Composing TextSuccessful Strategies for At Risk

LearnersFacilitated by

Becky Crossfield and holly Cohen

Establishing a Writing CommunityWarm up

• We are a community of writers.• Everyone has a unique place in our

community-Everyone!• Who are we as a community of writers? Find

some ways individuals are unique and some things in common.

• People search DO NOW

DO NOW People Search

• Mingle• Collect the names of people who fit the

criteria on your sheet.• You can only use the same person twice.• Have fun!

What works:

• START SMALL (first sentence)

• KISS ( memoir in 6 words, cinquan, acrostic, bubbles)

• PROVIDE SUPPORTS (alphabox, adjectives snowball fight, plain to fancy, swbs, class resource center)

• REWARD ENGAGEMENT our class book

Humor us

• Please use the notebook paper provided to do your writing.

Start small-Just the first sentence

• Choose a picture. • Write a first sentence for it. Use a sticky.

• (See, we’re starting really small!)

Thought and Dialogue Bubbles

• Choose a picture (same or different)

• Add some thought and dialogue bubbles!

• (Fabulous way to teach quotation marks!)

Memoir in 6 words

• http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/76477/• http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/reports/

misc/sixwordlife_20080205.shtml

• Make your own- six words about yourself as a writer.

Alphabox

Choose a topic to play with. Look on your list of suggested topics.

Fill in your alphabox with as many words as you can that relate to your topic!

( My topic is SLW. My “A”s might be ask, assume nothing, awesome etc.)

SWBS

• Somebodywantedbutso.pdf

• SWBS2.pdf

SWBS

• Think of a favorite book or movie• Write your swbs• Form a group of four, read your swbs to group• Group guesses name of book/movie• Each group selects one to share with whole

group

Making Mini-books

• 8 page mini book• http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/making

books/minibook/index.htm• So, think-pair-share in small group: How

would you use these in your class?

Adjective snowball fightFast way to get adjectives/synonyms

• Start with a topic/noun• Participants write down an adjective or

related statement.• Statements are crumbled and tossed in the

middle• Participants pick up random statements and

read.• How would you use this in your class?

Haiku…Can you Haiku?

• Simple poem 5 – 7 – syllables• ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ • ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___• ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

poetry examplesDare to try it!

Acrostic poems

• http://manassas.k12.va.us/round/ClassWeb/Slough/Poetry/acrostic.htm

• Choose a topic and GO!

cinquain

What Is It? • 5 line poetry (1, 2, 3, 4, 1 words)• or (1,2,3,4, 5 word)• Chose a topic• Write your own!

Plain to Fancy Simply building on simple ideas

• Writing\hazy to vivid-general to specific.pdf

Try your own. Write a simple sentence. Make it fancy! Show, don’t tell.

• Writing\Copy of appeal to the senses.pdf• (Everyone deserves a little help!)

Writing Resource Centers

• Online?• In a notebook? • How will you make yours?• What will be in it?

Class books

• Collate and you’re done!

Our class book will be available shortly!

How can you use class books with your students?

Exit Slip

• Sum up this experience using one of these:

• 6 Word Memoir• Acrostic• Cinquain• Haiku

What works?

• START SMALL

• KISS –Keep it simple, sweetie.

• PROVIDE SUPPORTS

• REWARD ENGAGEMENT

(Write on!)