Intensive Writing Unit

1
Intensive Writing Unit

• Please remain quiet in the IWU. These essays
  need a lot of structural work.

2
Portfolio requirements

• Your portfolio is due Friday, January 20th, 2006.
• Your portfolio must include
• A title page with your title, your name, English
  102, Ms. Marlow, and the date (10 points)
• Rough draft of your narrative essay (20 points)
• Rough draft of your persuasive essay (20 points)
• Rough draft of your expository essay (20 points)
• Peer review of your narrative essay (10 points)

3
Portfolio requirements

• Peer review of your persuasive essay (10 points)
• Peer review of your expository essay (10 points)
• Typed final draft of ONE of your essays
  (narrative, persuasive, OR expository) (30
  points)
• Reflection statement (10 points)
• MUST BE TURNED IN AT START OF CLASS Friday,
  January 20th, 2006 (10 points)
• Total Points for this project 150

4
Writing Basics A Review

• Give the definition and at least two examples for
  each of the following
• Nouns
• people, place, or thing (cat, Chicago)
• Pronouns
• stands in for a noun (me, you, them)
• Verbs
• tell what the noun is doing (running)
• Adverbs
• modify verbs, adverbs, or other adjectives
  (quickly, almost)

5
Writing Basics A Review

• Adjectives
• describe or modify nouns (red, happy)
• Conjunctions
• link words or parts of sentences (but, and)
• Interjections
• provide emphasis (AHHH!!, Oh my!)
• Articles
• introduce nouns (a, an, the)

6
Complete Sentences Vs Phrases

• What makes a sentence complete?
• Sentences must have a subject (the noun) and a
  predicate (what the noun is doing).
• Sentences must start with a capital letter and
  end with a period, question mark, or exclamation
  mark!

7
Complete Sentences Vs Phrases

• Are these sentences complete?
• On the way to the store the dog.
• NO!
• 2. yesterday was Wednesday
• NO!
• 3. I am here.
• YES!
• Now try the examples given on your own.

8
Complete Sentences Vs Phrases

• Yes / No 1. Yesterday I went to the grocery
  story.
• Yes / No 2. The running purple dog!
• Yes / No 3. My favorite ice cream is butter
  pecan.
• Yes / No 4. I gave my left lung to a frog.
• Yes / No 5. The frog over there.

9
Complete Paragraphs

• What makes a paragraph complete?
• Everything listed below!!
• How many sentences should be in a paragraph?
• AT LEAST FIVETopic sentence, three explanatory
  sentences, and a closing sentence
• How many topics should be discussed in a
  paragraph?
• ONE!!
• How is a paragraph formatted?
• Indent the first line only, use at least five
  complete sentences
• Now you try it! Draw a picture of a paragraph in
  your packet.

10
Writing Vs Speaking

• What is the difference between writing and
  speaking?
• PLEASE! Dont write like you speak!
• What different types of speaking do we use?
• Formal, casual, slang
• What different types of writing do we use?
• Formal, casual, instant messaging!...
• Now follow the directions in your packet.

11
You must first learn the rules.
Then you can break them.
12
Narrative Writing

• Purpose
• Narratives tell a story. Narratives can be
  fiction (made-up) or non-fiction (happened in
  real life), but must have a clear voice telling
  the events of the story. Narratives have been
  told forever and help us to understand our lives
  and the lives of others.
• Format
• Your narrative must have a narrator (person
  telling the story) at least three characters, a
  clear setting and a theme. You must also have a
  climax in the action and a resolution.

13
Narrative Writing

• Prompts
• 1. Think of a person who is now important to you
  or has made a lasting impression on you. Write a
  story about how you came to know that person and
  what that person did that impressed you. Be sure
  to narrate an event or series of events and
  include specific details in your response.
• 2. Think of a time when someone showed you
  kindness or a time when you showed someone else
  kindness or a time when you witnessed someone
  else showing kindness to another person. Choose
  one of these times and write a story about what
  happened. Be sure to narrate an event or series
  of events and include specific details in your
  response.
• 3. Think of a childhood memory that you recall
  clearly. Write a story about what happened. Be
  sure to narrate an event or series of events and
  include specific details in your response.
• 4. Imagine that you could be invisible for one
  day. Write a story about that day. Be sure to
  narrate an event or series of events and include
  specific details in your response.
• 5. Think about something that has happened during
  a day in your favorite (or least favorite) class.
  Tell a story about what happened. Be sure to
  narrate an event or series of events and include
  specific details in your response.

14
Narrative Writing

• Additional Requirements
• You must complete the character analysis chart
  for at least three characters.
• Your story must have dialogue (in the correct
  format)
• and must be at least three pages (double spaced,
  one side of the paper).

15
Narrative Writing
NOTICE When the speaker changes, you must start
a new paragraph. This goes against the
paragraph rules to a certain extent, but is
necessary when using dialogue.

• Using Dialogue

John and Laura walked out of the store together.
I am not going home this early, John, Laura
said in a smug voice. After all, Im not the
one that left all of my work for the last
minute! John gave Laura a disgusted
look. Give me a break, John shot back. I was
just trying to help you out yesterday. If I
could have stayed home all weekend I would have
my work done, too. John turned left as they
continued walking down the road. In order to
follow him, Laura had to speed up slightly. She
should have made a right to go back towards her
own car. Instead, she decided to see where John
was going. Im not saying you werent a big
help yesterday. Im just saying Im not ready to
go back to my boring apartment all alone.
NOTICE You do not need to write said Laura.
Your reader knows that Laura said this because
you started a new paragraph.
NOTICE The comma after John shows that this is
part of a larger sentence. Use a comma to
include the speaker, then end the sentence. You
can continue to use the same speaker without
giving her name every time.
16
Narrative Writing

• Point of View Your story, your choice.
• First person
• First person is from the narrators
  point-of-view. A story written in the first
  person is told by an "I," where "I" can be the
  main character, a less important character
  witnessing events, or a person retelling a story
  they were told by someone else. This point of
  view is often effective in giving a sense of
  closeness to the character. It can be very easy
  to get the reader to identify or sympathize with
  your main character when the reader is seeing
  everything through that character's eyes. In a
  first person narrative the reader knows the
  thoughts and feelings of one person (the main
  character or the narrator).

17
Narrative Writing

• First Person Example
• You wont believe me even if I told you! Tom
  said as he walked away from me. I didnt know
  what to do! I followed him about three steps and
  stopped.
• I might, I answered, even though I thought he
  was probably right. Tom always came up with the
  strangest excuses for forgetting to pick me up.
  Last time he was abducted by aliens.

18
Narrative Writing
Don't try this at home!

• Second person
• In second person, the narrator addresses the main
  character as "you." Often, this kind of story has
  the narrator speaking to a younger version of
  their self. This point of view is very rare
  because it is extremely difficult to pull off.
  The reader may feel that they are the one spoken
  to, and will find it difficult to accept that
  they are doing the things the narrator tells them
  they are doing. If you choose to tell a story in
  second person, it is very important to make it
  clear to the reader who is being addressed, so
  they can trust in the teller and accept the story
  as given.

Very difficult!
19
Narrative Writing

• Third person
• Characters are referred to as "he" and "she" in
  third person. In this case the narrator (who may
  be indistinguishable from the author) is not a
  character in the story. Depending on the type of
  third person point of view, the narrator may know
  -- and be able to tell about -- the thoughts and
  feelings of all characters, or only one
  character, or they may only be able to report
  what is seen or heard.

20
Narrative Writing

• Third Person Omniscient The narrator knows
  everything all thoughts, feelings, and actions
  may be related to the reader (or they may be
  withheld).
• Third Person Objective The narrator can only
  relate to the reader what is seen or heard. A
  good writer can tell a completely objective story
  in such a way that the reader is able to
  determine the feelings and sometimes even the
  thoughts of the characters through what those
  characters say and do, even though the thoughts
  and feelings are never described.

21
Narrative Writing

• Third Person Limited The narrator is able to see
  into the mind of a single character. Sometimes
  the point of view may zoom in so close to that
  character that the narrator begins to use that
  character's manner of speech and thought, and
  sometimes the narrator may step back to take a
  more objective view. This point of view is sort
  of the "default" in fiction -- it is the most
  common because it can be used the most
  effectively in the majority of situations.

22
Narrative Writing

• Example of Third Person
• John and Laura walked out of the store
  together. I am not going home this early,
  John, Laura said in a smug voice. After all,
  Im not the one that left all of my work for the
  last minute! John gave Laura a disgusted look.
• Give me a break, John shot back. I was just
  trying to help you out yesterday. If I could
  have stayed home all weekend I would have my work
  done, too. John turned left as they continued
  walking down the road. In order to follow him,
  Laura had to speed up slightly. She should have
  made a right to go back towards her own car.
  Instead, she decided to see where John was going.
  
• Im not saying you werent a big help
  yesterday. Im just saying Im not ready to go
  back to my boring apartment all alone.

23
Narrative Writing

• Character Chart whats it all about?
• Follow along on page 10 in your packet.
• Now its time to try it on your own.
• What story will you tell?

24
Persuasive Writing

• Purpose
• Authors write to persuade readers to make a
  change, accept new ideas, take action, or
  consider different points of view. To be
  effective, the author includes specific reasons
  why the action would be beneficial to the reader.
  
• Format
• An introduction with an attention grabber,
  explanatory sentences and a thesis statement.
  Body paragraphs that follow the order of the
  thesis and each explain one part of the argument.
  A conclusion that restates the thesis in a new
  way and answers the question so what?.

25
Persuasive Writing

• Writing Prompt Write an essay designed to
  convince readers to take a specific action.
  Include very specific reasons why the reader
  should take that action and how it would benefit
  the reader.
• You can use one of these topic ideas or your own
  idea.
• Why You should Recycle
• Eating Healthy Snacks Is Good for You
• Take Your Next Vacation in the South Pole
• Donate Blood
• Join a Club
• Support the Community Theater

26
Persuasive Writing

• I have chosen to write about__________
• _________________________________
• I will persuade my audience that people
  should____________________________________________
  _________________
• My reasons are_____________________
• _________________________________

27
Persuasive Writing

• Informal Outline
• Attention Grabber ____________________________
• ____________________________________________
• Working Thesis_______________________________
• ____________________________________________
• Argument for paragraph one____________________
• ____________________________________________
• Argument for paragraph two____________________
• ____________________________________________
• Argument for paragraph three___________________
• ____________________________________________

28
Expository Writing

• Purpose
• Expository writing is used to inform the reader.
  The most important thing to remember in
  expository writing is that you are not trying to
  persuade your reader. Just the facts! The
  format is a lot like a persuasive paper in that
  you should have a thesis and the body of the
  paper should follow the order set by the thesis.
  However, you should be giving information, not
  opinion.
• Format
• An introduction with an attention grabber,
  explanatory sentences and a thesis statement.
  Body paragraphs that follow the order of the
  thesis and each explain one part of the argument.
  A conclusion that restates the thesis in a new
  way and answers the question so what?.

29
Expository Writing

• Writing Prompt
• You can use one of these topic ideas or your own
  idea.
• A how to report explain the process of something
• An interview interview a friend or relative and
  give an account of the interview
• Report on something you have observed
• Give the history of something
• Describe an important person

30
Expository Writing

• I have chosen to write about_____
• ____________________________
• I will inform my audience about___
• ____________________________
• My examples are_______________
• _____________________________

31
Expository Writing

• Informal Outline
• Attention Grabber__________________
• _________________________________
• Working Thesis____________________
• _________________________________
• Example for paragraph one___________
• _________________________________
• Example for paragraph two___________
• _________________________________
• Example for paragraph three_________
• _________________________________

32
Reflection

• First consider how you thought about writing
  before you entered the IWU. Did you consider
  your audience? Did you consider how formal your
  language should be? Did you look carefully to be
  sure all of your sentences and paragraphs were
  complete? Now that you have lived through the
  IWU, what has changed about your writing process?
  Which style of writing (Narrative, Persuasive,
  Expository) did you find the easiest? Most
  challenging? Most fun? Why? What did you learn
  during your time in the IWU? Reflect on your
  experience over the last two weeks and write a
  reflective statement. Remember to use complete
  sentences and Standard American English. Your
  reflection must be at least one typed page double
  spaced.

33
Reminder Portfolio requirements

• Your portfolio is due Friday, January 20th, 2006.
• Your portfolio must include
• A title page with your title, your name, English
  102, Ms. Marlow, and the date (10 points)
• Rough draft of your narrative essay (20 points)
• Rough draft of your persuasive essay (20 points)
• Rough draft of your expository essay (20 points)
• Peer review of your narrative essay (10 points)