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S.P.A.W.N Writing. An exercise in creativity and comprehension. S.P.A.W.N. S-Special Powers P-Problem Solving A-Alternative Viewpoints W-What if? N-Next. S-Special Powers. You have the power! Change an aspect of the text or topic. Choose one of the letters we discussed yesterday
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S.P.A.W.N Writing An exercise in creativity and comprehension
S.P.A.W.N • S-Special Powers • P-Problem Solving • A-Alternative Viewpoints • W-What if? • N-Next
S-Special Powers • You have the power! • Change an aspect of the text or topic. • Choose one of the letters we discussed yesterday • You can change anything about the topic…here are some options • Mary Ewald’s son was never taken…how would she reach out to Saddam Hussein and why? • The Declaration of Independence was never passed…who would Abigail Adams be writing to? How would this change her argument?
P-Problem Solving • Yo, I’ll solve it! • Identify a problem that was posed or suggested in the two letters. • Create a solution and write about it. • Respond to one of the letters that we read • Who would respond to Abigail Adams or Mary Ewald’s letters? • How could you write a letter to convince these women that your solution is justified?
A-Alternative Viewpoint • Who are you?...I really wanna know! • Choose one of the letters • Write a new letter with the same topic, but from the viewpoint of someone different. • Write a letter from the person who first read Mary Ewald’s plea. • Write a letter from someone who isn’t married to a congressman. • You could be a nosy neighbor discussing the marriage of Abigail and John Adams and their discussions about independence. • You are the President writing to Saddam Hussein on behalf of Mary Ewald.
W-What if? • This changes everything… • Write a letter in response to the following options…consider the possibilities! • Abigail and John Adams are newlyweds…would her approach be different? • Saddam Hussein never released Mary Ewald’s son…now it’s time for a second letter. How would her tone, use of appeals, or relationship to the topic change? • Abigail and John Adams are complete strangers…how would she write to a founding father she had never met?
N-Next • Where do we go from here? • Write in anticipation of what Mary Ewald or Abigail Adams will discuss next. • What if they had to write a second letter on this topic? What if everything went their way…what would a response letter look like? • How would their tone change? What about the appeals they use? • Would they use refutation or concession? • What evidence would they need to support their claim for a second time?
It’s your choice • Be creative and have fun! • Remember to use the original letters as a guide for writing your own letter. • Don’t forget speaker, audience, subject, intent, and context. The rhetorical triangle is not going away anytime soon….learn it, love it, live it. • This is a practice in comprehension and creativity. In order to write a good response you will need to be very familiar with the letters • Remember that identifying the author’s relationship, structure, organization, attitude and purpose play a role in each letter.