Creating an Event Sequence: Jot Notes About the Sequence

Today you will choose at least one idea and create an event sequence.  Yesterday you practiced the idea web, here is the second strategy we will practice:  

• Jot Notes About the Sequence:  Fold a piece of paper into three sections.  Label the sections:  beginning, middle, end.  Jot notes about what happens in each part.  use the notes to practice telling the story aloud, highlighting or circling parts to use and crossing off parts that don't move the piece along.  To help with the sequencing, it may be useful to number parts of the notes within each section before writing the story on another paper. 
• If you are using your google docs, tables work well for this.  I'll show how I use tables in class then post it below. 

Here is my idea list from yesterday.  Again, I am going to practice the strategies above using one idea.  

• Finishing my first half marathon
• Raising my first litter of puppies 
• My trip to Yellowstone National Park
• My trip to the Pacific Ocean
• The year I was bullied in school
• Writing my first book
• Planning my daughters wedding
• The last Christmas with my grandma
• Moving to Grand Forks
• Teaching my son in 2nd grade
• The year my husband was deployed
• Surviving a car accident
• Memories of my 5th grade year
• etc... 

Creating an Event Sequence: Idea Web

Today you will choose at least one idea and create an event sequence.  There are many ways to do this, here is the first of four strategies we will practice:  

• Use an idea web.  Write your topic in the center then web the events around the topic.  Number the events in the order you'd like to tell the story.

Here is my idea list from yesterday.  I am going to practice the strategies above using one idea.  

• Finishing my first half marathon
• Raising my first litter of puppies 
• My trip to Yellowstone National Park
• My trip to the Pacific Ocean
• The year I was bullied in school
• Writing my first book
• Planning my daughters wedding
• The last christmas with my grandma
• Moving to Grand Forks
• Teaching my son in 2nd grade
• The year my husband was deployed
• Surviving a car accident
• Memories of my 5th grade year
• etc... 

Here is my idea web.  I used google draw (click on drive, create, draw) but you can easily do this on a piece of paper.  What you use to draw the web is not important.  Write your ideas based on your theme or topic and then number them to start a sequence.  

Play around with your ideas and see what happens.  What are your thoughts about this?  

List of Memorable Events

Dear writers in TH5,

     Here is your task for today.  Make a list of events in your life that you find memorable.  You may write in your google docs or in your writer's notebooks.  Please share them with me if you are using your docs.  My list would look like the following:

• Finishing my first half marathon
• Raising my first litter of puppies
• My trip to Yellowstone National Park
• My trip to the Pacific Ocean
• The year I was bullied in high school
• Writing my first book
• Planning my daughters wedding
• My last year with my grandma
• Moving to a Grand Forks
• Teaching my son in 2nd grade
• The year my husband was deployed
• Surviving a car accident
• Memories of my 5th grade year
• etc...  

Try to come up with at least 10 events that you could write more about.  Think, Write, Share :0)

Veterans Day

Veterans Day is soon approaching.  It is an important day reserved for remembering, honoring, and showing gratitude to our nation's veterans.  A veteran is a person who has

FEDERAL DEFINITION: under Federal Law a VETERAN is any person, who served honorably on active duty in the armed forces of the United States. (Discharges marked GENERAL AND UNDER HONORABLE CONDITIONS also qualify.)

Below is a short video about the history of Veterans Day:

On Friday, our school will have a program led by our Music teacher, Mrs. Winger, to honor veterans in our community.  Many of our 5th graders are singing and all of them are creating a card that will be given to a guest veteran showing our gratitude for their service.  Big jobs!  How do we even begin to say thank you for the gifts they have given to us?

Below are videos that warmed my heart.  Watch one or watch them all.

What are you feeling after watching them?  

What would you like to tell a veteran? 

In what ways could you thank them

NaNoWriMo Young Writers

Click on the link below and check out 

NaNoWriMo Young Writers

NaNoWriMo Young Writers

Click on the About tab to learn what this program is all about then tell me what you think.  Is this something you'd be interested in?

Click on Resources to see what else is available for young writers.  What questions do you have?