264: Writers Craft, Reading Like a Writer, Personal Narrative

February 10, 2014

Today’s Class

• Discuss Craft Writing Lessons and Reading Strategy Plans

• Describe Reader Response• Discuss the reading/writing connection- Reading

like a writer• Define Writer’s Craft and craft lessons• Explore Memoir/Personal Narrative

Lesson Planning

• Template posted on the Wiki• Use CCSS• Must be contextualized and based on authentic

texts• Reading Strategies- Independent• Writing- Groups

Reader ResponseTransactional Theory- the act of reading involves a

transaction between the reader and the text. Each "transaction" is a unique experience in which the reader and text continuously act and are acted upon by each other.

– A written work does not have the same meaning for every reader

– Each reader brings individual background knowledge, beliefs, and context to a reading

From the work of Louise Rosenblatt

Ideas for Reader Response are posted on the Wiki

Literature Circle Sharing

Monday, March 3Literature Circle Presentations

• Introduce your Story (Use PowerPoint or some other presentation software)

• Author information

• Other interesting information about your book, character, or settings)

• Share your Responses

• Discuss Instructional Possibilities

• Share a multimodal text set. Examples would be great.

CCSS

CC.K-12.SL.5 Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.•CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.•CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.5 Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details.•CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.•CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

• Components of the Process– Prewriting– Drafting– Revising– Editing– Publishing

• Things to consider:– Writing is not linear, nor should it be

necessarily– Think about how to integrate multiple sign

systems into the process (i.e., drama, music, movement/dance, art)

Process Writing

Observation of the Room◦ Read the room right now.◦ Write a quick entry about what you’re noticing, how you

feel about being back at school today, an overheard conversation or anything else you wish to record about what’s happening in here.

Meaningful Place Think of a meaningful place.

◦ It could be anything from the kitchen table in the home where you grew up to your favorite beach in Florida.

Draw a map of that place List small moments related to that place. Write about one of those small moments in your

writer’s notebook.

Prewriting Strategies

Look at a Photograph/Picture

• Study the photograph.

– Who or what is pictured?

– Where was the picture taken?

– When was the picture taken?

– Why did you choose this photo to bring in today?

• Write about the small moment related to the photograph.

Think of a Person– Think about a person who is important to you (living

or deceased).– List as many small moments as you can about that

person.– Write about one of those small moments with

him/her.

Prewriting Strategies

Prewriting Strategies

Look at an Object• Examine the object closely.

– When did you get it?– Where did you buy or acquire it from?– Who gave it to you?– Why is it important?

• List everything!• Write a small moment entry related to this object.

Share what published writers doPatricia Polacco

Everything we know as writers, we know as readers first. - Katy Ray Wood

Things to consider when teaching writing

• Writers need to read.• Allow children to talk about a story with

another. Have them “turn and talk” with a partner to tell their stories before writing them.

• Focus on Ideas instead of handwriting, spelling and conventions

• Children should have the opportunity to write throughout the day and throughout the content areas

Reading like a writer

• Notice something about the craft of the text. • Talk about it and make a theory about why

a writer might use this craft. • Give the craft a name. • Think of other texts/authors you know. 

Have you seen this craft before? • Try to envision using this crafting in your

own writing.

Noticing What Writer’s Do• Leads- What do these authors do for leads?• Small Moments• Dialogue Tags• The Power of Three- three words used in a row to create

emphasis. • Literary Elements/Figurative Language• Repetition• Format• Organization of Ideas (Linear, See-Saw, Circular, Flashback)• Patterns• Big and Bold/Small and Soft• Illustrations- illustrations are an important part of the story

when creating picture books. • Interesting Punctuation

Writer’s Craft

Craft- the skilled practice of a practical occupation

Writer’s Craft- the tools and practices that writers use in their writing to convey particular meaning, create an effect, describe a setting or character. How a writer uses language to reach an audience. Purpose will also determine the tools and practices the writer uses.

Elements

Narrative

How the story is told• Structure• Characterization• Plot• Foreshadowing• Point of View• Voice

Literary Devices

Tools that writer’s use• Figurative

Language• Hyperbole• Onomatopoeia • Imagery

Mostly in fiction writing but can be in non-fiction

Read Like a Writer!

• What do authors do to share ideas?

(Structure, Craft, Ideas)

Your Turn:• Select a mentor text.• What do you notice in your book?• How can you use this text in your

classroom to teach about writer’s craft?

CCSS

Grade LevelTo Persuade

To InformTo Convey an Experience

4th 30% 35% 35%

8th 35% 35% 30%

12th 40% 40% 20%

Distribution of Communicative Purposes by Grade in the 2011 NAEP Writing Framework (ccss, http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf )

Memoirs(Personal Narratives)

We can write about a time when we …•Were afraid •Overcame an obstacle•Were with family•Were surprised•Were friends•Accomplished something•Had a difficult time•Did something for the first time•An adventure•Had visitorshttp://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/memoir

Exploring Memoirs

• What do these texts have in common What makes them memoir?

• What do you notice about who is narrating the story? Why do you think that might be?

• What do you notice about the scope of the memoirs? How much time do they usually span?

• Why do you suppose it looks at such a short time period?

• What is the purpose of a memoir• Why would someone sit down and write about an

event in his/her life?

• It focuses and reflects on the relationship between the writer and a particular person, place, animal, or object.

• The story will make you feel something: happy, sad, mad, etc.

• It explains the significance of the relationship.• It leaves the reader with one impression of the subject

of the memoir.• It is limited to a particular phase, time period, place, or

recurring behavior in order to develop the focus fully.• It makes the subject of the memoir come alive.• It maintains a first person point of view.

Memoir (Personal Narrative)

6 Word Memoir

http://www.smithmag.net/sixwordbook/2010/09/13/video-six-tips-for-writing-six-word-memoirs/

http://av.vimeo.com/65269/936/53212683.mp4?token=1347544521_eeb3441c7ce17c541b34c84d69ee55bd

http://www.smithmag.net/sixwordbook/sixword-storybook/

Trained. Run….Bike… Swim. I ROCK!

We do it….

• Character in a memoir- The Paperboy• Brainstorm words and ideas• Decide which words are important and

really convey meaning.• Put those words together for a 6 word

poem

• What story would you like to write about today?

• Talk about that story in detail• Brainstorm your words and ideas• Select your 6 words for you 6 Word Memoir

You do it

Next Time

Readings- Level About Leveling (Wiki), ch. 3: Kids Need Books They Can Read

Reader’s Workshop– Launching Reading Workshop– Phonics/Phonemic Awareness/Emergent

Literacy Strategies

Writer’s Workshop– Crafting a Setting

Continue Literature Circle Discussions