hook have you ever been giving a writing prompt and you needed something to help you start writing?

Hook

Have you ever been giving a writing prompt and you needed something to help you start writing?

The Write Tool• We are going to create a tool today that will help you be a

better writer. • What we are making is a resource that you can use

anytime we write an expository essay in here or in ANY other class where you are writing.

• This will be an excellent tool to use on the ACTAAP test you will be taking in 11th grade. You may not be able to have the tool in front of you, but hopefully after using it enough in here, you will have committed it to memory by then.

• We are going to take a week or so to create it, stopping and discussing different parts as we go along.

The Write Tool

• The first step is to analyze the writing prompt you have been given.

– T = Topic– A = Audience– K = Key Words/Directions

– Let’s create this part of our folder, and then we will figure out how to use this portion of The Write Tool.

The Write Tool

We are going to analyze a few prompts as I show you how this tool works.

The Write Tool

1) Almost everyone has to do chores sometimes. Often teenagers have to do chores as part of learning to be responsible. However, most teenagers do not enjoy these jobs. Write a paragraph about three chores you personally dislike. Be sure to describe these tasks and tell what bugs you about them.

Topic: Chores Dislike

Audience: Teacher (If no audience is identified, it is the teacher)

Key Words: paragraph, three, describe

The Write Tool: Analyze this prompt with the people in your group. We will share together in a few minutes.

2) To help you look for a job, your school counselor suggested that you write a description of the skills that would help you to be successful in a job.

Before you begin to write, think about the skills that would be helpful in a job. What are those skills? How would those skills help you?

Now write about the skills that will help you be successful in a job. Give enough detail so that your school counselor will understand.

Topic:

Audience:

Key Words:

The Write Tool: Analyze this prompt on your own quietly. We will share in a few minutes.

The United States Postal Service is having an essay contest, and you have decided to enter. This is the topic:

The United States Postal Service creates stamps to honor people who have accomplished something important. Who should be on a new stamp?

Before you begin to write, think about someone who has accomplished something important. Why should this person be on the new stamp?

Now write an essay for the United States Postal Service about a person who should be on a new stamp. Give reasons and enough detail so that your readers will understand.

Topic:

Audience:

Key Words:

The Write Tool: Analyze this prompt on your own quietly. We will share in a few minutes.

Your school district is considering adopting the following policy:

Fifteen minutes will be set aside each day for all students to sweep, dust, and clean classrooms and hallways.

You decide to write a letter to the school board expressing your opinion. Before you begin to write, think about cleaning the school for fifteen minutes each

day. Is this a good idea? How would this affect your school and students?

Now write a letter to the school board expressing your opinion on students cleaning the school. Give enough detail so that the school board will understand.

Topic:

Audience:

Key Words:

Review

• What does the T stand for? • What does the A stand for? • What does the K stand for?

•Day Two

Add “Stop and Think”

• Stop and Think (At least 90 seconds) this will interrupt your process of immediately wanting to pick up a pencil and start writing the essay as well as your need to ask questions immediately.

• Create a mental list during this stop and think time.

• Now, add “Stop and Think” based on my model.

Brainstorming

• What is it?

Add “Brainstorm” to your tool

Brainstorming• Come up with as many ideas as you possibly can…silly or not. You

can eliminate later by picking and choosing only the ones you really have enough information to write about. Don’t worry about that during your brainstorming time…just let the ideas flow out of your head.

• After we brainstorm, we are NOT FINISHED! We are NOT READY to write yet. We must take all of the thoughts that were floating in our head and are now on our paper and try and to choose the ones we know the most about. Some of the things we brainstorm about are just thoughts and wouldn’t make good paragraphs. They could be details we use later in our paragraphs by combining them with other thoughts, but not actually meaty enough to be a paragraph by itself.

Prompt # 1

1) Almost everyone has to do chores sometimes. Often teenagers have to do chores as part of learning to be responsible. However, most teenagers do not enjoy these jobs. Write a paragraph about three chores you personally dislike. Be sure to describe these tasks and tell what bugs you about them.

Brainstorm on Prompt #1

Chores

Your Turn

• Complete the “Stop and Think” step and the “Brainstorming” step for prompt # 2 on your own.

Your Turn


Review

• How long should you “Stop and Think?”• Why is it important to brainstorm?

Brainstorming

• How do you choose what to write about once you have brainstormed and came up with several different ideas?

Add “Pick and Choose”

• Look at my model, and add the “Pick and Choose” box to your Write Tool.

• Let’s talk about the Frame of Reference. We can only do this part after we have picked the details we want to address.

Frame of Reference on Prompt #1

Chores

How do I know what I know?

Add “Make a Plan” Topic:

_________________________________________________________________________Big Ideas Tell Me More1.____________2.____________

3.____________4.____________

_______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

1

2

3

4

Group work

• With your group, use the “Pick and Choose” and “Make a Plan” steps on Prompt #2.

Group Share

• What did you come up with?

Independent Practice

• Now use “Pick and Choose” and “Make a Plan” steps on Prompts # 3 and #4 by yourself.

• I will be coming around to help you if you need it.

Review

• What does TAK stand for?• Why is it important to Stop and Think?• What is the Frame of Reference?• When we brainstorm, how do we pick and

choose what we will write about? • Why is it important to make a plan?

•Day Three

The Write Tool

• Yesterday we were working with making a plan from the brainstorming we completed on Monday. Let’s look over our work from yesterday.

“Make A Plan” Topic:

_________________________________________________________________________Big Ideas Tell Me More1.____________2.____________

3.____________4.____________

_______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

1

2

3

4

The E’s•Examples•Explanations•Evidence•Events•Experiences•Expert Opinions•Everyday Life•Effective Illustrations•Elaboration

“Make a Plan” for Prompt # 1 Topic:

____Chores_________________________________________________________________Big Ideas Tell Me More1._Trash_______2._Laundry______

3._Bathroom_____4.__Yard Work_____

DisgustingBag Breaks/LeaksCollection from around house

SortSwitch from washer/dryerTreating StainsFold Laundry

Cleaning dirty toiletsCleaning showers/tubsCleaning mirrors/sinks

Mowing in the heatRaking/bagging leavesWeed Eating Watering

1

2

3

4

The E’s•Examples•Explanations•Evidence•Events•Experiences•Expert Opinions•Everyday Life•Effective Illustrations•Elaboration

Prompt #2

• Let’s look at our brainstorming notes from prompt # 2.

Group work

• With your group, use the “Pick and Choose/Frame of Reference” and “Make a Plan” steps on Prompt #2.

Group Share

• What did you come up with?

Independent Practice

• Now use “Pick and Choose/Frame of Reference” and “Make a Plan” steps on Prompts # 3 and #4 by yourself.

• I will be coming around to help you if you need it.

Add “Block it Out”Thesis Paragraph

Concluding Paragraph

Block it out for Prompt # 1Thesis Paragraph

Concluding Paragraph

Trash

Laundry

Bathroom

Yard Work

Your Turn

• On your notebook paper, block out prompts 2, 3, and 4. This shouldn’t take long. We’ve already done most of the work.

Topic (Thesis) Sentence

Topic

Number statements

Listing Statements

Boys FanSemicolon Statement

Subordinate Conjunction(situation/stance)

Simple Declarative

Leave the bottom portion blank for now.

But, Or, Yet, So, For, And, Nor

Review

• What does TAK stand for?• Why is it important to Stop and Think?• What is the Frame of Reference?• When we brainstorm, how do we pick and

choose what we will write about? • Why is it important to make a plan?

•Day Four

Review

• Yesterday we started a discussion of ways to write a thesis statement. What were the six ways we discussed?

• Let’s continue discussing and taking notes on the types that we did not get to cover.

Types of Sentences

• Simple Declarative: This is a simple sentence that just states a fact.

• Example from Prompt #1.– I really dislike doing chores.

• Now, you work as a group to come up with an example for Prompt #2.

Types of Sentences• Number Statements: These are sentences that feature some

type of number.– Rules: You may not use the phrases “There are” or “Here are” or

“a lot”. We also want to avoid using actual numbers like “first,” “second,” “one,” “three,” etc.

– Brainstorm Number words:

• Example from Prompt #1.– Everyday, I must complete a plethora of chores that I dislike.


Types of Sentences

• Listing Statements: These are very specific thesis statements that specifically name each of your big ideas.

• Example from Prompt #1.– Specifically, I hate doing chores associated with

the trash, laundry, bathroom, or yard.


Types of Sentences• Boys Fan: These are compound sentences, which means there are

two complete sentences put together with a comma and a conjunction.– But– Or– Yet– So– For– And– Nor

• Example from Prompt #1.– Doing chores is a big drain on my fun time, but I have to do four major

chores everyday.


Handout

• I’m going to give you a handout that should help you to write the remaining two types of thesis statements.

• Please keep this inside your folder.

Types of Sentences• Semicolon Statements: This is where two compound

sentences are connected with a semicolon, conjunctive adverb, and a comma.

• Look at the handout to see a list of conjunctive adverbs.

• Example from Prompt #1.– My home cannot clean itself; consequently, I must do a

number of chores each day.


Types of Sentences• Subordinating Conjunction Statements: This sentence

contains one complete sentence and one dependent clause. It will always feature the use of a subordinating conjunction.– Don’t forget! If you use the subordinating conjunction at the

beginning of the sentence, you will need to use a comma.

• Example from Prompt #1.– Even though I don’t like chores, I must do several of them

everyday.


Independent Practice:

• Now that you have the definitions, examples, and have had some practice writing these thesis statements, you need to do some on your own.

• Create each type of thesis statement for prompt #3.

• We will share these aloud momentarily.

Now, we are going to add another section to our Write Tool.

• Marker time!

Topic (Thesis) Sentence

Topic

Number statementsListing Statements

Boys FanSemicolon Statement

Subordinate Conjunction(situation/stance)

Simple Declarative

Thesis Paragraph--Hook

--Strong Thesis Statement

--Preview Sentence (List Specific)

--Hook

--Strong Thesis Statement

--Sneak Peek Sentence(Be general—reveal later)

OR

Turn and Talk

Model of 1st Type of Thesis Paragraph• --Hook

• --Strong Thesis Statement

• --Preview Sentence

• (List Specific)

The dreaded task of every teenager’s life, the source of much conflict within in homes, and the cause of many unhappy hours, chores are universally despised. Everyday, I must complete a plethora of chores that I dislike. The chores that top my list of despicable activities are the trash, laundry, bathroom, and yard.

As a pod, create this type of thesis paragraph for prompt #2.

Model of 2nd Type of Thesis Paragraph

• --Hook

• --Strong Thesis Statement

• --Sneak Peek Sentence• (Be general—reveal

later)

The dreaded task of every teenager’s life, the source of much conflict within homes, and the cause of many unhappy hours, chores are universally despised. Everyday, I must complete a plethora of chores that I dislike. Though I detest them all, a few chores are top on my list of despicable activities.

As a pod, create this type of thesis paragraph for prompt #2.

Now, working independently, create the two types of thesis

paragraphs for prompt #3.

Review:• What are the six ways to write a

thesis statement?

• What should a thesis paragraph begin with?

• What two ways are suggested to close a thesis paragraph?

•Day Five

Take up homework!• You should have an example of each of the six

types of thesis statements that we have discussed.

• Once I take these up, I’m going to share with you some examples from your class for each of the following.– Simple Declarative– Number Statement– Listing Statement– Boys Fan– Semicolon Statement– Subordinating Conjunction Statement

•Day Six

Let’s create the next section on our Write Tool.

Rough Draft

Write on every other line to leave room for editing.

Leave the bottom portion blank for now.

Rough Draft: Revise and Edit

Transitions: VARY (use lots of different words) BURY (try putting transitions in other places besides the

beginning of a paragraph or sentence. BURY them within a sentence/paragraph)

You were supposed to create a column with replacements for the overused transitions FIRST, SECOND, and THIRD

You can replace first with words like INITIALLY, TO BEGIN, and IN THE BEGINNING.

You can replace second with words like NEXT, IN ADDITION, and FURTHERMORE.

You can replace third with words like FINALLY, and LAST.

Signs that you might need to work on transitioning between ideas

• How can you tell whether you need to work on your transitions? Here are some possible clues: – Your instructor has written comments like "choppy," "jumpy,"

"abrupt," "flow," "need signposts," or "how is this related?" on your papers.

– Your readers (instructors, friends, or classmates) tell you that they had trouble following your organization or train of thought.

– You tend to write the way you think—and your brain often jumps from one idea to another pretty quickly.

– You wrote your paper in several discrete "chunks" and then pasted them together.

Chores paragraph with embedded transitions

(Thesis/Introductory Paragraph)The dreaded task of every teenager’s life, the source of much conflict within in homes, and the cause of many unhappy hours, chores are universally despised. Everyday, I must complete a plethora of chores that I dislike. The chores that top my list of despicable activities are the trash, laundry, bathroom, and yard.

(First Body Paragraph)Initially, people hate the thought of taking out the trash. I dislike this chore because it usually involves a leaky mess that makes a line out the door as I take the bag to the trash bin. In addition to leaky messes, I hate the smell that usually comes from the bag as I tie it shut. Not only do I hate the leaks and smell, furthermore, I hate the chore because of the job of collecting it from a bunch of locations before having it all in one place to take it out. Last, I have to replace all the trash bags. What a stinky, messy chore!

Embedded Transitions: Group Practice

• Practice embedding transitions by writing your first body paragraph for the job skills prompt with your group. Try and embed three different transitions throughout the paragraph. Stay away from first, second and third by replacing them with stronger, better words.

Share!

• What did your paragraph look like after you added some great transitions to your thoughts.

FLOWER POWER

Initially, people hate the thought of taking out the trash. I dislike this chore because it usually involves a leaky mess that makes a line out the door as I take the bag to the trash bin. In addition to leaky messes, I hate the smell that usually comes from the bag as I tie it shut. Not only do I hate the leaks and smell, furthermore, I hate the chore because of the job of collecting it from a bunch of locations before having it all in one place to take it out. Last, I have to replace all the trash bags. What a stinky, messy chore!

FLOWER POWER

HATE

Despise

Detest

abhorloathe

Horrified by

Repulsed by

Choose yourstrongest word that fits in the sentence best and replace it in the paragraph

FLOWER POWER

Initially, people detest the thought of taking out the trash. I dislike this chore because it usually involves a leaky mess that makes a line out the door as I take the bag to the trash bin. In addition to leaky messes, I hate the smell that usually comes from the bag as I tie it shut. Not only do I hate the leaks and smell, furthermore, I hate the chore because of the job of collecting it from a bunch of locations before having it all in one place to take it out. Last, I have to replace all the trash bags. What a stinky, messy chore!

With your group, use FLOWER POWER on two of the highlighted words.

Initially, people detest the thought of taking out the trash. I dislike this chore because it usually involves a leaky mess that makes a line out the door as I take the bag to the trash bin. In addition to leaky messes, I hate the smell that usually comes from the bag as I tie it shut. Not only do I hate the leaks and smell, furthermore, I hate the chore because of the job of collecting it from a bunch of locations before having it all in one place to take it out. Last, I have to replace all the trash bags. What a stinky, messy chore!

Share! • What words did you come up with for your

paragraph?

• Initially, people detest the thought of taking out the trash. I dislike this chore because it usually involves a leaky mess that makes a line out the door as I take the bag to the trash bin. In addition to leaky messes, I hate the smell that usually comes from the bag as I tie it shut. Not only do I hate the leaks and smell, furthermore, I hate the chore because of the job of collecting it from a bunch of locations before having it all in one place to take it out. Last, I have to replace all the trash bags. What a stinky, messy chore!

CUPS

• Capitalization• Usage• Punctuation• Spelling

USP Words

• Unusual • Specific• Picture Painting • Words• Which words in this paragraph do you think are USP words?• Initially, people detest the thought of taking out the trash. I

dislike this chore because it usually involves a leaky mess that makes a line out the door as I take the bag to the trash bin. In addition to leaky messes, I hate the smell that usually comes from the bag as I tie it shut. Not only do I hate the leaks and smell, furthermore, I hate the chore because of the job of collecting it from a bunch of locations before having it all in one place to take it out. Last, I have to replace all the trash bags. What a stinky, messy chore!

Analyze Sentences

• Create a chart like this one.First Word Number of Words End Mark

Initially 10 .

Sample Paragraph

Two summers ago, my husband and I went to Gulf Shores, Alabama for vacation. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery as the ocean swept across the sandy shore. There weren’t many nights that we didn’t enjoy the tranquil sound of the ocean as we watched the stunning sunset. On several occasions, I enjoyed fishing into the sand with my toes to uncover the most unique seashells. This quickly became one of my favorite pastimes while we were there. During these adventures, I picked up a copious amount; however, I was determined to keep only the ones I thought were extraordinarily beautiful. At the end of the day, I would clean my treasures and bag them. When our vacation had come to an end, I brought the seashells home, found a sparkly, mosaic bowl in which to house them, and displayed them in my room beside my bed so that I could have a continuous reminder of the peaceful, relaxing trip to the ocean I so enjoyed.

Analyze Sentences: Here is a sample sentence analysis

chart filled out for the sample paragraph you just read.# of sentence in the paragraph

First Word # of Words End Marks USP Words

1 Two 14 .

2 I 13 . Swept, sandy

3 There 20 . Tranquil, stunning

4 On 17 . Unique

5 This 12 .

6 During 23 Copious, extraordinarily

7 At 13 .

8 When 51 . Sparkly, mosaic, peaceful, relaxing

Analyze Sentences: On the chart you just created on your paper, analyze the paragraph at the bottom of this slide...

First Word of Sentence Number of Words in the sentence

USP words used

My brother, more so than any other family member, has profoundly influenced my life. As I was growing up, he was the conscience guiding me between wrong and right, the protector keeping me from harm, and the motivator expecting me to do my best. A kind, domineering, and inspiring person, he pulled me through life like the moon’s gravity pulls the ocean tides.

Let’s discuss the chart you just created.

Notice…One of the major advantages to creating a sentence analysis chart is that

you actually spend the time analyzing the sentences once you have created the chart.

Ask yourself:

*Which sentences begin with same words? What words can I use to replace a few so that there is variety in the beginning of my sentences.

*Did I vary how many words I have in my sentences? Are there some simple, some complex, etc.

*Did I use USP words in most of them? If not, can I go back and use FLOWER POWER to change some weak words to make them stronger so they can become USP words?

USP Words

• Unusual (highlight in blue—at least two)• Specific (highlight in yellow—at least two)• Picture Painting (highlight in pink—at least two)• Words

• My brother, more so than any other family member, has profoundly influenced my life. As I was growing up, he was the conscience guiding me between wrong and right, the protector keeping me from harm, and the motivator expecting me to do my best. A kind, domineering, and inspiring person, he pulled me through life like the moon’s gravity pulls the ocean tides.

Review:• We discussed six steps in prewriting

which lead up to the rough draft.1. Analyze Prompt2. Stop and Think3. Make a Plan4. Block it Out5. Thesis Sentence6. Thesis Paragraph

hook have you ever been giving a writing prompt and you needed something to help you start writing?

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