Grammar for Writing: - PowerPoint Presentation

Grammar for Writing:Working with Non-Fiction Texts Debra Myhill All art is achieved through the exercise of a craft, and every craft has its rudiments that must be taught. Fairfax and Moat (1998

INTRODUCTION2

Writing to Change the World! https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU1m6EWMZaY 3

Writing to Change the World! On your table, discuss: what do you know about food waste; how much food do you waste yourself; what are your views about the issue of food waste? Individually, just write for 3 minutes about food waste, letting your pen run with the ideas in your head. 4

Teaching Writing CreativelyTo write well we all need to have something to say and a desire to say it; Before young writers can meaningfully attend to how they have written something, they need to have engaged with what they want to say – the ideas; Engaging young writers’ imaginations, emotions and personal beliefs is a really important part of teaching writing; Allowing young writers freedom to explore ideas, test things out, and to write to find out what they want to say is critical We often move far too quickly to pinning things down, to being explicit too soon, and making writing a very linear process – we need to create space for exploration, experimentation and re-drafting. This is built into the way we plan for teaching writing. 5

TEACHER GRAMMAR KNOWLEDGE: REPRISE6

Nouns and Noun PhrasesConcrete (table; girl; wind) and abstract (fear; thought; sadness) nouns; Simple noun phrases ( premodified); the handsome prince ; a terrible thought ; Noun phrases, post-modified: the car with the alloy wheels (prepositional phrase) t he banker who caused the crash (relative clause) a chocolate, silky, smooth and naughty (adjectives) a nightmare , eating its way into your senses (non-finite clause) the forest of trees, fringed with fields and river (non-finite clause) and many other variations on this. 7

REPRISE: GRAMMAR AS CHOICE8

The Grammar of ChoiceI found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon. It was the day after we moved into Falconer Road. The winter was ending. Mum had said we’d be moving just in time for the spring. Nobody else was there. Just me. The others were inside the house with Doctor Death, worrying about the baby.  He was lying in there [in the darkness behind the tea chests, in the dust and dirt ] . It was as if he’d been there forever . What do you think goes in the gap? 9

The Power of ChoiceI found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon. It was the day after we moved into Falconer Road. The winter was ending. Mum had said we’d be moving just in time for the spring. Nobody else was there. Just me. The others were inside the house with Doctor Death, worrying about the baby.  He was lying in there in the darkness behind the tea chests, in the dust and dirt . It was as if he’d been there forever . Why do you think David Almond chooses these prepositional phrases? 10

The Power of ChoiceI found him in the garage on a Sunday afternoon. It was the day after we moved into Falconer Road. The winter was ending. Mum had said we’d be moving just in time for the spring. Nobody else was there. Just me. The others were inside the house with Doctor Death, worrying about the baby.  He was lying in there in a silken shawl with golden beading along the tasselled edges . It was as if he’d been there forever . What difference do these choices of prepositional phrases make? 11

Grammar as ChoiceCarter and McCarthy (2006:7) conceive of grammar as having two strands: grammar as choice, as well as a grammar of structure. ‘knowing grammar is knowing how more than knowing what ’ (Cameron 1997:236): How we write something is as important as what we write: making meaning . Explicit, as opposed to implicit, grammar knowledge is learning knowledge that can be used in the writing classroom. Explicit grammar knowledge needs to be used to develop knowledge about language eg I used a passive voice there to foreground this information . Why use a fronted adverbial? 12

Another Illustration Read this sentence aloud – where will you put the emphasis? What possibilities are there for re-ordering this sentence? How does this change the emphasis? Read both these sentences aloud – how do they portray this moment in the plot differently? How might you film these two sentences? What do you think is the effect of moving the adverbial ‘out of the mists’ to different places in the sentence? What do you think is the effect of the putting the subject (a figure) after the verb (came) in the first sentence ? 13

Key MessageTeaching writing with attention to grammar is not about telling children how they should write; it is about showing them the repertoire of choices available to them, and discussing how those choices create different meanings. NOT: You should use fronted adverbials to make your writing better. BUT: What happens if you move that adverbial to the front of the sentence? How does it change how we read this sentence? 14

THE LEAD TEACHING PRINCIPLES15

The Exeter PedagogyA creative grammar-writing relationshipExplicit teaching of grammatical points relevant to the learning about writingDeveloping young writers’ knowledge about language in the texts they read and how language choices shape meaning Developing young writers’ understanding of the language choices they can make in their own writing Repertoires of possibility (and metalinguistic understanding) 16

Creating a Visual Description The next day was rainy and dark. Rain fell on the roof of the barn and dripped steadily from the eaves. Rain fell in the barnyard and ran in crooked courses down into the lane where thistles and pigweed grew. Rain spattered against Mrs Zuckerman’s kitchen windows and came gushing out of the downspouts. Rain fell on the backs of the sheep as they grazed in the meadow. When the sheep tired of standing in the rain, they walked slowly up the lane and into the fold. If you were painting this scene, what would you include in your picture? 17

Creating a Visual Description The next day was rainy and dark. Rain fell of the barn and dripped steadily from the eaves . Rain fell in the barnyard and ran in crooked courses down into the lane where thistles and pigweed grew. Rain spattered against Mrs Zuckerman’s kitchen windows and came gushing out of the downspouts . Rain fell on the backs of the sheep as they grazed in the meadow . When the sheep tired of standing in the rain, they walked slowly up the lane and into the fold . If you were painting this scene, what would you include in your picture ? What is now missing? 18

Creating a Visual Description The next day was rainy and dark. Rain fell on the roof of the barn and dripped steadily from the eaves . Rain fell in the barnyard and ran in crooked courses down into the lane where thistles and pigweed grew. Rain spattered against Mrs Zuckerman’s kitchen windows and came gushing out of the downspouts. Rain fell on the backs of the sheep as they grazed in the meadow . When the sheep tired of standing in the rain , they walked slowly up the lane and into the fold. Prepositional phrases can be used in a narrative to create visual description. What grammar choice has E.B.White made which creates visual detail? 19

Writers’ ChoicesLearning Point for Writers: One way to create a strong visual description of a narrative scene is to use precisely-chosen prepositional phrases . 20

LEAD Principles PRINCIPLE EXPLANATION RATIONALE L INKS Make a link between the grammar being introduced and how it works in the writing being taught To establish a purposeful learning reason for addressing grammar, and connect grammar with meaning and rhetorical effect E XAMPLES Explain the grammar through showing examples , not lengthy explanations To avoid writing lessons becoming mini-grammar lessons, and to allow access to the structure even if the grammar concept is not fully understood A UTHENTIC TEXTS Use authentic texts as models to link writers to the broader community of writers To integrate reading and writing and show how ‘real’ writers make language choices D ISCUSSION Build in high-quality discussion about grammar and its effects To promote deep metalinguistic learning about why a particular choice works, and to develop independence rather than compliance 21

LEAD Principles PRINCIPLE EXPLANATION CLASSROOM EXAMPLE L INKS Make a link between the grammar being introduced and how it works in the writing being taught Analysing how prepositional phrases are used to establish the setting in one scene in Charlotte’s Web by E.B.White . E XAMPLES Explain the grammar through showing examples , not lengthy explanations Displaying the relevant paragraph with all the prepositional phrases highlighted in colour. A UTHENTIC TEXTS Use authentic texts as models to link writers to the broader community of writers Using Charlotte’s Web by E.B.White . as the model text and understanding White’s choices. D ISCUSSION Build in high-quality discussion about grammar and its effects Discussing the effect of the prepositional phrases ; the visual detail they provide about the setting. 22

Creating a Visual Description The next day was rainy and dark. Rain fell on the roof of the barn and dripped steadily from the eaves . Rain fell in the barnyard and ran in crooked courses down into the lane where thistles and pigweed grew. Rain spattered against Mrs Zuckerman’s kitchen windows and came gushing out of the downspouts. Rain fell on the backs of the sheep as they grazed in the meadow . When the sheep tired of standing in the rain , they walked slowly up the lane and into the fold. Prepositional phrases can be used in a narrative to create visual description. Link Examples Authentic Text Discussion How would you paint this scene? What grammar choice has E.B.White made which creates visual detail ? 23

LEADing Young Writers Create a habit of noticing: attention to language Generate opportunities to play with language, including lexical and syntactical units Use discussion to talk explicitly about language choices and how they help us see, feel or think Use grammatical terminology incidentally and at a level relevant to the learners 24

REFLECTION25

Gap TaskPlan and teach at least five episodes where you use the LEAD principles to draw young writers’ attention to the link between a grammar choice and its effect in writing. Keep a record of each of these episodes using the LEAD Planning Template. Look at the books that children in your class read. Find 5 books where you notice something effective about how nouns and noun phrases are used. Be precise about this – try writing down what the grammar-writing link is that you would like your children to master. Bring the completed planning templates and the five books to the next CPD Day (in January) to use in discussion. 26

Reflection on Gap Task: PlanningIn pairs, share the five planning templates showing how you taught an episode, and discuss any particular challenges/successes that you had. Explain to each other how the episode draws on the LEAD principles (Links; Examples; Authentic Text; Discussion)Choose your most successful episode/planning template and hand it in. 27

Reflection on Gap Task: NoticingOn your tables, share the books you have looked at and what constructive links you could make between the author’s use of noun phrases and what that does for the writing. For example, you might see: Noun phrases used to create a strong visual description of a setting or a character;Noun phrases used to Show not Tell about a character; Proper Nouns used for naming of characters or places in a way which creates character or communicates something about the setting; Abstract nouns used to communicate feelings of a character; Noun phrases used to provide concrete detail or information. 28

TEACHER SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE: VERBS29

30Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains.Kangaroos are marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and then continue to grow in their mothers’ pouches.Their family name ‘macropod’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropods is the red kangaroo. They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can be scarce and water even more so. Where are the verbs? From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

31Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains. Kangaroos are marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and then continue to grow in their mothers’ pouches. Their family name ‘ macropod ’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropods is the red kangaroo. They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can be scarce and water even more so.The verbs

DefinitionsHow would you define a verb?32

The Verbare are are are be can continuegrow is livelive means are is be grow can continue means 33

The Problem of the ‘Doing’ Word‘A verb is a doing word ’ – what is the verb in this sentence? Many verbs in authentic texts are not evidently ‘doing’ words at all: the verbs to be and to have are the most frequent verbs; Often the word which seems to evoke ‘doing’ in a sentence is not the verb: I love hunting . I saw the dreamcatcher . To understand clauses, you need to understand the ‘verb’ is often a ‘verb phrase’: ‘ I could have danced all night !’ 34

The Verb – a Starting PointThe verb - be be am are is was were being been The verb - have have has had having These are very high-frequency verbs in English and are also important building blocks for verb phrases (more later!) Unlike many other verbs, these words are always verbs – they can’t be nouns or adjectives (except human being ) Encourage KS1 children to know that these are verbs (and can be very helpful for EAL children. 35

WRITING LIKE A SCIENTIST36

A dual text conveys the same information in two different ways, and plays with authorial choice and different voices eg the poet and the scientist; This allows for direct comparisons of how the writer made grammar choices which communicate meaning in an appropriate way for each genre The Value of Dual Texts 37

What are the language differences between the poetic text and the scientific text?Writing like a Scientist 38

Poetic text: main clause delayed with two foregrounded prepositional phrases; descriptive detail – choice of ‘drowned’ and ‘twisting’ are not literarylyrical rhythm of sentences Scientific text: Subject start to sentence = more direct; precise detail – ‘burrows’, ‘ cracks ’; prepositional phrase specifies ‘ in the river bed ’ Writing like a Scientist 39

Poetic text: long sentences; use of metaphor and simile; expanded noun phrases; emotive engagement with subject ‘worn out’. More indirect communication – inference needed. Scientific text: shorter sentence; subject start; expanded noun phrase provides scientific detail; use of scientific vocabulary. More direct communication – no inference needed. Writing like a Scientist 40

Transforming Texts: Think of an EelAfter eighty days’ swimming, not eating, not sleeping, eel’s long, winding body is worn out and wasted. He spills the new life carried deep in his belly, then sinks through the sea like a used silver wrapper. Collaborative Writing in Pairs: Rewrite this extract like a scientist T he eel swims for eighty days, with no food or sleep, and his body becomes wasted . When he reaches the Sargasso Sea, the male fertilizes the female’s eggs, and then dies. Talk task: What transformations have you made to alter the lyrical description into a scientific description? Could any other changes be made? 41

Transforming Texts: Think of an EelAfter eighty days’ swimming, not eating, not sleeping, eel’s long, winding body is worn out and wasted. He spills the new life carried deep in his belly, then sinks through the sea like a used silver wrapper. Collaborative Writing in Pairs: Rewrite this extract like a scientist T he eel swims for eighty days, with no food or sleep, and his body becomes wasted . When he reaches the Sargasso Sea, the male fertilizes the female’s eggs, and then dies. Talk task: What transformations have you made to alter the lyrical description into a scientific description? Could any other changes be made? Authentic text Links Discussion Examples 42

43Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains.Kangaroos are marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and then continue to grow in their mothers’ pouches.Their family name ‘macropod’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropods is the red kangaroo. They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can be scarce and water even more so. What do you notice about the nouns and noun phrases? From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne What do you notice about the verb tense?

44Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains. Kangaroos are marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and then continue to grow in their mothers’ pouches.Their family name ‘macropod’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropods is the red kangaroo. They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can be scarce and water even more so. Universal present tense for scientific writing From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

45Kangaroos are only found in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a diverse family, with more than sixty different species, and live in a wide range of habitats from wet rainforests through to dry plains. Kangaroos are marsupials – their young are born undeveloped and then continue to grow in their mothers’ pouches. Their family name ‘ macropod ’ means ‘big foot’. The biggest of all macropods is the red kangaroo . They live in the hot, dry inland of Australia where food can be scarce and water even more so. Scientific vocabulary: marsupial; macropod ; Proper Nouns provide geographical precision;Extended noun phrases provide informational detail.From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham Byrne

From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham ByrneWriting like a Scientist 46

From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham ByrneWriting like a Scientist The heat eases with approaching nightfall. It is breakfast time for Red’s mob. Around them, the night orchestra begins. Red rises and leads his mob beyond the shadow line in search of grasses. Red kangaroos are most active at dusk and dawn, although they will graze throughout the night. The grasses are difficult for their stomachs to digest. When they rest, they sometimes regurgitate their food and chew it again. Identify the verbs in the narrative and the scientific text. 47

From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham ByrneWriting like a Scientist The heat eases with approaching nightfall. It is breakfast time for Red’s mob. Around them, the night orchestra begins . Red rises and leads his mob beyond the shadow line in search of grasses. Red kangaroos are most active at dusk and dawn, although they will graze throughout the night. The grasses are difficult for their stomachs to digest . When they rest, they sometimes regurgitate their food and chew it again.Narrative:eases; begins; rises; leadsScientific:are; graze; digest, rest, regurgitate; chew s cientific verbs to describe different kinds of eating processes. 48

Teacher Knowledge: Lexical VerbsLexical verbs are the verbs teachers are referring to when they talk about a ‘doing’ word, but they often don’t express a lot of doing.It can be helpful to distinguish between action verbs and other verbs to avoid confusion Action verbs (the doing word): T hese verbs express an action, such as: jump, dance, eat or ache . Other lexical verbs : Eg reporting verbs: whisper , suggest, exclaim or shout . Sensing verbs: believe, know, imagine, enjoy, fear, see or hear. Other verbs: continue, progress, distinguish, develop, organise, lead, or survive. …49

From Big Red Kangaroo by Claire Saxby, illustrated by Graham ByrneLexical Verbs The heat eases with approaching nightfall. It is breakfast time for Red’s mob. Around them, the night orchestra begins . Red rises and leads his mob beyond the shadow line in search of grasses. Red kangaroos are most active at dusk and dawn, although they will graze throughout the night. The grasses are difficult for their stomachs to digest . When they rest, they sometimes regurgitate their food and chew it again.Action Verbs:rises; graze; digest, regurgitate; chew, rest (?) Other lexical verbs: e ases; begins; leads; are; is But notice: will graze – a verb phrase (more later!)50

Writing like a ScientistIf you want to write like a scientist, some of the choices you can make are:To use precise scientific vocabulary , especially nouns and verbs; Expand your noun phrases to provide more detail and information; Be direct in communicating information by using more sentences which start with a subject; Use the universal present tense to indicate that this is a scientific fact which is true now as well as in the past; Use appropriate Proper Nouns to name things and specific places; Use adverbials, especially prepositional phrases , to provide information about where, when or how things happen. 51

TEACHER KNOWLEDGE: VERB PHRASES52

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Find the VerbsFive hundred United Nations officials were treated to a dinner of mis-shapen fruit and vegetables last week, in a bid to highlight the global food waste problem. The produce, which had been rejected as imperfect by UK and European supermarkets, was served in the form of a lavish meal to government ministers and officials in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Tuesday night. The four-course dinner, consisting of grilled sweet corn tamales, lentil dal with tamarind and tropical tiramisu, was part of a week of the United National Environmental Programme Annual Summit. Asked mid-meal what they thought of the food, the officials all agreed it was delicious. 54

Find the VerbsFive hundred United Nations officials were treated to a dinner of mis-shapen fruit and vegetables last week, in a bid to highlight the global food waste problem. The produce, which had been rejected as imperfect by UK and European supermarkets, was served in the form of a lavish meal to government ministers and officials in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Tuesday night. The four-course dinner, consisting of grilled sweet corn tamales, lentil dal with tamarind and tropical tiramisu, was part of a week of the United National Environmental Programme Annual Summit. Asked mid-meal what they thought of the food, the officials all agreed it was delicious. 55

The Verbs in the Textwas thought agreedhighlight consisting asked were treated had been rejected was served Sometimes there are two or more verbs one after another: verb phrases There are lots of lexical verbs ‘was’ is from the verb ‘be’ 56

Playing with VerbsTaking the verb ‘waste’, in pairs, how many different versions of the verb can you produce, and you can create verb phrases. Use the pronoun she to start all the variations: Eg You waste [too much]. You are wasting [my time] You should have wasted [less] You can think about variation in tense ; and variations which use the verbs be and have before the lexical verb ; and/or variations which use could, should, will etc. 57

Teacher Knowledge: Verb PhrasesIt does help you in your work with children if you understand the difference between lexical, auxiliary and modal verbs. This means understanding verb phrases. I dance I am dancing I danced I was dancing I had danced I could have danced I might be dancing I should have been dancing The underlined words are all verb phrases: including when there is only one verb I is a pronoun: it could be another pronoun like you or we. Or it could be a noun like Jane or The man 58

Teacher Knowledge: Lexical Verbs I dance I am dancing I danced I was dancing I had danced I could have danced I might be dancing I should have been dancing The lexical verb: in effect, this is the ‘doing’ verb. It is the main verb in the phrase and the one you’d look up in a dictionary Look at the position of the lexical verb: it is either on its own or last in the verb phrase 59

Teacher Knowledge: Auxiliary Verbs I dance I am dancing I danced I was dancing I had danced I could have danced I might be dancing I should have been dancing The auxiliary verb: It helps to create shades of meaning in the verb phrase and is usually formed with variations of be or have , but sometimes with do or get 60

Teacher Knowledge: Modal Verbs. I dance I am dancing I danced I was dancing I had danced I could have danced I might be dancing I should have been dancing The modal verb: e xpresses shades of possibility and certainty Modal verbs are also auxiliaries 61

The Verbs in the Textwas thought agreed highlight consisting asked were treated had been rejected was served The underlined verbs are the lexical verbs – the last one in a verb phrase These are all lexical verbs, as there is only one verb 62

The Verbs in the Textwas thought agreed highlight consisting asked were treated had been rejected was served These three verb phrases all use the verbs be or have as auxiliaries to create the verb phrase.63

WRITING ARGUMENT64

Writing Argument 65

Question for Teachers:What might you draw attention to grammatically in this text as an example of an argument text? Writing Argument 66

Highlight all the formal language in red and all the informal language in blue. What is the effect of this mix of formal and informal language in this argument? Underline where Green Crayon signals the structure of his argument. Circle where Green Crayon uses an imperative verb to express what he wants as an outcome from his complaint. Writing Argument Authentic text Examples Links Discussion 67

Highlight all the formal language in red and all the informal language in blue . What is the effect of this mix of formal and informal language in this argument? Underline where Green Crayon signals the structure of his argument. Circle where Green Crayon uses an imperative verb to express what he wants as an outcome from his complaint. Writing Argument Dear Duncan, As Green Crayon, I am writing for two reasons. One is to say that I like my work – loads of crocodiles, trees, dinosaurs and Frogs. I have no problems and wish to congratulate you on a very successful “colouring things green” career so far. The second reason I write is for my friends, Yellow Crayon and Orange Crayon, who are no longer speaking to each other. Both crayons feel THEY should be the colour of the sun. Please settle this soon because they’re driving the rest of us CRAZY!Your happy friend, Green Crayon. 68

Highlight all the formal language in red and all the informal language in blue. What is the effect of this mix of formal and informal language in this argument? Underline where Green Crayon signals the structure of his argument. Circle where Green Crayon uses an imperative verb to express what he wants as an outcome from his complaint. Writing Argument Dear Duncan, As Green Crayon, I am writing for two reasons . One is to say that I like my work – loads of crocodiles, trees, dinosaurs and Frogs. I have no problems and wish to congratulate you on a very successful “colouring things green” career so far. The second reason I write is for my friends, Yellow Crayon and Orange Crayon, who are no longer speaking to each other. Both crayons feel THEY should be the colour of the sun. Please settle this soon because they’re driving the rest of us CRAZY! Your happy friend, Green Crayon. 69

Highlight all the formal language in red and all the informal language in blue. What is the effect of this mix of formal and informal language in this argument? Underline where Green Crayon signals the structure of his argument. Circle where Green Crayon uses an imperative verb to express what he wants as an outcome from his complaint. Writing Argument Links Dear Duncan, As Green Crayon, I am writing for two reasons. One is to say that I like my work – loads of crocodiles, trees, dinosaurs and Frogs. I have no problems and wish to congratulate you on a very successful “colouring things green” career so far. The second reason I write is for my friends, Yellow Crayon and Orange Crayon, who are no longer speaking to each other. Both crayons feel THEY should be the colour of the sun. Please settle this soon because they’re driving the rest of us CRAZY! Your happy friend, Green Crayon. 70

Think of a new crayon colour and what the crayon’s complaint might be. In pairs – one pen, two heads! - write a new letter to Duncan outlining your complaint. Think about how to make a strong argument. You could consider: signposting the structure of your argument ; using a mix of formal and informal language to create a relationship with your reader u sing an imperative verb to signal what outcome you want. Writing Argument 71

WRITING PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT72

Writing to Change the World! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU1m6EWMZaY Y6 Food Waste Scheme of Work: www.exeter.ac.uk/grammar-teacher-resources/samplelessonplansandschemes 73

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Persuasive Writing Unit OverviewThis scheme of work focuses on developing students’ awareness of the need to craft and shape a persuasive text. Through collaborative joint composition and collaborative revision, it supports students in learning about the writing process and how to plan and revise. The scheme draws attention to some characteristics of a persuasive text, developing students’ understanding of 3 core issues. Task awareness: Who is the reader? What is the purpose of the text? What are the writer’s authorial intentions? Content: What do we need to know about the topic of food waste to create a persuasive text? Grammar and Language Choices: How are we going to write the text? 75

Learning ObjectivesUnderstand how to create a persuasive argument through:Using clear statement sentences to make important points Using single clause sentences to draw attention to key points Choosing positioning vocabulary to indicate your point of view Choosing information, such as statistics, to support your point of view Using modal verbs to indicate different levels of assertion or possibility Choosing adverbs to reveal or emphasise your point of view Choosing connecting adverbials to link ideas across sentences 76

Writing TaskWrite a letter to your local paper arguing that so much food waste is wrong and suggesting what action we should take to reduce food waste. [No more than 300 words] Who is the audience ? What is the opinion you want to express? What is the purpose of this task? What do you want to happen if someone reads your letter? How do you need to write this letter to be persuasive ? What do you know about how to write letters? Establish an authentic purpose and audience, if possible. 77

Writing to Change the WorldThese are all sentences from different reports on food waste. The writers have thought about how to be persuasive – thinking about what they write and how they express it. With food bank visits at an all-time high, the amount supermarkets are throwing away is appalling. A survey reveals a staggering two thirds of some freshly bought food goes to waste. The average UK family is wasting nearly £60 a month by throwing away almost an entire meal a day. One third of all food produced in the world ends up as waste. 78

Writing to Change the WorldWith food bank visits at an all-time high, the amount supermarkets are throwing away is appalling. A survey reveals a staggering two thirds of some freshly bought food goes to waste. The average UK family is wasting nearly £60 a month by throwing away almost an entire meal a day. One third of all food produced in the world ends up as waste. The sentences are all statements which express the writer’s point of view. 79

Writing to Change the WorldWith food bank visits at an all-time high, the amount supermarkets are throwing away is appalling.A survey reveals a staggering two thirds of some freshly bought food goes to waste . The average UK family is wasting nearly £60 a month by throwing away almost an entire meal a day. One third of all food produced in the world ends up as waste. The writers choose vocabulary which emphasises their point of view. 80

Writing to Change the WorldWith food bank visits at an all-time high, the amount supermarkets are throwing away is appalling. A survey reveals a staggering two thirds of some freshly bought food goes to waste. The average UK family is wasting nearly £60 a month by throwing away almost an entire meal a day. One third of all food produced in the world ends up as waste. The writers choose facts which support their point of view. Not a grammar point: naturally integrated. 81

Writing to Change the WorldWith food bank visits at an all-time high, the amount supermarkets are throwing away is appalling. A survey reveals a staggering two thirds of some freshly bought food goes to waste . The average UK family is wasting nearly £60 a month by throwing away almost an entire meal a day. One third of all food produced in the world ends up as waste. The sentences are all clear statements which express the writer’s point of view. The writers choose vocabulary which emphasises their point of view. The writers choose facts which support their point of view. 82

Writing to Change the WorldYou could choose to make your point clearer and stronger by stating it using a short single clause sentence: With food bank visits at an all-time high, the amount supermarkets are throwing away is appalling. The amount of food waste from supermarkets is appalling. The average UK family is wasting nearly £60 a month by throwing away almost an entire meal a day. The average UK family throws away almost an entire meal a day. One third of all food produced in the world ends up as waste. One third of the world’s food ends up as waste. 83

Writing to Change the WorldThere are many choices you can make as a writer to make your writing more persuasive and express your point of view strongly. We have been looking at: Making vocabulary choices which signal your point of view: eg appalling; staggering; waste; Using clear statement sentences to make important points: A survey reveals a staggering two thirds of freshly bought food goes to waste. Choosing information which supports your point of view: One third of all food produced in the world ends up as waste . Using short single clause sentences to draw attention to your point: The amount of food waste from supermarkets is appalling. You can make choices as a writer which could persuade people to take action to change the world! 84

Teaching Writing CreativelyPersuasive Writing: Scheme of WorkReal life issue: connecting persuasive writing with an issue which they can understand, and which can be extended in the local context. Content input: video and text information to ensure the children have the information to be persuasive with;. On the Soapbox: practising written speech orally in an authentic persuasive context; generating confidence in public speaking; The Writing Process: gives space for idea generating, planning, outlining, drafting and revising throughout the scheme, with a particular emphasis on initial collaborative writing, then independent writing. 85

PLENARY86

Gap TaskPlan and teach at least five episodes where you use the LEAD principles to draw young writers’ attention to the link between a grammar choice and its effect in writing, in non-fiction if possible. Keep a record of each of these episodes using the LEAD Planning Template. Revise and use your grammar knowledge of nouns and noun phrases and verbs and verb phrases. Bring the completed planning templates to the next CPD Day (in March) to use in discussion. 87

Transforming Writing ClassroomsRemember the big picture: it is not all about grammar.Changing practice takes time, and reflection. Grammatical knowledge and particularly usable grammatical knowledge that links grammar choice to meaning creation takes time to develop. Consider sustained team-working and professional development to embed this in your teaching. 88

Further ResourcesResources for Teachers: http://socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/education/research/centres/centreforresearchinwriting/grammar-teacher-resources/ Cybergrammar: www.cybergrammar.com No Nonsense Grammar : Babcock LDP Literacy Team,  Raintree (2016) https://babcock-education.co.uk/ldp/grammarandpunctuation https://babcock-education.co.uk/ldp/textsthatteach Essential Primary Grammar http://www.mheducation.co.uk/essential-primary-grammar 89