of teacher/student conferences are cross-referenced with sessions according to the writing workshop format.

1. Grade Four
Unit of Study Three – Explanatory Writing
Session Notebook Section Folder Conferring
1. Immersion List your noticings
 Minilesson
Encourage
2. Immersion cont. Continue to list your
noticings
 Minilesson
Encourage
Check-in
3. What Do I Notice?
 Create an anchor
chart
 Create Additional
anchor chart: How to be
Successful at Writing
Explanatory Writing!
List goes in the
notebook
 Minilesson
(Can create as a class,
however, teacher can copy,
print, and distributefor
students to pastein their
Notebooks.)
 Writing
Encourage
Check-in
Writerly life
4. Text Features
 Create a two-
column anchor chart
Two-column anchor
chart
 Minilesson
 Writing
Encourage
Check-in
5. Close and Critical
Reading
Critical Reading –
Student Copy
Encourage
Check-in
6. Close and Critical
Reading
Free Write
 Writing
Critical Reading –
Student Copy
Encourage
Check-in
7. Generating Ideas
and formulating a
research topic
Formulating the Focused
Research Area
Check-in
8. Internet Searching
and Credibility
Finding Quality Websites
Activity
Check-in
9. Gather Resources
(CSI)
10. Gather Resources
(CSI)
CSI – 3 Dimensions of
Investigations: Hard
Evicence
4-5 Students
11. Category Notes Either Notebook or Folder can be used here to
record: What Does the Text Say? How Does the Text
Say It? What Does the Text Mean? How Does the
Text Affect Me?
4-5 Students
12. Paraphrasing P.A.P. 4-5 Students
13. Note-taking Note-taking Chart 4-5 Students
14. Citing Quotations
and Use of Bibliography
Practice with Citations 4-5 Students
15. Model Explanatory
Writing
(Optional Session 15 on “How To”; This is the Teacher’s Discretion)
16. Drafting Begin to Draft 4-5 Students

2. 17. Revise for Leads Who-What-When-
Where Lead
 Minilesson
Student Drafts 4-5 Students
18. Revise for Facts
and Quotes
Student Drafts 4-5 Students
19. Revising
 Create an anchor
chart
List goes in the
notebook
 Minilesson
Revised Drafts/Copies 4-5 Students
20. Editing Checklist
 Create an anchor
chart
CUPS & STAR
 Minilesson
Revised Student Essays 4-5 Students
21. Celebrate! Student Essays NA