The Writing Process

Open your book - Great Writing 5 Textbook: Please review pages 26 - 33.

[we will only be reading up to these pages this week, no further].

Our semester assignments start with Unit Two, page 26. Read the Objectives.

To begin writing a Five-paragraph Essay, students will want to complete the Prewriting Process.

What is the Writing Process? (28)

Many of you are aware that to write effective essays, it is best to begin with some kind of draft first. This draft comes from prewriting - brainstorming for ideas about the topic you want to discuss and then supplying details in support of the topic. Please review the illustration on page 28 - the Steps to writing an essay.

In this class, you will write your five-paragraph essays in five steps:

Brainstorm - putting ideas down on paper
Organizing ideas into draft Outline
Writing First draft and outline
Submit draft outline and essay to instructor for a grade
Rewrite essay after instructor feedback for final submission grade

It is not necessary to fill in any activities on these pages. Just review the steps.

If your instructor asks you to write on a topic what do you do first?

The answer is brainstorm.

[STEP ONE] Brainstorm illustration - PAGE 31

One way of brainstorming is making a visual MAP of the ideas that come to you. If your instructor asks you to write an essay on the effects of technology where would you start? You would start by putting down some ideas. You can draw a circle around the main idea, and then put other ideas in other circles around it. This is sometimes called "mapping." Students who are more visual learners like this. See page 31.

Another way of brainstorming is to make a list of ideas. For example, "Effects of Technology on Society" topic:

online shopping easier
people get news faster
brings people together
helps in case of emergency
stay in touch with family

PLEASE NOTE: The above are TOPIC PHRASES only - no long sentences - just simple short phrases. Please write outlines this way in our class. No long sentences are needed.

[STEP TWO] DRAFT OUTLINE

At the bottom of page 31, it is suggested student pick the best ideas and start drafting an Outline, placing those ideas in a logical order - something that would make sense in a five-paragraph essay.

Turn to Page 32 - See the Draft Outline that came from Brainstorm of Ideas on page 31.

NOTE: In this class, you will not need to put in "Introduction" or "Conclusion" in outline

- For this class, only write your ideas in Outline for points 1, 2, and 3. Save the Introduction and Conclusion for your essay.

See the next page for Outline discussion.