Pre-TAKS Writing LessonBy: Mary S. Roland

TAKS WRITING TESTThe TAKS writing test is given in two p arts: a

Revising and Editing part (Multiple-Choice Section) and a Written Composition part (Writing to a Prompt).

Revising and EditingIn this part of the writing test, you will answer

multiple-choice questions on how a sentence or paragraph might be improved.

First, read the selection to get a sense of what ideas the writer is trying to communicate.

Second, reread the selection and underline sentences that seem to be of the central idea of the paragraph, or sentences that should be combined.

Third, circle any sentence fragments or examples of incorrect grammar, spelling, or punctuation.

Forth and fifth grade only

Reading a Writing PromptA writing test requires you to write a

composition in response to a prompt. A writing prompt presents a topic for your paper. Look for key words and phrases in the prompt that tell you what you should write about.

Next, determine what you want to say and your purpose for writing. Your purpose may be to:

1. explain2. describe3. entertain4. express

Writing: How to Read a Prompt?Identify the Topic, Audience, and Choose a Plan

for Organizing:

Identify the Topic: Read the prompt again carefully. Find key words that tell you about the writing topic. The words “make-believe animal” tell you that you will be writing about a creature that you imagine.

Identify the Audience: Determine who you want your audience to be. You may want to think of your teacher as your audience.

Choose a Plan for Organizing: (A thinking Map) How will you organize your ideas. You will need to consider what kind of writing to produce.

1. explain2. describe3. entertain4. express

Write a composition about a make-believe animal.

Steps for Fun Writing Friday* Brainstorm and choose topic* Tree Map - Who? What? Where?* Circle Maps of each Who, What, Where* Flow Map - Intro, Event 1, Event 2, Event 3,

Conclusion* Sloppy Copy* Edit, Edit, Edit!* Final Copy (BEST handwriting)

Written Compositionabout a time when you had fun!

Brainstorm: Take 10 minutes to think of every supporting detail

that describes the who what, where & when of your story.

Remember to only focus on the details that support the main

idea of your story.

Phi Theta Kappa

ConventionSan Antonio,

TX2002 Adam’s

Mark Hotel

Denver , CO

2001

Gaylord, Grand Ole

Opra, Nashville,

TN2003

Las Vegas,

NV2006

Moe Ranch

Kerrville, TX

2004

Disney Land

Anaheim, CA

1999

The Reef Club

Cozumel, MX

2005

Motorcycle Rally

Austin, TX2008

Your Main Idea

Who WhenWhereWhat

Take 10 minutes to think of every supporting detail that describes the

who what, where & when of your story. Remember to only focus on the details that support the main

idea of your story.

Motorcycle Rally

Who WhenWhereWhat

Me

Rodney

Riders

Body

Motorcycle Rally

Rode around in hill country

Swam in Barton Springs

Stayed in a hotel

Rode on a motorcycle

Summer State of Texas

May 2008

Long Weekend

City of Austin

6th Street

Hill Country

Barton Springs

Use this prewriting page to plan your composition

Brainstorm: Take 10 minutes to think of every supporting detail

that describes the who what, where & when of your story. Remember to

only focus on the details that support the main idea of your story.

ShyKind

Reserved

Nice

Me

Use this prewriting page to plan your composition

Dare devil

SmartBrave

Rodney

Motorcycles

Weird People

Loud, Fun, Exciting

Rally

Green hillsRefreshingGorgeous

Breath taking sceneryGod’s

Country

Hill Country

Bone chilling water

CrowdedFresh

springs

BartonSprings

AustinTexas

Completelycrowded

6th Street

Strong Lead

Use this prewriting page to plan your composition

Strong Lead

Use this prewriting page to plan your composition

DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS

Strong Lead

Helicopter Writing

Use this prewriting page to plan your composition

DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS

Strong Lead

Transition TransitionTransition

Use this prewriting page to plan your composition

DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS

Conclusion

Wrap it up

Strong Lead

Transition Transition Transition

TemplateUse this prewriting page to plan your composition

DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS

Conclusion

Wrap it up

Strong Lead

Transition Transition Transition

Template

Motorcycle Rally(Annual ROT

Rally)

Thousands of motor cycles

Weird and strange sights

Fun, exciting, loud

Beautiful green hills

Wind blowing in my face

God’s country

Riding motor cyclesIn Hill Country

In Austin, Texas.

Swimming in Barton Springs

Fresh springs from the ground

Water is bone chilling cold and icy

Once you get use to the Water it is a great experience

While visiting the city of Austin, I saw many breath taking sights and some frightening ones as well.(Restate your Topic here….da…da…da …Motorcycle Rally.) My husband, Rodney, and I drove to Austin for the annual ROT Rally May of 2008. I was able to see many spectacular sights such as Hill Country and Barton Springs, not to mention thousands of motorcycles. The adventure began when Rodney was eager to show off his new Harley Davidson to other motorcycle enthusiasts. Add an exciting sentence here…..

To make a long story short, Rodney and I had a special and memorable adventure in Austin. I will never forget the fun times on the motorcycle and soaking in God’s country. I am looking forward to visiting the city of Austin again soon. I can’t wait to go back again. I think it is the best time I have ever had!

Write the rough copy of your 3 main

events.

Show me don’t tell

me!

DETAILS DETAILS DETAILS

Conclusion

Wrap it up

Strong Lead

Transition Transition Transition

Template

While visiting the city of Austin, I saw many breath taking sights and some frightening ones as well.My husband, Rodney, and I drove to Austin for the annual ROT Rally May of 2008. I was able tosee many spectacular sights such as Hill Country and Barton Springs, not to mention thousands of motorcycles. The adventure began when Rodney was eager to show off his new Harley Davidson to other motorcycle enthusiasts.

Our first stop in Austin was on 6th Street, located downtown. There were motorcycles as far as the ye could see. There must have been thousands of them! There were also quite a few interesting people there to say the least. For example, an older man was wearing a thong that he had no business wearing. Perhaps he tought it complimented the bright pink feather hoa he had on. The thing that impressed me the most about the rally was the booming thunder sound when every motorcycle stared at the exact same time!

The second day we were in Austin, Rodney took me on a long, scenic ride through Hill Country. The green hills were so beautiful, that this land could only be called God’s country. The wind that was blowing in my face was so crisp and clean, it felt good to breathe. The entire ride felt completely refreshing and invigorating. My spirits were rejuvenated!

To complete our days of fun, we decided to take a dip at Barton Springs. This is a fresh spring which flows out of the ground. The water is so cold that it will chill you to the bone. It is like swimming in the coldest glass of ice water. Brrrr! After 10 minutes when I could feel my legs again I had fun swimming laps. I’m not sure I’d every swim there again, but it was a fun, new experience.

To make a long story short, Rodney and I had a special and memorable adventure in Austin. I will never forget the fun times on the motorcycle and soaking in God’s country. I am looking forward to visiting the city of Austin again soon. I can’t wait to go back again. I think it is the best time I have ever had!

Thousands of motor cycles

Weird and strange sights

Fun, exciting, loud

Beautiful green hills

Wind blowing in my face

God’s country

Fresh springs from the ground

Water is bone chilling cold and icy

Once you get use to the Water it is a great experience

Don’ts:

•Got, get, getting

•Going, went, go

•No boring, wimpy words

•No excessive then, after that, next, so, so that…

Do’s:

•50% indirect sentences

•50% direct sentences

•Start each sentence with a different word

•Add suspense, humor, drama

•Sensory words and phrases

•Add an idiom, simile, metaphor

•Add adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases

•Keep every sentence in past tense

•Check spelling, grammar, punctuation

Use the Following:

Everything in your Writing Binder, Thesaurus, Dictionary, Posters in the Room

Remember:

There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.

Editing Process

1. Capitalization and Punctuation

2. Spelling

3. Have you used verbs of steel?

4. Do you have awesome Adverbs? (6-8)

5. Have you used amazing adjectives? (10-15)

6. Do you have one main Idea?

7. Do you have a strong lead?

- Does it hook the reader? - Does it restate the prompt?

- Does it stir the readers interest?

- Does it help the reader want to read on?

8. Do you have nay run-on sentences?

9. Do I have prepositional phrases throughout my paper? Do I have 1 or 2 leading a sentence?

10. Does my paper have logical sequence?

11. Do I have a great conclusion?

Does it wrap it up? -Does it restate the prompt?

Does it have a clear ending?

Does it have feelings?

After revising your Intro, Body, and Conclusion, read through your paper 2 more

times to make sure you caught everything. Whisper

it to yourself.

My Finished Written Composition: A Fun Motorcycle Rally

While visiting the city of Austin, I saw many breath taking sights and some frightening ones as well.

My husband, Rodney, and I drove to Austin for the annual ROT Rally May of 2008. I was able tosee many spectacular sights such as Hill Country and Barton Springs, not to mention thousands of motorcycles. The adventure began when Rodney was eager to show off his new Harley Davidson to other motorcycle enthusiasts.

Our first stop in Austin was on 6th Street, located downtown. There were motorcycles as

far as the ye could see. There must have been thousands of them! There were also quite a few

interesting people there to say the least. For example, an older man was wearing a thong that he had

no business wearing. Perhaps he tought it complimented the bright pink feather hoa he had on. The

thing that impressed me the most about the rally was the booming thunder sound when every

motorcycle stared at the exact same time!

The second day we were in Austin, Rodney took me on a long, scenic ride through Hill

Country. The green hills were so beautiful, that this land could only be called God’s country. The wind

that was blowing in my face was so crisp and clean, it felt good to breathe. The entire ride felt

completely refreshing and invigorating. My spirits were rejuvenated.

To complete our days of fun, we decided to take a dip at Barton Springs. This is a fresh

spring which flows out of the ground. The water is so cold that it will chill you to the bone. It is like

swimming in the coldest glass of ice water. Brrrr! After 10 minutes when I could feel my legs again I

had fun swimming laps. I’m not sure I’d every swim there again, but it was a fun, new experience.

Whisper your whole story to yourself from

beginning to end. Fix mistakes as you find

them.

If you need more practice…

You’re doing GREAT!!!

Introduction Paragraph should include the following:Sentence One: Great Introduction. (Hook the reader). State your topic sentence.Sentence Two: Restate your writing prompt (Main Idea). Ex: Scariest experience ever, saddest experience ever, your happiest day etc.Sentence Three: Name the Characters (Who).Sentence Four: Setting (When and Where): Example: On a cool evening last summer.Sentence Five: Use a metaphor / Simile / or idiom to improve your writing.Sentence Six: Feelings (Use your five senses.

Conclusion Paragraph (Wrap it all up) It should include the following:Sentence One: Restate your writing prompt (Main Idea). Ex: Scariest experience ever, saddest experience ever, your happiest day etc. Sentence Two: Share a memory. Ex: I thought…Sentence Three: Feelings (Use your five senses. Ex: Sadly, I will not see my grandfather again. Sentence Four: Write a sentence on your hope or wish. Ex: I hope…. Or I wish…Sentence Five: Include a sentence that explains a decision made. Ex: I can not wait to do it again. I will never…

Paragraph One - First, (Main Event / or Idea)•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail

Paragraph Two – Second,(Main Event / or Idea)•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail

Paragraph Three - Third,(Main Event / or Idea)•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail

Paragraph Four- Next,(Main Event / or Idea)•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail

Paragraph Five - Then,(Main Event / or Idea)•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail

Paragraph Six (Main Event / or Idea)•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail•Supporting detail

Title:_________________

Conclusion as a paragraph with the five above listed suggestions:Sadly, though, we soon had to be getting back to our hotel. We were tired and sleepy. I hope we come back someday, because I love this place. Next time we should stay longer. I thought with a glance over my shoulder at Copper Mountain. That was the best trip ever! I can not wait to do it again!

Topic :_________________

Pre-write: Use a

thinking map to

plan each individual

paragraph.

Eight Paragraphs

Your Main Idea

Who WhenWhereWhat

Take 5 minutes to think of every detail that describes the main

characters in your story. Remember to only focus on the

details that support the main idea of your story.

Your Main Idea

Who WhenWhereWhat

Take 5 minutes to think of every

adjective or adjective phrase that

describes the place(s) in which

your story took place.

Your Main Idea

Who WhenWhereWhat

Take 5 minutes to think of every adjective or

adjective phrase that describes the time(s) in which your story took

place.

Your Main Idea

Who WhenWhereWhat

Take a minute to choose the

3 Main Events in

your story.

Your Main Idea

Who WhenWhereWhat

This is what your tree

map should look like

now.

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Event 1 Main Event 3Main Event 2Main Event 1

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Take 10-15 minutes to write every supporting

detail about 3 Main Events.

After you have brainstormed all of your supporting details, number them in the order in which they

occurred.

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Introduction

Event 1

Hook the Reader, Stir the Reader’s Interest, Refer to the Setting, Use Sensory Words, Add Emotion, Restate Your Prompt, Slyly Refer to Your 3 Main Events

Main Event 3Main Event 2Main Event 1

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Take 5-10 minutes to write your

introduction.

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Introduction

Transition Sentence

Event 1

Hook the Reader, Stir the Reader’s Interest, Refer to the Setting, Use Sensory Words, Add Emotion, Restate Your Prompt, Slyly Refer to Your 3 Main Events

Main Event 3Main Event 2Main Event 1

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Transition Sentence Transition Sentence

Take a few minutes to plan out your transition sentences between each paragraph.

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Conclusion

Introduction

Transition Sentence

Event 1

Hook the Reader, Stir the Reader’s Interest, Refer to the Setting, Use Sensory Words, Add Emotion, Restate Your Prompt, Slyly Refer to Your 3 Main Events

Main Event 3Main Event 2Main Event 1

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Supporting Details

Wrap it up, Refer to the Setting, Use Sensory Words, Add Emotion, Restate Your Prompt

Transition Sentence Transition Sentence

Write the conclusion

to your story.

“Think About It” (for 2 or 3 minutes to think about what you want to write about before

you begin. There is no talking or writing during this time, just thinking.)

Now it’s your turn: Write a Composition about a time you had fun.