Letting your writing
skills SHINE
Time to show what you know!
(The prompts for this lesson are actual prompts taken from various states’ writing
assessments.)
What type of prompt do you have?
For the writing assessment,
you will have one of the
following types of prompts:
• Narrative
• Informational
• Persuasive
Step One: Understand the prompt
• Is it a narrative topic? In a personal narrative, you
are asked to tell a story about something that has
happened to you. A fictional narrative asks you to
make up a story, although fictional narratives are not
as common in the writing assessment.
Example:
Most people can remember a day or event in their lives that
they would like to relive. Think about a time that you would
like to relive. What happened? Why would you like to relive
it? Write about a day or event you would like to relive.
Step One: Understand the prompt
• Is it an informational prompt? An informational
prompt is just like it sounds – you are writing to inform.
Example: Your school is taking part in National Safety
Week. During this time, students will focus on safety
issues. Choose a safety issue you think is important.
Explain the issue, including why it is a problem and some
solutions for the problem.
Step One: Understand the prompt
• Is it a persuasive prompt? In a persuasive prompt the
writer needs to try to convince, or persuade, the
reader to accept the writers idea, request, or opinion.
Example: Eating the proper foods is very important in
order to stay healthy. Often, young people like to eat
junk foods and they do not eat healthy fruits and
vegetables. Write to persuade your friends that a
balanced diet is important for staying healthy.
Step One: Understanding the prompt
• Read the prompt TWICE before you begin
to plan to make sure you understand what
you are being asked to do.
• Read the prompt again before you start
your rough draft, before you proofread
and edit, AND before you start your final
draft.
Step Two: Plan-Develop your ideas
• If you have a personal narrative that asks
you to tell about something in your past,
try to think of a couple of different ideas.
Then, choose the idea you can write about
with the best DETAILS!
What is the best way to organize
my writing?
There is not necessarily one best way to
plan your writing. An organized list using
bullet points is one way that can be used to
organize writing. Each bullet point could
be a paragraph with ideas underneath, or
you can group the bullet points with a box
to set up your paragraphs.
Developing ideas in
narrative writing
Think about a time you were surprised. It could have been a party or a time
you got something you didn’t expect. It could be when you planned
something and it didn’t turn out the way you thought it would. It could have
been when someone came for a surprise visit. Surprises can be funny, scary,
or exciting. Write about a time you were surprised
New Puppy
٠Mom said no dogs
-begged, but no, no, no
٠Christmas Day
-presents-book, toys
socks(?)
-last box had chew toy?
٠Mom brought out puppy
--SOOO happy
-- Coco happy too
Chocolate chip cookie disaster
٠ First time cooking by self with recipe
٠ Had cooked with mom, boxed mix
٠Belle & I gathered ingredients
٠measured flour, sugar carefully
٠ accidently put in 2 tsp of salt not 1
٠ tried to fix by doubling rest of ingred.
٠ cookies came out
٠ looked great, tasted horrible
٠ found out we used tablespoon, not tsp
٠Now I use slice and bake cookies
Developing ideas in
narrative writing
One day while you are out on a walk with a dog, the dog suddenly starts
talking about where he used to live and how he would like to visit that
place again. Write about what happens that day.
.
Adventure to big city
• Start-normal walk in park
- shocked when Spike talked
- wants to see home in Atlanta
• Had to take bus-never done
--hid Spike-can’t be on bus
--scary but exciting
--talking about his past on way
Mystery-How to find where he lived
٠ Start-normal walk in park
٠ Shocked when Spike talked
٠ Wants to see old home-have to find
٠ Follow the dog-sniffs the way
٠ Through odd places-junkyard,
backyards with pools, etc, ++
٠ Dog talking all way, sometimes warning
•
٠ End-we arrive, meets mom, tells her
he’s fine & happy in new home
٠ We head back for home
From bus went to small house
in between big apt bldgs
-end w/ arrive, tell mom in good
home & we head back
What is the best way to organize
my writing?
Another way to organize your writing
so that it can flow easily into paragraphs
is by making a modified outline. The
following examples show the same topic
with two different plans. Which topic
idea do you think the writer can do the best
job of writing about?
** We will review another way to organize information in the next
section.
Developing ideas in
narrative writing
Choose a vivid time from your childhood. Narrate the events related to
the childhood memory that you've chosen so that your readers will
understand why the event was important and memorable.
First Day of School
A. Rode Bus
B. Fun Classroom
1. Centers
2. Class Pet
C. Teacher
First Spend the night party
A. Looked forward to for weeks
1. Bought pink sleeping bag. etc
2. Talked & talked about it
B. Party Day
1. swam & played games
2. Ate Pizza, cake, ice cream
C. Sleep time
1. Talked until midnight
2. Threw up pizza, cake, ice
cream & went home
Developing ideas in
narrative writing
Think of a time when you achieved a personal goal. Tell your readers
about the story of how you met your goal. Be sure that your readers
understand why the goal is important to you.
Rode a bike
Joined swim team
A. Describe bike
A. Excited, joined with 8 friends
1. blue, shiny, tassels
1. New suit, goggles
B. Training Wheels
2. Pool looked so big & blue
C. Wheels off
B. First week of practice
1. Scared
1. SOOOO much harder than I thought
2. Dad helped
Sore, never thought I’d learn butterfly
3. Wind in face
2. Friends ALL dropped out
I did NOT want to be a quitter
C. First meet
1. Made new friends, became fun
2. Finished third, but got better later
Step Two: Plan-Develop your ideas
• If you have an informational prompt you
will again think about the best way to write
DETAILS and EXAMPLES.
Remember, your job is to explain and
inform, but you still need good details and
vivid, specific word choice.
What is the best way to organize
my writing?
Both the organized list using bullet
points and the modified outline are great
ways to organize your informational
writing. Many students learned to use
webs to plan writing. An organizing map
is a similar way to set up your writing that
flows better into paragraph writing than a
traditional web.
Developing ideas in
informative writing
A role model is a person you admire or look up to. Before you begin
writing, think about someone you look up to. Why do you admire this
person? Write a composition in which you explain to your classmates
whom you admire and why.
Shaun White-Snowboarder
Great Athlete
Good Sport
My Mom
Hard Worker
Helps me
When
I’m
Sick
Gold
High
Medal
Jumps
Nice
to all
others
practices
praise
daily
him
Wow
tricks
Homework
Practices
ball with
me
Helps Others
Works
At
Church
Good Example
Always
Cheerful
Very
Organized
Collects
Blankets
For
homeless
Helps
neighbors
Cooks
Healthy
Developing ideas in
informative writing
Weather is all around us. Some weather people like, while other weather
can make people miserable. Write an informational paper telling about a
type of weather. Be sure to tell about the type of weather in detail. Tell why
this weather is good and/or bad what people do in this weather
Step Two: Plan-Develop your ideas
• If you have a persuasive prompt you have
to use DETAILS and EXAMPLES to
persuade the reader to agree with a point
you are making. You need to use your
details, examples, and good word choice
to sway the reader’s opinion. Sell your
point!
Developing ideas in
persuasive writing
The local news station is choosing a local child to visit a brand new
amusement park and appear on the news to tell other kids about it. Write
a letter to the news station to persuade them to choose you.
Developing ideas in
persuasive writing
Many boys and girls enjoy playing the same sport. Do you think boys and
girls should be on the same team? Write to persuade the coach to agree with
your opinion.
Developing ideas in
persuasive writing
Your class is having a special lunch on graduation day. Choose your favorite
lunch idea and write to persuade your classmates why your choice should be
served.
Step Three: Begin your paper with a
grabber beginning
Some strategies for grabber beginnings:
• Ask a question
• Use a quote or dialogue
• Personal story/anecdote
• Interesting fact
• Onomatopoeia (when appropriate)
Step 3 cont. – Examples of grabber
beginnings.
Ask a question:
Narrative: Have you ever had a day when
everything seemed to go wrong?
Informative: Did you know there is a
mammal that lays eggs?
Persuasive: How would you feel if you
found out your child was eating fattening
chili dogs and greasy french fries for lunch
every day?
Step 3 cont. – Examples of grabber
beginnings.
Personal story/anecdote:
Narrative: (This often is a personal story)
Informative: When I was in third grade my
family visited Germany. Our trip took us
from a famous castle in the mountains to
a museum with the first printing press.
Germany is an interesting place.
Persuasive: When I was in fourth grade,
someone made fun of me because I didn’t
have a shirt from the “popular” store. If
our school had uniforms, no one would
ever have to worry about what they wear.
Step 3 cont. – Examples of grabber
beginnings.
onomatopoeia:
Narrative: Woof-woof! That is a sound I
had always wanted to hear, greeting me
as I came home from school.
Informative: Chirp, Chirp. I love the sound
of waking up to birds outside my window
on a spring day.
Persuasive: Vroom, vroom. Keeping a car
running and safe is an important job,
which is why everyone should learn how
to take care of their car.
Step 3 cont. – Examples of grabber
beginnings.
Dialogue and an interesting fact are also great grabber
beginnings.
Narrative: “Sam, time to get up,” Mom called.
Saturday had started out like an ordinary day.
Informative: More than 75% of all the animals
in the world are insects. One of the most
important insects in our world is the honeybee.
Persuasive: “Mrs. Jones, the homework last
night really helped me understand area,” Ben
announced. Ben can see why homework can
really help students practice important skills.
Step 3 cont. – Grabber beginnings.
If you can’t think of a great
grabber beginning, leave a space
for your introduction and go on to
stop 4. It is best, however, to get
off to a great start with a great
introduction.
Step 4 - Write your rough draft by
developing your ideas with DETAILS
and EXAMPLES
DO NOT JUST LIST YOUR IDEAS.
When you state an idea, give details
and examples that bring the idea to
life in your readers mind.
Step 4 - Develop your ideas with
DETAILS and EXAMPLES
Narrative Topic: Everyone has seen something happen that was just really strange or
weird. Maybe it was something that was way beyond a normal daily event–an event you
just could not magine happening.
Write a narrative composition telling about ONE time you observed something
that was really strange or weird. When you tell what happened, include specific
details, descriptions, and reactions.
As I watched the news, I could not believe what
I was seeing. There, in the middles of a long
line of honking cars and huge tractor trailers
was a strange sight. A black and white striped
zebra was making his way through the clogged
downtown traffic, with police officers on
motorcycles following close behind.
Step 4 - Develop your ideas with
DETAILS and EXAMPLES
Informative Topic: It has been said that one of the most important things in life is a
good friend.
Write about someone you think has been a good friend to you.
Last year, when my dog got very sick and had
to have an operation, my friend Sarah came
over to wait with me until my parents got back
from the vet. When I cried, she never made
fun of me, but sat with me and tried to comfort
me. She even drew a get well card for Smoky,
with a cute picture of a black lab with a
bandage on his head.
Step 4 - Develop your ideas with
DETAILS and EXAMPLES
Persuasive Topic: Your principal is considering replacing all physical education
classes with study skills classes. Write to explain why you agree or disagree
with this idea.
Exercise is important to staying in shape and
being healthy. We develop our muscles when
we race from station to station, doing pull-ups
and push-ups . . . .
P.E. classes help more than our bodies. For
many games, we have to be able to cooperate to
reach a goal. Learning how to work as a team
can help us in our classes, and even in the
future in the work world.
How does strong, specific word choice
improve your writing?
Narrative Topic: Everyone has lost something. Tell about what happened the time you
or someone else lost something.
Mom said not to borrow her new necklace, but it was so
pretty, I decided to wear it to school anyway.
The new necklace Mom bought at Macy’s was
breathtaking. The necklace had one layer that was a
shimmering golden chain, and another that was
glimmering black crystals. At the end of both, there
was a huge smoky brown topaz about the size of a
quarter. While Mom clearly warned me not to even
touch the necklace, I just HAD to wear it for school
pictures.
How does strong, specific word choice
improve your writing?
Informative Topic: Think about a persona goal you would like to reach in your life.
Describe the goal and explain what you plan to do to reach your goal.
I want to be the best swimmer in the world. I will need to
practice a lot to reach my goal.
I imagine myself one day standing on the podium at
the Summer Olympics, hearing the National Anthem,
and receiving my gold medal for the 100 yard
backstroke. This won’t be easy to achieve. My plan is
to start by joining a local swim team and practicing
an hour a day. I think it would also be helpful to read
how other swimmers, like Michael Phelps, became
stronger in the pool.
How does strong, specific word choice
improve your writing?
Persuasive Topic: The school board would like suggestions to improve your school
Think of a way you would like to improve your school and persuade the school board to
choose your idea.
Our school needs a larger fence because a lot of balls get
kicked over the fence. Please get us a larger fence.
Our classroom started the year with a basket filled
with kickball, footballs, and other playground balls.
This helped make recess a fun time for everybody.
There was usually a group playing four-square while
other kids enjoyed a game of kickball. Many of the
boys can’t wait to get outside to play a game of touch
football. Unfortunately, once a ball flies over the
four-foot fence, it is lost forever.
Step 5 - If you are writing to a persuasive
prompt, think of ONE argument against your
point that you can address with a “fix”
Address reader concerns:
You might think the country would be a more
peaceful place to live, but there are many quiet
neighborhoods that are near cities, but still far
enough away to be quiet and relaxing.
Step 6 – End your paper with a strong
conclusion to convince your reader.
Strong Conclusion:
You can see, Mom and Dad, that the benefits of
living near a big city, such as plentiful jobs
and a variety of shopping and entertainment,
make living in the suburbs the best choice for
our family.
Step 6 – End your paper with a strong
conclusion to convince your reader.
Strong Conclusion:
The quiet of the countryside, as well as the
chances for our family to spend quality time
together enjoying the outdoors should all be
factors that show you what a great choice
living in the country would be.
Step 7 – Editing
Go back through your paper and ask:
• Did I follow the prompt?
• Do I have a grabber beginning?
• Have I organized my ideas in paragraphs?
• Do all my ideas have details and/or examples?
• Did I address reader concerns?
• Did I use strong, creative word choice?
• Do I have a strong conclusion?
Step 8 – Final Draft
As your write your final draft, continue to
add descriptive word choice and
details. Use your best handwriting—first
impressions do count! When you are
done, be sure you PROOFREAD carefully
to catch those little mistakes. Read
through at least three times and TAKE
YOUR TIME. When you rush through,
you read what you think you wrote, not
what you actually wrote.