Using Elaboration Strategies

Anecdotes and Scenarios

Open your Writing JournalPlease add these definitions

Anecdote= a short, relevant personal story that helps you prove a point

Scenario= a hypothetical situation used to prove a point

Vocabulary Example

• Anecdote= a short, relevant personal story that helps you prove a point

• Teacher Sentence: Timmy used an anecdote about his whale watching trip to prove why it is important to wear a life jacket.

• Scenario= a hypothetical situation used to prove a point• Teacher Sentence: One of the scenarios in Marvin’s

paper asked the reader to imagine a time when life was simple.

Anecdotes: It’s Personal

• Personal stories help a reader connect to YOU• YOU are the expert on your information• Keep your anecdote short: 2-3 sentences• Make it up if you need to—no one says you

have to tell the truth

Where is the anecdote in this example?

• Supporting ideas are amply developed through the use of anecdotes and specific details: “For instance, I’m a safety patrol. As a safety patrol I have a giant job to enforce the rules. One time there was a child named [Jake]. He thought it was cool not to follow the rules. I was on duty. [Jake] came speeding as quick as a cheetah and zipped past me. I told him to walk but, he didn’t listen. Then he slipped and scrapped his knee. That is the first reason it is extremely important to follow the rules.”

• Supporting ideas are amply developed through the use of anecdotes and specific details: “For instance, I’m a safety patrol. As a safety patrol I have a giant job to enforce the rules. One time there was a child named [Jake]. He thought it was cool not to follow the rules. I was on duty. [Jake] came speeding as quick as a cheetah and zipped past me. I told him to walk but, he didn’t listen. Then he slipped and scrapped his knee. That is the first reason it is extremely important to follow the rules.”

Signal Words for Anecdotes

• One time• Once• I remember• For example, I…Brainstorm more…

Where is the anecdote?

• My last reason why it is important to have rules is because you need to listen. If a teacher is talking and you are not listening you will not know what you are supposed to be doing. Normally if the teacher thinks you are not listening they will ask you what they said. Most of the time you will say what. Not often do you know what they were saying but sometimes you get lucky. You also need to listen if it is an emergency because a tornado could be coming towards you.”

Ha-ha. It was a trick.

There’s really NOT a working anecdote here. Why doesn’t this work??

• Normally if the teacher thinks you are not listening they will ask you what they said. Most of the time you will say what. Not often do you know what they were saying but sometimes you get lucky.

Can you do it better?In your writing journal, finish the paragraph and provide a stronger anecdote that

supports the concrete detail and topic sentence.

• My last reason why it is important to have rules is because you need to listen. If a teacher is talking and you are not listening you will not know what you are supposed to be doing.

Scenarios: The What If• Scenarios show the reader a scene that could happen• Beware of “you.” – DON’T use “you” to refer to a general person at a general

time. – DO use “you” if you’re trying to make your reader imagine

himself/herself in the scenario. • Keep it short: 3-5 sentences• Write a follow-up sentence that clearly connects the

scenario to the main point.

Where is the scenario?

• “For instance, I’m a safety patrol. As a safety patrol I have a giant job to enforce the rules so that no one gets hurt. Imagine if on a cold winter morning, a kid ran through the courtyard and no safety patrol was there. He would gain speed on the dirt, then hit that slick part of the sidewalk and fall. He’d probably bleed all over everything and have to have emergency services. That is the first reason it is extremely important to follow the rules and listen to safety patrol.”

Easy one, right?• “For instance, I’m a safety patrol. As a safety

patrol I have a giant job to enforce the rules so that no one gets hurt. Imagine if on a cold winter morning, a kid ran through the courtyard and no safety patrol was there. He would gain speed on the dirt, then hit that slick part of the sidewalk and fall. He’d probably bleed all over everything and have to have emergency services. That is the first reason it is extremely important to follow the rules and listen to safety patrol.”

Signal words for Scenarios

• Imagine…• If…• Consider…• **Brainstorm 2 more

Can you do it better?COPY THE TWO SENTENCES BELOW. Then Rewrite the paragraph to include a

scenario.

• My last reason why it is important to have rules is because you need to listen. If a teacher is talking and you are not listening you will not know what you are supposed to be doing.