What is the Book Group Presentation? Book Group Presentation: 100 pts 30:Present information in an engaging way Students are reading, writing, talking, thinking 40:Provide class with a handout 20:All group members have responsibility for the presentation 10: Write a one to two page reflection on the process of working in the group and presenting

The Writing Thief by Ruth Culham Book Presentation by Shelley L. Esman 1/21/15

T.S. Elliot : “Mediocre writers borrow. Great writers steal.”

Marcel Proust was a French novelist in the 1800’s.

Lester Laminack “So when I sit down to write, I am never alone. Every writer I have ever read is somewhere in the room reading my words as they appear on my screen, listening in as I read my own words aloud to myself, whispering to me, coaching my next move” (pg. 8)

Ruth Culham “I write because there are mountains and snowflakes and snakes with gorgeous patterns on their skin, because children are honest and funny and true, because the world is stunningly beautiful and painful all at once. But beyond all of that, I write because of the books I read growing up.”

Which quote speaks to you and why? Write in your writing notebook and share your thinking with your 4 Corners Group

The Four W’s of Writing Writing Process Writing Traits Writing Workshop Writing Modes

The Four W’s of Writing Writing Process: Prewriting, Drafting, Feedback, Revision, Editing, Finishing/Publishing. Writing Traits: Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word choice, Sentence fluency, Conventions, and Presentation Writing Workshop: A series of routines, a structure for organizing time, resources, and interactions in the classroom that encourages active, student centered writing activities….(pg. 25) Writing Modes: narrative, expository, persuasive

The Power of Mentor Text What is a mentor text? ▫Any text, print or digital, that you can read with a writer’s eye ▫Models ▫Exemplars “Reading is like breathing in and writing is like breathing out.”

Mentor Texts Teach the Writing Traits Writing Traits: Offers a common language used as writers to describe what they read an effective writer do. Mentor texts: Spark our writer’s curiosity and can be studied for their technique so we figure out how they can be applied to our own writing.

Informational/ Explanatory Writing It is expository or exposition It should be a joy ride It should read like literature Organizations or structures of informational texts: ▫Point by point analysis ▫Deductive logic ▫Cause and effect ▫Compare and contrast ▫Problem and solution ▫Order of importance ▫Chronological / sequence

What’s the purpose of informational writing? To inform but also to entertain. The reader still needs to be hooked in and exposed to “story like writing”. The author must consider: ▫What’s the message? ▫How will it impact the reader? ▫What reaction do you anticipate or desire? ▫How will it hook the reader and keep them reading?

Narrative Writing Narrative: The structure of fiction or nonfiction events –the architectural design of the story or series of stories that are often open ended, such as the story of the presidency Story: The sequence of events- beginning, middle and end that includes characters, setting, plot, problem, and resolution. ▫Fiction narrative: Stories that come from the imagination such as realistic fiction, science fiction, fantasy, tall tales, and dystopia. ▫Nonfiction narrative: Stories that are based on facts such as memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, and diaries.

Narrative Writing The same traits apply to narrative writing Mentor text can model exceptional use of specifics of those traits: ▫Organization: the development of character ▫Voice: perspective and development of plot ▫Organization: developing the setting or plot ▫Word Choice: hooking the reader from the start

Argument Writing Argument writing is the core of critical thinking A persuasive writer’s purpose is to convince the reader by constructing an argument based on an opinion, personal experience, anecdotes, data, and examples. (page 129) The writing should not begin with “I believe” or “I think.” This writing should be done in every subject in every grade level.

Arguments Teaching the logical and critical thinking skills for argument is challenging. Nudge them into it (pg. 136)

Mentor Text Sharing What does she include? What details are helpful for the teacher?

Mentor Text Sharing The Day the Crayons Quit

Steven Spielberg “Only a generation of readers will spawn a generation of writers.” ▫Writing is hard! ▫Teaching writing may be harder! ▫To write well, you must approach it from the perspective that writing is thinking. ▫To write well, you must read!

Strategies for engagement Independent Quote Quick Write - 4 corners Predicting: As a group write what you think the 4W’s mean and then check with the PowerPoint Dumb things/ Sensible things sorts at groups What is it? Pass the paper—What do you know? Narrative, informational, argumentative, mentor Group look at Mentor Text: The Book Thief Independent