WRITING WORKSHOP

Grade 7 English GEMS

School Year 2009-10
• Always resume your writing by reading what you
WRITING have already written.
• Save everything—including the writing you
WORKSHOP abandon: It’s all a part of the history of the piece of
• Writing Journal writing, and you never know when or where you
• Conferences with might want to use it in the future.
(Adapted from Nancie Atwell’s In the Middle)
Teacher/Peers
• Final Pieces Guidelines for the CONFERENCE WITH THE TEACHER
• Writer’s Portfolio • The Conference with the Teacher gives the teacher
an opportunity to see how you are doing in your
Beginning Your WRITING JOURNAL writing and to help you reflect on your writing.
• Your Writing Journal begins at the front of your • During this conference, you will be asked: “How is
Reading/Writing Journal. it coming along?” “Do you need any help?”
• The first three (3) pages of your Writing Journal will “Where did this idea come from?” “Where are you
be your Writing Record. Print “WRITING headed with this?” “Tell me about your writing…”
RECORD” on the top of the page Write your name • The teacher is not going to give you advice or to do
on the upper right hand side of the first page. Using the writing for you. You will only receive
a ruler, create a table that looks like this: encouragement and guidance.
• When you confer with the teacher, whisper.
Quarter & Date
Title Genre Completed Guidelines for the PEER CONFERENCE
Letter about Self Letter 1st Quarter… • The Peer Conference is an occasion for you as a
(Diagnostic Test) writer to “test the waters” by getting the feedback of
“Last Summer” Memoir 1st Quarter… any or several of your peers.
• Again, the peer that you consult is not there to give
you advice or do the writing for you. Peers should
• After the three-page WRITING RECORD, staple or be careful not to do this!
paste your WRITING TERRITORIES. You will • Fill out a Peer Writing Conference Form before
need to refer to the WT in the future, so make sure and after a Peer Conference.
that you don’t lose it. • When you confer with a peer, whisper.

Guidelines for the WRITING JOURNAL Guidelines for FINAL PIECES

• You may begin your Writing Journal immediately • Read the letters of your peers, and choose one (1)—
after your WRITING TERRITORIES. and only one—that you will respond to.
• The Writing Journal is a place for all the writing that • Final drafts should be typewritten and double-
you will do—i.e., the notes, the drafts, other spaced. Each piece should have the following
thoughts that you want to record for future use. information on the top of the first page
• Make sure to observe margins (approximately, 1-
inch left margin, and ½-inch right margin). TITLE OF THE WORK
• Write only on one side of your notebook, and always Genre
skip a line or type double-spaced. Both will make By (Name, Grade 7-___)
revision, polishing, and editing easier, and more Date Submitted
productive for you..
• What should you write? Given a topic and a genre, Guidelines for your WRITER’S PORTFOLIO
do FREE WRITING. Write freely—but correctly. • You will be provided a folder for your WRITER’S
• Date and label everything you write to help you PORTFOLIO. The first page should be a Table of
keep track of what you’ve done (e.g., notes, Contents: Title, Genre, Date Submitted.
draft#1). • The WRITER’S PORTFOLIO is a compilation of
• Format as you go. Draft your prose writing in your final pieces. This will be a showcase of your
complete and correct sentences and paragraphs. writings, the process they underwent, as well as your
Draft your poems in lines and stanzas. growth as a writer.
• Get into the habit of punctuating and spelling as • When a piece of writing is finished, clip everything
conventionally as you can while you’re composing. together, including the drafts, notes, lists, and Peer
• Write as well and as much as you can. Revise as Conference Form. File it in your WRITER’S
much as you can. Revising is sometimes more PORTFOLIO.
important than the writing! • You are strongly encouraged to attempt publication.

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AMDG (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam) Nulla dies sine linea.