Description

Students write and construct their own autobiographies, based on [The Hundred Penny Box] by Sharon Bell Mathis. standards used are narrative writing, peer editing, and writing process steps. This is the second part of a two-part project lesson.

Materials

-A copy of [The Hundred Penny Box] by Sharon Bell Mathis, New York: Puffin Books, 1986
-Notebook paper and pencils
-Red and black pens
-One copy of the Writing Process Timeline per student (See Associated File)
-One overhead copy of the Writing Process Timeline (See Associated File)
-Daily copies of the Status of the Day sheets (See Associated File)
-Third, Fourth, and Fifth Year Memory Paragraph pre-writing forms per student (See Associated File)
-One Fifth Grade Journey Sheet per student (See Associated File)
-One Journey Sheet Directions per student (See Associated File)
-One copy of the cover page, on cream-colored card stock, per student (See Associated File)
-One copy of the content page per student (See Associated File)
-Multiple copies of all the writing design pages per student (See Associated File)
-One Penny For Your Thoughts point sheet per student (See Associated File)
NOTE: File contains several pages and may take a while to download
-Overhead markers
-Students' completed Lifeline: Final Draft forms (See Associated File in Pennies of My Life Part I)
-Seven flat, plastic paper-size tubs
-One cream-colored card stock for the back cover
-Art supplies: colored pencils, markers for outlining, rulers, staplers
-One plastic comb for binding, per student (obtain at any office supply store)
-A binder machine
-[50 Nifty Origami Crafts] by Andrea Urton, Boston: RGA Publishing Group, Inc., 1992 (Copy directions as an overhead or provide separate copies of p. 32–33)
-Two origami pieces of paper per student
-Students' Penny Collection Homework Cards, with their pennies attached (See Associated File in Pennies of My Life Part I)
-Option: Newbery Video [The Hundred Penny Box], Random House Video, 1986

Procedures

See previous lesson: Pennies of My Life Part I (See WebLinks)

Review the story line of [The Hundred Penny Box] and the activities of the previous lesson as needed.


LESSON ONE (Day One)

1. Discuss with the class all of the items we have collected and written so far.

2. Pass out the Writing Process Timeline to help the students keep up with their steps. (See Associated File)

3. Go over the Writing Process Timeline by filling in the due dates on the overhead sheet and having the students copy these dates to follow the next couple of days.

4. Using the Status of the Day sheet, call each child’s name and have them call out what part of the project they are on. (See Associated File)

5. Have all students complete their Memory Paragraph pre-writing forms if they haven’t already. (The First, Second, and Sixth Year Memory Paragraph forms are in the Associated File of Pennies of My Life Part I. The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Year Memory Paragraph forms are in the Associated File of this lesson.)

6. When each child has completed their pre-writing forms, have them start on their other years up to the current year, trying to write similar to the pre-writing forms. (Option: If the time is limited, just have them write their first six years.)

7. After each child has written all their first drafts, based on the First-Sixth Memory Paragraph pre-writing forms, have them fill out the top of a Fifth Grade Journey Sheet (See Associated File) and attach it to the upper left-hand corner of their pre-writing forms. (Note: Students use [one] Fifth Grade Journey Sheet for all the paragraphs of their book.)

8. Students then follow the Journey Sheet Directions (See Associated File) as they peer edit the paragraphs-Journey #1-Parts A and B.

9. Now each student writes a second draft (Part C) for each paragraph, with deletions, or additions (content).

10. Students follow the Writing Process Timeline as the lesson goes.


LESSON TWO & LESSON THREE (Days Two & Three)

1. Review and remind class of the Writing Process Timeline due dates.

2. Do a Status of the Day sheet to confirm what each child is doing today.

3. When students are ready, have them do Journey #2-Parts A, B, and D, marking their papers in red pen, with a peer editor. They need to correct and revise all mistakes, writing problems, spellings, and sentence structures.

4. Have separate flat plastic tubs (seven) set up with a different page design in each tub. (See Associated File for page designs)
-The cover
-The content page
-Each separate writing page with picture areas

5. Have the students start picking their pages, choosing which one they want for each paragraph.

6. Have them start writing, in cursive, each paragraph of their autobiographies. Students are to neatly space words and copy carefully each paragraph in black ink. This is the [final draft].

7. Note: Copying may take most students most of these two days, if they don’t talk, etc.


LESSON FOUR & LESSON FIVE (Days Four & Five)

1. Now each student follows his/her Writing Process Timeline for what is due by now.

2. Each student must have colored pencils and colored markers.

3. Students sketch the one thing, action, activity, or special event for every year-paragraph. Drawings/art must cover the complete art area on each page.

4. Give students time to complete each page, neatly and carefully.

5. Students continue drawing and coloring, until all pages are complete.

6. Have students who finish ahead of others be peer teachers, or helpers.


LESSON SIX (Day Six)

1. Review Writing Process Timeline due dates. Have students check-off the areas they have completed.

2. Have students place all final completed pages in order.

3. The teacher may model filling in the content page and cover, using markers to better show the students.

4. Students fill out the content page by writing the years of their life in the blanks at the left. They [must] have the four-digit year written. It looks more complete.

5. Now show students how to complete the cover.

6. Have them print on the top line the word MY, centered.

7. Print PENNY on the next line.

8. On the third line, print MEMORIES.

9. On the bottom three lines have students write their FIRST NAME in the middle of the first line, their MIDDLE NAME neatly centered on the second line, and their LAST NAME on the third line.

10. Put all the pages together, with the cover page on top, their Lifeline: Final Draft form (See Associated File in Pennies of My Life Part I) at the back, and then the back cover.

11. Have the students turn in their covered books.

12. Pass out two pieces of origami paper.

13. Provide copies of the origami box directions for each child, or have an overhead of the directions. Students follow the directions, with you modeling each step. Make a top and bottom. (See WebLinks below and the suggestions given in the Extensions section)

14. Have students place their pennies from their cards in their origami box as their treasure keeper.

15. Option: Show the video [The Hundred Penny Box].

16. Teacher attaches the Penny For Your Thoughts point sheet to each booklet, after punching and attaching a plastic comb on the left-hand side to make each book.

17. Fill out the point sheet as the final assessment criteria for the project.

Extensions

1. If you have an area Museum of Art, call to see if they have links to Japanese artists of origami folding. I have had visiting artists from Japan come and stay all day, teaching us how to fold paper into beautiful art.
2. Purchasing small white gift boxes from local department stores is another way to have boxes for students. If they know it’s for a class, they donate them, most of the time.
3. Practice the origami folds with notebook paper first, by folding down the top of the paper until you have a square and cut that piece off. Then you have a square piece to practice folding.
4. You can divide the class into small groups and have stations for a final variety to finishing the lessons.
5. The pre-writing paragraph forms help students who may have problems following the concept of so many different paragraph writings. I also write suggestions under the blanks to give ideas about what might go there. (I place parentheses around these ideas.)
6. If you have Internet access, pull up the origami pages on different folds and have students practice with notebook paper. They are colorful and fun.

Attached Files

This file contains the Writing Process Timeline, Status of the Day, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Year Memory Paragraph forms, Fifth Grade Journey Sheet, Journey Sheet Directions, the cover, content, and design pages, and the Penny For Your Thoughts point sheet.     File Extension: pdf