Writing to a Prompt using a 4-square Graphic Organizer

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Writing to a Prompt using a 4-square Graphic
Organizer

• DWA Preparation

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What is writing to a prompt

• A prompt is a topic you are asked to write about.

4 types of Prompts

• Narrative
• Expository
• Persuasive
• Descriptive

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Narrative Essay

• A narrative tells a story. It could be fiction
  or non-fiction. It includes a beginning, middle,
  and end.
• Example Write a story about a time when you
  were sad.
• Clue words narrate, tell a story about, write
  about a time, what happened when

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Expository Essay

• Expository is another word for explaining. In an
  expository essay you may be asked to give
  information about something or you might be asked
  to explain something.
• Example What is your favorite sport is and
  why?
• Clue words Explain, tell why, talk about, write
  why.

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Descriptive Essay

• In a descriptive essay you describe a thing,
  person, event or place.
• Example Tell about a cold winter day.
• Clue words describe, tell about an object, what
  does it look and feel like, write so your reader
  can see, picture in your mind.

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Persuasive Essay

• To persuade someone is to convince them to agree
  with you. Your job is decide your point of view
  and write arguments to persuade your ready to
  share your view.
• Example Should limits be placed on the amount
  of television children are allowed to watch?
• Clue words Should there be, convince your
  reader, support your view, make an argument.

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Deciding what kind of prompt

• Everyone has a favorite possession. Tell what
  your favorite possession is and why its
  important to you.

Expository!
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• Everyone has good days and bad days. Write a
  story about the best day you ever had.

Narrative
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• Imagine your family is planning a trip. You can
  visit anywhere in the world. Think of where you
  would like to go, and why. Write an essay that
  would convince your family to go to the place you
  choose.

Persuasive
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• A person you know is planning to move to your
  town. She has written to you to ask you what it
  is like. Write an essay describing your town to
  her.

Descriptive
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• Your parents are trying to decide whether to get
  a pet. Think if you would like to have a pet,
  and if so what pet you would like. Then write an
  essay to persuade your family to your opinion.

Persuasive
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• Think about your favorite food. In an essay,
  give reasons for liking this food best.

Expository
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• Make up a story about what is in a basket.

Narrative
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• Write a letter to a friend telling what you would
  pack for a picnic and why.

Expository
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Steps to writing to a prompt

• Decide what kind of writing the prompt is asking
  for
• Plan your writing
• Write first draft
• Revise writing
• Proofread

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Why organize?

• Makes your writing more understandable
• You wont forget anything
• Listen to two examples

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Using a 4-square to organize an Expository Essay
Supporting Idea
Supporting Idea
Topic Sentence
Supporting Idea
Wrap up sentence
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3 supporting ideas and a wrap up sentence
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Your Turn
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3 supporting ideas

• Center of the box now has a complete sentence
• First three boxes must contain reasons
• Must prove the topic sentence true
• Must be real reasons

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Your Turn
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Checklist

• Can the four square reasons be backed by facts or
  do they read as opinion?
• Is there repetition of detail?

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Adding supporting details

• Our story so far would read as follows
• My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs. My
  favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because
  its easy. My favorite meal is spaghetti and
  meatballs because its fun to eat. My favorite
  meal is spaghetti because its delicious. My
  favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs because
  its easy, fun to eat, and delicious.
• We need to elaborate add details.
• We will add 3 details to each square.
• These details will clarify or give examples of
  the phrase at the top of the square.

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Your Turn
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Checklist

• Are the details logical expansion of the reasons?
• Are the details factual and free of opinion?
• Are there any mechanical problems in the wrap-up
  sentence?

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Using connecting words

• Choose a connecting word (transitions) and put at
  the top of each square.
• Use the handout to help you choose appropriate
  connecting words for each square.

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Your Turn
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Vivid language

• What sounds better?
• The water was cold.
• The water felt like ice.
• Think of your senses how does it feel, taste,
  smell, look, feel?
• Add a vivid detail to each supporting detail.

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Your turn
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Checklist

• Do the added vivid images add more information to
  the details?
• Have you used a thesaurus to find the best
  possible word?
• Have you checked your punctuation? How about
  your grammar?

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Taking the writing off the organizer
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My Favorite Meal
My favorite meal is spaghetti and meatballs
because its easy, and its fun to eat. I always
enjoy eating the meal since its tasty
anytime. The first step in making the meal is
the meatball. You simply roll up the hamburger
into golf-ball sized pieces, then throw it in the
pot. I use a huge, cauldron-size pot to cook the
meatballs. After they are cooked, I pour on a
store-bought sauce. My favorite brand is Prego.
The noodles get cooked in a pot of hot water
until they are soft, but still somewhat
firm. Another reason my favorite meal is
spaghetti and meatballs is because its fun to
eat. I like to twirl the noodles on my fork.
They look like a twister. Its fun to slurp them
into my mouth because it makes a loud smacking
noise. I always splatter the sauce all over my
mouth. When Im done, it looks like an explosion
of red dots where I have been sitting.
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• My third reason for liking is spaghetti and
  meatballs is because its delicious. I like the
  tangy taste of red tomatoes. The Italian spices
  are great, especially the zippy garlic. The meat
  is very filling, like eating a hamburger except
  its in a ball instead of in a bun.
• So you can see, my favorite meal is spaghetti
  and meatballs because its easy, fun to eat, and
  delicious.
• Feedback
• Did the essay have organization?
• Were there transitions connecting the paragraphs?
• Are the details factual and free of opinion?
• Are there vivid details?
• Did the essay have any obvious grammatical
  errors?
• What suggestions do you have for the essay?

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Your turn

• Read your 4-square to a partner or in your peer
  editing group
• Do the sentences flow well?
• Have you used the right tense throughout the
  essay?
• Is your topic sentence clear?
• How are your hook and conclusion?

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Improving the introduction

• First paragraph
• Hook
• Topic sentence
• Wrap up sentence
• Personal/reflective sentence
• Food that is simple to cook and fun to eat are
  two ingredients needed to make it special. It
  also needs to be tasty. My favorite meal is
  spaghetti and meatballs because its easy to
  make, fun to eat and delicious. I could eat
  spaghetti and meatballs for dinner every night.

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Improving the closing paragraph

• Final paragraph
• Summarize main points and then wrap-up sentence
  with connecting word
• Personal / Reflective sentence, question or
  exclamation
• So you can see, my favorite meal is spaghetti and
  meatballs because its easy to make, fun to eat
  and delicious. I am making some tonight. Would
  you like to come over for dinner?

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Your Turn

• Write an intro and closing paragraph.

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Using the 4-square method to write an essay

• Expository
• Gives information
• States reasons or examples
• Must have connecting words
• Few quotations
• Narrative
• Entertains
• Has events
• Connecting words as needed
• More dialogue

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Expository
Friends
Games
The best day of my life
Food
skydive
Land safely
The best day of my life
Meet the president
Narrative
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Completed Narrative Essay
One evening I was relaxing at home. My cat and
I were watching television. It had been a long
day, and I needed some time to wind down. In the
beginning of our favorite show, a commercial came
on for a brand of cat food I usually buy. This
commercial had adorable little dancing cats.
They were wearing black top hats. The cats were
also singing about the cat food. Meow-yum,
meow-yum, they sang. I thought it was cute, and
I laughed out loud. During this commercial my
cat hissed, which is not something he usually
does. He arched his back and looked quite angry.
The hair on his back was standing up like
porcupine quills. He let out an ear-splitting
scream. Just then he started talking. He called
the commercial foolish and snarled at the
television. My cat told me that brand of cat
food was gross, and it was only good for dogs,
which means that it must be pretty bad. Then he
told me never to buy it again. I had always
thought he liked the stuff. Since that day my
cat has not spoken again. I did stop buying that
brand of cat food. But because of his
ill-mannered hissing and growling, my cat has had
a limit placed on his television time.
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Your turn

• Prompt
• Think back to when you had a happy experience.
  Remember where you were and what happened. Write
  a story about that happy experience
• Now complete the 4-square