Opt

Opt; An Illusionary Tale

Writing Process - Descriptive

A descriptive paragraph describes a person, place, or thing. A good descriptive paragraph uses words the help the readers to see, hear, smell, taste, or feel the subject the writer has written about. It paints a visual picture in the reader's mind. Descriptive paragraphs use exact and interesting words in describing a person, a place, or a thing.

Organization of paragraph;

Topic Sentence -tells what you are going to write about in your paragraph.
3 or 4 Detail Sentences - give the reader a picture of how things looked, felt, smelled, tasted, sounded using exact and interesting words
Last sentence should be the best detail about your topic, or sum up all of the paragraph.

Prewriting Suggested Ideas for writing...

	Write a poem about an imaginary land where things aren't always the way they should be. Close your eyes, imagine it, draw a picture of it.
	Write a poem about an object you use/eat - like your pencil or a pretzel.
	Create a travel poster and tell why people should visit this place.
	Write a 'Thank You' note to the king or queen thanking them for inviting you to the party. Be sure to include exact details about what you saw while you were at the castle.

Drafting

Remember if you chose to write a poem; describe the place or object in stanzas... a collection of your thoughts not a story. The idea is to get as many ideas or descriptions on paper as you can.

If you are doing a travel poster - try to think of 4 to 5 reasons why this is the greatest place to go to and what you would see or do there that is special.

If you are choosing to write a thank you note don't forget it has a special format; heading (top right side of paper - today's date), Greeting (2nd line left side of paper - Dear ?, -followed by a comma), Body (what you want to say - begin with an indent), closing ( centered under the body - Sincerely,), and signature ( centered under closing - your name). Use exact words to tell about the unusual things you saw while at the party in the castle.

Revising

Organize your writing so it has a beginning that introduces what you are writing about. Be sure you have included many details using exact words to help paint a picture for your reader. If you chose a poem, see if you can think of some rhyming words your can use in you poem. did you include enough details. Does your poem have an ending, or your note have all 5 parts of an informal letter. Ask a friend to read your project and suggest at least one way you could make it a better project.

Proofreading

final check for (use Grammar Checklist)

	spelling errors
	grammar errors
	capitalization errors
	punctuation errors
	organization
	use of interesting and exact words
	makes sense

Ask a friend to read your project and help you find any mistakes. It's important to find all the corrections you need to make before you begin your final copy- your good copy.

Publishing

Use your very best penmanship/typing skills to rewrite your final "best" project. You should/can include picture if it enhances your presentation. If your draw a picture, see if when you read your project your friends can pick out which picture you are writing about.

Rubric for Descriptive Writing
4 Advanced	A poem makes an imaginary place seem real through the use of original details in stanza form and has a rhythm to it. A travel poster makes you want to go there to see and do all the interesting details included in poster. A thank you note includes all the parts of an informal letter with a lot of details in the body to make it seem real. Project meets all the criteria on the Grammar Checklist and has an attractive presentation.
3 Proficient	The writer has successfully completed their writing project using more than 1 type of sensory details. Attention has been given to meeting most / to all of the grammar checklist. Presentation is attractive and relates well to the writing.
2 Basic	The writer has completed the project but not with a lot of details. Attention to organization is not consistent. There are some errors in apply grammar checklist in published writing project.
1 Minimal	The writer may have written a poem, travel poster, or thank you note but the writing lacks organization and has many errors. Not much attention to including enough details to create vivid images for the reader.

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