Kathy PageKathy PageNorth Star Writing ProjectNorth Star Writing Project

Demonstration LessonDemonstration LessonJune 21, 2005June 21, 2005

katheryn_page@birdville.k12.tx.uskatheryn_page@birdville.k12.tx.us

‘‘Super Sentences’Super Sentences’

Using Imitation Using Imitation to Strengthen Writingto Strengthen Writing

What led to the use of What led to the use of the ‘Super Sentence?’ the ‘Super Sentence?’

• A room full of beginning writers

• Needing to apply the parts of speech

• To creative sentence structure!

• And don’t forget…TAKS is coming soon!

According to KP…According to KP…

STRUCTURE + THINKING+ CREATIVITY =

• Use of the senses to facilitate figurative language

• Building stamina while adding to length of text

• A link to TAKS objective testing

• A bridge to WRITING poetry

• Students with high self-esteem KNOWING they are writers!

“We are sometimes faced in the classroom with unskilled writers who…lack a sense of form at all levels—

word, sentence, paragraph,

and entire work. If this is the case, I would argue that

valuable imitative approaches should be used widely and

unapologetically in the composition classroom.”

Paul Butler, “Imitation as Freedom” (2002)

“The storage of solid language patterns in the brain

is of utmost importance for the development of excellent speaking

and writing skills. How is this done?

Obviously, by imitation!”

Andrew Pudewa, “Imitation: A Common Sense Approach” (2000)

44thth grade TEKS/TAKS taught… grade TEKS/TAKS taught…

Purposes

• Write to express, develop, reflect, and problem solve (15A/TAKS 1)

• Write to entertain such as to compose poems or stories (15C/TAKS 1)

• Exhibit an identifiable voice in personal narriative and in stories (15E/TAKS 1)

Grammar/Usage

• Employ standard English Usage in writing, including subject-verb agreement, pronoun referents, and parts of speech (18C/TAKS 2,5)

• Use adjectives and adverbs appropriately to make writing vivid or precise (18D/TAKS 2,5)

• Use prepositional phrases to elaborate written ideas (18E/TAKS 2,4)

Writing Processes

• Develop drafts by organizing paragraphs, and blending paragraphs within larger units of text (19B)

• Revise drafts by adding, elaborating, combining, and rearranging text (19C/TAKS 1,3)

• Edit drafts for specific purposes such as appropriate word choice (19E/TAKS 2,4,5)

Evaluation• Apply criteria to evaluate writing

(20A)

Connections• Collaborate with others to compose

and revise various types of text (22A)

“Although it is true that students learn many things inductively through meaningful

literacy experiences, instruction is important. Effective teachers do teach

strategies and skills.”

“Carefully planned instruction may be especially important for minority students. Many students who grew up outside the dominant culture are at a disadvantage when certain knowledge, strategies, and skills expected by teachers are not made explicit in their classrooms. Explicitness is crucial because people from different cultures have different sets of understandings.” Tompkins, 2004 (PP. 103, 104)

“You’ll find that students can become good fixers of their own material…if you work on one skill at a time.”

“How do you work them into the business of buildiing writers?

Here are a few ways I like… 1. Visit separate writing skills within regular language lessons… 2. Re-visit those language skills during

writing sessions… 3. Sneak little lessons into individual

writing conferences…and 4. Plan mini-lessons on specific writing skills…”

Marjorie Frank, 1995 (PP. 129, 130)

Students write…Students write…

The fish was slimy.The rainbow fish felt like

slippery, slimy goo squirming through my small hands.

Cianna and Kendyl

The dolphins kept jumping as we got to the dock.The dolphins looked like small,

gray sausages leaping effortlessly as we approached the dock.

Seri

I felt very happy.I felt like a golden wrapper swirling and floating

in the clear sky on a summer day. Mary Ann

“Teaching students to add specific details begins with helping them to see image qualities in two of the simplest grammatical structures: nouns and verbs… Yet ironically, professionals with years of writing experience find these simple structures to be the overlooked engines that power good writing…When students discover this truth, their writing is transformed into vivid photography.”

“Prepositions link additional noun images. These noun images, in turn, bring adjectives.

The combination provides more details, color, sound, and so on.”

“Metaphors and similes generate an image webbing pattern in the reader’s mind,

where added power comes from one image linking to another to another.”

Harry Noden, 1999 (PP. 26, 32, 34)

Before teaching the Before teaching the ‘Super Sentence’ process…‘Super Sentence’ process…

• Color code and use the Sentence Building patterns in How to Teach Students to be Fluent Writers (Ross).

• Time and time again, identify strong verbs, adjectives, and figurative language in rich, read-aloud text.

• Always have students log all strong verbs, adjectives and figurative language into their ‘Write-Stuff’ folders as a personal writing source. These can be identified by teachers, the students themselves, or at home with parents.

• During writing conferences, challenge students to revise their work using stronger verbs, adjectives, and figurative language.

• Reward students who bring magazines, books, newspapers, or any other kind of printed text containing strong verbs, adjectives, or figurative language found outside of class.

After the process…After the process…

• Demonstrate the use of ‘super sentences’ in modeled, shared, and guided writing.

• Require the use of super sentences in independent compositions.

• Incorporate Noden’s Image Grammar strategies to enrich the ‘Super Sentence’ structure.

• Allow the students to experiment with vatieties of their own, which might include, rearrangement or additions.

• Apply these learned strategies to poetry.

“(Revision) changes that significantly influence meaning

occur at three levels:

word-phrase level, sentence-paragraph level,

and whole composition level.”

Ronald Cramer, 2001 (P. 108)

Students then write…Students then write…I felt like a golden wrapper rolling down a

long, sparkling hill.” Mary Ann

A butterfly is an angel flying quietlythrough the whispering wind andwaving her flattering wings through the colorful flowers. Ryan

My face was as red as a rose, it felt like a flaming fire, and the coach

zoomed over to help me. Chris

Venus Fly Trapprickly, fast

sticking, protecting, attackingdry area plant

EATER

Kyler Cinquain based on science lesson

My loving mother sounds like a chorus of little, chirping birdies in a stick and grass nest at the top of the giant oak tree. Michael

Free Verse inside a Mother’s Day card

“Even though revising is complex,

I have no doubt children can handle it.

Move them beyond a surface view of revision. Teach them that revision

is the heart and soul of writing.”

Ronald Cramer (2001), P. 108

What about extensions?What about extensions?• Use appropriate grade-level composition and

grammarTEKS to build imitation structures, especially in elementary and middle levels.

• For higher levels, use sentences from literature, have students identify the structure, and them imitate this in their own examples and compositions, for example…

What separates Poe from the phrenologists, who were right in conceiving of a divided brain

but wrong in labeling its parts, is his keen understanding region of the mind.

[subject + relative clause + linking verb + complement]

What do students say after using What do students say after using ‘Super Sentences’ with ease?‘Super Sentences’ with ease?

“Writing makes me feel like relaxing in a wiggly, jiggly waterbed!”

“I really have to stretch my brain and think.”

“Now, it’s way easy for me.”

“I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot this year.”

“When I write, I feel that I have already got a 100!”“I am inspired to become a writer!”

“Writing makes me express myself and it shows how you feel about things.”

“I feel excited and happy. It’s cool to just throw out those adjectives! Ms. Page is the Writing God!”

“Writing ISN’T taught by saying, “Write…,” and then scoring what kids

already know how to do.

It IS taught by offering challenging directions,

presenting patterns, and providing endless examples

that open doors to original expression.”

Marjorie Frank (1995) P. 74

BibliographyBibliographyButler, P. (2002). “Imitation as Freedom: (Re)Forming Student

Writing.” The Quarterly.Cleary, B. (2004). I and You and Don’t Forget Who…What is a

Pronoun? Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, Inc.Cleary, B. (2002). Under, Over, By the Clover…What is a

Preposition? Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, Inc.Cramer, R. (2001). Creative Power-The Nature and Nurture of

Children’s Writing. New York: Addison Wesley Longman.Frank, M. (1979). If You’re Trying to Teach Kids How to Write…

you’ve gotta have this book! (2nd ed.). Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications, Inc.

Noden, H. (1999). Image Grammar: Using Grammatical Structures to Teach Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Pudewa, A. (2000) “Imitation: A Common Sense Approach.” Atascadero, CA: Institute for Excellence in Writing.

Ross, B. (1996). How to Teach Students to be Fluent Writers. Westminster, CA: Teacher Crafted Materials, Inc.

Tompkins, G. E.(2004). Teaching writing: Balancing process and product (4th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.