Introduction to Six Word Memoirs

 Ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece, the main theme, together with the details that enrich and develop that theme. It all makes sense. I know this topic well. I have included the most important details. My paper has a purpose. Once you start reading, you will not want to stop.

 Topic choice  Thesis statement/topic sentence  Supporting details  Focus

Choose an original, insightful, and complete way to answer the prompt/question.  Ex: “insightful” means something that shows great thought or makes the reader think.

 Clear  Restates (rewords) the question and gives a short, to-the-point answer  Helps organize the paper  A thesis statement often gives a mini-outline of what will be said in a paper.  The rest of the paragraph/paper should explain it Students often have trouble with this…

 Support = Explain  The supports explain the thesis statement/topic sentence  Common amount: three

 Staying on topic  An easy way to make sure it’s focused: make ALL of the supports explain the thesis statement/topic sentence.  No thesis statement/topic sentence often = unfocused answer/paper

POOR EXAMPLE  I live in a house in Lake St. Louis. I like the view from our house. We have lived there since November. We also have a car that I like very much. We were in an accident a few months ago. We hit a deer that was crossing the street at night. I felt sorry for the deer, but it cost a lot of money to repair the car.  My family bought our first house last November, and we love it. It is located in Lake St. Louis. Although we cannot see the lake from our house, we do have a beautiful view of the surrounding trees. Our house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and a family room, and a large kitchen and dining area. We also have a large backyard and a small garden. We are very happy to own our own home, and I hope that we will live there for several years. GOOD EXAMPLE

Baseball game = balls, bats, bases, umpires, coaches, pitchers, catchers, hits, runs, outs. The end.

Organization is the internal structure, the thread of central meaning, the logical and sometimes intriguing pattern of the ideas within a piece of writing. My beginning will interest the reader. Everything ties together. It builds to the good parts. You can follow it easily. At the end it feels finished and makes you think.

1. Beginning (Hook the reader) 2. Middle (This can be one of five things and depends on the content) a. description b. cause and effect c. sequential d. compare and contrast e. problem and solution 3. End (Can summarize, restate, or end with a “zinger” to leave the reader thinking)

 Pacing—spend enough time developing and explaining the ideas in each paragraph.  Transitions– lead the reader from one idea to the next with signal words at the end or beginning of each paragraph. ( moreover, as well as, together with, of course, likewise, comparatively, correspondingly, similarly, furthermore, additionally in spite of, even so / though, be that as it may, then again, above all, in reality, after all, etc.)

 Word choice is the use of rich, colorful, precise language that moves and enlightens the reader.  Thesaurus??? Thesaurus???  This is the best way to say this!  My words create mind pictures.  I’ve tried new ways to say everyday things.  Some of the words and phrases linger in my mind.  My words are appropriate for my content.

 Be concise  Avoid repetition  Use powerful, action verbs  Avoid slang and use clichés sparingly  Use language that is natural and not overdone  Use words that create a mental picture for the reader

English can be interpreted in different ways; details support your interpretation. Details show you have read and understood literature. Details can save your grade (and job). 

Learners must be able to draw conclusions (INFER) in order to fully develop their reading comprehension skills. Students must be able to utilize specific details within the context of a work in order to infer. The learner must be able to connect the details and draw a conclusion regarding the author’s intent based on what is presented. This is a higher order thinking skill that must be developed over time. 

 DETAIL FROM THE TEXT + WHAT YOU KNOW =  A CONCLUSION  AKA-TO INFER