“The Writing is on the Wall” Grades 3-5 Expository Writing Instruction

1. “The Writing is on the Wall”Grades 3-5 Expository Writing Instruction By: Dr. LaVondaSenn

2. Where to Begin????? • As part of an integrated thematic unit writing is an integral part of the goals and objectives I want my students to acquire. • What is one of the most important types of writing? Why? • How do we teach quality instruction in this category? Entrance Ticket…Scaffolded Question Discussion-------

3. Expository writing • Expository writing Difficult • Factual • Requires research • Students have to connect • Requires students to put in their own words • Excludes opinions • Includes transitional phrases • Most rigorous writing and students don’t see a process. Until now………………………..

4. Handouts on Expository Information 1. Using the Facts Form and the Expository information Hand-out locate the topic of the report. 2. After reading the entire passage, see if you can break it into three broad categories. 3. For example, Medieval research might include three types of castles, or the coyote research might be broken into defense mechanisms, habitat, and foods they eat. If you were researching a person, it might include their childhood, their family, and their career path. 4. Finally, locate seven facts and write them in each category. Alternative for (organized) learners Colored index cards For Special Education Students Use Highlighters in the passage For Gifted Students Use a longer passage with more facts to choose from

5. Teaching students to use Synonyms • Demonstrate changing individual words to their synonyms • Example: The first woman to climb Mount Everest was Junko Tabei of Japan. • From Japan, the female to originally scale Mt. Everest was Junko Tabei.

6. No Pronouns; Teach Roles, Alternative Terms, Definitions President Roosevelt FDR Mr. Roosevelt Father Dad Friend Leader Advisor Some said savior Reconstructionist Problem Solver Beaver Semiaquatic animal Broad-tailed rodent Worker Dawn builder Water way destroyer Mount Everest Mt. Everest Everest, Landform This part of the Himalayas mountain system Rock Formation Steep Terrain Low oxygen area • Sample sentences might include:1. This leader during the Great Depression was key to the • new stabilized economy. 2. A Landform of tremendous height, this mountain has been responsible • for numerous deaths. 3. A semiaquatic animal, the beaver is able to spend part of his time on land and • the other part in the water.

7. The HOok http://guidedreadingwriting.pbworks.com/w/page/4043982/Anchor%20Charts

8. Hook

9. Where do I get my factsIntroductory Paragraph Students take their first fact from their fact sheet in category 1. Create a synonym sentence for this research fact in your own words. DON’T FORGET TO INDENT!!!!! This fact is the first fact sentence in your introductory paragraph!

10. Fact Sentence 2Introductory Paragraph Students take their first fact from their fact sheet in category 2. Create a synonym sentence for this research fact in your own words. This fact goes in your introductory paragraph!

11. Fact Sentence 3Introductory Paragraph Students take their first fact from their fact sheet in category 3. Create a synonym sentence for this research fact in your own words. This fact goes in your introductory paragraph.

12. Thesis SentenceAlways Last Sentence of theIntroductory Paragraph Directions fill in this information from your “Facts Form.” Sample 1 Example: ______________ __________ _____________, _________, and __________. Topic Verb category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Sample 2 Example:________ _______ ____ __________, ____ _________, and ____ __________. Topic Verb Adj. category 1 Adj. Category 2 Adj. Category 3 Sample 3 Example:_____ __________, _____ ________, ____ _________, and ____ __________. Short Verb phrase Topic Verb category 1 Verb Category 2 Verb Category 3 Sample 4 Example:_____ ________, ____ ________, and ____ ________, __________________. Verb Category 1 Verb Category 2 Verb Category Verb Phrase and Topic

13. Transitional Phrases Cont’dException, Time, Restate, To Show Exception: yet, still, however, nevertheless, in spite of, despite, of course, once in a while, sometimes To Show Time: immediately, thereafter, soon, after a few hours, finally, then, later, previously, formerly, first (second, etc.), next, and then To Restate o in brief, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

14. Transitional Phrases Cont’dAdd, Compare, To Prove To Add: and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, next, lastly, what's more, moreover, in addition, first (second, etc.) To Compare: whereas, but, yet, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, where, compared to, up against, balanced against, vis a vis, but, although, conversely, meanwhile, after all, in contrast, although this may be true To Prove: because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is

15. Transitional Phrases Cont’dEmphasize, Sequence, Examples, Conclude, Summarize To Emphasize: definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation To Show Sequence: first, second, third, and so forth. A, B, C, and so forth. next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon To Give an Example: for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate To Summarize or Conclude: in brief, on the whole, summing up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as I have said, hence, therefore, accordingly, thus, as a result, consequently

16. First Body Paragraph • Begins with a Transitional phrase (Teach Lesson) • Continue sentence with second fact from category 1 fact form. • Remind students to change the fact to a synonym sentence.

17. First Body Paragraph • Sentence 2 comes from Fact 3 category 1 facts form • Create synonym sentence

18. First Body Paragraph Students continue to create synonym sentences until the paragraph is complete. Note: leave the last fact (fact 7) for the conclusion paragraph.

19. Repeat the above process for the second and third body paragraphs Students continue placing their synonym sentences for category 2 into their second body paragraph until it is five sentences long. Do the same for the third body paragraph with category 3 facts.

20. Conclusion Paragraph • Begins with a RESTATEMENT TRANSISTIONAL PHRASE (Summarizes) • (DO NOT use: In conclusion) • Continue this sentence by restating their THESIS sentence. (discuss self-plagiarism) • Remind students they can change it around by using one of the aforementioned diagrams. • Use the fact seven (rewritten) from category 1 as the second sentence of your conclusion. • Use fact seven (rewritten) from category 2 as the third sentence of your conclusion. • Use fact seven (rewritten) from category 3 as the fourth sentence of your conclusion. • Your final sentence should conclude well. • If your wrote about a person, tell the date of their death. • If you wrote about an animal, if a recent fact that was just learned by researchers about this • animal. For example, Today researchers just learned that the Coyote can survive in cold • and warm environments. • If you wrote about an event, put the date it ended.