Putting All the Pieces Together: Reading, Grammar, and Writing

We just finished up our third full week of school, and I am definitely ready for this long weekend. However, every year I tell myself I'm not going to bring work home on holiday weekends, but..... I always do. This weekend's load includes 120 RAEECE paragraphs, 90 comma tests, 90 conjunction quizzes, and 30 Georgia Studies quizzes. The ironic part is that I'm excited to see how my kiddos did on their first major test and to see how much they've improved on their writing. Using Kelly Gallagher's ideas for incorporating grammar instruction through "Sentences of the Week" based on "Articles of the Week" and creating an evidence-based response, I have really seen kids begin to connect the proverbial dots when it comes to reading and writing and identifying important grammar elements to emulate. This is one of those "AHA" moments I wish I would have figured out before now.

Here's the basic run-down of Sentences and Articles of the Week:

Prior to Monday, I choose an current event article from NewsELA or Vale Middle School's Articles of the Week. I try and keep in mind what we are learning in Georgia Studies or what my students might be learning in science to reinforce cross-curricular connections.
The 2-3 sentences I pick out for my sentences of the week all have a common grammar connection. 

Sometimes I choose the grammar concept based on our curriculum map or what I see my students struggling with when writing. For example, for the first Monday's SoW, I chose to cover prepositional phrases and predicate adjectives to demonstrate to students the difference between their idea of a simple sentence and what a quality detailed simple sentence COULD look like. 

Here are the SoW Directions that I have my students copy down. For the first week, I chose an article on the 5-Second Rule. If you're students are anything like mine (teenagers in general really :), germs on the floor won't make them hesitate a second for a dropped piece of candy. 

Here are the SoWs I used the first week based on the 5-Second Rule article. Also included are the SoWs from the 2nd week on an Amelia Earhart article. Both articles were taken from the NewsELA website. 

I had intended for week 2 to focus on verb mood, something that is quite new to students, and what, I figured, would take a considerable amount of time to recognize in texts and use correctly in their own writing. However, the grammar fates dictated something quite different. After reading through some of their written responses from the 5-Second Rule article, I quickly realized that my little doodlebugs had no idea how to use commas correctly. And I really mean, they had absolutely no idea. I had kids putting commas before and after subordinating conjunctions in complex sentences, no commas with coordinating conjunctions, commas before "is", etc. It was bad. So, those first writing pieces dictated the grammar concept I focused on in the Amelia Earhart article. 

After going over the grammar component, we focus on the article. I was a bit skeptical when Gallagher mentions in his book, Write Like This, that the kids like seeing the SoW sentences when reading the AoW, but he was so right! It also motivates my students to pay attention to how the author is writing and incorporating grammar. When we read the Amelia Earhart piece, they were very quick to point out other examples of commas and what rules they applied to. This type of classroom conversation has never taken place in my room before. 

During the second week of school, I also introduce annotation for printed texts. I teach students to use the BUQ2C Method: Box headings and subheadings, Underline main ideas and key details, Question mark unfamiliar words or phrases, and Comment on the gist of each paragraph or section of text in the margin. We annotate the first article together, so they can see my thought process in how I determine what gets underlined, circled, and how I choose to make/word my comments on each section of the text. After reading Gallagher's book, I realized I don't do nearly enough modeling for my kids, so they see the thought process that goes into writing and revising. Another goal for the year :)

Several years ago, the other two Language Arts teachers and myself all began teaching our kids how to write in RAEECE Format. It's a short paragraph response that includes text-based evidence and an MLA citation. This is a starting point for our kids that gives them that solid jumping off point, but also allows for expansion later on as they become more confident in their writing. In our county, writing in all content areas is our learning focus goal for this year. As a result, all teachers on the 8th grade hallway utilize this RAEECE model to ensure continuity in students' writing no matter what the student is writing about in any given class. 

I know I've included a lot of information in this post. To summarize:

• Monday: 

1. Warm-Up (Bell Ringer): Sentences of the Week- comma usage
2. Article of the Week
1. Annotate
2. Discuss
3. Short video: Amelia Earhart
3. RAEECE Response
1. Amelia Earhart Example: Based on the article, "Enhanced photo could solve Earhart disappearance mystery," what do you think might have actually happened to Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan?

Throughout the rest of the week, my warm-ups consist of having students create sentences with specific requirements focusing on comma usage. For example, I might have them create a sentence that begins with a transition and includes a list or series. Groups work together to come up with the best, most detailed sentence. If it's correct, I reward them with a pass of their choice (5pt, free lunch seat, late homework pass, etc).