HAZELWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT
READING/WRITING WORKSHOP SYLLABUS
Course Description
This course is a reading/writing workshop approach to exploring literature. Students
will read, write, listen, and think about literature and respond through journal entries,
group discussions, book talks, and literature circles. Major writing assignments will be
in response to literature with one research project involving an investigation of reading
and writing in the workplace. Students will add at least one piece of writing to their
portfolios. Through these activities, students will explore the elements of literature and
learn to select appropriate reading materials for personal enrichment.
Approved Course Materials and Resources
For the teacher:
Atwell, Nancie. In the Middle: New Understanding about Writing, Reading, and
Learning, 2nd edition. Boynton/Cook, 1998.
This book gives expectations and rules for reading/writing workshops and ideas for
teaching hundreds of mini-lessons. It also includes forms for record keeping of
individual student progress in proofreading, spelling, homework, and reading & writing.
Atwell, Nancie. Lessons That Change Writers. Heineman, 2002.
A book with over a hundred mini-lessons along with the theory behind each lesson and
a binder of reproducibles. Nancie's focus is on the mini-lesson as a vehicle for helping
students improve their writing. Lessons about Topics, Lessons about Principles of
Writing, Lessons about Genre, and Lessons about Conventions are the four main
categories of this resource.
Burke, Jim. Reading Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques. Boynton/Cook, 2000.
This book contains many practical reading strategies that reiterate the connection
between reading and writing needed to develop a community of reflective readers within
the classroom. Burke has designed activities that will teach students to read a variety of
texts and improve their ability to discuss and understand what they read.
Odean, Kathleen. What's New In Young Adult Literature Resource Handbook. Bureau
of Education & Research, 2002. A book with many reading lists and booktalking tips to
motivate reading.
Schall, Lucy. Booktalks Plus: Motivating Teens to Read. Libraries Unlimited, 2002.
(paperback) Schall introduces specific themes in YA literature and a number of
activities related to them. The short booktalks lend themselves to use in the classroom
for reading motivation. This book is a useful tool for curriculum connections.
Tovani, Cris. I Read It, But I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent
Readers. Stenhouse Publishers, 2000. This is a practical book that can help teachers
help adolescents develop reading comprehension skills. It contains a "What Works"
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section that offers simple ideas that can be used in a variety of content areas and grade
levels and an appendix with reproducible materials.
Weaver, Constance. Reading Process & Practice, 3rd ed. Heinemann, 2002. This book
provides valuable research data that will help teachers support individual readers.
For the classroom:
African American Poetry. Globe Book Company.
Dunning, Stephen. Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle and Other Modern Verse.
Erma, Bruce. Drama for Reading and Performance; Collection One and Two. National
Textbook Co., 1999.
Fleischman, Paul. Seedfolks. Harper Trophy, 1999. (paperback) Harper Collins, 1997.
(hardcover). A blighted neighborhood is transformed when a young girl plants a few
lima beans in an abandoned lot. Slowly, one by one, neighbors are stirred to action as
they see the seeds grow. Hispanics, Haitians, Koreans, young and old, turn the littered
lot into a garden for the whole community. (80 pages)
New American Roget's College Thesaurus in Dictionary Form, Rev. Ed., New American
Library, 2001.
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry. Random House, 2003. (paperback)
An anthology of contemporary poems selected with an introduction by Billy Collins,
Poet Laureate of the United States. The 180 refers to the number of days in the school
year. This book parallels a website that offers a poem for each day.
www.loc.gov/poetry/180
Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) is a reading comprehension test that assesses
students' reading levels and helps teachers adjust instruction according to students'
needs, track students' reading growth over time, and match readers to text.
Webster's New World College Dictionary, 4th ed., Webster's New World/IDG Books
Worldwide, 2001.
Writers INC: a Student Handbook for Writing and Learning. Write Source Education
Group, 2001.
School Writing/Real World (English Composition: Writing for An Audience Series)
Berkow & Berkow, 2000. (Video) 30 min. This video links reading and writing and
discusses the importance of knowing how to read and write effectively for success in
real world careers. In this video students meet a variety of workers including
mechanics, engineers, health occupation technicians, musicians, artists, and athletes
who talk about how they use reading and writing on their jobs.
Writing Magazine 9-12. Weekly Reader Press. Each monthly issue provides articles
that link reading and writing, features that enable students to practice writing for
different audiences and purposes, writing prompts, and relevant nonfiction that
sharpens skills in grammar, vocabulary, and usage.
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Young, Sue. Scholastic Rhyming Dictionary. Scholastic, 1994.
Library Books
Course Expectations
Students will:
Read a minimum of four pieces of literature. Each piece must be reading level
appropriate.
Novels must be 150 pages or longer
25 to 30 poems is considered one piece
A minimum of 10 stories is considered one piece
One piece of drama may include one, 3-act play or 3, one-act plays
Write
A research paper (objective 13)
Activities in Writing magazine at least twice a quarter
Self reflection final exam
Interactive journal responses at least once per week
Pieces for different audience and purpose (objective 10)
Take SRI test to determine and monitor reading level at least twice a semester.
Sample Course Activities/Projects/Assessments
The student will develop criteria and justify in writing his/her selection by applying the
criteria for book selection.
Book selection is an ongoing process in Reading and Writing Workshop. The following
strategy is designed for non-practiced readers who may find book selection
overwhelming. For more practiced readers, see the alternative strategy described
below.*
Teacher will give a mini-lesson on selecting what to read. (“Mini-lesson: Selecting What
to Read,” Appendix p.9)
In Kagan cooperative learning structure, students will
 brainstorm various ways to choose books by making two lists: one for good readers,
one for poor readers.
 identify effective ways to select books
 share lists with class to generate discussion
As a class, students will
 go to school library and listen to librarian's explanation of procedures, Dewey
Decimal System, and popular teen authors.
 listen to book talks.
(See Appendix p.1 for Listening - Scoring Guide)
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Individually, students will then
1) select 3 books from school, home or public library.
2) record all 3 books selected on Student Reading Record.
3) choose 1 of the 3 to read and checkout.
4) write justification for selection.
After reading a minimum of 20% of a book, a student has the option to keep or abandon
that book. If the book is abandoned, student will share justification for abandonment
with teacher and/or group members. Then the student will select one of his/her original
choices recorded on the Student Reading Record and repeat steps 1-5 above. If a
student abandons all 3 original choices, the teacher will continue to assist that student
with book selection.
The teacher will enlist the help of the school librarian to plan and organize this activity
and become familiar with the young adult literature available in the school library. The
librarian and teacher will work as a team to
 encourage students to brainstorm various methods of effective book selection.
Possibilities include cover descriptions, correlation with movie themes,
recommendations by peers, new releases, favorite authors, etc.
 conference with students (or read written justification) about their selections.
The librarian will
 confer with classroom teacher to plan and organize this activity.
 recommend popular YA literature to teacher prior to beginning this activity.
 orient students to library check-out procedures, location of books, review Dewey
Decimal System Classification System, and offer tips on book selection.
 give motivational book talks on popular YA literature throughout the semester. New
books arrive frequently.
(Preview File Folder activity can be helpful here. Appendix, page 10)
 assist teacher in conference/assessment of students' book selection.
 serve as a liaison between the classroom teacher and the public library as needed.
*Alternative Strategy for More Practiced Readers
Students will pretend they work for a book publisher. Each month they receive a box
containing books of various types and genres. Such a box has just arrived! Each and
every book must be read and reviewed. In cooperative learning groups, students will
 explain which types of books they would select to read first and why.
 explain which types they would put off until last and why.
 articulate any other sorting process they might use to decide how to go about this
task.
 share with group members and class at large.
See items listed on Reading Motivational/Literature Appreciation Scoring Guide.
(Appendix, page 13)
Continue as described above.
As non-practiced readers become more practiced, the above strategy may be used with
them as well.
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Course Outline
Students will read and discuss many genres of literature including newspapers, short
stories, poetry, biography, and humor. Students will frequently respond to and discuss
what they read. Since this course is a reading and writing workshop, there is not a
specific order that the teacher must follow, but the objectives must be taught and the
student requirements must be met.
1st quarter
Unit 1 Individual Student Reading Evaluation using SRI or Gates
Why People Read (objective 1), Reading Survey (objective 2), Book Selection (objective
4), Reading Response (objective 5)
Unit 2 Vocabulary and word study (objective 6) Ongoing
Unit 3 Seedfolks (objective 7)
Unit 4 Independent novel (objective 8), Cultural Reading Reaction Sheet (objective 9)
Unit 4 Reading like a Writer, Writing like a Reader (objective 10) Ongoing
Unit 5 Writing for a Specific Purpose and Audience (objective 11), evaluate own
writing (objective 12), and peer edit (objective 13).
2nd quarter
Unit 1 Independent novel (objective 8)
Unit 2 Writing activities (objective 11), evaluate own writing (objective 12), and peer edit
(objective 13).
Unit 3 Vocabulary and word study (objective 6) Ongoing
Unit 4 Research careers (objective 14) and write a research paper (objective 15)
Unit 5 Individual Student Reading Evaluation using SRI or Gates; Revisit goal set at
end of semester and write a multi-paragraph essay evaluating strengths and
weaknesses and improvement in reading. (objective 3)
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Course Curriculum Map
1st quarter
Unit 1 What is good reading and how good am I?
The student will take a standardized reading test and a reading survey to help set
reading goals.
1 week
Unit 2 Vocabulary and word study
The student will complete activities and will keep a word study log throughout the
semester to develop vocabulary and strategies for learning new words.
Ongoing
Unit 3 Seedfolks
The student will read Seedfolks and analyze and evaluate the author’s use of point of
view, characterization, plot, setting, or theme in an essay.
3 weeks
Unit 4 Independent novel
While reading a novel of choice, the student will keep a reading journal and respond to
what is being read and to prompts by the teacher.
5 weeks
Unit 5 Reading like a Writer, Writing like a Reader
While reading shared text or independent text, the student will write various types of
analytic essays, in various genres, based on various models that they are reading.
The writing is integrated with the reading so that the time spent is also included in the
reading units.
Ongoing
Unit 6 Writing for a Specific Purpose and Audience
The student will use the writing process to write for a specific purpose and audience.
The writing is integrated with the reading so that the time spent is also included in the
reading units.
Ongoing
2nd quarter
Unit 1 Independent novel
While reading a novel of choice, the student will keep a reading journal and respond to
what is being read and to prompts by the teacher.
5 weeks
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Unit 2 Writing activities
While reading shared text or independent text, the student will write various types of
analytic essays, in various genres, based on various models that they are reading.
The writing is integrated with the reading so that the time spent is also included in the
reading units.
Ongoing
Unit 3 Vocabulary and word study
The student will complete activities and will keep a word study log throughout the
semester to develop vocabulary and strategies for learning new words.
Ongoing
Unit 4 Research careers and write a research paper
The student will write a research paper about a career.
4 weeks
Unit 5 Individual Student Reading Evaluation using SRI or Gates; Revisit goal set at
end of semester and write a multi-paragraph essay evaluating strengths and
weaknesses and improvement in reading. (objective 3)
1 week
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Lesson Protocol
High School English
Hazelwood Power Standard ________________Grade: _____________
#1: Anticipatory Set—introduction of lesson and objective
5%
#2: Modeled Activity
25%
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
#3: Fiction and Non-fiction Reading and Writing
55%
(emphasis on reading strategies, vocabulary, writing, and analyzing)
Cooperative Student work or Independent Practice
#4: Sharing of product or realizations
#5: Summarization of Lessons Learned
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10%
5%
8
Power Vocabulary
There is no Power Vocabulary for this course. Comprehension, reading, and writing
skills are the focus.
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