Good Morning Instinctive 7th Grade ISTEP Writers!

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1. Use a tangible or online dictionary to chat me the

denotation of instinctive. 2. Please have your language arts

notebook and a pen or pencil out to take notes. 3. Which

face are you?

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1. Take 5 minutes to read your prompt, analyze it, and decide what type of writing it’s asking you to do.

Expository

Persuasive

Descriptive

Narrative

Do you remember what the below types of writing are?

What do they do?

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Expository

Persuasive

Descriptive

Narrative

• Expository A. To describe

• Descriptive B. To persuade or convince

• Persuasive C. To tell about a time when,

tell a story

• Narrative D. To explain or tell how tell

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Match the correct definitions to

the types of writing.

What is an expository essay? It …

• …Gives facts.

• …Explains.

• …Gives steps in a process.

• …Presents ideas in logical order or correct sequence.

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What are the key words that show it is an expository prompt?

1. Most people enjoy some type of music. Think about your favorite type of music and explain why you like that particular type of music.

2. Sometimes even the best drivers can get lost at times. Explain how you would direct a lost man to get back to the interstate highway from your neighborhood.

3. Tell how to make a hamburger.

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What is a descriptive essay?

• Sensory images are used to describe what the writer sees, hears, smells, touches, and tastes.

• It paints a clear description of people, places, objects, or events.

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What are the key words that show it is a descriptive prompt?

1. Describe your bedroom. Imagine telling someone who has never visited you.

2. There are many tourist spots to visit in

Birmingham. Describe your favorite place to take visitors. You may want to tell what you will see, hear, smell and how you feel when you are there.

3. Tell us what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel on

Christmas morning.

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What is a persuasive essay? • You are asked to

prove something. • Give reasons why. • Present arguments

against your reasons. Show them to be false.

• Take a stand. • Ask or call for an

action.

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What are the key words that show it’s a persuasive prompt?

1. Persuade a close friend to donate blood as part

of a blood drive that your school is sponsoring

for the Red Cross.

2. Some of your kid brother’s friends have taken up smoking and want him to start too. Write a convincing letter to your kid brother to not take up this habit.

3. Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper telling why citizens in Birmingham should support a tax increase benefiting the local public schools.

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What is a narrative?

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• Tells a story.

• Has chronological order/sequence of events.

• Has action.

• Has conflicts or problems.

• Has dialogue.

• Has characters.

• Has a definite beginning, middle and end.

What are the key words that show that these are narrative prompts?

1. You and your friend find a big box that is labeled “Do Not Open.” Your friend wants to open the box. Write a story about what happens next.

2. Tell about a time when you made a serious mistake. 3. Two little girls found a wallet on the sidewalk. Tell what

happened next.

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2. Take 15 minutes for planning and organizing. Use the scratch paper

provided.

• Story web

• Story map

• Tree

• Outline

• Venn diagram

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• P-What is your purpose?

• A- Who is your audience?

• C- Content --What are your

ideas for details, facts, or reasons?

• O- Organization --Think

how you want to structure your paper.

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This is an important step! Don’t try to write your paper without

planning first.

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3. Take 30 minutes to write. 16

Introductions for expository, descriptive and persuasive essays

should….

• Have a title and opening sentence—a hook-- that grabs the reader’s attention.

• Let’s the reader know what you’re going to talk

about—a thesis statement!

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For Narratives use transition words…

• One day

• Suddenly

• During

• Until

• Yesterday

• Meanwhile

• Afterwards

• While

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Typically transitions

are about time.

…and get the story rolling with dialogue

“What’s that smell?”

the seventh graders complained.

“Finish your experiment and we’ll head outside to get away from it,” said their teacher.

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Your essay should have…

• Paragraphs with explanations, examples, and evidence following the topic sentences.

• Strong action verbs. • Vivid adjectives. • Metaphors and figurative language. • Typically five paragraphs. • A unified and cohesive beginning,

middle, and end.

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Scoring

• Your essay will be given a score from 1 to 6. 1 is the lowest; 6 is the highest.

• You’re aiming for a 4, 5 or 6!

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Let’s Revisit Our Prompt…and see what a 4, 5, and 6 look

like.

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Do you remember what the below types of writing are?

What do they do?

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Expository

Persuasive

Descriptive

Narrative

4. Take 5 minutes to proofread.

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4. Take 5 minutes to proofread.

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4. Take 5 minutes to proofread.

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4. Take 5 minutes to proofread.

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Summary – You’ll have 55 minutes for the ISTEP Writing Applications Test

• Identify your prompt. • Plan your work with an outline. • Give your work a title with an action word. • Grab interest in the beginning. • Create a thesis statement. • Build your paragraphs with explanations, examples,

and evidence following the topic sentences. • Use strong action verbs. • Use vivid adjectives. • Use metaphors and figurative language. • Finished? Reread to improve and clarify.

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Now, how do you feel?

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On Thursday, come to my elluminate to be given a writing

prompt to respond to in 55 minutes. Have paper and pencils

ready.

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