A Strategy to Sophisticate Student Sentences Background: Ever since Frank O’Hare’s 1973 NCTE Committee’s report showed that sentence combining improved student writing without formal grammar instruction, writing teachers have continued to look for ways where sentences can help students improve not only their writing but also their understanding of grammar. This strategy does both. Information about the Frayer Model: We all know that getting students to write varied sentences is difficult, so the use of this Frayer Model strategy as a way to force students to practice writing different types of sentences allows them to experiment and practice in ways they have not done before (I chose the Frayer Model because my students use them in Biology and it seemed to be a nice way to reinforce something they were using in another discipline). Students are often amazed at the multiple ways the same information can be expressed through the use of the Frayer Model technique. Use in Formative Assessment Process: I require students to complete a Frayer Model and turn it in as a formative assessment while we write an essay. It is the process I use to teach a thesis statement and topic sentence for body paragraphs. Thesis statements require a subject and an opinion—the same as topic sentences, so putting the topic in the middle of the Frayer Model focuses students and immediately gets them into writing a fully articulated sentence with a subject (the topic) and an opinion. I require a completed Frayer Model for the thesis statement and each body paragraph’s topic sentence to be completed and collected for formative assessment during writing. Students then turn them in again with the final essay draft. Formatively, I use these to check that students have a workable thesis as well as good, solid topic sentences for writing body paragraphs. It allows me to see what students are thinking about the topic on which we are writing as well as how they are developing their thesis in their body paragraphs. It also allows me to provide actionable feedback to students in a timely manner (they are easy to look at and return the next day), so they can adjust their own writing. Ideas for Use and Differentiation: As the year progress and students’ grammar knowledge increases, I change the required sentences in the Frayer Models. I have also used this process as a way for students to take some of the sentences in an existing piece of their own writing or the writing of a peer and sophisticate them. The possibility to differentiate among students of varying abilities is also present. Teachers could provide different directions (sentence types) for different students—this could be done in such a way that students believe it has been done at random. Students can also work with shoulder partners or small groups to create Frayer Models during practice sessions or during writing instruction. This is particularly helpful for students during the early days of writing instruction. An important key to the success of this strategy is monitoring by the teacher of the learning, especially while students are engaged in partner or small group work. Grade Level Application: Even though standards for the 9th and 10th grade are listed, I have used this in grades 6 through 12. CCSS Standards: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.1.B Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2.A Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10.2.B Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation. Academic Vocabulary: *Independent Clause *Dependent Clause Noun Clause Relative Clause Adverbial Clause *Subordinating Conjunction *Coordinating Conjunction *Conjunctive Adverb *Declarative Sentence *Complex Sentence *Compound Sentence Noun Phrase Verb Phrase Adjectival Phrase Adverbial Phrase Participial Phrase Prepositional Phrase Absolute Phrase *Used during the first lesson—other words to be used later at teacher discretion Resources: Websites that provide good definitions and examples of the academic vocabulary used here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu http://grammar.about.com/ Teacher Materials: White Board/Smart Board/or Projector for teacher’s Frayer Model Student Materials: Paper, pen/pencil, writing prompt/performance task (students can fold their papers in half from top to bottom and draw a line at the fold mark on both sides—this gives students an opportunity to create 4 Frayer Models on one sheet of paper.) Duration: The first lesson that teaches the Frayer Model will take one 55 minute class period. As students become more competent, the time will decrease until most students can complete one in less than 10 minutes. Progression of Use: Teacher Created, Teacher/Student Created, Student Created (I do, we do, you do). Directions: 1. Freshmen students often do not understand the difference between the reports they have been asked to write in elementary and middle school with the essays they are being asked to write at the secondary level. One of the primary differences is that students must know how to write a proper thesis that has an arguable edge. A true thesis consists of two parts: a subject and an opinion. Students need to be shown and given a little oral practice to understand how opinion differs from fact. Students easily grasp this with a few examples. Start with an easy topic of high interest like French fries or amusement park. The teacher says, “If we were writing an essay about the best French fries, the French fries would be our topic, our opinion would be who serves the best.” Sample: Fact: McDonald’s serves French fries. Opinion: McDonald’s serves the best French fries. Teacher writes the sample on the board, circling the topic and underlining the opinion. This helps students translate the topic that is circled in the sentence to the topic that goes in the circle on the Frayer Model. Teacher says, “If we were writing an essay about which amusement park is the best, amusement park would be our topic, and our opinion would be which one we believe to be the best. Fact: Disneyland is an amusement park. Opinion: Disneyland has the best rides of all amusement parks.” Teacher writes the sample on the board, circling the topic and underlining the opinion. 2. Using the sentences created by the teacher or given by the students that reflect fact and opinion, students are now ready to create their first Frayer Model. 3. BEFORE or DURING the completion of their first Frayer Model with sentences, students should create a Frayer Model template WITH notes as a guide for use later (see Frayer Model with Notes). The option to complete their notes simultaneously with their first practice Frayer Model or separately depends on the teacher’s evaluation of the level of the students. 4. Students need to draw and label the Frayer Model BEFORE writing the topic or any sentences—students need to complete one for use and one for notes. The center of the model is labeled “topic,” Box 1 is labeled “Independent”, Box 2 is labeled “Complex”, BOX 3 is labeled “Compound with FANBOYS” (FANBOYS is an acronym for the coordinating conjunctions for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), Box 4 is labeled “Compound with semi-colon.” Please see copy of Frayer Model Notes. Having students label the boxes as 1, 2, 3, 4 is redundant. They have been named that here for clarity. Using the names of the sentences as the names of the boxes reinforces the sentence type. Another good teacher strategy is to have students write down lists of the dependent clause starter words (subordinating conjunctions), the FANBOYS, and conjunctive adverbs in their notes/boxes or make a chart to hang in the classroom or create a poster with these lists for students to access. 5. Finally, students practice writing sentences from the model thesis/topic sentences created. (Again, this can be done simultaneously while taking notes on how to complete a Frayer Model or as a separate activity.) Teacher should complete this first Frayer Model with the students, pointing out how to write the sentences, turning a dependent clause into an independent clause (Dependent: Although many people may disagree, McDonald’s serves the best French fries. To create an independent clause from a dependent, usually just dropping the subordinate clause “although” is sufficient; however, sometimes students will need to add or change a word or phrase, but starting easier at the beginning is usually the most helpful for students. Teacher can model more complicated dependent clauses at a later time.), and how to punctuate these types of sentences. Please see French fries Frayer Model for sample. Depending on competency of students, completing a second Frayer Model in partners or small groups and then collecting it as an exit ticket will allow a teacher to assess competency of students. Teacher can also circulate while students are working in pairs or small groups and trouble shoot for struggling students. 6. For future lessons: as the students become competent at these sentence patterns, the teacher can model new patterns for the Frayer Model and require students to use those instead.