How to become an awesome writer!

The writing at Cornerstone has improved greatly. Overall, all the students at Cornerstone are writing better that Ms. Bobbie’s first 10 th grade class. As we continue, we will get better.

Proofreading – Grades would go up a minimum of ten points on the majority of papers, if students would just proofread their work. Stop waiting until the last minute. Presentation matters…a lot!!

The purpose of the book report forms was to get you started. If you’re in 5 th grade or higher, you shouldn’t turn in a book report on a form sheet anymore. It’s time to write and not just fill in the blanks. You know the different parts of a basic book report. You know what should be included in a report.

Align your text to the left. Fonts should be one of the following: Arial, Georgia, Tahoma, Times New Roman, or Verdana. Font size – 12pts. No bigger, no smaller. Double space Indent your paragraphs or provide space in between your paragraphs. Coversheets don’t hurt.

Any paper that looks like you ate breakfast with it, you washed your parent’s car with it, or you used it for a tissue before you turned it in. Jagged chewed up edges. Anything less than a half a page.

Definition - the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work. Currently at Cornerstone, plagiarism gets you an automatic zero. There are no re-dos. Most high schools, give automatic zeroes, and multiple offenses result in suspension. At the college level, they give automatic zeroes, automatic class failures, and expulsion. After this week, Cornerstone now uses a plagiarism checker.

Underline the book title or put it in quotation marks. Example: Charlotte’s Web or “Charlotte’s Web.” Spell the character’s and the author’s names correctly. The book is right in front of you. Proper nouns are ALWAYS capitalized! Use commas correctly. Keep your verb tenses the same. Spelling errors. Words are just left out. Whole sections are left out (Literary Elements, Body Biography) Not reading the whole book and hoping I haven’t either.

Only four reports are left. Budget your time and do your best. The more you write, the better you get at it. You WILL get better at it! I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished so far!!