WAVE

Writing and Academic Vocabulary Enrichment (WAVE)

Goal

• WAVE will strengthen content area performance through SAT vocabulary, Cornell note taking/reading strategies, and writing.

Background

• Beginning September 2005, the El Segundo Middle School day will include a 25 minute period of time that is devoted to Writing and Academic Vocabulary Enrichment (WAVE).
• The program will be implemented daily Tuesday through Friday by every teacher at the start of 2^nd period.
• WAVE will involve minimal grading and minimal preparing for teachers.

Goals/Objectives

• Students will enrich vocabulary through learning and exploring 1/3 of the top SAT words in each grade level. SAT words will supplement content vocabulary.
• Students will practice various reading strategies, including Cornell note taking (a district-wide initiative for grades 5 -12).
• Students and teachers will have the opportunity for the freedom to write and be granted time for creative thought.
• Students and teachers will study the Character Counts program during WAVE.
• Students and teachers will create and maintain a rapport through listening and sharing during WAVE.

Weekly Plan

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
No WAVE	Vocabulary	Reading/Writing Strategies	Commonplace Writing	Finish and Share

Monday - No WAVE

WAVE will not be implemented on Mondays due to the Minimum Day Schedule that allows for Professional Development. WAVE will be discussed and evaluated during the staff meetings.

Tuesday - Vocabulary

The Princeton Review's Top 100 SAT words have been divided into 3 lists. The sixth graders will study the most frequently seen SAT words and eighth graders will study the least frequently seen SAT words.

Supplies: Each student will keep a WAVE 2-subject notebook in class. The first 7 pages of the first section of the notebook will keep blank “Vocabulary Knowledge Rating” (VKR) sheets. The remaining pages in the first half of the notebook will be used to keep the vocabulary strategy handouts.

Teachers may choose to encourage students to keep notebooks neat, as the students may want to refer to them while they prepare for the SAT in later years.

One word will be explored every Tuesday.

Tuesday Plan

Vocabulary Knowledge Rating (less than 5 minutes)

1. Teachers introduce word.
2. Students will fill in word on VKR sheet.
3. Students mark whether they "know it well," have "seen it or heard it," or have "no clue."
4. Students will write the dictionary definition with part of speech on the VKR sheet.
5. Students will fill in the "significance" box with examples and ideas about why the new word is important.

Strategy (Remaining WAVE time)

Throughout the year, students and teachers will use three different vocabulary strategy sheets to explore and learn the work. We will rotate the sheets.

• Week 1: PAVE Vocabulary Map
• Week 2: Making Connections
• Week 3: Word Understanding Record

1. After students fill in the VKR, students will complete the given strategy handout.
2. Teachers may choose whether the class works on the sheet together, students work in groups, or individually complete the chart.

Wednesday - Reading / Writing Strategies
Including Cornell Notes and Character Counts

Wednesday's WAVE time will be used for Character Counts exploration. This exploration will be on a biweekly cycle, alternating a quote exploration with a hypothetical writing prompt.

Each year, the prompts and portions of this program are re-evaluated based on student and teacher input.

Wednesday Plan

1. Teachers introduce the writing prompt which is tied to the Pillar of Character being explored that week/month.
2. Students write for the full 20 minutes on an academic-style essay/passage.

Thursday - Commonplace Writing

Commonplace books are special personalized books in which our students and teachers will be writing on a weekly basis. The writing is based around an artifact (something flat that will be taped to a page of the book) that evokes thoughts. Examples of artifacts include pictures, quotes, labels, cards, ticket stubs, etc. Each student needs one artifact every Thursday around which to write.

The book becomes a reflection of the writer, yet is open for everyone to read. This is not a confidential journal but an exposure of self to the community.

ESMS will write in our Commonplace books every Thursday during Writing and Academic Vocabulary Enrichment (WAVE). The entire 20 minute period will be designated to uninterrupted, open-ended writing.

Authors may be as creative as they choose. However, as our WAVE focus is to be on writing, we are limiting the 20 minutes on Thursday to simply taping the artifact in the book and writing. This means that students will be expected to write for at least 19 of the 20 minutes.

Should a student desire to spend more time on coloring, decorating, designing, or writing in his/her Commonplace book, the teacher will allow the student to carry the book between home and school.

Each teacher will have a designated area in the classroom to house Commonplace books. However, if a student is not prepared on Thursday to write in his/her Commonplace book, he/she will be expected to write on notebook paper.

Friday - Finish and Share

Friday's WAVE time will be spent finishing our Thursday entry and sharing. Teachers may choose how to implement Friday's share time. It is important to remember one of the purposes of Commonplace books is to keep the children writing, while the other purpose is to create a friendly classroom community.