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07 Writing the First Draft

Page
053
from
Write Ahead

Writing the First Draft Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Show a straight-to-camera video, such as "Why Are Things Creepy?" by Vsauce. After watching the video, ask students what process the narrator (in this case Michael) used to create the video. Surely he spent time researching the topic and gathering information. When it came time to narrate, surely he did his best to deliver his ideas, but needed multiple takes to do so. Afterward, he cut out the parts he didn't want and added in other parts, including pictures, words, videos, and music. Ask these questions:

  • If Michael hadn't researched, how good would the video have been?

  • If Michael had only included what he could during shooting, how good would the video have been?

  • If Michael hadn't revised it after shooting, how good would it have been?

Help students understand that great videos result from a process. The creators don't have to make everything perfect during filming.

So, too, great writing results from a process. Students don't have to make everything perfect during the drafting phase. In fact, they can't. Instead, they should treat their first draft like a film shoot, getting everything down and knowing they will cut, add, change, and move as needed.

Think About It

“My movie is born first in my head, dies on paper; is resuscitated by the living persons and real objects I use, which are killed on film, but, placed in a certain order and projected on to a screen, come to life again like flowers in water.”

—Robert Bresson

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.1.E

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.F

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.E

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.910.W.2.4

LAFS.910.W.2.5

LAFS.910.W.1.1

LAFS.910.W.1.2

LAFS.910.W.1.3

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.36.c.9.A

110.36.c.9.B.i

110.36.c.9.B.ii

110.37.c.9.A

110.37.c.9.B.i

110.37.c.9.B.ii

110.36.c.9.C

110.36.c.9.D

110.37.c.9.C

110.37.c.9.D

110.36.c.10.C

110.37.c.10.C

110.36.c.7.E

110.36.c.10.B

110.37.c.10.B

110.36.c.9

110.36.c.10.A

110.37.c.9

110.37.c.10.A

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 054 from Write Ahead

The Basic Shape of Writing

Help your students understand that the three-part structure is not simply an academic form for essays. It is the shape of anything that people are meant to experience over time: concerts, meals, plays, church services, novels, football games. . . . All of these begin by welcoming the audience and orienting them to the experience, then deliver the experience in the middle part, and finally conclude the experience in a way that helps people transition back to their daily lives. An essay is no different:

  • The beginning draws the reader in, provides any needed background, and gives the focus of the writing.
  • The middle explores the focus, giving main points that support it and details that support the main point.
  • The ending reviews what the reader has just learned and provides a final thought to carry away.
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.2.4
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9.A, 110.36.c.9.B.i, 110.36.c.9.B.ii, 110.37.c.9.A, 110.37.c.9.B.i, 110.37.c.9.B.ii
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.2

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessWriting

Page 055 from Write Ahead

Writing the Beginning Paragraph

Explain to your students that the beginning paragraph needs to capture readers' attention and lead them to the focus statement.

At the top of the page, review the bulleted strategies for capturing readers' attention in the first line of the essay. Then assign students to choose one of the strategies and use it with a recent topic to create an engaging first sentence for an essay. (If you wish, use the topic "The day I learned a big lesson.") After about five minutes, go around the room, asking students to share the strategy they used and the attention-grabbing sentence they wrote. Encourage them to return to these strategies whenever they need to start an essay.

Then have a volunteer read aloud the sample beginning paragraph. Discuss the opening sentence, the focus statement (the last sentence), and the way the student leads from one to the other.

Show students more examples of explanatory and persuasive writing.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9.B.i, 110.36.c.9.B.ii, 110.36.c.10.C, 110.37.c.9.B.i, 110.37.c.9.B.ii, 110.37.c.10.C, 110.36.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.1.b, LA 10.2.2, LA 10.2.2.a

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessWriting

Page 056 from Write Ahead

Developing the Middle Part

Use this page to help students understand how to support a focus in the central part of an essay. Point out that strong support is purposeful: It explains, narrates, proves, compares, analyzes, or does some other task. In other words, the writer is trying to do something with each detail, expressing ideas in ways that have a specific effect on the reader. The writer's purpose relates to the major modes of writing: explanatory, narrative, and persuasive (argumentative).

Use the lower part of this page to show how writers build purposeful support in multiple levels. They don't just plunk one detail after another. Instead, they use controlling, clarifying, and completing sentences. For example, one sentence might introduce a new term, the next might define the term, and the third might give an example of the term.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9.B.ii, 110.36.c.10.C, 110.37.c.9.B.ii, 110.37.c.10.C, 110.36.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.1.b, LA 10.2.1.c, LA 10.2.2, LA 10.2.2.a, LA 10.2.2.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessWriting

Page 057 from Write Ahead

Sample Middle Paragraphs

Have student volunteers read the first sample middle paragraph. Then use the side note to prompt a discussion:

  • What facts and details does the writer share about the topic?
  • What is the writer doing with these facts and details? (Explaining, narrating, proving, comparing or contrasting, analyzing, or something else?)
  • What effect do these facts and details have on the reader?

Have a student volunteer read the second sample middle paragraph. Then lead a discussion:

  • What authorities does the author refer to?
  • Why is the writer referring to authorities? (What is the writer's purpose?)
  • What effect do they have on the reader?

Have a student volunteer read the third sample middle paragraph. Lead a discussion:

  • What comparison does the writer make?
  • Why does the writer make this comparison?
  • What effect does it have on the reader?
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9.B.ii, 110.36.c.10.C, 110.37.c.9.B.ii, 110.37.c.10.C, 110.36.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.1.b, LA 10.2.1.c, LA 10.2.2, LA 10.2.2.a, LA 10.2.2.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessWriting

Page 058 from Write Ahead

Writing the Ending

Remind students that the ending needs to bundle up the ideas from the essay into a package that readers can take with them. The bulleted strategies at the top of the page provide different techniques for packaging ideas.

Have a volunteer read the sample ending paragraph. Then use the side notes to lead a discussion:

  • What main points does the writer review?
  • How does the writer connect with the reader?
  • What effect does this ending have on the reader?

After the discussion, go over the special drafting tips at the bottom of the page.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.10.C, 110.37.c.10.C
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.2.1.b

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Writing Basics
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessWriting