Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning
101 Lessons & Mentor Texts--Narrative, Opinion/Argument, & Informative/Explanatory, Grades 4-9
Gretchen Bernabei
- Consultant, Educator, Trail of Breadcrumbs
Judith A. Reimer
- Educator, Freelance Writer
Purchase
eBook
ISBN:
9781483332093
Available from
January 0001
Paperback
ISBN:
9781452268613
Available from
January 0001
Description
Sometimes a student’s best teacher is another student
Just as the pressure for students to perform well on state assessments escalates ever higher, and the call to raise students’ achievement in narrative, opinion/argument , and informative/explanatory writing grows louder, Gretchen Bernabei and Judi Reimer publish Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning. If ever there were a book to answer every need, this is it.
You see, Gretchen and Judi have been concerned about adolescents’ writing for years, and they have had amazing success using mentor texts by students to teach the ins and outs of writing in any genre. So with this book, they “hand over their file drawers” and provide you with 101 essays written by students with one-page companion lessons that address text structure, imagery, dialogue, rhetorical devices, grammatical structures, textual blends--all the different tools that writers use.
Organized into three major sections that align with the Common Core, STAAR, and other major state assessments, Fun-Size Academic Writing delivers succinct, powerhouse instruction on topics such as:
• How to choose a structure for argument, informational, or narrative writing
• How to read a piece and extract thesis statement and main points
• How to layer a wide range of details to support points
• How to use rhetorical devices and grammatical constructions for effect
• How to write from the point of view of a fictional character
The essays—also available in reproducible form on the companion website--demonstrate something striking, something imitable, something concrete. They give students a bank of choices to call upon as they write. The lessons are short, practical, and full of variety. Collectively, these essays and lessons have the potential to move the needle on American students’ writing achievement once and for all. They show what has been done by students—and they reveal to you how your own students can do it, too.
Click here for an electronic book tour of Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning.
Just as the pressure for students to perform well on state assessments escalates ever higher, and the call to raise students’ achievement in narrative, opinion/argument , and informative/explanatory writing grows louder, Gretchen Bernabei and Judi Reimer publish Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning. If ever there were a book to answer every need, this is it.
You see, Gretchen and Judi have been concerned about adolescents’ writing for years, and they have had amazing success using mentor texts by students to teach the ins and outs of writing in any genre. So with this book, they “hand over their file drawers” and provide you with 101 essays written by students with one-page companion lessons that address text structure, imagery, dialogue, rhetorical devices, grammatical structures, textual blends--all the different tools that writers use.
Organized into three major sections that align with the Common Core, STAAR, and other major state assessments, Fun-Size Academic Writing delivers succinct, powerhouse instruction on topics such as:
• How to choose a structure for argument, informational, or narrative writing
• How to read a piece and extract thesis statement and main points
• How to layer a wide range of details to support points
• How to use rhetorical devices and grammatical constructions for effect
• How to write from the point of view of a fictional character
The essays—also available in reproducible form on the companion website--demonstrate something striking, something imitable, something concrete. They give students a bank of choices to call upon as they write. The lessons are short, practical, and full of variety. Collectively, these essays and lessons have the potential to move the needle on American students’ writing achievement once and for all. They show what has been done by students—and they reveal to you how your own students can do it, too.
Click here for an electronic book tour of Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning.
Contents
Foreword by Barry Lane
Foreword by Barry Lane
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Introduction
Part I. Narrative
- 1. Color It Up
- 2. Sprinkling Writing With Humor
- 3. Adding Movement and Sound to Animate a Piece
- 4. Using Asides
- 5. Combining Rhetorical Devices: Cataloguing and Repetition
- 6. Using Literary Characters to Write Fiction
- 7. Using Specific Language From a Special Setting
- 8. Using Varied Sentence Openers to Create Rhythm and Flow
- 9. Using Precise Language to Create Visual Snapshots
- 10. Using Foreshadowing to Create Mood
- 11. Building Suspense in a Narrative Through Questions and Answers
- 12. Using Participles and Participial Phrases
- 13. Using Variety When Introducing Narrator Thoughts
- 14. Using Metaphor to Illuminate a Life Lesson
- 15. Writing Observations
- 16. Adding Rich Dialogue to a Narrative
- 17. Writing From the Point of View of a Fictional Character
- 18. Using Variations of "Said"
- 19. Using Depth and Detail to "Explode" a Moment
- 20. Showing How a Character Changes
- 21. Using Introspection in a Memoir
- 22. Using Onomatopoeia as an Organizational Device
- 23. Using a Story to Illustrate a Life Lesson
- 24. Combining Action and Back-Story
- 25. Showing Conflicting Feelings in a Personal Narrative
- 26. Fleshing Out a Kernel Essay With Dialogue
- 27. Showing How a Character Makes an Important Decision
- 28. Choosing Vivid Verbs
- 29. Writing Dialogue With Inner Reactions
- 30. Using Time Transitions: Flash Forward
- 31. Using Absolutes as Sentence Fragments
- 32. Using Time Transitions: Flashbacks
- 33. Withholding and Revealing Information to Build Suspense
- 34. Using Anadiplosis to Make a Truism Chain
- 35. Using Enumeratio to Add Detail
- 36. Layering Thinking and Dialogue
- 37. Using Transitions to Develop a Conclusion
- 38. Weaving Together Text From Different Genres
Part II. Informative/Explanatory
- 39. Sharing Culture Through Special Events
- 40. Explaining a Historical Context
- 41. Using Compound Predicates in a Series
- 42. Analyzing Characters by Writing Letters Between Them
- 43. Tracking a Changing Thought Process
- 44. Responding to Literature: Questioning the Author (Part I)
- 45. Responding to Literature: Questioning the Author (Part II)
- 46. Conversing With an Imagined Listener
- 47. Explaining a Concept From the Point of View of a Character
- 48. Writing About Clues That Reveal a Situation
- 49. Writing a Letter Using Second-Person Point of View
- 50. Using Personification to Turn an Abstract Concept Into a Colorful Character
- 51. Writing a Graphic Book Review
- 52. Analyzing Literature: Focusing on Character Tension
- 53. Responding to Literature: Characters Conversing About a Problem
- 54. Analyzing Literature: Identifying Character Conflicts
- 55. Analyzing Literature: Noticing an Author's Choices
- 56. Recognizing and Illustrating an Important Theme
- 57. Analyzing the Rhetorical Effects of Poetic Devices
- 58. Analyzing a Movie
- 59. Creating an "All About" Essay
- 60. Giving Writing Vocal Qualities
- 61. Using Opinions and Facts When Explaining Something New
- 62. Defining an Important Concept
- 63. Writing an Epistolary Essay
- 64. Moving Between Concrete Details and Abstract Ideas
- 65. Using Quotations to Support a Thesis in a Literary Essay
- 66. Writing an Extended Apostrophe
- 67. Multimedia Analysis of a Literary Theme
Part III. Opinion/Argument
- 68. Using Facts as Evidence
- 69. Using Formal Versus Informal Language
- 70. Writing a Script for a Public Service Announcement
- 71. Examining Quotations
- 72. Developing Sentence Variety
- 73. Using Personal Experiences to Support Opinions
- 74. Using Verbs and Adjectives to Back Up Opinions
- 75. Making a Claim About a Historical Event
- 76. Using Sensory Details
- 77. Using Parentheses
- 78. Naming and Renaming
- 79. Using an Innovative Format
- 80. Using Internal Citations
- 81. Drawing Editorial Cartoons
- 82. Knocking Down the Opposition
- 83. Using Quirky Mental Images in an Argument
- 84. Using Question and Answer to Frame an Argument
- 85. Writing a Letter to Raise Awareness About a Social Problem
- 86. Using Repetition (Anaphora) for Emphasis and Style
- 87. Keeping an Argument From Sliding Into a Personal Narrative
- 88. Creating a Poster for Persuasion
- 89. Using Analogies to Show, Not Tell
- 90. Anticipating and Overcoming Objections
- 91. Anticipating a Reader's Objections
- 92. Using Hyperbole for Effect
- 93. Discovering a Problem, Proposing a Solution
- 94. Weaving Information Into a Persuasive Argument
- 95. Writing a Descriptive Lead
- 96. Using Third-Person Examples in an Argument
- 97. Using Opposites (Antithesis) to Make an Impact
- 98. Revising an Argument for Length
- 99. Using the Literary Present Tense to Present an Argument
- 100. Making Inferences From Pictures
- 101. Supporting an Argument With Expert Knowledge
Appendixes
- Appendix A: 25 Ways to Use Great Student Essays
- Appendix B: Text Structures
- Appendix C: Lessons by Writing Trait and Level of Difficulty
Resources
Companion Website
http://www.corwin.com/funsizeDescription
Sometimes a student’s best teacher is another student
Just as the pressure for students to perform well on state assessments escalates ever higher, and the call to raise students’ achievement in narrative, opinion/argument , and informative/explanatory writing grows louder, Gretchen Bernabei and Judi Reimer publish Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning. If ever there were a book to answer every need, this is it.
You see, Gretchen and Judi have been concerned about adolescents’ writing for years, and they have had amazing success using mentor texts by students to teach the ins and outs of writing in any genre. So with this book, they “hand over their file drawers” and provide you with 101 essays written by students with one-page companion lessons that address text structure, imagery, dialogue, rhetorical devices, grammatical structures, textual blends--all the different tools that writers use.
Organized into three major sections that align with the Common Core, STAAR, and other major state assessments, Fun-Size Academic Writing delivers succinct, powerhouse instruction on topics such as:
• How to choose a structure for argument, informational, or narrative writing
• How to read a piece and extract thesis statement and main points
• How to layer a wide range of details to support points
• How to use rhetorical devices and grammatical constructions for effect
• How to write from the point of view of a fictional character
The essays—also available in reproducible form on the companion website--demonstrate something striking, something imitable, something concrete. They give students a bank of choices to call upon as they write. The lessons are short, practical, and full of variety. Collectively, these essays and lessons have the potential to move the needle on American students’ writing achievement once and for all. They show what has been done by students—and they reveal to you how your own students can do it, too.
Click here for an electronic book tour of Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning.
Just as the pressure for students to perform well on state assessments escalates ever higher, and the call to raise students’ achievement in narrative, opinion/argument , and informative/explanatory writing grows louder, Gretchen Bernabei and Judi Reimer publish Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning. If ever there were a book to answer every need, this is it.
You see, Gretchen and Judi have been concerned about adolescents’ writing for years, and they have had amazing success using mentor texts by students to teach the ins and outs of writing in any genre. So with this book, they “hand over their file drawers” and provide you with 101 essays written by students with one-page companion lessons that address text structure, imagery, dialogue, rhetorical devices, grammatical structures, textual blends--all the different tools that writers use.
Organized into three major sections that align with the Common Core, STAAR, and other major state assessments, Fun-Size Academic Writing delivers succinct, powerhouse instruction on topics such as:
• How to choose a structure for argument, informational, or narrative writing
• How to read a piece and extract thesis statement and main points
• How to layer a wide range of details to support points
• How to use rhetorical devices and grammatical constructions for effect
• How to write from the point of view of a fictional character
The essays—also available in reproducible form on the companion website--demonstrate something striking, something imitable, something concrete. They give students a bank of choices to call upon as they write. The lessons are short, practical, and full of variety. Collectively, these essays and lessons have the potential to move the needle on American students’ writing achievement once and for all. They show what has been done by students—and they reveal to you how your own students can do it, too.
Click here for an electronic book tour of Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning.
Contents
Foreword by Barry Lane
Foreword by Barry Lane
Acknowledgments
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Introduction
Part I. Narrative
- 1. Color It Up
- 2. Sprinkling Writing With Humor
- 3. Adding Movement and Sound to Animate a Piece
- 4. Using Asides
- 5. Combining Rhetorical Devices: Cataloguing and Repetition
- 6. Using Literary Characters to Write Fiction
- 7. Using Specific Language From a Special Setting
- 8. Using Varied Sentence Openers to Create Rhythm and Flow
- 9. Using Precise Language to Create Visual Snapshots
- 10. Using Foreshadowing to Create Mood
- 11. Building Suspense in a Narrative Through Questions and Answers
- 12. Using Participles and Participial Phrases
- 13. Using Variety When Introducing Narrator Thoughts
- 14. Using Metaphor to Illuminate a Life Lesson
- 15. Writing Observations
- 16. Adding Rich Dialogue to a Narrative
- 17. Writing From the Point of View of a Fictional Character
- 18. Using Variations of "Said"
- 19. Using Depth and Detail to "Explode" a Moment
- 20. Showing How a Character Changes
- 21. Using Introspection in a Memoir
- 22. Using Onomatopoeia as an Organizational Device
- 23. Using a Story to Illustrate a Life Lesson
- 24. Combining Action and Back-Story
- 25. Showing Conflicting Feelings in a Personal Narrative
- 26. Fleshing Out a Kernel Essay With Dialogue
- 27. Showing How a Character Makes an Important Decision
- 28. Choosing Vivid Verbs
- 29. Writing Dialogue With Inner Reactions
- 30. Using Time Transitions: Flash Forward
- 31. Using Absolutes as Sentence Fragments
- 32. Using Time Transitions: Flashbacks
- 33. Withholding and Revealing Information to Build Suspense
- 34. Using Anadiplosis to Make a Truism Chain
- 35. Using Enumeratio to Add Detail
- 36. Layering Thinking and Dialogue
- 37. Using Transitions to Develop a Conclusion
- 38. Weaving Together Text From Different Genres
Part II. Informative/Explanatory
- 39. Sharing Culture Through Special Events
- 40. Explaining a Historical Context
- 41. Using Compound Predicates in a Series
- 42. Analyzing Characters by Writing Letters Between Them
- 43. Tracking a Changing Thought Process
- 44. Responding to Literature: Questioning the Author (Part I)
- 45. Responding to Literature: Questioning the Author (Part II)
- 46. Conversing With an Imagined Listener
- 47. Explaining a Concept From the Point of View of a Character
- 48. Writing About Clues That Reveal a Situation
- 49. Writing a Letter Using Second-Person Point of View
- 50. Using Personification to Turn an Abstract Concept Into a Colorful Character
- 51. Writing a Graphic Book Review
- 52. Analyzing Literature: Focusing on Character Tension
- 53. Responding to Literature: Characters Conversing About a Problem
- 54. Analyzing Literature: Identifying Character Conflicts
- 55. Analyzing Literature: Noticing an Author's Choices
- 56. Recognizing and Illustrating an Important Theme
- 57. Analyzing the Rhetorical Effects of Poetic Devices
- 58. Analyzing a Movie
- 59. Creating an "All About" Essay
- 60. Giving Writing Vocal Qualities
- 61. Using Opinions and Facts When Explaining Something New
- 62. Defining an Important Concept
- 63. Writing an Epistolary Essay
- 64. Moving Between Concrete Details and Abstract Ideas
- 65. Using Quotations to Support a Thesis in a Literary Essay
- 66. Writing an Extended Apostrophe
- 67. Multimedia Analysis of a Literary Theme
Part III. Opinion/Argument
- 68. Using Facts as Evidence
- 69. Using Formal Versus Informal Language
- 70. Writing a Script for a Public Service Announcement
- 71. Examining Quotations
- 72. Developing Sentence Variety
- 73. Using Personal Experiences to Support Opinions
- 74. Using Verbs and Adjectives to Back Up Opinions
- 75. Making a Claim About a Historical Event
- 76. Using Sensory Details
- 77. Using Parentheses
- 78. Naming and Renaming
- 79. Using an Innovative Format
- 80. Using Internal Citations
- 81. Drawing Editorial Cartoons
- 82. Knocking Down the Opposition
- 83. Using Quirky Mental Images in an Argument
- 84. Using Question and Answer to Frame an Argument
- 85. Writing a Letter to Raise Awareness About a Social Problem
- 86. Using Repetition (Anaphora) for Emphasis and Style
- 87. Keeping an Argument From Sliding Into a Personal Narrative
- 88. Creating a Poster for Persuasion
- 89. Using Analogies to Show, Not Tell
- 90. Anticipating and Overcoming Objections
- 91. Anticipating a Reader's Objections
- 92. Using Hyperbole for Effect
- 93. Discovering a Problem, Proposing a Solution
- 94. Weaving Information Into a Persuasive Argument
- 95. Writing a Descriptive Lead
- 96. Using Third-Person Examples in an Argument
- 97. Using Opposites (Antithesis) to Make an Impact
- 98. Revising an Argument for Length
- 99. Using the Literary Present Tense to Present an Argument
- 100. Making Inferences From Pictures
- 101. Supporting an Argument With Expert Knowledge
Appendixes
- Appendix A: 25 Ways to Use Great Student Essays
- Appendix B: Text Structures
- Appendix C: Lessons by Writing Trait and Level of Difficulty
Resources
Companion Website
http://www.corwin.com/funsizeReviews
Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning
101 Lessons & Mentor Texts--Narrative, Opinion/Argument, & Informative/Explanatory, Grades 4-9
July 2013 | 264 pages | Corwin
| Format | Published Date | ISBN | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paperback | 01/01/2025 | 9781452268613 | $40.95 |
| Lifetime | 01/01/2025 | 9781483332093 | $37.00 |
Sometimes a student’s best teacher is another student
Just as the pressure for students to perform well on state assessments escalates ever higher, and the call to raise students’ achievement in narrative, opinion/argument , and informative/explanatory writing grows louder, Gretchen Bernabei and Judi Reimer publish Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning. If ever there were a book to answer every need, this is it.
You see, Gretchen and Judi have been concerned about adolescents’ writing for years, and they have had amazing success using mentor texts by students to teach the ins and outs of writing in any genre. So with this book, they “hand over their file drawers” and provide you with 101 essays written by students with one-page companion lessons that address text structure, imagery, dialogue, rhetorical devices, grammatical structures, textual blends--all the different tools that writers use.
Organized into three major sections that align with the Common Core, STAAR, and other major state assessments, Fun-Size Academic Writing delivers succinct, powerhouse instruction on topics such as:
• How to choose a structure for argument, informational, or narrative writing
• How to read a piece and extract thesis statement and main points
• How to layer a wide range of details to support points
• How to use rhetorical devices and grammatical constructions for effect
• How to write from the point of view of a fictional character
The essays—also available in reproducible form on the companion website--demonstrate something striking, something imitable, something concrete. They give students a bank of choices to call upon as they write. The lessons are short, practical, and full of variety. Collectively, these essays and lessons have the potential to move the needle on American students’ writing achievement once and for all. They show what has been done by students—and they reveal to you how your own students can do it, too.
Click here for an electronic book tour of Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning.
Just as the pressure for students to perform well on state assessments escalates ever higher, and the call to raise students’ achievement in narrative, opinion/argument , and informative/explanatory writing grows louder, Gretchen Bernabei and Judi Reimer publish Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning. If ever there were a book to answer every need, this is it.
You see, Gretchen and Judi have been concerned about adolescents’ writing for years, and they have had amazing success using mentor texts by students to teach the ins and outs of writing in any genre. So with this book, they “hand over their file drawers” and provide you with 101 essays written by students with one-page companion lessons that address text structure, imagery, dialogue, rhetorical devices, grammatical structures, textual blends--all the different tools that writers use.
Organized into three major sections that align with the Common Core, STAAR, and other major state assessments, Fun-Size Academic Writing delivers succinct, powerhouse instruction on topics such as:
• How to choose a structure for argument, informational, or narrative writing
• How to read a piece and extract thesis statement and main points
• How to layer a wide range of details to support points
• How to use rhetorical devices and grammatical constructions for effect
• How to write from the point of view of a fictional character
The essays—also available in reproducible form on the companion website--demonstrate something striking, something imitable, something concrete. They give students a bank of choices to call upon as they write. The lessons are short, practical, and full of variety. Collectively, these essays and lessons have the potential to move the needle on American students’ writing achievement once and for all. They show what has been done by students—and they reveal to you how your own students can do it, too.
Click here for an electronic book tour of Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning.
Table Of Contents:
- Foreword by Barry Lane
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- Part I. Narrative
- 1. Color It Up
- 2. Sprinkling Writing With Humor
- 3. Adding Movement and Sound to Animate a Piece
- 4. Using Asides
- 5. Combining Rhetorical Devices: Cataloguing and Repetition
- 6. Using Literary Characters to Write Fiction
- 7. Using Specific Language From a Special Setting
- 8. Using Varied Sentence Openers to Create Rhythm and Flow
- 9. Using Precise Language to Create Visual Snapshots
- 10. Using Foreshadowing to Create Mood
- 11. Building Suspense in a Narrative Through Questions and Answers
- 12. Using Participles and Participial Phrases
- 13. Using Variety When Introducing Narrator Thoughts
- 14. Using Metaphor to Illuminate a Life Lesson
- 15. Writing Observations
- 16. Adding Rich Dialogue to a Narrative
- 17. Writing From the Point of View of a Fictional Character
- 18. Using Variations of "Said"
- 19. Using Depth and Detail to "Explode" a Moment
- 20. Showing How a Character Changes
- 21. Using Introspection in a Memoir
- 22. Using Onomatopoeia as an Organizational Device
- 23. Using a Story to Illustrate a Life Lesson
- 24. Combining Action and Back-Story
- 25. Showing Conflicting Feelings in a Personal Narrative
- 26. Fleshing Out a Kernel Essay With Dialogue
- 27. Showing How a Character Makes an Important Decision
- 28. Choosing Vivid Verbs
- 29. Writing Dialogue With Inner Reactions
- 30. Using Time Transitions: Flash Forward
- 31. Using Absolutes as Sentence Fragments
- 32. Using Time Transitions: Flashbacks
- 33. Withholding and Revealing Information to Build Suspense
- 34. Using Anadiplosis to Make a Truism Chain
- 35. Using Enumeratio to Add Detail
- 36. Layering Thinking and Dialogue
- 37. Using Transitions to Develop a Conclusion
- 38. Weaving Together Text From Different Genres
- Part II. Informative/Explanatory
- 39. Sharing Culture Through Special Events
- 40. Explaining a Historical Context
- 41. Using Compound Predicates in a Series
- 42. Analyzing Characters by Writing Letters Between Them
- 43. Tracking a Changing Thought Process
- 44. Responding to Literature: Questioning the Author (Part I)
- 45. Responding to Literature: Questioning the Author (Part II)
- 46. Conversing With an Imagined Listener
- 47. Explaining a Concept From the Point of View of a Character
- 48. Writing About Clues That Reveal a Situation
- 49. Writing a Letter Using Second-Person Point of View
- 50. Using Personification to Turn an Abstract Concept Into a Colorful Character
- 51. Writing a Graphic Book Review
- 52. Analyzing Literature: Focusing on Character Tension
- 53. Responding to Literature: Characters Conversing About a Problem
- 54. Analyzing Literature: Identifying Character Conflicts
- 55. Analyzing Literature: Noticing an Author's Choices
- 56. Recognizing and Illustrating an Important Theme
- 57. Analyzing the Rhetorical Effects of Poetic Devices
- 58. Analyzing a Movie
- 59. Creating an "All About" Essay
- 60. Giving Writing Vocal Qualities
- 61. Using Opinions and Facts When Explaining Something New
- 62. Defining an Important Concept
- 63. Writing an Epistolary Essay
- 64. Moving Between Concrete Details and Abstract Ideas
- 65. Using Quotations to Support a Thesis in a Literary Essay
- 66. Writing an Extended Apostrophe
- 67. Multimedia Analysis of a Literary Theme
- Part III. Opinion/Argument
- 68. Using Facts as Evidence
- 69. Using Formal Versus Informal Language
- 70. Writing a Script for a Public Service Announcement
- 71. Examining Quotations
- 72. Developing Sentence Variety
- 73. Using Personal Experiences to Support Opinions
- 74. Using Verbs and Adjectives to Back Up Opinions
- 75. Making a Claim About a Historical Event
- 76. Using Sensory Details
- 77. Using Parentheses
- 78. Naming and Renaming
- 79. Using an Innovative Format
- 80. Using Internal Citations
- 81. Drawing Editorial Cartoons
- 82. Knocking Down the Opposition
- 83. Using Quirky Mental Images in an Argument
- 84. Using Question and Answer to Frame an Argument
- 85. Writing a Letter to Raise Awareness About a Social Problem
- 86. Using Repetition (Anaphora) for Emphasis and Style
- 87. Keeping an Argument From Sliding Into a Personal Narrative
- 88. Creating a Poster for Persuasion
- 89. Using Analogies to Show, Not Tell
- 90. Anticipating and Overcoming Objections
- 91. Anticipating a Reader's Objections
- 92. Using Hyperbole for Effect
- 93. Discovering a Problem, Proposing a Solution
- 94. Weaving Information Into a Persuasive Argument
- 95. Writing a Descriptive Lead
- 96. Using Third-Person Examples in an Argument
- 97. Using Opposites (Antithesis) to Make an Impact
- 98. Revising an Argument for Length
- 99. Using the Literary Present Tense to Present an Argument
- 100. Making Inferences From Pictures
- 101. Supporting an Argument With Expert Knowledge
- Appendixes
- Appendix A: 25 Ways to Use Great Student Essays
- Appendix B: Text Structures
- Appendix C: Lessons by Writing Trait and Level of Difficulty
Recent Product Reviews:
“Here is what I love about this book: It has gobs and gobs of student writing samples with smart and lively explanations of how to use each as the focus of a craft lesson to teach writing. The right models of student writing are the best mentor texts a teacher can find and with this book, you need look no further. . . . Breathe, fellow writing teachers. Much needed and wanted help has arrived.”
Ruth Culham, Author of Traits Writing
“Gretchen Bernabei is a wizard. In this book she provides wonderfully practical help for instruction in narrative, expository, and argumentative writing. And like all her work, it rests on a dynamic sense of ‘structure’. At a time when writing instruction is becoming increasingly formulaic, Gretchen continues to show the wealth of options students can have for developing their ideas and expanding on their experiences.”
Thomas R. Newkirk, Author of Holding On to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones
“Gretchen Bernabei has done it again--only better. Fun-Size Academic Writing for Serious Learning plops us down in the middle of the disheveled process of writing and gives us concrete ways to navigate through. This book stands apart in two ways. First, it gives us myriad unpublished mentor texts written by students with diverse abilities and backgrounds. Second, its a la carte format makes it a perfect resource from which teachers can cull lessons.”
Kay Shurtleff, President, Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts
“Once again, Gretchen Bernabei weaves together masterful, concrete strategies with powerful student examples. Gretchen provides text structures and student models to move authentic writing beyond traditional formulas. This book is a must read/must try for all ELA teachers.”
P. Tim Martindell, Ed.D, President-Elect, Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts
“The good news is that the book you hold in your hand is a lifeline to real writing instruction. Based on careful observation of wonderfully varied student writing, grades 4-9, and organized around the genres of the Common Core Standards, Fun-Sized Academic Writing is the best book I know for giving students a fun-sized suit that fits their true voices as writers and thinkers.”
Barry Lane, Founder, Discover Writing