INTEGRATING WRITING WITH LITERATURE
Two easy strategies to get your students thinking, writing, and
making connections!
Dara Miller, PAWP 2010
LITERARY 3X3
The Literary 3x3 is a simple and ultra brief
writing activity to prompt students to think
outside the plot
 The task: students summarize the novel/story
they have read without using specific names or
events
 The catch: they must create this summary
using only 3 lines of 3 words each.

LITERARY 3X3

The fun comes out in the discussion: consider
these examples of “3x3”s for these popular
Disney movies – can you guess what they are?
Arrogance transforms handsomeness
Mistake creates captivity
Inner beauty conquers
Curiosity seeks freedom
Silence creates confusion
Love breaks spells
Innocence craves recognition
Guilt prompts desertion
Duty calls home
LITERARY 3X3
The 3x3 exercise forces students to think
outside the “main character does this…then
this…the end” type of formula.
 Let it be a game – students vie to create the
most insightful 3x3s
 Use the words generated to prompt further
writing

LITERARY 3X3
Try it!
 Pick a familiar book or movie (let us know
which!) and write your own 3x3
 Let’s share!

THE CONNECTIONS TEST

The connections test (or connections game,
however you choose to format it) challenges
students to make connections between events,
people, places, and just about anything else in
a text. This can be expanded to fit multiple
content areas!
THE CONNECTIONS TEST

Teacher prep:
 After
reading, choose about 12-15 terms related to
the setting, characters, theme, symbols, plot, etc. of
the story
 Create individual strips of the words and place
these in an envelope
 Students will draw 5 strips from the envelope and
record the words in the order in which they were
drawn
THE CONNECTIONS TEST

Once terms have been recorded, students must
find a connection (and write about it!) between:
 Terms
1 and 2
 2 and 3
 3 and 4
 4 and 5
 5 and 1
THE CONNECTIONS TEST
The Christmas Carol examples – aren’t these
great?
 The connections test challenges students to
think both creatively and analytically
 Connections can be used to prompt further
writing – particularly good ones can turn into
essays very easily

CREDIT GOES TO…
Danny Lawrence, AP Literature Summer
Institute 2010, Western Kentucky University
 Tammy Hanna, Washington Irving Middle
School, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia
