Trait #1: Ideas

1. Trait #1: Ideas

2. A Definition • Ideas are the heart of any piece of writing. Ideas are all about information. • In a good creative piece, ideas paint pictures in a reader’s mind. In an informational piece, strong ideas make hard-to-penetrate text reader friendly. • Two things make ideas work well: CLARITY and DETAILS. • Good writing always makes sense. It includes details-not just any old details, mind you, but those beyond-the-obvious bits of information that really take a reader inside a topic to make him or her part of the conversation.

3. Student Checklist for Ideas • You can tell what my main idea is-even if I do not state it directly. • My topic is narrow and focused. I do not try to tell EVERYTHING. • I know my topic well. If I had questions, I did research. • The paper is clear from beginning to end. • I support and expand my main idea with evidence, examples, facts, or explanations. • I provide enough information to answer readers’ questions. • I share what matters. My paper is free of filler (unneeded information). • My paper has a “ring of authenticity” that comes from experience or knowledge.

4. Sensory Language Think of your “special place.” Write one sentence for each sensory recollection I see __________. I hear ________. I smell __________. I taste ____________. I feel ____________. • What sights, smells, sounds and feelings come to mind? • What do you notice that not everyone would? • What are the most striking details?

5. Sensory Language • Read sentences aloud in small groups of 3-5, focusing on ONE set of sensory recollections at a time. • Discuss how you could clarify ideas. Ask questions of one another.

6. Potatoes • A potato grows below the surface of the ground. All you can see are the leaves. • Potato ideas are those below-the-surface ideas. They are the most intriguing facts about any subject. • Potato ideas are the ideas and details that cause the reader to say “Wow! I never knew that!” If you only have surface ideas, they are nothing more than leaves. You can’t eat the leaves.

7. Pulling up the “Potatoes” • Read the following facts about a shark and make note of the ones that are the “potato” ideas. • A shark is a kind of fish • Sharks can be big or small • Sharks can be gray, brown, or another color • Sharks never swim backwards. • In Hawaii, sharks are revered as reincarnated ancestors. • Sharks are found in oceans throughout the world. • Sharks have many pointed, sharp teeth! • Goldfish have a memory span of 3 seconds • “Jaws” was a very popular film. • Sharks cannot blink. • The origin of the word “shark” goes back to the German word “shurke,” meaning “villian.” • Sharks are loners-and almost never seek the company of other sharks. • Many people fear sharks. • Since the year 1560, the International Shark Attack File has recorded only 1500 instances of actual shark attacks.

8. Shark Facts – Part 2 • Sharks lose their teeth – sometimes tens of thousands of them – throughout their lives. • Thousands of books have been written about sharks. • Newborn sharks are not cared for by their parents. • The large manta rays and giant squid are feared by many divers. • Sharks that attack humans often leave because they do not like the taste. • There are over 350 species of sharks. • Some sharks are larger than others. • A few sharks weigh under two pounds – while some weigh over 5000 pounds. • Sharks have been on earth for thousands of years. • An attacking shark can sometimes be discouraged by an aggressive swimmer. • Sharks have few natural enemies. • Many more people eat sharks than are eaten by sharks. • Sharks have been known to eat almost anything, including whole tires. • If you were on an ocean cruise, you would see many kinds of marine life.

9. How to be a Shark Never blink. Never cry. Scare the pants off everybody. Leave home as soon as you can pack. Avoid restaurants. Look even more dangerous than you are – it could land you a screen test. If you have to act up, do it around goldfish. Make a ton of money off the tooth fairy. Retire in Hawaii where they appreciate you.