On-Demand Writing What is it?

On-Demand Writing is…  Part of tests given at the end of the school year.  It tests your writing skills.  You are given two prompts which contain a situation and a writing task.  You will be asked to persuade, narrate an event, or inform.  You will either write a letter or an article.

MAP IT!!! On Demand Writing

What is MAP? MAP stands for Mode, Audience, and Purpose. It is used to organize the information that you will see in given prompts. You will be able to find MAP in the writing task of the prompts.

M is for MODE WHAT are you writing? You are given two prompt choices. The prompts contain a situation and a writing task. You will be able to find the mode within the writing task of your prompt. The two possible modes are a letter or an article. Usually you are given a choice of each, BUT NOT ALWAYS!!!

A is for AUDIENCE To WHOM are you writing? You will be able to find the audience within the writing task of your prompt. There are many possible audiences: parents, site-based council, authors, students, neighbors, businesses, teachers, board of education, and many more!!!

P is for PURPOSE WHY are you writing? You will be able to find the purpose within the writing task of your prompt. For on-demand writing you will write for one of three purposes:  to persuade  to narrate an event for a transactive purpose  to inform.

So…NOW WHAT? 1 st - Read both prompts carefully. 2 nd - Read them both AGAIN!!! 3 rd - MAP both prompts to identify the mode, audience, and purpose.

How do I MAP it? M (mode) – identify whether you are writing a letter or an article. A (audience) – identify to whom you are writing. Is it a grownup? Is it a business person? Who is it? P (purpose) – identify why you are writing. Are you persuading, narrating, or informing?

It should look like this… M- _______________________ A- _______________________ P- _______________________

Let’s Practice…

Step 1 Read both prompts carefully.

Let’s Practice Prompt Choice #1 Situation: Summer is almost here and kids are going to have more free time to enjoy. Some kids spend most of their free time in front of a video game or the television. They don’t even like to go outside. Writing Task: Write an article for your school paper persuading those students to be more active. Tell them why they need more exercise and fresh air, and suggest some activities they might enjoy.

Let’s Practice Prompt Choice #2 Situation: I Love to Read Week is coming up. Your librarian wants you to pick one of your favorite books and write a letter to the author to tell them why you enjoyed the book so much. Writing Task: Think of your favorite book. Write a letter to the author of that book telling him or her why you enjoyed that book so much.

Step 2 Read them both again!!!

Let’s Practice Prompt Choice #1 Situation: Summer is almost here and kids are going to have more free time to enjoy. Some kids spend most of their free time in front of a video game or the television. They don’t even like to go outside. Writing Task: Write an article for your school paper persuading those students to be more active. Tell them why they need more exercise and fresh air, and suggest some activities they might enjoy.

Let’s Practice Prompt Choice #2 Situation: I Love to Read Week is coming up. Your librarian wants you to pick one of your favorite books and write a letter to the author to tell them why you enjoyed the book so much. Writing Task: Think of your favorite book. Write a letter to the author of that book telling him or her why you enjoyed that book so much.

Step 3 MAP it!!!

Prompt Choice #1 Situation: Summer is almost here and kids are going to have more free time to enjoy. Some kids spend most of their free time in front of a video game or the television. They don’t even like to go outside. Writing Task: Write an article for your school paper persuading those students to be more active. Tell them why they need more exercise and fresh air, and suggest some activities they might enjoy.

MAP it!!! Prompt Choice #2 Situation: I Love to Read Week is coming up. Your librarian wants you to pick one of your favorite books and write a letter to the author to tell them why you enjoyed the book so much. Writing Task: Think of your favorite book. Write a letter to the author of that book telling him or her why you enjoyed that book so much.

Let’s Check… Prompt Choice #1 M – article A – students P – to persuade Prompt Choice #2 M – letter A – author P – to inform

Let’s Practice Again!!!

More Practice Prompt Choice #3 Situation: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school, but worry about students’ health. Writing Task: Think about what you would like to see the school do about snack sales. Write a letter to the site-based council with your suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

More Practice Prompt Choice #4 Situation: There are many retired adults who are afraid to try the computer. Writing Task: Write an article for the AARP magazine persuading those grownups to try computers. Explain how computers will make their lives easier and how easy they are to learn to use.

Read it Again and MAP it!!! Prompt Choice #3 Situation: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school, but worry about students’ health. Writing Task: Think about what you would like to see the school do about snack sales. Write a letter to the site-based council with your suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

Read it Again and MAP it!!! Prompt Choice #4 Situation: There are many retired adults who are afraid to try the computer. Writing Task: Write an article for the AARP magazine persuading those grownups to try computers. Explain how computers will make their lives easier and how easy they are to learn to use.

Let’s Check… Prompt Choice #3 M – letter A – site-based council P – to persuade Prompt Choice #4 M – article A – grownups P – to persuade

Finding Key Words

What are Key Words?  Key words are found in the situation of the writing prompts.  They are the words that you will need to use in the introduction paragraph of your response.  Key words help your audience focus on the main ideas of your response.  You must look at the writing task in order to figure out the key words.

What are the Key Words? Prompt Choice #1 Situation: Summer is almost here and kids are going to have more free time to enjoy. Some kids spend most of their free time in front of a video game or the television. They don’t even like to go outside. Writing Task: Write an article for your school paper persuading those students to be more active. Tell them why they need more exercise and fresh air, and suggest some activities they might enjoy.

Key Words Prompt Choice #1 Situation: Summer is almost here and kids are going to have more free time to enjoy. Some kids spend most of their free time in front of a video game or the television. They don’t even like to go outside. Writing Task: Write an article for your school paper persuading those students to be more active. Tell them why they need more exercise and fresh air, and suggest some activities they might enjoy.

What are the Key Words? Prompt Choice #2 Situation: I Love to Read Week is coming up. Your librarian wants you to pick one of your favorite books and write a letter to the author to tell them why you enjoyed the book so much. Writing Task: Think of your favorite book. Write a letter to the author of that book telling him or her why you enjoyed that book so much.

Key Words Prompt Choice #2 Situation: I Love to Read Week is coming up. Your librarian wants you to pick one of your favorite books and write a letter to the author to tell them why you enjoyed the book so much. Writing Task: Think of your favorite book. Write a letter to the author of that book telling him or her why you enjoyed that book so much.

What are the Key Words? Prompt Choice #3 Situation: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school, but worry about students’ health. Writing Task: Think about what you would like to see the school do about snack sales. Write a letter to the site-based council with your suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

Key Words Prompt Choice #3 Situation: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school, but worry about students’ health. Writing Task: Think about what you would like to see the school do about snack sales. Write a letter to the site-based council with your suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

What are the Key Words? Prompt Choice #4 Situation: There are many retired adults who are afraid to try the computer. Writing Task: Write an article for the AARP magazine persuading those grownups to try computers. Explain how computers will make their lives easier and how easy they are to learn to use.

Key Words Prompt Choice #4 Situation: There are many retired adults who are afraid to try the computer. Writing Task: Write an article for the AARP magazine persuading those grownups to try computers. Explain how computers will make their lives easier and how easy they are to learn to use.

Day 2: Using Key Words to Write Leads

Key Word Review Prompt Choice #3 Situation: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school, but worry about students’ health. Writing Task: Think about what you would like to see the school do about snack sales. Write a letter to the site-based council with your suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

Let’s Check… Prompt Choice #3 Situation: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school, but worry about students’ health. Writing Task: Think about what you would like to see the school do about snack sales. Write a letter to the site-based council with your suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

Key Word Review Prompt Choice #4 Situation: There are many retired adults who are afraid to try the computer. Writing Task: Write an article for the AARP magazine persuading those grownups to try computers. Explain how computers will make their lives easier and how easy they are to learn to use.

Let’s Check… Prompt Choice #4 Situation: There are many retired adults who are afraid to try the computer. Writing Task: Write an article for the AARP magazine persuading those grownups to try computers. Explain how computers will make their lives easier and how easy they are to learn to use.

Why are Key Words important? Key words are important because they are the main ideas that will help you write a great lead. By using key words in the lead, the reader can easily understand the main ideas of your response. Key words are found in the situation.

Writing Leads Using Key Words

How Do I Write a Good Lead?  The lead is an introduction paragraph that jumps out at the audience and grabs the reader’s attention.  Remember to use KEY WORDS!  Grab the reader’s attention by using a question, anecdote, fact, command, list, or exclamation.

Let’s Practice… Prompt Choice #1 Situation: Summer is almost here and kids are going to have more free time to enjoy. Some kids spend most of their free time in front of a video game or the television. They don’t even like to go outside. Writing Task: Write an article for your school paper persuading those students to be more active. Tell them why they need more exercise and fresh air, and suggest some activities they might enjoy.

Prompt Choice #2 Situation: I Love to Read Week is coming up. Your librarian wants you to pick one of your favorite books and write a letter to the author to tell them why you enjoyed the book so much. Writing Task: Think of your favorite book. Write a letter to the author of that book telling him or her why you enjoyed that book so much.

Prompt Choice #3 Situation: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school, but worry about students’ health. Writing Task: Think about what you would like to see the school do about snack sales. Write a letter to the site-based council with your suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

Prompt Choice #4 Situation: There are many retired adults who are afraid to try the computer. Writing Task: Write an article for the AARP magazine persuading those grownups to try computers. Explain how computers will make their lives easier and how easy they are to learn to use.

Try it on your own with the Practice Prompts!!!

Writing Conclusions Wrap it Up!!!

What is a Conclusion?  The conclusion paragraph contains your final thoughts.  It closes/wraps up/sums up your ideas.  Contains main ideas and key words.  The conclusion is a lot like the lead, but DO NOT simply restate the introduction paragraph or lead!!! DO NOT simply restate the introduction paragraph or lead!!!

Let’s Practice Together…

Possible lead for Prompt #1: Are you a kid who spends hours watching television and playing video games? Well it’s time to get outside! In your free time you should try to exercise and play in the sun instead of being lazy and staying indoors.

Possible lead for Prompt #2: Dear Dr. Suess, I just finished reading one of my favorite books, Green Eggs and Ham. I enjoyed this book so much because you made me laugh and I think you are a fantastic author. You really painted a picture in my mind of goofy characters and settings.

Possible lead for Prompt #3: Dear site-based council, I do not think it is a wise idea to sell junk food to students. I would rather eat fruits and vegetables that are good for my health. Although unhealthy snacks may bring more money to our school, they are not the only option for munchies.

Possible lead for Prompt #4: My grandmother is retired and used to be afraid of new technology. Once I showed her how to use the Internet and send , she decided she loves the World Wide Web! So don’t be shy about computers – give them a try!