1. Writing and thinking skills

2. What is a topic?  A general category  A beginning idea

3. Set up a blank page like this:

4. For example, list everything you might write about with a SPORTS topic:  Health benefits  My basketball team  Sportsmanship  My favorite two sports  The best NBA teams  Teamwork  Steroids  Cheating

5. Here’s how it will work:  Topic will show on the board  You will write down as many ideas relating to that topic as you can. (in your spiral)  We will share responses with partners and/or our class.

6. Disgusting foods

7. Shoes

8. Shopping

9. TV Shows

10. Teenagers

11. Siblings

12. Transportation

13. Friday 4 September 2015  Targets:  By Friday: 1. I will know the eight (8) most common being verbs 2. I will use homophones correctly. 3. I will know the structure of narrative writing and use this when I read or write narratives. 4. I will understand what a writing topic is.  Respond to each target in one of the following ways: A. I know I met target #__ because _______________. B. I almost met target #__, but I still need to________. C. I really need help on target #___ because I don’t understand _________. D. Early finisher? Read.

14. Last week we talked about topics.  A claim is a statement about a topic. It lets the reader know what you will be discussing, explaining, or proving in your paper.

15. Claim : A claim is the thesis in an essay or the topic sentence in a paragraph if the assignment is a single paragraph. A claim in writing should be clear and understandable.  The claim should be very focused.  The claim should help the reader want to know more.  The claim gets the reader ready to listen to explanations and evidence.  A claim is a declaration (statement) or opinion the writer will explain or prove.

16. For example: Sports  My favorite sport is tennis.  Everyone should play a sport.  Sports help with physical fitness.  Watching sports on TV is a waste of time.

17. As a class, let’s write a claim for the disgusting food topic.  Copy the claim in your spiral.

18. Choose one of the following topics and write a claim for it in your spiral.  Shoes  Shopping  TV Shows

19. Choose one of the following topics and write a claim for it in your spiral.  Teenagers  Siblings  Transportation