Professional Development
Scaffolding Student Writing
Ideas for Designing Mini-Tasks for
Initiating and Planning Writing
Literacy Design Collaborative
Why Teach Strategies for Planning
Research has demonstrated that teaching specific writing
strategies (planning, revising, and editing) has a “dramatic
effect on the quality of students’ writing.”
Writing Next: Carnegie Corporation, 2007
Where Does This Fit in LDC
• These planning for writing strategies align with the writing
process skills cluster in the LDC Module
• They support the “initiation of task” and “planning” subskills
Selecting Appropriate Tools
The selection or design of advanced organizers and other
strategies for supporting student writing should be based
on:
• The type of writing demanded by the Teaching Task
• The Common Core Standards for Literacy imbedded
in the selected Teaching Task
• The skills identified in the writing skills cluster needed
to achieve the standard(s)
• Additional skills added to the module
CCSS Writing Standards for
Argumentation
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Write an argument to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or
texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a
range of tasks, purposes, and audience
The particular parts of the standards addressed through planning are
highlighted in BLUE.
CCSS Writing Standards for
Informational/Explanatory
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Write informatory/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and
information clearly and accurately through effective selection, organization, and
analysis of content
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audience
The particular parts of the standards addressed through planning are highlighted in
BLUE.
CCSS Writing Standards for Narrative
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Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection and
revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audience
The particular parts of the standards addressed through planning are highlighted in
BLUE.
Types of Writing
Beyond the Essay
• LDC has identified a variety of writing products, in
addition to the essay, that can be imbedded in Teaching
Tasks
• A list of these products with a narrative discussing them
can be found at r-groupspace
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http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/611/writing-types-text-structures-and-writingproduct-chart
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http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/609/writing-products-cues-determine-types-writingand-text-structures
Types of Writing and Writing Products
• An explanation of the connection between types of
writing and appropriate writing products can be found at
r-groupspace:
– http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/609/writing-productscues-determine-types-writing-and-text-structures
• Types of Writing = Argumentative,
Information/Explanatory, or Narrative
• Writing Products = Essay, report, article, etc.
Reminder!
• The LDC Teaching Task Templates are organized by the
type of writing they require
• The graphic organizers will also be organized by type of
writing when appropriate
• Some graphic organizers such as the Essay Map will
apply to several types of writing
The Essay
• The essay form of writing (or a variation on this) can be
used with virtually all of the types of writing identified in
LDC
• The next slide is a basic essay map that can be used to
help students organize their essays
• The Supplemental Materials for this PDS module has a
list of the variety of Writing Products that can be used
instead of an essay
Graphic Organizer to Support an Essay
Writing a Claim Statement
• Writing a claim statement is especially important for any
argumentation LDC tasks
• This claim statement would be part of the information
that students would include in the “Introduction” box on
the Essay Map
Worksheet for Claim Statement
• R-Group Space provides teachers with a worksheet
called the Claim Statement Template
• For R-GroupSpace members, the worksheet can be
located at:
– http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/644/claim-statement
• A printable copy of the worksheet is in the Support
Materials for the Supporting Student Writing module
Sample Mini-Task for Essay Map
• Prompt: Complete the Essay Map Worksheet, using the
notes you have taken.
• Product: Completed Essay Map Worksheet
• Scoring Guide:
• Good to Go: All sections are complete, accurate, and
ready to be transitioned into an essay
• Need Revision: Some sections need revision but
overall provides an adequate foundation for an essay
• Not done or Not Sufficient: Needs major revision in
most sections; does not provide an adequate
foundation for an essay
Sample Mini-Task for Claim Statement
• Prompt: Complete the “Claim Statement Template” from
R-GroupSpace
• Product: Completed “Claim Statement Template”
• Scoring Guide:
– Good to Go: All sections are complete, accurate, and
ready to be transitioned into an essay
– Need Revision: Some sections need revision but
overall provides an adequate foundation for an essay
– Not done or Not Sufficient: Needs major revision in
most sections; does not provide an adequate
foundation for an essay
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How to Teach Writing a Claim/Thesis
Statement
• R-GroupSpace has two great resources for teachers
which are fully-developed lesson plans around the minitask of writing a claim statement
– http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/3109/teaching-howwrite-claim
– http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/3110/teaching-howwrite-thesis-statement-controlling-idea
Lesson Plan Template
• There is also a useful Lesson Plan Template on R-Group
Space that supports the instruction of a specific mini-task
– http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/595/lesson-plan
A Procedural/Sequential Writing Tool
• The “History Frame” from Reading Quest is designed to
help take notes
• It could also be used as a tool for organizing notes to
support procedural/sequential writing
More Procedural/Sequential Writing
Support
• Another way for students to organize and plan a
procedural/sequential piece of writing is the timeline
organizer. It can be found at:
– http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/2767/graphicorganizer-timeline
Additional Tools for
Sequential Writing
Additional tools to support sequential writing can be
found at the following link:
– http://www.writedesignonline.com/organizers/sequence.html#eve
ntschain
What Would Your Mini-Task Be?
If your Teaching Task requires Procedural/Sequential
Writing, what would be your mini-task using one of these
advanced organizers?
• Prompt:
• Product:
• Scoring Guide:
Definition and Description Writing Tools
• The Cluster Word Web is a useful tool for helping
students “chunk” their information into useful groups
• These “chunks” can then help them plan their writing
Tools for Synthesis Writing and Word
Webs
• A more complex word web can be used to help
students plan and organize their writing when the
task calls for synthesis
• This web just has more layers
• A printable copy of this type of Word Web, titled
“Internet Research Graphic Organizer” is included in
the Support Materials for the Supporting Student
Writing module
Concept Map
• A “Concept Map” is another type of web than can be
used in Definition/Description (when a concept is
involved) and Synthesis writing
• A printable copy of a Concept Map is included in the
Support Materials
Writing for Analysis
• Two graphic organizers to support analysis in student
writing can be found at:
– http://www.writedesignonline.com/organizers/analyze.html
This link also includes a good definition of analysis.
Another Tool for Analysis
• Since Analysis involves identifying connections, the
Connections Web in the Supporting Materials could be
used to help students with this type of writing.
Tools for Comparison Writing
• There are lots of tools to support students in planning
their comparison writing. These include:
– Venn Diagrams:
• http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/2768/graphic-organizervenn-diagram-and-summary
– Compare and Contrast Chart:
• http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/2759/graphic-organizercompare-and-contrast-chart
Tools for Problem/Solution Writing
• Reading Quest has provided teachers with a
straightforward advanced organizer for students to use in
planning problem/solution writing.
– http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/2765/graphicorganizer-problem-and-solutions
Another Problem/Solution Tool
• Write Design has another tool for helping students
organize their problem/solution writing:
– http://www.writedesignonline.com/organizers/sequence.html#pro
bsolution
• Note: This website is a good resource for additional
graphic organizers.
Tools for Cause/Effect Writing
• As was true for comparison writing, many tools to
support cause and effect writing have been developed by
teachers
– http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/2757/graphicorganizer-cause-and-effect
Tools for Evaluation Writing
No specific tools are included for evaluation writing.
Students can use the tools for the other types of writing to
answer their evaluative question such as “which is the
best,” “which is most likely to succeed,” etc. The Essay
Map and the compare/contrast tools could be especially
helpful.
More Tools!
• Other useful links for supporting student writing are:
– http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/studentinteractives
– http:/www.readingquest.org/strat//
LDC Outline Template
• After students have organized their ideas and text
evidence to support their writing task, their next step is to
outline their work.
– http://r-groupspace.goingon.pro/home/file/649/outline
Write Tools Outline
• There is also an outline structure in Write Tools for those
of you who are familiar with that writing program.
Designing Instruction for the Outline
A completed Lesson Plan Template that shows the minitask and instruction for outlining is in the Support Materials
for this module. It is titled Sample Lesson Plan for Outline.
Active and Passive Voice
• Academic writing is usually stronger when students use
active voice
• The following link provides a lesson plan for helping
students strengthen their awareness of the difference
and identify when it is appropriate to use which voice
– http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lessonplans/choosing-best-verb-active-280.html?tab=4#tabs
ReadWriteThink
• The ReadWriteThink website may have additional
classroom resources you might want to explore.
• You can sort through by grade level, type of resource,
and general type of learning activity.
– www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/