SUTW
Step Up to Writing for the
Middle School and High
School Content Teacher
Objectives
 Learn about the premise of Step Up
to Writing and how it can help writers
in the content areas.
 Learn about and apply strategies to
help students write to explain.
 Learn about and apply strategies to
help students summarize.
 Learn about and apply strategies to
compare and contrast.
T = Eliza, your presenter
Family
Mom
Anne
The “Ladypugs”
Gus and Gertie B.
Education
SUTW
Experience
University
Teaching Career
West Valley
Bangladesh
Alberton
Colorado
As a Teacher
As a Learner
Introduce Yourself
Name
Grade Level
Experience with SUTW
Housekeeping Items
Bathrooms
Lunch Break 11:45-12:45
Paperwork
Agenda
Plan Ahead Sheets
FYI
72% of American students score at or below the
basic skill level in writing.
Most students on the MontCAS struggle with
constructed responses.
The traits of writing that students perform lowest
in are idea generation and organization.
The part of the writing process most disliked by
students is revision. With good planning, revision
becomes less of a “major” issue.
What Research Says
Writing Strategies
Summarization
Collaborative Writing
Specific Product Goal
Sentence Combining
Pre-writing and Planning
Inquiry Activities
Process Approach Writing
Study of Models
Writing for Content Learning
Source for elements:
Graham, S. & Perin, D. (2007). Writing next.
New York: Carnegie Corporation
Shopping for Ideas
Problem: Information Overload
Solution: Plan Ahead Sheet and Reflection Time
What Do We Know?
3 : What are three things that currently frustrate you with
your content area writers?
2 : What are two strategies you’ve tried prior to this
training to support student writing in your classroom?
1 : What is one question you have regarding Step Up to
Writing or writing in general before we begin?
Agenda for Today
•
•
•
•
•
Writing to Explain
Summarizing
Compare and Contrast
Closure
Paperwork
Writing to Explain
Think About…Colors
BEGINNING
MIDDLE
END
Giving Information: Expository
INTRODUCTION
BODY
CONCLUSION
Two Kinds of Writing and the Writing Process
Telling a Story: A Narrative
2-3
The Writing Process
Drafting
Revising
Editing
Creating a Final Copy
Proofreading
Sharing
Two Kinds of Writing and the Writing Process
Prewriting and Planning!
2-12
The Colors
The world is filled with bugs, and some of them are quite
helpful. One helpful bug is the spider. Spiders like the friendly garden
spider eat other insects. A garden spider will eat pesky mosquitoes. The
lady bug is also a friend. She eats aphids, little insects that kill plants. It is
easy to spot a lady bug because many of them are bright red with black
dots on the back. A third helpful insect is the praying mantis. Mantises
eat Japanese beetles that can destroy roses. The mantis is not harmful to
people, but with its legs it will grab the beetle and destroy it. Some of the
most helpful bugs are the ones who pollinate flowers. Bees and moths are
pollinators. They carry pollen from one plant to another. In fact, our
planet needs all of these small, helpful creatures.
Two Kinds of Writing and the Writing Process
Colors In Action
Chapter 3
Let’s Try It!
Topic =
(
)
(
)
Conclusion =
Accordion “Stoplight” Organization
Looking forward to Summer Vacation
The Informal Outline
The Basic Outline
The Paragraph
The Basic Outline
Does the Informal Outline Work
For Longer Pieces?
The Paragraph
 (first) cuddly
─ sick
─ at night
 (next) playful
─ fake mice
● fur
─ toss
─ all the time
 (finally) faithful
─ window ledge
─ greet me
C = friends and great pets
Gabe and MC
Hamsters, fish, birds, and dogs may
make good pets, but cats, like my cats MC and
Gabe, definitely provide the best companionship. First,
they are cuddly. When I am sick they roll up into a ball
on my comforter and keep me company. They always
cuddle at the end of my bed at night. Next, they are
playful. Their favorite toys are fake mice. These mice
have fur that feels real. I toss the mouse and my cats go
after it. We play this game all the time. Finally, they are
faithful. They sit on our window ledge each afternoon
just waiting for me to come home from school. After I
get in the door, they jump down to greet me. Gabriel
and MC are wonderful friends and great pets.
Accordion “Stoplight” Organization
T = Gabe and MC
The Essay
T = Gabe and MC
Gabe and MC
 (first) cuddy
─ sick
─ at night
● fur
─ toss
─ all the time
 (finally) faithful
─ window ledge
─ greet me
C = friends and great pets
Accordion “Stoplight” Organization
 (next) playful
─ fake mice
The Accordion Stretch:
Longer Paragraph
Accordion Essay
Accordion “Stoplight” Organization
Short Paragraph
4-4
Offer Transition Lists
One way → Another way
First → Another → Next
A good → A better → The best
The first → The second
One → Then → Another
One → Another → Finally
Teaching Hint:
Copy for students on yellow paper!
Elaboration: Use E’s
Use E’s to back up your reasons, details, or facts.
Examples
Explanations
Evidence
Events
Experiences
Expert Opinion
Everyday Life
Effective Illustrations
Elaboration
Excitement
Paper Folding
R-D-F
EX
EX
Accordion “Stoplight” Organization
TOPIC
SENTENCE
Paper Folding (side 2)
EX
EX
CONCLUSION
Accordion “Stoplight” Organization
R-D-F
Paper Folding
If I were president,
TOPIC
SENTENCE
R-D-F
EX
EX
Accordion “Stoplight” Organization
First of all…
Paper Folding
I would also…
R-D-F
EX
CONCLUSION
Accordion “Stoplight” Organization
EX
Summarizing
What is a Summary?
A summary is a shortened, condensed version of an
item such as an article, story, film, or chapter in a
textbook. The purpose of a summary is to share the
key ideas from the item with your reader.
Summarizing
Maureen Auman,
Author of Step Up to Writing
3-3
What is a Summary Not?
Summarizing
A summary is NOT color coded.
A summary does NOT contain a conclusion.
A summary does NOT have transitions.
A summary is NOT a retell.
3-3
Burrito “IVF” Topic Sentence
•
•
•
What is the text?
What type of text
is it?
Who is the
author?
Verb It!
Finish It!
•
ACTION WORD
•
•
What is the big
idea?
What is the big
concept?
What is the main
idea?
Summarizing
Mastering Vocabulary
Identify the Item
3-4
A Summary Plan: Fact Outline
Write a 3 part summary sentence.
Identify the item.
Verb
Finish your thought.
Copy the sentence so it looks like a real sentence.
Sequential
No opinions
No conclusions
Summarizing
Write the facts.
A Great Resource
What do I underline or italicize?
Summarizing
What needs “quotation marks?”
Let’s Try It: A Summary Plan
Write a 3 part summary sentence.
Identify the item.
Verb
Finish your thought.
Copy the sentence so it looks like a real sentence.
Summarizing
Write the facts.
Compare and Contrast
Think-Pair-Share
When you ask students to compare and
contrast in your classroom, what are you
expecting?
What are your definitions for compare and
contrast?
Do you ever ask them to just compare, or
just contrast?
Vocabulary
Two Items
More Alike ??
More
Different??
Star Ideas
Let’s Try It!
1) Find a partner.
2) Take two items you have with you that you
can compare and contrast (wedding rings,
watches, writing utensil, sunglasses, etc.).
3) Fill in either a double bubble or the chart
template.
4) Talk about classroom implementation if you
finish early.
Assessment
Assessment
Three favorites . . . In addition to the rubrics
Stars and Steps
The printer label
Writing Assessment
__ Organization
__ Content (ideas)
__ Style (word choice, voice)
The continuum
__ Grammar/Mechanics (conventions)
Total Points
X
Novice
Nearing proficient and Proficient
Advanced
Any questions?
Last Minute Housekeeping
Paperwork . . .
1)Feedback Form for SUTW
2)OPI Renewal Unit Paper
Housekeeping:
Please leave the baggies and
feedback behind, THANKS!