LITERACY IN ACTION

A L G O N A C J R / S R H I G H S C H O O L

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

W R I T I N G T R A C K E R A N A LY S I SD U R I N G T H E N E X T T E N M I N U T E S R E A D S O M E O FT H E W R I T I N G S F R O M E A C H S A M P L E G R O U P( L O W, M E D I U M , H I G H ) .

H O W A R E T H E W R I T I N G S F R O M T H E T H R E E S A M P L E G R O U P S A L I K E A N D D I F F E R E N T ? F O R E X A M P L E . . .

Number of wordsLegibilityUse of vocabulary (general academic or domain-specific)Content area knowledge

H O W M A N Y S T U D E N T S M E T T H E W R I T I N G F L U E N C Y C R I T E R I O N ?

H O W M A N Y S T U D E N T S D I D N O T M E E T T H E C R I T E R I O N ? C R I T E R I O N ?

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R E V I E W I N G S T U D E N T W R I T I N G

ALL WRITE ROUND ROBIN E A C H M E M B E R O F T H E T E A M TA K E S A T U R N

R E S P O N D I N G O R A L LY T O T H E F O L L O W I N G Q U E S T I O N S :

When did they write the most?When did they write the least?What were the stumbling blocks?How did you motivate non-writers?

R E C O R D A N S W E R S O N T H E W H I T E B O A R D S .

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ONE STRAY

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WRITING DEVELOPMENT Fluency

Focus

Form

TEXT STRUCTURE KNOWLEDGE SUPPORTS COMPREHENSION

“Understanding the expository text structures gives readers a better shot at determining important information when reading nonfiction...The text in standardized tests and traditional textbooks frequently falls into one or another of these text structures. If students know what to look for in terms of text structure, they grasp the meaning more easily.”

from Nonfiction Matters, by Stephanie Harvey

DESCRIPTION

A topic, idea, person, place, or thing is described by listing its features, characteristics, or

examples. Signal Questions

– What specific topic, person, idea, or thing is being described?– How is it being described (what does it look like, how does it

work, what does it do, etc.)? – What is important to remember about it?

Signal Words– for instance such as… to begin with– an example to illustrate characteristics

PROBLEM AND SOLUTIONTells about a problem (and sometimes says why there is

a problem) then gives one or more possible solutions.

Signal Questions– What is the problem?– Why is this a problem?– Is anything being done to try to solve the problem?– What can be done to solve the problem?

Signal Words– question is… dilemma is…– the puzzle is… to solve this…– one answer is… one reason for the…

SEQUENCEDescribes items or events in order or tells the steps

to follow to do something or make something. Signal Questions

– What items, events, or steps are listed?– Do they have to happen in this order?– Do they always happen in this order?

Signal Words– first second next then before– after finally following– not long after now soon

COMPARE AND CONTRASTShows how two or more things are alike and/or how

they are different.

Signal Questions–What things are being compared?–In what ways are they alike?–In what ways are they different?

Signal Words–same as similar alike as well as–not only…but also both instead of–either…or on the other hand–as opposed to different from

CAUSE AND EFFECTCause is why something happened. Effect is what happened. (Sometimes the effect is listed first.)

Signal Questions–What happened?–Why did it happen?–What caused it to happen?

Signal Words–so because since therefore–if…then this led to reason why–as a result may be due to–consequently for this reason–effect of

TEXT STRUCTURE EXAMPLES• Sequence

Goose bumps make me shiver. First, I get cold. Then, I shake all over.

• DescriptionGoose bumps make me shiver. I get little bumps on my skin. They look like sesame seeds.

• Compare and ContrastSome people get goose bumps from fear. Others get goose bumps when they are touched emotionally.

• Cause and EffectGoose bumps make me shiver. When the temperature drops below 45 degrees, my skin crinkles into goose bumps.

• Problem and SolutionGoose bumps make me shiver. But they disappear as soon as I cover up with a jacket or sweater .

PA I R S C O M PA R E W I T H YO U R E L B O W PA RT N E R T H I N K O F A

P R O M P T O R W O R D F R O M YO U R D I S C I P L I N E A N D G E N E R AT E A R E S P O N S E F O R E A C H T E X T S T R U C T U R E . W R I T E Y O U R R E S P O N S E S O N T H E W O R K M AT. E X A M P L E :

History – Industrial Revolution Geography – Islands Science – Ecosystems Technology – Cell Phones

S H A R E R E S P O N S E S W I T H YO U R TA B L E PA RT N E R S

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T E XT S T R U C T U R E D RAW

IN CONTENT AREA GROUPS OF NO MORE THAN F IVE PEOPLE , TAKE TURNS DRAWING ONE OF THE S IX TEXT STRUCTURE CARDS AND RESPONDING TO ONE OF THE PROMPTS FROM YOUR CONTENT AREA .

US ING THE TEXT STRUCTURE ON THE DRAWN CARD, SHARE YOUR THINK ING.

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T E X T S T R U C T U R E Q U I C K W R I T E

S E L E C T O N E T E X T S T R U C T U R E T O U S E W I T H T H E P R O M P T Y O U R G R O U P G E N E R AT E D E A R L I E R .

W R I T E S T E A D I LY F O R F I V E M I N U T E S .

N O E R A S U R E S .

D O N O T P I C K U P P E N / P E N C I L F R O M PA P E R – K E E P W R I T I N G .

I F Y O U G E T S T U C K , A S K Y O U R S E L F Q U E S T I O N S T O G E T G O I N G A G A I N .

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