WORKSHOP ASSIGNMENT FOR THURSDAY, 1/8/15
Task:
Using the nonfiction text you selected for class, evaluate the text to collect evidence and details about its
content, purpose, and structure to develop and present a claim about the text’s genre.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Step-by-Step Directions: You will need four pages in your reader’s notebook to complete this work.
Step 1: Develop a “WIS/WIM” chart in your reader’s notebook to collect your observations of the text made by
only looking at the text. What do you see? What does this lead you to think about the text’s content, purpose,
or structure?
Step 2: Read the text to understand. (If you selected a book, read a few pages of the book)
Step 3: Develop a chart in your RNB to collect evidence about the text’s content, purpose, and structure. Then,
re-read the text, jotting evidence as you come across it.
Step 4: Review the evidence you collected to develop reasons to support your genre claim.
Step 5: Construct a “Box and Bullets” organizer to identify your claim and develop your supporting reasons
with evidence and details from the text.
Step 6: Using your organizer, write a paragraph presenting your claim about your text.
Model Workshop Assignment: Read and examine the attached pages to see a model of your workshop
assignment work.
**
HERE IS THE TEXT EXAMPLE I BROUGHT TO CLASS
Too Cold For School?
Schools throughout the Midwest close due to extreme cold
JANUARY 07, 2015
By Stephanie Kraus with AP reporting
KIICHIRO SATO—AP
Blocks of ice pile up along Lake Michigan on January 5 in Chicago.
Dozen of school districts in Chicago and the Midwest canceled school on Wednesday due to brutal cold and dangerous wind chills. The
National Weather Service says highs in northern Illinois will be from –4° to 2°F with wind chills as low as ¬–30° . Communities around
the state have opened warming shelters to help people in the subzero temperatures.
“The frigid temperatures and winds make a dangerous combination, and it is in the best interest of our students to cancel classes,” said
Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett in a press release.
The Chills
Temperatures in northern Illinois will fall to about –7° overnight, with wind chills of –25° or colder, National Weather Service
meteorologist Mike Bardou said. Wind chills are expected to be around –25° . Central Illinois will get gradually colder during the day.
Springfield's temperature will fall from about 3° in the morning to about –7° in the afternoon, with wind chills of –22° - to –32°.
Keeping Warm
Bardou says people should stay indoors, if possible, and cover all exposed skin if they
must go out. Frostbite can occur within minutes in the extreme cold. Experts are asking
people to check on neighbors, especially the sick or elderly.
The Illinois State Police cautioned drivers to stock their vehicles with extra water, food,
and warm clothing in case they get stranded.
Chicago Public Schools says it will continue to watch the weather forecast for the rest of
the week. It will decide Wednesday on whether classes should be held on Thursday.
A commuter makers her way to work while the temperature hovers around zero degrees Fahrenheit.
SCOTT OLSON—GETTY IMAGES
STEP 1
“W.I.S./ W.I.M” CHART
When evaluating a new text, the first step is to simply look at the text to take note of the text’s
features and structure. From these observations, a reader can begin to make predictions about what
the text’s content, purpose, and structure may be.
In my RNB, I made the chart below on one page. Then, I looked over my text to add observations into
the “W.I.S” and then extended to use my own words for the “W.I.M.”
“W.I.S”
“W.I.M”
I see pictures of real places as well as people living
today.
This means the content of the text may not be madeup and focus on something real.
I see that there are different sections within the text.
This means the structure of the text may not be a
story structure, so I don’t have to read from the
beginning to understand.
I see words like “Chicago” and “Central Illinois,”
which are real places.
This means the content of the text will be about a
real place.
I see quotes from people, names of authorities, and
organization names.
This means the content of the text may not be madeup and may be working to inform audiences about a
topic by using specific references.
I see the different headings “The Chills” and
“Keeping Warm.”
This means that the purpose of the text may be to
inform people about how cold it is and how to stay
warm.
STEP 2
READ TO UNDERSTAND
After looking over the text to familiarize myself with what is included on the page, I then read the text
for understanding and to see what it was about. If I had selected a book as my text example, I would
only read the first few pages or first chapter.
STEP 3
RE-READ TO EVALUATE
After reading the text once, I then re-read the text to begin collecting evidence about the text’s
content, structure, and purpose to develop my genre claim.
To organize my evidence, I developed the “Evidence Chart” in my RNB (see example below) on a
new page.
Content + Elements

About the impact of the
extreme cold weather on
communities and
schools in Chicago

Includes details about
real places

Includes quotes from
real people (authorities
and experts)

Includes specific
numbers (facts)
Structure

Non-narrative structure

Separated into sections
Purpose

to inform the audience
about the extreme cold,
its impact, and ways to
fight the cold
STEP 4
PLAN MY CLAIM
After reviewing my observations from Step 3, I developed a box and bullet organizer to identify the
claim, supporting reasons, and the evidence and details to support my claim.
“Too Cold For School?” is a nonfiction text.

The content of the text is factual and not made-up.
o Incorporates data
o Focuses on a real occurrence in a real place

The purpose of the text is to inform the audience.
o Provides the audience with specific data to teach about the topic
o Incorporates expert and authority quotations to explain

The structure of the text is non-narrative.
o The text is organized into sections.
o The reader may begin reading from any section and understand what the text is about.
STEP 5
WRITE MY CLAIM
Using my writer’s notebook plan, I composed the paragraph below in my reader’s notebook.
“Too Cold For School?” is a nonfiction text. The content of the text is factual and not madeup. For instance, the writer incorporates specific temperature readings as data to develop their topic.
Also, the writer focuses the text on the extreme winter weather impacting Chicago, which is a real
occurrence in a real place. Additionally, the purpose of the text reveals that is it nonfiction. “Too Cold
For School?” informs reading audiences by providing specific data to teach about the weather and
incorporates expert authority quotations to explain the impact and reactions to the weather.
Furthermore, the structure of the text is non-narrative. The text is organized into sections, such as
“The Chills” and “Keeping Warm,” which focus on different aspects of the main topic. Due to this
organizational structure, the reader may read at the start of either section and still understand what
the text is about. Overall, the content, purpose, and structure of the text confirm that “Too Cold For
School?” is nonfiction.