Lesson Plans-Third Grade Writers Notebook

How It Works:
-Lift sentences and
paragraphs from mentor
text/poems to provide
practice on skills/tips
such as conventions,
grammar, writing good
leads, author craft, etc.
-Teacher does a quick
write also, with writing
projected on Smartboard
to help students get
started. (Also helps
teacher remember lessons
taught, day, etc.)
-Students apply this
learning to a free write
or quick write of their
own.
-During quick write
provide time for students
to turn and talk. Teachers
should interact with
writers and reiterate
focus, share good
examples.
-Write 3-5 minutes more
-Student writers do an
Express Edit on the
focus skill of the day
applying it to their daily
quick write.
-Provide 2 minutes share
out of writing

Lesson 1
Focus: Introduce writers
notebook

Lesson 2
Focus: Use of capital letters
with names, months, places

Lesson 3
Focus: Capitalizing first word
of a sentence

Treasured Tip: Writers

organize their thoughts and
ideas in a notebook.

Treasured Tip: Writers

capitalize proper nouns. Ex:
names of characters, months
of the year, and places

Treasured Tip: The first word

of a sentence is always
capitalized.

Mentor Text:
Chrysanthemum

Mentor Text:
Mr. Peabodys Apples

Materials:
-Notebook Know How pg.
25
-Teacher developed Lesson
Guide
-Mechanically Inclined pgs.
44-46;

Materials:
-Teaching the Qualities of
Writing Portalupi/FletcherLesson I-1
-Launching the Writers
Workshop heart map
-mentor practice sentences
from Mr. Peabodys Apples
-authority list or heart map
-Teacher developed Lesson
Guide

Mentor Text:
Chrysanthemum
Materials:
-notebooks, glue sticks,
pencils
-Notebook Know How page
15
-Mechanically Inclined pgs.
28-32
-Anchor chart: free writes
-Teacher developed Lesson
Guide
Overview:
Hand out writers notebook and
have students personalize
-number pages on right side
only
-leave first page blank
-never rip out pages
-glue free write rules inside
cover notebook
-only write on right side
-read mentor text
-turn to elbow partner and
share history of their name
-free write on their name
-turn and talk resume writing
-share time at end
Writing: Write about your
name. Are you named after
someone? What is the history
of your name?

Overview:
-read mentor text
-model capitalizing proper
nouns from lifted lines
Chrysanthemum
-Make an anchor chart
where we use proper nouns
-have students do an express
edit of their name paragraph
from yesterday
-glue anchor chart in back
writers notebook

Writing: Introduce express

edit

Overview:
-read mentor text
-use lifted lines from Mr.
Peabody to reinforce tips of
capitalization

Writing: Authority List or

Writing from the Heart

Lesson 4
Focus: Rules of capitalization
in letter writing.
Treasured Tip: The first word
in the greeting and closing of a
letter should be capitalized.
Mentor Text:
Dear Mrs. La Rue
Materials:
-Notebook Know How pg. 17
-lifted lines from mentor text
-students writers notebooks
-teachers writers notebook
-anchor paper
Overview:
-read opening pages of mentor
text
-invite students to notice letter
format of story
-use lifted lines to introduce
capitalization and letter
writing
-share Treasured Tip
-make list best things about
obedience school
-model Ten Best Things
Writing:
-provide time for students to
write own list of Ten Best
Things
-provide turn and talk time
-share out end of class

Lesson 5
Focus: Rules of
capitalization in letter
writing.
Treasured Tip: The first
word in the greeting and
closing of a letter should be
capitalized.

Lesson 6
Date:
Lesson:
Focus:

Treasured Tip

Lesson 7
Date:
Lesson:
Focus:

Resources:
Anderson, John. 2005.
Mechanically Inclined.
Portland, ME: Stenhouse
Publishers.

Treasured Tip:

Buckner, Aimee. 2006.

Notebook Know How:
Strategies for the Writers
Notebook. Portland, ME:
Stenhouse Publishers.

Mentor Text: Dear Mrs.

LaRue
Materials: Notebook
Know How pgs. 17-19
-capitalization practice
lifted lines from Dear Mrs.
LaRue
-anchor chart lesson 4
-writers notebooks
Overview:
-continue reading letters
from Dear Mrs. LaRue
-use lifted lines to review
capitalization in letter
writing
-choose best thing from
Ikes list at Obedience
School
-write a class letter from
Ike to Mrs. LaRue
Writing:
-students will choose their
best thing
-write a letter to teacher
about the best thing
-provide turn and talk time
-elbow partner check of
capitalization use in letter
-additional writing time
-share out

Mentor Text:

Materials:

Mentor Text:

Henkes, Kevin. 1996.

Chrysanthemum. New York:
Greenwillow Books.

Materials:

Jacobson, Jennifer. 2010.

No More Im Done!
Portland, ME: Stenhouse
Publishers.
Madonna. 2003. Mr.
Peabodys Apples. New York:
Callaway Publishers.

Overview:

Writing:

Overview:

Writing:

Teague, Mark. 2002. Dear

Mrs. LaRue. New York:
Scholastic.

Anchor Chart Free Write Rules

Write. Just Write. Keep your hand moving (dont stop)
Experiment with spelling, punctuation, and grammar. (Just attempt to do the best you can)
Go wherever your writing takes you. (If another story comes to mindgo for it).
Add specific details
Try to make pictures and images in your head
You are free to write.

Anderson, Jeff. 2005. Mechanically Inclined. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.