Structure: “Boxes and Bullets”
Writers might use boxes and bullets to plan, with their boxes containing topics (informative/explanatory writing) or claims (argument writing).
Description: The writer first states the one general idea. Then, usually in the next paragraph, the writer provides evidence to support one part of the general idea. In the next part of the essay (perhaps the second body paragraph), the writer provides evidence to support another part of the general idea.
So the writer might start the essay by writing, Gold miners during the Gold Rush faced many difficulties, and then start the next paragraph (the first body paragraph) with the topic sentence, In such and such a text, the miners faced challenges from the land. For example, . . . The second body paragraph could start, Not only did the miners face challenges from the land, they also faced challenges from . . . . In such and such text, for example . . .
■ Supporting evidence from one text (There needs to be a topic sentence setting this up.)
■ Supporting evidence from the other text (There needs to be a topic sentence setting this up, referencing the claim.)
■ Conclusion: restates the original claim and provides added insight
Example:
■ They rarely attack humans (fewer than one hundred attacks worldwide per year), according to Simon.
■ Even if they do attack, after a bite or two they swim away, according to Simon.
■ Many shark attacks are not fatal (only about six per year), according to Davies.
■ Most sharks cannot hurt humans (only three species are really dangerous), according to Dubowski.
■ Sharks are “fascinating creatures,” according to Simon.
* Teach students that each bullet point is either an example, a reason, or a proof that the claim is true and valid. Then, give your students time to look over their notes to come up with bulleted evidence for their claim.
Boxes and Bullets for note-taking:
To begin teaching various note-taking strategies (if you have not already taught these) you might start students off on the simple boxes-and-bullets format. You might teach them to mentally or, if resources allow this, physically mark up a text, selecting various topic sentences to “box” and then underlining and numbering the sentences (or clauses) that serve as bullets for each box. Teach students to make boxes and bullets within single paragraphs and also within larger (multiparagraph) swaths of text.
From A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop, Grade 8: Common Core Reading and Writing Workshop
by Lucy Calkins and Colleagues from The Reading and Writing Project, Columbia University’s Teacher College