As explored in my previous blog posts here, writing in any subject is an extremely complex task, and one that we must break down into manageable steps for our students, modelling every step as we go. Hochman and Wexler's ‘The Writing Revolution’ advocates a hierarchical approach to teaching writing; knowledge of writing sentences is the prerequisite for paragraphs and multi-paragraph compositions. My previous posts have explored fragments into sentences, expanded sentences, topic sentences and the single paragraph outline. This post will explore how I approach the teaching of extended writing, drawing upon the ‘Multi Paragraph Outline’ from ‘The Writing Revolution’.
All teachers are teachers of writing
David Didau states in 'The Secret of Literacy' that every teacher is a teacher of literacy. The beauty of strategies from ‘The Writing Revolution’ is that they can be applied in any subject. They serve a dual purpose: not only do they teach students how to write well, but they also promote deep thinking around subject content.
How do you solve a problem like extended writing?
‘Chances are that in your teacher training programmes most of you learned what should be assigned but not how to provide instruction that would result in unified, well-developed compositions.’(Hochman and Wexler, ‘The Writing Revolution’)
Before coming across ‘The Writing Revolution’, I’d not been taught how to approach extended writing with my students. I’d fallen into the trap of using PEE/PEEL/PEELAC for paragraphs and, when tackling larger compositions, used spider diagrams or tables to generate ideas. When students repeatedly struggled to translate these plans into essays, I searched for answers. ‘The Writing Revolution’ delivered. The solution the book poses is the ‘Multi Paragraph Outline’. Just like the ‘Single Paragraph Outline’, this approach provides a roadmap for students to follow and breaks down the challenging task of extended writing into more manageable steps.
What is the ‘Multi Paragraph Outline’?
The Multi Paragraph Outline is a structured, sequenced method that helps students to plan and write an extended composition. To create an MPO, students complete a template containing several paragraph outlines, all relating to one overarching topic and/or argument.
The MPO has many benefits in the classroom:
It cements knowledge that students have acquired.
It guides students into writing a composition that has a logical sequence.
It helps students avoid repetition or irrelevant information.
It helps students structure a clear argument with introduction and conclusion.
To tackle the MPO, students must know a topic well. They will also need to have practised sentence-level tasks, how to write a topic sentence and how to plan and write an SPO .
Teaching the MPO
When tackling the MPO, it’s important to take the process step-by-step and provide lots of opportunities for modelling and whole-class work before students tackle it by themselves. These are the steps I might follow when approaching the MPO with a class:
Identify the topic, purpose and audience. (In an analytical essay, this will include identifying the focus of the question.)
Brainstorm ideas in relation to the topic. (This may have already taken place in class discussion at an earlier point in the lesson.)
Look at a good example of a completed essay. (I think it’s helpful for students to start with the end in mind.)
Look at a good example of an MPO. Annotate it, referring to success criteria.
Generate a complete topic sentence for each paragraph. Generating these first helps students construct a coherent argument.
Select and sequence supporting details for each paragraph, writing them on the dotted lines.
Generate a complete concluding sentence for each paragraph.
For students who are confident with the steps above, an additional step would be included after (2) to create a thesis statement and after (6) to plan a conclusion.
Here is an example MPO and essay (without intro and conclusion):
TS: Early in the play, Priestley uses Birling’s speech to criticise capitalist values.
Supporting details:
When audience is first introduced to AB, he boasts about success of business, built on capitalist values
AB: ‘A man has to mind his own business, look after himself and his own’
Reveals B’s selfish attitude, prioritising his own interests over his workers
P chooses for Inspector to enter during this speech, interrupting AB’s boasting.
Could reflect P’s wish to interrupt capitalist values and replace with social responsibility.
CS: Priestley presents Birling in a negative light from the moment we meet him in order to convince his 1945 audience that self-serving capitalist values must be eradicated.
TS: During the inspector’s interrogation, Priestley exposes Birling’s lack of responsibility.
Supporting details:
P uses inspector to expose the selfish and irresponsible behaviour of the rich middle and upper classes in 1912 England.
AB: ‘I refused of course’
AB unwilling to consider a small pay rise, although he can afford to do so. Irresponsible.
Words ‘of course’ suggest AB is unused to being questioned and sees nothing wrong with his actions
AB: ‘I can’t accept any responsibility’
AB unwilling to accept blame for his role in Eva Smith’s death.
CS: Priestley uses Birling’s lack of responsibility to expose the tragic consequences of not adopting socialist values.
TS: After the inspector is revealed as a hoax, Priestley contrasts Birling with his children to reveal the stark difference in attitudes between older and younger generations.
Supporting details:
AB is delighted to discover Goole isn’t real. Happy to return to engagement celebration.
EB accuses parents of ‘beginning to pretend that nothing really happened’.
SHB states ‘I guess we’re all nice people now’
EB and SHB have learned from their mistakes/inspector’s moral message, whereas AB was only concerned when his reputation may have been at stake.
CS: Priestley’s choice to contrast the older and younger generation acts as a wake-up call for his 1945 audience, compelling them to emulate the more responsible behaviour of the younger characters.
Early in the play, Priestley uses Birling’s speech to criticise capitalist values. The audience’s first proper introduction to Arthur Birling involves him boasting about the success of his business, which is built on capitalist values. During Birling’s boastful speech to Eric and Gerald, Priestley makes clear Birling values capitalist principles by having him state ‘A man has to mind his own business, look after himself and his own’. These words reveal that Birling’s approach to his business is underpinned by a selfish attitude; he prioritises his own interests over those of his workers. Priestley deliberately chooses to have the inspector enter during this speech, interrupting Birling’s boasting. This choice could reflect Priestley’s wish to interrupt capitalist values and replace these with greater social responsibility. Priestley deliberately presents Birling in a negative light from the moment we meet him in order to convince his 1945 audience that self-serving capitalist values must be eradicated.
During the inspector’s interrogation, Priestley exposes Birling’s lack of responsibility. Throughout the play, Priestley uses the inspector’s questioning of the characters to expose the selfish and irresponsible behaviour of the rich middle and upper classes in 1912 England. When Birling is questioned about his response to Eva Smith’s pay rise request, Priestley emphasises the selfish attitudes first seen in his earlier speech by having him state ‘I refused of course’. Although he can afford to grant a pay rise, Birling refuses, revealing his irresponsible approach to managing the needs of his workers. The words ‘of course’ not only suggest Birling sees nothing wrong with his actions, but also reveal that he is unused to being questioned about his business decisions, suggesting he has ultimate power and authority in his company. When Eva Smith’s tragic fate is revealed, Birling goes on to state ‘I can’t accept any responsibility’. It is evident that Birling is unwilling to accept any blame for his role in Eva Smith’s death. Priestley uses Birling’s lack of responsibility to expose the tragic consequences of not adopting socialist values.
After the inspector is revealed as a hoax, Priestley contrasts Birling with his children to reveal the stark difference in attitudes between older and younger generations. When the Birlings discover the inspector isn’t real, Priestley conveys Birling’s delight as he happily returns to celebrating the engagement of Sheila and Gerald. In contrast, Priestley presents Eric Birling as ashamed and accusatory by having him state ‘you’re beginning to pretend now that nothing really happened’. Similarly, Priestley conveys Sheila’s disgust at her parents’ actions by having her sarcastically state ‘I guess we’re all nice people now’. Seemingly, Sheila and Eric have learned from their mistakes and responded to the inspector’s moral message, whereas Arthur Birling was only concerned when his reputation may have been at stake. Priestley’s choice to contrast the older and younger generation acts as a wake-up call for his 1945 audience, compelling them to emulate the more responsible behaviour of the younger characters.
Below is an example lesson from one of our mid-set writing booklets. Although there are pre-prepared models, teachers often veer away from these and model live. This enables them to adapt to meet the needs of their own classes and narrate their thinking live to the students.
Recap:
Why would we describe the inspector as a moral character?
Why would we describe the inspector as a powerful character?
What is the inspector’s role in the play?
How does the inspector make the audience feel about Eva?
What does the inspector try to teach the Birlings?
Extension:
How does the inspector reflect Priestley’s socialist views?
Does the inspector respect class boundaries?
Task 1: Annotate the question with your teacher:
How does Priestley present the Inspector as powerful and moral in ‘An Inspector Calls’?
First, ask yourself: what is clear to you about the inspector?
It would be incorrect to write that Priestley makes clear the inspector tries to make the Birlings feel guilty about their actions.
It would be incorrect to write that Priestley demonstrates that the inspector is unwilling to stand up to the Birlings.
Write down three ideas that would be correct about the inspector:
………………..…………..………..………..………..………..………..………..………
..………..………..………..………..………..………..………..………..………..………
..………..………..………..………..………..………..………..………..………..………
Task 2: Writing a good topic sentence:
A good topic sentence should:
Include the writer’s name
Refer to somewhere in the play
Make a specific point about a character or theme
Example:
During the inspector’s final speech, Priestley presents him as a powerful character, who gives a voice to the working classes.
Write two or three good topic sentences to answer the question with your teacher in the paragraph plans below. Use your ideas from Task 1.
Task 3: Selecting good supporting details.
Task 3A: Look at the options below. Choose the best supporting details for the topic sentence: In ‘An Inspector Calls’, Priestley presents the inspector as powerful.
Remember, a supporting detail should be a quotation, character action or contrast that links clearly to your topic sentence.
Sybil says she is ‘perfectly justified’ in refusing Eva help at the charity.
Inspector encourages Sybil to take responsibility by saying ‘That doesn't make it any the less yours.’
The inspector describes Eva Smith as ‘friendless, almost penniless, desperate.’
Sybil believes it is ‘absurd’ that Eva could have fine feelings.
The inspector tells Sybil she ‘slammed the door in her face.’
The inspector repeatedly talks over the Birlings, interrupting their points.
Task 3B: Write a quotation, action or contrast for each of your topic sentences in each of the paragraph plans below. You should use a different quotation for each paragraph plan.
Teacher note: Decide whether you want to complete this task with the class or whether you would like them to complete it independently.
Task 4: Writing three things about your quotation/action/contrast.
When writing about your supporting detail, you should try to write at least three things about your quotation/action/contrast. Remember we’re trying to say a lot about a little! If you can’t think of three things, you can always use a second quotation/action/contrast to back up your ideas.
Task 4A: Class model: Write three things about the quotation below with your teacher:
‘Perfectly justified’
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Task 4B: Your turn:
TS: _________________________________________________________________
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CS: _________________________________________________________________
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TS: _________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________ SD:
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CS: _________________________________________________________________
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TS: _________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________ SD:
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CS: _________________________________________________________________
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Task 5: Concluding sentences:
A concluding sentence is the last sentence in a paragraph. A concluding sentence should:
Link back to the writer’s intentions: Why have they presented the character or theme in this way?
Task 5A: Select the best concluding sentence about why Priestley presents the Inspector as moral.
Priestley presents the inspector as moral because he wanted to show he was a good person.
The inspector is moral as he encourages the Birlings and his 1945 audience to do the right thing.
Priestley presents the inspector as moral because he wanted to encourage his 1945 audience to act in a more fair and responsible manner like the inspector.
Priestley presents the inspector as powerful because he wanted to stand up to the Birlings.
Task 5B: Select the best concluding sentence about why Priestley presents the Inspector as powerful.
Priestley presents the inspector as powerful because he wanted him to stand up to the Birlings and capitalism.
The inspector is powerful when he tells Mrs Birling that she played a role in Eva’s death.
The inspector is moral when he encourages the Birlings and his 1945 audience to do the right thing.
Priestley presents the inspector as powerful because he wanted his 1945 audience to listen to the messages the inspector had to give.
Task 5C: Use the best concluding sentences from the options above or write your own concluding sentences for your paragraph plans.
View a full writing booklet for Act One of ‘An Inspector Calls’ here:
Key takeaways
Knowledge of writing is hierarchical; knowing how to write sentences is the prerequisite for paragraphs and multi-paragraph compositions.
The Multi Paragraph Outline is a structured, sequenced method that helps students to plan and write an extended composition.
The planning is just as important as the writing; students don’t always need to write these up.
As with all planning and writing tasks, extensive modelling is required.
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