1. Writing to a Prompt using a 4-square Graphic Organizer
DWA Preparation
Is this working?

2. What is writing to a prompt
A prompt is a topic you are asked to write about.
4 types of Prompts
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Descriptive

3. Narrative Essay
A narrative tells a story. It could be fiction or non-fiction. It includes a beginning, middle, and end.
Example: Write a story about a time when you were sad.
Clue words – narrate, tell a story about, write about a time, what happened when

4. Expository Essay
Expository is another word for explaining. In an expository essay you may be asked to give information about something or you might be asked to explain something.
Example: What is your favorite sport is and why?
Clue words: Explain, tell why, talk about, write why.

5. Descriptive Essay
In a descriptive essay you describe a thing, person, event or place.
Example: Tell about a cold winter day.
Clue words: describe, tell about an object, what does it look and feel like, write so your reader can see, picture in your mind.

6. Persuasive Essay
To persuade someone is to convince them to agree with you. Your job is decide your point of view and write arguments to persuade your ready to share your view.
Example: Should limits be placed on the amount of television children are allowed to watch?
Clue words: Should there be, convince your reader, support your view, make an argument.

7. Deciding what kind of prompt
Everyone has a favorite possession. Tell what your favorite possession is and why it’s important to you.
Expository!

8. Everyone has good days and bad days
Everyone has good days and bad days. Write a story about the best day you ever had.
Narrative

9. Imagine your family is planning a trip
Imagine your family is planning a trip. You can visit anywhere in the world. Think of where you would like to go, and why. Write an essay that would convince your family to go to the place you choose.
Persuasive

10. A person you know is planning to move to your town
A person you know is planning to move to your town. She has written to you to ask you what it is like. Write an essay describing your town to her.
Descriptive

11. Your parents are trying to decide whether to get a pet
Your parents are trying to decide whether to get a pet. Think if you would like to have a pet, and if so what pet you would like. Then write an essay to persuade your family to your opinion.
Persuasive

12. Think about your favorite food
Think about your favorite food. In an essay, give reasons for liking this food best.
Expository

13. Make up a story about what is in a basket.
Narrative

14. Write a letter to a friend telling what you would pack for a picnic and why.
Expository

15. Steps to writing to a prompt
Decide what kind of writing the prompt is asking for
Plan your writing
Write first draft
Revise writing
Proofread

16. Why organize? Makes your writing more understandable
You won’t forget anything
Listen to two examples:

17. Using a 4-square to organize an Expository Essay
Supporting Idea
Supporting Idea
Topic Sentence
Supporting Idea
Wrap up sentence

18. 3 supporting ideas and a wrap up sentence
Pretzels
Popcorn
Peanuts
Pretzels, popcorn, and peanuts are snacks.
Snacks

19. Your Turn
Sports Equipment

20. 3 supporting ideas Center of the box now has a complete sentence
First three boxes must contain reasons
Must prove the topic sentence true
Must be real reasons
The supporting ideas have to prove the topic sentence.
Examples:
My school is the best in the world
It’s cool
They pay us to attend
I like it
Candy in the lunch room
The beach makes a good vacation
Awesome
Super
Cool water
Soft sand
Pizza is the best food
It rules
It’s inexpensive
It has all food groups
It tastes the best

21. My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs.
Easy to cook
Fun to eat
Delicious
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy to cook, fun to eat, and delicious.
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs.

22. My favorite sport is __________
Your Turn
My favorite sport is __________

23. Checklist
Can the four square reasons be backed by facts or do they read as opinion?
Is there repetition of detail?

24. Adding supporting details
Our story so far would read as follows:
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs. My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy. My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s fun to eat. My favorite meal is spaghetti because it’s delicious. My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy, fun to eat, and delicious.
We need to elaborate – add details.
We will add 3 details to each square.
These details will clarify or give examples of the phrase at the top of the square.

25. My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs.
It’s easy
Roll up meat
Throw in pot
Pour store-bought sauce
It’s fun to eat
Twirl on fork
Slurp it
Splatter the sauce
It’s delicious
Tomatoes
Italian spices
Filling meat
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy to make, fun to eat and delicious.
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs.

26. My favorite sport is ___________
Your Turn
Reason:
Detail
Wrap up sentence
My favorite sport is ___________

27. Checklist Are the details logical expansion of the reasons?
Are the details factual and free of opinion?
Are there any mechanical problems in the wrap-up sentence?

28. Using connecting words
Choose a connecting word (transitions) and put at the top of each square.
Use the handout to help you choose appropriate connecting words for each square.

29. My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs.
First
It’s easy
Roll up meat
Throw in pot
Pour store-bought sauce
Also
It’s fun to eat
Twirl on fork
Slurp it
Splatter the sauce
Third
It’s delicious
Tomatoes
Italian spices
Filling meat
So you can see
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy to make, fun to eat and delicious.
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs.

30. My favorite sport is ___________
Your Turn
Connecting word
Reason:
Detail
Wrap up sentence
My favorite sport is ___________

31. Vivid language What sounds better?
The water was cold.
The water felt like ice.
Think of your senses – how does it feel, taste, smell, look, feel?
Add a vivid detail to each supporting detail.

32. My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs.
First
It’s easy
Roll up meat
Golf balls
Throw in pot
Huge cauldron-size
Pour store-bought sauce
Prego
Also
It’s fun to eat
Twirl on fork
Looks like a twister
Slurp it
Loud smacking noises
Splatter the sauce
Like an explosion
Third
It’s delicious
Tomatoes
Red and tangy
Italian spices
Zippy garlic
Filling meat
Like a hamburger
So you can see
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy to make, fun to eat and delicious.
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs.

33. My favorite sport is ___________
Your turn
Connecting word
Reason:
Detail
vivid
Vivid
Wrap up sentence
My favorite sport is ___________

34. Checklist
Do the added vivid images add more information to the details?
Have you used a thesaurus to find the best possible word?
Have you checked your punctuation? How about your grammar?

35. Taking the writing off the organizer2 3 4 5 1

36. My Favorite Meal
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy, and it’s fun to eat. I always enjoy eating the meal since it’s tasty anytime.
The first step in making the meal is the meatball. You simply roll up the hamburger into golf-ball sized pieces, then throw it in the pot. I use a huge, cauldron-size pot to cook the meatballs. After they are cooked, I pour on a store-bought sauce. My favorite brand is Prego. The noodles get cooked in a pot of hot water until they are soft, but still somewhat firm.
Another reason my favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs is because it’s fun to eat. I like to twirl the noodles on my fork. They look like a twister. It’s fun to slurp them into my mouth because it makes a loud smacking noise. I always splatter the sauce all over my mouth. When I’m done, it looks like an explosion of red dots where I have been sitting.

37. My third reason for liking is spaghetti and meatballs is because it’s delicious. I like the tangy taste of red tomatoes. The Italian spices are great, especially the zippy garlic. The meat is very filling, like eating a hamburger except it’s in a ball instead of in a bun.
So you can see, my favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy, fun to eat, and delicious.
Feedback:
Did the essay have organization?
Were there transitions connecting the paragraphs?
Are the details factual and free of opinion?
Are there vivid details?
Did the essay have any obvious grammatical errors?
What suggestions do you have for the essay?

38. Your turn
Read your 4-square to a partner or in your peer editing group
Do the sentences flow well?
Have you used the right tense throughout the essay?
Is your topic sentence clear?
How are your hook and conclusion?

39. Improving the introduction
First paragraph
Hook
Topic sentence
Wrap up sentence
Personal/reflective sentence
Food that is simple to cook and fun to eat are two ingredients needed to make it special. It also needs to be tasty. My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy to make, fun to eat and delicious. I could eat spaghetti and meatballs for dinner every night.

40. Improving the closing paragraph
Final paragraph
Summarize main points and then wrap-up sentence with connecting word
Personal / Reflective sentence, question or exclamation
So you can see, my favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because it’s easy to make, fun to eat and delicious. I am making some tonight. Would you like to come over for dinner?

41. Your Turn
Write an intro and closing paragraph.

42. Using the 4-square method to write an essay
Expository
Gives information
States reasons or examples
Must have connecting words
Few quotations
Narrative
Entertains
Has events
Connecting words as needed
More dialogue

43. Expository Narrative Friends Games The best day of my life Food
skydive
Land safely
The best day of my life
Meet the
president
Narrative

44. Event
Big Ending
Topic plus
Who?
What?
Where?
When?
Why?

45. When my cat started talking
Time connector: In the beginning
Event: Cat food commercial came on
Details
Dancing cats
Top hats
Singing about food
“meow-yum”
I said it was cute
laughed
Time connector: During the commercial
Event: My cat hissed
Arched his back
Angry
His hair stood up
Like a porcupine
Loud scream
Ear splitting
Time connector: Just then
Event: He started talking
Called the commercial foolish
Snarled
Said the food was gross
For dogs
Told me never to buy it
I thought it was his favorite.
Time connector: Since that day
Big ending:
He has never spoken again
I stopped buying that cat food.
My cat has restrictions on his TV time.
When my cat started talking
Who? My cat and I
What? Relaxing
Where? At home
When? In the evening
Why? It had been a long day

46. Completed Narrative Essay
One evening I was relaxing at home. My cat and I were watching television. It had been a long day, and I needed some time to wind down.
In the beginning of our favorite show, a commercial came on for a brand of cat food I usually buy. This commercial had adorable little dancing cats. They were wearing black top hats. The cats were also singing about the cat food. “Meow-yum, meow-yum,” they sang. I thought it was cute, and I laughed out loud.
During this commercial my cat hissed, which is not something he usually does. He arched his back and looked quite angry. The hair on his back was standing up like porcupine quills. He let out an ear-splitting scream.
Just then he started talking. He called the commercial foolish and snarled at the television. My cat told me that brand of cat food was gross, and it was only good for dogs, which means that it must be pretty bad. Then he told me never to buy it again. I had always thought he liked the stuff.
Since that day my cat has not spoken again. I did stop buying that brand of cat food. But because of his ill-mannered hissing and growling, my cat has had a limit placed on his television time.

47. Your turn
Prompt:
Think back to when you had a happy experience. Remember where you were and what happened. Write a story about that happy experience
Now complete the 4-square