Students,
Your task today is to type your pro/con paper modeled after the book "How I Became a Pirate" by Melinda Long.
You will be assessed on the organization trait of writing. That means I am looking for a strong lead and conclusion, transitions between ideas and paragraphs, a clear organizational structure (pro vs. con), and details that fit where they belong. If you're still not sure how to write any of these things, please ask for help.
Always remember the other things we've worked on in class, such as the ideas & content trait of writing, sentence structure (watch for fragments, run-ons and comma splices), punctuation, and subject verb agreement.
Visit the website for this lesson plan. Read the student directions and use the interactive buttons for help if you need it. Because this lesson was adapted from this website, you have the chance of getting published just like the jedi sample you read. This would be a good goal to shoot for.
April 30, 2008
April 27, 2008
Repairing Sentence Structure
When you finish your Friday writing piece, work on recognizing sentence fragments. Visit this website and take the 40 question quiz (it won't take long). Show me your results for extra credit on your paper:
http://www.quia.com/pop/13222.html
http://www.quia.com/pop/13222.html
April 24, 2008
Sample Paper with good ideas and organization
Ms. Kranzusch
Intermediate Comp.
Writing Prompt #7
Intermediate Comp.
Writing Prompt #7
Soaking up the Sun in Mexico
The sun shines brightly from a clear, blue sky, warming my skin as I bask in the sun. I am enjoying my vacation by lying on a pool chair at the BarcelĪ Maya resort. In the Riviera Maya of Mexico, it seems the sun is always shining. This makes for a very nice, relaxing vacation in a beautiful environment.
The resort is decorated with natural flora that thrives in the warm temperatures of Mexico. Palm trees stretch over pathways and provide shade on the beach. Gorgeous pink flowers brighten bushes in landscaped patterns throughout the resort. The wind blows freely through the stucco buildings, cooling the heat of the day just right.
A retreat from the heat, the pool sparkles from the corner of my eye. Its bright blue water beckons me for a dip. After I give in, a walk along the beach invites warm sand to creep between my toes. From my lounge chair the ocean waves crash melodically against the shore, lulling me to sleep.
When I awake, I am reminded of the warm sun against my skin as I lay by the pool. There’s no other place in the world I would rather be. The beautiful landscape, warm temperatures and relaxing environment are just what I need to soak up the sun in Mexico.
Friday April 25th
Your purpose for writing today is to score highly on the organization trait of writing. As far as the topic goes, we're finishing up Chapter 6 in the textbook and the prompts to choose from are on page 269. You could also model after Thursday's lesson on organization and write about the good and bad sides of television. If you'd like to do something else, please let me know.
Where you should begin is with good ideas, which we worked on the last two weeks. Keep your topic narrow and manageable, choose details that support your topic, and create memorable details that move your topic or theme forward. If you have any questions on this, consult your yellow handouts or see me.
From there, I think you need to try out one of our types of leads - something that will match your topic and paper but also grab your reader's attention. Remember how the story of Aunt Marva hooked you into the television paper. Remember how Laurie Halse Anderson hooked you into the story Twisted. In your first (introduction) paragraph, you should also include a thesis - what your paper is about in one line, without giving the entire thing away.
As far as the other components of the organization trait, include transition words that help your reader navigate through your paper. This is especially important when you switch sub-topics (like between paragraphs - see the green handout for examples of this). Use phrases like "In addition to..." or "Although it may seem to have many negatives,..." Write your body paragraphs, but be careful to move at the same pace through them and guide your reader with transition words and phrases. Order your paragraphs and ideas logically, in a way that makes sense - unlike the first television paper we read.
Finally, you'll need a good conclusion. In that paragraph, wrap up your main points without repeating your introduction or thesis word for word. Then leave your reader with a clincher - some line that leaves the reader fulfilled and happy with what you've had to say and maybe hopeful for their own lives. This is kind of difficult, so see the green handout with examples and ask for help if you need it.
I've got a sample paper for you. Please be sure to take a look at it. Also, score yourself using the organization rubric and turn that in with your paper.
Where you should begin is with good ideas, which we worked on the last two weeks. Keep your topic narrow and manageable, choose details that support your topic, and create memorable details that move your topic or theme forward. If you have any questions on this, consult your yellow handouts or see me.
From there, I think you need to try out one of our types of leads - something that will match your topic and paper but also grab your reader's attention. Remember how the story of Aunt Marva hooked you into the television paper. Remember how Laurie Halse Anderson hooked you into the story Twisted. In your first (introduction) paragraph, you should also include a thesis - what your paper is about in one line, without giving the entire thing away.
As far as the other components of the organization trait, include transition words that help your reader navigate through your paper. This is especially important when you switch sub-topics (like between paragraphs - see the green handout for examples of this). Use phrases like "In addition to..." or "Although it may seem to have many negatives,..." Write your body paragraphs, but be careful to move at the same pace through them and guide your reader with transition words and phrases. Order your paragraphs and ideas logically, in a way that makes sense - unlike the first television paper we read.
Finally, you'll need a good conclusion. In that paragraph, wrap up your main points without repeating your introduction or thesis word for word. Then leave your reader with a clincher - some line that leaves the reader fulfilled and happy with what you've had to say and maybe hopeful for their own lives. This is kind of difficult, so see the green handout with examples and ask for help if you need it.
I've got a sample paper for you. Please be sure to take a look at it. Also, score yourself using the organization rubric and turn that in with your paper.
April 17, 2008
Before posting to your blog
Read earlier posts by me down at the bottom of the page about our purpose & audience when writing publically.
April 10, 2008
Thursday, April 17
You have two options for regular 20 point Friday writing prompt.
The first is to choose a prompt from the end of chapter 10, p. 437. This was the chapter that focused on crime and violence in society. You'll receive bonus points for using new vocabulary specific to that chapter (we tested on that last week).
The second option is to choose a line from the chapter 5 essay, p. 164, "Teenagers in Dreamland." Either argue for it or against it, using evidence and details to back up your position.
Your focus is the ideas & content trait. Focus your topic, use memorable details, and leave no questions in your reader's mind.
The first is to choose a prompt from the end of chapter 10, p. 437. This was the chapter that focused on crime and violence in society. You'll receive bonus points for using new vocabulary specific to that chapter (we tested on that last week).
The second option is to choose a line from the chapter 5 essay, p. 164, "Teenagers in Dreamland." Either argue for it or against it, using evidence and details to back up your position.
Your focus is the ideas & content trait. Focus your topic, use memorable details, and leave no questions in your reader's mind.
Friday's writing piece
Your goal today is to revise your piece that developed from a special day and the read aloud of Patricia MacLachlan's "All the Places to Love," (April 1) or an event from your life map essay with a theme, memorable details and a moral (April 7).
With both of these prompts, our focus was the ideas & content trait. We also worked on sentence fluency and varying the placement of prepositional phrases in your writing, much like Patricia did in her story. She also used very memorable details, like the trout sparkled brightly in the water, which was another focus of ours.
Your purpose today is to take either one of these pieces and revise them. We are hoping to get some of our work published on the writing fix website: http://writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/AllPlacesLove4.htm. On this website, there are lesson ideas for teachers and the six traits of writing using all kinds of books. The website also likes to post student samples, and it is in need of some for the Patricia MacLachlan special days to love lesson. Here are the student directions for this lesson: http://writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/AllPlacesLove2.htm. Reading through and following those will help us meet the requirements for what they're looking for in a student sample.
Writing with a theme is something else we worked on this week. Most of our theme and moral papers were very good. Your piece for that assignment might transform into something for this that could be published.
Remember to use memorable details, focus your writing to a narrow topic, write with a theme and purpose, and vary your sentence structure. Save your paper into omni storage, Kranzusch folder, under WP #4 folder.
When you are done with your piece for publishing, read the next post.
With both of these prompts, our focus was the ideas & content trait. We also worked on sentence fluency and varying the placement of prepositional phrases in your writing, much like Patricia did in her story. She also used very memorable details, like the trout sparkled brightly in the water, which was another focus of ours.
Your purpose today is to take either one of these pieces and revise them. We are hoping to get some of our work published on the writing fix website: http://writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/AllPlacesLove4.htm. On this website, there are lesson ideas for teachers and the six traits of writing using all kinds of books. The website also likes to post student samples, and it is in need of some for the Patricia MacLachlan special days to love lesson. Here are the student directions for this lesson: http://writingfix.com/Picture_Book_Prompts/AllPlacesLove2.htm. Reading through and following those will help us meet the requirements for what they're looking for in a student sample.
Writing with a theme is something else we worked on this week. Most of our theme and moral papers were very good. Your piece for that assignment might transform into something for this that could be published.
Remember to use memorable details, focus your writing to a narrow topic, write with a theme and purpose, and vary your sentence structure. Save your paper into omni storage, Kranzusch folder, under WP #4 folder.
When you are done with your piece for publishing, read the next post.
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