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Getting Started with Analytic

WritingPaula Freiermuth

Summer Institute August 2013

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Goals

• To look at ways we can help learners get started with analytic writing

• To begin to identify the challenges our learners will face with the extended response questions

• To begin to identify resources to help us help our learners with the new requirements for extended response questions

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What is analytic writing?

• expository• explores a central idea based on a text• shows the relationship between ideas• pulls out facts to show a conclusion

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Types of writing to get started with

• Simple summaries of multi-paragraph text• Simple summaries of text with paraphrases

and quotations• Paragraphs that compare and contrast

information in two texts• Sentences that analyze graphic documents

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Scaffold the Process

Examples, Modeling, Think-Aloud, Show

Frames, Fill-in-the-Blank, Complete

On your own

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Scaffold the Complexity

Well below grade level, simplistic responses

Close to grade level, more complex responses

At grade level, complex

responses

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Simple Summaries

1. Read a paragraph.2. Determine the topic; this is often just one or two

words. (Helpful method—count the frequency a noun or its synonym occurs. Most frequently occurring is probably the topic.)

3. Write a phrase that answers the question, “What does the author say about the topic?”

4. Turn the phrases into sentences in a paragraph.

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Alternative Process for Simple Summaries—5WH

• Create questions for the reading that start with who, what, when, where, why, how

• Use the answers to compose the summary

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Simple Summaries

• “Benjamin Franklin” activity Goal of the activity—to write a summary of the

article Steps

Read each paragraph and come up with the topicTurn each topic into a sentencePut the sentences together into a paragraph

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Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin loved to write. When he was twenty-two, he set up

his own printing shop and started a newspaper. He also printed a book called Poor Richard’s Almanac. It had funny stories, information about the weather, and wise sayings.

Benjamin Franklin loved the city of Philadelphia. He started the city’s first hospital and fire department. Ben also started Philadelphia’s first public library. Benjamin Franklin worked very hard to make Philadelphia a better place to live.

Benjamin Franklin was very interested in electricity. One day he tried a very dangerous experiment to prove that lightning was electricity. He attached a key to a kite string and flew the kite during a thunderstorm. When the lightning hit the kite, sparks flew from the key. Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning was electricity.

Benjamin Franklin invented many things that made life easier in the late 1700’s. He invented the lightning rod that saved many homes from fires. He also invented the Franklin stove. The stove could heat a room better than a fireplace and saved people a lot of fuel. He also invented a special kind of glasses called bifocals. This new kind of glasses helped people to read better.

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Sentence Frames

• Give students the words to express their ideas• Is often used as a vocabulary building activity for ESL

students• Helps any student be less stressed about putting a

sentence together.• Example:

– Your goal—to have the students state a reason about why the Pilgrims came to the New World.

– Sentence frame: The Pilgrims came to the New World because they __________.

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Sentence Frames

• Daily Habit Article Activity Goal—To complete sentences that show analysis

of an article Steps

Read the article and take notes for topic/what the author says

Complete the sentences

The article is about _________.A European analysis showed that __________ causes ___________.

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Sentence Frames

• Activity Read the passage “Water” Write a sentence frame (or two) for the passage

that gets at a detail or conclusion

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Quoting and Paraphrasing

• Quoting and Paraphrasing activity Goal of the activity--to identify evidence in a text,

quote it, and then paraphrase it Steps

Read the text together Identify the topic and a main idea (what the author

says about the topic) Find/underline the evidence (there are several) Finish the quote frame. Finish the paraphrase frame.

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Paragraph Writing Level

• “Bike Safety Campaign” Activity Goal of the activity—to identify a statistic and effect

and write it into a paragraph Steps

Read the paragraph and identify the main idea Identify statistics (as opposed to details)Paraphrase the solutionComplete the paragraph

link to paragraph form

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Paragraphing with quotes and paraphrases

• Read the article and reading questions for “All you need is love—and a lullaby.”

• Write a paragraph frame that students could use that includes at least one quote and one paraphrase based off the reading questions.

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Writing about graphic documents

• Graph Activity Goal—to identify the main idea, a detail, and

make a conclusion about a graph and write sentences about it

Steps Step-by-step reading/understanding of the graph; title,

axis titles, what does graph show Look for the detail (use math questions)Make a conclusionWrite sentences

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Writing about graphic documents

• Graph Activity

Less than high school High school Some college 2-year degree 4-year degree0

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Unemployment rates of persons over 25 years old by highest level of education: 2004

% u

nem

ploy

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Compare/Contrast

• New Years Activity Goal—to identify the similarities and differences about New

Years in two simple texts, complete two types of graphic organizers with the details, write two paragraphs

Steps Read the articles; take notes (topic, what the author says per

paragraph or section) Complete the pre-made question graphic organizer Complete the 3-column chart organizer Write the paragraphs

link to edhelper

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Compare/Contrast Note-Taking

• Read the article “Framingham votes to verify ESL students.”

• As you read take notes on what each person who is quoted says in a for/against T chart

What would you have students do next?

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Questions