From the Desk of Karen Gedeon- September 2015

Post date: Sep 16, 2015 11:26:20 AM

​This month we focus on writing. Many of these are listed as certain grade levels, but can be adapted up or down quite easily. They cover argumentative, nonfiction and other writing options which can be easily incorporated into your classroom.

1. The ReadWriteThink professional Development series offers assistance for those struggling with the difference with persuasive vs, argumentative writing at the middle and high school level. http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/developing-evidence-based-arguments-31034.html
2. George Hillocks, author of Teaching Argumentative Writing, Grades 6-12: Supporting Claims with Relevant Evidence and Clear Reasoning, is featured in this article: http://www.vriuvm.org/uncategorized/teaching-argumentative-writing-a-sequence-for-instruction/ . It reviews the five steps to follow when writing an argumentative piece along with a short example. This is a great article with ideas for all grade and content areas.
3. The New York Times has come up with 200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing. This handy pdf breaks them into several categories for easy searching and assigning: Education, Technology & Social Media, Arts & Media, Gender Issues and Sports & Athletics. This listing designed for middle and high school students (which can be adapted to lower grades) can be found at:http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/blogs/learning/pdf/2014/200PromptsArgumentativeWriting.pdf
4. All types of resources for argumentative writing such as lesson plans, prompts and assistance teaching the topic an be found at http://www.webenglishteacher.com/argument.html .
5. Looking for sources for argumentative writing? I've started a Google Doc for just that purpose. Check it out athttps://goo.gl/z8P9td . Feel free to add more resources to it as you come across them.
6. National Novel Writing Month is coming up. Sign your kiddos up at : http://nanowrimo.org/ and make it a classroom project for them to write their first novel during the month of November. Student in Grade K-12 participate every year. Best of all - it's FREE!
7. How about incorporating a writing contest into your curriculum? http://www.freecontestsforkids.com/writing-contests-for-teens.html lists several writing contests for middle and high school students during the school year. Ages and due dates differ so be sure to read each carefully.
8. Writing contests for K-8 can be found at: http://www.freecontestsforkids.com/writing-contests-for-kids.html. Here also ages and due dates differ so be sure to read each of these carefully as well.
9. Ever think about hooking your kiddos up with a pen pal? Pen pals are great non-fiction writing experiences which can lead to wonderful lessons in social studies with cultural exchanges. This year can bring bonus lessons with both the Olympics and the upcoming elections depending on where you choose your pen pals from. Some great sites for these are:
   1. https://penpalschools.com/ - this free services will match you up to a class within their 70 country footprint. It has four paths of curriculum for participants to choose from each lasting 6 weeks long. Recommended for ages 9 and up.
   2. http://www.epals.com/#/connections - a long established electronic pen pal alternative so students (or the class) will need an email account.
   3. http://www.pen-pal.com/ -in existance for over 75 years, this option is an actual letter writing program where the students craft and mail letters. A fee is involved.

Please contact your media specialist or myself if you have any questions. Happy writing:)

Karen Gedeon

Middle School Media Specialist

Cuyahoga Falls City School District

330-926-3809 ext 502414

Secretary, Ohio Educational Library Media Association (OELMA)

"those who think that the internet replaces a library must think it is okay to use WebMD instead of going to a doctor." - Debra Kachel