creating grammatical magic with menus

CreatingGrammaticalMenuMagicPresentedby:

MaryESchmutz8thgradeLanguageArtsTeacherJunctionCityMiddleSchool

USD475GearyCountySchools700WildcatLane

JunctionCity,KS66441maryschmutz@usd475.org

785.717.4400

Grammarisrarelytaughtdirectlyanymore.However,studentscanlearnhowtospiceuptheirwritingbylearningtheimportanceandthepowerofusingadjectivestodescribethings.Byusingmenusfromfavoriteeateries,studentslearnthepowerofadjectivesto“sell”theirproductsintheirownrestaurant.Studentscreatetheirownrestaurant,menu,overalldesignschemefortherestaurant,andevenproduceasonglistappropriatefortherestauranttypechosen.Theylearngrammar,reallifeskills,andhowtowriteforadifferentaudienceinthisauthenticassignment.Let’sgetcookin’!

ApresentationoftheFlintHillsWritingProjectForinformation,pleasecontactDr.F.ToddGoodson,Director

tgoodson@ksu.eduKansasStateUniversity

359BluemontHall,1100Mid‐CampusDriveManhattan,KS66506

CommonCoreStandardsfor8thgradeEnglishLanguageArts:WritingStandards:1.Writeargumentstosupportclaimswithclearreasonsandrelevantevidence.2.Writeinformative/explanatorytextstoexamineatopicandconveyideas,concepts,andinformationthroughtheselection,organization,andanalysisofrelevantcontent.4.Produceclearandcoherentwritinginwhichthedevelopment,organization,andstyleareappropriatetotask,purpose,andaudience.5.Withsomeguidanceandsupportfrompeersandadults,developandstrengthenwritingasneededbyplanning,revising,editing,rewriting,ortryinganewapproach,focusingonhowwellpurposeandaudiencehavebeenaddressed.

6.Usetechnology,includingtheInternet,toproduceandpublishwritingandpresenttherelationshipsbetweeninformationandideasefficientlyaswellastointeractandcollaboratewithothers.

KansasWritingStandardsandBenchmarks:

Standard1:Thestudentswriteeffectivelyforavarietyofaudiences,purposes,andcontexts.

2.8‐Understandsandindependentlyusesappropriatestrategiestogenerateexpositorytext(e.g.brainstorming,listing,webbing,workinginpairsorincooperativegroupsandidentifyinginformationfromprintsources).

2.12‐Selectsoriginalandcompellingvocabularyand/orfigurativelanguagetoinformthereader.2.13‐Selectswordsandphrasesthataresuitableandprecisethatcreateappropriateimagery(e.g.vividverbs,explicitnouns,naturalmodifiers).ISTEStandardsforStudents:1.b. CreativityandInnovation‐Studentsdemonstratecreativethinking,constructknowledge,anddevelopinnovativeproductsandprocessesusingtechnology.Studentscreateoriginalworksasameansofpersonalorgroupexpression.2. CommunicationandCollaboration‐Studentsusedigitalmediaandenvironmentstocommunicateandworkcollaboratively,includingatadistance,tosupportindividuallearningandcontributetothelearningofothers.Students:

a. interact,collaborate,andpublishwithpeers,experts,orothersemployingavarietyofdigitalenvironmentsandmedia. b. communicateinformationandideaseffectivelytomultipleaudiencesusingavarietyofmediaandformats.

3. ResearchandInformationFluency‐Studentsapplydigitaltoolstogather,evaluate,anduseinformation.Students:

a. planstrategiestoguideinquiry.b. locate,organize,analyze,evaluate,synthesize,andethicallyuseinformationfromavarietyof

sourcesandmedia.c. evaluateandselectinformationsourcesanddigitaltoolsbasedontheappropriatenessto

specifictasks. d. processdataandreportresults.

4.CriticalThinking,ProblemSolving,andDecisionMaking‐Studentsusecriticalthinkingskillstoplanandconductresearch,manageprojects,solveproblems,andmakeinformeddecisionsusingappropriatedigitaltoolsandresources.Students:

b. planandmanageactivitiestodevelopasolutionorcompleteaproject. c. collectandanalyzedatatoidentifysolutionsand/ormakeinformeddecisions.

5.DigitalCitizenship‐Studentsunderstandhuman,cultural,andsocietalissuesrelatedtotechnologyandpracticelegalandethicalbehavior.Students:

a. advocateandpracticesafe,legal,andresponsibleuseofinformationandtechnology. b. exhibitapositiveattitudetowardusingtechnologythatsupportscollaboration,learning,andproductivity.

6.TechnologyOperationsandConcepts‐Studentsdemonstrateasoundunderstandingoftechnologyconcepts,systems,andoperations.Students:

a. understandandusetechnologysystems.b. selectanduseapplicationseffectivelyandproductively.c. troubleshootsystemsandapplications.

d. transfercurrentknowledgetolearningofnewtechnologies.

Research:

Anderson,J.,Bills,P.,Bush,J.,Weaver,C.(2006).Grammarintertwinedthroughout

thewritingprocess:an“inchwideandamiledeep”.EnglishTeaching:Practiceand

Critique,5(1),77‐101.

“NodenoffersanexcellentexampleofgrammarasenrichmentinImagegrammar(1999).ForNoden,grammarisameansofhelpingstudentsdeveloptheirtextmuchinthesamewaythatpaintersareabletousevariousbrushstrokestocrafttheirart‐orthewaysthatanyartistorcraftmansusesspecializedskillstodevelopthecraft…Ourstudentsareoftenlikethenoviceartistwhoseesabeautifulsceneshewantstoreplicateanddevelop,butlackstheability.Instead,thensheusesonlyrudimentarytoolsandisunabletoreplicatethoseimages…Ittakesspecificskillsforthecraftingoflanguagetomakewritinginterestingandsophisticated”(81).

Farnan,N.&Fearn,L.(2007).Whenisaverb.JournalofBasicWriting,26(1),63‐87.

“Wedoarguethattheabilitytodefineandidentifygrammaticalelementsisnotrelatedtowritingskills”(64).

“Writingcanbethecontextwhenweteachgrammar.Wecanusewritingtoteachthegrammarwewanttoteach…Ifthepurposeofgrammarinstructionistosatisfystandardsandprepareforhigh‐stakestesting,wecanteachsentencepartsandenhancestudents’writingatthesametimewithoutcompromisingeither.Theinstructionaboutadjectives,forexample,focusedonthefunctionofadjectivesinsentences,sostudentslearnedtounderstandadjectives’purposeandtousethemproperlywhentheywrotesentences”(78).

Comments&Suggestions:

• Writingforrealaudiences• Buildsonstudent'scultureandbackgroundknowledgeinterests• Learningofgrammarandmechanics• Funandcreative• Gottoworktogether

• Gottousetechnologyoronpaper• Multi‐modal• Canstillbedone,evenifthey'renotgoodwithtechnologyorhavetechnologyathome• greatwaytoimprovedescriptivelanguage• thislendsitselfwelltocollaborativework,allstudentswillhavetheopportunityto

participate• reachesintoreallifeandappreciatesorrecognizesculturaldifferences• studentsseepracticalvalueofroughdraft(descriptions)andfinaldraft(actualmenu);

writingprocessistrulyauthenticratherthanartificialorforced

• ProjectOutlineforClassroomImplementation:

Iusuallytakeoneweekfromexplanationuntilcompletion.Asusual,therearealwaysstudentswhofinishearlyandsomewhowillnotbefinishedbythedeadline.

Materialsneeded:

Constructionpaperinvariouscolors

Magazinesforcutoutsoffoodproducts

ClipartorotherimagesfromInternet

Computersforwordprocessingdocuments/images

Gluesticksorrubbercement

Menusfromlocalrestaurants

Day1‐Iexplainadjectivesandthepowerthosewordshold.Asaclass,wegothroughusingadjectivestodescribeeachotherintheirsmallgroups.Wereadasamplingofresponsesfromstudents.Ialsopassoutthemenusfromlocaleateries.Wetalkabouttheimportanceofsellingtheproducttotheconsumerandhowadjectivescanhelpwithsellingtheproduct.WewriteseveralappropriateadjectivesforfoodontheSmartBoardandsavethoseinafile.Ithenexplaintheactualprojectofdesigningarestaurantname,thefooditems,andanappropriatemenuwithattractiveadjectivesdescribingalltheirmenuitems.

Day2‐Thestudentsareplacedinpairsbyrandomselection.Thestudentsspendthisdaybrainstormingordefendingthenamesoftherestaurantsandmenuitems.Bytheendofthehour,theyneedtocheckwithteacherforapprovalofrestaurantnameandtheme.

Day3‐4‐Studentsarerequiredtoincludeatleast3ofthefollowingitemsontheirmenus:

Appetizers,maincoursesorentrees,desserts,anddrinks(sodasandmilkdonotcount!).Studentsareencouragedtohavemorethanthatusingthesamplemenusbuttherubricrequiresatleast3fromeachcategory.

Day5‐Studentsmakefinalsmallchangestotheirmenus,placingallcut‐outsandmenudescriptionsprintedoffintotheirmenubook.Theysharebyconductingagallerywalkmakingpositivecommentsalongtheway.Turninfinalcopyforassessment.

Alternatives/Otherapproaches:

IwouldencourageallstudentstocreatemenususinganyofthesiteswehavelearnedaboutthissummersuchasGlogster,VoiceThread,orIssuu.Ihaveaclasswebsiteviatheschoolandalwayshavestudentsuploadmaterialthereaswell.