language arts scope and sequence matrix - murrieta...

7th Grade Language Arts Instructional Resources

Contents: Page 7th Grade Essential Standards 2-3 7th Grade Language Arts Instructional Blueprint 4-9 7th Grade Approved Reading List 10 MVUSD Writing Assessment Program Guidelines

11-15 7th Grade Summary of Reading Writing Task

o District Rubric 16-17o Practice Prompts 18-22o Sample 1 Prompt 23-25o Sample 1 Anchor Papers 26-33

7th Grade Response to Literature Writing Tasko District Rubric 34-35o Student Friendly Rubric 36-37o Practice Prompts 38-42o Sample 2 Prompt TBD

7th Grade Persuasive Writing Task Reviewo District Rubric 43-44o Student Friendly Rubric 45-46o Practice Prompts & Anchor Papers 47-59

Resources for Preparing Students to Write Persuasive Essays 60-68 Resources for Preparing Students to Respond to Literature

60-85 Strategies for Cutting Time Correcting Essays 86-91 Vocabulary Instruction Resources 92 Select Response Question Preparation 93-94 Prentice Hall Resources 95-

100

7th Grade Essential Standards

Essential standards, which are sometimes referred to as "power standards," are those which students must know and it is essential they be included in lesson planning. On state and district tests taken by students these standards are tested most frequently, and consequently they carry the greatest weight on a "need to know" scale. It does NOT mean these are the only standards to be addressed and assessed at this grade level.

Reading

1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary DevelopmentVocabulary and Concept Development1.1 Identify idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes in prose and poetry.1.2 Use knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon roots and affixes to understand content-area vocabulary.

2.0 Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials)Structural Features of Informational Materials2.1 Understand and analyze the differences in structure and purpose between various categories of informational materials (e.g., textbooks, newspapers, instructional manuals, signs).

Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text2.4 Identify and trace the development of an author's argument, point of view, or perspective in text.

Expository Critique2.6 Assess the adequacy, accuracy, and appropriateness of the author's evidence to support claims and assertions, noting instances of bias and stereotyping.

3.0 Literary Response and Analysis

Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text3.2 Identify events that advance the plot and determine how each event explains past or present action(s) or foreshadows future action(s).3.3 Analyze characterization as delineated through a character's thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions; the narrator's description; and the thoughts, words, and actions of other characters.3.4 Identify and analyze recurring themes across works (e.g., the value of bravery, loyalty, and friendship; the effects of loneliness).3.5 Contrast points of view (e.g., first and third person, limited and omniscient, subjective and objective) in narrative text and explain how they affect the overall theme of the work.

Writing

1.0 Writing Strategies

Organization and Focus1.1 Create an organizational structure that balances all aspects of the composition and uses effective transitions between sentences to unify important ideas.1.2 Support all statements and claims with anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, and specific examples.

2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)

2.2 Write responses to literature:a. Develop interpretations exhibiting careful reading, understanding, and insight.b. Organize interpretations around several clear ideas, premises, or images from the literary work.c. Justify interpretations through sustained use of examples and textual evidence.

2.5 Write summaries of reading materials:a. Include the main ideas and most significant details.b. Use the student's own words, except for quotations.c. Reflect underlying meaning, not just the superficial details.

Written and Oral English Language Conventions

1.0 Written and Oral English Language Conventions

Grammar1.3 Identify all parts of speech and types and structure of sentences.1.4 Demonstrate the mechanics of writing (e.g., quotation marks, commas at end of dependent clauses) and appropriate English usage (e.g., pronoun reference).Punctuation1.5 Identify hyphens, dashes, brackets, and semicolons and use them correctly.

Language Arts Instructional Blueprint for Grade 7Murrieta Valley Unified School District

Month/ Reading Standar

d

Reading(Vocabulary/ Literary Response

and Analysis/ Informational Text)

Writing(Strategies & Applications)

Language Conventions Listening & Speaking

Aug-Sept1.2

2.1,2.41.1

3.1

2.4

*Selections from PH Unit 1

"Two Kinds" -Burning out at Nine" "from Song of Myself" "I'm Nobody" "Me" "My Furthest-Back

Person" "Golden Girls" Other selections from

PH Unit 1 ***Independent novel

reading

Note: Because Unit 1 is a foundation for many of the reading standards, it may require more time.

Autobiographical Narrative (WL p. 94)

Expository compare-contrast writing (WL p. 43)

Review/introduce Summary of Reading writing

District Summary of Reading essay practice prompts

Note: See PH Writing and Grammar handbook, Writing and Grammar CD, and Writing Models and Graphic Organizers on Transparencies for additional resources

DOL/CIB Warm Up Spelling: Utilize

spelling lessons at end of selections in text as well as corresponding Selection Support pages

Grammar Nouns Pronouns

Large/small group discussions

Informal presentations

Evaluating advertise-ments (LSW p. 160)

Oct1.1

*Selections from PH Unit 2 "Seventh Grade" "Melting Pot" "Fable" "If"

Summary of Reading essay practice prompts

Summary of Reading essay


spelling lessons at end of selections in text as well as corresponding



"Thumbprint" "A Colony in the Sky" **Other selections from

PH Unit 2 ***Required or

independent novel reading

(WW pps. 396-399) District Writing

Sample: Summary of Reading Writing Task (end-of-October)

Selection Support pages

Grammaro Pronounso Verbs

Evaluating persuasive presentations (LSW p. 326)

Nov

1.33.31.1

2.3

*Selections from Prentice Hall Unit 3

"Third Wish" "The Californian's Tale" "Stopping by Woods on

a Snowy Evening" "Miracles" "Four Skinny Trees" "Algal Blooms" **Other selections from



-Review/introduce response to literature essay writing -Response to Literature (WW p. 696)



Grammar Adjectives Adverbs



Dec

3.23.13.5

*Selections from Prentice Hall Unit 4 "The Night the Bed Fell" "All Summer in a Day" "Justin Lebo" **Other selections from


independent novel

Review Response to Literature

District Response to Literature practice prompts

Note: See PH Writing and Grammar



Grammar Prepositions

Formal presentation

reading handbook (pg. 160), Writing and Grammar CD, and Writing Models and Graphic Organizers on Transparencies for additional resources

Prepositional phrases

Hyphens Conjunctions

Jan

2.3

2.42.5

*Selections from Prentice Hall Unit 5 "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia

Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out"

"Zoo" "The Iceman" **Other selections from



Review Response to Literature

District Response to Literature practice prompts

Note: See PH Writing and Grammar handbook (pg. 160), Writing and Grammar CD, and Writing Models and Graphic Organizers on



Grammar Subjects and

predicates Sentences Direct/indirect

objects



Organizing and delivering an oral summary (LSW P. 400)

Transparencies for additional resources

Feb

3.2

3.4

3.3

*Selections from Prentice Hall Units 6 "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" and/or

"After Twenty Years" "The Treasure of Lemon

Brown" "Pappa's Parrot" **Other selections from



District Writing Sample: Response to Literature Writing Task (Early February)

Review Persuasive essay writing



Grammar Simple,

compound, complex sentences

Clauses (adjective/adverb)

Verb agreement



Mar

2.63.12.1

3.2

*Selections from Prentice Hall Unit 7

"All Together Now" "No Gumption" "Mi Amigo, Mark" **Other selections from

PH Unit 7*Selections from Prentice Hall Unit 8

"The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street"

**Other selections from PH unit 8

***Required or independent novel reading

Review persuasive, summary of reading, and response to literature essays

End-of-the-Year District Writing Assessment (late March)



Grammar Infinitives Types of

sentences Participles Appositives Active/passive

voice Ponouns/

antecedents



Analyzing media messages (LSW p. 700)

(gender/agreem-ent)

Apr

Listed on P. T14 of Year-at-a-

Glance

*Self-select from Prentice Hall Unit 9 ***Required or


Multimedia report writing (WW pp. 836-859)



Grammar Comparison of

modifiers Capitalization Interjections Semi-colons



May-June

Listed on P. T14 of Year-at-a-

Glance

*Self select from Prentice Hall Unit 10 End-of-Course Exam ***Independent novel

reading

Multimedia report writing (WW pp. 836-859)



Grammar Parentheses &

brackets Quotation marks Commas



Evaluating a media presentation (LSW p. 840)

Formal presentation

GL = Grammar Lesson in Prentice Hall Text SL= Spelling Lesson in Prentice Hall TextWL = Writing mini-lesson in Prentice Hall Text WW= Writing Workshop in Prentice Hall TextLSW = Listening & Speaking Workshop in Prentice Hall TextVDL = Vocabulary Development Lesson in PH TextPH = Prentice Hall Textbook CIB = California Item Bank

**Teacher selected works from Prentice Hall that can be studied as time permits based on student need

***Novels may be read independently or as a class. One novel from the approved list should be studied by the class during the course of the year. The teacher may incorporate this novel into the curriculum as he/she sees fit. Independent novels may be selected from the approved list, or they may be teacher or student selected.

7th Grade Literature—novels from the approved list below may be used for required or independent reading.• Adam of the Road• Beowulf — A New Telling• Book of Merlyn • The Castle in the Attic• The Door in the Wall• Dragonwings• The Giver• I, Juan de Pareja• *Julie of the Wolves• Let the Circle Be Unbroken • The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood•*Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry• Sadako & the Thousand Paper Cranes• The Samurai’s Tale• Someone is Hiding on Alcatraz Island • The Story of King Arthur and His Knights• Tales from Shakespeare • Trumpeter of Krakow• Yeh Shen: A Cinderella Story From China• Zlata’s Diary

MVUSD Writing Assessment Program GuidelinesGrade 7

Introduction: The purpose of this guide is to provide teachers with information and procedures for teaching and assessing the writing genres represented on the Writing Samples and End-of-Year Writing Assessment. Though

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this document focuses on the assessed genres, it does not preclude instruction on other genres represented in the state standards.District Writing Assessment Information &Procedures: Seventh-eighth grade Writing Samples and End-of-Year Writing

Assessments are performed as timed writing tasks to be completed in one block or two regular periods.

It is highly recommended that students practice timed writing tasks throughout the year that include brainstorming and final copy in one sitting in order to prepare for state tests.

The prompts, practice prompts, and rubrics for each sample are generated by district literacy team.

The prompts for Writing Samples 1 & 2 sometimes include anchor papers reflecting student writing at each of the scoring levels. These can be used as a guide when assessing student writing on these samples.

The writing prompts will be similar to those used on the CST and CAHSEE writing assessments.

The writing assignments in the textbooks could be used as practice or as a guide for completing the writing sample.

The first two samples will be graded by the teacher using the rubrics and anchor papers as a guide, and scores will be submitted to your site administrator.

The End-of-Year Writing Assessment will be evaluated by district scoring teams.

The score from this sample will be submitted to the district and incorporated into the student’s Language Arts Matrix Score.

**The End-of-Year Writing Assessment will be randomly selected from any of the three genres taught for samples 1and 2.**

District Writing Assessment Timeline:

Grade

Genre 1 Teach Sept-Oct

District Writing

Sample-Late Oct

Genre 2 Teach Nov-Feb

District Writing

Sample-Early Feb

Review all Genres

No District Writing Sample

End-of-Year

Writing Assessme

nt(March)

6Narrative Essay Persuasive Essay Review Randomly

Selected

from Genres Taught

for Samples

1-2

7Summary of

ReadingResponse to Literature

Review

8Response to Literature

Persuasive Essay Review

*See the Instructional Blueprints for Grades 7 Language Arts for the integration of this assessment timeline with the Prentice Hall language arts program. The blueprint includes corresponding writing workshops for each of the above genres that can be used to support student writing.

Timed Essay Writing vs. Process Paper Writing:Timed-essay: writing with a specific prompt, no scaffolding, no thesauruses or dictionaries, and a limited time period.Examples: CST grades 4 & 7 District writing assessments CAHSEE Golden State Exams New SAT Advanced Placement Exams Subject A (and other college entrance exams) CBEST Essay tests

**Students must be given ample practice throughout the grade levels in order to be prepared to write time-essays under pressure!!

Process Paper: writing that may have a specific prompt or give the students a choice of topics. Teacher takes students through the writing process and provides a realistic timeline. Students receive ample scaffolding through this process.

**Students should be given ample experiences writing process papers so that they have time to develop their writing through composing, revising, and rewriting multiple drafts of essays

Balancing Timed Writing and Process Writing:

Provide models, graphic organizers, and strategies specific to a particular genre, and practice scaffolding techniques

Practice writing essays in the genre as a whole class and/or in small groups

Practice writing an essay in each genre independently using all the steps of the writing process

Practice writing timed essays in each genre independently or in small groups

Write timed essays for each genre independentlyUsing Rubrics to Evaluate Student Writing

Grades 6-12The district provides rubrics which should be used when evaluating student writing samples and end-of-year writing assessments. These are based on the CST and CAHSEE rubrics provided by the state. These can also be used to evaluate other student writing throughout the year. In many cases, student-friendly rubrics have also been created by the district literacy teams. There are two primary approaches to using these rubrics: analytical and holistic scoring.

Analytical scoring: in using the rubrics to score student writing analytically, the rubric descriptors are used to evaluate specific aspects of the composition. The rubric may be used as a checklist, or specific point values attributed to the descriptors, to help students understand why the writing receives a particular score. The teacher may also focus on only one or a few specific descriptors for the evaluation of the writing in order to focus on those particular aspects. Analytical scoring is typically done to facilitate instruction. Analytical scoring can also be done with a sample population of students.

Holistic scoring: use the rubrics to holistically score student writing on all district writing samples and end-of-year writing assessments. There are a few key conventions to holistic scoring:

No one aspect of the rubric should determine the student's score on the essay. The score should be based on the reader's overall impression of the writing, with the descriptors functioning as a general guide to the final score.

Students should be awarded for what they do well rather than penalized for what they don't.

When scoring holistically, a general rule of thumb if to follow this evaluation sequence:1. Read the essay and determine, on first impression, if it is an upper or lower level paper. Upper means the student "got it," lower means they did not.2. Once this is determined, use the descriptors to determine a specific score within the upper range or the lower range.

Holistic scoring can be done for an entire population of students, followed by analytical scoring of a sample population within that group to help determine instructional goals.

Rubric Scores/Grades:

It is important to remember that CST and CAHSEE rubric scores do not necessarily equate to letter grades. However, because district writing samples, end-of-year writing assessments, and other student writing assignments must also be given grades, the following chart can assist you in determining scores and grades for essays when using the rubrics to score holistically.

These grade equivalencies do not factor in other elements you may choose to include in a student grade, such as writing process, effort, etc.

Keep in mind that applying the rubric to an evaluation of student writing must take into account the time the student had to complete the essay. For example, a timed-essay for which the student is not given time to revise and rewrite must be evaluated as a first draft without the same expectations that might be applied to a polished final draft of a process paper.

For end-of-year writing assessments, a straight rubric score-grade equivalent must be used because there are no +/- used in scoring essays. However, for other writing assignments, you may use +/- rubric scores to more specifically identify student performance.

1st Upper Level Lower Level

Impression "Got It" "Didn't Get It"District Score 5 4 3 2 1CST/CAHSEE Equivalent

4Advanced

3Proficient

2Basic

1Below Basic

0Far Below

BasicGrade Equivalent

A B C D F

Expanded Grade Equivalent

5 5- 4+ 4 4- 3+ 3 3- 2+ 2 2- 1

A A- B+ B B-/C+

C+ C C-/ D+

D+ D D- F

Grade 7 Writing Rubric – Persuasive Essay

5 The Writing- Clearly addresses all parts of the writing task Demonstrates a clear understanding of purpose and audience Authoritatively defends a position with precise and relevant evidence Convincingly addresses reader’s concerns, biases, and expectations with counter

arguments Maintains a consistent point of view, focus, and organizational structure, including

the effective use of transitions that unify important ideas. Includes a clearly presented central idea with relevant facts, details, and/or

explanations Includes a variety of sentence types. Contains few, if any, errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,

punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). These errors do not interfere with the reader’s understanding of the writing.

4 The Writing –

Addresses all parts of the writing task. Demonstrates a general understanding of purpose and audience. Generally defends a position with precise and relevant evidence. Addresses the reader’s concerns, biases, and expectations with counter arguments. Maintains a mostly consistent point of view, focus, and organizational structure,

including the effective use of some transitions that unify important ideas. Presents a central idea with mostly relevant facts, details, and/or explanations. Includes a variety of sentence types. Contains some errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,


3The Writing- Addresses only parts of the writing task. Demonstrates little understanding of purpose and audience. Defends a position with little evidence May address the reader’s concerns, biases, and expectations with counter

arguments. Maintains an inconsistent point of view, focus, and/or organizational structure,

which may include ineffective or awkward transitions that do not unify important ideas.

Suggests a central idea with limited facts, details, and/or explanations. Includes little variety of sentence types. Contains several errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,

punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). These errors may interfere with the reader’s understanding of the writing.

2 The Writing-

Addresses only one part of the writing task. Demonstrates little or no understanding of purpose and audience. Defends a position with irrelevant evidence or only marginally related facts. Fails to address the reader’s concerns, biases, and expectations with counter

arguments. Lacks a clear point of view, focus, organizational structure, and transitions that

unify important ideas. Lacks a central idea but may contain marginally related facts. Includes no sentence variety. Contains serious errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,

punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). These errors interfere with the reader’s understanding of the writing.

1 The Writing- Does not address the writing task.

Has no purpose. Fails to defend a position. Fails to address the reader. Lacks a point of view, focus, and organizational structure. Lacks a central idea. Includes incomplete sentence structure. Contains serious errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,

punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). These errors create confusion or make the essay nearly unintelligible.

Middle School Writing Rubric- Persuasive Essay

5 My Writing- Has a clear position that is either for or against the issue Has strong support, such as evidence, facts, opinions and

examples Includes many different sentence types and rich vocabulary Contains smooth transitions that tie paragraphs and ideas

together Mentions a counter argument (opposite position on the topic)

and explain its weaknesses Has a strong closing that ends the paper and ties the whole

paper together Contains few errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization

(these errors do not get in the way of the reader’s understanding of the writing).

4 My Writing- Has a position that is either for or against the issue Has support, such as evidence, facts, opinions and examples Includes different sentence types and varied vocabulary Contains transitions that tie paragraphs and ideas together Mentions a counter argument (opposite position on the topic) Has a closing that does more than restate the introduction Contains some errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization (these errors do not get in the way of the reader’s understanding of the writing).

3 My Writing- Has a position that may be either for or against the issue Has little support, such as evidence, facts, opinions and examples Includes very few types of sentences and simple vocabulary May contain ineffective transitions that do not tie paragraphs and ideas together May mention a counter argument (opposite position on the topic) Has a closing that may only restate introduction

Contains several errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization (these errors may get in the way of the reader’s understanding of the writing).

2 My Writing- Does not have a position that is either for or against the issue Fails to support position with evidence, facts, opinions and examples Does not include different types of sentences and limited

vocabulary Lacks transitions that tie paragraphs and ideas together Fails to mention a counter argument (opposite position on the topic) Lacks a closing Contains serious errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization (these errors get in the way of the reader’s understanding of the writing).

1 My Writing- Fails to support position Has no support, such as evidence, facts, opinions and examples Includes incomplete sentences and poor vocabulary No transitions Fails to mention a counter argument (opposite position on the topic) Has no closing Contains serious errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization (these errors cause confusion or make the essay impossible to understand).

Seventh Grade Practice Prompt #1Persuasive Writing Task

Directions

In this writing test, you will write a persuasive essay.

Scoring

Your writing will be scored on how well you: state your position on the topic describe the points in support of your position, including examples and other

evidence anticipate and address readers’ concerns and arguments against your position, and

include counter arguments use correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling

Writing the Persuasive Essay

Your principal wants to reward your class by taking students on a field trip to some place in California. Think about what place you would choose for the students in your class to visit. Write a letter to your principal explaining why the place you have chosen is the best place to visit. Give convincing reasons that support your opinion and address the concerns of those who would argue against your position. Explain your reasons with specific details.




Directions (for the teacher)

In this prompt, students can practice writing a persuasive essay. The writing sample is scheduled by the teacher and can be completed as a process paper using writing workshop, a timed essay, or simply as a prompt analysis/discussion. Use of this prompt is at teacher discretion.

Use the district persuasive writing rubric as a guide to evaluating this essay.

Seventh Grade Practice Prompt #2Persuasive Writing Task

Directions


Scoring




Writing the Persuasive Essay

Some people have said that the schools in the United States are not as good as the schools in other countries because students do not spend enough time in school. Your school district is trying to decide whether to have students go to school on Saturday mornings in order to have more time to learn. Your principal is asking students to write an essay giving their opinion and reasons that there should or should not be school on Saturday mornings. Give convincing reasons that support your opinion and address the concerns of those who would argue against your position. Explain your reasons with specific details.







Seventh GradePractice Prompt 3Persuasive Writing Task

Directions


Scoring


evidence anticipate and address readers’ concerns and arguments against your position with

counter arguments use correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling

Writing the Essay

To improve test scores, the Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board is exploring the idea of dropping P.E. and Exploratory at the middle schools and adding an hour to math and language arts classes. The school board would like student input before adopting this new policy.

Write a multi-paragraph essay to the school board to convince its members to either support or reject this change. Give convincing reasons that support your opinion and address the concerns of those who would argue against your position. Explain your reasons with specific details.


evidence anticipate and address readers’ concerns and arguments against your position with

counter arguments use correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling




Seventh GradePractice Prompt 3– Persuasive Writing Task Anchor Papers

(*Note: Scores are based on timed-essay draft length and quality—students completed essays under timed examination conditions without the time or

resources, such as thesauruses or dictionaries, to significantly edit or revise)

Score 5:School boards are in distress, principals don’t know what to do, teachers desperately go over

past lesson plans wondering what they did wrong. In a word: test scores are down. The school district has to fix this problem somehow. Is there sometime during the day that is being wasted? Is there anything that can be cancelled so that more time can be devoted to math and language arts? Perhaps school hours can be longer…no, there would be endless complaints from parents and students. Just as the MVUSD board starts to believe there is no way out of this hole, an idea forms. P.E. and Exploratory classes can be ousted from the daily schedule, and an extra fifty minutes can be devoted to math and language arts. This may sound like a good idea, but there are many reasons to avoid this course of action. P.E. and Exploratory classes should not be dropped from school because students will get lazy with nothing physical in their lives, and many teachers will lose their jobs.

America has a bad reputation when it comes to P.E. Our country is one of the most infamous when you talk about obese children. P.E. was supposed to reduce all that. If we take it away, children will get more and more lazy, and MVUSD will be the laughingstock of the entire state. Everyone will know about Murrieta Valley, with their obese, lazy, unhealthy students, and what will we have to show for it? One or two children getting a seventy-eight on a test instead of a seventy-seven? We do not have to become an unhealthy society: we can prevent this from happening. All we have to do is keep P.E. in our schools!

Some people might think that adding an extra hour to language arts and math will make test scores higher, but it might make them worse. There is always the possibility of too much of a good thing. I know, as a student, that when I work the same subject for a long time, my mind begins to wander. This results in a bad grade on the assignment because I wasn’t paying attention towards the end of it. I am positive that my test scores will worsen if I am forced to do twice as much math or language arts as usual, and I am sure that other students will say the same.

If exploratory and P.E. classes are taken out of school, large amounts of teachers will be out of a job. Teachers spend years in college learning to do what they do. If they suddenly lose their job what else can they do? You cannot expect a band director to suddenly know how to be a surgeon or a professional race car driver, and going to be a cashier at McDonalds does not exactly pay enough to put bread on the table. I have many friends whose favorite teacher is their exploratory teacher. If these teachers are forced to leave the school, children will be depressed and test scores will sink even lower. Our teachers need this school as much as it needs them. Don’t put them out on the street.

As you can see, P.E. and Exploratory classes should not be removed from school because of job loss, unhealthy students, and much more. Children would get depressed because of lack of their favorite teacher or lazy because of P.E. This wouldn’t make test scores better, it would make them WORSE. Please find a solution to this problem, instead of something that would dig a deeper hole.

Commentary: Clearly addresses all parts of writing tasks Offers strong support for position Addresses concerns of reader (strong counter argument) Contains smooth transitions Includes a variety of sentence types

Seventh GradePractice Prompt 3 – Persuasive Writing Task Anchor Papers

Seventh GradePractice Prompt 3--Persuasive Writing Task Anchor Papers

Score 5:Are you aware that about thirty-five percent of children in the state of California are overweight

and that most schools don’t even have the privilege of having an exploratory class? The Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board mustn’t follow through with the rushed and unnecessary concept of dropping both Physical Education and Exploratory classes and proceeding to add an additional hour to both Language Arts and Math classes due to low test scores. P.E. class needs to be included in every student’s schedule because it promotes healthy, physically fit students and encourages healthy habits as well as wise choices. Exploratory is an excellent class that many students outside of Murrieta don’t receive a chance to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities this class has to offer. An increase of time spent in L.A. and Math class will surely become stale and redundant. We must do whatever it takes to save our P.E. and Exploratory classes and avoid (at all costs) the nightmare of having an additional hour of L.A. and Math added to our schedule, but we must work the hardest to salvage P.E.

Thirty to forty percent of them are ages twelve to nineteen. P.E. is needed to maintain the health, fitness, and educate students with healthy tips and strategies to help and encourage a healthy lifestyle. According to recent studies, sixty minutes of aerobic activity each day stimulates the brain, allowing more information to be absorbed and to improve memory. If students die at a relatively young age from complications with weight their education will be proven useless and unused. But if students exercise at least one hour each day (P.E. class), all of their knowledge will have a chance to be utilized to its full potential. P.E. must remain an everyday class in our schedule here at the Murrieta School District and so should Exploratory.

Exploratory classes are a privilege and with these classes some students may have the opportunity to display talents to their educators that could not be exposed in Language Arts or Math classes. Exploratory classes allow student to build skills that go beyond Algebra or Advanced Language Arts, but extends to the art of music, computers and visual arts. Exploratory classes provide a distinct and diverse curriculum that will not only benefit the schools reputation but also the futures of the students. These classes prove that the schools of Murrieta are truly “distinguished” schools not the extra hours of Language Arts and Math.

An additional hour of Language Arts and Math will definitely backfire and test scores will only become lower. L.A. and Math for an extra hour will be dull, repetitive and unnecessary. Students will become very tired of school and will eventually lose interest, confidence, and their fresh/positive attitude. No test scores are low enough to risk the attitude, participation, mindset and spirit of the pupils. There is only so much information that is needed to be covered each year and the extra hour is definitely excess and unneeded. But some people may have opposing views on this subject.

It is definitely true that most of the P.E. period is consumed with dressing into P.E. clothes and repetitive stretching. What is taught in Exploratory is mostly somewhat basic skills is also true. Some students need the extended periods of Language Arts and Math to achieve higher test scores. But every second of P.E. counts, every skill reviewed in Exploratory makes perfect, and the number of students who need an increase of time spent in LA and Math to improve themselves is very few. We the students of Murrieta are desperate for P.E. and Exploratory classes and will refuse to spend an additional hour in both Language Arts and Math classes.

Commentary: Clearly addresses all parts of the writing task

o Opinion and counter arguments were clearly presented Includes a clearly presented central idea with relevant facts, details, and/or explanations Few errors in the conventions of English Demonstrates a clear understanding of purpose and audience

Score 4:Murrieta district schools are in need of better test scores. The idea of no P.E. or exploratory

classes is a good conclusion to help students. Students will have lighter back packs without these two extra classes. Parents or guardians won’t have to pay for P.E. clothes, locks, binders or a notebook. Students involved in after school activities work double time and are already fit. Exploratory gives extra homework to student that have after school activities. More education will help students get an awesome career. Bad weather for P.E. wastes time when students could be learning instead. These two classes should be dropped from the Murrieta district.

Students often complain about heavy back packs. However, with two classes such as P.E. and exploratory eliminated students back packs would be lighter. Students would feel there is no reason to fuss about weight of their back packs when they are pounds and pounds lighter. There back packs would feel as light as a feather relieving the students pain. Lighter back packs would help students with damaged backs. Scientists have proven teachers are giving too much homework putting more weight on their back which is in time making students’ back worse. This would definitely help the students, especially the less unfortunate ones who walk to and from school. These extra classes give too much weight to students. Materials would no longer have to pay as much! Parents pay the average of forty dollars to fifty-five dollars for these two unwanted classes. These accessories only last about one to two years. Parents would feel a big relief to not have to pay this extra cash. The parents could instead pay this money for fees, bills or taxes. Parents would love extra pocket cash.

Students who are involved with extra after school activities are overwhelmed with homework and exercise. These students show no need of extra work instead of education you might be thinking the exact opposite, students do show need for exercise and not education. However, you should consider this question, why are students scoring low on district tests then?

P.E. often involves outside exercise here in Murrieta school districts. P.E. teachers and students wait for good weather to do activities. If weather is bad students are wasting their time sitting in the P.E. rooms doing nothing. This time could be spent in Math and Language Arts providing students with a better career.

Students need better test scores and teachers are putting as much effort into these students as they can. What we need is time without these two classes it could help. Students would spend more time studying.

Commentary: Addresses most aspects of the writing task

o Does not address reader’s concerns, biases, and expectations with counter arguments Good sentence variety Defends position with relevant evidence Contains some errors in the conventions of English


Score 4:What reasons are there to shut down exploratory and P.E.? The school board believes we should

take them out of our schedule, and then add an hour to math and language arts. They are doing this due to the fact of the average, low test scores. I disagree with this proposal because many kids don’t get exercise other than P.E., many of the skills taught in them are needed for everyday life, and many kids would get even worse grades because of concentration issues.

I believe that P.E. is needed for many reasons. For example, many students don’t do after school sports or fitness. This results with obesity. It is also a good way to release stress that many students suffer from. In addition, P.E. educates you how to stay healthy and fit. Without this instruction many kids don’t have a clue what they’re doing to themselves. Also, many kids learn how to exercise safely. In sum, I believe P.E. is a large part of your education, but I also think many things taught to us are need for us to advance in our lives.

Many things we learn in P.E. and exploratory are needed in our everyday lives. For example, you need to know how to type for college. College is needed for many high paying jobs. Typing, learned in exploratory, is very important to our future. Additionally, what you learn in P.E. affects your health and well-being. As you get older you get much more stubborn and lazy; so if you learn good habits while you’re young it makes it easier to stay healthier. Therefore, you would make more right decisions. Consequently, it is safer and smarter to educate youths about these things needed in their everyday lives.

If this proposal was in affect, there would be many behavior problems, consequently giving even worse grades. For example, many students would have a hard time concentrating. Without concentration, it is incapable to learn the correct information. This would result with bad grades for the distracter. Additionally, the teachers would have a hard time teaching because of behavior problems. Dealing with distractions takes away from a lot of the teaching time. Therefore, the class would find it hard to learn, resulting with bad grades. Consequently, the proposal is not a good solution to this conflict.

Ultimately, I disagree with this proposal. The only reason some people may like it is because their would be no cost for balls, instruments, and other supplies needed for P.E. and exploratory. Many kids will find it hard to concentrate, not have skills needed for everyday life, and won’t get enough exercise if this proposal takes place. Dropping P.E. and exploratory is an unfair idea!

Commentary: No counter argument Contains some errors in the conventions of English

o Grammaro Punctuationo Spelling

Maintains a mostly consistent point of view


Score 3:The reason I am writing this story is to disagree about the schools idea. The school thinks that if

they drop two classes every thing will be alright. There are good things and bad things to doing this and you will see why

I truly think if you drop two classes and add an hour of math and language arts it will make kids mad. The reason they will be mad is because you stay in classes more than an hour. If I were to choose I wouldn’t do it. The low test scores need to stop but, adding a sixth day to school shouldn’t happen either. All teachers should just explain things better and get to everyone if they need help.

The good things about doing this are more learning will be done. More money will be saved. Better test scores will happen. An hour and one more day will not help anyone. People just don’t want to learn anything anymore if this happens.

The bad things about this are putting people out of jobs. You won’t have enough time to spend with your family. More homework and even less family time. All the students would agree with me if I said we shouldn’t do this to the school. It is good the school wants the students to pick a decision.

It all comes down to a vote if the students want the extra day and 2 more hours of math and language arts. If the students pick yes that I know at least I will get mad. If the students pick no I will be happy. Either way we will have school Monday through Friday.

Commentary: Maintains an inconsistent point of view Central idea contains limited facts and details of support Includes little variety of sentence types Errors in the conventions of the English language interfere with meaning


Score 3:I have heard that Murrieta may take P.E. and Exploratory from middle schools and add an extra

hour to language arts and math. I am against the idea. I think P.E. and Exploratory are needed at middle schools. If these are taken away the students may react badly

Murrieta middle schools need P.E. and Exploratory for many reasons. Programs such as ASB and Pals may be removed. These are an important part of the school because it allows students to do fun things like field trips. The schools’ choirs would also be taken away. Our school is a winning school for our choir and all of their hard work would go to waste if it was removed. Without P.E. kids would be unhealthy and not fit, which may affect grades.

Students may start to react in a bad way, like paying less attention because they can’t concentrate on so much work. The homework may increase with more language arts and math. With more homework, the students won’t have time to be active, which means they won’t be getting any fitness at all during the week. The students may start ditching school because there won’t be anymore class to have fun in.

I know not everyone is against the idea, so I have come up with some possible answers to some. They may think students would do better with twice the time, but they may ignore the teacher after hearing and seeing the same stuff for two hours. This means a decrease in test scores, not an increase. Without P.E. students would start going to the gym instead of doing homework.

As you see dropping P.E. and Exploratory may not be the best idea to bring test scores up. All special programs for kids would be lost and kids wouldn’t stay healthy. Students would also have an increase in homework. In my opinion there are other ways to get a student to succeed.

Commentary: Addresses only parts of the writing task

o No counter argument or weak argumento Position is defended with little evidence

Contains several errors in the conventions of the English languageo Poor transitionso Grammar and punctuationo Little variety of sentence types

Weak conclusion


Score 3:Have you ever thought about middle schoolers not having P.E. and Exploratory and adding a

hour to math, social studies, and language arts. Well that’s why I am writing this persuasive essay to stop you.

If you drop P.E. kids could become obese and not well fit. They will be over sized middle schoolers. They need every minute of exercise. If you drop P.E. we will have one more hour of social studies then we will have tons of homework. But if you don’t drop P.E. our life will be much better. If you drop Exploratory we will not have a little free time. I know that’s why we have break and lunch but we need more free time.

You are probably thinking that if we drop P.E. that they can just do sports at home or at lunch. But what if parents don’t have the money to pay for sports. Or what if we have to much homework. I know that you want to drop P.E. and exploratory but you can’t we need the exercise.

Why can’t you just keep Thompson Middle School the way it is. With language arts, social studies, explore, P.E., math, and science. So that we can be good in every thing.

So now that you ready my persuasive essay to stop you from dropping P.E. and exploratory and adding a hour to math and social studies. I hope that you changed your mind. My reasons are that there would be to much homework. We would be oversized Middle Schoolers. So there you go hope that you make the right choice and say no to dropping P.E. and exploratory.

Commentary: Does not contain a counter argument Includes very little variety of sentence types Contains several errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling Addresses only parts of the writing task



Score 2:I disagree because P.E. and exploratory. P.E. will get you into shape and it shows you how to

play sports. Explore will teach you different subjects like doing a current event and help you on math and reading, subjects like that.

The reason why we should not drop P.E. and Explore because the people that show how to do a certain sport P.E. will help you learn how to do that sport. For instance, if there is a kid that does not know how to play basketball and then the P.E. teacher will show him how to toss in how to dribble the ball. Show him or her how to shoot the ball, how many people on a court.

I bet you that same people agree because if they drop P.E. and Explore they will add 1 hour to your lunch and hang out with their friends playing basketball. If they drop P.E. or Explore the school will be a hour longer. I think the teachers won’t want that either.

The reason they should not drop Explore because they could help you on math and different subjects like reading and. For instance if there is a kid that is having trouble in math and he has a math class for explore the teacher will help him and make him understand math.

I disagree because P.E. is a lot of fun. I don’t know why people want to do on P.E. and Explore there the best class in the seven class beside math.

Commentary: Addresses some parts of the writing task (opinion) Writer does not anticipate reader concerns or objections Includes no sentence variety Contain serious errors in the conventions of the English language

Score 2:In my opinion, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Students who hardly get any exercise will not get

any exercise at all. We should not take away P.E. and Exploratory at the middle schools.There are several reasons why we should not take them away. Students will become obese and

lack the self esteem required to bring home some good grades. Why don’t we take math and L.A. away and give that extra time to the other classes and then create a third or “C” day for math and language arts. That way you don’t deprive the student from the exercise and self esteem created by these classes. Yet you have extra time for math and L.A.

Commentary: Addresses some parts of the writing task (opinion) Writer does not anticipate reader concerns or objections Includes no sentence variety Contain serious errors in the conventions of the English language

Score 2:Every day around the world kids go to school including me. Due to low test scores the Murrieta

Valley Unified School District Board is exploring the idea of taking P.E. and Exploratory, they want to add an extra hour to math and language arts.

The students of Thompson don’t want that to happen because it’s going to be harder and were going to get more homework. Were not going to be able to do all the homework and were going to fail school.

Were trying so the Murrieta Valley Unified School District Board don’t take PE and Exploratory away so they could add an extra hour to math and language arts. We don’t want that to happen we wanted just like it is because its better.

Some kids don’t like math or language arts. They like PE and exploratory better because they are not to hard and they don’t give homework. They should take math and language arts away.

Commentary: Addresses only one part of writing task Fails to address reader’s concerns (counter arguments) No sentence variety Contains serious errors in the conventions of the English language


Score 1:Some people think that we don’t have enough time in are classes. But we do! The just choose

to spend in the wrong way. Which is not good or great. So in a way we do have enough time in our class.

In every class we have 50 mins to an hour and a 30 mins lunch also a 15 minute break that is the time we should have fun or run around but when we step through the door we should be come into silent mode.

But sometimes we be to rowdy and can’t calm down. And some can and for those people that is so good. And we don’t like to get in trouble with are teachers.

But also I know that some people fill that we don’t have enough time and do try hard. And cant’ get it done.

And won’t to cut of exploratory and P.E. periods and won’t more time in are math and language arts.

Well I hope that you will consider my thoughts and will have a very nice day and agree with me.

Commentary: Does not address writing task Fails to defend a position No central idea Serious errors in English language conventions Incomplete sentence structure

Grade 7 Writing Rubric – Summary of Reading

5 The Writing- Clearly addresses all parts of the writing task Makes reference to title and author of piece when given Demonstrates a clear understanding of purpose and audience Has summary characterized by paraphrasing of the main idea(s) and significant

details. Maintains a consistent point of view, focus, and organizational structure, including

the effective use of transitions Includes a clearly presented central idea with relevant facts, details, and/or

explanations Includes a variety of sentence types. Contains few, if any, errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,


4 The Writing –

Addresses all parts of the writing task Makes reference to title and author of piece when given Demonstrates a general understanding of purpose and audience Has summary characterized by paraphrasing the main idea(s) and significant

details. Maintains a mostly consistent point of view, focus, and organizational structure,

Score 1:No P.E. No exploratory. That’s messed up. Just because we’re stupid doesn’t mean you can

take our classes away.

Commentary: Does not thoroughly address prompt Offers no support Incomplete sentence structure No development

including the effective use of some transitions Presents a central idea with mostly relevant facts, details, and/or explanations. Includes a variety of sentence types. Contains some errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,


3 The Writing- Addresses only parts of the writing task. May make reference to title and author of piece when given. Demonstrates little understanding of purpose and audience. Has summary characterized by substantial copying of key phrases and minimal

paraphrasing. Maintains an inconsistent point of view, focus, and/or organizational structure,


Suggests a central idea with limited facts, details, and/or explanations. Includes little variety of sentence types. Contains several errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,


2 The Writing-

Addresses only one part of the writing task. Fails to make reference to title and author of piece when given. Demonstrates no understanding of purpose and audience. Has summary characterized by substantial copying of indiscriminately selected

phrases or sentences. Lacks a point of view, focus, organizational structure, and transitions that unify

important ideas. Lacks a central idea but may contain marginally related facts. Includes no sentence variety. Contains serious errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,


1 The Writing- Does not address the task. Fails to make reference to title and author of piece when given. Has no purpose. Has no summary of reading. Has no point of view, focus, or organizational structure. Has no central idea. Includes incomplete sentence structure. Contains serious errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,

punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). These errors cause confusion or make the writing nearly unintelligible.

Seventh Grade Practice Prompt #1Summary Writing Task

Directions

In this writing test, you will write a summary of reading: Read the following article. As you read, you may mark the article or make notes. Marks and notes will not be

scored. After reading the article, write a summary of what you have read. You may reread or go back to the article at any time during the test.

Scoring

Your writing will be scored on how well you: state the main idea of the article identify the most important details that support the main ideas write your summary in your own words, except for quotations express the underlying meaning of the article, not just the superficial details use correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling make reference to title and author of piece (when given)

Why I Will Never Cut My HairBy Gurdeep Sareen

When I was in kindergarten, I was an outsider. Every day at school, kids would stare at me and snicker at my long hair. No one, not even my teacher, was there by my side to help me through my pain and anguish.

So the abuse continued, both verbally and physically.

There were times when the abuse was just too much, and I was ready to cave in and cut my hair. But I couldn’t turn my back on my parents. They were the ones who gave me the courage to be who I am and to ignore the malicious, ignorant comments of others.

Sikhs, followers of a religion in India, believe that nothing God gives them should be changed. This is why we don’t cut our hair. By keeping my hair long and staying a true Sikh, I have kept my uniqueness in a world where uniqueness is becoming extinct. I am glad to be unique.

Many people go through life with a feeling that they don’t fit in. They are discriminated against because they are too tall or too short, too smart or too dumb, too dark or too light. Almost all people have had times when they have felt they didn’t belong—a time when you feel distant from everyone else.

But I encourage everyone—whether it be the way they dress, talk, or even laugh—to be themselves.

Reach within and find who you really are.

Then be that person.

Writing the Summary

Write a summary of the article. Your writing will be scored on how well you: state the main idea of the article identify the most important details that support the main ideas write your summary in your own words, except for quotations express the underlying meaning of the article, not just the superficial details use correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling make reference to title and author of piece (when given)


In this prompt, students will practice writing a summary of reading. The writing prompt is scheduled by the teacher and can be completed as a process paper in writer’s workshop format, an additional timed essay, or simply as a prompt analysis/discussion. Use of this prompt is at teacher discretion.

Use the summary of reading rubric as a guide for evaluating this composition.

Seventh Grade Practice Prompt #2Summary Writing Task

Directions

In this writing test, you will write a summary of reading: Read the following article. As you read, you may mark the article or make notes. Marks and notes will not be


Scoring


Pumas

Mountain lion, puma, cougar, panther—this cat is known by more names than just about any other mammal! But no matter what you call it, it’s still the same cat, Felis concolor, the largest of the small cat species. So how did it get so many names? Mostly because it has such a large range, and people from different countries have called it different things. Early Spanish explorers to North and South America called it leon (lion) and gato monte (cat of the mountain), from which we get the name mountain lion. Puma is the name the Incas gave this cat in their language. Cougar seems to have come from an old South American Indian word, cuguacuarana, which was shortened to cuguar and then spelled differently. And panther is a general term for cats that have solid-colored coats, so it was used for pumas as well as black jaguars. All of these names are considered correct, but scientists usually use the name puma. You may have heard of the Florida panther. This is a subspecies of puma that used to be found from Texas throughout the southeast, but is now only found in Florida. It is endangered, with only about 50 cats left, and conservation efforts are underway to try to save it.

Pumas are solitary cats, except during breeding and when a mother has cubs. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have any contact with one another. They live in areas called "home ranges," which vary in size from 30 to 125 square miles. These ranges overlap, so the cats share some parts. The home range is where each cat spends most of its time and does most of its hunting. Pumas find shelter to rest or get away from bad weather in thick brush, rocky crevices, or caves, which might be anywhere in their home range. Only mothers set up a specific den, where they give birth to their cubs and stay with them until they are old enough to go out hunting, at about six months of age.

Pumas are powerfully built, with large paws, sharp claws, and hind legs that are larger and more muscular than their front legs to give them great jumping power. They can also run fast and have a flexible spine like a cheetah’s to help them maneuver around obstacles and change direction quickly. Even so, they are mostly ambush hunters: they stalk their prey, then hide in trees, brush, or grass before leaping out to grab it. Pumas eat a variety of prey depending on where they live, including deer, pigs, capybaras, raccoons, armadillos, hares, and squirrels. Some larger cats even bring down animals as big as an elk or a moose. As more people have moved into the puma’s territory, the number of encounters with these cats has increased. This is often "big news" and frightens people. But overall, meeting a puma is an unlikely event. The cats don’t want to confront humans, and they will do their best to avoid us.

Some people have considered pumas to be pests and shot them on sight, or trapped or poisoned them. That’s one of the reasons that pumas have become scarce across North America. It’s important to remember that pumas have an essential role to play in their ecosystems: they are one of the top predators, and without them populations of deer and other animals would become unhealthy and too large for the habitat. It’s true that pumas can be dangerous, and problem cats should be reported to local animal control agencies, like the U. S. Department of Fish and Game. But people like to live and play in or near wild places, so we need to understand and respect the wildlife that also lives there. If we take responsibility for our own behavior, pets, livestock, and property, we can learn to live with pumas and appreciate their power and grace.

Writing the Summary



In this prompt, students will practice writing a summary of reading. The writing prompt is scheduled by the teacher and can be completed as a process paper in writer’s workshop format, an additional timed essay, or simply as a prompt analysis/discussion. Use of this prompt is at teacher discretion.


Seventh GradeDistrict Writing Sample 1Summary Writing Task

Directions

In this writing test, you will write a summary of reading: Read the following informational article. As you read, you may mark the article or make notes. Marks and notes will not be


Scoring


Bats

In the distant past, many people thought bats had magical powers, but times have changed. Today, many people believe that bats are rodents, that they cannot see, and that they are more likely than other animals to carry rabies. All of these beliefs are mistaken. Bats are not rodents, are not blind, and are no more likely than dogs and cats to transmit rabies. Bats, in fact, are among the least understood and least appreciated of animals.

Bats are not rodents with wings, contrary to popular belief. Like all rodents, bats are mammals, but they have a skeleton similar to the human skeleton. The bones in bat wings are much like those in arms and the human hand, with thumb and four fingers. In bats, the bones of the arms and the four fingers of the hands are very long. This bone structure helps support the web of skin that stretches from the body to the ends of the fingers to form wings.

Although bats cannot see colors, they have good vision in both dim and bright light. Since most bats stay in darkness during the day and do their feeding at night, they do not use their vision to maneuver in the dark but use a process called echolocation. This process enables bats to emit sounds from their mouths that bounce off objects and allow them to avoid the objects when flying. They use this system to locate flying insects to feed on as well. Typically, insect-eating bats emerge at dusk and fly to streams or ponds where they feed. They catch the insects on their wingtip or tail membrane and fling them into their mouths while flying.

There are about 1,000 species of bat, ranging in size from the bumblebee bat, which is about an inch long, to the flying fox, which is 16 inches long and has a wingspan of five feet. Each type of bat has a specialized diet. For seventy percent of bats, the diet is

insects. Other types of bats feed on flowers, pollen, nectar, and fruit or on small animals such as birds, mice, lizards, and frogs.

One species of bat feeds on the blood of large mammals. This is the common vampire bat, which lives only in Latin America and is probably best known for feeding on the blood of cattle. Unfortunately, in an attempt to control vampire bat populations, farmers have unintentionally killed thousands of beneficial fruit- and insect-eating bats as well.

Bats, in fact, perform a number of valuable functions. Their greatest economic value is in eliminating insect pests. Insect-eating bats can catch six hundred mosquitoes in an hour and eat half their body weight in insects every night. In many tropical rain forests, fruit-eating bats are the main means of spreading the seeds of tropical fruits. Nectar-feeding bats pollinate a number of tropical plants. If it were not for bats, we might not have peaches, bananas, mangoes, guavas, figs, or dates.

Today, the survival of many bat species is uncertain. Sixty percent of bats do not survive past infancy. Some are killed by predators such as owls, hawks, snakes and other meat-eating creatures, but most are victims of pesticides and other human intrusions. IN Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, where there were once 8 million bats, there are now a quarter million. At Eagle Creek, Arizona, the bat population has dropped from 30 million to 30 thousand in six years.

Bats often have been burdened with a bad reputation, perhaps because they are not the warm, cuddly sort of animal we love to love. However, their unusual physical features should not lead us to underestimate their value.

Writing the Summary



In this prompt, students will be writing a summary of reading. The writing sample is scheduled by the teacher and should be completed in one block period or two regular periods. Students may create their own graphic organizer. Students are to write on lined-paper that is typically used. Dictionaries (personal or published) are not allowed for reference. One-on-one assistance is not allowed.


Seventh Grade Anchor PapersSample 1 – Summary Writing Task

(To be used by teacher for evaluating student writing samples--do not show to students until they have completed the writing sample)

Score 5:“If a rat dies, it becomes a bat in its next life. We huddle around the spastic animal, a glorified

rat with its beautiful, ecstatic wings like the leathery ones I imagine Satan possessed.” Through our years of co-existence, human and bat relationships have been altered into a form of twisted fear and vengeance. Our growing separation lays the foundation for common misjudgments. There are actually over a hundred types of bats, each baring some physical resemblance around the world.

Flying Fox, Bumblebee and Vampire Bats are a few examples of the many different species of bat that are known today. Since their diet is mostly concentrated on insects and vegetation, these nocturnal creatures feast on pests, flowers, pollen, and fruit. These mammals are key elements in maintaining the amounts of insects. The bats salvage their hunger with the blood of massive herd animals. Their survival instinct has as a result portrayed them to the unknowing public as vicious, foul creatures.

A bat’s physical composition enables its survival in the wild. Having a skeleton like our own, their extended fingers and arms give way to the success of their webbed wings in catching prey. Though the tremendous extent of excess skin on bats may be intimidating we can truly admire their tranquility and their humble approach to life. Flying foxes, Bumblebees, and mammals like so retain high degrees of vision in lighting that would usually strain our vision in lighting that would most likely strain the eyes of predators, and prey.

Bats have distinct advantages in the animal kingdom. As they devour insect pests, the fruit the insects infect and disease are less harmed. This allows the further freshness of produce and ensures the safety of the consumer uninformed of such. Some pats pollinate vegetation unintentionally while feeding. It may seem as though they are depleting the amounts of crossbreeds, and plants, however, they are replenishing the populations.

Centuries of myth and superstition has portrayed bats in an ignorant light. Their rare ability to sustain flight, keen vision, and mutated like manner has led to our restricted contact. Without the knowledge of these creatures, we cannot develop our own opinions and ideals of them, but base our judgments on those of others. In the near future, there is hope that we can distance ourselves from discrimination and repulsiveness.

Commentary: Powerful vocabulary Clearly addresses all parts of writing task Maintains a consistent point of view Uses a variety of sentence types Strong elements of style


Score 5:For years, bats have been regarded as disease-ridden, terrifying flying rodents. They have

ended up on many of the top ten “most terrifying animal” lists. The truth is, bats are not rodents and only carry as many diseases as cats and dogs. These unappreciated animals have many fascinating qualities, and in the article, “Bats,” the unknown author tells us about a few.

There are about one thousand species of bat alive today. They range from one inch to sixteen inches long. One example of a bat is the vampire bat, which is one of the more well-known species alive today. They feed on the blood of large mammals, such as cattle. Farmers have killed many fruit bats and insect eating bats in an attempt to protect their cattle from the vampires. Each different species has their own specialized diet and size but they all have one thing in common: their way to get food.

Since bats do their feeding at night, they use not their vision to get food, but echolocation, a process when a bat emits a series of clicking sounds that bounce of trees, bushes and animals. Bats use their big ears to tell the difference between clicks that bounced off a hard tree and clicks that bounced off a soft moth.

Contrary to popular beliefs, bats do have many valuable functions that serve as help, not hindrance. One of their best qualities is the fact that they eat insects. Some bats catch six hundred insects an hour! Others eat half their bodyweight every night! Another good quality that some fruit eating bats posses is seed-spreading. When they eat tropical fruits, the seeds are scattered as they fly and deposited in the ground when the animals defecate. Nectar feeding bats are the reason that we have such fruits as dates, figs, guavas, mangos, and more!

Throughout this piece, the author reminds us that bats are not winged beasts, and that they provide us with benefits such as insect-free crops and exotic fruits. Maybe someday we will fully understand these unique creatures. This article was only the beginning.

Commentary: Clearly addresses all parts of the writing task Paraphrases main ideas and significant details Variety of sentence types 5 quality would be more apparent with revision-sound writing elements of style present.


Score 4:Bats are creatures that have a lot of extraordinary abilities like excellent vision in bright light,

echolocation, and they are nocturnal. But some people do not appreciate the bat. Many people give bats a bad reputation because of their strange appearance and abilities, but bats are a lot better than people think they are.

Bats are a big help to society. Insect-eating bats eliminate pests by eating six-hundred an hour on average. Fruit-eating bats spread the seeds of tropical fruits. Nectar-feeding bats can pollinate a lot of different tropical plants. If bats didn’t exist, people wouldn’t have bananas, dates, peaches, guavas, or mangos.

Bat populations have dropped in the past couple years. People have tried to control vampire populations but have killed other bats the process. Even bats with diets of fruit and insects have been killed. Sixty percent don’t live after infancy.

Bats perform a lot of valuable functions, but still are loathed by some. Just because bats aren’t cuddly doesn’t mean they are filthy mammals. Even though bats are extraordinary creatures, many people misunderstand the bat and leave it with a bad reputation.

Commentary: Too concise Paraphrases main ideas and significant details Maintains consistent point of view Includes a variety of sentence types Because this is so brief, it could be considered a high 3 or a low 4


Score 4:Long ago people thought bats had magical powers and were signs of great evil, but times have

changed. Bats are mostly night animals. Despite popular belief, bats aren’t blind, flying rodents. They also don’t transmit diseases such as rabies any more than a cat or dog would. Bats are animals just like your pets and should be treated the same; they are misunderstood, there are several different types of them, and despite the fact that they perform a number of valuable functions, their survival is uncertain.

Bats are some of the most misunderstood animals. In spite of what people might think, they are not “rodents with wings.” Their skeletons are much like humans which obviously indicates that they definitely can’t be a rodent. The bones in their wings are almost identical to those of arms and hands in a human. Bats really aren’t blind, but yet they cannot see colors. Since they fly in dark almost all the time, this is not a grave need. Because they fly at night, bats get more insects to feed on which is actually a brilliant idea. As you can see the many types of bats are totally misunderstood about almost all of their characteristics.

There are several types of species that al have their own characteristics. For instance, there are vampire bats. Thy feed on the blood of large mammals and I definitely believe that is where the name comes from. There are also bats such as the bumble bee bat or the flying fox. Like a bumble bee, bats are only about an inch long; both tiny, both frightening. Flying foxes are about sixteen inches long with an amazing wing span of five feet. Although they perform a number of valuable functions, their survival is uncertain.

Bats are very helpful, but are dying at a vast rate. At bat’s greatest “economic value” is eliminating bugs. “Insect–eating” bats can catch six hundred mosquitoes an hour which I think is a great help. Bats can also eat half of their body weight in one night and that is amazing. Sixty percent of bats do not survive. Most of them are dying from pesticides and other man-made poisons; if you ask me that’s a cruelty to nature. Where there was once 8 million bats are now less than half a million; they should be endangered species. People are very cruel to bats.

Bats are the least appreciated of all animals. People think they are evil flying rodents is completely absurd. They also think they are just useless predators, but are among some of the most hunted animals. There are very many different species of bats. All of these species have their own characteristics. Bats are amazing!

Commentary: Addresses all parts of the writing task Too persuasive opinion should not be presented on a summary of information essay. Presents a central idea with mostly relevant facts, details, and/or explanations. Includes a variety of sentence types Contains some errors in the conventions of English


Score 3:This essay is about bats. Not baseball bats, flying bats. Bats are probably the least understood

and least appreciated creature in the world. In this essay I’m writing to you about bats. I’m going to talk about what bats are like, what they eat, and what they are good for. Now lets get started.

There are over 100 different types of bats. Bats bones are very much like human bones like the wings have bones like our arms, they even have fingers. These bones help support there web like skin. Do you know anybody who thinks bats are blind? Well they are not they’re color-blind, but they have very good vision. In the dark bats use echolocation so they know were objects are.

Did you know that 70% of bats eat insects? Some eat flowers, pollen, nectar, and fruit or they eat small animals such as birds, mice, lizards, and frogs. One type of bat drunks blood, the vampire bat. Most of the time vampire bats eat fruit.

Bats can be very useful too. Bats can eat half their weight in insects in once night. The bats can catch over 600 mosquetos in one hour. In the rain forest bats help spread seeds on the ground when they eat fruit.

Did you know that most bats are killed in infintey. In New Mexico there used to be 8 million bats and now there are only ¼ million and in Arizona there used to be 30 million bats and now there are only 30 thousand. We should try to protect these creatures so we can find out more about these misunderstood animals. Now you know all I know about bats.

Commentary: Demonstrates little understanding of purpose and audience Contains several errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar, spelling). Substantial copying of key phrases and minimal paraphrasing. Includes little variety of sentence types.



Score 2:In the story “Bats” you read how bats are misunderstood and mistreated. Many people believe

that bats are rodents. Bats are not rodents, are not blind, and are no more likely than dogs and cats to have rabies. In fact, bats are among the least understood and least appreciated of animals. Bats are mammals that have a skeleton similar to human skeleton. The bones in bat wings are much like those in the arms and the hand, with the thumb and four fingers.

One species of bat feeds on the blood of large mammals. This is the common vampire bat, which lives in Latin America and is probably known for feeding on the blood of cattle. Which unfortunately some farmers will kill thousands of fruit and bug eating bats, mistaking them as vampire bats. In Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, where there was once 8 million bats. There are now a quarter million. At Eagle Creek, Arizona, the bat population has dropped from 30 million to 30 thousand in six years.

Bats are thought of a bad reputation, when it isn’t that different of those we think good of.

Commentary: No main idea Addresses only part of the writing task Demonstrates no understanding of purpose and audience Substantial copying of indiscriminately selected phrases of sentences. Lacks a point of view Weak conclusion

Score 3:When you think of bats what do you think of? Do think of rabies, rats, or a blind very different

animal. Many people do because bats are so misunderstood. Creatures such as bats are the blind raby rats to some people, but that is completely wrong. Bats have the capacity to see, they eat many different types of food, and are very important to use even though we are making the population slip.

Although you hear that bats can not see; that is completely false. They can see, with the acception to colors. Food is found at nights for bats and instead of using their eye sight they use echolocation. Echolocation is a vibration sent out used so bats can find food. You are probably wondering if bats can see in the day and night; the answer is yes, they are very capable of seeing at night and in the day light.

A bat eats many different things; just depending on the type you are dealing with. You have vampire bats, bumblebee bats, which is only an inch long, and you have the flying fox bat, that can get to be sixteen inches long with a five foot wing span, there are only about one hundred species of bats. Seventy percent of bats love to eat insects. Many others eat; pollen, nectar, fruit, and even small birds. There is one that drinks blood, and that is the vampire bat; many people are scared of this bat even though they usually drink blood from cows.

The bat population is lowering because of how little we understand about bats, and how greatly needed they are. Their uncuddly selves is getting themselves killed by farmers mistaking them for vampire bats. In Mexico, Carlsbad Caverns, Eagle Creek, and Arizona many bats are killed. Over thirty million are killed for looking different; even though they can be very resourceful to us. These bats, the ones we kill, are the ones making our fruit grow. The critters we kill, know as bats, scatter seeds and give us many things we need today.

Bats can see very well, they eat many sources of food, and they are very important to us although we show little respect to them. Bats are scary sometimes, but that does not mean we should kill them. Us as people need to keep the bats that we still have one earth before we make the extinct. The critters help more than hurt the earth and if you want to keep fruit you should keep bats. Just because bats are unique does not mean we should label them.

Commentary: Addresses only parts of writing task Several errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling Maintains an inconsistent point of view Includes little variety of sentence types


Score 1:In the distant past many people thought bats had magical powers but times have changed.

Today many people believe that bats are rodents that they cannot see and that they are more likely than other animals to carry rabies all of these beliefs are mistaken. Bats are not rodents are not blind and are no more likely than dogs and cats to transmit rabies. Bats in fact are among the least understood and least appreciated of animals.

Commentary: Copied intro word for word Demonstrates no understanding of purpose and audience Lacks a point of view, focus, organizational structure; and transitions that unify important ideas Has summary characterized by substantial copying of indiscriminately selected phrases or

sentences. Essay was not developed

Grade 7 Writing Rubric – Response to Literature

5 The Writing- Clearly addresses all parts of the writing task Demonstrates a clear understanding of purpose and audience Develops interpretations that demonstrate a thoughtful, comprehensive grasp of the

text. Organizes accurate and coherent interpretations around clear ideas, premises, or

images from the literary work. Provides specific textual examples and details to support the interpretations. Maintains a consistent point of view, focus, and organizational structure, including

the effective use of transitions Includes a clearly presented central idea (thesis) with relevant facts, details, and/or

explanations Includes a sophisticated variety of sentence types. Contains few, if any, errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,


4 The Writing –

Addresses all parts of the writing task Demonstrates a strong understanding of purpose and audience Develops interpretations that demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the text. Organizes accurate and reasonably coherent interpretations around clear ideas,

premises, or images from the literary work. Provides textual examples, which use concrete language, and details to support the

interpretations. Maintains a mostly consistent point of view, focus, and organizational structure,

including the effective use of some transitions; all portions of essay connect together.

Presents a central idea (thesis) with mostly relevant facts, details, and/or explanations.

Includes a variety of sentence types and effective word choice.Contains some errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). These errors do not interfere with the reader’s understanding of the writing.

3 The Writing- Addresses most of the writing task. Must include multiple-paragraph organization. Demonstrates little understanding of purpose and audience. Develops interpretations that demonstrate a limited grasp of the text. Includes interpretations that lack accuracy or coherence as related to ideas,

premises, or images from the literary work. Provides some textual examples and details to support the interpretations. Maintains an inconsistent point of view, focus, and/or organizational structure,


Suggests a central idea (thesis) with limited facts, details, and/or explanations; details may not be clearly related or may be too general.

Includes little variety of sentence types: simple, but appropriate vocabulary. Contains several errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,


2 The Writing- Addresses only one part of the writing task. May contain only one paragraph Vaguely demonstrates no understanding of purpose and audience. Vaguely demonstrates little grasp of the text. Lacks an interpretation or may be a simple retelling of the passage. Lacks textual examples and details. Lacks a point of view, focus, organizational structure, and transitions that unify

important ideas. Lacks a central idea (thesis) but may contain marginally related facts.

Includes no sentence variety; vocabulary is overly simple. Contains serious errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,


1 The Writing- Does not address the writing task. Has no purpose. Demonstrates no grasp of the text. Lacks an interpretation. Lacks examples and details. Lacks a point of view, focus, and organizational structure. Lacks a central idea (thesis). Includes incomplete sentence structure. Contains serious errors in the conventions of the English language (grammar,

punctuation, capitalization, and spelling). These errors create confusion or make the essay unintelligible.

Middle School Writing Rubric- Response to Literature

5 My Writing- Has clear and thoughtful ideas that show a strong understanding

of the literature Has specific examples from the text that support ideas Includes many different sentence types and rich vocabulary Contains smooth transitions that tie paragraphs and ideas

together Includes a clear central idea with supporting details, facts or

explanations Discusses all the issues presented in the writing prompt Contains few errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization


4 My Writing- Has ideas that show an understanding of the literature Has specific examples from the text that support ideas Includes different sentence types and varied vocabulary Contains transitions that tie paragraphs and ideas together Includes a central idea with mostly related details, facts or

explanations Discusses all the issues presented in the writing prompt Contains some errors in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization


3 My Writing- Has ideas that show a limited understanding of the literature Has few if any examples from the text that support ideas

Includes limited sentence types and vocabulary May have ineffective transitions that do not tie paragraphs and

ideas together Suggests a central idea with limited details, facts or

explanations Discusses only some of the issues presented in the writing

prompt Contains several errors in spelling, punctuation, and

capitalization (these errors may get in the way of the reader’s understanding of the writing).

2 My Writing- Shows little understanding of the literature Lacks examples from the text Does not include different types of sentences and limited

vocabulary Lacks transitions that tie paragraphs and ideas together Lacks central idea Discusses only one of the issues presented in the writing prompt Contains serious errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization (these errors get in the way of the reader’s understanding of the writing).

1 My Writing- Shows no understanding of the literature Lacks examples from the text Includes incomplete sentences and poor vocabulary No transitions Lacks a central idea Discusses none of the issues presented in the writing prompt Contains serious errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization (these errors cause confusion or make the essay impossible to understand).

Seventh GradePractice Prompt 1Response to Literature Writing Task

Directions

Read the following story. As you read, you may mark the story or make notes. Marks and notes will not be

scored. After reading the story, write an essay. You may reread or go back to the story at any time during the assessment.

Scoring

Your writing will be scored on how well you write an essay that: shows your understanding of the author’s message and your insight into the

characters and ideas presented in the story; is organized around several clear ideas and/or images from the story; and justifies your interpretation by giving examples and citing evidence from the text.

The Old Grandfather and His Little Grandsonby Leo Tolstoy

The grandfather had become very old. His legs would not carry him, his eyes could not see, his ears could not hear, and he was toothless. When he ate, bits of food sometimes dropped out of his mouth. His son and his son's wife no longer allowed him to eat his meals with them at the table. He had to eat his meals in the corner near the stove.

One day they gave him his food in a bowl. He tried to move the bowl closer; it fell to the floor and broke. His daughter-in-law scolded him. She told him that he

spoiled everything in the house and broke their dishes, and she said that from now on he would get his food in a wooden dish. The old man sighed and said nothing.

A few days later, the old man's son and his wife were sitting in their hut, resting and watching their little boy playing on the floor. They saw him putting together something out of small pieces of wood. His father asked him, "What are you making, Misha?"

The little grandson said, "I'm making a wooden bucket. When you and Mamma get old, I'll feed you out of this wooden dish."

The young peasant and his wife looked at each other, and tears filled their eyes. They were ashamed because they had treated the old grandfather so meanly, and from that day they again let the old man eat with them at the table and took better care of him.

Writing the Essay

Write an essay in which you present your understanding of the characters and the overall meaning of the story. Support your ideas with examples and/or evidence from the text.

Your writing will be evaluated on how well you write an essay that: shows your understanding of the author’s message and your insight into the


Directions (for the teacher)In this prompt, students will practice writing a response to literature. The writing sample is scheduled by the teacher and can be completed as a process paper in writer’s workshop format, an additional timed essay, or simply as a prompt analysis/discussion. Use of this prompt is at teacher discretion.

Use the rubric for response to literature writing as a guide for evaluating this composition.

Seventh GradePractice Prompt 2Response to Literature Writing Task

Directions Read the following story. As you read, you may mark the story or make notes. Marks and notes will not be

scored. After reading the story, write an essay. You may reread or go back to the story at any time during the assessment.

Scoring

Your writing will be scored on how well you write an essay that: shows your understanding of the author’s message and your insight into the


Ask SamBy Dolly Hasinbiller

Alan looked at the letter again. It was from Kris Bates. Kris was one of the nicest girls in school. She was writing to ASK SAM for help. ASK SAM was the advice column in the school paper. Alan was SAM. But no one but he and the teacher knew it.

Dear SAM:

I have a problem. Lots of boys like me, but the one I like doesn't even know I'm alive. He sits near me in math, if that's any help. He doesn't go out with anyone special. What can I do to get him to ask me out?

Kris Bates

Alan was surprised. He couldn't imagine any boy in the school who wouldn't like to go out with Kris. He would ask her himself if he wasn't afraid of being turned down. Who could he be? He thought maybe it was the new boy, Paul. Paul sat right in front of Alan. He was right across from Kris. Paul didn't know many people yet. He didn't go out with anyone special. It must be Paul.

He would keep an eye on Kris. Then he could see how well she was taking his advice. If it didn't work, he would know why.

The day the paper came out, there was a big math test. Every time he looked up, Kris was looking at Paul. Alan was sure that Paul was the one. After the test, Alan said, "Hey, Paul, how did you do on the test?"

"I should have done better," said Paul. "But I think I passed."Kris spoke up. "How about you, Alan?"Alan laughed. "I'm afraid I'm not too hot in math, either.""Why, Alan," Kris said, "I will help you.""Thanks," said Alan. "But why don't you help Paul? He probably could use the

help, too."That night Alan got a phone call from Kris. "Alan, do you have Paul's number? I

told him I would help him with math. I thought maybe we could meet after school tomorrow and have a soda first. Would you like to come?"

"No thanks," said Alan. "Three is a crowd. See you tomorrow."So his advice was working. Kris was doing everything he had told her. SAM had

done it again.After school the next day, Alan met Kris standing all alone outside. "Hi," he said.

"Where is Paul? I thought you were helping him."Kris shrugged. "He couldn't make it. I don't think he needs any help anyway.

Alan, can I ask you something?""Sure, go ahead."

Dear K.B.,

You do have a problem. You will have to talk to him first. I think it would be all right for you to: (1) Call him on the phone with any excuse. (2) Ask him to have a soda with you after school. (3) Walk him home. If none of this works, let me know.

"You know ASK SAM? I asked for some advice. But so far it isn't working at all. There's just one thing I haven't tried. But it would make me feel silly doing it."

Alan tried to think what that could be. He couldn't remember. "Well," he said, "you might as well try. What do you have to lose?"

Kris smiled. "Nothing, I guess. Come one. I'll walk you home."

Writing the Essay

Write an essay in which you present your understanding of the characters and the overall meaning of the story. Support your ideas with examples and/or evidence from the text.

Your writing will be evaluated on how well you write an essay that: shows your understanding of the author’s message and your insight into the


Directions (for the teacher)In this prompt, students will practice writing a response to literature. The writing sample is scheduled by the teacher and can be completed as a process paper in writer’s workshop format, an additional timed essay, or simply as a prompt analysis/discussion. Use of this prompt is at teacher discretion.

Use the rubric for response to literature writing as a guide for evaluating this composition.

Preparing Students for the Persuasive Writing TaskKey elements of the persuasive writing task Strongly stated position/thesis Multi-paragraph response (does not necessarily need to be 5-

paragraphs) Well-developed argument with information, language, and approach

that targets appropriate audience 500-700 words for process papers 300-500 words for timed-essays

Position supported with specific examples Anticipates and addresses counter-arguments Avoids fallacious arguments

Don’t claim too much Don’t oversimplify complex issues Support arguments with concrete evidence and specific

proposals

Advanced elements: Emotional appeal Ethical appeal Rhetorical question

Common fallacies: Ad hominem: attacking the individual instead of the argument Ad populum (bandwagon): misconception that widespread

occurrence of something makes an idea true or right Hasty generalization: drawing a conclusion based on only one or

two cases Appeal to authority or prestige: the misconception that because

someone is famous or in a position of authority, their ideas are automatically true or right

Examining arguments, counter-arguments, and logical fallacies in literature and other media

Media Resources:

Newspapers and Magazines— Editorials Letters to the editor Movie, book, and music reviews Print advertisements

Television Political debates Political speeches Commercials/infomercials

Radio Talk radio excerpts Editorials Commercials

Other Brochures and pamphlets Billboards Flyers and posters

Activities to Develop Arguments, Counter-arguments, and an Awareness of Fallacies

Formal and informal debates requiring students to be prepared to argue both sides of an issue

Finding, presenting, and critiquing arguments found in media Writing letters to the editor Writing book, music, and film reviews Creating print advertisements Creating radio or television commercials Satires/parodies of persuasive speeches and advertisements

Persuasive BrainstormingArguing for or Against a Proposal

PROPOSAL REASONS IN FAVOR REASONS AGAINST

Persuasive BrainstormingArguing for or Against a Proposal

PROPOSAL REASONS IN FAVOR REASONS AGAINSTSchool-wide limit on homework (2 night per week)

Quality vs. quantity—assignments would be done better

Allows more time with family and friends Extra assignments could be done for

extra credit

Fewer assignments do not guarantee better quality

There are still a few hours every weekday to spend with family and friends

Highly motivated students would probably do lots of extra credit, increasing the gap between high performing and low performing students

Allowing and providing funding for students to attend any public or private school of their choosing.

Allowing pilots to carry guns in order to protect against terrorist acts on airplanes.

Requiring all students who are not performing at grade level according to STAR testing results to repeat that grade level.

Persuasive Brainstorming—Grade 7Arguing for or Against a Proposal

PROPOSAL REASONS IN FAVOR REASONS AGAINSTAllowing all children under the age of 18 to watch no more than 1 hour of television per day.

Closing and banning zoos in order to allow all animals to remain in the wild.

Increasing taxes in order to build more parks and recreation facilities in Murrieta.

Banning the sales of all violent video and computer games.

Name/Period:____________________________________ Date:________________

OUTLINE FOR A PERSUASIVE ESSAY

Write an opening sentence. What is the issue?(Start with a fact or question. Establish the two sides of the issue-those who are in favor, those who are against.) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

State your position on the issue. What do you think about it?(I think . . . (or) . . . I believe . . . (or) . . . In my opinion . . .)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Provide reasons and give details that support your point of view.(First of all, I think this because . . . (or) . . . One reason I think this is because . . .)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Provide reasons and ideas your opponent might use.(Use transitional words and phrases: although . . . however . . . in contrast . . . on the other hand . . .)__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write a strong conclusion that summarizes or restates your opinion.(Use powerful images and language. For these reasons . . . (or) . . . Now do you agree . . .?)________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________VII. Steps to Prepare Students for Timed Persuasive Writing TasksStep 1: Prompt/proposal discussion and analysis—Place the prompt/proposal on an overhead projector, but instead of having students write an essay in response to it, do any or all of the following:

Have a discussion about the prompt/proposal (use Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share* to ensure student engagement). What is the prompt asking the student to do? What are some possible arguments for or against the proposal? What are some key elements students should include in the essay? What should be avoided?

Have students complete a graphic organizer brainstorming arguments and counter-arguments for a proposal in response to the prompt/proposal (use Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share to ensure student engagement).

Have students complete an outline for an essay in response to the prompt individually or in small groups.

Have students write only a single paragraph based on any ONE of the arguments for the position.*See Name Card Method handout

Step 2: Write a whole-class essay based on one of the practice prompts--The key to writing the whole-class essay is to model the thinking processes writers go through in composing essays. The teacher prompts this reflective thinking with questions about each sentence as it is written. The goal is to awaken the inner-voice of students so that they become conscious of the writing process.

Have a discussion about the prompt. What is the prompt asking the student to do? What are some possible arguments for or against the proposal? What are some key elements students should include in the essay? What should be avoided?

Have students complete a graphic organizer for brainstorming arguments and counter-arguments for a proposal in response to the prompt (use Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share to share and to ensure student engagement).

As a class, take a position on the issue. Use an overhead projector, WebTV, or LCD Projector to write an essay with

the class (use the Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share to ensure student engagement—otherwise, you and 2 or 3 students will be doing all the work!).

Write the essay line by line: Ask students what a good statement would be for the next sentence (e.g.

What would be a good sentence to start the essay with? What would be a good sentence to support our topic sentence?)

Have students think of a sentence, discuss with their partner, and write the sentence with their partner.

Using note cards, call on a student to share their sentence. Write or type this as they read it to you.

Discuss the sentence with the class. Is it effective? Can we add to it? Should we alter it?

Step 3: Have students write individual essays based on one of the practice prompt, then do peer evaluations of these essays--

The key to having students do peer evaluations is to focus on the process, not on the final accuracy of the scores students give. Learning how to properly assess an

essay can help students see what goes into quality writing, and can also develop their ability to assess their own writing. This is also a great way to get students to internalize the rubric used for evaluating persuasive essays.

Use the Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share while doing this activity to ensure engagement of all students.

Peer Evaluation Process Overview--

Have students write in response to the prompt. Have them write only their ID #s on the essay—no names.

Use anchor papers if available. Otherwise, scan through papers to pick a high, middle, and low essay.

Using an overhead projector, Web TV, or LCD projector, analyze the prompt as a class—discuss exactly what the prompt is calling for the writer to do.

Using an overhead projector, Web TV, or LCD projector, take students through a “norming” procedure—randomly display and read the high, middle, and low sample papers. After you read each paper with the class, ask them to rank the paper as high, middle, or low. Ask students to share reasons for their ranking by quoting directly from the rubric.

Complete peer evaluations of class essays based on the rubric from the last step. Have students work in groups of 3-5. Be sure no group receives an essay to evaluate written by one of its own

members. Have students record the ranking they give to the essay on the Peer

Evaluations Scoring and Comment Sheet (see handout). Admonish students not to look at the ranking their fellow group members

give the essay until after they have read it and determined a ranking. It’s ok to disagree!

Once students have ranked each essay, they should discuss each, give a final overall ranking, and agree upon one positive comment and one suggestion for improvement for each paper. Comments should be directly linked to the rubric!

Post scoring sheet at next class meeting. Give students a chance to meet with groups to clarify scores/comments.

(This can be final step—great way to reduce grading--or...) Based on the feedback students receive from this process, have them rewrite

the composition and submit a revised copy to you for a grade (see step 4).Helpful hints: Save top, middle, low essays after every timed essay for future use as anchor

papers! Rather than have students score the essays using 5-point rubric, simplify by

ranking as either high (5), middle (3-4), or low (1-2). Students have an easier time with this rather than pinpointing with the correct number.

Step 4: Have students complete a process paper based on one of the practice prompts. This can be based on the essay completed for

the peer evaluation in step 3, or can be based on another practice prompt—

Giving students time to explore the process of writing a persuasive essay can help them hone the skills they will need to write on demand for the district writing sample or the CST. Give them time to write and revise several drafts, and to receive feedback from peers, teachers, parents, etc.

Be sure to include both peer and self-evaluation in the process. Have students quote directly from the rubric in providing feedback to their peers and on their own papers. Peers should provide feedback on a draft prior to the student writing his/her final draft*. Students should do a self-evaluation based on their final draft**.*See Peer Draft Analysis Sheet**See Final Draft Analysis Sheet

Preparing Students for the Response to Literature Writing Task

I. The Argumentative and Expository Modes of Discourse The argumentative mode of discourse functions by convincing or persuading an audience or by proving or refuting a point of view or an issue. The expository mode of discourse functions to inform, to instruct, or to present ideas and general truths objectively. The response to literature essay, which is analytical in nature, combines elements of both modes. While the primary goal of the response to literature essay is to explain, as John Trimble points out in his book Writing with Style, "Implicit in most expository writing…is a second goal: to persuade. The two goals almost invariably go together since it's hard to explain something without taking a position on it; and once you take a position, you naturally want others to accept it as sound. That gets you into the realm of reasoning--the realm of persuasion." The analytical response to essay, therefore, is argumentative in that the writer attempts to prove his or her thesis statement, and expository in that the thesis statement is proven through explanation and analysis of the text.

II. Key Elements of the Timed Response to Literature Essay: Introductory paragraph

Use a short introduction that focuses on the thesis statement Include a thesis statement (TH) that clearly addresses the prompt

and includes the subject and writer’s opinion Main body Paragraphs (1-3)

Topic sentences (TS) introducing each main body paragraph. Logical chunk (1-3):

Concrete details (CD) that directly support the thesis, including direct quotes from the story

Commentary (CM) sentences that explains and interprets each concrete details, and shows how it supports the thesis statement

Concluding sentence (CS)that gives each paragraph a finished feel Concluding paragraph--restate the thesis without dully repeating it

The Response to Literature essay is analytical--not personal!

Basic Elements for Analysis: Setting—in terms of how it impacts character and events Plot—in terms of cause and effect Character—traits, actions, motivation Theme—what do the characters and events in the story tell the reader

that is important to learn about life*Most common element for CST will be character and theme

Advanced Elements for Analysis: TWIST--this provides a focus for students to closely read and analyze the passage for a Response to Literature writing prompt. Training students to look for these 5 elements when dealing with these prompts will help them unlock meaning in the passage and recognize the stylistic devices that contribute to that meaning:Tone—what is the author or speaker’s attitude toward the subjectWord Choice—how does the language of the story impact meaning and

emotionImagery and Detail—how does the writer impact the senses through

sensory details and the use of figurative languageStyle—what unique tools does the writer use in the story (e.g.

symbolism, language, narrative structure, humor, point of view)Theme—what is the universal message of the story

III. Process for Preparing Students to Respond to the Response to Literature Writing Task:The steps outlined below offer a model for introducing students to and practicing the response to literature writing task. It is not intended to be a required sequence of instruction for all English classes! It is important to tailor the process to the needs of your individual students. What these steps do provide are strategies for teaching this writing task and practicing analytical strategies that will support students when writing this task. It also provides ideas for getting students to practice writing response to literature essays without having to constantly be grading papers—this way, you can get students to do more writing without creating an insurmountable amount of work for yourself.

Step One: Have students use the dialectical journal format to practice analysis of literature. The dialectical journal format is set up in such a way that students are practicing the logical chunk they will use in their essays—the quotes/paraphrased passages become the concrete details, and the response/notes become their commentary sentences. It is very important to do a lot of modeling and guided practice prior to having students do this on their own!

Use the "Dialectical Journal for Literary Analysis" form (You can also create more specific forms related to specific things you want to prompt students to look for as they read a story or for other genres--other graphic organizers can be helpful, too).

Introduce students to this by modeling your own dialectical journals using an overhead projector as you analyze a story.

Give guided practice of the dialectical journals by using the Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share to have students come up with quotes and responses to the story.

Have students practice the dialectical journals in pairs or small groups as or after they read a story together.

Have students independently practice the use of dialectical journals as or after they read a story.

Dialectical Journals for Literary Analysis

Title:______________________________ Author:________________Pages/Chapters Read: ______Directions: Find quotes and passages from the text that relate to the four main elements of narration—setting, plot, characterization, and theme. Indicate the page/paragraph number in the 1st column. In the 2nd column, copy or paraphrase the passage. In the 3rd column, explain what’s happening in the story, why the quote is important, and how it relates to setting, plot, characterization, and/or theme. Page/¶ Quote/Description from Text Reader Response

**This can be practiced all year long while analyzing literature to keep students ready for Response to Literature writing!!

Dialectical Journals for Character Analysis

Title: "Charles" Author: Shirley JacksonPages/Chapters Read: 22-26 Character: LaurieDirections: Identify four character traits for a character in the story. List these traits in the 1st column. In the 2nd column, copy or paraphrase the passage from the story that illustrates these traits/qualities. In the 3rd column, explain how the quotes or description from the story shows the trait or quality you've identified. Trait/Quality

Quote/Description from Text Interpretation or Analysis

Rebellious

Disrespectful

Convincing

Clever

Laurie hits his teacher when she tries to make him use red crayons and kicks the PE teacher when he tries to make him touch his toes.

One day when Laurie comes home from school, he greets his father by saying, "Hi, Pop, y'old dust mop."

Laurie gives accounts of Charles' actions to his parents every day after school.

Laurie convinces his parents of the existence of Charles by telling stories about the other boys behavior each day after school, even though the actions are really his own.

Laurie's violent reaction to the two teachers shows that he doesn't like to be told what to do by authority figures.

Laurie's rude greeting to his father shows that he does not have much respect for him.

Because Laurie tells stories about Charles every day by acting as if he is shocked by the behavior, it makes the stories seem like they really must be about the actions of another child. This helps fool his parents into believing that Charles really exists.

By giving such accounts of Charles' behavior, Laurie is able to trick his parents into believing in the existence of the other boy. This helps prevent his parents from becoming suspicious about his own behavior at school. This is a very clever way to keep himself out of trouble.

Dialectical Journals for Literary Analysis

Title:______________________________ Author:________________Pages/Chapters Read: ______Directions: Find quotes and passages from the text that relate to the four main elements of narration—setting, plot, characterization, and theme. Indicate the page/paragraph number in the 1st column. In the 2nd column, copy or paraphrase the passage. In the 3rd column, explain what’s happening in the story, why the quote is important, and what it shows about setting, plot, characterization, and/or theme. Page/¶ Quote/Description from Text Interpretation or Analysis

Dialectical Journals for Character Analysis

Title:______________________________ Author:________________Pages/Chapters Read: ______

Directions: Identify four character traits for a character in the story. List these traits in the 1st column. In the 2nd column, copy or paraphrase the passage from the story that illustrates these traits/qualities. In the 3rd column, explain how the quotes or description from the story shows the trait or quality you've identified. Trait/Quality

Quote/Description from Text Interpretation or Analysis

Dialectical Journals for Poetry Analysis

Title:______________________________ Author:________________

Directions: Copy the poem in the 1st column. In the 2nd column, write an interpretation/analysis of the literary elements of the poem, such as imagery, language, sound, and theme.

Poem Interpretation or Analysis

Step Two: Writing Logical Chunks—the logical chunks are based on the Commentary Packet from Jane Schaffer’s "Teaching the Multi-paragraph Essay: A Sequential Nine-Week Unit." If you have had her training, you can use her unit at this point to develop commentary. Otherwise, I use this modified version for teaching students to write commentary:

Teach student the basic main-body paragraph structure: TS—topic sentence CD—concrete detail CM1—commentary sentence 1 CM2—commentary sentence 2 CD—concrete detail 2 CM1 CM2 CS—concluding sentence

**Please note that this paragraph structure—and all the following references to it--is a framework for helping students understand the

organizational/logical elements of a paragraph—it is a formula for BASIC instruction only!! Students should not be expected or required to follow this formula in all of their writing since it prevents them from demonstrating the style and variety necessary for top-scoring essays!!**

Teach the logical chunk, which consists of a concrete detail and its commentary sentences that work together to support the thesis statement/topic sentence:

CD CM Logical Chunk CM

Refer to the directions for the "Dialectical Journal for Literary Analysis" form to help students understand what the commentary sentences should accomplish. They should:

1. Explain what’s happening in the story2. Explain why the quote is important, and how it relates to setting,

plot, characterization, and/or theme.

To help students form commentary sentences that explain why the concrete detail is important, you can use a prompting phrase, such as This shows… or This suggests… to get them started.

Chunk Example (from “By-pass” by Damian Kringas):CD: “He’s self-made and doesn’t mind telling anyone willing to listen all about the dos and don’t and how he did it the hard way.”CM: In this quote, the narrator is describing what his landlord’s character was like prior to having his heart problems.CM: This shows that the landlord is a successful but arrogant person who enjoys bragging about how he became a success.

Have students practice writing chunk outlines following this format. They can use their dialectical journals for this.

When students have practiced outlining the chunks, teach them to write them out as they would appear in paragraphs.

The most basic method is just putting it together as it appears in the outline.e.g. The narrator states, “He’s self-made and doesn’t mind telling anyone willing to listen all about the dos and don’t and how he did it the hard way.” In this quote, the narrator is describing what his landlord’s character was like prior to having his heart problems. This shows that the landlord is a successful but arrogant person who enjoys bragging about how he became a success.

More sophisticated writers vary this sequencing.e.g. The narrator describes his landlord’s character prior to having heart problems by saying, “He’s self-made and doesn’t mind telling anyone willing to listen all about the dos and don’t and how he did it the hard way.” This shows that the landlord is a successful but arrogant person who enjoys bragging about how he became a success.

Have students write logical chunks tied to topic sentences.

Step Three: Writing Mini-Essays—Have students use their "Dialectical Journals for Literary Analysis" to write single mini-essays/paragraphs on one element of the story (e.g. character).

Revisit the 8-sentence main-body paragraph structure from above. Use this structure to outline the paragraph. Use an overhead to model outlining and writing an 8-sentence paragraph

following this structure. Give students a topic sentence. Use Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share

to complete an outline and paragraph for this topic sentence together on an overhead.

Give students a topic sentence. Have them complete the outline and paragraph in pairs or groups.

Have students independently write outlines and paragraphs.

Paragraph OutlineTS:

CD:

CM:

CM:

CD:

CM:

CM:

CS:

Step Four: Organizing multi-paragraph essays using Block Outlines.

Block outlines provide a visual for helping students organize multiple paragraphs--each block represents an individual paragraph.

Introductory Paragraph

Main Body Paragraph

Main Body Paragraph

Concluding Paragraph

Anything written in the block MUST relate to and support the topic sentence for that block--otherwise, it doesn't belong in the paragraph. Each block paragraph must relate to and support the thesis statement of the essay--otherwise it doesn't belong in the essay.

TH:

TS:CD:CM:CM:CD:CM:CM:CS

TS:CD:CM:CM:CD:CM:CM:CS

Restate TH:

Step Five: Prompt discussion and analysis—once students have had plenty of time practicing literary analysis, and writing logical chunks and main body paragraphs, move on to writing multi-paragraph essays in response to prompts.

Place the prompt on an overhead projector, but instead of having students write an essay in response to it, do any or all of the following: Have a discussion about the prompt (use Name Card Method/Think-Pair-

Share* to ensure student engagement). What is the prompt asking the student to do? What are some key features of the story that relate to the prompt? What is the theme of the story? What setting and plot elements influence this theme? How do the characters impact the story? Influence the theme? What are some key elements students should include in the essay? What should be avoided? Model annotating the prompt based on this discussion by marking the prompt and taking notes on an overhead.

Have students use the "Brainstorming for Response to Literature" graphic organizer, which is based on the "Dialectical Journal for Literary Analysis" format for brainstorming concrete details and commentary from the story (use Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share to ensure student engagement).

Have students complete a block outline for an essay in response to the prompt individually or in small groups.

Have students write only a single paragraph based on any ONE of the topic sentences developed in the block outline.

*See Name Card Method handout

Brainstorming for Response to Literature Essays

Thesis:Concrete Detail Commentary

Brainstorming for Response to Literature Essays

Thesis:

Concrete Detail Commentary

Step Six: Write a whole-class essay based on one of the practice prompts--the key to writing the whole-class essay is to model the thinking

processes writers go through in composing essays. The teacher prompts this reflective thinking with questions about each sentence as it is written. The goal is to awaken the inner-voice of students so that they become conscious of the writing process.

Have a discussion about the prompt. What is the prompt asking the student to do? What are some key features of the story that relate to the prompt? What is the theme of the story? What setting and plot elements influence this theme? How do the characters impact the story? Influence the theme? What are some key elements students should include in the essay? What should be avoided?

Have students use the "Brainstorming for Response to Literature" graphic organizer, which is based on the "Dialectical Journal for Literary Analysis" format, for brainstorming concrete details and commentary from the story (use Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share to ensure student engagement).

As a class, develop a thesis statement. Use an overhead projector, WebTV, or LCD Projector to write an essay with

the class (use the Name Card Method/Think-Pair-Share to ensure student engagement—otherwise, you and 2 or 3 students will be doing all the work!).

Write the essay line by line: Ask students what a good statement would be for the next sentence (e.g.

What would be a good sentence to start the essay with? What would be a good sentence to support our topic sentence?)

Have students think of a sentence, discuss with their partner, and write the sentence with their partner.

Using note cards, call on a student to share their sentence. Write or type this as they read it to you.

Discuss the sentence with the class. Is it effective? Can we add to it? Should we alter it?

Step Seven: Have students write individual essays based on one of the practice prompts, then do peer evaluations of these essays--

The key to having students do peer evaluations is to focus on the process, not on the final accuracy of the scores students give. Learning how to properly assess an essay can help students see what goes into quality writing, and can also develop their ability to assess their own writing. This is also a great way to get students to internalize the rubric used for evaluating persuasive essays.

Peer Evaluation Process Overview--

Have students write in response to the prompt. Have them write only their ID #s on the essay—no names.

Use anchor papers if available. Otherwise, scan through papers to pick a high, middle, and low essay.

Using an overhead projector, Web TV, or LCD projector, analyze the prompt as a class—discuss exactly what the prompt is calling for the writer to do.

Using an overhead projector, Web TV, or LCD projector, take students through a “norming” procedure—randomly display and read the high, middle, and low sample papers. After you read each paper with the class, ask them to rank the paper as high, middle, or low. Ask students to share reasons for their ranking by quoting directly from the rubric.

Complete peer evaluations of class essays based on the rubric from the last step. Have students work in groups of 3-5. Be sure no group receives an essay to evaluate written by one of its own

members. Have students record the ranking they give to the essay on the Peer

Evaluations Scoring and Comment Sheet (see handout). Admonish students not to look at the ranking their fellow group members

give the essay until after they have read it and determined a ranking. It’s ok to disagree!

Once students have ranked each essay, they should discuss each, give a final overall ranking, and agree upon one positive comment and one suggestion for improvement for each paper. Comments should be directly linked to the rubric!

Post scoring sheet at next class meeting. Give students a chance to meet with groups to clarify scores/comments.

(This can be final step—great way to reduce grading--or...) Based on the feedback students receive from this process, have them rewrite

the composition and submit a revised copy to you for a grade (see step 7).

Helpful hints: Save top, middle, low essays after every timed essay for future use as anchor

papers! Rather than have students score the essays using 5-point rubric, simplify by

ranking as either high (5), middle (3-4), or low (1-2). Students have an easier time with this rather than pinpointing with the correct number.

Step Eight: Have students complete a process paper based on one of the practice prompts. This can be based on the essay completed for the peer evaluation in step 3, or can be based on another practice prompt—

Giving students time to explore the process of writing a persuasive essay can help them hone the skills they will need to write on demand for the district writing sample or the CST. Give them time to write and revise several drafts, and to receive feedback from peers, teachers, parents, etc.

Be sure to include both peer and self-evaluation in the process. Have students quote directly from the rubric in providing feedback to their peers and on their own papers. Peers should provide feedback on a draft prior to the student writing his/her final draft*. Students should do a self-evaluation based on their final draft**.*See Peer Draft Analysis Sheet**See Final Draft Analysis Sheet

Other Tips: Gear literary discussions toward the components for writing an essay Have a prompt for each piece of literature you study, but instead of

writing an essay: use the prompt question as basis for a discussion, or just brainstorm for the essay, or just develop a thesis statement for the prompt, or just develop thesis and topic sentences for the paragraphs

Try "Write Three, Grade One": This process gives students an opportunity to identify and then showcase their best work. While developing fluency by giving them a lot of writing practice, they also develop a discerning eye for quality writing. Again, the process is emphasized. Procedures:

Have students respond to three writing prompts over the course of a unit. Check the essays for completion, but do not grade. Have students keep these in a portfolio.

After students complete the third essay, divide them into groups of four. Suppose Jack, Sally, Harold, and Martha are in a group together. Jack

starts by giving his three essays to Sally, Harold, and Martha who read, swap, read, and swap.

Sally, Harold, and Martha then take turns telling Jack which essay, in their opinion, is his best AND how it can be improved.

Jack listens carefully and takes notes on their suggestions. If the group members are in disagreement as to Jack’s best paper, it is

Jack’s responsibility to question them thoroughly to determine how they arrived at their decision.

Jack then ranks his essays by writing a large #1 at the top of the best paper, #2 at the top of the second, and #3 on the third.

When the group finishes with Jack’s essays, they repeat the process until each group member has had his or her essays critiqued.

Each student then decides which paper they are going to revise (using feedback received), rewrite, and submit to the teacher for a grade.

When they final draft is submitted, the three ranked drafts of all three essays are stapled to and submitted with it. This emphasizes the fact that the process of writing all three essays contributed to the quality of the essay submitted for a grade.

After you give back a graded essay, have students write letters to themselves based on your comments on their essays. In these letters, students should tell themselves what they need to work on to improve their compositions.

For ELLs, have them submit essay draft electronically. As you read it and spot problems, write questions and comments for the students directly on their paper in bold font following the passage in question. See Carol Jago's Cohesive Writing: Why Concept Is Not Enough for more on this method.

Cutting Time in Correcting Student EssaysCorrecting for Content & Style: Develop symbols for key essay components you want to see in student essays. Provide students with a list of each symbol and what the symbol stands for.Examples:

TH = Thesis Statement TS = Topic Sentence

H = Hook CD = Concrete Detail

CM = Commentary CS = Concluding Sentence

C = Conclusion T = Transition

L = Language S = Sentence Structure/Variety

D = Documentation O = Organization

When one of the above elements is executed well, in the margin of the essay next to the exemplary word, phrase, sentence, or passage, write the symbol with an exclamation point:

Example: L! This indicates the student used effective language.

When there is a problem with any of the above elements, in the margin of the essay next to the word, phrase, sentence, or passage in question, write the symbol with a question mark: Example: CD? This indicates a concern with the concrete detail being used.

Assignment Option: If students are rewriting the essay, they should address the specific aspects which were questioned in your markings. Have them highlight all changes made on the revised version of the essay, and focus only on these when you re-evaluate the paper.

Correcting Technical & Language Errors: Use only three correction symbols to cover the following errors (do not make any corrections!):1. Place a box around any word, phrase, punctuation mark, or sentence that contains a technical error:

Example: Indicates a technical mistake with the students use of the word (e.g. no apostrophe

necessary in this case).2. X-out any word, phrase, punctuation mark, or sentence that does not belong:

Example: it's Indicates that the apostrophe did not belong in this students use of the word

3. Circle and connect unnecessary repetitions of words or phrases:

Example: Indicates that the second use of the word great should be replaced with a

synonym.

Required Assignment: Upon receiving their corrected essays, students should number, in the order in which they appear, each box, x-out, and circle

writer's

great

great

they see on their paper. They must then complete the following essay correction assignment:1. On a separate sheet of paper, they should do the following for each type of correction on their paper with the appropriate number indicated to correspond to the correction symbol on their essay (see example):

Boxed item: must be written correctly rewritten X-out item: must explain why item is not needed Circled item: must appropriately replace each repetition of the original

word2. Students should attach the correction sheet only to the front of the essay and submit for a grade--they do not rewrite the essay! (see example)

Urge your students to try to figure out correction on their own, but that if they cannot do so, to be certain they find a resource (teacher, parent, grammar guide) that will help them understand why they made the mistake in the first place!Jocko MoranPeriod 210/2/04

"All About The Bat"

The essay Bats is about the least understood and least appreciated

creature in the world. I’m going to talk about what bats are like, what bats

eat, and what bats are good for. Now lets get started.

There are over 100 different types of bat's. Bats bones are very much

like human bones like the wings have bones like our arms, they even have

fingers. These bones help support there web like skin. Do you know

anybody who thinks bats are blind? They are not they’re color-blind, but

they have very good vision. In the dark bats use echolocation so they know

were objects are.

Did you know that most bats eat insects? Some eat flowers, pollen,

nectar, and fruit or they eat small animals such as birds, mice, lizards, and

frogs. One type of bat drunks blood, the vampire bat. Most of the time

vampire bats eat fruit.

Bats can be very useful too. Bats can eat half their weight in insects in

once night. The bats can catch over 600 mosquetos in one hour. In the rain

forest bats help spread seeds on the ground when they eat fruit.

PEER EVALUATIONSSCORING & COMMENT SHEET

Rubric Scores:READER: READER: READER: READER:

Essay ID#:

Rank: Rank: Rank: Rank: Overall Ranking

:

Reader Comments (quote directly from the rubric):Essay #____________:What did this writer do well:

What does this writer need to improve:

Essay #____________:What did this writer do well:






Draft Analysis Sheet(Peer Evaluation)

Author______________________ Reader_______________________

Title of Essay _____________________________________________

The parts of this essay that I believe are most effective are:

1.

2.

3.

The parts of this essay that I believe could use more work are:

1.

2.

3.

Based on the rubric, I rate this essay:

5 4 3 2 1

for these reasons:(quote directly from the rubric to support your score)

Final Draft Analysis Sheet(Self-Evaluation)

Author___________________________________________________

Title of Essay _____________________________________________

Two things I have learned about writing by completing this essay are:

1.

2.

Two areas I need to focus on to improve my writing are:

1.

2.

In terms of time and effort spent on this project, I rate myself:

Wow! Pretty good Not as much I blew it! I should have

In terms of the editing and revision I did for this project, I rate myself:

Wow! Pretty good Not as much I blew it! I should have

Based on the rubric, I rate this essay:

5 4 3 2 1

for these reasons:(quote directly from the rubric to support your score)

Vocabulary Knowledge Rating Sheet

High Knowledge Low Knowledge4 = I could easily teach it to the group 2 = I have seen it or

heard before

3 = I think I know what it means, 1 = I have no idea what it means

but I could use a review

Rating Table:Word What I think it means before

instructionMy rating

before instruction

My rating after

instruction

Instruction Table:

Word Synonym/Explanation Example/Showing Sentence/Image

Select Response Question Preparation

While well-designed performance-based assessments are the best way to evaluate student mastery of standards, students do need to be able to demonstrate their learning on select response questions that are used to assess them on a variety of other exams, including the CSTs, the CAHSEE, and the SAT. Although the effective

performance-based assessments are generally more than adequate in preparing students for more superficial multiple-choice testing, some preparation may be necessary to help transfer their learning to these types of questions.

As an effective approach to this type of test-taking skill development:

Practice throughout the year as a warm up activity--spend a little time each day rather than cramming test prep in at the last minute

Use released questions from the CST and CAHSEE, California Item Bank questions, and other resources for sample questions

Teach, model, and practice strategies for tackling select response questions

Help students develop their metacognitive skills so that they gain the ability to

o Build their own strategieso Describe their own plan of actiono Analyze and synthesizeo Self evaluate

Present questions on the board, on an overhead projector, or using a web tv/lcd projector. Just give 1 or 2 questions at a time--focus on quality rather than quantity. Use active participation strategies from EOEI to explore each question to ensure student engagement and to help you assess student progress. Have students do the following for each question:

Identify the correct response and explain why it is correct Identify the eye catcher(s) and explain why students might be

lured to choose them

Examples:

What is the meaning of the word antique as it is used in the sentence below?

The expert talked about ancient ruins and the antique treasures left behind by forgotten civilizations.A. valuable because of ageB. very expensiveC. often abandoned

D. very easily forgotten

The total cost (c) in dollars of renting a sailboat for n days is given by the equation

C = 120 + 60n

If the total cost was $360, for how many days was the sailboat rented?A. 2B. 4C. 6D. 8

PRENTICE HALL TECHNOLOGYPRENTICE HALL TECHNOLOGY

Downloading and Importing State Objectives

PART ONE: Downloading the Objectives from the Internet

STEP 1: Log onto the internet and go to www.phschool.com

STEP 2: In the left hand column, you will see a feature “State Resources.” Select your state from the pull-down menu and click the yellow arrow next to it.

STEP 3: This page will focus on specific information regarding your state. Click on the link in the left column that says “Standards-based Lessons.”

http://www.phschool.com/

STEP 4: From the middle of this page, click on “Download Local Objectives Files.”

STEP 4: Select the course and text for which you wish to download the standards. This is the file that you will import into Resource Pro. (Be sure to select the appropriate Windows or Mac platform.)

A message box, “File Download” will appear on your screen. Choose the “Save this program to disk” option and click “OK”

Save this file to your desktop or to any folder easy to locate and click “Save.”

When the download is complete, click on “Close” to exit.

STEP 5 : You can now exit the www.phschool.com site.

STEP 6 : Double-click on the file that you just downloaded onto your desktop, or wherever you saved that file. A “Self-Extracting archive” window will appear.

Click “OK” and then choose a location to save the file (i.e. your desktop).

Once the file has completely “unstuffed,” you will get a message letting you know that the “un-stuffing” process has finished. Click on “OK.” You’ll now see another file on your desktop. This second file is the one you will use to import the objectives into your Resource Pro.

PART TWO: Importing the Local Objectives File into Resource Pro

STEP 1: Launch Resource Pro from your Start Menu.

STEP 2: Click on the “Local Objectives” button, located just underneath the “Planning Express” button.

STEP 3: From this menu, click on “Import Local Objectives.”

http://www.phschool.com/

STEP 4: Locate the file that you just “extracted,” click on it, then click “Open.”

STEP 5: Once the program imports the objectives, you will get a message saying, “Your local objectives have imported successfully.” (Give your computer a few moments to do this step.)

STEP 6: To check to see if your local objectives have downloaded,, open the Resource Pro, click on Local Objectives (under Planning Express), then click on Local Objectives editor. Open any unit, choose a selection or chapter and click on a day. You will be able to preview your local objectives in the box in the lower right-hand corner. Objectives will automatically appear now in your lesson plans!

Degree of Reading Power (DRP) in Prentice Hall Literature, Bronze Level

Easy selections have DRP's from 46-53Average selections have DRP's from 48-57Challenging selections have DRP's above 55, usually between 55 and 61 In the DRP program, readability is measured in DRP units. The scale ranges from 0 to 100 units, with most English text falling between a score of 30 and 80. As text difficulty increases, DRP scores rise. For purposes of comparison, teen fiction generally has a DRP of 58; general interest periodicals for adults range between DRP's of 56 and 71. In the Prentice Hall selections, overlaps in ranges occur when other factors, such as length of selection and type of literature are taken into account.

Name/Period:___________________________ Date:______________________

LANGUAGE ARTS TEXTBOOKSCAVENGER HUNT

You’ve just been given your new Language Arts textbook. It’s almost two inches thick, has over 800 pages, and you have no idea what’s inside or what to do with it. Right?! Well, this scavenger hunt will change all that and help you get ready for some great reading and a successful year in Language Arts!

1. What is the title of your book?_______________________________________2. Who is the publisher of the book?_____________________________________3. Look on pages CA4 - CA15. What are the four major Language Arts

Standards?*_________________________ *___________________________ *_________________________ *___________________________

4. What is the theme for Unit 1 on page vii?_______________________________5. How many Units are in this textbook?__________________________________6. What are the three purposes for reading? (See Why Read Literature on page

2.)*_____________________________________________________________*_____________________________________________________________*_____________________________________________________________

7. What is the name of the first story in Unit 1? (See Prepare to Read on page 4.)______________________________________________________________

8. What Literary Analysis will we focus on in this story?______________________9. What Reading Strategy will we focus on in this story?______________________10. Read the information about the author at the end of the story. What is this

author’s name?_____________________________ What did you learn about the author?_____________________________________________________

11. Where can you go on-line to check your understanding of the selection? (Page 13)______________________________________________________________

12. What three types of lessons will Integrate Language Skills at the end of the story?*_______________ *_______________ *_______________

13. What type of writing will you be doing in the first Writing Workshop? (Page 90)

______________________________________________________________

14. Look through the other units in the textbook. Do you see any selections that look interesting? What is the title? (Come on! I know there’s got to be at least one!) ______________________________________________________________

15. What will resource will you find on page R1?______________________________16. How will this help you when you are reading?_____________________________

______________________________________________________________17. What do we call words that are used often in print?________________________

Don’t know? (See page R3) Learning to instantly recognize these words will improve your reading fluency. Check it out! Do you know all of them?_________________

18. If you don’t know what a certain literary term means, where can you go in your textbook to find out? ______________________________________________

19. What is a protagonist?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

20. Where can you find the definition of the types of writing?___________________21. What is descriptive writing?_________________________________________

______________________________________________________________22. Turn to the Spelling Handbook on page R16. Give an example of a:

Prefix: ______________________ Suffix: ______________________

23. Where can you find the meaning of grammar terms?_______________________24. If you forget where all these things mentioned above are located, where

can you go to find out?_____________________________________________________25. On what page will you find the story, “Olympic Diary”?______________________

Turn to that page and read the story silently to yourself while others are finishing.

Congratulations on completing the scavenger hunt!A Chinese Proverb says, “ Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.”

language arts scope and sequence matrix - murrieta...

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