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Literacy Retreat 2018

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Organize Ideas Before Crafting & Drafting

Follow a scaffold of instruction

Don’t leave organization to the revision step of the writing process.

Define what organization means

Steps 1 & 2:

Know the topic & Capture details

Choose topics students know well and write everything down.

Step 3:

Sort related information

Capture details on paper and in a “container.”

Identify ways that details could be the same or similar
PDF

Kindergartners learn three ways to organize information
Smartboard | PDF

Eighth graders sort the pros/cons of genetic engineering
Anchor Chart | List of Research | Sort Activity

Bring together Steps 1-3

  1. Identify a topic you know a lot about.
  2. List many specific details/examples about that topic.
  3. Physically sort the details into logical groupings.

Step 4:

Label the sorted groupings

The reason that you put the details together becomes the label for the grouping.

Step 5:

Utilize organizers

Introduce consistent and flexible graphic organizers to use in all grade levels and all content areas.

Organize information based on task & purpose

Choose the appropriate organizer.

Introduce each organization type with a series of 3 mini-posters.

Utilize the Organize It Table Tent to select the appropriate order of information. Simple assembly.

Step 6:

Organize throughout the writing process

Wean students off of blackline master organizers.

In lieu of teacher-provided tools, students create their own graphic organizers