1. National 5 English – Portfolio

2. 2 pieces of Writing 1000 word limit
SQA requirements
2 pieces of Writing
1000 word limit
15 marks each + 30 marks in total from the 100 marks that will make up your National 5 Grade

3. SQA requirements
Group A: broadly creative
♦ a personal essay/reflective essay
♦ a piece of prose fiction (eg short story, episode from a novel)
♦ a poem or set of thematically linked poems
♦ a dramatic script (eg scene, monologue, sketch)
Group B: broadly discursive
♦ a persuasive essay
♦ an argumentative essay
♦ a report for a specified purpose
♦ a piece of transactional writing

4. Do you research for you or give you articles
SQA requirements
REASONABLE ASSISTANCE
Teachers can’t:
give you a topic
give you a plan
Do you research for you or give you articles
Teachers can:
discuss your ideas
give you general feedback on one draft

5. Help you find ideas for both types of writing
Scholar
HOW CAN SCHOLAR HELP
Help you find ideas for both types of writing
Give you help with every stage of the process
Show you examples of good work
Help you understand how to write effectively

6. Scholar

7. Scholar

8. Scholar

9. Creative Writing
Really well made characters are perhaps the most important part of story writing. The reader engages with the people in the story far more readily than they do with the setting or the themes. To get the characters right, it is worth taking the time to plan properly. Make characters - Real - Realistic - Individual NO MORE than two main characters

10. Creative Writing
Stephen King
I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.

11. Creative Writing

12. Characters in Portfolio activity: A Yellow Ribbon
Creative Writing
Characters in Portfolio activity: A Yellow Ribbon
Read this extract from the short story 'A Yellow Ribbon'.
It had been hours since he last stirred. A dark shape perched on a high window ledge, completely still. He started as a plate of sloppy stew clattered onto a small table by the door, and turned to glare down at what had disturbed him. A young woman stood there, dressed in white, frozen to the spot, (or so it seemed) her expression horrified. She did not turn as she retreated from the room, backing slowly out of the door. As she closed it slowly with a creak, he continued to glare until he was glaring only at the cracked, stained wood of the door itself. He made quite sure her hurried footsteps had faded before sliding off his ledge to land on the hard floor with a muffled thud. He padded over to the low table, where the plate now rested. The lumpy brown sludge that covered the little plate bore a startling resemblance to what could have been sewage. He would skip lunch.

13. Creative Writing
Structure

14. establish the main character; set up the situation in terms of plot;
Creative Writing
A set-up of a short story or personal essay has to do more than just be an introduction. You need to:
establish the main character;
set up the situation in terms of plot;
hint at where the conflict might be;
set some narrative 'hooks' - leave some details out that keep the reader wanting to read on. A good set up tells the reader a lot but not everything.
Create a strong sense of the writer in a personal essay

15. Creative Writing

16. Creative Writing

17. The conflict phase moves the story on. In this phase you can:
Creative Writing
CONFLICT
The conflict phase moves the story on. In this phase you can:
develop the main character;
develop the plot;
develop the sense of tension;
perhaps hint at different outcomes.
A good conflict moves the story on and keeps the reader interested.

18. Creative Writing

19. Creative Writing

20. The climax of a short story: where the high point of the action is;
Creative Writing
The climax of a short story:
where the high point of the action is;
it will usually be tense;
will tend to involve lots of action rather than description;
could use speech to reveal the dramatic moment.

21. Creative Writing

22. Creative Writing

23. 'show' how your character has changed. (Don't tell.);
Creative Writing
The resolution finishes the story. The climax may be dramatic and full of action so there is little time for the character to reflect. Some hints regarding resolutions are:
'show' how your character has changed. (Don't tell.);
tie off any loose ends;
don't create 'hanging endings'. They can often look like you could not be bothered to think of a decent ending;
first person narrators can really reflect in this part of the story;
don't make time jumps or use it to condense what could easily be the plot of another story.

24. Creative Writing

25. Creative Writing

26. Creative Writing

27. Group B: broadly discursive ♦ a persuasive essay
Discursive Writing
Group B: broadly discursive
♦ a persuasive essay
♦ an argumentative essay
♦ a report for a specified purpose
♦ a piece of transactional writing

28. Discursive essay stages Topic selection Planning and Research
Discursive Writing
Discursive essay stages
Topic selection
Planning and Research
Draft and redraft

29. Narrow enough to cover in 1000 words
Discursive Writing
TOPIC SELECTION
Originality
Personal interest
Narrow enough to cover in 1000 words
Own knowledge from other school subjects

30. RESEARCH Vary research Quality of sources Break topic up Facts Finance
Discursive Writing
RESEARCH
Vary research
Quality of sources
Break topic up
Facts
Finance
Legal issues
Attitudes
Solutions

31. Discursive Writing

32. Discursive Writing

33. Discursive Writing

34. Discursive Writing

35. Discursive Writing

36. Discursive Writing

37. After you have written something or after teacher feedback stage
Discursive Writing
Next steps
Scholar
- read before you begin
- planning grids
After you have written something or after teacher feedback stage
- checklists
- Sections where your teacher has indicated that some work is needed

38. The scariest moment is just before you start writing.
TEXT
Stephen King
The scariest moment is just before you start writing.

39. Thank you Next steps Scholar read Scholar notes Make your own notes
Plan and Draft