1. Writer’s Workshop: Fourth Grade
Monday, November 15, 2010
Connection:
You wrote an expository essay about who is a hero to you. Good writer’s need to go back to their entries
and re-read them. After they re-read their entries, they ask themselves questions that help them find
out the message they are trying to convey to their readers.
Teach: We need to start questioning our entries to find out what our message is to the reader. Let’s look
at this chart (pg. 59). We can use these questions to help us figure out the message we are trying to
convey.
Model: Read my essay about the beach. Ask the questions and think aloud. Find the evidence in the
essay that supports the answer from each question.
Did you see how I… read over my essay carefully and asked myself these questions? Also, did you see
how I referred back to the story to find the evidence that supports my answers?
Active Engagement:
Now you try it…
Partner A, read your essay to your partner B aloud. Partner B answer the questions from the chart
regarding partners A essay. Then, vice versa.
Link:
Go back to your desk and begin researching a topic. When looking for data to record, keep these
questions in mind in order to know what message you’re trying to inform the reader with.
Writer’s Workshop: Fourth Grade
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Connection:
You did research on a topic asking yourself certain questions to figure out the message you’re trying to
convey to your reader. Using the data you collected, we need to create a thesis statement.
Teach: A thesis statement is one sentence that states the main idea of the essay. You can use the
questions on this chart paper (pg. 76) to arrive at a thesis statement.
Model: Read over the data collected then ask yourself the questions on page 76. Arrive at a thesis
statement.

2. Did you see how I… read over my data I collected then asked myself these questions to help me arrive
at a thesis statement?
Active Engagement:
Now you try it…
With your partners, go over the data you gathered and determine your thesis statement. Use these
questions (pg. 76) to help you. Write your thesis statement on an index card. After you arrived at your
thesis statement, rearrange your ideas or facts accordingly. Only leave the facts or ideas that deal with
the thesis statement.
Link:
Students share their thesis statement and compile a list of the class thesis statements on the board or
chart paper. Have students place their index cards with the thesis statement in a folder. As the students
add to their essays, they will include their pieces into the folder. Later on, they will put all the pieces
together and write their essays.
Writer’s Workshop: Fourth Grade
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Connection:
You determined a thesis statement for your topic. Now that you have a thesis statement, you need to
plan for the three reasons that support the thesis statement. These three reasons will then be used in
your middle paragraphs.
Teach: We need to start by planning through box and bullets or the TPC.
Model: The T or box is the thesis statement. The P or bullets are the three reasons. The C is for the
conclusion or ending which we will focus on another day. Model filling in the TPC (box and bullets) using
the thesis Bikes are fun.
Did you see how I… wrote my thesis statement next to the letter T or inside the box? Did you see how I
chose the three most important reasons for my thesis statement that will support it?
Active Engagement:
Now you try it…
Use this thesis statement “Working with our First grade reading buddy is fun” to plan using either
strategy I showed you. Plan with your writing partner. Try to using the words when listing the three
reasons, I think this because… or another reason I believe is… Write the plan in your notebook.

3. Link: Individually, review your data. On a piece of notebook paper, draw out your plan using the TPC or
box and bullets. Remember to use the words I think this because … or another reason I believe is…
Read over your plan with your partner to confirm that your reasons support the thesis statement.
Writer’s Workshop: Fourth Grade
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Connection:
You planned the first part of your essay using box and bullets or the TPC. With each of the reasons you
came up with, you must have supporting facts. Today we will organize our reason with supporting
details such as personal experiences.
Teach: Let’s look at my first reason on my plan; Bikes are fun because I can do tricks with them. I need to
think of a mini-story that supports this reason.
Model: Bikes are fun because I can do tricks with them. I remember one time when I popped a wheelie
while jumping a ramp with my bike. I jumped as high as I could and raised my arms into the air.
Did you see how I… chose a personal experience that happened to me? This personal experience only
talks about a trick that I did with my bike. Furthermore, I stated a fact that talks about a professional
bike rider that performs tricks.
Active Engagement:
Now you try it…
Let’s use your first reason for the thesis statement about your First grade reading buddy. With your
partner come up with a personal experience that supports your first reason. Write the mini story in your
notebook.
Link: Go back to your desk and read over your three reasons. Add a mini story as your personal
experience to each reason. Write each mini story on a separate index card. Place your index cards in
your folder.

4. Writer’s Workshop: Fourth Grade
Friday, November 19, 2010
Connection:
You added a mini story (personal experience) to each reason that supports your thesis statement.
Today, you’re going to add facts to each of your reasons that also act as support.
Teach: Expository essays inform readers with true exact facts. In addition to your personal experiences,
you need add facts that also support your reason.
Model: Using the thesis Bikes are fun from previous lessons; add the fact “Dave Mira is a professional
stunt bike rider. He does many tricks in competition.” This fact goes along with the reason Bikes are fun
because you can do tricks with them.
Did you see how I… added a true exact fact I learned to the reason Bikes are fun because you can do
tricks with them. This fact goes along with the mini story I used about doing a trick over a ramp. Both
this fact and personal experience support my reason Bikes are fun because you can do tricks with them.
Active Engagement:
Now you try it… Use the reason from the thesis, working with our First grade reading buddies is fun, to
create a support fact. Write the fact in your notebook. Share with your partner your fact.
Link:
At your desk, review your reasons and mini stories (personal experiences). Add a true supporting fact to
each of them. Write these facts on the corresponding index card.