Essential Question

1
Essential Question

• How can I use the traits to enhance my writing
  instruction?

2
Activating Strategy

• Workplace Skills

3
Rank the following workplace skills in order from
most important to least important

• Ability to work in a team environment
• Effective communication
• Reading comprehension
• Writing proficiency
• Mathematics competency
• Work ethics
• Other (computer skills, etc)

4
The Boeing Company identified the number one
skills as

• WRITING PROFICIENCY! Without exception, effective
  writing was noted by all types of workers and
  managers as the essential attribute of an
  effective employee. The ability to communicate
  clearly and concisely with proper organization,
  sentence fluency, and accurate mechanics is
  critical. A compilation of some of the types of
  writing exhibited in the workplace includes
  summaries, procedures, manuals, activity reports,
  persuassive reports, table of contents, proposals
  for new business, memos. Email. Marketing and
  sales reports, formal and informal letters, and
  news releases

5
Teaching Strategy
IDEAS ORGANIZATION WORD CHOICE
VOICE FLUENCY CONVENTIONS
NOTES
6
History of the Traits

• Began in the early 80s from a discussion of
  writing teachers across the country
• Teachers longed for a model that would help them
  teach writing, not just assign it.
• From the discussion, came a rubric and an outline
  of what all good writers do.

7
Definition of the Traits

• The Six Trait Writing Model helps students
  understand what is working well and what needs to
  be improved in their writing.
• The traits give teachers a focus for their
  writing instruction.
• The traits give all a common language for talking
  about and celebrating writing.
• The Six Trait model breaks down writing
  performance into a manageable group of teachable
  and assessable skills.

8
Some things to think about off the bat

• The six traits are NOT curriculum. Rather, they
  are a way to link effective classroom-centered
  writing assessment with revision and editing
  processes.
• It is a group of strategies that are intended to
  enhance your writing program.

9
Advantages of the Traits

• Offers a broad perspective
• Challenges us to think of writing in new ways
• Gives us a model for responding to students
  writing
• Provides vocabulary for talking with students
  about writing
• Provides a solid foundation for revision and
  editing
• Allows students to become evaluators

10
6 Characteristics of Writing

• Ideas (details, development, focus)
• Organization (internal structure)
• Word Choice (precise language and phrasing)
• Voice (tone, style, purpose, and audience)
• Sentence Fluency (correctness, rhythm and
  cadence)
• Conventions (mechanical correctness)

11
IDEAS

• Ideas are the HEART OF THE MESSAGE
• The main theme (the details enrich and develop
  the theme)
• Tells things that the reader would not anticipate
  or predict

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Scoring the Trait of Ideas

• Sample Paper

13
ORGANIZATION

• The internal structure
• The logical and intrinsic pattern
• Development of a central theme
• When the organization is strong it begins
  meaningful and builds to a satisfying conclusion
• Events proceed logically
• Connections are strong

14
Scoring the Trait of Organization

• Sample Paper

15
WORD CHOICE

• Uses rich, colorful, precise language
• Builds vocabulary and uses every day words well
• Word Choice in Descriptive vs. Persuasive

16
Scoring the Trait of Word Choice

• Sample Paper

17
VOICE

• The magic, the heart and soul of the piece.
• A sense that a real person is speaking to us.
• The individual writer coming through in the
  words.
• Personal tone and flavordifferent from all other
  writers.

18
Scoring the Trait of Voice

• Sample Paper

19
SENTENCE FLUENCY

• The rhythm and flow to the piece.
• The way language plays in the ear.
• Fluent writing has cadence, power, rhythm and
  movement
• Free of awkward word patterns that slow the
  readers progress

20
Scoring the Trait of Fluency

• Sample Paper

21
Conventions

• The mechanical correctness of the piece
• Has been proofread and edited with care
• Handwriting and neatness are NOT part of this
  trait
• Key-How much work would a copy editor need to do
  to prepare this piece for publication?

22
Scoring the Trait of Conventions

• Sample Paper

23
1???

• The 1 is the presentation part of your students
  work.
• It combines both visual and verbal elements.
• It is the way we exhibit our message on paper.
• Most work does not come to this stage

24
Summary

• Each group will be assigned one of the 6 traits.
  In your group, create a poster that gives a
  visual cue for your trait. You will have 10
  minutes and be prepared to share with the group.