Teen Brains
Adapted from Teen Brains mini-unit by Beth Rimer,
Ohio Writing Project by Perry Public Schools teachers
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Day 1
Ways to Use Sources
Illustrating – When writers use
specific examples or facts from a
text to support what they want
to say.
Examples:
The 18-wheeler carries
lots of cargo,
representing “material to
think about: anecdotes,
images, scenarios, data.”
(Harris)
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
“argues that”
“claims that”
“acknowledges that”
“emphasizes that”
“tells the story of “
“reports that”
“believes that”
Leeanne Bordelon, NSU Writing Project, 2014
Example of Illustrating
Examples of Illustrating taken from “The Early Bird
Gets the Bad Grade” by Nancy Kalish
“When high schools in Fayette County in Kentucky
delayed their start times to 8:30 a.m., the number of
teenagers involved in car crashes dropped, even as
they rose in the state.”
Ways to Use Sources
● Authorizing – When writers
quote an expert or use the
credibility or status of a source
to support their claims.
Joseph Bauxbaum, a researcher at the Mount Sinai School of
Medicine, found …
… , according to Susan Smith, principal of a school which
encourages student cell phone use.
A study conducted by the Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy
Center revealed that …
Leeanne Bordelon, NSU Writing Project, 2014
Example of Authorizing
Examples of Authorizing taken from “High schools
with late start times help teens but bus schedules
and after-school can conflict”
“…the focus on logistics is frustrating for Heather
Macintosh, spokeswoman for a national
organization called Start School Later…. “What Is
the priority?” she said. “It should be education,
health and safety.”
Teen Brain Graphic
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
What do you think?
● What do you think about this image as an
example of teenage brains or how teens live
their lives?
● Share your writing
● Add a “For example . . . .”
● Share
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Day 2
Make this chart on your paper
It Says
I Say
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Video Instructions
● As you watch the video . . .
○ Under “It Says”
• Take notes that explain how the teenage brain
works
• Also, write down words and phrases that stick
out to you
Second viewing,
• Add any additional notes you missed last time
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Share your notes
with your neighbor
Add any new ideas to
your notes
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
I SAY . . .
● Under “I Say”
○
Across from each “It Says” note,
•
Write your reactions, responses, comments,
questions, agreements, or disagreements to the
video notes
• Share!
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Day 3
Refresh Your Memory
Reread your writing and notes
on teen brains.
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
● What do you think about
the teen brain now?
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Use the sentence starters to include
information in your writing.
Disagree
Agree
Think about ways to add information from a source to
your writing. Use a sentence starter to add evidence
and then explain your thinking.
○ “As _____ says,”
○ “The video text explains …”
○ “According to …”
○ “Supporting my example, …”
“Although the video says …”
○ “While the video text explains …”
○
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Day 4
WE’RE GOING
TO ADD TO
OUR THINKING & WRITING
WITH
MORE INFORMATION ON
TEEN BRAINS!
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
VIP Notes
(Very Important Post-It Notes)
●Use only 3 post-it notes of
each color
●Pink=Important Information
●Blue= Things that strike you
or challenge your thinking
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Continue Your Thinking
●Begin a new writing using
information from the new text.
●Use sentence frames to
introduce the information.
●Explain what you think
about the evidence.
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Sentence Starters
“The video text explains …”
○ “As _____ says,”
○ “According to …”
○ “Supporting my example, …”
○ “Just as the video …”
○ “Although the video says …”
○ “While the video text explains …”
○ “In addition …”
○
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Exit Slip—Notecard Claim
● Read over your
writing so far and use
the note card to write a
claim about teenage
brains and the choices
teens make.
Beth Rimer, Ohio Writing Project for NWP CRWP funded by the Department of Education
Day 5
Let’s Review!
● Let’s Review our Notes & previous writing on the
Teen Brain
○
○
○
○
○
Picture & writing response
Video & writing response
“It Says/I Say” chart
Article & writing response
Note card Claim
The 40 Minute Kernel Essay
Attention
grabber
and my
claim on
the
Issue
Here's
what I’ve
learned
But this fact
really
convinces
me
I now
believe
The 35 Minute Kernel Essay
3 minutes
Attention
grabber
and my
claim on
the Issue
Write an introduction that
provides an interesting detail
about teen brains to grab the
reader’s attention.
Then state your claim on “The
Teen Brain” and choices teens
make.
The 40 Minute Kernel Essay
● 4 minutes
Select 2-3 pieces of evidence that
provide information to support your
claim.
Here's what
I’ve learned
● 10 minutes
State a reason you believe this claim.
Insert evidence using sentence
starters to write what you’ve learned
about teen brains. Connect and
explain how the evidence supports
your claim.
The 40 Minute Kernel Essay
● 3 minutes
But this
fact really
convinces
me
Identify 1-2 pieces of evidence that
seem most convincing. Maybe a fact
from research or a quote from an
authority
● 10 minutes
State the reason this seems most
important. Introduce the evidence
with the sentence starter, “According
to…” Explain how this evidence
supports your claim.
The 33 Minute Kernel Essay
3 minutes
I now
believe
Write a final few sentences as a
conclusion, perhaps restating
your claim.
Searching for Ways You Used Sources
● Trade papers with a partner.
● Partners read and code the ways the writer
used sources in the margin
● Search draft for examples of
○
○
Illustrating= I
Authorizing= A