Peer Power: How to Use Student Work as Mentor Texts
How do we know which pieces to hold up as exemplars for others students? On this page, I share some of my thinking about why I would use Aiden’s piece as a mentor text for other students, as well as my ideas for several other student pieces that are available to you to use, located on the companion website at www.corwin.com/thecommoncorecompanion. Having the confidence to know what to say and when to say it about student work takes time; the important thing is to risk it, because students really do learn a great deal from the work of their peers.
As I read Aiden’s final compare and contrast on the two Beauty and the Beast books and then his self-reflection, there is a lot to celebrate! He has stated that he’s excited to continue to use citing evidence in other categories (genres) and I’m excited to use his writing as an exemplar to help teach others. For a beginning-of-the-year paper, Aiden has demonstrated a great deal of control:
He followed our co-constructed example, using it as a mentor text to provide structure to his five paragraphs.
He understands POV and narration and has a grasp of Formal and informal English.
He gives examples of the similarities.
He cites evidence to show the differences. That alone makes this a great mentor text for other students.
Sentence fluency is a strength and his piece holds tightly together.
Aiden provides a lot of details to support his thinking.
From Aiden’s graphic organizer and his coded texts, I could see his interaction and comprehension of the text. I used that as an informal assessment.
If you want to see Aiden’s completed graphic organizer and additional examples of student work with this sequence, go to www.corwin.com/thecommoncorecompanion.
Remember in the lessons when fifth graders mined chapter books to discover point of view? Here, students reflected on the way point of view helps one understand character in the novel Because of Mr. Terupt. The following are responses to reading the section on “March” in the book.
If/Then Chart
Mentor Texts
For point of view, text sets are a must! When doing fairy tales, here is a start to my set:
Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks! The Story of the Three Bears as Told by Baby Bear by Nancy Loewen
Dear Peter Rabbit by Alma Flor Ada
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten! The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf by Trisha Speed Shaskan
Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra
No Lie, I Acted Like a Beast! The Story of Beauty and the Beast as Told by the Beast by Nancy Loewen
Read-to-Me Book of Fairy Tales by Michael Hague
Seriously, Cinderella Is So Annoying! The Story of Cinderella as Told by the Wicked Stepmother by Trisha Speed Shaskan
The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf by Mark Teague
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugene Trivizas
Trust Me, Jack’s Beanstalk Stinks! The Story of Jack and the Beanstalk as Told by the Giant by Eric Braun
What Really Happened to Little Red Riding Hood, The Wolf’s Story by Toby Forward
With Love, Little Red Hen by Alma Flor Ada
Yours Truly, Goldilocks by Alma Flor Ada
Looking for chapter books with a focus on fairy tales? Here are a few that my students love:
Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Ever After High Series by Shannon Hale
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff
The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
Two novels that are phenomenal for teaching point of view:
Wonder by R. J. PalacioWithout giving too much away, the story revolves around August Pullman, a boy with such severe physical disabilities that he’s never been to school. We meet him at the outset of the story and we know he is horribly disfigured; however, we don’t know why or what he looks like, as he is the one telling the story. As the story unfolds, different characters tell the story and fill in the holes and answer our questions. Each character has his or her own point of view. One of the most powerful books I’ve read—and a must read every year. Palacio has written a follow-up, The Julian Chapter.
Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob BuyeaAnother excellent example of multiple characters telling the story and giving their account of an accident that happens to their teacher. Each character has a distinct personality and a distinct voice.
Other books for point of view:
Dear Mrs. LaRue Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague
Detective LaRue Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague
Encounter by Jane Yolen
LaRue for Mayor by Mark Teague
Nettie’s Trip South by Ann Turner
One Green Apple by Eve Bunting
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Books for persuasive and opinion writing:
I Wanna New Room by Karen Kaufman OrloffThis is the book I would lead off with when doing an introduction to persuasion writing. While it is also a primary book, it is funny and engaging and full of voice. And if students have heard it before, they
