prewriting: gathering ideas

14
Prewriting: Gathering Ideas Introduction Exploring what you know Researching your topic Evaluating your ideas Writing your thesis statement Implying a thesis Reviewing your ideas

Upload: sevita

Post on 12-Jan-2016

53 views

Category:

Documents


4 download

DESCRIPTION

Prewriting: Gathering Ideas. Introduction Exploring what you know Researching your topic Evaluating your ideas Writing your thesis statement Implying a thesis Reviewing your ideas. Introduction. Detective work requires exploring ideas and gathering information. Introduction. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Introduction

Exploring what you know

Researching your topic

Evaluating your ideas

Writing your thesis statement

Implying a thesis

Reviewing your ideas

Page 2: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Introduction

Detective work requires exploring ideas and gathering information.

Page 3: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Introduction

Like a detective, you have to explore your writing topic and gather information before you can begin to write.

Topic: owl adaptations

(physical traits that help owls survive in their environment)

Page 4: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Exploring what you know

First, determine what you already know about your topic. Write down all the ideas and information that you have on your topic.

Topic: owl adaptations• Most owls are nocturnal.• Owls hunt small animals.• Owls have excellent hearing.

Page 5: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Exploring what you know

What information or ideas are missing? Next, write down specific questions that show what you still need to know about your topic.

Topic: owl adaptations• How do owls hear so well?• What kinds of animals do owls eat?• How do owls catch and eat their prey?• Are owls noisy or quiet when they fly?

Page 6: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Researching your topic

Next, do some research to find answers to your questions. Research is a part of nearly all forms of writing, not just informative reports. For example,

information about the author of the work

a literary response

details of the event you’re relating

a personal narrative

the beliefs of those who disagree with you

a persuasive essay

the place and time in which your story is set

a short story

If you are writing You might research

Page 7: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Ways to research your topic include

Researching your topic

creating a survey to see how others feel about your topic

viewing documentary videos

typing your topic into a search engine

talking with others about your topic

reading books, magazines, and newspaper articles

Page 8: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Evaluating your ideas

As you research, you must evaluate the ideas and information that you find to make sure they are usable. Ask the following questions about each idea or piece of information:

Will this information interest my readers?

Is this information too specific or too broad?

How does this information relate to my topic?

Page 9: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

• How does this relate to my topic?

Evaluating your ideas

The shape of an owl’s face and its uneven ear openings help it collect sounds and determine their direction.

• Will the information be interesting to my readers?

• Is the information too specific or too broad?

yes

no

All are owl adaptations.

Page 10: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Writing your thesis statement

You should be able to determine your thesis—the main idea of your topic—from the ideas and information you gather. Look for patterns in or relationships between the facts you’ve gathered.

Topic: owl adaptations• The shape of an owl’s face and its uneven ear openings

help it collect sounds and determine their direction.• An owl can fly silently because it has tiny ruffles on the

edges of its feathers.• An owl’s talons help it catch and kill prey such as mice,

rabbits, other small mammals, and insects.

owls’ special physical traits

Page 11: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Adaptations such as specialized ear openings and specially structured feathers enable owls both to hunt with ease and to exist in almost any ecosystem.

Writing your thesis statement

Often, you will give readers a thesis statement, which directly states your topic and what you want to say about it. To create a thesis statement, use the following equation:

+ Main idea about topic:Topic:

Thesis statement:

Owl adaptationsOwls have specialized

physical traits that enable them to hunt and to survive in almost any environment.

Page 12: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Writing your thesis statement Implying a thesis

In some types of writing—especially short stories and personal or biographical narratives—it is effective to use the details you provide to imply, or hint at, the main idea.

Implied main idea: Sam and John are not the only

ones in the forest.

As he traveled deeper into the forest, a strange feeling came over Sam. He felt as if he were being watched. John kept walking ahead as if everything were normal, but Sam felt a gentle breeze blow past him, like an eerie whisper in his ear.

Page 13: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

Reviewing your ideas

After deciding on your thesis, review the ideas and information you have already gathered. Do you have enough strong ideas to support your thesis? If not, go back and gather more information.

Page 14: Prewriting: Gathering Ideas

The End