Prewriting
for Expository Writing
(Grades 3-8)
OSPI Writing Assessment Instructional Support Module
These materials were developed by
Washington teachers
to help students improve their writing.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
OSPI Instructional Support Materials for Writing
Core Development Team
Nikki Elliott-Schuman – OSPI Writing Assessment
Nancy Spane – OSPI Writing Assessment
Charlotte Carr – Retired Seattle SD, Facilitator
Cec Carmack – Selah SD
Tanya Cicero – Auburn SD
Lydia-Laquatra Fesler – Spokane SD
Karen Kearns – Seattle SD
Sharon Schilperoort – Yakima SD
Wendy Ward - Riverview SD
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Important Information
for the Teacher
What is an Instructional Module?
An instructional module is a series of teacher-created writing lessons in
PowerPoint format. The PowerPoint is designed to be an instructional tool
for classroom use. The slides are meant for student viewing and the
teacher directions are on the notes pages. There is also a document
folder containing papers to be used with some of the lessons and they are
referenced in the teacher notes. They are designated in slides using this file
folder icon
.
In the Document Folder you will find:
AlphabeticTaxonomy.doc
Camping.doc
ClusteringandPapers.ppt
PrewrtgAssessTemplateGr3-5.doc
RdgWrtgConnectionUsingIcons.doc
TeacherPrewritingAnalysis.xls
TigerTableClustering.doc
WhidbeyIsland.doc
BookerTCat.doc
CedarFallsElem.doc
PrewritingChecklist.doc
PrewrtgAssessTemplateGr6-8.doc
StudentPrewrtgAnalysis.doc
TeacherTaxonomyExample.doc
TigerTableClustering.ppt
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Important Information
for the Teacher

Most slides have information that fades in one bullet or
sentence at a time with a mouse click so as not to
overload the students with too much information at one
time. Give students time to complete an activity before
clicking on the next bullet.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Important Information
for the Teacher

Slides and notes pages 1-15 are for teacher use. The slides
include alignment with the GLEs, links to the WASL, and purposes
of the lessons. Thereafter, the slides are meant for the students.
The teacher directions are in the notes. It is recommended that you
download (save) the PowerPoint to your computer and then print
the notes pages.

To use any lesson, you must print and review the notes pages.
This is done in the print menu. It is different for PCs and Macs, but
you will need to find “Notes Pages” or “Notes” respectively in the
print menu. The notes pages contain crucial instructions and
supplementary materials for successful implementation. Because
of color coding throughout the PowerPoint, it is best to print the
notes pages in color or grayscale.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Important Information for the Teacher

The design of these lessons is based on Regie Routman’s “Optimal
Learning Model,” which incorporates whole-class lesson(s), followed by
partner or small group work, repeated until students are able to succeed
on their own.

Because these lessons include partner and/or group work, a system needs
to be established for rules, expectations, and management in partner and
group work.

Because we are focusing on COS (content, organization, and style),
conventions have been corrected in most student papers used throughout
this module to make the papers easy to read.

You will find assessment opportunities throughout the PowerPoint
including baseline (diagnostic), formative, and summative assessments.
All writing will be collected in a writing folder or notebook for ongoing
reference. It is a good idea to start and maintain a table of contents as you
add each piece of writing. The student writing folder is designated by the
following icon
.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
If some of your students have
previously seen the PowerPoint

Use the slides but change the examples.

Use the slides and have those students who
have seen them act as teacher.

Use the slides but focus on your own
students’ writing rather than examples in the
slides. Collect student examples for future
use.

Don’t use the student slides, but use the
teaching ideas.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alignment with GLEs - Writing
EALR 1: The student understands and uses a writing process.
Component 1.1: Prewrites to generate ideas and plan writing.
Grade 3
Grades 4, 5, and 6
Applies at least one
strategy for generating
ideas and planning writing.
Applies more than one
strategy for generating
ideas and planning writing.
Grades 7 and 8
Analyzes and selects
effective strategies for
generating ideas and
planning writing.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alignment with GLEs - Writing
EALR 3:
The student writes clearly and effectively.
Component 3.1.1:
Develops ideas and organizes writing.
Grade 3
Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8
Analyzes ideas,
selects topic, adds
detail, and elaborates.
Analyzes ideas, selects
a narrow topic, and
elaborates using
specific details and/or
examples.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alignment with GLEs – Writing
EALR 3: The student writes clearly and effectively.
Component 3.1.2: Develops ideas and organizes writing.
Grade 3
Grade 4
Organizes writing with a
beginning, middle, and
ending.
Organizes writing using
a logical organizational
structure.
Grades 5 and 6
Grades 7 and 8
Uses an effective
organizational
structure..
Analyzes and selects an
effective organizational
structure.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Link to the WASL
The WASL instructions encourage
students to use any of several
prewriting strategies. Although
prewriting is not scored, it has been
observed that students who prewrite
frequently score higher.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Purpose
This module is designed to teach
students a variety of prewriting
strategies so they may select and
use a prewriting strategy that best
meets their personal preference
and purpose for writing.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Bibliography

Baltas, J. and Nessel, D. Thinking Strategies for Student Achievement,
Skylight Professional Development, 2000.

Calkins, L. Units of Study for Teaching Writing, Grades 3-5, Heinemann, 2006.

Gere, A., Christenbury, L., Sassi, K. Writing on Demand, Heinemann, 2005.

Graves, D. A Fresh Look at Writing, Heinemann, 1998.

National Writing Project, Nagin, C. Because Writing Matters: Improving
Student Writing in our Schools, Jossey-Bass, 2003.

Rico, G. Writing the Natural Way, Tarcher, 2000.

Routman, R. Writing Essentials, Heinemann, 2005.

Zemelman, S., Daniels, H., Hyde, A. Best Practice: New Standards for
Teaching and Learning in America’s Schools, Third edition, Heinemann, 2005.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents

Baseline (Diagnostic) Assessment

Introduction
– Definition/Characteristics/Reasons

Part One - Alphabetic Taxonomy
– Using an Alphabetic Taxonomy Strategy
– Formative Assessment

Part Two - List, Group, Label
– Using a List, Group, Label Strategy
– Planning Elaboration Using Icons During Prewriting *
– Formative Assessment
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents-continued

Part Two (continued) - List, Group, Label
– Using List, Group, Label for On-demand Writing
– Formative Assessment

Part Three - Clustering
– Using a Clustering Strategy
– Formative Assessment
– Using Clustering to Pre-write for On-demand Writing
– Formative Assessment

Summative Assessment
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Prewriting
Diagnostic Assessment
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Diagnostic Assessment
Insert prompt here.
Document Folder
Student Writing Folder
Prewriting
for Expository Writing
Definition
Characteristics
Reasons
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Characteristics of Prewriting
Brainstorming
Multiple Ideas
for a Topic
Filtering,
Planning
Elaboration,
and Organizing
Narrowing to a
Manageable
Topic
Finding a
Controlling
Idea
Brainstorming
Supporting
Details
Grouping
Similar
Supporting
Ideas /
Categorizing
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
First
Draft
Prewriting - Definition

Prewriting is the thinking and planning
the writer does before drafting and
throughout the writing process,
including considering the topic,
audience, and purpose; gathering
information; choosing a form; and
making a plan for organizing and
elaborating ideas.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reasons for Prewriting

Students who use prewriting strategies
are more effective writers because they
are able to more successfully choose
and narrow a topic.

Prewriting also helps writers develop
the topic and plan how to write about it.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Prewriting

There are many ways to prewrite. In this
module, we will look at four strategies.
– Alphabetic Taxonomy
– List, Group, Label
– Planning Elaboration Using Icons
– Clustering
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
generating ideas for writing
Think about ideas that someone
might write about.
 I’ll get us started. Watch and listen.

Now you are the idea makers.
 I will record your ideas.

Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
generating ideas for writing - your turn

Think of topics that you might like to write about and
place them next to the appropriate letter on your
taxonomy.
Example
A - Action heroes
B - Baseball, Brother
C-


MN - Neighbors
O–
Think about things you know well, that you are
interested in, and that you care about.
You don’t have to have something for every letter.
You may also have more than one topic by a letter
(as in B—baseball, brother).
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
generating ideas for writing - your turn

Find a partner and compare your lists. If your
friend’s list gives you more ideas, add them to
your taxonomy.

This taxonomy contains many ideas, some of
which are very general.

Keep your taxonomy in your writing folder.
You may add to your taxonomy at any time.
Title this My Idea Taxonomy.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
generating ideas for writing
Teacher example
 I’m going to look at My Idea Taxonomy
and select baseball as a possible topic.

I will now create a new taxonomy on
baseball.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
selecting a narrow topic - your turn

Look at your own My Idea Taxonomy.

Select an idea that could become
a topic to write about. Make a new
taxonomy of words and phrases
related to your topic.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy selecting a narrow topic we care about
and know well
Teacher example
 Good writing must be based on a topic that is manageable -- neither
too big nor too small. I will consider these questions:
– Is my idea for a topic too big?
– Is my idea for a topic too small?

For ideas that I think might work, I will also consider these questions:
– Is it a topic I care about?
– Is it a topic I know well?
– Is it a topic for which I know many details?

After considering the above, my topic will be:
the game I saw with Grandpa
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
selecting a narrow topic we care
about and know well - your turn

With your own taxonomy, consider ideas for topics
and then ask yourself:
– Is my idea for a topic too big?
– Is my idea for a topic too small?

For ideas that you think might work, consider
these questions:
– Is it a topic I care about?
– Is it a topic I know well?
– Is it a topic for which I know many details?
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
how to narrow a topic

Share your idea for a topic with a partner
and see if you agree that each topic is
manageable.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
consider audience and purpose
Teacher example
 First, I will consider who my audience might be.
– I decided I will write for a general audience, which
means anyone might read this.

Next, I will consider the purpose for my writing.
– I want to explain what happened the night I went to the
game with Grandpa and Dad.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
controlling idea
Teacher example
 Now, I will create a controlling idea (or thesis
statement) that tells what I want my readers to
know. This idea will help me “control” or filter
what details are added and what I might need to
take out.
– Example of a controlling idea:
The time I went to see a Mariners game with my
grandpa and dad was the most fun ever.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
considering audience and purpose –
your turn

Consider who your audience will be.

Consider the purpose for your writing
(to explain something about your topic).
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
controlling idea - your turn

Create a controlling idea (or thesis
statement) that tells what you want your
readers to know about your topic. Your
controlling idea will help you to “control” or
filter what details are added and what you
might need to take out.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy
controlling idea - your turn

This would be a good time to look at
your taxonomy. You may cross out
any details that do not go with your
controlling idea and add any additional
details that you think of.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy - your turn

Now use different colors to show which
things go together or are alike. Use your
controlling idea to guide what details
you want in your writing.

Think about the order you would like to
present your ideas and number them to
indicate the possible sequence.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Alphabetic Taxonomy - your turn

Write multiple paragraphs using your
controlling idea and taxonomy as a
guide.

Remember to consider who your
audience is and the purpose for your
writing.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Student Prewriting Analysis











What prewriting strategy did you use?
How did the prewriting help you write?
How did the prewriting help you choose and narrow your
topic?
How did the prewriting help you think of details?
How did the prewriting help you add to your writing?
When you finished prewriting, how did you decide to start
your writing?
How did you know you had a manageable topic?
If you got stuck, how did the prewriting help you to get going?
How did the prewriting help you organize your ideas?
How did the prewriting help you to write your introduction?
How did the prewriting help you to write your conclusion?
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reflection

Answer the questions on the Student
Prewriting Analysis page and attach to
your writing.

Turn in your writing, your taxonomy,
and your analysis page to your teacher.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Prewriting Strategy –
List, Group, Label
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
List, Group, Label

In your group, take turns writing onto sticky notes
words or phrases that you think about when someone
says food. Write one word or phrase per sticky note.

You must take turns and read what the people before
you have written, as each word or phrase must be a
new idea.

Place each sticky note on a large piece
of paper in the center of your group.

Do this activity in silence.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
List, Group, Label – continued

Group the words you have listed by looking
for those that have something in common.
You must have at least two items in each
grouped list.

Once you have grouped your words, decide
on a label or category and write it next to
each group.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
List, Group, Label – continued

Transfer your groups and corresponding
labels to chart paper.

Post your chart on the wall.

Take a “Gallery Walk” and view each
chart. Take notes on what you observe.

Notice how each group used a variety of
different categories.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
List, Group, Label – continued

From your chart on the wall, choose one
of your categories.

Take each word in the category and
make it the label for a new category.

Under each word (label) write down a
list of words and phrases that belong in
each new category.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
List, Group, Label – continued

Choose one of your new categories as a topic.
– Is your topic manageable (not too big or too small)?
– Do you need a different topic?

Create a controlling idea (thesis statement)
for your topic, considering the audience and
purpose.

Your controlling idea will help you to “control”
or filter what elaboration needs to be added and
what information doesn’t belong with your
controlling idea.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
List, Group, Label – continued

In your group, discuss your controlling idea.
Decide
– Who is your audience?
– What is your purpose?
– What might you include to elaborate on your topic?

Revise your controlling idea if needed.

Write your controlling idea on your paper
along with supporting detail words. You may
add words to your original list or eliminate
any words/details that don’t fit.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Class Sharing

With your group, share with the class
your controlling idea and what details
you might include in your writing.

Listen to each group’s controlling idea
and think about whether it is
manageable. Be prepared to explain
why it is or isn’t.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration
During Prewriting
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

In the following slides, you’ll be seeing
icons that represent elaboration
strategies.

In these examples, the controlling idea
is “Ice cream is a wonderful dessert
on a hot day.”
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
The picture frame icon below represents
a description of what you are writing about.
The phrase following the icon reminds me
what description to include in my writing to
support the controlling idea.

Description
describe the feelings that make ice
cream wonderful on a hot day
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

Discuss with your small group what
descriptive words or phrases you
could use to support the controlling
idea Ice cream is a wonderful
dessert on a hot day.

Then draw a description icon along
with describing words or phrases on
your own paper.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
The book with a happy face icon represents
an anecdote (a personal story or situation).
The phrase following the icon reminds me
what anecdote to include in my writing to
support the controlling idea.

Anecdote
anecdote about the ice cream truck
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

Discuss with your small group an
anecdote you might use for your
controlling idea.

Then draw an anecdote icon with a
phrase on your paper.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
The head with the bubbles icon represents
a scenario (a made-up situation).
The phrase following the icon reminds me
what scenario to use in my writing to support
the controlling idea.
 Scenario
imagine getting ice cream on
a hot day
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

Discuss with your group a scenario you
might use for your controlling idea.

Then draw a scenario icon with a
phrase on your paper.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
The
mm icon represents an example.
The phrase following the icon reminds me
what example to use in my writing to support
the controlling idea.

Examples
how I feel when I eat ice cream
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

Discuss with your group an example
you might use for your controlling idea.

Then draw an example icon with a
phrase on your paper.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
The book with “Def.” on the cover icon
represents a definition. The definition is
sometimes short and sometimes long. It
explains what something means.

Definition
What I mean when I say “ice cream.”
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

Discuss with your group a definition you
might use for your controlling idea.

Then draw a definition icon with a
phrase on your paper.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
The face with the speech bubble containing
quotation marks represents dialogue.
The phrase following the icon reminds me
what dialogue to include in my writing to
support the controlling idea.

Dialogue
what someone might say about ice
cream on a summer day
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

Discuss with your group a quotation
or quotations you might use for your
controlling idea.

Then draw a dialogue icon with a
phrase on your paper.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
The check mark represents a fact.
The phrase following the icon reminds
me what fact to include in my writing to
support the controlling idea.

Fact
a fact about ice cream
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

Discuss with your group a fact you
might use for your controlling idea.

Then draw a fact icon with a phrase on
your paper.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
Controlling idea:
“Ice cream is a wonderful dessert on a hot day.”
describe the feelings that make ice cream
wonderful on a hot day
anecdote about the ice cream truck
imagine getting ice cream on a hot day
how I feel when I eat ice cream
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
Controlling idea:
“Ice cream is a wonderful dessert on a hot day.”
what I mean when I say ice cream
what someone might say about ice
cream on a hot, summer day
a fact about ice cream
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

It’s important to know that there is more than one way
to organize and the author is in control.

The author may:
– use the same icon/strategy several times in a paper
(e.g., several anecdotes).
– use more than one icon/strategy in a paragraph
(e.g., a description within an example).
– decide to delete an icon/strategy if it doesn’t fit well
with the controlling idea.

One idea should lead to the next, and some
transitional phrases may be needed to make the
writing flow (e.g., a sentence introducing and
connecting an anecdote to the controlling idea).
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

On the following three slides you will see paragraphs
that include more than one elaboration strategy.

See if you can identify them before they are revealed
to you.

The letter begins below.
Dear new student,
Cedar Falls Elementary school is joyful and
educational, but you have to follow directions and be
excellent to earn the fun. It is a great school and I
guarantee you’ll love it.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
One thing I think you should know about Cedar
Falls is the recess equipment. Once you’re done
using the equipment you need to put it away where
you got it. Not only will the recess teachers tell you
not to do it again, but they’ll take the item away from
the whole grade for a day. Also, you need to use the
equipment properly and if it’s not, you will be sent to
the fence for the rest of the recess. Along with that,
you will have to call your parents telling them what
you have done. One time, a kid in 2nd grade used a
jump rope to tie a guy up to the fence. The recess
teacher, with the eye of a hawk, caught him doing it
and sent him to the fence for a time out the rest of
recess and also the kid had to call his parents telling
them the terrible thing he did. That is a lesson to
never use equipment how they’re not to be used or
you will be in trouble. Now, I hope you know to use
recess equipment properly and to put it away.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Another thing you should know about this school
is our sea otter cards. We named the cards that
because our school mascot is a sea otter. You earn
the cards by helping others. A chart counting up to 50
helps our class keep track of how many cards we
have. After collecting fifty, the whole class gets to
vote on a party. I know you would think it is easy to
earn a party because our teacher is always watching
you being well behaved but no, your teacher can’t
give you sea otter cards. A couple of years ago I was
in Mrs. Monroe’s 2nd grade class. We had just
earned our 49th sea otter card when a different class
marched by me, looking for a door holder. I offered to
help and the teacher gave me a sea otter card. “We
earned a sea otter party!” I shouted to my class after
entering our classroom. When you’re a student at
Cedar Falls you will probably earn a bunch of sea
otter cards too.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
P.E. is something you really need to know about
Cedar Falls Elementary. Every trimester we have to
run a whole mile. That is 5,280 feet! I’m so nervous
when it comes to the point where my class is at the
start line and my gym teacher starts out by saying,
“On your mark, get set, GO!.” If you’re on good
behavior for a whole P.E., then you earn the privilege
to play dodge ball, my favorite activity. You don’t
have any warnings, if you break one rule, you sit in
time out for the rest of P.E. time. It may seem mean,
but actually it’s called discipline. Last year, the day
before the mile, our gym teacher alerted us to be
prepared for it. So, the next day I rested my feet into
my Adidas tennis shoes, stepped into my light shorts,
and pushed my head through my t-shirt to be
prepared for the long, tiring mile. My finishing time
for the mile was 7 minutes, 24 seconds. I hope you
enjoy P.E. as much as I do.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

The following concludes the letter.
Cedar Falls is a marvelous school. It has
lots of great activities. If I could choose any
school to be at, Cedar Falls would be mine.
I’m sure you will fall in love with this school
your very first day.
Sincerely,
Your new Cedar Falls friend
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting

Review the icons/elaboration strategies you
listed for the controlling idea Ice cream is a
wonderful dessert on a hot day.

Determine the best order for your
icons/elaboration strategies.

Number the icons/ideas.
– Remember it is okay to have more than one icon
within a paragraph or more than one paragraph
with one icon.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning Elaboration During Prewriting
- your turn

Write several paragraphs about the
controlling idea Ice cream is a wonderful
dessert on a hot day using the details and
icons/elaboration strategies recorded.

You should use at least some of the details
on the list that your group already made, but
you may also add new ideas and/or icons of
your own.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reflection

After you have written your paper,
fill out a Student Prewriting Analysis.

Turn in your paper, analysis, and your
prewriting to your teacher.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Prompted Topic Using
List, Group, Label
What to do when you are given a
prompt for writing
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Characteristics of Prewriting
Brainstorming
Multiple Ideas
for a Topic
Filtering,
Planning
Elaboration
and Organizing
Narrowing to a
Manageable
Topic
Finding a
Controlling
Idea
Brainstorming
Supporting
Details
Grouping
Similar
Supporting
Ideas /
Categorizing
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
First
Draft
Analyzing the Prompt
In the WASL, you will be given a prompt like the one
below. It prompts you to find a topic that you know
about, you care about, and know details about. Your
topic needs to connect to the prompt.
An Object that Means a Lot to You
Think of an object that means a lot to you.
In several paragraphs, for your teacher, identify the object
and explain why it is important to you.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Analyzing the Prompt

Who is the audience?
– The audience is the teacher.

What is the purpose of the writing?
– The purpose is to explain why the object is important to you.
This might be because of what it looks like, where it came
from, what you do with it, who gave it to you, or any other
way to show why it is important to you.

What is the key word or words that will help me brainstorm what
to write about?
– Important Object
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Possible topics (objects)
to choose
My cat
 My season tickets
 My sewing
 My television

Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Possible topic (object) one
- my cat
List about my cat
Story of how Booker came to our house
Quizzical
Playing with balls
Like to keep laps warm
Being an alarm clock
Black with a tiny tuft of white
Green / yellow eyes, dependent on the light
Short hair, long tail
Hiding in closets
Gets on the table
Cute face
Hiding under the bed with tail out
Eats plants
Likes to sit in kitchen window
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Possible topic (object) two
- my season tickets
List about my season tickets
Seahawks football
Theatre
See my friends
Fun to go
Lunch or dinner out
Time it snowed
When we got soaked
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Two possible topics (objects)
I can see when I list ideas about each topic,
that I won’t choose tickets because I don’t
have enough to say and I don’t think the
examples will interest my audience.
I’ll choose my cat instead because I know lots
of interesting details that I care about and
good examples to interest my audience.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Prewriting
Now I need to take “my cat” list and group my
ideas into things that go together, then label
the groups.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Here's my original list
My Cat
Story of how Booker came to our house
Quizzical
Playing with balls
Likes to keep laps warm
Being an alarm clock
Black with a tiny tuft of white
Green/yellow eyes, dependent on the light
Short hair, long tail
Hiding in closets
Gets on the table
Cute face
Hiding under the bed with tail out
Eats plants
Likes to sit in the kitchen window
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Now, let’s group like ideas
Story of how
Booker came
to live at our
house
Playing with
balls
Eats plants
Being an alarm
clock
Likes to sit in
kitchen window
Hiding in
closets
Gets on the table
Hiding under
the bed with
tail out
Likes to keep laps warm
Watches squirrels out the window
Sometimes sounds like a tornado
Black with a tiny tuft of white
Green/yellow eyes, dependent
on the light
Cute face
Quizzical
Short hair, long tail
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Now, let’s label the groups
Story of how
Booker came
to live at our
house
Fun to be around
Weird stuff
Playing with
balls
Being an alarm
clock
Naughty
Eats plants
Likes to sit in
kitchen window
Gets on the table
Hiding in
closets
Hiding under
the bed with
tail out
Likes to keep laps warm
Watches squirrels out the window
Sometimes sounds like a tornado
Description
Black with a tiny tuft of white
Green/yellow eyes, dependent
on the light
Cute face
Quizzical
Short hair, long tail
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Controlling Idea

As I looked at the labels and the information on the
previous slide, it seems that I have many details
that show that my cat is weird. So, I think my
controlling idea will be, “My cat Booker is really
weird.”

Now, I need to filter my ideas to see what supports
my controlling idea and what doesn’t.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Filtering what to keep & what to leave out
Story of how
Booker came
to live at our
house
Naughty
Eats plants
Weird stuff
Fun to be around
Playing with
balls
Likes to keep laps warm
Being an alarm
clock
Sometimes sounds like a tornado
Hiding in
closets
Description
Watches squirrels out the window
Black with a tiny tuft of white
Likes to sit in
kitchen window
Hiding under
the bed with
tail out
Green / yellow eyes, dependent
on the light
Cute face
Gets on the table
This category
doesn’t support
my controlling
idea, so I will
leave it out!
These categories
do support my
controlling idea,
so I will keep
them !
Quizzical
Short hair, long tail
Controlling idea: My cat Booker is really weird.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Planning for elaboration with icons
Story of how
Booker came
to live at our
house
Weird stuff
Fun to be around
Playing with
balls
Likes to keep laps warm
Being an alarm
clock
Sometimes sounds like a tornado
Hiding in
closets
Description
Watches squirrels out the window
Black with a tiny tuft of white
Hiding under
the bed with
tail out
Green / yellow eyes, dependent
on the light
Cute face
Quizzical
Short hair, long tail
Controlling idea: My cat Booker is really weird.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Putting the pieces in order
Introduction
Story of how
Booker came to
live at our house
Weird stuff
Playing with
2 balls
an alarm
1 Being
clock
Hiding in
4 closets
Hiding under
4 the bed with
tail out
Fun to be around
3 Likes to keep laps warm
Watches squirrels out the window
Sometimes sounds like a tornado
Use description
throughout the writing
Description
Black with a tiny tuft of white
(introduction?)
Green / yellow eyes, dependent
on the light
Cute face (conclusion?)
Quizzical
Short hair, long tail
Controlling idea: My cat Booker is really weird.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Analyzing a Different Prompt
Something You Learned
Think of something that you learned inside or
outside of school that is important to you. In
several paragraphs, write a letter to your
teacher explaining what you learned and why
it is important to you.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Analyzing the Prompt

Who is the audience?
– The audience is the teacher.

What is the purpose?
– The purpose is to explain what you learned in
or out of school and why it is important.

What is the key word or words that will
help you brainstorm what to write about?
– The key words are “what you learned in or
out of school.”
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Finding your topic - listing
possible things you learned

Write the key words and list as many things
you can think of that you learned. Be sure
to include things you learned outside school
as well as things you learned inside school.
Things you learned outside of school are
frequently more personal and appeal more
to your audience.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Finding your topic brainstorming

Select two or three ideas from your list
that you think might be manageable
topics, and brainstorm words or phrases
about each idea.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Remember these examples
List about my cat
List about my season tickets
Story of how Booker came to our house
Seahawks football
Quizzical
Theatre
Playing with balls
See my friends
Like to keep laps warm
Fun to go
Being an alarm clock
Lunch or dinner out
Black with a tiny tuft of white
Time it snowed
Green / yellow eyes, dependent on the light
When we got soaked
Short hair, long tail
Hiding in closets
Gets on the table
Cute face
Hiding under the bed with tail out
Eats plants
Likes to sit in kitchen window
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Selecting a narrow topic you
care about and know well

As you look at your lists, choose one thing you
learned that you think you will write about.

Consider these questions about your choice:
– Is it a topic I care about?
– Is it a topic I know well?
– Is it a topic for which I know many details?

If the answer is yes to all the above questions,
it is probably a topic you care about and know
well.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Grouping and labeling your
ideas/details

Group your list as things that go
together and label each group.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Remember these examples
Story of how
Booker came to
our house
Weird stuff
Playing with
balls
Fun to be around
Like to keep laps warm
Being an
alarm clock
Naughty
Eats plants
Likes to sit in
kitchen
window
Hiding in
closets
Hiding under
the bed with
tail out
Gets on the
table
Description
Black with a tiny tuft of
white
Green / yellow eyes,
dependent on the light
Cute face
Quizzical
Controlling idea
My cat is really weird.
Short hair, long tail
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Writing a controlling idea

Look at your groups.

Think about what you might write and
which groups have the most information
and specific details.

Ask yourself, “What do I really want to
say about what I learned?”

Write a controlling idea.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Filtering the information and
organizing the writing

Now look at your grouped and labeled list.

Cross out any information that doesn’t support
your controlling idea.

Add anything you realize would help you
support your controlling idea.

Add icons to show elaboration strategies you
will use.

Number the groups in the order you intend to
write them.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Writing to a prompt - your turn

Using your list, group, label as a
guide, write multiple paragraphs
about something you learned inside
or outside of school.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reflection

After you have written your paper, fill
out a Student Prewriting Analysis.

Turn in your paper, analysis, and your
prewriting to your teacher.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Prewriting Strategy – Clustering
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – definition/purpose

A different way of prewriting using
circles and lines to connect ideas
Africa
Lion
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – connections
savannah
orange
cowardly
mane
Courage
grasslands
Africa
Wizard
of Oz
lion
sharp teeth
lioness
tough
man-eating
dangerous
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – connections

Think about ideas and details
you might add.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – new details
savannah
The Lion King
orange
cowardly
Courage
grasslands
mane
The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe
Africa
Wizard
of Oz
lion
sharp teeth
lioness
tough
man-eating
dangerous
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – color coding

Next we will look at what we have
clustered and color code ideas that
seem to go together into categories.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – color coding
savannah
The Lion King
orange
cowardly
Courage
grasslands
mane
The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe
Africa
Wizard
of Oz
lion
sharp teeth
lioness
tough
man-eating
dangerous
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering - narrowing the topic

Now that the writer has clustered on “Lion,” she
needs to consider how to narrow the topic.

The writer thinks that any of the lions in movies
might be a manageable topic, but since she
knows the most about the Wizard of Oz, she
might choose it and cluster again on that topic.

Then she would complete the prewriting
process by creating a controlling idea, filtering
details, adding icons for elaboration, and
determining an order.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering - brainstorming

Now we will cluster together on this topic.
our school

What do you think of when you see this
topic?

Generate as many ideas and connections
as possible (as you saw on the “lion
cluster”).
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – color coding

Now we will color code our cluster.
our school
Let’s make a key of our color coding.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – prewriting process

Now that we have clustered on “our school,” we need to
consider how to narrow the topic. Let’s choose a
category we think would be a manageable topic – not too
big, not too small.

Let’s check to see if it is a topic (category) that we care
about and know well. Consider these questions:

– Is it a topic we care about?
– Is it a topic we know well?
– Is it a topic for which we know many details?
Now we need to complete the prewriting process by
creating a controlling idea, filtering details to support the
controlling idea, adding icons for elaboration, and
determining an order.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – partner writing

With a partner, make your own cluster
using the topic winter.
winter

You will have five minutes.
 At
the end of five minutes, join another
partner group and compare and add to
your ideas.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – color coding

Using the cluster you and your partner
created around winter,
– Color code the cluster you created.
– Create a color code key that explains what
each color represents.
winter
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – selecting a narrow topic
you care about and know well

Now that you have clustered on “winter,” you
and your partner need to consider how to
narrow the topic. Is it a manageable topic – not
too big and not too small?

Is it a topic (category) you care about and know
well. Consider these questions:
– Is it a topic we care about?
– Is it a topic we know well?
– Is it a topic for which we know many details?
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – completing the
prewriting process

Now you need to complete the
prewriting process
– Create a controlling idea.
– Filter details to support the controlling idea.
– Add icons for elaboration.
– Determine an order.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – your turn

Now, on your own, cluster on this topic.
As you cluster, be sure to connect your
ideas with lines to show they are a chain of
ideas.
summer

After you cluster, color code your ideas
and make a key.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering - your turn

Now that you have clustered on
“summer,” you need to consider if it’s a
manageable topic – not too big and not
too small.

Choose a topic (category) you care about
and know well. Consider these questions:
– Is it a topic I care about?
– Is it a topic I know well?
– Is it a topic for which I know many details?
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering - your turn

Now you need to complete the
prewriting process
– Remember your audience and purpose.
– Create a controlling idea.
– Filter details to support the controlling idea.
– Add icons for elaboration.
– Determine an order.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering - your turn

Write multiple paragraphs about
summer, using your controlling idea
and clustering as a guide.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reflection

After you have written your paper, fill
out a Student Prewriting Analysis.

Turn in your paper, analysis, and your
prewriting to your teacher.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Prompted Topic Using
Clustering
What to do when you are given a
prompt for writing
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Characteristics of Prewriting
Brainstorming
Multiple Ideas
for a Topic
Filtering,
Planning
Elaboration
and Organizing
Narrowing to a
Manageable
Topic
Finding a
Controlling
Idea
Brainstorming
Supporting
Details
Grouping
Similar
Supporting
Ideas /
Categorizing
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
First
Draft
Analyzing the Prompt
In the WASL, you will be given a prompt like the
one below. It prompts you to find a topic that you
know about, you care about, and know details
about. Your topic needs to connect to the prompt.
Someplace Special
If you could go somewhere special,
explain to your teacher where you
would go and why.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Analyzing the Prompt

Who is the audience?
– The audience is the teacher.

What is the purpose of the writing?
– The purpose is to explain

What is the key word or words that will
help me brainstorm what to write about?
– Somewhere special
If you could go somewhere special,
explain to your teacher where you
would go and why.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – possible places
Science Center
mountains
Disneyland
Dad’s house
Hawaii
Wild Waves
places
camping
the mall
the beach
zoo
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Two places I might want
to write about

Disneyland

Camping
Clustering – generating ideas
& details
Matterhorn
long lines
Space Mountain
Pirates of the Caribbean
Mickey Mouse
Disneyland
Thunder Mountain Railroad
Splash Mountain
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – generating ideas
& details
campfire
camp food
Priest Lake
fishing
hiking
row boat
the time I fell into the lake
marshmallows
roasting on the fire
camping
the bear
putting it up
sleeping in the tent
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – selecting a topic
My cluster on Disneyland looks like a lot of
the same things – rides and attractions.
When I look at camping, I see that I know a
lot about camping and I have interesting
things to tell. I think I will write about camping.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – new details
camp songs
campfire
camp food
Priest Lake
fishing
hiking
row boat
the time I fell into the lake
marshmallows
roasting on the fire
camping
when the tent fell down
the bear
putting it up
sleeping in the tent
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – coding

For on-demand WASL writing, students
may only use #2 pencils. Instead of
using color, we can code things that are
similar or connected by using codes or
shapes.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – coding
camp songs
campfire
camp food
Priest Lake
fishing
hiking
row boat
the time I fell into the lake
marshmallows
roasting on the fire
camping
when the tent fell down
the bear
putting it up
sleeping in the tent
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – coding
camp songs
campfire
Priest Lake
fishing
camp food
hiking
row boat
the time I fell into the lake
marshmallows
roasting on the fire
camping
the bear
putting it up
when the tent fell down
sleeping in the tent
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – controlling idea
and filtering
Now look at your cluster.
 Decide on a controlling idea.
 Cross out any information that doesn’t
support your controlling idea.

Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – controlling idea
camp songs
campfire
camp food
Controlling
Priest Lake Idea: Camping
is full of
surprises.
fishing
hiking
row boat
the time I fell into the lake
marshmallows
roasting on the fire
camping
when the tent fell down
the bear
putting it up
sleeping in the tent
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – adding new
ideas/details and planning
elaboration

Add any ideas or details you think will
help to support your controlling idea.

Add icons to show elaboration
strategies you will use.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – adding details & icons
Controlling Idea:
Camping is full of
surprises.
saw it while hiking
Priest Lake
fishing
beady eyes
row boat
a big fish pulled me
over the edge
the time I fell into the lake
life vest
night time
it stunk
Camping
I thought I
heard the
bear
sharp teeth
the bear
when the tent fell down
nosing around
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering - organizing the
writing

Now number the ideas for the order
of the writing.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – organizing
Controlling Idea:
Camping is full of
surprises. (Introduction)
lake
fishing
a big fish pulled me
over the edge
2
saw it while hiking
beady eyes
row boat
the time I fell into the lake
life vest
1
night time
it stunk
Camping
I thought I
heard the
bear
sharp teeth
the bear
(Conclusion?)
when the tent fell down
nosing around
1
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Analyzing a Different Prompt
Advice to a new student
Suppose a new student is coming to your
school next week. In several paragraphs,
write a letter to this student explaining
what is most important for a new student
to know about your school and why this
information is important for him or her to
know.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Analyzing the Prompt

Who is the audience?
– The audience is a new student.

What is the purpose?
– The purpose is to explain.

What is the key word or words that will help you
brainstorm what to write about?
– The key words are “what is most important for a new
student to know and why.”
Suppose a new student is coming to your school next week.
In several paragraphs, write a letter to this student
explaining what is most important for a new student to know
about your school and why this information is important for
him or her to know.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering - brainstorming

Let’s write the key words and cluster
as many things we can think of that
are important for a new student to
know. Consider why each is
important.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering

Let’s look at our cluster.

Where can we add more detail?
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering the topic

Add ideas and details to the cluster.

Code things that go together.

Look for groups that fit together in the
controlling idea of “what is important
for a student to know.”
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering - selecting a topic

As we look at our cluster, let’s choose
what is most important to write about.

Consider
– What do we care about?
– What do we know well?
– What has interesting details?
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering the topic

Let’s make a new cluster with what
we chose.

Let’s add details to our new cluster.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – adding new
ideas/details and filtering

Add anything you realize would help
you support what is important.

Cross out any information you decide
not to use.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Prompted Expository Writing
Remember the icons we used to explain
our elaboration strategies.
Anecdotes
Description
Reader’s questions
Scenarios
Examples
Definitions
Facts
Dialogue
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Clustering – planning
elaboration and organizing

Add icons to show elaboration
strategies you will use.

Number the groups in the order you
intend to write them.
Writing together
Now let’s look at how we would use
our prewriting to write.
 We’ll do the first paragraph together
to get you started.
 Use the cluster to finish writing “what
is most important to know about your
school.”

Writing to a prompt - your turn
New Student
In multiple paragraphs, write a letter to a new student
who is coming to your school explaining what is most
important for the new student to know about your
school and why this information is important for him
or her to know.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reflection

After you have written your paper, fill
out a Student Prewriting Analysis.

Turn in your paper, analysis, and your
prewriting to your teacher.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Summative Assessment
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Summative Assessment - your turn
An Enjoyable Activity
Think about an activity you enjoy
doing. Write several paragraphs
explaining to your teacher why you
like doing that activity.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Writing

Analyze the prompt.
Think about an activity you enjoy doing.
Write several paragraphs explaining to your
teacher why you like doing that activity.

To plan your writing, use a prewriting
strategy from this module (Alphabetic
Taxonomy; List, Group, Label; or
Clustering).

Complete your writing.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reflection

Now that you have finished your
writing, fill out a final Student Prewriting
Analysis sheet.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reflection

Look at your first and last Student
Prewriting Analysis sheets in your
student writing folder.

In what ways are your answers in the
first and your last sheet the same?

In what ways are your answers in the
first and your last sheet different?

Discuss the similarities and differences
with a partner.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reflection

Look at your first prewriting and piece
of writing.

Look at your last prewriting and piece
of writing.

Talk to a partner about what has
changed and improved in your
prewriting and writing.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Reflection

Write a letter to your teacher
explaining what you have learned
about prewriting and what you feel
you still need to work on.
Copyright © 2008 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.