View
214
Download
0
Category
Tags:
Preview:
Citation preview
Informative Writing Doesn’t Have to be Boring
Kristen BonserWith resources from Laurie Stowell
August 26, 2014
Daily WritingDaily Writing Write down all the kinds of writing you have done in the
last twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
Think about ALL the kinds of writing you do.
What Form Can What Form Can Informative Writing Informative Writing
Take?Take? Labels
Brochures
Letters
Lists
Explanatory essays
Speeches
Observations
Process essays
Interviews
Logs
Summaries
Description
Notes
Menus
Magazine articles
Biographies
How-to articles
Newspaper articles
Cause/effect essays
Reports
Directories
Recipes
Manual
Procedures
Experiments
Compare/contrast essays
Problem/solution essays
What Are What Are Informative/Explanatory Informative/Explanatory
Text Structures?Text Structures? Listing and naming: (Newkirk found that this was the earliest form of
writing)
Summary: Making a point using highly focused, essential key details that relate and form a pattern.
Description: Fleshed out sensory descriptions.
Process description: Steps in a process-recipes, directions, process analysis and how to texts.
Definitions: Short encyclopedic entries to extended definitions.
Compare/Contrast: Setting two or more elements side by side.
Classification: Grouping multiple elements of a specific topical universe.
Cause/Effect: Explaining the relationship between a set of causes and consequences in events that have already occurred.
Problem/Solution: Explaining the nature of a problem and relating the causes of the problem to the solution.
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards
for Writingfor WritingText Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
R.A.F.T.S.
RAFTSRAFTS R: Role (Reporter, critic, eyewitness)
A: Audience (Teacher, community member)
F: Format (Letter, poem, interview, brochure)
T: Topic (What is it about?)
S: Strong verb (Purpose: inform, explain)
TRY IT!TRY IT!
ROLE AUDIENCE FORMAT TOPICSTRONG
VERB(optional)
DiscussionDiscussion
How could you use RAFTS in:o Scienceo Social Studieso Matho Other subjects
Inquiry
What is Inquiry?What is Inquiry?“The process of addressing problems expressed
by guiding questions.” -Wilhelm
“Every time we teach a child something, we prevent him from inventing it.” -Piaget
Inquiry in K-2Inquiry in K-2
ABC books
“All about…” books
Try It!Try It!
Write down a list of topics that you teach in either: Social Studies Science
Make your own ABC or All About Book.
Inquiry as Genius Hour Inquiry as Genius Hour Grades 3-8Grades 3-8
What is Genius Hour?VIDEO: http://youtu.be/NMFQUtHsWhc
CNN Article: http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/09/living/genius-hour-education-schools/index.html?iref=allsearch
Setting Up an InquirySetting Up an InquiryTeachers must guide students to:
1.Identify a big question that: Is open-ended, possible to contend, arguable. Concise and clearly stated. Linked to data. May lead to new questions.
2.Identify a final project that demonstrates their knowledge.
3.Create a backwards plan: A carefully ordered set of activities that support students’ progress text by text and activity by activity.
Discussion PointsDiscussion Points What kind of time do students need?
How will I support student’s writing growth as they pursue individual projects?
What kinds of checkpoints can I build to support students’ independent work?
How will students demonstrate their learning?
Multi-genre Projects
Multi-Genre Writing & Multi-Genre Writing & Common CoreCommon Core
Using multiple sources of information, analyzing, and
synthesizing, then producing multiple genres to demonstrate learning.
Multi-Genre WritingMulti-Genre WritingGenres can be combined in one format:
Magazines Zines (online) Manuals Newspapers Anthology Informational Picture Books
Or students and teachers can enter into a kind of contract identifying a particular number of different genres to answer their question.
Examples:Examples: Student Example:
http://youtu.be/gFV5OyvnouE
Class Example: http://youtu.be/-UPtoB4aDbg
Expert Books
Expert BooksExpert BooksWhat is an Expert Book?
A student-created informative text about a topic they are familiar with.
I know a lot about…cats, soccer, building bird houses, & spaghetti!
Expert BooksExpert BooksWhy start informative writing with an Expert Book?
Students are experts on many subjects.
Students love to show off what they know.
Students aren’t hindered by a lack of background knowledge or need for research.
Writing long and strong stays the focus, not research.
Allows you to cycle through the whole writing process within a short amount of time.
Informative WritingInformative WritingTeacher Guidance Level of Research
StepsSteps1. Choose a topic
2. Organize table of contents
3. Plan chapter structures
4. Construct a rough draft
5. Collect research
6. Redraft and elaborate
7. Revise and Edit
How do these steps differ from the informational writing your students are doing now?
What are the benefits of having students construct a draft prior to research?
What are the disadvantages?
Let’s make an Expert Book!
Steps for Creating an Steps for Creating an Expert BookExpert Book
1. Brainstorm expert topics.“You already know a lot about
a lot of things. What are you most excited about?”
2. Choose a topic.
3. Create a table of contents.
4. Then reorder it. Kinds Parts Examples Ways
5. Choose one order (these are the chapters)
Heading or
Chapter Title
Subtopic
Facts…Subtopi
c
Subtopic
Post-itsUse:One piece of paper per heading or chapter title.
6. Use post-its to jot down all the facts/information you know under each one of your chapter titles. Write one word/phrase per sticky note.
7. Play with the chapter structures. What’s the best structure for each chapter? Narrative Essay Sequential Order Comparison Pro/Con Cause/Effect (If…Then…) Problems/Solution
8. Write a draft using the chapters. One page per chapter.
Construct your first rough draft!
Write LONG and STRONG. Don’t worry about research at this point.
Let’s collect some research!What chapters are too short or lacking
factual information?
Collect ResearchCollect Research
Heading orChapter Title
Subtopics(one for each)
Evidence
Redraft and elaborate!
Redraft and ElaborateRedraft and Elaborate Introductions
Conclusions
Elaboration Structures
Text Features
Crafting an Crafting an IntroductionIntroduction
Highlight something unique or attention-getting
Begin with an interesting quote
Contrast a difference between then and now
Describe a scene
ElaborationElaborationElaboration Structures
Quotations
Statistics
Anecdotes
Observations
Descriptions
Vocabulary words
Lists
Labels
Text Features Text Boxes
Glossaries
Headings and Subheadings
Tables, Charts, Graphs
Maps
Illustrations and diagrams
Photographs
ResourcesResourcesReading and Writing Project
http://readingandwritingproject.com/
Writer’s Workshop Materials
http://www.heinemann.com/products/E04717.aspx
Questions?
Recommended