Part I: Writer’s Block

1. Part I:Writer’s Block Shelley Clifford Email: sclifford@mountvernonschool.org Twitter: cliffordshelley

2. Collaboration Group up Read Flip Find

3. Why do we write? To inform? To persuade? To entertain? To explain? To predict? To summarize?

4. Tell your story in 5 minutes or less! Tell your story in 140 characters or less! Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years How I learned to live a better story Donald Miller p. 244 p.115 Marketing 101 PURPOSE

5. Refocus your Purpose • We write to • Communicate • Collaborate/Connect • Create Is anyone else studying the 5 C’s at their school?!

6. What is the best “Program” to use?

7. It’s not about the program, it is about the skills. Clear Assessment. High Expectations. Extra time to Prewrite. Repeated Mini Lessons. Mentor Texts. Modeling. Practice. Praise.

8. What does your classroom say about writing?

9. What is your goal?Why do you teach writing? A student who can “Rock” the SAT? A reflector? An author?

10. Start with the End in Mind Score of 6 • An essay in this category demonstrates clear and consistent mastery, although it may have a few minor errors. A typical essay: • Effectively and insightfully develops a point of view on the issue and demonstrates outstanding critical thinking, using clearly appropriate examples, reasons and other evidence to support its position • Is well organized and clearly focused, demonstrating clear coherence and smooth progression of ideas • Exhibits skillful use of language, using a varied, accurate and apt vocabulary • Demonstrates meaningful variety in sentence structure • Is free of most errors in grammar, usage and mechanics

11. Start with the End in Mind

12. Start with the End in Mind “Intricate, puzzle-like…startling and violent.” – The New York Times “An Audacious and Powerful Work” -The Miami Herald “…that rare literary phenomenon, a Southern novel with no mildew on its magnolia leaves. Funny, happy, and written with unspectacular precision…” -VOGUE

13. The Kindergarten The Perfect Sentence Begins with a capital letter Contains a subject “who or what” and predicate “what happens” to express a complete thought Ends with proper punctuation

14. LiteracyAssessment Capital Letter 1 2 3 Complete Thought 1 2 3 Punctuation 1 2 3

15. 21st Century Skills AssessmentWas your sentence…obvious (1)………(2)…….(3)……beyond the given Evaluate your sentence. Revise if necessary. Hint: Revision is always necessary in writing!

16. A PDSThe First Grade Sentence Begins with a capital letter Contains a subject “who or what” and predicate “what happens” to express a complete thought Ends with proper punctuation Pronouns, if used, have an antecedent Tells or asks

17. Assessment Telling Sentence Capital Letter 1 2 3 Complete Thought 1 2 3 Punctuation 1 2 3 Pronoun n/a 2 3 Asking Sentence Capital Letter 1 2 3 Complete Thought 1 2 3 Punctuation 1 2 3 Pronoun n/a 2 3

18. Ways to Teach Proper Sentences Structure What do you…. See? Think? Wonder? Write a sentence about the picture below.

19. See, Think, Wonder

20. Enhance your sentencesMake a Claim… How can you make your sentence stand out? Be original! Remember the rules. Focus on the fun!

21. Share your sentences

22. Was your sentence…obvious (1)………(2)……….(3)………………beyond the given fuzzy (1)……………(2)………(3)………..……….clear & focusedsimple (1)…………(2)………(3)….…………….elaborate Evaluate your sentence. Revise if necessary. Hint: Revision is always necessary in writing!

23. A Charleston Day Second Grade Sentence Begins with a capital letter Contains a subject “who or what” and predicate “what happens” to express a complete thought Ends with proper punctuation Pronouns, if used, have an antecedent Includes adjectives Tells, asks, excites, or commands

24. Assessment Telling Sentence Capital Letter 1 2 3 Complete Thought 1 2 3 Punctuation 1 2 3 Pronoun n/a 2 3 Describing words 1 2 3 Asking Sentence Capital Letter 1 2 3 Complete Thought 1 2 3 Punctuation 1 2 3 Pronoun n/a 2 3 Describing Words 1 2 3

25. Assessment (continued) Exciting Sentence Capital Letter 1 2 3 Complete Thought 1 2 3 Punctuation 1 2 3 Pronoun n/a 2 3 Describing words 1 2 3 Commanding Sentence Capital Letter 1 2 3 Complete Thought 1 2 3 Punctuation 1 2 3 Pronoun n/a 2 3 Describing Words 1 2 3

26. Was your sentence…obvious (1)……(2)…….(3)……………beyond the given fuzzy (1)…………(2)……(3)………..….clear & focused Evaluate your sentence. Revise if necessary. Hint: Revision is always necessary in writing!

27. Cover the floor in sentence strips.Pass out punctuation.Then, they create their own sentences on strips. Question/ Interrogative Command/ Imperative Telling/ Declarative Exclamation

28. Extensions Adverbs Appeals to the Senses Compound subjects, predicates, or sentences Imagery Literary Devices Word Choice Quotations Dependent Clauses Fragments, Sentences, Run-ons

29. One might ask, “What do you do with one fabulous sentence?” Tweet it, of course Twittering about Leaning

30. (An) ImpressiveA Perfect Paragraph Indented Topic Sentence Supporting Details Sequential Order Variety of Verbs Varied first word Conclusion Sentence

31. Start with the End in Mind Let’s look at your rubrics and mine. IBook\Fifth Grade LA\Writing\Rubrics IBook\Speech Contest\Rubric IBook\Fifth Grade LA\Technology\GLogrubric.docx

33. Now that we know where we are going, how are we going to get there? Every writer, like every runner, needs a strong warm up. Prompts that encourage listing varied and unusual ideas stretch the brain. Stretch to increase fluency; then share and celebrate original ideas. Next, take those ideas and alter them for a specific requirement. This challenges flexibility in thinking. Finally, elaborate on the best answer. Such a warm up will prepare any writer for marathon.

34. Warm Ups Word Puzzles … Head… Compound Word Sort

35. Number, Please! Each word below contains the letters necessary to spell a number. Snooze_______ Favorite_______ Twine_________ Froze_______ Wrote________ Exercise_______ Tightest_______ Beginning_____

36. Objects with Body Parts Clock Needle Shirt Pin Glove Bottle Potato Jar Zipper Shoe Car Chair Socks Dress Bed Cornstalk Saw River Loaf of bread Sewing machine Storm Road

37. Tell your reaction in one sentence You are caught outside in a severe rain storm. A severe rainstorm catches you by surprise. You go on your first roller coaster ride. The car arrives for you to step into your first roller coaster ride. Mom and dad let you play hooky from school. The old, deserted house is unlocked. The blazes from the forest fire near by catch your attention.

38. Similes Loud as Rough as Pretty as Quiet as Red as Scary as Soft as Shy as Shiny as Tiny as Smooth as Stinky as Squeaky as White as Tall as Big as Swift as Cool as Cold as Hot as Dark as Dry as Round as Ugly as Strong as Students create original beginnings

39. Expanding Sentences We heard a lion roar. I saw a cat. Last night we went to a football game. My baby sister is sleeping in her room. My principal is a lady. Mitchell acted today.

40. Here is the Answer-What is the Question? Let’s go investigate! Under the bed In the morning Hawaii In a lake A barking dog Fish My husband

41. 1001 Uses A cup A light bulb A button A bird cage A piece of paper An old bathtub A broom A ladder A brick A candle A walnut A hat A broken clock A tea kettle A bead A nail A wastebasket A parachute A tree branch A chair A block A tire An umbrella A sock A book A broken-down school bus A trunk An old typewriter A textbook A barrel A plate A pillow A spoon A ring What can we add to this list?

42. Spontaneous, Timed Thinking Name as many things as you can that fly, or use the world fly in as many unusual ways as you can. Timer Everyone stands – celebrate the number of responses. Celebrate originality.

43. Spontaneous, Timed Thinking Name things that are green or turn green. Name things that are slow. Name things that have a pleasant smell. Hunters seek game animals. What else seeks what? Name things that stick or anything that gets stuck. Name people or things that stop something and what it is they stop. Name kinds of keys. Name kinds of traps. Give the titles of different designers and what it is they design.

44. Use the word “under” or name things that are “under” something else. Underpaid Understaffed Under-resourced Underappreciated Under her thumb Misunderstood

45. BrainstormingQuestions with Multiple Answers “It’s important not to lose these.” “It seems like fall is here.” If your house were on fire, what would you grab? How would you know someone had had a fire in a fireplace if you hadn’t been there at the time? What things are usually sorted by size and kept together accordingly? How are a chicken and a cow alike? Different? What are some uses for keys? What do you learn by doing it yourself?

46. After the warm up, you must pace yourself! Provide prompts: story starters, reflective questions, thought-provokers. Provide an option to create your topic to write about. Dig Deep!

47. Prompts My friend want to play, but I… My folks said not to have anyone over, but… To pay or not to pay? Eyewitness to a theft, but… Mr. (Headmaster’s name) is gone for the day, so… My teacher allowed me to choose the next book for our class to read…

48. More Prompts Fortunately…Unfortunately… I should have…but I… Defend an appropriate bedtime. What does your name mean to you? Where would you go if you were invisible? What would you spend $100 on if you found it in your jacket pocket? Describe the most special thing you own. What 5 questions would you ask in an interview to an animal? Journal Prompts – printed on labels

49. Brainstorming Brainstorming Wordle Mentor Texts – Expose students to engaging leads. Pull leads off the classroom shelves, and explore the beginnings of published works – everything from picture books to Fahrenheit 451. First Lines from Famous Novels

50. Prewriting Create Lead Boards and Classify the Leads – Have student write their favorite leads on sentence strips, and dedicate a wall of the classroom to displaying leads.