- Timed Writing to Gain Higher Scores
WHY Review Writing? - Because ½ point on the writing = between 6-9 points on the multiple choice
In Other Words…. - The Writing is Heavily Weighted!
How Can We Use This to Our Advantage? - Prepare the kids for structured timed writing
Review the Elements of the Perfect Paragraph What is a Perfect Paragraph? The Perfect Paragraph - Create a great topic sentence
- Support topic sentence with evidence
- Three support sentences work
- Use some transitional words to smooth things out: because, but, and
- Never put new info in the conclusion
Review the Elements of the Multi-paragraph Essay What Are the Steps in a Five Paragraph Essay? How do I make interesting essays? - Vary the Sentence Length
- Simple Sentence: Subject & Verb or Subject, Verb, Object
- Compound Sentence: 2 clauses of equal weight joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, or)
- Complex Sentence: A clause and a phrase joined by a subordinating conjunction (but, because)
- Correlative conjunctions are used in pairs to create more sophisticated sentences ( not only, but also) (both, and)
- Compound/Complex Sentence: 2 clauses and a phrase joined by coordinating, subordinating, or correlative conjunctions
The Five Paragraph Essay: The Intro - Decide what the question or prompt is asking
- FIRST PARAGRAPH: Introduce the topic
- Create a bold thesis statement
- Decide which evidence will support your thesis and mention in the intro
- Use a transition into the body
The Bold Thesis Statement - Know the difference between a topic and a topic sentence
- Know the difference between a topic sentence and a bold thesis statement
How do I make a thesis statement bold? - Know the difference between a topic, a topic sentence, and a bold thesis statement
- WAR is a topic
- “WAR is bad,” “War kills people” are both weak thesis statements & can be used as a topic sentence
- “WAR is a crime against humanity” is BOLD!
Pound Your Fist! - When trying out different BOLD thesis statements, pound your fist
- Did you laugh?
- If you didn’t laugh, you probably have a bold thesis statement
- A BOLD thesis statement often makes a person uneasy…
How do I develop this skill? - Get off the fence when writing essays
- Don’t be afraid to take a stand
- Do you have to believe what you are writing? NO!
- You will often be asked to take a side on a debate that you don’t believe in
The Body - Paragraph 2,3,4 should illustrate the supporting evidence
- One paragraph per element of support is adequate for a short essay
- Use transitional words within paragraphs
- Use transitional sentences between paragraphs
The Conclusion - Begin with a word that clues the reader that the end is near
- No new info in the conclusion
- Re-state, review, predict, make a bold statement, or use a quote that illustrates the theme of the essay
Add the Element of Time - This will get rid of the fear of writing
Three 7-minute False Starts - With this method, we get rid of the fear of writing in a timed setting
- This method gives the steps that will get the student through a 30 minute essay including how much time to spend on each step
How Does this Work? Step 1 (7-10 minutes) - Read the prompt carefully
- Do you understand what it is asking?
- Mentally work through your ideas to see if they fit the topic
- Put a graphic organizer in the upper right-hand corner
- Pay attention to tone
Step 2 ( 18-21 minutes) Step 3 (2 minutes) - Read over your essay and check for spelling and punctuation errors. Use the cross-out method to make corrections. No white out!
Tips to Increase the Score Essay Tips - Make it as long as you can within the time limits
- Address each part of a multiple part question
- Vary sentence length and structure
- Get into the subject QUICKLY!
More Essay Tips - Don’t babble.
- Stop and think. Then return to your task
- Be specific
- Write NEATLY!
- ABSOLUTELY, no all caps or stylized writing!
- Punctuate correctly
No “All CAPS” or Stylized - WHENYOUUSEALLCAPITALS&DON’TUSEPROPERPUNCTUATIONYOULEAVENOTHINGFORTHEREADERTOLATCHONTODONTHYPENATEUNLESSABOSOLUTELYNECESSARYANDTHENONLYBETWEENSYLLABLES
- STYLIZEDWRITINGCONFUSESTHEREAERWHICHISNOTAGOODIDEAOFFERYOURREADERACLEANNEATWELLWRITTENESSAYTHATINVITESTHEREADERTOENJOYTHEJOURNEY
Ready for Practice? - Topic #1: Should this school put metal detectors at all gates?
- Begin…..
- Topic #2: Should we keep the lockers or take them out?
- Begin…
More Practice - Topic #3: Why do some students just take up a seat and expect a grade?
- Begin…
More Practice - Topic# 1: How do we solve the trash problem on this campus?
- Begin…
More Practice - Topic# 2: Is graffiti art or vandalism? Explain….
- Begin…
More Practice - Topic #3: How do we solve the tardy problem on this campus?
More Practice - Topic #1: Do high school students have the right to protest?
- Begin…
More Practice - Topic #2: Define civil disobedience, and apply it to your life.
- Begin…
More Practice - Topic #3: When you go to college, do you want a school that is culturally diverse? Why or Why Not?
- Begin…
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