y i ATHIS BOOK IS THE PROPERTY OF: STATE____ PROVINCE. | Boek No, COUNTY | Enter informotion PARISH SSS in spc SCHOOL DISTRICT. to the left as OTHER instructed |___CONDITION ISSUED TO. RETURNED. PUPILS 10 whom this textbook is issued must not write on any page or mork any part of it in any way, consumable textbooks excepted. 1 Teocnass so: 2 yee thatthe pupils name i clearly writen in ink inthe spaces above in every book wsued. 22. The following terms shovld be used in recording the condition of the book: New; Good: Fir: Poor: Bod.Quick Guide Using Write Source OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS The Writing Process One Writer's Process Working with Partners ‘Traits of Good Writing Using a Rubric Publishing and Portfolios GUIDELINES AND MODELS Writing Paragraphs Parts of Paragraphs Details Organization The Forms of Writing Descriptive Writing Descriptive Paragraph Describing an Object Narrative Writing Narrative Paragraph Sharing About a Person Workshop Across the Curriculum Expository Writing Expository Paragraph. Explain Something Important Workshop Across the Curriculum Persuasive Writing Persuasive Paragraph Persuasive Letter ‘Workshop Across the Curriculum Response to Literature Response Paragraph Writing a Book Review Other Forms of Responding Creative Writing Writing Imaginative Stories Writing Poems Research Writing Finding Information Summary Paragraph Research Report Multimedia Presentations 268 280 294 306 310 336 SPEAKING AND LEARNING SKILLS Giving Speeches Journals and Learning Logs Viewing and Listening Skills Taking Tests 342 348 354 362 THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF WRITING Working with Words Nouns Pronouns Verbs Adjectives Adverbs Prepositions Conjunctions Building Effective Sentences Writing Sentences Sentence Problems Sentence Style Combining Sentences Sentence Kinds and Types Sentence Modeling A WRITER'S RESOURCE Ideas. Organization Voice Word Choice Sentence Fluency Presentation PROOFREADER'S GUIDE Punctuation ‘Mechanics Spelling Using the Right Word Sentences Parts of Speech 373 377 381 387 389 391 392 395 401 405 406 409 410 416 422 430 433 442 44a 447 486 asaVP se) 0) Xe = Written and Compiled by Dave Kemper, Patrick Sebranek, and Verne Meyer Illustrated by Chris Krenzke WRITE SOURCE. GREAT SOURCE EDUCATION GROUP a division of Houghton Mifflin Company Wilmington, MassachusettsReviewers e Genevieve M. Bodnar Paula Denise Findley Marilyn LeRud Youngstown City White Halll, Arkansas Tucson Unified School District School District ‘ Mary Fischer Youngstown, Ohio ‘ington Public Schools Tucson, Arizona Joan Chiodo Arlington, Massachusetts Mary Osborne Patricia Di Chiaro Cullen treet Pinellas County Elementary ; une ease School District Yonkers, New York eae Largo, Florida Kay Dooley Melairie, Louisiana ‘Amy Stenger Naperville Community USD Willard Public Schools é se Elma G. Jones Naperville, Illinois Walingford-Swartmore ‘Omaha, Nebraska Jean Evans ‘School District Pamela J. Strain Jenks Southeast ‘Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Rosemead School District Schoo! District Rosemead, California Tulsa, Oklahoma Technology Connection for Write Source Visit our Web site for additional student models, writing prompts, updates for citing sources, multimedia reports, information about submitting your writing, and more. The Write Source Web site .. . www.thewritesource.com Trademarks and trade names are shown in this book strictly for illustrative purposes and are the property of their respective owners. The authors’ references herein should not be regarded 1s affecting their validity. Copyright © 2006 by Great Source Education Group, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without the prior written permission of Great Source Education Group unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Address inquiries to Permissions, Great Source Education Group, 181 Ballardvale Street, Wilmington, MA 01887. Great Source and Write Source are registered trademarks of Houghton Mifflin Company. Printed in the United States of America International Standard Book Number: 978-0-669-51806-1 (hardcover) 23456789 10 -RRDC- 11 10 09 08 07 International Standard Book Number: 978-0-669-51810-8 (softcover) 1234567 89 10 -RRDC. 11 10 09 08 07 06 05_— a Using the Write Source Book Your Write Source book is loaded with information to help you Jearn about writing. One section that will be especially helpful is the “Proofreader’s Guide” at the back of the book. This section covers all of the rules for capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar. The book also includes four main units covering the types of writing that you may have to complete on district or state writing tests. At the end of each unit, there are samples and tips for writing in science, in social studies, and in practical writing. The Write Source book will help you with other learning skills such as speaking, listening, and test taking. This makes the Write Source book a valuable learning guide in all your subjects. Your Write Source guide... With practice, you will be able to find information in this book quickly using the guides explained below. @ The (YN }8Ke) ere) Spy sihe) lists the six major sections in the book and the chapters found in each section. m The fi$=)s4 (starting on page 544) lists every topic covered in the book in alphabetical order. = The used for “The Basic Elements of Writing,” “A Writer's Resource,” and the “Proofreader’s Guide” make these important sections easy to find. m The green send you to other pages in the book for additional information.Wy The Writing Process ) aya Why Write? : , om USING THE WRITING PROCESS Using the Writing Process............-.+ 2 @® | Understanding the Writing Process 4 Connecting with the Traits 5 ed Using the Writing Process 6 | Becoming a Writer 8 } | One Writer's Process ...... 0.0.00 e eee ee 10 © | Prewriting Selecting a Topic "1 | Gathering Details | Writing Developing a First Draft 12 © | Revising Improving the Writing 13 Editing Checking for Conventions 14 | Publishing Sharing Your Writing 15 | Working with Partners...............55 16 Helping One Another 17 | Reviewing with Partners 18 | Using a Response Sheet 19 | Traits of Good Writing.......... 0.0.0 20 @ Ideas 21 ( @ Organization 22 | @ Voice 23 | ™@ Word Choice 24 } @ Sentence Fluency 24 | = Conventions 25ie Table of Contents Using a Rubric Getting Started with a Rubric 28 Understanding Your Goal 29 Assessing with a Rubric 30 Assessing an Expository Essay 32 Sample Assessment 33 Publishing and Portfolios...........00e0eeeeee 34 Publishing Your Writing 35 Writing a Neat Final Copy 36 Using a Portfolio 38 Creating a Portfolio 40 Sample Portfolio Introductions 41P The Forms of Writing | PARAGRAPH WRITING Writing @ Patagraph 02s: . Seem 2 95 See STUDENT MovEL “My Little Brother Roy” \ Writing Strong Topic Sentences Writing Closing Sentences Using Details Organizing Paragraphs | Time Order | Order of Location Order of Importance Writing Guidelines Marking Paragraphs Preparing for Tests DESCRIPTIVE WRITING Writing a Descriptive Paragraph .............. ‘STUDENT MobeL “The Fire-Breathing Truck” Writing a Descriptive Essay .............055- ) Understanding Your Goal | STUDENT MODEL “Seashells by the Seashore” Prewriting { Writing | Revising \ Editing | Publishing | Reflecting on Your Writing | Writing for Assessment 45 46 a7 48 50 50 50 50 52 54 56Table of Contents NARRATIVE WRITING Writing a Narrative Paragraph .. stupent moet “The Mountain Climber” Writing a Narrative Essay............00005 Understanding Your Goal STUDENT MODEL “Mrs. Rios” Prewriting Editing | Publishing Reflecting on Your Writing | Narrative Workshop. | Getting a Partner's Response Revising | @ Ideas: Connecting with Your Reader @ Organization: Using Time Order ™@ Voice: Making Your Voice Sound Like You @ Word Choice: Choosing Action Verbs | ™@ Sentence Fluency: Combining Sentences Editing | m Conventions: Checking for the Right Words | Assessing } Using a Rubric | \ Writing Across the Curriculum............. Social Studies: Biographical Narrative... Practical Writing: Friendly Letter .............. Writing for Assessment...........000eeeee 91 ++. 96 97 98 100 102 108 110 112 113 .114 115 116 WW7 118 119 120 121{EXPOSITORY WRITING | Writing an Expository Paragraph ............ 136 } STUDENT movEL “The Great Thing About My Bike” 137 | Writing an Expository Essay 142 | Understanding Your Goal 143 ‘sTupent Mopet “The Home on My Back” 144 Prewriting 146 Writing 148 Revising 154 | Editing 156 | Publishing 158 Reflecting on Your Writing 159 Pe a a rarer 160 Getting a Partner’s Response 161 Revising ® Ideas: Showing Details 162 @ Organization: Checking the Parts 163 ® Voice: Sounding Interested 164 ™ Word Choice: Using Specific Nouns 165 | @ Sentence Fluency: } Fixing Run-On Sentences 166 \ Editing | ™ Conventions: Using Commas in a Series 167 \ Assessing | Using a Rubric 168 | Writing Across the Curriculum - 170 { Social Studies: News Report a3 0A ) Practical Writing: How-To Essay..... 2.174 Writing for Assessment........ eeTable of Contents SS - { PERSUASIVE WRITING Writing a Persuasive Paragraph ............+- 182 | STUDENT moDEL “Who Gets to Talk?” 183 Writing a Persuasive Letter .............+5-5 188 Understanding Your Goal 189 \ stupent movet “Dear Mr, Greer” 190 Prewriting 192 Writing 194 Revising 196 Editing 198 Publishing 200 Reflecting on Your Writing 203 Persuasive Workshop ..........:0:eseeeeeee 204 | Getting a Partner’s Response 205 Revising @ Ideas: Using Good Reasons 206 @ Organization: Including All the Parts 207 | ® Voice: Sounding Convincing 208 @ Word Choice: Choosing Helping Verbs 209 | @ Sentence Fluency: Fixing Short Sentences 210 | Editing | @ Conventions: Checking Capitalization 211 | Assessing Using a Rubric _ Writing Across the Curriculum. | Science: Persuasive Poster. . .. | Practical Writing: E-Mail Message........ Writing for Assessment asRESPONDING TO LITERATURE Writing a Response Paragraph ............-. 226 STUDENT MobEL “Keeping Friends” 227 Writing a Book Review for Fiction............ 232 STUDENT MoDet “Freckle Juice” 233 Prewriting 234 Writing 236 Revising 240 Editing 241 Reflecting on Your Writing 243 Writing a Book Review for Nonfiction ......... 244 STUDENT MODEL “Tp Fly” 245 Comparing a Fiction and a Nonfiction Book.... 250 STUDENT MODEL “The Wright Brothers” 251 Respondinigy £6) GROG oo apes iy 5) sfanay teapot si nayelnle 256 STUDENT MoveL “A Braggin’ Dragon” 257 Writing for AssessmentTable of Contents CREATIVE WRITING Writing Imaginative Stories........... Understanding Stories STUbENT movet “Sailing on a Paper Dream” Prewriting Writing Revising Editing Creating a Play Learning Elements of Fiction Understanding a Plot Line Writing Pooms ......c5n 5 Sees ess va ee as Rhyming Poem ‘STUDENT MODEL “Jump to It!” Prewriting Writing Revising Editing Writing a Limerick Writing a Clerihew Writing a 5-W’s Poem Writing an Alphabet Poem 269 270 272 274 275 275 276 278 279 281 2381 282 286 287RESEARCH WRITING Finding Information...... seek oc ee aad ss cee Using the Library Using the Internet Writing a Summary Paragraph .............+ STUDENT MoDEL “Messenger Goes to Mercury” Writing a Research Report . sTupenT moet “Exploring Mercury” Prewriting Planning Your Report Gathering Information Planning an Interview Making an Outline Writing Starting Your Report Developing Your Middle Paragraphs Ending Your Report Revising Using a Response Sheet Improving Your Ideas Editing Publishing Presentation: Sharing Your Report. Reflecting on Your Writing Creating a Multimedia Presentation.......... Selecting a Topic and Details Making a Storyboard Improving Your Presentation 295 305 306 307 . 310 311 314 316 318 320 322 324 326 328 330 332 334 335 336 337 338 339Table of Contents xiii Speaking and Learning Skills Giving Spesches is iar. me. ley ales eit oe nee 342 Planning Your Speech 343 Writing Your Speech 345 Giving Your Speech 346 Writing in Journals and Learning Logs........ 348 Keeping a Personal Journal 349 Writing in a Reading Journal 350 Writing in a Learning Log 352 | Viewing and Listening Skills ..............05 354 | Viewing News Programs 355 | Viewing TV Specials 356 Responding to a TV Special 357 | Understanding Commercials 358 | Evaluating Web Sites 359 Learning to Listen 360 Taking Testsi.< 25 65 4 ssevaeoee nein ae ogee = 362 Studying for a Test 363 Understanding Types of Tests 364 Responding to Writing Prompts 368 Remembering for TestsThe Basic Elements of Writing WORKING WITH WORDS stig) NOUNS eccris) ss vig. vee yee oe Vier 373 Singular, Plural, and Possessive Nouns 374 How can | improve my writing with nouns? Choose Specific Nouns 376 Usitig PrOnvounsintes «oes ets as 377 Possessive Pronouns 378 How can I use pronouns correctly? Check for Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement 379 Check Your Plural Pronouns Linking and Helping Verbs . . How can | show time in my writing? Use the Proper Verb Tenses 384 How can I use verbs correctly? Check for Subject-Verb Agreement 386 Selecting Adjoctives......... 002. s.eenneee 387 How can I use adjectives correctly? Check the Form of Each Adjective 388 Selecting Adverbs, .. 05... ccc tees ew tev eee 389 How can | improve my writing with adverbs? Make the Sentence Clearer 390 Using Prepositions .............-..eeeee eee 391 Connecting with Conjunctions .............+5 392 How can | use conjunctions in my writing? Combine Ideas 393Table of Contents xv WRITING SENTENCES Writing Complete Sentences................5 395 How can I write clear sentences? Find the Complete Subject and Predicate 396 Identify Simple Subjects and Predicates 398 | Identify Compound Subjects and Predicates 399 Use Correct Capitalization and Punctuation 400 Fixing Sentence Problems..................+ 401 How can | write correct sentences? Correct Run-On and Rambling Sentences 402 Check for Subject-Verb Agreement 404 Improving Sentence Style ...............504- 405 | How can I write better sentences? Combine with Key Words or a Series 406 Combine with Compound Subjects and Compound Predicates 407 Use Compound Sentences 408 Use Different Kinds of Sentences 409 Try Sentence Modeling 410 fe Dreparing for Tests): tobe ke sce ae nee 412 | Checking Sentences 412 | Answering Questions with Sentences 413xvi fo _ . - i. | A Writer's Resource I | Selactingudeas «2... <. 820s ne 416 f ge! + How can I find a good topic to write about? » (2 Keep a Writer’s Notebook 416 | Look at a List of Topics 418 Consider Topics for Each Form of Writing 419 How can | start learning about a topic? Start Thinking 420 How can I write good topic sentences? Check Your Purpose First 421 Improving Organization .................. 422 I Which graphic organizers should I use? Try a Venn Diagram to Compare Subjects 422 - Make a Time Line to Put Events in Order 423 Use a Story Map to Make a Plan 424 Draw a Life Map to Remember Events 425 | Make a 5 W’s Chart to List Ideas 426 Make a Sensory Chart to Find Details 427 Make an Outline to Organize Details 428 How do I organize a friendly letter? Sample Friendly Letter 429 Discovering Your Writing Voice............ 430 +. How can I find the right writing voice? | — Make Your Voice Fit Your Purpose 430 ] What forms of writing can | try? Try These Forms of Writing 432 \ i ee,Building Word Choice How can | learn new words? Keep a New-Word Notebook 433 Use a Dictionary 434 Use a Thesaurus 436 | How can I figure out what a new word means? | Divide the Word into Parts 437 | Learn Prefixes 437 Study Suffixes 438 Remember Root Words 440 | Improving Sentence Fluency............. 442 See How can | make my sentences easy to follow? Sentence Fluency as eed Use Transitions 442 Polishing Your Presentation.............. ase, How can I make my writing look better? Sy Add Graphs to Your Writing 444 _ Make Tables to Share Information 445Proofreader’s Guide Marking Punctuation sc... 6. in ois te ae 447 Periods 447 Question Marks, Exclamation Points 448 Commas 450 Apostrophes 456 Quotation Marks 460 Underlining and Italics 462 Colons 464 Hyphens, Parentheses 466 Editing for Mechanics... ising 2 yale 470 Capitalization 470 Plurals 476 Numbers 478 Abbreviations 480 Inprowing Spe... ce ae ener anna 486 Spelling Words 487 Using TRS IRIGRt Wore fo cies ote s m5 oe em aye 494 Understanding Sentences .........:00eeeeuee 510 Using the Parts of Speech . .... - 25 2a waco 516 Nouns 516 Pronouns 520 Verbs 522 Adjectives 530 Adverbs 534 Prepositions 536 Conjunctions, InterjectionsWhy Write? When you write, you move your pencil, but you also move your mind. That’s why writing helps you in so many ways. Writing will help you. . . e learn more. When you write something down in your own words, you remember it. e explore your mind, Writing shows you thoughts and feelings you didn’t even know you had. e share with others. Letters and e-mail messages let you share your life with those you care about. e have fun, In stories, poems, and plays, you can do amazing things like fly on a cloud or have a picnic on the moon. Remember . . . The best way to become a better writer is to write every day. Soon writing will be ag natural a¢ walking, and it will take you even farther!BE ———— Osing the Writing Process Cassie does a lot of daydreaming and thinking before she puts any words on paper. Gene likes to talk about a story idea with friends before he writes anything. Aaron likes to draw a few pictures before he adds his words. Writers have many different ways of starting out. However, they all follow the same steps during the writing process. The chapters in this section talk about this process. Following the steps in the writing process will help you keep on track with your writing. What's Ahead © Understanding the Writing Process One Writer's Process Working with Partners Traits of Good Writing Using a Rubric Publishing and Portfolios oooooOnderstanding the Writing Process Reading or listening to stories is fun—and so is writing them! On the following pages, you will learn some special words to help you understand the writing process. This information will help you do your very best writing. The Writing ProcessUnderstanding the Writing Process 5 Connecting with the Traits Do you know what can happen if you write too fast? You might leave out some important ideas or you might put ideas in the wrong order. Then again, you might use boring words. You might even forget to put periods at the end of your sentences! When these things happen, the writing process gives you time to fix them. It gives you time to make each writing trait—and each part of your writing— the best it can be. meee: Word Choice aeUsing the Writing Process Even your favorite authors follow the steps in the writing process. You should, too. oe Prewriting C = Select a topic that truly interests you. ° = Gather details about the topic. . m@ Plan what you want to say. ¢ {Rem e BEBE eee, Writing a First Draft w Introduce your topic. m= Get all your ideas on paper. sect eeenennenne® v eis Revising ° m Read over your first draft. e = Share your draft with another person. Ne m Make changes ug e to improve your writing. eo %e of a 6 wt Teennnee_" ~— Understanding the Writing Process 7 ssseennnung, o* @ es ® * ep % Editing and proofreading m= Check your spelling, capitalization, > and punctuation. u - @ Write a neat final copy of your work. m Check one last time for errors. 7 a a a a = Share your writing. @ Display it in class. - m See pages 34-41 ®&, for other ideas. “a a a a : a : i Publishing = v “wonune?® Talk it over... 1. What is the easiest part of the writing process for you? 2. What is the hardest part? 3. Do you like to write? Explain your answer. A SSBecoming a Writer Guess what? Anyone can become a great writer, including you! Here are six ideas that can help you become a great writer. Read a lot. Read fat books and skinny books, short books and tall books. Reading shows you how authors put together their best stories, And it can give you great ideas for your own writing! Write a lot. ao _ Try to write something every day, even on weekends. of your practice will make you a better writer. _ shapes and sizes. There _ a _ are stories, poems, plays, Talk it over... 1. Name your two favorite books. 2. What do you like best about these books? 3. What do you like to write—stories, poems, reports, or plays? Why?iy Eports, Visit museums. elp your neighbors. The more new things you try, the more you have to write about. Celebrate words, Collect words that are fun to say, like caboose and cocoon, giggle and gooey. Keep your new words in a notebook and use them in your writing! 1. Write down two things that happened to you before school today. 2. Also list two things that you like to do on weekends. 3. Which idea could you write a story about?Nikki Wilson’s class studied stories and songs from different cultures around the world. Their teacher, Ms. Lee, asked the students to write a story about something they learned. Nikki likes to write, so she was excited to get started. This chapter shows you how she used the writing process to complete her story.One Writer’s Process 11 o,e 7 Prewriting Selecting a Topic Nikki’s teacher talked with the class about different topics they had studied. Afterward, Nikki decided to write about griots (GREE-ohs). Griots are special storytellers. Gathering Details Ms. Lee showed Nikki an interesting book about griots. Nikki read the book. When she finished, she listed the important details she had learned on a 5 W’s chart. 5 W's Chart | Who? storytellers called griots | { E What? _ tell stories about important ‘events | | When? a long time ago and now il Where? ‘in Africa : { C Why? to honor people _ | b as Use a 5 W’s chart the next time you have to list the important details about a writing topic.ae a ; ° Es Writing Developing a First Draft In her first draft, Nikki put all of her ideas on paper. She didn’t worry about making a few mistakes. She’d fix them later. © q Special Storytellers | | My grandpa tells grate stories, He is so good | that he could be a griot A griot is a special storyteller in Africa. Slax “His job was to remember important events. | A griot worked for a ruler or a cheif. He also oO sings songs to honor people # | __Agriot learned from his parents. They would Ca “each him how to sing and to play masical instruments. | he would also have to remember many things. When a | griot got older, he helped out at festivals. Talk it over...-_— a ee One Writer’s Process 13 oe eQ Revising Improving the Writing Nikki read her first draft to herself. She read it to a partner, too. Then she made her story better by revising it. ] \ | ! | oO = ___ Special Storytellers — a F" My grandpa tells grate stories. He is so. good that toe | (GREE-oh) ey nt 4 he could be a griot A griot,is a storyteller in Africa. | ess) His job was to remember important events. | She moved / anidea, — — songs to honor people She changed anidea |_ teach him how to sing and to play musical instruments. and started _ stories.and songs | he would also have to remember man Phiogestil hen.a ph. 2 | __Agpriot learned from his parents. They would griot got older, he helped out at festivals, Sometimes he also studied with a master storyteller. Talk it over... 1. What is one other thing that Nikki could have changed? 2. Did you wonder about any idea in Nikki's story?°] Editing Checking for Conventions Next, Nikki edited her writing. She checked for mistakes in capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar. | ©. Special Storytellers | great My grandpa tella@gratestories, He is so good that he could be a griot A griot (GREE-oh) is a special storyteller in Africa. chief A griot worked for a ruler or a Cheif His job sang is to remember important events. He also-sings songs to honor peoplea = A griot learned from his parents. They would teach him ee to sing and to play musical instruments. be would also have to remember | many stories and songs . | When a griot got older, he helped out at festivals. Sometimes he also studied with a master 1% © _storyteller.One Writer’s Process 15 Be Publishing Sharing Your Writing When Nikki finished, she couldn’t wait to share her final essay with her classmates ... and her grandfather. Special Storytellers My grandpa tells great stories. He is so f |_good that he could be a griot A griot \ (GREE-oh) is a special storyteller in Africa. | | A griot worked for a ruler or a chief. His job was to remember important events. He | also sang songs to honor people. | A griot learned from his parents. They | { would teach him how to sing and to play t musical instruments. He would also have to L | remember many stories and songs. ___ When a griot got older, he helped out at festivals. Sometimes he also studied with a | _ master storyteller. I'm going to tell my grandpa about griots. | | Then maybe T’ll ask him to sing me a story. Cv. O Talk it over...Working with Partners Toshi likes writing-workshop time in her class. She gets to work on her stories and reports, and she also gets to work with her friends. Toshi’s friends help her improve her writing. Sometimes they help her think of a good writing topic. Other times they help her find ways to improve a first draft. They even help her find mistakes before she makes a final copy. Sharing your writing will help you learn a lot about the writing process.Working with Partners 17 Helping One Another You can work with writing partners throughout the writing process, from prewriting to proofreading. During Prewriting Partners can help you. . . aa ik ®@ brainstorm topics to write about and ™@ find information about your topic. As You Review Your First Draft Partners can tell you... ®@ what they like and ®@ what parts they have questions about. As You Revise Partners can tell you if... ™@ the beginning gets their interest, ™ the middle part sticks to the topic, and ™ the ending is strong. Vem 8S You Edit and Proofread Partners can help you... im tia ® check your capitalization, ® check your punctuation, and ® check your spelling. Ean a 1. Has a partner ever helped you with your writing? How? 2. Tell your classmates about a time you worked with a partner.Reviewing with Partners. Use the guidelines below when you and a partner are ready to review a piece of writing. When You're the Writer © Be ready to share your writing. You can share your first draft, and you can share your changed writing. © Tell why you wrote this piece. Tell just a little about it. © Read your writing aloud. © Listen to your partner’s comments. They will help you improve your writing. When You're the Listener © Listen carefully to the writer. e Jot down a few notes to help you remember ideas. * Tell the writer something you like about the writing. “I like the way...” ° Ask about things you don’t understand. “What do you mean when you say... ?” ° Be positive, kind, and helpful. Share a first draft with a partner. Make sure to follow the guidelines listed above.Working with Partners 19 Using a Response Sheet A response sheet like this one can help you when you make comments about a classmate’s writing. Response Sheet Writer: ____________ Responder: Title: \ | What I like: | Questions I have: }Traits of Good Writing To do your best writing, use the six traits listed below as a guide. You will learn all about these traits in this chapter. w» $ - * Start with good ideas! Use specific, strong words. Sentence Paes : nt kinds of sentences.Traits of Good Writing 21 7 Rachel likes collecting ideas for her stories and reports. Having plenty of information helps her to do her best writing. First, Rachel Writing topic selects a writing topic. My cat, Henry Next, she gathers | Details many details about =| Z her topic. |___= weighs 16 pounds! ~has bright green eyes - hides in many places - loves to eat people food - sneaks outside sometimes - sits on my lap during meals 4. Think of a topic you would like to write about. 2. List at least five details about this topic. 3. Share your ideas with the class. wiOrganization \ The first part should introduce | your topic in an interesting way. } The middle \ part should tell all about your topic. The last part | should share a final thought about the topic. | Ernesto always tries to begin his stories in an interesting or exciting way. He also tries to connect the middle and ee My Special Partner | Uncle Hector is a carpenter He _| knows everything about building and | remodeling. Some day I want to be a carpenter, too. Last summer, my uncle and I f built a free fort in my grandma’s f backyard. I measured the lumber j and nailed some of the boards together. It took us all day, but it sure was fun! Uncle Hector has all kinds of power tools. I can’t use any of them now. But when I grow up, my uncle says that I can Ba his partner. Then I can use all the tools!Traits of Good Writing 23 Tara likes to write about the people in her family. Her stories sound like she is telling them to a friend—that’s Tara’s voice. Writing that sounds like the writer, and no one else, has a voice. L@ Super Saturdays Aunt Amita and I have great Saturdays together. We start by making blueberry pancakes. Yummy! Then we go to a store that sells used books. Amita always lets me { buy two books, but I have to promise to read them. | Next, my aunt always takes me to a new place. Once she took me to a shelter a for injured animals that is right in the city. : I donated a dollar to help feed the animals. At the end of our day, we always have a treat like frozen yogurt Aunt Amita is so much fun that I never want our Saturdays | to end. Write a story about someone or something that you really like. Remember to be yourself so your reader can hear your voice.24 f ° Word Choice Theo has learned an important lesson about writing: Always use specific words. Specific words help give the reader clear pictures and ideas. General words (not clear) The boy ate a big breakfast Specific words (clear) Jamal gobbled up scrambled eggs and bacon. ai. EST sat (cso Be a Unt se long Mori always reads over her stories before she shares them. She wants all of her sentences to be easy to read. Mori's smooth sentences Max is my brother’s new retriever. This crazy dog loves to chew on everything. He even chews on the remote controll Max loves to ploy, too. He is so big that he can nock me down. 1, Read over a story or report you have written. 2. Circle two words that could be more specific. 3. Write a specific word (or words) for each circled word. 4. Underline any sentences that are hard to read.— ee Traits of Good Writing 25 Conventions Do you know what Ravi does at Fa the end of a writing assignment? He checks his writing for capital letters and for end punctuation. Then he checks his work for any spelling and grammar errors. The following checklist will help you follow the conventions (or rules) of writing. [CUVUVUVVLEVUTEVET EVE EEE Conventions Checklist CAPITALIZATION ¥ 1. Did I start every sentence with a capital letter? 2. Did | capitalize names? ( | PUNCTUATION ( v 3. Did | use end punctuation after my sentences? _Y_ 4. Did! use commas for a series of words (red, white, and blue)? SPELLING uv 5. Have | checked my spelling? GRAMMAR _W 6. Did | use the right words (one instead of won)?Using a Rubric Have you ever watched figure skating in the Olympics? The judges have a list of things to look for in the skater’s performance, like difficulty and variety. That’s how they come up with a score for the skater. Writing can be judged, too, with a rubric. A rubric is a chart of the traits of good writing. There are different rubrics for different types of writing. This chapter shows you how to use a rubric to judge an expository essay. Learning how to use a rubric will help you write better!Using a Rubric 27 Understanding Rubrics This page will tell you more about rubrics and how to use them to improve your writing. What do the rubrics cover? The rubrics used in this book cover the traits of writing—ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. ate Rested yo ie koe ] | Organization Conventions How can I use a rubric? During prewriting, a rubric helps you to plan your writing. During revising and editing, it can guide the changes you make. After you finish your writing, the rubric can help you judge your final copy. How do I judge my writing with the rubric? Each trait of your writing can be scored. A 6 is the highest score, and a 1 is the lowest score. For example, if the ideas in your essay are strong, you would get a 5 for ideas. B Should I score all of the traits in my writing? Your teacher will tell you how many writing traits to judge. You may be told to score only one or two of the six traits.Getting Started with a Rubric At the beginning of each main writing unit, you will see a chart like the one on page 29. It shows you what to include in your writing. At each step in the writing process, certain traits are more important than others. The traits of writing are very important in the writing process. For example, in prewriting, you are focusing on your ideas. Read the entire chart before you start your writing. Study ideas. This is the most important trait when you begin your writing. Learn what you need to do. For example, when you focus on ideas, you should do two things. ° Choose an interesting topic. ° Explain it with details. ry » | =<) Choose an interesting topic and erplaln it with details.— i Osing a Rubric 29 Sample Goals Page Writing an Expository Essay 143 Understanding Your Goal ‘Your goal in this chapter is to write an essay that explains something that is important to you. The six traits below and the Expository Workshops (pages 160-167) will help you reach your writing goal. Your goal is to ut the parts of your essay in the Correrttzertloem right order. Fel SFE Use specific nouns to help make your | ‘ideas clear. ConventionsAssessing with a Rubric | Follow three steps when you use a rubric like the one on these two pages to judge a piece of your writing. Make an assessment sheet. (See the sample below.) eo Read the final copy carefully. @ Score the writing for each trait. Assessment Sheet | a | Title: actin Using a Rubric a ene ‘The rubric on these pages can help you score your writing. | ___ Organization — rida —— Voice f _— Word Choice | | = ____ Sentence Fluency | c | Conventions |Osing a Rubric Each rubric helps you judge a final copy for the traits of writing. A 6 is the highest score, and a 1 is the lowest score.32 ° Assessing an Expository Essay In this essay, Kerry explains how to take care of a dog. As you read it, think about the parts that you like and the parts that you have questions about. (You will find a few mistakes.) oO | Taking Care of a Dog e ___At finst, taking care of my dog was alot _ |__| of fun. Then I found out it was work, too. I | have important jobs to do. Topper needs my | ___ help to stay healthy and safe. __ Taking a dog to a veterinarien is the most important thing to do. Dogs need shots, just ___like people do. A veterinarien will give your [ dog shots and make sure that he is healthy. | Giving a dog food and water is the next } most important thing to do. A dog needs the © right kind of dog food. Some kinds of people food can make dogs sick. A dog also needs fresh water every day. _ __Exercising a dog is the last thing to remember. A dog needs a lot of exercise, so you should walk your dog and play with it __Always keep a dog on a leesh during walks. _Then it won't run in front of cars and get hurt: Dogs can cheer you up.They always seem so happy. If you take good care of your | | dog, you will have a friend for a long time. o— Using a Rubric 33 Sample Assessment Kerry used the rubric on pages 30-31 to judge his essay. His teacher told him to score ideas, organization, and conventions. In addition to the numbers, Kerry wrote comments. He wrote about what he liked in his writing, as well as what he would change. ctice p 1. Make an assessment sheet for a report you wrote this year. 2. Score your writing for ideas, organization, and conventions. 3. Add a comment about each trait. (See the rubric on pages 168-169.) Title: Taking Care of a Dog ‘Writer: Kerry Ideas I should have told more about the dog food and exercise. Organization My essay includes a strong beginnin middle, and ending. ee Bp Voice Word Choice Sentence Fluency Conventions I need to check my spelling next time.Publishing and Portfolios Publishing means sharing one of your stories, poems, or reports with others. It is the last—and the best—step in the writing process. Reading your writing to someone else is one way to publish. Putting it on a class bulletin board is another way. In fact, you can publish your writing in many different ways. Just look on the next page for ideas. Sharing a story ig like Siving a sift to my friends. | unwrap the gift as | read my story to them.—_— i — Publishing and Portfolios 35 Publishing Your Writing nage Print it! Put together a book of your stories or poems, or make a book with your classmates. Send a family story or a special poem to a relative who lives far away. Post your writing on a class Web site. Submit it! Send one of your stories or poems to the editor of a magazine. Wait to see if he or she will publish it. Act out one of your stories or plays with the help of your classmates. Talk it over... 41. Have you ever tried one of the publishing ideas listed above? Tell the class about it. 2, Which new publishing idea would you like to try?36 ° fo} Writing a Neat Final Copy A neat final copy shows that you care about your writing. It also makes your writing easy to read. Follow these guidelines when you write a final copy by hand. Handwritten Copy When I Grow Up | When I grow up, I want to be a doctor I am not going to be an ordinary doctor. I want to be a traveling doctor. First, I will travel to Africa. On television, I saw pictures of many people who are suffering there. That’s why I want to be a doctor! When I’m in Africa, I will do three | things. I will help sick children. I will also show them how to stay healthy. Then I will get other doctors to join me. _ After I go to Africa, I will travel all around the world to help other sick children, I will go to places like India, China, and Haiti. I will have to go to school for a long time to be a doctor My dad says that I will be 28 by the time I get out of schooll That’s okay. By then, I will be old enough to travel all by myself.-_ a Publishing and Portfolios 37 Using a Computer Follow these guidelines when you use a computer to print out a final copy. 1 v Mansi Patel When I Grow Up | When I grow up, I want to be a doctor. | am not going to be an ordinary doctor. I want to be a traveling doctor. First, | will travel to Africa. On television, I saw pictures of many people who are suffering there. \ That’s why I want to be a doctor! | \ When I’m in Africa I will do three things. f 1. I will help sick children. | 2. I will also show them how to stay healthy. I 3. Then I will get other doctors to join me. After I go to Africa, I will travel all around the world to help other sick children. I will go to places like India, China, and Haiti. I will have to go to school for a long time to be a doctor. My dad says that I will be 28 by the time I get out of school! That’s okay. By then, I will be old enough to travel all by myself. Compare one of your final copies to the example above or the one on page 36. How are they alike? How are they different?_—_ oa 338 Using a Portfolio Juan likes collecting pictures of horses. He keeps his pictures in a special album. Juan also collects his stories and poems. He puts them in a portfolio, a special place to gather your writing. When you keep a portfolio, you can look over your work and enjoy all the types of writing you have done. Making a Personal Portfolio A personal portfolio is just for you. You can use a three- ring binder, a pocket folder, a gift box, or you can make your very own portfolio. In your portfolio, you can save everything from topic ideas to finished stories. Here is one way to plan Collect ideas for new stories and poems. Sto re writing that you are still changing. Save the final copies of your writing.— en: Publishing and Portfolios 39 Making a Classroom Portfolio Your teacher may ask you to make a classroom portfolio. There are two main types of classroom portfolios: a showcase portfolio and a growth portfolio. Showcase Portfolio In a showcase portfolio, you show your best writing. Here are some ideas for choosing your best work. Your teacher will help you decide which pieces of writing to include. e Choose writing you really like. e Pick a piece you worked hard on. e Select something that shares your feelings. e Include writing that you’re proud of. Growth Portfolio In a growth portfolio, you save writing that helps you and your teacher see how you are growing as a writer. You may save something you wrote in September, in October, in November, and so on. It’s amazing how your writing skills can improve by the end of the school year! Here are some of the skills you'll want to keep track of. e Using specific details e Organizing your ideas e Writing clear sentences 1. Think of one thing you wrote from this year or last year that you would include in a showcase portfolio. 2. List the title of your writing and tell why you would include it.