1st Grade Writing

Samples

1st Grade Writing SamplesAurora Public Schools

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Evidence and ElementsPersonal Narrative1st Grade

a n n o t a t i o n s

Personal Narrative

First Grade

Scaring Sister

Elements Evidence Focuses on one important moment of the

author’s life

The small moment is about a time that

the author was scared by her brother.

Central character is the author The piece is written in first person.

Plot is developed by taking a focused

moment and stretching it out to

describe important events

The writer includes some events to

stretch out the moment.

For example:

The brother plotted to scare the sister.

The brother dressed like a ghost.

The mother told him to stop.

Plot usually involves a problem that is

solved, a tension that is resolved, or

something big that changes

The tension is resolved when the

brother wants to scare his sister and

then he scares her.

Structured with a beginning, middle, and

end

B – Brother thought about how he could

scare his sister

M- Brother scared his sister

E- Sister told on her brother

Chronologically sequenced The events happened in order.

Includes a setting (time and place) The setting is “one perfect night”.

Next Step: Include more information

about the place that it happened.

Uses details to describe events and

people

Next Step: Include more details

Includes reactions, thoughts,

observations, and feelings of characters

Includes the reaction “I was scared”.

Contains closure or reflective

statements

The closure is: “I told my mom, “Mom

Jorge scared me.” “Stop,” said my mom.

May contain dialogue Contains some dialogue

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Evidence and ElementsHow To1st Grade

a n n o t a t i o n s

How To

First Grade

How To Make an Ice Cream Sundae

Elements Evidence Gives instructions or directions on how

to do something

This piece explains how to make an ice

cream sundae.

Title introduces topic

Title – “How To Make A Ice Crame

Sunde” describes the genre and topic.

Contains a list of what will be needed List contains – “Sprinkels, syrup, bowl,

banana, chery, and ice crame.”

Sketches and words provide a series of

general steps or actions for carrying out

a procedure or activity

Sketches include detailed pictures and

numbered steps.

Steps and actions are organized in order

by time

Steps are organized by numbers.

Numbers or transition words are used to

indicate sequence of steps or actions

Numbers are included, and there are two

transition words.

Details help the reader to understand

the instructions

There are some details like “a little bet

of carmel syrop”.

Next step: The author could include

more details like “put a lot of cream on

top of everything”.

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Evidence and ElementsAll About1st Grade

a n n o t a t i o n s

All- About

First Grade

All About Cats

Elements Evidence Contains facts and information focused

on one subject

This All-About has facts and

information about cats.*

Title announces topic of text The title of “All About Cats” describes

both the genre and the topic.

Main topic is divided into subtopics

which become separate chapters or

sections

Main topic is divided into subtopics

which become separate chapters. “What

is a Cat? Different Kinds of Cats, What

Do Cats Eat?, Fun Facts, How To Care

for a Cat, and Cat Diagram.”

Organized by table of contents Contains a table of contents.

Contains features of nonfiction texts

that relate to topic such as: labeled

diagrams, headings, captions, and

pictures

Contains headings, subheadings, pictures

that illustrate the information, and a

labeled diagram.

Contains pages with unique purposes

(e.g.: how-to page, parts-of page, fun

facts page, and different-kinds-of-

something page)

There is a Fun Facts section on page six,

a How-To on page seven, and a Parts-of

Page on page eight.

May include a simple concluding sentence The How-To section includes a simple

concluding sentence.

Contains names and vocabulary related

to topic

Includes the vocabulary and names

related to the topic, “mammal, coat,

kittens and the names of different kinds

of cats.”*

*It’s important to note that the child chose this topic. She used the pictures from

a nonfiction book about cats to describe different kinds of cats. The majority of

the facts were from her background knowledge.

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Whot is o Cat?

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Whot"do Cots eat?

Fun Focts

How to care f or o Cat

Cat Diogrorn

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Colifornio Spongled CotThe Calif ornio Spon gled cat hos strips.They look like smoll cheetohs.

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Evidence and ElementsAuthors As Mentors1st Grade

a n n o t a t i o n s

Authors As Mentors

First Grade

Swinging Chair

Elements Evidence Adding ellipses in their drafts

Yes, effectively uses ellipse. “Then I went too

fast and…fell off the swinging chair.”

Repeating key phrases (comeback lines)

Next step: She could have taken “swinging chair”

and made it into a comeback line.

Orienting the reader by starting with time (e.g.:

It is early in the morning)

Yes, she says, “One afternoon…”

Using precise details gathered from researching

or visualizing This cannot be determined by looking at a writing

sample. The teacher would need to observe this

behavior.

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Evidence and ElementsPoetry1st Grade

a n n o t a t i o n s

Poetry

First Grade

Brain

Element Evidence Describes ordinary things in fresh

new ways

Describes the brain as a “think box”.

Chooses topics that elicit strong feelings Next step: Select topics for poems that would

elicit strong feelings.

Chooses a small object, moment, or detail that

represents the big feeling

Author choose a small object – the brain, but

didn’t represent a big feeling.

Have their own special music

The repetition of the word “brain” gives the poem

it’s own music.

Contain topics that matter to the poet

The topic of a brain is important and relevant to a

first grader.

Have language, rhythm, form, line breaks, music,

and meaning

Author uses unique language to describe the brain

as a “think box” that “holds” things.

Next step: Use line breaks in a way that adds to

the music of the poem.

Convey feelings by “showing, not telling” The author attempts to “show, not tell” by using

the simile, “A brain is like a think box”.

Next step: Use more descriptive words.

Writes in different poetic voices:

o Speaks to the subject/object of

the poem (speaking to the

object)

o Tells a story with breathless

urgency (storytelling voice)

o Speaks to the reader and says

something that is the deepest,

truest sound of the poet’s heart

(lyrical voice)

o Uses dialogue (conversational voice)

In this poem, the lyrical voice is used to describe

the brain.

Uses patterns that support the meaning of the

poem

The word “brain” is used in a pattern to support

the meaning of the poem.

Rereads poems aloud over and over and decides

how the poem should be read

This cannot be determined by looking at writing

sample. The teacher would need to observe this

behavior.

Changes words so poems sound like music

Next step

Rereads poems for honesty and revises words

until they are precisely right

Next step

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Science is Elementary

Elementary ScienceAurora Public Schools