The Second Write Trait:

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The Second Write Trait

• Organization

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ORGANIZATION

• The road map of your paper
• Gives writing a sense of purpose and structure
• Start with a hook (lead) and build to a good
  conclusion
• Details along the way should add to that lead and
  should help build toward the conclusion, pulling
  the reader along right to the very end
• Use strong transitions to move smoothly from one
  idea to the next, helping things fit together
  easily for the reader

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TAKS Writing Rubric Organization

• The text reads like a collection of random
  thoughts
• Elements within the piece often seem out of place
• Transitions are overdone, missing, or flawed
• Much reordering is needed
• There is no real opening or closing
• The piece just starts and stops

• Elements within the piece are satisfactorily
  arranged in most cases
• Transitions connect ideas together well enough so
  the discussion goes together
• The opening and closing are functional

• Smooth transitions
• Strong opening
• Satisfying, effective ending
• Elements are creatively arranged to promote
  understanding.

• Organizational pattern is too predictable
• Elements within the piece sometimes seem out of
  place
• Opening does not clearly set the stage closing
  does not clearly wrap things up

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Ways to Organize Writing

• Main idea and supporting details
• Chronological recounting of events
• Step by step
• Question and answer
• Comparison and contrast
• Solving a mystery
• Most important to least important
• Point and counterpoint

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Suicide A Right?

• What is this essay about?
• What is the main idea? (WhoWhatMain Idea)
• Score the essay for ideas (1, 2, 3, or 4)
• Explain why you scored it as you did. USE WORDS
  FROM THE RUBRIC IN YOUR EXPLANATION

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Being an Only Child Is Cool

• What is this essay about?
• What is the main idea? (WhoWhatMain Idea)
• Score the essay for ideas (1, 2, 3, or 4)
• Explain why you scored it as you did. USE WORDS
  FROM THE RUBRIC IN YOUR EXPLANATION

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Shrekand The True Story of the Three Little
Pigs

• Listen as I read introductions to the stories
• Take notes over what grabs your attention
• Pay attention to word choice
• After I read, fill out the worksheet answering
  questions about both story introductions

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How to hook your reader.

• Choose one of the following topics
• What I love (hate) about shopping
• A bad/good day
• My hair
• A sport I love (hate)
• Write one unusual detail about your topic.
• Write a question about your topic.
• Write a quotation about your topic.
• Tell a short personal experience related to your
  topic
• Write the most startling (school appropriate)
  fact you know about your topic

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What Goes in the Middle?

• Listen as I read the first page of The Kite
  Runner
• Write down three or four questions you want to
  know about the rest of the book.

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Your Turn!!!!!!!!!!

• The following essay received a 1 based on
  Organization
• Rewrite the essay to improve the organization.
• Use your rubric

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After School
On Tuesday, December 22, I went about my business
going to my classes as usual. After school my
friend came and picked me up to go to his house.
After we got to his house we grabbed his fishing
stuff and started to go to my house. It was on
the way to my house, coming down the street, that
we saw a hinder binder. After we got to my house
we packed up my fishing stuff and we were on our
way to the afterbay of the Bighorn River.It was
about 800 when we got there. We started fishing.
We had a kind of cycle where one casts out and
lets it float away before the other. Then when
you retrieve it, you go behind the other person.