REVERSE OUTLININGCHARLEY BARNISKIS
MINNESOTA WRITING PROJECT
JULY 2010
House Plans
Writing ProcessPre-writing
Outline Essay
*where is this piece going?
Post-writing
Essay Outline
*where did this piece go? (=reverse outline)
Creation Story
• April 2007: State Writing Test to 9th grade
• Fall 2006: Minnesota Writing Project training
• January 2007-10: 9th grade practice test and group grading
• March 2007-10: Explicit writing test instruction
*2008: Sara Martinson, 9th grade teacher reverse outline our 9th grade English Professional Learning Community, or P.L.C.
• 2009-2010: Student sample essays, reverse outlines: sample essays and students’ own
ones
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to…
1. complete a reverse outline.
2. understand the difference between an organized and disorganized personal essay.
3. see how to organize your personal essay in the pre-writing stage.
How this will help you
• “Many of the skills required to write well on demand differ from those needed to write a worthwhile multi-draft paper…Those who have had timed writing instruction practice stand a far better chance at performing well when confronted with writing under pressure” –Kelly Gallagher, Teaching Adolescent Writers (2006)
• My successes: Ethics essay, Ethno-botany essay “Religious importance of hallucinogenic snuffs in the tribes of the lower Amazon”, biomedical report for Wells Fargo Global Capital Management loan officer
• Good writers spend time away from their writing: Mark Twain and eight years away from The Adventures of the Huckleberry Finn, angry email mistake
Even more reasons…
• Time to play with your writing: “Oops” is expected during practice
• Better pre-writing on actual writing test
• Ideas and organization = most important element when your writing is evaluated
Small group work
1. Receive the following handouts:
• Student essay packet
• Reverse outline handout
• State scoring guide
2. Read “Barack Obama” essay together
2. Complete reverse outline as a class
Small group work, part 2
1. Be divided into groups of 2-3 people.
2. Receive your assigned essay to read.
3. Each person complete a reverse outline for your assigned essay compels close reading of the text, where skillful writers work.
4. Whole group discussion about process.
Extension of Learning
Homework:
1. Fill in the reverse outline form for your January essay. If you are missing a component(s), write “oops.”
2. Write me about a page-long letter that explains what you learned from your reverse outline Dear Mr. Barniskis: vs. Dear Mr. Barniskis,
3. You will be submitting
• Small group reverse outline
• January essay reverse outline
• January essay
• Letter of reflection about your reverse outline
Evidence of Success: Percentage of Students Passing
Year January March April: State Test
2007 86% 93% 97%
2008 88% 94% 96%
*2009 87% 95% 97%
*2010 88% 96% ?