`1THE WRITE WAY
Presentation
Watch for a spark to appear. When you see it, make a fire. If you’re lucky, VERY lucky,
it might turn into a bonfire.
Jacquie McTaggart
“If you enjoy what you do, you will want to do more of it - so teaching the joy of writing is
important.”
Gail Carson Levine -Author of Writing Magic
“Writing is a future skill, one that cannot be avoided as students grow up in a more digital world
that will judge its citizens not only on their content, but on their written ability to communicate
that content.”
Heather Wolpert-Gowran – Middle school teacher
Rafe Esquith, Los Angeles fifth grade teacher and author of the highly acclaimed book, Teach
Like Your Hair’s On Fire, says this on page 44:
“In general, students today are very poor writers, and it’s no wonder. Given the cumulative
effect of lack of practice, poor teaching, text messaging, e-mail jargon, and a culture that
practically celebrates illiteracy, it should come as no surprise that the majority of students
cannot write even a cohesive paragraph, let alone an essay or report.”
My Mother Did it That Way
Every year the Jones family carefully chose a large ham for their holiday dinner, but Mrs. Jones
always cut off the end of the ham before she baked it. One year Mrs. Jones’ newly married
daughter, Denise, decided to host the family celebration.
“Why did you cut the end off the ham before you baked it?” Denise’s husband asked.
“Because that’s the way Mom always did it,” replied Denise.
“I don’t know either,” Mrs. Jones said when asked why she had always cut the end off the ham.
“I just learned to do it that way from watching your grandmother.”
By this time everyone was curious about the family tradition so they decided to call Grandma to
see if she could tell them why it was best to cut the end off the ham before it was baked.
“Oh, that’s easy to answer,” Grandma said. “I never had a pan big enough to hold a whole ham.”
_________________________________________
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Some teaching practices are like that. We use them because “everybody does it that way” or
because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” Perhaps we need to take a long hard look at
some of the practices we use to teach writing and then ask ourselves...
1. Is there a good reason for doing it this way, or is it simply a habit?
2. Might there be a better way?
BOOK RECOMMENDATION FOR FIRST AND SECOND GRADE TEACHERS: The
first grade book was recommended by first grade teacher, Brandi Klima from East Elem.,
Independence, IA. $23 at Amazon; used copies for $17. It looks and sounds fabulous. I have not
seen the second grade one, but the reviews on Amazon are good.
First Grade Writers: Units of Study to Help Children Plan,
Organize, and Structure Their Ideas by Stephanie Parsons
The following Reviews for this book are posted on Amazon.
I love this book! I have been teaching first grade for eight years, and this book really addresses
first grade writers as they truly are. It has some wonderful, concrete ideas for improving their
writing. I especially like the suggestions of Read Aloud titles to teach specific writing points.
This is a helpful guide for First Grade teachers who want to incorporate the writing process into
their classroom. The information is clear and well-organized and follows the flow of the school
year.
Stephanie Parsons' book speaks directly to teachers. It explains the thinking behind a writing
workshop - what we need to understand in order to set our own goals for our students and to plan
and organize successful units of study. I love the way she has provided a consistent framework
for the development of each unit of study; this so helps my own planning and then develops each
part of the framework giving examples of possible teaching points. I have recommended this
book to every First Grade teacher I know.
This is an excellent resource book. In our school, we use Lucy Caulkins Units of Study. First
Grade Writers is a great companion book for Caulkins' work. It starts with building a community
of writers and pattern books. The children are so successful and it is easily differentiated. This is
a book that you will continually revisit throughout years.
A must have for first grade teachers!
Second Grade Writers: Units of Study to Help Children Focus on
Audience and Purpose by Stephanie Parsons
Second Grade Writers has 5 chapters: Becoming a Community of Writers, Writing for Change,
Writing a Book Review, Exploring Humor, and Writing about Research. It gives more ideas that
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expand on Lucy Caulkins Units of Study and Parson's First Grade Writers.
After reading it, I don't believe it has as many ideas as First Grade Writers. I would have liked to
see more ways to expand on Small Moments (Personal Narrative), Poetry, Letter Writing-things
that are standards in my state. It is a good book, not just the "bible" that First Grade Writers is.
If you have been using the Lucy Calkins units of study, this book will be a welcome addition to
your library. The units are designed specifically for children making the transition from primary
to upper elementary. The nonfiction unit is extremely helpful, suggesting ways to help children
do research as well as write about what they are learning. This is a great way to lift the level of
what was expected of children in first grade. The units on writing for change and book review
clearly help prepare second graders for the rigors of keeping a notebook. And, I have to say, the
unit on humor is like nothing I've seen published anywhere. It's also a lot of fun, but she makes a
good case for it being not just fun but also valuable to children's writing. I highly recommend
this book. If you, like the first reviewer of this book, want more information on writing personal
narrative, Writing a Life, by Katherine Bomer, is a great resource. I would still buy this
book, though, because it has units you will not find anywhere else.
I have to say, as someone who had only taught 3rd grade and up for years, I was petrified when I
found out I was going to teach 2nd graders. When I bought this book, I was hoping it would give
me a few ideas (I'm an experienced teacher who reads a ton of professional books) but I never
expected it to help me plan and implement my whole year in writing. It was easy to read and
very approachable. I even laughed out loud - how often does that happen with professional books
for teachers? I would recommend this book to both experienced and newer teachers to help give
more than just ideas for the teaching of writing - but also a curriculum and an incredibly realistic
blueprint for a 2nd grade writing workshop.
2AUTHOR FOLDERS
An author file gives students...

An opportunity to alphabetize

Practice organizing work (This necessary skill is one that we often fail to teach.)

Concrete evidence of writing growth
Container for housing author folders: This can be as simple as a stiff cardboard box, but I prefer
a plastic crate or travel tote with a lid. Label container with colorful stick-on letters.
Folders: Use a manila file folder for each student. Type last name-comma-first name - of each
student on address label and affix to upper left hand corner of folder. (It’s important YOU do this
because it gives folders an “official” look.) After names are on the folders, let kids decorate.
When you launch this program, teach (or practice) alphabetizing by letting each student place his
folder into the container in alphabetical order. Do this as a whole-class activity - friends helping
friends.
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Use author folders strictly for student generated writing; no worksheets, art projects, and so
forth. (Exception: Kindergarten pictures with developmental writing labels.) The student puts his
name and date - written as (2/28/09) - on the top corner of EVERY writing project. When his
work is completed (to your satisfaction or the white flag), mark it with an inkpad stamp. The
student files his work in his author folder, always placing it at the back. This insures
chronological order and enables you, the student, and the parent to assess writing growth.
Drawback: Sometimes kids really want to take their work home to show their parents because
they are proud of their work and want to show if off. You don’t have to honor this request every
time, but occasionally you should duplicate their work and let them take the duplicated copy
home. Keep the original in the author’s folder. At the end of the year they will be glad you did.
Journal Writing: Everybody’s Doing It
Journaling is a common practice in schools throughout the country. Everybody’s doing it, and
apparently most teachers think it is an effective means for teaching kids how to write. I don’t
condemn the practice and I certainly don’t doubt teachers’ motives for using it, but neither am I
convinced that “common practice” journal writing teaches kids to become good writers.
What’s my beef?

When students are instructed to write about anything they want, their writing tends to
lack focus and/or be silly.

Journal writing can quickly turn into a stilted, fill-in-the-blank exercise. (“I like pizza. I
like dogs. I like recess.”)

Because there are typically no corrections noted on a student’s journal writing, there is no
learning. The student gets a lot of practice using incorrect punctuation, misspelling words, and
writing incomplete or incoherent sentences. Practice makes perfect, but none of us want to
produce perfectly inept writers.
What do I suggest? I have several alternatives that I’d like you to consider. But first, let me say a
few words about developmental spelling. Developmental spelling is appropriate (and even
wonderful) for K-2, but you need to be extremely cautious about letting students “spell it like it
sounds” after second grade – especially words that have been covered (and supposedly mastered)
within the spelling strand. And while we’re on this subject, let me tell you a TRUE inventive
spelling anecdote.
Dr. Mary Bigler has been teaching, speaking, entertaining and inspiring for more than
forty years. From pre-school teacher to college professor, in classrooms and lecture
halls around the world, Mary has spent her life promoting literacy, advocating for
children and celebrating the joys of teaching. She is an award-winning professor in the
Department of Teacher Education at Eastern Michigan University where she teaches
undergraduate and graduate literacy courses. Dr. Mary, in an effort to keep current with
today’s kids, spends a few days each year working in elementary schools.
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Some time ago Mary was doing a creative writing lesson with a classroom of first
graders. After she laid the groundwork, the children began to write. Within a minute or
two a little girl started waving her hand frantically. “How can I help you,” Dr. Mary asked.
“How do you spell penis,” the first grader asked.”
“Honey,” Dr. Mary said, “what are you writing about that makes you want to use that
word?”
“Well,” said little Miss Precocious, “yesterday I got a new puppy, and I’m trying to say I
know it will bring me a lot of happiness, I know how to spell the ‘hap’ part, but I’m stuck
on the penis.”
But enough of that. It’s time we get back to journal writing!
REPLACE TRADITIONAL JOURNAL WRITING WITH A “FOUR AND ONE” PLAN:
Designate Monday through Thursday as “Write Right” days (when you name the topic, mark
errors, and make suggestions for improvement), and do a “Free Write” or Journal Writing on
Fridays. This plan enables you to teach the SKILL of writing and make kids accountable, but it
also gives students an opportunity to write creatively (one day a week) without fearing that
bloody red correction pen.
Time Allotment: Although a daily twenty-minute writing slot would be great, it’s not realistic.
Try for fifteen minutes a day and do what you can within that timeframe. Anything is better than
nothing!
How much? The amount should take individual differences into account, but a good rule of
thumb is one sentence per grade level – excluding kindergarten. For example, a first grader
should write one sentence a day, a third grader should write three, and so forth. Kindergarteners
can draw an item (sun, chair, ball, bike, etc.) and label it – using “inventive” spelling, of course.
Making Corrections and Suggestions for Improvement: Mark errors (with a faint colored pencil,
NOT a jumbo red marker), and if time permits – discuss them with the writer. I like to do the
correcting as soon as each child finishes, but of course sometimes this isn’t possible. Should
spelling errors be noted? Yes, IF the misspelled word has already been taught in a weekly
spelling lesson. In other words, if a fourth grader writes, “Thay have a great pitcher on their
teem,” circle or underline “thay” and “teem” with a colored pencil. If a third grader writes, “My
baby cuzin is preshus,” keep your marking pencil in your pocket.
Begin the Day with a Journal Writing Prompt:
I recently subbed in a room where the teacher uses a technique that I REALLY like. When the
students arrive in the morning they see a writing prompt (often a question that calls for an
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opinion or requires critical thinking) written on the whiteboard. The student responds to the
prompt in his journal, and then hands it in for the teacher to read. Occasionally (perhaps once a
week) the teacher puts “FREE WRITE” on the board rather than a writing prompt, and the
student writes about whatever he chooses. Sample writing prompts follow:



You are in the middle of the lake and you have just spotted a hole in the bottom of your
boat. What will you do?
You just heard that one of your best friends is having a birthday party sleepover and you
haven’t been invited. What will you do?
Animals have learned how to talk. Which animal will you interview? What will you ask
him?
Assign a minimum number of complete sentences that you think is appropriate for your grade
level. Using the “draw a Popsicle stick with a student’s name out of the jar” technique, choose
five people to share their entries with the class – IF THEY WANT TO. Never make a kid read
his writing in front of the class if he doesn’t want to.
SCRIBBLE JOURNALS
These are so cool, but they are also difficult to describe. I have duplicated more than 10
examples of students’ scribble journal pages to SHOW you, so you just may have to talk your
principal into having me come to your school and do a Staff Development session with you.
Aren’t I tricky? But for now – here goes. At the beginning of the year each student is given a
scribble journal – a “notebook” put together at school and secured with a plastic binder. There
might be as few as 20 pages in the scribble journal, or as many as 50. The top half of every page
is blank except for one, two, or three nonsensical marks made with a wide tip black magic
marker. The bottom half of the paper is lined to correlate with the grade level where it will be
used.
The object is to draw a picture with a pencil, using the black marker scribble(s) as part of the
picture. Students are encouraged to add as many details as possible to their picture, no matter
how many days it takes. The completed picture might represent something “real,” or it might be
a total fantasy. When the student has completed the drawing to his satisfaction, he should color it
with colored pencil. Lastly, on the bottom half of the page – and on the back if necessary, the
student writes a short story (NOT an explanation of the picture) to accompany his work. Some
kids will work for several days on one page, and some will work for 15 minutes and say they’re
finished. (Of course you will gently encourage the 15-minute and out worker to revisit his
project. And if gently doesn’t work, try tough love.)
“WORK ON WRITING” JOURNAL
At the beginning of each month, distribute a list of twenty month-appropriate writing prompts.
Students pick a writing prompt of their choice, and write in a notebook labeled, “Work on
Writing.” Students can work on a story for as many days as they want, but their work is open for
spot inspection at all times. The teacher who gave me this idea (Ms. Helen Lukes of
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Independence, IA) uses this activity as one part of her daily reading program, and it works
beautifully. It could of course be utilized in other ways as well. Three of Ms. Lukes’ September
Writing Prompts appear below. I added her complete list of prompts (9 months – 20 prompts per
month) to my list of presentations/ handouts. If you would like a copy, go to my Website at
www.theteachersdesk.com, hit the contact button, and ask for Monthly Writing Prompts.
Room ___Special Events
A year-long journal of Special Events gives your students a REASON to write, and a focal point.
A Kentucky teacher uses this format and I think it’s a good one. She distributes teacher-made
diaries the second week of school to her fourth grade students. They write in them intermittently
throughout the year. Each diary has five sheets of paper stacked horizontally, stapled in the
middle, and folded in half. A focal point (friends, our teacher, Halloween party, Parent’s Night,
Read Aloud Book, recess, Field Trip, Hot Lunch, etc.) on the top of each page is followed by 5”
of blank space for an illustration, and seven triple-spaced lines for commentary. This diary gives
students a reason to write, and it makes a great keepsake
Let’s Blog
One of the subjects that Tennessee is emphasizing in fifth grade is narrative writing, but they are
also giving heavy emphasis to computer training for that age group. At Rogersville City School,
science and computer teacher Jenniner Ewing came up with a way of “killing two birds with one
stone” by incorporating blogging into both writing and computer instruction. The students each
create their own blog into which they make regular entries and reply to responses. The students
generally choose the blog topics. Aside from polishing their writing skills, the blog program
teaches students computer skills such as making hyperlinks to their stories, researching the
Internet and using sources that are valid. Ewing says, “I credit a lot of their advancement to the
fact that they’re writing every day and they’re having fun at it. It’s just really good practice.
http://www.angelamaiers.com/ is a MUST for teachers who want their students to blog.
Kids’ Blogging Sites:
http://teachfine.tripod.com/
http://kidslearntoblog.com/
http://www.hellokids.com/t_2856/blogs-for-kids
http://kidblog.org/home.php
www.kidswhirl.com – Excellent social network for kids
http://engage.reading.org/READING/READING/Blogsnbspnbsp/BlogViewer/Default.aspx?Blog
Key=7ee9ff9c-9bd7-443f-94e2-592ebdb15442 [This blog, operated by teacher David
Harrison, is a gem. Check out David’s Word of the Month Poetry Challenge.]
Teacher Supplies the Topic
A topic gives kids a focus and avoids the “I can’t think of anything to write” syndrome. It is
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important to choose topics that are appealing, familiar, and age appropriate for the grade you
teach. Below are a few examples to get your creative juices flowing.
Sentence Starters
Show students how to hook readers by having a strong introductory sentence that makes a person
want to read more – RARELY should it be a description of a character or setting. Strong
examples follow:
“Just before Pap died he told me that I’d be fine as long as I never depended on anybody but
myself.” (From Alabama Moon by Watt Key)
“I was thirteen the first time I saw a police officer up close.” (From Schooled by Gordon
Korman.)
“My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store
for a box of macaroni and cheese, some white rice, and tow tomatoes and I came back with a
dog.” (From Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo)
“When she heard the first yelp, Angel was at the sink washing the supper dishes.” (From The
Same Stuff As Stars by Katherine Peterson.
A good exercise for this skill is to have students scan the newspaper and cut out headlines or
captions that make them (and you) want to read the rest of the story.
Additional suggestions:
*Play classical music as your students write. It is relaxing and soothing and it seems to help kids
concentrate.
*Make certain your students understand that errors are marked not for punitive reasons, but as a
way of showing them how and where they can improve.
*Avoid making negative comments about what they say (unless it is totally inappropriate). Your
main concern is how they write it. Is it a complete sentence? Does it make sense? Are the basic
sight words (if previously taught) spelled correctly? Did they punctuate properly?
*By the second semester of first grade and thereafter, do NOT allow your students to begin every
sentence with the “I” pronoun. It’s a yucky crutch that impedes kids’ writing. Hint: “You have
only two eyes. Therefore you cannot start more than two sentences with an “I.”
*Too much structure, such as the same writing format or activity every day, is a huge turnoff for
kids. Writing activities should vary from day to day, unless the assignment requires carry-over or
is a several-day endeavor.
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*It’s easy to assign writing. It’s tough to TEACH writing. Always use the “I go, You go”
practice – meaning “first I model, then you write.”
*Every writer must do a lot of bad writing before he can do good writing. We need to give kids
more time to do fun or “stupid writing.”
*At the end of each writing period name (and post) a “Writer of the Day.” This can be anyone
who has written at least one error-free sentence. Make certain that everyone is given this honor at
least once. Every kid needs to feel successful and every kid deserves to be recognized once in
awhile. If you have to give individual assistance to your struggling writers so that they qualify as
Writer of the Day, do it. Your students may not remember what you say, but they will never
forget how you make them feel. This is your chance to make them feel good about themselves.
Please don’t blow it.
Getting Over the Getting Started
Sometimes, you need to assign writing on particular topics, themes, or genres. But to help young
writers overcome their writing anxiety and resistance, try making time for them to really connect
with writing.
Make a two-column chart, with headings “Love It!” and “Loathe It!” Model your thinking as you
write down a few things in each column. Ask students to make their own charts.
Now, with the whole class, return to your list and model how you might turn one of your own
loves or loathes into a writing topic. Love ice cream? How about writing on how it is made?
Loathe snowy weather? What about a description of how you fell on the front steps last winter
and broke your ankle? Help your students to elaborate on their own lists and define their writing
topics.
When students feel strongly about a topic, you’ll find that they may write more enthusiastically
about it. And, with some positive writing practice, those assigned writings become a little easier.
Building Community, Poem by Poem (Jan. 2011 issue of IRA’s Inspire)
Classroom communities need to be nurtured throughout the school year. Even for those nervous
poets among us, poetry can help.
Talk about the structure of acrostic poems with your class, and share some examples. Next, pick
a popular person in the school—the principal, librarian, custodian, or music teacher, for
example—and write his or her name vertically on the board. As a class, brainstorm positive
characteristics about that person, trying to find several for each letter of the name. Encourage
children to come up with the most descriptive words they can. Then, together, finalize your
acrostic poem. Your community will blossom as you talk about a favorite person, and students
will also be practicing their expressive skills.
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Now, write each student’s name on a piece of paper and distribute these among the class so that
everyone receives a different classmate’s name.
The assignment is for each child to create an acrostic poem about a classmate, using expressive
words that really capture the person. Encourage conversation and creativity, but also point
children to tools like the thesaurus—and maybe impose a rule that the word nice can’t be
used…no matter how nice the person might be!
Set aside some time later in the week for a community celebration when each child reads his or
her poem aloud.
http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm This site has a huge collection of poetry forms.
Students can see examples then fill in the blanks to create their own poems.
Poetry Inspired by Poetry
This poetry activity for students comes from a article by Margriet Rurrs. It appeared in the
August/September issue of Reading Today.
Ask students to close their eyes and picture the scene as you read the first verse (as follows) from
Ted Kooser’s poem, “Abandoned Farmhouse.”
He was a big man, says the size of his shoes on a pile of broken dishes
By the house; a tall man too, says the length of the bed in an upstairs
room; and a good, God-fearing man, says the Bible with a broken
back on the floor below the window, dusty with sun; but not a man for
farming, say the fields cluttered with boulders and the leaky barn.
After listening to the verse, discuss it with the students. What told us about the man’s size? (His
shoes.) How do we know the man read his Bible a lot? (The back was broken.) And so on.
Point out that the voice is in the third person (He) and speaks in the past tense (He was…).
Next, make a bulleted list on the whiteboard of the information we were given, including the
“but” at the end.
Ask students to make their own list of three pieces of information about themselves, followed by
a “but” listing of something they are not good at or don’t like to do. Nick’s (6th grade) list looked
like this.
 I like to play video games.
 I play soccer.
 I like soccer.
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BUT
 I am not good at math.
In the final step, students write their information in a poem that mirrors Kooser’s “Abandoned
Farmhouse.” This was Nick’s poem.
He excelled at playing video games says the unbeatable high score.
He loved soccer says the scruffy ball;
He sure liked pizza say the empty boxes on the kitchen table,
But he wasn’t very good at math says the “C” on his report card.
Be sure to write and share your own poem about yourself. THAT’S what they will remember!
Back-Pocket Poetry
Matthew Amaral, inner-city teacher in the San Francisco Bay area, taught this poetry lesson (and
later posted it on his website) to his 9th graders. Most of Amaral’s students are from the ghetto,
and many have Special Needs. His lesson – and his story - follows.
Matthew Amaral – “During the first week of school, I was doing a bunch of community building
stuff- trying to convince my kids to love and fear me at the same time. This year I’ve really
focused on getting them writing, no matter how, as long as they have a large body of work they
can point to and say, “I did all that,” I’m pretty happy.
So in the first week of school I was trying to help them get over their fear of writing and begin
thinking of themselves as writers. So I had them write poetry.
Poetry? Sounds crazy, I know.
I wanted to show them writing doesn’t have to be scary, and is actually quite simple. So I came
up with this lesson I call “Back-Pocket Poetry.” Now, at the time I was doing a bunch of writing
with family photographs. My plan was to have them bring a family photograph to write about.
Out of a class of 25 kids only one kid was able to pull that off (bringing a photograph to class I
mean). It is a 9th grade class where the kids are super ghetto and read at a 6th grade level. The
only thing they do well consistently is spell their names wrong.
Okay, so no homework, I thought. We’ll use our imaginations instead.
So I had them envision a meaningful photograph in their head. They closed their eyes and called
up their favorite family photo. Then they made a list of everything they saw. I had them use
imagery, and note any smells, colors, textures. They made a list, you know, basic prewriting.
Then, I told them I would make good on my promise that turning this into a poem was going to
be easy, and that I would write a poem on the board to show them. I even asked for a volunteer
from the class. The idea was that the volunteer would describe to me the photo in their head, and
I would turn that into a poem. I had never done this before.
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Just as I call on Aaron, who is the only one with his hand raised, the new Assistant Principal
walks in my door and stands at the back of class. It is not a formal evaluation, as she told me
later, just a friendly drop-in to see what everybody is up to. Now, I have an open door policy,
and regularly say anyone can come into my classroom at any point. I am confident in my
abilities, but this is a touchy moment with a brand-new class of tough kids. I plow ahead.
“Okay Aaron, tell me who is in the picture,” Aaron is an African-American boy who is the
loudest kid in the class.
“My entire family,” he replies.
I write those exact words on the board, you know, trying to use his own words.
“And where does this photo take place?”
“In a hospital room.”
I skip a line and again write his exact words.
“Who are you there to see? Are people crowded around someone?” I ask.
“Yeah, my grandfather. He in the middle.”
“But you don’t call him grandfather do you, Aaron? What do you call him?”
“Pops.”
On the board I write, Pops is in the middle.
“Describe Pops to me Aaron.”
“He got hecka tubes in him. His hair white, but he smiling.”
I write:
tubes in his arms
white hair
still smiling
At this point the Assistant Principal’s walkie-talkie begins chattering. The kids lose focus
momentarily, but they’re with me. They’re more than with me- they’re down with it. Aaron is
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especially hooked. I continue as the AP begins talking loudly in the back of my class to security.
“Where are you in the picture Aaron?” I ask.
“Right next to him. He got his arm around me.”
As I write I ask Aaron how old he is in the picture. I also ask how his grandfather’s skin felt on
his arm. I write:
That’s me to his left
his scratchy arm around me
I’m eight years old
I have a feeling about where this is going, but the AP’s walkie-talkie keeps blabbering, and she
keeps answering it.
“Why did you choose this photo Aaron?” I ask.
“It was the last time I ever saw him.”
For one glorious moment there is dead silence.
I write Aaron’s exact words as the last line.
The rest of the class is cowed with Aaron’s response. I don’t know what I was expecting, it was
something like that, but not so…emotional. Then the Assistant Principal starts squawking into
her walkie-talkie as she opens the door and heads out of my classroom. I don’t even think she
heard anything that actually went on with my lesson.
With the door closed, the kids are back with me. I read the poem in its entirety out loud to bring
them back fully. It goes like this:
My entire family
in a hospital room
Pops is in the middle
tubes in his arms
white hair
still smiling
That’s me to his left
his scratchy arm around me
I’m eight years old
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It was the last time
I ever saw him
It may not be T.S. Eliot, but I think it’s pretty good. The students still aren’t sure how they feel
about all the emotional vibes running through the air, but they’re all paying attention (things
would have been even more powerful without the damn adult in the back of the room messing up
my whole thing without even really seeing it). I tell them to start working on their own poem. I
talk them through it. I tell them to start with who is there and where they are. Then describe the
main person. Describe some sights and smells, and then say what is so important about the photo
they chose. And I tell them to keep skipping to the next line after every thought.
Every student did it. As they wrote, I walked around and prodded them along. This is intensive,
high maintenance work. I literally stop at every kid’s desk and help them individually. When
they didn’t know what to write, I told them. I would ask them to describe the photo in their head
to me verbally, and then tell them to write down the exact words that just came out of their
mouth. Other times I just gave them entire lines myself. I didn’t care if they used words from my
mouth, or even from the poem on the board (many of them used the exact same phrases- “that’s
me on the left/ I am ____ years old”), as long as it was ten lines long and described a photo it
was all good.
Oh, and I also made a promise to them at the beginning of class. I told them they would not have
to share their poem with anyone. I also told them I wouldn’t read them either. I just told them to
get points today, all they had to do was show me they had written a poem.
I was delighted that every kid wrote a poem. Not only did they all write, but they really seemed
to enjoy it. They weren’t intimidated, they got words on paper, and accomplished a task in my
English class in the first week, and got points. I even sat at my desk and let them watch me give
them ten points in my computer grade book as they safely held up their finished poems from ten
feet away.
At the end of class, I told them to fold the poem up and put it in their back pocket, and then I said
something like this: “Put it back there and forget about it. Go to your next class. Slap your
friends during passing period. Light something on fire. But later on today, I want you to bust it
out and read it. After that, I don’t care what you do with it. You can save it, throw it away. I
don’t care. Just know you wrote a poem today, and I want you to start thinking about the fact that
you are a writer. Yes, each one of you. You know how I know that? I have proof, you each wrote
a poem today, look. And if you forget about it and your mom washes it, that’s cool. But see if
you can remember to just glance at it today at lunch, or after school, okay?”
Then the bell rang, and they all walked out of my room with a poem in their back pocket. That’s
what I call a good lesson.”
Concrete Poetry
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Concrete poetry is written in the shape of the topic (tree, fish, tornado, pizza, candy kiss, etc.). It
can be written with single words, or in sentences. Words can outline the shape, or totally fill the
white space. There are no hard and fast rules for concrete poetry, and kids LOVE writing it.
Poetry Forms http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/newpoem.htm
Some students are convinced they cannot write poetry. These formulas may convince them
otherwise. Great science and social studies poem starters are here too. To get started, click on the
Interactive Poetry Form Finder at the site.
Great Poetry Race by Sharon M. Pitcher
Choose a poem that reinforces a specific skill or set of skills that you’re working on with your
class. For instance, the poem might include sight words, short-vowel sounds, or dialogue
requiring expression.
Next, introduce that poem to your class, modeling how the poem should be read. Then distribute
copies of that poem, along with directions and a form for signatures, to each student, who then
has a week to read that poem to as many people as possible.
After each reading, the student asks her “audience” members to sign their Great Poetry Race
form. The student with the most signatures at the end of the week wins a prize.
This easy-to-execute home/school program engages both students and their parents while
increasing each child’s fluency. But just as important, it’s a fun, simple way to get kids excited
about poetry and deliver a positive reading experience all at once!
Repetition and Alliteration
Remember Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout? You know, that little girl who would not take the
garbage out?
Even if you never encountered the intractable heroine of Shel Silverstein’s poem, you’re sure to
recognize the alliteration inherent in its title, right?
Repetition and alliteration—ideal literary devices to teach sound in poetry—can be found in
many of Silverstein’s works, as well as more Canonical fare such as William Blake’s “The
Tyger” (“Tyger! Tyger! burning bright…”).
Choose your favorite example of alliteration and introduce it to your class through a read aloud.
Next, distribute a copy of the poem to your students and ask them to identify which consonants
were repeated. Use their examples to illustrate the concepts of repetition and alliteration. Finally,
ask students to write a poem of their own that uses these concepts.
Consider concluding a unit on sound in poetry by hosting a classroom café-style reading where
students perform their original works out loud—possibly in front of their parents. In preparation
for the event, teach students how to offer positive, supportive feedback to one another.
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Poetry Circles: Generative Writing Loops
Too often, tweens and teens can be dismissive of poetry. After all, pop culture tends to portray
poets as snooty, dark, and depressed.
What better way to bust the stereotype than by turning your students into poets themselves?
Using Poetry Generating Loops—peer-writing groups in which each student performs a specific
role such as “Image Weaver,” “Language Keeper,” “Metaphor Generator,” or “Music Maker”—
not only fosters collaborative learning, it also encourages creativity in a safe, nurturing space.
To create a Poetry Generating Loop, divide students into groups of four. Each group member
should choose the role she’d like to perform. Image Weavers, for instance, are responsible for
providing concrete images about the assigned topic, while Metaphor Generators must supply two
metaphors or similes.
Each person performs her “job” individually before coming together as a group to share results
and write the final poem.
Think about using Poetry Generating Loops to explore topics that might otherwise feel out of
reach, such as mythology. You can ask each group to explore personal connections to a specific
myth or mythic figure.The results may surprise you!
Descriptive Writing
Ask your students to think of a place they know well: the classroom, their bedroom, the mall –
anyplace they have visited often. Now ask them to describe this place to someone who has never
been there, never even seen the place. Ask them to include the following:
 Describe the place in detail: Include size comparisons, eye-catching “extras,” sounds, etc.
 Don’t say “It’s really cool.” Describe the posters on the wall and the droopy venetian
blinds that have seen better days.
 Remember to include ALL the senses. Can you smell anything in this place? What
sounds (if any) do you hear?
 Remind students to stay objective. Don’t say, “It smells terrible.” They should describe
the sights, smells and sounds without passing judgment. Example from The Cuckoo’s
Child by Suzanne Freeman. “The long flight of concrete stairs near our school smelled as
if somebody had just peed there, but small wild orchids grew out of the gaps in the
concrete. I tasted the Beirut air, tangy with salt and exhaust fumes and lemon blossoms.”
This exercise offers practice in the elemental rule of good writing: SHOW, DON’T TELL.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
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The Write Source: Student writing models are organized by grade level (1-12) and writing
topics, from Personal Writing to Workplace Writing. Each submission includes a brief analysis,
plus you can publish your own students' writing on the website.
http://www.thewritesource.com/studentmodels/#exp
Write Your Prediction
Are you looking for a quick and easy exercise that forces your kids to write EVERY day –
without moaning and groaning? After you finish reading a chapter in your daily read aloud book,
have them write a short prediction of what they think will happen in the following chapter. They
save their written prediction (unchecked) in their desk until the following day after you have read
the next chapter. At that point students may volunteer to read their predictions (written the day
before) out loud. Continue the cycle with a new prediction.
Teacher’s Mailbox
This idea comes from Rock Hill, S. Carolina 2nd grade teacher, Dr. Barbara Rosso. She has a
mailbox in her room in which children can “mail” her a letter about anything: a problem, what
they like or don’t like about school, a happy note, or whatever. She answers with a Special
Delivery Letter the following morning.
Weekly Letter to Parents
Third grade teacher Mary Alft’s (Kemblesville, PA) students write to their parents each week
about what they learned. She says, “At the beginning of the year they write three “I learned”
sentences. Later, they write in the form of a friendly letter using the steps of the writing process.”
The Writer’s Toolbox
Capstone Publishing [www.capstonepub.com] has a super new series for beginning writers with
2-4 interest and 2-4 reading level. The Writer’s Toolbox series has ten books designed to guide
developing writers. Each title includes a review list of key concepts, at least four exercises for
getting started, and numerous writing tips. Pub. Date: Aug., 2010. School/Library price: $19.99.
Action! Writing Your Own Play
Art Panels, BAM! Speech Bubbles, POW! Writing Your Own Graphic Novel
It’s All About You: Writing Your Own Journal
Just the Facts: Writing Your Own Research Report
Make Me Giggle: Writing Your Own Silly Story
Once Upon A Time: Writing Your Own Fairy Tale
Share a Scare: Writing Your Own Scary Story
Show Me a Story: Writing Your Own Picture Book
Sincerely Yours: Writing Your Own Letter
Words, Wit, and Wonder: Writing Your Own Poem
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Unique Writing Templates: http://www.uniqueteachingresources.com/creative-writingtemplates.html. The 50+ writing templates can be purchased, but because there is a large
illustration of each template you can see what’s there and “modify” it to fit your needs – for free.
The Dot by Peter Reynolds is a delightful picture book that encourages “I can’t write” kids to
make their mark – one line or one squiggle or one word at a time.
Classroom Publishing
I learned about this site/service via my 4th grade (at the time) grandson. His school in Ankeny,
Iowa participated, and I was very impressed. Go to www.nationwide-learning.com for details.
Thumbnail description: Free student publishing program generates writing excitement among
students because their efforts result in full-color, hardbound, professionally published books.
Parents have the option of purchasing a book for $14.95. If a school guarantees a minimum of 80
student writers, they are given $2,000 of free books.
Silly Books http://www.sillybooks.net/default.htm
Silly Books is a place where all students can publish their writing. Each month one winning story
is selected. The winning story is illustrated, complete with audio and video.
Contests: http://www.sillybooks.net/competition_page_one.htm
The Hook:
It’s important that kids understand the need for a strong opening sentence to their writing.
Introduce concept with Once Upon a Golden Apple. Distribute one newspaper sheet to students
and have them find the BEST opening sentence – the one that makes them want to read more.
Team Writing - Connecting Ideas
Kids of all ages go nuts over this writing activity and would “play” it every day if you let them.
Of course their sentences often get incredibly silly, but don’t let that fool you. They really ARE
learning a skill when they play this game; they just don’t know that’s what is happening.
Dividing Class into Teams:
Divide class into teams of three to seven kids, depending on the grade you teach. First and
second grades might have has few as two on a team, whereas seventh graders should be able to
handle a team of five, six, or even seven.
Procedure:
Each team member writes one noun on a slip of paper (without telling his teammates what it is)
and deposits the slip in a mug (or whatever) in the center of their meeting spot. When all slips are
deposited, dump them out. The object of the game is to have each team member write one
complete sentence that includes EVERY team member’s noun. Of course the sentence can be
silly, but it must be grammatically correct. Each student writes his sentence on paper (with
proper punctuation) so that it can be shared with the rest of the class near the end of the period. If
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there are three kids in a team, they will have three sentences to share. A six-member team will
have six sentences, and so forth.
Example: Team of Four
1. Secret noun - football
2. Secret noun - Barbie
3. Secret noun - pizza
4. Secret noun - cowboy
Sentence:
The cowboy threw Barbie in the trash, put a pizza in the oven, and sat down to watch his favorite
football team make mincemeat out of the Minnesota Vikings.
Alphabet Jumble
This is a writing activity that can be adjusted according to the grade level. Give the students a
group of letters - for example, a, d, f, m, p, r, w - and then ask them to make up a sentence using
words that start with these letters. They do not have to use the designated letters in order, and
they can use additional words that begin with letters not on the list. Allow kids to read their
sentences (some will be VERY silly) to the class if they want to.
Sample sentences using a, d, f, m, p, r, w.
l. Adam drove for miles, past the river and through the woods.
2. Frank and Robert are strange, but Pat and Mary and Dennis are just plain weird. (Tell kids - in
no uncertain terms - that they can use names of classmates in silly sentences, but they must NOT
do so if the statement could cause hurt feelings - such as in this example.)
Dear Diary
In this exercise the student takes on the persona of a well-known individual or character (sports
figure, superhero, diva, Dora, etc.) and writes a pretend page in his/her diary. Be certain students
understand they are NOT writing ABOUT the person/character they choose, but rather as though
they ARE that person. Example follows:
Dear Diary,
I learned a lesson today. My mother told me to take some cookies to Grandmother’s house, but
she warned me not to take the shortcut because I might run into the big old bad mean wolf. Well,
I was kind of in a hurry so I went ahead and took the shortcut anyway. And guess who I met.
Yup, you guessed it. I saw him just as I rounded the last corner before Grandmother’s house. I’m
not sure if he was the mean one or not because I didn’t stick around long enough to find out. I just
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threw my basket of cookies at him and scooted straight for home as fast as I could go. I think I’ll
go to bed before my mother has a chance to ask me how Grandmother was today. I’ve had
enough problems for one day.
Little Red Riding Hood
Cheat Sheet - Fives Senses
We need to teach students how to “show” what is happening as opposed to “telling” about it. The
easiest and most effective way to do this is through the senses. Post the following chart in your
classroom and your students’ writing will sparkle. Leave some extra space after each category
and allow kids to suggest additional words as the year progresses. Trust me, they will come up
with several gems - as well as a few clinkers. .
Sight: including colors, sizes and shapes. Round, green, large...
Sound: including types and volume. Quiet, grating, banging...
Smell: including scents and strengths. Flowery, foul, strong...
Taste: including flavors and strengths. Tart, spicy, weak...
Touch: including textures and temperatures. Silky, damp, hot...
http://www.mikids.com/6/index.htm This site has wonderful ideas for 6 + 1 Traits writing.
Writing a Persuasive Letter
This writing activity, if done correctly, will take up to two weeks.
Letter-writing is a powerful way to express concerns: more tangible than a phone call or an email
and less extreme than filing a lawsuit. It's a throwback to when we communicated our concerns
by using the power of the pen.
For intermediate and middle school students (and high school students as well) letter-writing is a
worthy use of time because it provides an opportunity to teach persuasive writing and using
evidence to support assertions. Kids are full of opinions about the injustices in their world. Teach
them that the pen really is mightier than the sword with this fun writing exercise!

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Brainstorm issues your students would like to change. Is it the quality of the cafeteria
food? The amount of homework they are required to do? Or is it something broader, such
as required vaccinations or pollution? Vote to determine the five most popular topics.
Each student will write a letter on the ONE topic of his choice.

Students decide which person can best address their concern. Is it the school principal?
The mayor? A congressperson? Locate and record the recipient’s address. The student
needs to remember throughout the project that this is NOT a “pretend” letter. It’s the
“real deal,” and rules of etiquette and common decency apply.

Gather the facts. Do some research into the issue and find out as much as they can about
the pros and cons. If they understand (and acknowledge) both sides of the issue, they will
have a stronger argument.

Now's the time to state their case. They need to remember that writing a good persuasive
letter means backing up opinions with solid evidence. Why is the issue a problem? Who
else is affected? What are the experts saying? What do your friends think? Acknowledge
the other side of the issue. For example, they might write, “I understand improving the
quality and variety of the cafeteria food may be more expensive for the school system.”
Then provide the counterargument: “However, I believe that healthy and happy students
are worth the extra cost.”

When the letters are finished they must be proofread for spelling errors, grammatical
structure, and use of paragraphs. I like to have the initial proofreading done by the
students themselves, working in teams of two. The final proofreading (prior to rewrite
and mailing) should be done in a one-to-one conference with the teacher and student.
Nonfiction
There’s more to writing nonfiction than simply finding a topic. It’s about serious research, asking
endless questions, searching for answers, and sharing information in your own voice (letting
YOUR personality shine through). Fiona Bayrock, author of Bubble Homes and Fish Farts, is a
pro at nonfiction writing. Use Bubble Homes…to introduce nonfiction writing, followed with
Bayrock’s Tips for Writing Successful Nonfiction for Kids, adapted from her website with her
permission.
1. Tap into your Ew!, Phew!, and Cool!
Lead with gross, icky, unusual, or very cool aspects of your topic. Sure, a giraffe has a long
tongue, but tell me it's long enough for the giraffe to clean its ears with it (Ew, gross!), and
you've hooked me.
2. Play with words.
Add puns, homonyms, onomatopoeia, alliteration like spice to a meal-sometimes a little is
enough. Sometimes you want to heat things up.
3. Be conversational.
Write as though you are talking to a friend; use a friendly, informal style; vary sentence length
and structure; ask questions; sprinkle in a few sentence fragments and a "Wow!," "Ahal," or "No
kidding!"
4. Try unusual formats.
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Instead of straight narrative, consider turning your subject matter into a mystery, quiz, awards
show, or puzzle.
L..... ~
5. Link new information to something your readers already know.
Use similes and metaphors; compare sizes of new objects to familiar ones – as tall as a basketball
net, for example.
6. Include activities.
Models, experiments, simulations A simple activity could take a few sentences in a larger article
or a sidebar with a list of equipment and instructions.
,
7. Use storytelling techniques. ;"
Stick to the-facts, but try writing in second person -"you" puts the reader right in the story.
"Imagine you've just landed on Mars ..."
8. Narrow your topic.
Be specific; instead of writing about "frogs," go for a narrow slice. Try "survival techniques of
tadpoles in fast streams" or "how frogs breathe."
9. Use reliable sources.
Use primary sources when possible and go for the best experts to interview; get at least three
independent sources for every fact; and remember, anyone can put up a website, so be careful
about Internet sources.
10. Do photo research.
Experts are often more than happy to have their personal pictures accompany an article they've
helped with. Students might enjoy using a school camera to supply photos for their article.
LOOKING FORWARD
Before your students begin writing, lead them in visualizing the scene that will be depicted in
their story. Brainstorm words (and write them on the whiteboard) that might help them add details
(and interest) to their sentences. This helps increase their vocabulary and enables them to use
more “sparkling” words in their work.
Also, consider banning overused words (good, bad, said, went) and brainstorm magic words to
replace these boring old standbys. Hang the new words around the room for the kids to pull from
as they write.
Set aside a place in the room where they can share "sparkling sentences" from the books they read
during silent reading time. And for the ultimate turn-on, when you spot a student’s magical
sentence, ask permission to display it (along with the writer’s name) in the room or hallway. They
NEVER refuse, and their classmates work a bit harder so that they might get a sentence posted
one day.
Team Writing
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Students love to work in teams. Take advantage of this passion by dividing the class into teams
and instruct them to write humorous (using a play on words) advertisements for local businesses
or service agencies.
Example: “If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.”
(Optometrist’s Office)
Example: “Time wounds all heels.” (Podiatrist’s Office)
Example: “Reserved for people with class.” (Faculty Lounge Door)
Writing Jar
This great tip comes from an unidentified homeschooling mom in Pennsylvania.
“I home school my children and we keep a journal jar. I printed out a few pages of writing ideas
and cut them up and put them in a jar they decorated. Each day they pick out a slip with a writing
idea on it and write about it. They like it, because picking out of the jar is like opening a present,
they never know what they will pick out and it excites them.”
Teachers may want to print story starters on card stock and then laminate them so that they can
be used again next year - and the year after that.
Some Writing Prompts to Get You Started:
If I were the teacher, I would...
If I were a leaf, I would... (snowflake, wind, rain, etc.)
If I could get anything in the world for my birthday, it would be...(Tell me what you'd do with
it.)
My hero is...(Tell me why.)
Describe a dream or nightmare you have had.
I remember when _____ taught me to_____. Describe how. (I remember when my father taught
me to tie my shoes.)
A joke that makes me laugh is...
My favorite foods...
The foods I dislike are...
When I grow up I want to be… (Why?)
Is there an event that took place in your life that has changed you? Tell me how.
Tell me about your pet (s). If you don't have any, what kind of pet would you like to have?
I was angry when...
I was happy when...
I was disappointed when...
My favorite holiday is... Tell me why.
If I looked under your bed, what would I find?
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Tell me about your perfect vacation.
My worst mistake was...
Sometimes I wish that...
What would you do if you were Principal for a day?
What would you do if you were the President?
If you could change places with anyone, who would it be and why?
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and what would you do?
You have an extra $1,000,000 to give away; you cannot spend it on yourself. What will you do
with the money?
How would you make this world a better place to live in?
Tell me about your family.
Tell me about your best friend. Why do you like that person?
If you were an animal, what would you be? Why?
What is your favorite season?
What is your favorite animal? (Where does it live, what does it eat, how does it protect itself?
I know a lot about...
My favorite book is...
My favorite (singer, sports figure, TV character, etc.) is...
If I could be any color in a crayon box, I would be...
If I were a fireman, I would... (a flag, plant, pencil, box, a book, etc.)
My favorite movie is...
Ten about things that make you laugh. (cry, angry, disappointed, etc.)
A list of things I'll never do.
Ten crazy reasons why you couldn't do your homework.
For more Writing Prompts go to www.education.com. In Search box type “story prompts.”
When new screen comes up click on your grade level. Stay on this site to find hundreds of story
starters, cartoon and speech bubbles, writing suggestions, and more.
PUPPETS AND PROSE
Use puppets to introduce or reinforce a writing concept, or as a story motivator. [If you don’t
have puppets in your classroom, check with a kindergarten teacher. They probably have an
ample supply that you can choose from.] A sample one-week, puppet-oriented writing plan
follows.
Monday: “Boys and girls, I have a friend that I would like you to meet. She attends the Pretend
Puppet School down the street but her teacher, Miss Piggy, said she could come and visit us for a
little while this morning. Would you like to meet her?”
“Yo-hoo, Belinda, the kids want to meet you. Come on in.” A puppet child [Belinda, Byron, or
whomever] enters. Teacher introduces “Belinda” and asks her to tell the children a little bit about
herself. Belinda thinks and thinks but can’t decide what to tell. Teacher invites kids to ask
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Belinda some questions. How old is she, where does she live, etc. When the kids run out of
questions (doubtful) or it’s time to move on, Belinda says,
“I’d really like to stay longer but it’s almost time for recess at my school - so I gotta run.”
Teacher: “But Belinda, don’t you want to know something about each of the boys and girls in
this class?”
Belinda: “Well sure, but I don’t want to... Hey, I’ve got an idea. Why don’t you guys write me a
letter this week and tell me about yourselves. Mrs. Teacher can bring your letters to my house on
Saturday and then I’ll share them with my puppet class next Monday. How’s that for a bright
idea? Oh, by the way, I’ll expect one from you too, Mrs. Teacher. Okay? Well, I better get a
move on or than smelly old Sammy Skunk will beat me to my favorite swing. See ya.”
Tuesday: Teacher models her letter [on the whiteboard or overhead] to Belinda.
Wednesday: Class divides into groups of four or five. Students take turns telling the group what
they plan to share in their letter. Group members are encouraged to ask questions of or make
suggestions to the one who is sharing.
Thursday: Students write their “personal profile” letters.
Friday: Students meet with the small group they were with on Wednesday and read their
profiles out loud. If time permits, allow students to read their profiles to the entire class - if they
choose to. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE WHOLE-CLASS SHARING MANDATORY.
3The Narrative
When middle school students hear the word “narrative,” they tune out. They don’t understand the
word and they aren’t interested in learning what it is. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Although the word “narrative” sounds highfalutin, it really just means “a story about something
that happened.”
Once students get this figured out, they have to face a blank page. To help them jump that
hurdle, teach them the “fill-in” method. Have each student write three sentences that represent
the beginning, middle, and end of a personal narrative. [A new bike; A great Christmas; A fun
sleep-over; and so on.] Make sure they leave hunks of white space between each sentence. The
rest is easy. Students expand on each sentence, and viola. They have written a narrative.
Writing From A Different Perspective
Write five bad things about something you might think is good or five good things about
something you think is bad. The following examples are geared for high school kids, but could
be altered to fit any grade level.
Write five good things about:
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1) Flunking geometry.
2) Not getting asked to the prom.
3) Getting a flat tire on your bike five miles from home.
4) Dropping your cell phone into the lake.
5) Getting locked out of the house.
Write five bad things about:
1) Winning a $5,000 shopping spree at the Mall of America.
2) Spending time with your best friend.
3) Going to Disney World.
4) Getting an A in geometry.
5) Going to the prom with someone you really like.
Post-it Note Paragraphs
If students can write a sentence, using capitalization and end-of-sentence punctuation, they can
write a paragraph.
Procedure: Teacher introduces paragraph writing by naming a one-word topic such as lions,
bicycles, dogs, school, and so forth. After students write the topic word on top of their papers,
give them each three post-it notes. The student writes one sentence (related to the topic) on each
sticky note and affixes the notes (in a vertical line) to his desktop. After checking his first sticky
note for capitalization, punctuation, and clarity, he rewrites the sentence on his paper. Next he
wads the sticky note in a ball and throws it in the wastebasket. (They love that part of the process
because it gives them a chance to leave their seats and get the wiggles out.) Repeat the process
with sticky-note two and three, and eureka – they have written a paragraph! See how painless
paragraph writing can be?
Use Comic Books and Graphic Novels to Teach Writing
A clear understanding of the comic/graphic novel connection will help make the next
suggestions more meaningful, and hopefully more useful. Either the traditional comic book or
the graphic novel can be used as the tool for the writing activities described herein, but for
reasons of practicality I recommend the latter. One comic book of twenty-eight pages costs a
school about $2.40, has a one-month life expectancy, and (due to its flexibility) is a prime target
for theft. By contrast, the average graphic novel of 50-150 pages costs around $9, has a four-year
shelf life, and cannot be rolled up and stuffed up a shirtsleeve. Enough said?
The popularity of the comic is attributable to kids’ familiarity with the oft-featured superheroes
such as Hulk and Spider-Man, their passion for fantasy, the action-packed story lines, the visual
appeal, and the attention given to pop culture – what’s hot and what’s not. Adults may scoff at
these far-out characters and their superhuman accomplishments, but students can’t get enough of
them. Because of this passion, most students (4th-12th) are eager - or at least willing - to read the
comic and use it as a tool for learning the rules of punctuation and the art of composition. Some
classes (with teacher’s assistance) write and publish their own group-effort comic.
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But that’s enough background, right? It’s time to get to the nuts and bolts that explain how some
teachers are using comics to develop and enhance their students’ writing skills. There are many
viable options to consider. You will want to pick and choose the ones that fit your teaching style
and meet the needs of your students. Good luck.
Punctuation, Paragraphing, and Outlining
Rachael Sawyer Perkins, a teacher at Dolores Street Elementary School in Carson, California
uses comics and graphic novels in the classroom to teach punctuation, paragraphing, and
outlining.
Perkins says comics are a visual way of getting across the concept of using quotation marks
around narrative text. Students in her classroom learn that a dialogue balloon means the text
inside is spoken and needs be placed in quotation marks when written in prose. Using a comic
strip from the newspaper, she has students write the dialogue in standard form – using quotation
marks and phrases of attribution.
Perkins also uses comics to teach paragraphing and outlining skills. Each panel represents a
paragraph. The narrative text at the top becomes the topic sentence that communicates the main
idea of the paragraph, and the details are in the visuals and the dialogue that follows.
Narrative Structure, Genre, Pop Culture, Homophones, Characterization, and Poetry
Read Write Think, a partnership among the International Reading Association (IRA), the
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), and the MarcoPolo Education Foundation,
offers 18 free interactive lessons that uses comics to teach such skills and concepts as narrative
structure, genre, popular culture, homophones, characterization, and poetry. You can learn the
specifics of each lesson at http://www.readwritethink.org/.
Creating cartoons and comic strips is a good way to get reluctant writers writing. While creating
comics you and your students can work through the elements of fiction in a context that is fun
and familiar to them. This Free Technology for Teachers Website
[http://www.freetech4teachers.com/] is a treasure trove for teachers. Access it to find
everything you need for “10 Ways to Create Comics Online.”
Student-written Comics
The first student-written, published comic book project was developed my Dr. Michael Bitz,
senior research associate at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York. Dr. Bitz,
believing that the illustrated stories in comics had the power to improve literacy, started his first
comic book club at a New York elementary school in 2001. Since then his Comic Book Project
has been adopted by 45 other New York schools, and by schools in Baltimore, Chicago,
Cleveland, Philadelphia, Washington DC, St. Louis, and other cities. Smaller school districts
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throughout the country (and in some cases individual teachers) are now using scaled-back
variations of Bitz’s Comic Book Project.
The Comic Book Project, and similar counterparts, encourages children to make a connection
between what they write and what they draw, and it puts children in the role of creators, rather
than merely receivers of information. Children write and draw about their personal experiences,
interests, and environments. Bitz, and others who use his method, believe it engages children in
the learning process and motivates them to succeed in school, after school, and in life. You can
learn more details and see examples of published student work at www.ComicBookProject.org.
Several teachers are now in the wading pool end of the student-created-comics pool. Some do it
as a team project (four or five students work together to make one comic), and others are going
the individual route. Some use the school copier and publish the students’ work in black and
white, whereas others go the more expensive route and have it published commercially - in color.
If you are interested in having student comics commercially published, you may want to check
out the site at www.chapbooks.com. This company prints student-created comic books (cover
and all) for $5 each.
Creating comics develops organizational and critical thinking skills, from connecting ideas to
conceptualizing, executing, and editing an entire project. Making comics is writing! When kids
make stories in pictures, they’re learning to write. Go ahead; get your feet wet. The water’s fine.
Alliterations, Onomatopoeia, Puns, and Metaphors
Comics are perfect for exploring the adventurous use of words. All comics contain playful, vivid,
witty sentences that are filled with alliterations, onomatopoeia, puns and metaphors. In the
comic, words and concepts interact playfully together as they explore distant universes, span
time zones, and meet beings with altered genes from other worlds. The wise teacher will use the
comic to illustrate the fun and playful ways words can be used, and she will teach her students
how to use these words in their writing.
Building Vocabulary
Students often tackle the Weekly Vocabulary List assignment with the same amount of
enthusiasm they have for chopped liver. Well, despair not. There is a remedy. Use a pair of
scissors and comic strips from the newspaper and turn that bottom-feeder assignment into a cool
activity that kids will enjoy (really and truly) doing.
Each week, on a designated day, have students bring one or more comic strips from home.
(You‘ll want to have extras available for those who fail to meet this part of the assignment.)
Have students choose five words from their comics, record them on paper – leaving a 3 to 4 inch
space between words - and write a definition for each recorded word. Finally (this is the part they
like), let students cut out and paste the appropriate comic frame adjacent to or below each written
definition.
The Comic Creator
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Access this fun and exciting computer tool at www.ReadWriteThink.org. The Comic Creator
invites children and teens to design their own comic strips. Their creations can be just for fun or
as part of more structural learning activities: planning writing activities, before- and after-reading
activities, and responding to books.
Children and teens create comic strips online by choosing backgrounds, characters, and props.
They can also write dialogue using speech bubbles. There is a Comic Book planning sheet, a
printable PDF that comic creators can use to draft and revise their work before creating and
printing their final comics. When the comics are completed, they can be printed out and shared.
S - T - R -E - T - C - H!
Adapted from MegaSkills® by Dorothy Rich, p. 209
Tell (or remind) students that every complete sentence has a subject and a verb. This subjectand-verb combination is sometimes called a “kernel” sentence. “Boy runs” is a kernel sentence.
In this exercise students make new sentences by stretching the previous one.
Example:
Kernel sentence: Boy runs.
A boy runs.
A little boy runs.
A little boy runs fast.
A little boy runs fast to the swimming pool.
A little boy runs fast to the swimming pool and jumps in.
A little boy runs fast to the swimming pool, jumps in, and loses his trunks.
Each student can write his own stretch sentence, or it can be done as a team effort. Kids love the
team approach. It becomes a competition to see which team can come up with the longest (and/or
silliest) sentence. And as you already know, kids learn best when they are engaged and enjoy
what they are doing.
4Verb Charades
Teach or review the definition on verb as an action word. Brainstorm for verbs that can be acted
out (jiggle, wink, slam, hop, saunter, etc.). If a child suggests a violent word such as “kill,” or
any other inappropriate word, simply say that particular word is unacceptable the game you are
going to play, and move on. When a student gives an “appropriate” word, write it on an index
card and place it in a basket or box, face down.
Pick a student to be IT. IT draws a card, looks at the word (keeping it hidden from the class), and
acts it out. Of course several class members will guess the verb immediately, but THEY MUST
RAISE THEIR HAND AND BE RECOGNIZED if they want to have a turn at being IT. The
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first IT chooses a student who has his hand raised to name the verb that was enacted. If the
student’s answer is correct, he becomes the new IT. If his answer is incorrect, another student (if
his hand is up) gets a chance.
This game causes lots of squealing, grunts, and so on, but it definitely reinforces the meaning of
a verb. And needless to say, the kids love playing it. I suggest you keep your original set of
index cards, but let the kids add new verbs every time they play the game. You’ll be
surprised how much their “verb” knowledge grows throughout the year.
Umbrella Writing - Adapted from activity in MegaSkills® by Dorothy Rich; pp.204-205
The umbrella (drawn on whiteboard for modeling and subsequently reproduced on upper
lefthand corner of students’ blank papers) provides a structure to help writers organize their
thoughts. This activity can be used in the primary grades through college.
Procedure (as explained to students)
First we must have something to write about. This is called the subject. Let’s say our subject
today is “ice cream.” Above our umbrella let’s write “Ice Cream.” Now, having a subject is
necessary, but it isn’t enough for writing a paragraph. We need to write one sentence about our
subject. Who has an idea? Jamie?
“I love ice cream.”
That’s great. You told us something about the subject and that’s called “making a statement.”
Now we will write the statement (I love ice cream) on the umbrella. Okay, we’re on the right
track. We have a subject and a statement. But that still isn’t enough. Now we must explain our
statement to the reader. That’s called “proving the statement.” Everything we tell about loving
ice cream must fit under the umbrella statement. Could we write, “I love pizza” under our
umbrella statement? No, that doesn’t fit with our “I love ice cream” statement, does it? Let’s see
if we can think of some things that DO fit with our statement. We will write our “proof”
sentences under the umbrella, and when we are done we will have a paragraph!
Examples:
Ice cream is cold.
Ice cream is good on a hot day but it melts fast.
Ice cream comes in lots of flavors.
There are chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate chip, maple nut, and gobs of other kinds.
You can have ice cream in a cone or in a dish or on top of a big piece of cake.
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Use Tradebook as Writing Prompt
*Read to class: Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis.
*Instruct students to ask a parent about the night (or day) they were born.
*Students divide into small groups and let each child tell orally about his birth day.
*Teacher tells students what she knows about her birth day, and then models a written narrative
of the event.
*Students write an account of their birth day.
*Voluntary oral reading of students’ stories.
*A similar procedure can be used with countless other children’s books, including The Relatives
Came by Cynthia Rylant, Katie Woo published by Capstone – as well as others in that series that
have accompanying writing activities suggested for each book.
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Write a Cliffhanger (Idea shared by teacher, Brigid Del Carmin)
Brainstorm Halloween Words (or any major holiday), such as gloomy, creepy, black cat, goblin,
ghost, eerie, dark. Retell some of your favorite ghost stories. Read kids a book based on the
holiday you are targeting, but stop reading just prior to the ending (climax).
Explain the meaning of a “cliffhanger”. Talk about movies or books in which the ending has
been left off and we are stuck wondering what happened next. Explain that we will write our
own cliffhangers using the list of holiday words to help form ideas. When the student’s story
reaches the most exciting moment, he should stop writing.
Tell your students that you will be writing a cliffhanger at the same time they are. Collect the
students’ stories as they finish writing and save for future work.
On subsequent days invite students to read their cliffhangers to the class (no more than one a
day), and together (as a class) create an ending.
This activity allows you to teach and model story writing without making it a “lecture.”
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Rather than asking students to draw a picture to illustrate their story, try having them write a
fictional story to accompany a picture - taken from a magazine or newspaper and mounted on
tagboard. Caution: You will need to model this activity two or three times before asking kids to
do it independently. If you don’t, you’re bound to get something similar to the “story” that
follows.
I see a muther.
I see to littl kids.
The kids are hapy.
I lik the way the kids look.
The end.
Oops. That isn’t what we were looking for, right?
What you need:
*Forty or more pictures (that will appeal to kids at your grade level), mounted on tagboard
*Storage container (cardboard box covered with laminated paper or plastic tote) to house
pictures
Procedure
Day One: Introduce Activity
1. Helper of the day closes eyes and draws one picture from box
2. Teacher and students discuss what they see in the picture
3. Teacher (with students watching) makes up a story to go with the picture and writes it on the
overhead or whiteboard.
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Day Two:
1. Repeat items one and two from yesterday.
2. Teacher and students (working together) craft a story to go with the picture. Teacher writes
story on the board.
Day Three:
1. Teacher appoints one “substitute” teacher for the day’s picture-story, and one secretary to
record the story. Teacher retreats to back of room, sits down, and keeps her mouth closed.
(That’s the tough part.)
2. The substitute teacher, secretary, and class members complete the entire lesson (as previously
modeled) while teacher maintains crowd control but offers no “advice” - at that point - about
their story.
3. Teacher resumes her role and helps the class critique their process and the finished product.
Day Four:
Repeat (with a new picture, “sub,” and secretary) yesterday’s activity. It may not be necessary to
repeat yesterday’s activity with some classes. If that it the case, move on to Day 5.
Day Five:
1. Each student draws a picture from the filing container and writes a story (on paper) to go with
the picture.
2. When all (or most) have completed their work, allow students to show their picture and read
their story to the class if they choose to.
This activity is a great way to get kids to use their imagination and write creatively, but like all
writing activities, it should NOT be a daily practice. After the introductory week, use the
picture/story activity no more than once every two weeks. This helps to keep the activity fresh
and fun.
Writing Inspired by Headlines
Use newspaper headlines to jump start stories. Look through newspapers and cut out “unique”
headlines:
 Pig denied airline seat
 ATM starts spitting money
 Cell phone recovered from fish
Rather than using tabloids, look for REAL stories. Remember, truth IS stranger than fiction.
These sites publish unusual incidents:
 www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/default.htm
 www.cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews
 www.newsaol.ca/weird-news
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Two recent headlines: “Goat detained for Armed Robbery”, and “Parrot Honoured for Saving
Girl’s Life.” You may want to keep headlines in a magnetic photo album for students to browse
through when they need an idea – or want a laugh.
5Letter and Email Writing
6Letter writing as we once knew it has gone the way of the dinosaur, but many of the same
principles apply to email correspondence and to some extent - blogging.
Following are some excellent children’s books that use a letter-writing format. Use one or more
of these as a precursor to a unit on letter (or email) writing.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg is a great example of a book of letters. Goldilocks
writes a letter of apology to the Three Bears, there is a piece of junk mail for the Witch who
might need to order some ingredients for her next potion, a lawyer’s letter to the Big Bad Wolf
on behalf of Little Red Riding Hood, and more.
Thank You, Santa by Margaret Wild. The letter exchange between Samantha and Santa begins
when Samantha writes a Thank You letter to Santa, and continues with Santa’s reply about how
pleased he is to finally receive a letter of gratitude.
Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague. Ike, a misbehaving dog,
writes letters to his mistress, Mrs. LaRue.
P.S. Longer Letter Later and its sequel, Snail Mail No More by Paula Danziger and Ann M.
Martin. Both books, well suited to read aloud to middle grade students, are written as a
correspondence between two girls who maintained their friendship via letters (in the first book)
and emails (second book) after one of the girls moved with her family to a new community.
Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague
Have your students practice writing an informative email (or letter if you choose) to one of the
following:
1. A favorite book character
2. A near-age acquaintance or friend in another school (town, state, country)
3. A senior (as in over 70) who has limited or no contact with young people
4. A favorite author
5. A school official concerning a rule that you think should be changed
6. Candy company – tell them how much your class enjoys their candy
7. Military personnel
8. Across town pen pal (another grade level and/or a different school)
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Apostrophe Collage
This activity (for fourth, fifth, or sixth graders) works best when it is done over a two or threeday period.
Day One: Review when and where apostrophe marks are used. Students take turns writing a
sentence (using one or more apostrophes) on the overhead on whiteboard, and class members
explain the reason for each apostrophe.
Day Two: Each class member is given a magazine (preferably) or newspaper, and a 12 X 18
colored sheet of construction paper. Students cut out captions, headlines, advertisements, or text
that contains an apostrophe, and glue it onto the construction paper – collage style, with edges
overlapping. Using a black magic marker, number each entry.
Day Three: On a 9 X 12 sheet of white paper, starting with number one, write the numeral that
corresponds with the numbered entry on the collage, followed by the “rule” or reason that an
apostrophe was used in that entry. Example: Caption number one reads, “Family’s Home
Destroyed by Fire.” Student writes…1. The home belongs to the family.
Freewriting simply means putting pen to paper and writing whatever comes into your head. It is
a useful tool for generating ideas and discovering attitudes. The key here is to keep writing, even
when you are having difficulty thinking of something to say. Some teachers say the pen must not
to leave the paper. Teachers might devote as few as five minutes of class time to freewriting. The
teacher ALWAYS supplies the topic (or question).
ME:
This is another good writing activity that is hard to describe because I’m NOT very good (in fact
I’m terrible) at using the computer “draw” program. So…bear with me. (I learned about this
activity from another Independence teacher, Nancy White.) Write the word “ME” in huge block
letters (horizontally) on 12” X 18” paper. With a fine-tip black marker, write the following
sentence starters and draw lines (within the letters M and E) where the students will complete
their sentences. (Some lines will be vertical, some horizontal, and some slanted.) Display the ME
posters in the hallway.
 I am _______________________________________.
 I am good at _________________________________.
 I’m not so good at _____________________________.
 I like _______________________________________.
 I don’t like ___________________________________.
 I wish _______________________________________.
 I think _______________________________________.
 I feel ________________________________________.
Like all writing activities, try not to impose a time limit. Let each kid work at his own pace – as
long as he isn’t deliberately screwing around in an attempt to “dodge the bullet.”
Guess What?
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1. Each student picks one item in the classroom to describe, but he does not tell his
classmates what the item is.
2. Teacher sets the timer for 2 minutes (or however long you choose).
3. When the timer starts, players write as many sentences as possible describing their object,
but not naming it. Encourage the use of adjectives.
4. Players can team up with a partner and try to determine what item his partner wrote
about, or students can take turns reading their descriptions to the entire class and let
everyone guess.
5. Play this game a few rounds, and each round increase the amount of time each player
writes about the object.
This kind of happy, supportive, experimental play is where great literary habits can get their
start. So get ready to describe!
Infomercial
This dual activity offers dual benefits: writing for a purpose and speaking in front of an audience.
Day One: Each student writes a short commercial about an exciting place he has visited. This can
be a vacation spot, day trip, local outing, or Grandpa’s farm.
Day Two: Pair students up and cooperatively edit both pieces of work.
Day Three: Using yesterday’s pairs, each student reads (as he would from a teleprompter) his
commercial to his infomercial partner, and together they tweak the presentations.
Day Four:
Lights, camera, action. Students take turns sitting behind the teacher’s desk (the news’ anchor
desk), and read – hopefully with expression – their infomercial to the entire class.
It’s in the Bag
[Learning and using the parts of speech]
Parts of speech can be a difficult and dreary concept for many kids, but you can quickly turn that
around with this fun learning game. Teach or review the eight (depending on the grade level)
parts of speech – but never more than one a day.
Noun: a naming word. It names a person, place, thing, idea, living creature, quality, or action.
Examples: cowboy, theater, box, thought, tree, kindness, arrival
Verb: describes an action (doing something) or a state (being something). Examples: walk, talk,
think, believe, live, like, want
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Adjective: describes a noun. It tells you something about the noun. Examples: big, yellow, thin,
amazing, beautiful, quick, important
Adverb: usually describes a verb. It tells you how something is done. It may also tell you when
or where something happened. Examples: slowly, intelligently, well, yesterday, tomorrow, here,
everywhere
Pronoun: used instead of a noun, to avoid repeating the noun. Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we,
they
Preposition: usually comes before a noun, pronoun or noun phrase. It joins the noun to some
other part of the sentence. Examples: on, in, by, with, under, through, at
Conjunction: joins two words, phrases or sentences together. Examples: but, so, and, because,
or
Interjection: an unusual kind of word, because it often stands alone. Interjections are words
which express emotion or surprise, and they are usually followed by exclamation marks.
Examples: Ouch!, Hello!, Hurray!, Oh no!, Ha!
1. Prepare for the game by labeling eight brown bags with a different part of speech.
Brainstorm and write on index cards 10-20 words for each category - one word per card.
2. Place cards in bag that fits its part of speech.
3. To play, pick out one word from each bag and use those words to build a long sentence.
This can be played alone, but kids really enjoy doing it with a partner or team.
4. When they get tired of the sentence building, have them dump all the words onto the
table, scramble them up, and correctly replace each word back into its corresponding
parts of speech bag.
Incredible Person [one month writing activity; 4th gd. and above]
Resource: Grosset & Dunlap’s Who Was? series: 42 books available @ $4.99
John F. Kennedy; Mark Twain; Ben Franklin; Elvis Presley; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Louie
Armstrong; Marco Polo; Queen Elizabeth; Harry Houdini; Anne Frank; Harry Houdini;
Leonardo da Vinci; King Tut; Ronald Regan; Harriet Tubman; Amelia Earhart; and so forth
1. Student chooses an Incredible Person – Reads book; Consults one other Print Resource;
Does Internet Search
2. Each student stores all research findings, works in progress, and completed activities in a
file folder labeled Incredible Person by studen’s name.
3. Using a pattern, make a 6” X 6” cube (referred to as the Bio Cube Planning Cube) out of
construction paper or lightweight tagboard.
4. Each student completes a Bio Cube Planning Sheet (this step will take at least a week),
and then transfers the information to four sides of the Bio Cube – as outlined below.
Side 1:
Person’s Name
Dates (birth-death)
Where were they born?
What caused their death? Where are they buried?
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Side 2: Background
Where did he/she grow up? What things did he/she like to do? Schooling? Brothers and/or
sisters? Did he/she marry?
Side 3: Personality
What did people think of your person during his lifetime? Is that perception any different
today? Do you think you would have liked this person as a friend? Did your person have any
faults or strange habits? Was your person “popular” and outgoing, or more of a loner?
Side 4: Significance
What did your person do that was important? Did his or her contribution affect the way we
live today?
5. Each student gets a blank timeline with room for ten entries. The birth date and notation
is recorded as the first entry, and the date of death and cause goes in the tenth spot.
Students should try to fill in as many of the remaining eight spots – in chronological
order – as possible.
6. Each student writes “An Important Poem” about his Incredible Person, using this
template:
The important thing about _________is that (why he/she is famous)_________.
(S)he (something special that he/she accomplished).
(S)he also (list a second accomplishment) and (third accomplishment).
But the most important thing about (name) is that he was (writer’s personal opinion).
7. Students write an acrostic poem about their Incredible Person, using the letters in the
word I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E.
8. Students make their Incredible Person out of pipe cleaners, dressed in construction paper,
fabric, aluminum foil, doll clothes, yarn, or a combination of materials. If you have no
experience making pipe cleaner people, you may want to enter “pipe cleaner art” in your
favorite search engine. There are many sites that give helpful hints and tips. Or, if you are
still lucky enough to have a “special” Art teacher in your building, ask her if she would
like to do this part of the project in art class. The student may want to glue his completed
pipe cleaner on the front of his Incredible Person folder, but that should be optional.
9. Culminating Activity: Parent’s Night
Invite parents to come and meet some of the incredible people who helped make our
world a better place. Encourage each student to dress in costume similar to what how his
or her Incredible Person might have dressed. Have students take turns telling the audience
about his Special Somebody. And at the end of the evening, “invite” parents and
grandparents to leave a $5 donation to help purchase more “WHO WAS?” books. Don’t
be surprised if you find several $20 bills in your “gift box.”
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The Dreaded Rewrite
If there’s anything kids hate more than the deadly rewrite, I have not heard of it. Teachers
throughout the country tell me how forcefully their students resist this traditional assignment,
and kids confirm that assessment when I go to their classroom as a “visiting author.” An Iowa
fourth grader (not from my home district) summed it up this way.
“Mrs. Breitbach is a cool teacher except when she makes us write our stuff over. Then she
stinks.” (Mrs. Breitbach was sitting less than a stone’s throw from Sir Big Mouth.)
“Oh, really,” I responded. “And why do you think Mrs. Breitbach sometimes makes you
rewrite?”
“SOMETIMES? We have to do it ALL the time! I think she does it just to keep us busy so that
she has time to correct our worksheets - and think up more dumb stuff for us to write about.”
Mrs. Breitbach laughed, but I suspect deep down she wanted to throttle the little varmint.
Is there a way to make the dreaded rewrite more palatable? None that I’m aware of. We will,
however, take away a lot of the pain (and entice kids to write better) if we dangle a carrot (no
rewrite necessary) in front of their nose.
Method:
Require rewrites only when a student’s written work (a paragraph or longer) falls below what
each student (in your opinion) is capable of doing. Grade the students’ written work on a point
system appropriate to your grade level. Example: If you teach second grade you may want to
grade on strands 1, 2, and 3 (See below). In that case, students who earn a 2 or 3 will NOT have
to rewrite. Those who get a 1 or 0 will conference with the teacher and then rewrite. You must
take individual differences into account when you grade writing papers. In other words, an
intellectually challenged student could receive a 3 on a paper that might get a 1 if written by a
gifted child. Fifth graders should probably be accountable for all eight strands (as listed below),
and therefore their starting score - before deductions - would be 8.
Each completed writing assignment (regardless of student’s ability) starts with the number of
points that correlates with the skills you are targeting. One point is deducted when the student
“bombs” an entire strand. Remember to allow for individual differences when you take away
points. It is perfectly acceptable to demand (and reward) higher quality work from some than you
do from others. For example, you might want to deduct a punctuation point from Ms. Gifted if
she makes two errors, whereas you may choose to leave Mr. Struggle’s punctuation score intact
despite his five mistakes. Caution: You must note errors in some manner, even if you do not
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deduct points. They will never learn to do better if they don’t realize they are doing something
wrong or poorly.
Strands:
Each strand (not each error) is worth one point. It’s up to you (a subjective decision) to
determine whether or not a student should have a point deducted for a strand.
1. Capitalization
2. Punctuation
3. Spelling [Applicable only to basic sight words and those that have already been taught as a
spelling word.] Disregard spelling errors of words that students in your grade are not expected to
know.
4. Complete sentences, or fragments
5. Sensibility (Does the written work make sense?)
6. Reader appeal (Does every sentence start with the same word? If so, it lacks reader appeal.)
7. Introductory Sentence. (Does it put the reader to sleep, or catch his interest?)
8. Final paragraph. (Does it tie the piece together?)
If kids know they can avoid the dreaded rewrite by writing as well as they possibly can (the first
time around), they work harder, write better, and have more fun. And nobody will call you Mrs.
Stinky-Face!
You (the teacher) do not have to correct everything your students write. Students should
write four times as much as the teacher corrects. Suggestion: Do four timed (15-20 min.)
writing activities a month. At end of month student staples the four together and puts the ONE he
wants graded on the top.
Answer the Question:
This quick and simple exercise will improve students’ written responses to exam questions. If
you do only one writing-across-the-curriculum activity, make it this one. Begin each content
class period by asking a question about previously covered material. Students write (and hand in)
their answer on a 3 X 5 index card. All responses must be written as complete sentences – no
single words or lists. I suggest a 3-minute time limit for this activity. You do not have to correct,
grade, or hand back these responses, but you will need to give them a cursory glance each day in
order to determine which students need more attention with this skill.
Classroom Publishing
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I learned about this site/service via my 4th grade (at the time) grandson. His school in Ankeny,
Iowa participated, and I was very impressed. Go to www.nationwide-learning.com for details.
Thumbnail description: Free student publishing program generates writing excitement among
students because their efforts result in full-color, hardbound, professionally published books.
Parents have the option of purchasing a book for $14.95. If a school guarantees a minimum of 80
student writers, they are given $2,000 of free books.
http://www.comicmaster.org.uk/
Comic Master Graphic Novel Creator allows you to create a short graphic novel for free.
 Decide how you want the pages of your graphic novel to look
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Add backgrounds
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Choose character and props to appear in your scenes
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Add dialog and captions
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Add special effects
When you are satisfied with your work you can save and print it.
Weekly Newsletter for Student Writers (markets, contests, grants, and more)
Freelance writer Hope Clark publishes a weekly newsletter (The Writing Kid) strictly for student
writers. She publishes student writing on her site (and pays kids a nominal fee for their work),
and provides an incredible amount of useful information. If you have students who have a flair
for writing or enjoy dabbling with it, refer them to this site. It really is a treasure trove.
www.fundsforwriters.com/writingkid.htm
End of Year Writing Activity
Have this year's kids write letters to next year's kids. Suggest topics to include such as behaviors
to avoid so they don't get in trouble, advice for getting their work done, some treats to look
forward to, and what cool projects new students can expect. These letters will make the transition
to your class easier, and it's a great practice on letter-writing skills for your current kids as well.
It’s up to you as to how (or if) you use these letters once they’re in your possession, but I would
probably pass them out and use them as a first-day-of-school ice breaker.
DOL (Daily Oral Language)
Many teachers think DOL teaches kids how to write correctly. It doesn’t. Students using DOL
learn how to edit printed material, but that “knowledge” does not enable them to write better. For
example, if the DOL sentence reads: “Tommy said I was borned on July 14 1998,” most fourth
graders can make the necessary corrections (commas, quotation marks, and dropping the “ed”
from “borned”). BUT...ask a fourth grader to write an original sentence using quotation marks
and a comma, and you’re apt to get a deer-in-the-headlights gaze. Kids learn to write by writing,
not by editing that which someone else has written.
I understand why teachers throughout the country use DOL. For starters, it’s part of the
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mandated curriculum in most districts. Secondly, teachers don’t have the time to let kids write as
often or as much as they should. But there is a solution. If you can’t bring yourself to discontinue
DOL (or your district won’t allow it), split the difference. Try an every other day routine: One
day do DOL, the next day tell your students to write two original sentences using a date, a
person’s name, a series of three, quotation marks, or whatever skill needs attention. To save
teacher correcting time and your sanity, partner your students (a different pair each writing
period) and let them check each other’s work as a team of two. I think you’ll find that kids learn
more when they discuss their work with a peer than when the teacher does the correcting and
hands it back at the end of the day, or worse yet - the following day.
DOL Update:
If you’re willing to at least consider an alternative to DOL, go to
http://www.stenhouse.com/html/andersonwebcast.htm and watch Jeff Anderson’s powerful and
fascinating presentation to teachers via a 45-minute webcast. “In the classic daily oral language
drill,” Anderson says, “a teacher puts up a sentence filled with errors and students shout out all
the things that are wrong with it.” Anderson wonders about the messages that students are taking
away: “The brain absorbs the patterns it sees all day,” says Anderson. “I don't think it's a good
idea to look at bad patterns.” I totally agree.
Instead of leading students on a scavenger hunt for errors, Anderson posts a mentor sentence
from a writer he admires, and invites students to notice its characteristics and then imitate its
structure. You can watch Anderson demonstrate the activity to a group of a dozen teachers and
staff developers from around the country by visiting the site listed above. I do hope you’ll take
the time to watch the webcast because I think it may prompt you to trade your DOL minutes for
an activity that is far more beneficial to students.
WHY D.O.L. DOESN’T WORK
(Excerpts from article written by Mark Pennington, MA Reading Specialist)
1. D.O.L. is proofreading, not sentence construction. As such, D.O.L. is error-correction, not
meaning-making. Jeff Anderson, author of Everyday Editing, calls these activities “error-filled
fix-a-thons.”
2. D.O.L. has no scope and sequence. It is random, repetitive, and hodgepodge. Many D.O.L.
programs claim to offer grade level editions. Who determined that parentheses are at third grade
instructional level and semi-colons are at the fourth grade instructional level?
3. D.O.L. is implicit, part to whole instruction, divorced from any meaningful writing
context. Correction is not teaching, and D.O.L. has effective teacher prompts to teach the
grammatical concepts.
4. D.O.L. aims to teach writing without writing. Would a seamstress teach sewing by having
her students spend all their time analyzing stitching errors? No. To sew, you have to practice
sewing. To write, you have to practice writing.
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5. D.O.L. involves little critical thinking. Writing involves decision-making about why and
how sentences should be constructed for different rhetorical purposes. Grammar needs to be
explored, not just edited.
6. D.O.L. is not diagnostic. D.O.L. has too much repetition of what students already know, and
not enough practice in what students do not know.
7. D.O.L. rehearses errors and imprints them in the long-term memories of students. The
more visual and auditory imprints of errors, the more they will be repeated in future student
writing.
8. D.O.L. correction does not transfer to student writing. Student fed a steady diet of D.O.L.
throughout elementary, middle, and high school will repeat the same old comma errors in the
university setting. D.O.L. simply does not teach “deep learning.”
9. D.O.L. is bad test prep. Although teachers often advocate use of D.O.L. for this purpose, the
multiple choice of standardized tests is dissimilar. Tests generally ask “which is right?” not
“which is wrong?”
10. D.O.L. uses bad writing models to teach good writing. It teaches what is wrong, not what
is right. Although some error analysis can certainly be beneficial, at least as much time should be
spent analyzing what makes good writing so good. Good “mentor texts” from both professional
authors and student authors can teach what students should aspire to and emulate.
11. D.O.L. teaches from ignorance. “If they don’t become familiar with the concepts they are
asked to edit for BEFORE they are asked to edit, of course they won’t do it well. How could
they? How can you tell if something like a mark is missing if you don’t know where it is
supposed to be in the first place?” and “But do we start history class with all the wrong dates and
names on the board and ask kids to fix them? Kid need to learn the concepts first. Students
cannot show what they do not know.
12. D.O.L. doesn’t teach the whys and hows of grammar and mechanics. Math teachers do
not just teach the process of long division; they also teach the concepts behind the process, using
examples, manipulatives, etc. to provide the “deep thinking” that students need. Students need to
know why commas set apart appositives, for example. Students need to know how position of
word choice affects meaning, for example.
13. D.O.L. isolates writing instruction from student writing. Students are invested in their
own writing, not in that of pre-packaged print shown on the overhead, LCD projector, or
SMART board®. Relevance and personal connection motivates student buy-in.
14. D.O.L. does not provide enough practice. One isolated error correction does not teach to
mastery. Good teaching involves instruction and immediate guided practice, followed by
independent practice with teacher feedback. D.O.L. is throw-it-all-against-the-wall-and-hopesome-of-it-sticks instruction, not the targeted practice that students need to learn and retain the
grammatical and mechanical concepts.
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15. D.O.L. is boring. Ask students. They almost universally characterize D.O.L. as “repetitive,
irrelevant, unhelpful, and a waste of time.”
16. D.O.L. has little research base to indicate that it works. Why use what does not work,
when workable, effective alternatives are available for effective instruction in grammar and
mechanics?
If you’re looking for an instructional curriculum that incorporates diagnostic assessment,
effective direct instruction with balanced mentor text and error analysis, and targeted grammar
and mechanics worksheets to differentiate instruction, you may want to check out Teaching
Grammar and Mechanics, and it companion, Teaching Essay Strategies. The teacher resources
are easy-to-use, require little teacher prep, and won’t consume your entire instructional day.
A New Twist For An Old Task – The Weekly Spelling List
Taken from IRA’s monthly newsletter (Feb. 2011), Inspire
There are some words your students need to know as they move up through the grades and
encounter increasingly complex topics and texts. Direct, explicit instruction can work well for
these. But not all of the words students study need to come from you or your instructional
materials.
Try the Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy to motivate your students by putting some control in
their hands.
Every Monday, every student in your class should come prepared to suggest a word for the
weekly list. The words can come from just about anything—content area texts, personal reading,
television or YouTube videos, songs, or conversations—anywhere that matters to each student.
To nominate a word, the student has to pronounce and spell it, tell the class where it came from,
and say what he thinks it means.
The whole class then votes on which words to include on the list—maybe five to ten words for
intermediate grades, and more for upper-elementary, middle, or high schoolers. When the list is
finalized, lead a whole-class discussion to refine definitions (and assign some dictionary work
where needed).
Students should write the selected words in a vocabulary journal and, throughout the week, the
class can revisit the list to discuss the words. If your curriculum requires weekly spelling lists of
prescribed words, add a few of the student-selected words to the weekly test. Track results: Do
you think students will do better with the prescribed words, or with their own word choices? If
you have flexibility with your spelling instruction, use the entire list of student selections—and
also ask students to dazzle you with sentences that include their words.
Provide opportunities for kids to write about things that interest them.
 Write about something that irritates you
 Make a list of ten things you wonder about (Remember: I go; you go)
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Each student writes one boring word at the top of a paper – such as “water.” Pass the
paper to the next student who writes ONE interesting question that could be of interest
that pertains to the boring word. Keep passing the papers so that every student writes one
question for every boring word. If there are 23 kids in the class there will be 23 boring
words followed by 23 questions when the assignment is completed. This may (probably
will) take more than one day to complete.
Good first week of school (biographical) writing activity. (It sure beats the traditional “What
did you do this summer?” assignment.)Teacher models this first and then assigns it for the kids.
 Write five statements about yourself. One must be true and four should be false. Let each
kid tell which one he/she thinks is true. When all have “voted,” tell them the correct
answer. Write a story on the whiteboard – as the kids look on – giving the background
information and supporting details that pertain to the true statement.
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Assignment: Kids write 5 statements (4 false and one true) about themselves.
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Following day display each student’s list on Smartboard and let class discuss their
opinions. The correct answer should NOT be revealed at that time.
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The next day students write a story to about their TRUE statement.
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On Day 4 students read their stories to the class if they choose to.
Use Facebook Profiles (template) for Character Analysis (high school)
http://www.teach4real.com/2011/03/28/lesson-plan-using-facebook-profiles-for-characteranalysis/ Lesson plan by Matt Amaral (Teach4Real)
Use Digital Tools to Teach Writing
http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2011/04/04/02digital.h04.html?cmp=ENL-EUNEWS2#video
LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART
Writing may be the most difficult subject to teach. Given the enormous amount of time and
energy it takes, combined with problems such as language barriers, intellectual limitations,
physical impairments, and absurd school policies, it is no wonder that so many good teachers
have thrown in the towel and barely teach writing at all.
But, I urge you to not give up. Writing might be the key that unlocks a child’s heart. We all
strive to make connections with our students. We build bridges reading, solving problems
together, at classroom parties, on field trips, and at recess. Yet it is the power of the written word
that can change a life. Children often choose to write things (if given the opportunity) that they
feel are too shameful or embarrassing to say out loud - even in a one-to-one setting.
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As teachers we are obligated to hear about our students’ joys, sorrows, victories, defeats, fears,
and dreams. They may not be able to tell us how they are feeling or what they need, but they can
show us through their written words. Please listen with your heart. You may be the only one who
does.
A few years ago beginning teacher Erin Gruwell listened with her heart when she was confronted
with 150 “at risk” ninth graders in Long Beach, California. The class was a diverse mix of
African-American, Latino, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Caucasian students, many of whom had
grown up in rough neighborhoods. In the first few weeks the students made it clear that they
were not interested in what Ms. Gruwell had to say, and they made bets about how long she
would last.
One day in early November Erin angrily intercepted the drawing of a racial caricature of an
African-American student that was being circulated in the classroom. After staring at the
drawing for a few seconds she said, loudly and forcefully, that it was every bit as disgusting as
were the Nazi caricatures of Jews during the Holocaust. To her amazement, she discovered that
many of her students had never heard of the Holocaust. Ms. Gruwell then asked how many of the
students in her class had been shot at. Almost all of them raised their hands and they began
lifting their shirts to show their scars. This show-and-tell experience left Erin Gruwell shocked,
and it inspired her to take advantage of the powerful energy she had sparked.
Over the next four years Erin Gruwell taught her students to use writing as a means of fighting
back against the labels they had been given, and she helped them succeed despite the odds. She
transformed those 150 “unteachable” students into a group of compassionate, determined young
men and women instead of the doomed nobodies they originally saw themselves to be. Their
journal entries, which make up The Freedom Writers Diary, graphically and realistically portray
life in the intercity. The book made the New York Times bestseller list, and in 2007 was made
into a movie starring Hilary Swank as Erin.
This is Why I Teach
The following story, by Whitney L. Grady, is excerpted from A Cup of Comfort for Teachers,
heartwarming stories of people who mentor, motivate, and inspire.
I know my students. Masses of awkward seventh graders swarm the halls of my rural middle
school each day, hauling backpacks over one shoulder, talking and shuffling along the tile
hallway floor from class to class. I watch them like a general from my post (my classroom door)
and smile at the fact that I can call each one by name.
I know their secrets, their stories. Dora slouches and is shy, and I know it is because she spends
all her time at home trying not to get noticed, so she won’t feel the brunt of her stepfather’s
angry hand. Jay can pitch like a tenth grader, and all the girls swoon when he and his blond hair
strut by, but I know he doesn’t really even like baseball that much (he plays because his dad
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wants him to) and he is too scared to ask out the girl he likes. The kids think Keith is just the
class clown, but I know of his dreams to become an astronaut (and I’ve recommended him for
space camp). I know my students because I am their writing teacher. They trust me with their
stories and so I am given the privilege of having a secret bond with each and every one of them.
I teach my students about the power of words, and I try to let them find release and expression
through writing. We learn to trust each other in writing class because we learn how hard it is to
write openly and honestly, and we learn that sharing your words takes courage. I see courage
every day in my classroom, and I am always amazed at the words that come from my students’
hearts.
One such example of courage took place during author’s chair, a sharing session at the end of our
writer’s workshop in which students volunteer to share what they have written. We had a new
student to the school, Al. Al was small and, with his dimpled cheeks and baby face, he looked
younger than his classmates.
In fact, when Al was first introduced to the class two weeks earlier, one student said, “You’re not
in the seventh grade. You’re a baby.”
To that, Al quickly responded, “I’m Al Billslington, and I am in the seventh grade.”
Despite his obvious courage, Al had been with us for only a short while and was still trying to fit
in, so I was a little surprised when he volunteered to read during author’s chair. I had one of
those teacher moments, when I smiled and nodded for him to read, while inside I said a silent
prayer that the other students would not tease the new kid after he read. The room fell silent, and
Al began to read.
“If I had one wish, it would be to meet my dad. . . .” He started out loud and clear and held the
attention of my usually restless seventh graders as he read on for what seemed like fifteen
minutes. He told of how he had never known his father, who had left the family when Al was a
baby. He shared the intimate details of his struggles to be the only man in the house at such a
young age, of having to mow the lawn and fix broken pipes. He revealed to us the thoughts that
raced through his mind constantly about where his father might be and why he might have left.
My eyes scanned the room for snickering faces of seventh grade kids who I knew were prone to
jump at a weakness and try to crack a joke, but there were no snickers. There were no rolling
eyes or gestures insinuating boredom or pending attacks. All of my seventh grade students were
listening, really listening. Their eyes were on Al, and they were absorbing his words like
sponges. My heart was full.
Al continued on, telling of nightmares at night, of never knowing a man so important to him, yet
so unreal. I could hear his voice growing shaky as he read such passionate and honest words, and
I saw a tear roll down one of his dimpled cheeks. I looked to the audience. There were tears on
Jessica’s face and on the faces of a few others seated quietly, intently listening.
They are letting him do this, I thought. They are allowing him to share something he perhaps has
never shared before, and they aren’t judging him or teasing him. I felt a lump in my own throat.
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Al finished, struggling now to read his last sentence. “If I had one wish, it would be to meet my
dad, so I wouldn’t . . .” His tears were rolling now, and so were ours, “. . . so I wouldn’t have to
close my eyes in bed every night just wondering what he looks like.”
Without any cue from me, the class stood up and applauded. Al smiled from ear to ear as they all
rushed him with hugs. I was floored.
This is why I teach. I teach because I am allowed to learn the stories behind the faces. I teach
because I can watch kids grow and laugh and learn and love. I teach because of students like Al.
A teacher wrote…
"A woman without her man is nothing" on the chalkboard and asked his students to
punctuate it correctly.
All of the males in the class wrote: "A woman, without her man, is nothing."
All the females in the class wrote: "A woman: without her, man is nothing."
Grammar lesson for TEACHERS ONLY:
On his 69th birthday, a man got a gift certificate from his wife. The certificate paid for a visit to a medicine
man living on a nearby reservation who was rumored to have a wonderful cure for erectile dysfunction.
After being persuaded, he drove to the reservation, handed his ticket to the medicine man and wondered
what he would be getting.
The old medicine man slowly, methodically produced a potion, said some words in his native language
and handed it to him, and with a grip on his shoulder, warned, "This is powerful medicine and it must be
respected. You take only a teaspoonful and then say '1-2-3'."
"When you do that, you will become more manly than you have ever been in your life and you can
perform as long as you want."
The man was encouraged. As he walked away, he turned and asked, "How do
I stop the medicine from working?
The medicine man replied, "Your partner must say '1-2-3-4.' But when she does the medicine will not
work again until the next full moon."
He was very eager to see if it worked so he went home, showered, shaved, took a spoonful of the
medicine, and then invited his wife to join him in the bedroom. When she came in, he took off his clothes
and said, "1-2-3!"
Immediately, he was the manliest of men.
His wife became very excited and began throwing off her clothes. And then she asked, "What was the 12-3 for?"
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And that, dear teachers of grammar, is why we should never end our sentences with a preposition,
because we could end up with a dangling participle.
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