Prep+for+Class+7+MLP


 * 1. Language-Focused Mini-Lesson/Micro-teaching**
 * I am interested in teaching a mini-lesson on the t reatment of titles. This includes the different markings for different types of passage/reading. Even in college, a lot of people have issues with this. I think a reminder mini-lesson and practice might help in this area. I am curious as to ways to make this mini-lesson more creative and interesting besides kill and drill.


 * 2. Image Grammar Reading **
 * Noden has a lot of interesting ideas about reading/writing and art. He relates writing to painting. The artist paints a visual picture with colours and brushstrokes to create a vision for the audience to look at. He equates this to a writer who uses words, phrases, and grammar to create a picture in the reader's mind with lots of specific and interesting details. Specifically Noden talks about the grammar that a writer can use to create a vivid picture. This grammar includes five categories: the participle, the absolute, the appositive, adjectives shifted out of order, and action verbs. Noden also discusses how to use specific nouns to create a scene. Detail isn't created with just adjectives.
 * I think this has a lot of great implications for teaching middle schoolers about descriptive writing. They need to understand that diction and specific word choice matters. It's much more interesting to read and write, "Billy lumbered over the coiled vines to scour for the sagging kickball" rather than, "He got the ball." The second clearly paints a picture for the reader of what happens. I think a cool activity to do with this would be to read two passages like this and have the students draw what you read to them. First, read the more general, non-descriptive sentence or lines. Have the students draw a picture that illustrates what they read. Have the students compare and see how each student's picture differs because everyone envisioned something different. Then, read a more detailed, visually descriptive selection and have students draw and compare. They will see that the pictures are more alike because the writer there specifically created a picture in the reader's mind to explain what he/she wanted the audience to see.


 * 3. Atwell's in the Middle**
 * Free-write: What comes to mind when you hear "Reading/Writing Workshop"
 * I think about group work and peer editing. I think about having a time to sit down and read. Then, with some direction, some time to sit down and write about what I've read. I think about doing this in groups and having discussions about what we read/wrote.

Original Poem In the fall, grasshoppers dance and ants crawl across the ground the weather tense and coiled, ready for change the cloth of life turning into an array of orange and gold the sign of a new change bears settle into the briar to find a place warm and dry away from winter's frosty fingers the stun still reigns, shining down warmth a breath. a pause. autumn rises.
 * 4. LEA/Sentence Composing Follow Up - Writing Activity**

Revised Poem In the fall, leaves dance in the wind the weather tense and coiled, ready for change the cloth of life turning into an array of orange and gold the sign of new change

Rabbits settle into the briar trying to find a place warm and dry away from winter's frosty fingers

For now, the sun still reigns, shining down warmth through the windy chill a breath. a pause. autumn rises.