SIX TRAIT WRITING WEBQUEST

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SIX TRAIT WRITING WEBQUEST

• Created by Ms. Danko
• Modified by Ms. Casagran

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INTRODUCTION

• Your middle school principal is looking for
• daring students to participate on a research
• committee. The chosen brave individual s must
  navigate the World Wide Web to discover useful
  writing methods. The principal's ultimate goal
  for this committee is to find a writing method
  that students your age find helpful. Committee
  members will have to present their results to
  their teacher and classmates. Are you up for the
  challenge?

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TASK

• Welcome! You have been carefully selected as part
  of research team for Vina Danks Middle School.
  Your assignment is to find good writing practices
  for middle school students. There are various
  models and methods to investigate. However, there
  has been much "buzz" around a model called Six
  Trait Writing. You will focus your attention
  around this model and explore Six Trait Writing.
  You will gain knowledge of ONE "trait" in the Six
  Trait
• Writing Model.
  You will then report
• your findings to
  your teammates.
• You have a week to
  complete
• your assignment.
  Happy hunting!

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MATERIALS

• You need the following materials
• Computer with Internet access and Power Point
  software
• 6 Trait Chart Handout
• Paper
• Pen/pencil

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PROCESS
Day 1

• Keep in mind- Your group will create a power
  point presentation for your classmates that
  includes the information you and your group
  members have found.
• 1. Your groups (committees) have been preselected
  by your teacher. Before you gather into your
  group, however, you must get general background
  information on Six Trait Writing by completing
  the 6 Trait Handout Chart.
• 2. Now that you know what Six Trait Writing is,
  look over the following web sites
• http//literatelearner.com/6traits/page_template6t
  .php?fmain
• http//www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/sixt
  rait/menu.htm
• http//www.thetraits.org/index.php
• http//educationnorthwest.org/traits
• http//so024.k12.sd.us/62020120Traits.htm
• Once you have examined the websites, you need to
  answer the questions below on
• notebook paper.
• a. What is Six Trait Writing?
• b. What are the six traits in the Six Trait
  Writing Model?
• IMPORTANT The Six Trait Writing Model can also
  be called 61 Model. Additionally, the
  presentation trait (which is the 1 in the model)
  should NOT be included in the six traits.

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PROCESS
Day 1 Continued

• 1. Now gather into your groups.
• a. Pull together your definitions for Six Trait
  Writing, and determine which your group thinks is
  best (keep this definition written down for you
  will need to have this definition for your power
  point later on).
• Come up with a name for your committee (a school
  appropriate name).
• c. Determine which group member will be
  responsible for which trait by using rolling a
  die which you can get from your teacher. Each
  group member should have a DIFFERENT trait to
  research (ONLY IF there are more than six members
  per group may more than one person research the
  same trait ).
• NOTE No one in your group should research the
  presentation trait.

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PROCESS
Day 2 3

• 1. You should now know the individual trait that
  you will be responsible for researching. Use the
  above websites to find information concerning
  your trait. Any information that you find should
  be written down on notebook paper. This
  information will later be transferred into a
  power point presentation.
• Begin hunting for the required information. The
  research you do should be done without your
  committees help. You will share your findings
  with the other members later.

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PROCESS
Day 2 3 Continued

• 1. You will need to complete the tasks below
• a. Find the definition of your individual trait.
• b. Find an example story or paragraph that
  demonstrates your trait and print it out or save
  it somehow (only 1 example needed). Underline the
  parts- words, sections, or sentences- that show
  your trait (if applicable).
• c. Write your own paragraph incorporating your
  trait. Underline the parts- words, sections, or
  sentences- that show your trait (if applicable).
  Your paragraph should be 5-7 sentences.
• Remember, the more research you do and the more
  knowledge you gain, the easier it will be to
  write your own paragraph using your trait.
  Therefore, refer back to the websites above as
  needed.

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PROCESS
Day 4 5

• 1. When you have gathered all of your
  information, you will compile your findings onto
  a power point presentation that you will later
  present to your classmates.
• Each member in the committee will have their own
  individual section that will need to add to the
  power point. The information below is required to
  be in your power point. Note Slide 1 and 2 are
  the first two slides in power point. These two
  slides only need to be completed ONE time.

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PROCESS
Day 4 5 Continued

• a. Determine who will complete slides 1 and 2 for
  your group.
• SLIDE 1 (one slide per group)
• a. Title- Six Trait Writing
• b. The names (first and last) of all the members
  of your committee
• c. Committee name
• d. Period
• SLIDE 2 (one slide per group)
• e. Definition of Six Trait Writing- this should
  be a definition that you and your group members
  came up with together.
• SLIDES 3, 4, 5, and so on (two slides per group
  member)
• Each group member is responsible for creating
  their own slides for their trait. The slides
  should all be added to one presentation when
  finished.

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PROCESS
Day 4 5 continued

• On the trait slides should be the following
  information
• a. Your name
• b. Name and Definition of the trait you
  researched
• c. An example (paragraph or story) of your trait
  that you found while doing your research. This is
  not a paragraph that you created. Underline the
  parts- words, sections, or sentences- that show
  your trait (if applicable).
• d. A paragraph that you wrote using your trait
  with the parts of the trait underlined. Paragraph
  should be 5-7 sentences. Underline the parts-
  words, sections, or sentences- that show your
  trait (If applicable).
• You should print me a copy (due the day of the
  presentation before you present) of your slides
  with two slides per page. Determine who in your
  group is responsible for printing out slides 1
  and 2. I want a packet of slides turned in and
  stapled that has your entire committees power
  point.

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PROCESS
Day 6

• Present your power point to the class.

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EVALUATION
Requirement Possible Points Points Earned
Group grade
Slide 1 and Slide 2 10
Individual grade
Name (first and last) 5
Turned in slide sheet (2 slides per page) 5
Name and Definition of Your Trait 5
An example of a writing piece not by you demonstrating your trait. Underline the parts- words, sections, or sentences- that show your trait (if applicable). 10
A paragraph you wrote demonstrating your trait. Underline the parts- words, sections, or sentences- that show your trait (if applicable). 15
Presentation 5
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CONCLUSION

• Excellent work researcher! You have navigated the
  web, collected information, and presented the
  findings to your classmates. You are more
  knowledgeable about good writing practices and
  can now begin practicing the Six Trait Writing
  Model in your writing pieces in language arts and
  in all your classes. Your school principal is
  impressed and wants you to continue to use the
  knowledge you have gained.