practice and reflection). During whole-group instruction, as we engage with different mentor

texts and writing experiences, students are encouraged to share their thinking, ask questions of

each other, and offer feedback. This allows students to hear other perspectives and insights from

others that they may not of came to on their own. During independent practice, students are

encouraged to collaborate with each other as they are creating writing pieces. Students are given
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the choice to work independently or at small group tables. When working together, students are

able to ask questions of each other, share thinking, and offer each other feedback throughout the

writing process. Students are not expected to write silently, but understand the expectation of

discussions are about writing and writing topics. During our reflection time, students’ writing

pieces are shared and celebrated by the class. Throughout this time, writers are able to share their

successes and failures throughout the writing process in student-friendly terms. During

reflection, classmates are also able to offer out celebrations and noticings for improvement to

enhance overall quality of writing for peers. Overall, collaboration is a component of every cycle

of our writing time where students are encouraged to hear the perspectives of classmates and

understand that their ideas are welcomed and appreciated by their peers.

Two goals I have for myself to improve as a writing teacher are in the areas of planning

and revision. I would like to improve my skills in planning through the use of explicit rubrics

that allow students to know their writing expectations from the beginning of each lesson.

Oftentimes, I verbally explain the expectations for my students’ writing but have never used a

concrete, student-friendly rubric which can be referred to from the beginning and throughout the

entire writing process. MacArthur (2018), explains that it is important that the rubric

incorporates the key criteria for the assignment and clearly states levels of performance in

student-friendly language that is the same, or at least very similar, to that which the teacher will

later use to evaluate students’ performance on the summative assessment. I feel that the addition

of using rubrics will allow my students to have a very clear understanding of their expectations

and a reference to use as they engage with each writing task.

Another goal I hope to improve on as a writing teacher is scaffolding my students to give

each other feedback during the revision process. I would like to start using student work samples
Curriculum Analysis Project 18

from previous years to allow students to learn how to provide helpful and specific feedback

during the revision process. Oftentimes when giving each other feedback, my students go

through the motions and provide surface-level feedback for their peers. This leads to minimal

improvements or changes to writing pieces during the feedback and revision process.

Philippakos (2017), explains that research has shown that for peer review to be effective and

meaningful to students, there should be time devoted to training students on the reviewing

procedures and time for them to practice those procedures. To improve on this, I will place an

emphasis at the start of the school year on how we give kind, specific and helpful feedback to

others. I will start by modeling a think-aloud of how I would give feedback to a student work

sample from a previous school year. Then, I will encourage students to share their own feedback

on these work samples. I will start this process by using student work samples from previous

school years so students do not feel afraid to give their honest opinions. I will continue this

process at the start of every unit. This will allow students to be continually exposed to how to

give feedback to others and apply these skills when offering feedback to others on their own.

Since my school does not have an adopted writing curriculum, I will need to use outside

resources to meet my goals of improving my instruction in planning and revision. I will start by

implementing components of the MAISA ELA Common Core-Aligned Units of Study for 1st

grade by watching the videos and lesson plans provided in each unit planner. This will allow me

to use instructional techniques and materials (rubrics, lesson plans, planning documents, anchor

charts, etc.) within the curriculum for my current teaching. I will also continue to use Best

Practices in Writing Instruction as a mentor text of research-based best practices and

instructional moves I can use in my writing classroom. I will use this mentor text as not only a

resource for myself, but for other teachers at my school who are struggling with certain
Curriculum Analysis Project 19

components of writing. Lastly, I will continue to observe highly skilled writing teachers within

my school and district. This will allow me to refine my skills and use techniques that other

highly trained teachers have found to be effective in their own writing classrooms. By using

these resources, I will continue to build my own passion and skill as a writing teacher and in turn

create students who are motivated and skilled writers as well.

References

Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: a handbook for college

teachers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Faria Education Group Ltd. (2023). Writing 1 (OS/MAISA). Atlas. Retrieved from

https://oaklandk12-public.rubiconatlas.org/course-map/730/unit-calendar/year

Graham, S., MacArthur, C. & Fitzgerald, J. (2018, third edition). Best practices in writing

instruction. New York: The Guilford Press.

Graham, S., & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next: effective strategies to improve writing of

adolescents in middle and high schools- a report to carnegie corporation of new york.

Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.

Moore, N.S., & MacArthur, C.A. (2012). The effects of being a reader and of observing readers

on fifth-grade students’ argumentative writing and revising. Reading and Writing, 25 (6),

1449-1478. doi:10.1007s11145-011-9327-6

Oakland Schools Literacy. (2014). Curriculum. Oakland Schools Literacy. Retrieved from

https://www.oaklandschoolsliteracy.org/

Philippakos, Z. (2017). Giving feedback: preparing students for peer review and self-evaluation.

International Literacy Association. Retrieved from literacyworldwide.org

Platt, R. (2017, July 26). Bringing authors into your classroom. Edutopia. Retrieved from

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/bringing-authors-classroom-rita-platt

WritingCity. (2018). 3 great reasons to collect your own student writing samples. WritingCity.

Retrieved from https://www.writingcity.com/3-great-reasons-to-collect-

your-own-student-writing-samples.html