Launch Into TeachingLaunch Into TeachingWriting ModuleWriting Module

Launch Into TeachingLaunch Into TeachingWriting ModuleWriting Module

Week Three:Week Three:

Mini Lessons, Integrating content, ResourcesMini Lessons, Integrating content, Resources

Welcome to Week 3• Thank you for your discussion posts in

week two.

• We hope the examination of your students’ writing work was fruitful and that you have made some decisions about where you might like to focus during our next 4 weeks together!

Powerpoint Scope & Sequence

• Some housekeeping

• Our Central Questions

• Integrating Writing and Content

• The Mini Lesson

• Resources

• Next Steps

Housekeeping• We are currently reading through your

discussion posts for Week Two. Expect a response from either Erin or Sarah by the end of this week!

This Week’s Design• The new content for this week will be delivered

in four ways that are designed to supplement each other– Through these power point slides– Through one reading (Gamill) posted on the wiki– Through one video demonstrating a mini lesson

posted on the wiki– Clickable Resource Links to get your creative juices

flowing !– Check Out the WEEK TWO TAB of the wiki

for more detailed information! http://launchintoteachingwritingmodule.wiki.educ.msu.edu/

Central Questions• By the end of Week Three, we should be

able to answer the following questions:– How might I integrate writing and the content

areas?– What does a mini-lesson in writing look like?– How can I select and use resources to support

writing instruction?

Let’s get thinking…

Writing in the Writing in the Content AreasContent AreasWriting in the Writing in the Content AreasContent Areas

Writing to Learn… Writing to Learn…

Integrating Writing• We often integrate writing into content areas

such as science and social studies.• We could even consider the kinds of writing

that might be done during the reasoning phase of a mathematics problem.

• Often, this kind of writing is labeled as fitting into the “expository genre.”

Integrating Writing• As a review, remember that the expository

genre has the following:• focus on main topic• logical supporting facts• details, explanations, and examples• strong organization• clarity• unity and coherence• logical order• smooth transitions

Take a minute to think about the potential for someExpository Writing in your classroom… jot down your ideas.

Expository Writing• Characteristics and features of Expository

writing:– Exposition is about facts, ideas, and concepts– Use of specific text features to address purposes of

this genre and enhance key ideas and supporting details• Headings and subheadings• Glossaries, indexes, labels, diagrams, table of contents• Rhetorical questions, quotes, references

– Ideas/arguments supported with variety of details– Usually written in present tense– Organized by grouping related facts, ideas, or

arguments, or by sequence of events

Expository Writing• Texts written for different purposes, situations,

and have different characteristics• Exposure to models related to kinds of texts they

choose to write and which ones they can write well (Chapman, 1995; Kamberelis, 1999)– Study genre features (e.g., characteristics of persuasive

texts) through exposure and immersion in particular type of text

– Develop list of genre features with students (consider text structure, language features, purpose of text, type/forms of text) and post this a public model. For example:

• What makes a good report? Persuasive writing piece?

Expository Writing• Students’ knowledge of topic affects writing quality

and influences how well they can organize their written responses (Langer, 1984a; Langer & Applebee, 1987; Newell & Winograd, 1995).

• Students WILL value writing practices in the content areas based on: 1) the presence of authentic audience or purpose, 2) the relationship between teacher and student, 3) interest in topic and 4) their self-efficacy in writing (e.g. Duke, 2006; Moje, 1996).

Expository Writing• Examples:

– About Chicks• A ‘how to’ expository piece describing the hatching of baby

chicks in science class

– Our School• An expository piece describing the school

– Why Does It Rain?• An expository piece detailing the water cycle

– Should Kids Be Given Homework?• A persuasive expository piece giving opinions and citing

examples and details

– Letter to the President• A persuasive expository piece asking for legislation or

consideration

Integrating Writing• Think of writing as the connector between

reading and comprehension• Writing to learn vs. writing to communicate• “Writing need not take the form of a five-

paragraph essay or 10-page research paper to be effective” (Gamill, 2006 p. 756)

Integrating Writing• We could also integrate writing into the

content areas in a more informal manner• Informal writing typically involves short,

quick, daily activities that give students opportunities to process what they have learned in writing

• Informal writing helps students summarize, synthesize, evaluate & extend learning

Informal & Formal Writing

Informal Writing Activities…• Support a content objective • Are short, quick, and daily

assignments• Exist so as to give students an

opportunity to process the content they have learned in writing

• Build comprehension of content they have learned

• Summarize, synthesize, and extend learning

Formal Writing Activities…• Driven by a writing objective • Require modeling and

opportunities for practice at every step of the writing process (Pre-Writing, Drafting, Revising/ Rewriting, Editing, and Publishing)

• Require “publishing” a final, polished piece for a particular audience

Think about trying one of the informalwriting examples in your classroom thisweek or next!

Informal Writing ActivitiesFor Content Integration

Think-Write-

Pair-Share•Think silently about the prompt • Write silently about the prompt for 2 minutes• Share your thoughts and your writing with a partner for 2 minutes

One Minute PapersFun, lined paper

Limited space of the paper forces students to focus

Helps students to digest, apply, and challenge their thinking,

Partner JournalsFind a partner. Each person must have his or her own half sheet of paper on which to write.For two minutes, your pair will silently write and respond in writing to what one another has written.

RAFT Role: a glacier

Audience: congress

Format: email

Topic: global warming

Useful for synthesis

Great for knowledge-based objectives

Magnet SummariesStudents are given one word or phrase and then list as many applicable words around it as possibleBest used to summarize a large concept/ unit

BrochureUse to sum up key ideas and concepts

Good for different learning styles

Include specific instructions regarding each page or section.

The Mini LessonThe Mini LessonThe Mini LessonThe Mini Lesson

A Quick How-To Refresher… A Quick How-To Refresher…

The Mini Lesson• Mini-Lessons

– Brief 10-15 minute lessons begin the writer’s workshop– They are focused on a feature of a genre, one element of

craft, conventions or the writing process– Mini-lessons connect the new content to students’ previous

writing, then teach the new content, actively engage the students with the new content and then link the content to the new writing that students will do

– Teaches both craft and convention (prewrite, draft, revise, edit, publish)

We ask you to try TWO mini lessons over the course Of this module: One in craft, one in convention

The Mini LessonConnection: • Connect today’s lesson to a previous lesson or the unit of study, or

to a high quality model text.

Teaching:• Tell students specifically what you will be teaching them today

through demonstration, guided practice, or inquiry (combines demonstration and guided practice)

Active Engagement:• Students practice what you have taught them by turning and talking

and sharing with a partner or visualizing (pp. 55-57).

Link: • “Today and everyday…” Writers use these new strategies in their

writing pieces each day (p.58).

(Lucy Calkins, The Nuts and Bolts of Teaching Writing, 2003, pp. 49-59)

The Mini Lesson• VIEWHead to this link and watch a brief craft mini

lesson on the “Rule of Three.”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mENXGEZ6Dg

• THINKNotice the steps of the mini lesson that were

visible • CHECK OUTThe Mini-Lesson Components guide under the

“resources tab” of our wiki.

The Mini Lesson• Connection:

Connected to the model text• Teaching:

Taught The “Rule of Three” through thinking aloud about a good example

• Active Engagement:

Asked students to find the Rule of Three with partners• Link:

Reminded students that they would find this rule everywhere… and encourages students to try themselves.

Writing ResourcesWriting ResourcesWriting ResourcesWriting Resources

For Teachers!!For Teachers!!

Writing Resources• Resources for teachers can be found in many

places! Often, the most difficult part of locating these resources is wading through them to find what might work for you.

• We have attempted to include a few high quality resources here that you may or may not have browsed yourselves.

• We also posted a document listing high quality mentor texts to teach writing on the wiki’s resources page

Writing Resources• For grade-level lesson plan starters in

literacy:

• www.read.write.think.org

Writing Resources• For a host of ideas about how to

support writing instruction in your classroom.

• The Busy Teacher’s Cafe

Writing Resources• Thinking about writing assessment?

• Rubistar

• Rubrician

Next Steps• You should have already decided on your

element of craft and convention that you’d like to teach to your students

• Using the mini-lesson studied here and the resources available in Week Three, draft one mini lesson.

• By October 25, e-mail a drafted mini-lesson on the pre-writing phase of your unit to Erin & Sarah.– Think about using a graphic organizer… – Check out the wiki and powerpoints for details and

ideas!

• As always, e-mail Sarah(little50@msu.edu) or Erin(wibbense@msu.edu) with any questions!

Thank You!Thank You!Thank You!Thank You!

See you all next week!See you all next week!