OnDemand Writing

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On-Demand Writing

• What it is
• and how to do it!

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What is On-Demand Writing?

• On-Demand Writing is the timed writing portion of
  the CATS test.

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You will choose between two prompts.
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The prompt will ask you to respond in one of four
ways..

• A letter
• An editorial
• A speech
• A feature article

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What will you do?

• First you will read both prompts carefully.
• Then you will prewrite and write a lead for both
  to decide which one you have the most to say
  about.
• Then you will draft, revise and write a final
  draft for the prompt you choose.

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How do you identify what youre being asked to
do? How do you prewrite for both prompts? How
do you choose?
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Lets practice
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Step One is
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Read both prompts

• CAREFULLY!!!

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Prompt Number One

• Situation Your site-based council is looking at
  whether or not to sell junk food to students as
  snacks. They like the money it makes for the
  school, but worry about students health.
• Writing Task Think about what youd like to see
  the school do about snack sales. Write a letter
  to the site-based council with your suggestions.
  Convince them to follow your advice.

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Prompt Number Two

• Situation Parents in your community are
  concerned that their children spend too much time
  playing video games.
• Writing Task Write an article for your schools
  newsletter convincing parents of your opinion
  about whether or not kids spend too much time
  playing video games.

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Step Two is
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S.P.A.M.

• S Situation
• P Purpose
• A Audience
• M - Mode

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Marking S.P.A.M.
Situation.

• Draw a box around the
• Circle the
• Underline the Audience.
• Put parentheses around the (Mode).

Purpose.
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Now mark S.P.A.M. for Prompt One on your packet.
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Prompt Number One

• Situation Your site-based council is looking at
  whether or not to sell junk food to students as
  snacks. They like the money it makes for the
  school, but worry about students health.
• Writing Task Think about what youd like to see
  the school do about snack sales. Write a letter
  to the site-based council with your suggestions.
  Convince them to follow your advice.

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Now mark S.P.A.M. for Prompt Two on your packet.
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Prompt Number Two

• Situation Parents in your community are
  concerned that their children spend too much time
  playing video games.
• Writing Task Write an article for your schools
  newsletter convincing parents of your opinion
  about whether or not kids spend too much time
  playing video games.

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Step Three is
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Key Words

• It is also important to find the key words from
  both situations!!!

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Now look at the situations from the two prompts
again and underline the key words on your packet.
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Prompt One

• Situation Your site-based council is looking at
  whether or not to sell junk food to students as
  snacks. They like the money it makes for the
  school, but worry about students health.

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Prompt Two

• Situation Parents in your community are
  concerned that their children spend too much time
  playing video games.

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Step Four is
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Brainstorming

• Think about what questions, concerns and beliefs
  your audience might have.
• Find details and facts that support your
  position/opinion.
• Come up with examples and stories from your own
  life that support your position/opinion.

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For example

• In prompt one, the site-based council member may
  have the following questions, concerns or
  beliefs
• Obesity (concern)
• How junk food affects the ability to pay
  attention (question)
• The money that junk food raises for the school
  (concern)
• Kids wont eat whats good for them. (belief)

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Facts/details are necessary to prove your point.

• For example
• Tastes can change. According to Weight Watchers,
  it takes about 30 days to change a habit even an
  eating habit.

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Another thing

• Examples and stories from your own life that
  could support your view might be
• When my mom stopped buying chips, cokes and candy
  I learned to like popcorn, flavored water and
  fruit.
• I used to drink whole milk. Now that Ive been
  drinking 2, whole milk is too rich for me.

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Step Five is
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Prewriting/Planning

• You must prewrite/plan for both prompts using a
  graphic organizer. This will help you decide
  which one you know the most about.

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For example

• An organizer for prompt one might look like this

Tastes change
Healthy foods they will eat
Healthy drinks
Healthy snacks will sell at school
Why junk food has to go
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Step Six is
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Leads

• You need to write a lead for both prompts making
  sure to include the key words (or synonyms of
  those words).

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Attention!

• Make sure your lead gets your audiences
  attention.
• Be certain your audience knows why youre writing
  (in other words, they know your opinion).
• Look to make sure your transitions keep them (and
  you) on track.

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Look at the italicized portions of the following
lead for prompt one

• Dear Council Members,
• Youre certainly right to worry about the junk
  food that is sold to students as snacks at
  school. I realize that these sales make lots of
  money that the school needs. I believe that
  students would buy healthy snacks, if they were
  made available.

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Look at the italicized portions of the following
lead for prompt two

• Video Games How Much is Too Much?
• Heres a word association game to use to test
  your kids obsessions with video games
• If you say, Joy, do they reply, Stick?
• When you say, Fun, do they shout,
  Playstation!?
• If so, your worries are probably real. If you
  think your kids spend too many hours with a
  joystick in their hands, youre probably right.

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Step Seven is
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Choose a Prompt!

• Look at the prewriting and leads youve done for
  both prompts and choose the one that you think
  youll have the most to say about and the most
  information for. You want to take the best
  option for you!

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Step Eight is
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Drafting

• You need to write a rough draft
• following your prewriting
• letting the audiences questions guide you
• providing facts and information
• sharing personal stories/experiences
• revising as you go

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Step Nine is
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The Final Draft

• Copy your final draft into the test booklet.
• Read the final draft two times.
• Make any final corrections.

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Dont Give Up!!!

• When you get tired (and you will) dont give up.
  Like the last minutes of a basketball game, you
  may want to throw in the towel. DONT! Revise.
  Edit. This is an important measure of success.
  Like the NCAA, the results will be in the paper.
  People will judge your school, county, and state
  based on how hard we try and how well we do.
  Hang in there! Nothing lasts forever except
  your legacy!