Writing Meeting---January 6, 2004

Attendance: Lynda Davis, Mary Jane Kinman, Julie Pearman, Dana Rose

Items Discussed:

**Writing Portfolio Update---Students continue to write/type examples of each writing genre:

Personal--Memoir and/or Personal Narrative

Transactive--Feature Article and/or How-to-Piece and/or Persuasive Letter

Teachers discussed the next writing genre to be started in February----

Literary---short stories, folktales, tall tales, poetry, etc.

(Dayna Lykins has taught a 2-day Poetry lesson to two 4th grades; she is scheduled to teach these lessons to the other two 4th grades)

Teachers will pool their resources for "story-starters", literary examples, books, etc.

**On-Demand Writing----Students will write essays for the Herald-Leader section "Mark My Words"; real-life writing, and possibility of being published in the newspaper!

**"Japan in a Suitcase"---Mrs. Pearman has invited the speaker to do her presentation in her classroom; the other three 4th grade teachers will invite her into their classrooms for her lesson.

Followup to the lesson: writing prompt for students to describe the differences between a 4th grader's day in Japan and the U.S.

**Open-Response Questions----continue to follow the format for answering ORQ's (poster displayed in classroom) in all subject areas.

**Word Wall----reminder to continue to add vocabulary to existing Word Walls; Mrs. Kinman distributed lists of Math vocabulary words to be displayed and discussed in class.

**Etc.----Students will write critiques of television shows and movies, using the writing skills we have learned.

Students will write letters, thank-you notes, etc. where possible/appropriate to get more practice with these lessons.

---submitted by Lynda Davis