Ideas and ContentIdeas and ContentIdeas and ContentIdeas and ContentThe first element of the 6 + 1 The first element of the 6 + 1

TraitsTraits

What are ideas and content?

The ideas and content is what you have to say - the reason for writing your paper. Everything about your writing begins with that message.

-Northwest Regional Education Laboratory

So where do I get these ideas?

• Use the ideas that are floating all around you! • Personal experiences• Something you know a lot

about• Something important to you• An idea from your

imagination• Something that interests you

Now let’s do some brainstorming!

Clear As Mud?• Once you have chosen a topic ask

yourself a few questions.– Is my topic too LARGE for me to do a

good job?– Do I know enough about my topic to

share it with someone else?– What is the point of my paper or story?

Is my topic too LARGE?• #1 RULE

Keep it small• If your topic is too

large the reader will get lost.– Animals– Birds– Eagles– How the Eagle

Became the National Bird

Were our topics too large?

Do I know enough about my topic?

• If my topic is How the Eagle Became the National Bird

• Do I know a lot about that topic?

• Do I know details that most people wouldn’t?

• If not, do I know where to find interesting details?

What is the point?• Keep in mind

– Know your audience.– Have a clear plan for

writing.– Answer any question

the reader may have before they have to ask.

Put It All Together• Choose a topic that

you will enjoy.• Narrow your topic to

a controllable size.• Add interesting

details that may surprise people.

• Have a clear plan for writing.

OrganizatioOrganizationn

OrganizatioOrganizationn

The second element of the 6 + The second element of the 6 + 1 Traits1 Traits

What does organization mean?

When you organize your desk you put things in neat piles with each kind of book in a different pile. Then you put your supply box where it would fit best. So to organize means to put things together in an orderly way. When writing we have to put our thoughts and ideas in their proper place. Everything fits together just like a puzzle.

So how do I organize my paper?

• Introduction – Beginning of a paper

• Transitions – moving from one subject to the next

• Sequence – one thought following another in order

• Pacing – the speed of moving from one thing to the next

• Conclusion – the last section of the paper

Introduction• Create an exciting first

beginning– Give the reader a clue of what the

piece may be about– Make it exciting so the reader will

want to find out what will happen next.

Once upon a time an eagle lived in the country.

I want to talk about eagles. An eagle soared over the green pasture

keeping a close eye on the fox below.

Transitions• When moving from

one paragraph to the next remember to do it like stairs. Don’t skip steps. One at a time!

• If your piece moves too fast the reader will get confused.

• If you spend too much time on one step the reader will get bored.

SequencingWhen you get ready each morning you don’t put your shoes on before you pants.Things need to be done in order! When we write, events or information need to be told in order of how it happened.

Pace YourselfAs these boys run the race they can’t run too fast at first. They will run out of energy and not be able to finish. On the other hand if they take it too slow the crowd will lose interest and stop watching. We need to remember the same things in writing. Don’t move from one subject to the next too quickly. Although, don’t spend too much time on one subject.

Conclusion If the beginning of the story hooks the reader, like a fisherman hooks a fish. The conclusion needs to be like the fisherman reeling in the fish and finding out what kind of fish is on the other end. The end of the story needs to answer any question and leave the reader thinking. Just as the fisherman thinks, “Where can I get another big one like that.”

Organize Yourself

Unlike your desk or mine, organize the pieces of your writing.

• Introduction• Transition• Sequence• Pace• Conclusion

VOICEVOICEVOICEVOICEThe third element of the 6 + 1 The third element of the 6 + 1

Writing TraitsWriting Traits

How can you read VOICE?

• Voice is the author’s fingerprint on the page.

• The writing sounds just like the author.

• The reader knows the feelings and opinions of the author.

Can I hear your voice?

When a paper is full of voice…• it makes the reader feel something.

– shocked, upset, excited, giggly, or scared

• sounds like the author enjoys writing.• you feel like the author is talking to you.• the author is not afraid to say what

he/she feels.• you want to read the piece to someone

else.

Don’t be afraid to let your

voice be heard!• Share your thoughts

and opinions• When you write

pretend like you are talking to the reader

• Don’t hide your true self

• Have fun when you write

Word Word ChoiceChoiceWord Word

ChoiceChoiceThe fourth element of theThe fourth element of the

6 + 1 Writing Traits 6 + 1 Writing Traits

What is word choice?

• Word choice is choosing words that can makeyour writing a masterpiece.

• An author needs to paint a picture in the mind of the reader. Word choice can add color to your masterpiece.

How do I make good word choices?

• Change dull verbs into colorful ones.

• Use nouns that create a picture.

• Colorful verbs and specific nouns are best but use adjectives and adverbs to add flavor to your writing.

Colorful Verbs• Choose verbs that

create a picture in the mind of the reader.

• Stay away from is, are, was, and were– The day was hot.– The July afternoon was

scorching, it burned my feet on the sizzling sidewalk.

Specific Nouns• Nouns are used to

show who, what, or where.

• When using nouns be specific– Dog – Dalmatian– Building – School

• When using nouns think, could I be more specific?

Adverbs & Adjectives

• Adverbs show where, when, or how.– nearly, slowly, fast, badly

• Adjectives describe a noun.– red, fat, strong, old, colorful

• Use adverbs and adjectives to add color to your writing!

Make a Masterpiece!

Make a masterpiece using words. Think of words as the paint and the paper as the canvas. By choosing the most colorful and exciting words your writing can be a work of art!

What would happen with no color?

Sentence FluencySentence FluencySentence FluencySentence FluencyThe fifth element of the The fifth element of the

6 + 1 Writing Traits6 + 1 Writing Traits

What is sentence fluency?

• We all know what a sentence is. Right?

• Fluency is when something moves with smoothness and ease.

• Sentence+Fluency=• Sentences that flow

smoothly together.

Variety is good!• Variety – different

kinds and numbers of things.

• Variety in sentence fluency is a number of different lengths, beginnings, and kinds of sentences.

Give an example of something with a lot of variety.

Lengths• Use different sentence lengths.

– long and stretchy sentences• A long time ago, at Christmas time, every

year my whole family would go all the way down to Colorado to go to aunt Angie’s house.

– short and snappy sentences• Every Christmas we had a great time.

Sentence Beginnings

• Start sentences with a variety of beginnings– I am really happy to be your

teacher. I hope we have fun this year. I will teach you many new things. I am happy you are in my class.

• How would you change this paragraph?– I am thrilled to be your

teacher. This year will be full of fun and learning. It is exciting to have you in my class.

Kinds of Sentences• There are different kinds of sentences.

– simple – one independent thought• A cow eats grass.

– compound – two or more simple sentences• The cow eats grass and moos at the dog.

– declarative – statement• Cows and dogs don’t get along.

– interrogatives – question• Do cows live in the city?

– exclamatory - exclamation• I am so excited about seeing a cow!

– imperative – command• Don’t feed the cows in this pasture.

Sentence FluencyRead your writing aloud and listen

to it’s rhythm.

– Do you use a variety of sentence lengths?– Do you use different sentence beginnings?– Are there different kinds of sentences in your writing?– As you flow down the river of your writing, is it

choppy and rough or does it flow in a natural rhythm?

ConventionsConventionsConventionsConventionsThe sixth element of the The sixth element of the

6 + 1 Writing Traits6 + 1 Writing Traits

What are conventions?

• Spelling• Punctuation• Capitalization• Grammar• Paragraphing

Having correct conventions means that the reader can pay more attention to

your creative thoughts and ideas.

SpellingI don’t know how to spell!I am a bad speller!You just tell me how to spell it!

These excuses will not work. What should you do if you don’t know how to

spell a word?

• Look it up in the dictionary• Ask a friend• Look at the resources around

you

PunctuationKnow the different types of

punctuation.– period .– comma ,– question mark ?– exclamation point !– colon :– hyphen –– ellipse …– parentheses ( )

How are all of these punctuation marked used?

CapitalizationWhen do I use capital letters?• Names of people – Christopher

Columbus• Words used as names – Grandpa• Titles used as names – President

Bush• Abbreviations – NFL• Proper Nouns – New York City• Historical Information – Civil War• Organizations - Republican

Capitalization continued

• Geographic Names – Agusta, Maine• Nationalities – Egyptian• Languages – Spanish• Titles – Freckle Juice• First Words – The sky is blue.• Days & Months – Monday, January• Holidays – Easter• Greetings – Dear Charlie,• Closings – Your friend, Margo

Grammar• Check all your sentences.

– One cool fall day Tom, Bill, and Bobby.– One cool fall day Tom, Bill, and Bobby went

to go fishing they caught only on fish all day.• Do you have sentence fragments or run-on

sentences?

• Do your subjects & verbs agree?– Bill walk to the fishing hole.– Tom, Bill, and Bobby loves to go fishing.

Paragraphing• A paragraph is a group of

sentences that concentrate on one topic.– Indent each time you begin a new topic.

• Each paragraph should include a…– Topic sentence – tells what the

paragraph is about– Body – detail sentences that back up

the main idea– Closing sentence – sums up the big idea

ConventionsIn order to be good at editing you need to

develop an eye for mistakes. – Check everything– Check it again– Read it out loud– Have a friend check it

• It is hard to edit your own paper because you know what you want to say. Although that may not be what is written on the page.

• Conventions is the most important of the traits.

Presentation

Zeros in on the form and layout of the text and its readability

The piece should be pleasing to the eye

TheEnd