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Ideas and ContentIdeas and ContentIdeas and ContentIdeas and Content

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If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.George Orwell

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Ideas and ContentIdeas and Content•clearclear•controlling ideacontrolling idea•focused/ narrowedfocused/ narrowed•sufficient information sufficient information and evidence to support and evidence to support claimsclaims•insightfulinsightful•originaloriginal•interesting detailsinteresting details•completecomplete

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I believe in miracles in every area of life except writing. Experience has shown me that there are no miracles in writing. The only thing that produces good writing is hard work.

Isaac Bashevis Singer

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Ideas and ContentIdeas and Content

Make your ideas crystal clear.Make your ideas crystal clear.

Surprise your reader with what Surprise your reader with what you know.you know.

Keep it small.Keep it small.

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Ideas and Content Refer to a

Paper’s Purpose

Ideas and Content Refer to a

Paper’s PurposeWriters know a lot about their subject matter and share their knowledge with us.Writers “show” what is happening; they don’t just “tell” about it.The paper or story is able to answer the question “What is the purpose of this writing?”

1.

2.

3.

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We don’t want (the writer) to describe every ride at Disneyland, or tell us that the Grand Canyon is awesome…If one of the rides at Disneyland got stuck, or if somebody fell into the awesome Grand Canyon, that would be worth hearing about.

William ZinsserWilliam Zinsser

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Key Points to Remember When Working With Students on IDEAS

Begin with IDEAS… “Write about what you know”

Teach the components of a trait with “just in time” in mind.

Students need to score their own papers so when they revise they know on what to work.

Share anchor papers to provide examples of quality work.

Do an activity where students would work with “telling examples.”

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The person who The person who does not read does not read good books has no good books has no advantage over advantage over the person who the person who can’t read them.can’t read them.

Mark TwainMark Twain

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KEY QUESTION:KEY QUESTION:

Did the writer stay Did the writer stay focused and share focused and share original and fresh original and fresh information or information or perspective about perspective about the topic?the topic?

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Teaching Ideas & Teaching Ideas & ContentContent

Use LiteratureUse Literature1.

DiscussDiscuss

Look at rubricLook at rubric

A.A.

B.B.

C.C.

DD..

Read “My Teacher Had a Rip in Read “My Teacher Had a Rip in His Pants”His Pants”

Read literature excerpts Read literature excerpts

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My Teacher had a Rip in His PantsJust about a week ago my teacher had a rip in his pants. It was really funny. I didn’t see it right away but someone told me then I saw it and wanted to laugh but I held it in. Then someone told him and everyone started to laugh. Then he went home to change. The End.

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My Teacher Got a Rip in his PantsMy teacher got a rip in his pants. He got one of those oh-my-gosh-my-pants-have-a-rip-right-in-the-you-know-where-and-what-do-I-do-now looks on his face as they pulled completely apart at the seam.

Our whole class watched in breathless anticipation of what would happen next. It was dead silent for at least a count of 5. Then Ramon yelled - “Hey Mr. Foster - let ‘er rip!” Everyone burst into laughter; you could hear it echoing off the wall into the other classrooms. Everyone, that is, except me. I as just too embarrassed for Mr. Foster to do anything but grin and let out a nervous giggle. He caught my eye and smiled back - I

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guess that made it OK, because then everyone started realizing how awkward it was and began looking for ways to help.

Somebody went to the office for the secretary, and several kids kept saying, “Don’t worry, Mr. Foster. It will be OK,” but then they’d start to look at each other and laugh again. Pretty soon the secretary and principal came in and Mr. Foster went home to change.

When he came back about an hour later he was smiling kinda sheepishly. He didn’t say too much about what had happened and before long he seemed like his old self. But I kept wondering if this was one of those times he would remember and tell classes in the years to come about the day he got a rip in his pants!

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Rip in the Pants: the Teacher’s Perspective

Rip. I didn’t think much of it. Kids are always ripping something. I continued to teach.

Giggle, snicker, snicker. I didn’t think much of it. Students get off task. I addressed it, and continued to teach.

I felt a draft. I didn’t think much of it, until I realized there shouldn’t be a draft, especially there. I continued to teach.

A slow tingling, horrifying realization. The rip was from my pants - in a place it shouldn’t be. The laughs were AT me and my new drafty trousers. The red burned slowly from my neck to my forehead and when my eyes met theirs…”Well,” I said, “just get over it.”

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Rip in the Pants: One for the Pants

This is not right. I wasn’t made to be worn by a guy this big. WWwOhww! Every time he does anything but stand still, I hurt. I’m pinched and mushed and cramped so tight I can hardly breathe. I need relief. What I really want is revenge. I know. . . Rrrrrip! Ha! That’ll show him. But wait, what happens next? Maybe he’ll just throw me out and I’ll never see the light of day again. Man oh man, if only I'd been a tie, then i could’ve just choked him!

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2.

Work on Writing Work on Writing ActivityActivity

Teaching Ideas & Content

Show Don’t Tell1.

Write and Share2.

Writing Small - Brainstorm3.

Share your stories with students and encourage them to ask questions.

5.

4.Class list, Writer’s Notebook, Story Ideas

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The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

Read the introduction & Read the introduction & Show the pictures.Show the pictures.

1.1.

Hand out starter pages.Hand out starter pages.2.2.Work in groups of 2-4.Work in groups of 2-4.3.3.Write a story based on the Write a story based on the picture and the caption.picture and the caption.

4.4.

Share story with large Share story with large group.group.

5.5.

Show, Don’t Tell Action--something a character does; behavior,

body movement; facial movement Dialogue--anything spoken out loud, including

monologue Description of setting--physical details about

the environment; space/time; mood; sensory details

Physical description of a character--distinguishing features; appearance

Internal thinking--”quoting” what is thought by major characters

Internal physical sensations--physiological reactions not visible to the eye

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Show Me…Don’t Tell MeTelling:

Take one “telling” example and turn it into a “showing” example.

The room was a mess.It was boring.He felt angry.The storm was violent.

1.2.3.4.

The situation was frightening.

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Writing SmallWriting Small“The bigger the issue, the smaller you write,” he (teacher/writer Richard Price) said. “Remember that. You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying on the road.”

Instead of writing about... You could write about...

1. Achieving world peace 1.

2. The challenge of teaching 2.

3. The beauty of fall weather 3.

4. How difficult in-laws are 4.

5. Getting rid of stress 5.

6. Being a friend 6.

OR. . . ?????

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33..

Use Sample PapersUse Sample Papers

Teaching Ideas & Teaching Ideas & ContentContent

Look at and discuss rubricLook at and discuss rubric A.A.

Evaluate anonymous papersEvaluate anonymous papers B.B.

Read story together

Evaluate individually, then as small group

Share score with large group

Discuss the reasoning for the score

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2.

3.

4.

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The Earth has lots of meaning to me.The Earth has lots of meaning to me.

I like it cause it is where i live. And there are butiful I like it cause it is where i live. And there are butiful things in the would lick trees, flowers, rocks and The things in the would lick trees, flowers, rocks and The nature that lives on the Earth, mountains, rivers, My nature that lives on the Earth, mountains, rivers, My grandparents, mon dad, my pets and my pets grandparents, mon dad, my pets and my pets friends, the governor, My teacher, all my friends, my friends, the governor, My teacher, all my friends, my brouther, my cousinon, and all the nice people in the brouther, my cousinon, and all the nice people in the world.world.

But the best thing on The Earth is my relatives my But the best thing on The Earth is my relatives my relatives are very very nice.relatives are very very nice.

The will do anything for you And i am glad they are The will do anything for you And i am glad they are here.here.

I like the nature cause that gives the animals a lot of I like the nature cause that gives the animals a lot of homes and a river lets the animal get a drink and the homes and a river lets the animal get a drink and the treestrees

EarthEarth

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some of them give food to the animals, and some some of them give food to the animals, and some trees give us food.trees give us food.

The mountains are rlly nice it is part of nature and The mountains are rlly nice it is part of nature and thy are pretty big and they are part of nature and thy are pretty big and they are part of nature and History like pikes peek and the mountions rushmore History like pikes peek and the mountions rushmore with the four presodent.with the four presodent.

Earth has 50 states and about 7 countrys and most Earth has 50 states and about 7 countrys and most of the Earth is water there is Indian ocean Atlantic of the Earth is water there is Indian ocean Atlantic pacif and the golf ocean.pacif and the golf ocean.

And It is important to me cause if we didn’t have And It is important to me cause if we didn’t have trees we would died. That is the main reason.trees we would died. That is the main reason.

EarthEarth cont’d. cont’d.

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Zeena, I know just how you feel. I love Zeena, I know just how you feel. I love chocolate covered marshmellows too! But let me tell chocolate covered marshmellows too! But let me tell you what happened to me.you what happened to me.

My mom came home from the store one day My mom came home from the store one day and let me have a chocolate covered marshmellow. It and let me have a chocolate covered marshmellow. It was love at first bit. So lite, fluffy, chewy and slipped was love at first bit. So lite, fluffy, chewy and slipped down my throat like a small piece of heaven. Just down my throat like a small piece of heaven. Just thinking about it makes me want to have another thinking about it makes me want to have another one until I recall what happened when I finished my one until I recall what happened when I finished my last bag of those squishy delights.last bag of those squishy delights.

My mom told me I can help myself to few and My mom told me I can help myself to few and before I knew it the whole bag was gone. My mom before I knew it the whole bag was gone. My mom called me to dinner, and you know, the last thing I called me to dinner, and you know, the last thing I wanted, or even cared about was dinner, but you wanted, or even cared about was dinner, but you know how mothers are. know how mothers are.

ZeenaZeena

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I had to sit down and take one bite of everything. I had to sit down and take one bite of everything. And after that I had diaria, diaria, diaria. But I was And after that I had diaria, diaria, diaria. But I was convinced it wasn’t the marshmellows. convinced it wasn’t the marshmellows.

Last fall my mom bought me all of these cute Last fall my mom bought me all of these cute clothes for my birthday, shorts, jeans, skirts, so clothes for my birthday, shorts, jeans, skirts, so when the weather got warm and I went to put on my when the weather got warm and I went to put on my new clothes, they didn’t fit to my amazement and not new clothes, they didn’t fit to my amazement and not because I had grown to tall, just because I couldn’t because I had grown to tall, just because I couldn’t even zip them up. But it couldn’t be the even zip them up. But it couldn’t be the marshmellows, their too lite and fluffy; infact a whole marshmellows, their too lite and fluffy; infact a whole bag of marshmellows doesn’t weight as much as one bag of marshmellows doesn’t weight as much as one orange.orange.

One day, when I put the tight clothes out of my One day, when I put the tight clothes out of my mind, I grabbed myself some chocolate covered mind, I grabbed myself some chocolate covered marshmellows, when I was biting down on one, a marshmellows, when I was biting down on one, a sharpsharp

ZeenaZeena

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stabbing pain went up my tooth and the side of my stabbing pain went up my tooth and the side of my head. And when ever I ate, my teeth hurt. So my head. And when ever I ate, my teeth hurt. So my mom took me to the dentist, and let me tell you it mom took me to the dentist, and let me tell you it was not a pretty picture, I had seven expensive, was not a pretty picture, I had seven expensive, painful cavities.painful cavities.

So Zeena, you can keep popping those So Zeena, you can keep popping those marshmellows into your mouth, but before you do, marshmellows into your mouth, but before you do, remember not everything about chocolate covered remember not everything about chocolate covered marshmellows is sweet.marshmellows is sweet.

ZeenaZeena

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Teaching Ideas & Teaching Ideas & ContentContent

4. Peer respond/edit each Peer respond/edit each others workothers work

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Teacher Teacher Assesses Assesses PapersPapers

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Human beings have a great need to represent their experience through writing. We need to make our truths beautiful.

Lucy McCormick Calkins