Writing Days May 24-May 26. All Portfolios Due at Start of Class on May 30!

As we proofread and edit all writing assignments we have worked on in the past few months, please refer to the outlines and descriptions below that will help you during this process. Six to 10 finished pieces need to be in your folders by the end of this week (with Tuesday, May 30, being the absolute latest we can accept your writing folders). We hope to accomplish this task by devoting Thursday and Friday classes to getting the job done (with homework, if necessary, over the long weekend)! Thank you so much for working hard! 

1. Persuasive Writing: You will try to convince us of something you feel should be believed. A list of topics are in previous lessons in this section, but you are always free to come up with ideas of your own.

a. State your point of view: ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Provide three reasons WHY this view should be considered. List them one after the other here: _______________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

c. Place your alternate opening sentences here. We may decide to switch opening sentences with closing sentences, so try come up with at least three different ways you can state the same idea as you did in part a.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

What you have just written will become your first paragraph. Your next job will be to take each of the three reasons you stated in part b, and give each one a paragraph of its own. In this paragraph, you will go into greater detail than you have in paragraph one. These three paragraphs will make up the "body" of your essay. Be sure that the details you select in part b are strong enough to allow you to write about them extensively; if they are not, you can change them before putting your essay into final form (we will talk about how to do this in class).

Your closing paragraph will be made up of your alternate opening sentences, which you created in part c. Select one of them, and tell your reader why you hope they take your advice and agree with your point of view! You want your closing to make an impact on the reader--one they will remember in days to come!!

2. Anecdote Writing

We will review all slides and topics today as we strive to effectively tell an anecdote (or polish up one you have previously worked on!). This piece of writing can be in first person (using pronouns such as I, me, my, our, ours, us), and it can be casual in word choice and sentence flow.

3. Argument Writing

The essays you have been working on regarding the debate on school dress codes should be edited and revised today. The rules for this type of writing include the following:

• Arguments have two sides, just as they do when you verbally disagree with someone else.
• You need to take a side, even if you feel both sides have merit.
• When you take this side, simply state it without the use of words such as I think.
• Refrain from using first person point of view in this piece, even if samples from past HiSETs allow it. It is best to present it in a more formal manner.
• Use our Venn Diagram model in which you write out or just think about the differences of each point of view as well as the areas on which they agree. Having this jotted down is helpful BECAUSE you will need to include what the opposing point of view consists of and why the one you chose is better.
• One possible example: While students with a limited budget may benefit from wearing specific clothing, such as a uniform, this takes away students' rights as individuals who wish to express themselves in unique ways. 
• Use the shared portion of your Venn Diagram in writing your closing! Talk about how both points of view have similarities, but explain why the viewpoint you are defending is the way to go!
• The effectiveness of your final paragraph should indicate that you have won the argument!!

4. The Haiku
Review syllables on this website, if you forget how to count them. Then write a poem that includes three lines in which the following syllable usage must be followed:

Line One (five syllables) ____________________________________________________________________________

Line Two (seven syllables) __________________________________________________________________________

Line Three (five syllables) ___________________________________________________________________________


Be sure you have painted a picture with your words! Then give your poem a nice title, and be sure to check with me before putting this haiku in final form. You may be on a roll and wish to write several more haiku! Do it, but put each one on a separate paper! The more haiku, the merrier:)

5 - 7.  Writing Prompts, Including Photo Prompts and Story Starters/Creative Writing

I will display additional photos and list more story starters today for this type of writing (in which you create a tale of your choosing in any genre with any point of view you like!). The story is yours to tell, but we still want to maintain good paragraph structure, strong word choice/vocabulary, and correct subject and verb agreement. We may peer edit these today!

8. Business and Friendly Letters 

A sample format of each will be handed out in class today. Be sure to finalize your work today! 

9. Expository Writing

​A sample piece will also be provided to assist your writing a new one, if you have not found a copy in your folders you feel is your best!

​