ENGLISH  

TWELFTH GRADE

Module - Lesson 5

Skill: Writing (the writing process)

Instructions:

1.    Read all the information given on th “writing process”.

2.    Do all the exercises that follow.

3.    You may need to refer to any help available on the web.

The Writing Process

THE FIVE STEPS OF THE WRITING PROCESS

STEP 1:  PREWRITING

                    THINK

·       Decide on a topic to write about.

·       Consider who will read or listen to your written work.

·       Brainstorm ideas about the subject.

·       List places where you can research information.

·       Do your research.

STEP 2:  DRAFTING

                    WRITE

·       Put the information you researched into your own words.

·       Write sentences and paragraphs even if they are not perfect.

·       Read what you have written and judge if it says what you mean.

·       Show it to others and ask for suggestions.

STEP 3:  REVISING

                    MAKE IT BETTER

·       Read what you have written again.

·       Think about what others said about it.

·       Rearrange words or sentences.

·       Take out or add parts.

·       Replace overused or unclear words.

·       Read your writing aloud to be sure it flows smoothly.

STEP 4:  PROOFREADING

                    MAKE IT CORRECT

·       Be sure all sentences are complete.

·       Correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

·       Change words that are not used correctly.

·       Have someone check your work.

·       Recopy it correctly and neatly.

STEP 5:  PUBLISHING

                    SHARE THE FINISHED PRODUCT

·       Read your writing aloud to a group.

·       Create a book of your work.

·       Send a copy to a friend or relative.

·       Put your writing on display.

·       Illustrate, perform, or set your creation to music.

·       Congratulate yourself on a job well done!

1.    Write a paragraph that describes yourself.

2.    Write a paragraph that describes your future ambitions.

3.    Write a paragraph that describes what you do for a living (job).

4.    Write an essay on any subject of interest you have read about.

Research Paper: These steps will help you write a research paper which will be your final work for this lesson. Read this information carefully and use your Ctrl + click to access each topic.

Steps in Writing a Research Paper

A series of steps, starting with developing a research question and working thesis, will lead you through writing a research paper. As you move through these steps and actually create the research paper, you may find that you can't move through all of them in chronological order, and that's o.k. In fact, you may change the order of the steps depending on the subject, your knowledge of the subject, and your sources. For example, sometimes you need to do just a bit of background research and reading before you can develop a research question. Sometimes you need to go back and find additional sources to corroborate your viewpoint. The research writing steps that we offer represent a general, ideal, movement through the research writing process. In reality, writers often repeat or circle back as needed.

Hey, wait a minute. . . why did we say "ideal?" In our opinion, these steps represent the best way to move through the writing process because they ask you to think and develop a research question before you actually do a lot of research. The one big mess that you can get into, as a student, comes from doing too much unfocused research before identifying your own viewpoint, the one that you will eventually need to support. If you do too much unfocused research first, then the tendency is to try to include all of it in the paper. The result is a hodgepodge of information that's not focused, developed fully, or indicative of your own thoughts. It's also not efficient to do too much research before you really know what you're looking for. Try it our way--develop that research question first--to cut out a lot of research paper mess.

These steps will lead you through writing a research paper:

·        One Big Mess...

·        Developing a Research Question

·        Developing a Research Thesis

·        Finding Sources

·        Evaluating Sources

·        Taking Notes

·        Working with Quotations

·        Writing Summaries & Paraphrases

·        Building the Essay Draft

·        Documenting Sources

·        Revising and Proofreading the Draft

Exercise: Look up a topic of interest on the internet. Write a research paper using all the steps mentioned above. Remember to use the APA format of citations. You may access this instruction using the web site below. Read it carfully.

Research Paper Title