1. Thinking Big, Thinking Small

2. Connection
To make anything be your best writing, or your best thinking, you ned to pause to think, “What is working?” and “How can I make my best better?”
It helps to have a picture in mind of what makes potent, vitally alive writing about reading.

3. Active Engagement
Review your own writing and the models that are on your desk
Talk with your table group about how you would fill in this chart:
WAYS TO WRITE POWERFULLY ABOUT READING …

4. Ways to write powerfully about reading… ..

5. Definition
Theme is a universal lesson that you notice in a text. It applies not just to this character or this text, but holds true in the world at large

6. Sentence Starters to help you think about THEME
I LEARNED FROM (THE CHARACTER, THE EVENT) THAT IN LIFE IT IS IMPORTANT TO…
EVEN IF…YOU SHOULD…
THIS STORY TEACHES US NOT ONLY ABOUT…BUT ALSO ABOUT…
WHEN I FIRST READ THIS STORY I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ABOUT…BUT NOW THAT I THINK MORE DEEPLY ABOUT IT, I RELIAZE THAT IT IS REALY ABOUT…
SOMETHIG THAT’S TRUE IN THIS STORY THAT’S ALSO TRUE IN THE WORD IS…
(A CHARACTER) SHOWS/TEACHES/DEMONSTRATES THAT…

7. The Ladder of Abstraction
Write at both ends of the ladder
Record important details (quotes, setting, symbols, etc)
Explore big ideas/themes (linked to these details)

8. Write at both ends of the ladder
Record important details (quotes, setting, symbols, etc)
Explore big ideas/themes (linked to these details)