The Little Engine That Diligently Cut the Mustard

1. The Little Engine That Diligently Cut the Mustard HWP summer of 2010- Kathy Ellis Inquiry Questions: 1. What methods can be used to help students to be aware of using correct grammar during the writing process? 2. In what ways can word choice help improve student vocabulary? 3. What strategies can be used in the class to encourage revisions? 4. In what ways does intentional word choice enhance revised writing?

2. Context: • Frustrated over compartmentalizing grammar because it doesn’t seem to carry over to student writing, I wanted to find a way to integrate grammar in the writing process. The books The Revision Toolbox by Georgia Heard and Lessons to Share on Teaching Grammar in Context by Constance Weaver suggest grammar should not be taught as a separate entity, but integrated in the writing process using mini lessons when needed.

3. Rationale: • Using ideas from Papers, Papers, Papers by Carol Jago, The Revision Toolbox by Georgia Heard, and Lessons to Share on Teaching Grammar in Context by Constance Weaver, I am hoping to create a new lesson focusing first on writing, then a mini lesson on verbs and adverbs, and revision.

4. Materials Needed: • Writing paper • Highlighters • Two pink sheets of paper • Two blue sheets of paper • 10 pink index cards • 10 blue index cards

6. Demonstration: • Introduce picture of art. Discuss and reflect on art: • What felling do you have when you look at this painting? • How do colors add to this mood? • What is the first ting you notice when you look at it? • What time period is this art depicting? • How details do you notice about the picture?

7. Writing Prompt • This painting is your writing prompt. You may write a poem, a letter, a journal entry, a narrative or anything you want concerning this piece of art. You ONLY have threeminutes. Don’t stop writing. Don’t worry about revision or spelling. Just get some ideas on paper. ( In class allow twenty minutes)

9. Mini-verb/adverb lesson • Verbs are like a train’s engine. The stronger the engine the more powerful the train is. The engine (verb) can be moving or sitting still or in a state of being. • Adverbs modify or limit the verbs. Adverbs provide specific information about the action that is carried out. It answers how, when, where, why, how much or to what extent. Most adverbs end in –ly but not all of them do. • For example: Yesterday Jake threw the ball far.

10. Group Work • Form four groups. • Label two groups verbs and two groups adverbs. • Everyone should exchange papers. With a highlighter, the verb group will mark action verbs and the adverb group will highlight adverbs. • Give color coded forms and index cards to each group. • Assign a secretary and a card keeper. The secretary will make a list of the top four overused words. The group will brainstorm five synonyms for the over used word. The card keeper will write each synonym on an index card.

11. Adverb/Verb Charades • Cards will be collected and groups reorganized. • With both adverb groups together as one group and all the verb groups together as one group the charades game will begin. • Someone from the adverb will choose a synonym from the verbs card stack. An actor will act out the synonym and try to get his/her team to guess the word. • If it is guessed correctly, the team wins a point. • Next, someone from the verb team will act out and adverb but it must be used with the previously used verb. A correct guess will score a point.

12. Post game revisions • After game, post adverbs and verbs on the walls and use lists to revise papers. • Compare papers with original group.