Saturday, March 26, 2016



It is getting close to that time again, PARCC testing. As you know, in the classroom writing can take many forms, including both informal and formal. 

There are three forms of writing covered in the CCSSs. However, students are also expected to learn to establish and maintain a formal style in both argument and informative/explanatory pieces. 

The balance of student writing should be 65 percent analytical (30 percent opinions and 35 percent to explain/inform) and 35 percent narrative with a mix of on-demand and review-and-revision writing assignments. 

If your state is among those using PARCC Assessments, then you probably already know about the PARCC Website and Practice Tests.  

Forms of Writing

Opinion Pieces-Convince others to think or act in a certain way, to encourage readers to share the writer’s point of view (POV), beliefs or position (I think, I believe, you should/should not). For example:


·        Book, movie, or TV and theater reviews
·        Editorials
·        Feature columns
·        Letters to the editor




Informative/Explanatory Texts-Inform the reader by giving fats, explanations, and other information. For example:


·        Biographies
·        Directions
·        How-to articles
·        Magazines
·        News article
·        Recipes
·        Reports
·        Textbooks



Narratives-To entertain, it gives an account or story, usually tells about something that happens over a period of time, can be true or imaginary. For example:


·        Anecdotes
·        Autobiographies
·        Fables
·        Fairy Tales
·        Folktales
·        Friendly letters
·        Memoirs
·        Mysteries
·        Science Fiction`
·        Short stories
·        Stories



Argument Pieces-Support claim and/or convince others to think or act in a certain way, to encourage reader to share the writer’s opinion, belief, or position (I think, the facts show, the evidence shows).

The CCSS do not specify how to teach any form of writing, I suggest that you follow the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model (GRRM): I Do It (Minilessons),  We Do It (Collaborative Engagement), You Do It (Independent Application).
By using the GRRM, you will have a framework for releasing responsibility to your students in a gradual way (this applies to all students prek-6).
The three modes of Common Core writing distributed by grade level. Students should practice all three modes of writing, but there should be a growing emphasis on persuasive writing and a decreasing emphasis on narrative.


Argumentative
Informative/Explanatory
Narrative
4th grade
30%
35%
35%
8th grade
35%
35%
30%
12th grade
40%
40%
20%

Strategies for Success
·        Teach students how to analyze and critique by annotating text and asking text-dependent questions
·        Teach students how to summarize.
·        Teach students how to compare and contrast.
·        Use district writing prompts and create ones of your own that are like them.

Building Sentence Fluency
      Sentence framing
     I like                               .
     I like to                                       and                                                  .
     My                                   is                                                              .
     When I                                     ,  I like to                                           .
     She didn’t go to                                  because                                   .

      Sentence expanding
     The pony walks.
     The white pony walks.
     The white pony walks on the road.
     The energetic white pony walks on the road
     The energetic white pony walks on the road while his mother sleeps.

       Sentence combining     
          My cat is black.  My cat is little
          My black cat is little.


Saturday, March 19, 2016


Common Core State Standards ELA Details

Reading Strategies
Predict (preview, set a purpose)
Connect (personal experiences, previous knowledge)
Visualize (events, details)
Clarify (reread, any questions)
Questions (look for answers and reflect, ask 5 Ws-Answers who, what, when, where, why, how much, or how many)
Evaluate (opinion/judgment, summarize)
Multi-paragraph Composition
Introduction (background information/summary, thesis, introduce details)
Body #1
(introduce detail #1, textual evidence-page number, explanation and connection to thesis)
Body #2
(introduce detail #2, textual evidence-page number, explanation and connection to thesis)
Body #3
(introduce detail #3, textual evidence-page number, explanation and connection to thesis)
Conclusion
(Briefly restate details, explain connect to each other, state overall connection to thesis)
Elements of short Story
Setting
Characters (flat, round)
Plot (conflict=nature, self, society, man)
Theme
Poetic Forms
Haiku (3 lines, 5-7-9 syllables, image from nature, simile)
Sonnet (14  lines, ababcdcdefefgg rhyme scheme, 10 syllabus per line, 3 auqtrain-4 lines, 1 ccomples-2 lines)
Narrative (story, generally long)
Dramatic (dialogue, 1 speaker)
Free-Verse (no rules)
Figurative Language

Metaphor
Simile
Personification
Hyperbole
Themes of Love


Familia
Infatuation
Romantic
Platonic
Novel
Elements (Character, setting, plot, mood, theme)
Strategies for reading a novel (read expressively, connect with characters, monitor your reading)

The CCSS Requires Three Shifts in ELA/Literacy

1.       Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction

  1. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational
  2. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language


Text Structures

Structure
Description
Signal Words
Sequence
Provides a series of steps
·    first
·    second
·    before
·    on (date)
·    not long after
·    after that
·    next
·    at the same time
·    finally
·    then
Description
Describes something
·   for example
·   characteristics are
·   for instance
·   to begin with
·   also
·   in addition
·   such as
·   to illustrate
·   most important
·   another
·   furthermore
·   in front
·   beside
·   near
·   about
·   in fact
·   is
·   are
·   has
·   have
·   does
Comparison and Contrast
Compares and contrasts the similarities and differences between two things
Contrast item1
Compare both
Contrast item 2
·      different
·      from
·      in contrast
·      although
·      more than
·      less than
·      instead of
·      however
·      as well as
·    same as
• alike
• not only…but also
• either…or
• likewise
• similarly
• similar to
• compared with
·  on the other
hand
• on the
contrary
• as opposed to
• but not
• while
• unless
• resemble
Cause and Effect

Presents cause and effect relationships
·  because
·  if…then
·  as a result
·  therefore
·  since
·  consequently
·  this leads to
·  so that
·  nevertheless
·  accordingly
·  because of
·  in order to
·  may be due to
·  effects of
·  thus
·  for this reason
Problem and Solution

Identifies a problem and a solution to the problem
· the problem is
· the dilemma is
· the puzzle is
· the question is
· solve
· a solution
· question…answer
· one answer is
· one reason for the problem
Problem and Solution
Identifies a problem and a solution to the problem
Problem

Evidence

Possible Solutions
Results

·    because
·    since
·    the problem is
·    the puzzle is
·    the dilemma is
·    the question is
·    as a consequence
·    this led to
·    so that
·    nevertheless
·    accordingly
·    one reason for the
·    problem
·  if
·  so
·  perhaps
·  possibly
·   a solution is
·   solutions are
·   this resulted in
·   one answer is
·   therefore


Sentence Variety

Type
Definition
Conjunctions
Simple Sentence
A simple sentence is a sentence that has one independent clause (a group of words that makes a complete statement and has a subject and a verb).
(FORMULA: SV, SSV, SVV, SSVV) Subject verb
Compound Sentences
(used to coordinate two complete thoughts)
A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses (ICs). That means, it has two or more complete sentences. The sentence is “compound” because it puts two sentences together with a coordinating conjunction (CC), conjunctive adverb (CA), or
semicolon.
(FORMULA: I, CI or I;I)

*Coordinating
Conjunctions
for
and
nor
but
or
yet
so
(FANBOYS)

Conjunctive
Adverbs
therefore
additionally
similarly
however
consequently
likewise
besides
because
furthermore
meanwhile
otherwise
then
*Except for very short sentences these conjunctions are always preceded by a comma.
Complex Sentences
(used to add details to their verbs)
A complex sentence has one independent clause (IC) and one or more dependent clauses. A dependent clause is a group of words with a subject and verb that cannot stand alone.

In a complex sentence, the dependent clause is called an adverbial clause (AC). These types of clauses begin with subordinating conjunctions (SC).
(FORMULA: D, I or ID)
Subordinating
Conjunctions
if
since
when
while
although
because
before
during
as long as
even if
even though
than
though
unless until
when
after
as
as if
as soon as
as though
whenever
even if
even though
in order that
just as
like
once
provided
rather than
so that
while
Compound-Complex Sentences
(used to explain a variety of ideas)
A compound-complex sentence has one or more coordinated independent clauses and one dependent clause or adverbial clause.

Put a comma after the dependent clause if it begins the sentence.
Put a comma before the and, but, or or that connects the two independent clauses.
(FORMULA: D, I, c I or D, I; I or ID, c I or ID; I or I, c ID or I; ID)


Sentence Formulas at-a-Glance


Simple Sentence:
One Independent Clause
Four Sentence Formulas
1)   SV (one subject, one verb)
2)   SVV (one subject, two verbs)
3)   SSV (two subjects, one verb)
4)   SSVV (two subjects, two verbs)

 Compound Sentence:
Two Sentence Formulas
1) I,cI (Independent Clause - comma - coordinating Conjunction - Independent Clause)
2) I;I (Independent Clause - semicolon - Independent Clause)

Complex Sentence:
Two Sentence Formulas
1) D,I (Dependent Clause-comma-Independent Clause)
2) I dc D (Independent Clause-dependent conjunction- Dependent Clause)


 Compound-Complex Sentence:
Six Sentence Formulas
1) D,I,cI (Dependent Clause-comma-Independent Clause-comma- coordinating Conjunction – Independent Clause)
2) D,I;I (Dependent Clause-comma-Independent Clause-semicolon- Independent Clause)
3) IdcD,cI (Independent Clause-dependent conjunction- Dependent Clause-comma- coordinating Conjunction - Independent Clause)
4) IdcD;I  (Independent Clause-dependent conjunction- Dependent Clause -semicolon- Independent Clause)
5) I,cIdcD (Independent Clause-comma- coordinating Conjunction - Independent Clause- dependent conjunction- Dependent Clause)
(6) I;IdcD (Independent Clause-semicolon- Independent Clause-dependent conjunction- Dependent Clause)

A clause is a word group used as a complete sentence (Independent clause) or as an incomplete sentence/fragment = Subordinate clause - aka: Dependent clause.

An independent clause is a group of words that contains at least one subject and one verb and can stand alone. (It makes a complete thought.)