1. Writing Powerpoint

2. Why do we study Language Arts?
Why is it important to study Language Arts – to read, to write, and to communicate competently ?
With partner, brainstorm 5 reasons it is important for you to become proficient Language Art students?

3. Writing Process Drafting 6 Trait Student Assessed Revising Editing
Final Product - 6 Trait Teacher Assessed
Prewrite

4. Pre-write - 1st STEP IN THE WRITING PROCESS
Pre-writing allows you to generate ideas. There are no guidelines or expectations with prewriting. Just write! Once you have ideas, you can go back and organize your thoughts.
Ways to Pre-write:
Just write! PUKE!
web, cluster, outline,
or ask questions.
Pre-write - 1st STEP IN THE WRITING PROCESS

5. Drafting
Drafting is the second step in the writing process and the time to put meat on your prewriting skeleton. Organize your thoughts and start to write. Be ready to write more than one draft!
If you struggle with organization, use a basic model to begin your first draft.
Like a tree, follow the
branches of your thoughts
and allow your
writing to take shape.

6. ~Basic 5 paragraph outline~
As you begin to draft your paper, make sure your ideas begin to follow a logical pattern.
Your organization/pattern is the road map for the reader! Don’t steer them off the main road or they might just get lost!
Paragraph #1 – Introduction – TOPIC of paper
Paragraph #2 - Main Idea #1 with support
Paragraph #3 - Main Idea #2 with support
Paragraph #4 - Main Idea #3 with support
Paragraph #5 - Conclusion
MINIMUM OF 5 SENTENCES PER PARAGRAPH!
Do not skimp and be lazy with your words. 

7. BTF MODEL (Bang, Topic, Formula)
Bang: The overnight ferry to Greece was a night to remember.
Topic: My favorite summer trip – Italy and Greece
Formula: Venice, Rome, and The Oracle of Delphi
Main Idea #1 Venice
Support: Canals
Support: Bridges of Sighs
Support: Gondola Ride
Main Idea #2 Rome
Support: Coliseum
Support: Fountains
Support: Night Tour
Main Idea #3 The Oracle of Delphi
Support: Sphinx
Support: Thunder Storm
Support: Greek Salad
Bang: Dark, moonlit water allowed for a quiet moment to ponder world travel.
Conclusion: I can’t wait to go again!

8. 6 Trait Student Assessment
As we study good writing this year, we will look at the following 6 Traits of Writing to assess and analyze our own writing.
All of the 6 Traits of Writing must be present in your compositions to be considered a proficient writer. YOU MUST BECOME YOUR OWN ASSESSOR and be ready to find your own strengths and weaknesses. Read your paper aloud!
After your first draft, your third step is to read through your writing and assess it for the 6 Traits.
Ideas/Content
Organization
Word Choice
Voice
Sentence Fluency
Conventions

9. Revising
Revising is the fourth step in the writing process. This is the most important step in the writing process and the one where you spend the most time! Revising makes your paper better! This is when you get to add more meat to your draft skeleton and add interesting details to your papers.
Stephen King writes a book in 3 months and spends 6 months REVISING!
Your first draft is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER good enough. To be a strong writer, expect to revise multiple times.
Think of how many times you practice your sport skills, music pieces, and multiple math problems…one draft will not make you a strong writer. You need to keep working to make your writing better.

10. Editing – the fifth step
Do not confuse editing with revising.
Revising makes your paper better by adding details, editing makes it easier to read.
Editing focuses on capitals, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. It makes your paper pretty but it does not make it a better paper.
**YOU MUST READ YOUR PAPER ALOUD to catch mistakes. THIS IS A MUST!
See handout for editing marks. We will work on properly editing papers this year.

11. Final Product 6 Trait Teacher Assessed
FINAL STEP AND FINAL PRODUCT! Your paper should be wrapped with a bow, nice and neat and ready for a grade! I only read your final product. I can’t read rough drafts over and over again. I don’t have the time. That is why YOU have to be able to assess your own writing. I assess your papers using the 6 Traits of Writing on a scale of 5, being perfect, and 1, just starting. Your papers will be graded using this model. NOTE: *final products should be typed, double spaced, in Times Roman 12 point font – NO EXCEPTIONS! This is a universal format. OR * written in blue or black ink on one side of the paper, with no cross-outs or mistakes. It should be in publishable form.