SLICE OF LIFE: Day 9/31--It started with endings

SLICE OF LIFE: DAY 9/31

I started my day in a third grade classroom. The students have been writing all year. After talking with the teacher about my visit to their room, we decided that these writers needed to work on endings. She said they just kind of stopped and then wrote: THE END.

I pulled an ending lesson from Ralph and JoAnn's Craft Lessons. It was a simple lesson, but had the punch these writers needed. I sent them off to work on their current projects, or to go back into their notebooks and find something in which they could work on an ending. They all got busy as soon as they got to their seats. The teacher and I settled in to conference with various students.

The first boy I worked with was writing a story about going to the theater with his family. They had gotten their early and he suggested they go out to eat until the show started. He ended the story with a feeling of happiness with the wonderful day he spent.

The next boy was making a list in a journal of things he wanted. His title was: 'I want a'. When I glanced at the front of the journal I noticed it was a poetry journal. After his long list of things he wanted: computer, wii, X box.... he said: I really want it...please, please, please! What a great poem.

A girl I worked with was doing a "How-To" piece. She was writing 'How to play the wii'. The girl next to her said her mom wanted to get her one, but she didn't know how to play it. I confessed I didn't either. D. told us the way to pick a game and exactly how to play it. I suggested she just write what she told us. For her ending she was going to use: Go play and be happy!

So many genres! Such great writers! What a Slice of Life!!!