Writing Workshop Curricular Calendar
Essential Question – “What do I see here that might work in my own writing?”
Unit 3 (2-3 weeks)
Craft Study
(Improving the Quality of Student Writing)
Aspects of Craft Touchstone texts for leads
• Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen
Krull
• Louis the Fish by Arthur
Yorinks
• Shrek! by William Steig
• Sitti’s Secrets by Naomi
Shihab Nye
• Willy the Wimp by Anthony
Browne
• Wings by Christopher Myers
Crafting a Lead • Craft Lessons, Fletcher &
Portalupi
• Non Fiction Craft Lessons,
Fletcher & Portalupi
• Lessons That Change
Writers, Nancie Atwell
• Writer’s Notebooks
Working with More • Students drafts
Independence to Develop,
Draft and Revise Texts
Adapted by J. K. and O. K., Whittier School, Long Beach Unified School District, 10/2002
From Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, Writing Curricular Calendar 2002-3
Mini lessons
(Based on assessments)
• Develop an understanding
that craft is “how the piece is
written.”
• Discuss how to read to find
possibilities for writing.
• Writers read and reread texts
that they admire and find in
them aspects of craft that
they want to emulate.
(Leads)
• Work together to make a
class chart of “What do I see
here that might work in my
own writing?” focusing on
leads.
Craft Lessons
• Crafting a Lead, p. 66
• Deciding Where to Begin, p.
80
• The Give-Away Lead, p. 67
• Selecting the Right Lead. p.
83
• Writing a Strong Lead, p. 29
Lessons That Change Writers
12. Narrative leads, p. 50
36. Leads: Begin Inside, p. 127
53. Leads for an Essay, p. 182
• Writers try these techniques
in their own writing.
• Students may revise pieces
they’ve already written.
• Or they may write new
pieces.