8th graders have written a lot this term! You should be proud of the amount of words you have put to a page. Now it’s time to choose one of those works and revise it. Please choose one of your works to improve upon and turn in for a final grade. You will be evaluated on the six traits of good writing that we have been learning about in class. Upload your work on WSD Online. Please use the Self-Evaluation Form to evaluate your own work as well. I take this into account when I give you your grade. This is a very important assignment (10% of your grade) as it evaluates how well you can use what we have been learning all term.
Sentence fluency that is smooth and expressive is the fifth trait of good writing. The key to achieving good sentence fluency is to read your paper outloud. It should sound natural, not choppy or repetitive.
8th graders should upload a one page paper that demonstrates good sentence fluency. Remember to start some sentences with AAAWWUBBIS words. Highlight these words in your work. The assginment will close Monday, December 20th.
If you have forgotten what AAAWWUBBIS stands for, check out this video or see the list below.
As
After
Although
While
When
Until
Before
Because
If
Since
You should also ask yourself the following questions:
Do some sentences say the same thing? (If so, cut one.) Do I start sentences in a variety of ways? Do I have sentences of varying length?
When teachers grade papers for sentence fluency, they look for the following qualities:
Rhythmic
Easy to read aloud
Varied sentence length
Tendency toward shorter, crisper sentences in tech/business writing
Specific and memorable word choice is the fourth trait of good writing. Strong verbs and nouns are the key. Adjectives and adverbs should be used sparingly. 8th graders will be uploading a paper on any topic that demonstrates good word choice. Highlight or bold your strong verbs and nouns (at least 5 of each). This WSD Online assignment will close Monday, December 13.
Which words and phrases will you remember? Why are they memorable
Are your words appropriate for your audience and purpose?
When teachers grade papers for word choice, they look for the following qualities:
Individual and appropriate voice is the third trait of good writing. The goal of strong voice is to sound like yourself, not a robot; but also to use an appropriate tone for your audience. 8th graders need to submit a one page piece that demonstrates voice. This can be on any topic. Your work should be posted on WSD Online.
Is your voice appropriate? Does it sound like you without using jargon?
Does your piece convey strong emotion? Do you feel strongly about your topic.
When teachers grade papers for voice, they look for the following qualities:
Sounds human–not like technospeak
Has the mark of this particular writer
Brings the topic to life
Is appropriate for the audience, topic, purpose
Show conscious concern for reader’s interests, informational needs
The second trait of good writing is effective and logical organization. We have been using the five-paragraph essay format as a model for organization. 8th graders should upload a five-paragraph essay on WSD Online by Monday, November 22. If you need help planning your essay, you can use this essay map.
Do you have a lead that draws in the reader? Do you clearly state the topic and purpose of your work?
Is everything in logical order?
Do you use transition words and paragraphs effectively?
When teachers grade your paper for Organization, they look for the following qualities:
The first trait of good writing that you should look at is your Idea Development. In class we ranked some model papers on their idea development using the General 6 Traits Rubric. 8th graders are also responsible for uploading a piece of writing that demonstrates good Idea Development. Upload your work on WSD Online.
Is your topic interesting and important? Is it specific? Do you clearly state your main idea in a thesis statement?
Do you use facts, quotes, details to support your main idea? Do you have too many or too few details?
Are your ideas orginal? surprising? interesting?
When teachers grade your paper for Idea Development, they look for the following qualities:
clarity
focus–small, easy to manage topic
good information–from experinece, imagination, or research
a fresh prespective
important, helpful details that go beyond the obvious
Throughout the year 8th and 9th graders will be using these six traits of good writing to evaluate and revise their own work, classmate’s work, model work, and classic works. These six terms give us a common classroom vocabulary in which we can communicate about writing. They are not the only ways to look at writing, but we will focus on them in our classroom this year. 9th graders will be using the Detailed 6 Traits Rubric. 8th graders will be using the General 6 Traits Rubric. Look for more information on each trait in upcoming posts.
8th graders have written a lot this term! You should be proud of the amount of words you have put to a page. Now it’s time to choose one of those works and revise it. Please choose one of your works to improve upon and turn in for a final grade. You will be evaluated on the six traits of good writing that we have been learning about in class. Upload your work on WSD Online. Please use the Self-Evaluation Form to evaluate your own work as well. I take this into account when I give you your grade. This is a very important assignment (10% of your grade) as it evaluates how well you can use what we have been learning all term.
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