2013-2014

Mrs. Betz Ms. Maynard Mr. Fielding

Why Write?

Why Write?

1. Loudoun County has placed increased emphasis on writing in social studies and in science.

two 5-paragraph essays every year in middle school

2. SOL tests – more critical thinking & application questions

Virginia Standards of Learning

CE.1.h The student will develop the

social studies skills responsible

citizenship requires, including the

ability to select and defend positions

in writing, discussion, and debate.

Virginia Standards of Learning

CE.1.g The student will develop the

social studies skills responsible

citizenship requires, including the

ability to formulate an informed,

carefully reasoned position on a

community issue.

Virginia Standards of Learning

CE.1.f The student will develop the

social studies skills responsible

citizenship requires, including the

ability to identify a problem, weigh the

expected costs and benefits and

possible consequences of proposed solutions, and recommend solutions.

Virginia Standards of Learning

CE.1.d The student will develop the social studies skills responsible citizenship requires, including the ability to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information.

Virginia Standards of Learning

CE.1.a The student will develop the social studies skills responsible citizenship requires, including the ability to examine and interpret primary and secondary source documents

The Benefits of Writing Well

Synthesizing information helps students

understand the Civics content.

Stimulates critical thinking

Promotes logical thought

More Benefits

Provides practice at the craft of writing

Helps ease student anxiety about writing

Writing

and

Critical Thinking

…what to expect

this year and next

Our Plan

Teach students about different types of writing

Help students do a better job of planning their

writing, writing clearly, and proofreading

Encourage students to evaluate their own writing

Increase the complexity of writing tasks

Purposes of Writing

Formal vs. Informal

Non-fiction vs. Fiction

Letter to the governor vs. note to a

friend

Learning to match writing

style with prompt

Civics vs. English

Typically based on facts rather than on personal observations or feelings

Requires knowledge of a topic

Usually written in third person

Often does not ask for an opinion

Often requires research or examination of primary documents

What Writing Requires

Understanding the information

Planning with a graphic organizer

Logical structure

Accuracy

Flow

Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling

Rising expectations

One paragraph as homework

A brief summary

An opinion piece for a quiz

Analysis (Governor’s Race)

Five-paragraph essays

Debate (synthesizing information)

Compare and Contrast (Political parties)

Informational writing

DBQ -- short, introductory assignment

Building Skills

Writing portfolio

Formative writing

Summative writing

Teacher feedback

Quarterly self-assessment

Where 8th Graders Struggle

Reading and following directions

Planning

Taking themselves out of the action

Leaving out

their opinion (unless requested

in the prompt)

Writing in

third person (tend to use “I” in

all writing)

Detail and elaboration

Knowing the content

Can’t compare two documents without understanding them

Providing sufficient

facts and supporting

detail.

Putting what they

know

into words

Thinking and writing efficiently

“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”

Thomas Jefferson

•Eliminate wordiness.

•Avoid repetition.

•Don’t repeat yourself.

•Cut extra words.

Checking their work

• Complete sentences

• Correct punctuation and

capitalization

• Correct spelling of

familiar words

A Word About Punctuation

Not-so-good writing

Average Writing

What Good Writing Looks Like

Writing Tips

When permitted, type your assignment (to take advantage of spelling

and grammar checks)

Read your paper aloud; you’ll catch many errors that way.

More Tips

Ask a parent or sibling to read your writing (Does it make sense to them?)

Take advantage of resources on our websites and elsewhere

(Tips on writing introductions, conclusions, transitions, sentence variety)

Second Quarter and Beyond

Research papers

Multi-document DBQs (document-based questions)

Political cartoon analysis

Supreme Court case research and analysis

Primary document analysis

More challenging reading and writing

What to Expect in High School

Summer pre-AP assignment

Significantly greater volume of work

Chapter outlining

Chapter questions

DBQs (Document-based questions)

Why Write?

Written output is a great way to assess student knowledge.

Helps students learn to express themselves with confidence in all subjects

Writing is the essential skill students need as they enter adult life.

Copyright 1995-2003 by Steve Peha

The Workplace

Thank you

for your

time,

interest,

and

support!