1. BASIC WRITING INSTRUCTION

2. Do you recall the DOMAINS of Quality Writing? Write em down…

3. F_____________ C ____________ O_____________ S_____________ C_____________

4. FOCUS CONTENT ORGANIZATION STYLE CONVENTIONS How many did you recall?

5. FOCUS CONTENT ORGANIZATION STYLE CONVENTIONS How many did you recall? All 5! Great!

6. Which is the most important? FOCUS ? CONTENT ? ORGANIZATION ? STYLE ? CONVENTIONS ?

7. You can make a solid case for… FOCUS

8. What exactly is Focus?

9. Focus = Purpose Seriously, stop prior to any writing… Personal Writing Assigned Writing

10. Focus = Purpose Seriously, stop prior to any writing… Personal Writing Assigned Writing..and ask yourself…

11. Focus = Purpose Seriously, stop prior to any writing… Personal Writing Assigned Writing..and ask yourself… “WHY AM I WRITING THIS?”

12. Focus = Purpose Seriously, stop prior to any writing… Personal Writing Assigned Writing..and ask yourself… “WHY AM I WRITING THIS?” “WHAT IS THE REASON? PURPOSE?”

13. Focus = Purpose

14. Focus = Purpose WE SHOULD SING IT OUT…

15. Focus = Purpose Or dance to the rhythms in a Conga Line!

16. Focus = Purpose

17. There are 3 Main Reasons Why people Write. Can you name them? Three Purposes for Writing: 1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

18. Come on.. It’s as easy as pie! Three Purposes for Writing: 1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

19. Come on.. It’s as easy as pie! Three Purposes for Writing: 1. Pe__________ 2. In__________ 3. En__________

20. Come on.. It’s as easy as pie! Three Purposes for Writing: 1. Persude 2. Inform 3. Entertain/Narrate

21. Practice – How would you address the following? A research paper providing an overview of a specific career? Letter to the school board to clean up the football field? A paper on the worst day of your life?

22. To really fail miserably you can… For: A research paper providing an overview of a specific career?

23. To really fail miserably you can… For: A research paper providing an overview of a specific career? Write comparing and contrasting pepperoni vs. anchovy pizza.

24. To really fail miserably you can… For: Letter to the school board to clean up the football field?

25. Write how wonderful last year’s Encore performance was and detail your crush on the lead actor.

26. To really fail miserably you can… For: A paper on the worst day of your life?

27. To really fail miserably you can… For: A paper on the worst day of your life? Write, in Japanese Calligraphy, on the beauty of Haiku Poetry.

28. OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE OFF TASK… THEY DO NOT MEET THE PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT. THEY MUST FAIL MISERABLEY…

29. We’re totally off target… !

30. We’re totally off target… Like we were shooting facing the other direction!

31. But, these too should fail… A research paper providing an overview of a specific career?.

32. But, these too should fail… A research paper providing an overview of a specific career? A career you’d really like is Carpentry.

33. But, these too should fail… A research paper providing an overview of a specific career? A career you’d really like is Carpentry. How you’d like working outdoors in a hands-on job such as carpentry and staying local.

34. But, these too should fail… A research paper providing an overview of a specific career? A career you’d really like is Carpentry. How you’d like working outdoors in a hands-on job such as carpentry and staying local. How to build a house from the bottom up.

35. But, these too should fail… A research paper providing an overview of a specific career? A career you’d really like is Carpentry. How you’d like working outdoors in a hands-on job such as carpentry and staying local. How to build a house from the bottom up. Carpenters and their salary and benefits

36. But, these too should fail… A research paper providing an overview of a specific career? A career you’d really like is Carpentry. How you’d like working outdoors in a hands-on job such as carpentry and staying local. How to build a house from the bottom up. Carpenters and their salary and benefits The tools carpenters use and the work they do.

37. It can be easy to screw up… To assure ourselves of Solid Focus … Purpose/Focus needs a careful look

38. Try this…Mentally envision your response. What was the best book you read this summer? Who else might like it?

39. How many paragraphs do you need to address that prompt?

40. You need two… any other answer is probably not in Focus

41. Paragraph one: Best book read this summer was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

42. You need two… any other answer is probably not in Focus Paragraph one: Best book read this summer was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Paragraph two: People of all ages who enjoy fantasy would really enjoy the book.

43. It was by far the best book I read in the summer of 2007.

44. To really hit on FOCUS it is best to phrase it in a “Purpose statement” It begins… “the purpose of this piece of writing is to ___________

45. To really hit on FOCUS it is best to phrase it in a “Purpose statement” It begins… “the purpose of this piece of writing is to ____choose appropriate one below _________ To Persuade To Inform To Entertain

46. To really hit on FOCUS it is best to phrase it in a “Purpose statement” A research paper providing an overview of a specific career? The paper is to inform about a career in carpentry

47. To really hit on FOCUS it is best to phrase it in a “Purpose statement” Letter to the school board to clean up the football field? The purpose is to persuade so as to have the field conditions improved.

48. To really hit on FOCUS it is best to phrase it in a “Purpose statement” A paper on the worst day of your life? To purpose is to narrate the sequence of events of my car crash.

49. But…We’re still not totally on to the very best of Focus Anyone know what is still missing? It is a key to scoring “Proficient” = 3

50. FOCUS = PURPOSE

51. FOCUS = PURPOSE PURPOSE INCLUDES YOUR AUDIENCE

52. AUDIENCE OF THE WRITING Who is to be informed?

53. AUDIENCE OF THE WRITING Who is to be informed? Who is to be persuaded?

54. AUDIENCE OF THE WRITING Who is to be informed? Who is to be persuaded? Who is to be entertained?

55. AUDIENCE OF THE WRITING Who is to be informed? Who is to be persuaded? Who is to be entertained? Consciously consider Audience to direct the focus of your writing.

56. Watch how Audience alters the Writing Write a letter on the topic: Cheating

57. Write on the topic of cheating….

58. To any 2 nd grade class.

59. Write on the topic of cheating…. To a Kindergarten class. To your bratty 5 th grade sister.

60. Write on the topic of cheating…. To any 2 nd grade class. To your 5 th grade sister. To SCA’s 9 th graders on school’s website.

61. Write on the topic of cheating…. To any 2 nd grade class. To your 5 th grade sister. To SCA’s 9 th graders. To your best friend (Male)

62. Write on the topic of cheating…. To any 2 nd grade class. To your 5 th grade sister. To SCA’s 9 th graders. To your best friend (Male) To your best friend (Female)

63. Write on the topic of cheating…. To any 2 nd grade class. To your 5 th grade sister. To SCA’s 9 th graders. To your best friend (Male) To your best friend (Female) To your teacher (Henry/Johnston)

64. Write on the topic of cheating…. To any 2 nd grade class. To your 5 th grade sister. To SCA’s 9 th graders. To your best friend (Male) To your best friend (Female) To your teacher (Henry/Johnston) To your teacher (Conner/Lindenmuth)

65. Write on the topic of cheating…. To any 2 nd grade class. To your 5 th grade sister. To SCA’s 9 th graders. To your best friend (Male) To your best friend (Female) To your teacher (Henry/Johnston) To your teacher (Conner/Lindenmuth) To the principal

66. Write on the topic of cheating…. To any 2 nd grade class. To your 5 th grade sister. To SCA’s 9 th graders. To your best friend (Male) To your best friend (Female) To your teacher (Henry/Johnston) To your teacher (Conner/Lindenmuth) To the principal To your parents

67. I see this as 9 totally different papers! Don’t You? To any 2 nd grade class. To your 5 th grade sister. To SCA’s 9 th graders. To your best friend (Male) To your best friend (Female) To your teacher (Henry/Johnston) To your teacher (Conner/Lindenmuth) To the principal To your parents

68. To really hit on FOCUS it is best to carefully phrase a “Purpose statement”

69. Letter to the school board to clean up the football field? The purpose is to persuade SCA’s School Board to have the football field conditions improved.

70. To really hit on FOCUS it is best to carefully phrase a “Purpose statement” Letter to the school board to clean up the football field? The purpose is persuade SCA’s School Board to have the football field conditions improved. A paper on the worst day of your life? To purpose is to narrate to my English class classmates the sequence of events of my car crash.

71. What if are not provided an AUDIENCE?

72. Check the prompt carefully.

73. What if are not provided an AUDIENCE? Check the prompt carefully. Does it seem ok to create an audience?

74. What if are not provided an AUDIENCE? Check the prompt carefully. Does it seem ok to create an audience? (Role playing is rewarded on PSSA tests!)

75. What if are not provided an AUDIENCE? Check the prompt carefully. Does it seem ok to create an audience? If you should not create an audience and role play… then use…

76. What if are not provided an AUDIENCE? Check the prompt carefully. Does it seem ok to create an audience? If you should not create an audience and role play… then use… the DEFAULT AUDIENCE.

77. DEFAULT AUDIENCE? Ah, yes, Grasshopper…

78. DEFAULT AUDIENCE? Ah, yes, Grasshopper… I am about to share with you one of the esoteric secrets of advanced writing…

79. DEFAULT AUDIENCE? Ah, yes, Grasshopper… I am about to share with you one of the esoteric secrets of advanced writing… Something you probably did not know.

80. DEFAULT AUDIENCE

81. It is not your teacher.. Too specific

82. DEFAULT AUDIENCE It is not your teacher.. Too specific When no audience is given, or even intimated (suggested) … use

83. DEFAULT AUDIENCE It is not your teacher.. Too specific When no audience is given, or even intimated… use Intelligent

84. DEFAULT AUDIENCE It is not your teacher.. Too specific When no audience is given, or even intimated… use Intelligent, Adult.

85. DEFAULT AUDIENCE It is not your teacher.. Too specific When no audience is given, or even intimated… use Intelligent, Adult, Americans.

86. DEFAULT AUDIENCE A research paper providing an overview of a specific career? The paper is to inform “intelligent, adult Americans” about a career in carpentry.

87. Now, be sure your writing addresses the purpose as you stated.

88. To score well….It is mandatory to get to the purpose in the Introduction and return to it in the Conclusion.

89. Now, be sure your writing addresses the purpose as you stated. To score well….It is mandatory to get to the purpose in the Introduction and return to it in the Conclusion. I. Introduction (Attend to your purpose) II Thesis point A III Thesis point B IV Thesis point C V Conclusion (Recap your purpose)

90. That should get you to score Proficient = 3 But… it goes further…

91. That should get you to score Proficient = 3 But… it goes further… What if you want an Advanced = 4 Know how?

92. Really, do you think you know a formula as to how to reach for the Advanced = 4 The Writing Master will tender your hypotheses….

93. The secret to achieving a “4” = Advanced, Grasshopper…

94. Another Secret of Writing. Return to your specific purpose consciously in the BODY of the paper.

95. Another Secret of Writing. Return to your specific purpose consciously in the BODY of the paper. I. Introduction (Preview your purpose) II Thesis point A (Remind reader of your purpose) III Thesis point B (Remind reader of your purpose) IV Thesis point C (Remind reader of your purpose) V Conclusion (Review your purpose)

96. Another Secret of Writing. Return to your specific purpose consciously in the BODY of the paper. Show purpose beyond Intro and Conclusion.

97. Another Secret of Writing. Return to your specific purpose consciously in the BODY of the paper. Show purpose beyond Intro and Conclusion. Role Play with the audience whenever possible.

98. For a 3… Purpose noted in Intro and Conclusion - and awareness of audience. It’s there, solid, Proficient.

99. For a 4… Purpose noted in the body of the paper - and a continual awareness of audience noted throughout the paper. Reader never loses sight of the Purpose, continually addressed.

100. More esoteric, hidden, mysteries of writing to be explored … next time.