SJAWP Super Saturday: March 7th for 4th-7th Graders

Our Super Saturdays use a "lab school" model, in which teachers and students participate in the presenter’s workshop lesson together in small groups, generally including the following: mini-lesson on writing craft, study of a mentor text, demonstration of innovative and engaging pedagogical strategies, large blocks of time for students and teachers to write, and sharing writing in small groups or whole group. While each workshop can stand alone, students and teachers can draw much more meaning from each seminar if they have other seminars to build on. Furthermore, registering for the entire series saves you money and time. Event Schedule 9:30-10:00am - Registration in front of Sweeney Hall Courtyard 10-10:30am - Writing Games Warm-up 10:30-12:30pm - Saturday Seminar lesson led by Teacher Consultant ************************************************************************** March 7th, 2020: Making Impact with Argument I once read this profound quote from human rights activist Desmond Tutu: “My father used to say, ‘Don’t raise your voice; improve your argument.’” And I thought about how often we resort to raising our voices to be heard when we have done little to be understood. It also made me think of the times we shy away from an argument because we are not confident in our ability to say what we believe. In the case of argument writing in school, I’ve seen both instances. I’ve seen students write with a passion, yet that passion was no more than a bundle of emotions yearning to be tempered with logic. And I’ve seen other students become altogether defeated because the only thing they are convinced of is that they have nothing to say. If either of these speaks to your experience as a student who has tried to write an argument, then this workshop is for you! You will learn “moves” you can make to develop your argument writing. If you are confident in your argument writing skills, then this workshop is for you! You will learn how to take what you are already doing to the next level!