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Parents’ Role
You are here You care Your kid is already ahead of the game
I feel about writing the way this guy feels about his team
I want your kids to feel that way too.
Finding “Inner Peace” while helping your child write……a tough challenge for both of you.
Tonight’s Goals
To overview the writing process and types of writing we will do this year
To give you guiding questions to ask—not answers to give
To help you and your child feel less stressed about writing
Student writing needs to be authentic
Seeing their weaknesses and strengths helps
teachers identify gaps and help them grow.
WR
ITIN
G G
ETS
HA
RD
ER
More independent
More pages
More complex
MO
RE E
MPH
AS
IS O
N
TEC
HN
OLO
GY
NEW STANDARDS REQUIRE
Teaching students to blog
Teaching how to use the internet for research
WE W
ILL WR
ITE… A Lot!!!
To prepare for MCAS in March LONG COMP AND ORQ(3 Days of ELA testing)
And High School, and College…
and LIFE
3 Basic Formats and Purposes
Argument
• Highly structured• Some research
involved, Needs significant and sufficient support
• Generally formal tone
• Purpose is to persuade
Narrative
• Emphasis on sensory description, significant detail
• Unique insights, analysis, creative
• Tone may be less formal
• Purpose is to entertain/provoke thought
Research
• Requires sifting sources for CREDIBLE information
• Emphasis on supporting fact
• Draw conclusions; find organizing categories
• Formal tone• Purpose is to
inform; compare/contrast
Open Response Questions vs. Essay Writing Format
ORQs show comprehension and close reading—be a lawyer-give
“just the facts, ma’am”
Get to the point (1-3 paragraphs-no opening or
closing)
Show close reading—direct quotations and at least 3 significant details
Explain significance/meaning of
selected details
Formal tone
Essays show critical thinking and mastery of richly developed language—be a philosopher
Content must be richly developed—go deep—
5+paragraphs
Strong lead/hook essential
Vocabulary MATTERS- be vivid and precise, elevated
Smooth flow, complex and varied sentence structure
The 5 C’s of 7th Grade WritingCorrectCompleteClear
Compelling
Complex
The 5 C’s of 7th Grade writingCorrect
Complex
CompellingComplete
Clear???
Tracking ALL the elements of writing at once…..
o Focus on topico Answering ALL parts of prompto Meeting Format/Purposeo Targeting Audienceo Significant and relevant supporto Unified paragraphso Organizationo Vocabularyo Sentence Flowo Transitional phraseso Grammaro Spelling/Capitalizationo Strong openings/hookso Insightful conclusionso Creativityo Accuracyo Deptho Appropriate Tone
Can be VERY frustrating getting it right takes practice
Different Plates will drop while they learn to balance others
Correct, complete, clear—NOT complex
More complex—less clear
Our Writing Process
1. Pre-write
2.Compose
3. Evaluate
4. Revise
5.Edit
6.Publish
IT ALL STARTS WITH THE QUESTION
1. Read The QUESTION and FCAs CAREFULLY!
2. Use TNT—TOPIC words
NUMBER of Items to includeTASK or TASKS to complete
Describe AND Explain? Identify AND Describe? Compare AND Contrast?
FAP MATTERS!!
Format
Audience
Purpose
Most kids HATE prewriting
LACK of Prewriting is the MAIN reason students dead-end with “Nothing to say”
Plan to Fail
Fail to plan and you
Types of Brainstorms T charts for
pros and cons compare contrastfact/elaboration
Webs
Bulleted Lists
PREWRITEBrainstorm
Group/Develop/Delete
***Order/Organize
Brainstorming
• Just WRITE
•Gets the gears moving
•Gets thinking beyond the surface level
•Fills the Scary Blank PAGE
GROUP…related details/find cause and effect connections—(Color-code)
DELETE…less significant-Ideas you have few facts for
DEVELOP…ADD to details if you get MORE related ideas as you work
ASK your writer: Did you….
OTHER words for “details”
What IS a supporting detail?
Facts Evidence Support
Numbers Names Time frames (before what, after what)
Places Actions What Actions Lead to
Put Ideas in ORDER BEFORE beginning
Just Number Items
OR
Formal Outline
Basic Outline for Argument EssayOpening Paragraph: Hook, Claim, Reason 1, Reason 2 Reason 3/Counterclaim, Conclusion
Body R1: Topic Sentence
3-4 supporting details/elaboration connecting detail to main point of paragraph
Body R2: Topic Sentence
3-4 supporting details/elaboration connecting detail to main point of paragraph
Body R3: Topic Sentence3-4 supporting details/elaboration connecting detail to main point of paragraph
Conclusion: Repeat MAIN point in NEW way; recap main categories of support; extend idea
Problems with PLANNING Stage? Ask : WHY???HOW??SO WHAT?How does that relate to the main topic or question?
COMPOSE
PAGE FRIGHT? JUST WRITE!Encourage the writer to form sentences out of the planner.
JUST a DRAFTDoes not have to be Shakespearean…Just gets bullets into full sentences.
TIPS for Drafting
1. Write body paragraphs FIRST!
The opening and closing CAN be the hardest part—
Conclusions and BIG IDEAS come through after working with topic for a while
TIPS for Drafting
2. Just write Topic Sentences for each paragraph
Then go back and fill in details and elaborate on why the details matter/prove the point IN the topic sentence
TIPS for Drafting
3.Talk it through…..Sometimes we speak in a more direct way than we write
•Have your child explain what they want to say without writing. •Scribe any phrases that seem to capture the ideas that they were “stuck” on•Your child can clean up the phrasing later.
TIPS for Drafting
4. CHUNK IT
Take a break—walk away after a body paragraph is complete.
Then revisit the planner to begin the next
TIPS for Drafting
5. First Draft is a SKELETON
Keep the writer CALMFirst draft is JUST a Skeleton—
You can add some muscle to the ideas and dress it up in more appropriate style during revision.
BACKWARDS PLAN TO HAVE TIME TO REVISE!!
FDR had time to revise his famous INFAMY speech after Pearl Harbor—
If the leader of the free world on the brink of war had time to revise—YOU better make time to revise!
REVISE
AFTER a break –
Before Rewriting—REREAD THE QUESTION/PROMPT/FCAs
Review FCAs
Reconsider Format Audience Tone
REVISE
Reread DRAFT OUT loud—mark any sections student LOVESCelebrate success!
Mark areas to come back to—what seems fuzzy? Incomplete? Wrong Tone? Insignificant?
REVISE using COWSChunk Revision into 2-4 separate read-throughs: Chunk by:
CONTENT
ORGANIZATION
WORDCHOICE
SENTENCE FLOW
CONTENT check-in questions
What do you you think were your strongest points? Try to duplicate approach in weaker sections.
Do you directly answer the prompt? Use topic words from question in opening?
Are details persuasive? Logical? Any INSIGNIFICANT details to delete?
CONTENT more check -in questions
Do you clearly EXPLAIN HOW the details prove or relate to the main claim/point of the paper? Of each paragraph?
Do you show “cause and effect” relationships using words like “because” “which shows” “which led to…” “this resulted in…Do details skim the surface or ZOOM in close—go deep?
CONTENT more check -in questions
Does your opening HOOK the reader? Bring a moment to life with sensory details? Relate a familiar quote to the topic? Make the reader THINK and FEEL?
WHAT line in the opening shows you have thought deeply and come to a clear conclusion about the topic? Do you have a POINT? OR just a topic?
ORGANIZATION check-in questions
Does the opening LEAD the reader through the claim and the main point you will make in EACH body paragraph.
Are there details in the opening that you should MOVE to a body paragraph?
Does a clear TOPIC SENTENCE open each body paragraph? Do ALL the ideas in each paragraph clearly relate to that topic sentence?
ORGANIZATION more check in questions
What is the reason for the ORDER you presented your body paragraphs in? Did you save strongest point for last or lead with it?
What transitional phrases did you use to show how the order flows? “The most important factor…” Even more significant is the fact that…”
ORGANIZATION more check-in questions
CONCLUSION: DID you wrap up with a FULL paragraph (not just a sentence.)
Does the conclusion rephrase the main points—not just repeat the opening?
Does the conclusion EXTEND the ideas in the paper to offer a “call to action”, find a deeper meaning/lesson to apply outside of the specific topic in the paper?
Advanced writers reach independent conclusions and insights beyond recalled facts from class and reading
“Why Didn’t I think of
that?!”
WORD CHOICE – STYLE MATTERS check-in questions
Which words are the most precise and vivid? Upgrade in “flat” paragraphs.
Can you find a powerful, active verb or two in EVERY paragraph? (especially the opening)
Look for pronouns (he, she, it , they…) and words like “thing” – replace them with a name, a noun, a specific!
WORD CHOICE – STYLE MATTERS check-in questions
Too many “third-grade” words? Scan for “good” “bad” “nice” “thing” a lot” and replace!
Can you use synonyms for some of the topic words from the prompt?
Did you include any recent vocabulary words that would fit well?
WORD CHOICE – STYLE MATTERS check-in questions
Do you have appropriate TONE? Formal for research or aguement—less formal if purpose is to entertain..
If Tone is formal—do you see any inappropriate conversational words to cut …”Well, you…” “So now you”
Is “I” or “you” appropriate or is this a formal piece of writing?
WORD CHOICE – STYLE MATTERS check-in questions
WHEN it sounds “flat” Try ZAPS!
ZOOM in on detailsACTION verbs bring life to a
sentencePERSONIFY SENSORY language—use details
that make the reader SEE, HEAR, FEEL. SOUND is often MORE effective than visual description in creating mood
SENTENCE FLOW check-in questionsRead each topic sentence—do they have varied sentence structure or do they sound too similar. “The first reason…the second reason… another reason…
Are there run-ons that make stringy sentences? More than two and s? You probably should break into shorter sentences.
Too many uses of So= so-so stringy!
Fragments? Short choppy phrases that don’t tell a complete thought? ADD necessary subjects or predicates.
SENTENCE FLOW check-in questionsCan you find transitional words and phrases to link ideas
“Not only, but also”“In contrast to” “On the other hand”“In addition” “Another…” “In the same way..”“For example” “As a result of”
SENTENCE FLOW check-in questions
What parts of this paper are FUN to read?
Have you bored yourself?
REVISE check in questions
What parts of this are FUN to read?
Have you bored yourself?
EDIT check-in questions
SpellingAre words/terms/ names from prompt spelled correctly?
Circle words you are not sure of—check them with a dictionary/ spell check
Use Find/replace function on computer for commonly confused words—their/there, too/to then/than
EDIT check -in questions
CapitalizationProper nouns? Character names, places, languages, titles…
COMMASAfter introductory phrases, between items in a list
APOSTROPHES- for contractions and possessives NOT plurals
EDITING TRICK
READ paragraphs out loud in REVERSE order
Fool the brain into NOT filling in missing words and missing endings of words
EDITING TRICK
LEAVE time to walk away and come back for ONE last review of the question/prompt and the final.
SAVE EARLY and OFTEN on computer. Print interim drafts.
YOU can’t learn to juggle all the plates at once
Select 2-4 areas for revision per paper
Unsteady Writers:
Concentrate on CONTENT and ORGANIZATION questions
No Kardashian essays—SUBSTANCE matters over style
Ready to Roll Writers:
Concentrate on WORD CHOICE and SENTENCE FLOWquestions
Someday the training wheels DO come off!!