DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH FRAMES

QUICK WRITE: VISUAL WRITING PROMPT Make a list of the benefits of being this small, then make a list of the negatives of being this tall. Write a narrative about the day in the life of this girl.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION AND BACKGROUND Essential Question: Will quality of student writing increase if they plan for what they write before the writing assignment is given? Dr. John Schacter created the Master Teacher series. He believes that students need to focus on content before correctness. He also believes that students need to have the opportunity to write more often, write for an audience, and that they need to be taught how to plan and organize during the writing process. He uses attribute charts and paragraph frames to help students plan and organize their writing.

DR. SCHACTER The Master Teacher Series

ATTRIBUTE CHART In your writers notebook, create the following attribute chart: ColorSizeShapeNumberComposition

EXAMPLE ColorSizeShapeNumberComposition White Pink Orange Tall Wide Stacked Round Tiers Flowers 4 tiers 1 branch Many flowers Cake Fondant Sugar

WRITING A DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPH Today we will focus on writing topic sentences for a descriptive paragraph. After we practice writing topic sentences you will write a paragraph using an attribute chart and paragraph frame.

PARAGRAPH FRAMES AND TOPIC SENTENCES

WRITING WHERE TOPIC SENTENCES In the school gym… Across the train tracks… Inside out classroom… At my friend’s pool… Next to the creek… On the soccer field… Outside my bedroom window…

WHERE: Where: What happened:

WHERE: WHAT HAPPENED:

WHERE: WHAT HAPPENED:

WHERE: WHAT HAPPENED:

WITH YOUR GROUP, WRITE DOWN 3 ATTRIBUTES ABOUT THIS PICTURE FOR EACH CATEGORY, BE PREPARED TO SHARE OUT

LOOK AT THE TOP OF THIS PICTURE, CHOOSE 5 ATTRIBUTES FROM YOUR CHART THAT DESCRIBE THIS PART OF THE PICTURE

Using the five words from the attribute chart, write sentences about what is happening in the picture. Underline the words from the attribute chart.

LOOK AT THE MIDDLE OF THIS PICTURE, CHOOSE 5 ATTRIBUTES FROM YOUR CHART THAT DESCRIBE THIS PART OF THE PICTURE

Using the five words from the attribute chart, write sentences about what is happening in the picture. Underline the words from the attribute chart.

LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PICTURE, CHOOSE 5 ATTRIBUTES FROM YOUR CHART THAT DESCRIBE THIS PART OF THE PICTURE

Using the five words from the attribute chart, write sentences about what is happening in the picture. Underline the words from the attribute chart.

WRITE A CONCLUSION… What happened after the storm?

NOW PUT IT ALL TOGETHER Write a rough draft using your paragraph frame. Start with your topic sentence, then rewrite in order the sentences you created. End your draft with your conclusion.