There are many different uses for this chart. I have created this chart with middle school students to help students develop the topic sentence for each of their body paragraphs within a larger essay. I have used this with elementary school students to craft overarching topic sentences (theses) for essays as well. Finally, the most recent use has been to… Read more →
This chart was created with sixth graders. They were working on argument essays that had at least two distinct sides. When we made this chart students had planned their essays and were beginning to draft their introductions. Introducing this chart: I wrote the title on the chart and asked students what a counterclaim was. We spent a few minutes discussing… Read more →
Each grade level has an emphasis on commas, letter openings, and closings within the Elementary Common Core Language Standards. I LOVE to teach this through picture books. I like to read one aloud and point out when and where the author used different types of punctuation and capitalization. You can even grab several different copies and let students explore the… Read more →
Teachers regularly ask students in first and second grade to find details and reasons in a text. While this request is valid, many students don’t understand what really constitutes a concrete reason. The six ideas on this chart provide guidance to help students look for specific types of things. How I introduce this chart: 1. I ask students to share… Read more →
Overview: This type of anchor chart might be my favorite to use with students. This is such an effective visual to help students compare two texts. The interactive nature of the chart also makes it reusable with multiple texts. Author & Genre Study: For this particular chart, we were comparing The BFG and The Twits as part of a larger… Read more →
One of the big challenges for students is being able to understand what “develop” means in reference to a text. These five simple questions encourage students to consider not just the main/central ideas, but the supporting details, how the ideas evolved over time, and what messages may have been woven throughout. Introduce this to your students by presenting the blank… Read more →
Are you working with Common Core standard 3? This reusable, interactive chart is specific to the sixth grade informational text standard and might be helpful! Students are expected to explain how ideas, events, or individuals are introduced, illustrated, or elaborated in a text. This requires students to look at text through the eyes of a writer. What strategy did the… Read more →
Students always hear that they should explain what they read. This is often referred to as summarizing, retelling, or recounting the text. It is important to differentiate between summarizing and analysis. Students are expected to learn how to objectively summarize text when working with Standard 2. There is a strong focus on retelling the important details, while maintaining objectivity. Standard… Read more →
