Syrian poet Nouri al-Jarrah brings to life a story that can never again be lost in time after a single line in Aramaic on a tombstone fired his imagination. This inspiring epic poem awakens two extraordinary lovers, Barates, a Syrian from Palmyra, and Regina, the Celtic slave he freed and married, from where they have lain at rest beside Hadrian's Wall for eighteen centuries, and tells their unique story. Barates' elegy to his beloved wife, who died young at 30, is, however, not about mythologizing history. With the poet himself an exile in Britain for 40 years from his birthplace of Damascus, the poem forges new connections with today, linking al-Jarrah's personal journey with that of his ancient forebear Barates, who resisted slavery with love. Barates' Eastern song also questions whether the young Celtic fighters, the Tattooed Ones, were really barbarians, as they emerged from forest mists to defend their hills and rivers and their way of life from the Romans, and died or lay wounded at the twisting stone serpent that was Hadrian's Wall.

Is this right? Is this how it's supposed to look? Adolescent writers often ask these kinds of questions because traditional grammar instruction focuses too much on what's right or what's wrong. The fear of making a mistake hides the true power of conventions - the creation of meaning, purpose, and effect, the ultimate reading-writing connection. Join Jeff Anderson, with Travis Leech and Melinda Clark, as they explore grammar in a new way in Patterns of Power: Inviting Adolescent Writers into the Conventions of Language, Grades 6 - 8. Let's lift middle school writers by focusing on possibility and producing effective writing that will transfer to the classroom and beyond. Inside Patterns of Power, Grades 6 - 8, teachers will find a quick yet comprehensive explanation of the invitational process-the easy-to-follow, brain-based process created to invite adolescent writers to learn about and apply conventions of the English language through the celebration of author's purpose and craft. This process is the foundation on which 55 authentic, flexible, and effective lesson sets were built. Through practical guidance and ready-to-use lessons, you'll be fully equipped to teach grammar in an engaging and authentic way in just 10 minutes a day. Inside you'll find: 55 standards-aligned lesson sets that include excerpts from high-interest, authentic, and diverse young adult and middle grade mentor texts Real-life classroom examples and tips gleaned from the authors' work facilitating the Patterns-of-Power process in hundreds of classrooms Resources to use in classroom instruction or as handouts for student literacy notebooks With hundreds of teach-tomorrow visuals and implementation supports that include quick-reference guides as well as soundtrack lists to infuse the joy of music into grammar instruction, Patterns of Power, Grades 6 - 8 gives you everything you need to inspire your adolescent writers to move beyond limitation and into the endless possibilities of what they can do as writers.