Effective Writing, Support and Elaboration
Amber Strack
Materials:� 4 Types of
Elaboration sheet, one copy for each student and one copy on transparency, Ways
to Elaborate sheet on transparency.
Time:� 20-30 minutes
NCTE Standards
v
Students adjust
their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively
with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
v
Students employ a
wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process
elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of
purposes.
NCSCS Standards
v
Competency Goal
3, The learner will refine the understanding and use
of argument.
v
3.03 Create
arguments that evaluate by justifying the judgment with logical, relevant
reasons, clear examples, and supporting details.
Purpose of Mini-Lesson:
The purpose of this
mini-lesson is to emphasize support and elaboration as elements of effective
writing.� This would be part of a series
of lessons on five features of effective writing.� These features are focus, organization,
support and elaboration, style, and conventions.
Activity:�
Using the 4 Types of Elaboration sheet the teacher will introduce elaboration.� The teacher will proceed through the four types (explain, exemplify, describe, and narrate) and expand using the Ways to Elaborate sheet.� This quick mini-lesson would be used while students are in the process of writing essays to emphasize effective writing elements.
Script:
On Monday we learned about the focus of our essays.� The focus is the topic or subject that we are writing about.� Effective writing has a clear focus.� Yesterday we talked about organization.� We all agreed that a well-organized paper has a consistent purpose and a clear progression of related ideas.� Today we are going to learn about support and elaboration.� We use support and elaboration to extend and develop our topic.� Please take a look at the sheet I am giving you it describes four types of elaboration. (Hand our 4 Types of Elaboration and put it up on the overhead.)� The first time of elaboration is to explain.� When you explain you tell what you mean.� (Read 1st example) (Call on a student) How would you explain what a cookie is?� (Accept reasonable answers, sweet treat, round, chocolate, oatmeal, etc.)��
Another type of elaboration is to exemplify or give an example.� We will do that right now, (Call on a student) please read the example for number two now.� Here is another example.� An Oreo is an example of a type of cookie.
The third type is to describe.� When you describe you tell how something looks, tastes, smells, sounds, or feels.� Let�s take a minute and describe an Oreo using all of these elements. I know that Oreos taste good, and are round.� Lets see if we can come up with more vivid descriptive words. (Take a few minutes to list descriptive words like dark brown, chocolatey, crunchy, rough, smooth, etc.) (Praise particularly strong descriptive words)
The final example of elaboration is narrate or share a personal story to tell what you mean.� Here is my story, I love Oreos, they smell chocolatey and sweet.� They melt in my mouth after I dunk them in my milk.� My grandma always had Oreos at her house.� I remember sitting at her table feeling so grown up with my big red plate of cookies and a gigantic glass of milk.� My grandma made me feel like the most special little girl in the world.
Effective use of specific details strengthens the power of your reader�s response.� Can we all agree that the sentence my grandma gave me cookies is not as vivid as my story about eating Oreos at my grandma�s house?
I have another sheet that
talks about ways to elaborate. (Put Ways to Elaborate
sheet up on overhead)� When you elaborate
you explain what you mean.� All day I
have been elaborating about elaboration!�
When you are trying to elaborate ask yourself questions like how and
why?� Many times when you elaborate you
give examples.� Some people use cause and
effect or compare and contrast when they elaborate.� Some people use statistics to support their
opinions.� Other people tell about a
personal experience or make up a short scenario.� When you elaborate it helps to use apt
adjectives, specific nouns, and vivid verbs.�
All of these things help you to describe.� Finally, use figurative language.
Possible Extension:
I am now going to hand you
each a piece of candy.� Use as many of
the elaboration techniques that we have covered to write a paragraph supporting
the merits of this candy. You have five minutes to write now and can write more
at the end of class.� Don�t forget to
explain, exemplify, describe, and narrate.
Follow Up with lessons on style, conventions, or an entire
lesson on descriptive words.