The 6 Traits of Writing

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The 6 Traits of Writing
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Organization The Connecting Thread
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What is Organization?

• Organization is the structure in a piece of
  writing that gives ideas direction, purpose, and
  momentum.
• Good organization holds writing together, making
  it easy for readers to see the big picture much
  the way puzzle pieces fit to create a
  recognizable image.

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Organization

• Imagine opening your math text one day and
  discovering the pages had been scrambled
• The first page says page 51, the second 297 and
  the third says page 3
• Would it be difficult to find the information you
  need? Why?

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Organization

• No one likes to read writing thats jumbled
• Its hard to follow
• Its frustrating when nothing in the text seems
  to go with anything else
• Unfortunately, some writers actually do write
  that way
• Organization of your thoughts is often challenging

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We will be learning some tricks to organize your
writing

• Putting ideas together in a logical order
• Sticking to the topic
• A good lead
• Thoughtful transitions that build connections
  between sentences
• A satisfying conclusion

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Organization

• Today we will learn about writing in a logical
  order
• It is important there is a clear beginning,
  middle and end in a piece of writing
• Things must be written in the order they occur
  (Student work sheets pages 25-28)

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Organization

• When you have finished numbering the sentences,
  read the newly ordered passage aloud to yourself
  to see how it sounds
• Choose a partner to compare your reasons for
  ordering the sentences as you did

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Organization

• Read your new paragraphs aloud to each other.
  Did you decide on the same sequence as your
  partner?
• Does each of your paragraphs make sense?
• Could there be more than one correct way to
  sequence these sentences?

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Organization

• As long as you get your ideas down on paper, does
  the order really make all that much difference?
• What effect does clear sequencing have on a
  writers idea?

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Organization - Homework

• Look at your Writing Territories list
• Choose what you believe is a leaf sized idea that
  you would like to write about
• In your Writing Notebook, tell that story about
  yourself in a clear, logical order
• You should be able to tell the story in one page