Writing with FRAMEs: A Bundle

PURPOSE: These FRAMEs were constructed for my 7^th and 8^th grade Pre-AP, ESL, and Gen Ed students. They are based on the Strategic Instructional Method (SIM) FRAME Routine. The writing FRAME is used for the first rough draft only, and students do all subsequent drafts on lined paper or using electronic formats. The student samples are from actual student work, with the names changed, to demonstrate how my students began.

This Bundle contains each of the following products from our Writing with FRAMEs line of products: Personal Narrative or Memoir; Persuasive Essay; Pro/Con Essay; Argument Analysis Essay; Informational Essay; and, the Summary.

I teach in one of the top Strategic Instructional Method (SIM) districts in Texas. These graphic organizers/writing FRAMEs aligns with:

Current (old) TEKS:

            7.14, 7.18, 8.14, 8.18, (Sections A, B, and C for each), and Fig 19C

            Newly adopted TEKS:

Strand 6, 110.23 and 110.24, inclusive.

Aligned to CCSS: ELA.Literacy.W.7.3; ELA.Literacy.W.7.10; ELA.Literacy.W.8.3; ELA.Literacy.W.8.10.

The purpose of these FRAMEs is to guide students through the writing of first drafts of: persuasive essays; personal narratives and memoirs; informational essays; pro/con analysis and essay writing; and argument analysis and rebuttal essay writing. This is achieved by providing outlines, sentence stems, and examples of transitions. By doing so, we are supporting our EL, SPED, and struggling Gen Ed students.

SPECIAL SET-UP AND COLLECTION INFORMATION

If you decide to use these as electronic documents for your students for use in a “paperless” classroom, please note that you or your students will need to set up text boxes. Place text boxes over each section, and not each page. I used a 14-point Ariel font with 1.5 line spacing, so you will want to use a similar size and space. This will allow your student scholars to type “on the lines”. These writing FRAMEs are used for the first rough draft only, and students do all subsequent drafts on lined paper or using electronic formats. I do collect and grade the FRAMEs as a daily grade, with all drafts, and special analysis sheets, attached or referenced.

PERSUASIVE ESSAY FRAME:

The first step in the FRAME is to have students write out the prompt you are having them write to. The prompt used in my sample completed FRAME is one my students wrote extensively about. When you give them the prompt, have them write it both verbatim and paraphrased; this will help you recognize students who may be misunderstanding the prompt. This is how you focus your scholars’ writing.

The next step is to have students conduct any research you may be having them use. For the original assignment on trophy hunting, students read articles about Cecil the lion, the illegal ivory trade, rhinoceros and elephant hunting, and the letter/op-ed piece, “In Zimbabwe, we don’t cry for lions”, in order to provide an alternate perspective. Students did close reads of their selected articles, and were also encouraged to do additional research.

After gathering their research, the students return to the FRAME. At this point, I encourage my students to decide what evidence they will be using, and to make note of it, as well as an MLA citation for the source (a separate lesson in and of itself). When students begin writing, I often have them begin with paragraph 2, skipping the “R” and moving to the “A” stage, assembling their arguments and evidence. One of the benefits of this is that it relieves the “I don’t know how to start” syndrome that our scholars face. By beginning with the assembling stage, they are unknowingly refining their introduction.

It now becomes a natural progression to move into the “M” portion of the FRAME, and “Make a ‘So What’ Statement”. By having our students develop a counter-argument to their own work, we are pushing them to strengthen their argument and to respect the viewpoints of others.

After paragraphs 2 through 4 (or whatever your last body paragraph is prior to the conclusion), I now have students return to paragraph 1 (the “R”) to write their introduction. I find that my scholars have an easier task of introducing their paper after they have made all of their arguments. Reminding them to hook the reader BEFORE giving their thesis is a great way to demonstrate that the main idea is not always obvious! After completing the introduction of the FRAME, we complete the conclusion.

The “E” step is used for extension, and with this FRAME it also lends itself to moving into the editing and revising, as well as rewriting, portions of the writing process. Additionally, I always add a reflective element to my lessons, and you will find these at the end of the FRAME.

Personal Narrative and Memoir FRAMEs:

The routine for these FRAMEs differs slightly from that of the other FRAMEs in this bundleS because the authors purpose, audience, and style are different, and students need to reinforce the understanding that not all writing is the same. One of the biggest struggles my students have is breaking the “essay” formula of writing. We need them to understand that not all writing can be compressed into 5 paragraphs. (I routinely assign 7 paragraph essays, which makes writing on assessments seem easy!)

The original use of this FRAME was to help guide students in writing a personal narrative on the topic of a favorite family gathering, but it has been subsequently used for a number of assignments.

The first step in the FRAME is to have students write out the prompt you are having them write to. When you give them the prompt, have them write it both verbatim and paraphrased; this will help you recognize students who may be misunderstanding the prompt. It is also essential to have the students identify the purpose of the writing – to inform or to entertain. This is how you focus the students’ writing.

I now skip to the “M” portion of the FRAME, and “Make your readers show emotion.” This is not to start writing, but to reflect on what the writer wants the reader to feel. By having our students determine what emotions they want to elicit from the reader, it becomes easier to make word choices as they progress.

The next step is to have students introduce the fact that this is a memory, either as a personal narrative or memoir. At this point, I encourage my students to decide what memory they will be discussing. Unlike the persuasive essay lesson, when students begin writing their narrative or memoir, I have them begin with paragraph 1, completing the “R” and moving through the “A” stage.

It is now time to return to the “M” portion of the FRAME in the narrative. This should be something that the students have already been aware of.

The “E” step is used for extension, and with this FRAME it also lends itself to moving into the editing and revising, as well as rewriting, portions of the writing process.

Informational Essays:

This FRAME was constructed to help guide students in writing an informational essay about South Sudan as a follow up to our study of A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, but has been subsequently used for a number of assignments.

The first step in the FRAME is to have students write out the prompt you are having them write to. When you give them the prompt, have them write it both verbatim and paraphrased; this will help you recognize students who may be misunderstanding the prompt. It is also essential to have the students identify the purpose of the writing – to inform about a specific subject. This is how you focus the students’ writing, and their research.

After your scholars have researched their topic and selected the three (or however many you assigned) facts to write about, have them move to the “R” portion of the FRAME. This is where they begin their actual first draft. You will notice that unlike my other FRAME routines, the “master” of this one does not include the sentence stems in a permanent format. This is because of the fluid nature of an informational text.

After completing an introductory paragraph, students assemble the body of the essay by annotating their research information in the “A” section of the FRAME. This is a perfect opportunity to also teach the skills of citing one’s research and preventing plagiarism! In this area, I do not care if they are using APA, MLA, or the USPS (just kidding), as long as they are citing their research. You will notice from the student sample that I encourage students to mention additional areas of research related to their topic. I find this leads to some excellent ideas for future lessons!

In this FRAME, I refer to the “M” as a “merge” for my scholars to bring all of their information together again, and to conclude the essay. Remind students that they are restating a topic, and not a thesis.

As with my other FRAMEs, the “E” is an extension and reflection. Because this FRAME focuses on research for the body information, I have added a Works Cited section.

You will find that the sentence stems on the PowerPoint are fully editable.  Those that I have included were specific to my scholars for the research after our book study.

PRO/CON ANALYSIS SHEET AND WRITING FRAMES:

Purpose: The Pro/Con Analysis sheet helps students analyze the debate and develop their own ideas about the topic. The Pro/Con Writing FRAME guide the student scholars in entering the conversation or debate on their topic.

PRO/CON ANALYSIS SHEET

The first step in this lesson is to determine the topic of debate that the student will enter into. I introduced this to my students with Pro/Con articles from various sources, including NewsELA.com and The New York Times, on the subjects of year-round schools,vegetarian versus non-vegetarian lifestyles, and the border wall between the United States and Mexico. Students selected the topic of their choice.

Next, students read the two (or more) opposing articles to find and identify the authors’ arguments and supports. They list the articles’ titles on the Analysis sheet, and in the columns beneath the PRO/CON tabs, they outline the authors’ arguments. I have my scholars star or asterisk those arguments they agree with to help focus the student’s own argument.

Students are now ready to move to the “M” phase of the lesson. If they have not already formed and opinion on the topic, this is where they have to decide which position they support. They then complete the FRAME by creating their thesis statement for their position.

WRITING FRAME

The first step in the writing FRAME is to have students identify the key topic they are going to debate. Having already read the arguments and completed the analysis FRAME, this step should be fairly easy. Have the students create the prompt themselves; this helps build buy-in on the student’s part.

After your scholars have identified their position and argument, have them move to the “R” portion of the FRAME. This is where they begin their actual first draft. Remind students that the stems provided are guides, and not gospel. They should feel free to rewrite these in subsequent revisions; however, these stems also serve as modeling for their writing.

After completing an introductory paragraph, students assemble the body of the essay by advocating for their position in the “A” section of the FRAME. This is a perfect opportunity to also teach the skills of citing one’s research and preventing plagiarism! In this area, I do not care if they are using APA, MLA, or any other formal citation format, as long as they are citing their research. You will notice that I encourage students to mention additional areas of research related to their topic. I find this leads to some excellent ideas for future lessons! This FRAME came about as a direct result of one such discussion.

In the “M” section, I have my students identify and discuss the opposing viewpoints, with RESPECT. I do not allow Ad Hominin arguments.

As with my other FRAMEs, the “E” is an extension and reflection. I have added a Works Cited section once again. Additionally, I discuss publication at this point. Why have students engage in the discussion if no one will “hear” what they have to say? This can be in student newspapers or online formats.

ARGUMENT ANALYSIS FRAMES:

The purposes of these FRAMEs are to give students outlines to analyze arguments presented in opinion and informational texts, and to write response essays. By incorporating sentence stems into the FRAME model, we are also providing differentiation and support to EL students, as well as our native speakers who need additional support.

These FRAMEs were constructed for my 8^th grade Pre-AP, ESL, and Gen Ed students as a direct result of my attempt to use the Pro/Con FRAME for this purpose, and I have incorporated recommendations from students who used them. The Argument Analysis FRAME helps students analyze the arguments presented in texts on a topic, and to determine if the argument is effective or flawed, and what makes the argument effective or flawed. The writing FRAME then guides the student scholars in crafting their analysis in essay form.

REBUTTAL WRITING FRAME

The first step in the writing FRAME is to have students identify the key arguments they are analyzing. Having already read the arguments and completed the analysis FRAME, this step should be fairly easy. Have the students create the prompt themselves; this helps build buy-in on the student’s part.

After your scholars have identified their findings, have them move to the “R” portion of the FRAME. This is where they begin their actual first draft. Remind students that the stems provided are guides, and not gospel. They should feel free to rewrite these in subsequent revisions; however, these stems also serve as modeling for their writing.

After completing an introductory paragraph, students assemble the body of the essay by outlining their annotations of their analysis in the “A” section of the FRAME. This is a perfect opportunity to also teach the skills of citing one’s research and preventing plagiarism! In this area, I do not care if they are using APA, MLA, or any other formal citation format, as long as they are citing their research. You will notice that I encourage students to mention additional areas of research related to their topic. I find this leads to some excellent ideas for future lessons! This FRAME came about as a direct result of one such discussion.

In the “M” section, I have my students identify and discuss the methods that the author or authors could have improved or strengthened their arguments.

As with my other FRAMEs, the “E” is an extension and reflection. I have added a Works Cited section once again. Additionally, I discuss publication at this point. Why have students engage in the discussion if no one will “hear” what they have to say? This can be in student newspapers or online formats.

CONCLUSION: On a separate note, I would greatly value your feedback! Please let me know how this (and other products you may have gotten from me) worked for you and your scholars/students! Is there any way you feel it could be improved? Email me at elainmiddleschool@gmail.com, or through feedback!

Thank you again for purchasing the “Writing with F.R.A.M.E.s Bundle”. I hope that you find these products helpful, and that your student scholars find a love of writing!