FCAT Writing

1. FCAT Writing

2. Example of an Expository Prompt Most students have favorite forms of transportation. Think about your favorite form of transportation. Now write to explain about your favorite form of transportation and why you like it.

3. Expository Writing • The purpose of expository writing is to: • explain • define • tell how to do something by giving information • Good expository writing: • Has a clear focus that is developed with details and facts to help the reader understand the writing.

4. Example of a Persuasive Prompt A local newspaper editor has published an article about how students should spend more time reading at home. Decide how you feel about spending more time reading at home. Now write to convince the local newspaper editor to support your point of view about whether students should spend more time reading at home.

5. Persuasive Writing • The purpose of persuasive writing is to: • persuade or convince • Good persuasive writing: • Has a clear argument that is developed with details and facts to help the reader understand the writing.

6. The Parts of an FCAT Prompt 1. INTRODUCTION=TOPIC/WRITING SITUATION Most students have favorite forms of transportation. 2. Brainstorming for PREWRITING Think about your favorite form of transportation. 3. ACTION=Directions for WRITING Now write to explain about your favorite form of transportation and why you like it.

7. What does the prompt want you to do? • Find the key words (EXPLAIN & CONVINCE) in the ACTION that tell you the type of prompt it is • Look in the third part of the prompt • It will say: Now write to… • explain (expository) • convince (persuasive)

8. How Is Your Response Scored? • With a RUBRIC • Rubric: A scoring tool that lists the criteria for a piece of work or 'what counts‘ • Criteria: 4 elements of writing

9. 4 Writing Elements to the Score • 1. Focus=Main Idea, Theme or Unifying point • Presented & maintained throughout the whole response • 2. Organization=Structure or Plan • Transitions help you to do this. • First of all, Secondly, Third, and most importantly. • For instance, For example • In addition, Furthermore. • Overall, In short, In summary • 3. Support=Quality Details explain, clarify, or define • QUALITY=writer’s choice of words and how specific they are • Complete, important and exact • 4. Conventions=punctuation, capitalization, spelling, usage, and sentence structure.

10. FCAT Student Writing Rubric • 1- Does not really address the topic, few if any details • 2- Writes about the topic a little bit, not organized clearly, a few supporting details, errors in writing • 3- Addresses the topic, organization can be seen, uses supporting details, uses correct capitalization and punctuation • 4- Focused on the topic, has organization, uses supporting details and explains some of them, commonly used words are spelled correctly • 5- Focused on topic, good organization and use of supporting details, a few errors in grammar • 6- Nearly perfect

11. Look at the sample prompt. On your index card, you will write your own prompt. Use your notes from yesterday. Be sure to include the 3 parts: Introduction: topic/writing situation Directions for prewriting Action: directions for writing SAMPLE PROMPT Most students have favorite forms of transportation. Think about your favorite form of transportation. Now write to explain about your favorite form of transportation and why you like it. Write your own prompt!

12. Grading Student Responses • You will work in groups of 3 or 4 • Your group will receive three different responses • You will read aloud the three responses • You will discuss each of the three responses. • You will then assign a number grade based on the rubric for each of the three responses (1-6) and explain why in three sentences.

13. FCAT Student Writing Rubric • 1- Does not really address the topic, few if any details • 2- Writes about the topic a little bit, not organized clearly, a few supporting details, errors in writing • 3- Addresses the topic, organization can be seen, uses supporting details, uses correct capitalization and punctuation • 4- Focused on the topic, has organization, uses supporting details and explains some of them, commonly used words are spelled correctly • 5- Focused on topic, good organization and use of supporting details, a few errors in grammar • 6- Nearly perfect

14. Now that you know what is expected, follow the steps for your response from the prompt: • Figure out the topic from the introduction/ writing situation • whether it is expository or persuasive by looking at the signal word in the action • Prewrite using the brainstorming for prewriting Use a graphic organizer or outline • Begin to write the response using the directions for writing

15. Responding to a Prompt • When responding to a prompt, include 5 paragraphs • Paragraph 1: Introduction • Paragraph 2: Reason #1Body Paragraph 1 • Paragraph 3: Reason #2Body Paragraph 2 • Paragraph 4: Reason #3Body Paragraph 3 • Paragraph 5: Conclusion

16. Top of the Bun: Introduction Paragraph TS TS TS CS Topic Sentence (TS): the first sentence of the paragraph that tells what the paragraph will be about, include an attention getter. Supporting Detail Sentence (SD1): Reason #1 to support topic Supporting Detail Sentence (SD2): Reason #2 to support topic Supporting Detail Sentence (SD3): Reason #3 to support topic Concluding Sentence (CS): the last sentence that summarizes the paragraph.

17. Lettuce: Body Paragraph/Reason #1 TS CS CS Topic Sentence: the first sentence of the paragraph that tells what the paragraph will be about. Reason #1: Supporting sentence with a detail Reason #2: Supporting sentence with a detail Reason #3: Supporting sentence with a detail Concluding Sentence: the last sentence that summarizes the paragraph.

18. Tomato: Body Paragraph/Reason #2 TS CS Topic Sentence: the first sentence of the paragraph that tells what the paragraph will be about, include an attention getter. Reason #1: Supporting sentence with a detail Reason #2: Supporting sentence with a detail Reason #3: Supporting sentence with a detail Concluding Sentence: the last sentence that summarizes the paragraph.

19. Burger: Body Paragraph/Reason #3 TS CS CS Topic Sentence: the first sentence of the paragraph that tells what the paragraph will be about. Reason #1: Supporting sentence with a detail Reason #2: Supporting sentence with a detail Reason #3: Supporting sentence with a detail Concluding Sentence: the last sentence that summarizes the paragraph.

20. Bottom of the Bun: Conclusion Paragraph TS CS CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH: Summarizes the entire essay. Topic Sentence: the first sentence of the paragraph that tells what the paragraph will be about. Supporting Sentence: Restate the three reasons in a new way. Concluding Sentence: the last sentence that summarizes the paragraph.

21. Do you know the parts of a response? • You will work in the same group as before • You will receive all of the parts of the response in an envelope • Your job as a group is to put it in the correct order as quick as possible and label each part. • The first group done will receive a prize!

22. Can I Get FRIES with that? • Facts • Reasons • Incidents • Examples • Statistics

23. Facts=true statements that can be proven

24. Reasons=explain why

25. Incidents=based on your own experiences(Once, I…)

26. Examples=sample of the detail (For example,….)

27. Statistics=numbers

28. FCAT Writing ORGANIZATION

29. Introduction Activity to Organization • Your friend is trying to explain to you how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He says, “Spread enough peanut butter on one piece of bread to cover it.” • Visualize making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. What are the next steps he would tell you? • Quickly jot them down.

30. What does ORGANIZATION mean? • Organization is the ability to tell things in an order that makes sense and makes it easy to follow.

31. Organization Activity • You will work in small groups • It is your job to determine the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs. • You are going to put the essay back into its correct order and explain why you think it goes that way. • Remember: In a persuasive essay, the strongest argument should be presented LAST!

32. An Organized Essay will have: • clear beginning, middle and end • transition words that are used to show connection and movement throughout the piece • events or supporting details that are organized in a logical sequence • a sense of completeness which ends with a conclusion

33. GOOD The sand is hot under our feet. My mother and I run down to the beach. BETTER My mother and I run down the winding path and onto the beach with our hair blowing in the cool, breezy wind. We walk quickly down on the hot grainy sand. The sand is so hot my toes curl up. Beginning

34. GOOD We sit down together and make a city of sand by piling the sand in pails and turning the pails upside down. BETTER We find a smooth sandy spot and fill a big orange pail with the wet sand. Finallywhen the pail is full, we pat down the sand as flat as we can and gently turn the bucket over. Carefullywe lift up the pail and the sand now becomes a building. Thenwe fill the pail again and again until we have a city of sand buildings appear. Middle

35. GOOD I feel good that I got to spend this day at the beach with my mom. We start to head home at the end of the day. BETTER As we make our way back up the path, leaving our sand city behind, I peek over my shoulder and see a little boy wandering toward our structures. Suddenlyhe squeals in delight, signaling to his mother to come see what he found. EventuallyI turn back to the path, feeling relaxed and content after a wonderful day at the beach with my mom. Ending

36. Why are transitions so important? • They make your writing clearer and flow smoothly • Create logical connections between sentences, paragraphs and sections of your paper • Also they can signal relationships • Look at your list of transitions, there are many of them to choose from!

37. What’s Missing #1? The painting on the library wall presents a lovely, lively seascape. In the foreground stretches a sandy beach littered with children. The center of the scene features a calm, crawling set of waves that seems to move gently toward the busy youngsters. Above, a cloudless sky sheds rays of sunshine on the beachgoers.

38. What’s Missing #2? Bill was asked to select and pack his favorite games for the long car trip. One choice included small board and pegs, a brain teaser. A Gameboy provided another challenge for his journey. The best game .

39. What’s Missing #3? As Billy looked at the yard, he mentally listed all of the work he would complete; then he started.

40. Tips for writing a well organized piece... • Open and close your essay. • Reread for transitional words and add them when needed. • Reread what you wrote and make sure you wrapped up your ideas

41. FCAT Writing Persuasive Writing

42. What is persuasive writing? • The purpose of persuasive writing is to convince the reader to accept a particular point of view (to believe in something) or to take a specific action (to do something).

43. Example of a Persuasive Prompt A local newspaper editor has published an article about how students should spend more time reading at home. Decide how you feel about spending more time reading at home. Now write to convince the local newspaper editor to support your point of view about whether students should spend more time reading at home.

44. Writing Persuasive Response: • Follow the same 5 paragraph format from last week • Paragraph 1: Introduction • Begin with an attention grabbing beginning (statistic, quote, etc.) • Describe the issue (from the writing situation) • State your stand/opinion on the issue (State whether you are FOR it or AGAINST it) • Paragraph 2: Reason #1 • Evidence to support (FRIES) • Details • Paragraph 3: Reason #2 • Evidence to support (FRIES) • Details • Paragraph 4: Reasons #3 (Save your strongest reason for this paragraph) • Evidence to support (FRIES) • Details • Paragraph 5: Conclusion • Restate opinion • Summarize 3 reasons • Call to action or closing statement

45. On the next slides we will look an example of a six point persuasive response. • Students were asked to persuade a newspaper editor whether students should spend more time reading at home (the sample persuasive prompt we looked at). • What is the writer trying to convince you to do or believe? • How do they support this? • How do they conclude their response?

48. You are now going to write your own persuasive response. • Remember: You only have 45 minutes. • Prewriting: 5-10 minutes • Writing: 30-35 minutes • Editing (Reading your paper & correcting mistakes): 5 minutes

49. Your Prompt The school board is considering a rule that would prevent students who have failing grades from participating in school activities, clubs or sports. Think about whether students who have failing grades should or should not be allowed to participate in school activities, clubs or sports. Now write to convince the school board that students who have failing grades either should or should not be allowed to participate in school activities, clubs or sports.

50. After you finish writing, use the last 5 minutes to edit. • You should be able to say yes to the following: • The way I’ve started my paper is effective; it would make the reader want to keep reading. • I’ve told things in an order that makes sense and makes it easy to understand what I’m saying. • The details in my paper go together or lead up to some bigger ideas, main point, or conclusion. • My paper ends well; it doesn’t just stop suddenly, nor does it drag on too long.