Slow Writing

Learning to Write with meaning

The Secret of Literacy – Making the implicit explicit. David Didau pp161-65

Why use Slow Writing?• Many students tend to rush their writing.

• Given a time limit many will race into the task, write as much as they can, hoping it will answer the question, and then wait for the time to end.

• Answers like this are often poorly constructed, crammed with unnecessary information or waffle designed to fill the page.

• It’s a scatter gun approach where hopefully there will be enough detail somewhere that will answer the question.

• Key indicators of this are asterisks * and arrows directing

the marker to extra pieces of information.

• Students would benefit from learning to stop, to plan and to engage with the question, crafting an answer that will answer the question and engage the reader/marker.

• Slow Writing is a method of making students write quality answers.

How does it work?• A word/phrase/task list of prompts is

generated dependent upon the task.

• Create lists of 10-12 and Print the list and cut into strips

• Distribute to groups so that they all receive different prompts.

• Students are given a writing topic.

• The prompts are distributed at random to the class with 1 -2 or more strips to each student.

• Students are instructed to complete the writing task but must include the prompts in their writing.

• Set a reasonable amount of time for the task – it will be much longer than a normal writing

Word, Phrase or Task lists..there are a number.. ….in addition…

..there are several… ..this caused…

..for example.. …of causes…

Use a sentence with no

more than3 words

One sentence must

include a quote

...as is shown by …due to…

..as a result of… …furthermore…

..to begin with… …nonetheless…

…secondly… …demonstrates…

…consequently.. …determined..

You will use a colour in a

sentence

Start a sentence with a

word starting with E

Words

Tasks

Phrases

Who do Historians view as being responsible for starting WWI?

Some historians like Bracher and AJP Taylor, believe that Germany was responsible for starting WWI because of Germanys policy of ‘Welt Politik’ and on information contained in Diplomatic papers, including the ‘Blank Cheque’ that were later released. At the time German historians refuted these claims despite German acceptance of the ‘Guilt’ clause in the Treaty of Versailles. Later the hardships inflicted by the Treaty in the 1930’s tended to create sympathy for Germany and saw revisionist historians like Gooch reassess evidence and conclude that guilt should be shared by the major European countries, especially Britain and Russia.

Version #2: nonetheless, ...as a result of…

Historians like Bracher and AJP Taylor, hold the traditional view that Germany was responsible for starting WWI because of the German foreign policy called ‘Welt Politik’ and the ‘Blank Cheque’ that guaranteed German support for Austria in the event of war. Nonetheless German historians refuted these claims despite German acceptance of the ‘Guilt’ clause in the Treaty of Versailles. The hardships inflicted as a result ofthe Treaty, especially reparations tended to create sympathy for Germany and saw revisionist historians like Goochreassessment of the evidence and their conclusion that responsibility should be shared by the major European countries, especially Britain and Russia.

Version #3: include such as, there are several

Traditional Historians such as Bracher and AJP Taylor, believe that Germany had sole responsibility for starting WWI initially of because of Wilhelms policy of ‘Welt Politik’ and because of Diplomatic papers. This including the ‘Blank Cheque’ that pointed towards Germanys support and encouragement for a war with Serbia. German historians in the 1920’s refuted this view despite German acceptance of the ‘Guilt’ clause in the Treaty of Versailles. There are several reasons, including guilt created by economic hardship on Germany caused by the Treaty which explain why historians like Gooch reassessed the evidence and decided that guilt should be shared by the major European countries, especially Britain and Russia.

Version 4: include: Use a colour, start a sentence with ‘because’

• Some historians like Bracher and AJP Taylor, believe that Germany was responsible for starting WWI because of Germanys policy of ‘Welt Politik’ and on information contained in Diplomatic papers, including the ‘Blank Cheque’ that were later released. At the time German historians saw this a black mark against Germany and refuted these claims despite acceptance of the ‘Guilt’ clause in the Treaty of Versailles. Becausethe hardships inflicted by the Treaty tended to create sympathy for Germany, revisionist historians like Goochreassessed evidence and concluded that guilt should be shared by the major European countries, especially Britain and Russia.