AIMS REVIEW: Writing Dissecting Prompts & Outlining

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AIMS REVIEW WritingDissecting Prompts
Outlining
Created by Lisa Wyatt Concepts borrowed from
Buckle Down
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Tip One

• Subject What is the topic of the writing?
• Audience To whom are you writing?
• Purpose What is the goal or reason for writing?
• Form What form should the writing take?

• Determine SAPF.
• What do these letters represent? Explain what
  each word means.
• S
• A
• P
• F

Correct your answers to Question 1
Answer Question 1
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Tip One Practice

• Practice finding the SAPF by completing question
  2.

Imagine that the governor of your state will be
visiting your school. You have been selected to
deliver a speech to the governor on behalf of the
student body about what teens want most from a
high school education. Your remarks could
possibly influence education policy in your
state. Write a speech describing the educational
concerns of people your age.

• Subject What teens want from a high school
  education
• Audience The governor of Arizona
• Purpose To explain (and to convince)
• Form A speech (write as a five-paragraph essay)

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Tip Two

• Determine what you know and dont know about the
  subject.
• You must use your imagination to come up with
  interesting ideas that will engage both you and
  your reader in what you write.
• One of the best ways to develop ideas is by
  brainstorming.

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Tip Two Practice

• Practice brainstorming by completing question 3.
  
• Do not judge ideas as good or bad during this
  process.
• Do not worry about spelling, grammar, or complete
  sentences yet.
• Write down every idea you can think of!

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Tip Three

• Consider your audience at every stage of the
  writing process.
• Knowing your readers will help you decide which
  details to present.
• It is important to use the words and sentence
  structure that will be most effective for your
  audience.

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Tip Three Practice

• Practice thinking about audience by completing
  questions 4-6.
• If the audience is not given in the prompt, you
  should assume your audience will be teachers and
  administrators who are grading the AIMS Writing
  Test.

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Tip Four

• Understand the various purposes for writing.
• First, answer question 7.
• Then, as you view the following slides, summarize
  the five purposes of writing in question 8.

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Tip Four (notes)

• Understand the various purposes for writing.
• To convince (persuade, influence) The writer
  wants to persuade the reader to think, believe,
  or act in a certain way. The writer may also
  encourage the reader to take a particular action.
• To entertain The writer wants to make readers
  laugh, cry, feel suspense, or otherwise enjoy the
  writing. Most fictional writing and personal
  narratives are written with this purpose in mind.

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Tip Four (notes)

• To describe The writer gives a detailed
  description of a person, place, or object. The
  writer uses sensory details, strong word choice,
  and explains the personal importance of the
  person, place, or object.
• To teach, inform, or explain The writer shares
  factual information in a balanced manner without
  trying to persuade. If there are two sides to an
  issue, the writer lets the readers draw their own
  conclusions.

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Tip Four (notes)

• To communicate The writer wants to provide
  specific information related to real-world tasks.
  This type of writing includes business letters,
  memos, or technical manuals.

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Tip Five

• Understand the characteristics of the different
  forms of writing.
• What are some of the writing forms that you may
  be asked to use on the AIMS Writing Test? Answer
  question 10.

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Tip Five (notes)
Fill in the chart for question 10
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Tip Six

• Create a detailed outline before you begin
  writing.
• Look at the examples of graphic organizers
  provided in your AIMS Review packet.
• Answer questions 11-14.

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More Practice

• The more you practice, the more prepared you will
  be.
• Answer questions 15-18.
• Answer questions 19-22.
• Answer questions 23-26.