MABE 2015

www.thewritingdiner.com © 2015

Creating Active Thinkers for All Types of Writing

Tim HargisMay 8, 2015

Michigan Association for Bilingual EducationDearborn, Michigan

Email: [email protected] Twitter: @WritingDinerTim

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mailto:[email protected]

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A Little About Who I Am


I have loved to write since I was about this old.


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


The Original• A series of lessons

aimed to teach craft elements of writing– Included pieces of writing

• Personal Narratives


The Original• Guiding Principles

1. Teach explicitly2. Incorporate conversation

to deepen understanding3. Hold students

accountable4. Make writing meaningful


The Original• 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


So Why a Writing Diner?

• The idea is to build a visual menu to support student writing and student thinking throughout the year.


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


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.


Today we are working on....

The Onomatopoeia Lead!!!


What in the world is onomatopoeia?!?!?

You might be thinking....


Onomatopoeia

• Onomatopoeia is a fancy writing word for a noise or a sound in a piece of writing.


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.


You can use onomatopoeia any

place you would like in a piece of writing.


Sometimes it is the perfect choice to use onomatopoeia for a lead in a piece of

writing.


Start with an interesting

noise to catch your reader’s

attention!


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.


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.


2nd Grade Example


2nd Grade Example

Question Lead

Binoculars (Senses)

Simile

Onomatopoeia

Snapshots

End with a Wish


4th Grade Example


4th Grade Example

Repetition

Repetition


4th Grade Example

Repetition

Repetition

Adjective

Personification

Adjective

Appositive


5th Grade Example


5th Grade Example

Repetition

Repetition

Repetition


5th Grade Example

Repetition

Repetition

Repetition

Appositive

Appositive


5th Grade Example

Repetition

Repetition

Repetition

Appositive

Appositive

Commas in a Series

Commas in a Series


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


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

Percentage Passing Writing

State

Glenwood

Source: Michigan Department of Education

www.michigan.gov/mde


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

Percentage Passing Writing

State

Glenwood

Source: Michigan Department of Education



A Quick Look at MEAP Data

20124th Grade

Writing(Passing/

Levels 1&2)

AllStudents

Males Females AfricanAmerican

Econ.Disadv.

State 47% 38% 56% 27% 33%

Glenwood(Kentwood Public

Schools)

80% 86% 74% 67% 75%

Source: Michigan Dept. of Education




20124th Grade

Writing(Advanced/

Level 1)

AllStudents

Males Females AfricanAmerican

Econ.Disadv.

State 12% 7% 16% 4% 5%

Glenwood(Kentwood Public

Schools)

45% 48% 42% 20% 43%







Brown ElementaryByron Center Public Schools

4th Grade MEAP

Writing

2012 93%(3rd Highest in Michigan)

2013 89%(47% Advanced)


The Writing Diner 2• Meeting the demands

of the three types of writing in the Common Core State Standards


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


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


Four Areas of Focus

1. Understanding the purpose of the three types of writing


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


Text Purposes


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


Opinion

Info

rmative

Nar

rativ

e


Opinion

Info

rmative

Nar

rativ

e

•I need to make my opinion clear

•I have to give reasons to support my opinion

•I can use craft elements to make my reasons stronger

•I need a strong wrap-up that reiterates my opinion

Examples of Opinion GenresReviews

Literary EssaysEditorials

Opinion ColumnsEtc.


Opinion

Info

rmative

Nar

rativ

e

•I need to stick to the facts

•I need to use craft elements to help my writing not feel so dry

•I need to use text features to help my readers understand

my piece better•I need to think about a text structure that works for this piece

Nonfiction Text Structures

•Sequential•Descriptive

•Problem/Solution•Comparison•Cause/Effect•Enumerative


Opinion

Info

rmative

Nar

rativ

e

•I need to tell a story slowly•I need a beginning, middle, end•I need to use lots of details to

make my readers feel like they’re “there” in the story

•I need to use craft elements to highlight details and emotions

•I need to make my readers feel•I might need to use dialogue

Examples of Narrative Genres

•Personal Narrative•Realistic Fiction

•Fantasy•Mystery

•Etc.


Inside The Writing Diner 2


Teaching Purpose• 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



Identifying and understanding the purpose of informative

writing!!!

I can identify informative writing and explain its purpose.


Purpose = Reason

Informative writing is a type of writing.


Let’s Do Some Thinking


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.


Informative/Explanatory Example

Not Informative/Explanatory Example



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

Information

The facts




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.




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.


I can identify informative writing and explain its purpose.


Teaching Purpose


Thinking on Paper

In your own words, describe the purpose of informative writing.

The purpose of informative writing is ___________________


Inside The Writing Diner 2• Mini-units to teach the

purpose of the 3 types of writing


Four Areas of Focus



The Original Writing Diner

• A series of lessons aimed to teach craft elements of writing


The Original Writing DinerInside the Writing Diner 2

For opinion, informative, and narrative writing



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?



Let’s Go Nuts! (Informative/Explanatory – Informational Article)

Tim Hargis

Are you looking for a snack that is tasty? Are you trying to find a snack that is easy to eat on the run? Are you tired of unhealthy snacks and are looking for something that is good for you to eat? The answer is simple. Try nuts!

A Heart-Healthy SnackExperts at the world renowned Mayo Clinic say that there is a

simple solution for snacking that is actually good for the health of your heart. Eat nuts. Research shows that nuts are packed full of lots of good nutrition that has a positive effect on heart health.



Summer Reading(Opinion – Speech)

Tim Hargis

....All of these are great things to look forward to in the summer. Like you, I am anticipating these fun times. But I am here today to ask you to think of adding something else to your list of fun activities to do this summer. Something that will be fun. Something that will be rewarding. Something that will be important. That something is reading.

....So, as you head off to your summer breaks, I strongly encourage you to read. Read for the fun of it. Read for the challenge of it. Read to stretch your minds and grow your worlds. Give it a try this summer. You might just be pleasantly surprised when it’s all over.


Four Areas of Focus



Teaching Genre

• After students understand the purpose of each type, we can then introduce them to a variety of genre that fit under each type


Teaching Genre

• Opinion– Reviews– Literary Essay– Speech

• Informative– Informational Book– Informational Article

• Narrative– Personal Narrative– Realistic Fiction– Mystery

(Type)

(Type)

(Type)

Genre

Genre

Genre


Today we are working on….

Opinion Writing!!!


OPINION

• Your opinion is what you think about something; it is how you feel about something


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


OPINION Writing

• There are all kinds of opinion writing pieces– The book review

– The restaurant review


OPINION Writing

• A restaurant review is a type of opinion writing where we:– 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


OPINION Writing


• 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


Skyline Chili is a great restaurant. The food is tasty and unique. You should definitely eat there if you get a chance.


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

State the Opinion



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.




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,


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.


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.


Great Verb

Great Verb

Great Verb

Great Verb


Great Verb

Great Verb

Great Verb

Great Verb

Adjective

Adjective

AdjectiveAdjective

Adjective

Adjective

Adjective


Personification

End with a Strong Line



Reviews Commercials Literary Essays Speeches

Informational books Informational articles

Personal narratives Realistic fiction Fantasy Mystery

Nonfiction Text Structures


Four Areas of Focus



The Common Core

Students Who are College and Career Ready in Reading, Writing, Listening, &

Language

They demonstrate independence.

They build strong content knowledge.


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 them an assignment during their content time that requires them to apply what they have learned about informational books or articles during their writing time




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.



Informative Writing!!!!

I can write an informational book.


You might be thinking…

What in the world is informative writing?!!?!


Let’s Take a Look Inside a Book


Heading

Picture

Caption


Bold Print

Chart


Kindergarten Example


1st Grade Example


1st Grade Example

Heading

Label

Bold Print


1st Grade Example

Heading

Labels


4th Grade Example


4th Grade Example

HeadingBold Print

Caption


2nd Grade Example


2nd Grade Example

Heading

Bold Print


3rd Grade


Here’s how it might look...Sample Month



Researching what it is like to be a butterfly. (Writing standards 7 & 8)






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.


What is it like to be a _________?



person


baby

childteenager

adult elderly


RESEARCHWhat in the world is research?



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?



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


What is it like to be a _________?frog


What is it like to be a frog?

Life Cycle



Life Cycle



the egg



the egg

Animals eat some eggs. The other eggs hatch in about 7 – 9 days.



the egg


the tadpole



the egg


the tadpole

No feet or legs. Looks like a fish. Has a tail and a mouth.



the egg


the tadpole


the adult



the egg


the tadpole


the adult

Has a head and eyes. It has legs for swimming. It has slimy skin.

Life Cycle


What is it like to be a _________?butterfly

Life Cycle


Life Cycle


More reading

Field trip

ObservationsGuidance and

support

Watch video

More Research


Collaborative Posters


Here’s how it might look...Sample Month of October







Week 4 Continue Realistic Fiction unit. Content Connections





•Life cycle of the frog•Egg

•Tadpole•Adult

•Frogs come in different sizes•Lots of different colors

•What they eat•Some are poisonous!


Integration of Writing and

Content










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.


A Narrative Example


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



– 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



– Informative examples:• An informational book

or article on practically any topic studied in the content areas



– 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


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

Content 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


Time to Process

Understanding the purpose for each

type of writing



Start with an interesting

noise to catch your reader’s

attention!

Genre Researching

to learn content

Content Connection: Applying writing

knowledge and skills in a content area


The Writing Diner 2• Four areas of focus

for writing instruction1. Understanding the

purpose of the three types of writing





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


Time to Reflect


Continuing the Conversation

• Website: www.thewritingdiner.com

• Email: [email protected]

• The Writing Diner page on Facebook

• Twitter: @WritingDinerTim

• Teachers Pay Teachers: WritingDinerTim

Thank you!!!!

http://www.thewritingdiner.com/

mailto:[email protected]

MABE 2015

Education

Transcript of MABE 2015