Writing On Demand Preparing for 8th grade assessment

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Writing On DemandPreparing for 8th grade
assessment
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Steps to make the right choice and give your best
response in the correct mode/form
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Using your time wisely (60 minutes)

• 5 mins Read both prompts carefully and complete
  short prewriting on both, e.g., identify key
  words, list ideas
• 10 mins Choose prompt for which you have the
  most ideas and then complete full pre-write

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• 15 mins Write first draft
• 15 mins Revise first draft, making it clear and
  complete edit your work to make it correct
• 15 mins Write final draft

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Lets practice

• Writing to Persuade

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Prompt Number One

• SITUATION Your site-based council is considering
  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 speech
  to the site-based council with your suggestions.
  Convince them to follow your advice.

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Prompt Number Two

• SITUATION Parents across the country are
  concerned that their children spend too much time
  playing video games.
• WRITING TASK Write an editorial for a parenting
  magazine expressing your opinion about the time
  spent playing video games and convincing parents
  to accept your opinion.

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Cubing the SPAM!
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Step OneIdentify what you are being asked to do

• SPAM Situation, Purpose, Audience, and
  Mode/Form
• Circle Situation
• Underline Purpose
• Box Audience
• Encircle Mode/form with (parenthesis)

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For example
situation

• SITUATION Your site-based council is
  considering whether or not to sell junk food to
  students as snacks. They like the money this
  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
  (speech) to the site-based council with your
  suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

audience
mode/form
purpose
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• SITUATION Parents across the country are
  concerned that their children spend too much time
  playing video games.
• TASK Write (an editorial) for the readers of a
  parenting magazine expressing your opinion about
  the time spent playing video games and convincing
  parents to accept your opinion.

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Step two Identifying Key Words

• Key words are found in the situation of the
  writing prompts.
• Key words help you write the introductory
  paragraph of your response.
• Key words help your audience focus on the main
  ideas of your response.

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Step Two Identify key words

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

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Identifying key words

• Parents across the country are concerned that
  their children spend too much time playing
  video games.

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Step three List IdeasSnack Sales -- Junk food

• PROs
• Money maker for
• school

• CONs
• Two much sugar and fat not good for health
• Contributes to obesity
• Quick energy fix doesnt last
• Affects paying attention
• Tastes good and makes you want more

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Time spent playing video games

• Advantages
• Fun way to spend time
• Developing game strategies helps ability to think

• Disadvantages
• Can become obsession
• Homework can be neglected
• Relationships can suffer

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Step four Time to decide

• What topic do you know the most about?
• or
• What topic do you know the most about and which
  one appeals to you the most?

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Important points to keep in mind

• Audience whom are you trying to convince?
• Purpose what are you trying to persuade your
  reader(s) to do, think or believe?
• Idea Development use facts and/or opinions to
  support your ideas
• Organization make sure you stick to the
  required mode/form (letter, article, editorial,
  speech) and you guide your reader with
  transitions from one idea to the next

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(No Transcript)
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Drafting/Revising

• Use your prewriting as a guide
• Engage your reader with a lead
• Make revisions as you write
• Anticipate your readers questions to guide your
  writing
• Stay focused on your purpose
• Make sure youve convinced your reader with an
  effective conclusion

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Editing

• Make sure
• Your sentences are varied and complete
• You have used language appropriate for your
  reader and purpose
• Your spelling is correct
• You have used correct punctuation

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Persuasive Writing Resources

• Persuasive map
• http//www.readwritethink.org/materials/persuasion
  _map/
• Webquest TV or Not TV That is the Question
• http//www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/viersmilles/gree
  nl/tvturnoff.html

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• Adapted from the work of Donna Vincent, Language
  Arts Consultant, Muhlenberg County Schools
• by
• Jennifer Bernhard
• Literacy Specialist
• Clark County Schools
• jennifer.bernhard_at_clark.kyschools.us