Writing: 

                 Non-fiction  

Useful Handouts For ALL non-fiction writing 

Reflection Form 

Rewrite form

Combined Reflection and Rewrite form

Transition words

Sophisticated Transition Sentences

Useful Handouts & links for Summary 

Articles from The New York Times Upfront- a news magazine written for teens  (Some articles were assigned to students to summarize)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Useful Handouts & links for Response to Literature Essays

 

What is a topic & What is a theme?

Sample themes from Animal Farm & Outsiders

Simplified Outline Format for Response to Lit Essay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Web page created by L. Clark-Burnell.

If, as a teacher, you use any of the materials I've developed, please include a footnote indicating authorship to model good citation practices for your students.  Thank you. 

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Descriptive Writing

Ideal Pet Paragraph

Personal Logo

What do the standards require? We will focus on
Seventh grade California writing standards require that students learn how to write descriptive paragraphs and essays

  • outlining

  • organization-- thesis, road map,  effective transitions, (Writing Standard 1.1 )

  • supporting statements -- using details to support points via anecdotes, fast, examples (Writing Standard 1.2)

  • conclusions

Summary

Students have a Summary Packet, created by Kate Kinsella, of San Francisco University.  This has step-by step instructions on how to write a summary, sample summaries, and grading sheets.

Assignments

  • C/HW:  Practice charting & summary of an article from the newspaper
  • CW:  Charting and summary of an editorial (which is like a mini-persuasive essay) on the draft from New York Times:  UpFront Magazine.  Students copy down a sample summary:  "Should the Draft be Reinstated?"-- this sample was written by 1st period collectively 
  • HW:  Charting & summary of article on brain development in teenage years: "Adult Brain Gets Wired"
  • C/HW: Charting & summary of peer's Personal Logo Essay
  • Charting & summary of "Poor in the Land of Plenty"
  • Summary of one or more addition articles from The New York Times UpFront Magazine

Sample Summaries

Tips

Do you have transition words or phrases?  

Peer feedback:  you may want to also have a peer check over your essay to make sure you have all the key components.  Use these peer feedback forms to help you see your own writing more clearly.

What do the standards require?   We will focus on:
Seventh grade California writing standards require that students learn how to write clear summaries of reading materials.
  • concise first sentences
  • using citation expressions
  • proper use of transitions
  • accuracy & succintness

 

Persuasive Writing

Some assignments are listed below-- for more details click on the link above.

  • Letter to Parents
  • Multiple assigned persuasive topics
What do the standards require?  We will focus on:
Seventh grade California writing standards require that students learn how to write clear persuasive essays  using support and anticipating the reader's concerns and then addressing those concerns.  
  • A clear introduction:  including a hook sentence that grabs the reader's attention, a thesis which states the writer's position elegantly, and a road map which gracefully lets the reader know where the essay is heading by introducing the main points the writer will make. 
  • Support paragraphs with including evidence:   such evidence should be credible, detailed, descriptive, and convincing.  
  • Strong rebuttals to the reader's concerns:  good writers anticipate the reader's counter-arguments and write a rebuttal to those arguments.  In other words, a convincing persuasive essay acknowledges concerns the reader might have and  addresses those concerns.
  • A strong conclusion: including a fresh reminder of the thesis, a restatement of the main points, and a solid so-what which gives the reader a sense of closure and an understanding of why this issue matters.

For an example of how persuasive writing is used in politics, read the pro and con arguments for one of the 2004 CA ballot initiatives. 

RESPONSE TO & ANALYSIS OF LITERATURE ESSAYS

Some assignments are listed below

  • Characterization Paragraphs
  • Outline of theme essay for Animal Farm or Outsiders
  • Several outlines on short stories
  • A few essays on short stories and novels-- usually about theme or literary elements/devices

How should a student tackle a response to literature writing prompt?

When you read a writing prompt, the first thing to do is underline the key direction words!  This way you know exactly what the prompt or question is asking you to write about. 

How should you organize your response to literature essay?  May certain you include these four parts:

  • A clear introduction:  including a hook sentence that grabs the reader's attention, a thesis which states the writer's position elegantly, and a road map which gracefully lets the reader know where the essay is heading by introducing the main points the writer will make. 
  • Support or body paragraphs with including evidence:   such evidence should be credible, detailed, descriptive, and convincing.  Don't forget to explain your evidence from the novel or story.  Tell why it supports your point with signal phrases such as "This example shows/reveals/demonstrates that...."
  • A strong conclusion: including a fresh reminder of the thesis, a restatement of the main points, and a solid so-what which gives the reader a sense of closure and an understanding of why this issue matters.

Do you have transition words or phrases?  

Peer feedback:  you may want to also have a peer check over your essay to make sure you have all the key components.  Use these peer feedback forms to help you see your own writing more clearly.

  • Generic peer response form  (not available online yet.)

How will the essay be assessed or graded?  Check your work against a rubric.  Here is the official rubric used by the state of California to score the STAR Response to Literature essays.

California's Standards and life applications 

Seventh grade California writing standards require that students learn how to respond to a piece of fiction, such as short story or poem.  Students should be able to write about the following:

  • characters-- motivation, characterization, growth, dialects
  • conflicts-- rising action/complications or problems the characters encounter
  • setting-- how the setting contributes to the story as a whole
  •  themes-- what themes does the story/poem contain and how does the author convey those themes?
  • figurative language and imagery
What do the standards require?  What will we focus on?
Seventh grade California writing standards require that students learn how to respond to a piece of fiction, such as short story or poem.
  • Clear thesis statements
  • Use of evidence to support claims:  introducing evidence, explaining evidence

 

 

RESEARCH REPORT

For details on our mini-research report, click on the link above.

  • Any topic- research report

What do the standards require?  Seventh grade California writing standards require that students learn how to write a research report using multiple sources as evidence and to document the sources of that evidence. 

Our focus this year will be on:

  • Giving credit for quoted and paraphrased information correctly (Writing Standard 1.5)

  • Identifying topics, asking questions that narrow a topic and lead to research questions (W 1.4)

  • Organizing ideas and using effective transitions (W 1.1)

  • Taking notes from print and on-line sources (W 1.3)

  • Outlining (W 1.3)

  • Revising for improved organization, clarity, and succinctness (W 1.7)