Writing Traits

1. Writing Traits Presented by: Liza Beck Karen Chester Linda Zippmann

2. Outcomes By the end of today’s session you will have the opportunity to... • Become familiar with the 6 Writing Traits and the writing process • Create and share lessons for implementing Ideas your classroom • Navigate through NW Regional Educational Laboratory website for additional resources

3. What makes a “good” piece of writing?

4. Writing Traits History • They were developed in the 1980’s • Teachers wanted a tool that would help guide their instruction in writing • The model uses common language • The Writing Traits model is used in nearly every state and in various countries around the world!

5. A Quantitative StudyPortland, Oregon 1992-93(Bellamy, 3 &4)

6. Ideas Organization Voice Word Choice Sentence Fluency Conventions What are the 6 Traits?

7. IDEAS • Definition: The Ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece, the main theme, together with all the details that enrich and develop that theme. The ideas are strong when the message is clear, not garbled. The writer chooses details that are interesting, important, and informative–often the kinds of details the reader would not normally anticipate or predict. (2001 Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory)

8. What to Look & Listen For • Complexity • Attention to Detail • Noticing little things others may not notice • Clarity, focus, sense of purpose • A message or story, complete or not *Provided by CCSD Southwest Region Best Practices 2002

9. Writing Ideas • Memories • Lines from a story or book • Clippings from magazines, ticket stubs, pictures, etc. • Lists • Outline ideas for possible stories • Return to an earlier entry • Questions or things you wonder about • Images that stick in your mind • Playing with language • Interviews • Quotations *Provided by CCSD Southwest Region Best Practices 2002

10. Allard, H. (1982). Miss Nelson is back.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.   Brown, M.W. (1949). The important book. New York: Harper Trophy. Cleary, B. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: Harper Collins. Cooney, B. (1982). Miss Rumphius.  New York: Viking Press.  Curtis, J.L. (2004). It's hard to be five: Learning how to work my control panel. New York: Joanna Cotler books. Fox, M. (1985). Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. Brooklyn: Kane/Miller.   Frasier, D. (1991). On the day you were born. New York: Harcourt Children’s Books. James, S. (1996). Dear Mr. Blueberry. New York: Aladdin Books. Louie, A. (1987). Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella story from china. New York: Puffin Books. Moss, M. (2002). Amelia lends a hand. Middleton: Pleasant Company Publications. Most, B.(1984). If the dinosaurs came back. New York: Voyager Books. Ringgold, F. (1995). Aunt Harriet’s underground railroad in the sky. New York: Crown. Stevenson, J. (1986). When I was nine. New York: William Morrow & Co Library. Van Allsburg, C. (1981). Jumanji. New York: Houghton Mifflin. Van Allsburg, C. (1991).The wretched stone. Boston : Houghton Mifflin.   Viorst, J. (1981). If I were in charge of the world and other worries: poems for children and their parents. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. Wisniewski, D. (2001). The secret knowledge of grown-ups. New York: HarperTrophy. Book List for Ideas

11. Kindergarten 5 Pictures match text Knows text has meaning 3 Pictures are closely related to the text 1 Picture does not match the text Does not understand that text has meaning 1st Grade 5 Identifies message 3 or more complete, organized, and meaningful sentences Correct mechanics 3 One to three sentences Has most of the mechanics Stays on themes 1 Has sentence fragments No organization No mechanics Does not stay on theme Idea Rubrics

12. 2nd Grade 5 Main ideas stand out and develops the topic addressed Detailed writing Stays focused on one idea 3 Attempts, but does not quite establish a purpose Beginning to develop ides Lacks insights for readers Theme or main point is predictable 1 Does not address a particular topic Purpose is not clear Development of ideas is lacking 3rd Grade 5 The story is clear and creative, and uses expanded vocabulary. The paper is full of good, juicy details. 3 The paper is clear and focused The details are limited The paper doesn’t hold the reader’s attention 1 The picture is not clear at all No details are included Idea Rubrics (cont.)

13. 4th Grade 5 The writing has supporting details A mental picture of story can be made Main idea is clear The writing is interesting 3 The writing has some supporting details Some details are included Main idea is somewhat clear 1 The writing has no supporting details No details are included The writing is dull 5th Grade 5 Writing has a main idea and supporting details The writing captures my attention 3 The writing has a main idea and some details The writing is somewhat interesting 1 The writing has no details The writing is dull Other Idea Rubrics (cont.)

14. Elementary Grades 1-3 In my life so far: I had 2 rabbot’s but Flopy is died but Dimend is not died. Dimend is brown. Flopy is white and black. I let Dimend in the Houes. Dimend leve’s present’s every were. Then my dad has to clean it up. Next I have to clean my room and my brother’s have to Help. My mom toke me to Toy’s-R-us for my birthday. Me and my dad went to see the sunset. Whene im goning to see the mississippi whene im older. The im going to get a car befor I see the mississippi rever. The story’s We read in class is all 3 wayside school book’s. Thrid grade is terrable. We are reading SHILOH. I’m reading Elved’s don’t wear hard hat’s and micky magic book. I whent to my uncul’s for the night on march. I like juse, furte and Other thige’s like pizza. Plus im olny nine year’s old.

15. Elementary Grades 1-3 The animals are one of the most interesting things. But the animals that I think are the most interesting are the dinosaurs. They are extinct but I still like them. My four faivorit are the tricaritops, stegasaurs the anklyasaurs and tyranasaursrex. Why do I like these paticualar dinosaurs? Because they have good protection. Take the tricaritops for instens. It has three horns on it’s head. It was one of the only dinosaurs that could beat tyranasaursrex. Speaking of tyranasaursrex he was the most feared dinosaur. He had six inch long teeth. I wander if he brushed his teeth. Oh well. Another well protected dinosaur was the anklyasaurs. This dinosaur had protection of a armed ball, like a hardshell, and sidespikes. Now that’s what I call good pertection. Now the stegasaurs was very calm. Know one knows what the plates and spikes were for. Were they for fighting or to make him look dangerous? You deside. dinosaurs stragly disapeared of the face of the earth. Some say it was a meatyer or a comet. I guess the world will never know.

16. Upper Elementary Example Wicked Queen: Once upon a time there was a girl named Anne. She had a little brother. One day Anne and her little brother wen't to the forest. To pick berries. After they got done picking berries. They met someone. She was a old woman. She was a wicked qeen. She said how would like to come with me. They said will ok so they wen't. When they there. The wicked qeen turned Anne in to a bird. The little boy saw the wicked qeen turen Anne in to a bird. The little boy got mad. The wicked qeen fell fast to sleep. The little boy took the spell. And turend his sisster back in to human. THE END

17. Upper Elementary Example Color Crayon:I am a color crayon no one would use me I was an ugly green They would use pretty pink and blue instead I fell out of Stacys desk that night and in the morning somebody stepped on me and smeared me all over the Floor and then the teacher saw it and Sandy got in trouble there was only have left of me so she trew me in the garbag well it was kind of fun cause there was a brown crayon right then we fell in love so three days later I was Mrs Brown he gave me a life saver for a wedding ring I have him one too then a week later we had a little baby Girl we named her Stacy Then that night the ganetur came to take the garbag can out what a relif cause people were spitting gum out and about got on us then when he was going to pick it up we fell out and we lived in the corner of a desk for several years we still do and the brown family lived happily ever after. The end.

18. Lesson Plan for Ideas Materials: brown paper bag old toys or objects Writing workshop notebook Procedures: • TTW introduce the lesson by telling the students they will pick one item from the bag and write a story about it. • TTW share his/her story written from an object to the students. • TTW have each student pick an object. • TSW write about their object in their writing workshop notebook. • TSW not be able to walk and talk during this time. Evaluation will be based on completed story.

19. Lesson Plan for Ideas Materials: Book: It's Hard To Be Five: Learning how to work my control panel by Jamie Lee Curtis or Book: When I Was Nine by James Stevenson Writing workshop notebook Procedures: • TTW introduce the lesson by reading one of the books. • TTW discuss the book after he/she finish reading. • Depending on the age level of the students the teacher will either read a sample he/she has written or will have the students write about their life at this age. • TSW write in their writing workshop notebook. • TSW not be able to walk and talk during this time. Evaluation will be based on completed story.

20. A Definition of the Organization Trait Organization is the internal structure of the piece, the thread of central meaning, the pattern of logic. Structure can be based on comparison-contrast, deductive logic, point-by-point analysis, development of a central theme, chronological play of events, or any of a dozen other identifiable patterns.

21. Some quick points to remember about organization: *An inviting introduction gets the reader started and gives clues about what is to come. *Thoughtful transitions link key points and ideas. *Sequencing should be logical, purposeful, and effective. *Pacing—speeding up for wide angle and slowing down for close-ups—should be under control. *A satisfying conclusion wraps it all up, yet leaves the reader with something to wonder about. (Culham,71)

22. Tips For Organization • Have a plan • Organize by using big ideas first and then moving to the little ideas • Organize by using chronological order • Organize by content • Organizing by content • Organize by perspective (Murray, 2003)

23. Ahlberg, J. (1998). It was a dark and stormy night.  London: Penguin UK.   Doubilet, A. (1991). Under the sea from a to z. New York: Scholastic. Gantos, J. (1980). Rotten Ralph. New York: Houghton Mifflin. Gerrard, R. (1983). The Favershams. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux Herold, M. (1995). A very important day. New York: Harper Collins. Johnson, S. (1995). Alphabet City.  New York: Penguin Books.   Numeroff, L. (2002). If you take a mouse to school. New York: Laura Geringer Paulson, G. (1998). The tortilla factory. Orlando: Voyager Books. Peck, R. (1998). A long way from Chicago.  New York: Penguin Group.  Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York: Dell Yearling. Van Allsburg, C. (1984). The mysteries of Harris Burdick. New York: Houghton Mifflin. Van Allsburg, C. (1988).Two bad ants. Boston : Houghton Mifflin.   Viorst, J. (1972). Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. Zemach, M. (1999)It could always be worse : A Yiddish folk tale, New York: Farrar. Book List for Organization

24. Kindergarten 5 Proper sequence of the story, beginning, middle, and end 3 Partial sequencing of a story 1 Incoherent, random writing 1st Grade 5 Sequences properly Develops subject effectively Makes clear transitions 3 Lacks consistent sequencing Lacks planning Lacks transitions 1 Has no beginning, middle, or end Lacks development Lacks transitions Organization Rubrics

25. 2nd Grade 5 Conclusions make sense and are the logical ending to the story Sentences are in sequential order Transitions are smooth 3 Paper has a recognizable introduction & conclusion Ideas are inconsistently arranged Transitions often work well, but at times little connection is made between ideas 1 Does not clearly introduce or conclude the story Ideas are difficult to follow Transitions are confusing or incomplete 3rd Grade 5 Sequences properly Has a main idea and adds details and events where appropriate Ending gives resolution 3 Main idea and introduction Has a satisfying conclusion Some details are not clear & transitions are fuzzy. 1 There is no beginning or ending Ideas are disconnected Other Organization Rubrics (cont.)

26. 4th Grade 5 Inviting introduction sentence for each paragraph Three supporting details per paragraph Satisfying conclusion Smooth transitions Logical sequencing 3 Introduction sentence for most of the paragraphs Details are inconsistently arranged Transitions often work well, but at times little connection is made between ideas 1 Does not clearly introduce each paragraph No logical sequencing Transitions are confusing or incomplete Some support details 5th Grade 5 Sequences properly Has a main idea and adds details and events where appropriate Plenty of details Ending gives resolution 3 Main idea and introduction Has a satisfying conclusion Some details are not clear & transitions are fuzzy. 1 There is no beginning or ending Ideas are disconnected Other Organization Rubrics (cont.)

27. Does Healthy Foods Sound Disgusting?:Does healthy foods sound disgusting? Well, they are not. Some fruits and vegatables are very tasty. There are carrots, corn, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, and lettuce, Grapes, apples, oranges, strawberries, peaches, and plums are good too. Yet fruits and vegatables aren’t the only health food. Breads such as muffins, bagels, loaves, rolls, waffles, and pancakes are good for you too. Meats and meat alternatives such as nuts, chicken, eggs, and fish are wholesome for you. Dairy products are immensely healthy for you. It’s still okay to eat ice cream and cake, but don’t eat them so often. Why should you eat healthy food? The problem is that if you eat junk food, you’re eating food you don’t’ need. Another thing that happens is that you can get very fat, but if you eat healthy food you won’t get fat very easily and get more energy. If you will be less popular, tell your friends that eating right is much better. To make sure you don’t go from cookies to carrot sticks too fast, here is a process to eat right. For breakfast some toast, eggs, fruit, milk, juice, and cereal. Donuts are not a good choice. At school for lunch juice or milk, sandwiches and a dessert is preferable. Candy, cookies, and soda isn’t the best thing. For snacks I recommend crackers, fruit vegatables, toast, maybe even dinner leftovers instead of cookies and milk. And of course at dinner try to eat everything your parents give you. If that doesn’t sound satisfying, I’ll give you a tip. Just because you choose to eat healthy food doesn’t mean you have to be a health nut. I mean I eat healthy food, but I also eat junk food. Just don’t eat so much junk food because if you do, you may have problems, so you may have a hard time making the transition by overdoing it and pushing yourself to be as think as a wire. Yet you can stop becoming a junk food addict and start eating healthy food, so if you want to stop being a junk food addict and eat healthy food then start eating right. The End. Primary Example Gr. 1-3

28. Primary Example Gr. 1-3 In my life so far:In my life so far: I had 2 rabbot’s but Flopy is died but Dimend is not died. Dimend is brown. Flopy is white and black. I let Dimend in the Houes. Dimend leve’s present’s every were. Then my dad has to clean it up. Next I have to clean my room and my brother’s have to Help. My mom toke me to Toy’s-R-us for my birthday. Me and my dad went to see the sunset. Whene im goning to see the mississippi whene im older. The im going to get a car befor I see the mississippi rever. The story’s We read in class is all 3 wayside school book’s. Thrid grade is terrable. We are reading SHILOH. I’m reading Elved’s don’t wear hard hat’s and micky magic book. I whent to my uncul’s for the night on march. I like juse, furte and Other thige’s like pizza. Plus im olny nine year’s old.

29. Yellow Mama When I was one year old we moved to a ranch about seven miles from the highway. After we arrived and were fairly well settled we found out there were some cats living on the ranch too. Yellow Mama was one of them. She was a yellow cat with a white bib. Yellow Mama was a gentle cat, in the years that followed she had at least five batches of kittens. She cared for them all, they usually looked like her, but not always. Sometimes she had six kittens in one batch! When I was seven years old Yellow Mama was still with us. During the summer, Kirk, my brother who was nine, and I decided we wanted to climb a big rock on the hillside near our house. We were almost to the rock when I saw poor Yellow Mama lying near a brush, dead. I told Kirk to come see what had happened. We were both very sad, we had loved her very much. We decided not to climb the rock, I was crying. When we were running back to the house, mom heard me crying and came out to see if I was hurt. We told her what had happened and then went into the house. When dad came home we told him. The next day he buried Yellow Mama. Said it looked like a snake or something had bitten her neck. I will never forget Yellow Mama. I am eleven years old and still think about how nice and kind she was, she had been a good cat. The End Upper Elementary Example

30. Upper Elementary Example I Can Fly:I can Fly. When I was litle my Mom teach to fly. I Fly every where I look for food. I have friend when I was flying and still looking at food. My mom go looking the nother food. I hate finger nails. I have a big body I have a good food. I play with my friend. My mom have a new friend and we all play together we have a party. I'm happy and I have a big head. The next day. I com back to my home I go to sleep at home. I like being a bird.

31. Activities to use with students Use a graphic organizer. Using 18” by 11 “ construction paper. Construction paper folded over once, cut up to just the middle. Have the students write their story under the different headings.

32. Make a Puzzle Cut into strips the sentences from a story a student wrote. Have him/her rearrange the sentences in chronological order. You can do the same with a poem, magazine article, literature story, or recipe.

33. Outline A Story The teacher writes on the overhead, board, or chart paper. Title: My Day Teacher calls on students asking what happened first, second, next, next, and next, until a complete outline is up.

34. Example: My Day • I got up. • I got dressed. • I had breakfast. • …. • ….. • I ate dinner.

35. Writing Process • Prewriting (generating ideas) • Drafting (first attempt) • Revision (make it better) • Editing (fix mechanical errors) • Publishing (final copy- share it!)

36. ELA Standard: 6.0 Students write with a clear focus and logical development, evaluating, revising, and editing for organization, style, tone, and word choice Teaching the Writing Process… Materials: Play Dough (one color, or multiple colors), paper, pencil Procedure: 1. Ask students to think about how a house is built. What is the first thing that needs to be done? What happens after that? Etc. 2. Discuss how writing, like building a house, can require certain steps. 3. Explain that today, students will be using the writing process, but instead of writing a paper, they will be making something with Play Dough! 4. Discuss your expectations for proper use of the Play Dough. 5. Point out (using a poster if possible) the first step in the writing process-prewriting. Explain to students that this is where you think of all your possible ideas you might want to use. If you were building a house you might think about what your house might look like, how many bedrooms it would have, etc. 6. Ask students to talk with their neighbor about what they might make using their Play Dough. Then share ideas. 7. The next step is Drafting. Explain that this is where you take your chosen idea, and actually write your story or paper. If you were building a house this is when you would start construction. Allow students time to make something with their Play Dough. The Writing Process… with Play Dough!

37. 8. The next step is a hard one… revision. Explain that sometimes this is hard because we think what we’ve made is already perfect. Students will need to look carefully at what they made. They should decide what they can do to make it better. Will they add something to it, take something away, or change the shape of something? Allow students time to talk to their neighbor about some ideas for making it better. 9. Explain that when we help each other revise it is helpful to let them know the things that you really like about their work. You can also think of one question about their piece. Maybe there is something that you don’t completely understand, or maybe there is a part that you would like to know more about. Students will be looking at each other’s pieces, and finding at two things they love about it, and one thing that they wonder about it. (You may call this 2 hearts and one wish (a star can be used to show a wish or a wonder.) Students can use the 2 hearts and a wish to give them a visual reminder to find two things they love about someone else’s work, and one wish for their work. 10. Model how to do this, using one student’s Play Dough piece. 11. Have students move as a group around the room (maybe 3-5 minutes at each table). They should look at each piece, and respond by writing two things that they like about the piece and one question or wish. 12. When students get back to their own tables allow them a few minutes to read what others wrote. 13. Discuss the remaining traits: Editing and Publishing; collect Play Dough Assessment: Ask students to orally identify each part of the Writing Process. Have them think/pair/share to tell what happens at each of the steps. The Writing Process (cont.)

38. Grade Level Planning Time • Browse through the picture books at your table. • Create a lesson for Ideas that you could take back to your class. • Be prepared to share your lesson with the group.

39. Time for Browsing the Website

40. Nevada English Language Arts Standards • 3.0 Students read to comprehend, interpret, and evaluate literature from a variety of authors, cultures, and times

41. Nevada English Language Arts Standards • 5.0 Students write a variety of texts that inform, persuade, describe, evaluate, or tell a story and are appropriate to purpose and audience

42. Nevada English Language Arts Standards • 6.0 Students write with a clear focus and logical development, evaluating, revising, and editing for organization, style, tone, and word choice

43. Nevada English Language Arts Standards • 7.0 Students write using standard English grammar, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling

44. References Bellamy, P. (2000). Research on writing with the 6 + 1 traits. NW Regional Educational Laboratory. http://www.nwrel.org/assessment/pdfGeneral/Research_On_61traits_ Bellamy.pdf. Retrieved on June 28, 2005. CCSD. (2002). Best practices in literacy. Las Vegas: Clark County School District. Culham, R. (2003). 6 + 1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide Grades 3 and Up. New York:Teaching Resources Gould, J. & E. (1999). Four square writing method: A unique approach to teaching basic writing skills. Carthage: Teaching & Learning Co. Gould, J. & E. (2002). Four square: The total writing classroom for grades 1-4. Carthage: Teaching & Learning Co. Isaacson, S. (2004). Instruction that helps students meet state standards in writing. Exceptionality, 12(1), 39-54. Murray, D. (2003). A writer teaches writing. New York: Heinle. Southern Nevada Writing Project. (2001). Writer’s workshop. Las Vegas: CCSD. Tabb, P. (2001). Writing lessons that teach key strategies. New York:Scholastic.

45. Websites • http://www.cyberspaces.net • http://senior.billings.k12.mt.us./6traits • www.olympus.net/personal/skoehler/6trait • http://www.nwrel.org/assessment • http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/ writing