Lessons That Change Writers


Book Description

In Lessons That Change Writers, Nancie has narrowed and deepened her conversation with teachers, to focus on the minilesson as a vehicle for helping students improve their writing. She shares over a hundred of these writing lessons which are described by her students as "the best of the best." The lessons fall into the following four categories that provide the structure for this book: Lessons about Topics: ways to develop ideas for pieces of writing that will matter to writers and to their readers Lessons about Principles of Writing: ways to think and write deliberately to create literature Lessons about Genre: in which we observe and name the ways that good free verse poems, formatted poetry, essays, short stories, memoirs, thank-you letters, profiles, parodies, and book reviews work and Lessons about Conventions: what readers' eyes and minds have been trained to expect, and how marks and forms function to give writing more voice and power and to make reading predictable and easy. Lessons That Change Writers includes: A book with over a hundred minilessons, along with the theory behind each lesson Online Resources that include of hundreds of reproducibles: overheads of principles, approaches, rules, and examples readings for your students classroom posters of essential quotations for aspiring writers examples of work by Nancie's kids-student writings that illustrate the lessons and will instruct and inspire your student writers




Lessons That Change Writers


Book Description

In Lessons That Change Writers, Nancie has narrowed and deepened her conversation with teachers, to focus on the minilesson as a vehicle for helping students improve their writing. She shares over a hundred of these writing lessons which are described by her students as "the best of the best." The lessons fall into the following four categories that provide the structure for this book: Lessons about Topics: ways to develop ideas for pieces of writing that will matter to writers and to their readers Lessons about Principles of Writing: ways to think and write deliberately to create literature Lessons about Genre: in which we observe and name the ways that good free verse poems, formatted poetry, essays, short stories, memoirs, thank-you letters, profiles, parodies, and book reviews work and Lessons about Conventions: what readers' eyes and minds have been trained to expect, and how marks and forms function to give writing more voice and power and to make reading predictable and easy.Learn more about Lessons That Change Writers by visiting www.lessonsthatchangewriters.com where you can review the table of contents, download sample lessons, read a passage from the introduction, and watch a lesson walk through! Learn more about "first"hand




Naming the World


Book Description

You already have the tools to become a gifted writer; what you need is the spark. Harvard creative writing professor and acclaimed author Bret Anthony Johnston brings you an irresistible interactive guide to the craft of narrative writing. From developing characters to building conflict, from mastering dialogue to setting the scene, Naming the World jump-starts your creativity with inspiring exercises that will have you scrambling for pen and paper. Every chapter is a master class with the country’s most eminent authors, renowned editors, and dedicated teachers. • Infuse emotion into your fiction with three key strategies from Margot Livesey. • Christopher Castellani dumps the “write what you know” maxim and challenges you to really delve into the imagination. • A point-of-view drill from Susan Straight can be just the breakthrough you need to flesh out your story. • Jewell Parker Rhodes shares how good dialogue is not just about what is being said but about what is being left unsaid. Brimming with imaginative springboards and hands-on exercises, Naming the World has everything you need to become a stronger, more inventive writer. “A delicious book. Imagine yourself at a cocktail party crammed with literary lions. You have the chance to spend a few moments with each of them. Wit and wisdom abound.” –Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way “A highly useful and perceptive book. With charm and intelligence it touches on nearly every teachable aspect of the devilishly difficult art of writing.” –Ethan Canin, professor of creative writing at the Iowa Writers Workshop, and author of Carry Me Across the Water “These entertaining and useful exercises, intelligently organized, are a boon for both beginning and experienced writers.” –Andrea Barrett, National Book Award—winning author of The Air We Breathe “Forget about getting an MFA! For any writer struggling with his craft, here is the equivalent of a master class in writing by some of the best writer/teachers around.” –Betsy Lerner, author of The Forest for the Trees: An Editor’s Advice to Writers




In the Middle


Book Description

With 80 percent new material, In the Middle, Third Edition brings Nancie Atwell's methods up to date. Nancie guides newcomers to a rich, satisfying practice while sharing her latest innovations and refinements with those who have made In the Middle their teaching touchstone.




Story, Not Study: 30 Brief Lessons to Inspire Health Researchers as Writers


Book Description

Many researchers dread writing. They find it laborious - even painful - to put their scholarly work into words. They get bogged down in the study, and lose track of the story. And they produce uninspiring papers that fail to resonate with readers or reviewers. This book offers an antidote to this problem: brief, accessible lessons that guide researchers to write clear and compelling scientific manuscripts. The book is divided into three sections – Story, Craft, and Community. The Story section offers advice on getting the balance of study and story just right, introducing strategies for tackling each section of a scientific manuscript. The Craft section considers the grammatical and rhetorical tools of the trade, showing how they can be wielded for maximum impact. And the Community section offers suggestions for writing collaboratively, supporting other writers, and navigating peer review. Each section features multiple short and pragmatic lessons, peppered with illustrative examples. Readers can use the chapters collectively to build holistic writing skills, or dip in and out to refine specific elements of the craft. Rooted in a coaching philosophy, we aim to unlock our readers’ potential as writers through instruction, reflection, and example. And we hope to inspire researchers to face writing with joy. This work is clearly written and easily understandable. Its many practical examples, tools, and exercises make an effective toolbox of support for scholarly writers. This will be invaluable to new scholars and help established scholars as well. The inclusion of examples specific to the health arena and the clear, elegantly simple explanations add strength and relevance to this work. Toni Ungaretti, Johns Hopkins School of Education, Baltimore, MD, USA This book is the most original perspective I have ever read about the craft of writing. As its title suggests, it is inspiring. Brownie Anderson, NBME, Philadelphia, PA, USA




Lessons that Change Writers


Book Description

Lesson plans to accompany the text (see book).




Naming the World


Book Description

"Jumpstart your teaching each day with poems and lessons from a master teacher. "Naming the World" is a collection of over two hundred outstanding poems, accompanied by five-to-ten minute lessons, that Nancie uses each day to launch her writing-reading workshop ..."--Back cover.




Lessons that Change Writers


Book Description

In Lessons That Change Writers, Nancie has narrowed and deepened her conversation with teachers, to focus on the minilesson as a vehicle for helping students improve their writing. She shares over a hundred of these writing lessons which are described by her students as the best of the best.




The Big Book of Details


Book Description

"The writing lessons in this book are organized to quickly unpack the detail move, explain when and why the strategy works well, share how I have taught it to my students, and offer ways to make it your own." -Rozlyn Linder Have you ever told a writer to add more details, only to see their writing get longer not better? That's why Roz Linder wrote The Big Book of Details. "To help our students use details and elaborate effectively," she writes, "we need to find out what they want their writing to do, and then show them explicit moves to make it happen." Roz breaks elaboration into 5 categories and shares 46 lessons based on the moves that professional writers use. With if-then charts that connect student needs to just-right strategies, you'll help writers master details that: Describe: for people, places, and things Dance: for showing action and sequencing events Convince: for questions, persuasion, and arguments Inform: for defining, comparing, and clarifying Speak: for conversation and speech. The Big Book of Details supports planning and on-the-go teaching for one-on-one conferences, whole-class instruction, or commercial writing programs. Its lessons are organized to help kids understand each move quickly. Roz's strategy lessons include: examples from real-world writers the reason writers use the strategy advice for introducing it to writers ideas for guided practice with writers examples of one of Roz's famous classroom charts "This is what I want for my students," writes Roz Linder, "to use details in their writing in a meaningful way that conveys their ideas and their purpose." If you want that too, then make her Big Book of Details part of your teaching toolkit.




Systems to Transform Your Classroom and School


Book Description

Since 1990, Nancie Atwell and the faculty of the K-8 Center for Teaching and Learning have charged themselves with a mission. "Our job is to innovate for the good of children," Nancie writes, "and then to pass along to other teachers the lessons we learn about instruction that makes a difference." Systems to Transform Your Classroom and School makes CTL's powerful innovations accessible to every teacher and administrator.