Showing posts with label common core. Show all posts
Showing posts with label common core. Show all posts

Informative and Explanatory Writing: Prompts and Resources for Teachers

Common Core Informative and Explanatory Writing Bundle



Have your students take a writing road trip! 
When it comes to the writing process, students tend to groan, roll their eyes, and start formulating an escape plan. Why not make it more fun for them by appealing to their interests? I just uploaded a new writing bundle for informative and explanatory writing (also known as expository or informational writing). It includes over 70 pages and slides with instruction, tips, exercises, and tons of examples for students to follow and practice as they write their essays.
Common Core Essay Writing Materials

Examples of MLA Formatted Essays and Works Cited Pages


I included MLA formatting guidelines and examples, as well, so it can be used to teach your students how to research. In fact, these are all the types of writing assignments this resource covers:

  • Compare and Contrast essay
  • Cause and Effect essay
  • Definition and/or Example essay
  • Process/How-To essay
  • Research paper

For teachers who need practice for the PARCC assessments or other standardized tests in which the texts are already pre-determined, this resource offers great practice. I included links to text-based writing prompts for grades 6-12.

If you are looking for resources for argumentative/argument writing, I already have a resource for you. I posted this almost two years ago and it continues to be one of my best-sellers:

Common Core Argumentative Writing Unit

For a collection of writing prompts, check out my Pinterest pin board, appropriately named "Writing Prompts":

Links to Tons of Writing Prompts for Teens


All materials and resources are copyrighted © 2015 by Tracee Orman. All clip art, icons, and phrases used in the writing resources are created by and copyrighted by Tracee Orman. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Cyber Monday and Tuesday Sale at TeachersPayTeachers

Super Secondary TeachersPayTeachers Cyber Monday Sale

TpT SUPER CYBER SAVINGS 2014! 

Up to 28% off the entire site Monday, December 1st and Tuesday, December 2nd 

Use this promotional code at check out: TPTCYBER 

My fellow teachers who will be participating:
Super secondary TpT teachers want to wish you a wonderful holiday season!


Super Secondary TeachersPayTeachers Cyber Monday Sale

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If you don't want to wait for the sale to start on Monday
I am currently having a huge BUNDLE BlackFriday14 sale on my clip art graphics and interactive reading notebook activities. This sale will only extend through today, so get them while you can!

Doodle Border Bundle for commercial use

Loopty Loo Doodly Doo graphics bundle for commercial use

Owls - It's a Hoot! Owl clip art graphics bundle for commercial use

New interactive reading notebook activity bundle:
Interactive reading notebook activities bundle - both fiction and nonfiction

Stay tuned for MORE great products I'll be uploading this weekend!

Publishing Student Work

Publishing Student Work {from www.traceeorman.com}


How many times have you been grading your students' papers and thought, I wonder if they would write better if they knew others could read this? 

The answer, for most students, is "Yes." Most do put forth more effort and take a little more pride in their final product when they know ahead of time their work will be published and public on the web.

Years ago, I began a short story writing unit by telling students they would be writing for their peers. I asked them to create stories their friends would like (still school appropriate, of course). I assigned the students to read all of the stories and comment on them. Then I asked them to share their favorites. If the writers wanted to reveal themselves, they could. But they could also choose to stay anonymous.

The first couple of years of this method were a little rough. Even though I specified that all feedback should be constructive and respectful, there were times when students blurted out comments like "This is the stupidest story ever!" or "Doesn't this person know how to use spell check?" I found myself in damage-control mode often.

Students also wrote about other students, making snide remarks or writing stories that were not actually fiction. Some students were embarrassed. Feelings were hurt. I felt like the worst teacher ever.

Then something magical happened. Students asked for their stories back to make changes, improvements. They wanted to edit and peer edit. They begged me to let them make revisions after they had already handed in a final draft.

What? This can't be. Students wanting to make revisions?

Yes. There's something called pride that creeps in during this unit and turns ordinary slackers into Hemingways. No one wants to look like a lazy fool in front of their classmates.

USING SHORT STORIES
For this unit I use students' short stories because 1. They aren't personal narratives, so students can remain anonymous, and 2. They are much more interesting to read than a research or informative essay. Can you imagine your students' reaction if they had to read 60 or more research papers their classmates wrote? Snoozeville.

Organizing student short stories {click to read more}

ORGANIZING THE STORIES
In the beginning, I just published the stories in my room. I basically made photocopies of each story, making sure the writer's name was either covered up or whited-out. Each story was assigned a number. Students were given a sheet of paper with the titles of the stories and a blank area to write their feedback.  I would then cut the paper in strips and give the writers the feedback (usually throwing away the comments that were hurtful or irrelevant). 

Short Story Unit with Student Stories (blog post from Mrs. Orman's Classroom)

I used a small file organizer with hanging files (see below). I labeled the folders in groups of 5 or 10 stories each so they would be easy for the students to find. 

Organizing Student Stories  (blog post from Mrs. Orman's Classroom)

It would take my students about 4-5 class periods (about 45 min. periods) to read through most of the stories, depending on length. We read some of the longer ones aloud. Years that I had more students, we took about six class periods to finish reading the stories.

Getting Students to Give Authentic Feedback  (blog post from Mrs. Orman's Classroom)

Students wrote their feedback on a separate page. Some years I even had students grade the stories. That was always interesting. They usually gave their classmates much lower grades than I did. I do think it also made them appreciate how hard it is to grade a creative assignment as objectively as possible.

Did some students slack off and only read some of the stories? Yes. Did some just copy the feedback from their classmates paper? Yes. But the majority of students really liked this unit and, boy, did they read a lot of pages! I've always had the attitude that reading something–no matter what the material–is better than not reading at all. If reading their classmates' stories will get a reluctant reader to read, I am all for it. 


ORGANIZING THE STORIES ONLINE
Over the past few years, I've been publishing the stories online. Students can then comment online right after the story. The writers are still anonymous and the students create user names in order to comment (though most students know their classmates' user names because they can't help but tell each other).
Student Feedback Online  (blog post from Mrs. Orman's Classroom)

One rule I do stick to for the feedback online: keep it positive and constructive.

Student Feedback Online  (blog post from Mrs. Orman's Classroom)Will some students still be embarrassed? Yes. And here's why I think that is OK: the times I have been embarrassed by my mistakes in grammar, spelling, etc., I LEARNED from it. I became more careful with my writing. Each time I messed up publicly, I improved my writing exponentially. This growth does not come when we mess up privately because no one calls us on it, or we never notice our mistakes.

I could give pages of feedback to each student on their stories. Some may read it. Some may toss it in the trash without looking at it. Very few (if any) will try to improve that story. And why should they? It's already been graded. But one comment from a classmate saying, "It drives me nuts when people use the wrong 'your'!" is all it may take to get that writer to make changes.


PUBLISHING USING BLOGGER
Example of Published Student Stories (blog post from Mrs. Orman's Classroom)I use Blogger to publish student work because we all have Google accounts at school, so it makes it easy for the students to comment on the stories. I also appreciate the fact that Google Drive now has an "embed" feature, so I can share the stories as PDFs right on the blog post. Before, the formatting of the story (italics, special fonts) was usually lost when I copied and pasted them in.

{It should be noted that all my students have MacBook Pros. If you have limited access to the internet, I would choose to do the paper-publishing option instead.}

After students have read the stories, I have them vote for their favorites in categories such as "Best Plot," "Best Characters," "Most Creative," "Saddest," "Funniest," etc. If students wish to reveal which story is theirs after voting has finished, I allow them to do so, but they don't have to.

You can see past blogs here (note - some of the comments have been disabled to prevent just anyone from posting):
http://erie2015.blogspot.com/
http://ehsclass2016.blogspot.com/
and currently (not all of the stories are published): http://ehsclass2017.blogspot.com/

Do you publish your students' stories? Please share your experiences in the comments below!

I will be updating my SHORT STORY WRITING UNIT within the next week to include all the handouts and information about publishing student work. 

Writing Short Stories: Soon to be Updated!
Soon to be updated!

Back to School Sale: Secondary Teachers Blast From the Past Yearbook

Back to School Sale: Secondary Teachers Yearbook Blast from the Past!


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  Oh, remember the days of middle and high school? How much simpler life was back then? Join your fellow secondary teachers for a blast-from-the-past celebration as TeachersPayTeachers kicks of its Back-to-School sale early this year!

  Life can be simpler for you using resources made by teachers.  The TeachersPayTeachers back-to-school sale is August 4th and 5th (yes, this coming week!). Use the code BTS14 at checkout to get the best savings.

  Stock up on tons of back-to-school/beginning of the year resourcesclassroom decor, Common Core-aligned lessons, activitieslesson planning, and so much more.

Special thanks to Danielle Knight who compiled all the secondary teacher's pictures and made the *totally awesome* photo above. Comment below with your graduation year (if you dare!) and attach a link to your favorite photo from school (optional...but it's so fun to see all the old pics!).

Here's mine (well, probably not my favorite, but it's my senior picture):

Mrs. Orman's Classroom: Back to School Yearbook!

It took me hours to crimp, curl, and tease that hair. I hope big hair is never back in style... 

You'll find everything you need for a successful school year in these secondary stores:

Interactive Notebook Examples and Templates

Interactive Notebook Activities for Secondary Students

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When I first heard someone mention interactive notebooks, I thought they meant "interactive" as in digital interaction between peers.

But I was completely wrong. "Interactive," as in "interactive notebook," refers to a student's collection of notes and graphics. They are personal tools for students to process ideas and concepts. The "interaction" part is the student interacting with the notes (rather than with other students). The more students interact with the information (have multiple senses connected with it), the more they can retain knowledge.

This makes sense to me because even though I love technology and would never want my students to be without access to their laptops, I still firmly believe writing with a pencil and reading a physical paper book helps my students remember and connect more deeply with the text.

With that in mind, I've been busy finding ways to incorporate more hands-on projects with my secondary students. (I've noticed that much of what is on the market for interactive notebooks is elementary-targeted.) I created a variety of resources and have bundled them all together here:

Interactive Notebook Bundle traceeorman.com

My bundle includes all of the following original products from my store.

I created these tabbed mini-books to use with both fiction and nonfiction text:

Interactive notebook activities on www.traceeorman.com

The books (Theme, Plot, Story Elements, Vocabulary, and Figurative Language Analysis) practice the following literature standards for grades 6-12: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.3CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.5, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.6.  They also cover these reading informational standards and language standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.1CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.5CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.4, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.5.

These are handy for using with individual stories and novels. Students can easily refer back to them later and compare two texts with one another. They are perfect for using as a source when writing a literary analysis paper or compare/contrast paper.

Interactive notebook activities on www.traceeorman.com

The wording/language used is targeted toward secondary students.

Interactive notebook activities on www.traceeorman.com
Plus, they are easy to put together: no glue is needed. Students can just assemble the pages and staple them. They can be affixed inside an existing notebook or not. 


Interactive notebook activities on www.traceeorman.com
Teachers can add as many or as few pages to the books. (This can be helpful for the plot analysis events and the vocabulary analysis book, both shown above.)

If you want to purchase a BLANK TEMPLATE for the mini-books, you can find them here in my store (commercial use is allowed): EDITABLE MINI BOOK TEMPLATES for CUSTOMIZING PAGES

I also created a bundle of literature resources to cover all of the 6-12 Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for reading. Even if your state does not use the CCSS, you can still utilize these resources. The skills practiced still involve essential reading and critical-thinking skills. I separated the foldables by standards, but they are not labeled on the templates themselves.
Interactive notebook activities on www.traceeorman.com

It includes over 90 different activities, which are scaffolded for introducing skills and differentiated for progressing into more advanced skills.

Interactive notebook activities on www.traceeorman.com
One of the more difficult activities for my students over the past few years has been analyzing an event to see how it provokes a decision, propels the action, and reveals aspects of a character. I'm not sure why they struggle so much with this skill (reading standard 3), but breaking down single events and dialogue will help. The foldable above has students write each response on a clock face, then stack on top of each other and staple for a complete analysis of an event (below).
Interactive notebook activities on www.traceeorman.com

Another higher-level skill practiced is comparing/contrasting two different works and analyze how the two authors approach the material both differently and similarly. (Reading standard 9)
Interactive notebook activities on www.traceeorman.com

Secondary students may also appreciate graphics they can relate to.
Interactive notebook activities on www.traceeorman.com

Interactive notebook: comparing the book to its movie on www.traceeorman.com

Interactive notebook activity: analyzing how themes build upon and interact with one another

Interactive notebook: text message activity on www.traceeorman.com

A secondary interactive bundle would not be complete without the Bard, right!?
Interactive notebook: rewriting Shakespeare on www.traceeorman.com

If you download the preview to my package, you'll get two free templates from the bundle

If you wish to purchase the BLANK TEMPLATES for these (and many more) interactive notebook activities, you can find them here (commercial use is allowed): INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK BLANK TEMPLATES

I'd love your feedback!
Comment below with your experience using interactive notebooks in your classroom. 
• What kind of notebooks do you use (spiral vs. composition)? 
• How often do you use them with your students? 
• Do you have any tips for teachers starting out?

Thanks for stopping by and sharing!

Using Bell Ringers and Exit Slips for Quick Assessments

Bell Ringers & Exit Slips for Quick Assessments (www.traceeorman.com)

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Implementing the Common Core State Standards does not have to be a difficult chore for teachers. There are many ways you can quickly assess student learning and measure their levels of understanding.

While teachers will see a push for more writing, the samples need not be lengthy essays. Quick writes—a paragraph summary or a few sentences that show evidence from a tex—count as a writing activity. This is where bell ringers and exit slips can come in handy. The smaller size is less intimidating for students, yet they still practice essential skills.

I've included some examples of how I use quick writes in the form of bell ringers (given at the beginning of class) and exit slips (due at the end of class) to gauge student learning. These are from my two Common Core Bell Ringers  & Exit Slips bundles: Volume 1 and Volume 2.

Implement the Common Core with Bell Ringers and Exit Slips
You should NEVER sacrifice creative thought; it should still be encouraged alongside other skills.

Both bundles have received rave reviews by teachers and students alike. One unique feature I include: the Common Core Standard on every single slip, so you (and your students) know exactly which skills you are practicing or assessing.

Using bell ringers and exit slips in class for quick writes.

Use prompts that practice the Core standards, yet still encourage creative thought. Your students will be more engaged and will put more thought and effort into the activity. The activity above practices the third reading standard, which asks students to analyze the characters actions over time. By asking students to eliminate a character, they must think both critically and creatively to understand how that character impacted the plot and other characters.

Using bell ringers and exit slips in class for quick writes.
Above, students are asked to relate a famous quote with the text. By forcing them to make those connections, they have to synthesize the information they've read.

Using bell ringers and exit slips in class for quick writes.

Another quick assessment is my "What's Hot? What's Not?" activity. Students must select parts from the text that display both positive and negative aspects or connotations. 

If you find yourself stressing about implementing the Core standards, DON'T! I have over 200 different activities to practice every single reading standard for both literature and nonfiction that can be implemented immediately. (See Volume 1 and Volume 2.) 

I've been using the activities in my classroom for several years with great success. Feel free to comment or ask a question below. Thanks for stopping by!

Five Ways to Use Memes to Connect With Students

Five Ways to Use Memes in Class  - from www.traceeorman.com

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Students love funny memes. Here are five ways you can bring that humor into your classroom (and school) to connect with students:

Use memes for your class rules and expectations  {from www.traceeorman.com}


1. Class Rules, Expectations, and/or Procedures: Instead of your traditional class rules poster, use memes to deliver your message with humor. Better yet, have students create what they think proper rules and regulations should be. In memes, of course. You or your students can use a website like http://memegenerator.net/. You can also download full-quality already-made prints HERE.

Use memes for an ice-breaker activity  {from www.traceeorman.com}

2. Ice-breaker or "Get-to-Know-You" Activity: Memes are perfect for getting to know your students better. Break the ice with a "What I Do" meme or funny eCard. For a full lesson with printables and digital templates you can share, click here.

Promote your curriculum in your classroom using memes {from www.traceeorman.com}


3. Promote (and Reinforce) Your Curriculum: Generate excitement with memes or use them to spark discussions. Posted around your room, they are sure to catch your students' attention. You can find hundreds of images on Pinterest.com with a search in your subject area. Or create them yourself.

Have your students create a meme relating to your unit of study. {from www.traceeorman.com}


4. Creative Activity: Students will practice both creative and critical-thinking skills while creating a meme related to the unit you are studying. It seems very simple, but coming up with appropriate wording to convey the right tone is definitely a higher-order skill. Then students have to make sure they use the right meme correctly. Without even realizing it, they will be making connections with the material while having fun. To read a more detailed post about making memes a class assignment, read more here.

Use memes for orientation, open house, or advice from graduates.  (from "5 ways to use memes to connect with students")


5. Freshmen Orientation (or Open House): One of my colleagues came up with the brilliant idea to have our current students create memes for next year's incoming freshmen for orientation. The meme content varied, covering advice, warnings, and plain old high school humor. The eighth graders and their parents perused the memes during their orientation in March. The images always seem to generate questions they may not have asked otherwise. You could also use this for an open house discussion-starter. Graduating seniors can also leave legacy memes with words of wisdom for future seniors.

However you use memes in your classroom or school, one thing is certain: your students will love it!


You can find high-quality teacher meme prints for your classroom (or to place in presentations) here: Classroom Memes Posters for Classroom or Presentations
Teacher Memes Classroom memes traceeorman.com

Try my End of the Year Advice Memes - Students create "advice memes" for your future students.

End of the Year Advice Memes traceeorman.com


Enjoy!

Five ways to use memes to connect with students...

Five ways to use memes to connect with students...

Five ways to use memes to connect with students... (from www.traceeorman.com)

Five ways to use memes to connect with students (from www.traceeorman.com)

Five ways to use memes to connect with students (from www.traceeorman.com)

Five ways to use memes to connect with students (from www.traceeorman.com)

Five ways to use memes to connect with students (from www.traceeorman.com)


The following images are from our most recent freshmen orientation, created by students:
High school memes - www.traceeorman.com
When teachers tell you there's a test today - classroom humor

What is it called when you don't have to study? Imagination.  (classroom humor)


Classroom humor - high school memes - www.traceeorman.com

So a senior said hi to me... high school humor

Why are you packing up already? Classroom humor

We trust you on your laptops...said no teacher ever. Classroom humor

Romeo and Juliet - Shakespeare humor

High school memes - classroom humor


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