1. Nicole Smith Ball Western Michigan University
Teaching Grammar in High School: How to Use Mentor Texts with Common Core Standards
Nicole Smith Ball
Western Michigan University

2. Session Overview
What grammar concepts should be taught at the high school level (Common Core)?
What are mentor texts?
How can we use mentor texts to teach these concepts?
How can we pair exemplar and popular YA titles with Common Core?

3. Teaching Grammar in High School
Common Core standards for high school ELA are broken down into two levels:
9-10
11-12
Grammar concepts can be found under the “Language Standards” (L)

4. Teaching Grammar in High School
What should be covered at the 9-10 level?
Parallel structure
Types of phrases (i.e., participial, prepositional)
Semi-colons
Colons
What should be covered at the level?
Contested usage in context
Resolving complex/contested issues, using references
Hyphens

5. Teaching these issues in context
Grammar is best taught in the context of real writing.
Grammar books & worksheets are not effective, as they tend to separate grammar & writing.
Instead, grammar & writing should be integrated using student writing & mentor texts.

6. What are mentor texts?
“Any text that can teach a writer about any aspect of writer’s craft, from sentence structure to quotation marks to ‘show don’t tell.’”
-Jeff Anderson, Mechanically Inclined

7. Examples of Mentor Texts
Passages from novels & short stories
Children’s picture books
Poems & song lyrics
Magazines & newspapers
Advertisements

8. Ways to Use Mentor Texts in the Classroom
“Sentence Stalking”
Be on the hunt for good sentences.
Share these sentences with students to prompt discussion. Ask, “What do you notice?”
Teach grammar as students point out different concepts.
Focus on one sentence per day.
Use as a 5-10 minute opening activity.
(Spandel, Anderson, Noden)

9. Try It!
I studied the blinding, white-snow sky who stood at the window of the moving train.
--Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

10. Ways to Use Mentor Texts in the Classroom
Imitation
Students imitate mentor texts
Students write with different subject matter but follow author’s style/structure
Helps internalize the structure
Students are more apt to use these techniques later
(Noden)

11. Try It! --Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club
As I peered into the sack, I quickly fingered the remaining presents, testing their weight, imagining what they contained. I chose a heavy, compact one that was wrapped in shiny silver foil and a red satin ribbon. It was a twelve-pack of Life Savers and I spent the rest of the party arranging and rearranging the candy tubes in the order of my favorites.
--Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club

12. Ways to Use Mentor Texts in the Classroom
Mad-Lib Poetry
Show students a short poem as your mentor text.
Give them a copy with some words/phrases omitted.
Have students fill-in-the blanks with their own word choice.
Discuss types of phrases/functions of words

13. Try It! What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat
Or crust and sugar over — like a syrupy sweet?
--from “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a ?
Or —
And then ?
Does it stink like
Or and —
like a ?

14. Choosing Mentor Texts
Almost any form of writing can serve as a mentor text.
However…pairing the literature used in class can help students internalize grammar concepts while looking more closely at required literature.
“More bang for your (Common Core) buck!”

15. Common Core Exemplar Texts Paired with Grammar Concepts*
Parallel Structure
The Great Gatsby
The Joy Luck Club
Types of Phrases
Fahrenheit 451
Of Mice and Men
Contested Usage
Their Eyes Were Watching God
*See handout for more examples.

16. Using Young Adult Literature as Mentor Texts
More and more teachers are bringing young adult (YA) literature in the classroom.
Introduce students to popular YA titles while reinforcing grammar concepts.
Students may relate to these books and their writing styles.

17. YA Novels Paired with Grammar Concepts*
Exemplar Texts
Parallel Structure
Wintergirls
(Laurie Halse Anderson)
Hyphen Usage
A Great and Terrible Beauty (Libba Bray)
Contested Usage
Looking for Alaska
(John Green)
*See handout for more examples.

18. Final Thoughts
Thank you for your consideration and participation! Questions?
Please see handout for all references.
Nicole Ball