AIMS REVIEW: Writing Dissecting Prompts

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AIMS REVIEW WritingDissecting Prompts
Outlining
Concepts borrowed from Buckle Down
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Tip One

• Subject What is the topic of the writing?
• Audience To whom are you writing?
• Purpose What is the goal or reason for writing?
• Form What form should the writing take?

• Determine SAPF.
• What do these letters represent? Explain what
  each word means.
• S
• A
• P
• F

Correct your answers to Question 1
Answer Question 1
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Tip One Practice

• Practice finding the SAPF by completing question
  2.

Imagine that the governor of your state will be
visiting your school. You have been selected to
deliver a speech to the governor on behalf of the
student body about what teens want most from a
high school education. Your remarks could
possibly influence education policy in your
state. Write a speech describing the educational
concerns of people your age.

• Subject What teens want from a high school
  education
• Audience The governor of Arizona
• Purpose To explain (and to convince)
• Form A speech (write as a five-paragraph essay)

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Tip Two

• Determine what you know and dont know about the
  subject.
• You must use your imagination to come up with
  interesting ideas that will engage both you and
  your reader in what you write.
• One of the best ways to develop ideas is by
  brainstorming.

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Tip Two Practice

• Practice brainstorming by completing question 3.
  
• Do not judge ideas as good or bad during this
  process.
• Do not worry about spelling, grammar, or complete
  sentences yet.
• Write down every idea you can think of!

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Tip Three

• Consider your audience at every stage of the
  writing process.
• Knowing your readers will help you decide which
  details to present.
• It is important to use the words and sentence
  structure that will be most effective for your
  audience.

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Tip Three Practice

• Practice thinking about audience by completing
  questions 4-5.
• If the audience is not given in the prompt, you
  should assume your audience will be teachers and
  administrators who are grading the AIMS Writing
  Test.

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Tip Four

• Understand the various purposes for writing.
• First, answer question 6.
• Then, as you view the following slides, summarize
  the five purposes of writing in question 7.

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Tip Four (notes)

• Understand the various purposes for writing.
• To convince (persuade, influence) The writer
  wants to persuade the reader to think, believe,
  or act in a certain way. The writer may also
  encourage the reader to take a particular action.
• To entertain The writer wants to make readers
  laugh, cry, feel suspense, or otherwise enjoy the
  writing. Most fictional writing and personal
  narratives are written with this purpose in mind.

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Tip Four (notes)

• To describe The writer gives a detailed
  description of a person, place, or object. The
  writer uses sensory details, strong word choice,
  and explains the personal importance of the
  person, place, or object.
• To teach, inform, or explain The writer shares
  factual information in a balanced manner without
  trying to persuade. If there are two sides to an
  issue, the writer lets the readers draw their own
  conclusions.

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Tip Four (notes)

• To communicate The writer wants to provide
  specific information related to real-world tasks.
  This type of writing includes business letters,
  memos, or technical manuals.

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Tip Five

• Understand the characteristics of the different
  forms of writing.
• What are some of the writing forms that you may
  be asked to use on the AIMS Writing Test? Answer
  question 8.

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Tip Five (notes)
Writing Form Purpose and Explanation Length
Narrative essay To entertain May be personal (about an event in your life) or fictional (a made-up story) Varied minimum 5 paragraphs (Must include dialogue figurative language)
Persuasive essay or letter To convince Letter Use business letter format Five paragraphs
Descriptive essay To describe Five paragraphs (Must include figurative language)
Expository essay To explain Five paragraphs
Speech To convince OR to explain Write just like an essay Five paragraphs
Fill in the chart for question 9
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Tip Six

• Create a detailed outline before you begin
  writing.
• Create examples of graphic organizers in your
  AIMS Review packet.
• Answer questions 10-13.

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More Practice

• The more you practice, the more prepared you will
  be.
• Answer questions 14-17.
• Answer questions 18-21.
• Answer questions 22-25.