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Creating Active Thinkers for All Types of Writing
Tim HargisAugust 31, 2015
Lake City Area SchoolsLake City, Michigan
Website: www.thewritingdiner.comEmail: [email protected]
Twitter: @WritingDinerTimSlideshare: www.slideshare.net/timhargis
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A Little About Who I Am
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A Little About Who I Am
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A Little About Who I Am
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I have loved to write since I was about this old.
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My studentsare not
growing as writers…
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My studentsare not
growing as writers…
I’m not sure what to teach
in my minilessons…
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My studentsare not
growing as writers…
I’m not sure what to teach
in my minilessons…
I don’t like towrite for mystudents…
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My studentsare not
growing as writers…
I’m not sure what to teach
in my minilessons…
I don’t like towrite for mystudents…
Assessment issues…
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My studentsare not
growing as writers…
I’m not sure what to teach
in my minilessons…
I don’t like towrite for mystudents…
Assessment issues…
Standardized testprep…
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My studentsare not
growing as writers…
I’m not sure what to teach
in my minilessons…
I don’t like towrite for mystudents…
Assessment issues…
Standardized test prep…
Activethinkers…
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The Original• A series of lessons
aimed to teach craft elements of writing– Leads
• Onomatopoeia• One Word• Dialogue
– Details• Similes• Snapshots, Thoughtshots• Parts of speech
– Endings• Memory, wish, feeling• Strong Line
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The Original• A series of lessons
aimed to teach craft elements of writing– Included pieces of writing
• Personal Narratives
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The Original• Guiding Principles
1. Teach explicitly2. Incorporate conversation
to deepen understanding3. Hold students
accountable4. Make writing meaningful
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The Original• The ultimate goal:
To help students become active thinkers while they are independently writing– While students are
independently writing, they will have real writing skills and knowledge inside of them, AND they will be actively thinking about how to apply that knowledge and those skills to any writing task
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So Why a Writing Diner?
• The idea is to build a visual menu to support student writing and student thinking throughout the year.
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So Why a Writing Diner?
• The idea is to build a visual menu to support student writing and student thinking throughout the year.– Students are familiar with
menus– Menus, be definition,
require active thinking– Built gradually
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Lesson 2: Onomatopoeia Lead• Students will be
introduced to the idea of starting with an interesting noise to grab the reader’s attention and will begin to use it in their own writing.
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Today we are working on....
The Onomatopoeia Lead!!!
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What in the world is onomatopoeia?!?!?
You might be thinking....
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Onomatopoeia
• Onomatopoeia is a fancy writing word for a noise or a sound in a piece of writing.
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Onomatopoeia
• Examples:– My wet gym shoes went squish, squish as I
walked down the hallway.
– The camp fire went crackle, crackle in the night.
– The bee went buzz as it flew by my ear.
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You can use onomatopoeia any
place you would like in a piece of writing.
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Sometimes it is the perfect choice to use onomatopoeia for a lead in a piece of
writing.
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Start with an interesting
noise to catch your reader’s
attention!
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Valentine’s Day Dilemma Tim Hargis
Thumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthumpthump…. My heart was beating so fast, I thought it might explode as I stood at the end of the driveway looking at my house. It was Valentine’s Day, and I was nine years old. I had just gotten off the bus after a day in the third grade at Pleasant Hill Elementary. In my left hand I held my metal lunch box that was shaped like a mailbox. In my right hand I held a chocolate heart, wrapped in pink and silver aluminum foil. It was that chocolate heart in my hand that was making the real one in my chest beat so stinkin’ fast.
The chocolate heart was a gift from Cathy Rodriguez. She was my third grade spelling partner and was the girl who had chipped my tooth in gym class three months earlier. We had gotten over that and had become close—so close, in fact, that Cathy gave me this special chocolate heart on Valentine’s Day right before we got on our buses to go home.
My cheeks got all warm and red when she gave it to me. But it made me smile—big—and I smiled on my bus all the way home. I didn’t want to eat it, because I knew if I did, it would be gone. I just wanted to hold it in my hand and smile. When I got off the bus, though, that’s when the smiling stopped.
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I stood at the end of the driveway and looked at my house and knew that this chocolate heart could cause me some serious trouble once I got inside. The problem, you see, was older sisters—five of them, and once they found out that a girl had actually given me a chocolate heart wrapped in pink and silver aluminum foil for Valentine’s Day I knew my life would be miserable.
They would start singing and chanting, things like, “Timmy’s got a girlfriend! Timmy’s got a girlfriend!”
I knew I had to do something. I knew I couldn’t walk in the door of my house and have my sisters find out I had a special Valentine’s Day gift from my spelling partner, Cathy Rodriguez. I had to think fast. The chocolate heart was way too big for me to eat before I got up the driveway. Then I saw it. Sitting by the kitchen door was our garbage can. It was my only way out of the teasing and the singing that I just couldn’t take.
I walked slowly up the driveway, my chocolate heart now heavy in my hand. When I got to the door, I quickly and quietly opened the lid of the can and let that chocolate heart fall to the bottom before going into my home. Thud.
The next day at school my spelling partner, Cathy Rodriguez, asked me if I liked the heart. I told her that I did. I said, “It was the best chocolate heart I’ve ever had.” And I knew it would have been, too.
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2nd Grade Example
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2nd Grade Example
Question Lead
Binoculars (Senses)
Simile
Onomatopoeia
Snapshots
End with a Wish
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4th Grade Example
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4th Grade Example
Repetition
Repetition
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4th Grade Example
Repetition
Repetition
Adjective
Personification
Adjective
Appositive
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5th Grade Example
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5th Grade Example
Repetition
Repetition
Repetition
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5th Grade Example
Repetition
Repetition
Repetition
Appositive
Appositive
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5th Grade Example
Repetition
Repetition
Repetition
Appositive
Appositive
Commas in a Series
Commas in a Series
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5th Grade Example
Repetition
Repetition
Repetition
Appositive
Appositive
Commas in a Series
Commas in a Series
One Word Lead
Great Verb
Adjective
Simile
Snapshot
Snapshot
Dialogue
Adverb
End with a Strong Line
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MEAP Writing Trends 2005 - 2007
52%45%
59%
31%
75%83%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
2005 3rd 2006 4th 2007 5th
Perc
enta
ge P
assi
ng W
ritin
g
StateGlenwood
Source: Michigan Department of Education
www.michigan.gov/mde
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MEAP Writing Trends 2005 - 2007Economically Disadvantaged Students
42%35%
44%
27%
72% 74%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
2005 3rd 2006 4th 2007 5th
Perc
enta
ge P
assi
ng W
ritin
g
StateGlenwood
Source: Michigan Department of Education
www.michigan.gov/mde
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A Quick Look at MEAP Data
20124th Grade
Writing(Passing/
Levels 1&2)
AllStudents
Males Females AfricanAmerica
n
Econ.Disadv.
State 47% 38% 56% 27% 33%
Glenwood(Kentwood Public
Schools)
80% 86% 74% 67% 75%
Source: Michigan Dept. of Educationwww.michigan.gov/mde
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A Quick Look at MEAP Data
20124th Grade
Writing(Advanced/
Level 1)
AllStudents
Males Females AfricanAmerica
n
Econ.Disadv.
State 12% 7% 16% 4% 5%
Glenwood(Kentwood Public
Schools)
45% 48% 42% 20% 43%
Source: Michigan Dept. of Education
www.michigan.gov/mde
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A Quick Look at MEAP Data
Source: Michigan Dept. of Education
www.michigan.gov/mde
Brown ElementaryByron Center Public Schools
4th Grade MEAPWriting
2012 93%(3rd Highest in Michigan)
2013 89%(47% Advanced)
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The Original• Guiding Principles
1. Teach explicitly2. Incorporate conversation
to deepen understanding3. Hold students
accountable4. Make writing meaningful
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The Original• The ultimate goal:
To help students become active thinkers while they are independently writing– While students are
independently writing, they will have real writing skills and knowledge inside of them, AND they will be actively thinking about how to apply that knowledge and those skills to any writing task
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The Writing Diner 2• Meeting the demands
of the three types of writing in the Common Core State Standards
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The Writing Diner 2• The ultimate goal:
To help students become active thinkers while they are independently writing– While students are
independently writing, they will have real writing skills and knowledge inside of them, AND they will be actively thinking about how to apply that knowledge and those skills to any writing task
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The Writing Diner 2
To help students become active thinkers while they are independently writing
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The Writing Diner 2• Four areas of focus
for writing instruction1. Understanding the
purpose of the three types of writing
2. Knowing how to implement craft elements of writing for all 3 types of writing
3. Understanding genre and text structures
4. Connecting to content
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Four Areas of Focus1. Understanding the
purpose of the three types of writing
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Opinion
Informative
Narra
tive“Tasty Tomato Pizzeria: A
Tasty Choice for a Family Meal”
“Pizza: A Popular and Tasty Dish”
“Pizza Memories”
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O p i n i o n / A r g u m e n t
I n f o r m a t i v e / E x p l a n a t o r y
N a r r a t i v e
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Text Purposes
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Text Purposes
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Text Purposes
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Opinion
Informative
Narra
tive“Tasty Tomato Pizzeria: A
Tasty Choice for a Family Meal”
“Pizza: A Popular and Tasty Dish”
“Pizza Memories”
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Inside The Writing Diner 2• Begins with a focus
on purpose
• If students understand and are thinking about their purpose, it should set them down a particular writing path
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The Writing Diner 2: Purpose• Begin the year with three
mini-units, one on each type of writing.– 2 – 3 weeks long– Main goal is to establish the
purpose for each type of writing
– Will also establish some “basics” for each type of writing
– During the units, students will get the opportunity to live and think like narrative writers, informative writers, and opinion writers
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER
Mini-unit on Narrative
OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Opinion
Chapter 3: Pages 36 – 55
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Mini Unit:Purpose of Narrative Writing
• The type of writing is narrative
• The genre we will use is personal narrative
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Type vs. Genre• Opinion
– Reviews– Literary Essay– Speech
• Informative– Informational Book– Informational Article
• Narrative– Personal Narrative– Realistic Fiction– Mystery
(Type)
(Type)
(Type)
Genre
Genre
Genre
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Mini Unit:Purpose of Narrative Writing
• The type of writing is narrative
• The genre we will use is a personal narrative
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Narrative Writing: The Basics• You want to make
your readers “experience” the story
• It has a beginning, a middle, and an ending
• Details are extremely important
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Day 1: Teaching Narrative Purpose (page 41)
• Focus Lesson– Defining the purpose of a
text type– Showing non-examples and
examples of the text type
• Partner Work– Sorting excerpts of texts into
examples and non-examples
• Individual Work– Quick write about the
purpose of the text type
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Today we are working on....
Identifying and understanding the purpose of narrative
writing!!!
I can identify narrative writing and explain its purpose.
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Purpose = Reason
Narrative writing is a type of writing.
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Let’s Do Some Thinking
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Let’s Do Some ThinkingAnd then the dog came
running around the corner. He was a big dog. And ugly. And he looked like he was having a real good time. His tongue was hanging out and he was wagging his tail. He skidded to a stop and smiled right at me. I had never before in my life seen a dog smile, but that is what he did. He pulled back his lips and showed me all his teeth. Then he wagged his tail so hard that he knocked some oranges off a display, and they went rolling everywhere, mixing in with the tomatoes and onions and green peppers.
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Let’s Do Some Thinking
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Not a Narrative Example Narrative Example
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Let’s Do Some Thinking
And then the dog came running around the corner. He was a big dog. And ugly. And he looked like he was having a real good time. His tongue was hanging out and he was wagging his tail. He skidded to a stop and smiled right at me. I had never before in my life seen a dog smile, but that is what he did. He pulled back his lips and showed me all his teeth. Then he wagged his tail so hard that he knocked some oranges off a display, and they went rolling everywhere, mixing in with the tomatoes and onions and green peppers.
A story
Not a story
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Let’s Do Some Thinking
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Not a Narrative Example Narrative Example
Meow! The cat happily trotted across the floor. She was heading straight to the couch which was next to the window. Bright sunshine spilled in through the window. The cat jumped up on the couch, turned around 3 times, and then snuggled in for a nice long nap.
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Not a Narrative Example Narrative Example
Cats. These furry creatures have been companions for people for thousands of years. Most experts believe that the ancient Egyptians were the first group of people to domesticate cats.
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I can identify narrative writing and explain its purpose.
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Teaching Purpose
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Thinking on Paper
In your own words, describe the purpose of narrative writing.
The purpose of narrative writing is ___________________
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Day 2: Generating Narrative Topics (page 49)
• Focus Lesson– Remind students that narratives
can be real or made up– Introduce the idea of personal
narratives– Demonstrate one way to come
up with personal narrative topics
• Partner Work– Students can talk with partners
or small group about possible topics
• Individual Work– Students generate topic ideas
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Today we are working on....
Coming up with great ideas for narrative
writing!!!!
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Personal Narrative
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Sometimes I have trouble
coming up with a topic for personal narrative writing.
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Yeah. Me too. Sometimes my teacher tells me to write, but I don’t have anything in my head to
write about.
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We wonder what is a good way to come up with a good topic for personal narrative
writing.
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Thinking About Personal Narrative Writing Topics
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Thinking About Personal Narrative Writing Topics
My 2 Rules for A Personal Narrative Writing Topic
1. It has to be interesting to me2. It has to be something I know a lot
about
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The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
2008
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The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
2008
Dad
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The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
2008
Dad
Playing Golf
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The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
2008
Dad
Playing Golf
Pillow Football
Good Talks
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The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
The BIG Idea
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
Writing Topics
1. ____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
Writing Topics
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
2008
Dad
Playing Golf
Pillow Football
Good Talks
Mom
Helping at Home
Thanksgiving
Phone Calls
When I was a kid
Broke a window
First Valentine
Dodgeball
Sofia
Her Hair
First Fireworks
Mornings
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER
Mini-unit on Narrative
OCTOBER
Chapter 3: Pages 36 – 55
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Narrative Writing: The Basics• You want to make
your readers “experience” the story
• It has a beginning, a middle, and an ending
• Details are extremely important
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Narrative Writing: Mini-unit• Show examples and
non-examples in your focus lessons, day after day after day
• Teach different types of leads
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER
Mini-unit on Narrative
OCTOBER
Chapter 3: Pages 36 – 55
Keep in mind....• The minilessons during these days
will be brief and explicit• Bulk of time will be students writing• Consider using student work
during your minilessons as examples
• You will be conferring with students during their writing time
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER
Mini-unit on Narrative
OCTOBER
Chapter 3: Pages 36 – 55
Keep in mind....• It doesn’t really matter what
students produce during these days• Some might produce a piece a
day• Some might work on the same
piece for several days• Some might start 4 pieces but
never finish any
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER
Mini-unit on Narrative
OCTOBER
Chapter 3: Pages 36 – 55
At the end of the mini-unit...• Students will turn in their best
personal narrative to you• This will be for a grade• Let them know your
expectations for the personal narrative
• Possibly tell them this on Thursday and say all pieces are due by end of writing time on Friday
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER
Mini-unit on Narrative
OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Opinion
Chapter 4: Pages 56 - 78
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Mini Unit:Purpose of Informative Writing
• The type of writing is informative
• The genre we will use is either an informational article or an informational book
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Informative Writing: The Basics• Stick to the facts
• Organize your information in a thoughtful way
• Use text features to help readers understand your information
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Day 1: Teaching Informative Purpose (page 59)
• Focus Lesson– Defining the purpose of a
text type– Showing non-examples and
examples of the text type
• Partner Work– Sorting excerpts of texts into
examples and non-examples
• Individual Work– Quick write about the
purpose of the text type
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Day 1: Teaching Informative Purpose (page 59)
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Day 2: Generating Informative Topics (page 67)
• Focus Lesson– Show that informative texts
can be on a wide variety of topics
– Demonstrate making a list as a way to generate ideas
• Partner Work– Students can talk with
partners or small group about topics
• Individual Work– Students generate lists
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Today we are working on....
Informative Writing!!!!
I can generate a list of possible topics for informative writing pieces.
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Informative Writing
Please remind us about the purpose of informative writing.
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What do I know a lot about that I could use for a topic
for an informationa
l book?
My Informative Writing Topics
• Baseball• Golf• T.V. News• Cats• Tennis• Writing• Painting a house• Dogs• Football• Third grade• Cincinnati• Monopoly
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What do I know a lot about that I could use for a topic
for an informationa
l book?
My Informative Writing Topics
• Baseball• Basics of the game• Big Red Machine
• Golf• How to play• Jack Nicklaus
• T.V. News• Cats• Tennis• Writing• Painting a house• Dogs• Football• Third grade• Cincinnati
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Day 3: Writing Informational Books (page 70)
• Focus Lesson– Model the thinking and
writing process for writing an informational book
– Highlight text features and show how a writer’s brain works when utilizing them
• Individual Work– Students begin work on their
informational books
• Partner/Group Work– Students share their work
with partner(s) and partner(s) point out/discuss text features
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Today we are working on....
Informative Writing!!!!
I can write an informational book.
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You might be thinking…
What in the world is informative writing
again?!!?!
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Let’s Take a Look Inside a Book
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Heading
Picture
Caption
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Bold Print
Chart
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Kindergarten Example
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Kindergarten Example
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Kindergarten Example
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Kindergarten Example
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Kindergarten Example
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1st Grade Example
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1st Grade Example
Heading
Label
Bold Print
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1st Grade Example
Heading
Labels
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4th Grade Example
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4th Grade Example
HeadingBold Print
Caption
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2nd Grade Example
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2nd Grade Example
Heading
Bold Print
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2nd Grade Example
Heading
Bold Print
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3rd Grade
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3rd Grade
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Informative
Chapter 4: Pages 56 - 78
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Informative Writing: The Basics• Stick to the facts
• Organize your information in a thoughtful way
• Use text features to help readers understand your information
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Informative Writing: More Lessons
• Base your teaching on your students’ work– Text feature(s) many are
not utilizing• Putting information into a
chart– Making a text feature
“better” • More interesting headings• The best word to make
bold• Improving caption writing
– Take a day to work on punctuation, capitalization
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Informative
Chapter 4: Pages 56 - 78
Keep in mind....• The minilessons during these days
will be brief and explicit• Bulk of time will be students writing• Consider using student work
during your minilessons as examples
• You will be conferring with students during their writing time
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Informative
Chapter 4: Pages 56 - 78
Keep in mind....• It doesn’t really matter what
students produce during these days• Some might produce a book a
day• Some might work on the same
book for two weeks• Some might start 4 books but
never finish any
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Informative
Chapter 4: Pages 56 - 78
At the end of the mini-unit...• Students will turn in their best
informational book to you• This will be for a grade• Let them know your
expectations for the book• Possibly tell them this on
Thursday and say all books are due by end of writing time on Friday
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER
Mini-unit on Narrative
OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Opinion
Chapter 5: Pages 79 - 108
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Mini Unit:Purpose of Opinion Writing
• The type of writing is opinion
• The genre we will use is the review
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Opinion Writing: The Basics• State your opinion
• Support your opinion
• Wrap it up
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Day 1: Teaching Opinion Purpose (page 82)
• Focus Lesson– Defining the purpose of a
text type– Showing non-examples and
examples of the text type
• Partner Work– Sorting excerpts of texts into
examples and non-examples
• Individual Work– Quick write about the
purpose of the text type
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Day 1: Teaching Opinion Purpose (page 82)
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Day 2: Writing Reviews – Intro(page 99)
• Focus Lesson– Stress the importance of a
good opening for an opinion piece and that your opinion needs to be clear
• Individual Work– Students work on writing the
intro to their reviews
• Partner/Group Work– Students share their work
with partner(s) and discuss if the opening is strong with a clear opinion
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Day 3: Writing Reviews – Support(page 102)
• Focus Lesson– Stress the importance of
supporting your opinion using great description and detail to do so
• Individual Work– Students work on writing the
support to their reviews
• Partner/Group Work– Students share their work
with partner(s) and discuss if the support is strong and descriptive
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Day 4: Writing Reviews – Ending(page 105)
• Focus Lesson– Stress the importance of a
strong ending for an opinion piece that reiterates your opinion
• Individual Work– Students work on writing the
ending to their reviews
• Partner/Group Work– Students share their work
with partner(s) and discuss if the ending is strong and drives home the opinion
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Today we are working on….
Opinion Writing!!!
Day 1: Intro
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OPINION
• Your opinion is what you think about something; it is how you feel about something
Day 1: Intro
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OPINION Writing
• Opinion writing is where we express our opinion about something—we tell how we think or feel about something– We give reasons why we have our opinions– We try to get other people to think like us
Day 1: Intro
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OPINION Writing
• There are all kinds of opinion writing pieces– The book review–The restaurant review
Day 1: Intro
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OPINION Writing
• In opinion writing we must:– State an opinion
– Support the opinion
– Wrap it up
Day 1: Intro
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OPINION Writing
• In a restaurant review we must:– State an opinion
• Tell how we feel about a restaurant– Support the opinion
– Wrap it up
Day 1: Intro
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OPINION Writing
• In a restaurant review we must:– State an opinion
• Tell how we feel about a restaurant– Support the opinion
• Give reasons to explain why we feel how we feel about the restaurant
– Wrap it up
Day 1: Intro
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OPINION Writing
• In a restaurant review we must:– State an opinion
• Tell how we feel about a restaurant– Support the opinion
• Give reasons to explain why we feel how we feel about the restaurant
– Wrap it up• Tell our readers whether or not they should eat at
that restaurant
Day 1: Intro
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OPINION Writing
Day 1: Intro
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• A restaurant review is a type of opinion writing where we:
– Tell how we feel about a restaurant
– Explain why we feel that way
– Tell our readers whether or not they should eat at that restaurant
Day 1: Intro
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Skyline Chili is a great restaurant. The food is tasty and unique. You should definitely eat there if you get a chance.
Day 1: Intro
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Spicy. Delicious. Like nothing you’ve ever eaten before. This is what it’s like to eat at Skyline Chili, a Cincinnati-area restaurant that has been satisfying customers for generations. This is, without question, a great choice to try for a quick meal at lunch or dinner.
Day 1: Intro
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Spicy. Delicious. Like nothing you’ve ever eaten before. This is what it’s like to eat at Skyline Chili, a Cincinnati-area restaurant that has been satisfying customers for generations. This is, without question, a great choice to try for a quick meal at lunch or dinner.
Interesting Beginning Name of Restaurant
Day 1: IntroState the Opinion
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• A restaurant review is a type of opinion writing where we:
– Tell how we feel about a restaurant
– Explain why we feel that way
– Tell our readers whether or not they should eat at that restaurant
Day 1: Intro
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• A restaurant review is a type of opinion writing where we:
– Tell how we feel about a restaurant
– Explain why we feel that way
– Tell our readers whether or not they should eat at that restaurant
Day 2: Support
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Spicy. Delicious. Like nothing you’ve ever eaten before. This is what it’s like to eat at Skyline Chili, a Cincinnati-area restaurant that has been satisfying customers for generations. This is, without question, a great choice to try for a quick meal at lunch or dinner.
One reason Skyline is a great choice for a restaurant is that it has quick service. Another reason it is a good place to eat is because the people who work there are friendly. The final reason is because the food tastes great.
Day 2: Support
This is just a list! Lists are not interesting to read. We need more interesting writing when we share our support for our opinions!!
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Spicy. Delicious. Like nothing you’ve ever eaten before. This is what it’s like to eat at Skyline Chili, a Cincinnati-area restaurant that has been satisfying customers for generations. This is, without question, a great choice to try for a quick meal at lunch or dinner.
One reason Skyline is a great choice for a restaurant is that it is a “sit-down” style restaurant that has unbelievably quick service. You do not have to wait in a line to order and then carry your food to your table like you do at fast-food restaurants. Instead, when you walk into a Skyline, you are greeted with a smile and taken to your table. At the same time, though, you do not have to wait forever for your food to arrive. Once the server takes your order, most of the time, your food shows up in under five minutes.
Day 2: Support
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Spicy. Delicious. Like nothing you’ve ever eaten before. This is what it’s like to eat at Skyline Chili, a Cincinnati-area restaurant that has been satisfying customers for generations. This is, without question, a great choice to try for a quick meal at lunch or dinner.
One reason Skyline is a great choice for a restaurant is that it is a “sit-down” style restaurant that has unbelievably quick service. You do not have to wait in a line to order and then carry your food to your table like you do at fast-food restaurants. Instead, when you walk into a Skyline, you are greeted with a smile and taken to your table. At the same time, though, you do not have to wait forever for your food to arrive. Once the server takes your order, most of the time, your food shows up in under five minutes.
Another reason Skyline is worth trying is the price. You can take a family there for a meal for usually under $40.00 and sometimes under $30.00. Even though you are not paying much, though, when you walk out of Skyline, you feel fulfilled, stuffed even, knowing you got your money’s worth.
Day 2: Support
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Spicy. Delicious. Like nothing you’ve ever eaten before. This is what it’s like to eat at Skyline Chili, a Cincinnati-area restaurant that has been satisfying customers for generations. This is, without question, a great choice to try for a quick meal at lunch or dinner.
One reason Skyline is a great choice for a restaurant is that it is a “sit-down” style restaurant that has unbelievably quick service. You do not have to wait in a line to order and then carry your food to your table like you do at fast-food restaurants. Instead, when you walk into a Skyline, you are greeted with a smile and taken to your table. At the same time, though, you do not have to wait forever for your food to arrive. Once the server takes your order, most of the time, your food shows up in under five minutes.
Another reason Skyline is worth trying is the price. You can take a family there for a meal for usually under $40.00 and sometimes under $30.00. Even though you are not paying much, though, when you walk out of Skyline, you feel fulfilled, stuffed even, knowing you got your money’s worth.
Yet, the most obvious reason to eat at Skyline is the food. To say it is unique is an understatement. The restaurant is most famous for its chili-spaghetti. My favorite is the “4-Way”, a combination of spaghetti, chili, onions and mild,
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shredded cheddar cheese. The chili makes the dish. It oozes over the spaghetti like lava sliding down a volcano. It is a chili that is unique, a secret family recipe from Greek brothers who immigrated to Cincinnati more than 60 years ago. The cheese also adds to the experience. At Skyline you don’t just get a sprinkle of cheese, you get a mountain of it, piled on top of the chili, topping off the meal the way whipped cream tops off a hot fudge sundae. Adding a few oyster crackers is optional, but recommended. When you take that first bite, your taste buds will do back flips, demanding more of this unique taste.
Day 2: Support
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• A restaurant review is a type of opinion writing where we:
– Tell how we feel about a restaurant
– Explain why we feel that way
– Tell our readers whether or not they should eat at that restaurant
Day 2: Support
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• A restaurant review is a type of opinion writing where we:
– Tell how we feel about a restaurant
– Explain why we feel that way
– Tell our readers whether or not they should eat at that restaurant
Day 2: Support
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shredded cheddar cheese. The chili makes the dish. It oozes over the spaghetti like lava sliding down a volcano. It is a chili that is unique, a secret family recipe from Greek brothers who immigrated to Cincinnati more than 60 years ago. The cheese also adds to the experience. At Skyline you don’t just get a sprinkle of cheese, you get a mountain of it, piled on top of the chili, topping off the meal the way whipped cream tops off a hot fudge sundae. Adding a few oyster crackers is optional, but recommended. When you take that first bite, your taste buds will do back flips, demanding more of this unique taste.
Eat at Skyline. It’s good.
Day 3: Ending
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shredded cheddar cheese. The chili makes the dish. It oozes over the spaghetti like lava sliding down a volcano. It is a chili that is unique, a secret family recipe from Greek brothers who immigrated to Cincinnati more than 60 years ago. The cheese also adds to the experience. At Skyline you don’t just get a sprinkle of cheese, you get a mountain of it, piled on top of the chili, topping off the meal the way whipped cream tops off a hot fudge sundae. Adding a few oyster crackers is optional, but recommended. When you take that first bite, your taste buds will do back flips, demanding more of this unique taste.
So, if you ever find yourself traveling through southern Ohio and you spy a sign that says Skyline, you might want to take a minute to stop and enjoy. It will be an eating experience that will taste like nothing you’ve ever had and, chances are, it will be one you will want to experience again, and again, and again. Guaranteed.
Day 3: Ending
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• A restaurant review is a type of opinion writing where we:
– Tell how we feel about a restaurant
– Explain why we feel that way
– Tell our readers whether or not they should eat at that restaurant
Day 3: Ending
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Opinion
Chapter 5: Pages 79 - 108
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Opinion Writing: The Basics• State your opinion
• Support your opinion
• Wrap it up
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Opinion Writing: The Basics• Redo a review unit
doing a different kind of review
• Do a different opinion genre, highlighting stating an opinion, supporting an opinion, wrapping it up
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Opinion Writing: The Basics• Minilessons would
focus on:– Making openings more
interesting– Making support more
interesting– Making endings more
interesting
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Opinion
Chapter 5: Pages 79 - 108
Keep in mind....• The minilessons during these days
will be brief and explicit• Bulk of time will be students writing• Consider using student work
during your minilessons as examples
• You will be conferring with students during their writing time
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Opinion
Chapter 5: Pages 79 - 108
Keep in mind....• It doesn’t really matter what
students produce during these days• Don’t worry if everyone doesn’t
finish or completely keep up• Not going to grade, collect, etc.
their daily work
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Opinion
Chapter 5: Pages 79 - 108
At the end of the mini-unit...• Students will turn in their best
opinion piece to you• This will be for a grade• Let them know your
expectations for the book• Possibly tell them this on
Thursday and say all pieces are due by end of writing time on Friday
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The Writing Diner 2: The Year
SEPTEMBER
Mini-unit on Narrative
OCTOBER
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Informative
Mini-unit on Opinion
Chapters 3 – 5 : Pages 33 –108
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Opinion
Informative
Narra
tive
• Purpose is to tell what I think and how I feel about
something• State my opinion
• Support my opinion• Wrap it up by reiterating
my opinion
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Opinion
Informative
Narra
tive
• My purpose is to give information
• I need to stick to the facts
• I want to organize my info in a thoughtful
way• I will use text features to help me share my information
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Opinion
Informative
Narra
tive
• My purpose is to tell a story
• It can be a real story or an imagined story
• I want my readers to experience the story
• It has a beginning, a middle, and an ending
• Details are very important
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Opinion
Informative
Narra
tive
CRAFT ELEMENTS OF WRITING
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The Writing Diner 2• Four areas of focus
for writing instruction1. Understanding the
purpose of the three types of writing
2. Knowing how to implement craft elements of writing for all 3 types of writing
3. Understanding genre and text structures
4. Connecting to content
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Four Areas of Focus2. Knowing how to
implement craft elements of writing for all 3 types of writing
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The Original Writing Diner• A series of lessons
aimed to teach craft elements of writing
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The Original Writing DinerInside the Writing Diner 2
For opinion, informative, and narrative writing
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5th Grade Example
Repetition
Repetition
Repetition
Appositive
Appositive
Commas in a Series
Commas in a Series
One Word Lead
Great Verb
Adjective
Simile
Snapshot
Snapshot
Dialogue
Adverb
End with a Strong Line
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Great Verb
Great Verb
Great Verb
Great Verb
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Great Verb
Great Verb
Great Verb
Great Verb
Adjective
Adjective
AdjectiveAdjective
Adjective
Adjective
Adjective
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Personification
End with a Strong Line
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Four Areas of Focus2. Knowing how to
implement craft elements of writing for all 3 types of writing
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Teaching Writing Craft Elements• Teach craft units
throughout the year
• Show how craft elements make each type of writing better
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Teaching Writing Craft Elements• Craft Unit Examples
– Leads• Onomatopoeia Lead,
One Word Lead, Question Lead, Dialogue Lead, etc.
– Details• Similes and Snapshots
– Parts of Speech• Exact Nouns, Great
Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs
– Endings– More with Details
• Personification, Short Sentences, Repetition
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
During Craft Units, students may choose the type/genre of writing they are working on.
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The Common Core
Students Who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking,
Listening and Language
• They demonstrate independence.
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
During Craft Units, students may choose the type/genre of writing they are working on.
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Craft Units: An Example• Focus is Details
– Personification– Repetition– Short Sentences
• 3 Weeks
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayPersonification•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Personification•Review it•Model with informative and opinion texts
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Repetition•Teach it•Model with an opinion text
Repetition•Review it•Model with a narrative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with an informative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your own writing
Short Sentences•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with an opinion text and informative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Putting it all together moment
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayPersonification•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Personification•Review it•Model with informative and opinion texts
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Repetition•Teach it•Model with an opinion text
Repetition•Review it•Model with a narrative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with an informative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your own writing
Short Sentences•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with an opinion text and informative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Putting it all together moment
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
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Today we are working on….
Personification!!!!!
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When we are done today, you should be able to say….
“I can use personification in my writing.”
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A good question is…..
What in the world is personification?!?!?!?
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Another good question is…..
Why should we want to learn about
personification?!?!?!?
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Personification
• Using personification in your writing:– Adds details to your writing– Makes your writing sound more sophisticated– Makes your writing more interesting to read
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Some Examples• Without personification:
– I sat down in the big, soft, comfortable chair.
• With personification:– I sat down and the chair wrapped its
arms around me and gave me a hug.
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Some Examples
• Without personification:– The candle’s flame flickered when the wind
blew.
• With personification:– The candle’s flame danced when the wind
blew.
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Some Examples
• Without personification:– The moon was shining brightly in the night
sky.
• With personification:– The moon winked at me and smiled
brightly in the night sky.
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Some Examples
• Without personification:– The sun felt warm on my cheek.
• With personification:– ……..
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Sledding with Sofia
My three-year-old daughter Sofia stood next to the truck in her purple, paisley snow pants, her light purple coat, and her dark purple hat. She had her white and pink snow boots strapped on her feet and her turquoise, Little Mermaid sunglasses covering her eyes.
It was mid-morning on New Year’s Day and Sofia, my wife, Keyla, and I were going sledding for the first time this season. In fact, it was Sofia’s first time ever to go sledding.
She was excited. She looked like a real pro.The sound of boots on snow filled the air as we walked to the back of our
truck to get Sofia’s sled.It was a nice day—sky blue like pool water and the air fresh and crisp. But
it was cold. As I reached in the back of the truck to pull out the sled, winter’s wind reached out and grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. I quickly dug my hand into my coat pocket to fish out my gloves.
Finally, we got the sled out of the truck, a purple, plastic sled, a Christmas gift to Sofia from us. We headed to the hill.
“Wow, look at that big hill, Dad,” Sofia said, smiling wide.I smiled back. “Yep, that’s some big hill.”
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Actually the hill wasn’t that big at all, but it was a decent-enough-sized slope, especially if you’re three years old and going sledding for the first time.
We got to the top of the hill and put the sled down on the ground. The wind whipped a bit, got inside my coat and tiptoed up my back. I shivered.
“I want to go sledding now, Dad,” Sofia said.“Okay,” I said. “Do you want me to go with you?”“No,” she replied. “I want to go all by myself.” I shouldn’t have been
surprised by this response. She wants to do almost everything all by herself these days.
Keyla smiled at me and laughed at my worried, wrinkled forehead, my squinting eyes, and my tight lips as I stared at Sofia.
“You just give me a push, Dad.”I exhaled. “Okay, Sof, hop on.”Sofia plopped herself down on the sled as Keyla worked her way down the
hill, a hill that suddenly seemed a bit bigger, to wait for Sofia at the bottom. I showed Sofia where to put her hands to hold onto the sled.“Are you ready?” I asked.“Yeah,” she said, her eyes sparkling like a snowy field on a sunny day.“Okay, then. Here you go!”
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I pushed. I felt the wind pinch my cheeks as Sofia started scooting down the hill on her new purple, plastic sled. I heard the steady sssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh of the sled, my wife yelling “Yaaaaaaaayyyyyy” as she waited for Sofia at the bottom, and Sofia giggling wildly the whole ride down.
When she got to the bottom, she immediately said, “Let’s do it again!”I laughed.And then we did do it again….and again…and again….and again….and
again…for a good part of the morning. Most of the time Sof went by herself, but a few times she did let her mom or me go with her.
When we were done we crunched our way back to the truck. “That was fun, Dad,” Sofia said as we climbed inside to head out for some
hot soup and sandwiches. “Thanks for the sled for Christmas.”Keyla and I smiled as we pulled away.Who knew that a cold, wintry day could feel so warm.
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When we are done today, you should be able to say….
“I can use personification in my writing to add details to my writing and make it more
interesting.”
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayPersonification•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Personification•Review it•Model with informative and opinion texts
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Repetition•Teach it•Model with an opinion text
Repetition•Review it•Model with a narrative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with an informative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your own writing
Short Sentences•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with an opinion text and informative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Putting it all together moment
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayPersonification•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Personification•Review it•Model with informative and opinion texts
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Repetition•Teach it•Model with an opinion text
Repetition•Review it•Model with a narrative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with an informative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your own writing
Short Sentences•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with an opinion text and informative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Putting it all together moment
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
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Inside The Writing Diner 2
Hot Soup versus Hot Chocolate: A Tough Choice on a Cold Day(Opinion – Persuasive Essay)
Tim Hargis
Have you ever been outside on a cold day, perhaps playing in the snow, going sledding, or building that awesome snow fort, and then, after hours in the freezing cold, decided to go inside to warm yourself up? It feels good to walk inside your home and feel the warmth of the fireplace squeeze your frigid face and hug your chilly toes. Yet, while a warm fire can heat you up on the outside, sometimes you want to find just the right thing to warm you up on the inside. That is when you have to make a choice. Is it going to be a hot bowl of soup or a steaming mug of hot chocolate? Both are great choices for such a day, but if you can only have one, which would you choose?
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Inside The Writing Diner 2
Hot Soup versus Hot Chocolate: A Tough Choice on a Cold Day(Opinion – Persuasive Essay)
Tim Hargis
There is no question that both soup and hot chocolate can make you feel warm inside almost instantly. With soup, the experience is a bit more fulfilling. A warm bowl of soup is like a meal. The first spoonful of soup will slide down your insides and land in your stomach, breathing fire all the way down. When you are done with the soup, you will probably feel full, maybe even stuffed, because it can be such a hearty meal....
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Inside The Writing Diner 2
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow(Informative – Informational Article)
Tim Hargis
A Ferocious Winter StormWhile almost everyone is familiar with the term blizzard, there is
another type of winter storm that will grab hold of an area and hold onto it with an icy, intense grip. That storm is known as a Nor’easter....
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1st Grade Example
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1st Grade Example
One Word Lead
Simile
End with a Memory
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5th Grade Example
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Snapshot Lead
DialogueSimile
Thoughtshot
Snapshot
Strong Verb
Simile
Adjectives
End with a Wish
5th Grade Example
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4th Grade Example
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4th Grade Example
Snapshot
Repetition
Simile
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7th Grade Example
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7th Grade Example
Simile
Great Verb
Short Sentence Simile
Senses
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayPersonification•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Personification•Review it•Model with informative and opinion texts
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Repetition•Teach it•Model with an opinion text
Repetition•Review it•Model with a narrative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with an informative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your own writing
Short Sentences•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with an opinion text and informative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Putting it all together moment
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
Keep in mind....• The minilessons during these days
will be brief and explicit• Bulk of time will be students writing• Consider using student work
during your minilessons as examples
• You will be conferring with students during their writing time
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayPersonification•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Personification•Review it•Model with informative and opinion texts
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Repetition•Teach it•Model with an opinion text
Repetition•Review it•Model with a narrative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with an informative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your own writing
Short Sentences•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with an opinion text and informative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Putting it all together moment
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
Keep in mind....• Students will choose the type of
writing they work on during the month
• It doesn’t really matter what students produce during these days• Some might produce a piece a
day• Some might work on the same
piece for two weeks• Some might start 4 pieces but
never finish any
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayPersonification•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Personification•Review it•Model with informative and opinion texts
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Personification•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, or your own writing
Repetition•Teach it•Model with an opinion text
Repetition•Review it•Model with a narrative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with an informative text
Repetition•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your own writing
Short Sentences•Teach it•Model with a narrative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with an opinion text and informative text
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Short Sentences•Review it•Model with authentic texts, student samples, your writing
Putting it all together moment
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
Published piece due by end of writing time
Friday
At the end of the Craft Unit...• Students will turn in their best
piece to you• This will be for a grade• Let them know your
expectations for the piece • Some students will turn in
narratives, some will turn in opinion pieces, others will turn in informative pieces
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Leads• Onomatopoeia• One Word• Dialogue• Question
December
Craft Unit on Endings• Memory, Wish,
Feeling• Question• Strong Line
November
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
January
Craft Unit on Details• Personification• Repetition• Short Sentences
February
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Exact Nouns• Adjectives• Great Verbs• Adverbs
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
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The Writing Diner 2• Four areas of focus
for writing instruction1. Understanding the
purpose of the three types of writing
2. Knowing how to implement craft elements of writing for all 3 types of writing
3. Understanding genre and text structures
4. Connecting to content
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Four Areas of Focus3. Understanding
genre and text structures
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
Early January
Text Structure Unit• Sequential
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Inside The Writing Diner 2
Reviews Commercials Literary Essays Speeches
Informational books Informational articles
Personal narratives Realistic fiction Fantasy Mystery
Nonfiction Text Structures
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Inside The Writing Diner 2
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Teaching Genre• When we do new
genre units, we still drive it back to the purpose and the basics that we introduced at the beginning of the year.
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Teaching Genre• Checkout pages 260 -
471.
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The Writing Diner 2• Four areas of focus
for writing instruction1. Understanding the
purpose of the three types of writing
2. Knowing how to implement craft elements of writing for all 3 types of writing
3. Understanding genre and text structures
4. Connecting to content
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Four Areas of Focus4. Connecting to
content
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The Common Core
Students Who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking,
Listening and Language
• They demonstrate independence.
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
Early January
Text Structure Unit• Sequential
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Four Areas of Focus4. Connecting to
content
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
Early January
Text Structure Unit• Sequential
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
Early January
Text Structure Unit• Sequential
Content Connection• Personal narrative in
Social Studies
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
Early January
Text Structure Unit• Sequential
Content Connection• Personal narrative in
Social Studies
Content Connection• Informational book in
Science
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
Early January
Text Structure Unit• Sequential
Content Connection• Personal narrative in
Social Studies
Content Connection• Informational book in
ScienceContent Connection
• Review in Reading
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
Early January
Text Structure Unit• Sequential
Content Connection• Personal narrative in
Social Studies
Content Connection• Informational book in
ScienceContent Connection
• Review in Reading
Content Connection• Informational book in
Science• Review in Reading
Content Connection• Fiction in Social Studies• Review in Reading
Content Connection• Personal Narrative
in Science• Review in Reading
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Content Connections• So, after that unit on informative writing...
– Taught through the genre of informational books or articles
– Showed them how to implement text features– Did it during the writing block– Gave them choice of topic
• Then, give students an assignment during their content time that requires them to apply what they have learned about informational books or articles during their writing time
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Here’s how it might look...Sample Month
Writing Block Science Week 1 Mini – unit on purpose for
informative writing. Teach informational books. Emphasize text features.
Researching what it is like to be a butterfly. (Writing standards 7 & 8)
Week 2 Mini – unit on purpose for informative writing. Teach informational books. Emphasize text features.
Researching what it is like to be a butterfly. (Writing standards 7 & 8)
Week 3 Begin Realistic Fiction unit. Writing an informational book on butterflies.
Week 4 Continue Realistic Fiction unit.
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The Common Core
Students Who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Speaking,
Listening and Language
• They demonstrate independence.
• They build strong content knowledge.
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Here’s how it might look...Sample Month
Writing Block Science Week 1 Mini – unit on purpose for
informative writing. Teach informational books. Emphasize text features.
Researching what it is like to be a butterfly. (Writing standards 7 & 8)
Week 2 Mini – unit on purpose for informative writing. Teach informational books. Emphasize text features.
Researching what it is like to be a butterfly. (Writing standards 7 & 8)
Week 3 Begin Realistic Fiction unit. Writing an informational book on butterflies.
Week 4 Continue Realistic Fiction unit.
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Writing Standards 7 & 8
• W.1.7: Participate in shared research and writing projects.
• W.1.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
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What is it like to be a _________?
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What is it like to be a _________?
person
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babychild
teenager
adult elderly
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What is it like to be a _________?
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RESEARCHWhat in the world is research?
What is it like to be a _________?
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RESEARCH
Research is when we think about a question....
...and then we explore to find the answer to that question.
How do we explore to find the answer to a question?
What is it like to be a _________?
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Research
• Research is when we think about a question and then explore to find the answer to that question.
Ways to Explore• Read• Internet search• Discuss (Talk)• Interview experts• Do experiments• Go on trips• Watch films
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What is it like to be a _________?frog
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What is it like to be a frog?
Life Cycle
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What is it like to be a frog?
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What is it like to be a frog?
Life Cycle
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What is it like to be a frog?
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What is it like to be a frog?
the egg
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What is it like to be a frog?
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What is it like to be a frog?
the egg
Animals eat some eggs. The other eggs hatch in about 7 – 9 days.
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What is it like to be a frog?
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What is it like to be a frog?
the egg
Animals eat some eggs. The other eggs hatch in about 7 – 9 days.
the tadpole
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What is it like to be a frog?
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What is it like to be a frog?
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What is it like to be a frog?
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What is it like to be a frog?
the egg
Animals eat some eggs. The other eggs hatch in about 7 – 9 days.
the tadpole
No feet or legs. Looks like a fish. Has a tail and a mouth.
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What is it like to be a frog?
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What is it like to be a frog?
the egg
Animals eat some eggs. The other eggs hatch in about 7 – 9 days.
the tadpole
No feet or legs. Looks like a fish. Has a tail and a mouth.
the adult
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What is it like to be a frog?
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What is it like to be a frog?
the egg
Animals eat some eggs. The other eggs hatch in about 7 – 9 days.
the tadpole
No feet or legs. Looks like a fish. Has a tail and a mouth.
the adult
Has a head and eyes. It has legs for swimming. It has slimy skin.
Life Cycle
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What is it like to be a _________?butterfly
Life Cycle
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Life Cycle
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More reading
Field trip
ObservationsGuidance and
support
Watch video
More Research
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Collaborative Posters
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Here’s how it might look...Sample Month
Writing Block Science Week 1 Mini – unit on purpose for
informative writing. Teach informational books. Emphasize text features.
Researching what it is like to be a butterfly in their environments. (Writing standards 7 & 8)
Week 2 Mini – unit on purpose for informative writing. Teach informational books. Emphasize text features.
Researching what it is like to be a butterfly in their environments. (Writing standards 7 & 8)
Week 3 Begin Realistic Fiction unit. Writing an informational book on butterflies.
Week 4 Continue Realistic Fiction unit. Content Connections
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What is it like to be a frog?
• Life cycle of the frog• Egg
• Tadpole• Adult
• Frogs come in different sizes
• Lots of different colors• What they eat
• Some are poisonous!
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Content Connection
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Content Connection
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Content Connection
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Here’s how it might look...Sample Month
Writing Block Science Week 1 Mini – unit on purpose for
informative writing. Teach informational books. Emphasize text features.
Researching what it is like to be a butterfly in their environments. (Writing standards 7 & 8)
Week 2 Mini – unit on purpose for informative writing. Teach informational books. Emphasize text features.
Researching what it is like to be a butterfly in their environments. (Writing standards 7 & 8)
Week 3 Begin Realistic Fiction unit. Writing an informational book on butterflies.
Week 4 Continue Realistic Fiction unit. Content Connections
Making this connection with informative writing seems clear and the most obvious path. We can also think this way with the other types of writing – narrative and opinion – too.
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A Narrative Example
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Inside The Writing Diner 2• Content Connections
– Numerous ideas for how to apply what students are learning during writing instruction to represent what they are learning in content area instruction
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Inside The Writing Diner 2• Content Connections
– Narrative Examples:• Life as a Slave on a
plantation• Life as a kid in the
Middle Ages• A personal narrative
from the perspective of a drop of water journeying through the water cycle
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Inside The Writing Diner 2• Content Connections
– Informative examples:• An informational book
or article on practically any topic studied in the content areas
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Inside The Writing Diner 2• Content Connections
– Opinion examples:• Reviews on books read• A commercial for a
particular region studied during Social Studies
• A speech from the perspective of the heart trying to get the brain to make healthier eating choices
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
Early January
Text Structure Unit• Sequential
Content Connection• Personal narrative in
Social Studies
Content Connection• Informational book in
ScienceContent Connection
• Review in Reading
Content Connection• Informational book in
Science• Review in Reading
Content Connection• Fiction in Social Studies• Review in Reading
Content Connection• Personal Narrative
in Science• Review in Reading
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The Writing Diner 2
To help students become active thinkers while they are independently writing
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It’s All About Thinking
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How a Year Might LookEarly September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Narrative Writing• Personal Narrative
Late September
Mini-unit on Purpose of Informative Writing• Informational books
or informational articles
Early October
Mini-unit on Purpose of Opinion Writing• Reviews
Late October
Craft Unit on Details• Senses• Similes• Snapshots
Mid/Late November
Genre Unit• Realistic Fiction
Early December
Craft Unit on Parts of Speech• Nouns, adjective,
verbs, adverbs
Late December
Genre Unit• Commercials
Early January
Text Structure Unit• Sequential
Content Connection• Personal narrative in
Social Studies
Content Connection• Informational book in
ScienceContent Connection
• Review in Reading
Content Connection• Informational book in
Science• Review in Reading
Content Connection• Fiction in Social Studies• Review in Reading
Content Connection• Personal Narrative
in Science• Review in Reading
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It’s All About Thinking
Understanding the purpose for each
type of writing
Genre
Start with an interesting
noise to catch your reader’s
attention!
Researching to learn content
Content Connection: Applying writing
knowledge and skills in a content area
They demonstrate independence.
They build strong content knowledge.
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The Writing Diner 2• Four areas of focus
for writing instruction1. Understanding the
purpose of the three types of writing
2. Knowing how to implement craft elements of writing for all 3 types of writing
3. Understanding genre and text structures
4. Connecting to content
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The Writing Diner 2• The ultimate goal:
To help students become active thinkers while writing– While students are
independently writing, they will have real writing skills and knowledge inside of them, AND they will be actively thinking about how to apply that knowledge and those skills to any writing task
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Time to Reflect
Have a discussion with people near you:What stands out most to you as you reflect on today’s PD and think about your own classroom?
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Continuing the Conversation
• Website: www.thewritingdiner.com• Email: [email protected] • The Writing Diner page on Facebook• Twitter: @WritingDinerTim • Slideshare: www.slideshare.net/timhargis• Teachers Pay Teachers: WritingDinerTim
Thank you!!!!