THE BASICS OF WRITING

JANA MOON, INSTRUCTOR

•All assignments must follow this format:

The assignments that will be graded will be typed. We will use the Alphasmarts or the Media Center Computers.

You will follow the handout on assignment format. Even rough drafts will follow this. I will not grade or look at a paper that does not follow the format.

There are standard proofreading marks that I will use to correct your papers.

You need to read the grading rubric that I will be using before I grade your paper. It will save you a lot of grief and guessing.

You will not be coddled or begged to turn in your work. Each week if you are missing work, you will miss your break and every other special activity until I have your work.

This is nonnegotiable. Work first, play second.

You will need a folder to keep your writing and handouts in. This is a grade also.

Name Assignment #

Homeroom Date

Word Count

Title (This is 5 inches down.)

Chapter or beginning of essay, poem (6 lines down)

Begin here and indent 5 spaces to begin a new

paragraph.

1.5 inch on bottom and top and one inch on sides

Page 1We will set the margins on Microsoft Word together and once this is set up, you will use it as template.

Name Page number

Assignment

Date

Continue 4 lines down.

Story Writing: Narrative writing

Teacher name: Student Name ___________________

CATEGORY

Organization The story is very well organized. One idea or scene follows another in a logical sequence with clear transitions.

The story is pretty well organized. One idea or scene may seem out of place. Clear transitions are used.

The story is a little hard to follow. The transitions are sometimes not clear.

Ideas and scenes seem to be randomly arranged.

Spelling and Punctuation

There are no spelling or punctuation errors in the final draft. Character and place names that the author invented are spelled consistently throughout.

There is one spelling or punctuation error in the final draft.

There are 2-3 spelling and punctuation errors in the final draft.

The final draft has more than 3 spelling and punctuation errors.

Neatness The final draft of the story is readable, clean, neat and attractive. It is free of erasures and crossed-out words. It looks like the author took great pride in it.

The final draft of the story is readable, neat and attractive. It may have one or two erasures, but they are not distracting. It looks like the author took some pride in it.

The final draft of the story is readable and some of the pages are attractive. It looks like parts of it might have been done in a hurry.

The final draft is not neat or attractive. It looks like the student just wanted to get it done and didn't care what it looked like.

Writing Process Student devotes a lot of time and effort to the writing process (prewriting, drafting, reviewing, and editing). Works hard to make the story wonderful.

Student devotes sufficient time and effort to the writing process (prewriting, drafting, reviewing, and editing). Works and gets the job done.

Student devotes some time and effort to the writing process but was not very thorough. Does enough to get by.

Student devotes little time and effort to the writing process. Doesn't seem to care.

Focus on Assigned Topic

The entire story is related to the assigned topic and allows the reader to understand much more about the topic.

Most of the story is related to the assigned topic. The story wanders off at one point, but the reader can still learn something about the topic.

Some of the story is related to the assigned topic, but a reader does not learn much about the topic.

No attempt has been made to relate the story to the assigned topic.

Date Created: 2003-06-26 Used by permission.

Copyright. © 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 ALTec, the University of Kansas

This is a sample rubric. You will get one for each assignment. Please notice how much weight is applied to each area and write accordingly.

Houghton Mifflin English Writing Rubric Grade 4, Unit 9: Story Directions: Reread your story. What do you need to do to make it better? Use this rubric to help you decide. Check the sentences that describe your story.

Rings the Bell!

The beginning makes my audience want to read more. It introduces the characters, the setting, and the problem.

The middle shows how the characters deal with the problem.

All of the events are in order and are important to the story.

The ending shows how the problem works out. Details and dialogue make the story come alive!

My characters have a voice, and the story sounds the way I wanted.

There are almost no mistakes in capitalization, punctuation, or spelling.

Getting Stronger

The beginning could be more interesting. I have not told how the characters deal with the problem. I forgot to include some important events. The story doesn't sound finished. Details and dialogue need to show, not tell, about the characters, events, and setting.

My story doesn't sound the way I wanted. There are a few mistakes.

Try Harder

The beginning is boring. There is no clear problem. The story is confusing. Important events are left out. The ending just stops. How does the problem work out?

Where can I add details and dialogue?

My story is written in a dull, flat voice. There are a lot of mistakes.

HOW CAN A HAMBURGER HELP STUDENTS WRITE WELL?

• Every story must have a strong beginning, middle, and end.

• The hamburger has three main parts: the • top bun, the middle section (meat, cheese, condiments), and the bottom bun.

• Top bun is the main idea/topic.• The meat, cheese, and condiments are the details that support the main idea.The bottom bun is the main idea/concluding thought.

HAMBURGER GRAPHIC PROVIDED

BY CARSON DELLOSA

•Narrative writing gives the details of an event or experience in story

form or in the order they happened. It can be fiction or non-fiction.

Expository writing gives facts or directions, explains ideas or defines terms.  It must give

information in a clear and well-organized manner.

Descriptive writing creates a complete picture providing vivid details for the reader.  The writer makes sure the reader will see

clearly the same picture writer is recreating. 

Descriptive writing includes: vivid sensory details - appealing

to any of the five senses. a meaningful organization. reasonable connections

between sensory details and the emotion or thoughts they

encourage. a main impression to which each detail adds.

•Persuasive writing expresses an opinion and tries to convince

the reader that this opinion is correct.

General Report (Research Paper)Book Report

EssayBiography (Autobiography)

StoryDramaPoetry

FictionMysteryTrue LifeHistoricalScience FictionComedyIllustrated StoriesPoetry Drama

Non-Fiction Reference BookDictionary, ThesaurusEncyclopediaAtlasAlmanac

True Books: Books about true subject Examples: animals, holidays, landmarks, history, and etc.

• The Basics:• The idea with notes is that:

• You pay attention (and learn) while in class. (Just the act of writing it in the first place will help you to remember and learn it. Note taking enhances listening.)

• More importantly, you can review what was taught later on.

• In order to do this you need to:• GO TO CLASS!. Sit at the front of the class. You’ll pay attention better. Write legibly!

Stay awake.• Participate in class.

• Read the assignment before class, so you don't end up frantically noting information that you didn't know was in the reading.. Give yourself lots of space on the paper.  Write on a standard-sized notebook, skip lines, and leave blank space, write on the

right-hand two-thirds of the paper. You can write in further information later from things you remember and from your reading. In addition, it will be easier for you to

read it when you review. Highlight or star those items which need to be memorized. • Learn how to differentiate the essentials.  Don't write down unnecessary ramblings,

musings, stories, and so on and so forth. • Keep organized.

• Do actually review. Don’t just say you will. Notes are much more effective this way.• Use highlighters and different colored pens to mark up your notes and write in the

blank spaces. 

OUTLINING Working Outlines

• A WORKING OUTLINE is a plan--a road map of where you are heading. Main topics and subtopics are listed, as in all outlines, in some kind of logical order. A WORKING OUTLINE is informal and its purpose is to guide your research and notetaking.

• CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AS YOU BEGIN THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR PLANS

•   What questions do I want to know the answers to?• What do I think are the most important ideas about my topic that I want

to cover?• What background materials will I need to give my readers?

• Are there main parts or sections of my paper and how do they relate to one another?

• How might I present (organize) this information?• What is the final point(s) I expect to make? In other words--what is my

conclusion? 

How Do You Outline?The most important ideas in an outline, the main ideas, are written next to the

Roman numerals. 

The Roman numerals are always next to the left margin.

I.   Main Idea    A.         1.         2.              a.              b.      B.II.  Main Idea   

The next most important ideas, the arguments or major supporting points,

are identified by capital letters.

They are indented from the left margin.  

I.   Main Idea    A.   Support for I.         1.         2.              a.              b.      B.   Support for I.II.  Main Idea   

MORE ON OUTLININGThe facts and ideas that support the minor supporting points are

written under them and are indicated by lowercase letters.

They are indented three steps from the left.

I. Main Idea    A.   Support for I.         1.  Support for A.         2.   Support for A.              a.  Support for 2.              b.   Support for 2.     B.   Support for I.II.  Main Idea  

Which one would you rather use for studying?Individuals vary in the strategies they use to find the main

idea.  Some readers begin by unconsciously assuming that the first sentence of the paragraph is the main idea.  They test each of the other sentences against it to see if the first sentence is really the main idea.  Others read through an

entire paragraph and unconsciously look for repeated words or ideas that suggest the main idea of the paragraph. 

Another group of readers just reads through each paragraph and intuitively comes up with the main idea without using a

particular strategy.   Whatever strategy a reader uses to find the main idea, his or her goal is the same:  to come up with a

complete sentence or thought that connects the facts and ideas in the paragraph to each other. 

I.  Main Idea    A.  Different strategies          1.  Assume 1st sentence is main idea; test others against it.          2.  Look for repeated words or ideas.          3.  Read and guess the main idea.    B.  Goal:  Complete sentence that connects all facts and ideas to each other.

OF THE WRITING OF THE WRITING PROCESSPROCESS

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• It is a good idea to keep two kinds of journals:

– 1. A Writing Journal where you keep all the ideas you might like to use for a story or other writing assignment. You can use a small notebook or whatever you can carry around with you.

– 2. Keep a personal journal that you write in every night.

– You will have to do a bibliography or a Works Cited page with much of your writing. Examples of this will be: reports, research papers, essays, and biographies. Credit must be given when you use another’s work.

– A good site for doing correct citations is http://citationmachine.net. Use this to help you do it right. I won’t accept it done wrong. This is important.

• Graphic Organizers can help you write with a purpose and keep you on track.

• The following slides show some examples of some excellent organizers.

EXCEPTIONAL GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

More Exceptional Graphic Organizers

Yet More Exceptional Graphic Organizers

Still More

There will be many good ones available for you to use.

• http://sd139.k12.id.us/vmsstaff/edelman/types%20of%20writing.htm

• http://www.xu.edu/lac/note_taking.htm• www.sau47.k12.nh.us/jrms/jrmslib/outlining.htm• www.nvcc.edu/home/nmctaggart/dogwood/dogwood/note-ta

king10.htm• www.angelfire.com/wi/writingprocess/• http://citationmachine.net• http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/

teachwriting• http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/graphicorg/• www.bpsd.k12.pa.us/williampenn/room103/

writing.htm• www.eduplace.com/cgi-bin/schtemplate.cgi?

template=/rdg/hme/rubrics/4/narrative/index.thtml&grades=k_5&alt=K-5