Duration 25–35 minutes
Grouping Individual + class discussion
Strategy Exploration
Materials
- Strong and weak example texts
- Comparison graphic organiser
Teacher Instructions
- Select or create a strong and a weak example of the text type students are working on.
- Present both texts to students without labelling which is strong and which is weak.
- Students read both and identify which is stronger, explaining their reasoning.
- As a class, discuss the specific features that make one text stronger than the other.
- Teachers should model and self-edit, thinking aloud, to demonstrate the writing of both a strong and weak response.
Teaching Tips
- This activity works across all disciplines – build up a bank of mentor texts and deploy them for exploring what makes a strong or weak response.
- Use real student work (with permission) where possible for authenticity.
- Focus on both what is present in the strong text AND what is missing from the weak text.
Student Handout
Compare two examples of writing. Identify what makes one stronger than the other.