WRITING Intro Paragraphs

ASSIGNMENT  Together, with the four people at your table, you will be writing introductory paragraphs.  You will each be doing the same thing, but with different prompts.

TABLE SET-UP Person 1 Person 2 Person 3 Person 4 Windows WhiteboardDivider Projector

DIRECTIONS  Get out four pieces of lined paper.  On four separate pieces of lined paper, please write the following four prompts.  Each prompt gets its own sheet of paper.

PROMPT 1  Parents, teachers, and students have varying opinions about students working while attending school. Should students work to earn pay during the school year? Compose an essay explaining why or why not.

PROMPT 2  Recently, it seems as though there is a nationwide epidemic with students dropping out of high school. Authority figures disagree on how to handle the situation. Write a letter to the school board with suggestions to prevent drop outs?

PROMPT 3  In recent decades, countless inventions have been introduced to American lives. There is great debate over whether these inventions have helped or hindered our way of life. Write an essay explaining whether technology has improved or hurt your life and why.

PROMPT 4  Every culture has traditions that are distinctly their own. In fact, each family has activities or beliefs which are unique to them. Compose an essay describing a family tradition you enjoy.

DIRECTIONS  The prompt you will be working with for the next part of this project is the prompt that has the same number as your seat. Example: If you are in seat 3, then you will be responsible for deconstructing Prompt #3.  If you have less than four people in your group, your entire group will need to work together to complete the missing number.

DECONSTRUCT THE PROMPT– 5 MINUTES  Using the sheet of paper you wrote out your prompt on Deconstruct the prompt!  Find the meat (this should be in the prompt)  RAFT it out (do this in the space below the prompt.

ROUND ROBIN– 10 MIN  Now that you have deconstructed the prompt, you will be responsible for walking the rest of your group through the prompt you worked on.  Starting with person 1, please show your group how to deconstruct that prompt. As you explain, they will deconstruct the prompt on their lined paper where they wrote the prompt.  Once person 1 is done, move to person 2…  When you are done, each person should have all four prompts deconstructed on his/her lined paper.

FRAYER MODEL  Each student needs one Frayer Model worksheet. Center box: your name, the topic of your essay (RAFT), and the prompt number. Box 1 = RAFT Box 2 = Hook: Box 3 = Background information: Box 4 = Thesis Statement:

LABEL THE MODEL R: A: F: T: Hook: Background Info: Thesis: NAME Topic: Prompt #:

STEP 1– 2 MIN  Using the prompt you deconstructed, fill out box 1—RAFT  DO NOT START BOXES 2-4

NOW  Pass your papers clockwise.

HOOK– 8MIN  Determine who in your group will use quotes and who will write descriptive anecdotes. 2 people will write anecdotes and 2 will use quotes. Write on your sheet which you are using.  Write your hook (if you are using a quote, you may use your phone/electronic device to search for one).  DO NOT START BOXES 3-4

NOW  Pass your papers clockwise.

BACKGROUND INFO-5 MIN  On the sheet you have been given, look at the prompt for that sheet.  Bring in any applicable background information from the prompt.  DO NOT START BOX 4

NOW  Pass your papers clockwise.

CONSTRUCT A THESIS—5 MIN  What + Active Verb + Idea/Concept What--- Topic, Pattern or Things you are describing Active Verb– See examples you wrote in your notes Idea/Concept– Themes and overarching ideas Optional- 3 pronged thesis (3 pieces of evidence that will be supported in your paper)

NOW  Pass your papers clockwise.

REVISE FOR FLOW  Analyze the introductory paragraph and make sure that it flows from one sentence to the next.  Write it out on the back of the paper with the same prompt.  Fix any spelling or grammatical errors  Make sure that it is on topic and clearly stated.

EXAMPLE R: essay that explains the lengths to which people will go in order to survive. A: Teacher F: Personal Narrative T: Survival Hook: Six people with Stars of David banded around their arms huddle in a basement of an abandoned building in Warsaw… (see model notes) Background Info: In order to survive, people have been known to go to great lengths and to do things they would not ordinarily do. Thesis: In times of crisis, survival becomes the most important objective for humanity. Ms. Crawford Topic: Survival Prompt: Model Prompt

Six people with Stars of David banded around their arms huddle in a basement of an abandoned building in Warsaw, Poland. Above them, at the top of the stairs, behind an old rickety bookshelf, Nazi soldiers hunt throughout the city for Jews. Gunshots have become a nightly symphony, and the streets run red with the blood of those not considered part of the Master Race. Boots sound outside the basement, and the noise startles the baby bundled in his mother’s arms, and he starts to whine. “Shut him up,” hisses one of the men, “or I will,” as the mother frantically searches for something to stop the crying. In order to survive, people have been known to go to great lengths and to do things they would not ordinarily do. Survival becomes the most important objective for humanity in times of crisis, such as war, isolation, and catastrophic or natural disaster.