WRITING TO INFORM

GO DEEPER  Writing to inform means more than simply explaining a process  Convey WHY this is subject important.  Show WHAT you learned

NOT ARGUMENT  Give information with no ulterior (persuasive) motive.  Audience awareness  You have just gone to your junior/ senior prom. Write a letter telling about your prom experience to (a) your date b) your best friend from out of town (c) your grandmother.  How would the audience change the information shared? What would you share with your friend but not your date? What would you tell your date but not your grandmother? What would your grandmother find important?

SAMPLE PROMPT – AUDIENCE CONCERNS  Situation: You see the following notice posted on the bulletin board in the main hallway of your school:  NOTICE TO STUDENTS FROM MRS. CLARK  Several parents are concerned about new students who come to our school. The parents believe that facing new teachers and students, a different building, and unfamiliar routines often causes worry for incoming students. To make their move easier, we are creating a “New Student Information Packet.” Please submit articles describing what to expect and offer tips or advice on how to succeed in our school.  Task: Write an article to be included in the information packet. Be sure to describe what new students can expect at your school and offer tips or advice on how to succeed at your school.  Who is your audience?  What would you include to hit one group? The other? Another?

RECALL THE PROMPT  The reader should know what the question was by the way you write your answer.

SAMPLE PROMPT – PROMPT RECALL  Situation: You are worried about someone you know who smokes. You have just finished a unit in health on the dangers of smoking.  Task: Write a letter to someone special in your life to inform him or her of the health risks of smoking. You may also include other risks, such as second-hand smoke or economic issues.  Write a Pop a CyST introduction in which you recall the information in the prompt somewhere in the first sentence.

3.8? 2.8?  Situation: As juniors at the end of the year, it is now time to elect a senior class president. The class president will work with students to resolve problems, inform school leaders and the student council of ideas emanating from the class, and organize student activities and events. The senior class president is also responsible for planning some of the events surrounding graduation. After graduation, the senior- class president is in charge of planning class reunions in the years to come  Task: Think about qualities that make a good leader, whether he or she is the leader of a class, of a school, or of a nation. Write an article for the class newspaper describing what kind of person would make a good senior class president.  Discuss prewriting three 3.8 paragraphs  Can’t work with a 3.8? Try a 2.8!

2.8 PARAGRAPH (MODIFIED 3.8)  1. Topic Sentence  2. Idea 1  3. Support  4. Support  5. Idea 2  6. Support  7. Support  8. Concluding Sentence

MORE SAMPLE PROMPTS

FREEDOM!  SITUATION: Most teens desire the freedom to make their own choices. With that freedom comes responsibility. The path to independence involves many steps. Think of a time when you had gained more freedom and you made a choice “good or bad.” Explain the consequences.  TASK: Write an article for Teen People informing younger teens on the process of gaining independence from adults.

WRITING SKILLS  SITUATION: Writing skills are important life skills, for instance, the ability to effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas effectively will be critical in your future. Think of a time when you needed to use writing to communicate effectively. What did you need to know? How did you go about organizing your writing? Could someone else learn from your experience?  TASK: Write an article for the end of year newsletter about the importance of knowing the writing process. Support your idea by including a time in your experience when you used writing to communicate effectively.

THE RUBRIC!