Expository Writing Deconstructing the Prompt and Additive Scoring

Expository Writing Deconstructing the Prompt and Additive Scoring Process for STAAR Presented by Stephanie Churchill Adapted from Alice Nine and Pat Jacoby Revised by Amanda De. Munbrun, Coronado High School

Do this FIRST! � Start with a STUDENT Friendly rubric � Students MUST know the rubric for EACH type of writing inside and out � 9 th grade Expository (Inform) and Literary (A story) � 10 th grade Expository and Persuasive � 11 th grade Persuasive and Analytical (best predictor of college readiness and success)

Student Friendly Expository Rubric English I and English II USE OF LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS ORGANIZATION Score Point 4 Score Point 3 Score Point 2 Highly Effective Generally Effective Somewhat Effective Ineffective The essay represents an accomplished writing performance. The essay represents a satisfactory writing performance. The essay represents a basic writing performance. The essay represents a very limited writing performance. Responds to prompt in a meaningful way Organized with clear central idea (thesis statement) Ideas strongly related to central idea and focused on topic Unified and coherent Uses meaningful transitions; ideas are connected Easy to follow writer’s thinking Responds to prompt in a way that makes sense Organized with clear central idea (thesis statement) Most supporting ideas related to central idea, but not always focused on topic Most transitions are meaningful and sufficient to show relationships among ideas Can follow flow of essay Structure of essay is evident but not always appropriate Central idea (thesis statement) is weak or unclear Supporting ideas related to topic of prompt but not connected to central idea Ideas are choppy or repetitive Transitions and connections between sentences are weak Difficult to follow writer’s thinking Score Point 1 Uses specific, well-chosen details and examples Thoughtful and engaging Uses his/her own experiences to connect ideas in interesting ways Understands how to write an expository essay Uses words that express exactly what he/she means Has an appropriate tone Word choice makes essay clear and strong Sentences have a purpose are varied, wellcontrolled, and enhancing Uses different types of sentences Consistent control of sentence boundaries, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar Minor errors do not make essay confusing Overall strength contributes to effectiveness of essay Uses specific details and examples that add some substance Shows some thoughtfulness Expresses original ideas; is not formulaic Understands how to write an expository essay Uses words that are for the most part, clear and specific, and contribute to effectiveness of essay Has an appropriate tone Uses different types of sentences Adequate control of sentence boundaries, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar Some errors, but do not interrupt the meaning of the essay Details and examples do not always make sense or are not completely explained Not very thoughtful Response to topic is formulaic Limited understanding of how to write an expository essay Uses words that are not specific or not correct; makes writing confusing Tone is not appropriate to the task Sentences are awkward or somewhat controlled Has partial control of sentence boundaries, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar Some errors distract and take away from meaning of essay Structure of essay is inappropriate Response to prompt is vague or confused Not organized around a central idea (thesis statement) Most ideas are weak and/or not related to prompt Not focused on topic Ideas are choppy or repeated No transitions or connections between sentences Unclear and/or difficult to read Development of ideas weak Details and examples are inappropriate, vague or insufficient Confusing and/or weakly linked to the prompt Writer does not understand how to write an expository essay Uses words that are vague or limited Tone is not appropriate to the task Sentences are simple, awkward and uncontrolled; take away from idea of essay Has little or no control of sentence boundaries, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar Serious, persistent errors interfere with meaning of the essay

Deconstructing the Prompt � 1. Read (typically 4 th grade synopsis, 7 th grade quote, English I Information, quote, fact, excerpt) – The Context � 2. Think (topic) � 3. Write (Charge) � 4. Be sure to – (Rubric)

FUNNEL DOWN PROMPT Read Think Write

Introduces context for thinking Inter prets the quot e Establishes the topic Rubric – what assessed on Personalized focus to the prompt Presents assertion options and form

READ • The MP 3 player came out in 1996 • It was different from CD players because it didn’t need a bunch of discs • MP 3 players is how people listen to music The digital audio player, also known as the MP 3 player, first became available to the general public in 1996. Unlike the compact disc player, this technology did not require that music be stored on separate discs. MP 3 players have now become the dominant medium for listening to music. Focus on pulling out the nouns and the verbs

• Technologies used in everyday life are cell phones, GPS, Laptops, i. Pads, i. Pods…. THINK. Think about the new technologies that people use in everyday life. Interprets the quote to establish the topic

Root is Explain which means give reasons I must write about this. The Charge WRITE an essay explaining the effect of one new technology on people’s lives. VERB • When I explain I must give REASONS • I must give EVIDENCE • The evidence must SUPPORT my reasons Evidence could be facts, definitions, or examples! The Reasons are my topic sentences—then give evidence.

Be sure to - Organization and Progression T h e s i s • Clearly state the Thesis • Organize and develop your explanation effectively • Choose your words carefully Conventions Explanation means evidence Word Choice • Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling (Language)

FUNNEL DOWN PROMPT The digital audio player, also known as the MP 3 player, first became available to the general public in 1996. Unlike the compact disc player, this technology did not require that music to be stored on separate discs. MP 3 players have now become the dominant medium for listening to music. Think about the new technologies that people use in everyday life. Write an essay explaining the effect of one new technology on people’s lives. English I Expository Prompt from the STAAR 2012 Study Guide 17

Additive Scoring Process Steps � 1. Read – just read it once through without the rubric in mind. � 2. Thesis – find and identify the Thesis (highlight or flag it) � 3. + (Strengths) – look for and identify the strengths in the paper � 4. – (weaknesses) – look at the weaknesses of the paper � 5. Score – score the composition according to the rubric (State stops here) � 6. Feedback – Focused revision (2 items MAX!)

Explicit Feedback � Use three different colors to identify strengths and weaknesses in the paper (i. e. pink for organization +’s and –’s, yellow for idea +’s and –”s, and blue for conventions) � Flag the strengths (+’s) on the left side of the paper with specific feedback (i. e. write the detail they used down and label it under ideas) � Flag the weaknesses (-’s) on the right side of the paper (remember to be as specific as possible in your feedback) � Only ask students to work on 2 items MAX at a time. (i. e. Conventions – comma slices and runon sentences)

Conference � Writing workshop conferences don’t have to take a lot of time (except maybe the first time) � Additive Scoring is the key to saving time on conferencing � Peer conferencing � Feedback

WRITTEN COMPOSITION: Expository � � Read the following quotation: “Take risks. Ask big questions. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not reaching far enough. ”—David Packard, cofounder of Hewlett-Packard [Think carefully about the following: ] Taking a risk means acting without knowing whether the outcome will be good. Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance. Be sure to — • clearly state your thesis • organize and develop your ideas effectively • choose your words carefully • edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling Page

Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance. � Brainstorm: ◦ ◦ Listing Web Outline Think of what you need to provide: �When might it be necessary to take a chance / risk? �Global [textual, historical] Example 1 �Global Example 2 �Personal Example (If Exceptionally strong) �Details �Who was involved? �What were the circumstances? �What was the outcome? �Positive? �Negative?

Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance. � Introduction: 2 -3 sentences (maximum of 3) and make sure that the Thesis (which reflects / responds to the prompt) is the last sentence in the introduction. � Address the big idea � Offer a specific thesis

Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance. � Body Paragraphs: Because organization is addressed, be sure to have clear, indented paragraphs with correct topic sentences. ◦ The topic sentence should connect the content of the body paragraph to thesis statement ◦ The 1 st body paragraph should develop one of the ideas—provide the example and explanation— discovered in the brainstorm ◦ The 2 nd body paragraph should develop another of the ideas. . �SUGGESTION: be sure to choose the strongest examples to illustrate and explain AND put the strongest of these examples and explanations last. .

Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance. � Conclusion: 2 -3 sentences � While it is OK to restate the idea—do not say the EXACT SAME THING � Consider concluding by looking at the examples and commenting on what should be taken away from these—create a complete theme or use a truism

FINALLY. . . Be Sure To Check � If ◦ ◦ you have: clearly stated your thesis organized and developed your ideas effectively chosen your words carefully edited your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling