Empowering Writers through the Interactive Notebook By Jason

Empowering Writers through the Interactive Notebook By Jason Galvan & Alma Sanchez

Objectives & CPQ Objective • Provide teachers with fun activities to helps students generate ideas as they write. • Provide various writing activities that can be used in an interactive notebook. • Use various activities to promote effective structure in student writing. CPQ • How can these strategies help in writing powerful compositions? (Narrative & Expository)

Narrative Writing Diamond ENTERTAINING BEGINNING ELABORATIVE DETAIL-Story Critical Character, Setting, Object SUSPENSE-or anticipation leading to the main event THE MAIN EVENT-Show action in slow motion, frame by frame, stretch it out! Include description and main character’s thoughts and feelings? Action leading to SOLUTION or problem or CONCLUSION EXTENDED ENDING: Memory, Decision, Feeling, Wish

Entertaining Beginning-Character, Setting & Theme Types of beginnings… Ask yourself… • AN ACTION: Put your main character in your setting doing something interesting and relevant to the story. • DIALOGUE: Have your main character say something. • A THOUGHT OR QUESTION: Show the main character’s thoughts, or raise a story question. • A SOUND: Grab the reader’s attention through the use of a sound. • What would you do? • What might you say or exclaim? • What would you wonder or worry? • What might you hear?

Word Referent 1. Read your topic card-person, place or thing 2. Write a main idea sentence which includes your topic word. (Please do not write on your card. ) 3. Generate a list of alternative nouns and adjectives to create synonymous words or phrases that can be used in place of your underlined word. (be sure to try out your new word referents in place of your underlined topic word. ) 4. Number your word referents from the MOST GENERAL to the MOST SPECIFIC.

Word Referent Tiger Adjective Nouns Big Cat Wild Animal Striped Creature Ferocious Feline Stealthy Hunter (predator) grassland dweller

Word Referent Tiger 1. Wild animal 2. Big creature 3. Stealthy hunter 4. Striped cat

Magic of Three 1. Provide list of “Red Flag Words and Phrases” 2. Complete Template for “Magic of Three”

Red Flag Words & Phrases • • • A moment later… Before I knew it… In an instant… In the blink of an eye… Just as I realized… The next thing I knew… After that… A second later… Suddenly… • • Just then… All of a sudden… A moment later… In the blink of an eye… Without warning… The next thing I knew… Instantly… To my surprise…

Magic of Three Red Flag Words & Phrases Without warning 1 st Hint a flock of birds flew from the forest. No Discovery Startled from it, I looked toward the sky and nothing else seemed out of order. Reaction So, I ignored the incident and meandered on. Red Flag Words & Phrases In an instant 2 nd Hint I heard branches breaking under the weight of something heavy behind me. No Discovery I turned around, but there was nothing there. Reaction With an uneasy feeling, I continued walking. Red Flag Words & Phrases Suddenly 3 rd Hint I heard a loud roar behind me. Revelation or I turned around and found myself peering into the eyes of a giant bear!

F. A. D. D. S. /Main Event Don’t Summarize! Make a Scene! Feelings/thoughts: What were you wondering, worrying, feeling? Action: What did you do? (Tell it in slow motion, S-T-R-E-T-C-H I-T O-U-T!) Description: What did you see, hear, feel? Dialogue/Exclamation: What did you say or exclaim? Sound Effect: What did you hear?

F. A. D. D. S. /Main Event I went for a ride on a roller coaster. . . I went for a ride on a roller coaster. While standing in line waiting, I heard the screams coming from the air. I stepped up on my tippy toes and saw the cars looping on two large curlicue rails. I felt my stomach rise to the top of my throat because this would be my first attempt at riding a roller coaster. I now worried if I was going to make it through without vomiting. “Agh!”, my cousin had just pushed me and told me to stop holding up the line. I sat in the empty cart and heard the slam of the roller coaster restraint as the attendant pressed the button for lift off.

Extended Ending: Memory, Decision, Feeling, Wish End with… • Learning a lesson • Making a decision • Forming an opinion • Hope for something similar or different to happen to you in the future.

Expository Writing: Pillar of Writing

Summarizing Frameworks • Narrative Summarizing Framework – This is a story about ________. – The problem/adventure/experience was _____________. – The problem/adventure/experience concluded when _________. • Expository Summarizing Framework – – Topic: _____________. Main Idea #1: __________. Main Idea #2: __________. Main Idea #3: __________. • Informative Verbs: – Explains, shows, discover, reveal, study, examine, observe, explore • Example: Come explore the desert and discover the unique landscape, observe the extreme climate, and examine the fascinating wildlife.

Sentence Starters • Sentence Starters for Compare and Contrast – Similar… – However… – On the other hand… – In the same way… – The traits they share… • Sentence Starters for “how to” – The next step involves… – Be sure to… – In my experience…

Cut and Paste: Identifying Main Idea and Details • Let’s play cut and paste. • The introduction and conclusion will be provided. Cut out the main ideas & details, then organize them.

Pick, List & Choose (Expository Writing) 1. Pick a subject. 2. Write down words that are related to your subject. 3. Classify the words into main ideas by circling them using different colored markers. 4. Have students choose 2 to 3 main ideas and 3 to 4 details for their Expository composition.

Pick, List & Choose Step 1 & Step 2 Dogs German Sheppard pit-bull boarding Cancer sniffing dog chew collar comfort dog dance drool drug dog fetch fleas Step 3 Dogs food guard dog hunting dog kenel play dead rescue dog roll over shake hand shed sit smell tics toys vet working dog pit bull German Sheppard food toys collar vet boarding kennel shed accidents chew smell drool fleas tics sit fetch roll over play dead shake hand dance drug dog rescue dog comfort dog working dog hunting dog guard dog Cancer sniffing dog

Pick, List & Choose Expenses Negatives Food Toys Shed Accidents Collar Vet Chew Smell Tricks Sit Fetch Roll Over Play Dead

The Missing Main Idea How do we create broad, yet distinct, main ideas? 1. Read the paragraphs in your handout. You will notice there are details, but each paragraph is missing a main idea. 2. Generate a main idea sentence for each incomplete paragraph This requires you to use inductive reasoning: in this case, going from particular to general, or related specific details to a broad main idea.

Main Idea Blurbs • Take you first main idea and turn it into a sentence. – Example: Food to pack -Packing the right picnic foods takes a lot of thought and planning

Main Idea Sentence Starters “…provide some interesting ‘sentence starters’ to build sentence variety and encourage author’s voice in the writing! Students need alternatives to what they’re comfortable with!”

Detail Generating Question Game 1. Just the facts! 2. What does it look like? 3. Why is it important?

Detail Generating Question Game 1. Just the facts! – Ex. I have a wrench. 2. What does it look like? – Ex. I have an orange gray and green colored wrench with a made in China inscription on the side. 3. Why is it important? – Ex. I have a wrench. I have an orange gray and green colored wrench with a made in China inscription on the side. I have a wrench that tightens bolts and pipes.

Detail Generative Questions for Persuasive Writing • What does that look like? • Why is that important to your argument? (What does the reader have to gain by agreeing or lose by disagreeing? • Can you give a specific example? • Did you acknowledge the opposing view and counter it with a “yes…but” statement? • Did you ask a rhetorical question?

Introductions and Conclusions

Golden Bricks • More powerful ways of showing rather than telling! Page 243 – Quote • Words of an authority/expert on the topic – Statistic • Information presented as a number, ratio, or percentage – Amazing fact • Unusual, amazing, little-known fact that will surprise your reader – Anecdote • SHORT explicit story used to illustrate a main idea – Descriptive Statement • Vivid 2 -3 sentence description using the 5 senses

Golden Bricks - Examples • Historian Elizabeth Carrera says, “The golden age of exploration was dominated by the Portuguese and the Spaniards. ” • While at NASA, space exploration advocate and administrator Goldin increased productivity by 40%. • Last summer my family was vacationing in Missouri where we visited the Lewis and Clark Boat House and Nature Center. We sow realistic displays of the Missouri River habitat and dioramas that tell the story of the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Native American tribes they met. • Look at the basic eight stud LEGO brick. If you have six of these, you can combine them in 102, 981, 500 different ways. In other words, LEGO collectors have millions of choices.

Golden Bricks - Posters • Great Assignment! • Find published examples of GOLDEN BRICKS and/or transitional phrases. • Make Posters with examples that you cut out from magazines, newspapers, or other sources!

Golden Bricks - Posters

What your expository introduction paragraph needs: • A Lead – Catch the reader’s attention! • A Topic Sentence – Briefly, clearly tell the reader what the piece will be about! – (Sometimes known as “thesis statement”)

Types of Leads • • • Amazing or unusual fact Descriptive segment Quote Question (kids gravitate to this one!) Statistic Anecdote

Types of Persuasive Leads • • • Descriptive segment Quote or Testimonial Statistic Anecdote Rhetorical Question Bandwagon Statement

How to Write an Introduction • (Easy to teach once they’ve learned the Golden Bricks) • Leads and topic sentences • Write an attention grabbing lead • Effective topic sentences

Expository Conclusion Paragraph • “Sums Up” the Main Idea • Should NOT be totally redundant, restating the main idea. • Example: – So now you know what frogs look like, where they live and how they grow and change. THE END. • Let’s look at: (specific alternatives to “I hope you enjoyed reading my report”)

Expository Conclusion Paragraph • Restate each main idea as a question – Would you enjoy a nature walk by the marsh or pond? Are you entertained by the flopping about of tadpoles and the leaping of longlegged green frogs? If so, you should get to know the common, yet fascinating frog!

Expository Conclusion Paragraph • Hypothetical Anecdote – If you ever stroll along the banks of a pond, or take a kayak or canoe out on a small lake, be on the lookout for these interesting creatures. From egg to tadpole, from tadpole to frog, these long-legged, green hopping amphibians will definitely catch your eye. Without a doubt, these comical croakers are fascinating!

Expository Conclusion Paragraph • Word Referent – Would you enjoy a nature walk by the marsh or pond? Are you entertained by the flopping about of tadpoles and the leaping of longlegged green amphibians? If so, you should get to know the common, yet fascinating frog!

Expository Conclusion Paragraph • Use a definitive word or phrase – Would you enjoy a nature walk by the marsh or pond? Are you entertained by the flopping about of tadpoles and the leaping of longlegged green frogs? If so, you should certainly get to know the common, yet fascinating frog!

Expository Conclusion Paragraph • Informative verbs – If you ever stroll along the banks of a pond, or take a kayak or canoe out on a small lake, be on the lookout for these interesting creatures. You can explore their habitat and observe them from egg to tadpole, tadpole to frog. These long-legged, green hopping amphibians will certainly catch your eye. Without a doubt, these comical croakers are fascinating!

Expository Conclusion Paragraph • Restate the general topic sentence – Would you enjoy a nature walk by the marsh or pond? Are you entertained by the flopping about of tadpoles and the leaping of longlegged green frogs? If so, you should certainly get to know the amazing, fascinating frog!

Persuasive Conclusion Paragraphs • • • Use vivid language “Now or Never” statement Highlight the most important argument Use a definitive word or phrase Call to action

Flip the Sentence Students recognize redundant sentence variety (the “broken record”) and learn how to “flip the sentence subject. ”

Flip the Sentence 1. She had long black curly hair. – Long black curly hair fell over her shoulders. 2. She had sparkling green eyes. – Sparkling green eyes twinkled at me. 3. She had a white fur coat. – A white fur coat draped over her small frame. 4. She had black shiny boots. – Black shiny boots covered her feet. 5. She had a big black poodle on a leash. – A big black poodle on a leash led the way.