View From the 5th Grade Trenches - January 2012 - READ-WRITE-THINK

One of the many benefits of being a teacher and a writer is information crossover. Often resources intended for my students pop out as ongoing writing education for myself. One of my favorite places for learning is: 

 READ-WRITE-THINK brought to you by International Reading Association, NCTE, and Thinkfinity by Verizon, is treasure trove of writing lessons for students. To me it’s a magical index, worthy of being a volume in Hogwart’s library, where I can explore very specific aspects of writing that I may need to focus on at any given time. Often these lessons give an explicit explanation of what we know inherently, and by doing that sharpen that specific skill in our arsenal of writing talents.

Here’s a snipet from a lesson on DEFINING CHARACTERIZATION that focused on the difference between DIRECT and INDIRECT characterization. This information is also a good snapshot of telling vs. showing.

DIRECT - Defines character though TELLING.

The patient boy and quiet girl were both well mannered and did not disobey their mother."

INDIRECT - Shows things that reveal the personality of the character using the five methods of: Speech/Thought/Effect on others/Actions/Looks

***Acronym Alert*** - STEAL

The lessons may seem simplistic to we wise literary tribal elders, but sometimes a simple quick check up is all we need to smooth over a writing snag or answer a puzzling technical question.

Here are a few lessons you can peek at to get a feel for the site and its value.

Plot Diagram

Mapping Characters Across Book Series

The Passion of Punctuation

This site is definitely worth a bookmark in your craft folder.