Comm

on C

ore

L i te

r ar y

An

al y

s i s W

r i ti n

g

L i te

r ar y

Es s a

y G

r ad

e 7

Thinking Routine

I used to think…. now I think…..

Concept Framing

Understanding the Big Picture

Learning Progression

Literary Essay Resources

Skim student sample

Talk with partners– what skills does a student need to have in order to write in this mode?

Framing Activity:Begin with the End in Mind

Conce

pt #1

Bu

i ld

i ng

Th

eo

r i es

Sessions 1 & 2

➼ Read “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes

➼ Look for changes in the main character

➼ Watch for clear statements of theme

➼ Look at the title, the main conflict, pivotal moments

➼ What “big ideas” does the story seem to be about?

Sess

ion O

bject

ives

❑ Ta l k & w r i t e a b o u t p o s s i b l e t h e o r i e s

❑ A n c h o r t e x t : “ T h a n k Yo u M A ’ a m ” b y L a n g s t o n H u g h e s

❑ “ I n d i v i d u a l ” t e x t

❑ Te s t t h e o r i e s b y f i n d i n g e v i d e n c e

In your notebook consider one or more ideas to think deeper about

theme:❑Conflict

❑Big Ideas, messages

❑ Important events

❑Learning

Prompts to Push Thinking About Theme 

❑ What is the most important moment or two? How might that illustrate the story’s meaning?

❑ What “big ideas” does the story seem to be about?

❑ What is the character’s major struggle or conflict? What message is sent from the way it is resolved?

❑ What does the character learn or realize that readers can learn from?

❑ What does the author write or say that stands out as a part of the message?

Calkins, Lucy, and Mary Ehrenworth. Tackling Complex Texts Historical Fiction in Book Clubs. 2. Portsmouth: FirstHand, 2010. Print.

Writing Partnerships Deepen Thinking

Share your theories about theme from the story

Find EVIDENCE to support some of your theories about theme

Resources

Debrie

f• How do writers

develop theories about theme?

• How do writers prove or disprove theories?

Conce

pt #2

Students have…➼ Developed theories about theme within the

anchor text and “individual” texts➼ Found textual evidence to support multiple

theories❑ Now will work on turning theories to claims

Organ

izin

g Evi

dence

to S

upport C

laim

s

• Choose a theory to turn into a claim

• Continue to share textual evidence at your table – What type of evidence supports your claim (direct quotes, key words, significant events, etc.)?

• Turn your initial hunch / idea about theme into a statement, one that could be argued in an essay.

Session 3: Theories into claims

Reasons = independent from the book , the supporting statements that explain the claim

Evidence = examples used from the text to show the reasons/claim

Identify reasons and evidence to explain and support your claim

Prompts for Pushing Thinking

 

For example… I think this is important because…

Another example is… In the beginning…then later…finally…

To add on… Many people think… but I think…

This makes me realize… I used to think… but now I’m realizing…

This is important because… This is giving me the idea that…

The reason for this is… Another reason is…

This represents… This connects with…

On the other hand…. I partly agree but… because…

Could it also be that… This is similar to…

This is different from… After a while I thought about…

I noticed that section…connects to the whole story because…

Calkins, Lucy, and Medea McEvoy. Literary Essays: Writing About Reading. Grades 3-5. Portsmouth: FirstHand, 2006. Print.

Use thinking prompts and “Collecting Evidence” to create a topic sentence and revised claim.

Organizing Evidence to Support Claims

Debrie

f• How do writers prove the

claim?• What type of evidence do

writers use to prove claims?

• How do writers evaluate evidence and explain claims?

Conce

pt #3

Dr a

f ti n

g a

nd

Ma

na

gi n

g E

v i de

nc e

Sessio

ns 6

& 7

Students have➼ Collected best evidence

AND explained how each proved claim

➼ Rough plan (claim, three reasons, examples for reasons)

Next❑ How do writers position

evidence to create the most effective argument?

Draftin

g and M

anag

ing E

viden

ce

Teacher Experience

Based on your reasons, what type of organization would you use?

Resources

Work in your notebook to play with either “Intro – Example – Connect” OR “Frame It – Name It- Explain It”

Debrie

fHow do writer’s organize their evidence in a way that logically builds their argument?

Asses

smen

t

P r oc e

s s vs .

P r od

uc t

Formative Assessments

Study samples of student drafts or writers notebooks

Examine conferring checklists and revision/editing checklists

Questions to consider:

➘ How might we assess student growth?

➘ How do these ideas fit into the literary essay rubric?

➘ How do we use these tools to guide

instruction (plan future mini-lessons, form strategy ,

glean conferring teaching points, etc.)?

➘ What other tools do we find helpful as

➘ formative assessments?

Process rubric

Summative Assessments

Examine assessment rubric and student samples of final drafts

Questions to consider:

➘ How do we assess growth?

➘ How might you translate both the process and product into grades?

Wrap Up

How would you like to continue to support each other for 2013-2014 school year?

❑ Skype? Facebook? Edmodo? Weebly? Scheduled face-to-face? Other ideas?

❑ Consider whole group, sub groups by geographic location, experience with units, role in education, etc.)

❑ Do we have your contact information?