6Traits Digest #104 - Tuesday, November 9, 1999

  Word choice
          by "Barbara D. Martin" 


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Subject: Word choice
From: "Barbara D. Martin" 
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 1999 21:13:28 -0800

	We are just beginning to work on word choice.  Last Friday my students
did a construction paper art project (I can send directions if you like)
where they wrote things they are thankful for on a turkey's tail.  I
decided to have them begin on this tomorrow.  I'd love some reactions
and suggestions from the rest of you.  Barbara




Giving Thanks


	You have written many things on your turkeys tail that you are thankful
for.  This week you are to choose three of them to write about.  Each
item you choose will be in a paragraph of its own.  Each paragraph
should explain exactly why you are thankful for that thing, what is
special about it, how it adds to  your life to make this world a better
place for you.  =20
	Please describe these things as best you can.  If it is a person, tell
the general age, height, and size of that person.  (If I wrote about one
of my grandmothers, for instance, I would say that she was a tiny, round
lady with round glasses on her nose.  She used bluing on her hair  to
make it whiter, but sometimes she used too much so that her hair really
was a light, silvery blue.)  Describe something personal about them, the
sound of their voice, that they smell of baking bread, or engine grease,
or something that is very special to you, something that calls them to
mind when you hear or see it, that you easily recognize as belonging to
them. =20
	Do this with each thing that you write about it.  You chose each thing
because it was special to you.  Use words to make it special to us.  The
words you use are tools so that you can make the reader hear, see,
touch, feel, KNOW why that thing is important in your life.  When you
are done with each paragraph, we should be able to pick that one thing
out of other things that are like it--that pair of shoes out of a shoe
store, that person out of a group, that food out of a grocery store.  We
will be able to do this because you have painted a picture with words.

	 1.  You have your date and name in the corners of the paper and a
title on the top line.  Skip a line after the title.
	 2.  Indent the first word of the paragraph, and have margins.
	 3.  Each of the three paragraphs begins with a topic sentence and ends
with a concluding sentence.
	 4.  You have at least 3 supporting sentences in each paragraph.  Use
at least 2 =93sense=94 words in each paragraph!  Underline them in your
rough draft.
	 5.  Begin and end each sentence correctly.  Make sure each word is
correctly spelled, and that you have correct punctuation.
	 6.  Proof-read your writing, then have someone else make corrections
on your paper. Have them sign this paper.
	 7.  You have this sheet of paper turned in with your rough draft and
the final copy which is done in cursive. =20

Signature of person who checked your paper:

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