Teaching Conventions in Prep for the Common Core Standards

     

Conventions are BIG in the Common Core
Get ready. Conventions receive significant emphasis within the Common Core Standards, and are likely to play a major role in upcoming assessments relating to those standards. Students will not only need to be in conventional control of their own writing, but will also need to be proficient editors of any text we might throw at them. How do we get them there? Order more red pens? Maybe not . . .

Correcting ALL Errors: NOT the Best Choice
Chances are, you can look back on your own experience as a student (particularly if you’re over 30), and recall the old-school approach to “teaching” conventions: elaborate, meticulous red-penning of errors. If you’ve ever been subjected to this approach, you can probably recall how it felt—and how enthusiastic it made you feel about writing. Granted, there are those exceptional students out there who not only take time to correct every single error, but also look up all pertinent rules for future reference—using those well-worn handbooks they keep by their beds. Hm . . . right. Most of us have never met these wonder students, yet their legend lives on. And the red ink keeps flowing. Why? Well, think about it: This was the approach modeled for most of us. Many teachers (even those who question the value of error hunts) simply don’t know what else to do. Unfortunately, despite the incredible amount of time and effort required, line by line correction (unless specifically requested by the writer) almost never pays off. Here’s why:

1. It creates a sense of hopelessness among students who struggle with conventions. Getting this sort of response to one’s writing is like having strangers walk into your house and begin remodeling. What can be perceived as a kind of assault may trigger hurtfulness, resentment, indifference—or alienation. The odds of an over-marked paper surviving a trip past the nearest trash can are small indeed. Of course, if you have a student who is conventionally skilled (a natural born editor), and you mark one kind of error—say, use of quotation marks—that student may actually welcome your suggestions. But the student who struggles with spelling, grammar, capitals, punctuation, and paragraphing cannot possibly absorb the 20 or more “suggestions” his or her paper calls for. A student who feels overwhelmed is likely to think, “I can’t write,” and just give up.

2. It isn’t enough. Correcting is not teaching, and we kid ourselves when we assume it is. Students learn next to nothing from simple, quick corrections that lack any explanation or suggestion of how to approach editing differently next time. “How many times do I need to correct this error?” I hear teachers ask. The answer? Every time it appears—forever. Do you want to sign up for that? If not, be a teacher, not an editor. Writers (even professionals) who are given a choice quickly become dependent on editors, and have little incentive to notice, learn about, or correct mistakes the editor will fix anyway.

3. Once you identify errors, the hard part is done. The ONLY way students become proficient with conventions is by doing their own editing and developing what Jeff and I call “an editor’s eye.” This refers to the ability to spot things like a misspelled word or missing word or letter, misused or omitted punctuation, faulty subject-verb connection, and so forth. Developing such an eye takes a lifetime of practice. That’s why it’s difficult to find any publication (novels, newspapers, textbooks, whatever) that’s error-free. Each time you do the identifying for your students, you rob them of one more opportunity to practice developing that editor’s eye that is critical to conventional proficiency.

4. It’s too time consuming. You don’t have time to be an editor for 30 to 180 students. The time you spend correcting would be much better spent developing editing lessons or searching literature for models you can use to teach excellent use of conventions. And most important of all . . .

5. It doesn’t work. It just doesn’t. In fact, research (See George Hillocks, The Testing Trap, 2002; Hillocks, Research on Written Composition, 1985; Vicki Spandel, Creating Writers 6/e, 2013; Carl Nagin and the National Writing Project, Because Writing Matters, 2003; Jeff Anderson, Mechanically Inclined, 2005) indicates overwhelmingly that students subjected to extensive marking of errors may actually decline in editorial skill. We cannot afford to have that happen.

So—What DOES Work?
Many things. Here we offer just 12 suggestions to help you turn your students into confident, capable editors. (And by the way, no guilt trips allowed. When you stop correcting everything, you are NOT showing that you don’t care about conventions. On the contrary. You are shifting your focus from errors to students. You are showing that churning out perfect copy is a lower priority than coaching your students to become strong, independent editors—like you.)

Suggestion 1
Explore the “why” behind conventions. An easy way to do this is by removing all punctuation and spacing from a piece of text, and ignoring rules of spelling and grammar. See how long it takes your students to decode a piece like this:

wunspOntimwewEhadverfueroolsguverninhoWpeeplroteaNdthesecdmadreddingdfcult

Can you decipher it? Of course. You’re a teacher. You can read anything, right? But imagine if everything you read were written this way. Reading would be quite a chore. The very term “conventions” implies the conventional, traditional, or accepted way of doing things. Good writers break rules all the time. But following most traditions most of the time (e.g., writing left to right, putting spaces between words) makes reading easier. In a very real sense, editing is a courtesy. You make your text comfortable for readers just as you might make your home comfortable for guests.

Suggestion 2
Develop a routine. Editing and writing are related (like swimming and diving), but are NOT the same skill, and teaching one will not necessarily increase proficiency in the other. Instructional time must be devoted to editing per se. But—isn’t it enough to have students edit what they write? No. It sounds like a good plan, but unfortunately, most students don’t write anywhere near enough text to become proficient editors simply by correcting their own work—even if they do so regularly and carefully. In addition, they need daily practice editing text that is not their own. This is important for a couple of reasons: (1) as just noted, it extends editing practice, and (2) we are all much more ruthless when attacking something we ourselves did not write. Remember the words of H. G. Wells, who reminded us that “no passion on earth is equal to the passion to alter someone else’s draft.”

Take advantage of this impulse. Give students “someone else’s draft” to work on (preferably an anonymous someone, not another student from your class). Keep the practice short: about 50-100 words of text (depending on students’ age), not overloaded with errors (See Suggestion 4 for guidelines on this). Create lessons students can finish in ten minutes or less. Double space copy so students have ROOM to edit; or, if possible, put editing lessons right on the computer. And don’t be seduced by those speedy one-sentence “daily” lessons; they’re far too short, and most are irrelevant to students’ current editing needs—which means, in a nutshell, that students will tune out.

Suggestion 3
Identify problems your students are having right now. Why spend time on capitals if everyone has this nailed? Focus on trouble spots. You can identify problems by skimming through a stack of your own students’ papers and creating for yourself a list of 10 (very manageable), 15 (still do-able), or 20 (that’s plenty) of the most frequently recurring errors. Zero in on those.

Note: Andrea Lunsford, Professor of English at Stanford University, has identified the 20 most common kinds of errors in English writing (see Easy Writer, 3rd edition, 2009). Find Lunsford’s book if you can; or look up her list by searching under “20 most common errors in English.” This kind of focused instruction will benefit your students far more than 60 random lessons developed by someone who doesn’t know your students and has never looked at their writing. (Suggestion: If you work with older writers—say, grades 6 and up—share the list itself with them, too.)

Suggestion 4
Develop your own focused editing lessons. That way, you can zero in on one sort of problem at a time—such as subject-verb agreement. Each lesson should include two parts. The first is instruction in the concept: What IS subject-verb agreement, and what does it look like when it’s done right? Provide several examples. The second part involves practice, a chance for students to apply what they’ve just learned in editing faulty text. Such text (again, think 50 to 100 words) should contain at least three (and for older students, as many as ten or more) errors relating to the concept at hand. (The paragraph you just read is 103 words long, not counting this sentence.)

Following direct instruction in the concept, give students a few minutes to edit the faulty text on their own—then a minute or two to check with a partner to see if any errors were missed. At this point, I like to tell students how many errors they are looking for. Students who have found, say, five out of ten have a reason to go back for another look. When everyone has finished (remember, keep the time short), ask students to coach you as you edit the piece on a Smart board or document projector. Provide this kind of practice as often as you can possibly fit it in. You will see a marked difference in students’ editing skills.

Sources for lessons: By the way, ready-to-go editing lessons ARE available (Check the end of this post), or you can write your own—from scratch, or based on newspaper articles, online articles, junk mail, or other everyday print sources.

Question: What happens when students have had practice with ALL the recurring errors you’ve identified for the class? Answer: Create new editing lessons based on additional problems you’ve identified, or lessons that combine several kinds of errors—with two or three of each kind. You might also have students take turns designing editing lessons, and leading the discussion that follows.

Suggestion 5
Pull anonymous problem sentences from students’ current writing. As you review students’ work, pull out a sentence (or more than one) that seems representative of problems several or more students are having. Share these sentences on the board. This is an excellent way to kick off a writing class, and takes about five minutes. (Let students know you plan to do this, so you know they feel comfortable having their writing shared in this way—you need not use names.)

Ask students to confer with partners about what they notice, then coach you as you edit each sentence. Be sure to let them know if they miss anything. As a teacher, I found this strategy extremely effective because—somewhat to my surprise, I confess—students waited eagerly at the beginning of each class to see if their writing would be chosen as an instructional model. I was very concerned about not making anyone feel picked on, but I needn’t have worried. No one to my knowledge ever felt self-conscious in the least. What did happen, however, was a dramatically heightened interest in every lesson because the examples were coming from them. This was perceived as real, immediate, useful information because it was personal—and current.

Suggestion 6
Look to literature. In the 1800s and far into the 1900s for that matter, many teachers began their instruction in conventions by sharing a rule—often stated in language no one could understand. No wonder most rules were never internalized, and those that were, were quickly forgotten. But, we’ve come a long way, baby. We know now that one of the best ways to teach conventions is the same way we teach voice, ideas, fluency, word choice—or any trait: through literary examples.

Here are just a few, and they’re diverse. Normally, when you’re teaching one convention—say the use of semicolons or dashes—you’ll want several examples because there are nuances of usage that rules simply don’t cover. You might collect three sentences containing semicolons, for example. Share them aloud, one at a time, but also write them out. Then discuss them. As you do so, the question to ask students is this: What difference does this [convention] make? Open-ended discussion encourages students to look and listen closely, to do their own inductive reasoning, and to come up with rules or guidelines or possibilities for themselves. (My “what to notice” notes in this section are only for clarification. I don’t share my reason for choosing a particular example at first because I want students to tell me what they notice.)

• If you don’t have a copy of The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, consider getting one. Grahame is particularly adept at using conventions with precision, style, grace, and creativity, and you can find an example of just about anything in the world of conventions that you’d like to teach—like semicolons (which can be hard to find in current lit). In this example, Mole (who’s just overturned a boat in the river), is being rescued by Rat, who offers Mole shelter in his home: “It’s very plain and rough, you know—not like Toad’s house at all—but you haven’t seen that yet; still, I can make you comfortable” (Ariel, 1980, p. 15). What to notice: Two distinct clauses are closely aligned, “joining hands” we might say, via the semicolon. Would a period work as well?

• In The Good, Good Pig, author Sy Montgomery uses semicolons in a totally different way [Christopher, by the way, is a pig]: “We lined up to face the camera in ascending seniority: Christopher, age one; me, thirty-three; Liz, sixty; Lorna, ninety-three” (Random House, 2007, p. 64). What to notice: Semicolons provide a nifty way to handle a complex series in which too many commas could create confusion.

• In this passage from Hatchet (20th Anniversary Edition) by Gary Paulsen, the hero Brian (who is beyond hungry), is watching a kingfisher go after a meal. Think about how the ellipses at the very end affect you: “Of course, he thought. There were fish in the lake and they were food. And if a bird could do it . . .” (Simon & Schuster, 2007, p. 108). What to notice: The ellipses give us time to enjoy the same aha moment Brian is experiencing, to fill in the blank, as it were: If a bird can do it . . . maybe I can, too.

• In Mockingbird, author Kathryn Erskine uses conventions in extraordinary ways to show how Caitlin, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, responds to the world: “I don’t like very outgoing. Or efFUSive. Or EXtroverted. Or greGARious. Or any of those words that mean their loudness fills up my ears and hurts and their face and waving arms invade my Personal Space and their constant talking sucks all the air out of the room until I think I’m going to choke” (Philomel, 2010, p. 44). What to notice: Creative use of italics and unexpected capitals helps us get inside Caitlin’s head.

• The humble hyphen is useful in two-part words (like that one) or for splitting multi-syllable words at the end of a line. But perhaps it has more creative uses, as in this passage from Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool—in which one of the main characters, Jack, is wondering just how strange his new acquaintance Early Auden might be: “Was he straitjacket strange or just go-off-by-yourself-at-recess-and-put-bugs-in-your-nose strange? I knew a kid who used to do that in second grade” (Delacorte, 2013, p. 28). What to notice: Hyphens can help a writer create unique adjectives that put some pretty vivid images in readers’ minds.

You don’t want to do all the digging, of course. After sharing a few examples, have students find their own—and present them to the class. As you collect moments that capture your attention, you’ll discover together that conventions are not all (or even mostly) about rules. They’re tools that allow us to share both message and voice in memorable ways.

Suggestion 7
Give students room to breathe. If we wait—three days seems about ideal—from the time we write a draft until the time we attempt to edit that draft, our ability to spot errors is heightened noticeably. Almost no one (not even skilled, experienced editors) can do his or her best editing immediately after writing. (Writing assessment developers, please take note.) That’s because the message we wanted to put on the paper, meant to put on the paper, is fixed in our minds—and we tend to “read” what’s in our heads, not what found its way to the page. When editing our own work, we also tend to read rapidly, and in so doing, skim right over missing words, misspelled words, faulty punctuation, and the rest. Allowing time between drafts creates perspective so that we see our work more the way an objective, critical reader would see it. We literally create the illusion that it belongs to someone else.

Suggestion 8
Keep it real. Students for whom editing does not come easily may feel very nervous about writing five pages if they anticipate having to edit every line. While I am a huge advocate of making students responsible for their own editing, I also agree that we need to find ways to make the task manageable for students who dread it. After all, we want them to write more, not less.

You can ask a student to edit just the first paragraph or two with extreme diligence—then give more of a once-over to the remainder. (The amount the student edits with close-up care can and should expand with time.) A similar approach is to ask the student to look only for particular kinds of errors—preferably those you have already focused on in your editing lessons (See Suggestions 3, 4, and 5).

Many students benefit from having a teacher mark (with a check, star, etc.) those lines in which errors appear (some teachers use a number to show how many errors a given line contains). No need to mark every line. Use your judgment in determining how much the student can handle—and think about which errors should receive priority.

A conventions conference can be helpful, and it need not take long. Go over one or two errors you think deserve the most attention—perhaps those that come up more than once in the paper. Have the student correct one example as you coach, then attempt to find other similar errors on his or her own.

For students who wrestle with spelling (for many, this is the most significant problem and the source of most errors), provide a mini dictionary on a large Post-It® note, and attach it right to the first page of the rough. As an alternative, keep a running list of frequently misspelled words for your students (not a prescribed list, but one that’s personal for your class), and post it where everyone can see as they write. Add new words as the need arises; remove words students have conquered.

And of course, provide access to dictionaries, thesauruses, and other materials writers and editors use in the real world. Note: Unfortunately, many writing assessments still do not permit such access. Some people, evidence and common sense to the contrary, fear that the mere presence of a dictionary can somehow transform a struggling writer into a best-selling author. If only it were that simple.

Suggestion 9
If technology is available, use it! It’s no secret that revision and editing are far easier and faster when you have access to word processing. A student can create multiple word processed revisions in the time it takes to tediously recopy one draft by hand. Further, the ability to make big and continual changes in a draft (e.g., moving copy, perhaps more than once, deleting or adding text, trying several different leads or endings) means that a word processed document winds up mirroring the writer’s thinking more closely than a handwritten, one-time revision ever could. Technology also allows for last-minute changes (oh—just thought of a different word, got a better title) that someone writing longhand just won’t trouble to make. Comfort with word processing is particularly important given that (based on current best guesses) assessments pertaining to the Common Core writing standards will be administered on computer.

Suggestion 10
Encourage students to edit with their ears, not just their eyes. Do your students read everything they write aloud? If not, this is a good habit to instill—the sooner the better. Reading aloud sloooooooooowwwwwwwws us dooooooooooowwwwwwwwwn, increasing the likelihood we’ll spot problems. It’s also harder to skip right over repeated or missing words (and similar errors) when reading aloud. Further, moments that sound awkward when read aloud will probably slow a silent reader down, too. As students gain sophistication, reading aloud helps them hear places where specific punctuation (e.g., ellipses, dashes), italics, FULL CAPITALS or other conventions of emphasis might bring out the voice in a piece.

Suggestion 11
Get a good handbook. You need an “authority” for your classroom, a book to turn to when you cannot answer that question about commas or citing sources. No one remembers everything. You might consider—

• The Write Source College Handbook by Dave Kemper and Patrick Sebranek (other grade-specific handbooks are available from these authors, but I happen to prefer the college edition, even for younger students)
• The Chicago Style Manual (the most respected source out there—and most complete by far)
• MLA Handbook, 7th edition (some portions are also available online)

Teach students to use whatever resource you settle on, and when a question arises, have one of your students search for the answer, even if this takes a little time. If you have two copies in your classroom, students can do this competitively, which makes the search considerably livelier—and students who help the class in this way are learning a skill they will use for life.
Other resources provide suggestions for writing that go beyond what you’ll find in even the best handbooks—and they’re often entertaining too, so you can choose passages to read aloud. Here are a handful of my favorites (Every single one of these is fun to read):

• Room to Write by Bonnie Goldberg
• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
• Words Fail Me AND Woe Is I by Patricia T. O’Conner
• Writing Toward Home by Georgia Heard
• On Writing Well (30th Anniversary Edition) by William Zinsser
• Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark
• Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale
• Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss
• What a Writer Needs by Ralph Fletcher
• A Writer Teaches Writing by Donald Murray
• Crafting Authentic Voice by Tom Romano

Suggestion 12
Celebrate! When students do something that is conventionally correct or (better still) creative, celebrate! That’s the ideal time to make a mark on the paper—and share the example with the class, too. Expand everyone’s thinking about what conventions can do and be.

Notice content and voice first. Students are far more excited about tackling editing when they feel certain they have a reader’s attention and have written something worth editing in the first place.

Have students collect examples of conventional creativity. Create a class Podcast featuring these examples, or make a bulletin board display. Help students see how much fun conventions can be.

Look beyond writing. What conventions are important in math, for example? How about music? Physics? Chemistry? Do you have any bilingual students in your class? They may be willing to share conventions from another language and talk about how they differ from those in English.

Celebrate conventional evolution. There’s nothing stagnant about English; it changes hourly! Split infinitives? Commonplace! They actually precede Shakespeare (who is reported to have used a few). Dickens apparently favored sentences that began with “And” or “But” (and I’m happy to know this since I like them, too). Snuck is becoming an accepted form of sneaked (though not in all circles, admittedly). Words like dis, chill, creds, phat, and bling weren’t even words (at least not in the modern sense) until recently, but they’re finding their way into Webster’s. For numerous other examples of English on the move, check out the fascinating Origins of the Specious by Patricia T. O’Conner, a brilliantly researched and very funny book you will enjoy sharing (one selected passage at a time) with your students. Then talk about which conventions will last (Is the semicolon doomed? Are dashes enjoying a renaissance?), and why our amazing language is ever-evolving—and expanding.

Looking for editing lessons?
Check these NEW resources we designed with YOU, the classroom teacher, in mind . . .

Creating Writers, 6th edition, by Vicki Spandel. This newly released edition will help you teach conventions with confidence and flair. It includes numerous lesson ideas, recommended handbooks, and other resources to help you bring conventions and presentation to life in your classroom. Connections to the Common Core Standards included. Find it at http://www.pearsonhighered.com/Spandel6e

The Write Traits Classroom Kits ©2010 by Vicki Spandel and Jeff Hicks. These NEW edition kits are closely aligned with the Common Core Standards, and feature ready-to-go lessons that will make teaching conventions & presentation a breeze. Students love these lessons—you will, too. The kits are available for grades K through 8. To order or preview copies, please go to the following web address:

http://www.hmheducation.com/write-traits/.

Here you can preview the kits (through 13 videos featuring Jeff and Vicki), download a comprehensive brochure, download articles on assessment, writing process or the Common Core, or order grade specific kits (Just go to the Home page, and click on the red order button.) Note: For the closest connection to the Common Core, be sure that your search takes you to the NEW Houghton Mifflin Harcourt home page for the kits, featuring our revised, Common Core aligned 2010 edition.

Coming up on Gurus . . .
Jeff reviews the remarkable historic narrative Bomb, a Newbery Honor book by Steve Sheinkin. Not many informational books can also claim to be thrillers. You won’t want to miss it. Thank you for stopping by, and as always, we hope you will come often and bring friends. Please remember . . . to book your own writing workshop featuring the 6 traits, Common Core Standards, writing process and workshop, and the latest and greatest in young people’s literature, give us a call: 503-579-3034. Meantime . . . Give every child a voice.

A Powerful Book for Boosting Informational/Argument Skills

Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust. 2012. Doreen Rappaport. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. 196pp. (excluding extensive notes)
Genre: Informational narrative, history
Ages: Grades 6 and up. Rappaport handles a delicate topic with great sensitivity and skill. The content is necessarily somber—at times horrific—but Rappaport manages to make these stories accessible to younger readers without disguising or glossing over the truth.

Summary
In her moving Introduction, author Doreen Rappaport confesses that even while growing up in a Jewish household, she was told that during the Second World War, “Jews went like lambs to the slaughter.” Was it true? Determined to find out for herself, she embarked on a rigorous investigation that included six years of personal interviews with Holocaust survivors. Her conclusion: Even deprived of resources, homes, clothing, weapons, and virtually anything to fight with save their intellect and courage, the Jews proved to be formidable opponents, outwitting Nazi extremists at every turn, and preserving their treasured culture against overwhelming odds. Deeply moved by what she had learned, Rappaport wanted to share her findings with the world, and the result is this book.

Chilling in detail, highly readable, and impressively researched, Beyond Courage reveals the personal stories of people, many in their teens or younger, who risked everything to preserve their identity. Together, facing opposition from a political machine out to annihilate them, they set up schools, devised ingenious plans for smuggling children out of harm’s way (knowing they might never see them again), sabotaged Nazi trains and weapon depositories, trained themselves to be expert forgers in order to create travel documents, established wilderness camps from which to launch more elaborate plans, and routinely plotted and conducted the most daring escapes imaginable.

Children as young as seven or eight became spies and soldiers. Women carried weapons. People of all ages and both sexes faced unthinkable persecution, prejudice, starvation, and torture, yet refused to surrender or renounce their religion. They weren’t just brave. They were unstoppable. This is their story—and it is stunning.

In the Classroom

1. Reading. As always, you’ll want to preview the book prior to sharing. While it may be long to share in its entirety, it is broken down into 20 individual chapters, each of which is fairly short. You might choose one or two to share aloud, then invite students to read the remainder of the book on their own. Or as an alternative, choose a number of individual passages to read orally. Notice that the book contains historic summaries as well as the stories of individual resistance fighters. You will want to draw from both.

2. Background. What stories have your students heard about the Holocaust or Jewish resistance and survival during the time of World War II? Have they read The Story of a Young Girl (Anne Frank’s diary), In My Hands by Irene Opdyke, Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust by Allan Zullo, The Secret Holocaust Diaries by Carolyn Tomlin—or other books detailing true stories of the Holocaust, its victims, and its survivors? What do they know about Hitler, World War II, the Nazi movement, concentration camps, or the story of Hitler’s rise to power and eventual defeat? You may wish to provide some historic background prior to sharing the book to provide a context, keeping in mind that some history of the time is recounted in the book itself. If you are familiar with literature on this topic, you may also wish to create, with your students, a reading and media list for extended learning.

3. Personal connection. Are you or are any of your students of Jewish descent? What stories have you or they heard from parents, grandparents, or other relatives about Jewish resistance during the Holocaust? Can you or they provide any personal perspectives to enrich your class’s understanding of what Jews endured and overcame during this difficult and terrifying time? Regardless of heritage, we all have traditions or beliefs we hold dear, and family, religious, or cultural ties that are sacred. Ask students to imagine how it would feel to be evicted from their homes, separated from their families and possessions, and exist in constant fear of deportation or death. Would they have the personal courage to fight back, even if their lives or the lives of their families were at stake? Write a reflective piece about this—and expand this writing after sharing and discussing the book. (Suggestion: Before they write, share with your students poet Henryk Lazowertówna’s poem, p. 82. You may wish to have them perform it aloud, individually or through choral reading.)

4. Topic. From Rappaport’s Introduction, we know the central theme of the book: to demonstrate the extent to which the Jews fought back against Nazi domination. Does Rappaport make her case? Is this a persuasive book? If so, which stories or individual incidents provide, in your students’ opinions, particularly convincing evidence of Jewish strength and courage?

5. Persuasive writing. Is fighting back always the right choice—or is it a matter of judgment or circumstance? Are there times when the price to be paid for resistance is simply too great to justify opposition? Argument: Have students make a case for resisting oppression at all costs—or for peacefully abiding by a government’s rules, even if they seem unjust. If opposition involves violence, is it still justified? Under what circumstances? Have students use examples from the book or from current events to defend their arguments.

6. Character. The Common Core Standards for Narrative remind us that characters reveal their nature through the choices they make in challenging situations. Share the chapter titled “Coffee and Tea,” the story of Walter Süskind and his elaborate plans to rescue Jewish children. Based on the information in this chapter, what sort of person was Walter Süskind? What details help us to understand him? Based on the book, would your students regard his story as unusual—or was his a typical story of those who fought back? Cite evidence to support your claim.

7. Genre. The Common Core Standards divide writing into three broad genres: narrative, informational writing, and argument. Into which category does Doreen Rappaport’s book fall—or is it an effective blend of all three? Is narrative writing often informational? And do stories often provide the basis for sound argument? Does good writing generally comprise several different genres? Discuss or write about this.

8. Organization. Take a few minutes to discuss how this complex text is organized. Read the Introduction aloud, focusing on the six years of interviews and other research Rappaport did in compiling information in which to base her book. Have students imagine what it is like to have such an overwhelming collection of details, and to try putting them into a framework readers can process in a reasonable amount of time. What challenges would a writer face in doing this? What organizational strategies does Rappaport use to make this extensive and detailed information manageable for us, as readers? (Consider, among other things, how the book is divided into five sections and then into 20 chapters. Notice also the different kinds of text: historic summaries as well as stories. You may also wish to comment on how the author keeps individual sections short. Obviously, there was more—much more—to tell. How did she decide what to include? Also notice that while some of the organization is chronological, Rappaport also brings together multiple voices. Consider other topics for which a multi-voiced organizational approach might work well.)

9. Informational writing. The story of Jewish resistance is vast, and cannot be covered in a single book, however well-researched and written. Invite students to choose one topic for further exploration: e.g., life in the Warsaw Ghetto, Kristallnacht (the Night of Broken Glass), deportation of Jewish children, wilderness camps, children who acted as spies or procurers of food, the role played by skilled forgers, modern-day perspectives on the Holocaust. Ask them to research and write about their selected topics. You may also want to spend some time discussing the nature of research: Where will they find the best information? Note that Rappaport obtained much of her information through personal interviews—in other words, from first-hand sources. How is obtaining information from a first-hand source different from visiting a library or going on the Internet? What types of sources are most dependable when it comes to accuracy? And why is it always important to incorporate more than one kind of research (e.g., site visits, interviews, films, print) when preparing to write an informational piece?

10. Comparison/Contrast. If students have read any other literature written about the Holocaust (see item 2 above), invite them to do a comparison between any other work and Beyond Courage. That comparison might feature central themes, each writer’s approach to the topic, the kind of research each writer did, writing styles, document design, or any other elements of the two works. Students should be prepared to reference specific sections of each work, and include quotations from both works.

11. Reviews. Invite students to write reviews of Beyond Courage. They should focus on the strengths of the work and the audience for whom they think this writing is most appropriate. Reviews might be presented in written form or as podcasts or PowerPoint presentations. They can also be posted online with a vendor (e.g., Amazon) that invites such reviews.

12. Voice. The Common Core Standards suggest that informational writing or argument should be written in a style that is appropriate for the topic and audience. In other words, they are asking writers in such genres to assume a professional voice. Share any passage from the book aloud—e.g., the opening to the chapter titled “Scream the Truth at the World!” (p. 81). In this chapter, Rappaport is describing people starving on a diet of 184 calories per day—and children as young as six smuggling food into hungry families in the ghetto. How would you describe the voice she uses in this (or another) passage? Is it the right voice for this book? Why? (Note that Rappaport does not try to dramatize her information—but neither does she shrink from it. She relays her information in an unflinching but decidedly restrained fashion, letting the facts speak for themselves.)

13. Presentation. What do your students notice about the overall design of the book? You might draw their attention to colors, shifts in fonts, illustrations (what sorts of photos or drawings were chosen?), and the subtle background images. What do those images convey? The photos include numerous individual portraits of Jewish fighters, rather than Nazi military personnel or war criminals. Why is this significant? Also notice the silvery gray and blue cover of the book. What do those colors suggest?

14. Beginning and ending. Beyond Courage opens and closes with the words of Franta Bass, age eleven. Read Franta’s short free verse poem aloud and discuss what it reveals about her. Why do you think the author chose this piece to both open and close her book? What does this repetition say to us as readers? One need not be Jewish to feel the kind of pride and determination Franta conveys in her stirring poetry. Invite students to write poems of their own, honoring their own culture, heritage, or family.

15. Reflections on history. By her own admission, even the book’s author believed for many years that Jews had gone submissively to their deaths during the war. What created this impression? Write about this (Suggestion: Interview people of Jewish and non-Jewish heritage prior to writing). Many Jews were told they were being “relocated,” when in fact they were being shipped to work or death camps. Would they have resisted more forcefully had they known the truth? Could this sort of deception succeed (with any people) in our own culture in the present time? Why or why not? Have students write an argumentative essay taking one side or the other, and supporting their claims with specific evidence.

16. For additional information. The author provides extensive notes suggesting sources for further research (see the back of the book for important dates, source notes, and an impressive bibliography). In addition, however, she strives to continue the journey of discovery begun by this book by posting additional resistance stories on her website: http://www.doreenrappaport.com We invite you to visit her there.

Coming up on Gurus . . .
Next up, in honor of Women’s History Month (March 1-31), Jeff reviews two picture book biographies: Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children by Jan Pinborough, and Brave Girl: Glara and the Shirtwaist Maker’s Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel. Thanks for visiting. Come often—and bring friends. Remember, for the BEST workshops blending traits, common core, workshop, and writing process, call us at 503-379-3034. Give every child a voice.

Wrapping Up That Word Choice Lesson with Real World Writing

Our January 20 post included a memo distributed by a school district central office a few years ago—a memo designed to recruit volunteers who would recommend budgeting priorities to the local school board. If there is ever a time you want your writing to be concise and punchy, it’s when you’re asking for help. However, this district office apparently didn’t get the memo on writing concise, readable memos. Theirs was vague—and long. Long doesn’t even work for novels unless they’re really good; with memos, it’s a disaster. (If you’ve not read our January 20 post, take a quick look before going on so you can see the unrevised memo—it will help you appreciate what these high school revisers did!)

Turning Real Writing into a Lesson
As I noted last time, I had saved this piece of writing in a file labeled “Real World Writing.” I save all kinds of pieces (to use for lessons or in workshops)—from advertisements and flyers to travel literature, editorials, reviews, recipes, excerpts from textbooks or journals, letters, and more.

I choose them specifically because they need revision. They may be unclear, filled with jargon, over-written, or just contain awkward moments that could use some smoothing out. Whatever the problem(s), they provide a challenge for students looking to sharpen their revision skills. Let me share the steps I followed to turn this particular piece into a very worthwhile lesson on revision, and then I’ll also share the impressive revision I got from one team of students.

1. Prepare the text for editing. First, I retyped the piece so I could put it in larger print and double space it, allowing room for revision. Anyone who has tried revising single-spaced text knows how inhibiting it is to have virtually no room for your inserts and editorial marks.

2. Print copies. I printed out enough copies for each student in the class I was visiting–about 30.

3. Introduce the lesson. I introduced the lesson by suggesting to the class that many pieces of real world writing need revision, and asked them the last time they could recall reading something and thinking to themselves, “I could write that better.” Virtually every hand went up. (This was a good start!)

4. Set the context for the writing. I then gave them the context for the memo—a school district trying to put together a committee of volunteers who would make recommendations to the local school board on top priorities for spending. This memo went out to all parents with children attending schools within the district. We talked about the kind of writing that would make a positive impression on parents. It should be clear and friendly, they told me.

5. Read the copy aloud. I read the memo aloud, and asked for comments. Most students said they needed to hear it again. It didn’t make sense. Several said it was too long. Two or three asked what on earth Volkswagens had to do with education. One said it didn’t sound as if it were written by an educator—it sounded more like it was written by some CEO trying to impress the readers with his vocabulary. I asked if the voice sounded male or female—all but one said male. (I don’t honestly know, so I couldn’t say if they were right.)

6. Hand out copies. After reading the text aloud, I handed out copies so students could read the copy again silently to themselves.

7. Discuss problems. Before they began marking up the text, I asked them to identify, as a class, what they saw as the major problems. What really needed revising? We made a list, and while they mentioned quite a number of things they’d like to change, these were the top three: (1) Make it shorter; (2) Get rid of unneeded information; and (3) Make it sound friendlier—not “like you’re trying to show off”!

8. Work individually. At this point, I asked students to work for a few minutes individually, crossing out anything not needed, adding information, changing wording, or anything else they felt was important.

9. Work in teams of two. When they’d spent about seven or eight minutes on their own, I had them pair up with a partner to write a final revision. This gave them a chance to compare notes, to talk, to rethink anything they didn’t feel was quite right yet, and to combine the best of each student’s individual efforts.

10. Have writers read final drafts aloud. I encouraged writers to read their final revisions aloud to each other, softly, using their ears as well as their eyes to hear how each piece would strike a reader, keeping in mind that this would be read by parents being asked to donate their time.

The Results
Students were invited to read their final drafts aloud for the whole class (they were a very appreciative audience for one another) and to talk about their revision process. Virtually every team had shortened the original considerably—most by at least half. Everyone took out the reference to conjoint analysis, which no one understood, and which seemed unrelated to the issue at hand. (I confess I never looked it up on the Internet—perhaps it is related to budgeting, but it seemed unnecessary and cumbersome.)

Most revisions involved condensing and rewording—as well as making an effort to give the memo a more conversational tone. The students were very audience-sensitive, and several said their parents would throw this memo (the original) away without a second thought. We talked about ways to reach an audience and hold their attention; this is a major focus of the Common Core Standards—and this memo in its original form shows why.

Finally, several students noted that the memo provided no specifics about how to reach someone at the district office “in the unlikely event” (as one put it) that someone should actually want to volunteer (though no one could picture this happening). So they added this information. Many of the revisions were excellent; ALL (without exception) were improvements on the original. Here is one I saved as an example:

Help! Our school is facing serious budget problems, and our school board is seeking suggestions on how to spend limited funds. What are your priorities? We’d like to know! If you can spare an hour or two, please call ###-####. Thank you! We look forward to hearing your ideas!

I think this is an excellent revision by a student. It’s short, it’s friendly, and it’s clear. I know there’s a picky editor out there somewhere saying that high school students shouldn’t use so many exclamation points. As Gilda Radner used to say, “There’s always something.” And normally, I’d agree. But if you take them out of this memo, it suddenly gets all solemn and serious, and the urgency evaporates. What matters is this: High school writers took an inflated, overblown memo all full of itself and turned it into a simple request. Just imagine if this student had been “helping out” at that district office. I can imagine quite a few more volunteers would have shown up.

The Common Core Assessments
It’s worth noting that the upcoming Common Core Assessments for writing will include activities just like this, which is to say, activities requiring revision. That’s because revision is a form of thinking in action, and thinking skills will be the heart and soul of CCSS assessment. Students may be asked to create an ending for writing that doesn’t have one, to condense a wordy piece, to delete sentences that are unrelated to or distract from the central topic, and so on (check out www.smarterbalanced.com for examples). In other words, they’ll be asked to engage in real world writing tasks, much like the one I shared with the high school students. So—the next year or so offers a good time to practice. Check out the online sample items, and if you’d like more, we have books filled with revision and editing activities just like this for grades 2 through 8. They’re titled Creating Revisers and Editors, and each edition is grade specific. You will also find many similar activities in the Write Traits Classroom Kits written by my wonderful co-author Jeff Hicks and me. Check online (Pearson.com, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Amazon.com) or call the number below for more information.

 

Coming up on Gurus . . .

Look for our review of Doreen Rappaport’s remarkable book Beyond Courage: The Untold Story of Jewish Resistance During the Holocaust. Meanwhile, thanks for stopping by. Please come often—and bring friends. If you enjoyed this lesson, let us know—we’ll post more revision examples! And remember . . . for the very best writing workshops featuring traits, standards, process, workshop, and literature, please phone 503-579-3034. Give every child a voice.

Down the Rabbit Hole Part II: Building Memories Day By Day

 Here’s where we left off (way back in March) at the end of Down the Rabbit Hole—Part I: Now, I’ve also heard teachers tell me this (“…to help students conceptualize the trait of ideas is to think of ideas as memories.”) is all great for students whose lives outside of school are filled with activities, friends, and meaningful interactions with parents. What about the students whose lives, at least in terms of experiences, happen mainly while they are at school?

These comments from teachers refer to those students who, no matter the amount or type of nurturing or stirring of, “the people, places, events, experiences, sights, sounds, tastes, and smells that we hold in our memories…” just don’t seem to have, be able to access, or even value any personal memories—“I don’t have anything to write about.” We’ve all heard this from students. Well, of course they have memories, but they may think theirs aren’t good enough for writing topics or for other students to care about. These students may think their ideas/memories have to be “front page news,” and they don’t view their experiences and thoughts as newsworthy to anyone, even to themselves. When writers are able to choose their own topics, based on personal experiences or memories, it is such an opportunity for them to discover and develop their own, individual writer’s voice. Why? Because what they are writing about, they have lived through first hand. I think it’s important then, to provide all students with a safety net of memories, an alternate history, a rabbit hole of shared events, literary experiences, people, stories, and conversations, that were/are a part of each student’s daily life, each day at school. As long as you have a captive audience, why not help them create and capture a rabbit hole of potential writing topics, accessible any time. Let me describe a bit about how I tried to build this class history and culture of memories in my own classrooms.

When I first started teaching, I realized that one of the toughest obstacles for me wasn’t mastering classroom management or planning focused, interesting lessons. Those didn’t come easily, but I had to deal with a bigger problem first. Clipboards. I didn’t have enough clipboards! My mentor teacher had loads of them, and I wanted to imitate her system. I needed clipboards for managing Writer’s Workshop, for individual students to be able to work on the go—standing up, exploring outside, moving to a classroom down the hall—and I needed some for my daily opening routine, something else I had learned from my mentor. Each day I tried to open with a routine designed to help students focus on the day at hand, to preview and set the tone for upcoming topics/events, and to honor and nurture our yesterdays. Each day of school, including the first day, I kept my clipboard (thanks to wonderful parent volunteers for providing me with a supply) with me and jotted notes down throughout the current day, to be used the next morning.

The column headings of my note page, seen on the (crudely crafted) sample, are just a few of the ideas you could use. The “Planting Seeds” column is where I would write down anything, from learning targets to television programs or book titles, that I wanted to preview/tease/tip/anticipate for my students. “SORAs” are pretty self-explanatory. This was a place to record specific moments/achievements that I wanted to give students a positive stroke for—academic, behavioral, interpersonal, motivational, etc.  In the middle column headed, “Let’s Remember,” went everything I wanted students to hear about a second time (or a third…). I could have called this one “Hey! Don’t Forget/Nag, Nag, Nag/You Really Need to Know This!” I remember writing down reminders about bringing lunches for field trips, walking in the halls, and even something about mathematical order of operations. The notes in the “From the Book” column were all about the reading we were doing in class. It could be based on a read-aloud—picture book, novel, article—or something students were reading for instruction. A note here might be about an author, illustrator, character, informational detail, comprehension focus, a connection to one or more of the 6-traits, or emphasizing the importance of reading like a writer. The last column, “Quotes/Words,” was the place I would write down interesting things I heard students say, a kind of quotable quotes section, along with new/interesting/important words that came up during the course of the day. Three of the five columns were connected to bulletin boards around the room. We kept a detailed calendar of birthdays, school events, due dates, etc. Many “Planting Seeds” items would then be recorded on the calendar. The “From the Book” column was connected to another bulletin board where key information about any book read aloud in class would be recorded. For picture books, we kept track of titles, authors, and illustrators. For novels (chapter books), we extended that to also include the names of main characters and a brief genre description. I also had a “Quotes/Words,” bulletin board to capture and display the spoken thoughts of students and a mini word wall for all the great words we had discovered.

I need to mention something that happened the first time I implemented this with my own group of students. Within a couple days, students began approaching me during the day to suggest things to include on my clipboard. In my first year of doing this, based on a student suggestion, I added another clipboard to the mix—a student clipboard, with the same headings. The suggestion was to rotate the clipboard to a different student each day, to make sure we were capturing all that was important and worthy of mentioning the next day, especially from the students’ point of view. This actually became one of my students’ favorite classroom “jobs.” We even coined a new phrase students would use to be sure an item was recorded. A student would just say, “Clipboard it!”

So let’s return to the original question– Now, I’ve also heard teachers tell me this (“…to help students conceptualize the trait of ideas is to think of ideas as memories.”) is all great for students whose lives outside of school are filled with activities, friends, and meaningful interactions with parents. What about the students whose lives, at least in terms of experiences, happen mainly while they are at school? All of this—the clipboards, bulletin boards, and daily routine—are about building a class history by honoring the learning, events, people, and stories of daily classroom life through conversations and displays that serve as review, reminder, and even rehearsal for writing. By keeping the day to day of classroom life alive, even the smallest things become  shared memories and  possible writing topics, with a built in support system. “Remember that day when Gino threw up on Mr. Hicks’ new brown shoes?” or “Remember when Alter Weiner, a Holocaust survivor, came to our school to talk with us about his life during World War II?” are stories that each student could tell from our shared experiences, and write about from an individual perspective. Our daily history became a wealth of possible writing topics—a resource for and a response to the student who says, “I don’t have anything to write about.”

Book Suggestions…

The books you choose to share with your students are important for many reasons, so choose purposefully. As I suggested above, keeping a literary history—titles, authors, illustrators, characters, topics, etc.—will help your students not only remember what they have heard or read, but also help them make connections between the books and their own lives, in and outside of school. There are many books that encourage readers, in both subtle and obvious ways, to notice the world around them, to look and interact closely, to appreciate and remember what they have experienced. Here are just a few titles to share with students to urge them to make memories and remind them that they do have many things to write about.

Zoom by Istvan Banyai

Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox, illustrated by Julie Vivas

Snail Trail by Ruth Brown

Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth, illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet

Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall

If You Find A Rock by Peggy Christian, photographs by Barbara Hirsch Lember

If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs by Betty G. Birney, illustrated by Matt Phelan

The Treasure by Uri Shulevitz

(How about sharing some of the books you like to use in your classroom?)

Coming up on Gurus . . .

Within the next few weeks, we’ll be reviewing Bill Bryson’s A Really Short History of Nearly Everything—sounds pretty comprehensive, so you don’t want to miss it. And save some room for a sliver of Susanna Reich’s Minette’s Feast: the Delicious Story of Julia Child and Her Cat. Thanks for visiting. Come often—and bring friends. Remember, for the BEST workshops blending traits, common core, workshop, and writing process, please call 503-579-3034. Give every child a voice.

The Totally Amazing Appendix A

If you are teaching writing with the Common Core Standards in mind, no doubt you have visited the website: www.commoncorestandards.org  And that means you are familiar with requirements for writing for your grade level–and perhaps others as well. Maybe you’ve even taken time to peruse the Anchor Standards for College and Career Readiness. But–have you had a look at Appendix A? Right–the appendix. Not the place most people begin their reading, but in this case, the perfect place to begin. Only a few pages (22 to 25) are devoted to writing, but they are gems.

Definitions

First, you’ll find extended, helpful, readable definitions of the three text types emphasized in the Standards, namely

• Informational/explanatory writing
• Argument
• Narrative writing

Appendix A makes it clear that each of these “text types” embraces many different sub-genres or forms of writing. For example, informational writing could include everything from an essay on humpback whales to a police report or newspaper article or script for a documentary film. The reason this matters so much is that we often do not think creatively when assigning writing in school. We need to think beyond the traditional research report because, as important as that form is, it’s not sufficient to help students bridge the gap between high school and college or the workplace.

The Wonderful World of Blended Genres

Appendix A also points out that much of our finest writing is a blend of genres. Indeed, any time a writer strings together more than a few paragraphs, it is nearly impossible not to combine genres in some way. My favorite example of this is Bill Bryson’s remarkable book In a Sunburned Country, based on the author’s research and travels to Australia. Bryson’s book seamlessly and deftly combines travel writing, geography, history, informational writing (on countless topics, including topography, wildlife, and cooking), and wildly humorous anecdotes. It’s a book that defies classification–which is precisely what makes it such a treasure.

The Special Place of Argument

A particularly important feature of Appendix A is a thoughtful explanation of just why argument is so important–and so strongly emphasized. Argument, the Standards writers claim, encourages deep thinking. And that in a nutshell is the whole point. Whether it’s oral argument or written, students must think carefully about an issue, give just and respectful consideration to both (or all) sides, weigh evidence, analyze projected outcomes, and guide readers to a good decision. The purpose of argument is not–as is often supposed–to simply get people on your side. This simplistic view often leads students to offer emotional responses or hasty replies that have little or nothing to do with facts or evidence: e.g., Year-round school is a terrible idea because students would hate it, College is not for everyone because we’re all individuals. Note also that the writers use the word “argument” in a special way. This may be splitting semantic hairs, but it’s worth paying attention to . . .

Argument vs. Persuasive Writing

Many of us have used (and continue to use) the term “persuasive writing” in referring to what is essentially the same as the Common Core definition of “argument.” But the Core writers draw a distinction. And that distinction hovers around one word: evidence. A piece may be highly persuasive, but appeal primarily to emotion or (when all else fails) the well-being of the reader. In other words, persuasive pieces are often about passion.

True argument, by contrast, relies on evidence and logical reasoning. This means that the writer needs to do his or her research and examine various perspectives meticulously. This is not to say that the writer won’t make a forceful or compelling case in the end, but underlying all that irresistible oratory will be the heart and soul of any strong argument: reason.

Making the Reading Connection

Many pages of Appendix A are devoted to background and research underlying the Common Core Standards for reading. Though this discussion is detailed, I urge you to take time to read through them–especially considering the implications for writing. It’s no secret that the Core Standards emphasize informational writing and argument. But here’s the thing: Research cited in this discussion reveals that most students read narrative writing almost exclusively. They are not reading much informational writing at all–and what they do read often comes from textbooks. Rarely are these the finest informational models we could offer. Students will write what they read. So the message could not be clearer: If we want students to write informational pieces that actually teach readers something, we need to provide examples of such writing–many of them. Hundreds of them. If you are not reading aloud to your students from the best informational writing you can find, please consider starting. This is one of the most effective ways to create strong informational writers.

A second theme of the Appendix A section on reading: declining complexity. The texts many of our students read is just too simple. It’s been getting simpler since before 1950. What does this mean? Simpler vocabulary, shorter sentences–and in some cases (though by no means all), easier-to-understand concepts. A good argument can be made, of course, for the value of such writing for students who are challenged readers or who are learning English. Absolutely. There’s no debating this. The problem is, when students never encounter text that challenges them, makes them go back, reread, rethink, look up a word, sort through syntax, they are not preparing themselves for the demands of college-level reading. And it can hit them like a wrecking ball.

What can we do about this? We can (1) read to students–even those at primary level–from text that asks them to stretch, text with long and complex sentences and words that are likely new to them, and (2) ask students to read at least short passages that challenge their thinking, and occasionally, to restate such passages in writing, in their own words.

The totally amazing Appendix A is definitely on our recommended reading list. 

Coming up on Gurus . . .

We’ll take a further look at the art of writing a good argument, through the eyes of George Hillocks, Jr., and his wonderful new book, Teaching Argument Writing. Thank you for stopping by, and please remember: For the BEST in trait-based writing PD, please contact us at 503-579-3034. Give every child a voice. 

Down the Rabbit Hole Part I: Ideas as Memories

One of the questions I get the most from teachers in workshops centers on the foundational trait of ideas—“If I’m going to help my students as writers (and to meet the narrative demands of the Common Core Standards), how do I help students who consistently tell me that they have nothing to write about?” I’m actually excited to hear this question especially when it relates to students choosing their own topics while working in some form of writer’s workshop. Both the freedom and the struggle involved in student’s choosing their own messages is so important to developing writers. Rather than avoiding these moments of difficulty by always providing students with a prompt, I say to teachers, embrace them. Teach and model the strategies students can use to find and expand their messages anytime they write.

In Creating Young Writers, (© 2012, Pearson), Vicki writes about teaching each of the traits to students conceptually, as one of five instructional strategies. Specific to the trait of ideas, Vicki writes, “Ideas are everything we think, imagine, anticipate, or remember. They are the core of the writer’s message, whatever form that message may take.” (p. 61) One of the ways she offers to help students conceptualize the trait of ideas is to think of ideas as memories. The people, places, events, experiences, sights, sounds, tastes, and smells that we hold in our memories, and that students hold in theirs, need to be nurtured and stirred frequently, to keep them alive as potential writing topics. One way to do this is through talk—conversations, stories, and reflections. This talk doesn’t always have to end up with writing (though talking is often a productive form of pre-writing), but I like to model for students how it can result in a list of possible topics for future writing opportunities. A good conversation, with questions from listeners, can lead the talker right down the rabbit hole of a memory. Looking at photos or checking out important personal artifacts as a way to get a conversation going is another great pathway to memories worth bringing to life in writing. In fact, it often leads us down unexpected trails—the rabbit hole doesn’t always end up where you first thought it would take you. Even though we aren’t talking face to face, and you won’t be able to ask me questions, let me model this for you by taking you down a rabbit hole adventure I recently had:

Now that my son is a senior in high school, heading down the final stretch, I often find myself looking at him and wondering, “Where did my little boy go?” I indulge these flights of nostalgia by flipping through old photo albums—actual books of photos taken by cameras that still required film—to remind myself that the hairy, funny, often moody beast currently living here, was once my little boy. During a recent photo album-therapy session, I landed and lingered on a photo taken on his fourth birthday, a picture of him unwrapping a box of rocks and sticks. With this gift, his mother and I were testing two things, first the practice of thanking gift-givers regardless of whether he “liked” the gifts, and secondly, since everywhere we went he would find rocks and sticks to play with, usually in favor of the legion of toys we had dragged with us, we thought let’s give him the things he seems to love most and see what happens. Upon opening the box, he politely thanked us (small parental victory!), while adding with a questioning tone, “I really didn’t ask for these.” And of course, after the other gifts from us—the ones he had asked for, presents from grandparents, other relatives, and friends, when things finally quieted down, what does he end up playing with? You guessed it–the rocks and sticks! 

         So, I’m looking at the picture and I’m relieved by the fact that my boy has grown into a young man who still loves to hunt for rocks and sticks, just like I do (another win for parents). Only a month ago, we had a rock-skipping contest while hiking along a favorite Oregon stream. This contest, as always, was as much about finding the perfect skipping stone as it was about who could achieve the most skips or reach a designated tree or boulder across the river. This morning, I put on the raincoat I wore that day walking beside the river, and I found two wonderful skipping stones, round and flat and smooth. Just holding them in my hands is enough to flood my brain with images of that particular day, but it also activated the rolodex of my mind to flipping through a dozen other memories of days spent with my son playing, collecting, skipping, and splashing with rocks. I realize that I’ve done it again—I’ve gone down the rabbit hole—way down this time—and my mind is flush with very specific images of people, places, and objects, and all the sensory details that brought them to life and held them in my head. This is where I really need some conversation buddies to ask me questions to help me zoom in one on one of the myriad writing opportunities I just uncovered. Fortunately, I’ve been writing this down, so I have a record of the details that popped into my head. (Clearly, I have a lot to say about the rocks and sticks from my son’s fourth birthday.) Here’s a list of possible topics, some obvious, and some which may make sense only to me because of the rabbit hole I’ve been down.

1. Andrew’s fourth birthday—the gift of rocks and sticks
2. Recent rock skipping adventure—rocks in my pocket
3. Finding rocks with Andrew—on the beach
4. Fishing the upper Nestucca River
5. Damming the Little Nestucca River
6. The half sand dollar day

Now I’ve also heard teachers tell me this is all great for students whose lives outside of school are filled with activities, friends, and meaningful interactions with parents. What about the students whose lives, at least in terms of experiences, happen mainly while they are at school? Look for Down the Rabbit Hole—Part II, and I’ll try to answer this question and tell you more about what I found while skipping rocks down the rabbit hole.

(In the meantime, I’d love to hear about ways you help your students whose lives seem (at least to them) pretty empty of experiences and memories worth writing about. Send your ideas to us here at STG.)

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin 

2009, Little, Brown & Company. 278 pages, 48 chapters.

Genre: Folktale

Ages: Grades 3 through 6, but can be shared with younger students as a read-aloud, and enjoyed by all ages.

A Newbery Honor Book

Features: Sketches and gorgeous full-color illustrations by the author, “Behind the Story” notes revealing how the author got many of her ideas, and Reader’s Guide questions.

Summary

In the rice fields near Fruitless Mountain, Minli and her parents struggle to scratch out a meager living, barely growing enough food to keep themselves alive. Minli’s father, Ba, does his best to keep everyone’s spirits up by telling folktales each evening–which Minli loves. Ma, meanwhile, counts every grain of rice–and looks on the stories as foolishness. When Minli spends one of her only two coins on a goldfish, Ma is distraught–knowing the family cannot even spare enough rice to feed the poor creature. Broken hearted, Minli knows what she must do–and sadly releases the little fish into the river. Her selfless gesture sets into motion a whole series of adventures–for as it turns out, this was no ordinary fish. A newly enlightened Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, who holds everyone’s destiny in his book of fortunes. If she can get to him, perhaps she can persuade him to change her family’s fate. On her journey, she meets a number of colorful characters, including a flightless dragon, a band of greedy monkeys, and an orphan who has found his own way to cope with life’s difficulties. Though Minli’s quest is the heart and soul of the book, this main story is gracefully intertwined with many shorter folktales, original to Lin but clearly influenced by Chinese lore, each with its own lesson to impart. The character of Minli is strong, determined, and resilient, and her obvious love for her family drives the book. Lin’s writing is elegant and fluent, highly readable, filled with rich imagery and striking word choice. Lin’s compelling story seamlessly blends the realism of a family’s struggle with plot twists and characters from the world of fantasy. Many readers draw strong parallels with the well-loved The Wizard of Oz.

In the Classroom

1. Reading aloud. Many older students will want to read this book on their own–but it makes a wonderful read-aloud for listeners of all ages. If you share the book aloud, be sure to use a document projector to share the many illustrative touches Lin has added to a text that is as beautiful physically as it is in concept.

2. Names. Minli’s name means “quick thinking.” Does it suit her? If your students could choose just one word to describe Minli, what would the word be? In many cultures, names are chosen especially for their meaning–and connection to the bearer of the name. Do your students know how names are chosen within their cultures–or how their own names were chosen? Consider doing some research on this and writing short informational pieces about names. Note: Predictably, some of your students may love their names, while others would like to change them if they could. This might be part of your writing–and share thoughts about your own name as well.

3. The Wizard of Oz. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon has often been called the Chinese Wizard of Oz.  If your students are familiar with the Oz story, ask what similarities they see. In what ways are the stories different? (This can be a good topic for a comparative piece.)

4. What’s a folktale? Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is generally categorized as a folktale, a special kind of narrative. Based on what they know of this or other similar books, how would your students define this genre? What are the characteristics of a folktale–and why do so many people find this genre so appealing? Is it a favorite for your students? Why or why not?

5. How folktales evolve. Are students familiar with folktales that have been handed down through generations in their own cultures? Discuss or write about these and share ideas. For further discussion, consider that some folktales survive for hundreds of years–or even longer. How do your students imagine they might change during this time? How would this change happen?

6. Characters. Discuss the differences between Ma and Ba at the beginning of the book. How would your students describe each of them? Do they know anyone who reminds them of either person? Are Ma and Ba still very different at the end of the book–or have they become more alike? What evidence do we have?

7. Minli’s first big choice. When Minli decides to part with one of her precious coins to buy a goldfish, is she making the right decision? Would your students have made this same decision in Minli’s place? Why or why not? Write a short persuasive paragraph about this.

8. Minli’s second big choice.  Minli sets out on a quest to change her family’s destiny. But of course, they do not know where she is or even if she is still alive. Given the pain she causes initially, is she right to set out on this quest, leaving her family behind?

9. Characters. Who is the strongest character in the book? Why do you think so? If your students could meet one of the characters, which one would they choose–and what would they say?

10. Destiny. Minli hopes to change her family’s destiny by meeting the Old Man of the Moon–and convincing him to change her family’s fortune. What do your students think? Do we have a destiny that is pre-determined, or do we shape our own lives by the choices we make?

11. Stories within the story. Woven throughout the main story of Minli and her family are numerous shorter folktales told by other characters. Do your students like these short “literary interruptions”? Why does the author take this approach in her writing? Is it effective? Have your students known anyone who answers a question by telling a story? Why do people do this?

12. A change of heart. Read Chapter 20 carefully. Describe what happens to Ma in this chapter. Is this a turning point in the book?

13. The key to happiness. Chapter 25 talks about a special word written on the Paper of Happiness. What do your students think that word might be? Write short persuasive paragraphs about this and share them. Could there be more than one answer to this very big question? Could the answer change over time?

14. Minli’s third big choice. When Minli finally meets the Old Man of the Moon, she is only allowed to ask one question. What sort of choice does she make at this important moment–when she has come so far and so much is resting on her choice? Does her response surprise you? If your students could ask one question of the Old Man of the Moon, what would it be? Suppose they had a chance to peek into their own future. Would they want to do that–or let it unfold on its own?

15. End of the quest. Does Minli find what she is seeking? And what is that?

16. Lin’s writing. Spend some time just appreciating the writing itself. It is so lovely. Have students find a favorite passage–based on any criterion. They might choose something lyrical, beautifully worded, or a passage with vivid imagery. Share your favorites and discuss the features that make Grace Lin’s writing so strong. This book was a Newbery Honor Book, after all. Was that a good choice? Why? Is this a book your students think their own children or grandchildren might read one day? Why?

Coming up on Gurus . . .

We will review the stunning Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by award-winning author and acclaimed artist Kadir Nelson. Don’t miss it. Also,  we will announce the winner of our first door prize! It might be you, so come back and check! Our very deepest thanks to all our friends and fans. We appreciate you so very much. Please remember . . . for the very best trait-based professional development anywhere, contact us: 503-579-3034. Give every child a voice.

Want to teach voice? Think about letters.

I got a letter this week–four pages long, hand-written. I couldn’t wait to get home to read it. Since I live in a very rural area, it’s nearly six miles to the mailbox. You can believe I hugged that letter every inch of the way home–where I poured a cup of coffee and opened it at the dining table. My friend Pam (teacher extraordinaire, both writing and music) specializes in letters that are written like journals. They span several days. So on one day she might take the Border collie to the vet. On another, she might be training one of her horses–or taking photographs stunning enough to bedeck a calendar. Whatever happens, I get the details, day by day. I get to hear what her daughter said, what her husband thought, how the latest music lesson went, what’s for dinner, what kind of weather is bubbling over the Rockies at the moment. And details translate into voice. The thing about letters is, they’re personal–they’re written to someone in particular, someone the writer is picturing as he or she writes. What a difference that makes. No wonder a letter is a treasure, a true gift. No wonder when you go on any website that coordinates delivery of care packages to U.S. troops, they inevitably say, “Please–send letters.” When you’re far from home, nothing is more welcome than a letter.

So–think about it. Think about writing a letter to someone who has not heard from you in a long while. Or invite your students to write letters. Don’t send an email. Not the same. That feeling of opening a mailbox and finding there something you can hold in your hands and read over and over cannot be topped. Garrison Keillor said it best: “Such a sweet gift–a piece of handmade writing, in an envelope that is not a bill, sitting in our friend’s path when she trudges home from a long day spent among wahoos and savages, a day our words will help repair” (“How to Write a Letter,” p. 137). Those wonderful words come from a book first published in 1989, now out in paperback: We Are Still Married (Viking). If you don’t have a copy, it’s worth tracking down. The chapter “How to Write a Letter” will inspire you and your students. It could just as well be titled “How to Write with Voice,” and the lessons it teaches apply to much more than letters. Every successful piece of writing in the world has a little bit of “letter” in it, after all.

I’m incredibly fortunate to have several friends–Jeff, Judy, Sally, Pam, Donna, and others–who still write letters, who even put real notes (not the pre-printed variety) into holiday cards. I’m thankful for these people every day. Yes, we’re all busy. We need email and Facebook to do some things speedily. But there’s a time for speed, and a time for heartfelt words.

Looking for ideas on where to send letters? Local businesses love hearing from students, and make good recipients. Penpals work, too. You can find many sources, such as penpalsnow.com on line. If you are interested in sending notes to the troops (very welcome), check out any of the many sites for that: Amillionthanks.org, operationgratitude.com, and booksforsoldiers.com offer just a few options. Many students love writing to favorite authors. Check out Kidsreads.com for a terrific list. Writingfix.com offers many ideas for putting together a letter to which an author will respond. Or–just send a note to a friend and change someone’s day.

In a world where so many things seem difficult to change, do something small that makes a real difference. Write a letter. Share your voice. Who knows? Someone might just save your writing. Just listen to Garrison Keillor’s reflection . . .  ”And forty years from now, your friend’s grandkids will dig [your letter] out of the attic and read it, a sweet and precious relic of the ancient [times] that gives them a sudden clear glimpse of you and her and the world we old-timers knew. You will then have created an object of art. Yourt simple lines about where you went, who you saw, what they said, will speak to those children and they will feel in their hearts the humanity of our times” (p. 140).

The Marshall Memo: A highlight of my week!

OK, it may seem like a sad cry for a social life when a busy educator says that a highlight of his week is reading the latest Marshall Memo, but it’s absolutely true. What it boils down to is time, and doesn’t every teacher want more time? Reading the Marshall Memo saves me time. And keeps me informed and up to date on the most current and ongoing issues in education. And it makes me feel smart, inspired, and ready to engage in a discussion on almost any topic significant to teachers, administrators, and even school board members. And even more importantly, from each issue I harvest a bounty of meaningful teaching and leadership ideas–covering a broad range of education-related subjects including, of course, writing and literacy. (If you are sufficiently pumped-up and you can’t wait, you can stop reading my testimonial right now and go directly to: http://www.marshallmemo.com to find out all the background and subscription details.)

If you’re still with me, think of the Marshall Memo as the Reader’s Digest for anyone involved in teaching, educational leadership, and student achievement. Kim Marshall is the man behind the Memo. His rich background in education–teacher, principal, administrator, writer, consultant–offers him a focused perspective as he carefully pours over the weekly/monthly offerings from the 44 publications (Wow!) he subscribes to.  Consider him, as he says on his website, as your “designated reader,” and thankfully as your designated narrower. From all this reading, Mr. Marshall chooses between 5 and 10 of the best articles–those with the “greatest potential to influence teaching, leadership, and learning.”

He skillfully summarizes his selections (including e-links to the full articles) in a weekly email arriving each Monday. Here are a few of the topics included in recent issues of the Memo: Going back to basics with writing, Connecting school mathematics to everyday life, Dylan Wiliam on the power of classroom assessments, Homework: the good, the bad, and the ugly, The impact of absenteeism on teaching and learning. (And the list does go on–subscribers have access to a database of over 2800 articles!) And each Memo takes about 20 minutes to read, leaving you plenty of time for spa treatments, walking the dog, checking out the latest on Sixtraitgurus, or prepping for your next day with students.

The Marshall Memo “Selects, Summarizes, and Organizes” the best from a wide range of sources so you can stay current, informed, inspired, and even motivated. You heard it from us, now check it out for yourself.

http://www.marshallmemo.com

How hard is it to be the ONLY kid who can’t have “Those Shoes”?

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones 

2007. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Genre: Fictional picture book

Ages: Clearly aimed at primary and early elementary, this book has a message to touch all hearts.

Summary

Everyone, it seems, is getting a pair: those jazzy black high tops with the two white stripes. Everyone but Jeremy, that is. His grandmother explains that there is no money or room in their lives for “want”–just for “need.” What Jeremy needs are new boots for winter. Snow is coming. It can be hard to think about what you need, however, when everything seems to be going wrong. Not only can Jeremy not afford the shoes he wants so badly, but the guidance counselor, Mr. Alfrey, has given him shoes from a box of hand-me-downs reserved for “kids who need things”–and worst of all, they’re Velcro, decorated with a cartoon character no self-respecting kid would choose for himself. It’s especially humiliating when the other kids (all but one) laugh at these “new” shoes. Then, things look up when Jeremy and his grandmother find a used pair of the high tops in a secondhand store. Will they change Jeremy’s life?

This deceptively simple little book brims with the honest voice of someone who understands what life is about. On every page there’s an event or scene to tug at your heart, and yet the writing is restrained–never overdone. You will feel how deeply Jeremy’s grandmother aches to make things right for her grandson. And you will cheer for Jeremy as he makes his way through some difficult choices. This is a book about love and friendship–and getting through life. It has depth, soul, and meaning. Pictures by Noah Z. Jones set off the themes of love, choice, and sacrifice beautifully. Like the text, they are elemental, yet the carefully chosen details allow for expansive interpretation. It’s a book you’ll want to read more than once, and one that will leave you thinking about how unfair it can be to make children want what families cannot afford. The book doesn’t overtly attack commercialism; it’s a subtle message, but all the more powerful for that. And the loving relationship between Jeremy and his grandmother is touching and inspiring without being sentimental.

In the Classroom

1. Most people want something, at some point in their lives, that they just can’t have. It may be too expensive, or there could be another reason. For some people, like Jeremy, it might be a special pair of shoes. For others, it could be something else entirely–a pet, a bicycle, sports equipment, or whatever. Set the story up by asking students to just think about a time they wanted something they just could not have–or could not have right then. Thinking about how they felt can help them identify with Jeremy.

2. Show students the book cover and share the title. Ask what they can predict about the story just by looking at the cover.

3. Read the story, inviting students to sit close or using a document projector to help them appreciate the art. Notice that the story opens with Jeremy looking up at an advertisement on a billboard. Be sure students understand that he is looking at an ad.

4. Some students may benefit from hearing this story a second time. Though it is told in simple language, the ideas behind the story are anything but simple, and a second reading may help the author’s meaning sink in. If you read the book a second time, ask students to look for small details in the art, such as expressions on the faces of various characters.

5. Talk about the shoes. Why does Jeremy want them so much? What would change if he had them? Ask how many of your students have wanted something after seeing it in an ad. How do we resist wanting things when ads are all around us, every day?

6. Talk about Jeremy’s grandmother. Does she want to get the shoes for Jeremy? How do you know?

7. When Jeremy takes the hand-me-down shoes from Mr. Alfrey, everyone (except Antonio) laughs. How do your students feel about this? How do they imagine Jeremy is feeling when others laugh at his shoes? Is laughing at someone a kind of bullying? Does Jeremy feel even worse when his grandmother says, “How kind of Mr. Alfrey”? Why?

8. Jeremy has some tough choices to make in this story. See if your students can recall what some of them are. Talk about whether Jeremy makes good decisions in each case. Possibilities: Deciding he wants the shoes, telling his grandmother he wants the shoes, taking the Velcro shoes from Mr. Alfrey, using his own money to buy shoes that don’t fit, giving the shoes he loves to Antonio.

9. Read the final two pages again and talk about the ending. What is the author trying to show us about Jeremy and Antonio? Is this a good ending? Why?

10. Explain that books with voice make us, as readers, feel something. What do we feel as we read or listen to this story? Is this a book with voice?

11. Invite students to write about an experience of their own that involved wanting something they could not have–or had to wait for. Encourage students to write with voice; that means, in this case, helping their readers understand their feelings.

12. On the back cover, you will notice that this book is recommended for students ages 5 through 8. Do your students agree with this choice? Is this a book older students or adults might enjoy also? Why? If you have interesting thoughts to share about the book, do an online class review.

Coming up on Gurus . . .

Have you heard of the Maldives? If so, you might be just in the nick of time. This country of 1,200 tiny coral islands, just off the coast of India, is feeling the effects of climate change like almost nowhere else on Earth. ”With sea level rising at just under half an inch a year, the Maldives will be gone in a century, and long before that, the islands will be uninhabitable” (Nicola Davies, Gaia Warriors, 2011, 29). To learn more, check out our upcoming review of Gaia Warriors, the brilliant new nonfiction book by Nicola Davies, with an afterword by James Lovelock, creator of the Gaia theory. If you teach upper elementary or middle school science or nonfiction writing, you don’t want to miss this book. Thanks for dropping by–and come again soon!