P.O.W

**P.O.W** **(__P__ick my idea, __O__rganize my notes, __W__rite and say more)**

**Content** The P.O.W strategy can be used in writing in order to help students brainstorm and plan what they are going to write in various forms of text. For example, teachers can use this strategy with students when they are writing a persuasive essay, informational texts, or for stories.

**Grade Level** With proper grade level-appropriate modifications, this strategy can be used for students in grades 6-12. In order to modify for different grade levels, the teacher could adjust the amount of scaffolding provided for their students.

**Curriculum Standards** For eighth grade students, this strategy uses the following CSO's:
 * RLA.O.8.2.3 - use pre-writing, editing and revision techniques (e.g., read, draft aloud, peer feedback or a provided rubric) to vary sentence length, change sentence order, eliminate organizational errors, and use vivid and concise words to create a personal style or voice while clarifying and enhancing the central idea
 * RLA.O.8.2.4 -use the five-step writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) to develop a creative or reflective composition (e.g., reflect on an experience or time in the past, draw upon imagination) and identify areas for further research by making personal connections to self, to texts, and to the world to demonstrate that written communication is affected by choices writers make in language, tone and voice
 * RLA.O.8.2.5 - from a prompt, use the five-step writing process to develop a focused composition that contains specific, relevant details, and vivid precise words

**Description of Practices** The P.O.W (Pick my idea, Organize my notes, Write and say more) strategy allows students to organize their writing pieces in order to include all necessary and important information.

The steps for implementing this strategy with Secondary students are:
 * 1) Introduce a genre in which the students will be writing a piece on.
 * 2) Introduce the P.O.W strategy to the students through modeling through whole group instruction using a children's book or short story.
 * 3) Begin with the letter P of the strategy, pick my idea. Based on the given genre, the students will either chose a topic based around a given prompt or based off of their own ideas.
 * 4) Next, implement stage O of the P.O.W strategy, organize my notes. In this stage, the students will begin brainstorming using their topic. Brainstorming can be done using a graphic organizer if desired.
 * 5) Finally, the last stage W of the P.O.W strategy will be implemented, write and write more. In this stage, the students will be instructed to use their brainstorming notes to begin writing. While writing, the students will be encouraged to add more information into what they have already written.

**Implementation Considerations** This strategy could be used for numerous genres when writing such as informational, persuasive, and stories. The P.O.W strategy could also be implemented paired with other writing strategies, varying on the genre of story written. For example, when writing stories, the P.O.W strategy could be paired with the Who, What, When, Where, and Why strategy.

The P.O.W strategy can be used in a general education, inclusion, or self-contained special education classroom setting. In order to complete the strategy, teachers can provide scaffolding to the students until they feel they are comfortable to complete on their own. Regarding students with special needs, the teacher can work with them one-on-one in order to help them complete this learning strategy and further their writing pieces effectively. Teachers can also allow their students to work with a partner during the P stage of the P.O.W strategy. By allowing students to work with their peers, they will be able to bounce their ideas off one another in order to find the right topic.

**Example** The example provided shows a teacher using the POW strategy paired with the TREE strategy with her student who are writing an opinion essay. Within this example, the teacher uses the TREE graphic organizer. When filling it out as a class, she instructs the students to use POW in order to fill it out to the best of their ability.
 * http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/casl/powtreel3.html

Resources included in the lesson above: Mason, L. H., K. R., & Graham, S. (2011). Self regulated strategy development for students with writing difficulties. //Theory into practice, 50//(1), 20-27.
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