Expository Writing Deconstructing the Prompt and Additive Scoring Process for STAAR Presented by Stephanie Churchill Adapted from Alice Nine and Pat Jacoby Revised by Amanda DeMunbrun, Coronado High School
Feb 14, 2016
Expository Writing Deconstructing the Prompt and
Additive Scoring Process for STAARPresented by Stephanie Churchill
Adapted from Alice Nine and Pat JacobyRevised by Amanda DeMunbrun, Coronado High School
Start with a STUDENT Friendly rubric
Students MUST know the rubric for EACH type of writing inside and out
9th grade Expository (Inform) and Literary (A story)
10th grade Expository and Persuasive 11th grade Persuasive and Analytical (best
predictor of college readiness and success)
Do this FIRST!
Score Point 4Highly Effective
The essay represents an accomplished writing performance.
Score Point 3Generally Effective
The essay represents a satisfactory writing performance.
Score Point 2Somewhat Effective
The essay represents a basic writing performance.
Score Point 1Ineffective
The essay represents a very limited writing performance.
ORGANIZATION
Responds to prompt in a meaningful way Organized with clear central idea (thesis
statement) Ideas strongly related to central idea and
focused on topic Unified and coherent Uses meaningful transitions; ideas are
connected Easy to follow writer’s thinking
Responds to prompt in a way that makes sense
Organized with clear central idea (thesis statement)
Most supporting ideas related to central idea, but not always focused on topic
Most transitions are meaningful and sufficient to show relationships among ideas
Can follow flow of essay
Structure of essay is evident but not always appropriate
Central idea (thesis statement) is weak or unclear
Supporting ideas related to topic of prompt but not connected to central idea
Ideas are choppy or repetitive Transitions and connections between
sentences are weak Difficult to follow writer’s thinking
Structure of essay is inappropriate Response to prompt is vague or confused Not organized around a central idea (thesis
statement) Most ideas are weak and/or not related to
prompt Not focused on topic Ideas are choppy or repeated No transitions or connections between
sentences Unclear and/or difficult to read
DEVELOP-MENT
OF IDEAS
Uses specific, well-chosen details and examples
Thoughtful and engaging Uses his/her own experiences to connect
ideas in interesting ways Understands how to write an expository
essay
Uses specific details and examples that add some substance
Shows some thoughtfulness Expresses original ideas; is not formulaic Understands how to write an expository
essay
Details and examples do not always make sense or are not completely explained
Not very thoughtful Response to topic is formulaic Limited understanding of how to write an
expository essay
Development of ideas weak Details and examples are inappropriate,
vague or insufficient Confusing and/or weakly linked to the
prompt Writer does not understand how to write an
expository essay
USE OF LANGUA
GE CONVEN
TIONS
Uses words that express exactly what he/she means
Has an appropriate tone Word choice makes essay clear and strong Sentences have a purpose are varied, well-
controlled, and enhancing Uses different types of sentences Consistent control of sentence boundaries,
spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar
Minor errors do not make essay confusing Overall strength contributes to
effectiveness of essay
Uses words that are for the most part, clear and specific, and contribute to effectiveness of essay
Has an appropriate tone Uses different types of sentences Adequate control of sentence boundaries,
spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar
Some errors, but do not interrupt the meaning of the essay
Uses words that are not specific or not correct; makes writing confusing
Tone is not appropriate to the task Sentences are awkward or somewhat
controlled Has partial control of sentence boundaries,
spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar
Some errors distract and take away from meaning of essay
Uses words that are vague or limited Tone is not appropriate to the task Sentences are simple, awkward and
uncontrolled; take away from idea of essay Has little or no control of sentence
boundaries, spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar
Serious, persistent errors interfere with meaning of the essay
Student Friendly Expository Rubric English I and English II
1. Read (typically 4th grade synopsis, 7th grade quote, English I Information, quote, fact, excerpt) – The Context
2. Think (topic)
3. Write (Charge)
4. Be sure to – (Rubric)
Deconstructing the Prompt
ReadThink
Write
FUNNEL DOWN PROMPT
Introduces context for
thinkingInter
-prets the quot
e
Establishes the topic
Presents assertion options and form
Personalized focus to the prompt
Rubric – what assessed on
READ
The digital audio player, also known as the MP3 player, first became available to the general public in 1996. Unlike the compact disc player, this technology did not require that music be stored on separate discs. MP3 players have now become the dominant medium for listening to music.
• The MP3 player came out in 1996
• It was different from CD players because it didn’t need
a bunch of discs• MP3 players is how people
listen to music
Focus on pulling out the nouns and the
verbs
THINK.
Think about the new technologies that people use in everyday life.
• Technologies used in everyday life are cell
phones, GPS, Laptops, iPads,
iPods….
Interprets the quote to establish the
topic
WRITE an essay explaining the effect of one new technology on people’s lives.
VERB
Root is Explain which means give
reasons
• When I explain I must give REASONS
• I must give EVIDENCE• The evidence must SUPPORT my reasons
Evidence could be facts,
definitions, or examples!
The Reasons are my topic sentences—then give evidence.
I must write about this.
TheCharge
Be sure to -
• Clearly state the Thesis
• Organize and develop your explanation effectively
• Choose your words carefully
• Edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling
Thesis
Organizationand Progression
Word Choice (Language)
Explanation means
evidence
Conventions
The digital audio player, also known as the MP3 player, first became available to the general public in 1996.
Unlike the compact disc player, this technology did not require that music to be stored on separate discs. MP3 players have now become the dominant medium for
listening to music.
Think about the new technologies that people
use in everyday life.
Write an
essay explaining the
effect of one new
technology
on people
’s lives.
English I Expository Prompt from the STAAR 2012 Study Guide 13
FUNNEL DOWN PROMPT
1. Read – just read it once through without the rubric in mind.
2. Thesis – find and identify the Thesis (highlight or flag it)
3. + (Strengths) – look for and identify the strengths in the paper
4. – (weaknesses) – look at the weaknesses of the paper
5. Score – score the composition according to the rubric (State stops here)
6. Feedback – Focused revision (2 items MAX!)
Additive Scoring Process Steps
Use three different colors to identify strengths and weaknesses in the paper (i.e. pink for organization +’s and –’s, yellow for idea +’s and –”s, and blue for conventions)
Flag the strengths (+’s) on the left side of the paper with specific feedback (i.e. write the detail they used down and label it under ideas)
Flag the weaknesses (-’s) on the right side of the paper (remember to be as specific as possible in your feedback)
Only ask students to work on 2 items MAX at a time. (i.e. Conventions – comma slices and run-on sentences)
Explicit Feedback
Writing workshop conferences don’t have to take a lot of time (except maybe the first time)
Additive Scoring is the key to saving time on conferencing
Peer conferencing Feedback
Conference
Read the following quotation:“Take risks. Ask big questions. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes; if you don’t make mistakes, you’re not reaching far enough.”—David Packard, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard
[Think carefully about the following:]Taking a risk means acting without knowing whether the outcome will be good.
Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance.
Be sure to —• clearly state your thesis• organize and develop your ideas effectively• choose your words carefully• edit your writing for grammar, mechanics, and spelling Page
WRITTEN COMPOSITION: Expository
Brainstorm: ◦ Listing◦ Web◦ Outline◦ Think of what you need to provide:
When might it be necessary to take a chance / risk? Global [textual, historical] Example 1 Global Example 2 Personal Example (If Exceptionally strong)
Details Who was involved? What were the circumstances? What was the outcome?
Positive? Negative?
Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance.
Introduction: 2-3 sentences (maximum of 3) and make sure that the Thesis (which reflects / responds to the prompt) is the last sentence in the introduction.
Address the big idea Offer a specific thesis
Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance.
Body Paragraphs: Because organization is addressed, be sure to have clear, indented paragraphs with correct topic sentences.◦ The topic sentence should connect the content of the
body paragraph to the thesis statement◦ The 1st body paragraph should develop one of the
ideas—provide the example and explanation—discovered in the brainstorm
◦ The 2nd body paragraph should develop another of the ideas. . . . SUGGESTION: be sure to choose the strongest examples
to illustrate and explain AND put the strongest of these examples and explanations last..
Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance.
Conclusion: 2-3 sentences While it is OK to restate the idea—do not
say the EXACT SAME THING Consider concluding by looking at the
examples and commenting on what should be taken away from these—create a complete theme or use a truism
Write an essay explaining why it is sometimes necessary to take a chance.
If you have: ◦ clearly stated your thesis◦ organized and developed your ideas
effectively◦ chosen your words carefully◦ edited your writing for grammar, mechanics,
and spelling
FINALLY. . . Be Sure To Check