AUTHOR'S CRAFT, GRADES 4/5
Author's Craft is where you write interesting word choices or sentences you read which can be used to inspire sentences in your own stories. There are several things to look for as you read. I'll list a few, but you are free to write down a sentence simply because you like the way it sounds! Virtual students I have the list below with additional items on a sticker I can give you at the next virtual book pick up.
- Triple Repeat (TR) The same word is repeated three times in the same sentence or group of sentences
- (Ex) We swam and swam and swam until we got to the shore.
- (Ex) We swam, swam, swam until we got to the shore.
- (Ex) Harry swam. Michael swam. Chloe swam. At last they reached the shore.
- Rule of Threes (3's) uses three different describing or action words/phrases in a row.
- (Ex) My dad and I (1)walked up to the counter, (2) placed our order, (3)and greedily ate our burgers.
- (Ex) The white, delicate, lace dress was now in tatters.
- Onomatopoeias (Ono) are words that describe a sound or action.
- (Ex) Rattle! Hiss! Hiss! went the beat-up car as we drove up the steep hill.
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- Strong Verbs (SV) are meaningful verbs used to describe action in a story. (NOT walked, said, etc.)
- (Ex) The girl stormed out of the room when her sister snatched the earbuds out of her ears.
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- Quality Adjectives (QA) are amazing describing words to describe a noun. (NOT good, nice, bad)
- (Ex) The clumsy newborn pony nervously approached the sun-tanned farmer.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Click on the book Crickwing (top of this screen) to see how you might record noticings in your notebooks. Then, using your own book or this link to The Recess Queen, open your Reader's Notebooks to page 65- Author's Craft. Write at least three things you notice that are examples of the Author's Craft techniques listed above OR sentences you think are interesting or well-written. If you chose the Recess Queen, there is a slide show at the bottom of this page with screen shots from the story you can use to find your noticings.