Recrafting to Need Lesson

Each Monday, I start teaching a new Need. I get these from the needs analysis based on an unassisted writing sample. I collated all the strengths and needs of each child and am focussing on one a week. Last week it was powerful vocab, this week it is writing an effective hook.

The Recrafting to Need Lesson on Monday sets up the learning intention for the week. 

We do a whole class activity, What is it? Examples, and Why use it in our writing? Then we practice as a group, sharing our ideas.

Next, in pairs we complete a similar activity, with teacher roaming and checking understanding. I collated their ideas on a page in my modelling book, to look back if needed in their writing.

Lastly, we complete an independent activity to show learning. 

In the Hooks lesson, I gave them the titles of some hooks and an example, and asked them to match them up.

Here is Aaron's example:

 The next day we look at a piece of writing, that shows us a quality example of what we are leaning. In this case it was a piece of writing by me, about a cricket game at the beach. Here is the hook:

Matapouri Beach Cricket Ground

1. The beach

2. Playing cricket

3. Hit a six

1. Sun rays shine down like blazing arrows, burning everything they touch. The clouds relax overhead, slowly making their way across the sky, high above the waves that lazily crash down on the beach.

We discussed the powerful vocab and the hook, why it was effective and how it interests the reader. The students then go off and plan, write and start to recraft their own beach recount, using the hooks we brainstormed yesterday.

Here is a selection of Hooks from their writing:

Aaron: It was boiling hot. I started sweating as soon as I got out of the car.

Johanon: Swish, Swash, Swash. Have you ever been to Goat Island?

Salvador: Splish, splash. I could hear the waves from the car park.

James: Wooosh! As I get off the plane a huge heat wave shoots into my face.

Francis: Swish, Swish, the waves went swishing like a fish in the sea.

Reuben: Broom, broom. We're going to the beach!

As you can see, they rely heavily on the onomatopoeia hook. 

I think tomorrow I will get them to do a forced recraft of their hook, changing them to something even more attention grabbing.