Rubric Area:
Content and Ideas
Beginnings
1. Writing workshop
mini lesson Promote listening for potential leads.
Have students pair up and talk about a story, plot, or incident they
are working on in writing workshop. Ask the listener to note when his
interest is piqued and to share those moments with the storyteller.
Those points of intrigue are all potential leads.
2. Writing Workshop
mini lesson Teach three kinds of leads that work well to the students.
I have found three kinds of leads that work well, because students must
use their own writing as a basis for developing them. Teaching these
leads alleviates some of the anguish of making cuts, and puts students
on the road to well-crafted writing. It may help students in their revising
if you share the following three kinds of great leads.
The circular lead/close:
Once a first draft is completed, a circular lead/close is easy to create.
I have students look at their endings and ask them if they can begin
with those closing words as well. This type of lead is a favorite of
many students, since it brings their pieces full circle. It's a tidy
way to begin and end. Eric Carle's book, The Grouchy Ladybug, with its
opening and closing image of two ladybugs arguing, is a good example
of this type of lead.
The dialogue lead: Who can forget E.B. White's classic lead from Charlotte's
Web? "'Where's Papa going with that axe?' said Fern to her mother as
they were setting the table for breakfast." Indeed, dialogue can be
the stuff of sweet beginnings. Teach students to scan their writing
until they reach the first quote, and then consider moving it to the
start of the piece. If the first quote doesn't lend itself to a strong
lead, encourage students to look for others that might.
The climatic lead: Writer Becky Rule says it's a good idea to pick up
your readers by the scruff of their necks and drop them into the heart
of a conflict. Every piece of writing has a climax, which doesn't always
come at the very end. I ask students to find the point of greatest tension
in their writing, and then to move those words to the beginning. For
example, Thanksgiving stories are typical at this time of year, and
most of them start out as repetitive, sentimental slog. But who wouldn't
want to read Mary Comstock's holiday story after this opener? "The remains
of Thanksgiving dinner sat like an abandoned wreck on the dining room
table: she had eaten it all and the guests hadn't even arrived yet.
This would have to stop." Mary's words promise humor and pathos. But
it's that "abandoned wreck," the climax of the story, that gives the
lead immediate energy.
3. Writing workshop
mini lesson Types of leads.
The lead (beginning or introduction) establishes the direction your
writing will take. A good lead grabs your reader's attention and refuses
to let go. In other words, it hooks the reader. Below are some ideas
on how to write an interesting lead. Not every type of lead will work
for every writer or for every piece of writing. You'll have to experiment
with them. Be sure to have a least three sentences in your lead, whatever
type it may be.
Question Open with an interesting question that relates to the main
idea. Example: Have you ever wondered how you would survive if you found
yourself alone in the wilderness? How would you defend yourself against
predators? What would you eat? Where would you find water?
Riddle Open with a riddle that the reader can solve by reading further.
You may want to give the answer right away or save it for the conclusion.
Example: What textbook has no pages, is miles wide, and smells like
a creek? It's been around for millions of years. That's right--Outdoor
School.
Announcement Open with an announcement about what is to come. However,
do not insult the reader by saying something like, "I am going to tell
you about..." The reader should be able to figure out what you are writing
about. If not, there is something wrong with what you have written,
not with the reader. Example: The trait of voice is very important in
writing. However, it is difficult to teach and even more difficult to
learn. It is similar to athletic ability because it is more like a talent
than a skill.
Bold and Challenging Statement A bold and challenging statement is similar
to an announcement, but is meant to cause some people to disagree with
what you say. It's like one side of an argument. It can be an opinion,
but don't immediately state that it is your opinion. Example: Using
horses and cattle in the sport of rodeo is animal abuse. What makes
it more aggravating is that it is legal. According to the law, there
is nothing wrong with chasing an animal down, tightening a rope around
its neck, knocking it to the ground, and tying its legs together so
it cannot move.
Definition Open with a definition of the term you are discussing. It
can be your own or come from a dictionary or textbook. If you take it
from a dictionary or textbook, be sure to use quotation marks and give
credit to the source. Example: According to Webster's Dictionary, a
government is the authority that serves the people and acts on their
behalf. How can the government know what the people want if the people
do not vote? If we do not vote, the government may act on its own behalf
instead of on the behalf of the people.
Opinion Open with your opinion about the topic. This is similar to a
bold and challenging statement, but you let the reader know that it
is your opinion right away. Example: In my opinion, the driving age
should be lowered to fourteen. Most teenagers are more responsible than
adults give us credit for being. Just because we are teenagers does
not mean we are irresponsible and dangerous.
Well Known Quotation or Quotation from a Famous Person Open with a quotation
that is well known or from a famous person. Be sure to put quotations
around the quotation and give credit to the person who said it. Of course,
the quotation must be directly related to your topic. A good source
is a book of quotations. Look in the library or ask your teacher. Example:
President John F. Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can
do for you, ask what you can do for your country." I think today's Americans
have forgotten Kennedy's message. We expect our country to take care
of us, but we are not taking care of our country.
Quotation Not from a Famous Person Open with a quotation from a person
that is not famous. It could be a character from the story or someone
you know personally. You still must put it in quotation marks and give
credit to the person who said it. Example: When I was a child, I was
given the "mother's curse" by my mom. Oh, it is not anything mean or
evil. She just said, "When you have children, they will act just like
you." I laughed. Well, now that I have children of my own, I am not
laughing anymore. The "mother's curse" really works!
Personal Experience Open with something that has happened to you, or
a personal experience. It could be a part of the story, or it could
be something that is not a part of what you are writing about but still
relates to the topic. Example: Although I did later in my room, I never
cried at my grandfather's funeral. I guess that is why I felt so sad
for the little girl standing next to her grandma's coffin. She looked
so lost and afraid.
Figurative Language Begin with a simile (comparison using like or as),
metaphor (comparison saying one thing is another thing), personification
(giving something nonhuman human qualities), or hyperbole (exaggeration.)
The figurative language must relate directly to your topic. Example:
The pencil sharpener was always hungry. It ate my pencil every time
I went to sharpen it. It never seemed to do this to anyone's pencil
but mine. What was so special about my pencils?
Enumerated General Statement Begin with a general statement containing
three or so ideas about your topic. The information given in the lead
is general, not specific. The specific details that support the general
statement will appear later in the paper. Example: There are many characteristics
that a good teacher possesses. However, the three most important characteristics
include being a good listener, being knowledgeable about the subject,
and having a kind heart. All of the teachers who positively influenced
me had all three of those characteristics in common.
4. Writing Workshop
mini lesson beginnings and endings definition.
A kiss hello...a wave good-bye...an airplane fading in the sky. Our
lives are marked by beginnings and endings. In the things we do every
day, we look for starting and ending points. We hold those images their
sight, smell, taste, and feel-close. It's no wonder, then, that writers
take such care to develop strong introductions and conclusions: introductions
that grab readers and conclusions that leave them feeling satisfied.
The best leads and endings don't just happen; they are crafted. This
can be a painstaking process that, as any experienced writer knows,
becomes somewhat easier with practice. When we teach children how to
generate leads and endings using their own drafts, and expose them to
good models, they become better craftspeople. If you take some time
to make leads and endings the focus of your lessons, you may be surprised
at how quickly students' overall writing skills improve.
5. Writing workshop
mini lesson beginnings.
Write a story. Or find a story in process from your writing folder...
Write three different beginnings to your piece. Each beginning has only
three concise sentences. Make them interesting but different. Choose
one. How am I gonna get people interested in my writing? Make sure students
understand that the time to write stellar beginnings is after they've
completed their first drafts. At that stage they can return to their
original beginning and be merciless, hacking off as much as necessary
to find a good lead. Tell them that even the most accomplished writers
have to dig through a few bad sentences and paragraphs before they get
to the good stuff. After your students have done this a few times, and
learned the power of a strong introduction, they are more likely to
make cuts willingly.
