Strategies to Improve Writing
Lisa Ammons
First District RESA
Ideas: A Definition
“The heart of it all. The writer’s main message and the
details, evidence, or anecdotes that support or
expand that message.” Ideas make up the content of
the piece.
What must we do?
•Select an idea
•Narrow the idea (focus)
•Elaborate on the idea (development)
•Discover the best information to convey the main
idea
Depth of Development
Controlling Idea
Supporting Ideas
Major Details
Specific Examples
And Elaboration
Ideas
3
It’s Just a Matter of Opinion
• WHAT do you think?
• WHY do you think it?
• How do you know?
A WHAT-WHY-HOW-CHART
WHAT
What do you think?
(This is your opinion.)
WHY
Why do you think it?
(These are your
reasons.)
HOW
How do you know?
(This is your evidence or
example.)
Prompt: Some kids get allowance, some don’t.
Some get a little, some get a lot. What do you think
about allowance? Explain how you feel and try to
persuade someone that you’re right.
WHAT
Allowance works
out better when
parents think
carefully about
how much their
kids should get,
what they get it
for, and what they
can spend it on.
WHY
HOW
Some kids have so much
money that it really isn’t
good for them.
A kid in my class gets $50
a week and he’s always
bragging about how much
money he has.
Some kids get money just
for doing normal stuff or for
not getting in trouble.
Our neighbors give their
kids money just to stop
being bad. But it doesn’t
make them any nicer.
Sometimes parents take
away their kids allowance
and the kid doesn’t think
it’s fair.
Mom took away my
allowance once because I
didn’t clean my room but I
just forgot to do it.
Allowance is a good way
for kids to learn about
money.
I save some of my
allowance every week so I
can buy something really
special.
Paragraphs with WHAT-WHY-HOW
• Each row of the chart can become a single
paragraph.
• Build your paragraph by moving from left
to right across a single row.
• Start with the “What”, then move to the
“Why”, and finally, use the “How.”
• You don’t have to copy the words exactly;
change things just a bit.
Example of WHAT-WHY-HOW
Allowance could be a valuable asset to parents, if manipulated
correctly. Parents should definitely bestow an allowance upon their
children, but only after careful consideration of how much allowance will
be coming out of their pockets and into the hands of their children each
week and why?
I strongly recommend that the amount of allowance be
considered first and foremost because this can cause a problem for
some recipients. Some kids possess so much money that it really isn’t
good for them. A prime example would be a fellow student, who shall
remain nameless. He receives fifty dollars a week as his allowance. He’s
always bragging about how much money he has. With allowance should
not come bragging rights. Most parents probably would not consider that
the amount of allowance given to their children would turn them into
braggarts. If the amount were considered ahead of time, then perhaps
this negative consequence could have been prevented.
WHAT-WHY-HOW…HOW-HOW-HOW
WHAT
WHY
HOW
HOW
HOW
HOW
(Opinion,
Answer,
Thesis)
(Reasons)
(Evidence
or
Examples)
(More
evidence)
(Even More
Evidence)
(One Final
Bit of
Evidence)
Logical
Arguemetnt
/Emotional
Appeal
Figurative
Language
Facts/
Statistics/
Quote from a
knowledgeable
source
Personal
connections/
anecdote
Prompt: Was Abraham Lincoln really as honest as
his nickname suggests?
WHAT
Lincoln was honest
about many things
in his life but he
was not always
honest about the
difficult subjects of
slavery and race
relations in
America, especially
while he was
running for
President. Like
many politicians,
Lincoln was good at
telling people what
they wanted to
hear.
WHY
HOW
While campaigning for the
presidency, he told northern
voters he favored racial
equality. But while
campaigning in the South he
told voters there that he
supported the idea of whites
being superior to blacks.
“Le us discard all quibbling
about this man and the other
man, this race and that race
and the other race being
inferior, and therefore they
must be places in an inferior
position.” –campaign speech
made in Chicago, IL, July 10,
1858
“…while they do remain
together (blacks and whites)
there must be the position of
superior and inferior, and I as
much as any other man am
in favor of having the
superior position assigned to
the white race.”-campaign
speech made in Charleston,
SC, Sept. 18, 1858
6 Ways to Read Like a Writer
• Ideas: Heart of the piece
– How does the writer reveal the main idea?
– What types of details does the writer use?
– How does the writer achieve his or her
purpose?
– How does the writer’s choice of ideas affect
the reader?
Reading Like a Writer
• Organization: The Skeleton, the flow, the glue
– What kinds of leads does the writer use and how
do they pull us in and make us want to read more?
– What kinds of endings does the writer use and how
do they work to make the writing feel finished and
to give us something important to think about?
– How does the writer handle transitions?
– What techniques does the writer use for
sequencing?
– How does the writer control pacing?
Reading Like a Writer
• Voice: the writer’s individual personality,
the soul
– How does the writer demonstrate passion for
the topic?
– How does the writer reveal emotions?
– How does the writer put personality into the
piece?
Reading Like a Writer
• Word Choice: carefully crafted words and
phrases
– What techniques (simile, metaphor, strong
verbs, etc.) does the writer use to make the
word choice more specific, more memorable,
and more effective?
Reading Like a Writer
• Sentence Fluency: the rhythm and flow of
the language as we read it; it’s how the
writing sounds when read aloud
– What kinds of sentence constructions does
the writer use?
– How does the writer vary the length and
construction of his or her sentences?
– How does the writer use “sound” effects like
alliteration, rhyme, and rhythm?
Read Like a Writer
• Conventions: the ways we agree to use
punctuation, spelling, grammar, and other
things that make writing consistent and
easy to read
– How does the writer use conventions to make
the writing easy to read and more
meaningful?
– Does the author use conventions in unusual
ways that are successful?
Read Like a Writer
• Excerpt from Earnest Gaines A Lesson
Before Dying
• What-Why-How?
– WHAT do we think or believe: How does
Jefferson feel after the attorney completes his
defense argument?
– WHY do you feel/think/believe this?: Why
does he feel this way?
– HOW: How does the attorney make Jefferson
feel this way?
WHAT-WHY-HOW…HOW-HOW-HOW
WHAT
WHY
HOW
How does
Jefferson
feel after
the attorney
completes
his defense
argument?
Why does
he feel this
way?
How does
the attorney
make
Jefferson
feel this
way?
(example
#1)
Why does
he feel this
way?
Example #1
Attorney dehumanizedhim.
Pronoun it,
noun “thing,”
compared him
first to boy,
then to animalhog
Jefferson feels
no self-worth
and does not
care about
being found not
guilty if this is
what people
think of him.
HOW
(More
evidence
example
#2)
HOW
(Even More
Evidence
example
#3)
HOW
(One Final
Bit of
Evidence
example
#4)
WHAT-WHY-HOW…HOW-HOW-HOW
WHAT
WHY
HOW
(Opinion,
Answer,
Thesis)
(Reasons)
Ideas
(Evidence
or
Examples)
Organization
Style
Conventions
HOW
(More
evidence)
HOW
(Even More
Evidence)
HOW
(One Final
Bit of
Evidence)
Your Turn…
• Sample Prompt: Your friend has lost interest in
school and her grades are suffering. As a result,
she will be repeating eleventh grade. She has
decided to quit and work more hours as a
waitress to support herself. She says she'll
eventually get her diploma on her own.
Compose a logical argument convincing her that
it would be to her benefit to stay in school.
• Complete at least one row on the What-WhyHow organizer.
• Draft a paragraph, using the chart to assist your
paragraph development.
• Be prepared to share.
The Definition of Writing
Writing: (noun) – “Writing is the
communication of content for a
purpose to an audience.” -Peha
The Definition of Writing
• Content (Main Idea + Details)
• Purpose (Think + Do)
• Audience (People + Questions)
The main idea of a piece of
writing is the one most
important thing the writer
wants the reader to know.
Content = Main Idea + Key Details
• MAIN IDEA :
– What’s the one most important thing that
you want your readers to know?
– Did you write it in a complete sentence?
– Is it important to you?
– Is it important to your readers?
• KEY DETAILS:
– What do your readers need to know to
understand your main idea?
– What significant details must you include in
your piece to support your main idea?
Purpose = Think + Do
• THINK
– Why did you write this piece?
– What specific thought or thoughts do you
want your readers thinking about after
they have finished reading?
• D0
– Why did you write this piece?
– What specific action or actions do you want
your readers to take after they have
finished reading?
Begin with the End in Mind
• Write out an ending
• What I want my reader to think and/or do
• A simple paragraph or two
• A possible conclusion
• A destination is in mind
More than anything else parents do for their
children, it’s the time they spend with them that their kids
will remember forever and value most. I know my dad
gave me many birthday and Christmas gifts, and he
certainly tried to give me a lot of advice, but it’s the
fishing that I remember most fondly. It was always
something I could count on, something that brought us
back together when we had been apart, something I
knew we would always do again. Except that after I grew
up, we didn’t do it again. And I have always missed it.
If I ever became a parent, I hope I’ll remember to
set aside enough time to be with my kids, especially
regular time that they can count on. And I hope, too, that
we can continue to count on our time together even after
they grow up.
Audience = People + Questions
• People
– To whom are you writing?
– How would you describe them?
– How old are they?
– What are their circumstances and interests?
• Questions
– What are the key questions your audience will
have about your topic?
– What are the most important things your
audience would want to know?
The CPA Revision Organizer
Main Idea:
1.
Key Details:
Think:
Do:
People:
Questions:
Main Idea:
The CPA Revision Organizer
Key Details:
Think:
Do:
People:
Questions:
Hooking My Audience
• Imagine saying your words to someone
else, someone in your audience
• Imagine how they will react
• Want your readers to understand and
enjoy your writing
• Want your readers to be influenced by
your writing
• Want your readers to trust you, believe
what you have to say
• Want your writing to affect them in a
meaningful way
The CPA Revision Organizer
Main Idea:
Key Details:
Think:
Do:
People:
Questions:
The CPA Revision Organizer
Main Idea:
Creation of a new class offered
at our school
Key Details:
Think:
Do:
People:
Questions:
Why should I offer a new class?
What kind of class will it be?
How will students benefit from this
class? Will there be a demand for this
class?
Principal
Details of the class you’re
proposing
The CPA Chart
Main Idea
Key Details
The one most important thing Significant information and
you want your audience to
examples that support your
know
main idea
Think
Do
What you want your
audience to think when
they’re done reading
What you want your
audience to do when they’re
done reading
People
Questions
The particular person or
The things your audience will
group of people to whom you want to know about your
are writing
topic
Using CPA for Research Writing
Main Idea
Key Details
George Washington was a reluctant
hero. He would rather have been a
farmer and a family man than a great
general or the President.
He lost most of the battles he fought.
He didn’t really want to be President.
His favorite thing to do was to work on
his farm.
He missed his family and didn’t like
being away from them.
Think
Do
The great heroes of American history
are often a lot more like regular people
than how they are portrayed in school
and in the movies.
Think carefully about the way books
and movies portray American heroes.
Study the whole person, not just their
reputation.
People
Questions
Kids in middle school and junior high
who are studying American history
How did Washington get to be
President? Why didn’t he want to be
President? What did he say about his
family life and working on his
plantation? What did Washington care
about most? Why don’t we usually
learn about the personal side of
Washington?
Main Idea
Using CPA to Respond to Prompts
Key Details
In order to get along in a family,
everyone has to make compromises
and consider how the other people
feel.
We rotate chores so no one has to do
the worst jobs all the time.
We take turns on the computer and
with the TV remote.
We try to be considerate about
respecting each other’s privacy.
When we have disagreements we try
to settle them without arguing or
fighting.
Think
Do
People
Questions
Making compromises isn’t so bad
Be kind and generous with the people
when everyone has to do it. In fact,
in your family. Don’t be the person who
sometimes it makes our family feel
always has to have things his way.
closer because each of us is giving up
something so that someone else can
have what they want.
Kids who are growing up in large
families.
What’s the secret to getting along in a
big family? How do you share things so
that no one feels bad? What’s the
biggest problem you’ve ever had and
how did you fix it? What do you do
when you get angry with each other?
“Writing is communication of
content for a purpose to an
audience.”
Organization…What is it?
• It’s the internal structure of writing!
– -The blueprint
– -The map
– -The skeleton
•It holds everything
together; it gives direction.
The Components of Organization
ORGANIZATION
Overall
Plan
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
Sequence
Of
Ideas
Grouping
Of
Ideas
Genre
Specific
Strategies
Transitions
Organization: The degree to which a writer’s ideas are arranged in a clear
order and the overall structure of the response is consistent with the
assigned genre.
Organization
39
Persuasive Organizing Strategies
Introduction
Supporting ideas
Conclusion
Argument
Address counter-argument
Conclusion
Introduction
Both sides of the issue
Conclusion
Introduction
Anecdote illustrating position
Conclusion
Organization
40
Preparing for Debate
The student will…
• Select a controversial topic (or any topic that would
elicit two sides to an issue) related to what is being
studied and phrase it as a question.
• Without taking sides, think of facts, ideas, and
information that would support a positive response to
the question.
• Think about the topic from the perspective of the
people who might be against it and list reasons, facts,
and ideas for that response.
• Take a position in regard to the topic and write a paper
defending it, using the lists and notes compiled.
• Address the other side of the issue, as a
counterargument.
Topic:________Write the topic of debate here. In your mind or on your
paper, frame it as a question about which there might be differing
opinions.
Pros: (Supporting Ideas/Positives)
Cons: (Opposing Ideas/Negatives)
•As you think about the pros and cons
•List in this column the reasons why
related to this topic, do not try to take
you think people might be against the
sides. Think from multiple
question being asked. What reasons
perspectives about what others might
would they give to have a negative
consider to be positive about this
response to the question or idea?
topic. Later, you will select from this
Again, think from multiple
list the ones that support the position
perspectives and not just from your
on the topic that you have decided to
own position.
take.
Sometimes a “positive” to some
can be a “negative” to others, so
an idea might fit on either side. If
you include an idea like this, be
sure to also include notes about
why a person would see it as
either positive or negative.
When you are finished listing the pros and cons on this issue, take a position and defend
it by writing a position paper in which you use some of the arguments from this list.
Topic: Is Global Warming negatively impacting our world?
Pros: (Supporting Ideas/Positives)
Cons: (Opposing Ideas/Negatives)
•Since the Industrial Revolution
began, we’ve been loading the
atmosphere with heat-trapping
gasses.
•Worldwide temperatures have
climbed more than 1 degree F over
the past century.
•The 1990s were the hottest decade
on record.
•Glaciers are disappearing from
mountaintops around the world.
•Coral reefs are dying off as seas get
too warm.
•Drought is increasing in parts of Asia
and Africa.
•El Nino events are more frequent
and are causing more severe
weather.
•57% of Americans believe that global
warming is either not serious or fairly
serious.
•It is natural for the Earth’s
temperature to rise over time and in
temperate zones; this warmth will
make crops flourish.
•Methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon
monoxide levels have all decreased
during the 1990s – methane and
nitrous oxide are 2 “greenhouse
gases” that are supposedly
responsible for global warming.
•Satellite data indicate a slight cooling
in the climate in the past 18 years.
•Computer models that predict
projections of future climate changes
are very limited; they are far from
perfect representations of reality.
Viewpoints
• Students frequently do not understand the
complexity of many issues and sometimes
have a difficult time considering any
viewpoints contrary to their own.
• Being able to see other points of view will
help students create counter-arguments in
their persuasive papers.
The Four-sided Argument
• Select an issue.
• Brainstorm a list of stakeholders in the
issue.
• Choose four stakeholders, making sure
the four who were selected have differing
views.
• Write four one-page responses, each from
the point of view of a different stakeholder.
Today’s Four-sided Argument
• Topic: Professional Learning
• Stakeholders:
– You
– FDRESA consultant
– Students
– Parents
– Kathy Cox
– Principal
– Add your own stakeholders
Counterargument Example
Those who believe that it is only natural for the Earth’s
temperature to rise over time fail to recognize the detrimental
effects of those rising temperatures or their causes. The
opposition believes that the warmer temperatures will result in
flourishing crops. Global warming is the cause of extreme
heat, which continues to diminish water supplies. It is also the
cause for the disappearance of glaciers, adding to the strain
of depleted water sources. Instead of flourishing crops, global
warming has brought the population higher food costs and
droughts. We must discontinue the dumping of heat-trapping
gasses into the atmosphere and find alternatives to these
harmful chemicals. For the sake of all living things, we must
do our part to slow down global warming.
Your Turn…
• Sample Topic: There has been discussion of
raising the legal driving age.
• Transform topic into question
• List ideas for pros and cons
• Star the side you have chosen.
• Write a counterargument, acknowledging the
opposition and giving reasons as to why your
side is the position that should be taken.
Determining the Best Solution
The student will…
• Identify a possible problem (real-world)
• Determine the facts as he knows them
• State the real problem succinctly
• Note several solutions to the problem
• Provide details for each solution
• Identify the consequences for each solution
( + and - )
• Determine the best solution for the problem
Just the Facts: We often end up solving a problem many times because we
didn’t solve the real problem. Look at all the facts first to ensure that you are
solving the real problem.
The Real Problem Is: Once you have reviewed the facts, state the
real problem. Get to the point!
Possible Solution
Possible Solution
Possible
Consequences
Possible
Consequences
Possible Solution
Possible
Consequences
Your Turn…
• Sample Topic: In today’s news, headlines have
revealed an increase in the number of
professional athletes convicted of crimes.
• State what you believe to be the real problem.
• State a possible solution. You should include
possible consequences, using the positive as
reinforcement, and anticipating the negative,
responding to them to show that your solution is
a viable one.
Tips to Organizing Persuasive Writing
1.
The writer’s argument may be strengthened by
anticipating, acknowledging, and countering opposing
perspectives on the issue.
2.
State the real problem succinctly. Note a solution to the
problem. Provide details for the solution. Identify the
consequences for the solution ( + and - ). Determine why
this is the best solution for the problem or proceed to
presenting other possible solutions with details and
consequences before determining the best solution to the
problem.
3.
Present each argument in a separate paragraph, followed
by a concluding paragraph, or you might present each
side of each point of the debate in a separate paragraph,
followed by a concluding paragraph.
4.
Consider sharing the second-best argument first, and
save the best for last.
When you think about creating a good beginning
for a piece, there are three important
criteria you want to meet.
A good beginning:
• Catches the reader’s attention.
• Makes the reader want to read more.
• Is appropriate to purpose and audience.
Story Starter/Anecdote
• A brief story or annotation that reveals the
essence of the subject. It often sets the
mood and prepares the audience for what
is to follow.
Writing as a waterfall: when searching for
a lead, the writer should begin at the roar
of the waterfall—at the energy source—
and start writing there.
* * * * ****
Waterfall Story Chart
“He cautiously stepped forward,
the hair on his neck bristling, wisps
of his breath clearly visible in the
chilly Halloween air as he
approached the plastic intruder ready
for a fight.”
From “Real-World Decoying” Deer Hunters Equipment 2007 Annual
The prompt asks you to write an article
to persuade your readers that
homeless people suffer and need help.
You know that many people have no
sympathy for the homeless, maybe
thinking they are lazy and don't want to
work or that the government helps
them out enough already with social
security. So you make up an
anecdote...
Imagine you get laid off from your job tomorrow. You just spent your last
pay check on the household bills and very little was left over.
Unexpectedly your child falls ill and requires a three-day hospital stay.
Then you get a flat tire. The bills begin arriving in the mail and your bank
account balance is drastically falling. You have applied for over fifty
jobs, but applications aren’t pulled offline but once a month. You begin
following up your applications with phone calls. There are hiring freezes,
or human resources will “be in touch.” Two weeks go by and you have
found yourself using the credit card for formula, groceries, gas, and copays, and you know that there isn’t money in the bank to cover the bill
when it comes. More bills arrive. And you can’t pay them. Collections
begin calling your home, until you can no longer have a phone, which
means that human resources can no longer contact you, if they were
going to. The spiraling of events is unstoppable, and you can no longer
afford to live in your home. The shelters allow for a three-night
consecutive stay, and then your home becomes the streets. I know that
many of you think the homeless are a lost cause and that they are lazy
good for nothings. It is easy to make generalizations or excuses for not
wanting to help, but you will never know the personal plight of the
homeless unless you have been there too.
Your Turn…
• Do the paparazzi have the right to take
any pictures of celebrities?
• Create an anecdote that you might use in
your classroom as a model or example so
that students can vividly “see” how the
anecdote could effectively be used in a
persuasive paper.
The Components of Style
STYLE
Word
Choice
Audience
Awareness
Voice
Sentence
Variety
Genre
Appropriate
Strategies
Style: The degree to which the writer controls language to engage the reader.
Style
60
Voice: A Definition
• Voice is the soul of the piece. It’s what makes
the writer’s style singular, as his or her feelings
and convictions come out through the words.
Voice is how the writing draws the reader in and
creates a bond between the reader and the
writer.
• The way a writer uses his or her perspective to
make a message both clear and appealing.
Genre Appropriate Strategies
Persuasive Writing
Emotional Appeals
Figurative Language
Connotative Meanings
Evocative Voice
Rhetorical Questions; “How
would you feel if..”
Addressing the reader: “You
should” or “We all should”
Persuade Me!
The student will…
• Select a person(s) who will serve as the audience
• Define or describe the thinking or action that is
being asked of the audience
• List all relevant facts that support the action or
thought being promoted
• List ways in which a writer might appeal to the
emotions of the audience
• Write a letter to the targeted audience, using the
facts and emotional appeals
How would you
Identify the
audience you
persuade___________
are trying to
persuade
Facts
List the facts that you think
would best help to convince
the audience. Make sure that
what you list are truly facts
and not opinions. Be
prepared to provide the
sources for your facts.
to
Clearly describe
what you want
_____________
the audience to
think or do
Emotional or Personal Appeals
Consider your audience’s
personal opinions and
knowledge about the topic. List
the emotional or personal
appeals you might use that
would be meaningful to the
person or persons.
Use the facts and emotional appeals to write a letter
in which you try to persuade your reader or readers
to do something or think a certain way. Reread your
letter, trying to predict how your arguments will
affect your audience.
How would you persuade your parents_to _stop smoking?
Facts
Emotional or Personal Appeals
•Each year 18,000 Americans dies from
smoking-related cancer; that’s 1/3 of all
cancer deaths.
•There are 4,000 toxic substances in a
cigarette.
•Resting heart rates of young adult
smokers are 2-3 beats per minute faster
than nonsmokers’.
•Smoking increases the chance of having
a stroke.
•Nicotine makes the heart pump harder
and raises blood pressure.
•Smoking hardens and weakens arteries.
•Smoking reduces the body’s ability to
fight germs and cancer cells.
•Skin is thinner and wrinkles earlier in life
in smokers.
•Smoking removes calcium from bones,
so they become less strong.
•We want you to be around when you
have grandchildren.
•Second-hand smoke hurts us too!
•The house smells awful and all our
clothes smell, too.
•Smoker’s hair goes gray earlier and
men who smoke go bald younger.
•19 out of 20 women who give up
smoking find no problem with weight
gain.
•Your fingers can turn yellow from tar
stains.
•Almost none of my friend’s parents
smoke.
Word Choice…What is it?
•
•
•
•
•
Precise, concrete nouns
Powerful, vivid verbs
Sensory words
Colorful, descriptive words
Simple language used well
Weak Word Analysis Tool
Directions: Complete the chart for the first 10 sentences of your paper, then
analyze the data. Do the sentences have similar beginnings? If so, revise.
Are there weak words? If so, revise for more descriptive word choice.
First Three Words of Sentence
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Weak Words in Sentence
Sensory Word Bank Tool
Sight
Sound
Touch
Taste
Smell
chubby
swish
icy
parched
woodsy
dazzling
cackle
rough
sugary
spicy
cluttered
thump
gritty
sour
earthy
peppery
moldy
glassy
whimper leathery
How is __________ like the following…
Natural Element
Ways They Are Alike
Plant:
Animal:
Form of Water:
Weather:
Type of Light:
Season:
Select a specific example of
each category from nature –
a dog, for example. Do so
with each category in this
column.
Try to think of
things that the two
items might have
in common. Think
about how they
are used, what
they look like,
what people think
of them, and so
on.
Select the comparison above that you believe might be the
strongest in helping the reader to understand your topic. If
you want, you can include more than one of the comparisons.
How is _Space Exploration_ like the following…
Natural Element
Ways They Are Alike
Plant:
Daisy
The U.S. space program stems form a single agency,
NASA, which blooms into several different programs that
expand our view of the universe.
Animal:
Cat
Carts are pretty quiet creatures that only make their
presence known when they want to; we don’t always hear
much about space programs until there is a major press
release.
Form of Water:
Ice
Ice is slippery and dangerous; going into space is also
dangerous and support for the space programs can be
“slippery” and not solid.
Weather:
Fog
When a person is traveling through fog, she doesn’t always
know where she is or if she’s on the right road; space
exploration programs don’t always go as planned either.
Type of Light:
Sunbeam
Sunbeams shed light on things and help us see what is
before us; space exploration “enlightens” us about our
world and helps us see more about the world.
Season:
Spring
Spring marks a new beginning for nature; some space
explorations lead us to new understandings about our
world.
The Components and Elements of
Conventions
Domain
Components
Elements
CONVENTIONS
Sentence
Formation
Usage
Mechanics
Correctness, Clarity of
Meaning, Complexity,
End Punctuation
Subject/Verb Agreement,
Standard Word Forms,
Possessives, Contractions,
Pronouns, Verb Tenses
Internal Punctuation,
Spelling, Paragraph Breaks,
Capitalization
Conventions
72
Conventions: High School
Capitalization
Paragraph Breaks
Sentence Correctness
Spelling
Sentence Clarity
Internal Punctuation
Sentence Complexity
Verb Tenses
End Punctuation
Word Forms
Subject-Verb Agreement