Session 9: Elaboration & Paragraphs

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events
using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event
sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing,
to develop experiences and events or show the responses of
characters to situations.

Note: There is no writing on Thursday due to library time.

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SMARTNotebook File
Units of Study series
How does a writer decide which is a more important part and
which is a less important part?

Outline

Students will learn how to use elaboration to add detail in

their narrative.

Material

Elaborating on Important Parts

Note

Topic

Monday

Elaborating on Important Parts

Students will learn how to use elaboration to add detail in their
narrative.

Discuss: Varying the pace of the story & How does the author
decide what the important parts of their story are?

Continued work time: Students will be given time to work. Each student
will find part(s) of their story that they can elaborate on.

Model Read story sample (It is from units of study)

-Ask what they think the story is supposed to be about
-Explain that the story is SUPPOSED to be about (her
relationship with her sister)
-Find and circle the part of the story that should be
elaborated on (the last sentence)
-Discuss what could be added to that part to make it clearer
what the main idea is. Pull tab card has the books suggested
elaboration.

Students may either rewrite their story to include the elaborations or

may attach their elaboration on a notecard or piece of paper.
The teacher will conference with small groups and individual students to
provide guidance and trouble shoot any problems that arise.

Discuss: How can elaboration help you better communicate

what your story is really about to the audience?
Strategies for Elaborating on Important Parts Anchor chart
in SMARTNotebook file.
Work time if time left. Students will NOT be rewriting their
stories from scratch. They will be selecting a part of their text
to elaborate on. They will write their elaboration on a
notecard and attach it to their draft. (Saves time and student
frustration).

Asse
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Tuesday

Teacher Observation

Reflection: My students were struggling with what is important and

how to elaborate so I wrote my own short narrative and shared a nonelaborated version with them. We decided what the important part was
and what we should elaborate on. We brainstormed what we could add.
Then I showed students my 2nd version that had elaboration. This
seemed to help them out a lot.

Teacher Observation & anecdotal notes from conferencing

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Students will learn how to use elaboration to add detail in their narrative.

Material

Sharing

Students will learn how to use elaboration to add detail in their

narrative. Students will build on their existing knowledge of
when to start a new paragraph.
SMARTNotebook File
Units of Study series
When do we start a new paragraph? Why is using paragraphs
so important?

Outline

Friday

Elaborating on Important Parts & Paragraph Use

Note

Topic

Wednesday

- Have students count how many paragraphs their draft

currently has. They write that number on the top of their page.
Ask for some students to share.
- Discuss: Is there a right or wrong # of paragraphs? No, but
there should definitely be more than one paragraph.
-When do we start a new paragraph? (Brainstorm)
-View When to start a new paragraph anchor chart
-Guided Practice: Read Version 1 of the sample text. (story
about going to the aquarium)
Ask the students if they notice anything about how it looks?
(its all one paragraph) Was it hard to follow along as I read?
Have students place the paragraph symbol where there should
be a new paragraph (may need to model the first couple).
-View the 2nd version (which has multiple paragraphs) and
discuss what it was like to read this version

In small groups students will share their current drafts. Each student will
get a chance to share.
Students will receive constructive feedback from their peers (reminder of
what constitutes constructive feedback if needed).
Students may then discuss how their writing has changed this week. Did it
get better? If so, how?
While students share the teacher will walk around and stop in with each
group. Often simply hearing the changes a peer has made really helps
students who are still struggling a bit.

Independent: Students will take a colored pen or pencil and use

the paragraph symbol to mark where they should start a new
paragraph.
Have students share how many paragraphs they have now.

Asse
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Reflection: This worked brilliantly! No more single paragraph

stories!! They really got it.
Teacher Observation

Teacher Observation & student writing.