Students Are Familiar With Each of These Structures

Helping Our Students Become Stronger Writers Integrating Literacy in the Content Areas Writing Process 1.
Collecting ideas, conducting research and planning (graphic organizers can help students outline their essays) 2. First draft 3. Revision (give students specific revision strategies to apply; i.e. add direct quotations and transition words). Students are used to giving each other feedback on their writing. 4. Editing: students correct essays for grammar, spelling, and conventions. Students are accustomed to peer editing. Editing checklists with particular grammar concepts are helpful. 5. Publishing/Sharing: Students complete a final version of their essay and share it with classmates/teacher/etc. Essay Structure Essays should contain: Introduction (with a hook, background information and a thesis statement) Body Paragraphs (at least two) with clear topic sentences, evidence and analysis/explanation Conclusion that restates the thesis statement, summarizes the essay, and adds additional insight. Works Cited List Types of Writing Assignments Students are familiar with each of these structures. 1. Short Answer Question: A question that students can answer in a paragraph by providing evidence and explaining how it supports their claim. Students are used to using RAFT (restate the question, answer the question, for example, this shows that) 2. Informational/Boxes and Bullets: Students are used to using this structure to organize their essays. Each paragraphs central idea would go in a box and then supporting details are the bullets below the box. Students can then easily turn this outline into an informational essay. 3. Compare and Contrast: An essay comparing and contrasting two topics, sources, etc. (First body paragraph can describe similarities and second body paragraph can describe differences) 4. Argument: Students use evidence to support a claim. They also need to refute a counter argument. 5. Cause and Effect: An essay organized around describing a cause and effect relationship. 6. Problem and Solution: An essay organized around describing a problem and possible solutions. Essay Writing Vocabulary Students are familiar with these terms. Thesis Statement: one sentence summarizing what the central claim of the essay. This should be the last sentence of the introduction paragraph. Hook: the writer should hook the reader in the first sentence by asking a question, giving an interesting fact, etc. Topic Sentences: the first sentence of each body paragraph should serve as a mini-thesis statement by telling the reader what that paragraph will be about Evidence: Students need to supply evidence to support their claims in each paragraph. Evidence may be quoted, paraphrased, or summarized. Remind students to include quotation marks and in-text citations for direct quotes. Analysis: Students should explain how their evidence supports their thesis statement in each body paragraph. Emily Hawe February 2013
Grammar Concepts Students Are Expected to Know 1. Paragraphing: extended writing pieces should be organized logically into paragraphs. Paragraphs should be indented and all other lines should start at the margin. 2. Avoiding run-on and fragment sentences. 3. Apostrophes for possession and contractions only (look out for students using apostrophes to make a word plural) 4. Homophone Errors (there/their/ theyre, are/our, to/too/two, your/youre, witch/which, than/then, its/its) 5. Capitalization of the first letter in a sentence and proper nouns 6. End punctuation: period, exclamation mark, or question mark at the end of a sentence 7. A lot is two words! Transition Words Addition: also, again, as well as, furthermore, in addition, another, likewise, moreover, similarly Consequence: Accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, subsequently, therefore, thus Illustration: for example, for instance, as an illustration, as an example, Similarity: comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar, moreover, together with Exception: aside from, barring, besides, except, excluding, other than, outside of, save Restatement: in essence, in conclusion, in other words, to put it differently, to summarize Contrast and Comparison: by the same token, conversely, instead, likewise, on the one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather, similarly, yet, but, however, nevertheless, in contrast Sequence: at first, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, at the same time, for now, for the time being, the next step, later on, meanwhile, next, then, soon, simultaneously, afterward, in conclusion,
Emily Hawe February 2013

Students Are Familiar With Each of These Structures

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Helping Our Students Become Stronger Writers Integrating Literacy in the Content Areas Writing Process 1.

Emily Hawe February 2013

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