th
6
grade ELA
Students will use the SPAM technique for
On Demand Writing.
S-SITUATION:
The reason for writing.
P-PURPOSE – Why are you writing?
A- AUDIENCE – To whom are you
writing?
M-MODE-The type of writing you are
asked to do: letter, speech, article,
editorial
5 paragraph essay format
Students will be encouraged to have
at least five paragraphs in the on
demand piece-whether it is a narrative
or informational piece.


v
v
v
v
Introduction Paragraph
Body Paragraph # 1
Body Paragraph # 2
Body Paragraph # 3
v Conclusion Paragraph
Close read the SITUATION
Situation is labeled for you
 It’s always the first part of the prompt
 It’s a make believe situation
 It creates a need to write

Purpose
Look for one of these in the writing task:
 Inform/Respond to a text/graphic/chart (organize
information by using main ideas and supporting
details.)
 Argument (persuade)(Consider the needs/feelings
of the audience as you solve problems and/or
convince them. Use main ideas and supporting
details.)
 Narrate an event (Share what you saw, heard,
smelled, tasted, touched, said, thought, did…to
make a point.
Audience
Look in the writing task for the audience
 It might be an individual or a group
 You write to audience for reasons stated in
the prompt
 Consider what the audience needs to know,
wants to know, and already knows
 Imagine what questions they will have for
you. Answer them in your writing.

Mode-What kind of writing you are to do
Look in the writing task/directions for the form:
letter, feature article, editorial, speech
 Follow the correct format (handout)
 ie. Letter has a date, a greeting, a body, a
closing, a signature. Speeches have titles,
leads, bodies, closings
 You will be asked to write a narrative or
argumentative response using one of these
forms.

Pre-write

Do any of the pre-write
techniques
 Make an outline
 Make a web
 Create a Venn Diagram
 Make a list
DEVELOP YOUR IDEAS
In order to develop ideas in each body
paragraph, students will practice writing
proficient paragraphs.
 Each body paragraph must have:
• A thesis sentence
• Six to eight supporting detail sentences
• A conclusion sentence
• A total of eight-ten sentences.

Organize your ideas
Think about your
most important
points
 Use the reason/
example format/
opposing
viewpoint

Think before writing.
Sort out your ideas.
Lead/Introduction

Get reader’s attention
 Ask a rhetorical question
 Give an anecdote
 Use a quote
Concentrate on the focus of your work in
the lead
 Make sure you state the thesis

Drafting the Body







Follow your prewriting
Revise as you go
Revise again when you think you’re finished
For persuading and responding, keep telling
them why and how
Remember: give examples for each reason
Answer questions your audience might have
Connect your ideas with transitions.
Drafting the Closing
Make the piece feel finished
 Give the reader something to think
about
 You can tie back to something to think
about, restate the main idea from each
body paragraph.
 You can tie back to something you said
in the title or lead.
 Be brief, but not too brief.

Edit your Correctness:
Check the following:
Capitalization
 Usage (we were/ not we was)
 Punctuation
 Spelling
 Complete sentences
 Repetition

FINAL COPY
Use your best handwriting
 Make it LOOK like a letter, narrative
 Indent for paragraphs
 Be correct and neat

Constraints of On Demand Writing
Time (90 minutes) for the passagebased prompt. You’ll read
annotate the prompt, pre-write
and write your response in an
Informational/explanatory response.
40 minutes to read a stand-alone
Prompt. ( No passage). This will be a
narrative or argumentative response

On the next two slides
SPAM the situation and task to
determine what you are being asked to
do, the purpose, audience, and mode of
writing.
S
P
A
M

Situation
A school district has a new middle school. On
the first day, the students realize that they are
the first people to sit in the desks, use the
books in the library, walk in the halls, and set
the traditions for all of the students who will
attend for years and years to come. One of the
teachers suggests that everyone write about
his or her first day in the school. The students’
narratives will be compiled in a book and
placed in the library for the students who
attend after them to read.
TASK

Writing directions:
Think about what it would be like to be
the first to attend a newly built school.
Write a narrative for the book, and tell
about that first day. Describe what you
do, see, and feel throughout the day.