This writing workshop lesson was adapted from the 1st grade UOS Session 12: Partners Work Together to Give Writing Checkups!
The 1st graders are getting ready to celebrate their opinion pieces this week and are revising and editing their work to prepare for the celebration. The partnership work directly supports the Common Core Language Standards (with editing/conventions) and the Speaking and Listening standards which ask students to participate in collaborative conversations and clarify something that is not understood.
I chose to model this work with my own demonstration piece which contained many of the similar mistakes you would find in your student's work. My teaching point was to show writers "an important part of this process is to be thorough, moving down the page and across the piece, checking that each and every part is the best it can be- teaching young writers to slow down rather than hastily marking off their editing checklist." (pg. 91 Session 12) I did not state each part of the mini-lesson with the exact wording from Lucy Calkins- but I hope each part of the mini-lesson is noticeable with my transitions.
Connection: A story about going to the doctor's office for a thorough checkup and connecting how thorough the doctor was to that of a writing checklist/partner.
Teaching Point: Students can be writing doctors and help their partners by...using an editing checklist to make sure your partner's piece is easy to read and the best it can be.
Teach: Reviewing the teacher's opinion writing using the checklist/chart "Writers Edit and Fix Mistakes" or "How Did I Make My Writing Easy to Read?" (chart from the unit) Providing a demonstration of what I would like them to try next.
Active Engagement: Students get a chance to practice with a partner using the editing checklist.
Link: Remember to be like a writing doctor and go part by part with the editing checklist to make sure your work or your partner's work is the best it can be!