Traits of Writing
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Transcript of Traits of Writing
TRAITS OF WRITING
June PreszlerTIEAug. 21, 2007
TODAY’S PLAN Revisit the traits Three-Minute Write Think-Ink-Pair-Share Summaries The Picture Worth a Thousand Words RAFTS Create a trait lesson that you can use
during the first weeks of school
REMEMBER THE TRAITS? There are six of them. How many can
you name and explain? Three-Minute Write:
List the traits and provide a definition for each one.
Returning teachers: What two traits did your building choose to focus on during the 2006-2007 school year?
IDEAS
Ideas are the heart of the message, the content of the piece.
IDEAS AND DEVELOPMENT Clarity and control Focused and relevant Details that matter Fresh and original Substance and accuracy
ORGANIZATION Organization is the
internal structure, the thread of meaning, the pattern of ideas.
ORGANIZATION An inviting introduction Thoughtful transitions Logical sequencing Pace is under control A satisfying conclusion
VOICE Voice is the heart
and soul, the magic, the wit, the feeling, the conviction of the writing.
VOICE Individual and engaging “Aches with caring” Honest, committed, responsive Suits audience and topic Strong interaction with the reader
WORD CHOICE Word choice is the
use of rich, colorful, precise language that moves and enlightens the reader.
WORD CHOICE Lively Verbs Original and deliberate choices Special moments Visual Specific and precise
SENTENCE FLUENCY Sentence fluency is
the rhythm and flow of the language…the way writing plays to the ear—not just the eye.
SENTENCE FLUENCY Rhythm, flow, and natural cadence Smooth phrasing Well-built sentences Sentence length enhances meaning Varied sentence beginnings
CONVENTIONS Conventions
represent the mechanical correctness of the piece.
CONVENTIONS Spelling, capitalization, punctuation,
grammar/usage, and paragraphing (indenting)
Ready for a public audience Control brings out style and enhances
ideas Experimentation that works well Shows more than just the basics
PRESENTATION (+1) Presentation
focuses on the form and layout of the text; the piece should be pleasing to the eye.
COUNTING COUP Think-Ink-Pair-Share
THE ENEMY IN FRONT OF US Not a person But a thing “The biggest enemy our children have
are those things sitting in front of you and they’re called books.”—Gerard Baker
THE WARRIOR “What do you do with your enemies?
You conquer them.” “We have to redefine our enemies and
conquer them.”
COUNTING COUP “We have to count coup on books.”
--------------------------------------------------Think-Ink-Pair Share
WRITING SUMMARIES Getting to the heart of the matter
CREATING PICTURES
RAFTS R=Heart (Role) A=French Fries (Audience) F=Complaint (Format) T=Effects of fat in the diet (Topic) S=Warn (Strong Verb) You are Heart and are concerned about your
good health. Write a letter of complaint to the French Fries warning them of the effects of fat in the diet.
RAFTS
Dear French Fries,I’m writing to give you a warning. You are killing me! You may not realize that one small serving of you contains more saturated fat than I can handle in an entire day. I’ve had it with your high sodium, fat, cholesterol, and artery-clogging ways. Your value-meal family may be easy on the wallet but you are really costly to me.
Clean up your act,The Heart
RAFTSDear Mary,It is important to use punctuation. Why aren’t you usingpunctuation? Punctuation marks are periods, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, and so on. When you write you should always use my marks or people won’t know what you mean. I know your teacher has shown you how to use my marks. Please use them everyday.Thank you,Peter Punctuation
Ruth Culham, 6+1 Traits of Writing: Professional Study Guide
FUTURE PLAN During the first month of school, use
the trait lesson you designed Use a trait scoring guide to assess
student work Be prepared to discuss student work at
our next meeting (bring it along)