Planting Seeds for Informative Writing Truisms Planting Seeds for Informative Writing

Truism: a brief statement of truth; a life lesson; a claim about people or the world Beauty is power. Love can be deadly. Conflict can make friendship stronger.

Read each truism that follows and we will discuss these questions: 1 Read each truism that follows and we will discuss these questions: 1. Do you agree or disagree with the truism? 2. How does the photo relate to the truism?

People create their own punishments.

It’s easier to be like everyone else than to be an individual.

No adventure is without a little danger.

Set free the people you love.

Next, look at each photo, and answer these questions in your writer’s notebook: 1. What is going on? 2. What do you notice? 3. Write a truism that fits this photo.

Finally, for each of the following abstract ideas, take two minutes to draw whatever comes to mind. Then, using the key word, write a truism for your drawing.

Injustice [Something unfair] After drawing, have students write a truism

Beauty After drawing, have students write a truism

Power After drawing, have students write a truism

Select any truism you have written or seen today and freewrite a paragraph in your writer’s notebook. How do you know it to be true? Give information to the reader by using at least 3 different examples. After drawing, have students write a truism