by Elaine Gallagher
As mentioned in our last issue of UNONEWS, here are some items to help support you in teaching writing skills to your students.
- The study guide-sheet to self-check for errors in writing
- How to organize a notebook (Suggestions)
- Writing across content areas
- Ideas for narrative writing assignments
- Sample rubrics for writing.
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1. The study guide-sheet, so students will know what they need to check in order to present an essay to the best of their abilities. You will need to review this chart with the students the first time you give it to them. Also, if you have special instructions, be very clear abut your expectations.
EXAMPLE: the guide-sheet asks students to check for «complete sentences».
If, however, you’ve been showing them how to write using quotations, writing what people say, you need to explain that we don’t always speak in complete sentences. Therefore, if a student writes:
John asked me if I was going to the party. «No.» «Why not?» «Because I hate large groups of people.»We have to explain that this is correct.
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Checklist for students to self-correct work before submitting it PROOF-READING CHECKLIST FOR STUDENTS Your name: ____________________________ Date ______ Assignment Title: __________________________________
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2. Notebook, loose-leaf style, will need 8 dividers.
ORGANIZATION OF THE NOTEBOOK (8 sections)
- The date and the day’s work (Copied from the board.)
- Trivia: Fact of the week (Copy; later the answer)
- Vocabulary (Words and simple definitions (not dictionary)
- Class notes (Organized by dates)
- Maps, graphs, and tables (Organized by dates)
- Quizzes and tests (Organized by dates)
- Research (by topic, A-Z) (Print-outs from Internet)
- Miscellaneous (Additional material)
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3. Writing across content areas
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4. Ideas for narrative writing assignments
An expressive narrative…writing «a story»
The writer will sequence events into a story on a specified topic:
PRODUCT: Story
ORGANIZATION: Chronological (progression through time)
STORY ELEMENTS: Use the basic elements of a short story with a fully-developed beginning, middle (the body), and end. This must be more than a sequence of events. Writer must establish some sort of problem which is solved during the events of the story.
TRANSITIONAL WORDS and PHRASES: then, after, after that, soon, while, later, before, during, next, when, meanwhile, as soon as, finally, at last
NARRATIVE WRITING
- INTRODUCTION
- FIRST: Setting, location, characters, time of day (once upon a time, far away, in old times when wishes came true, on a space station in the year 2,134)
- THEN: Present the problem
- LAST: A solution
- CONCLUSION: happy ending (They lived happily ever after. They woke up from a dream. They arrived home safely. Etc.)
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A TYPICAL STORY FORMULA
SOMEBODY – WANTED – BUT – SO – THEN
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ELABORATION STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE WRITING
1. USE similies or metaphors…..color, shape, size, texture
(The clouds looked like cotton balls. The lion was like a huge version of my pet cat.)
- USE conversation…..two complete exchanges
- USE adjectives or adverbs….1 or 2 with nouns or verbs
(The tall, handsome prince silently glimpsed the princess in the ugly, dark tower.)
TO SUPPORT WRITING:
- USE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS TO ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS.
- KEEP A VOCABULARY NOTEBOOK.
- KEEP A LIST OF IDEAS FOR WRITING TOPICS YOU LIKE.
- WRITE SOMETHING EVERY DAY!!! (even if it’s only a sentence or two, or a journal quick-write.
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5. Rubrics for guiding and scoring writing
RUBRIC #1
SAMPLE RUBRIC SCORING FOR WRITING
Use grade equivalents, such as:
4 = Excellent, well-above expectations: 95+……………… 9 – 10
3 = Very good, above expectations: 85 – 94 …………. 8 – 9
2 = Good, meeting expectations: 75 – 84 …………. 7 – 8
1 = Below expectations: 65 – 74 …………. 6 – 7
0 = Do it again: no score (Seek help.) Failure is NOT an option.
SCORING EXPECTATIONS
SCORE 4
- Correct purpose and audience
- Effective elaboration
- Consistent organization
- Clear sense of order and completeness
- Fluent, good vocabulary choices
SCORE 3
- Correct purpose and audience
- Moderately well elaborated
- Organized, but possible digressions
- Clear, effective language
SCORE 2
- Correct purpose and audience
- Some elaboration
- Some graphic details
- Gaps in organization
- Limited language control
SCORE 1
- Attempts to address audience
- Wrong purpose
- Brief / vague
- Unelaborated
- Wanders off / on topic
- Lack of language control
- Poor or no organization
SCORE 0
- Off topic, or copied the writing assignment
- Blank paper, or did not write enough to score
- Language other than English
- Illegible or incoherent
Students can work together in pairs to help each other…NOT to correct or grade each other’s papers, but to read each other’s papers and make comments, suggestions, and advise about necessary corrections.
USE THE STUDY GUIDE-SHEET SHOWN EARLIER IN THIS ARTICLE.
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RUBRIC #2
RUBRIC SCORING EXPLANATION FOR WRITING
1 Many errors
Lack of sophisticated vocabulary
Verb tenses incorrect
Spelling errors
Grammar errors
Unclear, incomplete
2 Errors in 2 or 3 of the items above
3 Very few errors, but not perfect
Unclear
4 Clear to understand
No obvious errors
There are many rubrics on Internet if you want more from which to select.
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