Making Sense of Writing

Laura Terrilllterrill@gmail.comlauraterrill.wikispaces.com

Part 1

Why do we write? We write to:

• express and reflect• inquire and explore• analyze and interpret• take a stand• evaluate and judge• propose a solution• seek common ground• inform or explain• report – research-based writing

Reading Rhetorically: A Reader for WritersBean, Chappell, and Gillam

•take tests

Everyone has the capacity to write,

writing can be taught, and teachers can help students

become better writers.

People learn to writeby writing.

- NCTE Beliefs about the teaching of writing

November, 2004

Percentage of 8th and 12th graders performing at or above a proficient level of writing achievement

2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

1998 2002 2007

8th grade 28% 33% 35%

12th grade 23% 26% 25%

Students write informative, persuasive and narrative texts for the writing assessment.

Three Modes of Communication

Interpersonal

Interpretive

Presentational

What is the mode of communication?

1

Prepare a poster about your favorite sport.

2Watch a travel video and jot down places of interest.

3Talk about what to do on the weekend.

4 Send a letter to an e-pal.

5Create a graphic organizer for new vocabulary.

6Create a skit where you buy something in the market.

What is the mode of communication?

1

Prepare a poster about your favorite sport.

2Watch a travel video and jot down places of interest.

3Talk about what to do on the weekend.

4 Send a letter to an e-pal.

5Create a graphic organizer for new vocabulary.

6Create a skit where you buy something in the market.

ACTFL Integrated Performance Assessment

Interpretive CommunicationStudents listen to, view and / or read an authentic

text and answer information as well as interpretive questions to assess comprehension.The teacher provides students with feedback on

performance.

Interpersonal CommunicationAfter receiving feedback students engage in communication about a particular topic which relates to the

interpretive text.

Presentational CommunicationStudents engage in the presentational

mode by sharing their research/ideas/opinions. Samples presentational formats: speeches,

drama, skits, videos, radio broadcasts, posters, brochures, essays, websites,

etc.

Vertical Articulation

Novice 4Novice 3Novice 2Novice 1

Int. 5Int. 4Int. 3Int. 2Int. 1

French AP - 2012Section 2 (Interpersonal and Presentational

Communication), 50% of exam score — Free Response: 4 items

Interpersonal Writing: You will write a reply to an e-mail message. You have 15 minutes to read the message and write your reply. Your reply should include a greeting and a closing and should respond to all the questions and requests in the message. In your reply, you should also ask for more details about something mentioned in the message. Also, you should use a formal form of address.

French AP - 2012Section 2 (Interpersonal and Presentational

Communication), 50% of exam score — Free Response: 4 items

Presentational Writing: You will write a persuasive essay to submit to a French writing contest. The essay topic is based on three accompanying sources that present different viewpoints on the topic and include both print and audio material. First, you will have 6 minutes to read the essay topic and the printed material. Afterward, you will hear the audio material twice; you should take notes while you listen. Then, you will have 40 minutes to prepare and write your essay. In your persuasive essay, you should present the sources’ different viewpoints on the topic and also clearly indicate your own viewpoint and defend it thoroughly. Use information from all of the sources to support your essay. As you refer to the sources, identify them appropriately. Also, organize your essay into clear paragraphs.

French AP - 2012Section 2 (Interpersonal and Presentational

Communication), 50% of exam score — Free Response: 4 items

Presentational Speaking: You will make an oral presentation on a specific topic to your class. You will have 4 minutes to read the presentation topic and prepare your presentation. Then you will have 2 minutes to record your presentation. In your presentation, compare your own community to an area of the French- speaking world with which you are familiar. You should demonstrate your understanding of cultural features of the French-speaking world. You should also organize your presentation clearly.

ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines 2012

Novice

Writers at the Novice level are characterized by the ability to produce lists and notes, primarily by writing words and phrases. They can provide limited formulaic information on simple forms and documents. These writers can reproduce practiced material to convey the most simple messages. In addition, they can transcribe familiar words or phrases, copy letters of the alphabet or syllables of a syllabary, or reproduce basic characters with some accuracy.

Intermediate

Writers at the Intermediate level are characterized by the ability to meet practical writing needs, such as simple messages and letters, requests for information, and notes. In addition, they can ask and respond to simple questions in writing. These writers can create with the language and communicate simple facts and ideas in a series of loosely connected sentences on topics of personal interest and social needs. They write primarily in present time. At this level, writers use basic vocabulary and structures to express meaning that is comprehensible to those accustomed to the writing of non-natives.

Advanced

Writers at the Advanced level are characterized by the ability to write routine informal and some formal correspondence, as well as narratives, descriptions, and summaries of a factual nature. They can narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future, using paraphrasing and elaboration to provide clarity. Advanced-level writers produce connected discourse of paragraph length and structure. At this level, writers show good control of the most frequently used structures and generic vocabulary, allowing them to be understood by those unaccustomed to the writing of non-natives.

Novice Who are the people in this picture? Describe them. What do they like to do? What don’t they like to do?

Intermediate-LowWhat did members of this family do yesterday? What questions would you like to ask about this family?

IntermediateThis family spends time together each week. What traditions exist in your family? Explain one tradition in detail. What are you currently doing to create or continue family traditions? What traditions will you establish when you have a family of your own? Describe a tradition that you hope will exist in your future.

AdvancedMany believe that families who have strong traditions have a better quality of life. Do you agree or disagree with this belief? What impact would stronger families have on our society? Support your opinions with specific examples.

CinderellaLevel ICinderella is a girl. She isn’t happy. She works a lot. Her mother doesn’t like Cinderella. She has two sisters. They don’t like Cinderella. There is a ball. Cinderella doesn’t go to the ball....Level IICinderella is a poor young girl. She has two sisters who are not nice. And her mother doesn’t like her much. One day the family is going to go to the ball at the king’s castle. Cinderella can’t go because she doesn’t have a pretty dress....Level IIIOnce upon a time there was family of two sisters and their mother. They had a step-sister, Cinderella. The mother loved her two ugly and mean daughters, but she didn’t like Cinderella, who was beautiful and nice. One day, the king invited all the young girls to meet his son, the prince. But Cinderella, who didn’t have anything nice to wear, couldn’t go....

Level IVOnce upon a time there was a family composed of a mother and her two mean and ugly daughters. In the small house lived Cinderella, the step-sister, who had to do all the household chores. Because of her great charm and beauty, Cinderella was hated by her step-mother and two step-sisters who were jealous. One day, there was an invitation sent by the king, who was giving a grand ball at the castle in honor of his son. All the young girls of the kingdom were invited; except Cinderella who, not having anything to wear for such a rich ball, could not attend....

Level VOnce upon a time there was a girl named Cinderella whose step-mother made her work all day long. But her two vain and lazy step-sisters would only walk around in their beautiful dresses making fun of Cinderella who was always dressed for doing household chores. One day, a letter arrived from the king who was making preparations for a grand ball at which his son would choose his future bride from among all the young girls of the kingdom. Cinderella really wanted to attend but couldn’t because all she had were the old charwoman clothes she was wearing.

You are writing a letter to introduce yourself to your new neighbors.

• Describe your family and where you live. Mention several activities that you and your family do.

• Tell where you lived before coming to St. Louis. Tell what it was like as you prepared to move. What did you do? How did you feel? What made it hard to move? Why did you want to move?

• Describe what you will do in future years in the United States. Where will you work? Where will you travel? What will you do to help you continue to learn English?

ELL Adult Samples

I am from Israel.

My name is Amalia. I am a married woman and have 3 kids. My son live in Florida and my girls in Israel. We usely like to travel to new places, to see moves and to go to Conserts.

We move to St. Louis because my husbend get ajob in Boying Company. In the beging I feel happy to start a new life and my children encorg us to do that but When the day came it was hard to leve my girls in Israel and fly to U.S.

Now after two years We miss the girls but we are close to my son. We travel a lot in U.S. to West Cost and to the East, meet new people and enjoy the new life. I help to improve my English with reading books watch T.V. and study English.

I like to introduce myself to all of you. My name is Jennifer. I’m so happy to study in parkway esl school. It was out of my suspect before my arriving here. I have been here for almost six monthes. There are three people in my family. My husband. I and my son. We’re new immigration in U.S.A. But America is not strange to us. We had been here for one yoar in 1990 to 1991.

I came from Taiwan. I was born and grew up in south of Taiwan. I used to live Kalshining city about fourty eight years. When I decided to move here. I was so worried about, what St. Louis look like? I’m no sure if I come to here that everything will be all right? Maybe I’m afraid to drive. The most difficult thing is langurage problem. I can’t sleep very well for a long time. Because I worried so much. I called my friend who had became a u.s. citizen two years ago. I’m looking forward to getting more opinions from her. I made a list what should I do or what should I need to bring. The important thing is economic problem. I need to arrange all of my property. I need to give up my life living in Taiwan. But my husband had a strong feeling to send my son to America. He like to support my son to creat a different and challenge new life for his future. This is a motivation for us to move here.

I hope that I can speak and listen better in the furture.

Your “apple save” moment….

Writing is Thinking

Writing Makes Thinking Concrete

Inquiry

Drafting

Inquiry should inform writing throughout the process

Strategic WritingDeborah Dean

can’t be a writer without being a thinker,need to find, focus and develop ideas

ability to discover textual clues and imitate them in different contexts for different audiences

develop a sensitivity to text, revise to address concerns about audience

6 + 1 Traits of WritingRuth Culham

• Ideas• Sentence Fluency• Organization• Word Choice• Voice • Conventions + Presentation

ISBN-13: 978-0439280389

Ideas

Ideas make up the content of the piece. Writers move from the general to the specific. “They describe the bits and pieces of life, the ordinary, in extraordinary ways…They have something to say in their writing that no one else does. Their ideas come alive!”

Ruth Culham

Use Inquiry

Inquiry is essential to good writing.• images, art• talking• reading• viewing

Writers consume morethan they produce.

•Read like a writer.

•“Steal” characteristics of good text.

•Imitate familiar genres.

Keep a writing log. Write about the writing itself. Copy interestingsentences and comment on what makes them effective. Consider how the author gets the reader’s attention. Think about how you might use a certain technique.

Lists allow for both inquiry and drafting.

•Reasons not to lie•Ways to spend $100•Things to do besides watch TV•Things that make you smile•Things you might find at the beach

Lists•Generate an “A – Z” listing on a specific

topic. •Freewrite on a specific word – beauty,

dangerous, heroic, love, jealousy, etc. •Create “big people” to explore characters.•Use a “two voice” list to explore aspects of

a topic. •Create a “counting book” on a topic. •Write a “how to” on a topic.

Create an interview to share information on a topic

Little Book of Questions & Answers My HomeContributing Writer: Teri Crawford Jones

Blend of fiction/non-fiction in different genres on a topic

Postcards from Pluto: A Tour of the Solar SystemLoreen Leedy

ABC Book – Each letter has been expanded

ABC de ParisRaphaelle Aubert

Counting Book

I Spy Two Eyes: Numbers in ArtLucy Micklethwait

I spy 8 boats.

Vincent Van Gogh – Boats on the Beach

Counting Book

George’s Store at the ShoreFrancine Bassède

Next, two nets very useful for catching fish, crabs, and sea urchins.

Generating Ideas

• Student’s trace hand on paper. • They write the important

topic on the palm of the hand. • They write 5 facts about the

topic on each finger. • Students pair with a partner to

share their outline.

Big People•Trace a major character.•Write notes about the

character inside the body.•Draw arrows outside the

body. •Add specific events and

page numbers. •Use as source for ideas.

Deborah Dean

Two Voice Poems

http://www.writingfix.com/PDFs/Comparison_Contrast/Poem_Two_Voices.pdf

Ask the QuestionsWrite the Story

Ask the QuestionsWrite the Story

Une carte postale arrive 72 ans plus tardMardi 1 septembre, 06h16

Cette carte postale est arrivée à la poste de Monaco la semaine dernière, en provenance du centre de tri de Nice.

Arrivée le 25 août 2009, la carte avait été postée le… 11 août 1937!

Postée à Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée, dans les Alpes-Maritimes, par M. Achierdi, cette carte postale était destinée à Fernande, sa fiancée.

Une fiancée décédé en 1969…………

Ask 3 to 5 questions to get more information about the following outline.

• got up, got dressed, breakfast at 8:00,

• museum at 10:00, • lunch at noon, • Eiffel Tower at 2:50,

shopping at 4:00, • portrait at 7:00,• met someone special,

dancing at 10:00, • champagne at midnight,• went home, fell asleep

Expand an Outline

24 Heures à Paris

Picture This

•Use an image, show for 1 minute, cover, each student writes words, phrases and sentences to describe.

•Segment image into 6 quadrants, show each quadrant for 1 minute, allow students to write out of context description

•Finally show entire image again for one minute.

6 + 1 Traits of Wrting - Ruth Culham

Role Audience Format Topic

German government

citizens of Guernica letter apology for what

was done

Franco people of Spain speech protestation of innocence

Museum curator Picasso newspaper interview

questions about the painting and likely

answers

Soldier Commander telegram reasons for defeat

Mother Diary journal entrywhat happened and personal thoughts

about war

? ? ? ?

R.A.F.T.S.

persuade, analyze, create, predict, compare, defend, evaluate

Teammates Consult

Discuss with your group. Then, pick up a pen and write an answer in your own words.

What are the implications of reaching 7 billion for the Earth’s population?