Chapter 6 Projects: The Writing Process: Paragraphs

Project Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 6, you studied the academic writing process for paragraphs: pre-writing, drafting, revision, editing, and submitting. The goal of this project is to create a card game that helps you reinforce your understanding of the writing process.

Directions

Part 1

Create the playing cards. Use the lessons in Chapter 6 to find four statements about each of the five stages of the writing process. Write each statement on its own notecard (preferably 3"x5"). You may use the exact wording from the lesson or your own words.

Use the card template in the Materials section so that all cards have a consistent structure. You should have five cards for each stage of the writing process and twenty cards total. (Your instructor may ask you to submit the completed cards for a grade.)

Part 2

Directions for group play

Play the game with up to three classmates. Shuffle the deck of cards and give each player five cards.

  • Place the remaining cards in the center to use as the deck.

  • When it is a player's turn, take one of these actions:

    • Draw one card from the deck and discard one next to the deck, on the discard pile. A player should never have more than five cards at any time.

    • Lay down the five cards to win the round. A player wins the game when they have completed either of these goals:

      • Gained 1 card from each writing stage

      • Gained 5 cards from the same writing stage

  • Play continues until a player gathers the correct cards to win the game.

Directions for individual play

  • Shuffle the cards and lay them face down so the words do not show. Create a grid that is four cards across and five cards down.

  • Turn over two cards. If the cards match, keep them. If the cards do not match, place them back into the formation.

  • Continue flipping, two cards at a time, until all cards have been matched.

Materials

20 index cards (preferably 3"x5")

Writing tool

Card template:

 Title: [Name of stage]

 Example: Pre-writing

 Statement: [Sentence from a lesson in Chapter 6 that matches the stage you have chosen.]

 Example: Choosing a topic is part of pre-writing.

 Reference: [Lesson where the statement is found]

 Example: Lesson 6.2

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this writing assignment is to demonstrate your understanding of the writing process by writing an original paragraph based on a prompt.

Directions

Write a paragraph about healthy lifestyles, such as how to achieve a healthy lifestyle or why it is important to have a healthy lifestyle. It is fine to research potential topics if you are having trouble deciding on an idea. Any thoughts that you have related to healthy lifestyles are acceptable. However, only write about one aspect of healthy living; do not write about multiple subtopics.

Part 1

Pre-writing

  • Use a pre-writing strategy to brainstorm ideas.

  • Select a topic.

  • Write a topic sentence.

  • Save your pre-writing work to submit with your final paragraph.

Part 2

Drafting

  • Write a paragraph on your chosen topic.

  • The paragraph must include the following:

    • Title

    • Topic sentence

    • Eight or more supporting sentences

    • Concluding sentence

  • Save a copy of your draft to submit with your final paragraph.

Part 3

Revising

  • Revise your draft using the following questions:

    • Is there a clear topic sentence?

    • Is there a concluding sentence?

    • Are the sentences in logical order? Do they follow an organizational pattern?

    • Are transitions used effectively?

    • Do all sentences support the topic?

  • Save a copy of your revised work to submit with your final paragraph.

Part 4

Editing

  • Edit your revised paragraph using the following questions:

    • Are all words spelled correctly?

    • Are all words used correctly according to their meanings?

    • Does every sentence begin with a capital letter and end with a period, exclamation point, or question mark?

    • Are all sentences complete?

    • Are all punctuation marks used correctly?

    • Do the sentences clearly express what you want to say?

  • Save a copy of your revised and edited work to submit with your final paragraph.

Part 5

Submitting

  • Format your paragraph.

    • Use Times New Roman font, size 12.

    • Double space the paragraph.

    • Use one-inch margins.

    • Include your name and the date in a header.

  • Submit your final paragraph to your instructor.

Materials

Word processing program

Checklist