1

Erin Sohnly’s Final Project

Seattle Pacific University

EDRD 6533: Writing: Process to Product

Dr. Elletta Kennison

March 20th, 2011

2

Philosophy of Writing Instruction:Erin Sohnly

Audience: PrincipalsGrade level geared toward: Young Elementary grades (2-4)

The ability to communicate ideas is a skill we all need in order to be successful. Our

schools vision is to support our student’s educational success and prepare them for their future,

so that is why I take writing instruction seriously. There are responsibilities I as a teacher need to

keep, there are responsibilities my students will be expected to do, and there are expectations in

my class that will be in place to get my students to become excellent writers.

When beginning to teach early elementary students how to write I see the benefit of

modeling what to do for them. Taking the writing process one step at a time and sharing what a

“good” writer does will leave no doubt in my students mind as to what they need to do in their

own writing. After showing an example of a step in the writing process it is important to include

the students in the learning by having them tell me what to do. For example, after showing them

how I would start a new paragraph with a transition word, or how to check that all my sentences

start with a capital, I would ask my students to show me how they would do the same thing in

another example piece of writing.

After showing the steps of the writing process and letting my students practice what they

learned, I will frequently meet with each student at least once a week to talk with them about

their writing and read what they are writing. This is a perfect time for informal assessments; I

can make notes on what I see, which will help me guide my teaching of writing. It is important to

change the focus of my teaching depending on what my students need at what time. If I am

noticing a large number of students forgetting to put question marks when they need them,

instead of calling out each student and telling them they are making mistakes, I would turn it into

a lesson for the whole class as a “reminder” lesson.

Because my students are at the beginning their writing education, it is important to have

them write every day in order to become comfortable with it. I will implement “quick write”

times when they will be required to write, but they will be allowed to write what they choose;

this is one way to keep their motivation and their confidence up. However, in order to get them

prepared for the times when they will be required to write to a prompt, I will provide several

topics for them to choose from if they want as well.

3

The writing process shouldn’t be an individual activity, especially in the younger grades,

because they have the potential to become frustrated easily and they are still learning. We need

to be there for them when they get stuck and be reading with helpful idea to get them back on the

right track. I will also allow my students to work together during writing times, especially during

the revision step. This not only provides great feedback, but the students are practicing their

communication skills, learning from one another, and are engaging in meaningful social

situations. Motivation and confidence are two important factors I believe we need to keep in the

front of our minds. Another way to foster and hold on to these is to give our students time to

share their work. By allowing them to share, or what I would call “publishing” their work, we are

showing excitement toward their achievement and letting them know what they did is important

and worth hearing.

Writing shouldn’t be something that is forced upon our students; I do not picture a class

full of students sitting in straight rows silently writing. Instead, I strive to make the act of writing

meaningful and engaging. In order for those things to happen I will integrate writing into every

subject that I teach and find entertaining activities my students can do to practice their writing

skills. There are many helpful writing tools out there to improve our students writing, but the two

I know will be of huge benefit to my young writers is using books they already love to read and

listen to as examples of great writing, the other tool is using a word wall. By using books they

are familiar with; my students can see aspects of writing in action and can go on to practice what

they see. With the word wall, my students will have access to correctly spelled words and will be

able to add new ones when they come to them. These two tools are also wonderful because of the

fact that they tie reading into writing.

I do not see myself as just an educator who teaches students how to write, how to use

correct punctuation, or how to spell. I see myself as someone who teaches students how to

express themselves and be proud of what they can do. Through the activities, resources, and

techniques that I have shared I believe I will have positive outcomes and produce proficient,

successful writes.

4

UNIT PLAN

Hooking your reader with good beginningsIntended for intermediate Grades (4th-7th)

Approximate time frame: 5-6 Weeks

Unit Summary:This unit is made with a focus on upper elementary and beginning junior high school grades

where students will be introduced to different ways to begin their writing and hook their readers (writing-for-kids.com) whether they are writing a narrative, a fictional story, a description, a

research paper, directions or other genres of writing. By reading examples of both great and poor beginnings, students will gain a strong understanding of the importance of paying attention to

how they start their pieces of writing. This idea of modeling what good writing looks like comes from Vicki Spandel (Spandel 2009). Showing what is expected, showing how something is done,

and showing what to do to get the end result will make learning easier and will stick with our students.

This unit will also address two important steps in the writing process: drafting and editing. These two skills should be reviewed whenever possible because they are required of our students

whenever they have to produce any kind of writing. I have taken the process of drafting, editing and revising from Spandel’s book Creating Writers Through 6-Trait Writing (Spandel 2009) because she provides such an easy to use process from the teachers perspective, which can be

altered to use with any grade level. Reflecting is also a large part of this unit; students will frequently be asked to think about why it

is important to think about the beginning of their writing, as well as to ask themselves if they chose the most appropriable beginning. There are multiple times throughout the unit where I am able to conference with students to not only discuss the above questions, but to help them pick writing goals and work together to get them to meet their goals. The activity of conferencing is

so important because the students are required to be responsible for their writing and pay attention to what they are doing as writers in order to improve (Kolling 2002).

This unit does tend to the diverse needs of the students by using differentiated instruction, independent and group work activities, hands on activities, use of technology, and is flexible to enable longer or shorter lessons. There are several activities in this unit that involves working in

partners, I will place those students who have difficulty learning with students who are performing proficiently. By requiring students to work with their peers they have opportunities to

talk about writing on their level, they will be able to receive and provide feedback which will help to improve their writing (Kolling 2002). I will also make sure to provide extra help or

resources when needed.In order to assess whether my students have gained the skills and tools to improve their writing in terms of engaging their reader from the beginning, I will use rubrics to score their writing as

well as a checklist the students will use to help their reflection. I referenced both Vicki Spandel’s and Gail Tompkin’s books for ideas on how to create my own rubric that would cover all the

areas that I am teaching. I was also able to create the rubric from the website Rubistar. I chose to create this unit because I believe that these students should have a refresher course in

skills because I continually come across pieces of writing that do not hook me as a reader. I notice students starting their writing in the same way time after time, and through this unit I will

be giving them new “tools” to work with in order to improve their writing.

5

Contents:

Pages 5-8: Overview of Unit

Page 7-8: Individual lesson overviews

Page 8: Materials needed

Page 10: Appendix 1

Page 11: Appendix 2

Page 12: Appendix 3

Page 13: Appendix 4

Page 14: Appendix 5

Page 15: Appendix 6

Page 16: Rubric 1

Page 17: References

Hooking your reader with good beginnings

Stage 1: Desired Results

Established Goals: ______________________________________________________________________________

The relevant goals this plan will address:Pre-writing- 1.1.1 Applies more than one strategy for generating ideas and planning writingRevising-1.3.1 Revises text, including changing words, sentences, paragraphs and ideas.Editing-1.4.1 Applies understanding of editing appropriate for grade levelDeveloping ideas-3.2.1 uses an effective organizational structureStyle-3.2.3 uses a variety of sentencesAnalysis-4.1.1 analyzes and evaluates writing using established criteria

______________________________________________________________________________

Understandings:“Students will understand that…”-There are multiple ways to begin their writing and hook their readers-A good beginning will hook the reader and cause them to want to read more-They should consider the purpose of their writing in order to choose the most appropriate beginning.

Essential Questions: [Q] Knowledge & Skill [K & S] What arguable, recurring, and thought-

provoking questions will guide inquiry and point toward the big ideas of the unit?

-Why is it important to have a good beginning?

“Students will know that…”-They can start a piece of writing with a command, a question, a quotation, an action, a sound, a statement, or a thought.

6

-Why can’t I start every piece of writing the same way?-What are the different ways to start a piece of writing?-Why does the type of writing depend on how I start my piece of writing?

-When to use which type of beginning

“Students will be able to…”-Describe all seven types of beginnings-Explain why they chose which type of beginning-Use each type of beginning appropriately-Go back to their old pieces of writing and make changes if need be-Read another students work and provide feedback about their beginning

Stage 2: Assessment EvidenceThroughout the Unit the students will be assessed. Below are the assessments listed in the relative

order of the unit.Performance Task Summary Rubric Titles

A. Students will match a paragraph with a description of the beginning used.

B. Students will write their own seven paragraphs, each starting with a different type of beginning. They will be required to do one after each lesson

C. Students will be given seven dull paragraphs and will be required to re-write them. Each paragraph will tell them which type of beginning to use.

a. Beginnings match Quiz

b. Different beginnings

c. Beginning re-write quiz

Self-Assessments Other Evidence (Summarized)A. Students will look through books to

find examples of different beginnings.

B. Students will work in partners to change a piece of writing with a dull beginning with one of the seven beginnings they have learned about.

C. Students will keep a checklist as they write their paragraphs in order to make sure they are editing correctly

As a class, we will look at examples of great beginnings and poor/dull beginnings. We will practice as a class to change dull beginnings into great beginnings.

Students will volunteer to share their paragraphs to the class.

Students will take notes on each type of beginning.

Students will work with a partner in writing their paragraphs.

7

Stage 3: Learning ActivitiesThis unit will take approximately 5-6 weeks. There will be 2-3 lessons/activities each week,

lasting 30-45 minutes each. This can be adjusted if need be.

Week 1: Lesson #1: Introduction 30 minutes . This is an important lesson, for it gets students thinking about

their own writing. I will begin by asking students what they think is important about writing. I suspect they will talk about grammar, punctuation, correct spelling. I will then display on the overhead the first paragraph of a student’s piece of writing (one from a student not in their class) that was an example of a dull beginning, and have them tell me their thoughts about it-would they want to keep reading more, or are they bored? I will ask them the same question “what is important about writing” and hope they will say something about engaging the reader from the beginning. I will next display a page with common ways students start their papers (Appendix 1) and we will discuss why they are not good to use. To end this first lesson we will discuss one of the seven better ways to start their writing: A question. I will provide several examples of authors using a question to start their writing (Appendix 2). They will have time at the end of the lesson to look through their own writing and see if they have tried that and to change one of their pieces of writing to start with a question.

Lesson #2: Practice: A question 30 minutes: Students will review their notes on how to start by using a question and will write their own paragraph using that type of beginning. Students will then be giving an example of a poor beginning (Appendix 3) and can work with a partner to help re-write it by using a question. There will be time for students to volunteer and share their work and for the whole class to talk about why that is an engaging way to start their writing. This type of hook can work for all types of writing.

Week 2: Lesson #3: Introduction and practice: a quotation 30 minutes : I will provide examples of authors

who have used a quote to start their writing (Appendix 2). We will discuss what type of writing this might work best for (stories, narratives). Students will take notes on this type of beginning. Students will be given an example of a poor beginning (Appendix #) and can work with a partner to help re-write it by using a quotation. Students may volunteer to share their work. At the end of the lesson they will write their own paragraph (independently) using that type of beginning and turn it in for a grade (Rubric 1).

Lesson #4: Introduction and practice: an action 30 minutes : I will provide examples of authors who have used an action to start their writing (Appendix 2) and discuss what type of writing this might work best for (stories, narratives, fiction). Students will take notes on this type of beginning. Students will be given an example of a poor beginning (Appendix 3) and can work with a partner to help re-write it by using an action. Students may volunteer to share their work. At the end of the lesson they will write their own paragraph (independently) using that type of beginning and turn it in for a grade (Rubric 1).

Lesson #5: Practice day: Students will have time to review the three types of beginnings they have learned about so far and practice using them. They will be encouraged to go back through other pieces of their own writing and see if they can improve on how they started them. They will also be encouraged to look through books to find examples of the beginnings they have practiced so far. I will be conferencing with students to talk about their writing and to help them set their own writing goals.

8

Week 3: Lesson #6: Introduction and practice: a sound effect 30 minutes: I will provide examples of

authors who have used a sound effect to start their writing (Appendix 2) and discuss what type of writing this might work best for (usually stories, narratives, fiction). Students will take notes on this type of beginning. Students will be given an example of a poor beginning (Appendix 3) and can work with a partner to help re-write it by using a sound effect. Students may volunteer to share their work. At the end of the lesson they will write their own paragraph (independently) using that type of beginning and turn it in for a grade (Rubric 1).

Lesson #7: Introduction and practice: a thought 30 minutes: I will provide examples of authors who have used a thought to start their writing (Appendix 2) and discuss what type of writing this might work best for (Can work for all types of writing). Students will take notes on this type of beginning. Students will be given an example of a poor beginning (Appendix 3) and can work with a partner to help re-write it by using a thought. Students may volunteer to share their work. At the end of the lesson they will write their own paragraph (independently) using that type of beginning and turn it in for a grade (Rubric 1).

Lesson #8: Practice day: Students will have time to review the five types of beginnings and practice using them. They will be encouraged to go back through other pieces of writing they have worked on earlier in the year and see if they can improve on it, they can work with a partner and write together in order to provide feedback to one another. I will use this time to conference with those I didn’t get to conference last week and help them set writing goals for themselves.

Week 4: Lesson #9: Introduction and practice: a command 30 minutes: NOTE: This type of beginning is

probably going to be the most difficult for students to use. I will provide examples of authors who have used a command to start their writing (Appendix 2) and discuss what type of writing this might work best for (directions, fiction and non fiction). Students will take notes on this type of beginning. Students will be given an example of a poor beginning (Appendix 3) and can work with a partner to help re-write it by using a command. Students may volunteer to share their work. Before we end we will take some extra time discussing this beginning and then they will write their own paragraph (independently) using that type of beginning and turn it in for a grade (Rubric 1).

Lesson #10: Introduction and practice: a statement: I will provide examples of authors who have used a statement to start their writing (Appendix 2) and discuss what type of writing this might work best for (stories, narratives, fiction, non-fiction). Students will take notes on this type of beginning. Students will be given an example of a poor beginning (Appendix 3) and can work with a partner to help re-write it by using a thought. Students may volunteer to share their work. At the end of the lesson they will write their own paragraph (independently) using that type of beginning and turn it in for a grade (Rubric 1).

Beginnings Match Quiz: Students will have time to review all seven types of beginnings and then start their beginnings match quiz. They will be given seven paragraphs and have to match them up with the type of beginning used. This will be a graded assessment (Answer key attached to Appendix 4).

Week 5 Lesson #8: Beginnings Re-write Quiz: For their final assessment, students will be given seven

poorly writing paragraphs (Taken from Appendix 3, see Appendix 5) and will be required to re-write each one depending on what beginning is required. This is an independent assessment and will be given a final grade based on a rubric (Rubric 1). At the end of this quiz there are two questions they will be required to answer: Why is it important to have a good beginning? And Which beginning is your favorite way to start a piece of writing? This quiz is only being graded on three criteria with a scale of 1-3. I am looking for how they used the type of beginning sentence. I am using the same criteria that I used for each lesson because I am not expecting anything more.

9

Materials/Resources-Introductions page-Appendix 1-Two examples of each: Appendix 2. -a command -a question -a quote -an action -a sound effect -a statement -a thought-14 examples of poorly started pieces of writing. The first seven will be used during the lessons, and the last seven will be used for their Beginnings re-write quiz. Appendix 3-Beginnings Match Quiz and answer key-Appendix 4-Beginnings Re-Write Quiz-Appendix 5-Checklist-Appendix 6-Rubric 1-Appendix 7-Access to the school or classroom library to find other examples

Appendix 1Introductions

10

Avoid these in your introductions!

I hope you enjoy…

Hi, my name is…

You are going to learn about…

This essay is about…

I am going to tell you about…

There are three reasons why…

Once upon a time…

_____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

Effective Strategies for Introductions:

A question

A quotation

An action

A sound effect

A thought

A command

A statement

Appendix 2

BEGINNING EXAMPLES:

11

#1 A Question From It Came From Ohio! By R. L. Stine: What was my favorite activity as a kid? Listening to the radio.

Believe it or not, we didn’t get a TV until I was nine. So I spent hours and hours listening to the radio. From Ginger Pye By Elanore Esta: Would Gracie-The-Cat be jealous if the Pyes got another pet-a dog?

That was what Jerry Pye wanted to know and what he was dreaming about as he sat with Rachael, his sister, on their litter up stairs veranda.

#2 A Quotation From Charlotte’s Web By E. B. White: “Where’s Papa going with that ax?” Said Fern to her mother as they

were sitting the table for breakfast. From Amelia Earhart by John Parlin: “What will we do today?” Muriel Earhart asked her big sister,

Amelia. Muriel was six and Amelia was eight.

#3 An Action From The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies: Evan lay on his back in the dark, throwing the baseball up

in a straight line and catching it in his bare hands. Thwap. Thwap. The ball made a satisfying sound as it slapped his palm.

From The Black Stallion-Legend by Walter Farley: Alec Ramsay jogged around the racecourse infield, his body very lean and taught beneath the heavy woolen sweat suit. The temperature was below freezing and the racing strip alongside him was flanked by ice and snow.

#4 Sound Effect

From Whinnie-The-Pooh By A.A. Milne: Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin.

From 50 Below by Robert Munsch: In the middle of the night, Jason was asleep: zzzz-zzzzz-zzzzz-zzzzz. He woke up! He heard a sound. He said, “What’s that? What’s that? What’s that!” Jason opened the door to the kitchen…

#5 A Thought From Time magazine D-Day 24 Hours That Saved the World Introduction by Tom Hanks: Imagine if D-

Day had been a catastrophic failure for the allies. Say that on June 6, 1944,Merican soldiers had failed to take the bluffs at Omaha Beach, stranding them in nothing less than a killing field.

From Amber Brown by Paula Danziger: I wish I had a littler brother of sister to tease. Being an only child means I don’t, but that’s ok, I guess, because I can always tease Danny.

#6 A Command

From a high school student Right now I want you to pretend you are in a store. As you walk around, you see that some products are much less expensive than others. Now, look at the labels on these cheaper items. You will probably notice that many of these labels say, “Made in China,” or “Made in Honduras.” Have you ever stopped to wonder why products made in these countries are so much more affordable than things manufactured right here on American soil?

From directions on How to Tie your Shoes The Fast Way: #1. Cross the two shoestring ends over each other once and then loop one end under the other to make the first basic knot of a bow.

#7 A Statement From LIFE magazine The world’s Must-See Destinations Heaven On Earth: The Great Wall of China: The

largest man-made thing on earth, it stretches like a palpable dragon for somewhere between 1,678 miles and 6,214 miles, depending on how you measure it.

From China by Julia Waterlow: For centuries China has been hidden from the rest of the world by barriers of mountains and sea.

Appendix 3 Poor Examples

We will use seven of these throughout the unit as practice examples for them to change, one during each lesson. The other seven will be used on the Beginnings re-write quiz.

12

My talent is playing base ball. The way I developed this skill is practicing pretty much my whole life. Baseball has taught me that you cannot get frustrated when you’re having trouble hitting or fielding a ground ball. Baseball is a very humbling game.

There are so many reasons not to smoke and the crazy thing is that people do it anyways. Cigarettes contain tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide. Each of these substances is very harmful.

Hello, my name is Rob. I am going to tell you about my trip to the zoo. I went with a big group of people and we walked all over. We got to see most of the animals. I will tell you what my favorite animal is. The lion is my favorite because of the way it looks and sounds.

One day I had to go to the office at school but I didn’t know why. When I got there my mom was standing and talking to someone on the phone. When she was done she told me we were going to Disney Land!!

You should go to Hawaii because it is beautiful, there is sun all the time, the water is blue and the people are happy. Let me tell you some other reasons why you should go to Hawaii.

This happened to a guy. He was going to sleep and he crashed in to the light Pole. And the fire truck and cop cars and cop truck came to my mom’s work. Me and Mom saw the accident. Flat tire and gasoline fell off. and I saw the wires and the wires were shock. Wow what an accident!

I went to a Halloween party. My friend Tina invited me. I made my own cookie. When they had a piñata I broke her head off. We Read some Books. At first we ate food. We decorated pumpkins. The party was a Black and orange party.

On Christmas vacation I played with my German Sheppard Brandy. I sprayed water at her. I wrestled her and I played soccer with her. We set down together, we told jokes to each other, we played and played until I had to go into the house and eat lunch.

This essay is about why you should recycle. There are a lot of reasons why you should recycle, some of the ways I will talk about are it helps the air be cleaner, we don’t have to keep buying so much stuff, and we won’t kill as many trees.

I am going to tell you a story about a very scary time in my life. It happened when I was only 6 years old and I will never forget it. One day I was outside with my brother and sister and a guy drove up to our house.

Yesterday my friend Sam went to his soccer game and won. I went to watch him play and he did a really good job. It was raining so I had to use an umbrella and I got to drink some hot coco to keep me warm. My friend made one goal all by himself.

I will compare and contrast two stories, one is Little Red Riding Hood, and the other is Jack and the Bean Stalk.

Once upon a time there was a family of giants. They had to have a big house, big clothes, big furniture, and a lot of food. No one liked them because they were really noisy.

I don’t think schools should get rid of celebrating Christmas. Everyone always has a good time talking about decorating their tree and what presents they want. No one should be offended because everyone should accept if someone is part of a different religion and celebrates something different.

Appendix 4Beginnings Match Quiz

13

Name:____________________

____ The largest man-made thing on earth, it stretches like a palpable dragon for A. Sound Effectsomewhere between 1,678 miles and 6,214 miles, depending on how you measure it.

____ Imagine if D-Day had been a catastrophic B. A Commandfailure for the allies. Say that on June 6, 1944,American soldiers had failed to take the bluffs at Omaha Beach, stranding them in nothing less than a killing field. C. A Question

____ “The nightmare is almost over,” I told myself. Over, and over, and over. The words hummed in my ears like a song. “Those two trouble makers are finally leaving Tipton. When they are gone, you’ll D. A Statementbe just what you’re supposed to be-thirteen, thinner than a pine slat…and free!”

____ Alec Ramsay jogged around the racecourse infield, his body very lean and taught beneath the heavy E. A Thoughtwoolen sweat suit. The temperature was below freezing and the racing strip alongside him was flanked by ice and snow.

F. A Quote____ Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now,

bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin.

G. An Action____ Cross the two shoestring ends over each other

once and then loop one end under the other to make the first basic knot of a bow.

____ What was my favorite activity as a kid? Listening to the radio. Believe it or not, we didn’t get a TV until I was nine. So I spent hours and hours listening to the radio.

Answer Key: 1) D 2) E 3) F 4) G 5) A 6) B 7) C

Appendix 5

Beginnings Re-Write Quiz

14

Write your new paragraphs and questions on a separate piece of paper

#1. Re-write this paragraph using a QUESTION. Make it your own.On Christmas vacation I played with my German Sheppard Brandy. I sprayed water at her. I wrestled her and I played soccer with her. We set down together, we told jokes to each other, we played and played until I had to go into the house and eat lunch.

#2. Re-write this paragraph using a QUOTE. Make it your own.This essay is about why you should recycle. There are a lot of reasons why you should recycle, some of the ways I will talk about are it helps the air be cleaner, we don’t have to keep buying so much stuff, and we won’t kill as many trees.

#3. Re-write this paragraph using AN ACTION. Make it your own.I am going to tell you a story about a very scary time in my life. It happened when I was only 6 years old and I will never forget it. One day I was outside with my brother and sister and a guy drove up to our house.

#4. Re-write this paragraph using a SOUND EFFECT. Make it your own.Yesterday my friend Sam went to his soccer game and won. I went to watch him play and he did a really good job. It was raining so I had to use an umbrella and I got to drink some hot coco to keep me warm. My friend made one goal all by himself.

#5. Re-write this paragraph using a THOUGHT. Make it your own.I will compare and contrast two stories, one is Little Red Riding Hood, and the other is Jack and the Bean Stalk.

#6. Re-write this paragraph using a COMMAND. Make it your own.Once upon a time there was a family of giants. They had to have a big house, big clothes, big furniture, and a lot of food. No one liked them because they were really noisy.

#7. Re-write this paragraph using a STATEMENT. Make it your own.

I don’t think schools should get rid of celebrating Christmas. Everyone always has a good time talking about decorating their tree and what presents they want. No one should be offended because everyone should accept if someone is part of a different religion and celebrates something different.

#8. Why is it important to have a good beginning?

#9. Which beginning is your favorite way to start a piece of writing and why?

Appendix 6

Editing/Revision Writing Check list

15

____ Did I start all sentences with a capital?

____ Did I start my first sentence in a way that will hook my reader?

____Check punctuation

____ If I have dialogue, did I use quotation marks correctly and does it sound like real people speaking?

____ Did I read my work both silently and aloud to be sure I’ve caught all errors?

____ Did I add detail?

____ Did I try to use different, interesting words?

____ If I have a concern with the spelling of a word, did I check it?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Editing/Revision Writing Check list

____ Did I start all sentences with a capital?

____ Did I start my first sentence in a way that will hook my reader?

____Check punctuation

____ If I have dialogue, did I use quotation marks correctly and does it sound like real people speaking?

____ Did I read my work both silently and aloud to be sure I’ve caught all errors?

____ Did I add detail?

____ Did I try to use different, interesting words?

____ If I have a concern with the spelling of a word, did I check it?

Rubric 1

16

CATEGORY 3 2 1 Used the new type of beginning

Student re-wrote the paragraph using the type required and re-wrote the paragraph making it their own.

Student re-wrote the paragraph using the type required but did not make other changes.

Student did not re-write the paragraph using the type required or did not re-write the paragraph at all.

Grammar & Spelling (Conventions)

Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling that distracts the reader from the content.

Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Writer makes 3 or more errors in grammar or spelling that distract the reader from the content.

Capitalization & Punctuation (Conventions)

Writer makes no errors in capitalization or punctuation, so the paper is exceptionally easy to read.

Writer makes 1 or 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation, but the paper is still easy to read.

Writer makes several errors in capitalization and/or punctuation that catch the reader's attention and greatly interrupt the flow

Comments:___________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Beginnings Re-Write Quiz Rubric

Teacher Name: Ms. Sohnly

Student Name:     ________________________________________

17

References

k-10 grade level expectations. (2005). (Writing expectations), Retrieved fromhttp://www.k12.wa.us/writing/pubdocs/EALRwritingfinal.pdf

Bergey, M. (2000). Once upon a time…yuck. Retrieved from http://writingforkids.com/beginnings.html

Guide to grammar and writing. (2004). Retrieved from http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

Kolling, A. (2002, May 1). Improving Student Revising and Editing Skills through the Use of Peer Editing andWriting Conferencing. Retrieved from EBSCOhost

Rubistar. (2000). Retrieved from http://rubistar.4teachers.org/

Spandel, V. (2009). Creating writers through 6-trait writing. assessment andinstruction. Pearson Education Inc.

Tompkins, G. (2008). Teaching writing: balancing process and product. Upper SaddleRiver: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.