Wonderful Real-World Writing

By Anita L. GreenCentral Carolina CC

agree813@cccc.edu

Write Like This: Real-World Writing Purposes

In the real world, people write.

Helping students learn the different

purposes for writing is essential for their success.

College and Career Readiness Standards

2.  Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content  3.  Write narratives to develop real experiences using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.7.  Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.

Let’s Write

• What was your worst writing experience?

VocabularyDefinitions• Evidence

– Observable data either physical or reliably reported

• Warrants– Common sense rules, general

statements about how people and things behave

• Conclusions – Reasoning that must be

supported with evidence and warrants

Crime and Puzzlement

(Book 1, p. 22)By

Lawrence Treat

VocabularyDefinitions

• Evidence– Observable data either

physical or reliably reported• Warrants

– Common sense rules, general statements about how people and things behave

• Conclusions – Reasoning that must be

supported with evidence and warrants

Examples• Evidence

– There are flowers “From Joe” and a pictureof Joe on display

• Warrants– Generally when flowers and

a picture are on display, the person is special

• Conclusions– Therefore Joe is special to Amy

Crime Scene: Do Not Cross

Express and Reflect

• Expresses or reflects on own life and experiences

• Often looks backward in order to look forward

Examples:Journals, poetry, autobiographical narratives, blogs, Twitter, Facebook

Just Because….

Inform and Explain

• States a main point and purpose

• Tries to present the information in a surprising way

Examples:Answers to questions, essays, brochures, reports

Lesson Idea

“The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart.” – Maya Angelou

Lesson Idea

Lesson Idea

Do I Have to Write the Question?• This is one of the easiest ways to teach students

how to write to inform and explain. When they ask, “Do we have to write the question?” tell them the question should be included in the answer.

• The reader should know what the question was by the way you wrote your answer.

To Model This Strategy

• For minimal preparation, use the questions at the end of chapters as your model.

Sample Question: How do I get my students to answer questions in complete sentences?

Model Answer

• Students need to answer questions in complete sentences and the easiest way to teach them to do this is to show them how to use the language of the question in their answer.

• By teaching them to incorporate the question into the answer AND to use the names of persons, places, or things as they answer, the students are demonstrating content knowledge and understanding.

Evaluate and Judge

• Focuses on the worth of person, object, idea, or other phenomenon

• Usually specifies the criteria to the object being seen as “good” or “bad”

Examples:Social Media, Reviews, Critiques

Lesson Idea

• Students write advice about situations in their lives and how to survive them

• Students respond to topics through social media in a non-threatening arena, where their ideas, thoughts and feelings can be voiced and not judged.

Analyze and Interpret

• Seeks to analyze and interpret phenomena that are difficult to understand or explain

Examples:Reviews, critiques, lab reports, literary interpretation

Lesson Idea

Make a list of everything you see in the picture. You have five seconds.

Look again for ten seconds.

Look again and make a list with the

people around you.

Inquire and Explore

• Wrestles with a question or problem

• Hooks with the problem and lets the reader watch them wrestle with it

Examples:Reports, research projects, inquiry lessons, labs

Take a Stand/Propose a Solution

• Seeks to persuade audiences to accept a particular position on a controversial issue • Describes the problem, proposes a solution, and provides justification

Examples:Research projects, essays, letters to the editor, problem/solution papers

Lesson Idea

Would You Rather? is a game that offers choices that seem impossible.

• Would you rather be able to fast forward life or to rewind it?

• Would you rather die lonely with no enemies or die hated by many?

from Write Like This (2011) Kelly Gallagher who adapted it from Bean, Chappell, and Gillam (2003)

Purpose ExplanationExpress and Reflect

Expresses or reflects on own life and experiences Often looks backward in order to look forward

Inform and Explain

States a main point and purpose Tries to present the information in a surprising way

Evaluate and Judge

Focuses on the worth of person, object, idea, or other phenomenon

Usually specifies the criteria to the object being seen as “good” or “bad”

Inquire and Explore

Wrestles with a question or problem Hooks with the problem and lets the reader watch them

wrestle with itAnalyze and Interpret

Seeks to analyze and interpret phenomena that are difficult to understand or explain

Take a Stand/Propose a Solution

Seeks to persuade audiences to accept a particular position on a controversial issue

Describes the problem, proposes a solution, and provides justification

   

Purpose Possible Writing Topics

Express and Reflect • My first class• The first time a student dropped• My first graduate

Inform and Explain • The First Adult Education classes• Why more adults come back to class

Evaluate and Judge • Best Teaching Practices• Sage on the Stage VS Guide on the Side

Inquire and Explore • Professional Development Opportunities• Networking Across Curriculum

Analyze and Interpret • Does Assessment lead to Retention• Does new standards lead to students being ready for college?

Take a Stand/Propose a Solution

• Teachers should be given greater recognition as teaching professionals (and pay)• Teachers should have more freedom to

individually decide how they will teach and assess.

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One Topic:

Teaching

Exit Paper

• What was your best writing experience?