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?