Anchor Papers

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Anchor Papers for Teachers
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• Teachers collectively
• read professional writing similar to the kind of
  writing assigned in K-12
• deconstruct the professional writing
• identify the overriding pattern of development
• internalize the pattern, enlarging their sense of
  writing possibilities
• create a similar kind of assignment
• write an essay that uses the pattern of
  development
• identify sequential scaffolding which might be
  used to aid students
• assign the essay topic

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A Sample
A New York Review of Books excerpt of A Dying
World by John Terborgh
The Education Trust
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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The structure Both A and B are, but beyond
that they could hardly be more different A
is B is We add the question, So
which would I rather have?
Both these books are about the use of native
plants by people living in the Amazon, but beyond
that they could hardly be more different.
One river is an adventure story, a biographical
account.
Nigel Smiths book, while competently written in
standard academic language, is ..
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• Continue to deconstruct the professional essay
  until you reach the conclusion.
• Consider this
• When one hears the magazines name, he or she
  immediately thinks of good writing.
• One middle school in Philadelphia purchased 6
  subscriptions to the New York Review of Books so
  that the teachers had easy access to its content
  and its writing.

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PERSUASIVE WRITING A BIRTHDAY PARTY oh what a
model can do
THE DEMAND PERSUASIVE WRITING PATTERN OF
DEVELOPMENT COMPARE/CONTRAST
with 96th Street Schools Standards Team
The Education Trust
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Dear Mom and Dad, Remember when June and
Byron both had birthday parties last month.
Their parties were very different. June had a
DJ, a famous rapper (Lil Bow-Wow), a dance
contest, and it all happened at the new video
amusement center. Byron had lunch, cake, and ice
cream in his backyard. Even though I enjoyed
both parties, I would like one more like Junes.
INTRODUCTION
Mention both parties.
Tell mom and dad that they were different.
Show just how different they are.
The Education Trust
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At Byrons party we played games, won prizes,
and even had the opportunity to hit the piñata.
We ate hotdogs, and chips, and for dessert,
Byrons grandmother baked a delicious chocolate
cake. We also watched Byron open his gifts. We
left with goodie bags.
2nd Paragraph
BLOCK STYLE

• Discuss the party you dont want.

• Tell a little bit about Byrons party.

The Education Trust
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At Junes party we also left with goodie bags
but they were filled with exciting treats such
as a CD, a T-shirt, and a discount ticket to
return for another visit to the video amusement
center. Junes parents served pizza and soda.
We ate cake and ice cream as a group, but we were
able to play the games we chose to play whenever
we wanted to.
3rd PARAGRAPH
BLOCK

• Repeat a key phrase.
• Discuss the type of the party you want.

• End with an important point about the party.

The Education Trust
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So which of these parties would I rather have?
Of course a party like Junes. I realize this
will be expensive, but they offer discount
packages, and since it will be at the amusement
center, you will not have to worry about cleaning
up a mess in the house.
4th Paragraph contd
BLOCK
Since its a school, provide that famous cant
live without it, make sure you dont miss it
persuasive argument paragraph.
The Education Trust
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For all these reasons Mom and Dad, I would most
appreciate a party like Junes. With
much love,  
CONCLUSION

• To crystallize your letter, mention mom and dad.
• Force them to look at the reasons why they should
  give you a party like Junes.

The Education Trust
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GETTING THERE
The Education Trust
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SCAFFOLDING
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SCAFFOLDING
PARTY YOU DO NOT WANT
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
____________________________________________.
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SCAFFOLDING
PARTY YOU WANT TO HAVE
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
____________________________________________.
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So, which of these parties would I rather to
have? Of course I want a party like
______________ ___________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_____________________________________________. F
or all of these reasons, Mom and Dad, I would
most appreciate a party like ________________.
With lots of love,
PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT
SCAFFOLDING
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SCAFFOLDING

• INTRODUCTION
• Remind your parents that two of your friends
  recently had birthday parties
• Mention that the two were very different
• Briefly describe one and then the other
• Tell which party you liked best
• 2nd PARAGRAPH
• Describe the party you liked least
• Tell how it ended
• 3rd PARAGRAPH
• Perhaps begin by telling how the party you liked
  the most ended
• Describe what you liked best about the party and
  be sure to leave the best for last
• 4th PARAGRAPH
• Begin with a question that forces you to choose
  which party you would rather have
• Make the choice

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Genuine Friendship Molly and Elizabeth are
both characters in Mollys Pilgrim by Barbara
Cohen, but beyond that they could hardly be more
different. Molly, a Russian immigrant, is
withdrawn and often the object of ridicule.
Elizabeth, an American girl, is very popular and
passes out candy to the other girls at recess.
Molly is very reserved at school and doesnt feel
comfortable expressing her emotions until she is
at home in her mothers arms. Elizabeth is quite
comfortable expressing herself and many of the
other kids follow her lead. So which of these
two would I rather have as a friend? I think
obviously Molly.
Introduction

• Mention both characters
• Use a point by point structure to introduce the
  characters
• Ask a question that forces a choice
• Answer the question

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Molly perseveres despite the constant
ridicule and difficulty of fitting in her new
environment. She is the only Jewish girl in the
third grade. Elizabeth and her clique tease Molly
about her looks and say, Jol-ly Mol-ly, your
eyes are awfly small. Jol-ly Mol-ly, your nose
is awfly tall. During reading time, Molly
struggles when reading out loud because she knows
her classmates will make fun of her accent. As a
result she has no friends at school. Molly is
lonely, and her only source of comfort is her
mother, her only friend in the story. Nothing
changes for Molly, so she endures the taunting
and the laughter from her schoolmates, but it is
Elizabeth who laughed most of all.
2nd Paragraph

• Mention the character which might make the
  better friend
• Use block style to describe her
• Begin to build the case for her making a better
  friend
• Set yourself up to write about the other character

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Elizabeth, though popular, is shallow, yet
most of the girls still admire her. One might
assume Elizabeth buys their friendship with
candy. She brought peppermint sticks to school
and handed them out to all her friends at
recess. Elizabeth thinks highly of herself and
is intolerant of those who dont look, speak or
act like her. When Molly stumbles over the word
Thanksgiving, Elizabeth tossed her black
corkscrew curls and said, I guess you people
dont celebrate American holidays. One never
gets the idea that Elizabeth changes in the story.
3rd Paragraph

• Mention the other character which wont make a
  good friend
• Use block style to describe her
• Begin to build the case against her
• Set yourself up to answer the essay question in
  the conclusion

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I couldnt imagine having a superficial and
shallow friend like Elizabeth who makes judgments
about people before she gets to know them. She
has no regard for their feelings. Molly, on the
other hand, is different. She is respectful and
caring when she talks with her mother. Elizabeth
is not nice, but Molly is. Mollys respectful
and caring when she talks with her mom and is
reserved and cautious when taking the brunt of
teasing from her peers. She doesnt lash out.
Instead, she perseveres, demonstrating the
characteristics of a person who would make a good
friend.
Conclusion

• Find away to answer the essay question
  immediately
• Draw some conclusions about the person you dont
  want as a friend
• Write about the character whod make a good
  friend
• Tell why without repeating your first sentence