Writing Support See the writing support
activities in the ELL and Transition
Handbook.
FOCUS/IDEAS The writer has a
main
idea (Flying to NYC alone as a
six-year-old) and a clear purpose (to
entertain).
ORGANIZATION/PARAGRAPHS
The
writer describes events in sequence—the order that they occurred.
VOICE The writing has a
friendly,
informal tone.
WORD CHOICE Strong verbs
(was
hopping, screamed, roared) make the
writing lively.
SENTENCES Sentences vary
in length
and type, creating a smooth style.
CONVENTIONS There is
excellent
control and accuracy, including use
of both compound and complex
sentences.
Teach and Model
Prepare to Write
Prewrite and Draft
Draft and Revise
Connect to Unit Writing
READING-WRITING CONNECTION
Sometimes you will be asked to
write
a response for tests. Before
you
begin, remember that
sentence style
can help make
your writing a pleasure
to read.
For example, look at the first
sentence
of Letters Home from
Yosemite:
"As our plane touched
down in San
Francisco, I knew
we were in for an
exciting
vacation." That's a complex
sentence. The next sentence is
a
short simple sentence. Varying
your
sentence style like this will
create a
smooth, natural rhythm.
EXAMINE THE MODELDisplay Writing
Transparency 5A. Read the prompt
aloud and point out the underlined
key words. Read and discuss the
model in terms of the writing traits
listed to its left.
Invite volunteers to read the
examples
aloud. Help
students hear that
combining
simple sentences leads
to a
smoother style.
Work through the exercises.
Encourage students to
experiment
with choice and
placement of connecting
words before deciding on
an answer.
GUIDED WRITINGIf students
have
difficulty composing long
sentences,
suggest that they
write about a place
using short
simple sentences. Have
them
combine their simple sentences
using a variety of connecting
words.
Think about a time when you took
a
trip—maybe for a vacation or a
family
visit. What experience stays
in your
mind? Write a narrative,
describing
this event to a friend or
family
member.
Test-Taking Tips
1. Read the prompt carefully.
Find key words.
Consider the purpose
and
audience. How will
they
affect your
writing?
2. Develop a plan. Think of
what you
want to say before writing.
Fill out a
simple
graphic
organizer. For
example,
for a
story, think
of
a beginning,
middle, and
end.
For a
comparison/
contrast
essay, fill
out a
T-chart or a
Venn diagram.
3. Support your ideas. Use
facts, examples, and details
to
strengthen
your response.
Avoid
making general
statements that
are
unsupported.
4. Check your writing. If this
is a timed test, you may not have time
to
recopy your
work. However,
you can
neatly add, delete, or
change words
and make
corrections in spelling,
punctuation, or grammar.
Make
sure
your handwriting
is legible.
It pays to
read
your work again
before
handing
it in.
EDITING/REVISING
CHECKLIST
Do sentences vary in kind
and
style?
Is the main idea clear?
Do I use complex
sentences?
Are words with the vowel
sound /ü/
spelled correctly?
Revising Tips Conventions
Make sure that sentences
are
complete, with correct
capitalization
and
punctuation.
Use verbs in the same
tense—generally the
past tense—when
telling a story.
Check that connecting
words
are
used correctly
in compound
and
complex sentences.
ASSESSMENT Use the scoring
rubric
to evaluate students' work.
Write a personal narrative
about a
time that you were a
newcomer to
a place or
situation (a school,
club,
team, or neighborhood).
Explain how
you felt and
what you
found challenging
or exciting.
APPLY
A personal narrative is
a
story
about an
interesting
experience
or
event in the
storyteller's life.
Keep readers
interested in your
personal narrative with
a varied
sentence
style.
