Introduction to Paragraphs DS 014 Writing

Today's Agenda Sign-In Turn in GSR Test Oops ! (Bad Descriptions) Two Keys to Writing Mastery The Writing Process Three Basic Parts of a Paragraph Connection Between Reading and Writing Steps in Active Reading Making a Summary Through Active Reading Assignment Coming Up...

Worst analogies ever written in a high school essay * McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty Bag filled with vegetable soup. * Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze. * Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center. * Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever. * He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree. * The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease. * They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth * John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met. * His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like under pants in a dryer without Cling Free * The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red Crayola crayon.

Two Keys to Writing Mastery Content Ideas Details Facts Descriptions etc. Form Grammar Mechanics How do we get content? Brainstorming Research How do we ensure form? Know the rules Practice Peer Review Editing

The Writing Process The Writing Process can be seen as ongoing. “There's no perfect writing, only deadlines.” Your book mentions three areas of the writing process, but there can be more. Prewriting Composing Revising

Three Basic Parts of the Paragraph Topic Sentence What's the point? The TS can also use a free modifier to pull in the idea of the last paragraph. Body Supplies details that support the topic sentence. Concluding Sentence Emphasizes the significance and leads to a logical close.

Connection Between Reading and Writing Good writers are also good readers. Why? Readers are exposed to writing for multiple types of audiences. Readers immerse themselves with words (which builds vocabulary). Active readers

Steps in Active Reading Active Reading means getting actively engaged with the text. Four steps-- Establishing Context Who, what, where, why and how? Identify Structure Where are the introduction, body and conclusion? Focus on Key Ideas Main point, important data, specifics, definitions, etc. Respond to What You've Read What do you think of the piece? What were the strongest points? The weakest?

Active Reading Checklist Have you identified the “who, what, where, why, and how”? Have you identified the parts of the piece of writing? Have you identified the key ideas? Have you noted the specifics (names, dates, definitions, etc.) ? Have you identified the main points the author expressed in the conclusion? Have you expressed your reaction?

Making a Summary Read the entire article for a “global view” of it. Read again, highlighting, underlining, or circling the key points. Cross out non-crucial information. Rewrite the document in your own words. Make sure you follow the order of the original. Check your version against the original. Record the original's title, author and date of publication.

Summary Checklist Is the summary's main point clear? Is there anything in the summary that could be eliminated and it still represent the original meaning well? Have you transitioned between the main points well?

Assignment Read the article. Write a summary in your own words. Follow the Making a Summary and Summary Checklist to make sure you've covered everything that's needed. Turn it in with your name on it.

Coming Up This Week Wednesday Friday Prewriting Chapter 2 in Paragraphs Freewriting Brainstorming Clustering Branching Friday Composing Chapter 3 in Paragraphs Developing Topic Sentences Finding Supporting Ideas Identifying Audience

Next Week Wednesday Friday Description Chapter 6 in Paragraphs Description Paragraph Assigned Friday Revising Chapter 4 in Paragraphs Bring in Draft of Paragraph Fall Break—We won't have class Monday due to the Fall Break.