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Requirements for writing project:
a. Write a descriptive paragraph about a specific spider. It must include the following information:
1. what it looks like
2. what it eats
3. where it lives
4. another interesting fact
b. The paragraph will follow the writing process and the final draft will be correctly spelled, indented with capital letters, end marks, and include a picture.
{These will be explained and given to them at the beginning of this project.}
After students have had an opportunity to explore various resources about spiders, they will choose one spider. Use the internet to find appropriate age level information about their spider. Use a highlighter to locate that information.
Prewriting - Students will Inspiration to create a web with the name of their spider as the main idea (in the center). Add additional links with the required information in brief phrases. (By using phrases it eliminates those copying sentences directly from books. We discuss plagiarism at this point.) They will then use this information to write their rough draft.
Rough Draft – Student will write their paragraph by using the phrases from their web to create their own sentences. Begin with the main idea sentence using the name of their spider. Follow with the detail sentences using other information from the web.
Edit/Revise – Students will meet with a peer to read their rough draft and use constructive criticism to edit or revise if needed. Use word wall, spelling dictionary, or teacher as resource for spelling. Meet with a second peer to do this again. Finally meet with the teacher as a final check.
Final Draft - Students will write a final draft and draw or trace a spider. With the help of an older class they will publish their work on Kidspiraton or Kid Pix. Students will create a picture of their spider in its habitat and scan it into their report. Finally share this project with a younger class by reading aloud and sharing their picture.
| Additional Writing |  |
As an extention to this writing project, they will write a fictional story about the spider they did their report on . This will help them do a comparison of fact and fiction.