The Easter Story

Last week we read The Easter Story by Carol Heyer.  Students were asked to retell the story on the poster pictured below. Since they've learned all about captions from their study of non-fiction texts, the expectation was that their retell would not simply be a description of the pictures, but instead use those graphics as cues to support their writing.  

We brainstormed a list of "no-excuse" words and then they were off! Many boys and girls quickly realized that this was a harder task than they anticipated! It's so easy to just write a description of each picture, but that doesn't tell the story does it?  

Here's the list of no-excuse words we came up with. We've added to it as we go. 

It's now Tuesday and I've conferenced with each child, and I'm thrilled to report we are well on our way to 22 versions of the Easter story! Their work is beautiful, well-written and shows an attention to detail in every aspect.  

Marcus did a fantastic job on his story! He's included all the key details
and made sure his no-excuse words are spelled correctly!

Sometimes during our conferences, we make quick corrections together! 

I know some  might not fuss about spelling, neatness or punctuation, but I still think there's a place for it in this digital world. I think presentation is important. I wouldn't hire a wedding-planner that didn't care to get names right on the invitations, nor would I want someone painting my living room without using drop-sheets and tape.  Attention to detail matters and since my students are not planning nuptials or painting homes, a focus on things like conventions, neat printing and "in the line" coloring is a good place to start.
  

Coming along beautifully Alex! 

We used our new skin-color markers to get our faces "just right"!