Presented By: Bethany Cocchi Textbook Investigation

Three Parts: 1. Composition 2. Grammar Usage and Mechanics 3. Resources and Skills

Composition  7 Units contain 6-10 Lessons Each  Pattern: 1. Lesson Topic Explanation 2. Modeling the Explanation 3. Completing Journal Entry 4. Writing Focus Section Examples: time and order, writing in third person, structure of a business letter. 5. Writing Activities Individual Writing Activity Collaborative group activity Visual Activity or Cross Curricular Activity

Overall, the textbook displays writing as a process that requires learning and utilizing steps depending on the audience and intent for writing.

Six Genres 1. Personal 2. Descriptive 3. Narrative 4. Expository 5. Persuasive 6. Business and Technical writing  Note: Writing Process Discussed in Unit 2, after the Personal Writing Genre.

The Writing Process 1. Prewriting: Determining audience, purpose, investigating a topic, and organizing ideas. 2. Drafting: Using prewriting notes and new ideas to create paragraphs about a chosen topic. 3. Revising: Reading a draft and making sure ideas are clear and that all needed information is present. Peer reviewing occurs during this phase. 4. Editing and Proofreading: Critically reading work for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. Making sure each sentence makes sense and connects with the next. 5. Publishing and presenting

The Writing Process  Note: Editing and Revising are separate tasks.  Question to consider: Is separating these two tasks a good idea?

Writing Tasks  Journaling Helps students think deeper about the genre  End of Lesson Genre Writing Writing practice for what students have learned  Worries: 1. Students will not grasp the lesson’s concepts completely because of the lesson’s length. 2. Some of the writing activities are very simple and are not challenging enough.

Suggestions  Longer explanations and models should be used to supplement the lessons.  Longer and more difficult writing assignments that would give students a better idea of how a concept works and can be utilized.

Pros and Cons  Cons: 1. Step-by-Step organization 1. Connecting Lessons 2. Restricting students  Pros: 1. Freedom of expression through Genre writing 2. Show not just tell

Thank You for Listening Bibliography: Glencoe. (2009). Writer’s Choice: Grammar and Composition Grade 8. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.