Writer

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Writers Notebook
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You are a writer!
You have something valuable to say!
I want to know your story!
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But, I dont have anything to write about!
Write whats in front of your nose. William
Carlos William
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We will explore strategies and read interesting
examples.
We will become expert observers, and learn how to
really Look at things.
We are all storytellers! Lets explore our
stories together!
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Think of your Writers Notebook as your
playground!
Youre on recess!
Monkey around!
Here is your chance to be a Wild Child!
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Today you will get sparkly new notebooks!
And then well make them all our own!
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You will have time to decorate the cover of your
Writers Notebook any way you like. You can add
photos, pictures from magazines, stickers,
drawings, or anything else you want.
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Before we start writing there are some things you
should know.
Never tear a page out of your notebook.
You will leave the first page blank like a fly
page in a book.
Write the page number on the right page. Number
all your pages starting after the fly page.
You must have your Writers Notebook in class
each and every day!
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You will add examples, strategies, mini-lessons,
and other gems from the back of your Writers
Notebook.
You will make Freewriting entries from the front
of your Writers Notebook.
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As you soon as you enter the classroom each
morning, take out your Writers Notebook and
Freewrite for 10 minutes.
Start by writing the date and then add a title.
Ill give you a title or youll create one.
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Here are the guidelines for Freewriting

• Write only on the right page.
• Write for the full 10 minutes. Just write!
• Experiment with spelling, punctuation, and
  grammar!
• Go wherever youre writing takes you!
• You are free to write the worst junk in
  America. Natalie Goldberg

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As an owner of a Writers Notebook, you are
officially a member of the Sentence Stalkers. As
a Sentence Stalker you are part of a covert group
of word lovers. You are officially on the
look-out for sizzling, razzle-dazzle words that
tickle your ears, tease your brain, and tantalize
your tongue.
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These words or word combinations can be lifted
from your own writing, a colleague, or a
published authors work.
You will save the last four pages in the back of
your Writers Notebook for these million-dollar
gems. Mark these pages so you know to save them.
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After the Sentence Stalker pages, you will start
adding the strategies and mini-lessons. We will
add them from the back working towards the center.
These are called Writers Secrets, and I am going
to share these secrets with you!
You are ready for these secrets because in 5th
Grade you are real-life, genuine writers!
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Go Write!
Created by Cynthia Miller 2008