Page 29 - SpringBoard_Writing_Workshop_Grade8_Flipbook

Writing Workshop 3 (continued)
Check Your Understanding
6. How did the sample text move from one topic (Rudi) to another (Santo) in order
to convey the ideas clearly? Identify some of the methods used.
7. There are a number of decisions that could benefit from using the skills of comparing and contrasting, such as choosing a political candidate, deciding where to go on vacation, and deciding what classes to take. Think of three other decisions you might need to make that could benefit from comparing and contrasting the two options.
ACTIVITY 2
Writing an Expository Class Essay
WRITING PROMPT: Think about what you and your classmates eat for lunch. Write a multi-paragraph essay that compares and contrasts two different lunchtime meals (for example, salad versus pizza or school lunch versus home lunch). Be sure the essay
• Presents effective introductory and concluding paragraphs
• Contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea
• Is logically organized with appropriate facts and details
• Includes no extraneous information or inconsistencies
• Uses a variety of rhetorical devices
• Uses a variety of sentence structures
• Uses a variety of transitions to link paragraphs
Refer to the Scoring Guide for this writing task to help you understand where to focus your attention and efforts.
Prewriting
1. Reread and mark the writing prompt above to clarify the task.
2. As a class, brainstorm ideas for the class-generated essay, and create a list of
possible topics.
3. With your class, choose a topic for the essay and write it here.
4. Use a prewriting strategy (such as brainstorming, quickwriting, or webbing) to generate specific ideas about the topic.
5. Create a graphic organizer (such as a Venn diagram) to compare and contrast the various elements of your topic.
4 SpringBoard® Writing Workshop with Grammar Activities Grade 8
© 2017 College Board. All rights reserved.