Eighth Grade Writing FCAT What to expect.. WHAT’S ON THE TEST? EITHER AN EXPOSITORY OR A...

Eighth Grade Writing FCAT

What to expect.

WHAT’S ON THE TEST?

• EITHER AN EXPOSITORY OR A PERSUASIVE PROMPT.

Expository vs. Persuasive Writing

What is the difference?

Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.

Persuasive Example

• Persuasive writing is convincing.

Some late work counts as 70% credit, giving students a C- which is passing. How can we allow students to turn in all of their work late but still have a passing grade? These kids have twisted the grading system to benefit themselves. This can no longer be allowed.

EXPOSITORY EXAMPLE

• Expository writing is explaining.I would include my skates because I love to ice

skate. I especially love ice dancing, a form of ice skating in which you have a partner, don’t jump or do lifts above the boy’s head, and are partly judged on the quality of your edges and interpretation of the music.


Expository vs. Persuasion

• Expository writinghas a narrow topic.

stays focused on the main ideas.

is elaborated using reasons, well-chosen and specific details, examples, and/or anecdotes to support ideas.

• Persuasive writinghas a clear position and is focused on that position.has more than one argument to support a position.is elaborated by using reasons, well-chosen and specific details, examples, anecdotes, facts, and/or statistics as evidence to support arguments.



• Expository writing

includes information that is interesting, thoughtful, and necessary for the audience.

uses transitions to connect ideas.

• Persuasive writingis organized to make the best case for my position.

uses transitions to connect position, arguments, and evidence.



• Expository writingis organized with an introduction, supporting paragraphs with main points and elaboration, and an effective conclusion.

• Persuasive writing

is organized to make the best case with an opening, including the position statement, and an effective persuasive conclusion, such as a call to action.

anticipates and refutes the opposing position.



• Expository writing

shows care about the topic with voice and language appropriate for the audience.

uses specific words and phrases that help the reader understand ideas.

• Persuasive writing

shows commitment to position with voice and language appropriate for the audience.

uses specific words, phrases, and persuasive strategies that urge or compel to support a position.

How is the test scored?

THERE ARE FOUR MAIN POINTS THAT ARE CONSIDERED:

FOCUS refers to how clearly the paper presents and maintains a main idea, theme, or unifying point,

ORGANIZATION refers to the structure or plan of development (beginning, middle, and end) and the relationship of one point to another;

SUPPORT refers to the quality of details used to explain, clarify, or define; and

CONVENTIONS refer to punctuation, capitalization, spelling, usage, and sentence structure.

A 6 POINT ESSAY

THE WRITING:1. is focused, purposeful, and reflects insight;2. conveys a sense of completeness and wholeness with

adherence to the main idea;3. provides for a logic progression of ideas; 4. Has substantial, specific, relevant, and/or illustrative support;5. demonstrates clarity in presentation of ideas, and may use

creative writing strategies appropriate to the purpose of the paper;

6. demonstrates a mature word choice with freshness of expression;

7. contains varied structure, and sentences are complete except when fragments are used purposefully; and

8. has few errors in mechanics, usage, and punctuation.

A 5 POINT ESSAY

The writing:• focuses on the topic;• has organizational pattern that show a progression of

ideas, although some lapses may occur;• conveys a sense of completeness or wholeness. • has ample support for the prompt; • demonstrates a mature command of language;• has a variation in sentence structure, and, with rare

exceptions, sentences are complete except when fragments are used purposefully;

• generally follows the conventions of mechanics, usage, and spelling.

A 4 POINT ESSAY

THE WRITING:1. generally focuses on the topic but may include extraneous

or loosely related material. 2. has an apparent organizational pattern, although some

lapses may occur; 3. exhibits some sense of completeness or wholeness; 4. has adequate support and word choice, is adequate;5. has little variation in sentence structure, and most

sentences are complete; and 6. generally follows the conventions of mechanics, usage,

and spelling.

A 3 POINT ESSAY

THE WRITING:

1. is generally focused on the topic;

2. contains an organizational pattern but may lack a sense of completeness or wholeness;

3. has some support included;

4. contains adequate but limited word choice;

5. has little, if any, variation in sentence structure; and

6. has knowledge of the conventions of mechanics and usage is usually demonstrated.

A 2 POINT ESSAY

The Writing:

1. is related to the topic but includes extraneous or loosely related material;

2. has little evidence of an organizational pattern; 3. has support that is inadequate or illogical;4. has limited inappropriate or vague word choice

is limited; 5. has little variation in sentence structure and

gross errors in sentence structure; and6. has errors in basic conventions of mechanics

and usage may occur, and commonly used words may be misspelled.

A 1 POINT ESSAY

THE WRITING:• only minimally addresses the topic. • is a fragmentary or incoherent listing of related ideas,

sentences or both. • has little development of support or organizational pattern or

both; • has limited or inappropriate word choice which may obscure

meaning;• contains gross errors in sentence structure and usage may

impede communication; and• has frequent and blatant errors in the basic conventions of

mechanics, word usage and spelling.

A paper is unscorable because…

1. the response is not related to what the prompt requested the student to do;

2. the response is simply a rewording of the prompt; 3. the response is a copy of a published work; 4. the student refused to write; 5. the response is written in a foreign language; 6. the response is illegible; 7. the response is incomprehensible;8. the response contains an insufficient amount of writing to

determine if the student was attempting to address the prompt; or

9. the writing folder is blank.

THE GOAL IS:

TO GET A

44OR MORE!OR MORE!

Eighth Grade Writing FCAT What to expect.. WHAT’S ON THE TEST? EITHER AN EXPOSITORY OR A...

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