U
Copyright CI 1998 by Washington State m i c e of Superintendent of Public Instruction-Commission on Student
Learning. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmined in any form or by any
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reproduced if lhey are intended solely for nonprofit. educational use.
Printed in the United Slates of America.
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Writing
Name
5
Student Master l a
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Welcome t o the Writing Process!
The ideas presented in Student Masters for the Writing Process will help you to
become a better persuasive writer. Whether you are writing a story or a
persuasive report, the steps in the writing process are the same. As you are
introduced to the lessons and work with the various activities in the following
pages, you will learn about the steps in the writing process and how to use
them as you write a persuasive piece.
Whenever you write, you are writing with a purpose for an audience.
Sometimes you write letters to friends or family members describing your
activities. Sometimes you write stories or poems for personal enjoyment or to
entertain others. Sometimes you write reports to inform your teacher or your
classmates about a new discovery Sometimes your writing persuades your
audience to agree with you about a certain subject or topic.
1
Writing
Student Master I b
Thinking About Your Writing
Before you begin your new assignment, think about your own writing. Good
writing is often a reflection of the amount of interest you have in a topic. By
acknowledging your interests and using the writing process, you may find great
success and enjoyment as a writer. Read the questions below and write a short
answer for each one.
1. What are some things I like about my writing?
2. What are some of the things I like to write about or would like to
write about?
3. What form (letters, essays, reports, stones, poetry, drama) of writing do
I like best, and why?
Writing
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Student Master IC
Name
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4. What are some things I find most difficult about writing?
5. What are some things I could do to become a better writer?
6. What do I know about the writing process?
7. What is the function of persuasive writing?
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Writing
Name
Student Master 2a
Getting Started
In these pages, you will be working on a persuasive writing assignment. But before you
begin, you should meet someone who tried to write a persuasive paper without using the
writing process.
One Monday afternoon, Amy’s teacher started a discussion, and explained the purpose
for a writing assignment. Here’s what Amy’s teacher said:
Class, the school board is considering extending the
school day from 3:OO to 3:30. I would like you to write an
essay about this. Maybe you think that a longer school
day is a good idea. Perhaps you think it’s not such a
good idea. Either way, the purpose of the assignment is
to persuade your audience, the school board, to come
around to your way of thinking on this issue. In a
moment, we will go around the room and listen t o each
student’s opinion on this matter. We will hear that every
student may have a different opinion, and that’s fine.
When you actually write the essay, you should clearly
state your opinion in a polite way and include logical
reasons, facts, details, and examples that support your
opinion, thus making your essay persuasive. Your
support should not be in the form of other opinions.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 2b
On Tuesday, Amy took out some paper and began writing on when she thought
the school day should begin and end. This is what she wrote:
Writing
Name
Student Master 2c
7
Amy stopped. She couldn't think of anything else to write. She thought a little
longer and wrote some more:
After working on her persuasive essay more that week, Amy turned in her
assignment on Friday. Amy felt that she could have done a better job on the
essay, but she was uncertain about what she could have done to improve
her work.
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Writing
Student Master 2d
(e
Persuasive Writing
To begin with, Amy wondered how to start the persuasive writing assignment.
She had some ideas about the length of the school day, but had a hard time
trying to put them all together in a persuasive essay. Amy was frustrated
about which opinions and supporting information she should include in her
persuasive essay.
When Amy asked her teacher for advice on persuasive essays, he gave her some
helpful information. He told her that persuasive writing is used to convince an
audience that a position or action should be taken. He told Amy that it is
important for a persuasive writing piece to have a clear position and support,
such as reasons, examples, andor facts. Amy’s teacher also reminded her, that
like in any other form of writing, it is important to remember the writing
process. Going through all of the stages in the writing process will make it
easier for Amy to write her persuasive essay.
With these things in mind, Amy began to ask herself some questions to help
her focus on writing an effective persuasive essay.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 3a
The Writing Process
Here is what the writing process includes:
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Writing
Student Master 3 b
Name
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Stages of the Writing Process
Prewriting: This is when you do your planning
and thinking.
0 .
Drafting: This is when you develop, organize, and
compose your piece of writing.
&vising: This is when you revisit your writing and
decide which changes to make.
punctuation, spelling, and other conventions
of writing.
--
Publishing: This is where you present your final draft
to an audience so they can share your writing.
Writing
Student Master 3 c
Writing Is A Recursive Process
The stages of the writing process are important because they help you find out
what you want to write and the best way to write it. If you consider the parts,
you will find it easier to decide what to write about and how to express your
ideas in the clearest fashion to your audience. You will also remember to check
your writing for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Always keep in mind that the stages of the writing process are recursive in
nature. This allows the writer the flexibility, through revision, to revisit parts of
the writing process as necessary. Revision allows the writer the opportunity to
add or modify parts of the paper.
These pages will help you understand the writing process better. As you
continue through each step, the process will become clearer to you.
.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 4 a
Where Should You Begin?
Sometimes, you and your classmates are told what to write about. For example, you may have an
assignment to explain a poem you read in class, or you may be asked to write a letter to a company
asking about its merchandise. Other times, your teacher will either assign a broad subject and you
have to make it specific, or you have to come up with your own topics and purpose for writing.
Whatever your writing assignment is, it is important that you understand exactly what to do. Here
are some questions you should ask yourself about each writing assignment.
1. What is the subject?
I
2.
What is my purpose for writing?
3.
Who is my audience?
10. What questions do I have?
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Writing
Student Master 4b
Name
The Purpose For Writing
Whether your teacher gives you a subject to write about or you think of one on
your own, your writing has a purpose. The purpose of your writing is the same
as your reason for writing. If the purpose is not clear to you, you will not write
as effectively as you should. Your message could get lost.
Think about who will be reading your paper, or your audience. What might
they know about your subject? What more do they need to know? When you
write about what your audience needs to know, you are fulfilling your purpose
for writing. Thinking about your audience will help you succeed in your writing.
Another component of your writing is its style, or the way something is
written. Your writing style will largely depend on your purpose for writing and
your audience. If your purpose for writing is to communicate information to a
friend in the form of a note or letter, the style would most likely be informal
based on your word choices. If the purpose of your writing assignment is to
present information to the school board using persuasive language, the style
would most likely be formal. Word choice, voice, and the use of sentence
structures are often factors that distinguish informal from formal writing
styles. The words and phrases that you use when communicating with your
friends differs from the words and phrases that you use when communicating
with the school board. For example, contractions are common in informal
writing but contracted words are usually written out in formal writing. Good
writers attempt to choose words that fit the purpose and the audience, informal
or formal..
Consider the following questions when deciding how to fulfill the purpose of
your writing:
D Who is my audience?
D What style should I choose for that audience: informal or formal?
D What word choices should I make based on the audience and
my message?
D What sentence structure should I use based on the audience and my
message?
D What voice should I use to communicate my message effectively?
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Writing
Name
Student Master 5 a
To show how the writing process works, let’s go back to Amy’s writing
assignment. Let’s see how Amy used the writing process to write a
successful paper.
Learning About Prewriting
0
Prewriting is important because it helps you find and organize ideas to write
about. There are many different ways to do prewriting; you will be learning
about some of them. It’s fun to experiment with different types of prewriting.
After you have tried a few types, use the one that works best for you.
Here are some of the different ways to prewrite:
D Freewriting
D Brainstorming
Thinking
Listening
Mind Mapping
Clustering
D Questioning
D
Drawing
b Talking
.
.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 5 b
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Freewriting
Freewriting is a quick way to put lots of ideas into words. For five or ten
minutes, write down any ideas you can think of related to your subject for
writing. Don't stop writing; if you can't think of any ideas, just write a phrase
about your topic until you think of another idea, then write that idea down.
Don't worry about spelling, punctuation, capitalization, or grammar. Just keep
writing. T h e goal of this activity is the maximum quantity of ideas.
After you finish freewriting, underline or highlight any ideas that you want to
put in your paper.
Example of Freewriting
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Writing
Name
Student Master 5 c
Not only can freewriting help you find ideas and put them into words,
freewriting can also help you find or narrow a subject to write about.
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Writing
Student Master 5d
Name
Brainstorming
Brainstorming is like freewriting, but instead of writing in paragraph form, you
write a list of ideas. Write down everything that comes into your head about
your subject-words, ideas, details, opinions, and examples.
After you brainstorm, read your list and underline or highlight the ideas that
you want to include in your paper.
Brainstorming can be fun to do as a whole class activity in which everyone can
contribute ideas, as a small group activity, or on an individual basis. Ideas can
be recorded on a chart, the board, or a piece of paper. Often, one person’s ideas
will trigger ideas in others.
After writing her list, Amy can determine which position regarding the school
day is strongest based upon how well she can support her opinion. The
brainstorming list allows Amy to form a supportable opinion and to begin
organizing her ideas into sentences and paragraphs. Making a list, building a
cluster or developing a chart are other forms of brainstorming. Amy could also
create a mind-map, such as the one below. You may notice that the pictures on
Amy’s mind-map visually represent ideas for her to begin writing.
Example of Mind-Mapping
7:OO - 8:OO Get ready for school
8:OO - 3:OO School
3:OO After School
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Writing
Name
Student Master 5 e
Example of Questioning
Another way to get ideas about a subject is to ask questions about it. Even
short questions can give you ideas.
Amy does not have a strong opinion about when the school day should begin
and end, but she is interested in finding out how a change in the school day
would affect her and her fellow students. She will use this information to help
her take a position on the issue. This is how Amy used questions to get ideas
about her subject.
By reviewing the answers to the questions, Amy now has enough information
about her subject to form an opinion that can be supported. Of course, you are
not limited to a set number of questions. The purpose of questioning is to
generate ideas and relevant information about your subject. The more ideas
and information you generate, the easier it will be to write your paper.
Capyright Q 19% by Washington Sutc OfFce of Supetinvndcnt of Pvblis Instruction
-Commirrion on Student Lerrning All righu reserved.
Writin8 Races Student Marm SL 888.
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Writing
Student Master 5f
Drawing
Drawing is a form of prewriting that is particularly useful in generating
examples and details, as well as spatial and sequential order. Though this
technique is primarily used in descriptive and narrative modes of writing, it
can be used for persuasive writing as well.
This is an unusual form of prewriting but it can be very effective. In the
drawings below, Amy sketched what she does with the time she has before and
after school during an existing school day. Having thought of these activities,
she could then use them as points to support her argument of keeping the
school day as it is. The drawings can also serve as visual organizers. Each
drawing could represent topics for individual paragraphs within Amy's paper.
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Writing
Student Master 5 g
Name
Talking
Talking about a particular subject often generates many ideas that can be used
in a paper. In talking about a subject, you can sometimes generate new ideas or
find a new focus. Students can pair up and talk to each other about points to
put in the paper. Notes should be taken during the discussion and an overview
of the notes should be discussed at the end of the activity.
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Writing
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Name
Student Master 6 a
Learning About Drafting
After you have a subject, a purpose, and an audience, you can attempt a draft.
Writing a draft lets you see how the ideas generated by your prewriting
activities can be organized into sentences and paragraphs. Drafting can be
revised and revisited from any part of the writing process, and it is not
uncommon to write several drafts. Remember that the writing process is a
recursive process, meaning that steps can often repeat and overlap.
The primary goal of drafting is to organize the prewriting ideas in a way that
makes sense to your audience. Feel free to experiment with moving and
changing words, sentences, and paragraphs, and also to put ideas together in
different ways.
Drafting is also the stage where you decide what voice to use when "speaking"
to your audience. In persuasive writing, a variety of voices can be used. One
tone may be a committed, confident voice; while another voice may be a logical,
controlled voice.
The form that you choose to present your ideas in will vary depending on the
purpose. Persuasive writing will most likely be in the form of a letter, essay, or
report.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 6b
Learning About Drafting
Using your prewriting a s a plan for your writing, you should put your ideas on
paper quickly without much concern for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
You should concentrate instead on writing your ideas in sentences and
organizing them into paragraphs that make sense to your audience.
Here are some tips to help you through the drafting process:
D Review your prewriting and choose your best ideas and determine the
best order in which to write them. It may help to ask yourself the
following questions:
How can I best achieve my purpose?
Who is my audience and what would they want to know?
What ideas are most important?
What details are most important?
Are my ideas arranged in the best order to achieve my purpose?
What is the best approach for my writing?
By addressing these questions, you may generate new ideas and eliminate
ideas that don’t fit your persuasive paper’s purpose or the needs of your
audience.
[> Write one sentence that clearly describes your subject. For persuasive
writing, begin by explaining the issue then clearly state your opinion
about the issue.
Example: The school day should begin one hour earlier so we can be
released earlier.
D Write one sentence about each of your major ideas. Use your main idea
sentences as places to start when constructing your argument.
Remember to focus on one main idea per paragraph.
Example: More time for extra-curricular activities because they are
part of education, too.
Example: We could participate in more physical activities by getting
out earlier.
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D Add supporting ideas to construct your paragraphs. These supporting
ideas may be in the form of facts, examples, or reasons and may or may
not be from your prewriting. At this point, you may realize that you
need research to support your facts, examples, or reasons.
Example: We could save time in the morning by starting school earlier.
We spend at least 30 minutes stuck in traffic every morning. By
starting school amhour earlier, we could be a t school before trafflc
starts to pile up.
D Remember, this is still an experimental stage in the writing process.
Feel free to move parts of this attempt around until you find the best
way to structure your paper.
D Don’t interrupt the flow of ideas worrying about possible spelling,
punctuation, and grammar errors. There will be plenty of opportunity
to make corrections and changes to your attempt.
D When you have finished writing down your ideas into sentences and
putting them together into paragraphs, reread what you have written
and check to see if it makes sense.
D Feel free to revisit your prewriting to look for more ideas. You can even
complete another prewriting activity to help you get more ideas or
better organization.
b It is not uncommon to do or start numerous drafting attempts, so don’t
waste time trying to be precise with penmanship.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 6d
Sample Drafting
Here is an example of a draRing attempt from Amy. Amy’s paper is about when
the school day should begin and end.
Amy’s paper is beginning to take shape. She has put her ideas into sentences,
and she has clearly stated her opinion on when the school day should begin and
end. Amy still has some work to do though. She should consider adding some
ideas to help support her opinion, and she might also consider deleting some
ideas that stray from her persuasive purpose. Additionally, Amy should think of
a way to organize her ideas into paragraphs. She also needs to improve her
spelling and grammar, but since her paper may change after she revises, she’ll
focus on these errors later during the editing.
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Student Mser 6 6 , 8 1 9 8
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Writing
Name
Student Master 7 a
Learning About Revising
When you finish writing a draft, begin to review it and make changes. You are
now revising. In fact, the word revise means to look a t something again.
Successful revising begins with reading your paper with your audience in mind.
Ask yourself these questions as you read:
D Will my audience understand what I have written?
D Do I need to add or explain anything that will provide support for my
opinion or make my ideas clearer to my audience?
D Is my paper organized?
D
Will my audience be convinced by my argument?
As you look a t your paper again, you may see places where you can
b Add, substitute, rearrangk, or delete information
D Change the wording to make your ideas clearer or more interesting
D Change the order of ideas
When your paper is ready to be revised, you will be looking a t it again for these
and other ways to make it better. Revising your paper may result in writing
another attempt or perhaps revisiting the prewriting part of the writing
process.
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Writing
Student Master 7b
Name
Revising Checklist
Before Amy made her next round of revisions, she went through this checklist.
0 Take a break from your writing. It may be easier to find problems in
your writing if you read it with a fresh outlook.
0 Reread your persuasive writing assignment sheet or class notes to
refresh your memory of what your teacher wants to see in the
assignment.
0 Read your paper aloud to test for overall sense and sound and for any
words or phrases that may have been left out.
0 Check to see that your paper has a definite introduction, body, and
conclusion.
0 Read the last paragraph to be certain that it summarizes or makes a
relevant point about your topic.
0 Check to see that each paragraph has a clear purpose and focus.
0 Check to see that your writing flows and makes smooth transitions.
0 Replace or delete any reasons or examples that do not clearly prove or
illustrate the point you are trying to make.
0 Locate and replace any words, phrases, or sentences that are repeated
unnecessarily or fail to add anything to the overall quality of
your paper.
0 Move sentences if they are out of order.
0 Use words that present a clear picture for your readers. Consider
replacing general words with specific words and using more
action words.
0 Ask yourself if you have explained everything your audience needs
to know.
0 Check to see that you have used a writing style and form that fits both
your purpose and your audience.
0 Share your paper with someone else to get another view of
your writing.
0 Go back to your paper to revise it as often as necessary.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 7 c
1
Remember the sample of Amy’s paper? Here’s what it looks like aRer revisions
and a second attempt has been written. Notice that Amy found ways to make her
paper better.
Writing
Name
Student Master 7 d
Notice the revisions Amy has made on her next draft.
D She has written in paragraph form.
D Each paragraph represents a main idea that supports her opinion.
D She has added sentences in her paragraphs to help support her
opinion.
D She has also made some spelling, punctuation, and grammar
corrections.
Amy has also organized her paper so that it includes a beginning
(introduction), middle (body), and end (conclusion). In persuasive writing, your
opinion is usually stated in the introduction. Support for your opinion is then
written in the middle or body paragraphs. The conclusion makes a strong point
or final appeal to persuade your audience to some sort of action or decision.
Amy is hoping that the school board (her audience) will read her paper and
decide to shorten the school day.
Revising gives you another opportunity to practice writing. Writing is like
learning a new sport or learning to play a musical instrument-you must put
effort into learning to do it well. You must go through the parts of the writing
process and pay attention to what you are doing.
Revising makes you look at your paper in a new way. It makes writing easier
because you don’t feel that you have to do everything perfectly in the drafting
stages. Revising gives you numerous opportunities to improve your writing.
As you revise your writing, you will probably change it quite a bit. You may find
yourself going back to do more prewriting to get ideas. You may want to add,
substitute, or rearrange ideas in your draft. As you revise, experiment with
different ways of conveying your ideas.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 7 e
Peer Response
Something that you might find helpful is having a writing partner who will
work with you. A writing partner is someone .who is willing to read your paper
and give you helpful comments. Your writing partner could be anybody, such as
your teacher, a friend, someone at home, or someone in your class.
Here are some suggestions for working with a partner.
D
Read your paper aloud to your partner or give your partner a copy that is
easy to read.
D
Ask whether your partner can determine your purpose for writing.
Does your partner’s answer match your purpose? If not, think about
how you can revise your writing to more closely match your purpose
D On a separate sheet of paper, have your partner answer these
questions: What do you like about my draft? What questions do you
have? What things could make it better? Did I convince you of my point
of view?
D
Look a t the comments your partner made about your paper. Consider
only those comments that you think will really improve your paper.
i>
If you are unsure about the correctness of some of your partner’s
comments, ask someone else.
After someone has responded to your paper, go back to your attempt and in a
different color, mark all of the changes that you think will make your paper
better. Then write another drafting attempt. Having someone respond to your
paper may help you decide whether your revised paper is clearer and easier to
understand.
Writing
Student Master 7f
Name
Peer Response Checklist
Here are some tips for responding to someone else’s paper.
0 I have read or listened t o the entire paper a t least once before I made
any suggestions.
0 I have looked for strong points in the paper and given the writer
positive feedback.
0 I have made sure the paper stays with the main idea or focus.
0 I have made sure each paragraph contains enough support for the
author’s opinion.
0 I have made sure that the paragraph organization and order
makes sense.
0 I have checked for sentence variety and length.
0 I have checked for good word choices and sentence structure within
the paper.
0 I have offered suggestions for changes that will help the student improve
the paper.
0 I have kept all my comments positive and constructive.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 7g
Sample Peer Response
After peer editing Amy's paper, Amy's partner noted some suggestions for
revisions Amy could make:
With these suggestions, Amy c a n now prepare to make some edits.
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Writing
Name
Student Master 8 a
Learning About Editing
After you feel you have finished revising your paper, you are ready to begin
editing it. Editing is the stage of the writing process in which you concentrate
on correcting spelling, punctuation, grammatical errors, and other conventions
in your paper.
During editing, you will proofread your paper to make the final corrections
before preparing a final draft. Proofreading symbols can be used as a shorthand
way of showing corrections. Proofreading symbols include the following:
in the
A
insert
Yesterday, I went hikingAforest.
P delete
He was very v&cold.
...
let it stand
Over the hill was a lovely field of flowers.
#
add space
I just love the mornin lme we spend together.
close up
The band concert was extrcordinary!
transpose
I like the ta% of cold, creamy milk.
N
E Capital letter
/
lowercase letter
...
4.
I attend Miller Jr. High school.
MyNother rides her bicycle every morning.
9 make paragraph ...and that is why fishing is a favorite sport.4FAnother
favorite sport is volleyball. Volleyball is fun because
you can be part of a team ...
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Writing
Name
Student Master 8 b
Editing Checklist
0 Check your paragraphs for unity and development. Are your ideas
presented in a logical order? Are any of your sentences off the subject?
0 Have you supported all of your ideas using details, facts, and examples?
0 Make certain that sentences express a clear, complete thought
0 Make certain all verbs agree with their subjects, singular or plural, and
each pronoun agrees with its antecedent throughout your paper.
0 Be sure your verb tense (past, present, future) is consistent throughout
your paper.
0 Check capitalization of proper nouns and the first words of sentences.
0 Check to see that you used commas, periods, and other punctuation
correctly. Use a grammar book or a writer’s handbook to find rules
about which you are uncertain.
0 Look for spelling errors.
0 Use a dictionary or spell-check where applicable to look up the spelling
or meaning of any word you find questionable.
0 Have someone else read your paper and look for any errors that you
may have missed.
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Student Master 8 c
Sample Edits
Let’s look again a t Amy’s persuasive paper after she revised the previous
attempt. Taking into consideration her partner’s peer evaluation, Amy reads
the paper again and finds even more ways to improve it.
Student Master 9
Learning About Final Drafts
Now take a look a t the final draft of Amy’s persuasive paper after it has been
revised and edited.
Final Draft
Amy’s paper looks different from the other attempts. She has made it better by
revisiting her prewriting, revising, and editing.
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Writing
Student Master 10
Name
Suggestions for Publishing
After you have finished writing a paper, how do you share it with others? There
are many ways to share your writing.
Here are some suggestions that your class and your teacher may consider.
D Take turns reading papers aloud to other class members.
D Each student makes a book or portfolio of his or her best writing.
D Students make contributions to a booklet or anthology containing
papers by the entire class.
D
The class selects the best papers to be posted on a bulletin board or
display case.
D
Name one or more students “Writerb) of the Week” each week. Those
receiving this honor display their writing in the classroom and act as a
class resource about writing through the week. Other class members
can interview the writer of the week about his or her favorite types of
writing and how he or she approaches assignments.
D Display student work at writer’s fair for your class or school.
Encourage students to submit work in different categories, such as
fiction, nonfiction, writing for various subjects (history, science, math,
and so on), research papers, and poetry. Recognize all students who
participate in the fair.
D
Read your work aloud and record it for the class listening corner.
D Submit work to your student literary magazine or newspaper, if there
is one. If not, try to organize one.
D Encourage the student newspaper staff to reprint excellent student
writing from various subject areas.
D If your school or school district has a website, find out how to publish
student work on it.
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Writing
Name
Student Master I l a
Tips for Writing with a Computer
If you are using a computer to write your papers, here are some tips that could
help you in each step of the writing process.
Prewriting
Try typing your ideas without looking at the screen. Don’t worry about typing
words correctly. After you have typed a number of ideas, review them. You may
want t o add more ideas and drop other ideas. You may also want to rearrange
your ideas, which is very easy to do on a computer.
If you are printing your prewriting, double or triple space the printed version.
It will be easier for you to write notes to yourself on a printed copy with lots
of extra space.
Writing a Draft
When you write a drafting attempt on the computer, follow the same process
you use when you draft by hand. Some people find it better to handwrite their
first attempt, then type it on the computer. How about you? As you are typing,
you will probably find yourself making improvements. As in the prewriting
stage, take advantage of the computer’s ability to move sentences from one
section of the paper to another.
Writing
Student Master 11b
Name
Revising
Revising is easy on the computer. You can easily add, drop, move, and copy
words, sentences, and even paragraphs! It’s a good idea to print a copy of your
draft so that you can see it all at once while you revise it. Most computer
screens aren’t large enough to let you see more than half a page at a time. To
make it easier for you to make notes on the printed version of the revision,
print it with double or triple spacing.
Editing
You can also use a computer to help you edit. Most computers have tools to help
you check your spelling, punctuation, and grammar. But computers can’t find
every error. For example, using their, there and they’re correctly cannot be
checked by computers. Before you hand a paper in, read it very carefully.
Thinking About the Persuasive Writing Process
Before you begin a new persuasive writing assignment, it is important to
review what has been presented about the writing process so that new skills
will be easily applied to a new assignment. Good writing is often a reflection of
the amount of interest you have in a topic. When writing persuasively, you
should choose a subject that you feel strongly about; one that is interesting to
you. By acknowledging your interests and using the writing process, you will
find more success and enjoyment as a writer. Read the questions below and
write a short answer for each one:
1. What are some things that I like about persuasive writing?
2. What are some of the things I feel strongly about and could therefore
use for a powerful argument?
3. What form (letters, essays, reports, stories, poetry, drama) of writing do
I like best? Explain why.
4. What are some things I find most difflcult about writing persuasively?
5. What are some things I could do to become a better writer when I write
persuasively?
I
Writing
Name
Student Master 1 3 a
Assignment
Now that you know how to get started with prewriting, it's time to do some
prewriting for a new assignment. Instead of using the assignment Amy's class
used, you are going to write about something different.
Here,is the situation concerning your next persuasive writing
assignment: The school board of your school district is considering
requiring all students, every year, to perform 10 hours of volunteer
community service. Volunteer community service is defined as offering
personal time, without pay, to a community organization such as a
social service agency, a museum, or an environmental group. First,
choose your position. Then, persuade your audience to agree with your
position on the required community service issue. The audience for
this assignment could be the school board and the principal, or fellow
students. When writing your essay, you should clearly state your
opinion and include relevant, logical reasons, facts, and examples that
support your opinion.
Before you begin to write, think about your assignment. Ask yourself the
following questions and write your answers on this sheet.
1. What is the issue for this paper?
2. What is my purpose for writing?
3. To what audience will this paper be aimed?
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Writing
Name
Student Master 1 3 b
4. Will this be an informal or formal written assignment and why?
5. When is this assignment due?
6. How will my writing be evaluated?
7. What materials and resources will I need for this assignment?
I
Writing
Student Master 1 3 c
Name
Time to Begin!
Use all the stages in the writing process to help you write a good paper. You've
already learned how to begin, so choose a type of prewriting from the review
list below and get some ideas on paper about whether your school should have
required community service.
Prewriting
0
'.
Before you begin to write your persuasive essay, choose two of the prewriting
strategies listed below. Use clean paper for each one and write your name and
"Prewriting" a t the top. Feel free to use more paper if you run out of space or
need to start over. Refer to Student Master sections 5a-f for further review of
the prewriting strategies.
D
Freewriting
D Brainstorming
Thinking
Listening
Mind-mapping
Clustering
D Questioning
D Drawing
D Talking
I
I
Writing
Name
Student Master 1 4 a
Prewriting Self-Evaluation
Fill in parts 1-7 of this sheet by yourself. Discuss the answers to these items
during an individual conference with your teacher.
1. The two types of prewriting I chose to use are called:
A.
B.
2. Which of my ideas will be convincing to my audience?
3. What are my plans for organizing my ideas into possible paragraphs?
I
Writing
Student Master 1 4 b
Name
~~~~~~
4. Which ideas can I use in my first attempt at drafting?
~~
5. Which ideas can I rule out?
6. How was doing this prewriting helpful to me?
7. What questions do I want to ask my teacher about prewriting,
turning my ideas into a drafting attempt, or any other part of the
writing process?
I
Writing
Name
Student Master 1 4 c
Prewriting Conference with Teacher
Fill in parts 1and 2 of this sheet with your teacher during your individual
conference.
1. Things my teacher liked about my prewriting:
2. Suggestions for my writing from my teacher:
I
Writing
Student Master 15
Name
Writing a Draft
Now that you have a topic, ideas to write about, and a plan for how you will
organize your ideas, it's time to write a draft.
On clean lined paper, write your name and "First Attempt" a t the top of the
page. Use more paper if you run out of space on one piece or need to start over.
Remember:
D
D
Always stay focused on your purpose
D
Use only ideas that help support your opinion.
D
Be prepared to refute any opposing opinions.
D
Clearly state your opinion about the subject somewhere in the
beginning.
D
Write your ideas in sentences and organize them into paragraphs
Always consider your audience.
D Double-space to allow room for revisions and needed changes.
D Number each line of your drafting attempt so you can reference parts of
your attempt easily.
D Add more information, details, facts, and examples to help clarify and
explain your ideas.
D Work~ongood paragraph transitions to make your ideas "flow."
D Don't be overly concerned about spelling, punctuation, and grammar a t
this point. The flow of your ideas on paper is the most important thing.
D You can go back to the prewriting step if you feel you need more ideas
or better organization.
D You can make changes in your first attempt a t draRing or start over a t
any time.
Begin writing your draft now, using the paper you labeled "First Attempt." Use
more paper if you run out of space.
I
First Attempt Self-Evaluation
Answer the questions on this page after you have finished your first attempt.
Have I clearly stated my opinion about the topic?
YES
NO
Do my ideas support my opinion about the topic?
YES
NO
Are my ideas clearly stated in sentences?
YES
NO
Are my ideas logically grouped into paragraphs?
YES
NO
Did I consider my audience?
YES
NO
What relevant information did I add to the prewriting ideas?
What unrelated prewriting ideas did I delete?
What changes did I make to my prewriting to make my writing better?
I
Writing
Name
Student Master 1 6 b
What voice did I use? Was it a committed, confident voice? Or a logical,
controlled voice? Was it formal or informal?
What ideas do I need to generate to make my writing better?
What things can I do to improve my paper?
I
I
Writing
Name
Student Master 1 7 a
First Attempt Peer Response
Read the author’s first attempt. Fill in this sheet, then discuss your responses
with the author.
Author:
Reviewer:
Write down the sentence from the paper that states the author’s opinion
about the required community service issue.
What is the author’s purpose (opinion)?
How has the writer supported his or her opinion?
Which ideadparagraphs can be switched around to ensure proper flow?
I
Writing
Student Master 17b
Name
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Which ideas used in the draRing attempt came from the prewriting activities?
Describe the voice used in this attempt. Is it formal or informal?
Use these lines to note the areas of concern. Be as specific as possible when
referring to the paper.
Things I like about this attempted dra& are
Questions I would like to ask the author are
Thing that could make this attempted draft better are
S t u d e n t Master 1 8
Revising Checklist
How does your paper look now? Can you make it easier to understand? Could it
be more interesting? Experimenting and changing your writing to make it
better is the purpose of revising.
On your attempt, mark the changes that you think will make your
writing better.
Check off the following points after completion,
0 I made revisions easier to see and understand by using a different color
to mark them.
0 My audience will understand my writing
0 My paper has accomplished my purpose.
0 I have clearly stated the problem.
0 My opinion is clearly stated (preferably) in my opening paragraph
0 I reread each paragraph. Every paragraph is necessary. Each
paragraph explains one idea.
0 I reread each sentence. Each sentence contributes to the paragraph it
belongs to.
0 Each sentence makes sense and expresses a complete thought or idea
0 The sentences help the flow of ideas from one idea to another.
0 No need to add more information, facts or examples.
0 Word choices used in the paper are appropriate for my purpose and
audience.
0 I have not repeated words or ideas unnecessarily.
0 My words communicate my ideas clearly.
0 My voice is appropriate for this assignment and my audience.
0 I have revised the assignment again.
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Writing
Student Master 19
Name
Revising Self-Evaluation Checklist
Author:
0.Did I read over my Peer Response sheet?
0 Did I make changes in my draft to make my paper better?
0 Does this draft state my opinion?
0 Did I change or take out words or sentences that were repetitious?
0 Did I take out information that is not supportive or about my position?
0 Did I add information or details where needed?
0 Do my sentences communicate my ideas and show how they are
connected?
0 Do my paragraphs each explain or support my opinion?
0 Do the sentences in each paragraph make sense and focus on the
same idea?
0 Do I use words that clearly communicate my ideas?
0 Will my audience understand what I have written?
0 Does my audience need any specific information?
0 Have I used an appropriate voice, word choices, sentence lengths and
structures for my paper?
0 Have I accomplished my purpose for this paper?
Were there any suggestions or comments given by my peer partner’s response I
decided to ignore? If so, what were they? Why did I choose to ignore them?
I think the next thing I need to do for my writing is
Student Master 2 0 a
Revising Peer Response
Read the author’s revised attempt. Fill in this sheet, then discuss it with the
author.
Author:
Responder:
Things I like about this attempt are
Does the author explain the problem?
YES
NO
Does each of the paragraphs support the author’s
opinion in some way?
YES
NO
Does each of the paragraphs give the reader enough
information?
YES
NO
Did the author improve the focus on the main ideas?
YES
NO
Does the paragraph organization and
order make sense?
YES
NO
Did the author change or take out repetitious
words or sentences?
YES
NO
Did the author add facts, examples,
details or elaboration?
YES
NO
Do the author’s sentences make his or her paper
easy to read and understand?
YES
NO
Does the author’s use of words and sentence structure
communicate his or her message clearly?
YES
NO
Does the author’s voice help convey his or
her message?
YES
NO
As the reader, are you persuaded by the
author’s paper?
YES
NO
I
Writing
Name
Student Master 20b
Take time to specifically note your concerns on the following lines so that you
may discuss them with the author.
Things that could make the final draft better are
Writing
Student Master 2 1
Name
Editing Points To Remember
When your paper has been revised as much as you think it needs t o be, it is
time to edit. Remember, editing is making final corrections before writing a
final draft. This is the time to correct any errors in spelling, punctuation,
grammar, etc.
Remember:
D Look for spelling and capitalization errors.
D Use a dictionary or spell-check to check the spelling of any words you
don’t know.
D Check t o see if you used punctuation correctly.
D Check your capitalization.
D Check sentences to be certain they are complete and make sense.
D Have someone else read your paper to help you look for any errors you
may have missed. You may be tired of reading your paper. Someone who
has not read your paper already may see errors you missed.
D Check for subject-verb agreement (singular or plural) throughout your
paper.
D Check to see if you used commas, periods, and other punctuation
correctly. Use a grammar book or writer’s handbook to find rules about
which you are uncertain.
7
.
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I
Writing
Student Master 22
Name
Editing Peer Response
To fill in this sheet correctly, carefully read the author’s persuasive paper for
four types of errors: capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Then,
discuss your response with the author.
Author:
Reviewer:
Do any sentences have errors in capitalization?
If you circled ‘YES,”mark the changes the
author needs to make.
YES
NO
Do any sentences have errors in spelling?
If you circled ‘YES,”mark the changes the
YES
NO
Do any sentences have errors in punctuation?
If you circled ‘YES,”mark the changes the
author needs to make.
YES
NO
Do any sentences have errors in grammar?
If you circled ‘YES,”mark the changes the
author needs to make.
YES
NO
author needs to make.
Be sure to discuss all recommended changes with the author. It is the author’s
responsibility to decide which edits to make in his or her paper. If there is a
question or uncertainty regarding any recommended changes, the author
should seek advice from the teacher.
Writing
Student Master 23
Name
1
Editing Self-Evaluation
To fill in this sheet correctly, carefully read each sentence of your persuasive
writing four separate times. Read once for errors in capitalization, then read for
errors in punctuation, then grammar, and then spelling. You may need help
finding errors in your writing, If you find any errors, make the changes needed.
Then, fill in this sheet t o tell how you checked your writing for errors.
I checked my capital letters by
0 reading each sentence carefully.
0 using my textbook or workbook.
0 asking someone to read my writing
0 checking the dictionary.
0 using a computer.
other:
I checked my punctuation by
0 reading each sentence carefully.
0 using my textbook or workbook.
0 asking someone t o read my writing.
.0 checking the dictionary
0 using a computer.
other:
I checked my grammar by
0 reading each sentence carefully.
0 using my textbook or workbook.
0 asking someone to read my writing
0 checking the dictionary.
0 using a computer.
other:
I checked my spelling by
0 reading each sentence carefully.
0 using my textbook or workbook.
0 asking someone to read my writing.
0 checking the dictionary
0 using a computer.
other:
b
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Writing
Student Master 24
Name
A
I
Writing a Final Draft
Now that your attempts have been revised and edited, it’s time to get out some
clean paper and write your final draft. Write your name, date, and “Final Draft”
at the top of the paper. If you run out of space on one piece of paper or need t o
start over, get more paper.
Make sure to use the following format when writing the final draft.
D Double-space your writing so the teacher has room to write any
appropriate comments.
D
D
Indent the start of each new paragraph.
Put your name and title of the paper at the top of page one. Feel free to
make a creative title page if time permits.
-
Writing
Name
Student Master 25
4
Post-Writing Inventory
Explain how each of these parts of the writing process helped you write your
persuasive paper.
Prewriting:
Drafting:
Revising:
Editing:
Which part of the writing process did you find most helpful in improving your
writing? Explain why.
I
Writing
Student Master 26
Name
Post-Writing Questions
Now that you have used the writing process, think about your persuasive
writing. Read the following questions and write a short answer for each.
What are some things you learned about the writing process?
Which part of the writing process did you find most difficult? Explain why.
Which part of the writing process did you find most helpful? Explain why
What are some things you learned about the way you write?
What are some things you could do to improve the way you write?
<
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Student Master 27
Student Evaluation and Submitting Work
Now that you have finished your best writing, it is time to submit all of your
work to your teacher. You should have many pieces of paper that you used for
the different parts of the writing process. Like the final draft, these papers are
very important because they show the process that writers go through when
writing a paper. Before you turn in all these papers, you should organize them
in a folder.
Read through the Writing Folder Checklist to be certain that you have included
all of the papers your teacher wants to see.
Writing Folder Checklist
i
Before submitting my writing folder, I have checked to be sure it is
complete. My writing folder is complete if I have included
0
my completed Thinking About Your Writing sheet
0
my prewriting, Prewriting Self-Eualuation sheet, and Prewriting
Conference with Teacher sheet
O
my first attempt with revisions and edits, the First Attempt SelfEvaluation sheet, and First Attempt Peer Response sheet
2
revised attempts (labeled #2, #3, #4, etc.) and all of their
Self-Evaluation and Peer Response sheets
~
3
my final draft and Final Draft Self-Eualuation sheet
3
my completed Post-Writing Questions sheet
3
all of the papers in my writing folder, correctly labeled for each part
of the writing process
3
my name and date written clearly a t the top of each page
1
Writing
Student Master 28
Name
Teacher Evaluation and Individual Conferences
After your teacher has evaluated all of the work in your writing folder, he or
she will meet with you. This conference will give your teacher a chance to tell
you about the strengths of your writing. Your teacher may also use this time to
give you suggestions for improving your writing and to answer any questions
you may have about the writing process. This discussion should be similar to
the peer reviews, except it will be with your teacher. This conference is not just
a time to find out your grade on the assignment, but a time to learn about
ways to become a better writer. After you meet with the teacher, fill in the
chart below.
MY strengths as a writer are
In order to improve my writing
I need to
Writing
Student Master 29
Name
Share Your Writing!
Let your friends and family members read your writing, or offer to read it to
them. You may also want to share prewriting activities and assignments that
you have revised and edited to show how your writing has evolved while using
the writing process. Share with others what you have learned about the writing
process and what your future goals are for your writing.
n