7 th Grade STAAR Writing Camp The objective for this writing camp is for students to determine whether the prompt is a narrative or expository prompt. Students will analyze and compose essays based on the appropriate prompt. If a student knows the characteristics of each type of writing then, they have a better understanding of how to write their composition. The objective is NOT for students to focus on the Revising and Editing. STAAR writing is first draft writing. Day 3 of STAAR Writing Camp is for students to complete their writing. If they completed their essay, may peer edit to see if they can improve their essay. This is only if time allows. Otherwise Revising and Editing is to be done back in the classroom.
STAAR Writing Plan Day 1: 8-10 minutes: 1. Give instruction about the anchor chart: Understanding Writing Prompts 2. Teachers need to explain the Anchor Charts for Narrative and Expository. Review each point on the anchor charts with students. 3. Students will need to recreate the Anchor Charts for their Writing Folder 10-15 minutes: Prompt Activity. 1. Show the students a prompt. 2. The students must decide whether it is a Narrative or Expository Prompt and Why. 3. Think-Turn-Talk to a partner and explain why you think it is a Narrative or Expository prompt. 4. You will do about 3-5 writing prompts following steps 1-3. Teacher will give students 1 prompt to analyze. 10 minutes: students will need to analyze a prompt 1. Circle the key verbs in the prompt. 2. Underline the noun. 3. Write the verbs next to the nouns. 4. Talk about the prompt with a friend to generate background knowledge about the prompt. 5. Students will turn paper on to the back and Dump everything they know about the prompt. 30 minutes: Model how to complete a simple graphic organizer for Narrative/Expository writing. a. Topic/Central Idea this must be explained explicitly. b. Where did it happen? Specific place ( Indian Spring Middle School in Room 321) c. When did it happen? -Specific Time (7:00) in the afternoon. d. Main Event What were you doing? Reading a book titled Budda Boy. Why? e. Sensory Details What do you see, hear, smell, feel, or taste? f. Emotions, Feeling, and Reactions How are you feeling about your reading? g. Conclusion Tying up everything listed above. h. Count your ideas in each section. This will give you an idea of how many sentences you could possibly have in your essay. 30 minutes: students will complete a graphic organizer to brainstorm their ideas about the prompt. Day 2 30 minutes: students will write on the lined paper used for STAAR. Day 3 Students will complete their essay. If time allows peer editing from the Editing Checklist with a partner. The paper will be turned in, the teacher will grade it, write comments on how to improve the paper, and return to the student.
Narrative Writing Author s Purpose: to entertain Character Setting Problem or Adventure Expository Writing Informs Author s Purpose: to inform Topic Main Ideas Problem or Adventure
Anchor Charts for Narrative and Expository
STAAR Written Compositions Example of Lined Page
Graphic Organizers- Personal Narrative Topic Where did it happen? When did it happen? Main Event Sensory Details Emotions, Feeling, and Reactions Effective Conclusion
Graphic Organizer Expository Central Idea You need 2-4 supporting details that back up your Central Idea. This does not necessarily mean different paragraphs. Supporting Detail Supporting Detail Supporting Detail Supporting Detail 1. 1. 1. 1. 2. 2. 2. 2. 3. 3. 3. 3.
WISD Editing Checklist Pick 3-5 areas to focus on each time you peer edit. Use a colored pencil to edit the essay. Do not try to do all of these at one time. These are mini-lessons you can teach within your classroom. 1. The beginning of each paragraph is indented 2. all sentences have an end punctuation mark. 3. underline the subject and circle the predicate 4. highlight all capital letters a. capitalized the first word in every sentence b. capitalized all proper nouns 5. circle every conjunction a. and b. but c. or d. so 6. check the verb tense a. all past tense verbs b. all present tense verbs c. all future tense verbs 7. all contractions have an apostrophe a. Does it have an apostrophe? 8. highlighted transition words 9. identified homophones and used correctly a. to, two(2), too (also) b. There (location), They re(they are), Their (possessive) 10. circle all word wall words and it is spelled correctly 11. identified homophones and used the correct one 12. did you use a and an correctly?
Writer s Workshop Status of the Class Name Monday Tuesday Wed. Thurs. Friday Conferences Notes NP= New Piece D=Draft PC= Peer Conference TB= Topic Brainstorm EC= Editing Conference RVC=Revision Conference P=Publish WN=Writer's Notebook
Narrative and Expository Prompt Game Directions 1. Put students in groups of three. 2. Give them 2 prompts. 3. Students must decide is the prompt a narrative or an expository prompt. 4. Students will create the list of reasons why the prompt is a narrative or an expository. 5. Students will report out to the whole group why their prompt is a narrative or an expository prompt.
Narrative v. Expository Game 1) Think about a friend who has been an important part of your life. How did you become friend with this person? Write a story about this friendship. 2) All of us face challenges in life. Think about how challenging it is to make new friends or learn how to play a sport. Write about a challenge you have experienced when making new friends or learning to play a sport. 3) Dress for success is a phrase, meaning if you dress well you are preparing yourself to do your best. Think about how you feel when you are dressed up. Write about how you felt when you were dressed up. 4) Imagine that there were no video games for one week. Think of some activities that you could do instead of playing video games to keep you busy and out of trouble. Write about what you can do to keep occupied during the week with no video games. 5) As a student on you campus, explain the procedures for going to lunch, to the library, getting in line or dismissal to someone new to the school. Think about one procedure that you use in your classroom. Write about one procedure that you could help this new person to campus learn. 6) Most people have a favorite animal. Think about your favorite animal. What makes this animal your favorite animal? Write about this animal. 7) One day you wake up and discover you have been turned into an animal. Think about what animal you have been turned into. Write about your life as this animal. 8) You have important people in your life. Think about the most important person in your life. Write about what makes this person important to you. 9) One day you find a bottle with a message inside. Think about the message, who wrote the message and why did they write the message. Write about the message that you found in the bottle.
10) We have a favorite time. Think about a favorite time you have had in your life. Try to remember everything you felt about this favorite time. Write about how you felt about this favorite time. 11) The weather affects our lives daily. Think about a time in your life when you were affected by the weather. Write about how the weather affected your life and what were the challenges you had because of the weather. 12) What cartoons do you watch? Think about all the cartoons you watch. Write about your favorite cartoon character. 13) You hear music coming from downstairs. Think about why music would be coming from downstairs. Write about the music you hear from downstairs. 14) There is snow in the ground, which seems odd because it is the middle of July in Waco. Think about when it should snow and why there is snow on the ground. Write about why you think there is snow on the ground in July. 15) You are going on vacation with your family. Think about some of the exciting sights and things you did while on this vacation. Write about the vacation with your family. 16) What are the thoughts that go through your head when you are bored? Think about being bored. Write about a game you play to kill the boredom. 17) It takes talent to balance a basketball on your finger. Think about your talents. Write about your talent. 18) Your principal has asked you what you would like to change at school. Think about what you could changes you could make at school. Write about you want to change in your school. 19) Your teacher asked you to write about Why do you like your favorite subject in school? Think about what makes your favorite subject interesting at school. Write about why this is your favorite subject.
20) Your friends want to come to your house. Think about the directions and landmarks to your house from school. Write an essay explaining to your friend how to get to your house from school. 21) When solving a math problem, you and your neighbor reach the same answer, but had different calculation and processes. Think about how you reach the same answer, by completed it differently. Write about how you can reach the same answer, but completed it a different way. 22) In our science class, we have completed several lessons on the six simple machines: lever, pulley, wheel and axle, and wedge. Think about the machines listed and select one machine. Write an explanation to a younger student how the machine works. 23) Think about someone who has told a lie about you. Write about why honesty is important in a friendship. 24) The amount of graffiti has greatly increased at our school. We need to find ways to top the graffiti from being on our school walls. Think about the ways that we could stop all the graffiti. Write about the ways you can solve the problem of the graffiti on our school walls. 25) All of us have a favorite place where we get to do what we want. It could be an indoor place or an outdoor place. Think about your favorite places. Write about your favorite place where you get to do what you want to do.
Answer Key for Narrative and Expository Game 1. Narrative 2. Expository 3. Narrative 4. Expository 5. Expository 6. Expository 7. Expository 8. Expository 9. Expository 10. Expository 11. Narrative 12. Narrative 13. Narrative 14. Expository 15. Narrative 16. Narrative 17. Narrative 18. Narrative 19. Narrative 20. Expository 21. Expository 22. Expository 23. Expository 24. Expository 25. Narrative
STAAR Writing Activity Grading a STAAR Writing Paper Teacher Models 1. Teacher must explain the STAAR grading rubric for students to follow. 2. Show students a sample of a 1, 2, 3, or 4 scored writing paper. 3. Using the STAAR rubric have students in small groups hold up a 1, 2, 3, or 4 and explain why the composition is a 1, 2, 3, or 4. 4. Students must understand the rubric they are being graded with for the composition. Attach sample writings from STAAR. You may ask your principal or IS for samples from your campus.