Ready-to-Use Prewriting and Organization Activities Unit 4, Includes 90 Sequential Activities for Building Prewriting and Organizing Skills in Grades 6 through 12

by Umstatter, Jack

• ISBN13: 9780876284858
• ISBN10: 0876284853
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-09-28
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

A practical series that provides over 540 stimulating, ready-to-use activity sheets to help teach and reinforce writing skills in middle/junior high and senior high school students, grades 6-12. Each unit in the series focuses on a different area of writing skills and is complete and self-contained, including 90 reproducible activities in a variety of formats, a brief teacher's guide to effective use of the activities and full answer keys. The activities can be used in any order in any developmental or corrective writing program to meet the specific needs of individual students, small groups, or an entire class.

Author Biography

Jack Umstatter, a master English teacher with over 25 years' experience, is a multiple winner of the Teacher of the Year award. He currently teaches English in the Cold Spring Harbor School District in New York and educationand literature at Dowling College in Oakdale, New York. He is the author of Brain Games!, Hooked on English! and other practical teacher resources published by The Center.

Table of Contents

About the Writing Skills Curriculum Library	vi
About Unit 4	viii
Teacher's Correction Marks	xv
SECTION ONE APPROACHING A SUBJECT
Looking Within (and Without)
Student's interests	3	(2)
Searching for the Topic
Topic selection inventory	5	(1)
Writing Joggers
Open-ended responses	6	(1)
The Two-Minute Drill
Free writing	7	(2)
Listing
Ideas inventory	9	(1)
We Think Alike (and Differently)
Brainstorming	10	(1)
Brainstorming Word-Find
Brainstorming word-find	11	(1)
Take Four
Timed personal responses	12	(2)
Brainstorming Into a Composition
Brainstorming	14	(1)
Brainstorming ... The Start of the Writing Process
Brainstorming	15	(1)
Making Lists
Topic search	16	(1)
Cooperative Listing of Ideas
Cooperative learning brainstorming	17	(1)
Eavesdropping at the Mall
Story ideas	18	(2)
Setting the Terms
Writing terms	20	(1)
Getting the Terms Down
Writing terms	21	(1)
Talk It Out
Topic search	22	(3)
SECTION TWO RESEARCH
Research Tools
Research materials	25	(1)
Research Matching Column
Research sources	26	(1)
In the Library
Library materials	27	(1)
Which Magazine?
Magazines as research sources	28	(1)
Matching the Title and the First Line
Magazines	29	(1)
Which Source?
Research sources	30	(1)
You Can Find It
Researching	31	(1)
Locating Information
Research sources	32	(1)
Where Can You Find It?
Researching	33	(1)
Let's Go and Find It
Researching	34	(1)
Finding the Answers
Researching	35	(2)
``Researching the Answers'' Contest
Researching	37	(1)
Dictionary Magic Square
Word histories	38	(1)
The 5 W's and the 1 H
Selecting a topic's content	39	(1)
Your Note Cards
Storing research information	40	(3)
SECTION THREE TOPICS AND TOPIC SENTENCES
Taking Inventory
Selecting topics	43	(1)
Some Ideas for You
Listing and selecting topics	44	(1)
Taking a Closer Look at Yourself
Personal areas of interest	45	(1)
Finding the 26 Topics from A to Z
Topics word-find	46	(1)
Twenty-five Hidden Topics
Topics word-find	47	(1)
Take Five Minutes
Selecting a topic's details	48	(1)
Letting Your Mind Wander
Brainstorming for details	49	(1)
Questions
Choosing subtopics	50	(1)
Topic, Subtopics, and Facts
Differentiating topics, subtopics, and facts	51	(1)
Supporting the Topic
Developing supportive evidence	52	(2)
What to Include
Subtopics	54	(1)
Constructing Effective Topic Sentences
Topic sentences	55	(2)
Opening Lines of Magazine Articles
Thesis statements	57	(2)
Recognizing a Thesis Statement
Thesis statements	59	(1)
Improving Thesis Statements
Writing more effective thesis statements	60	(1)
Flipping Through for the Next Writing
Developing story ideas	61	(4)
SECTION FOUR ORGANIZING
To the Market We Go
Grouping	65	(1)
Organizing the Five Groups
Grouping	66	(1)
Sorting Things Out
Classifying	67	(1)
Making the Connection
Joining ideas	68	(1)
What a Year!
Organizing details	69	(1)
Working With Clusters
Graphic organizers	70	(1)
More Work With Clusters
Graphic organizers	71	(1)
Composing an Outline
Outlining	72	(1)
Making Sense With Topic Outlines
Outlining	73	(1)
The Mixed-Up Outline
Outlining	74	(1)
Stepping Into Organization
Organizing and writing directions	75	(1)
Putting F. Scott Fitzgerald Together
Grouping and paragraphing writing	76	(1)
Tell Me a Story
Organizing a narrative	77	(2)
The Event's Details
Writing the narrative	79	(4)
SECTION FIVE SKILLS
Getting Ready to Write
Selecting details	83	(2)
Observing Before Writing
Using the five senses	85	(1)
Checking Out the Sentences
Editing	86	(1)
Becoming More Specific
Specificity	87	(1)
Moving Toward Perfection
Specificity	88	(1)
``The More Exact Verbs'' Magic Square
Vocabulary selection	89	(1)
The Declaration of Independence
Paraphrasing	90	(1)
Say It Without Saying It
Description	91	(1)
Details and Mood
Diction and description	92	(1)
Odd One Out
Grouping	93	(1)
All Four Have It
Similarities	94	(1)
What Do They Have in Common?
Comparison-contrast	95	(2)
Writing Headlines and Summaries
Main ideas and details	97	(2)
How to Present It
Types of writing	99	(4)
SECTION SIX TYPES OF WRITING
Start With This
Story starters	103	(1)
Here Is Your Life
Personal experiences	104	(1)
Today's Journal
Personal writing	105	(1)
Free Writing
Writing to find topics	106	(1)
Journal Writing
Personal topics	107	(1)
Being There
Sensory writing	108	(2)
Organizing Some Writing Situations
Supporting details	110	(1)
Knowing Your Audience
Audience	111	(1)
Here's a Start
Story writing	112	(1)
Which Writing Method?
Types of writing	113	(1)
Ideas for Comparing and Contrasting
Comparison-contrast writing	114	(1)
Sensory Descriptions
Descriptive writing	115	(1)
Please Explain How to Do It
Process writing	116	(1)
The Persuasive Essay
Persuasive writing	117	(1)
What If?
Creative writing	118	(3)
Answer Key	121