1. +
Learning to
Write: Through
Conceptual
Units
Spencer K-5
June 9 – 13, 2014

2. +
Build Common Understanding
 Alignment of Cognitive Complexity
 Standards, Assessment, Learning Experiences
 Expectations for Student Writing
 IA Core Standards & 6+ Traits
 Principles of Effective Writing Instruction
 Including use of mentor texts
Writing Process
 Designing Summative Tasks
Writing Workshop
 Including Conferencing
 Differentiation
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3. +
Curriculum Alignment
Student work that demonstrates mastery
of standards must be at the same level
of cognitive complexity that is called
for in the standards; therefore, the
summative assessment task and some
formative assessment and instructional
tasks must also be at the same level of
cognitive complexity.
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4. +
Cognitive Complexity
Cognitive Complexity is a level of
thinking often referred to as lower order
thinking or higher order thinking.
For our purposes we will use the six
levels of thinking in Bloom’s Revised
Taxonomy .
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5. +
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
Remembering Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from
from long-term memory
Understanding Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages
messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying,
summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining
Applying Carrying out or using a procedure through executing or
implementing
Analyzing Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts
parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose
purpose through differentiating, organizing, and attributing
Evaluating Marking judgments based on criteria and standards through
checking and critiquing
Creating Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole;
whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure
through generating, planning, or producing
5
Source: Anderson & Krathwohl as cited in Forehand, 2008
http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy

6. +
Curriculum Alignment
Standards Instruction
Summative
Assessment
Student Work
Rigor
6

7. +
Grade 2
Writing.2.1
Write opinion pieces in which they introduce
the topic or book they are writing about,
state an opinion, supply reasons that support
the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because,
and also) to connect opinion and reasons,
and provide a concluding statement or
section.
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8. +
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
Remembering Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from
from long-term memory
Understanding Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages
messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying,
summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining
Applying Carrying out or using a procedure through executing or
implementing
Analyzing Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts
parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose
purpose through differentiating, organizing, and attributing
Evaluating Marking judgments based on criteria and standards through
checking and critiquing
Creating Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole;
whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure
through generating, planning, or producing
8
Source: Anderson & Krathwohl as cited in Forehand, 2008
http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
R
U
Ap
Ap
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C

9. +
Grade 2
Writing.2.1
Write opinion pieces in which they introduce
the topic or book they are writing about,
state an opinion, supply reasons that support
the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because,
and also) to connect opinion and reasons,
and provide a concluding statement or
section.
9

10. +
How confident are you that the
content you teach, the assessments
that you use to evaluate mastery,
and your instruction are aligned to
the Iowa Core and why?
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11. +
Expectations for Student Writing
Iowa Core grade level indicators for
student writing
6+ traits – overlap and explain
Last summer used rubrics for opinion
writing that combined IA Core standards
and 6+ Traits expectations
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12. +
Self & Peer-Review of Alignment:
Standards, Rubric, Curriculum Plan
Are the content of the ELA Common Core
Writing (1, 4-10) & Language Standards all
included as learning goals?
Which are not built into the task themselves and
will need to be built into the process? How will
you do that?
How will you track student progress?
12

13. Taxonomy Table
Cognitive Process Dimension
Curriculum Recall Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create
Standards
Transfer
Goals
Instructional
Activities
Formative
Assessments
Summative
Assessment
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14. +
Alignment
A strong alignment for a
unit of study means that
the culminating
instructional activities and
summative assessments
should be in the same cells
on the table as the related
tranfer goal.
This information comes from , A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing, pages 95-109 and adapted from Evaluator III: Assessing Academic
Rigor - Based on SREB Learning-Centered Leadership Program and the Wallace Foundation
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15. +
Alignment
However, formative
assessments and
instructional activities
that take place early in
the unit may be in a
variety of cells,
scaffolding the learning
for the students.
This information comes from , A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing, pages 95-109 and adapted from Evaluator III: Assessing Academic
Rigor - Based on SREB Learning-Centered Leadership Program and the Wallace Foundation
15

16. Modified Taxonomy Table – Strong Alignment
Cognitive Process Dimension
Curriculum Recall Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create
Standards
Transfer
Goal
Instructional
Activities
Formative
Assessments
Summative
Assessment
16

17. Modified Taxonomy Table – Poor Alignment
Cognitive Process Dimension
Curriculum Recall Understand Apply Analyze Evaluate Create
Standards
Transfer Goals
Instructional
Activities
Formative
Assessments
Summative
Assessment
17

18. 18
Pinterest – Kindergarten Learning Experience
1. Relates to Standard ___ 1 ____2 _____3
2. Fully Aligned? ___yes ___no, because …
3. If no, this could be fully aligned if…
4. If no, this is appropriate for practice because…
5. Relates to 6+ Traits _________________ (list trait)
6. Before this experience, students/teachers would…
7. After this learning experience, students/teachers would…
8. Other standards that could be learned/assessed include…
Each Person….
Review at least 3 learning experiences related to
opinion/argumentative writing.
•One should be a learning experience you have used
in the past.
•One should be from your new writing teacher’s
manual.
•One should be from a web source

19. +
Principles of Powerful Instruction
Model using mentor texts
 Your own writing (Composing Think Alouds)
 Others’ Writing (Talk Alouds)
What do you notice? What did they do? When would it work?
How do you do it? Then try it!
 I do, We do together, You do together, You do
 Use mentor texts as examples in mini lessons
Just liking the story or graphics doesn’t make a
mentor text
 Students may just summarize the text.
 Ask what the book could teach you about writing.
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20. +
Two Kinds of Reading
Efferent Reading
 Reading to understand the information
Reading to analyze and synthesize the ideas
Aesthetic Reading
 Reading with a focus on feelings, thoughts & images
 Letting personal experience and emotions guide meaning
Noticing the craft and artistic qualities of the text.
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21. +
Selecting Mentor Texts
 Students can relate to them and can read independently
(with support)
 Serve as exemplars
 Can build community study of craft, genre, or any other
aspect of writing
 Help writers envision the kind of writing they can become
 Show, don’t tell, how to write
 Build passion and interest in writing
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22. +
Guiding Questions for Students’ own
Talk Alouds
Why is this text a mentor text?
What writing craft tools has this author taught
you?
Share an example of the incredible writing.
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23. +
Create Mentor Texts
In you grade level teams
1.Brainstorm topics of genuine interest to your students
 “…students see injustices all around them every day in school,
and persuasive writing is a perfect form for them to express
some of their feelings of indignation.” (Heard, 2013)
2.Individually or as a group, select a topic from #1 and
consider authentic audiences for your students’ opinions
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24. +
Create Mentor Texts (continued)
3. Individually or as a group, select an audience
from #2 and consider a realistic written format
for communicating with that audience
4. Individually or as a group, select a format from
#4 and individually write an
opinion/argumentative piece considering grade
level expectations (ELA Common Core and 6+
Traits of Writing)
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25. +
Emphasize the Reading-Writing
Connections
“…I’ve noticed that unless (students) read,
study, and absorb the genre of writing
they’re writing in, it is difficult for them to
write and revise and do the kind of rigorous
crafting work that is required of writers.”
Heard, 2013
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26. + Build Interactive Anchor Charts 26

27. +
Principals of Powerful Instruction
(Continued)
Have a clear instructional focus
Teach for transfer
Provide time for reflection
What am I learning?
How am I improving?
Consider writing as a process
 Don’t have to include all parts of the process every time
we write
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28. +
Writing Process
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29. +
Principals of Powerful Instruction
Authenticity
Topic
Audience
Purpose
Format
Technology
Collaboration
Process
Product
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31. + Summative Task
 Topic
 What topics in this unit lead to opinion/persuasive (expository or
narrative) writing?
 Think about authentic questions and topics
 Think about big questions related to the essential questions.
 Role
 Who would be addressing these topics?
 How do students need to address the topics?
 Audience
 With whom would the topic or question be addressed?
 Format
 What is an authentic format?
 Electronic?
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32. +
Summative Task: Consider
Student Choice
Inquiry as an author
Opportunities for self and peer assessment
Opportunity for revision
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Alignment with content and cognitive complexity
of standards

33. +
Writing Workshop
Writing choice
Time to write – may have more than one project
going at the same time
Mini lesson
Conferencing
Peer collaboration throughout the writing process
Sharing
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34. +
Writing Workshop
Writer’s Notebook
A place to play
A place to collect
A place to reflect
 See Mechanically Inclined Chapter 3
Management
Teach the routine with clear expectations
Build your students writing stamina
 See “A Guide to Writing Workshop: Management
Systems” (Lucy Calkins)
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35. +
Writing Workshop: Conferencing
What open-ended questions (thick questions) will you use to help
the student reflect on her/his own writing?
What is something specific that the student has done well and you
want to encourage him/her to do again?
What are specific goals for this student? Make sure at least one
of the goals has to do with author’s craft (writing standards).
What are you going to model for the student? (technology,
resource, author’s craft, conventions generalization, process of
writing, etc.)
 How will you keep track of the conference work?
(accomplishment, goals, work during the conference)
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36. +
Writing Workshop: Conferencing
Recording student progress
Keep it focused
Keep it simple
Keep it open to the student
Records help us…
Plan for future conferences
Observe & record strengths
Plan teaching
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37. +
Writing Workshop: Conferencing
If not enough time – why not?
Choosing with whom to confer
 Review students’ writing before class
Improvise: writing need, management
System for requesting a conference
Small group conferences
Common need
 Conference with one & one “listen in”
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38. +
Writing Workshop: Conferencing
 Lots of student talk
 Academic language used by teacher and student
 Teacher comments come from a reader’s perspective
 Teacher models something new – new “tool” for the student
 Positive feedback is specific so the student knows how to repeat what
worked
 Student is thinking and making decisions
 Student has a goal and clear direction at the end of the conference
 Recordkeeping is efficient and informative
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39. +
Differentiation
Same learning goals
Conferencing
Support during more times of practice
 Modeling
 Template
 Probe or prompt
 Change process or product that doesn’t the learning goal
Consider the writing topic
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41. +
A few Websites
How will you collect books & share ideas?
 A year of reading: Two teachers who read. A lot.
 Nic Bishop: How I research my books
 Two Writing Teachers
 Corbettharrison.com (Pinterest)
 Mentor Texts (Pinterest)
 Mentor Texts – Including some for Persuasive Texts
 Growing Book by Book
 Goodreads: Persuasive Writing Mentor Texts
 LA Mentor Texts (Pinterest)
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