Think Before You Write

Settling for “Sort of” Writing Content “personal or academic” Good writers.. Make connections among ideas Sort and elaborate thoughts Create meaning out of their ideas and experiences

Ensuring Content Knowledge Identify big idea This is what you want your students to know and understand by the end of the unit Articulate an essential focusing question Allows students to think about the big idea in a specific/manageable way Give students support This is essential and allows students to peer edit

Building Working Knowledge This stage helps students to gain a solid understanding of the content. Develop vocabulary Students will be able to express their ideas with a solid understanding of the content Comprehending text Appropriate materials Need opportunities to read, discuss, reread, and analyze the text Refining understanding through discussion Guided oral instruction allows student to construct real understandings This planning is intentional and directed toward creating the final piece of writing

Processing and Capturing Knowledge Note taking At the beginning the teacher needs to explicitly direct the note taking Through taking notes the students need to have opportunities to capture their understanding in their own words.