Ready-to-Use English Workshop Activities for Grades 6-12 : 180 Daily Lessons Integrating Literature, Writing and Grammar Skills

by Mary Ellen Ledbetter

• ISBN13: 9780130417305
• ISBN10: 0130417300
• Format: Spiral Bound
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

This unique resource gives middle and secondary school English teachers 180 high-interest activities that build students' proficiency in the three major areas of the English curriculumA-reading/literature, writing, and grammar. All the activities have been classroom tested, can be used with students of varying ability, and are effective as individual, group, or whole-class activities. For quick access and easy use, the activities are organized into 36 weekly packetsA-each packet including five A"DailiesA"A-and printed in a big 8-1/4A" x 11A" spiral-bound format that folds flat for photocopying. Each A"DailiesA" activity begins with a well-written student passage followed by prompts that encourage students to examine the passage in terms of usage, stylistic devices, grammatical concepts, punctuation, and reading/literature skills. The activities require students to learn the rules that apply and to use the examples as springboards for their own writing. You'll find that these integrated A"DailiesA" activities are ideally flexible. They can be completed as A"warm-upsA" at the beginning of class, as mini-reviews for more advanced students, or serve as walk-through activities or homework assignments for students who need reinforcement. Each activity will lead to inquiry and lively discussion as students analyze the model passage and learn to write effectively based on: GENRES REQUIRED ON STANDARDIZED WRITING TESTS including descriptive writing, narrative writing, expository writing, and persuasive writing as well as vignettes, character sketches, comparison/contrast, how-to directions, and poetry. READING SKILLS AND LITERARY ELEMENTS such as sequencing, inference, summarizing, author's style, plot, setting, characterization, theme, mood/tone, and irony. STYLISTIC WRITING DEVICES such as vivid verbs, hyphenated modifiers, figurative languageA-similes, metaphors, and personificationA-repetition for effect, imagery, the unique A"magic three,A" full-circle endings, interrupters, the narrative A"hook,A" and humor. RULES OF GRAMMAR, USAGE, MECHANICS, AND STRUCTURE including capitalization, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, fragments, run-ons, adjective/adverb usage, pronoun usage, sentence combining, parallel structure, varying sentence structure, phrases, and clauses. A handy A"Glossary of TermsA" and the author's unique A"Smiley-Face TricksA" can be reproduced for students' convenient reference as they complete the 180 A"DailiesA" and other writing assignments. In short, English Workshop Activities for Grades 6-12 gives you an effective and proven way to develop each student's writing competency regardless of grade or ability level. Once you guide students through the first few activities, they will gain confidence and begin to change ordinary writing into powerful writing.

Author Biography

<B>Mary Ellen Ledbetter</B> (B.A., English and speech, Western Michigan University; M.A., English, Michigan State University) has taught in public schools in Michigan and Texas and at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas. She received Goose Creek CISDs Board of Trustees, Bell Award for Outstanding Teacher in 1995 and 1997 and is currently a presenter/consultant for the Bureau of Education and Research in Bellevue, Washington. Two other English resources, <i>Writing Portfolio Activities Kit</i> (1998) and <i>Writing Research Projects Activities Kit</i> (2000), have also been published by the Center. 18 02 This unique resource gives middle and secondary school English teachers 180 high-interest activities that build students proficiency in the three major areas of the English curriculumùreading/literature, writing, and grammar. All the activities have been classroom tested, can be used with students of varying ability, and are effective as individual, group, or whole-class activities. <P>For quick access and easy use, the activities are organized into 36 weekly packetsùeach packet including five ôDailiesöùand printed in a big 8-1/4ö x 11ö spiral-bound format that folds flat for photocopying. <P>Each ôDailiesö activity begins with a well-written student passage followed by prompts that encourage students to examine the passage in terms of usage, stylistic devices, grammatical concepts, punctuation, and reading/literature skills. The activities require students to learn the rules that apply and to use the examples as springboards for their own writing. <P>Youll find that these integrated ôDailiesö activities are ideally flexible. They can be completed as ôwarm-upsö at the beginning of class, as mini-reviews for more advanced students, or serve as walk-through activities or homework assignments for students who need reinforcement. Each activity will lead to inquiry and lively discussion as students analyze the model passage and learn to write effectively based on: <ul><li><b>GENRES REQUIRED ON STANDARDIZED WRITING TESTS</b> including descriptive writing, narrative writing, expository writing, and persuasive writing as well as vignettes, character sketches, comparison/contrast, how-to directions, and poetry. <li><b>READING SKILLS AND LITERARY ELEMENTS</b> such as sequencing, inference, summarizing, authors style, plot, setting, characterization, theme, mood/tone, and irony. <li><b>STYLISTIC WRITING DEVICES</b> such as vivid verbs, hyphenated modifiers, figurative languageùsimiles, metaphors, and personificationùrepetition for effect, imagery, the unique ômagic three,ö full-circle endings, interrupters, the narrative ôhook,ö and humor. <li><b>RULES OF GRAMMAR, USAGE, MECHANICS, AND STRUCTURE</b> including capitalization, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, fragments, run-ons, adjective/adverb usage, pronoun usage, sentence combining, parallel structure, varying sentence structure, phrases, and clauses.</ul>A handy ôGlossary of Termsö and the authors unique ôSmiley-Face Tricksö can be reproduced for students convenient reference as they complete the 180 ôDailiesö and other writing assignments. <P>In short, <b>English Workshop Activities for Grades 6-12</b> gives you an effective and proven way to develop each students writing competency regardless of grade or ability level. Once you guide students through the first few activities, they will gain confidence and begin to change ordinary writing into powerful writing.

Table of Contents

ABOUT THIS RESOURCE.

Philosophy of Daily Integration.

How to Use the Dailies.

How to Use the Glossary and Smiley-Face Tricks.

How to Grade the Dailies.

SMILEY-FACE TRICKS.

Magic 3.

Figurative Language.

Specific Details for Effect.

Repetition for Effect.

Expanded Moment.

Humor.

Hyphenated Modifiers.

Full-Circle Ending.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS.

Literature Terms.

Grammar Terms.

Writing Terms.

ACTIVITIES & SKILLS.

Dailies.

Answer Keys.