THE WRITING PROCESS
You are about to begin your first formally written paper of the semester. Before you sit down to write however, you must know and understand the steps every writer must go through in order to achieve the desired result. There are five major steps in the writing process and for all of our papers in English 2 you will be going through all of them.
YOUR TASK: Write a process paper that explains the steps you must go through to achieve a certain result (tell us how to do something). The topic you choose should be something that you have a great deal of knowledge in so that you can describe the steps of the process in detail. A process paper is a lot like a "How to" speech. Like a "How to" speech a process paper has an introduction, body, and conclusion. The body of both are like an instruction manual on how to do something. The only thing that is missing from a process paper that is in a "How to" speech is the demonstration of the process as the speaker explains. Therefor, a process paper can be easily converted into a "How to" speech. Hmmmmm......sounds like a good idea for a future assignment! (Hint, hint: Mrs. Donnenwerth is foreshadowing here)
Standards of English that could be fulfilled through this assignment:
I can introduce the topic of a paper or story.
I can use words, phrases, and clauses (therefore, however, similarly) that link the major sections of my writing.
I can write a piece free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
I can write a conclusion.
I can use the vocabulary specific to my topic.
I can strengthen my writing by going through the editing process (planning revising, editing, rewriting, etc.)
Below is a rubric for this paper. You will be evaluated on the following:
YOUR TASK: Write a process paper that explains the steps you must go through to achieve a certain result (tell us how to do something). The topic you choose should be something that you have a great deal of knowledge in so that you can describe the steps of the process in detail. A process paper is a lot like a "How to" speech. Like a "How to" speech a process paper has an introduction, body, and conclusion. The body of both are like an instruction manual on how to do something. The only thing that is missing from a process paper that is in a "How to" speech is the demonstration of the process as the speaker explains. Therefor, a process paper can be easily converted into a "How to" speech. Hmmmmm......sounds like a good idea for a future assignment! (Hint, hint: Mrs. Donnenwerth is foreshadowing here)
Standards of English that could be fulfilled through this assignment:
I can introduce the topic of a paper or story.
I can use words, phrases, and clauses (therefore, however, similarly) that link the major sections of my writing.
I can write a piece free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
I can write a conclusion.
I can use the vocabulary specific to my topic.
I can strengthen my writing by going through the editing process (planning revising, editing, rewriting, etc.)
Below is a rubric for this paper. You will be evaluated on the following:
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The first thing you need to do for this paper is the pre-writing, which is basically the phase where you generate your ideas. You can do some free writing where you just take a minute to write down as many possible topics as you can think of. During the pre-writing phase you can make webs or use graphic organizers to organize your ideas. You could also make some sort of outline to arrange the information you want to present to the reader. All of these strategies are part of the pre-writing phase and are encouraged in the writing process.
First thing for your process paper:
Once you have chosen a topic, download the document below. Write down each step in the process. You do not have to get detailed here. This is just a list of the broad steps before you sit down to write your paper. When you are done, take a screen shot of your map and put it on your weebly.
process_paper_pre-write.pages | |
File Size: | 69 kb |
File Type: | pages |
Writing Phase:
The second phase in the writing process is the writing phase. This is the phase where you actually sit down to write your paper. By the time you turn in the final draft in your paper it should look much different than the rough draft so it doesn't have to be perfect the first time around. As you go through the writing phase of the process you must take four things into consideration which can be summed up with the word RAFT.
The R in RAFT is for Role of the writer. You must know your role or your goal as you write. For this paper, your role is to tell your readers how to do something.
The A in RAFT is for Audience. The audience, or the readers of your paper, are very important for you to identify. You are not going to explain something to a kindergartner the same way you would explain something to a high school student. For this paper, you should think of your audience as a group of young adults who are intelligent, but do not know how to do the task you are describing. This will influence your word choice, amount of detail you provide, etc.
The F in RAFT stands for format. By format, I mean how the document is set up. Should it be in the form of a poem? Should it be written in paragraphs? Should it be a cartoon? For this particular assignment, your format is in essay form with paragraphs and complete sentences.
Finally, the T in RAFT is for Topic. It is very important that your topic is appropriate for the assignment and for the audience. You don't want to bore your audience by writing about something that bores you. So, hopefully you have chosen a topic that you are passionate about or at least enjoy a lot This joy will translate to your reader and make it more interesting for them to read (especially if your reader will have to read over 70 process papers!)
The R in RAFT is for Role of the writer. You must know your role or your goal as you write. For this paper, your role is to tell your readers how to do something.
The A in RAFT is for Audience. The audience, or the readers of your paper, are very important for you to identify. You are not going to explain something to a kindergartner the same way you would explain something to a high school student. For this paper, you should think of your audience as a group of young adults who are intelligent, but do not know how to do the task you are describing. This will influence your word choice, amount of detail you provide, etc.
The F in RAFT stands for format. By format, I mean how the document is set up. Should it be in the form of a poem? Should it be written in paragraphs? Should it be a cartoon? For this particular assignment, your format is in essay form with paragraphs and complete sentences.
Finally, the T in RAFT is for Topic. It is very important that your topic is appropriate for the assignment and for the audience. You don't want to bore your audience by writing about something that bores you. So, hopefully you have chosen a topic that you are passionate about or at least enjoy a lot This joy will translate to your reader and make it more interesting for them to read (especially if your reader will have to read over 70 process papers!)
Your next step:
INTRODUCTION:
First, write the introduction for your paper. The introduction should begin with something that will grab the reader's attention. Tell a quick story or ask the reader a question.
For example, if you are writing a paper telling the reader how to make a smoothie, a couple of different ways to begin would be:
Picture this: It's a hot summer day. You're hungry and thirty and are in the mood for a tasty treat that is healthy for you. I have a solution for you.
Have you ever wanted the tastiness of dessert, but not the calories? I have a simple solution for you.
You could also begin with a statistic:
In 2010 there were over nineteen thousand strawberry smoothies sold at the state fair alone.
WRITING THE BODY
Now you can move on to the body of your paper. Use the pre-writing map that you filled out. Put your steps into sentence form and give the details for each step. Use transitions that will add to the flow of the process. There is a list of transitions below. I will provide examples of body paragraphs in class.
Once you are done with the body of your paper, take a screens shot (it may take you two screen shots) and put them on your weebly under the introduction.
First, write the introduction for your paper. The introduction should begin with something that will grab the reader's attention. Tell a quick story or ask the reader a question.
For example, if you are writing a paper telling the reader how to make a smoothie, a couple of different ways to begin would be:
Picture this: It's a hot summer day. You're hungry and thirty and are in the mood for a tasty treat that is healthy for you. I have a solution for you.
Have you ever wanted the tastiness of dessert, but not the calories? I have a simple solution for you.
You could also begin with a statistic:
In 2010 there were over nineteen thousand strawberry smoothies sold at the state fair alone.
WRITING THE BODY
Now you can move on to the body of your paper. Use the pre-writing map that you filled out. Put your steps into sentence form and give the details for each step. Use transitions that will add to the flow of the process. There is a list of transitions below. I will provide examples of body paragraphs in class.
Once you are done with the body of your paper, take a screens shot (it may take you two screen shots) and put them on your weebly under the introduction.
WRITING YOUR CONCLUSION:
The last paragraph of your process paper is your conclusion. The conclusion should wrap up what you've said and encourage the reader to go out and try whatever it is you're telling them how to do. You can be humorous in your conclusion and you should give the reader something to think about. You could start your conclusion with something like:
Now you know the six steps it takes to make a smoothie.
I will show examples of conclusions in class.
Once you have your conclusion written, take a screen shot of it and put it on your weebly under the body of the paper.
The last paragraph of your process paper is your conclusion. The conclusion should wrap up what you've said and encourage the reader to go out and try whatever it is you're telling them how to do. You can be humorous in your conclusion and you should give the reader something to think about. You could start your conclusion with something like:
Now you know the six steps it takes to make a smoothie.
I will show examples of conclusions in class.
Once you have your conclusion written, take a screen shot of it and put it on your weebly under the body of the paper.
THE REVISION AND EDITING PHASE:
Many people think that revising your paper is the same as editing it. However, the two processes are very different. During the revision phase, you are deciding what you should add, what you should rearrange, what you should remove, and what you should replace (ARRR). This phase is more about the content of your piece. You are trying to decide if you've given enough information while not providing too much info. You are also trying to find a sequence in your details that allow the paper to flow from one step to the other.
The Editing phase is simply going through your paper over and over and checking for errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. For both the revising and proofreading phases, it is important to step away from your work and have others go through it for you to look for ways that you can improve it.
Print off your paper. Have at least two people read through it. They should revise and edit the paper using the proofreading marks on the chart I have provided below. Have both editors sign the bottom of your paper and turn it in to me.
The Editing phase is simply going through your paper over and over and checking for errors in spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar. For both the revising and proofreading phases, it is important to step away from your work and have others go through it for you to look for ways that you can improve it.
Print off your paper. Have at least two people read through it. They should revise and edit the paper using the proofreading marks on the chart I have provided below. Have both editors sign the bottom of your paper and turn it in to me.
IT'S FINALLY TIME TO PUBLISH YOUR PAPER!!!
Once you get back your edited paper from Mrs. D, make the changes suggested by your editors (only the ones you agree with). Go through the paper yourself several more time to make sure it is flawless!
In the publishing phase you add the elements that make your piece visually appealing and organized. For this paper, you should give it a creative title. Make sure it is in times new roman, 12 point font, and double-spaced. You should also have a single-spaced header in the top right corner of the paper with your first and last name, the date, and the class.
There is no length requirement for this paper, but make sure it has a detailed step-by-step process. It should not be more than a page and a half long.
YOU DID IT!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!
In the publishing phase you add the elements that make your piece visually appealing and organized. For this paper, you should give it a creative title. Make sure it is in times new roman, 12 point font, and double-spaced. You should also have a single-spaced header in the top right corner of the paper with your first and last name, the date, and the class.
There is no length requirement for this paper, but make sure it has a detailed step-by-step process. It should not be more than a page and a half long.
YOU DID IT!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!