February 8, 2011
Are
Area Superintendents
Area Directors
Area Support Teams
Presented by Tara Smith & Lisa Collum
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Incentives
Time Management
Planning Strategies
Organization Strategies
Support Strategies
Proofreading and Revising Strategy
Last-minute Tips and Reminders
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Principal’s Challenge
 Incentives
 Goal Sheet (Handout)
 Feeding the Principal Scores
 Conferencing with Students
 Instruction
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Planning – 5 minutes
Introduction – 5 minutes
1st Middle Paragraph – 9 minutes
2nd Middle Paragraph – 9 minutes
3rd Middle Paragraph – 9 minutes
Conclusion – 5 minutes
Proofread and Edit – 3 minutes
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Hand out planning sheet
and lined paper.
Start with planning. Say
“ready, set, go!” Time
students for 5 minutes.
Go through each
paragraph of the essay and
time students.
Make it a game! You can
even use raffle tickets after
they finish each paragraph
and do a raffle at the end
of class.
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Students should practice locating
and marking key words and
phrases in the prompt to help them
determine important aspects of the
writing scenario.
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Topic
Audience
Purpose
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Students should also practice asking
key questions to understand what
the prompt requires of them.
 Topic: What am I supposed to
do? Do I have more than one job?
 Audience: Who am I writing to?
What should my writing sound
like? What language should I use?
 Purpose: Why am I writing? To
explain or convince?
 Support: What will my reasons
or main points be? What details
should I use?
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Have students narrow their main points/reasons to 3
so they can elaborate rather than simply list.
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Goal: If students pick 3 main points/reasons to write
about in their middle paragraphs, they can elaborate
on those reasons in 10-12 lines (Grade 8) 12-14 lines
(Grade 10) with ample details.
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Problem: If students have 5 or 6 reasons, they tend to
list and only write a small amount about each.
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Problem: If students have only 2 reasons, they tend
not to write enough in their middle paragraphs.
Topic:
TOPIC
Audience:
Purpose:
Reason
#1
Example
Reason
#2
Anecdote
Reason
#3
Example
#1:
Example:
#2:
Anecdote:
#3:
Personal Experience:
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Give students a planning sheet and
prompt (similar to Palm Beach Writes).
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Writing Situation
 Writing Directions
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Set a timer or stop watch and allow
students 5 minutes to plan.
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Let students know when time is up.
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Give another prompt and repeat the
process.
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Attempt to get through 8-10 prompts in
one block.
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Goal: Help students plan quickly so they
do not waste time on day of test.
 Encourage students to picture their
essays as they would a hamburger.
 Introduction = top bun
 Middle = meaty layers
 Conclusion = bottom bun
Introduction
Lead/Opener:
Connection to Prompt/Reasons:
Thesis:
Reason #3:
Reason #1:
Middle
Thesis:
Reason #2:
Supports:
Final Thought:
Conclusion
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Teach students the key parts of an expository or persuasive
introduction by illustrating the Funnel Method.
Start with…
Continue by…
Finish with…
A Broad Opening
Statement
Listing Supporting
Reasons OR Connecting
to Prompt
The Thesis
Statement
Lead
Supporting Reasons
Thesis with Ending Thought
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Problem: Students having difficulty following the order of reasons given
in the introduction
Solution: Color code or number each reason a different color in the
introduction. Highlight the reason statements in the detail paragraphs
accordingly.
Detail Paragraph #1 Topic Sentence
Detail Paragraph #2 Topic Sentence
#1
#2
Detail Paragraph #3 Topic Sentence
#3
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Give students an organization strategy for
filling their middle (detail)
paragraphs with MEAT!
 M – Make your point.
 E – Explain it clearly.
 A – Add support.
 T – Tie it together.
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Restate the thesis
statement in a fresh way.
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Recap main support
points.
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End with a broad final
thought for the reader.
-USE A’S AND B’S ON PLANNING
SHEET
T:
-SUPPORT WITH A (2-3
SENTENCES), GIVE SPECIFIC
EXAMPLES AND ELABORATE
-SUPPORT WITH B (2-3
SENTENCES), GIVE SPECIFIC
EXAMPLES AND ELABORATE
-PERSONAL CONNECTION
R1:
a.
b.
R2:
a.
b.
R3:
a.
b.
T:
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Encourage students to add a variety of support forms to their
detail paragraphs.
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Students can use a catchy acronym such as FRIES to
remember the menu of options for details they can choose
from to include in their middle paragraphs.
F – Facts and Figurative Language
R – Reasons and Recommendations
I – Imagery/Incidents
E – Examples and Expert Testimony (Quotes)
S – Statistics
PROBLEM – STUDENTS MISSING PARTS
IN EACH PARAGRAPH
SOLUTION – COLOR CODE WHEN
TEACHING
Expository Example:
Expository Example:
If you are modeling the
introduction paragraph…
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Write the hook in one
color.
Write the 3 reasons (thesis)
in another.
Place the ending thought
in another.
If you are modeling the middle
paragraphs….
Topic sentence in red
1st supporting sentences in
green
 2nd supporting sentences in
blue
 Personal Connection/
Statistic/Quote in black
 Wrap up in orange
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Provide each student with 5 highlighters (all different
colors).
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Students can highlight and label the parts of their middle
paragraphs in different colors.
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Topic Sentence
First Supporting Sentences (A)
Second Supporting Sentences (B)
Personal Story or FRIES
Wrap-up Sentences
After self checking, students should revise their
paragraphs to add the parts they are missing.
FLOCABULARY: HIP-HOP IN
THE CLASSROOM
BRAIN POP & BRAIN POP JR.
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http://www.flocabulary.com/fivethings.html
Sample Topics
 Plot Elements
 How to write a Short Story
 The How-to Essay
 Writing about Yourself
 The Writing Process
 The Five Paragraph Essay
 Writing with the 5 Senses
http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/
http://www.brainpopjr.com/readingandwriti
ng/storyelements/
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Testing Environment – Make sure you have simulated more than once before FCAT
Writes!
Display a student friendly version of the rubric in a visible location of the classroom.
Link feedback to the scored areas of FCAT Writes (e.g., focus, organization, support,
and conventions)
Provide a writing review in the days leading up to the test. Review both persuasive nd
expository writing as well as test-taking strategies.
Mimic FCAT Writes prompt language and format when creating additional writing
assessments in the weeks before the test.
Only use FCAT lined paper and planning sheets from now until test.
Encourage students to write as much as they can in the time they have.
Make sure students are using pencils to write with instead of pens. (Go easy on
erasers!)
Remind students to write their responses only within the lined sections of pages 3 and
4 of the FCAT Writes paper.
Incorporate writing activities across the curriculum.
Assign one person to monitor attendance daily and follow up with phone calls. (These
are the students that usually need the most help!)
Strategically assign substitutes in these weeks before FCAT Writes.
Tara J. Smith
South Area Support Team
Writing Resource Teacher
Office: 561-330-3937 PX 73937
Cell: 561-318-9782
Email: smithtar@palmbeach.k12.fl.us
Lisa Collum
North Area Support Team
Writing Resource Teacher
Office: 561-494-1500 PX 81578
Cell: 561-628-3099
Email: colluml@palmbeach.k12.fl.us