Cognitive Strategy Instruction in Writing

COGNITIVE STRATEGY INSTRUCTION IN WRITING

Carol Sue Englert and Taffy E. Raphael

Institute for Research on Teaching

Not for Distribution

Contents:

1. Passages (1-4) for Unit 1 (Introducing Explanations)

2. Unit 1: Lesson 1 Script

3. Plan (Think-sheet)

A. Think-sheets

B. Outline of Lesson

C. Lesson 1 Script (Introducing Plan Think-sheet)

4. Organize (Think-sheet)

A. Think-sheet

B. Outline of Lesson

C. Lesson 2 Script

5. Write First Draft

A. Think-sheet

B. Overview of Lesson

C. Sample Lesson #3

6. Edit Think-sheet

D. Edit Think-sheet

E. Outline of Lesson

F. Lesson 4 Script

7. Editor Think-sheet

G. Think-sheet

H. Outline of Lesson

I. Lesson 5 Script

8. Revise Think-sheet

J. Think-sheet

K. Revising Think-sheet: Suggestions for Implementing

UNIT 1

LESSON 1: Presenting Examples and Nonexamples of the Text Structure: Writing Explanations

In the first lesson we focus on developing knowledge of the task: You'll begin by talking about the fact that students will be engaged in writing activities that require that they:

(1) learn to write reports and papers,

(2) learn to write a particular type of text structure (e.g., explanations)

(3) read, monitor, and check papers for that text structure (e.g., explanations) to make sure that they answer the text structure questions and contain the keywords that signal the text structure elements

(4) revise and fix up papers so that they make well-written explanations .

Point out that a sample of one of papers that they are going to write is on the overhead. Then, continue by saying: I have put an example of one of the types of writing on the overhead.

This paper was written by a fourth grade student last year. (Put up enchilada story on overhead). I have a copy on the overhead, but I will hand out the paper for you to read with me. (Distribute printed copy of the following passage).

My explanation is on my favorite mexican food ...Enchiladas. The way you make it is you take a corn tortilla and you put it in some cooking oil in a pan. You leave it in the oil for a few seconds next you put it in a pan with a kind of hot pepper for a few more seconds. After that you lay it on a plate. Then you sprinkle grated cheese on the tortilla. You roll the tortilla up with the cheese in it. If you desire sprinkle some more grated cheese on top of the rolled up tortilla. After all that then you put whatever amount of them you choose to make in a pan. The size of the pan depends on what ever amount of the enchiladas you wish to make. Then you put the pan in the oven and heat them up. You heat them and whala there are your enchiladas.

T: Who thinks that they have an idea about what this paper is mainly about?

(Someone answered: Making enchiladas.)

T: That's very good. I think it is about how to make enchiladas, but what clues are there? How do you know that?

(Someone answered: I knew right away after you read the first sentence.)

T: The first sentence says, "My explanation is on my favorite mexican food ... Enchiladas." You know what I thought when I read that sentence? I thought that I bet this person is going to tell me why it's their favorite mexican food. Or maybe how to make enchiladas. But I was thinking that it was going to be one of those two things. When I read the part that said "The way you make it is ... " I was more confident that the person was telling me how to make enchiladas. So the first thing a good explanation does is answer the question: “What is being explained?” In this case, the explanation is about “How to make enchiladas”, so I’ll write that question (e.g., “What is being explained?”) and the answer (“how to make enchiladas”) on a sheet that records the important information from this explanation paper.

T: Can anybody tell some other ideas that they see in this paper about how to make Enchiladas. When I hear the author say, “corn tortilla”, “cooking oil”, and “pan”, I’m starting to think about another type of information that is included in explanation papers. What can we call those ideas …. Corn tortilla, cooking oil, and pan?

T: Yes, those are the materials you need. A good explanation always answers the question “What materials do you need?”. Let’s start by highlighting and underlining the words that tell the materials that you need. You tell me what materials you find in this paper, and I’ll circle those ideas in this explanation. While I circle the materials in this copy, you can circle the materials on your own copy of this story (Highlight the materials as they are found).

T: What are the materials that we found and circled? (corn tortilla, cooking oil, hot pepper, grated cheese).

T: So a good explanation always answers the question: What are the materials that you need? (Write the question on the board/poster paper). Below that question, I’m going to copy the materials that the author told us that we needed.

T: Did the author omit materials that you would use to make enchiladas? (Discuss and add additional materials below the author’s list, using a different colored pen. Call that the editor’s pen). An author often omits information that we need to make an enchilada. So as you read, you ask yourself what are the materials you need, and you ask yourself what materials might be missing. A good reader always checks himself/herself to see if the explanation makes sense, and edits the information in his/her mind to make sure that all the parts and materials are included. A good writer has to be a good reader and good editor.

T: Now that we have the materials, what do we do? Yes, a good explanation names the steps so that we know what to do with the materials in order to create something (in this case, an enchilada). So the third question that a good explanation answers is “What are the steps? What do we do first? Second? Third?: … We will look for the steps in this paper until we reach the end of the explanation. Let’s find the steps in this explanation. I’ll box the steps as we find them and number the steps in order. We’ll also look for keywords that might help us follow and find the steps. We’ll look for keywords such as, “first, second, third” and so forth.

My explanation is on my favorite mexican food ...Enchiladas. The way you make it is 1you take a corn tortilla and you put it in some cooking oil in a pan. You 2leave it in the oil for a few seconds next 3you put it in a pan with a kind of hot pepper for a few more seconds. After that you 4lay it on a plate. Then you 5 sprinkle grated cheese on the tortilla. You 6roll the tortilla up with the cheese in it. If you desire 7sprinkle some more grated cheese on top of the rolled up tortilla. After all that then you 8put whatever amount of them you choose to make in a pan. The size of the pan depends on what ever amount of the enchiladas you wish to make. Then you 9 put the pan in the oven and heat them up. You heat them and whala there are your enchiladas.

T: Let’s find the first step in this explanation. (ask students). So the first step is take a corn tortilla and put it in some cooking oil in a pan. I’ll box that step and label that step with a number 1. You do the same on your copy. Did the author use the keyword, “first?”. Would that have helped you read and find the information?

T: Make a picture in your mind of that step. Imagine yourself doing that step in your mind. Does anyone have any questions about how to do that step? Anything that you might want to ask the author to make it clear? (Record students’ questions in the margins in the same editor’s pen color used to add the materials. If they have difficulty, model for them the uncertainty of the information, such as “How many seconds?” What kind of pan should they use?” “How much cooking oil?” “What kind of oil?” “Is the pan on a fire on a heated stove?”).

T: What’s the second step? (“put it in the oil for a few second”). So I’m going to box that step and number that step “2”. You do the same on your paper copy. I’m already thinking of questions in my mind that I would want to ask the author. What questions come to your mind? (“How many seconds?” “How high should the fire be?”). I’m going to record your questions for the author using our editor’s pen. We’ll call this step, “Questioning the author.” That’s what good readers and good editors do.

T: What’s the third step? (“you put it in a pan with a kind of hot pepper for a few more seconds”). So I’ll box that idea and record a number 3 to show that it is the third step. Let’s question the author. What are questions we can ask about this third step?” (“What kind of hot pepper?” “Should you use a second pan?” “How many seconds?”). I’ll record your questions with the editor’s pen. These are good questions.

T: Is there a fourth step? (“lay it on a plate.”). I’ll box that idea and record a “4” to show it is the fourth step. Do you want to question the author about this step?

T: Is there a fifth step? (“sprinkle grated cheese on the tortilla.”) I’ll box that step and record a “5” to show it is the fifth step. Can we question the author about the information? What questions do you have?” (What type of grated cheese? “How much cheese”). I’ll record those questions with the editor’s pen.

T: Is there a sixth step? (“roll the tortilla up with the cheese”). Let’s box that step and record a “6” to show it is the sixth step. Can we question the author about the information? Is it clear, or do you have questions?

. (Repeat for steps 7-8)

T: What is the ninth step? (put the pan in the oven and heat them up”.). Let’s box that step and record a “9” to show it is the ninth step. Question the author. What questions do you have? (“What type of pan?” “What temperature should the oven be set?” “How long should they cook in the oven?”)

T: Are there any other steps? (“Whala you enchilada is done.”)

T: So a good explanation answers three big questions. A good explanation answers the questions:

1. What is being explained (making an enchilada)

2. What are the materials/setting that you need? (tortilla, cheese, oil, pan)

3. What are the steps? What do you do 1st? 2nd? 3rd?.... finally?

T: I have an organizer that we can use to help us monitor and plan a paper to write an explanation. This organizer has a list of these questions on this paper. I want you to look at your copy of this story to fill out this organizer. You tell me quickly what information to put in what boxes, and I’ll fill out the explanation organizer.

1. So what should I put in the box that says “What is being explained?”

2. What should I record in the box that says “What are the materials?”

3. What I record in the boxes that says “What are the steps?”

T: Let’s look back at the questions that we recorded with the editor’s pen. Did this author do a good job of telling us what was being explained? Put your thumbs up if you think “Yes. He did a good job of telling us what was being explained.” Put your thumb pointing sidewise (model) if you think “Sort of. He ‘sort’ explained what the paper was about. Point your thumb down if you think “No.” He did tell us what was being explained.

T: Let’s look back at the questions that we recorded with the editor’s pen for the materials that we needed. Let’s vote on how the author did. Did this author do a good job of telling us what materials we needed? Put your thumbs up if you think “Yes. He did a good job of telling us what materials were needed.” Put your thumb pointing sidewise (model) if you think “Sort of. He ‘sort’ explained what materials we needed. Point your thumb down if you think “No.” He did not tell us what materials were needed. (Discuss. Ask students to justify their thinking and explain how they would improve the paper).

T: Let’s vote on the steps. How did the author do? Did this author do a good job of telling us what steps to follow? Put your thumbs up if you think “Yes. He did a good job of telling us the steps in his explanation about how to make enchiladas.” Put your thumb pointing sidewise (model) if you think “Sort of. He ‘sort’ explained the steps. Point your thumb down if you think “No.” He did not tell us the steps. (Discuss. Ask students to justify their thinking and explain how they would improve the paper. Explain that writers can always think of ways to improve their papers).

How did you know that?

(Well why else would you put oil in a pan, you know.)

Have you ever cooked anything?

(Or once or twice in my lifetime.)

Part of what I'm doing is I'm from the group through my questions, "What is this mainly about, What is it you learn?" I start helping them see the questions that I had as I read the explanation.

As I read this I thought this was a very interesting explanation. This is an explanation about how to make tortillas. There were some key words in there that helped me figure out.