Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

On Demand: Step by Step

How to Choose the Right Prompt and Write your Proficient Piece

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

To Decide Which Prompt to Address

Read both prompts carefully.

Prewrite for both to decide which one you have the most to say about.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Prompt Number One

SITUATION: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school but worry about students’ health.

WRITING TASK: Think about what you’d like to see the school do about snack sales. Write a letter to the site-based council with your suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Prompt Number Two

SITUATION: Parents in your community are concerned that their children spend too much time playing video games.

WRITING TASK: Write an article for your school’s newsletter convincing parents of your opinion about whether or not kids spend too much time playing video games.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

How do you prewrite for both prompts in order to identify what

your being asked to do? Mark SPAM: Situation, Purpose, Audience,

and Mode.

• Draw a box around the situation.

• Circle the purpose.

• Underline the audience.

• Put parentheses around the mode (feature article).

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

For example,

SITUATION: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school but worry about students’ health.

WRITING TASK: Think about what you’d like to see the school do about snack sales. Write a (letter) to the site-based council with your suggestions. Convince them to follow your advice.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Find the Key Words from Both Situations

SITUATION: Your site-based council is looking at whether or not to sell junk food to students as snacks. They like the money it makes for the school but worry about students’ health.

SITUATION: Parents in your community are concerned that their children spend too much time playing video games.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Write a lead for each making sure to include those key words (or synonyms of those words).

Dear Council Members,You’re certainly right to worry about the junk food that is sold to students as snacks at school. I realize that these sales make lots of money that the school needs. I believe that students would buy healthy snacks, if they were made available.

Video Games: How Much is Too Much?

Here’s a word association game to use to test your kids’ obsessions with video games:

• If you say, “Joy,” do they reply, “Stick”?

• When you say, “Fun,” do they shout “Playstation!”?

If so, your worries are probably real. If you think your kids spend too many hours with a joystick in their hands, you’re probably right.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

As you check to see if your lead gets your audience on the right track, see if your transition helps accomplish this. Notice the italics below.

Dear Council Members,You’re certainly right to worry about the junk food that is sold to students as snacks at school. I realize that these sales make lots of money that the school needs. I believe that students would buy healthy snacks, if they were made available.

Video Games: How Much is Too Much?

Here’s a word association game to use to test your kids’ obsessions with video games:

• If you say, “Joy,” do they reply, “Stick”?

• When you say, “Fun,” do they shout “Playstation!”?

If so, your worries are probably real. If you think your kids spend too many hours with a joystick in their hands, you’re probably right.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Once you know for sure what the prompt is asking you to do,

prewrite…Draw your own graphic organizer that will

work well for your purpose: train cars, tables, webs…

DRINK

•Milk

•Juice

•H2O

MONEY FOR THE SCHOOL

WHY JUNKFOOD HAS TO GO

FOOD

•Veggies

•Fruit

•Popcorn

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Planning your details involves…

• Thinking about your audience’s questions, concerns, beliefs…

• Coming up with examples and stories from your own life that support your view

• Telling why and how

• Creating categories to group your details

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Thinking about your audience’s questions, concerns, beliefs…

Site-based council member concerns:

• Obesity

• How junk food affects the ability to pay attention

• The money that junk food raises for the school

• Kids won’t eat what’s good for them

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Coming up with examples and stories from your own life that support your view

My stories and examples that prove my point:

• When my mom stopped buying chips, cokes, and candy I learned to like popcorn and fruit.

• I used to like whole milk. Now that I’ve been drinking 2%, whole milk is too rich. Same with tuna in spring water vs. oil.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Telling why and how…

Tastes can change. According to Weight Watchers, it takes about 30 days to change a habit… even an eating habit.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Creating categories to group your details…

Healthy foods they will eat

Healthy snacks will sell at school

Tastes change

Healthy Drinks

Why junk food has to go

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Drafting

• Follow your prewriting.

• Revise as you go.

• Keep letting the “audience’s questions” guide your writing.

Donna Vincent, Muhlenberg County Schools

Don’t Give Up!

When you get tired (and you will) don’t give up. Like the last minutes of a basketball game, you may want to throw in the towel. DON’T! Revise. Edit. This is an important measure of success. Like the NCAA, the results will be in the paper. People will judge your school, county, and state based on how hard we try and how well we do. Hang in there! Nothing lasts forever...

Except your legacy!