1. The 7 Elements of a Differentiated Writing Lesson Corbett Harrison (http://corbettharrison.com) Northern Nevada Writing Project (http://nnwp.org) Northwest Regional Professional Development Program (http://nwrpdp.com) © 2009 All rights reserved Let’s Talk about Student Models: Two of the Seven Elements of a Differentiated Writing Lesson

2. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? This is Just to Say I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so cold --William Carlos Williams Teacher Joyce Sidman, loving this WCW poem so much, had her students imitate the poet and she published her own collection of apology poems. At WritingFix, we wrote up our own version of the lesson too. Let’s analyze some samples from our lesson.

3. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? The This is Just to Say lesson at WritingFix was featured at the NNWP’s 2008 Piñon Poetry Festival. Lesson Title: Poems of ApologyPoems of Apology Lesson author: Todd Herman, HS math teacher (NNWP) Overview: Students learn about making sentences and ideas flow by imitating Carlos’ poem with original ideas about something they’re sort of sorry for. Focus Skill: Sentence rhythm (sentence fluency) Support Skill: unique topics (idea development) Mentor Texts: This is Just to Say by Joyce Sidman and This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams Student Models: Grades 3-5, 8, 11, 12 (page 59-60 of packet)

4. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? Mom by Keely, third grade poet Forgive me For sneaking downstairs And interrupting your party But I was starving And the candies were... Calling me I didn't know what to do So I just took them Please forgive me Sorry for Drinking Your Tea by Elise, fifth grade poet I am sorry for drinking your tea It looked so icy, cold and delicious I could have gone and got my own drink But the fridge was too far away The first drink just sat there and called me I would tell you I would not do it again But then I would just be lying Plus you probably would have done the same Compare these poets’ sentence fluency. (page 59 of packet)

5. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? Compare these poets’ word choices. Pancake Thief by Connor, 8 th grade Forgive me For stealing Your pancakes I sneaked over While you were gone I stole them so quickly Eating them even faster So warm and soft Your pancakes were Filled with butter and syrup Delicious Many Apologies by Amy, 8 th grade I’m sorry for all the silly things I have done Burning my hand Sewing my finger Leaving toothpicks out on which dad stepped on I was young and foolish, no care in the world I’m sorry for all the past things that have occurred Skipping my lessons Wasting my life on the computer Breaking six plates in three days I wasn’t thinking of the outcome For all these things I apologize For you are my mother, the one who has taught me so much Now though, I have learned from my mistakes and corrected them Allowing me to excel in my academic career and studies Once more, I am sorry for causing you any stress In the future, I hope to make it up to you (page 60 of packet)

6. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? In 2008, the NNWP’s Going Deep with Compare & Contrast Thinking Guide inspired me to use better comparative thinking in my teaching and planning. Work with a partner to place “voice vocabulary” in the Venn Diagram. (page 58 of packet)

7. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? Sparklers: High Scoring Test Essays and What They Teach Us by Gretchen Bernabei & Judy Reimer In Nevada, or 5 th, 8 th and 11 th graders are tested in writing and assessed using trait rubrics. For years, we’ve been encouraging our teachers to use designated practice prompts many months before the actual test is given. The practice prompt resources we provide give teachers the ability to score and explain scores to students. Sparklers reminded us of the importance of using “sparkling” student examples as part of the learning process. Our students are asked to analyze the strengths in our Nevada Sparklers, and then to apply skills when they write to the same practice prompts.

8. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? Sparklers: High Scoring Test Essays and What They Teach Us by Gretchen Bernabei & Judy Reimer Work with a partner to fill in the two boxes on Kate’s page. (page 61-62 of packet)

9. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? Sparklers: High Scoring Test Essays and What They Teach Us by Gretchen Bernabei & Judy Reimer Work with a partner to fill in the two boxes on Brian’s page. (page 63-64 of packet)

10. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? The “Olympic Task Committee” is a great way to get students to analyze and evaluate writing samples before they do writing to the same topic/lesson. Work with a partner to award medals to these three writers as instructed on the handout in your packet. (page 65 of packet)

11. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? Let’s practice designing our own “Olympic Committee” analysis tasks! Choose either the sixth graders’ samples or the first graders’ samples. Look for skills that are evident in all three samples that your students can analyze and then rank. (page 66-67 of packet)

12. Essential Questions: What are the dangers and the benefits of showing students models of the writing before they write? How can student models be used to generate skill-focused discussions? One Final Story about Student Samples… Launching a new lesson? Discouraged you don’t have any student samples? Meet Joey, age 12… For inspiring her boy writers when she introduced her brand new, Dogzilla-inpsired lesson, my wife decided she needed a boy’s sample, and she didn’t have one. She found a school picture of a boy about the age of her own students on-line, she wrote a sample and credited to this boy (whom she named Joey), and her boys went crazy with the assignment. Years later, she is still using Joey’s sample; each year, dozens of kids swear, “I know that kid. He lives in my neighborhood.” (page 68-69 of packet)

13. The 7 Elements of a Differentiated Writing Lesson Talking & Student Models: a personal goal for these elements might have you… Explore the WritingFix website for lessons that have ready-to-go student models for your grade level (or close to it) and teach the lesson, helping your students to become excellent analyzers of other students’ skills; Find a WritingFix lesson that doesn’t have samples for your grade level, teach the lesson, and submit the samples for other students to analyze; Begin saving student samples for original lessons you know you’ll teach annually, then creating discussion tools from the samples for future students; Or…?