Let’s Plan a Scaffolded Writing Assignment Instead of having goals for this module, I will share some guiding questions that we expect to answer during this presentation.

Materials Highlighters Rubrics Peer Editing Checklists Student Work Samples Document reader/ Overhead Projector Patience

Example: Research Report- Day 1 Sample Writing Prompt Write a well-organized essay about a historically relevant person or event. Your essay should reflect clear research questions and present evidence from primary and secondary sources.

Research Report Rubric Distribute Highlighters Rubric Go over it Students highlight key points. Resource Packet, p. 13 Research Report Rubric

Student Work Samples Make copies of 2 student work samples, with peer editing checklists on the back of each. Give them a fail and then a passing one. Make sure you have an overhead or document reader so you can edit where the students can see. Get them off the internet if others aren’t readily available.

Student Work Sample Resource Packet, p. 16

Peer Editing Checklist Resource Packet, p. 17

Modeling Remind them of the rubric requirements. Go over the check list requirements. Go over how and what to highlight: Grammar errors Spelling Punctuation Sentence structure (incomplete, run-on) Subject-verb agreement Missing words, extra words Anything else they think is wrong

More Modeling Walk through the first student work sample using the overhead projector or document reader. Have volunteers read it aloud, sentence by sentence, and have them tell you what they think should be highlighted. After reading the whole thing, turn the sample over and have students tell you how to fill out the check list. Ask what grade the class would give, based on the rubric.

Let’s do it! Instead of having goals for this module, I will share some guiding questions that we expect to answer during this presentation.

Student Work Sample with Peer Editing Checklist class             4   Have participants complete the activity before clicking and revealing the answers. 20  3  ~ 27

The Next Step: Independent Practice Have students partner up. Have them highlight a second student sample paper. Have them complete the checklist on the back of it. Have them give it a grade based on those 2 things as well as the rubric. Using the overhead projector, go over the second sample paper to confirm the students’ choices.

Adaptation: Research Report - Day 2 Obtain research for the students to read (internet?) so you can review the research process. Make sure you can get a transparency of whatever you handout. As a class Decide on a topic Brainstorm with a KWL chart Turn the W’s into questions to head notecards Read the research together, guiding the students to highlight answers to questions and clarifying confusing points This follow the High Point, deeply scaffolded model. This can be done with a picture book first, and then grade level literature second.

Let’s do it! Instead of having goals for this module, I will share some guiding questions that we expect to answer during this presentation.

KWL Chart K W L

Notecards

Class Research Pages Resource Packet, pp. 14-15 The Mexican Revolution

Let’s do it! Instead of having goals for this module, I will share some guiding questions that we expect to answer during this presentation.

Highlighting = Paraphrasing UC Professional Development Institute, High Point, Follow-up 8, Slide 19

Class Notecards Good vs. Plagiarized

Class Essay

With a partner students will: Research Report - Day 3 Assign a topic that you know your library has available at the appropriate reading level to pairs of students. With a partner students will: Write notecard questions Look for research in teacher approved places Paraphrase the answers to their questions onto their notecards This can all be done as a class up through step 2. This can be done with a picture book first, and then grade level literature second.

Research Report - Days 4/5 Independently students will: Translate the notecards into an essay Exchange essays with the partner for a peer edit Write a second draft and show/turn in to teacher for feedback At the end of day 5 in the classroom or the beginning of day 6, require all second drafts to be turned in. Enforce after school detention immediately for those who are not finished until they are, or you may never get anything turned in. Do not let students sabotage themselves (by not turning in something when you both know they are capable of producing passing work). No more than 5 days in class can be spent on one writing project.

Teacher Editing Highlight grammar errors on the 2nd draft and create a + (plus)  (delta) T-chart. On the + side, write the things the student did well. On the  side, write things the student should change. +  Here is the place where you explain some of what you highlighted (if you highlighted a lot of spelling errors, for example, you would write “spelling” in this column) as well as mention items from the rubric that may have been forgotten (for example, you might write “past tense” if the story should have been in past tense and the writer forgot to use it a lot). You can use stick-notes for this or type them up, since you could cut and paste a lot of comments.

Tips You should pass out and collect things like highlighters. Give different colored highlighters to each group. Colored pencils would work the same as highlighters, and colors can stand for different problems. Be okay with talking. NEVER SIT DOWN. Make sure each student chooses his/her topic by the end of the first day. Set clear goals for each session. It’s okay to give students sentence starters! Collect everything at the end of each class to be passed out at the beginning of the next one. Be sure students respond to corrections after the peer editing step on their first draft. Count the highlighters you give out and make sure each student only gets ONE. This means you should be the person who passes out and collects the highlighters. Give different colored highlighters to each group. This way, if something gets written on, you know who to blame  (and therefore who gets the colored pencils next time) Colored pencils would work the same as highlighters, and you can even have colors stand for different problems, but since the students aren’t grammatical experts, this may be more trouble than it’s worth. Be okay with talking. They will talk a lot during the entire writing process. Spend the entire period walking around and talking to each student. Start with one table and get them going. Attend to each student going at the table and then move on to the next. Rinse and repeat. NEVER SIT DOWN. Make sure that each student has chosen his/her topic/best thing to write about by the end of the first day. Set clear goals for the end of each session. Hold students who are unproductive accountable with lunch/after school detention. (Don’t threaten. Simply say “You know what a tight schedule we’re on. Since I can’t give you any more time in class, anyone who can’t finish by the end of this class period will have to stay after to do so.) Collect all models and student work at the end of each class (until the 2nd draft, when the student works at home) and keep them in (a) folders to pass out at the beginning of the next one. This keeps “I lost it/can’t find it” from slowing you down. Be sure students respond to corrections after the peer editing step on their first draft and do not just dive into writing the second draft.

Questions? Queries? Do you have any questions/ concerns? If you have ideas on how to improve this workshop, feel free to write them in the evaluations.