Name: Bella Hylen Date: 4/7/2019

Grade level: Kindergarten

Broad Writing Concept Focus Beginning, Middle, and End

Identify your broad area of focus in instruction.
● Example: Craft move (see Shubitz)

Genre Focus for Teaching: Narrative

Opinion, informative/explanatory, or narrative

Common Core State Standard(s) (CCSS):
“Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and
writing to narrate a single event or several loosely
linked events, tell about the events in the order in
which they occurred, and provide a reaction to
what happened.”

Mentor Text and Author: Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
by Mo Willems

Teaching Point: Good writers use a beginning, middle, and end to

tell their stories to readers in a way that makes
sense. In your writing, you can tell a story that has
a clear beginning, middle, and end like the story
Mo Willems tells about Trixie losing Knuffle
Bunny in this book.

Content Rationale: This is a common core standard for

Kindergarteners in Michigan. This writing skill is
important for students when they are telling
stories. In narrative writing, it’s important that
students are able to describe an event from
beginning to end.

Instructional Strategy Rationale:
The mentor text I’m using has a clear beginning,
middle, and end that I can use to exemplify this
craft move. Trixie brings her Knuffle Bunny to
school for show and tell, she gets home and
realizes she’s missing her bunny, and finally she
gets her bunny back while making a new friend.

Differentiation: Academic: Some students in my class have a

harder time with starting their writing. These
students might require more brainstorming time
with me before they actually pick up a pencil and
begin writing. For these students, I can have them

1
 describe their beginning, middle, and end of the
story on three of their fingers.

Social: I am doing a turn and talk at the carpet so

that students can brainstorm ideas with peers. I
want everyone to be able to talk about their story
before they go to actually write it.

Linguistic: My anchor chart can include some

words that will help children with writing their
story. They also have a word wall in the room
already.

Setting Norms: “I expect that everyone will be actively listening

for the beginning, middle, and end of this book.
Afterwards, I want everyone to participate and try
their best when we go to write.”

Formative Assessment

Meets Expectations Developing Beginning

“Use a combination of The student writes or The student The story is missing an
drawing, dictating, and draws a story in the writes/draws a story but event or only has one.
writing to narrate a events they occur is missing a part of the The student does not
(beginning, middle, and story (either beginning, write/draw a story
single event or several
end.) middle, and end).
loosely linked events,
tell about the events in
the order in which they
occurred, and provide a
reaction to what
happened.”

Instructional Sequence/Procedures:
Minute

Establish Norms for Positive, Respectful Interactions

(You decide how much to write here)

“Today we are going to work on creating a beginning, middle, and end in our stories when 1
we write. As a class, we are going to re-read Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems. As I
read, pay attention to what happens first, next, and last in this story.”

Gather the group: Gather the group: 1

2
 “I’ve been noticing that you all have been
writing longer stories with more complete
sentences.”

Set up the lesson: Set up the lesson:

“Today we are going to write stories that

have a beginning, middle, and end. Many
authors write books that have a clear
beginning, middle, and end so that their 1
stories make sense to the reader. ”

Explicit instruction Explicit instruction

*Use anchor chart in this part of the
lesson*

“Stories have 3 different parts to them. Did

you notice what happened in the beginning,
middle, and end of Knuffle Bunny Free? The
beginning of stories talk about where the
story takes place and who the characters are.
Does anyone remember how this story
began?”

***Talk aloud and then go to beginning of

the book. 7

“The middle of stories include the main

events. A problem usually happens. Does
anyone remember what happened in the
middle of the story?”

***Go to middle of story

“How does the story end? The end of the

story usually has a solution to the problem.”

***Go to end of story

Engage your students Engage your students 6

Students talk with each other in the group
about the craft move, before going back to
their seats.
Modeling Modeling *Refer to anchor chart in this
part of the lesson

“I am going to tell you a story about a

stuffed animal I had when I was younger.”

“First I took my stuffed bear on a walk with

3

Guided Practice
Part 3 - Transition to independent
writing
Part 4 -Listen, coach, prompt while
students write at their seats.
Part 5 - Bring group back together
Share Time
Closure/Summary
my mom. Then, I dropped the bear in the
mud while we were walking and he got
really dirty. Finally, my mom had to wash
the bear in our washing machine.”
Guided Practice *Refer to anchor chart in
this part of the lesson
“Turn to your partner and tell them a story
that happened this weekend. Use 3 fingers to
represent the beginning, middle, and end of
your story.”
Part 3 - Transition to independent writing
Link to students writing independently
*Refer to anchor chart in this part of the
lesson
“Now we are going back to our seats to write 1
about the stories we just told our friends.”
**I will have students tell me one by one
what they are going to write about before
they go back to their seats. (this part could ta
Part 4 - Teacher listens, coaches, prompts
while students write at their seats.
● I will work with student A. I know
that she is very resistant to writing. I
want to make sure that she has a
solid idea of what she will be
writing about before she begins
writing.
● I have another student in my class,
20
M, who is also not confident in her
writing abilities. I will also
conference with her right away to
make sure she knows what to write
about. I can also encourage both of
them to draw pictures to tell their
story first.
Part 5 - Teacher brings group back together 5
Share Time
***Some students will have an opportunity
to share out their work.
When a student shares a story with the craft
move, I will rephrase the story to the class
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 using my three fingers to represent the
beginning, middle, and end just as we did on
the carpet before the lesson.

Closure/Summary *Refer to anchor chart

in this part of the lesson
“Every story has a beginning, middle, and
end so that it makes sense to the audience.”

Anticipated Total Time Required 47

minutes

Materials:
● Teacher: anchor chart,
● Students: writers notebook

Modifications and Accommodations:

I will have students who are struggling with the writing part draw pictures to tell their story. If students
are able to explain their story through pictures, this still fits the CCS. I can also write out the words:
“First, Next, and Finally” on their paper to give students a starting point in their sentences.

Extension Ideas: If there is extra time, I can have more students share their reading out loud.