Today’s Focus Points

When writing your DESCRIPTION, make sure to include the following:

•The title of your nonfiction, informational text

•Origin of your topic–Background information–Purpose

•An overview of the book’s contents (pick the most important points as they will apply to your project)

Today’s Focus Points: Description

Examples:

GOSPEL MUSIC: Where did it originate (year & location)? By whom is it sung? Where are you most likely to hear it today?

BASKETBALL: What is the objective of the game? How many people can play? What national associations are related to the sport?

Today’s Focus Points: Description

•Clean sheet of paper

•Pencil, blue pen, or black pen

•Label this section of your work DESCRIPTION

•5 sentences or more (but no more than 8)

Today’s Focus Points: Problem/Solution

Pick a PROBLEM that surrounds your topic.

Then discuss a SOLUTION that corrects or deals with that PROBLEM.

PROBLEMS SOLUTIONS

•Injuries in sports

•Endangered species

•Specific equipment that protects the body•Protected from being killed, hunted, poached

Today’s Focus Points: Problem/Solution

• pencil, blue pen, or black pen

• Label this section of your work

PROBLEM/SOLUTION

• 5 sentences or more (but no more than 8)

Today’s Focus Points: 1 “Text Feature”

DO NOT work on any TEXT FEATURES until your first two focus points for the day are complete!

However, if you find yourself with extra time on your hands, pick ONE Text Feature to complete.

Today’s Focus Points: 1 “Text Feature”

Text Features include the following:

•@ least 2 COLORFUL pictures (printed or drawn)

•Captions for each picture

•A diagram, map, timeframe, OR chart•Sidebar item (comic strip, fun facts, advertisement [that goes with your topic], joke, Did You Know?])

Today’s Focus Points: Cause and Effect

…can be defined as noting a relationship between actions or events such that one [the CAUSE] is the result [the EFFECT] of the other.

Another way to look at it:

Cause: the action that makes something happen

Effect: the result of that action.

Today’s Focus Points: Cause and Effect

An Example: Alligators almost became  extinct because people killed too many of them.

Cause - People killed too many of them. 

Effect - Alligators almost became extinct

[Note: Sometimes the PROBLEM can flow into the Cause and Effect of a situation.]

Today’s Focus Points: Cause and Effect

Some MORE Examples: You should brush your teeth often so you don't get cavities.Cause - You should brush your teeth often. 

Effect - You won't get cavities.

Powerful winds blew the roof off  the house, and as a result, the family had nowhere to live.Cause - Powerful winds blew the roof off the house. 

Effect - The family had nowhere to live.

Today’s Focus Points: Cause and Effect

• Be sure to be writing with a pencil, blue pen, or black pen

• Label this section of your work

CAUSE & EFFECT

• 5 sentences or more (but no more than 8)

Today’s Focus Points: Compare and Contrast

….is defined as a written exercise about the similarities and differences between two or more people, places, or things.

•You will need to pick something that is closely related to your topic. Maybe this “something” is often times confused with your topic because the two share similarities. •Again, this article could require additional research on your part but nothing that should be too time consuming.

Today’s Focus Points: Compare and Contrast

Examples:

•Compare & Contrast a Mouse to a Gerbil•Compare & Contrast a Thoroughbred Horse to a Tennessee Racing Horse•Compare & Contrast Football to Rugby•Compare & Contrast Chimpanzees to Baboons•Compare & Contrast “Regular” Gasoline to Diesel•Compare & Contrast a French Braid to a Dutch Braid•Compare & Contrast a 1965 Mustang to a 2015 Mustang

Today’s Focus Points: Compare and Contrast

Be sure to be writing with a pencil, blue pen, or black pen

• Label this section of your work Compare & Contrast

• 5 sentences or more (but no more than 8)

Today’s Focus Points: Text Features

• DO NOT work on any TEXT FEATURES until your first two focus points for the day are complete!

• However, if you find yourself with extra time on your hands, pick ONE Text Feature to complete.

• Consult your handout to see a list of your choices again. Ask questions if you have any regarding a Text Feature.

Today’s Focus Points: Argumentative Review

• Do you recommend the book? • Why or why not? • What did you learn from your book? OR What did

you not learn that you wanted to learn? • Be sure you also base your claim or argument on

textual evidence that supports your claim.

Today’s Focus Points: Argumentative Review

• Be sure to be writing with a pencil, blue pen, or black pen.

• Label this section of your work Argumentative Review.

• 5 sentences or more (but no more than 8).

Today’s Focus Points: 5-Question Quiz with KEY

Now that you have written your FIVE main articles, you can start creating your five-question QUIZ and KEY that your magazine must also include.

Remember the following: •Your questions should challenge the reader’s critical thinking. In other words, the reader should take the information that you have supplied and apply that info to a question being asked.

•Your questions should not all be literal questions. For example, if you have defined several terms throughout your articles, do not ask the reader for the definition of five specific terms as your five questioned-quiz.

•Your questions should not all be answered by the same article.

Today’s Focus Points: 5-Question Quiz with KEY

Reminder:

Make sure that in addition to your quiz you create a KEY. This KEY will be posted in your finished product at the bottom of the page and upside down. Although you MUST also create the KEY today, it does not have to be written upside down on your paper.

Today’s Focus Points: 5-Question Quiz with KEY

• Be sure to be writing with a pencil, blue pen, or black pen.

• Label this section of your work 5 Question Quiz and KEY

Today’s Focus Points: Text Features

• After you have completed your Argumentative Review as well as your Quiz with KEY, again concentrate on any Text Features you still have left to do.

• Look back at your initial information sheet to get a complete list of Text Features.