POW + WWW: LESSON # 1 Instructor:______________
Students:___________________________________________________
Date: ______________________________________________________
Purpose: Develop Background Knowledge, Discuss It
Objectives: Introduction to POW, story parts, and story part reminder;
identification of story parts in story examples; **establish partners and concept of
transfer
Materials needed: Mnemonic charts and story examples (Albert, Sly
Fox), WWW graphic organizers, "I transferred my strategies" chart, paper,
pencils, scratch paper, student folders
_____I. Introduce yourself as a writing teacher: I'm going to teach you some of the tricks for writing. First, we're going to learn a strategy, or a trick, that good writers use when they write. Then, we are going to learn the trick, or strategy, for writing good stories.
_____II. Introduce POW. Put out the POW + WWW chart
so that only POW shows.
A. **Emphasize: POW is a trick good writers often use, for
many things they write.
B. Go over the parts of POW, discussing each. (P = Pick my Idea;
O=Organize my Notes; W=Write and Say More). Emphasize that they can remember POW because
it gives them POWER when they write.
C. Practice POW; turn the chart over. Ask each student (skip around)
to explain what POW stands for and **why it is important (good writers use it often, for
many things they write). Help as needed. Have students write out POW on scratch paper. Do
until you feel sure that each student knows what POW stands for and **why it is important.
_____III. Discuss good stories (briefly) - ask students, what makes a
story good? Be sure to include (you add if they don't say it):
A. Good stories are fun for me to write and fun for others to
read.
B. Good stories make sense and have several parts -
we will learn a trick for remembering the parts of a good story.
_____IV. Introduce WWW - uncover more of the chart so that the WWW
shows. "Lets find out what the parts of a good story are." Have students look at
the chart. Briefly discuss each W. (Be sure to use the word "character" for Who;
for When, ask students to tell you "how does a person tell when
in a story?" - Once upon a time ... A long time ago ... Yesterday... Wednesday
afternoon at 4:00, and so on. Ask students for examples of what might be Where
in a story.
_____V. Uncover What = 2. Explain and briefly discuss
each what. Get examples of how a writer might tell each.
_____VI. Uncover How = 2. Explain and briefly discuss each how. Get examples of how a writer might tell each.
_____VII. Now we're going to read a story to find out if the writer
used all of the parts of a good story. (Leave out the story parts chart where students can
see it.)
A. Lay out a WWW graphic organizer. Point out the Story Parts
Reminder (WWW, What=2, How=2) at the top, and review what it stands for.
B. Give each student a copy of the story (Albert);
ask students to read along silently while you read the story out loud. Then read the story
out loud again and tell them to raise their hands when they hear who, when, or where in
the story; they don't have to be found in order and it is ok if they go into the whats and
hows. It is good to move around the chart out of order as you find the parts. Call on
students as they raise their hands (all students should have a turn). As they identify
who, when, and where; you write each in the appropriate space on the graphic organizer: do
not use full sentences - do this in note form.
C. Tell students that they are now looking for the 2 whats and 2 hows.
Briefly review what each means (be sure students know what the "goal" means for
the first what question). Remind to raise their hands when they hear one in the story.
Read the story from beginning. Stop as hands are raised; you write each What and each How
in the appropriate space on the graphic organizer: do not use full sentences - do
this in note form. If you get to the end of the story and students have not
identified all of the parts, go back over the story and help as needed. Be sure to be
encouraging and positive throughout.
_____VIII. Practice Story Parts Reminder. Turn over chart and
students' papers. Ask each student (skip around) to tell you the "story parts
reminder". (They should tell you: W-W-W; What = 2; How = 2). Ask each student to
write the reminder on scratch paper. If students have trouble, turn chart back over and
allow them to look. Keep doing this until all students can tell you the reminder and write
it on paper for memory.
_____IX. Practice story parts to criterion. Ask each student (skip
around) to explain the parts. (Keep chart turned upside down, but turn it back over if
needed; allow students to look at the W-W-W; What = 2; How = 2 that they wrote out on
scratch paper.) Help as needed. Do until you feel sure that each student knows what all
the parts are.
_____X. Do second story (Sly Fox). Leave out chart.
As before, remind students to raise their hands when they hear a part. Be sure each part
is identified. Do not write them out this time. Point to, or ask students to point
to, where each part goes on the chart.
_____XI. **Introduce how they will act as writing partners. Emphasize
that you want them to use POW and WWW in all of their other classes where they can, and
that they will act as partners to help each other do that.
A. **Goal 1 for next time: use all or parts of POW and/or WWW in other
classes or for other writing tasks. Brainstorm together some classes or other writing
tasks they could use both POW and WWW for, being sure to note that we should use POW with
WWW whenever we use WWW. Other ideas could be: book reports, letters to
friends, reports on special topics, writing for a school newsletter, writing about
something that happened to you or a special event, and so on. Briefly note that for some
tasks, like writing a report, all parts of the WWW trick might not be right to use - so
what could we do? (Change WWW to fit the kind of report we need to write; don't use all of
WWW if it doesn't make sense; WWW is in many reports).
B. **Tell them to report back to you on using all or any parts of
POW/WWW next time (for example, students might report making notes for a writing task
before they wrote, this would count). Show them their "I transferred my strategies/ I
helped my partner" chart and explain that you will write down and put a star next to
each time they tell you about using all or any part of POW/WWW outside of this class.
Briefly discuss the word "transfer"- transfer means to move
(like I transferred schools means that I moved from one school to another). Emphasize that
you want them to transfer what they learn about POW and WWW from this
class to other classes and other writing tasks.
C. Goal 2 for next time: help each other by reminding each other when
you might transfer POW/WWW; report back on times you helped each other
transfer by reminding your partner. Explain that you will write down and
put a star next to each time they tell you about helping their partner transfer all or any
part of POW/WWW. Ask them to tell you what transfer means and make sure
they have it!
_____XII. Lesson Wrap Up
A. Announce test! (no grade!) next session. They will come and write
out POW and the story parts reminder and tell what they mean from memory. Have each
student take their scratch paper with POW and the story parts reminder on it with them.
B. **Remind them that they will fill in the transfer chart next time.
C. Give each student their own folder, a copy of the story parts reminder chart, and a **copy of the "I transferred my strategies" chart. Have them put today's work and their charts in their folder and give the folder back to you - explain that you will bring the folder to every class.