English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
Unit of Study: Poetry
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Third Grading Period – Week 1-3
Enduring Understandings (Big Ideas)
Students explore and savor language when they write poetry.
Unit Rationale
Create a context in which poetry will flourish by listening to
poetry, playing with words, seeing the world through poets’
eyes, and writing poetry.
Essential Questions
Guiding Questions
 How do I write poetry? (17A,17B,17C,17D,17E,18B)
 How can I write so others understand and enjoy my writing? (20Ai, 20Aii, 20Aiii, 21A, 22A,
22Bi, 22Bii22C, 22D, 23Biii)
 What do I do in the Author’s Chair? ( 27A, 28)




TEKS (Standards)
TEKS Specificity - Intended Outcome
17A plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing (e.g., drawing, sharing ideas, listing key ideas)
17B develop drafts by sequencing ideas through writing
sentences
17C revise drafts by adding or deleting a word, phrase, or
sentence
17D edit drafts for grammar, punctuation, and spelling
17E publish and share writing with others
18B write poems that convey sensory details using the conventions of poetry
20A(i) verbs (present)
20A(ii) nouns (singular/plural, common/proper)
20A(iii) adjectives
20A(vi) pronouns
21A form upper and lower-case letters legibly in text, using the basic conventions of print
22A use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters to construct known words
22B(i) use letter-sound patterns to spell
22B(ii) the pronoun “I”
22C spell high-frequency words from a commonly used list
22D spell base words with inflectional endings
22E use resources to find correct spellings
23B spell words with common orthographic patterns and rules
27A listen attentively to speakers and ask relevant questions to clarify information
28 speak clearly
ELPS 3C speak using a variety of grammatical structures, sentence lengths, sentence types, and
connecting words with increasing accuracy and ease as more English is required
ELPS 3D speak using grade-level content area vocabulary in context to internalize new English words
and build academic language proficiency
ELPS 5A learn relationships between sounds and letters of the English language to represent sounds
when writing in English
ELPS 5B write using newly acquired basic vocabulary and content-based grade level vocabulary
ELPS 5C spell familiar English words with increasing accuracy, and employ English spelling patterns
and rules with increasing accuracy as more as English is acquired
ELPS 5D Edit writing for standard grammar and usage
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
What is a poem?
How can I get ideas to write a poem?
How do I write a poem?
How can I see the world as a poet?
” I CAN” statements highlighted in yellow should be displayed
for students.
I can:
 think of some ideas for writing (17A)
 put my ideas/sentences in order (17B)
 make my writing better by adding or taking away a word or
phrase(17C)
 write using correct grammar and spelling (17D, ELPS 5D)
 listen to and talk about others’ writing (17E)
 write poems with sensory details (18B)
 use nouns, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns (20A(i), 20A(ii), 20A
(iii), 20A(vi))
 write so others can read my writing (21A)
 match sounds to letters to make words (22A, ELPS 5A)
 use patterns to spell (22Bi, 23B)
 spell high frequency words (22C, ELPS 5C)
 spell words with endings –s, -ed, -ing (22D, ELPS 5C)
 use a word wall (22E)
 listen to others when they are speaking and ask questions (27A)
 speak clearly, using complete sentences, when sharing my writing
(28, ELPS 3C, ELPS 3D)
Yo puedo:
 generar ideas para la escritura (17A)
 poner mis ideas/oraciones en orden (secuencia) (17B)
mejorar mi escritura al poner o colocar una palabra, frase, u
oración (17C)
 escribir oraciones con la gramática, puntuación y ortografía
correcta (17E)
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 1 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 escribir poemas con detalles sensoriales (18B)
 usar nombres, verbos, y pronombres en oraciones (20A(i), 20A(ii),
20A(iii), 20A(vi))
 escribir para que los otros puedan leer mi escritura (21A)
 aparear los sonidos con las letras para hacer palabras (22A,
ELPS 5A)
 utilizar los patrones ortográficos para deletrear (23A)
 utilizar sílabas y partes de un palabra para deletrear (23D, ELPS
5C)
 crear el plural de una palabra (22I, ELPS 5C)
 utilizar la pared de palabras (22J)
 escuchar mientras que los otros estén hablando y hacer
preguntas (27A)
 hablar claramente, usando oraciones completas, cuando
comparto mi escritura ( 28, ELPS 3C, ELPS 3D)
Evidence of Learning (Summative Assessment)
Students will write short poems that score a 2 on the student friendly rubric.
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 2 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Third Grading Period
Guiding Questions





Essential Pre-requisite Skills
Kindergarten
 Write one’s own name (18C)
 Form upper and lowercase letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (17A)
 Capitalize the first letter in a sentence (17B)
 Use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters (18A)
 Plan a first draft by generating ideas through class discussion (13A)
 Share writing with others (13E)
 Generate ideas before writing on self-selected topics (15D)
What is a poem?
How can I get ideas to write a poem?
How do I write a poem?
What are sensory details?
How can I make my poem more interesting for my reader?
The Teaching Plan – Week 1
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
So students can….
The teacher will…
Read poems aloud to the class to expose them to the sounds of poetry. Have students sign up to read favorite poems to the class after lunch or at the end of the day. Add poetry
to the fluency work station. Students can practice reading the poem together and read with fluency and expression. Check out an assortment of poetry books from the local
library to add to the independent reading work station. Create a special notebook (notebook paper with a construction paper cover) just for poetry. Students can write their own
poetry, copy favorite poems, and illustrate them too.
Prewriting (17A)
Prewriting
 Select two free verse (non-rhyming) poems to share. If you do not have access to
 listen to the sound of poetry and make connections
an Elmo, write two poems on an overhead transparency. Show a copy of the
 visualize as a poem is read aloud
poem projected on the Elmo or overhead projector and read it to the class. Focus
 discuss characteristics of a poem
on enjoying the poem together.
 brainstorm topics
 Ask: What does this poem remind you of? What kinds of pictures do you see as I
read this poem? Why did the poet choose to use that word?
 Ask students what they notice about the poems (title, topic, word choice, line
breaks – where the line breaks on the page, white space – space on the page
without print, imagery, rhythm, and feelings). Line breaks create the space and
shape of a poem. Poems look and sound different from other genres of writing.
 Lead students in a discussion about poetry (It doesn’t have to rhyme. You can
write about anything. It’s important to choose your words carefully. Poems look
different than stories. Poems may have a rhythm.)
 Brainstorm topics on chart paper. Remind students that a poem can be about
anything. Poems can be about family, friends, sports, feelings, likes, dislikes.
Drafting (17B, 18B, 20Ai, 20Aii, 20Aiii, 20Avi, 22A, 22Bi, 22C, 22D, ELPS 5A, ELPS
5B, ELPS 5C)
 Show students how to write a free verse poem (non-rhyming poem).
 Select a topic from the list. Tell students what you want to say about the topic.
Play around with repeated lines. Reread the poem to see if it sounds right and
looks right. Discuss the way that the words look on the page (using white space).
Add a title.
 Create a class poem together using shared writing. As you compose the poem
together, ask students to reread to listen to the way that the poem sounds. Think
about sensory words. Play around with the words on each line to create line
breaks. Focus on how poems go down the page with line breaks and white
space. Add a title.
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
Drafting
 observe teacher writing a free verse poem in front of the class
 create a class poem
 write a poem with a partner
 use sensory details when writing a poem
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 3 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 Put some objects in a mystery bag (stuffed animal, school supplies, leaves,
flower, toys, etc.) Create another class poem together using an object from the
mystery bag. Ask students to contribute to the poem.
 Divide students into pairs to create a poem. One person from each pair will select
an object from the mystery bag. Each pair will write a poem on a large sheet of
manila paper or construction paper, cut into a long strip to resemble poetry paper.
Give each student a different colored marker so they can add to the poem. Guide
students as they write the poem. Ask; What does your object look like? Feel like?
What would someone do with your object? Tell students to add a title.
Conferring (17C, 28)
 Circulate around the room and listen to students as they read their writing.
 Affirm writers using comments such as: “I like that title. I know what your poem will
be about.” “I like the way your poem looks like on the page.” “I like the words you
used. I can picture how you were feeling.”
 Tell students to read the poem in a whisper voice to see if the poem sounds right.
Tell them to think about how the poem looks on the page.
 Ask questions to help students think of sensory details to add to their writing.
Revising (17C)
 Model adding sensory details
 Model using short phrases instead of using complete sentences. Tell students to
think about how they want the poem to sound and look on the page.
Editing (17D, ELPS 5D)
 Remind students to use the word wall to spell high frequency words
Conferring
 Read their writing to the teacher and talk about what they need to do to make the
writing better
Revising
 Add more sensory details
 Turn sentences into phrases to make the writing look like a poem
Editing
 Use the word wall
Sharing
 Speak clearly to share their poem
 Listen attentively to others
Sharing (27A, 28, ELPS 3D)
 Select pairs to chorally read their poem to the class.
 Remind the students to speak clearly and loudly so everyone can hear.
 Remind students to listen carefully as the writers read their poem.
Keep a folder of student writing samples to show growth.
Resources
Teacher Toolkit
 Sensory Details
TAKS Vocabulary
English:
 poem
 rhythm
 line breaks
 white space
Spanish:
 poema
 ritmo
 encabalgamientos
 espacio en blanco
Additional Resources:
 Kids’ Poems Teaching First Graders to Love
Writing Poetry by Regie Routman
 Joyful Ways to Teach Young Children to Write
Poetry by Jodi Weisbart
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Mentor Texts
English:
 In the Swim by Douglas Florian
 Eats Poems by Arnold Adoff
 Splish Splash by Joan Bransfield Graham
 Snippets by Charlotte Zolotow
 Good Rhymes, Good Times by Lee Bennett Hopkins
 Birthday Rhymes, Special Times by Bobbye S.
Goldstein
 The Random House Book of Poetry edited by
Jack Prelutsky
 Sing a Song of Popcorn selected by Beatrice
Schenk de Regniers
 Tomie dePaola’s Book of Poems by Tomie dePaola
Page 4 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 About the Authors by Katie Wood Ray pp. 214-220
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Spanish:
 Poesía infantil by José Gonzaléz Torices
 Poemas con sol y son: Poesía de América Latina
para niños by Varios autores
 Donde el camino se corta by Shel Silverstein
 Los ángeles andan en bicicleta y otros poemas de
otoño by Francisco X. Alarcón
Page 5 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Third Grading Period
Guiding Questions





Essential Pre-requisite Skills
Kindergarten
 Write one’s own name (18C)
 Form upper and lowercase letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (17A)
 Capitalize the first letter in a sentence (17B)
 Use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters (18A)
 Plan a first draft by generating ideas through class discussion (13A)
 Share writing with others (13E)
 Generate ideas before writing on self-selected topics (15D)
What is a poem?
How can I get ideas to write a poem?
How do I write a poem?
What are sensory details?
How can I make my poem more interesting for my reader?
The Teaching Plan – Week 2
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can….
Prewriting (17A)
 Read several free verse poems aloud
 Lead discussion so students notice how poems are written (short format, the
use of phrases, rhythm, line breaks, imagery).
 Tell students to visualize as the poem is being read
 Brainstorm a list of favorite places that can serve as topics for poems
Prewriting
 listen to the sound of poetry and make connections
 visualize as a poem is read aloud
 discuss characteristics of a poem
Drafting (17B, 18B, 20Ai, 20Aii, 20Aiii, 20Avi, 22A, 22Bi, 22C, 22D, ELPS 5A,
ELPS 5B, ELPS 5C)
 Create a five column chart and write the sensory icons at the top of each
column (eye, ear, nose, mouth, hand).
 Discuss sensory details (Teacher Toolkit: Sensory Details)
 Model writing a poem about a favorite place. Think of sensory words which
relate to your favorite place to add to the five column chart.
 Select a favorite place from the list of topics
 Use shared writing to compose a poem together. Remind students to think of
sensory words to add to the poem.
 Tell students to select a favorite place from the list and turn and talk to their
partner about what they would see, hear, smell, taste, or feel at that place.
 Pass out sheets of poetry paper, notebook paper cut vertically into (4 ¼ X 11
inch sheets).
 Tell students to write a poem about their favorite place. (This poem can be
done with pairs if your students need additional support).
Drafting
 observe teacher writing a poem in front of the class
 use sensory details when writing a poem
 write a poem about a favorite place
Conferring (17C, 28)
 Circulate around the room and listen to students as they read their poems.
 Ask questions to help students think of sensory details to add to their poems.
Conferring
 Read their writing to the teacher and talk about what they need to do to make the writing
better
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 6 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Revising (17C)
 Read poems aloud to listen for phrases that need to be shortened
 Model a mini lesson on using short phrases. Show students a poem that
resembles four complete sentences but is written with seven lines. EX:
My brother gave me
An alien toy.
It has green eyes
That flash and it
Is really cool. I love that
Green alien toy.
It has a silver jacket too.
 Tell students that this poem sounds like a story. Ask students what to do to
turn this into a poem (take out words).
My brother gave me
An alien toy.
Green eyes
That flash
Silver jacket
I love that
Green alien toy.
Revising
 Add more sensory details
 Turn sentences into phrases to make the writing look like a poem
 Model adding sensory details
 Take out words and replace with short phrases
Editing (17D, ELPS 5D)
 Remind students to use the word wall.
Editing
 Use the word wall to check spelling
Sharing (27A, 28, ELPS 3D)
 Select two or three students each day to share their writing with the class.
 Remind the student who is sharing to speak clearly and loudly so everyone
can hear.
 Remind students to listen carefully as the writer reads his/her poem.
 Compliment writers who use sensory details
Keep a folder of student writing samples to show growth.
Sharing
 Speak clearly to share their poem
 Listen attentively to others
Resources
Teacher Toolkit
 Sensory Details
TAKS Vocabulary:
English:
 poem
 rhythm
 sensory words
Spanish:
 poema
 ritmo
 palabras sensoriales
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Mentor Texts:
English:
 In the Swim by Douglas Florian
 Eats Poems by Arnold Adoff
 Splish Splash by Joan Bransfield Graham
 Snippets by Charlotte Zolotow
 Good Rhymes, Good Times by Lee Bennett Hopkins
 Birthday Rhymes, Special Times by Bobbye S.
Goldstein
 Candy Corn by James Stevenson
Page 7 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Additional Resources:

Kids’ Poems Teaching First Graders to Love
Writing Poetry by Regie Routman

Joyful Ways to Teach Young Children to Write
Poetry by Jodi Weisbart

About the Authors by Katie Wood Ray pp. 214-220
 Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices
selected by Paul B. Janeczko
 Doodle Dandies: Poems That Take Shape by J.
Patrick Lewis
 The Random House Book of Poetry edited by Jack
Prelutsky
 Sing a Song of Popcorn selected by Beatrice
Schenk de Regniers
 Tomie dePaola’s Book of Poems by Tomie dePaola
Spanish:
 Poesía infantil by José Gonzaléz Torices
 Poemas con sol y son: Poesía de América Latina
para niños by Varios autores
 Donde el camino se corta by Shel Silverstein
 Los ángeles andan en bicicleta y otros poemas de
otoño by Francisco X. Alarcón
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 8 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Third Grading Period
Guiding Questions





Essential Pre-requisite Skills
Kindergarten
 Write one’s own name (18C)
 Form upper and lowercase letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (17A)
 Capitalize the first letter in a sentence (17B)
 Use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters (18A)
 Plan a first draft by generating ideas through class discussion (13A)
 Share writing with others (13E)
 Generate ideas before writing on self-selected topics (15D)
What is a poem?
How can I get ideas to write a poem?
How do I write a poem?
What are sensory details?
How can I make my poem more interesting for my reader?
The Teaching Plan – Week 3
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can….
Prewriting (17A)
 Read poetry. Discuss the topic, word choice, ending lines, showing feelings,
and repetition.
 Look at each poem and discuss what you notice. Most first graders expect
poems to rhyme. Expose students to lots of free verse poetry since that is
what they will be writing. Explain how nonrhyming poems cans also have
rhythm and beat.
 Share poems written by children. Use a transparency so students can see
them easily.
 Discuss the way that a poem looks (words, phrases, use of white space,
 Point out craft techniques such as repetition- repeating words, phrases, and
lines, alliteration, or onomatopoeia.
 Brainstorm a list: What We Know About Poetry/Lo que sabemos de la poesía
Date it and continue adding to the list as the unit progresses
 Oral brainstorming of topics
Encourage students to write about things they really care about or every
day topics.
Prewriting
 Explain the characteristics of poems
 Contribute to a class chart of writing topics
Drafting (17B, 18B, 20Ai, 20Aii, 20Aiii, 20Avi, 22A, 22Bi, 22C, 22D, ELPS 5A,
ELPS 5B, ELPS 5C)
 Think aloud and write a poem in front of your class. Write a title for the poem.
 Ask students to list favorite places and events in their writer’s notebooks.
 Write a paragraph about a place or event. Circle key words or phrases to use
in the poem.
 Use shared writing to create a poem. Use repetition to create rhythm. Read
the poem aloud to listen to the sound of the words. Add a title.
 Experimenting with line breaks - Make an overhead transparency of a poem
from a shared writing, cut the poem apart. Say the words and phrases and
place them in different ways on the overhead projector until the class is
satisfied with the line breaks, white space, and shape of the poem.
 Take a journal entry as the basis for a poem. Circle key words or phrases.
Drafting
 Contribute to a poem written together as a class
 Manipulate lines of a poem to create line breaks, space, and shape
 Circle key words or phrases from a journal entry
 Write a poem using key words or phrases from the journal entry
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 9 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 Create a poem using key words or phrases.
 Mini-lessons: The importance of titles, using just the right words, expressing
feelings, creating rhythm through repeated words, experimenting with line
breaks and white space
Revising (17C)
 Reread the poem over and over so it looks and sounds the way you want
 Rearrange the lines, deciding to use a line as a repeating pattern
 Revise for word choice, adding an alliterative phrase, color word, or vivid verb
 Does the title make sense?
Revising
 Reread writing and add words or phrases to create rhythm or repetition
 Rearrange lines of the poem
 Rewrite the title if necessary
Editing (17D, ELPS 5D)
 Refer to the word wall.
Editing
 Use the word wall
Sharing ( 27A, 28, ELPS 3D)
 Invite students to read his or her poem in the author’s chair
 Pair up and read poems to a partner or in a small group
 Create a classroom anthology with one or more poems from every student.
Sharing
 Read poem to a partner
Resources
Teacher Toolkit
 Poetry Writing in First Grade
TAKS Vocabulary:
English:
 poem
 rhythm
 repetition
 alliterative phrase
 onomatopoeia
Spanish:
 poema
 ritmo
 repetición
 frase aliterativa
 onomatopeya
Additional Resources:
 Kids’ Poems Teaching First Graders to Love
Writing Poetry by Regie Routman
 Joyful Ways to Teach Young Children to Write Poetry
by Jodi Weisbart
 About the Authors by Katie Wood Ray pp. 214-220
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Mentor Texts:
English:
 In the Swim by Douglas Florian
 Eats Poems by Arnold Adoff
 Splish Splash by Joan Bransfield Graham
 Snippets by Charlotte Zolotow
 Good Rhymes, Good Times by Lee Bennett Hopkins
 Birthday Rhymes, Special Times by Bobbye S.
Goldstein
 Baseball, Snakes, and Summer Squash: Poems
About Growing Up by Donald Graves
 A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children
by Caroline Kennedy-Schlossberg
 The Random House Book of Poetry edited by Jack
Prelutsky
 Sing a Song of Popcorn selected by Beatrice Schenk
de Regniers
 Tomie dePaola’s Book of Poems by Tomie dePaola
Spanish:
 Poesía infantil by José Gonzaléz Torices
 Poemas con sol y son: Poesía de América Latina
para niños by Varios autores
 Donde el camino se corta by Shel Silverstein
 Los ángeles andan en bicicleta y otros poemas de
otoño by Francisco X. Alarcón
Page 10 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Evidence of Learning (Summative Assessment)
Differentiation
 Model, Model, Model. Use shared writing to write
about a topic of interest. Think aloud as you write.
 Encourage discussion- Have students talk with a
partner about their topic before writing.
 Accept all writing attempts. First graders may be
at different developmental stages. Refrain from
marking on student papers since this takes away
ownership from the writer.
 Have students turn and talk to a partner about
their topic writing.
These conversations help students think about word
choice, beginnings, and endings.
 Look for writing gems, powerful words and
phrases. Collect examples on sticky notes or write
gems on sentence strips to display.
 Write small poems. Concentrate on choosing
words carefully.
 Involve students in creating a classroom
anthology. Show students how to create “About the
Poet” pages and add illustrations to each poem.
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
TAKS
Fourth Grade: TAKS Released Test
Source: TEA Website – April 2006
English Writing:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resourc
es/release/taks/2006/gr4taks.pdf
Fourth Grade: TAKS Released Test
Source: TEA Website – April 2008
Spanish Writing:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resourc
es/release/taks_items/2008/SpanGr04Wrtg.pdf
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
College-Readiness i.e.,
Anticipated Skills for SAT/ACT/College Board/Career/Life
Texas College and Career Readiness Standards for English/
Language Arts (CCRS):
Writing:

Compose a variety of texts that demonstrate clear
focus, the logical development of ideas in wellorganized paragraphs, and use the appropriate
language that advances the author’s purpose.
Page 11 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
Unit of Study: Stories
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Third Grading Period – Week 4-6
Enduring Understandings (Big Ideas)
Unit Rationale
The process of writing begins with finding ideas. First
graders are expected to make their own decisions about
writing topics.
Students can find stories in their own experiences.
Essential Questions
Guiding Questions
 How do I write a story? (17A,17B,17C,17D,17E)
 How can I get ideas for writing? (19A)
 How can I write so others understand my writing? (20Ai, 20Aii, 21A, 21Bi,21C, 22A, 22Bi, 22C,
22D)
 How do I share my writing? (20B, 27A, 28)
TEKS (Standards)
17A plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing (e.g., drawing,
sharing ideas, listing key ideas)
17B develop drafts by sequencing ideas through writing
sentences
17C revise drafts by adding or deleting a word, phrase, or
sentence
17D edit drafts for grammar, punctuation, and spelling 17E
publish and share writing with others
18A write short stories that include a beginning, middle, and end
20A(i) verbs (present)
20A(ii) nouns (singular/plural, common/proper)
20A(vi) pronouns
20A(v) prepositional phrases
20B speak in complete sentences with correct subject-verb agreement
21A form upper and lower-case letters legibly in text, using the basic
conventions of print
21B(i) recognize and use basic capitalization for the beginning of
sentences
21C recognize and use punctuation marks at the end of declarative,
exclamatory, and interrogative sentences
22A use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters to construct
known words
22B(i) use letter-sound patterns to spell
22C spell high-frequency words from a commonly used list
22D spell base words with inflectional endings
22E use resources to find correct spellings
27A listen attentively to speakers and ask relevant questions
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period




What are the parts of a story?
What can I do if I don’t know how to spell a word?
How can I make my writing better?
How do I share my writing?
TEKS Specificity - Intended Outcome
” I CAN” statements highlighted in yellow should be displayed for students.
I can:
 think of some ideas for writing (17A)
 choose my own topic (17A)
 put my ideas/sentences in order (17B)
 make my writing better by adding or taking away a word, phrase, or sentence (17C)
 write sentences with correct grammar, end punctuation, and spelling (17D, ELPS 5D)
 listen to and talk about others’ writing (17E)
 write short stories (18A, ELPS 5B)
 use nouns, verbs, pronouns, and prepositional phrases in sentences (20A(i), 20A(ii), 20A(vi),
20A(v))
 write so others can read my writing (21A)
 capitalize the beginning of sentences (21B(i))
 use the editing checklist to check for capital letters and end marks (21C)
 match sounds to letters to make words (22A, ELPS 5A)
 use CVC patterns to spell (22Bi, ELPS 5C)
 spell high frequency words (22C, ELPS 5C)
 spell words with endings –s, -ed, -ing (22D, ELPS 5C)
 use a word wall (22E)
 listen to others when they are speaking and ask questions (27A)
 speak clearly, using complete sentences, when sharing my writing (20B, 28, ELPS 3D)
Yo puedo…
 generar ideas para la escritura (17A)
 escoger mi propio tema (17A)
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 12 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
















to clarify information
28 speak clearly
ELPS 3D speak using grade-level content area vocabulary in context to
internalize new English words and build academic language proficiency
ELPS 5A learn relationships between sounds and letters of the English
language to represent sounds when writing in English
ELPS 5B write using newly acquired basic vocabulary and content-based
grade level vocabulary
ELPS 5C spell familiar English words with increasing accuracy, and
employ English spelling patterns and rules with increasing accuracy as
more as English is acquired
ELPS 5D Edit writing for standard grammar and usage
poner mis ideas/oraciones en orden (secuencia) (17B)
mejorar mi escritura al poner o colocar una palabra, frase, u oración (17C)
escribir oraciones con la gramática, puntuación y ortografía correcta (17E)
escuchar y hablar sobre la escritura de otros (17E)
escribir relatos (o cuentos breves)18A
usar nombres, verbos, y pronombres en oraciones (20A(i), 20A(ii))
escribir para que los otros puedan leer mi escritura (21A)
escribir una letra mayúscula al principio de la oración (21B(i))
utilizar la tabla de redacción para revisar las mayúsculas y la puntuación (21C)
aparear los sonidos con las letras para hacer palabras (22A)
utilizar los patrones ortográficos para deletrear (23A)
utilizar sílabas y partes de un palabra para deletrear (23D)
crear el plural de una palabra (22I)
utilizar la pared de palabras (22J)
escuchar mientras que los otros estén hablando y hacer preguntas (27A)
hablar claramente, usando oraciones completas, cuando comparto mi escritura (20B, 28)
Evidence of Learning (Summative Assessment)
 Students will write a story which scores at least a 2 on the student rubric.
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 13 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Third Grading Period
Guiding Questions




Essential Pre-requisite Skills
Kindergarten
 Write one’s own name (18C)
 Form upper and lowercase letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (17A)
 Capitalize the first letter in a sentence (17B)
 Use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters (18A)
 Plan a first draft by generating ideas through class discussion (13A)
 Share writing with others (13E)
 Generate ideas before writing on self-selected topics (15D)
How do I write a story?
What can I do if I don’t know how to spell a word?
How can I make my writing better?
How do I share my writing?
The Teaching Plan – Week 4
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
Prewriting (7B, 17A, 20Aii, ELPS 3D)
 Mini-lesson: Introduce names of months, days, holidays. Point out that names of
months, days, and holidays start with a capital letter. HMH Journeys/Senderos
T250
 Look at the calendar and discuss special days during the year. Tell students that
they will be writing a story about something they have done with a family member.
Ask questions about the story: Who are the people in the family? How is this
family like your family? How are they different?
 Brainstorm a list of family members (Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, Grandma, Aunt,
Cousin, etc.)
 Tell students to turn and talk to a partner about something they have done with a
family member.
 Brainstorm a list of activities that students have done with family members (EX: go
to movies, make cookies, play outside, go swimming)
Drafting (17B, 18A, 20A(i)(ii)(iii)(iv), 21A, 21B(i)(ii)(iii), 21C,22A, 22Bi, 22C, 22D, 23B,
ELPS 5A, ELPS 5B, ELPS 5C)
 Select an idea from the chart and write a story about a family activity using shared
writing. Create a storyboard using three sheets of construction paper. Label each
sheet, beginning, middle, end. Draw a brief sketch in each box.
 Begin drafting the piece in front of the students, thinking aloud as you write. Model
capitalization, punctuation, and the use of invented spelling. Encourage students
to skip lines so they can reread and make changes. Model how rereading is
important in the drafting process.
 Prompt students to add more to the shared story by asking: “What else can I
write? What else would you like to know about my story?”
 Reread the story and check to see that it has a clear beginning, middle, and end
 Have students write a story about something special that they’ve done with
someone in their family. Refer to the brainstormed list of topics.
 Give students a sheet of paper that has been divided into three parts to create a
simple storyboard. Number the boxes in the upper right hand corner. Model how
to draw a simple scene followed by another simple scene that tells what happened
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
So students can….
Prewriting
 Listen to a story to get ideas for writing
 Brainstorm a list of topics
 Discuss a topic with a partner
Drafting
 Compose a story with the class
 Create a storyboard
 Write a story
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 14 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
next.
 Say: A good story has a beginning, middle, and end. I want you to think about
what happened first in your story. Draw that on the first box. What happened next?
Draw that on the second box. What happened last? Draw that on the last box.
(Diga: Un buen relato tiene un principio, medio y final. Quiero que piensen acerca
de lo que ocurrió primero en su cuento. Dibujen eso en el primer cuadro. ¿Qué
sucedió después? Dibujen eso en el segundo cuadro. ¿Qué sucedió al final?
Dibujen eso en el ultimo cuadro.
Conferring
 Circulate among the students and observe them as they write.
 Confer with students at their desks.
Conferring
 Read their writing and answer questions about the writing. Use the answers to add
more to the writing.
Revising (17C)
 Show students how to reread to see if the writing has a beginning, middle, and
end.
 Add time order transition words.
 Show students how to use a caret/signo de intercalación (^) to add a word or
phrase (Teacher Toolkit: Modeling Revision).
Editing (17D, 22E, ELPS 5D)
 Remind students to use the editing checklist.
 Show students how to use a picture dictionary.
 Direct students to use class resources to find correct spelling.
Revising
 Reread writing
 Add details or time transition words using a caret
Editing
 Use the editing checklist
 Use class resources to check spelling
Sharing (17E, 20B, 20C, 27A, 28A, 29A, ELPS 3C)
 Read writing to a partner
 Select students to read their writing from the author’s chair.
 Demonstrate how to give feedback by using the stem: “I like your story
because___” or “I found out___.”
 Encourage good listener response, questions and answers, compliments, and
suggestions.
Sharing
 Read story to a partner
 Give feedback
Keep a folder of student writing samples to show growth.
Resources
Teacher Toolkit
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
TAKS Vocabulary:
English:
 storyboard
Spanish:
 guión gráfico
Additional Resources:
 Marvelous Minilessons for Teaching Beginning
Writing by Lori Jamison Rog
 Teaching the Youngest Writers by Marcia Freeman
 Helping Children Become Writers Through Reading
by Arlene C. Schulze
 Primary Pizzazz Writing by Melissa Forney
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Mentor Texts:
English
 The Hello, Goodbye Window by Norton Juster
 The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant
 Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
 Aunt Flossie’s Hats by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
Spanish
 Un sillón para mi mamá by Vera B. Williams
 Guillermo Jorge Manuel José by Mem Fox
 El conejito Knuffle: Un cuento aleccionador by Mo
Willems
 Una canasta de cumpleaños para Tía by Pat Mora
 Alexander y el día terrible, horrible, espantoso,
horroroso by Judith Viorst
 Quique duerme fuera de casa by Bernard Waber
Page 15 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Third Grading Period
Guiding Questions




Essential Pre-requisite Skills
Kindergarten
 Write one’s own name (18C)
 Form upper and lowercase letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (17A)
 Capitalize the first letter in a sentence (17B)
 Use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters (18A)
 Plan a first draft by generating ideas through class discussion (13A)
 Share writing with others (13E)
 Generate ideas before writing on self-selected topics (15D)
How do I write a story?
What can I do if I don’t know how to spell a word?
How can I make my writing better?
How do I share my writing?
The Teaching Plan – Week 5
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can….
Prewriting (7B, 17A, ELPS 3D)
 Read a mentor text where a character has a problem and becomes sad or
mad.
 Ask what happens in the story at the beginning, middle, and end. Discuss the
character’s feelings.
 Ask students to “Think, Pair, Share” about something that makes them sad or
mad.
 Create an anchor chart titled “Things That Make Us Sad or Mad.” Have
volunteers share ideas and add to the anchor chart.
Drafting (17B, 18A, 20A(i)(ii)(iii)(iv), 21A, 21B(i)(ii)(iii), 21C,22A, 22Bi, 22C, 22D,
23B, ELPS 5A, ELPS 5B, ELPS 5C)
 Tell students that they will be writing a story about something that makes them
sad or mad this week.
 Select an idea from the chart and write a shared story about something that
makes you sad or mad. Create a storyboard using three sheets of construction
paper. Label each sheet, beginning, middle, end. Draw a brief sketch in each
box.
 Begin drafting the piece in front of the students, thinking aloud as you write.
Model capitalization, punctuation, and the use of invented spelling. Encourage
students to skip lines so they can reread and make changes. Model how
rereading is important in the drafting process.
 Prompt students to add more to the shared story by asking: “What else can I
write? What else would you like to know about my story?”
 Reread the story and check to see that it has a clear beginning, middle, and
end
 Review the “Things That Make Us Sad or Mad” chart. Ask students to think of
something that makes them sad or mad. Use “Think, Pair, Share” to have
students discuss topics.
 Have students write a story about something that makes them sad or mad.
Refer to the brainstormed list for topics.
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
Prewriting
 Listen to a story to get ideas for writing a story
 Turn and talk to partner about ideas
Drafting
 Compose a story with the class
 Select a topic and write a story
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 16 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 Give students a sheet of paper that has been divided into three parts to create
a simple storyboard. Number the boxes in the upper right hand corner. Model
how to draw a simple scene followed by another simple scene that tells what
happened next.
 Say: A good story has a beginning, middle, and end. I want you to think about
what happened first in your story. Draw that on the first box. What happened
next? Draw that on the second box. What happened last? Draw that on the last
box. (Diga: Un buen relato tiene un principio, medio y final. Quiero que piensen
acerca de lo que ocurrió primero en su cuento. Dibujen eso en el primer
cuadro. ¿Qué sucedió después? Dibujen eso en el segundo cuadro. ¿Qué
sucedió al final? Dibujen eso en el ultimo cuadro.
Conferring
 Circulate among the students and observe them as they write.
 Confer with students at their desks.
Conferring
 Read their writing and answer questions about the writing. Use the answers to add
more to the writing.
Revising (17C, 20Av)
 Mini-lesson: prepositions and prepositional phrases (under, on, after, before,
during, by, at) HMH Journeys/Senderos T426, 462
 Create an anchor chart with examples of prepositional phrases
Show students how to use prepositional phrases to tell when or where.
Look at the shared story and add prepositional phrases. Have students
reread their drafts to add prepositional phrases.
 Revise papers by adding spider legs. (Teacher Toolkit: Spider legs)
 Show students how to use a caret/signo de intercalación (^) to add a word or
phrase (Teacher Toolkit: Modeling Revision).
Revising
 Reread writing
 Add prepositional phrases using a caret or spider legs
Editing
 Use the editing checklist
 Use class resources to check spelling
Editing (17D, 22E, ELPS 5D)
 Remind students to use the editing checklist.
 Direct students to use class resources to find correct spelling.
Sharing (17E, 20B, 20C, 27A, 28A, 29A, ELPS 3C)
 Read writing to a partner
 Select students to read their writing from the author’s chair.
 Demonstrate how to give feedback by using the stem: “I like your story
because___” or “I found out___.”
 Encourage good listener response, questions and answers, compliments, and
suggestions.
Sharing
 Share writing in the author’s chair
 Give positive feedback
Keep a folder of student writing samples to show growth.
Resources
Teacher Toolkit
 Modeling Revision
 Spider Legs
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
TAKS Vocabulary:
English:
 transition words
 prepositions
 prepositional phrases
Spanish:
 palabras de transición
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Mentor Texts:
English
 Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems
 Trouble on the T-Ball Team by Eve Bunting
 Jake’s 100th Day of School by Lester Laminack
 Ish by Peter H. Reynolds
Page 17 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 preposiciones
 frases preposicionales
Additional Resources:
 Marvelous Minilessons for Teaching Beginning
Writing by Lori Jamison Rog
 Teaching the Youngest Writers by Marcia Freeman
 Helping Children Become Writers Through Reading
by Arlene C. Schulze
 Primary Pizzazz Writing by Melissa Forney
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
 A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams
 Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt
 Rain Romp: Stomping Away a Grouchy Day by Jane
Kurtz
 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very
Bad Day by Judith Viorst
 Lottie’s New Beach Towel by Petra Mathers
Spanish
 Un sillón para mi mamá by Vera B. Williams
 Guillermo Jorge Manuel José by Mem Fox
 El conejito Knuffle: Un cuento aleccionador by Mo
Willems
 Una canasta de cumpleaños para Tía by Pat Mora
 Alexander y el día terrible, horrible, espantoso,
horroroso by Judith Viorst
 Quique duerme fuera de casa by Bernard Waber
Page 18 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Third Grading Period
Guiding Questions




Essential Pre-requisite Skills
Kindergarten
 Write one’s own name (18C)
 Form upper and lowercase letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (17A)
 Capitalize the first letter in a sentence (17B)
 Use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters (18A)
 Plan a first draft by generating ideas through class discussion (13A)
 Share writing with others (13E)
 Generate ideas before writing on self-selected topics (15D)
How do I write a story?
What can I do if I don’t know how to spell a word?
How can I make my writing better?
How do I share my writing?
The Teaching Plan – Week 6
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
Prewriting (7B, 17A, ELPS 3D)
 Read a mentor text where a character has fun.
 Ask what happens in the story at the beginning, middle, and end. Discuss
the character’s feelings.
 Ask students to “Think, Pair, Share” about a time when they had fun.
 Create a circle map with “Fun Times” in the middle. Have volunteers share
ideas and add to the anchor chart.
Drafting (17B, 18A, 20A(i)(ii)(iii)(iv), 21A, 21B(i)(ii)(iii), 21C,22A, 22Bi, 22C, 22D,
23B, ELPS 5A, ELPS 5B, ELPS 5C)
 Tell students that they will be writing a story about a fun time.
 Select a topic and ask students to help you write the story. EX: On Saturday,
my family and I went to a birthday party. We had fun.
 Ask students to generate questions about the topic. EX: Where was the
party? Who was at the party? What time of day was it? What did you do at
the party? What kind of food did you eat?
 Begin drafting the piece in front of the students, thinking aloud as you write.
Model capitalization, punctuation, and the use of invented spelling.
Encourage students to skip lines so they can reread and make changes.
Model how rereading is important in the drafting process.
 Prompt students to add more to the shared story by asking: “What else can I
write? What else would you like to know about my story?”
 Reread the story and check to see that it has a clear beginning, middle, and
end
 Refer to the circle map (fun times). Ask students to select a topic. Use
“Think, Pair, Share” to have students discuss topics.
 Tell students to think about something fun they have done. Tell them to
close their eyes and make a picture in their mind as you ask questions.
Where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing that is fun?
 Have students write a story about a fun time.
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
So students can….
Prewriting
 Listen to a story to get ideas for writing
 Brainstorm topics using a circle map
Drafting
 Write a shared story
 Write a story about a fun time
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 19 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Conferring
 Circulate among the students and observe them as they write.
 Confer with students at their desks.
Conferring
 Read their writing and answer questions about the writing. Use the answers to add more
to the writing.
Revising (17C, 20Av)
 Tell students to reread their drafts to see if the writing makes sense. Ask the
following questions: What else happens in your story? How can you make
the story more interesting? Tell students to “Think, Pair, Share” and tell your
partner what else you want to know about their fun time.
 Show students how to add a sentence or two by adding spider legs (Teacher
Toolkit: Spider Legs)
 Add prepositional phrases. Refer to anchor chart created in week 5.
Editing (17D, 22E, ELPS 5D)
 Remind students to use the editing checklist.
 Direct students to use class resources to find correct spelling.
Revising
 Reread to see if the writing makes sense
 Add a sentence or two to make the writing more interesting
 Add prepositional phrases
Editing
 Use the editing checklist
 Use other resources to check spelling
Sharing/Publishing (17E, 20B, 20C, 27A, 28A, 29A, ELPS 3C)
 Read writing to a partner
 Select students to read their writing from the author’s chair.
 Encourage good listener response, questions and answers, compliments,
and suggestions.
 Publish a story of their choice (a fun time with a family member, a time when
you were sad or mad, or a fun time.) Write story in neat writing and illustrate.
Publishing
 Copy story using best writing, add illustrations
Keep a folder of student writing samples to show growth.
Resources
Teacher Toolkit
 Spider Legs
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
TAKS Vocabulary:
English:
 illustrations
Spanish:
 ilustraciones
Additional Resources:
Professional Books:
 Marvelous Minilessons for Teaching Beginning
Writing by Lori Jamison Rog
 Teaching the Youngest Writers by Marcia Freeman
 Helping Children Become Writers Through Reading
by Arlene C. Schulze
 Primary Pizzazz Writing by Melissa Forney
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Mentor Texts:
English:
 Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee
 Katie’s Sunday Afternoon by James Mayhew
 All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle
Spanish

Un sillón para mi mamá by Vera B. Williams

Guillermo Jorge Manuel José by Mem Fox

El conejito Knuffle: Un cuento aleccionador by Mo
Willems

Una canasta de cumpleaños para Tía by Pat Mora

Alexander y el día terrible, horrible, espantoso,
horroroso by Judith Viorst

Quique duerme fuera de casa by Bernard Waber
Page 20 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Evidence of Learning (Summative Assessment)
Differentiation
 Encourage writing fluency. First graders need to
get their thoughts down on paper without worrying
about the spelling.
 De-emphasize perfect spelling. Encourage
students to use invented or temporary spelling.
Show students how to stretch out words and write
the sounds that they hear.
 Replace tired words: Get rid of happy, sad, mad,
big, little, and good. Create word plates by cutting a
paper plate in half, writing the tired word in the
middle, surrounded by synonyms. Make a holder for
the word plate by curling a strip of cardstock into a
circle and fastening it into a tube. Snip each side of
the holder with scissors. The tube stands up on the
table or desk and holds the word plate.
 Word Jar: Promote word consciousness by asking
students to collect interesting words. Make a poster
in the shape of a jar. Model adding interesting words
to the poster. Encourage students to use these
interesting words in their writing.
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
TAKS
Fourth Grade: TAKS Released Test
Source: TEA Website – April 2006
English Writing:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resourc
es/release/taks/2006/gr4taks.pdf
Fourth Grade: TAKS Released Test
Source: TEA Website – April 2008
Spanish Writing:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resourc
es/release/taks_items/2008/SpanGr04Wrtg.pdf
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
College-Readiness i.e.,
Anticipated Skills for SAT/ACT/College Board/Career/Life
Texas College and Career Readiness Standards for English/
Language Arts (CCRS):
Writing:

Compose a variety of texts that demonstrate clear
focus, the logical development of ideas in wellorganized paragraphs, and use the appropriate
language that advances the author’s purpose.
Page 21 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
Unit of Study: Fairy
Tales
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Third Grading Period – Week 7-9
Enduring Understandings (Big Ideas)
Unit Rationale
Reading and writing are reciprocal processes.
Reading and writing reinforce each other. Writing aids the teaching of reading and provides
a window into students’ understanding of literacy.
Essential Questions
 How do I write a fairy tale? (17A,17B,17C,17D,17E,18A)
 How can I write so others understand and enjoy my writing? (7B, 20Ai, 20Aii,
20Aiii, 21A, 22A, 22Bi, 22Bii22C, 22D, 23Biii)
 What do I do in the Author’s Chair? (17E, 20B, 20C, 27A, 28A, 29A, ELPS 3C)
TEKS (Standards)
Guiding Questions
What are fairy tales?
How can I write a different fairy tale?
What are the parts of a story?
How can I make my story more interesting for my reader?
What are transition words?
Why should I reread my draft?
TEKS Specificity - Intended Outcome
7B explain the function of recurring phrases in traditional folk and fairytales
17A plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing (e.g., drawing, sharing ideas,
listing key ideas)
17B develop drafts by sequencing ideas through writing
sentences
17C revise drafts by adding or deleting a word, phrase, or
sentence
17D edit drafts for grammar, punctuation, and spelling
17E publish and share writing with others
18A write brief stories that include a beginning, middle, and end
20A(i) verbs (present)
20A(ii) nouns (singular/plural, common/proper)
20A(iii) adjectives
20A(vi) pronouns
20A(vii) time-order transition words
20B speak in complete sentences with subject-verb agreement
20C ask questions with appropriate subject-verb inversion
21A form upper and lower-case letters legibly in text, using the basic conventions
of print
21B(i)(ii)(iii) recognize and use basic capitalization
21C recognize and use punctuation marks
22A use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters to construct known
words
22B(i) use letter-sound patterns to spell
22B(ii) the pronoun “I”
22C spell high-frequency words from a commonly used list
22D spell base words with inflectional endings
22E use resources to find correct spellings
23B spell words with common orthographic patterns and rules
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period






” I CAN” statements highlighted in yellow should be displayed for students.
I can…
 think of some ideas for writing (17A)
 put my ideas/sentences in order (17B)
 make my writing better by adding or taking away a word or phrase(17C)
 write using correct grammar and spelling (17D, ELPS 5D)
 write a story (18A)
 capitalize the beginning of sentences, the pronoun “I”, and names of people (21B)
 use punctuation marks (21C)
 listen to and talk about others’ writing (17E)
 write a story with a beginning, middle, and end (18A)
 use nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, and transition words (20A(i), 20A(ii), 20A (iii),
20A(vi), 20(vii)
 write so others can read my writing (21A)
 match sounds to letters to make words (22A, ELPS 5A)
 use patterns to spell (22Bi, 23B)
 spell high frequency words (22C, ELPS 5C)
 spell words with endings –s, -ed, -ing (22D, ELPS 5C)
 use a word wall (22E)
 listen to others when they are speaking and ask questions (20C, 27A, 29A)
 speak clearly, using complete sentences, when sharing my writing (20B, 28A, ELPS
 3C, ELPS 3D)
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 22 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
ELPS 5D Edit writing for standard grammar and usage
27A listen attentively to speakers and ask relevant questions to clarify information
28A share information and ideas about the topic under discussion
29A follow agreed-upon rules for discussion
ELPS 3C speak using a variety of grammatical structures, sentence lengths,
sentence types, and connecting words with increasing accuracy and ease as
more English is required
ELPS 3D speak using grade-level content area vocabulary in context to
internalize new English words and build academic language proficiency
ELPS 5A learn relationships between sounds and letters of the English language
to represent sounds when writing in English
ELPS 5B write using newly acquired basic vocabulary and content-based grade
level vocabulary
ELPS 5C spell familiar English words with increasing accuracy, and employ
English spelling patterns and rules with increasing accuracy as more as English
is acquired
Yo puedo…
 generar ideas para la escritura (17A)
 poner mis ideas/oraciones en orden (secuencia) (17B)
 mejorar mi escritura al poner o colocar una palabra, frase, u oración (17C)
 escribir oraciones con la gramática, puntuación y ortografía correcta (17D
 escuchar y platicar sobre la escritura de otros (17E)
 escribir un cuento con principio, medio y final (18A)
 usar nombres, verbos, y pronombres en oraciones (20A(i), 20A(ii), 20A(iii), 20A(vi),
20A(vii)
 escribir para que los otros puedan leer mi escritura (21A)
 reconocer y utilizar la puntuación al principio y al final de las oraciones exclamativas e
interrogativas y al final de las oraciones declarativas (21C)
 aparear los sonidos con las letras para hacer palabras (22A)
 utilizar los patrones ortográficos para deletrear (23A)
 deletrear las palabras de alta frecuencia (22C)
 deletrear palabras con los términos –es, -ces, -ando, -iendo, y en el pasado (22D)
 utilizar la pared de palabras (22J)
 escuchar mientras que los otros estén hablando y hacer preguntas (20C, 27A, 29A)
 hablar claramente, usando oraciones completas, cuando comparto mi escritura ( 20B,
28A)
Evidence of Learning (Summative Assessment)
Given a choice of topics, students will write brief stories based on fairy tales that score at least a 2 on a student friendly rubric.
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 23 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Third Grading Period
Guiding Questions

Essential Pre-requisite Skills
H
ow do I write a fairy tale?

W
hat can I do if I don’t know how to spell a word?

H
ow can I make my writing better?

H
ow do I share my writing?
Kindergarten

own name (18C)

and lowercase letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (17A)

first letter in a sentence (17B)

phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters (18A)

draft by generating ideas through class discussion (13A)

with others (13E)

before writing on self-selected topics (15D)
Write his/her
Form upper
Capitalize the
Use
Plan a first
Share writing
Generate ideas
The Teaching Plan – Week 7
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
Prewriting (7B, 17A, ELPS 3D)

Re
ad aloud a fairy tale such as The Three Bears, The Gingerbread Man, Three
Little Pigs, The Princess and the Pea, or another classic tale. After the read
aloud, discuss the three main parts of the story: beginning, middle, and
ending.

Tel
l students that authors start out with “Once upon a time” (“Había una vez”)
when writing fairytales and end with “And they lived happily ever after”.

Tel
l students that the class is going to write another version of the fairy tale. EX:
The Three Tigers, The Three Monkeys, The Gingerbread Panda

Sh
ow students a chart with the following questions:
Beginning-What problem did the main character have?
Middle-What exciting things happened?
Ending-How was the problem solved?

Cr
eate a plan to write a new version of the story. Fill out a graphic organizer
with three parts (beginning, middle, end). (Principio/Medio/Final).

As
k students to contribute their ideas to plan the story.
Drafting (17B, 18A, 20A(i)(ii)(iii)(iv), 21A, 21B(i)(ii)(iii), 21C,22A, 22Bi, 22C, 22D,
23B, ELPS 5A, ELPS 5B, ELPS 5C)
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
So students can….
Prewriting

parts of the story

version of a fairy tale
Drafting

version of a fairy tale
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
discuss three
plan another
write a new
Page 24 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.

Us
e the graphic organizer to write another version of the story.








read their
writing to the teacher and talk about what they need to do to make the writing better
St
art the story with “Once upon a time” and end with “They lived happily ever
after.”
Us
e shared writing to model a fairy tale that has a clear beginning, middle, and
end
Be
gin drafting the piece in front of the students, thinking aloud as you write.
Model capitalization, punctuation, and the use of invented spelling.
Encourage students to skip lines so they can reread and make changes.
Model how rereading is important in the drafting process.
Us
e time order transition words such as first, next, then, last, finally.
Gi
ve students a sheet of paper that has been divided into three parts to create a
simple storyboard. Number the boxes in the upper right hand corner. Model
how to draw a simple scene followed by another simple scene that tells what
happened next.
Sa
y: A good story has a beginning, middle, and end. I want you to think about
what happened first in your story. Draw that on the first box. What happened
next? Draw that on the second box. What happened last? Draw that on the
last box. (Diga: Un buen relato tiene un principio, medio y final. Quiero que
piensen acerca de lo que ocurrió primero en su cuento. Dibujen eso en el
primer cuadro. ¿Qué sucedió después? Dibujen eso en el segundo cuadro.
¿Qué sucedió al final? Dibujen eso en el ultimo cuadro.
Ha
ve students write their own version of the fairy tale.
Conferring

culate among the students and observe them as they write.

nfer with students at their desks.
Cir
Co
Revising (17C, 20Avi)

Sh
ow students how to reread to see if the writing has a beginning, middle, and
end.

Mi
ni-lesson: Introduce subject pronouns. HMH Journeys/Senderos Unit 5 T22,
T44, T58 Create an anchor chart with pronouns (it, he, she, we, they).
Remind students that pronouns can take the place of nouns. Reread the
shared story and replace some nouns with pronouns. Have students reread
their drafts and add pronouns.

Sh
ow students how to use a caret/signo de intercalación (^) to add a word or
phrase (Teacher Toolkit: Modeling Revision).
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
Conferring

writing
Revising

the story has a beginning, middle, end

with pronouns

phrases to make the story better
Editing

checklist

dictionary, word wall, or other resources to find correct spelling
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
talk about their
check to see if
replace nouns
add words or
use the editing
use a
Page 25 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Editing (17D, 22E, ELPS 5D)

mind students to use the editing checklist.

ow students how to use a picture dictionary.

ect students to use class resources to find correct spelling.
Re
Sh
Dir
Sharing

to share their stories

attentively to others

to clarify information
speak clearly
listen
ask questions
Sharing (17E, 20B, 20C, 27A, 28A, 29A, ELPS 3C)

Se
lect students to read their writing from the author’s chair.

De
monstrate how to ask questions and give feedback.

En
courage good listener response, questions and answers, compliments, and
suggestions.
Keep a folder of student writing samples to show growth.
Resources
Teacher Toolkit

odeling Revision
TAKS Vocabulary:
English:
M

airy tales

ronouns
Spanish:

uentos de hada

ronombres
Additional Resources:

rimary Pizzazz Writing by Melissa Forney pp. 186189

arvelous Minilessons for Teaching Beginning Writing
by Lori Jamison Rog

eaching the Youngest Writers by Marcia Freeman
Mentor Texts:
English:
f

ack and the Beanstalk:How a Small Fellow Solved a
p Joy Schleh
Big Problem by

n Ant’s Day Off by Bonny Becker

c by Toni Buzzeo
awdle Duckling

p
he Floating House
by Scott Sanders

oodle Man: The Pasta Superhero by April Pulley
P
Sayre

rave Potatoes by Toby Speed
M

wamp Angel by Paul O. Zelinsky

T
loudy with a Chance
of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Spanish:

uan y los fríjoles mágicos by Frances Bofill

na rica merienda by Rocío Antón y Lola Núñez

a reina de las nieves by Hans Christian Andersen
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 26 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.

os tres osos by Paul Galdone

El lobo llama a la puerta! by Nick Ward

ollita pequeñita by Steven Kellogg

arta habla by Susan Meddaugh
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 27 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Third Grading Period
Guiding Questions

ow do I write a fairy tale?

hat can I do if I don’t know how to spell a word?

ow can I make my writing better?

ow do I share my writing?
Essential Pre-requisite Skills
Kindergarten
H
 Write his/her own name (18C)
 Form upperW
and lowercase letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (17A)
 Capitalize the first letter in a sentence (17B)
H
 Use phonological
knowledge to match sounds to letters (18A)
 Plan a first draft by generating ideas through class discussion (13A)
H with others (13E)
 Share writing
 Generate ideas before writing on self-selected topics (15D)
The Teaching Plan – Week 8
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
Prewriting (7B, 17A, ELPS 3D)

Make an
anchor chart with characteristics of the fairy tale genre. (Begins with “Once upon a
time”, good characters, evil characters, characters with magic powers, may include
kings, queens, princesses, and princes, may end with “And they lived happily ever
after.”)

Read a
fairy tale such as The Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, Hansel and Gretel, The
Gingerbread Man, Little Red Riding Hood, etc.

Tell
students that the class is going to write another version of the fairy tale with a different
setting or time. The setting can be changed from the woods to the mall, restaurant,
zoo, school etc. The story can take place in modern times where the characters use
cell phones, computer, watch current TV shows etc. EX: The Three Bears Go to the
Beach, The Texas Gingerbread Man, Little Red Riding Hood 2010.

Show
students a chart with the following questions:
Beginning-What problem did the main character have?
Middle-What exciting things happened?
Ending-How was the problem solved?

Create a
plan to write a new version of the story. Fill out a graphic organizer with three parts
(beginning, middle, end). (Principio/Medio/Final).

Ask
students to contribute their ideas to plan the story.
Drafting (17B, 18A, 20A(i)(ii)(iii)(iv), 21A, 21B(i)(ii)(iii), 21C,22A, 22Bi, 22C, 22D, 23B,
ELPS 5A, ELPS 5B, ELPS 5C)

Use the
graphic organizer to write another version of the story.

Start the
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
So students can….
Prewriting

ss characteristics of fairy tales

another version of the fairy tale
discu
plan
Drafting

write
a new version of a story

read
their writing to the teacher and talk about what they need to do to make the
writing better
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 28 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.

story with “Once upon a time” and end with “They lived happily ever after.”
Use shared
writing to model a fairy tale that has a clear beginning, middle, and end

Begin
drafting the piece in front of the students, thinking aloud as you write. Model
capitalization, punctuation, and the use of invented spelling. Encourage students to
skip lines so they can reread and make changes. Model how rereading is important in
the drafting process.

Use time
order transition words such as first, next, then, last, finally.

Give
students a sheet of paper that has been divided into three parts to create a simple
storyboard. Number the boxes in the upper right hand corner. Model how to draw a
simple scene followed by another simple scene that tells what happened next.

Say: A
good story has a beginning, middle, and end. I want you to think about what happened
first in your story. Draw that on the first box. What happened next? Draw that on the
second box. What happened last? Draw that on the last box. (Diga: Un buen relato
tiene un principio, medio y final. Quiero que piensen acerca de lo que ocurrió primero
en su cuento. Dibujen eso en el primer cuadro. ¿Qué sucedió después? Dibujen eso
en el segundo cuadro. ¿Qué sucedió al final? Dibujen eso en el ultimo cuadro.

Have
students write their own version of a fairy tale.
Conferring

among the students and observe them as they write.

students at their desks.
Circulate
Revising

to see if the story has a beginning, middle, end

pronouns

time order transition words

words or phrases to make the story better
talk
check
add
add
add
Confer with
Revising (17C, 20Avi, 20Avii)

Show
students how to reread to see if the writing has a beginning, middle, and end.

Add
pronouns. Refer to anchor chart created in week 7.

Add time
order transition words.

Show
students how to use a caret/signo de intercalación (^) to add a word or phrase
(Teacher Toolkit: Modeling Revision).
Editing (17D, 22E, ELPS 5D)

students to use the editing checklist.

students how to use a picture dictionary.

students to use class resources to find correct spelling.
Conferring

about their writing
Remind
Show
Editing

the editing checklist

dictionary, word wall, or other resources to find correct spelling
Sharing

clearly to share their stories

attentively to others

questions to clarify information
use
use a
speak
listen
ask
Direct
Sharing (17E, 20B, 20C, 27A, 28A, 29A, ELPS 3C)
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 29 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.

Select
students to read their writing from the author’s chair.

Demonstrat
e how to ask questions and give feedback.

Encourage
good listener response, questions and answers, compliments, and suggestions.
Keep a folder of student writing samples to show growth.
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 30 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
Resources
Teacher Toolkit
 Modeling Revision
TAKS Vocabulary:
English:
 fairy tales
 transition words
Spanish:
 cuentos de hada
 palabras de transición
Additional Resources:

Primary Pizzazz Writing by Melissa Forney pp.
186-189

Marvelous Minilessons for Teaching Beginning
Writing by Lori Jamison Rog

Teaching the Youngest Writers by Marcia
Freeman
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Mentor Texts:
English:
 Jack and the Beanstalk:How a Small Fellow Solved a Big
Problem by Joy Schleh
 An Ant’s Day Off by Bonny Becker
 Dawdle Duckling by Toni Buzzeo
 The Floating House by Scott Sanders
 Noodle Man: The Pasta Superhero by April Pulley Sayre
 Brave Potatoes by Toby Speed
 Swamp Angel by Paul O. Zelinsky
 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
Spanish: (imaginative stories, fairytales, fantasy)
 Juan y los fríjoles mágicos by Frances Bofill
 Una rica merienda by Rocío Antón y Lola Núñez
 La reina de las nieves by Hans Christian Andersen
 Los tres osos by Paul Galdone
 ¡El lobo llama a la puerta! by Nick Ward
 Pollita pequeñita by Steven Kellogg
 Marta habla by Susan Meddaugh
Page 31 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
English and Spanish Writing – First Grade
CURRICULUM GUIDE
Third Grading Period
Guiding Questions




Essential Pre-requisite Skills
Kindergarten
 Write his/her own name (18C)
 Form upper and lowercase letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (17A)
 Capitalize the first letter in a sentence (17B)
 Use phonological knowledge to match sounds to letters (18A)
 Plan a first draft by generating ideas through class discussion (13A)
 Share writing with others (13E)
 Generate ideas before writing on self-selected topics (15D)
How do I write a fairy tale?
How do I create a book cover?
How can I make my writing better?
How do I share my writing?
The Teaching Plan – Week 9
Instructional Model & Teacher Directions
The teacher will…
So students can….
Drafting (17B, 18A, 20A(i)(ii)(iii)(iv), 21A, 21B(i)(ii)(iii), 21C,22A, 22Bi, 22C, 22D,
23B, ELPS 5A, ELPS 5B, ELPS 5C)
 Continue working on fairy tales from previous week.
 This week, students will finish writing their fairy tales, revise and edit the
draft, add illustrations, and make covers for their books.
 Show students how to make a book cover. Show them the cover of a book.
Read the title and author’s name. Ask students what kind of information can
be found on the cover. Tell students that the book cover has three important
things: title, author’s name, and an illustration that shows something about
the story. Good titles are short and tell something about the story.
 Show students a sample book cover created from a large sheet of
construction paper folded in half. Show them where the title, author’s name,
and illustration will go.
 Have students reread their stories. Ask, “What would be a good title for your
story? What kind of illustration can you draw on the front cover?”
 Pass out large construction paper, have students fold paper in half. Tell
students to write the title, author’s name and draw illustrations (with a pencil
and add color.)
Revising (17C)
 Show students how to reread to see if the writing has a beginning, middle,
and end
 Show students how to use a caret/signo de intercalación (^) to add a word or
phrase (Teacher Toolkit: Modeling Revision)
Editing (17D, 22E, ELPS 5D)
 Remind students to use the editing checklist
 Show students how to use a picture dictionary
 Direct students to use class resources to find correct spelling
Drafting
 write a fairy tale
 create a book cover
Revising
 check to see if the story has a beginning, middle, end
 add words or phrases to make the story better
Editing
 use the editing checklist
 use a dictionary, word wall, or other resources to find correct spelling
Sharing/Publishing (17E, 20B, 20C, 27A, 28A, 29A, ELPS 3C)
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
Page 32 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.
 Tell students to copy their final drafts on paper using their best handwriting.
 Help students assemble their books by placing the story inside the book
cover and stapling.
 Select students to read their writing from the author’s chair
 Demonstrate how to ask questions and give feedback
 Encourage good listener response, questions and answers, compliments,
and suggestions
Sharing/ Publishing
 write drafts in best handwriting
 speak clearly to share their stories
 listen attentively to others
 ask questions to clarify information
Resources
TAKS Vocabulary:
English:
 transition words
Teacher Toolkit
 Modeling Revision
Spanish:
 palabras de transición
Additional Resources:
 Primary Pizzazz Writing by Melissa Forney pp. 186189
 Marvelous Minilessons for Teaching Beginning
Writing by Lori Jamison Rog
 Teaching the Youngest Writers by Marcia Freeman
Mentor Texts:
English
 Jack and the Beanstalk:How a Small Fellow Solved
a Big Problem by Joy Schleh
 An Ant’s Day Off by Bonny Becker
 Dawdle Duckling by Toni Buzzeo
 The Floating House by Scott Sanders
 Noodle Man: The Pasta Superhero by April Pulley
Sayre
Spanish
 Juan y los fríjoles mágicos by Frances Bofill
 Una rica merienda by Rocío Antón y Lola Núñez
 La reina de las nieves by Hans Christian Andersen
 Los tres osos by Paul Galdone
 ¡El lobo llama a la puerta! by Nick Ward
Evidence of Learning (Summative Assessment)
Differentiation
TAKS
 Encourage writing fluency. First graders need to
get their thoughts down on paper without worrying
about the spelling.
 Group fairy tales: Put students in a small group to
create a fairy tale. Give each student a different
colored marker so they all contribute.
 Fairy tale variations: Change the point of view.
Tell the story from the point of view of another
character or object. Change the genre to action
adventure, horror, or mystery.
Fourth Grade: TAKS Released Test
Source: TEA Website – April 2006
English Writing:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resourc
es/release/taks/2006/gr4taks.pdf
SAISD © 2010-2011 – Third Grading Period
Fourth Grade: TAKS Released Test
Source: TEA Website – April 2008
Spanish Writing:
http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resourc
es/release/taks_items/2008/SpanGr04Wrtg.pdf
English and Spanish Writing Grade 1
College-Readiness i.e.,
Anticipated Skills for SAT/ACT/College Board/Career/Life
Texas College and Career Readiness Standards for English/
Language Arts (CCRS):
Writing:

Compose a variety of texts that demonstrate clear
focus, the logical development of ideas in wellorganized paragraphs, and use the appropriate
language that advances the author’s purpose.
Page 33 of 33
Power Standards represent the essential knowledge and skills students need for success in high school and beyond. Power Standards must be mastered to successfully pass the required assessments at
each grade level. All TAKS eligible knowledge and skills are identified as Power Standards.