Purpose, Focus, and Organization
What kind of prompt is this? What are you asked to write about?
What is informative, and "what does it mean to be courageous?"
Does this evidence support the prompt?
"For Rosa Parks on December 1, 1955, courage meant refusing to give up her seat on a public bus."
Yes, this evidence supports the prompt as it shows what it means to be courageous and be a traditional or non-traditional hero.
What is missing from this sentence?
In Source 1 it states, Parks knew the risks when she defended her rights and was determined to do more for her community.
Quotations.
You must include quotations if the words you use are not your own.
How should you start the introduction paragraph?
What is with a hook to grab the readers attention.
What is the lowest "passing" score on the FSA Writes?
7
How many sentences should you have in each body paragraph?
4-7 sentences. Remember MEAL.
How is evidence different from elaboration?
Evidence is a direct (word for word) quote from the text to support your prompt. Elaboration is your analysis (what you think) of the quote in your own words.
Can all of my evidence come from one article?
No, you should use quotes from a variety of sources.
What should be included in your thesis statement/main idea?
Your opinion/topic and your reasons.
What are two ways you can receive a score of 0?
What is wrong with this?
One time I was courageous when a dog was chasing me and my little brother down the street. I was scared, but we went home and told my mom and she called the neighbor. Then we had tacos for dinner and I wasn't scared anymore.
The prompt says to write an informative essay about what it means to be courageous. This writing is a personal story that is not focused on the prompt. The last sentence has nothing to do with courage.
What is citation, and how should it be written?
Citation is telling the reader where you got your text evidence (what specific article). You can cite evidence in two different ways:
In Source 3 it states,
In "An Act of Courage," By Lauren Green, the author states,
Fix the errors in this sentence: in source 3 it says, "that is the courage that we all must challenge ourselves to summon every single day in our own families, in our own communitues
In Source 3 it says, "That is the courage that we all must challenge ourselves to summon every single day in our own families, in our own communities."
Before you can plan, you need to do what?
read the ENTIRE prompt, read the text passages, and annotate the text with ideas for writing.
What is the best way to decide which side to take on an opinion essay?
What is the side that has more text evidence to support the big ideas.
How much evidence (how many quotes) should you have in each body paragraph?
1-2 quotes. If you have two quotes, your body paragraph should be longer and include more elaboration to avoid it looking plagiarized.
What are transitions, and how should they be used?
Transitions are words like first, last, next, finally. They should be used in your body paragraphs to show organization.
What all should be included in each body paragraph?
A topic sentence (main idea), evidence to support your topic, elaboration on the evidence, and a linking (concluding) sentence.
True or False? My planning sheet should be written in complete sentences, and include proper grammar.
No. Your planning sheet should include words or phrases only. You are only planning to organize your ideas. Your planning sheet will not be scored.
What must you have in your essay to clue the reader in on how your essay is going to be organized? Where in your essay should this be located?
What is a thesis statement/main idea and it should be the last sentence in your introduction paragraph.
Find one piece of evidence to support the prompt. Include 1-2 sentences elaborating on your evidence.
Answers will vary. Use your judgment.
What is wrong with this?
It is tough to be courageous. It is tough to stand up for what you believe. It is hard to do the right thing sometimes. It is a good idea to be courageous.
This writer does not vary his/her sentence structure. He/she starts every sentence with "it is".
If I'm finished writing your essay, and there's still time left, what you do?
Read the essay to yourself word for word to look for errors in grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation. You can also review the other items of the rubric.