Writing+Inservice



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August 11-12, 2008
=Different types of writing assignments:=
 * [|Short Writes]
 * [|Formal Essays]
 * [|Research Papers]
 * [|Journals]
 * [|Small-Group Work]
 * Blogging

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**Scene It?**
(6-12 suggested grade level) Increase your students’ awareness of movie culture and give them an authentic audience for their writing. Use movie clips and a word bank to teach description. Read online movie reviews to prepare students for writing their own movie reviews.

Send your students home with the assignment to watch a movie and write a review.
 * Act I**

After they have written the reviews, pair students up to peer edit. Then publish students’ revised reviews on the [|Common Sense Media] website.
 * Act II**

(6-12 suggested grade level) In preparation for a lively discussion on plagiarism and copyright laws, direct students to research and take notes on the current issue of downloading music. The following links provide a starting point: Encourage students to find other web sites with information regarding this issue. Preface the assignment with a discussion of legitimate vs. illegitimate web resources. During the discussion following the research, reinforce the principles of reliable sources.
 * What's the law on downloading music?**
 * [|Music Biz Academy] (laws and regulations)
 * [|NPR: Digital Culture] (case study)
 * [|What’s the Download] (explains the issue)

(6-12 suggested grade level) You have been given a problem to solve. In addition to working out the correct answer, write a complete description of how you went about solving the problem. How did you decide what approach to take or formula(s) to use? Describe not only how you solved the problem but how you checked your work and your level of confidence that you were able to solve it correctly. Restate, (6-12 suggested grade level) //Encourage students to keep a notebook for this purpose//. including any questions they may have or clarifications they may need. Ask them to title and date each entry. clarifications for them to add to their notes. //Students can also exchange notebooks with one another in order to validate their summaries and notes.// Advise students to use the summaries and notes to review for tests. (6-12 suggested grade level) Challenge your students to identify a foreign country they would like to visit. Ask them to describe the country and write a rationale for their choice. As a journal entry, prompt students to write about how an economic principle affects their every day life. Propose this fictional opportunity to your students: Choose one political person who is nationally known and with whom you could meet for one hour.
 * Explain Yourself! - Math Integration Idea**
 * Request, Review - Science Integration Idea**
 * After teaching a new concept**, ask students to summarize what they just learned in their own words in their notebooks
 * As a looping activity**, at the beginning of the next class, ask students to share what they had written, and offer answers and
 * Three Social Studies/History Integration Ideas**
 * GEOGRAPHY**
 * ECONOMICS**
 * CURRENT EVENTS**


 * writing tips for prompts || prompt ideas for genres ||
 * * [|overview for primary prompts]
 * [|overview for intermediate prompts]
 * [|overview for secondary prompts] || * [|descriptive writing prompts]
 * [|expository writing prompts]
 * [|narrative writing prompts]
 * [|persuasive writing prompts]
 * [|poetry writing prompts]
 * [|technical writing prompts] ||

Other useful sites: http://www.writingfix.com/ipod_prompts.htm http://home.cogeco.ca/~rayser3/writing.htm http://www.classbrain.com/artteensb/publish/cat_index_22.shtml http://www.timesaversforteachers.com/index_page0010.htm http://books.google.com/books?id=AO7R-1EWvUUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0 http://www.edmondschools.net/language_arts/MIDDLE%20SCHOOL/Writing%20Prompts.pdf

http://noodletools.com/ this is a bibliography composer, free research tools, notecard composer
 * this is NOT a free site for all features---if we are interested, this may be an option