How to Address
a PSSA
Writing Prompt.
USE THE
WRITING
PROCESS
Tell me the 3 steps in the
Writing Process?
PRE-WRITING
WRITING
POST WRITING
Rank the Process phases in
order of importance in regards to
scoring well on the PSSA exam.
PRE-WRITING
POST WRITING
WRITING
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus ?
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus
Content ?
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus
Content
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus
Content
Organization ?
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus
Content
Organization
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus
Content
Organization
Style ?
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus
Content
Organization
Style
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus
Content
Organization
Style
Conventions ?
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
Consider which phase of the Process
has the greatest influence upon each
DOMAIN.
Focus
Content
Organization
Style
Conventions
Pre-Writing Writing
Post Writing
LET’S
RECAP
PRE-WRITING
Focus, Content, Organization
3 of 5 Domains – 60% of Score
WRITING
No Domains
0/5 Domains – 0% of Score
POST WRITING
Style, Conventions
2 of 5 Domains – 40 % of Score
So, why do we spend so much
time on the Writing Part?
If you have but one hour to go
from prompt to final draft
submission…
If you have but one hour to go
from prompt to final draft
submission…
How should you proportion
your time among the phases?
How do you best use your 60 minutes?
___mins.
PRE-WRITING __ mins.
__ mins. WRITING
__ mins.
__ mins. POST WRITING __ mins.
60 Mins.
60 MIns.
How do you best use your 60 minutes?
20
mins.
PRE-WRITING
20 mins. WRITING
20 mins. POST WRITING
60 Mins.
.
How do you best use your 60 minutes?
20
mins.
PRE-WRITING
12 mins
20 mins. WRITING
24
20 mins. POST WRITING
24 mins
60 Mins.
mins
60 MIns.
Now seems like a good time
to issue that Josie prompt,
George.
Pre-Writing phase of Josie the AR Cheat Prompt
Now, we’ll see how well they
approached that prompt… does their
outline promise strong focus, Abe?
To insure strong Focus use a
Purpose Sentence.
“The purpose of my writing is to
(inform, persuade, entertain)
(audience)
(task or tasks).”
STOP!
STOP!
YOU SHOULD READ THE PROMPT
5 OR 6 TIMES.
STOP!
YOU SHOULD READ THE PROMPT
5 OR 6 TIMES.
READ IT WITH PENCIL IN HAND.
STOP!
YOU SHOULD READ THE PROMPT
5 OR 6 TIMES.
READ IT WITH PENCIL IN HAND.,
Circle
Circle
any hint of an audience!
STOP!
YOU SHOULD READ THE PROMPT
5 OR 6 TIMES.
READ IT WITH PENCIL IN HAND,
Circle any hint of an audience!
UNDERLINE Purposes you must achieve.
Your Aunt Maggie is all in tears!
Her 7th grade daughter, Josie, has been cheating on her
AR Tests and the teacher has called them in for a
conference.
Aunt Maggie knows how much Josie admires you, her
11th grade cousin.
She has asked that you write Josie a letter which
discourages her from all forms of cheating and
encourages her to recognize the importance of
improving her reading skills for success in life.
Your Aunt Maggie is all in tears!
Her 7th grade daughter, Josie, has been cheating on her
AR Tests and the teacher has called them in for a
conference.
Aunt Maggie knows how much Josie admires you, her
11th grade cousin.
She has asked that you write Josie a letter which
discourages her from all forms of cheating and
encourages her to recognize the importance of
improving her reading skills for success in life.
Your Aunt Maggie is all in tears!
Her 7th grade daughter, Josie, has been cheating on her
AR Tests and the teacher has called them in for a
conference.
Aunt Maggie knows how much Josie admires you, her
11th grade cousin.
She has asked that you write Josie a letter which
discourages her from all forms of cheating and
encourages her to recognize the importance of
improving her reading skills for success in life.
Your Aunt Maggie is all in tears!
Her 7th grade daughter, Josie, has been cheating on her
AR Tests and the teacher has called them in for a
conference.
Aunt Maggie knows how much Josie admires you, her
11th grade cousin.
She has asked that you write Josie a letter which
discourages her from all forms of cheating and
encourages her to recognize the importance of
improving her reading skills for success in life.
Your Aunt Maggie is all in tears!
Her 7th grade daughter, Josie, has been cheating on her
AR Tests and the teacher has called them in for a
conference.
Aunt Maggie knows how much Josie admires you, her
11th grade cousin.
She has asked that you write Josie a letter which
discourages her from all forms of cheating and
encourages her to recognize the importance of
improving her reading skills for success in life.
Your Aunt Maggie is all in tears!
Her 7th grade daughter, Josie, has been cheating on her
AR Tests and the teacher has called them in for a
conference.
Aunt Maggie knows how much Josie admires you, her
11th grade cousin.
She has asked that you write Josie a letter which
discourages her from all forms of cheating and
encourages her to recognize the importance of
improving her reading skills for success in life.
Your Aunt Maggie is all in tears!
Her 7th grade daughter, Josie, has been cheating on her
AR Tests and the teacher has called them in for a
conference.
Aunt Maggie knows how much Josie admires you, her
11th grade cousin.
She has asked that you write Josie a letter which
discourages her from all forms of cheating and
encourages her to recognize the importance of
improving her reading skills for success in life.
- Discourage Cheating
- Encourage Reading
I Intro
II Discourage Cheating
III Encourage Reading
IV Conclusion
I Intro
II Discourage Cheating
- Reason 1
- Reason 2
- Reason 3
III Encourage Reading
- Reason 1
- Reason 2
- Reason 3
IV Conclusion
I Intro
(with purpose statement)
II Discourage Cheating
- Reason 1
- Reason 2
- Reason 3
III Encourage Reading
- Reason 1
- Reason 2
- Reason 3
IV Conclusion
(Recap of purpose)
If we have had time to work on the
draft of the Introductory Paragraph …
Proceed. Otherwise, see ya later.
In Intro…
In Intro… Don’t Imply
In Intro… Don’t Imply… Don’t assume
In Intro… Don’t Imply…Don’t assume
• For example.. Don’t just say ….
In Intro… Don’t Imply…Don’t assume
• For example.. Don’t just say ….
• Josie, I strongly advise you to stop being bad and
listen to what I think you really shoud do.
Don’t Imply…Don’t assume
Tell Specifically - Directly!
Don’t Imply…Don’t assume
Tell Specifically - Directly!
• Josie, I strongly advise you to stop cheating at
once and recognize the importance of Reading!
It is Best… to Preview your Writing …
with an obvious Thesis
• Josie, I strongly advise you to stop cheating at
once and recognize the importance of Reading!
•
•
•
•
I
II
III
IV
Intro
Cheating is terrible
Reading is beneficial
Conclusion
It is Best… to Preview your Writing …
with an obvious Thesis
• The Reader sees the points you plan to address!
• The Reader anticipates your Organization.
• The reader, upon starting Paragraph II
immediately recognizes your plan of attack.
• The reader/EVALUATOR cannot miss the fact that
you are ORGANIZED!
No hinting…
No hinting…
Shout out
explicitly what
your points
will be!
No hinting…
Shout out
explicitly what
your points
will be!
Preview
upcoming
Paragraphs!
Now, with PreWriting out of the
way…. let’s get
cracking on that
essay!
II Writing Phase
Drafting
III Post-Writing
ReWriting
Let’s take one
more practice
prompt…
See how you
handle the set
up to an outline?
Informative Writing Prompt #1
Think about discoveries or inventions that
have affected our lives. Select One.
Write to inform someone about this
discovery or invention. Tell whether it
has been good or bad for society.
Do a 30 second outline.
How many paragraphs? What’s in each.
Informative Writing Prompt #1
Think about discoveries or inventions that
have affected our lives. Select One.
Write to inform someone about this
discovery or invention. Tell whether it
has been good or bad for society.
Do a 30 second outline.
How many paragraphs? What’s in each.
Informative Writing Prompt #1
Think about discoveries or inventions that
have affected our lives. Select One.
Write to inform someone about this
discovery or invention. Tell whether it
has been good or bad for society.
Do a 30 second outline.
How many paragraphs? What’s in each.
Informative Writing Prompt #1
Think about discoveries or inventions that
have affected our lives. Select One.
Write to inform someone about this
discovery or invention. Tell whether it
has been good or bad for society.
Do a 30 second outline.
How many paragraphs? What’s in each.
Informative Writing Prompt #1
Think about discoveries or inventions that
have affected our lives. Select One.
Write to inform someone about this discovery
or invention.
Tell whether it has been good
or bad for society.
.
I. Introduction
II. An important discovery
III. A very Positive Discovery
IV. Conclusion
.
I. Dear Cousin Jenny, in response to
your survey… X-Rays, beneficial
II. An important discovery
X-Rays – Madame Curie
III. A very Positive Discovery
-Life Saving Innovation
-Radiation also kills cancer
IV. Conclusion - Jenny, my vote is
for x-rays, they save lives.
The End.. For now.