The AT I have chosen is a graphic organizer known as the “Hamburger Writing Template” (Hamburger Writing Template for Teachers | Perfect for grades 10th, 11th, 12th, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th | English Language Arts Classroom Resources | Kami Library (kamiapp.com).
This graphic organizer allows the writer to organize their writing by first identifying a topic sentence, next including supporting details, and lastly by creating a conclusion.
It is essential to model the use of the graphic organizer. The teacher would begin by stating a prompt, such as, “What is the best way to spend a summer day?”. Next, the teacher would create the topic sentence; for example, “The best way to spend a summer day is at the beach.” Using the next three sections of the organizer, the teacher would model including supporting details as to why the beach is the best choice. “It’s fun to collect shells. Surfing in the waves is exciting. I love to build sandcastles.” Lastly, the teacher would write a conclusion. “When the weather is warm and summer is here, there is no better place to have fun, relax, or imagine your own kingdom than at the beach.”
The positives to using this organizer is it provides a visual guide. Additionally, it provides structure that a student can grasp, much like making a sandwich. Lastly, it is less overwhelming than being presented with a prompt and a blank piece of paper.
The negatives can be that students could instead feel overwhelmed by the sections, as there are five. They may need the work chunked into smaller sections to feel successful. Additional help with sentence stems and transitional word choices will be helpful to those struggling students. Chronological story telling requires words such as first, next, and then; whereas a story that provides an opinion may need word choices such as although, however, and in addition.
I would recommend this graphic organizer. Students need help to organize and plan their writing, execute properly, and see areas for improvement. This is a wonderful way to focus on the intended topic, provide support details, and create a conclusion. Afterwards students can elaborate, revise, edit, and publish their work. Over time this simple task can grow into more detailed, research-based writing that the student can visually see reflects their growth.
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