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• What does it mean to live a writerly life? Listen in on the conversation between teacher consultant Penny Kittle and writing giant Donald Graves.

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• On chart paper, create a visual that shows what it means to live a writerly life.

4Writing It Down by Uncle Kraker is available on Itunes.Writing It Down by Uncle Kraker is available on Itunes.

Uncle Kracker

Every day I climb a little bit higher Every night I learn something new I’m writing it down In case I forget One day it'll be my story for you  

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Write yourself. Invite children to do something you're already doing. If you're not doing it, Hey, the kids say, I can't wait to grow up and not have to write, like you. They know. And for the short term and the long term, you'll be doing yourself a favor by writing. All of us need it as a survival tool in a very complex world. The wonderful thing about writing is that it separates the meaningless and the trivial from what is really important. So we need it for ourselves and then we need to invite children to do what we're doing. You can't ask someone to sing a duet with you until you know the tune yourself.

Donald Graves

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• Literacy coach, Janet Allen, challenged teachers to write the seven significant stories of their lives. What seven stories would you pass along to future generations to help them know the real YOU? Jot them down in your notebook.

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• Be reflective• Choose a personally important topic• Go “off topic”• Personalize writing process• Write badly• See others write• Be assessed well• Go beyond the formula• Find your own voice

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• Writing communities are built around a shared set of values about writing and the work that writers do. Regular use of classroom rituals and routines fosters the development of writing communities.

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• Teacher Ellen Gruwell, portrayed in the movie, Freedom Writers, found a way to connect with her class of “unteachable, at-risk” youth by creating a safe environment and by inviting students to write journal entries about the adversities that they faced in their every day lives.

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The video clip from Freedom Writers is only available on DVD. The scene highlights the writing community as students make a “Toast for Change.”

The video clip from Freedom Writers is only available on DVD. The scene highlights the writing community as students make a “Toast for Change.”

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Ms. G., as the kids called her, embraced a concept that has been lost in modern life: writing can make pain tolerable, confusion clearer, and the self stronger.

Anna QuindlenPulitzer Prize Winner

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• What if you were issued an invitation to make a stand, to make a difference? What message would you share with the world?

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• What stories do your hands tell? Trace around your hand and fill it in with memories that are connected to your hands.

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• Hook up with your “soul mate” by finding the other half of your partnership. Share your hand stories with them.