Fill Your Writer’s Tool Belt Teresa Atkins

1. When you leave here today, I hope you will have a few new strategies for teaching writing in your tool belt. 2.I also hope YOU will share with us any strategies you have as well! We are BETTER TOGETHER! Goals

STREEETCHHHHH a Sentence Using Ba-da- bing! Why? Students need to learn to stretch details and make their writing SOUND like high- quality writing.

Pitchforking Why? Students need to learn to stretch details and make their writing SOUND like high- quality writing.

Teaching with Nursery Rhymes I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT I'm a little teapot short and stout. Here is my handle. Here is my spout. When I get all steamed up, Hear me shout! Just tip me over And pour me out.

Mentor Sentences & Sparkling Sentences Why? To give students daily examples of the correct way to write sentences, allowing them to then model their own authentic sentences after the “mentor sentence.” Research shows that when teaching writing to developing writers, correct examples in lieu of incorrect models are the best way to convey the concepts.

Sentence Variety Activity Why? To allow students the opportunity to “see” how many different types of sentences they are using (or not using) in their own writing.

How to Tackle ?’s with 4 Sentences Why? These types of questions are both revising and editing! Could also be a FANBOYS killer if there are two complete sentences with a FANBOYS but no comma.

How to Tackle ?’s with 4 Sentences EX: What is the best way to rewrite sentence 1? At the end of the year, I will be thankful for all the fun I had in fourth grade. Fancy! I will be thankful at the end of the year we had so much fun in fourth grade. At the end of the year I had fun, so I will be thankful in fourth grade. x wrong word At the end of the year I will be thankful, I will remember all the fun I had in fourth grade. xx ____

Comma Formulas Why? It makes something sort of abstract, more concrete. It also allows for concrete thinkers to make more sense of the rules when first learning. FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) ✔,FANBOYS ✔ ✔ ,FANBOYS ✔ EX: Amelia sat underneath the beautiful tree, and she thought of all the wonderful memories she made in fourth grade. Visit this link for a great comma story! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHnl1O3NGJk

Comma Formulas X , ✔ OR ✔, X Aka introductory clause OR…... AAAWWUBBIS word at the beginning of a sentence (after, although, as, when, while, until, before, because, if, since) X , ✔ EX: After lunch, he needed a nap!

Comma Formulas Transition phrase at the beginning of the sentence X , ✔ EX: Suddenly, his heart began to race at the thought of teaching a STAAR tested grade for the first time.

Comma Formulas -ing phrase at the beginning of the sentence EX: Jumping up and down, she beamed with excitement at the thought of her summer trip to Florida.

Comma Formulas -ing phrase in the middle of the sentence EX: His eyes watered with joy, thinking of the love he felt.

The Pocket Pillar and the Pillar Why? It provides a vertical way for students to organize their writing, and gives them a real-life structure to connect it to. The Pocket-Pillar is meant for the first few times writing expository when students are not ready for three main ideas.

Test Review Collaborative Activity Why? Because students need to learn to justify why an answer is correct or incorrect and collaboration can help. Have role mat at the center of the table Each student is responsible for a letter to justify Students should be given about 3 min. to answer the question independently and justify why ONLY the letter they are responsible for is correct or incorrect. This forces students to think critically about the question, but simplifies their focus. Once the timer goes off, the group shares justification letter by letter and should eventually come up with the correct answer.

Grammar Keepers PROVE IT! Why? Because students need to learn to justify why an answer is correct or incorrect. See Poster http://trailofbreadcrumbs.net/writing- strategies/star-points-grammar/

Project-Based Writing Why? Students are engaged, it is authentic learning, and higher-level skills are used. Plan one a six weeks Collaborative-everyone has a publishing role, managing role, and a writing role Great for integrating other subjects

My Abuelita

Project-Based Writing Top items to include in plans for a successful lesson- Group contract and a plan for group members not staying Goal (objective) problem/solution (can be teacher decided for projects early on An organization, writing, and publishing role A deadline :) or else it will take forever!! A plan for pulling small groups once groups are independent

Library Book Scavenger Hunt Why? To engage students in actively seeking role-model sentences while reading, allowing them the opportunity to see real-life author’s craft and grammatical representations in mentor texts.

Using a Highly- Engaging Chapter Book to Guide Writing Instruction Why? It allows students to see the big-picture of the complete writing process and allows for cross-curricular instruction. I Survived Book Research history of the Titanic through reading technology Research of real person that was aboard the Titanic and wrote biographies to present to the class Used research to create their own I Survive Story Google Classroom opportunity (organizer and assignment) Correlates with science buoyancy TEKS Engaging

Share File https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3 UlmgtGaFZGNGNUNnVuQVhBVjQ?usp=shari ng

Let’s share your favorite ideas for teaching writing! Other Ideas Let’s share your favorite ideas for teaching writing!