Laura Leigh Martin
4th Grade
Persuasive letter
Social Studies
Persuasive Writing within the Writing Process
5th Grade GA Writing Test
• Description
– consists of an evaluation of each
student response to an assigned prompt
– students are assigned a topic from a
prompt bank representing three genres:
narrative, informational, and persuasive
– students are allowed approximately 120
minutes to write their essays
– writing assessment must be
administered in one day
– make-up is given the following day.
2
5th Grade GA Writing Test
• Type of Writing
– students will be given either an
informational, persuasive, or narrative
writing topic
– students may receive any one of the
three writing topics thus requiring them
to be prepared to write in informational,
narrative, and persuasive genres
– topics will be released after each test
administration and will become part of
the practice topic bank.
3
5th Grade GA Writing Test
• Analytic and Holistic Scoring
– scoring system is analytic
– analytic scoring means that more than
one feature or domain of a paper is
evaluated
– each domain itself is scored holistically
– accurate scoring requires balancing a
writer’s strengths and areas of challenge
4
5th Grade GA Writing Test
• student writing will be assessed
analytically in four domains: Ideas,
Organization, Style, and Conventions.
• analytic scoring will provide detailed
information on student writing
including scale scores and
performance levels
5
5th Grade GA Writing Test
• Time Line
– administered during the first week of March
– all grade five students will take the
assessment on the same day
– testing time will be 120 minutes (2 sessions
of 60 minutes each).
– each system will have the flexibility to
determine what time of day to administer
each of the sessions.
– no extra time will be allowed except as
specified in a student’s Individual Education
Plan (IEP), Section 504 Plan, or Test
6
Participation Plan (TPP)
Pre – assessment Test
• assessment of individual children’s development
and learning is essential for planning and
implementing appropriate curriculum
• content of assessments reflects progress toward
important learning and developmental goals
• assessments are tailored to a specific purpose
and used only for the purpose for which they
have been demonstrated to produce reliable,
valid information
7
Pre – assessment Test
• to complete the pre-assessment activity
students will complete a pre-assessment a
week before the teacher begins the writing
lesson
• given to students during their language arts
period
• pre-assessment is used to assess what
students already know as a starting point to
build upon for the upcoming lesson
• the teacher is to determine what each student
already knows about the writing process
• teacher is to determine if the students used any
steps of the writing process
8
Pre – assessment Test
• students should be informed that this is
just a pre-assessment
• tell students the purpose of the preassessment is to determine what they
already know and to help the teacher set
goals for what needs to be taught or
reviewed in future lessons.
• do not tell students this is not for a real
grade, because they will not try to do
their best
9
Prewriting
• Explanation of Instructional Grouping
Options:
– during practice stage, whole group
instruction
– class and teacher will collaboratively
complete a graphic organizer
– whole group arrangement is very
effective for this type of instruction
– cuts down on teacher time, ensures
consistency, and that all students
receive the same instruction
10
Prewriting
• Explanation of Grouping Relating to students
Developmental, Cultural and Linguistic Needs:
These needs are similar throughout all stages
of the writing process.
• Linguistic Needs:
– three students with speech impairment
– their disability does not affect their
assignment
– they receive additional services outside of
class
11
Prewriting
• Developmental Need:
– seven students who have a learning disability
– grouped with the class in whole group
– they will have feeling of inclusion and
acceptance by being placed within the whole
group
– one student in the class with Emotional
Behavior Disorder
• disability is not affected by the assignment
12
Prewriting
• all students will be individually assessed so
that the teacher can determine each child’s
strengths and weaknesses
• all students will individually conference with
the teacher to get positive corrective
feedback
• when students are broke into pairs for
revising and editing higher ability students
will be placed with lower ability students in
order for the lower ability students to
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benefit from peer assistance.
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• Persuasive writing
– seeks to convince the reader about a matter
of opinion
– sometimes called “argumentative” because it
argues a persons position
– focuses on the reader, whom the writer wants
to influence
– main purpose is to change the reader’s mind
or bring the reader’s point of view closer to
that of the writer’s point of view
14
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
– must offer convincing support for your point
of view
– to be persuasive you cannot merely state
an opinion
– reasoning must be logical and sensible
– examples of persuasive writing:
• editorials, letters to the editor, reviews of
books and movies, sermons, business or
research proposals, opinion essays in
magazines, and books that argue a
certain point of view.
15
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• There are five elements in a persuasive
writing:
– Opening Paragraph: get the reader’s
attention, state three main points, and state
thesis.
– Three Body Paragraphs: each major point
discussed, paragraphs include a topic
sentence, at least three major support
sentences, and concluding sentence
16
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
– Concluding Paragraph: restate three
major points and thesis, give reader’s at
least one new point of information to
think about, provide closing so the
reader is not left hanging
17
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• several different ways in which a
persuasive piece is written
• persuasive writing is when a writer
expresses opinions, arguments, and
feelings
• persuasive writing is often used in
advertisements to get the reader to buy a
product
• used in essays and other types of writing
to get the reader to accept a point of view
18
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• three basic ways to persuade
– appeal to the reader based on reason
– appeal to character
– appeal to emotions
• in order to convince the reader you need
more than opinion
• you need facts or examples to back your
opinion
• be sure to do research on the subject you
are going to write about
19
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• persuasive writing follows a particular
format
• it has an introduction, a body where the
position or argument of the author is
developed, and a conclusion Let’s begin
with talking about the introduction.
• introduction has something special to
catch the reader’s attention
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Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
 introduction includes a position
statement, which tells our position or
opinion
 through the position statement the
reader should feel that the writer:
 thought about the topic
 knows what beliefs are held about it
 knew how to organize the information.
21
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• in the body of the essay the writer gives
supporting evidence for the position statement
• body should consist of at least three
paragraphs
• each paragraph based on a solid reason to
back your position statement
• reasons may appeal to logic, character, or
emotions
• writers sequence the evidence in a logical order
and use concrete examples whenever possible
• often use cue words such as first, second, and
third to alert readers to the organization
22
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• last paragraph is the conclusion
• the author usually ends by
summarizing the most important
details of the argument and stating
once again their position
• may also do this through giving a
personal statement or making a
prediction
23
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• We are going to focus on one specific
form in class.
• We are going to focus on a
persuasive letter.
24
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• writing process
– first step of the writing process is known as
the prewriting stage t
– then you write a rough draft, revise, edit, and
publish your paper e
– each day this week we are going to discuss a
different step of the writing process
– today we are focusing on prewriting
25
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
– prewriting is also known as the gettingready-to-write stage
– a few things you must consider before
you begin writing
• choose a topic
• topic- what do I want to write about
26
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• consider the purpose of your writing
– the purpose- What am I writing for? to
entertain? to inform? to persuade? In
this case we already know that we are
writing to persuade.
• decide on your intended audience
– the audience- who is my audience?
– possible audiences include classmates,
younger children, and parents
27
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• decide on the form of writing
– forms of writing are stories, poems,
letters, journals, etc.)
– the form- What form will the writing
take?
• story, letter, poem, journal entry,
report
• I already informed you that we will be
writing a persuasive letter.
28
Instructional Procedures: Prewriting
• last step in the prewriting stage is to
gather and organize your ideas
• do not write your ideas in complete
sentences
• do not worry about punctuation,
spelling, or grammar at this point
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Prewriting: Graphic Organizer
• http://coefaculty.valdosta.edu/troot
/eced4300/Graphic%20organizers%
20persuasive%20writing.doc
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Assessment for Prewriting
• I want each of you to fill out your own
story map.
–think about the things you have learned
about what life was like on the Oregon
Trail
–I will provide you with an Oregon Trail
Fact sheet to help you.
–capture your reader’s attention in the
opening paragraph
–make sure you have a thesis.
31
Assessment for Prewriting
– have at least three main events with at
least three supporting details
– In conclusion paragraph make sure you
restate your three major points and
thesis and provide a closing that does
not leave the reader’s hanging
– remember who your intended audience
is and what your purpose is for writing
this persuasive letter.
32
Assessment for Prewriting
Exceeded Standard
Met Standard
Partially Met Standard
Did Not Met Standard
Introduction
Introduced the topic
and stated 3 subtopics.
Introduced the topic
and stated 2
subtopics.
Introduced the topic
and stated 1
subtopics.
Did not introduce the
topic or subtopics.
Main Idea #1
Stated the main point
and 3 supporting
details.
Stated the main
point
and 2 supporting
details.
Stated the main point
and 1 supporting
details.
Did not state the main
point or supporting
details.
Main Idea #2
Stated the main point
and 3 supporting
details.
Stated the main
point
and 2 supporting
details.
Stated the main point
and 1 supporting
details.
Did not state the main
point or supporting
details.
Main Idea #3
Stated the main point
and 3 supporting
details.
Stated the main
point
and 2 supporting
details.
Stated the main point
and 1 supporting
details.
Did not state the main
point or supporting
details.
Conclusion
Restated the main
topic and restated 3
subtopics
Restated the main
topic and restated 2
subtopics
Restated the main
topic and restated 1
subtopics
Did not restate the
main topic and
subtopics
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Student Checklist: Prewriting
I have identified a clear topic
My topic is related to the Oregon Trail
I have a distinct form, function, or purpose
My paper is suitable for my intended audience
I have three main subtopics under my main topic
I have a clear first main event and at least three
supporting details under it
I have a clear second main event and at least three
supporting details under it
I have a clear third main event and at least three
supporting details under it
In my conclusion I restated my thesis and subtopics
I did not write in complete sentences
I did not worry about punctuation or spelling
34
Accommodations/Modifications
• Developmental:
– students that have a learning disability will be
provided with additional support during the
individual assessment
– teacher will monitor the side of the class where the
students are seated and make sure that they
understand the directions and are on task
– teacher will help the students fill out the graphic
organizer when they reach a point of difficulty
– students will then continue the assignment
individually
35
Accommodations/Modifications
– gifted students need at least four
supporting sentences for each main
detail in their body paragraphs
• Linguistic:
– The students with speech impairments
and the student with EBD do not need
additional support. Their disability does
not inhibit this assignment.
36
Accommodations/Modifications
• Cultural:
– The students who are bilingual will be
seated together and allowed to use a
Spanish/English thesaurus to help them
with descriptive words.
37
Instructional Procedures: Drafting
• second step of the writing process is drafting
• focus is on putting your ideas from your story
map into complete sentences and writing
them down on paper
• emphasis placed on getting down the content
of writing
• do not need to worry about correct spelling
and neatness
• your handwriting must be legible
• okay to modify previous decisions about
purpose, audience, and the form your draft
will take
• for this assignment you will keep using the
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persuasive letter form
Instructional Procedures: Drafting
• time to transfer ideas onto paper, with little
concern about spelling, punctuation, and
other mechanical aspects of writing
• when writing your rough draft you should
write on every other line in order to leave
space for making revisions
• label the top of your paper “rough draft.”
• this lets others know that the composition
is a draft and that emphasis is on content
and not mechanics
• do not worry about correct spelling and
neatness at this point
• your handwriting must legible
39
Assessment: Drafting
• use your story maps and write your own
rough draft
• label your paper rough draft at the top of
the page
• the rough draft primarily focuses on
content and not on mechanics
• skip every other line when writing your
draft
• do not worry about perfect spelling or
neatness
• writing needs to be legible.
40
Assessment: Drafting
Exceeded Standard
Met Standard
Partially Met Standard
Did Not Met Standard
Introduction
Introduced the topic
and stated 3
subtopics.
Introduced the topic
and stated 2
subtopics.
Introduced the topic
and stated 1
subtopics.
Did not introduce the
topic or subtopics.
Main Idea #1
Stated the main point
and 3 supporting
details.
Stated the main point
and 2 supporting
details.
Stated the main point
and 1 supporting
details.
Did not state the main
point or supporting
details.
Main Idea #2
Stated the main point
and 3 supporting
details.
Stated the main point
and 2 supporting
details.
Stated the main point
and 1 supporting
details.
Did not state the main
point or supporting
details.
Main Idea #3
Stated the main point
and 3 supporting
details.
Stated the main point
and 2 supporting
details.
Stated the main point
and 1 supporting
details.
Did not state the main
point or supporting
details.
Conclusion
Restated the main
topic and restated 3
subtopics
Restated the main
topic and restated 2
subtopics
Restated the main
topic and restated 1
subtopics
Did not restate the
main topic and
subtopics
41
Checklist: Drafting
– Introduced the topic and 3 subtopics.
– Stated the main point and at least 3
supporting details. (Idea 1)
– Stated the main point and at least 3
supporting details. (Idea 2)
– Stated the main point and at least 3
supporting details. (Idea 3)
– Restated the main topic and restated 2
subtopics. (Conclusion)
– Used facts about the Oregon Trail to
persuade
– Skipped lines
– Did not worry about correct spelling,
punctuation, or grammar
42
Instructional Strategies: Revising
• third step in the writing process is
revising
• revising stage requires making notes,
questions, and changes as needed to
your paper
• requires writers to clarify and refine
content and ideas in their writing
43
Instructional Strategies: Revising
• anticipate and meet the needs of the
readers through changing, deleting,
adding, and rearranging content
• as a writer you need to make notes,
questions, and changes to your paper as
needed
• revision means to “see again”
• your classmates and teacher help you with
your composition
• revising stage involves the writer to go
through four main steps
44
Instructional Strategies: Revising
• first reread your rough draft.
• before you reread your draft though, distance
yourself from it for one to two days
• this allows you to have a fresh perspective
• as you are rereading your paper, make changes
by adding, deleting, substituting, and moving
words
• place question marks by sections that need
work
• places where you have put a question mark are
the main areas you should ask your writing
group to help you with
45
Instructional Strategies: Revising
• second step of the revising stage allows you
to share your rough draft with your writing
group
• read your composition aloud
• your peers in your group are to listen politely
and think about suggestions to offer you
• only the writer needs to look at the
composition
• when your peers look at your paper they
automatically point out mechanical errors
• the main focus during revision is on the
content of your paper
46
Instructional Strategies: Revising
• as listeners you should provide positive
comments and focus on organization,
leads, word choice, voice, sequence,
dialogue, theme, etc.
• For example, instead of saying “It was
good” say “I like that sentence, but maybe
you could say jovial instead of happy
because that is a stronger verb.”
47
Instructional Strategies: Revising
• as the writer of the paper you should ask
questions about places in your paper you think
are trouble spots and if you are communicating
your story well
• when it is your turn to listen to your peers’ story
ask questions about things that were unclear to
you, and make suggestions on how they can
revise their composition
• always use positive correct feedback
• each student in the group should have a
chance to read their composition aloud
• at the end of the writing group session, all
students should make a commitment to revise
their papers based on their peers’ suggestions
48
Instructional Strategies: Revising
• the final decision on what to revise in
your paper is ultimately your decision
as the writer, but keep in mind that no
paper is perfect
• there is always room for revisions
• take notes as peers offer suggestions
on paper.
49
Instructional Strategies: Revising
• purpose of the writing group is to offer the writer
choices, give the writer responses, feelings,
and thoughts, show different possibilities, and
to speed up the revision process
• third step of the revising stage is making actual
revisions
• add words, substitute sentences, delete
paragraphs, or move phrases
• revise your paper with a blue or red pen and
write in the space left between the doublespaced lines so that your revisions can be seen
clearly
• fourth and final stage of the writing process is
for you to conference with me about your paper
50
Assessment: Revising
• students revise their paper with a peer and use
the proper strategies we discussed in class that
pertain to writing groups
• make sure you have introduced the topic and
three subtopics
• state your main point and at least three
supporting details
• state your second main point and at least three
supporting details
• state your third main point and at least 3
supporting details
51
Assessment: Revising
• in the conclusion restate the main
topic and at least two subtopics.
• use facts about the Oregon Trail to
persuade your friends or family
members to take the Oregon Trail to
move out west
• skip lines and do not worry about
correct spelling, punctuation, or
grammar
52
Assessment: Revising
Sentences
Exceeded Standard
Meets Standard
Partially Meet
Standard
Standard Not Met
Used complete
sentences and at
least one compound
complex sentence
Used complete
sentences.
Used some
sentences
Mostly had phrases.
Little to no sentences used.
There is 1 beginning,
3 middle and 1
conclusion paragraph
There is 1 beginning,
2 middle and 1
conclusion paragraph
There is no clear
beginning,, middle, or
conclusion paragraphs
Used all 4 of the
revisions to revise
paper: adding,
deleting, substituting,
and rearranging.
Used alt least 3 of the
4 revisions to revise
paper: adding,
deleting, substituting,
and rearranging.
Used alt least 2 of the
4 revisions to revise
paper: adding,
deleting, substituting,
and rearranging.
Used 1 or none of the
revisions to revise paper:
adding, deleting,
substituting, and
rearranging.
Content changed to
make meaning
clearer
Deleted content that
did not belong
Rearranged content
To correct
sequencing
Content changed to
make meaning
clearer
Deleted content that
did not belong
Rearranged content
To correct
sequencing
Has 2 out of 3
Content changed to
make meaning
clearer
Deleted content that
did not belong
Rearranged content
To correct
sequencing
Has 1 out of 3
Paragraphs
Revision Marks
Content
Did not do any of the
following:
Content changed to
make meaning clearer
Deleted content that
did not belong
Rearranged content to
correct sequencing
53
Assessment: Revising
• Used complete sentences.
• Student used 3 out of 4 proofreader’s
marks: adding, deleting, substituting, and
rearranging
• Content changed to make meaning clearer
• Deleted content that did not belong
• There is 1 beginning, 3 middle and 1
conclusion paragraph
54
Instructional Procedures: Editing
• fourth step in the writing process is
editing
• editing is putting your paper into its
final form
• primary focus is on correcting
misspellings and other mechanical
errors
55
Instructional Procedures: Editing
• editing is known as proofreading
• requires word-by-word reading and attention to
form, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and
paragraph formation
• when you regularly read your draft it is
common to skip over words
56
Instructional Procedures: Editing
• during proofreading you locate and mark
possible errors
• proofreading is a unique type of reading
because you read slowly, word-by-word,
searching for mistakes rather than reading
quickly for meaning
• when proofreading your paper some errors
maybe easy to correct whereas others
may require the use of a dictionary, peers,
or teacher
57
Assessment: Editing
• edit your revised draft by using your
editing checklist
• use a red or a blue pen to correct your
mistakes
• after you edit your own paper, get with a
peer and read your papers
• use a different color pen than what has
already used to edit your paper
• make sure when you edit your paper and
your peers paper that you look at the story
word-by-word
• pay close attention to spelling,
capitalization, punctuation, and paragraph
formation
58
Assessment: Editing
Exceeds Standard
Meets Standard
Partially Meets
Standard
1 to 2 capitalization
errors present
3 to 4 capitalization errors
present
5 to 6 capitalization
errors present
Punctuation
1 to 2 punctuation
errors present
3 to 4 punctuation
errors present
5 to 6 punctuation
errors present
More than 6
punctuation errors
present
Spelling
No spelling errors
present
1 to 2 spelling errors
present
3 to 4 spelling errors
present
More than 5 spelling
errors present
Sentence Structure
Recognized subject
predicate relationship
Used nouns,
pronouns, adjectives,
and adverb
Correct use of
commas
Used 2 out of 3:
Recognized subject
predicate relationship
Used nouns,
pronouns, adjectives,
and adverb
Correct use of
commas
Used 1 out of 3:
Recognized subject
predicate relationship
Used nouns,
pronouns, adjectives,
and adverb
Correct use of
commas
Student did not use
any of the following:
Recognized subject
Predicaterelationsp
Used nouns,
pronouns,adjectives
and adverb
Correct use of
commas
Capitalization
Did not meet
Standard
More than 6
capitalization errors
present
59
Checklist: Editing
•
•
•
•
•
Used correct capitalization
Used correct punctuation
Used correct spelling
Recognized subject- predicate relationship
Used nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and
adverb
• Correct use of comma
60
Instructional Procedures: Publishing
• last stage of the writing process is
publishing
• when you publish your persuasive
letter you bring it to life
• after you publish your persuasive
letter you can consider yourself an
author
61
Instructional Procedures: Publishing
• publishing is putting your story in its final
written form
• rewrite your persuasive letter and include
all of your revisions and editing marks
• share your finished piece with the
appropriate audience
• writing is meant to be shared, so make
sure you let others enjoy your work
• you may also share your writing by
reading it aloud.
62
Assessment: Publishing
• time to publish them our letters
• we have rewritten it and incorporated all of
our corrections
• I want everyone to share their persuasive
letter with the class.
• After everyone has shared their letter, you
may make yours into a book like we did
earlier with our class letter.
• If you make yours into a book follow the
same procedures we used previously.
63
Assessment: Publishing
Exceeds Standard
Meets Standard
Partially Meets
Standard
Does Not Meet
Standard
Ideas and Content
-Includes a clearly
presented central
idea with relevant
facts, supporting
details, or
explanations
-Establishes a well
Developed idea/plot
and setting
-Includes a central
idea with mostly
relevant facts,
supporting details, or
explanations
-Establishes an
idea/plot and setting
-Includes a central
idea with
limited facts,
supporting
details, and/or
explanations
• Establishes a weak
idea/plot and setting
-Includes a central
idea but
lacks related facts,
supporting details,
and/or explanations
• Establishes no real
idea/plot or setting
Organization
-Organizing structure
that includes
paragraphs
-Engages reader
creatively,
relates significant
events, and moves
to a clear conclusion
-Organizing
structure that
includes paragraphs
- Engages the reader,
relates significant
events, and moves to
a conclusion
-Organizing structure
with very few
paragraphs
- Minimally developed
sequence of events
and fails to fully
engage the reader or
conclude story
-Organization lacks
paragraphing
structure
-Sequence of events
is not present or
confusing and
fails to engage the
reader or conclude
story
Voice
-Voice chosen is
appropriate to topic,
purpose, and
audience
- Writing is
Voice is present
-Shows an awareness
of audience
- Writing is somewhat
engaging
-Voice is inconsistent
or weak
-Shows limited
awareness of
audience
-Little or no voice is
evident
-Awareness of
audience or
personal involvement
64
Assessment: Publishing cont.
Sentence Fluency
Word Choice
Mechanics
Sentences flow
- Sentence length,
structure, and
Complexity
is varied
Sentences flow
-Sentence structures
are varied
Sentences are
fragmented,
run-on or confusing
-Sentence structures
are limited in variety
Sentences are
Incomplete
and/or unclear
Uses vivid descriptive
language
-Enables the reader
to visualize the
events or
experiences
Uses descriptive
language
-Enables the reader
to visualize the
events or
experiences
Uses limited,
Repetitive word
choice
- Gives a visual
picture
Uses limited,
Repetitive word
choice
-Does not give a
visual picture
Contains few if any
errors in mechanics
that makes the
writing easy to read
and understand
Contains some
Mechanical
errors that do not
Interfere with the
meaning
Contains frequent
mechanical errors
that are noticeable
and confuse the
reader
Contains many
mechanical errors
and the writing is
difficult to follow
65
Checklist: Publishing
• Includes a central idea with mostly relevant
facts, supporting details, or explanations
• Establishes an idea/plot and setting
• Organizing structure that includes paragraphs
• Engages the reader, relates significant events,
and moves to a conclusion
• Shows an awareness of audience
• Writing is somewhat engaging
• Sentence structures are varied
• Enables the reader to visualize the events or
experiences
• Contains some mechanical errors that do not
interfere with the meaning
66