Day 3: TOEFL vs. Academic Writing and Interpreting Writing Prompts

Objectives: Students will be able to...

• Identify strategies to interpreting writing prompts
• Identify strategies used in answering timed writing prompts
• Understand connection between verbs in prompts and essay structure

Goals and Topic for Writing Prompt Lesson  

the overarching goal of today’s lesson will be to analyze writing prompts so as to better understand how to compose essays with correct structure, scope, tone, and purpose. Before this,however, let us first discuss using Writer's Help.

[20 min] Writer's Help: Getting Started 9:30-9:50

• - Did you buy the book?
• -Did you put me as your instructor?

Click on the link to WRITER'S HELP and log into the account. Please follow directions as we go over some of the main features of this software. We will complete one exercise together to ensure that students get the basics to the program. The If you don't have Writer's Help, you can share with a classmate or purchase it now. The exercise we will be doing is called "Order of Cumulative Adjectives". Type that into the search board to find the lecture and activity.

I have also posted a link to useful THE WRITER'S HELP ACTIVITIES if you would like to see some activities in a more user-friendly layout. You have to allow pop-ups in order to reach the activity.

[20 min] TOEFL writing versus Academic Writing 9:50-10:10
In this part of today's lecture we will briefly discuss the differences between these two styles of writing. Please follow along with the TOEFLACADEMIC PPT. Also I will be asking you to click on these two articles:

• TOEFL WRITING SAMPLE
• ACADEMIC WRITING SAMPLE

[5 min] Transition to topic on Writing Prompt Analysis 10:10-10:15
Now that we have a basic understanding of the difference between "Academic" and TOEFL writing, we are going to transition into prompt analysis and how to adjust our writing according to what the prompt states. To follow along for this lecture, you can click on WRITING PROMPTS POWER POINT below or simply follow along on the overhead. 

[10 min] Verbs—Matching activity with a few fill-in-the-blanks 10:15-10:25

Now we are going to focus on common verbs that are found in writing prompts. Look to the VERBS MATCHING WKST below and have them work individually to complete the matching activity. Go over the answers as class once completed. 

[25 min] Sample Writing Prompts Reading/Writing Activity 10:25-10:50

.This next activity will entail students analyzing basic writing prompts and determine how they would structure an essay based on these questions. Encourage students to work together to determine the outline. After students have had time to answer all the questions and discuss how they would structure the essay, go over the possible answers with them on the overhead.

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Lesson Materials:
THE WRITER'S HELP ACTIVITIES
TOEFLACADEMIC PPT.
TOEFL WRITING SAMPLE
ACADEMIC WRITING SAMPLE

Writing Prompts PowerPoint

Matching Verb Worksheet (answers)

Sample Writing Prompts Worksheet ( Key)

--------------------------------------- Supplemental Materials:

Sample writing prompts responses (Key)
Pdf of Chart from Teaching with Hacker Handbook (needs to be photocopied).

[10 min] Discussion on Audience (8:05-8:10)

To begin today, I would like to look at examples from our Diagnostic Exam and analyze them in terms of "audience" Please find the materials on AUDIENCE below.
Worksheet on Audience
Backup Link to Materials

[5-10 min] Warm Up Activity: Self-Diagnosis  9:50-10:00

Open the POWERPOINT below and we will hold a brief discussion on the second slide. Then, open up the documents titled, WRITING PROMPT WARM-UP. I will give you some time to work to complete the survey.  This will not be collected. After 3-4 minutes, briefly share their responses within groups of 3-4.
Warm-Up Writing Prompt