Wonderful Real-World Writing
By Anita L. Green
Central Carolina CC
[email protected]
Write Like This:
Real-World Writing Purposes
In the real world,
people write.
Helping students
learn the different
purposes for
writing is essential
for their success.
College and Career Readiness
Standards
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts,
and information through the selection,
organization, and analysis of relevant content
3. Write narratives to develop real
experiences using effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured event
sequences.
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a
question, drawing on several sources and
refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
Let’s Write
• What was your worst writing
experience?
Vocabulary
Definitions
• Evidence
– Observable data either
physical or reliably reported
• Warrants
– Common sense rules, general
statements about how people
and things behave
• Conclusions
– Reasoning that must be
supported with evidence and
warrants
Crime and
Puzzlement
(Book 1, p. 22)
By
Lawrence Treat
Vocabulary
Definitions
• Evidence
– Observable data either
physical or reliably reported
• Warrants
– Common sense rules, general
statements about how
people and things behave
• Conclusions
– Reasoning that must be
supported with evidence and
warrants
Crime Scene: Do Not Cross
Examples
• Evidence
– There are flowers “From
Joe” and a pictureof Joe on
display
• Warrants
– Generally when flowers and
a picture are on display, the
person is special
• Conclusions
– Therefore Joe is
special to Amy
Express and Reflect
• Expresses or reflects on own life and
experiences
• Often looks backward in order to look
forward
Examples:
Journals, poetry, autobiographical
narratives, blogs, Twitter, Facebook
Just Because….
Inform and Explain
• States a main point and purpose
• Tries to present the information in a
surprising way
Examples:
Answers to questions, essays, brochures,
reports
Lesson Idea
Lesson Idea
“The idea is to write it so that people hear it
and it slides through the brain and goes
straight to the heart.” – Maya Angelou
Lesson Idea
Do I Have to Write the Question?
• This is one of the easiest ways to teach students
how to write to inform and explain. When they
ask, “Do we have to write the question?” tell
them the question should be included in the
answer.
• The reader should know what the question was
by the way you wrote your answer.
To Model This Strategy
• For minimal preparation, use the questions
at the end of chapters as your model.
Sample Question: How do I get my students
to answer questions in complete sentences?
Model Answer
• Students need to answer questions in
complete sentences and the easiest way to
teach them to do this is to show them how to
use the language of the question in their
answer.
• By teaching them to incorporate the question
into the answer AND to use the names of
persons, places, or things as they answer,
the students are demonstrating content
knowledge and understanding.
Evaluate and Judge
• Focuses on the worth of person,
object, idea, or other phenomenon
• Usually specifies the criteria to the
object being seen as “good” or “bad”
Examples:
Social Media, Reviews, Critiques
Lesson Idea
• Students write advice about situations in
their lives and how to survive them
• Students respond to topics through social
media in a non-threatening arena, where
their ideas, thoughts and feelings can be
voiced and not judged.
Analyze and Interpret
• Seeks to analyze and interpret
phenomena that are difficult to understand
or explain
Examples:
Reviews, critiques, lab reports, literary
interpretation
Lesson Idea
Make a list of everything
you see in the picture.
You have five seconds.
Look again for ten
seconds.
Look again and make a
list with the
people around you.
Inquire and Explore
• Wrestles with a question or problem
• Hooks with the problem and lets the reader
watch them wrestle with it
Examples:
Reports, research projects, inquiry lessons,
labs
Take a Stand/Propose a Solution
• Seeks to persuade audiences to accept a
particular position on a controversial issue
• Describes the problem, proposes a solution,
and provides justification
Examples:
Research projects, essays, letters to
the editor, problem/solution papers
Lesson Idea
Would You Rather? is a game that offers
choices that seem impossible.
• Would you rather be able to fast forward life or to
rewind it?
• Would you rather die lonely with no enemies
or die hated by many?
Purpose
Express and
Reflect
Inform and
Explain
Evaluate and
Judge
Explanation
 Expresses or reflects on own life and experiences
 Often looks backward in order to look forward
 States a main point and purpose
 Tries to present the information in a surprising way
 Focuses on the worth of person, object, idea, or other
phenomenon
 Usually specifies the criteria to the object being seen as
“good” or “bad”
Inquire and
 Wrestles with a question or problem
Explore
 Hooks with the problem and lets the reader watch them
wrestle with it
Analyze and  Seeks to analyze and interpret phenomena that are difficult
Interpret
to understand or explain
Take a
 Seeks to persuade audiences to accept a particular position
Stand/Propos
on a controversial issue
e a Solution
 Describes the problem, proposes a solution, and provides
justification
from Write Like This (2011) Kelly Gallagher who adapted it from Bean, Chappell, and Gillam (2003)
Purpose
One Topic:
Teaching
=
Possible Writing Topics
Express and Reflect
•
•
•
My first class
The first time a student dropped
My first graduate
Inform and Explain
•
•
The First Adult Education classes
Why more adults come back to class
Evaluate and Judge
•
•
Best Teaching Practices
Sage on the Stage VS Guide on the Side
Inquire and Explore
•
•
Professional Development Opportunities
Networking Across Curriculum
Analyze and Interpret
•
•
Does Assessment lead to Retention
Does new standards lead to students
being ready for college?
Take a Stand/Propose
a Solution
• Teachers should be given greater
recognition as teaching professionals (and pay)
• Teachers should have more freedom to
individually decide how they will teach and
assess.
Exit Paper
• What was your best
writing experience?