1. Writer’s Notebook
Session 3

2. Writer’s Notebook: Session 3
"The act of writing is an act of thought We write to think--to be surprised by what appears on the page; to explore our world with language to discover meaning that teaches us and may be worth sharing with others. We do not know what we want to say before we say it; we write to know what we want to say." -Donald Murray

3. Writer’s Notebook: Session 3
Quote Response
First, copy this quote in your notebook.
Then, discuss this quote with a person next to, in front of, or behind you. Explain its meaning and what it is saying about writing.
Finally, write notes from your discussion beneath the quote.

4. Writer’s Notebook: Session 3
Teaching Points
In the last session you worked to build a writing community. In this session, you will begin to collect information in your readers’/writers’ notebooks.
Writers record memories from their past with as much detail as possible to use as the basis of their writing.
Writers write about stories that matter, but sometimes they don’t even know why a story is important until they write about it.

5. Writer’s Notebook: Session 3
As we read…
Notice and annotate how Cisneros writes about and finds significance in an important event in her life.
Track which sections are recalling a memory and which parts are making sense of the memory.
How does understanding the difference between recalling and making sense of a memory help find the significance of the memory?

6. Writer’s Notebook: Session 3
Sentence Starters
I thought it was going to be a great day, but boy was I in for a surprise.
That day started off like any other, but it sure didn’t stay that way.
The time that really changed my life was…
The way I view the world was changed forever when…
It should have been a great summer, but…
I used to think______, but now I think_________.
Now turn to a partner and rehearse ways to finish the sentence starters

7. Writer’s Notebook: Session 3
Independent Practice
Choose a memory that fits with one of the lines that interests you.
Write a 1 page entry in your notebook that details that memory.
Remember to print neatly and include a heading with your name, the date, and Write #4 in the upper right hand corner of your page.

8. Writer’s Notebook: Session 3
Share
Share your entry with a partner to see potential for future writing.
Discuss your entry with your partner to answer the questions:
Is this an important story that you think has potential?
Why is this memory significant or important to you?
Remember, you are answering the questions about your own entry NOT your partner’s.

9. Writer’s Notebook: Session 3
You are to Complete/Submit
Quote Analysis
Annotated Story
Write #4
Partner Questions (2)