Lucy Calkins’s Units of Study Final Product/Celebration/Reflection Ideas- Draft

Writer’s Product Celebration Ideas Reflection Ideas

Workshop
Ideas
Self-Reflection Peer/Audience Reflection
EssaysLife IntoBreathingUnit 3: QualityRaising theUnit 2: the WWLaunchingUnit 1:
Handwritten Students celebrate these first Students reflect on what they As students listen to each personal narrative they quickly write a positive
with a student
personal narratives with thought they did well and what comment on a sticker sheet to stick on the author’s “Reactions” page at the end
colored,
created cover their writing community: they hope to improve on in the of the celebration. The reactions page is simply a sheet where students can
their classmates and their future. (Goal Setting.) (This capture their readers’ thoughts about their work. The teacher can also comment
teachers from last year. reflection can be returned at the on this page. The page of reactions can easily be kept with the final product.
drafting stage of the next unit.)

Handwritten Students celebrate their
with a typed
more powerful personal
cover and
narratives with their larger
writing community: another
grade level and those
teachers as well as their
classroom community.
SECOND After collecting the FIRST As students listen to each personal narrative they write 2 stars and 1 wish
stars and wishes cards from the for the author. These “cards” are collected for the author to read after the
audience, the author reads the celebration.
cards and completes his own
stars and wishes page. The wish
is seen as a goal to work on in
the next unit so it needs to be a
transferable writing skill.

Typed. Students celebrate by Each student reviews his essay Each reader writes a comment on a card with topics already redesigned. For
Preparation
sharing these essays, this and prepares comment cards for example:
needed to
collect and “big work” with a group of his audience based on what he  This essay convinced me to…
display all of big kids or adults. wants to know. In preparing  I know now that…
the “pieces” these cards he will need to  From now on I will…
used to
The essays are typed up (in reflect on what he wanted to  The author did a great job…
develop this
essay. G3 they are typed and accomplish with this essay.  The essay would have been stronger if…
enlarged to A3 size) and Etc.
provided together with a
folder containing evidence
of the organizational
process the students went
through to develop the
thesis, topics, and essay.

Students each meet with one

Jen Munnerlyn, October 28, 2009
 Lucy Calkins’s Units of Study Final Product/Celebration/Reflection Ideas- Draft
adult/high school student to
explain the process and
allow the “reader” time to
read the essay.

Handwritten. Students celebrate with a Students can self-reflect on Listeners can write letters to the author detailing what they liked in the story they
AboutWritingEssays:LiteraryUnit 5: AmbitionsTallDreams,BigFiction:WritingUnit 4:

The cover is
younger group of students- their work by writing a book were read. (This would be children in grades K-2 most probably.)
illustrated and
designed to sharing their stories and review about their story. The
draw the practicing reading them review should contain ***Author’s Day??
reader in. The aloud. information about what the
back cover
student hoped to tell the reader
contains an
“About the Students leave a copy of in writing this story.
Author” write their story for the classroom
up, typed by library of the younger grade.
the student
along with
his/her photo.

Typed. Students celebrate by
holding “round-table”
discussions on the book they
wrote a literary essay about.
These discussions include
all students who wrote about
a particular book/story as
well as an interested adult
participant like the specialist
teachers or teachers from
the other grades.
In preparation for the “round-
table” when the teacher
participant will be asking the
student “expert” questions, the
students could prepare a short
speech to read before the round
table begins. The speech would
be reflective in that it would
define the student’s position
about the story he/she read and
could include information about
what was learned/enjoyed or
difficult about this type of
writing.
The teacher participant would respond to each literary essay in writing.
These topics could be provided and the teacher could choose from any…
 This writer convinced me to…
 I know now that…
 From now on I will…
 The writer did a great job…
 The writer’s argument would have been stronger if…
Etc.
For G5 it would be great to have G6 teachers participate…

Jen Munnerlyn, October 28, 2009

 Lucy Calkins’s Units of Study Final Product/Celebration/Reflection Ideas- Draft

Reading
WellUnit 6: Memoir: The Art of Writing

Choice- up to Students celebrate by As this is the final unit of the The parent, after reading the memoir and the student’s culminating reflection
the students
sharing their Memoirs with year, the self-reflection could could add comments both celebratory and as things to work on in the future to
with guidance
from the their parents. involve the writing throughout the goal sheet. (This could be dangerous if parents aren’t prepared well for what
teacher as to the year and how they students is appropriate to write.)
the best These discussions are see themselves. It might be Another idea might be to have parents write a letter to students right there in the
format for the
similar to student-led appropriate for the student to conference detailing the growth they have seen in them this year. This piece of
type of
memoir portfolio shares where the examine all his work and the writing would be a nice addition to the student’s portfolio.
selected and child describes the work and reflections made by himself as
the time the parent listens. well as by the audience.
available.
As a reflection for this piece, he
Coffee/tea/juice and cookies could write his memories of
is provided to make the being a writer this year and
event feel like a serious make plans for what he hopes
literary event. to accomplish next year. (These
could be kept and passed up to
the next grade along with the
child’s writing notebooks and
final pieces.)

Jen Munnerlyn, October 28, 2009