All about our town: Using brochures to teach informational writing

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 3

• Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
  • Objective 3.05: Compare and contrast printed and visual information (e.g., graphs, charts, maps).
  • Objective 3.06: Conduct research for assigned and self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
• Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
  • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
    • present information in a sequenced, logical manner.
    • discuss.
    • sustain conversation on a topic.
    • share information and ideas.
    • recount or narrate.
    • answer open-ended questions.
    • report information on a topic.
    • explain own learning.
  • Objective 4.03: Share written and oral products in a variety of ways (e.g., author's chair, book making, publications, discussions, presentations).
  • Objective 4.04: Use planning strategies (with assistance) to generate topics and to organize ideas (e.g., drawing, mapping, discussing, listing).
  • Objective 4.05: Identify (with assistance) the purpose, the audience, and the appropriate form for the oral or written task.
  • Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic by using preliminary plans.
  • Objective 4.07: Compose a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama selections using self-selected topics and forms (e.g., poems, simple narratives, short reports, learning logs, letters, notes, directions, instructions).
  • Objective 4.08: Focus reflection and revision (with assistance) on target elements by:
    • clarifying ideas.
    • adding descriptive words and phrases.
    • sequencing events and ideas.
    • combining short, related sentences.
    • strengthening word choice.
  • Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal narrative, short report, friendly letter, directions and instructions).
  • Objective 4.10: Explore technology as a tool to create a written product.
• Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
  • Objective 5.01: Use correct capitalization (e.g., geographical place names, holidays, special events, titles) and punctuation (e.g., commas in greetings, dates, city and state; underlining book titles; periods after initials and abbreviated titles; apostrophes in contractions).
  • Objective 5.02: Use correct subject/verb agreement.
  • Objective 5.03: Demonstrate understanding by using a variety of complete sentences (declarative, imperative, interrogative, and exclamatory) in writing and speaking.
  • Objective 5.04: Compose two or more paragraphs with:
    • topic sentences.
    • supporting details.
    • appropriate, logical sequence.
    • sufficient elaboration.
  • Objective 5.05: Use a number of strategies for spelling (e.g., sound patterns, visual patterns, silent letters, less common letter groupings).
  • Objective 5.06: Proofread own writing for spelling and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, word walls).
  • Objective 5.07: Edit (with assistance) to use conventions of written language and format.
  • Objective 5.08: Create readable documents with legible handwriting (manuscript and cursive).

Grade 4

• Goal 3: The learner will make connections with text through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
  • Objective 3.05: Analyze and integrate information from one or more sources to expand understanding of text including graphs, charts, and/or maps.
  • Objective 3.06: Conduct research for assigned projects or self-selected projects (with assistance) from a variety of sources through the use of technological and informal tools (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people, libraries, databases, computer networks).
• Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
  • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
    • present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner.
    • discuss.
    • interview.
    • solve problems.
    • make decisions.
  • Objective 4.03: Make oral and written presentations using visual aids with an awareness of purpose and audience.
  • Objective 4.04: Share self-selected texts from a variety of genres (e.g., poetry, letters, narratives, essays, presentations).
  • Objective 4.05: Use planning strategies to generate topics and organize ideas (e.g., brainstorming, mapping, webbing, reading, discussion).
  • Objective 4.06: Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic with specific, relevant, supporting details by using preliminary plans.
  • Objective 4.07: Compose fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama using self-selected and assigned topics and forms (e.g., personal and imaginative narratives, research reports, diaries, journals, logs, rules, instructions).
  • Objective 4.08: Focus revision on a specific element such as:
    • word choice.
    • sequence of events and ideas.
    • transitional words.
    • sentence patterns.
  • Objective 4.09: Produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (e.g., personal and imaginative narrative, research reports, learning logs, letters of request, letters of complaint).
  • Objective 4.10: Use technology as a tool to gather, organize, and present information.
• Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
  • Objective 5.01: Use correct capitalization (e.g., names of languages, nationalities, musical compositions) and punctuation (e.g., commas in a series, commas in direct address, commas and quotation marks in dialogue, apostrophes in possessives).
  • Objective 5.02: Demonstrate understanding in speaking and writing by appropriate usage of:
    • pronouns.
    • subject/verb agreement.
    • verb tense consistency.
    • subject consistency.
  • Objective 5.03: Elaborate information and ideas in writing and speaking by using:
    • simple and compound sentences.
    • regular and irregular verbs.
    • adverbs.
    • prepositions.
    • coordinating conjunctions.
  • Objective 5.04: Compose multiple paragraphs with:
    • topic sentences.
    • specific, relevant details.
    • logical progression and movement of ideas.
    • coherence.
    • elaboration.
    • concluding statement related to the topic.
  • Objective 5.05: Use visual (orthography) and meaning-based strategies as primary sources for correct spelling.
  • Objective 5.06: Proofread and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, computer spell-checks, and other classroom sources).
  • Objective 5.07: Use established criteria to edit for language conventions and format.
  • Objective 5.08: Demonstrate evidence of language cohesion by:
    • logical sequence of fiction and nonfiction retells.
    • time order sequence of events.
    • sustaining conversations on a topic.