AIMS Writing Prep

1. AIMS Writing Prep Created by Ms. Dimler

2. 10 days !!! Buckle Up Team!!! • 1. RAFTS • 2. Graphic Organizers • 3. Ideas and Content • 4. Organization • 5. Voice • 6. Word Choice • 7. Sentence Fluency • 8. Conventions • 9. Real Deal Rehearsal • 10. Real Deal Rehearsal

3. 1. RAFTS What do you want me to write exactly?

4. RAFTS Refresher • R = role • A = audience • F = format • T = topic • S = sentence

5. RAFTS example 1 Prompt: March 8th is “Working Women’s Day.”  Many people feel that being a stay-at-home-mom is full-time job.  Write an essay explaing why you agree or disagree with this. R = explain A = Dads F = 5 paragraph essay T = Being a mom is a full-time job S = I’m going to write a 5 paragraph essay to Dads everywhere explaining that being a stay-at-home-mom is a full-time job.

6. RAFTS example 2 Prompt: Today marks the anniversary of the death of Anne Frank who died in 1945.  This brave young woman is well known for the diary she kept, capturing her time in hiding from the Nazi soldiers.  Write Anne a letter expressing your thoughts on what it means to be brave. R = express A = Anne Frank F = Friendly letter T = what it means to be brave S = I’m going to write friendly letter to Anne Frank expressing what I think it means to be brave.

7. Your turn… Prompt 1: You rush home from school. Swing open your bedroom door and find a mysterious cardboard box on your bed. Write a story telling what you found and what happens next.

8. Your turn… Prompt 2: Your basketball team really wants new uniforms, but uniforms cost money. You want your team to fundraise to get the money to buy the new uniforms. Write a letter to your coach convincing him that you have a lots of ideas for raising the money.

9. Your turn… Prompt 3: Everyone has special skills. Choose one of your skills, then write a process explaining all the steps that are involved. Example: making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

10. 2. Graphic Organizers “If you build it, they will come.”

11. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSKlSExuA-s

12. So, what’s the point?

13. “If you build it, they will come.” If you build your writing with a graphic organizer, magic will happen with your writing.

14. Think about it… A magical baseball game! That’s incredible!!!

15. 1. Power Outline • Big Idea 2. Tell me more 2. Tell me more 3. Tell me even more • Big idea 2. Tell me more 3. Tell me even more 3. Tell me even more

16. 2. I Planner

17. 3. Stance/Argument

18. Types of Graphic Organizers

19. 3. Ideas and Content message

20. Meet Boring Bob

21. Boring Bob is just your everyday average 6th grader. Boring Bob eats cheerios for breakfast, enjoys puppies, draws smiley faces on his school work, plays hours and hours of video games, and goes to bed at exactly 8:00 p.m. every night.

22. But…

23. …you don’t want to be Boring Bob…

24. …you want to be this guy…

25. Meet Unforgettable Ulric He may not be the coolest kid, but he is definitely impossible to ignore and hard forget!

26. So, just accept it, this is you.Get over yourself.Seriously, this is you for the next 2 weeks or so…

27. Take a long look. I want Unforgettable Ulric to be burned onto your brains, so that when you get your AIMS test, you will see him, and remember that you must be him. Be Unforgettable Ulric!

28. Why have I introduced you to these jolly fellows? Let’s delve deeper shall we?

29. Both Bob and Ulric get the following prompt on their AIMS test. Write a personal narrative about your best day ever. What made that day so memorable?

30. Let’s take a look at their brainstorm lists…

31. My eleventh birthday • The last day of school • The first day of school • The day I got my puppy • The day I learned to ride my bike • The day I got my Nintendo DS • The day I won the science fair • When my class had a pizza party

32. The day I was abducted by aliens • The day I got my pet crocodile • The day I stuck a marble up my nose • The day I convinced my little sister that she had lice • The day I ate 14 hot dogs • The day I met a leprechaun and he led me to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

33. Whose paper would you rather read? There’s no contest, Unforgettable Ulric wins hands down!

34. Now, it’s your turn… Make a t-chart on your paper. Label one side “Boring Bob” and the other side “Unforgettable Ulric.”

35. I’m going to give you a writing prompt and you have to brainstorm a list of ideas that Boring Bob would come up with.Then brainstorm another list of ideas that Unforgettable Ulric would come up with.Remember: Unforgettable Ulric is a cool cat!

36. Carpooling, recycling, and planting trees are all activities that are good for the environment. Write an essay convincing readers to actively participate in one of these activities.

37. Take a look at what you need to do

38. 4. Organization structure

39. Take a look at what you need to do

40. Transition Words Transition words are the bridge between 2 ideas.

41. Let’s take a look…shall we?

42. Transitions are the cord between Christmas lights.

43. List as many transition words as you can! Of course suddenly additionally similarly on the contrary on one hand on the other hand in contrast clearly truly Obviously as you can imagine however furthermore later then next first second third finally consequently As a result in addition in conclusion as you can see equally important traditionally another too also

44. 5. Voice personality

45. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwpTj_Z9v-c&NR=1

46. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CdJTfGiRCI

47. You have your own voice, your own personality.Show it when you write!

48. Take a look at what you need to do

49. This means that when your audience reads your writing, they get to know a little bit about your personality.

50. Your personality includes your… sense of humor fears eccentricities passions