Colleen in NS Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 (edited) Just want to share this in case it helps someone. I've mapped out a 5th and 6th grade writing schedule (with notes to myself for a few items). I will pick ONE assignment for each day, and here are my choices for each day. Mon.: outline something *history *art appr. info. *artist bio. Tues.: narrate something *history topic/event *primary source (see WTM for how to do this) *lit., after Monday's lit. discussion and timelining *author bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) *historical figure bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) *art appr. info. *artist bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) Wed.: outline something *science *music appr. info. *composer bio. Thurs.: narrate something *science topic/discovery *scientist bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) *music appr. info. *composer bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) I separated the art/music topics with a space, because we won't probably do something from those every week - I may take a week here and there and just concentrate on reading/writing about art/music appr. and bios. instead of history/science. That way I know they will get covered somewhat here and there. At least my kids will get to experience writing skills on a variety of subjects. They read a lot and I reserve a variety of library books as we follow our yearly history period or yearly science branch, so there is plenty of material to choose from, about which to write. Oh, and this all assumes that they have learned to write a brief narration (with all the copywork/dictation and narration practice), and are learning to outline (in 5th we did one level, this year we are learning two level outlines). (we use R&S to learn outlining skills, plus the description in WTM) (and I'm finding that the R&S expository writing skills are naturally getting applied to these outlines and narrations, thanks to the thinking skills taught in WWE/WTM) Many thanks to the several posters who have continually responded, over the past couple of years, to my pleas for help in teaching writing. I feel like I'm getting a grip finally. :D EDIT: I changed my notes-to-myself after the bio. narrations, because ds told me today that he has no idea how to write a narration about a biography. I realized I needed to talk with him about it, via the WTM questions, first before he writes. Edited July 28, 2009 by Colleen in NS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 thanks-this was good food for thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted July 28, 2009 Author Share Posted July 28, 2009 bumping up just once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted July 29, 2009 Share Posted July 29, 2009 Just want to share this in case it helps someone. I've mapped out a 5th and 6th grade writing schedule (with notes to myself for a few items). I will pick ONE assignment for each day, and here are my choices for each day. Mon.: outline something *history *art appr. info. *artist bio. Tues.: narrate something *history topic/event *primary source (see WTM for how to do this) *lit., after Monday's lit. discussion and timelining *author bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) *historical figure bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) *art appr. info. *artist bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) Wed.: outline something *science *music appr. info. *composer bio. Thurs.: narrate something *science topic/discovery *scientist bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) *music appr. info. *composer bio. (see WTM for how to discuss before writing) . So are you planning on doing everything above the space each of those weekdays? In otherwords would a Thursday have a science topic AND a scientist bio narration every week and a music narration some weeks? Or is it more of a smorgasbord than that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 So are you planning on doing everything above the space each of those weekdays? In otherwords would a Thursday have a science topic AND a scientist bio narration every week and a music narration some weeks? Or is it more of a smorgasbord than that? No. Just one thing each day, so, my kids or I would pick one thing to narrate. (although I'd *try* each week to make sure there was a variety getting written about.) And I need to change something in my plan, but I'll edit that later when I figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted July 29, 2009 Author Share Posted July 29, 2009 (edited) And I need to change something in my plan, but I'll edit that later when I figure it out. I might change it to something like: 5th Mon. - one one-level outline Tues. - one lit. narration or non-fiction narration Wed. - one one-level outline Thurs. - one non-fiction narration or dictation 6th Mon. - one two-level outline Tues. - one lit. narration or non-fiction narration Wed. - one two-level outline Thurs. - one non-fiction narration or dictation or catch up from M-W writing assignments or finish any longer M-W R&S writing lessons Outline assignments - choose from: - biographies *historical figure *scientist *author *artist *composer - history info. (topics, events, etc.) - science info. (topics, discoveries, etc.) - art appr. info. - music appr. info. Narrations - grammar-stage style - choose, discuss, and timeline from: - literature (see WTM for discussion questions) - biographies: (see WTM for discussion questions) *historical figure *scientist *author *artist *composer - primary source (see WTM for discussion questions) - history info. (topics, events, etc.) - science info. (topics, discoveries, etc.) - art appr. info. - music appr. info. I'll focus more on science/hist./lit. than on art/music appr. info., but hope to sprinkle them in there periodically. In 6th, I have Thurs. as a possible catch-up day, since outlines/narrations/R&S writing lessons might be a little longer. I am also trying to keep lit. narration in there every week or two, even if history/science/art appr./music appr. info. are a little more unevenly spread through the year. Lengths of narrations and outlines to be determined weekly and very gradually lengthened - depending on how child is coping with learning how to do them, etc. etc. etc.. Also, we do R&S writing lessons as part of "grammar time" since they're in the same book, and when I see fit, I help ds incorporate principles from the R&S lessons into the outlines and narrations. Thanks for letting me think out loud. Or should I say, online. :D Edited July 31, 2009 by Colleen in NS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhondabee Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Colleen, THANK YOU for posting this. I know we had talked about how WWE makes the outlining and narration much simpler, and yet more varied at the same time. But, I *really* didn't want to have to buy a book I really don't *need*. This is wonderful, because I knew it had to be simple, but just couldn't break free from the individual chapter recs in WTM! I can't wait to change things for my 6th grader this year with this stream-lined approach. I think if he know this is ALL he has to do, he'll be more inclined to do his best. But, I bet my 9th grader thinks I've turned into a softy - LOL! Thanks, Colleen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetpeach Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 Did you see me last week at church -- I was there, hiding under the coffee table and too scared to even start an IRL conversation about writing/grammar/language. I like this list of purposeful writing themes . . . someday, I'll corner you and we'll gnatter. I don't often read your writing/thinking online posts because they make me tremble in my humid Halifax looners. :) T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted July 31, 2009 Author Share Posted July 31, 2009 (edited) Colleen, THANK YOU for posting this. I know we had talked about how WWE makes the outlining and narration much simpler, and yet more varied at the same time. But, I *really* didn't want to have to buy a book I really don't *need*. This is wonderful, because I knew it had to be simple, but just couldn't break free from the individual chapter recs in WTM! I can't wait to change things for my 6th grader this year with this stream-lined approach. I think if he know this is ALL he has to do, he'll be more inclined to do his best. But, I bet my 9th grader thinks I've turned into a softy - LOL! Thanks, Colleen! :D I've edited this thing about 800 times today, trying to perfect it - only to know that I'M GOING TO TWEAK IT AGAIN! :lol:. Anyway, it was a good exercise for me to do this - take SWB's workshop advice and the "thread" that runs through WWE and make my own plan. You know who else have influenced me over the years in this type of planning, are Jill, OK (The Crib Chick) and JennW in SoCal. I still will be relieved, though, when SWB gets her next book done in her writing series. There is sure to be more in there I am not thinking of. Did you see me last week at church -- I was there, hiding under the coffee table and too scared to even start an IRL conversation about writing/grammar/language. I like this list of purposeful writing themes . . . someday, I'll corner you and we'll gnatter. I don't often read your writing/thinking online posts because they make me tremble in my humid Halifax looners. :) T Oh, c'mon, girl!!!!!!! Stop hiding and come talk!!:D I enjoyed our 3-hour seminar at Tim Horton's a few years ago. You have no idea how much I *crave* to talk about this stuff IRL with someone - to toss ideas around... About the writing themes - I just took things I found in WTM that, ideally, would get written about if you could cram every content subject into a week, and listed it. This is so I could have a slight hope of hitting on all of them a few times a year, even if we don't write about them every week. (I've given up on trying to have an "art appreciation period" and a "music appreciation period." I'm starting to give up on having "3 hours of history" and "2 hours of science" each week. Make that, I *have* given up. So I'm rearranging and streamlining, while freeing up lots of reading time for the kids, covering all those topics. Going back to one of the main reasons I was attracted to homeschooling - lots of reading - but still incorporating skills work) Edited July 31, 2009 by Colleen in NS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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