Something to Say!

AO: PURPOSES AND AUDIENCES
Show an increasing understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences.
INDICATORS:constructs texts that show an awareness of purpose and audience through deliberate choice of content, language, and text form
conveys and sustains personal voice where appropriate.

Our new pet project is to have a voice, an opinion, have something to say. This type of writing is 'expository' in nature (that means trying to explain or describe) and lends itself well to arguments! So...it's time to get passionate about something!

Purpose for the Writing:

• We are learning how to write an argument. 
• exploring how to form an opinion and express a particular point of view

Long term learning focus: the purpose of a piece of writing dictates the structure and the choice of language (use of language is very important in a argument!)

• WALT take a stance on an issue and justify our opinion.
• WALT frame an argument in writing

What do we know about opinion and persuasion? (Think, Pair Share)

How do you persuade someone to your point of view?

Read the except from Jeanette Winterson's Written on the Body (go to Link 1). What is it she is trying to say?

What does she think about zoos?

Now read Anthony Browne's Zoo. 

What messages is he giving us? Where has the author hidden his opinion? In the text? In the characterisations? In the Illustrations? Is it a narrative or an argument? Can one be the other?

What do we know about Zoos? What do we think about zoos? How do we feel about zoos?

Think, Pair Share: the Pros & Cons (For & Against)

Success Criteria

Framing

We need a frame in which to put and plan our ideas. One possible framework is here (link2). Click these links to see the connection between planning and publishing

 Another possible frame is here

After having a go at writing a couple, this is the Success Criteria we came up with.

Using this framework, we 'zero draft'-ed our ideas

Here is another plan. Click this link to the interactive planner. Click on the get started.

As you plan keep thinking

• The claim (that typically answers the question: “What do I think?”)
• The reasons (that typically answer the question: “Why do I think this?”)
• The evidence (that typically answers the question: “How do I know this is the case?”).

Constructing 

WALT: Construct paragraphs
SC #1: Begin with a micro-sentence (Connective, Noun or verb, then opinion)
SC #2: Write 3 more sentences that either explain, elaborate or give a testimonial.

Useful links

Summer: 15days or 2 1/2 months?

ReadWriteThink interactive planner

Memoir

Listening, Reading & Viewing Language Features-Shows an increasing understanding of how language features are used for effect within and across texts.
Indicators-identifies oral, written, and visual features used and recognises and describes their effects

Speaking, Reading & Presenting Purposes and audiences-Shows an increasing understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences.
Indicators-constructs texts that show an awareness of purpose and audience through deliberate choice of content, language, and text form

WALT: find significance in our writing

SC (see checklist link here)

Read Gavin Bishops 'Piano Rock' 

Once we have read the text we could then complete a cloze reading of it, analyzing it with a 3 level guide.

Isn't it just kids being kids 'doing nothing much?

Then we need to read the text to find the literacy of the text. What is the structure? What is the grammar? What is the punctuation common to the texts? (compare with James K Baxters This Town)

Here is what we found:(see photo right)

Once that is complete, we need to revisit our James K Baxter inspired poems.

• Where are the significant places? 
• What are the significant 'doings'?
• Are these things really to dissimilar from Gavin Bishops stories in his memoir?

Take each of the 'doings' and use those as a subheading. Write a bare bones/zero draft underneath (make sure it is only a few key words). 

When you begin to craft don't write too much detail, only the things of significance. You still need to show not tell thought! 

A good writer will link all stories together...can it be done?

Character Portrait 2: the sequel!

AO: LANGUAGE FEATURES-Use a range of language features appropriately, showing an increasing understanding of their effects.
INDICATORS:uses a range of oral, written, and visual features to create meaning and effect and to sustain interest & uses a range of vocabulary to communicate precise meaning

This term, our substantial writing topic is a character portrait. (I know! I know! We've done this before!) The difference is in the word substantial. Meaning its going to be a larger, a more considered, crafted piece of prose.

Choose a person who has had a powerful influence on your life one way or another: a person whom you have loved, respected, admired, been fascinated by or perhaps feared.

For example:
-a specially loved relative or neighbour
-a favourite teacher

Jot down the names of people who fit that list. Think about what you would need to include. Jot down what you need to remember. What can you find or recall that reminds you of that person?

Don’t choose a friend or a sibling, as you'll just get bogged down in the emotion. Perhaps complete this as a homework task and do some research at home. ask Mum, Dad, whoever, to help you. Click on the link below, make a copy and begin making a list of who it could be.
Character Intro

So that you have an idea of what the writing might look like, I have made a framework that will help you plan out your writing.

Character portrait framework
Describe-Planning Template

Mentor texts

WALT: Find the LITERACY of a Character Portrait
SC:Compare and contrast the Character Framework with Maurice Gee's work.

In the first book I picked up, A World around the Corner, By Maurice Gee I found this. How many of the things in the character portrait framework , does the author do?

Hide and Seek

Here's Joseph's memory about playing hide and seek

...

Jack's Memoir

Lately this term, we have been writing more substantial pieces of prose. Even though we only 12-13 years under our belts, doesn't mean we haven't got things to say!

Booktrack

...

Jayni Rose's (snippet)

Here's a bit from Jayni-Roses' writing where I think she has really tried to make it sound realistic. The dialogue makes it sound like it's her.

...

art2 from Stephen Wood on Vimeo.

Book Week Film festival

NO KAEDYN, NO! from Stephen Wood on Vimeo.

Revising Observing & Noticing

Remember those poems we wrote? The ones about the Kowhai Pods & the walnuts? We identified the NOUNS and then we ACTIVATED them by making them do something.

In your memoir writing (when you are describing anything) try an make your nouns do something.

Here's an example

The Old Alley

Soaked papers cling to aged stone

Dustbin lids rock to and fro in the light wind

milk cartons, beer bottles and newspapers

squeeze through holed, rusty and overloaded bins.

Broken drainpipes hang from decaying and depressing walls,

thieving rats raid abandoned houses.

Just Get GOING!

So how do writers start writing (other than the obvious)?

You know when you read the opening sentence/paragraph of a book and you are hooked? What do they do that makes us want to invest our time in it? If we look at a variety of opening paragraphs, we may be able to find some patterns and commonalities.

From Life: An exploded Diagram by Mal Peet

Here's what we found:

In the opening sentence, Mal Peet

1. introduced a character,
2. what she was doing, 
3. where she was, 
4. when it was (R.A.F spitfire & ..."she'd often say over the years."
5. a complication and a resolution (of sorts!)
6. direct speech
7. informal language (that gives more insight into the character)

What are other ways to hook us in. On our Memoir checklist it says

The reader gets ‘hooked’ right at the start-through such devices as: direct speech, monologue, dialogue, question command, scene setting by showing not telling, problem outline, tension

Can we find examples of these to use as mentor texts?

Introduction to Memoir

Listening, Reading & Viewing

Language Features-Shows an increasing understanding of how language features are used for effect within and across texts.

Indicators-identifies oral, written, and visual features used and recognises and describes their effects

Speaking, Reading & Presenting

Purposes and audiences-Shows an increasing understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences.

Indicators-constructs texts that show an awareness of purpose and audience through deliberate choice of content, language, and text form

This Town

The town was usual enough; it had

A creek, a bridge, a beach, a sky

Over it, and even a small tin church

I never went to. My brother, my cousins and I

Did what boys do - dozed in the hot

Schoolroom, made bows and arrows, dodged the mad

Boatbuilder, crept like rabbits through the black

Under-runners with a weak torch,

Burnt dry rushes, wrestled or swam

Doing nothing important

James K Baxter

WALT-Add Energy to our Writing.
SC-Identify the structure and devices so that we can borrow the framework

PLANNING

This town by James K Baxter

Cloze Reading;
After the reading, complete a 3 Level Guide (please make a copy straight away and put it in your reading folder)

After we have read the poem and completed the 3 Level Guide we then need to identify how James K Baxter has used certain the structures and devices...in pinch them!

Questions to think about:

Any unfamiliar words?
What do you notice about the punctuation? How is it used for effect?
What is the writer trying to do?
What time of the year is it? How do you know?
What are the nouns? What about verbs? What do you notice about them?
Where are we? How do you know?
What does the town have?

From the above questions, we should begin to be able to co-construct a poem, inspired by This Town.

Select a place that is significant. Share with someone else.
Complete a spider map/brainstorm, with your name in the centre, with ideas radiating out from it.
Write: The _______ was usual enough...
Pick 5 nouns related to the place.
Pick 5 strong verbs (what are STRONG  verbs anyway?)
Include Did what boys/girls do- in between the nouns and actions
Conclude with Doing nothing important.

EXAMPLES

Jordyn's My Backyard

Piano Rock By Gavin Bishop

PUNKuation Workshop

Mentor text-Life: an exploded diagram by Mal Peet

How to use a semi-colon

Engagement

This is just from Mr Wood's work outside of Room 14

Click me

Become observers

AO: LANGUAGE FEATURES-Use a range of language features appropriately, showing an increasing understanding of their effects.
INDICATORS
Uses a range of oral, written, and visual features to create meaning and effect and to sustain interest
Uses a a range of vocabulary for precise meaning.

If I could set you a homework task of noticing something I would. I would say...this weekend, when you find yourself anywhere, stop and just notice...then you would be ready for this next task. What is the difference between seeing and noticing? Do we just need to do this task so that we can be better noticers next time? Which comes first?

The goal is to notice the 'significance' in something...anything. 'Significant' means 'suggesting a deeper meaning' If we notice the significance in something we may find that we create imagery in greater detail. We can then call on this in other forms of writing.

Poetry is all about noticing things. I have included 4 different styles so that hopefully you'll find a form that you like and use to inspire you. (From now on we'll call these Mentor Texts.) You may find some of the language a little tricky however, it's the structure we are looking at.


The Sea by Laura Ranger (7 years) Active nouns used as a language device
Street Lights by Ashleigh Young. Uneven stanzas-intense figurative language
Things I have loved by Rupert Brooke. The language may be a bit unfamiliar, but its has a framework for personal lists of things. Each thing is given a variety of descriptors-Sights, sounds, tastes and smells
From my Diary, July 1914 by Wilfred Owen. Also a list of things, things in their places and very specifically structured. Its has some delicious lines (highlighted)

Questions

What did all of these poets needed to have done to write these poems?

In what way have they created 'impact'? 

Could we construct criteria so that we know when we are successful?


Look closely at the seed pod-what words could could be use to describe texture, appearance...?
Frame these as activated nouns?
What does it remind you of? (figurative language simile, metaphor, personification)

SUCCESS CRITERIA
How do we know we've been successful?
1. include 4 nouns (from observation
2. make the nouns do something 
3. start each new description on a new line
4. extend each line to make more sense (it may include a who, what, where, why, when, how)

Check out some of our Poems below. What do you think?

Zahne's


Kye's

Joseph's

Zaid's

Tapping into personal experiences-Hide and Seek

AO: IDEAS.Select, develop, and communicate ideas on a range of topics
INDICATORS: adds or changes details and comments to support ideas, showing thoughtful selection in the process. Communicates ideas clearly drawing on a range of sources

Worst hider ever?

The big idea with this piece of writing was that we could use any old experience and turn it into a exciting piece to write about. In this case, playing a game of hide and seek.

The first job here was to read James Norcliff's short story Coming ready or Not! And Vernon Scanell's poem Hide and Seek. Using an easy organiser, we could then pull our own bare bones of the story/poem from the text and use it to make our own connections in readiness for writing. See link here for what I mean

Hmmmm...I wonder where he could be?

Since I love both of these and they link beautifully, we may as well complete a reading task on them as well. Below in the 'useful links' is a copy of the 3 level guide that we used to find the literal & inferential ideas within the text, as well as applying our own connections.There's also a blank one. Take a copy.

Specific Focus 1: Creating Impact

How has Veron Scanell achieved 'Impact'. Click here for the link from Gail Loane's Book. Can we find any of these in James Norcliff's piece? For this task your WALT is going to be to achieve impact. Your success criteria will be to use any of the ideas detailed in the list...so choose one and use it! You may find that you use other accidentally. Can we write a SOLO rubric for those that want it assessed?

Specific Focus 2: Crafting

I really want you to show evidence of being able craft. This will mean having your piece finished and parking it. Then you need to share it with someone. Mr Wood? A writing buddy? You need to ask yourself...

1. has your piece captured your experience in the way you intended? 
2. if not, what changes could you make?
3. what verbs could be replaced that have strong connotations?

Useful Links

The PLAN
Connections organiser

Hide & Seek by Vernon Scannell
Coming ready or not! by James Norcliff
Blank 3 Level Guide (for cloze)
Our example of the 3 Level Guide (for cloze)

Hardly a gripping topic!

STRUCTURE-Organise texts, using a range of appropriate structures
INDICATORS-Organises and sequences ideas and information for a particular effect

Depending on how we 'skin the cat', we could easily turn the most mundane, everyday activity into a wonderful piece of writing. 

In the first piece of writing below, the writer has written deliciously sensory prose, which describes the removing of the skin from a avocado.It makes the reader believe that it is possibly the most desirable fruit imaginable. 

What are the features the writer has used for effect? Make these our success criteria?

  

Here is an example of a Year 8s attempt. (both of these were taken from Pg 58 from Gail Loane's book Something to Say

From both of these pieces of writing you could easily create a 'zero draft' (key words). Wouldn't they look an awful lot like an instruction?

Here's one we did. Thanks to Ben, Jack, Shemira, Cheyanne & Broc. "Ben, I love the sentence that starts But oh...the agony arrives...3 great pieces of alliteration in the one sentence.  

Useful Links 

Vocab Rubric (e-asTTle)

SOLO Rubric

Flash Fiction or Vignette?

AO: LANGUAGE FEATURES-Use a range of language features appropriately, showing an increasing understanding of their effects.
INDICATORS-uses a range of oral, written, and visual features to create meaning and effect and to sustain interest

Vignette (pronounced vin yet) is a brief description, account or episode. Flash fiction is fiction with as little as 300 words and up to say 1000 and may have a protagonist, conflict, obstacles and complication (a short, short story in other words)

We are going to record a moment in our own lives as an 'Vignette' or 'Flash Fiction'. We have already recorded 'a memory' and tried to show a short moment in time, bringing it alive for our reader. This time we are going to tap into our experiences, find importance in them and then bring them alive using specific detail (showing not telling again!)

Click here for the 'Bare Bones' of a story.

Now read Beans by Patrica Grace

What has the author done to make it an effective piece of writing?

1. How has she made it sound like a child talking?
2. How does she make it seem as if she is talking to you directly? (a sense of audience)
3. Which part stays with you? Why?
4. Do you get a picture of the character and the scene?
5. What do we know about the boy?
6. What tells us how he is feeling?
7. What senses does the writer include?

Compare the "I play hard" from the 'bare bones' to the paragraph about 'playing hard'. Why is it more effective? Which part do you think you could rewrite and make your own?

When did you 'play hard'?

What would your listing sentence look like?

Visualise? Zero Draft?

Examples

Here are our examples of a 'zero draft' or 'bare bones', brainstorm.

Marz's
Jayni-Rose's
Josh's

Cullen's
Kaedyn's

How will we know that we have been successful? What will our success criteria be?

Useful Links

S.O.L.O Rubric

Structure and Language

Blog Links 

Marz's Vingette-'2nd Game'

Writers are Robbers

Purposes and audiences-Show an increasing understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences.

Indicators:
1. constructs texts that show an awareness of purpose and audience through deliberate choice of content, language, and text form
2. conveys and sustains personal voice where appropriate.

Ok...this one is DEAD EASY (sort of). I want a classroom that is swamped, saturated & bombarded with good writing (quality literature?) and I want to be able to display it in such a way that we know its good and why. The thing is...I'm a bit lazy and can't be bothered! So...(because I have a happy bunch of workers who will do it for free!), you're going to do it!!!

Phillip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials trilogy stole his ideas from things he read, saw & heard. If it is all right for him...then its alright for us! 

So, once you have decided on what you think is a 'quality' piece of writing, copy it into a new document. Make the font large enough so that all your writing fits onto ONE A4 PAGE. Then decide on a FONT that SUITS the style of PROSE. (don't forget to write the name of the book and the author-That can be just small)...and Hey Presto! You're finished...sort of.

The next part is to meet with me and tell me why you think this is a good example of quality writing (other than.."Well, they turned it into a book Mr Wood!") ...then...

Write you own version of it! Make enough changes so that you won't get into trouble with the author and publishing company. Sorted!

Our examples

Cullen's stolen Scot Gardner piece

Character Portrait

AO: LANGUAGE FEATURES-Use a range of language features appropriately, showing an increasing understanding of their effects.
INDICATORS:uses a range of oral, written, and visual features to create meaning and effect and to sustain interest & uses a range of vocabulary to communicate precise meaning

Ask yourself some or all of these questions. Close your eyes...think...open eyes and write!

Whats up with the eye and the make up?

This guy just scares me...

An ex-pirate?

Her skin reminds me of an unmade bed!

Useful links

Structure and Language Notes

Adjectives list  Increase your brain power by using words you don't normally use!!!

Describing a person This has a good bank of words you may want to include.
S.O.L.O. rubric

Our examples

Jacks The Weird Dude
Molly's Homeless

Absolute Nonsense!

AO: PURPOSES AND AUDIENCES.Show an increasing understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences.

INDICATORS: constructs texts that show an awareness of purpose and audience through deliberate choice of content, language, and text form.

This one is simple...don't think, just write. It only needs to be a paragraph long. If you try to think too much about this one,it will start making sense, which is not what you want. It needs to have a 'dream-like' quality to it. 

Thats it!

Useful links

Hannah's nonsense I love the imagery of the sharks sleeping peacefully in the fishbowl

50 word story

AO: PURPOSES AND AUDIENCES.Show an increasing understanding of how to shape texts for different purposes and audiences.INDICATORS: constructs texts that show an awareness of purpose and audience through deliberate choice of content, language, and text form

This activity sounds simple, but it's not. To write a good 50 words story each word must be carefully considered. Because you only have fifty words,each word must 'pull its weight'. 

A good 50 word story will

• have sentences of different lengths (try starting with a very short one, followed by a much longer one)
• not repeat too many words
• have a 'twist' at the end. Kaedyn has a great example of all of this in his story 'The End"

Links

http://fiftywordstories.com/

A memory

AO: IDEAS.Select, develop, and communicate ideas on a range of topics.Indicators:adds or changes details and comments to support ideas, showing thoughtful selection in the process

Think for yourself and talk with your family or friends about a favourite item you outgrew. For example, a favorite piece of clothing, a pairs of shoes, toy, blanket, etc that you eventually have to give away, or just wore out! Jot down some words to:

• describe the item
• explain why is was so special
• describe how you felt/ what you did when the day came that you out grew it. Choose something that you had until recently, it is really important that you remember it clearly so that you can write about it

Use the SOLO rubric below to gauge where you are at with the piece of writing and what you could add.

Links 

S.O.L.O rubric
Structure and Language Notes

Guilty or Innocent?

AO: PURPOSES & AUDIENCES: Show an increasing understanding of how texts are shaped for different purposes and audiences

In preparation for Oral Language (speeches) next term I thought we'd do something a little different that just the ol' "how to make a cup of Milo" speech. Instead I thought that since you, the learners of Room 14, will be teenagers soon, you'll need to know how to argue properly! We'll just write and work out what the Structure and language features are later on

Read The true Story of the 3 Little Pigs by Jon Scieska (illus. Lane Smith)

Once we've done that we'll brainstorm all the other possible 'injustices' done to other poor fairy tales creatures...or children of nursery rhymes...or even animals in fables!

First make sure you are very familar with your story (a good lawyer needs to be well prepared) then decide whether you are defending or prosecuting (for or against the criminal).

Then write down your key points...or just write and work out your key points later.

USEFUL LINKS

Self-assessment and marking
S.O.L.O rubric
Structure and Language Notes (see pg 5)

Planning and ideas
Defense lawyer planner

Prosecution lawyer planner

Mock trial scripts
Fairy tale courtroom-Jack v Giant