Writing Feature Articles - Lesson .
Beginner
Modify Technology Use:
If students are not ready to share
online, have them share their topics
and angles in small groups. They
can participate in online activities
later in the unit.
Preparing for Writer’s Work Time
Active engagement: Have students brie?y turn and talk to a
classmate to discuss one reason why the topic selected is
relevant and interesting to them as writers. Ask for one or two
volunteers to explain their responses before releasing students
to work independently.
Distribute computers. Give the following directions:
?? Review the feature article topic and angle you selected.
?? Use all the brainstorming notes taken thus far. Ask
yourself:
o Why is this topic interesting to me?
o
Will I be able to ?nd information about the topic?
o
What personal knowledge or experience do I
have related to this topic?
o
Is the topic narrow enough? Or is it too broad
and the same as many other topics I have seen?
o
What might the purpose of this article be? What
do I want people to understand about this topic?
Who is the audience?
?? Write about your narrowed topic and angle in your
writer’s notebook, focusing on the questions you just
answered.
?? Post your focused topic and angle in the Step 1 Online
Classroom activity titled Share Your Feature Article
Topic.
Writer’s Work Time (
min)
Students work independently to clarify the topic and angle
of their feature article. They then prewrite in their notebooks,
exploring their personal connection to the topic and angle, and
the direction they imagine their articles taking.
Conferring and Di?erentiation
During Writer’s Work Time, determine if student work
has:
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