COMMON CORE LITERARY ANALYSIS WRITING LITERARY ESSAY GRADE 7

CONCEPT FRAMING

UNDERSTANDING THE BIG PICTURE

LEARNING PROGRESSION

LITERARY ESSAY RESOURCES

Skim student sample Talk with partners– what skills does a student need to have in order to write in this mode? FRAMING ACTIVITY: BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND

CONCEPT #1 BUILDING THEORIES

SESSIONS 1 & 2 Read “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes Look for changes in the main character Watch for clear statements of theme Look at the title, the main conflict, pivotal moments What “big ideas” does the story seem to be about?

SESSION OBJECTIVES  TALK & WRITE ABOUT POSSIBLE THEORIES  ANCHOR TEXT: “THANK YOU MA’AM” BY LANGSTON HUGHES  “INDIVIDUAL” TEXT  TEST THEORIES BY FINDING EVIDENCE

IN YOUR NOTEBOOK CONSIDER ONE OR MORE IDEAS TO THINK DEEPER ABOUT THEME:  Conflict  Big Ideas, messages  Important events  Learning

PROMPTS TO PUSH THINKING ABOUT THEME  What is the most important moment or two? How might that illustrate the story’s meaning?  What “big ideas” does the story seem to be about?  What is the character’s major struggle or conflict? What message is sent from the way it is resolved?  What does the character learn or realize that readers can learn from?  What does the author write or say that stands out as a part of the message? Calkins, Lucy, and Mary Ehrenworth. Tackling Complex Texts Historical Fiction in Book Clubs. 2. Portsmouth: FirstHand, Print.

WRITING PARTNERSHIPS DEEPEN THINKING Share your theories about theme from the story Find EVIDENCE to support some of your theories about theme

RESOURCES

DEBRIEF How do writers develop theories about theme? How do writers prove or disprove theories?

CONCEPT #2 Students have… Developed theories about theme within the anchor text and “individual” texts Found textual evidence to support multiple theories  Now will work on turning theories to claims Organizing Evidence to Support Claims

Choose a theory to turn into a claim Continue to share textual evidence at your table – What type of evidence supports your claim (direct quotes, key words, significant events, etc.)? Turn your initial hunch / idea about theme into a statement, one that could be argued in an essay. SESSION 3: THEORIES INTO CLAIMS

Reasons = independent from the book, the supporting statements that explain the claim Evidence = examples used from the text to show the reasons/claim IDENTIFY REASONS AND EVIDENCE TO EXPLAIN AND SUPPORT YOUR CLAIM

PROMPTS FOR PUSHING THINKING For example…I think this is important because… Another example is…In the beginning…then later…finally… To add on…Many people think… but I think… This makes me realize…I used to think… but now I’m realizing… This is important because… This is giving me the idea that… The reason for this is… Another reason is… This represents… This connects with… On the other hand….I partly agree but… because… Could it also be that…This is similar to… This is different from… After a while I thought about… I noticed that section…connects to the whole story because… Calkins, Lucy, and Medea McEvoy. Literary Essays: Writing About Reading. Grades 3-5. Portsmouth: FirstHand, Print.

Use thinking prompts and “Collecting Evidence” to create a topic sentence and revised claim. ORGANIZING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT CLAIMS

DEBRIEF How do writers prove the claim? What type of evidence do writers use to prove claims? How do writers evaluate evidence and explain claims?

CONCEPT #3 DRAFTING AND MANAGING EVIDENCE

SESSIONS 6 & 7 Students have Collected best evidence AND explained how each proved claim Rough plan (claim, three reasons, examples for reasons) Next  How do writers position evidence to create the most effective argument? Drafting and Managing Evidence

TEACHER EXPERIENCE Based on your reasons, what type of organization would you use?

RESOURCES

Work in your notebook to play with either “Intro – Example – Connect” OR “Frame It – Name It- Explain It”

DEBRIEF How do writer’s organize their evidence in a way that logically builds their argument?

ASSESSMENT PROCESS VS. PRODUCT

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS Study samples of student drafts or writers notebooks Examine conferring checklists and revision/editing checklists Questions to consider:  How might we assess student growth?  How do these ideas fit into the literary essay rubric?  How do we use these tools to guide instruction (plan future mini-lessons, form strategy, glean conferring teaching points, etc.)?  What other tools do we find helpful as  formative assessments? Process rubric

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS Examine assessment rubric and student samples of final drafts Questions to consider:  How do we assess growth?  How might you translate both the process and product into grades?

WRAP UP How would you like to continue to support each other for school year?  Skype? Facebook? Edmodo? Weebly? Scheduled face-to-face? Other ideas?  Consider whole group, sub groups by geographic location, experience with units, role in education, etc.)  Do we have your contact information?