1. 9-10-09 8 th Grade Warm-Up Bricks Good Writing 6 Traits Trait #1 Assignment: “The student was bored.”

2. Warm-Up 9-10-09 To inspire someone is to fill them with confidence. Who or what inspires you? Why?

3. The 6 Traits of Effective Writing Ideas Organization Voice Word Choice Sentence Fluency Conventions

4. “Showing vs. Telling” Telling Statement: “Jimmy is scared.” Showing Statement: “Jimmy’s face grew pale, and his eyes widened into white saucers as they darted around nervously. With hands trembling and his knees knocking, he crept cautiously across the room.

5. Ideas Practice Telling: “The kid was nervous speaking in front of the class.” Showing: My frantic classmate’s voice quivered as he choked out his speech. His white hands clenched the edges of his paper and stained it with sweat. His breath coming in jagged gulps, he focused on the floor, too fearful to meet the intense gaze of his audience.

6. Using Ideas Re-write the sentences below to “show” the reader with strong ideas. Go beyond just “telling” the reader. “My neighbor was mad.” “It was scary.”

7. “My little sister tried my RipStick.”

8. Ideas Shaking hands Wildly swinging arms Wobbly legs Wide eyes Mouth open Kept falling down Leaning to one side

9. My little sister tried my RipStick. As she cautiously tried to stand on my RipStick, my little sister’s eyes grew wide on her tiny face. With her mouth open wide, she stepped onto the two-wheeled contraption. Leaning to one side, her wobbly legs made her fall off. Wildly swinging her arms, she tried to balance. While she kept falling down, she refused to give up. Finally, with shaking hands she was able to stand on my RipStick.