Launch Into Teaching Writing Module Week Three: Mini 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!

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 Content Areas 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 some Expository 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 informal writing examples in your classroom this week or next!

Informal Writing Activities For 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 Papers Fun, lined paper Limited space of the paper forces students to focus Helps students to digest, apply, and challenge their thinking, Partner Journals Find 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: Topic: global warming Useful for synthesis Great for knowledge- based objectives Magnet Summaries Students are given one word or phrase and then list as many applicable words around it as possible Best used to summarize a large concept/ unit Brochure Use to sum up key ideas and concepts Good for different learning styles Include specific instructions regarding each page or section.

The Mini Lesson A Quick How-To Refresher…

The Mini Lesson Mini-Lessons –Brief 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 Lesson Connection: 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 ). 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 )

The Mini Lesson VIEW Head to this link and watch a brief craft mini lesson on the “Rule of Three.” THINK Notice the steps of the mini lesson that were visible CHECK OUT The 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 Resources 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:

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, your drafted mini- lesson to Erin & Sarah. Check out the wiki for details! As always, or with any questions!

Thank You! See you all next week!