Longman Keystone • Level D Unit 1 DAILY WRITING FLUENCY 

Lesson 1

 Description

 Look at the photographs on pages 2 and 3 in your books. Complete the Quick Write T-charts and choose one chart entry to write about.

Think about the shade of a tree on a sunny beach. Describe the physical differences between light and shadow.

Lesson 2

Expository Writing

 Concentrate on ways that light can be a something other than physical. Write a few sentences explaining how light can be something one feels.

 How can something make you feel light? Write a few sentences explaining your thoughts.

Lesson 3

Expository Writing  

Think of a myth you are aware of or would like to know more about. Write a few sentences about what makes the subject a myth as opposed to nonfiction.

Lesson 4

Creative Writing

Brainstorm words that could be considered onomatopoeia. List your ideas.  Write a short story using some of the words.

What sounds can you include in a story? Write a short story using onomatopoeia.

Lesson 5

Metacognition

Read the first two paragraphs of the myth on page 8.  Write about what you did to predict what will happen in “Grandmother Spider Brings the Sun.”

Can you predict what will happen next? Write about how you made your prediction.

Lesson 6

Creative Writing

Discuss the use of repetition in storytelling with your partner. Think about how you would tell a story about something that happened to you.

Write about something that happened to you. Include repetition to involve the reader.

Lesson 7

Expository Writing

Complete the Response to Literature activity on page 15. Read your writing aloud to the class. Choose one of your classmate’s writings to critique.

 Choose the writing that you liked the most. Write a few sentences telling what you liked about it.

Lesson 8

Exposition

Review the elements of Informational Texts. Write a few sentences to review what elements constitute nonfiction.

How do you know that a reading is nonfiction? Write about what elements can be found in an informational text.

Lesson 9

Metacognition

Review the reading strategy on page 21. Write about what you did to skim the reading “Light.”  How did skimming help you?

What do you do when you skim an article? Write about how skimming a text can help you to understand.

Lesson 10

Description

Think of a transparent object you may use every day. Write a description of the object without naming it. Listen to descriptions and guess what is being described.

 Describe a transparent object that you may use or know about. Write a few sentences describing the object without naming it.

Lesson 11

Compare and Contrast

 Consider your reflections in a pond or lake as compared to your reflections in a mirror.  Write a compare and contrast paragraph discussing the differences.  Use the terms diffuse and regular in your comparisons.

 What makes a reflection diffuse or regular? What makes them different?

Lesson 12

Narration

 Elaborate on the concept of life without mirrors. Brainstorm ideas if needed.  Write three sentences explaining your thoughts.

 How would your life and the lives of others change if there were no mirrors? Explain.

Lesson 13

Compare and Contrast

 Consider how light behaves. Write about the differences between light on a transparent object and light on an opaque object.

 Write about how light behaves on an opaque object. Compare this to how light behaves on a transparent object.  

Lesson 14

Expository Writing

Complete the Practice descriptive writing activity on page 31. Read your writings aloud to the class. Choose one of your classmate’s writings to critique.

 Choose the writing that you liked the most. Write a few sentences telling how well the article described an object. How did the article appeal to the senses?

Lesson 15

Description

 Write sentences describing the setting of a familiar event. Include the time and place of the event.

 Describe the setting of an event. Use descriptive language to tell us where and when it occurs.

Lesson 16

Narration

 Elaborate on the On Your Own activity on page 37.  Give specific reasons for your decision to climb the tower or not.

 Write a few sentences telling whether or not you would climb a tower like the one in the reading. What would you like about it? What wouldn’t you like about it?

Lesson 17

Cause and Effect

Expand upon the question of whether you prefer sunny or cloudy days by writing a cause and effect paragraph.

What kind of an effect does sunlight have on you? How do you feel on a sunny day? How do you feel on a cloudy day? Write a paragraph describing the similarities and differences.

Lesson 18

Grammar and Writing

 Write sentences correctly using the prepositions in, at, and on.

 Lesson 19

Supporting Opinion

 Write about why you like or don’t like short stories. Begin your writings by finishing one of the following sentences.

I like mystery stories because . . .

I don’t like mystery stories because . . .

Lesson 20

Visual Literacy

Examine the photo of the girl in a cotton mill on page 45.  Make predictions based on the image.  Write about your thoughts.

 What is the mood of the picture? What is the girl’s expression? What can we learn from this visual information?

Lesson 21

Definition

Find current event photos from a newspaper or magazine and write about your reactions to events depicted in them.

 Choose one photo and write about your reaction to it. How does the image make you feel? Why?

Lesson 22

Description

Choose one of the photographs on page 54 and write about your observations.

 Choose one of the photos and describe what you see. Are the children happy or sad? What details leave an impact on you? What is your reaction to what you see?

Lesson 23

Expository Writing

Finish the Extension activity page 57.  Read your sentences about the boy picking cotton to the class. Choose one student’s writing to critique.

Choose one student writing that you liked the most. What observations affected you? Why?

Lesson 24

Narration

 Brainstorm school events that merit writing about.  Write about the event.  Write using at least one identifying and one nonidentifying adjective clause in your writing.

Lesson 25

Supporting Opinion

 Think about which reading you liked the best Why? Write three sentences.

Lesson 26

Brainstorming

Read the list of projects on page 61. Think about other possible projects.

Lesson 27

Supporting Opinions

Review the Further Reading selections on page 61 of the student book. Write about the selection that most interests you.

Write about which selection would be most interesting. Why does it interest you?

Lesson 28

Narration

 The Deliver the Presentation section on page 63.  Write about how you feel when you deliver a presentation.

 How do you feel when you speak in front of the class? Are you nervous or excited? Do you like to give presentations or not?

Lesson 29

Expository Writing

 Write a self evaluation of your presentations.  Use the checklist on page 63 as a starting point.

 Evaluate your own performance as a speaker. Write about the things you did well, as well as the areas where you may need to improve. Give constructive criticism of your performance.

Lesson 30

Expository Writing

 Write a self evaluation of their descriptive essays.  Use the checklist on page 65 as a starting point.

Evaluate your own performance as a writer. Write about the things you did well, as well as the areas where you may need to improve. Give suggestions of what you can do to improve the next time you write.