The Rights to Write: How the Constitutional Convention Helped Sixth Graders Compose

Author(s): Stephanie Maria Bennett

Abstract:

This case describes one writing lesson from a sixth grade integrated language arts and social studies unit on the Constitutional Convention. The teacher used the jigsaw method (Aronson, Blaney, Stephin, Sikes, & Snapp, 1978) as a means to disseminate information about the Constitutional Convention. He chose specific mentor texts (Shhh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz, If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution by Elizabeth Levy, We the People: The Story of the Constitution by Lynne Cheney, A More Perfect Union: The Story of the Constitution by Betsey Maestro, and Designing America: The Constitutional Convention by Sean Price), at a variety of lexiles, to meet the needs of the diverse group of students.

Citation:

Bennett, S.M. (2014). The rights to write: How the Constitutional Convention helped sixth graders compose. In J.J. Schneider (Ed.), Casework in K-6 writing instruction: Connecting composing strategies, digital literacies, and disciplinary content to the Common Core (pp. 217-226). New York, NY: Peter Lang Publishing.


Back to Publications & Creative Activities