Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
8.8.d
analyze characteristics and structural elements of informational text, including:
the controlling idea or thesis with supporting evidence;
features such as footnotes, endnotes, and citations; and
multiple organizational patterns within a text to develop the thesis;
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
8.10.A*
plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for a particular topic, purpose, and audience using a range of strategies such as discussion, background reading, and personal interests;
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
8.10.b
develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing by:
organizing with purposeful structure, including an introduction, transitions, coherence within and across paragraphs, and a conclusion; and
developing an engaging idea reflecting depth of thought with specific facts, details, and examples;
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
8.12.A*
generate student-selected and teacher-guided questions for formal and informal inquiry;
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
8.12.B*
develop and revise a plan;
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
8.12.C*
refine the major research question, if necessary, guided by the answers to a secondary set of questions;
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS):
8.12.J*
use an appropriate mode of delivery, whether written, oral, or multimodal, to present results.
Florida - Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking:
ELA.8.C.1.5
Improve writing by planning, editing, considering feedback from adults and peers, and revising for clarity and cohesiveness
8th Grade Writing - Pre-Writing: Planning and Organizing Lesson
Planning to Write
Before beginning to write, it is important to make a plan.
Begin by asking yourself, "What genre, or type, of writing is appropriate for my topic, purpose, and audience?"
Two writing prompts may be about the same general topic, but call for different genres of writing.
Writing Prompt #1:
For her English class, Cleo was assigned to write about BIRDS. Specifically, her assignment stated, “Write an imaginative story about birds.”
Writing Prompt #2:
For his science class, Theo was assigned to write about BIRDS. Specifically, his assignment stated, “Write a report about a North American bird of prey of your choice.”
These two assignments have the same general topic — birds — but the purposes and audiences for each are quite different.
Cleo’s assignment is for a fictional STORY. She is writing an imaginative story for her English class.
Theo’s assignment is for a REPORT. He is writing a fact-based, informational report for science class.
After deciding what genre of writing is appropriate for your topic, audience, and purpose, a good way to begin planning is to ASKQUESTIONS. The type of writing assignment will guide your questions.
Example:
Will my story be realistic fiction or fantasy?
Who will my characters be?
What are the events, or plot, of my story?
What is the setting of my story?
What will the theme, or message, of my story be?
Example:
What birds of prey live in North America?
Where can I find factual, reliableinformation about my
chosen bird?
Where exactly does this bird live in North America?
Is this bird endangered or plentiful?
What is special or especially interesting about this bird?
What does this bird look like?
What does my chosen bird eat?
There are many different types, or genres, of writing that will require different sets of questions. Some examples include —
Persuasive, or argumentative, essays or letters, which require that you take a stand, or position, and support it with relevant and convincing evidence.
Informativeessays that may require you to analyze a piece of literature or your own ideas about a certain subject and explain your analysis or thoughts to the reader.
Informativereports that involve research to gather and report factualinformation about a specific topic.
Fictional stories, which require you to create imaginative stories using genre characteristics, such as setting, character, plot, and theme.
Poems, which require you to create imaginative pieces of writing using chosen poeticdevices such as meter, rhyme, line breaks, etc.
Personal narratives, which require you to tell a truestory of a specific and importantmoment in your own life.
After using your questions to make an initial pre-writing plan, it may be necessary to ask yourself morequestions to fill in gaps, clarify points, or eliminate irrelevant facts and details. Your teacher may also ask questions to help you revise your writing plan.
Let's go to the next page to look at a brief example.
EXAMPLE
Write a report about a North American bird of prey of your choice.
After answering his initial questions about what birds of prey live in North America and where to find reliable, factual information, Theo chose the American kestrel for his science report. He asked himself a set of questions and recorded the answers he found on index cards. Take a moment to look over the information that he found.
Where do American kestrels live in North America?
Ranges include Alaska, northern Canada, most of the continental United States, central Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and all the Central American countries.
smallest raptor — 9-12 inches long; wingspan of 20-24 inches
Males — reddish-brown upper sides of wings, with black bars and spots; tails and backs are reddish brown; tails are squared, with a band of black at the end.
Females — slightly larger than males; reddish-brown backs and wings with brown bars; creamy undersides with brown streaks; pointy tails.
Males and females have white heads with bluish-gray tops and two vertical black facial markings on each side of their heads.
Males are prettier than females.
What are other interesting facts about the American kestrel?
They are sometimes used in falconry.
They are the smallest raptor in the Americas.
While their populations have declined, they are not considered endangered.
Males and females have ocelli, or "false eyes," at the back of their necks to confuse potential predators.
After reviewing Theo's notes, his teacher suggested a few more questions he should answer —
What specific habitats do American kestrels live and nest in (e.g., grasslands, woodlands, deserts)?
How do American kestrels hunt for their food?
What sounds do American kestrels make?
Theo researched the specific habitats of American kestrels and added the information to his first index card —
Where do American kestrels live in North America?
Ranges include Alaska, northern Canada, most of the continental United States, central Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and all the Central American countries.
Live in a wide range of climates and rural, urban, and suburban habitats, including in grasslands, meadows, and deserts.
Usually nest in small cavities in trees or cactuses, but also may nest on cliff ledges or on top of buildings.
Theo researched how American kestrels hunt for their food and added the information to his second index card —
Usually hunt by perching on high objects like trees and waiting for prey to approach, then swooping down to catch it.
Sometimes seen "kiting" - scanning for prey while hovering in the air, using rapid wing beats to stay in place.
Theo also took his teacher's advice and researched what sounds American kestrels make. He learned that sounds are a primary way to identify birds. He made a new card for this question —
What sounds do American kestrels make?
Three main sounds —
"Klee, klee, klee" — to show excitement or distress
"Whine" — during feeding and mating
"Chitter" — during interactions with other birds, including
courtship rituals and feeding young
After Theo was satisfied with his research, he began organizing his notes into a pre-writing plan for the body of his report —
Pre-Writing Plan: The American Kestrel
INTRODUCTION:
BODY:
PARAGRAPH 1: Identification
Appearance
9-12 inches long; wingspan of 20-24 inches
Males — reddish-brown upper sides of wings, with black bars and
spots; tails and backs are reddish brown; tails are squared, with a
band of black at the end.
Females — slightly larger than males; reddish-brown backs and
wings with brown bars; creamy undersides with brown streaks;
pointy tails
Males and females have white heads with bluish-gray tops and two
vertical black facial markings on each side of their heads.
Males prettier than females
Sounds
Three main sounds —
”Klee, klee, klee” — to show excitement or
distress
”Whine” — during feeding and mating
”Chitter” — during interactions with other birds,
including during courtship rituals and feeding
young
PARAGRAPH 2: Habitat
Ranges include Alaska, northern Canada, most of the continental United States, central Mexico, the Caribbean islands, and all the Central American countries.
Live in a wide range of climates and rural, urban, and suburban habitats, including in grasslands, meadows, and deserts.
Usually nest in small cavities in trees or cactuses, but also may nest on cliff ledges or on tops of buildings.
PARAGRAPH 3: Eating Habits
Common foods include grasshoppers, dragonflies, lizards, mice, voles, smaller birds, snakes, bats, and squirrels.
Usually hunt by perching on high objects like trees and waiting for prey to approach, before swooping down to catch it.
Sometimes hunt by “kiting” — scanning for prey while hovering in the air, using rapid wing beats to stay in place.
PARAGRAPH 4: Other Interesting Facts
Sometimes used in falconry.
Smallest raptor in the Americas
Populations declining, but not considered endangered
Both males and females have “ocelli” — “false eyes” on the backs of their necks to
confuse potential predators
CONCLUSION:
The nextsteps for Theo are to figure out what to say in his introduction and conclusion. As he continues to plan his writing, he may have to revise his plan several times before he is ready to write.
2. Use appropriate planning questions to develop the content.
3.Revise the plan as necessary, using new questions and feedback from your teacher or editor.
Thesis Statements, Organizational Strategies, and Modes of Delivery
Thesis Statements
A thesis statement is the controlling idea of a piece of writing.
Good thesis statements (1) directly address the writing assignment, or prompt; (2) give the reader a preview of what is to come.
Example:
weakthesis statement: There are many things to remember when hitting a home run.
strongthesis statement: To hit a home run in baseball, keep your eye on the ball, swing the bat as fast as you can, and hit the ball at the right angle above parallel to the ground.
Example:
weakthesis statement: Parents struggle to know if they should monitor their middle-school-aged children's social media use.
strongthesis statement: Parents should not monitor their middle-school-aged children’s social media use because it’s an invasion of privacy and an expression of distrust that can damage the parent-child relationship.
strongthesis statement: Parents should monitor their middle-school-aged children’s social media use because too many kids spend too much sedentary time on social media and because there are dangerous things that can happen on social media.
When planning to write, it is important to choose an appropriate organizationalstrategy.
There are many organizationalstrategies for writing, including:
cause-effect
sequence of events
compare-contrast
general-to-specific
problem-solution
Example:
After researching the topic, James reviewed his notes and found that researchers generally agree that birth order is relevant only when certain conditions within a family exist. Certain expectations of older, middle, and younger children lead to the prevalence of certain personality traits in people with the same birth order.
What organizational strategy might James use for his report?
A cause-effect strategy would be good for his report. Since the research shows that family conditions affect personality development, James could organize his writing by specific causes, or family conditions, that lead to specific personality effects.
8th Grade Writing - Pre-Writing: Planning and Organizing Lesson