Mentor Texts: Imitation,
Inspiration, and
Improvement
Using mentor texts in
the teaching of writing...
Higher Order Concerns
• Ideas, organization
• How can Ernest Hemingway
help with HOCs?
Lower Order Concerns
• Word choice, sentence
structure
• How can Eminem help with
LOCs?
Rhythmic Prose: the original
• Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” music contributes to
a striking Chrysler commercial.
– aired Superbowl 2012
– set in Detroit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc&feature=player_detailpage -
Rhythmic prose: the text unpacked
I got a question for ya. What does this city know about luxury,
huh? What does a town that’s been to hell and back know
about the finer things in life? Well I’ll tell ya. More than
most. You see, it’s the hottest fires that make the hardest
steel. Add hard work and conviction and the know-how that
runs generations deep in every last one of us. That’s who we
are. That’s our story. Now it’s probably not the one you’ve
been reading in the papers. The one being written by folks
who’ve never even been here, who don’t know what we’re
capable of. Because when it comes to luxury it’s as much
about where it’s from as who it’s for. Now we’re from
America, but this isn’t New York City. Or the Windy City. Or
Sin City. And we’re certainly no one’s Emerald City.
This is the Motor City. And this is what we do.
Rhythmic Prose: Playing with
Structure
• Harry Noden’s Image Grammar likens the writer to an
‘artist’ and writing acts to ‘brushstrokes.’
• In terms of parallel structure:
• Literal
That’s who we are. That’s our story.
• Grammatical
Structures connected with conjunctions
Add hard work and conviction and the know-how
that runs generations deep in every last one of us.
Structures created with repeated phrases
This is the Motor City. And this is what we do.
Clauses
The one being written by folks who’ve never even been here, who don’t know what
we’re capable of.
Popular Digital Texts & Teaching
Writing
– Digital texts are...
• All around us.
• Easily accessible.
– Digital texts help students…
•
•
•
•
•
Stay engaged.
Make classroom-to-life connections.
Recognize various grammars.
Develop a ‘common vocab’ for discussing grammar.
Experiment with word choice, structure/form, punctuation,
and rhythm.
• Add ‘brushstrokes’ to their ‘artist palettes’ (Noden)
Let’s Experiment!
• Take a few minutes to review your Fletcher inspired
memoir and Lyon inspired poem. Choose one.
• Let’s spice this piece up with ‘brushstrokes’:
– Note existing or add literal repetition to your piece. What
are its effects?
– Note existing or add grammatical repetition to your piece.
What are its effects?
• How do we work with or envision working with mentor
texts in our classrooms?
– Copy-change poetry? Memoir? Digital texts?
‘Brushstrokes’?