Lesson Overview

The students and teacher will collaboratively write a story using POW + WWW, What=2, How=2. The teacher will need to provide the support needed to insure that all students are successful in writing a story that has all 7 parts. The teacher should reinforce the students’ use of self-instructions, good word choice, a story that makes sense, and “million dollar” words.

Student Objectives

The students will write POW + WWW, What=2, How=2 from memory and be able to state what each part stands for. The students will collaboratively write a story that has 7 story parts.

Materials

Mnemonic chart, WWW graphic organizer, paper, pencils, lined paper, student folders, boy on an alligator practice picture, self-instructions sheets, students’ graph

Step One - Collaborative Writing.

• Support It. Give students a blank graphic organizer and ask them to take out their self-statements list. Put out the boy on the alligator practice picture. This time let the students lead as much as possible, but prompt and help as much as needed. Students can share and use the same ideas, but each student should write their own story using their own notes Go through each of the following processes:
  
  

  1. Say, “Remember that the first letter in POW is P - PICK my IDEA.” Refer students to their self-statements for creativity or thinking free. Help each student get an idea.
  

  2. Say, “The second letter in POW is O - ORGANIZE my NOTES. I will use my story parts reminder to help me. I will use this page to make my notes and organize my notes.” Review – “What should my goal be? I want to write a good story - a good story has all seven parts, makes sense, is fun for me to write and for others to read.” After students have generated notes for all the story parts, say – “Remember to look back at my notes and see if I can add more notes for my story parts” - help them actually do this. Remind them also to look for more ideas for good word choice or million dollar words - help them do this.
  

  3. The last letter in POW is W - WRITE and SAY MORE. Encourage and remind them to start by saying “What is it I have to do here? I have to write a good story - a good story has all 7 parts and makes sense. I can write my story and think of more good ideas or million dollar words as I write.” Help students as much as they need to do this, but try to let them do as much as they can alone. Encourage them to use other self-statements of their choice while they write. If students do not finish writing today, they can continue at the next lesson.
  

  
  

Step Two – Graph Story Parts

• Have each student graph their story - Ask each student to determine- does their story have all 7 parts - then fill in graph. Reinforce them for reaching 7.
  
  

• Have each student put their work and charts in their folder.
  
  
• Remind the students that they will fill in the transfer chart again next time.
  
  
• Remind students of the POW + WWW, What=2, How=2 test again next time.
  
  

John F. Kennedy Center

Vanderbilt University Peabody College Columbia University University of Maryland

U.S. Dept. of Education