Finding Your Voice

Introduction to Middle School Writer’s Workshop

WRITING TERRITORIESWhat’s Important to You?

Writing Territories

Make a list of twenty topics or issues that you would like to write about this year.

Heart Map

Directions: Using your Writing Territories and starting from the center, organize your topics from most important in the center to less important as you get to the outer borders of your Heart Map.

Baseline Essay

7th Grade Prompt:If you could choose

anywhere in the world to travel where would you go? Explain why you would choose that place.

Expository and Persuasive Writing

ThinkInk

Pair

Share

Define expository writing

Expository vs. Persuasive Writing

1. Sort your cards using the Venn Diagram.

Expository Persuasive

Define persuasive writing

.

Expository Example

Expository writing is explaining.– I would include my skates

because I love to ice skate. I especially love ice dancing, a form of ice skating in which you have a partner, don’t jump or do lifts above the boy’s head, and are partly judged on the quality of your edges and interpretation of the music.

Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasive Example Persuasive writing is convincing.

– Some late work counts as 70% credit, giving kids a C- which is passing. Some kids are happy because they think a C- is a good grade. How can we allow students to turn in all of their work late but still have a passing grade? The kids that have C-’s don’t care about their work because even if they turn it in late, they can still get a passing grade. These kids have sort of twisted the grading system to benefit themselves. This can no longer be allowed.

What are the purposes of introductions?

Why are introductions

important?

Discuss with a partner!

Introductionsgrab the reader’s attention.

clearly imply an organizational structure for the paper.

includes support that is specific and relevant and provides a clear, connected lead-in to a paper’s main idea or thesis.

includes a thesis that is stated or implied.

Ineffective Introductions

I hope you enjoy… Hi, my name is… You are going to learn about… This essay/letter is about… I am going to tell you about… There are three reasons…

Effective Introductions

A writer may begin with– an anecdote or scenario– a quotation or dialogue– a brief history or overview– 5 W’s of situation or issue– an interesting fact– a description– a question– taking a stand or making an

announcement– a contrasting situation– a combination from this list.

Analyze Examples

Form small groups. In your group, identify strategies in

introductions you gathered and make a chart of the strategies you found.

Groups should post their charts on the wall.– What strategies were used the most?– Which strategies especially made you

want to keep reading?

The Thesis StatementThe Thesis Statement

A Road Map for Your EssayA Road Map for Your Essay

ESSAY

IntroductionThesis StatementBody Paragraph #1Body Paragraph #2Body Paragraph #3

Defi

nition

Defi

nition

Thes

is S

tate

men

t

A thesis statement is a complete sentence that contains one main idea. This idea controls the content of the entire essay. A thesis statement that contains subpoints also helps a

reader know how the essay will be organized.

Look at the introductory paragraph. Seeif you can identify the thesis statement andsubpoints.

When I was young, I always knew that I wanted to become a teacher someday. When I played, I would often gather my dolls together and pretend to teach them how to do math problems or how to read a book. As I grew older, my desire to become an ESL teacher became clearer as I did some volunteer teaching overseas and in the United States. As I look back on my reasons for becoming a teacher, there are three reasons that stand out. They are: my love for the English language, my innate interest in how people learn, and my desire to help other people .

DefinitionDefinitionThesis Statement

The thesis statement contains the main idea that controls the content of the essay.

Subpoints in the thesis or nearby help the reader know how the essay will be organized

Psychologists have argued for decades about how a person’s character is formed. Numerous psychologists believe that one’s birth order (i.e. place in the family as the youngest, oldest, or middle child) has the greatest influence. I believe birth order can have a significant impact in the formation of a child’s character based on my own experience growing up in a family of four children. Birth order can strongly affect one’s relationship with parents, relationships with others, and how one views responsibility as an adult.

Thesis StatementThesis StatementAnother Example

The thesis statement contains the main idea that controls the content of the essay.

Subpoints in the thesis or nearby help the reader know how the essay will be organized

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesThesis Statement

states the main idea of the essay in a complete sentence, not in a question.

states an opinion or attitude on a topic. It doesn’t just state the topic, itself.

is usually at the end of an introduction.

often lists subtopics.

Key FeaturesKey Features

Main statement for the entire essay

Expresses a complete thought in a complete sentence

Asserts an opinion or idea

It should NOT be a question.

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesMain Idea in a Complete Sentence

The sport of cross-country running.

Why do I want to be a teacher?

The sport of cross-country running has allowed me to get in better shape and meet some interesting

people.

Being a teacher is a great profession, because it allows me to work with students and be creative.

Thesis Statement

Thesis Statement

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesLocation

The thesis statement is often found at the end of the introductory paragraph so that the reader knows the main idea being presented.

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesLocation

For most of my life I have lived with bad health, smelly clothes, and a chronic cough. My children and husband begged me to stop the habit that caused these conditions, but I couldn’t. The habit of smoking had wrapped its addicting arms around me and was slowly strangling me until one day I realized I had to stop. This realization came after three terrifying events occurred in my family.

The thesis statement comes at the end of the introductory paragraph. This sentence tells the reader that he/she can expect to read about the events that caused the author to stop smoking in the rest of the essay.

Good thesis statements often express a writer’s opinion or attitude on a particular topic. This makes the thesis statement more specific and requires the writer to explain or prove his/her opinion in the essay.

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesState an Opinion or Attitude

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesStates an Opinion or Attitude

I learned to play many musical instruments when I was

young.

This would not be considered a good thesis statement because it is only expressing a fact. It doesn’t give the writer’s opinion or attitude on playing musical instruments. This thesis statement doesn’t give the writer very much to explain or prove in his/her essay.

Learning to play many musical instruments when I was young helped me to become a more intelligent and well-rounded person.

This thesis statement is much better because it expresses how the writer feels about the experience of learning to play musical instruments. This thesis statement requires the writer to explain how and why playing a musical instrument made him/her a better person.

An Opinion or AttitudeAn Opinion or AttitudeAnother Example

Cancun is a popular vacation spot in Mexico.

This would not be considered a good thesis statement, because it is only expressing a fact. It doesn’t reflect the writer’s opinion or attitude on Cancun. This thesis statement doesn’t give the writer very much to explain or prove in his/her essay.

Cancun is one of the best vacation spots in Mexico because of its comfortable climate and proximity to some well-known archeological sites.

This thesis statement is much better because it expresses how the writer feels about Cancun. This thesis statement requires the writer to explain how and why going to Cancun is a good choice for visitors.

Include subtopics or supporting ideas

Provides the reader with a clear idea of what will follow in your essay

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesSubtopics

Subtopics provide a

roadmap for the essay.

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesSubtopics

The large influx of people to California has had major effects on the state.

No subtopics are named in this thesis statement.

The large influx of people to California has had major effects on the ability of the state to provide housing, electricity, and jobs for all residents.

This statement names three subtopics. Can you find all of the subtopics?

SubtopicsSubtopicsAnother Example

Inner-city public schools grapple with some serious problems.

No subtopics are named in this thesis statement.

Some of the most serious problems in today’s inner-city public schools are the overcrowded classrooms, the low percentage of trained teachers, and the lack of resources such as textbooks for students.

This statement names three subtopics. Can you find all of the subtopics?

Key FeaturesKey FeaturesReview

states the main idea of the essay in a complete sentence, not in a question.

states an opinion or attitude on a topic. It doesn’t just state the topic, itself.

is usually at the end of an introduction.

often lists subtopics.

Six Strategies to Support Elaboration

Asking Questions Recognizing Elaboration Show; Don’t Tell Concrete Details vs. General

Language Using Appositives Layering vs. Listing

Elaboration answers questions for the reader.

Teenagers have problems.

What problems?

Elaboration answers questions for the reader.

Teenagers have problems. For example, teens don’t always have enough money to buy what they want.

Hmmm . . .what do teenagers want to buy?

Elaboration answers questions for the reader.

Teenagers have problems. For example, 80% of teens don’t always have enough money to buy CD’s, food for after school, and the kind of clothes they want, according to Teen Journal.

Oh…now I understand. Teens want money for CDs, food, and clothes.

Words are like rocks.

They come in all sizes. Small rocks represent small words. Big rocks represent big words.

BUT . . .

Rocks are not as strong as CONCRETE.

Using CONCRETE details will make your paper stronger, just like CONCRETE makes a building

stronger. Concrete details are SPECIFIC.

CONCRETE details are the specific, exact names of things.

Elaboration within a Sentence

Sentences can be expanded by adding elaboration.

Sentences can be combined to add elaboration.

APPOSITIVES

TELL MEMORE. . .

Appositives An appositive is a noun or noun phrase

that follows another noun or pronoun that renames it or adds information.

An appositive is usually set apart from the sentence by commas.

Joel made the goal.Joel, the star of the team, made the

goal.

6Joel, the youngest player on the team, made the goal.

Appositives answer the reader’s questions.

Mom---Natalya is coming over

tonight.

Who is Natalya?

Natalya, the girl who sits beside me in band, is coming over tonight.

Add an appositive to a sentence.

Ms. Ortega, ____________, is my teacher.

Ms. Ortega, English teacher in room 7, is my teacher.

Crystal Lake, ___________, is my home. Crystal Lake, a lovely town off Interstate

90, is my home.

WHO ?

WHERE ?

Elaborate by adding appositives.

Try adding an appositive with a partner.

My school, ______________, is the best.

That lunch, ____________,was the worst.

Mrs. Dennis, ____________, helped me find a site on the Internet.

My car, __________, is a piece of junk.

Combine sentences to form an appositive.

We can combine the two following sentences into one power-packed sentence and delete unnecessary words.

John plays varsity basketball for the Springfield Hurricanes basketball team.

He is a senior and the point guard for his team.

John, the senior point guard, plays basketball for the Springfield Hurricanes.

Layering Elaboration

A thoughtful writer layers one sentence after another.

Each new sentence adds to or develops the thought

. . .like the rings of a bullseye

Each idea is carefully stackedon the next. . . like bricks in a wall

Layering seems like Each idea is carefully stackedon the next. . . like bricks in a wall

. . .or rings on a tall tree.

Every sentence and detail fit with the rest of the topic

. . .like a set of nesting dolls.

Listing

Having lots of choices is the reason why I eat at school. I love nachos. I like the pizza at school. Sometimes I order salad when I am feeling full. I have some favorite vegetables.

Layering

Having lots of food choices is the reason why I like my school’s lunchroom.I can select my favorite foods for lunch everyday. I sometimes pick cheesy nachos with the melted cheese sauce smothered over the hot crispy chips. If I don’t want anything that greasy, like nachos or pizza, I can choose a “made-for-me” salad. This means I get to choose what goes on it and my favorite veggies, including olives, peppers, and tomatoes. The best thing is I can pick a food that fits my attitude that day.

What are the purposes of conclusions?

Why are conclusions important?Discuss with a partner.

Endings / Conclusions

clearly connects introduction and body of the paper with insightful comments or analysis.

wraps up the writing and gives the reader something to think about.

Ineffective Conclusions

I hope you enjoyed reading my… In this essay/letter you have

learned… In conclusion,… As you can see/tell… I just told you about (exact thesis)…

A writer may end with– an echo from the introduction– a quotation or dialogue– an anecdote or scenario – an interesting fact– a prediction– a question– a call to action– a generalization from given

information– a self-reflection – a response to a “so what?”

question– a combination from this list

Conclusion Strategies

Analyzing Conclusions inPrinted Texts

How does the conclusion connect to the introduction and the middle of the essay?

Does the conclusion provide a satisfying ending?