HSPE Sprint! Writing · Pre-Writing Remember! One of the prompts you write about will be persuasive (you need to take a clear position on a subject and use effective

HSPE Sprint! Writing

Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruc?on. All rights reserved.

Exposi?on vs. Persuasion •  Persuasive wri?ng

–  has a clear posi?on and is focused on that posi?on. –  has more than one argument to support a posi?on. –  is elaborated by using reasons, well-‐chosen and specific details,

examples, anecdotes, facts, and/or sta?s?cs as evidence to support arguments.

–  is organized to make the best case for a posi?on. –  an?cipates and refutes the opposing posi?on. –  begins with an opening, including a statement of posi?on, and ending

with an effec?ve persuasive conclusion, such as a call for ac?on. –  uses transi?ons to connect posi?on, arguments, and evidence. –  shows commitment to posi?on by wri?ng in a voice appropriate for

audience and purpose. –  uses words, phrases, and persuasive strategies that urge or compel the

reader to support a posi?on.


Persuasive Wri?ng – defini&on

•  In persuasive wri?ng, a writer takes a posi?on FOR or AGAINST an issue and writes to convince the reader to believe or do something.


Characteris?cs of Persuasive Wri?ng •  Clear posi?on •  Audience awareness •  Persuasive language

–  Rhetorical ques?ons –  Seman?cs: Connota?on vs. Denota?on –  Euphemism

•  Persuasive strategies –  Inclusion of sta?s?cs –  Expert tes?mony


Characteris?cs of Persuasive Wri?ng

•  Organiza?onal Structures –  Order of Importance –  Causal Chain –  Concession/RebuWal (or counter argument)

–  Cause and Effect –  Problem/Solu?on –  Defini?on –  Combina?on of several structures

•  Introduc?ons –  Explana?on/Defini?on –  Scenario/Anecdote –  Ques?oning

•  Conclusions –  Call to ac?on –  Predict outcome

–  Offer a solu?on •  Assessment


Purposes of Persuasion

– Support a cause – Urge people to ac?on – Promote change – Refute a theory – Arouse sympathy – S?mulate interest – Win agreement

– Solve a problem


What Persuades You?

•  Why do you decide to go along with something?

•  How do you convince others to go along with you?

•  How persuasive are you?


Persuasive Wri?ng Essen?als

Audience Awareness Firm Position

Persuasive Language Organizational Structure


Persuasive Wri?ng

Persuasive wri?ng is recursive in nature. All of the essen?al elements are constantly working together to make the best case for the posi?on.


Audience Awareness

•  Know your audience before you start wri?ng. – The audience is who will read your wri?ng. – The audience may include your teacher, your parents, your friends, or the President of the United States.

•  Think about the needs of your reader (audience) so you can give reasons that will persuade him/her.


Audience Awareness

•  Knowing your audience helps you to decide –  how to connect with the ideas, knowledge, or

beliefs of the person or group. –  what informa?on to include.

–  how informal or formal the language should be.


Clear Posi?on – example

Anxiety creases the brows of many students trying to finish their homework on ?me. If they don’t finish on ?me, they won’t get any credit. Having a no late homework rule is a very bad idea. Students’ grades will drop, their work will be of lesser quality, and school won’t feel as welcoming. Students won’t be able to do work worth a lot of merit.


Clear Posi?on – Find the Posi?on Statement

I think late homework should be accepted. Imagine you were a student siang in your math class when your teacher says, “Okay, get out your homework!” You rustle around in your backpack for a while un?l you realize – oh no! You lee your homework at home perfectly done. The teacher comes by your desk and you say, “I am sorry. I lee my homework at home. My mom just had a baby, so I was taking care of her, and I just ran out the door without it.” Your teacher smiles at you. “It’s okay. I understand. Just bring it in tomorrow.” Isn’t that a beWer situa?on than “Oh too bad! You don’t get any credit for it”?


Clear Posi?on – Find the Posi?on Statement

“I’m sorry!” “Sorry isn’t good enough! This assignment was due yesterday,

not today.” Here I am on my knees begging for mercy at my teacher’s feet. Tears forming in my eyes, I feel like an out-‐of-‐order water fountain ready to explode! I sigh and back away like a puppy dog with its tail between its legs. I slump back down in my plas?c, red chair and stare at the metal desk. “I worked so hard,” I muWered silently to myself. The teacher turned her back on me and con?nued on with today’s lesson. I am against the no late homework rule because some students did the work but forgot it at home, and others forgot about the assignment but make it up the next day.

Pre-Writing Remember! The first step in pre-writing is

analyzing the prompt – what is it asking you to do?

Always break it down and re-write exactly what the prompt is asking you to do in your own words. The go back and check your work against the prompt.

Pre-Writing Practice with the following prompt (read it

closely and then re-write it in your own words making sure to identify exactly what you need to do in order to answer it fully):

Some nutritionists think the snack offerings at your school are terrible. Because of this, parents are asking the principal to remove all soda pop and candy machines. Take a position on this proposal. Write a multi-paragraph letter to your principal to convince him or her to agree with your position.

Pre-Writing Remember! One of the prompts you write about

will be persuasive (you need to take a clear position on a subject and use effective examples and elaboration to convince your audience to agree with you).

One will be expository (you need to choose your topic and explain it clearly using three to four examples and elaborating on each one.)

Pre-Writing The most important thing to do when pre-

writing is to not just brainstorm a bunch of possible topics, but to see how many specific examples you can come up with for each of those topics. The one with the most/best examples wins!

Complete a sample pre-write for the soda pop persuasive prompt.

Pre-‐Wri?ng

•  Some nutritionists think the snack offerings at your school are terrible. Because of this, parents are asking the principal to remove all soda pop and candy machines. Take a position on this proposal. Write a multi-paragraph letter to your principal to convince him or her to agree with your position.

Introductions Turn and tell your neighbor – what is the

purpose of an introduction?

Copyright 2006 Washington OSPI. All rights reserved.

Ineffec?ve Introduc?ons

•  I hope you enjoy… •  Hi, my name is…

•  You are going to learn about… •  This essay/leWer is about… •  I am going to tell you about…

•  There are three reasons…


What are some effective ways

to introduce

a piece of writing?


Introduc?on Strategies A writer may begin with

– an anecdote or scenario – a quota?on or dialogue – a brief history or overview – 5 W’s of situa?on or issue – an interes?ng fact – a descrip?on – a ques?on –  taking a stand or making an announcement – a contras?ng situa?on – a combina?on from this list.

An Effective Introduction Persuasive #2 -‐ School Rules Introduc?on As an appointed member of the recently established School Rule Review CommiWee, I have spent the past few days along with my colleague, Mr. C, looking over the rules and regula?ons of S-‐-‐ High School concerning transporta?on and the housing of vehicles. In doing so, it has come to our aWen?on that one in par?cular fails to support the needs and wishes of the student body. I am referring to Ar?cle III, Sec?on IV of the Rules and Regula?ons handbook which states that “The parking of motor vehicles in the tricycle lot is prohibited. Violators will be subject to immediate defenestra?on.” Presently, the rule is more of a hindrance than help for the school.

What is Concrete Detail/Evidence?

Concrete detail or evidence gives the reader an idea of

• When

• Where

• What

• Why people believe it is true

Concrete Detail Can Be Supported By:

Statistics Percentages, numbers, and charts to highlight significant data

Facts Using information that can be checked by testing, observing firsthand, or reading reference materials to

support an opinion Quotes of

Expert Opinions

Statements by people who are recognized as authorities on the subject

Concrete Detail…

•  Gives the argument a basis •  Concrete detail usually acts as the support for the thesis

•  Most of the ?me, you have liWle problem of finding concrete detail. The hardest part comes with knowing what type of Concrete Detail works best for your piece.

To Recap

What

Where

When

Statistics

Facts

Quotes

Supported By

Elaboration Remember – elaboration is simply saying

more about your subject. You can either make your sentences say more by adding information into them:

Ex: My science teacher is great. Elaborated: My science teacher, Mrs.

Allen, is great because she is fair and intelligent.

Elaboration OR, you can simply add more sentences: Ex: My science teacher is great. She is

always fair when grading difficult assignments. For example, last week we wrote a report on Orca whales and she allowed everyone to revise the report as many times as necessary. All her students appreciated…

Elaboration Elaboration strategies to use: 1.  Anecdote – a short piece of a story 2.  Facts/Statistics (can make up) 3.  Quotations (can make up) 4.  Examples 5.  Description 6.  Definition

Elaboration 7. Details 8. Dialogue 9. Reasons You can make up any of these.

DEFINING ELABORATION Lesson 1

Elaboration: the support or development of an idea with

•  Facts •  Sta?s?cs •  Descrip?ve details •  Dialogue •  Incidents or anecdotes •  Examples and/or defini?ons

•  Quota?ons

*TELL YOUR

READER MORE*

What does elabora?on look like?

•  Phrases that add informa?on and details through the following: ANECDOTE-‐ an anecdote is a small piece of a story inserted into an essay that helps make the point. This sounds like. . .

Hey, I remember the 8me when I had to carry my . . .

Once when I was in middle school, the kids would always. . .

Lesson 1

Develop your point with an anecdote. Student sample

You can’t give up, Jack. I remember one ?me when I played on the high school baseball team. We were losing, and it was the 8th inning. Everyone was geang discouraged, and then the coach said, “BOYS! You’ve got to RALLY here! Turn your ball caps around and GET OUT THERE!” So, son, turn your ball cap – I mean ATTITUDE -‐-‐ around and get out there!

Lesson 1

ANECDOTES

•  Do you remember any teacher who told lots of stories as they were teaching? Or parents who told stories about “when they were young”?

•  This is an effec?ve way to make or develop a point. Share some with your classmates.

Lesson 1


•  Phrases that add informa?on and details through the following: EXAMPLES -‐ provide more specific informa?on about something. This sounds like. . .

The cats were all ac8ng like they were crazy. For example, one jumped at me with all …

We had an barrage of different weather last week: hail, rain, snow, and sunshine.

My brothers always seem to pick on me. For instance, they may hide my soccer shoes, not answer the phone.

Lesson 1

Develop your point with an example. Student Sample

The game of golf can be played for an en?re life?me and also by yourself. People of any age can go out and play a round of golf whenever they want as opposed to team sports. For example, football, soccer, and volleyball take an en?re team of people to play. How many ?mes are you going to call up ten or more of your friends and go play sports?

Lesson 1


•  Phrases that add informa?on and details through the following: DEFINITION -‐ a way to restate an unfamiliar word or tell what it means The best part of our hot lunch program is the Ala Carte. What I mean by Ala Carte is the liQle deli line past the lunch line where you can buy cookies, slushies, and candy bars.

Lesson 1

Develop your point with a defini?on. Student sample

One of the best programs that our school has is something called Brainworks. Brainworks is an aeer-‐school program where kids go and do their homework. They even let you work on the computers there. I like it a lot because the lady who runs the program keeps everyone preWy quiet. At my house, I have 6 liWle brothers and sisters and there is never a quiet place to work.

Lesson 1


•  Phrases that add informa?on and details through the following: STATISTICS and FACTS -‐ the numbers or data that help support your idea.

Mom, did you know that 98% of all my friends get to stay up un8l 1:00 AM on weekends?

Well Son, did you know that 3 out of 4 parents would have grounded you for staying out so late?

Lesson 1

Develop your point with facts and sta?s?cs.

Student Sample Another craze to sweep America was the low-‐carb diet. It was reported in the newspaper aeer the last holiday season that 67% of all Americans were low-‐carb die?ng. Let me tell you the personal impact that has had on my family’s wheat farm here in Washington.

Lesson 1

STATISTICS and FACTS – your turn

•  Sta?s?cs in a HSPE paper can be made up by you, the writer! Be crea?ve and think of what sta?s?cs would convince the audience.

•  Talk to a partner and come up with a sta?s?c about school, e.g., number of football games won, number of friendly teachers, amount of ?me wasted in class.

Lesson 1


•  Phrases that add informa?on and details through the following: QUOTATION -‐ Using the words someone says can help support your argument.

“Spaying and neutering dogs and cats is the single best gi^

a pet owner can give.”

The veterinarian from the animal shelter, Dr. Stein, agreed when she said,

Lesson 1


•  Phrases that add informa?on and details through the following: DESCRIPTION -‐ a way to create vivid images for the reader

The sound of my phone cut through the silent class and I anxiously dug into my backpack to grab it before Mrs. Schuman, the wri8ng teacher, no8ced. Pawing through Chaps8ck and lips8ck, gum wrappers and rubber hair wraps, my hand darted around the deep pockets of my backpack. “Must shut off ringer,” I thought.

Lesson 1

DESCRIPTION – your turn

•  Descrip?on can take many forms and s?ll be effec?ve. Show, not just tell your reader. Be specific with your word choice. Try to create an image that appeals to your reader’s senses.

•  Work with your partner and write a paragraph that describes the student’s bathroom at your school.

Lesson 1

ASKING QUESTIONS THAT LEAD TO ELABORATION

Lesson 2

Elabora?on answers ques?ons for the reader.

Teenagers have problems.

Lesson 2

What problems?


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

Hmmm . . .what do teenagers want to

buy?

Lesson 2


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

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

clothes.

Lesson 2


Think about who will read your paper. What informa?on will help them understand you more clearly?

Lesson 2

•  Read the following paragraph and see if you can identify which elaboration strategies are used.

Elaboration My fourth grade year was the most amazing year in school ever. It was exciting and stimulating mostly because of my participation in Geology Kids, an after school group that met every other week to complete Geology related science experiments. Our club motto was, “Discovery Rocks!” We studied all different types of rocks such as igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. The group met every other Friday after school and I spent each week looking forward to it because being part of the group made me feel good about myself.

Elabora?on

Telling vs. Showing

Developing Showing Sentences and Paragraphs

What is the difference between these two sentences?

a)  The room was a mess. b)  Rumpled bedspread, piled-‐up clothes,

and jumbled dresser greeted me as I pushed my way into the room.

Defini?on of Telling and Showing

•  Telling is the use of broad generaliza?ons. •  In contrast, showing is the use of details, facts, sta?s?cs, examples, anecdotes, quota?ons, dialogue—elabora?on—to persuade, explain, or to enliven a story.

Telling

Although it smelled horrible, the apothecary shop was fascina?ng.

Showing

Then they visited the apothecary, which was fascina?ng enough to make up for its horrible smell, a mixture of bad eggs and roWed cabbages. Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled claws hung from the ceiling…

Showing (con?nued)

…Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-‐one Galleons each and miniscule, gliWery-‐black beetle eyes (five knuts a scoop).

J.K. Rowling, Harry PoWer and the Sorcerer’s Stone (New York, Scholas?c Inc., 1997), p.81.

Telling

In the 1930’s the dust storms were horrible.

Showing

Every morning the house had to be cleaned. EvereW Buckland of Waynocka said, “If you didn’t sweep the dust out right quick between the storms, you’d end up scooping it out with a shovel.” And every morning someone had to go check the animals. . . . . . .

Showing (con?nued)

. . .The fierce gales buried chickens, pigs, dogs, cats, and occasionally caWle. Children were assigned the task of cleaning the nostrils of cows two or three ?mes a day.

Jerry Stanley, Children of the Dust Bowl (New York, Crown Publishers Inc., 1992), p. 7.

Telling

The Metrodome has the worst rug in baseball.

Showing

The Metrodome has the worst rug in baseball, excluding Joe Pepitone’s. “There are wet spots on the turf you can slip on,” says Twins centerfielder Torli Hunter, giving a tour of the Metrodome and sounding like the world’s worst real estate agent. . . . . . . .

Showing (con?nued)

. . . . .“I lost five balls in the roof today. I was scared out there. There are seams in the turf, and if the ball hits one of those, you’re done. It can take a big hop or a dead hop. There are poles behind the wall”—the pillars that support the drapery in right field— “and you don’t know where they are. So a ball can hit the wall and just drop, or it can hit the wall (pole) and take off. You don’t know.”

Steve Rushin, “Dome Sweet Dome,” Sports Illustrated (October 14, 2002), p.25

Telling Sentence

Now it’s your turn. Fill in the blanks to complete the telling sentence below. Then, write a paragraph that SHOWS the telling sentence:

__________ was the ____________ ?me I ever had.


What are the purposes of conclusions?

Why are conclusions important?


Purposes for Conclusions

The ending/conclusion •  clearly connects introduc?on and body of the paper with

insigh{ul comments or analysis.

•  wraps up the wri?ng and gives the reader something to think about.


Ineffec?ve Conclusions

•  I hope you enjoyed reading my…

•  In this essay/leWer you have learned… •  In conclusion,… •  As you can see/tell… •  I just told you about (exact thesis)…


What are some effective ways

that we might conclude

a piece of writing?


Conclusion Strategies A writer may end with

–  an echo from the introduc?on –  a quota?on or dialogue –  an anecdote or scenario –  an interes?ng fact –  a predic?on –  a ques?on –  a call to ac?on –  a generaliza?on from given informa?on –  a self-‐reflec?on –  a response to a “so what?” ques?on –  a combina?on from this list

Conclusions Remember that effective conclusions… 1.  Clearly connect the introduction and

body of the paper with insightful comments/analysis.

2.  Wrap up the writing and give the reader something to think about.

An Effective Conclusion Persuasive # 2 – School Rules Conclusion By allowing owners of motor scooters parking privileges in the tricycle lot, the students will be delighted and tardies will promptly drop down to their previous numbers. Thirty years ago Ar?cle III Sec?on IV was created for a purpose which it served most effec?vely. Now that threat is gone and new circumstances call for change. As amusing as it is to watch violators being thrown from a window, I hope that you will consider my words as legi?mate representa?on of the student body and amend the policy. Thank you for your ?me.

Conventions Conventions strategies to remember: 1.  You can and will use a dictionary and/

or thesaurus when you are taking the writing HSPE! If you don’t know how to spell a word – LOOK IT UP.

2.  Capitalize the beginnings of sentences and always end with punctuation.

3.  Capitalize “I” – this is NOT an instant message.

Conventions 4. Do not abbreviate words. For example,

don’t write “esp.” when you mean “especially.”

5. You will be asked to write a multi-paragraph something (letter, essay) so make sure you have many paragraphs and that you indent each one.

6. Write as neatly/legibly as you possibly can – write your final draft slowly.

The End Good Luck on the

HSPE! I know you can do it.

Documents

HSPE Sprint! Writing · Pre-Writing Remember! One of the prompts you write about will be persuasive (you need to take a clear position on a subject and use effective