LEVELS OF SUPPORT

LEVELS OF SUPPORT

Agenda • Objective – teachers will be able to understand the difference between the levels of support, identify those levels in written pieces, teach students to identify and use levels effectively • Essential Question – How can knowing the difference between the levels of support boost our number of 4+ scores? • Warm-Up – Jot down everything you know about the level of support as they pertain to FCAT Writes. • Activities – • Defining the levels of support • Training Your Students or Ice Cream, Ice Cream-Where is the Ice Cream? • Practice • Wrap-Up – answering the essential question • A Lesson to Try – Build that Paragraph: Toddler Talk • Survey – complete before leaving

SUPPORT quality of details illustrating or explaining the central theme

For our purposes (FCAT Writes) there are 4 types: • Bare • Extended • Layered • Elaborated

Use of a detail or a simple list that focuses on events or reasons Example: I like to go to school because it is fun. Simple detail – like school because it is fun Bare

Use of information that begins to clarify meaning Example: I like to go to school because it is fun when the teacher allows us to do experiments with frogs. Goes one step beyond simple detail – like school because it is fun It is fun when? when we do experiments with frogs Extended

Use of a series of informational statements that collectively help to clarify meaning Example: I like to go to school because it is fun when the teacher allows us to do experiments with frogs. We learned what kinds of foods frogs like to eat by offering them flies, worms, and seeds. We observed the frogs during the morning and afternoon to determine when they were more active. We also compared frogs to other amphibians to see what characteristics they share. Simple idea – like to go to school because it is fun Fun when? – when we do experiments with frogs What kind of experiments – ones that help uslearn what frogs eat, when they are active, compare them to other amphibians Layered

Use of additional details, anecdotes, illustrations, and examples that further clarify meaning information that answers the question, “What do you mean?” provide a detailed description Example: I like to go to school because it is fun when the teacher allows us to do experiments with frogs instead of just reading about frogs in books. Experiments allow us to have the fun of discovering for ourselves how far and how fast frogs can jump and what kinds of foods frogs like to eat. For example, once we spent all period having frog races. We measured the distance of every single leap our frogs took. My frog averaged three yards per jump! Simple idea – like to go to school because it is fun Fun when? – when we do experiments with frogs What kind of experiments – ones that help uslearn what frogs eat, when they are active, compare them to other amphibians So? What do you mean? What impact does it have on you, or exactly what is one kind of experiment you do? – gives us the fun of discovery; for example (once) Elaborated

Training Your Students to Reach Layered & Elaborated Levels of Support(which is what 4+ FCAT papers have) • Most of us have dealt with toddlers or elementary age children. • Think about our conversations with them. • Adult: Do you like ice cream? (the prompt) • Child: I like ice cream. • Adult: How much do you like ice cream? • Child: I really, really like ice cream. I love it!

Adult: Why do you love it? • Child: It tastes good because it is sweet and creamy. • Adult: Really? So, when you have something sweet and creamy how do you feel? • Child: It makes my stomach smile and I am really happy? • Adult: So what happens when you are happy? • Child: I am nicer to people—even people I don’t like. That’s what my mommy says. • Adult: Oh yeah. When did ice cream make you nice to someone you did not like? • Child: My cousin came over yesterday, and Mommy gave us ice cream. We always fight, but we didn’t yesterday. We were too busy eating our snack.

The Ice Cream Conversation I really, really like ice cream. I guess you could say, I lo-o-ove ice cream. It is so sweet and creamy that when I eat it, my stomach smiles and I am extremely happy. Believe it or not, I tend to be nicer to people when I eat ice cream. According to my mother, it even makes me nice to people I don’t like. In fact, my disgusting cousin came to visit yesterday, and we did not even argue one time. We were too busy devouring our delectable strawberry ice cream.

I really, really like ice cream. I guess you could say, I lo-o-ove ice cream. It is so sweet and creamy that when I eat it, my stomach smiles and I am extremely happy. Believe it or not, I tend to be nicer to people when I eat ice cream. According to my mother, it even makes me nice to people I don’t like. In fact, my disgusting cousin came to visit yesterday, and we did not even argue one time. We were too busy devouring our delectable strawberry ice cream. • Bare – What is the idea? - like ice cream because it is sweet/creamy • Extended – So? makes stomach smile • Layered – When your stomach smiles, what happens? nicer • Elaborated – Could you clarify that? – even nice to people I don’t like; for example, cousin and I did not argue

I really, really like ice cream. I guess you could say, I lo-o-ove ice cream. It is so sweet and creamy that when I eat it, my stomach smiles and I am extremely happy. Believe it or not, I tend to be nicer to people when I eat ice cream. According to my mother, it even makes me nice to people I don’t like. In fact, my disgusting cousin came to visit yesterday, and we did not even argue one time. We were too busy devouring our delectable strawberry ice cream. -meaningful use of repetition (for emphasis) – really, really like ice cream…I love ice cream (almost begs reader to ask, “How much do you love it?”) -sensory details – sweet and creamy (goes beyond “it tastes good”) -personification – stomach smiles (What image does that create in your mind?) -anecdote – story about cousin’s visit (to prevent loss of focus, keep stories to 2-3 sentences) -alliteration – devouring our delectable ice cream (in contrast to disgusting cousin) -voice – Do you hear the writer coming through? (even if get rid of tier 2 words--my pain in the butt cousin; eating our tasty strawberry ice cream) Last Look: Did You Notice..?

The same process we use to train small children to express themselves can be used to train our high school students. -ask them the appropriate questions -train them to ask themselves -have them apply this questioning to their writing*make sure our students know the proper terms – bare/extended/layered/elaborated(How often have we asked small children what something is called? How often have they asked us?)

Ready to practice? Bare, Extended, Layered, or Elaborated? Internet access should be provided in school libraries because some students can’t afford internet access at home. 8 out of 15 students can’t afford internet. They can’t afford to pay their electricity bill much less possess a computer in their household. Not providing internet access in school libraries is like putting a bass in a tank full of sharks. They were doomed from the start. If internet access is not provided in school libraries, no one will ever be successful. How can the poor ever amount to anything if they are not provided with the same materials as the rich? From the first day of school, you may as well hand them their “F”. (2010 anchor A16)

Bare, Extended, Layered, or Elaborated?It’s a good age to start driving, because around sixteen they start to take things more seriously, and be concerned with a lot more factors. That’s a big problem for some people who are driving at that age who are getting into accidents, and get killed.(1993-94 1A)

Bare, Extended, Layered, or Elaborated? Secondly, at the age of sixteen driving is a limited experience, another reason why this age is ideal at sixteen, teems are still dependent on their parents, and they are still under their rule. Therefore, the teen’s driving experience would be limited within the parents’ or guardians’ judgment. At eighteen, people are considered adults, and are mostly independent. With so many places to go and no upper judgment, this would not be a recommended age to begin driving. At the age of sixteen, the majority of driving is in local range, but at eighteen, there is college and freedom. Eighteen year olds drive greater distances than sixteen year olds, this should only be attempted after a few years of driving experience.(1993-94 anchor 12A)

Toddler Talk Assignment • Step 1: • Explain to students that they are going to practice including the 4th level of support, elaboration, in their body paragraphs. • Explain that you are going to use guiding questions to help them train their minds to include the correct type information. • Introduce the guiding questions:1. What? Because?2. So? • 3. Then? • 4. For example? • 5. Can you tell me a story? (anecdotes are not necessary in every paragraph; sometimes a detailed example will do; use writer’s judgment)

Step 2:Walk your students through the process using the following sample.Present the idea. (Typically, this would be taken from the prompt—the writing task.)The Idea: School libraries should/should not allow students to have internet access.Go over the questions and possible answers. The Questions/Answers: What? Because/why? • Schools should allow students to have internet access because some people can’t afford internet at home. So? (What about it?) • These students will fall behind in their schoolwork. Then? • Then they will be at risk of not graduating and being unable to find good jobs. For example? • Many classes have research papers as part of the course requirement, and students without internet cannot complete these assignments. Can you paint a picture? • I remember one guy who made it all the way to twelfth grade and failed his English class because he could not do the research paper. He never graduated. He spends his days begging passersby for money Can you remind me of your point? (closing sentence that refers to topic sentence) • He could have had a better life if he had been able to use internet at school.

Go over the response that was written using the answers to the questions. The Response: Schools should allow students to have internet access because some people can’t afford internet at home. Otherwise, these students will fall behind in their schoolwork. Then they will be at risk of not graduating and being unable to find good jobs. For example, many classes have research papers as part of the course requirements. Students cannot complete these assignments without internet. I remember one guy who failed 12th grade English because he could not do his research paper. Now, I see him all the time on the streets begging for money. This disadvantaged youth could have had such a different life if only he had been provided internet access.

Step 3:Now it is time to have students try their own piece.Introduce the idea:Idea: Issuing textbooks to students is/is not a good idea. (student must choose a stance.) • Next, walk the students through the questions. Allow time for students to write down their answers to each question as you go. • You may choose to let students share aloud as you progress from question to question. Especially during initial training, less skilled students may need this extra help. • What? Because/why? • So? (What about it?) • Then? • For example? • Can you tell me a story? (may not need an anecdote in every paragraph; an extended example may work; use writer’s discretion) • Can you remind me of your point? • Now it is time for students to write their paragraphs. These paragraphs should include all of the details they used to answer the guiding questions. In addition, tell students to use transitions to make the paragraph flow smoother.

Step 4 (optional):Have students revise their paragraphs: figurative language, word choice, transitions, sentence variety, and a well designed closing sentence Option – Give as a home learning activity.

Example: Schools should allow students to have internet access because some people can’t afford internet at home. Otherwise, these students will fall behind in their schoolwork. Then they will be at risk of not graduating and being unable to find good jobs. For example, many classes have research papers as part of the course requirements. Students cannot complete these assignments without internet. I remember one guy who failed 12th grade English because he could not do his research paper. Now, I see him all the time on the streets begging for money. This disadvantaged youth could have had such a different life if only he had been provided internet access. what/because so then for example story *notice this paragraph follows one idea all the way through-what happens if poor students don’t have school internet Guided Peer Evaluation:-Each student is given a peer’s paper. Have students sign their names at the bottom of the papers they are evaluating.-As you ask each guiding question, students are to locate the answer in the paper and write the question in the margin next to the sentence/sentences that give the answer.

Here is the rating scale: • -clearly answers all five questions = 5/6 for support (elaborated) • -clearly answers questions 1-4 = 4/5 for support (layered to elaborated) • -clearly answers questions 1-3 = 3/4 for support (extended to layered) • -clearly answers questions 1-2 = 1/2 for support (bare to extended)

Wrap-Up • How can knowing the difference between the levels of support boost our number of 4+ scores? Keep the faith. Failure is not an option.

LEVELS OF SUPPORT