1. ICE: The Writing Exit Exam
Today we are going to focus on getting started.
We are going to practice a plan.
And this workshop is going to require lots of participation.
Everyone will need pen and paper.
So what do you know about the ICE? Let students answer what they know—should mention that the essay should be about 300 to 600 words AND at least 3 paragraphs.
So if we have three paragraphs, what should your first do? Introduce your topic. This is your introduction. Your second is your body describing ONE of your main points. You can have up to THREE body paragraphs. Your final paragraph must be your conclusion. We recommend have at least FOUR paragraphs (so you can have TWO body paragraphs), but only THREE are required.
Strategies for Tackling the ICE
Presented by the Learning Center

2. What Can I Do to Pass the Test?
Relax and have a plan.
Use what you know.
Make sure your essay is logical and clear.
Pre-write! This step will take about 30 minutes.
Manage your time wisely.
Come to the test prepared.
Let’s Practice!
We will work on the plan today.
Have a plan: that’s what we’ll go through today.
Use what you know: feel free to use examples from real life, things you’ve seen on the news or you’ve personally experienced, things you’ve discussed in class, etc.
Pre-write: ASK—how long should you spend pre-writing? Some students say 10 minutes; some say an hour.
30 MINUTES! Why? Because the more time you spend PLANNING your essay, the more likely you will have a logical and organized essay. We’ll go over how to spend this 30 minutes wisely.
Manage your time wisely: We will show you how to break up your time.
Come to the test prepared: Get to the testing site early (no one will be admitted into the testing room after testing has begun). Go the bathroom beforehand (if you leave the testing room during the test, you will not be allowed to come back and finish it). Turn off your cell phone. Bring at least two blue or black pens. Bring your student ID. Get a good night’s sleep beforehand. Make sure you have eaten.
TIME TO PRACTICE

3. Sample Prompt Read the article that was distributed to you, as well as the prompt that follows the article.
Give students about five minutes to read the article and prompt.

4. When you have finished reading the prompt, what is your next step?
Wait until someone gives an answer w/o looking at the handout.
If silence, provide a few leading questions. Should I just begin writing? Should I write a first draft?

5. Step to Success #1 Understanding the Prompt (5 minutes)
Ask these questions:
What do I focus on?
What is the prompt asking me to write about?
What are my actions?
Decide what I think. But how?
First, you must understand the prompt. WHAT are you being asked to do? So in our sample prompt, what should you focus on?
Once you know what you are being asked, you need to CHOOSE a side. DO NOT try to write about both sides. To do this, you’ll need to brainstorm, which is covered on the next slide.

6. Step to Success #2 Brainstorm (10 minutes)
What are my actions?
Decide what I think. Do I agree or disagree? Why?
Try a Pro & Con list to help you decide.
Think of at least 2 reasons why I have my position.
Next, think of many ideas to support your main point.
Examples
Logical Reasons
Facts
Sensory Details
If you’re not sure how you feel or which side you can better argue, try a PRO/CON list, but make sure to only write about one side in your actual essay. So let’s do that now. What are the positions we could take in our practice prompt? Let’s come up with reasons for both sides. Write students’ ideas on the board. WRITE EVERYTHING THEY SAY even if it’s repeating something. You’ll use this later to show how some things can be organized under main ideas. Make them tell you which position each ideas supports; don’t assume which side it should go on.
See how you are already beginning to organize your ideas in things that agree or disagree with your position. In a timed exam, this will help because you don’t need to visually rewrite your ideas to organize them.
Which side do we have more reasons on? This is the side we want to write about.
For each of their reasons, make them give an example. If examples are repeated, still write them down (it’ll help them see that some points are the same). If they cannot think of an example or fact, ask if you can get rid of the point. Show how you don’t want to write about a point that you cannot support.

7. Brainstorm Freeze? If you get stuck, be a journalist:
Ask why, who, what, where, and how?
Think about relationships, causes, and consequences.
If we are running slow on examples/facts– ask these questions.
For example, WHO does lowering the drinking age affect? Teens? Parents? Insurance companies? Other drivers? Teachers?
WHERE will this cause problems? On the roads? In jails? In high schools? On college campuses? In bars?

8. Step to Success #3 Evaluating your Brainstorm
Cross out main ideas I cannot support with much detail.
Do I have enough detail to create a paragraph?
Have I matched details to main ideas correctly?
If it doesn’t belong, scrap the detail or move it to another main idea.
Is one of my details really a main idea?
Until now, you’ve just been throwing ideas out which is great. Now let’s organize and evaluate.
Ask the students if there are any main ideas without enough detail – visually. You can come up with some ideas while you are writing your essay, but if they aren’t coming to you now, they might not come to you then. So get rid of these.
Do you have a main idea that you really like? Is there enough support?
Let’s quickly look through these details – should some of them go together in a paragraph? What is the bigger main idea that connects them?
So we’re done pre-writing, right? Now we can begin our essay??

9. Step to Success #4: Outline (15 minutes)
Write a thesis statement.
What do all my main ideas have in common?
What do I want my reader to know?
The thesis will be my guide.
Order my main ideas (Hint: I have already started an outline by grouping ideas).
Write a topic sentence for each main idea.
A sentence that represents the purpose of that particular paragraph
NOT TIME TO WRITE YET! Let’s do a few more things before we begin our essay, so we know we’re on the right track!!
We’ve come up with our three main ideas/support. What order do we want to put the essay in? Just # them on your scratch paper, no need to rewrite until you begin the essay.
Now write a thesis statement for your essay. Ask for volunteers to give me their thesis statements and they can write them on the board. Get at least three volunteers to share thesis. Have them write it on board or YOU write them on board. Ask students if each answers the question in the prompt. If not, how can they be improved.
Spend about 5-10 minutes coming up with a topic sentence for each main idea (about 3 min. per topic sentence). Ask for volunteers to share a topic sentence for each paragraph.
ONCE WE HAVE FINISHED Pre-Writing…look at all we have accomplished.
We have our content, our organization, and our most important sentences already written (the thesis and topic sentences). You have your examples planned even though they aren’t totally polished. MOST of the important elements of your paper are already DONE!

10. Step to Success #5: Write (1 Hour)
Skip the “rough draft.” (Re-copying can cost you. It takes lots of time, and doubles your opportunity to make mistakes!)
While you’re writing, draft your essay fully, without stopping.
Skip lines and cross through any mistakes once (no white out).
Before students begin writing, they might want to make a “checklist” of errors they know they make, which they can then use later when editing.
Now you have a very good idea of what you want to write.
You can concentrate now on how you will write it – making sure you have complete sentences, etc.
How do you start your introduction? Restate some basic info from your prompt or give both sides of the issue before your opinion. It is very important that you do not copy the prompt exactly! Copied words will not count toward your final word count and can hurt your essay.

11. Step to Success #6: Edit & Proofread (30 Minutes)
Edit for clarity first: topic control, clarity, transitions, etc. Read the paper (silently) and as if reading aloud.
Be extra careful with “red flag” areas: sentences/paragraphs that cross pages, any place you changed something, and your known weak points.
Proofread: look for a specific error type.
To check spelling, read backwards.
EVERYONE should edit his or her essay.
Even when you have thought about the content before you write the essay, you can still make mistakes.
This is where the students can use their checklist to check for the types of errors that they know they make.
Any questions or comments?

12. You Can Succeed. We Can Help.
Stop by your El Centro College Learning Center (A350) for more information on success skills and subject-specific tutoring.
Monday – Thursday 8:00am – 7:00pm
Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm
Saturday 10:00am – 2:00pm