6 Traits of Writing - Using the Model in the Classroom

The six traits of writing model provides a recipe for successful prose writing. This approach defines the ingredients of effective writing for students to practice and teachers to assess, equipping both parties with tools for strategically analyzing written work. Students can become self-sufficient and methodical writers when they learn to develop the following characteristics in their writing. To take advantage of this revolutionary model, learn what the six traits are and how to teach them. What are the Six Traits of Writing? The six key characteristics that define high-quality writing are: IdeasOrganizationVoiceWord ChoiceSentence FluencyConventions Please note that while this method is often called the 6 1 Trait Model, the plus one presentation trait is largely optional as it is a characteristic of the overall product and not the writing itself. This trait will not be described further here. Ideas This writing component captures the main idea of a piece through detail. Only details that are relevant and informative of the main topic should be included. Strong writers have an awareness of how to use just the right amount of detail, using ideas that make the overall message more clear and leaving anything out that takes away from it. How to Teach: Do an exercise with students where you tell a story using no detail while they close their eyes. Could they picture it? Ask them how to improve your story and introduce the concept that ideas need to be supported to be effective.Ask students to describe what is happening in a photograph. Have them do this in partnerships where only one partner can see the picture at a time and the other must convey the message of the photo in front of them.Have students compose a paragraph packed with as much supporting detail as possible. Tell them to choose a specific (true) event that happened to them and use their senses to describe it. Organization This trait describes how all ideas in a piece of writing must fit together within a larger message. The organizational structure of a written work needs to follow a clear pattern such as chronological order for narratives or logical order for informational writing. The writer needs to make strong connections from one point to another so that a reader can easily follow along. A sense of sequence is necessary for organizing. How to Teach Take a piece of writing and cut it into chunks, having students piece the writing back together as best as they can.Jumble a list of directions and have students arrange the steps in order.Read two short informational books whose organization structures vary. Ask your students what is different about the organization of the books. Voice This trait describes the unique style of each writer. Through voice, a writers personality permeates a piece but does not detract from the genre or message. Strong writers are not afraid to express their individuality and show readers their point of view. Good writing sounds like its writers. How to Teach Discuss the personality traits of a few childrens book authors, then read a variety of literature and have students try to identify the author by voice.Compare and contrast the voice in select fiction and nonfiction books.Have students write a letter to a grandparent about their favorite school subject. When they are finished, discuss how they cultivated their voice in the letter and whether they feel that their thoughts and emotions came through. Word Choice Word choice describes the effectiveness of each word in a piece of writing. Strong words enlighten readers and clarify ideas but too many large or misplaced words can muddle the message. Great writing is never verbose. Writers should be economical with their words and choose only the best ones because every word is important. Linguistic awareness and a robust vocabulary are necessary for effective writing. How to Teach Keep a word wall, adding to and discussing it frequently.Show students a paragraph with words missing. Offer options for words to put in the blanks and explain why some of them are better than others.Introduce students to thesauruses. Teach that a well-rounded vocabulary is useful but caution against overdoing it by having them first replace as many words as they can in a paragraph and then only words that make sense to replace. Sentence Fluency This trait describes the smoothness that sentences contribute to a piece. Fluent writing is rhythmic and forward-moving because its sentences are easy to read. Even more important to sentence fluency that correctness and grammar are meaning and variety. The best writers make sure that each of their sentences says precisely what it is supposed to say and vary their sentence structures so that they dont all resemble each other. How to Teach Write a story where every single sentence begins and ends in the exact same way. Talk with your class about why this is problematic and have them help add variety to the sentence structures.Rearrange the sentences in a popular piece of writing. Have the students fix it and talk about why it matters that sentences flow easily into each other.Have students take a sentence in a piece of informational writing and flip the words around. Does it make more or less sense? Is their way better or worse? Conventions This trait focuses on the correctness of a piece in terms of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and other rules. Writing can only be great if it is technically correct. Great writers are proficient punctuators, capable spellers, and grammar savants. Conventions require time and patience to master but are easy to practice. How to Teach Give your students a word to correctly work into a sentence. Begin with simple sentence parts such as subjects and verbs and progressively get more difficult with adverbs, adjectives, and more.Teach students to peer review each others work for correctness. They do not need to correct every tiny detail. Rather, focus on one skill at a time (punctuation, capitalization, etc.).Use  curriculum materials such as handouts and mini-lessons  to teach conventions. Sources Nast, Phil. â€Å"6 1 Trait Writing.†Ã‚  National Education Association.â€Å"What Are the Traits?†Ã‚  Education Northwest, Dec. 2012.

Carbon Trading Prices and Taxes Example

Essays on Carbon Trading: Prices and Taxes Assignment ï » ¿Carbon Trading Part 1: The supply curve shifts left from S1 to S2. Price increases from P1 to P2. Quantity decreases from Q1 to Q2. Part 2: Carbon Tax A carbon tax approach to reducing emissions has three advantages over cap and trade. It is simpler to implement, has predictable costs and raises revenue. A carbon tax can be put into place with the few producers of fuel rather than having to tax the many emitters of greenhouse gases. A tax has a predictable effect on prices, so firms can plan for the increase in price. Lastly a tax raises revenue that can then be used for investment in new efficient technology. Cap and Trade A cap and trade system has three advantages over a tax. It caps emissions at certain levels, allows the market to price those emissions, and gives all firms a profit incentive to reduce emissions. A cap sets a clear level of emissions, thus emissions targets can be met. Finally, firms can profit by investing in efficiency and selling the credits on the market. This creates an incentive to find cost effective technology for emissions reduction. Analysis A carbon tax and cap and trade seek to do two things. Put a cost on emissions and reduce them. Both plans increase costs for firms but only one directly addresses the externality of emissions. I think cap and trade is a better solution. It directly reduces the externality and then lets the market set a price on that externality. This creates an incentive to create new technology and avoids firms cutting costs in other areas while continuing to produce emissions. Problem The firm is emitting 1000 tons more greenhouse gasses than it has credits for. The cost to reduce emissions by 100 tons is $250,000. Calculate reduction cost per ton of emissions: $250,000/1000 tons = $250/ton. Each ton of emissions has a cost of $250. If credits on the market sell for less than $250, then the firm should buy credits. If they sell for more than $250, the firm ought to invest in efficiency. References â€Å"Putting a Price on Carbon: An Emissions Cap or a Tax?† Yale Environment 360. Web. May 7, 2009.

Skills Assignment Learning Skills Services

Question: Discuss about the case study Skills Assignment for Learning Skills Services. Answer: Introduction This assignment explores the process of note taking, reading skills as well as provides tips for studying during exams. Note-taking is a process in which an individual record understanding of the ideas and concepts that were discussed in the class. The process of note taking is useful in essay writing, for reading, and preparing for exams and tests (Boud et al., 2013). The rationale of the study is to create a good idea of the lecture and to be acquainted with it irrespective of its characteristics. Summary Note-taking in lectures and tutorials is defined is the process where individual record can understand the ideas and concepts that discussed in class. The process of note-taking is useful in essay writing, for reading and preparing for exams and tests. Developing the skills to use the notes and lectures is very much important and crucial rather than challenging. There are some characteristics that a listener requires for using the lectures effectively. Some characteristics need to perform in order to be a good listener such as listen with a purpose, learning present instructor style, use of verbal and visual clues, etc. Active listening is very much important because listening without thinking is useless (Note Taking at University | Learning Skills Services, 2016). In order to use the lecture for future use, one should have to improve the situation by avoiding the obstacles. After listening, the second step is to understand the lecture. This is helpful in reviewing and comparing what is said and what is found in the text, figuring out what is ignored, reserving judgment while something controversial is discussed and to shift attention between lectures and notes (Segal et al., 2014). Lecturers have different characteristics. The main important thing is to create a good idea of the lecture and to get acquainted with it irrespective of its characteristics. The main feature in assisting the lecture is to divide it into important structural divisions (Boud, Keogh Walker, 2013). The structural parts include introduction and conclusion, repetition, expression linking, rephrasing and elaboration of ideas. In addition to learning, the most important thing is how to listen effectively in order to develop, record the notes and most importantly how to summarize them. Two common formats named Cornell Note-taking system and Mind maps are used for structuring notes. Cornell note taking system is suggested for those students who want to improve their organization of notes. By using this system, an individual will require a minimum time for preparation and adjustment (Segal, Chipman Glaser, 2014). Additionally, it helps in developing notes very quickly after taking help from the notebooks and original lecture (How to Study Effectively: 8 Advanced Tips - College Info Geek, 2016). One of the most important things is that they link the activity of note taking in a very practical way. According to Boud et al. (2013), a mind map is a linear way of organizing notes. Mind maps are a diagrammatic process of organizing data from the lectures. It is done for providing interconnection of concepts and for illustrating details, ideas, main concepts, etc Reviewing notes is one of the most important techniques as it helps in saving time. One of the most important difficulties that an individual faces while collecting information from the notes is that the individual realizes that 60% of the information is not important. Therefore constructing an outline of the note will be helpful in avoiding collection of unnecessary information (How to Study Effectively: 8 Advanced Tips - College Info Geek, 2016) Apart from managing time and making effective notes, one of the most important tasks is reading at universities. Reading is a central role in learning. Therefore, it is very much important to read effectively and learn independently. Setting goals and objectives for reading is one of the most important features of reading actively (Preparing for Tests and Exams | Learning Skills Services, 2016). It helps in creating awareness. Active reading is defined as a process in which reading is done to understand the topic and for relating it to some other ideas or concepts of lecture (Preparing for Tests and Exams | Learning Skills Services) Setting a purpose after reading a chapter helps in creating awareness about the selective reading of the notes. During a survey of a chapter, it is always advised to spend less time. After setting a purpose, the first thing that an individual requires to do is questioning. The questioning phase helps in creating a sharp knowledge about the concept of the topic and helps in increasing our level of concentration (Reading Skills for University | Learning Skills Services, 2016). After the phase of questioning, the most important one is guiding oneself through reading. According to Segal et al. (2014), reading helps in monitoring and constructing the meaning of the text. Other important feature includes classification, description, factual statement, problem solving problem and experiment induction problem (Reading Skills for University | Learning Skills Services, 2016) Grade matters a lot to the student. Students want to score well in their examination. Students who are successful in scoring well apply a series of strategies that are productive in nature (Study Less Study Smart: A 6-Minute Summary of Marty Lobdell's Lecture - College Info Geek, 2016). This is done to attain identified learning goals throughout the academic session. Sometimes, students face difficulty in preparing effectively for exams. The problems include time management, reading for comprehension, etc. Many students use the concept of cramming while studying (Study Skills - Preparing for exams, 2016). The concept of cramming sometimes fails at the last minute. This is because the time is very short for assimilating and integrating a vast quantity of information (Study Less Study Smart: A 6-Minute Summary of Marty Lobdell's Lecture - College Info Geek, 2016). There are few steps, which is helpful in effective studying. The steps include: Complete reading all information from different sources and compilation of that information in the form of notes. Review of all past notes that will be helpful in knowing the type of question It must be ensured that the time, date focus, location, and weight of each test must be known Setting a goal and according to which a fixed amount of study is necessary Balancing study and daily work or activities Locating study notes, course aids from the library will be helpful Determining the important sections of the lecture Settling down to study with all the information and notes Creation of long-term motivation for studying is very much effective. It helps in turning the anxiety of examination into a built-in motivator. The most important step is to fascinate the study with the subject matter by going over truly interesting sections of the study (Study Less Study Smart: A 6-Minute Summary of Marty Lobdell's Lecture - College Info Geek, 2016) The study can be managed by using three important steps: Materials must be grouped in a meaning full way Active reading must be he done after the 1st step The condensed summary should be written based on the reading. Go through the notes and say aloud the things that an individual remembered. Conclusion From the above analysis, it is concluded that preparing notes, active listening, reading, managing time and motivation are very much important for a student. It helps as well as guides a student to score well in an examination. The most important step to do well in an examination is to fascinate the study with the help of subject matter by going through the important sections of the study. Neither of the steps assures a student that following these steps would help them in scoring good marks, but the steps are helpful in increasing the confidence of the student. The above steps help in applying a series of strategies that are productive in nature. This is done to attain identified learning goals throughout the academic session. References Boud, D., Keogh, R., Walker, D. (2013).Reflection: Turning experience into learning. Routledge. How to Study Effectively: 8 Advanced Tips - College Info Geek. (2016).YouTube. Retrieved 2 July 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ad6grll-ak Note Taking at University | Learning Skills Services. (2016).Lss.info.yorku.ca. Retrieved 2 July 2016, from https://lss.info.yorku.ca/resources/note-taking-at-university/ Preparing for Tests and Exams | Learning Skills Services. (2016).Lss.info.yorku.ca. Retrieved 2 July 2016, from https://lss.info.yorku.ca/resources/preparing-for-tests-and-exams/ Reading Skills for University | Learning Skills Services. (2016).Lss.info.yorku.ca. Retrieved 2 July 2016, from https://lss.info.yorku.ca/resources/reading-skills-for-university/ Segal, J. W., Chipman, S. F., Glaser, R. (2014).Thinking and Learning Skills: Volume 1: Relating Instruction To Research. Routledge. Study Less Study Smart: A 6-Minute Summary of Marty Lobdell's Lecture - College Info Geek. (2016).YouTube. Retrieved 2 July 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23Xqu0jXlfs Study Skills - Preparing for exams. (2016).YouTube. Retrieved 2 July 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khhjXkzXaZA

Lady Macbeth Essay Example The relationship and power struggle

The relationship and power struggle between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth The quest for power has been the reason behind man’s selfish and self interested behavior. Power corrupts one’s mind and actions. It denies one the will to uphold moral integrity and rationalism. For the love of power, men are willing to kill, betray and destroy. For power’s sake, men are willing to use anything and everyone. It is one thing to obtain power. It is another to maintain it. Shakespeare portrays man’s struggle for power in the Tragic Story of Macbeth. The quest for power and Lady Macbeth’s influence on her husband are the main factors that contributed to the tragic life that both husband and wife suffered. At the beginning of the play, Macbeth goes to battle where he meets three witches. The three witches prophesy to him that he will be king. The thought of the power he would hold if he became king excites him. It also creates great internal unrest in him. When he returns home, he shares the news with his wife. He tells her that he confides in her as she is his â€Å"partner in greatness†. Lady Macbeth genuinely shares her husband’s excitement. She depicts her genuine love for her husband and the two seem to enjoy a warm affectionate relationship. Macbeth’s quest for power increases, and so does his wife’s. Lady Macbeth seems more ambitious and she uses the influence she has on him to get him to the throne. She hatches a plan to kill the king to enable Macbeth ascend the throne. Knowing Macbeth too well, she knows exactly where to hit to get Macbeth to carry out her wishes. Act 1 scene 5 shows how she manipulates her husband using the thorough knowledge she has of him. She provokes him by calling him a coward and dares him to prove his manliness. She is more ruthless and cruel than Macbeth. At some point, she wishes that she was a man so she could carry out the plan herself. Macbeth lacks strength of character, which his wife possesses. When Macbeth is hesitant to kill King Duncan, she persistently questions his manhood and makes him eager to prove his bravery. After killing the king, Lady Macbeth’s strength deteriorates. She is psychologically affected by the inhumane acts she pushed Macbeth into. She becomes insane. Her guilt overpowers her seemingly strong character and she commits suicide. Macbeth remains solitary and full of self doubt. He is left with no one to justify his evil actions. The death of the King Duncan marks a point of no return. Macbeth realizes that he has to keep killing to retain power. His suspicions and insecurities lead him to kill Banquo. He believes Banquo’s intelligence is a threat to his kingdom. His knowledge of prophesy that Banquo would have a line of kings gives him more reason to kill Banquo. Macbeths’ continued cruelty leads him to lose popularity among his people. The nobles cease to support him on realizing his association with the king’s death. An army rises against him and a long term fight between him and Macduff ensues. Macduff’s opposition against him intensifies and he kills Macbeth, bringing Macbeth’s head to Malcolm. In the end, Macbeth loses everything. He lost the wife he loved so much. He lost his partner in greatness, who had manipulated him into doing whatever it took to acquire power. He also lost the power he had done everything to acquire.   His quest for power drove him to kill even his best friend. That same quest for power led to his tragic demise. Works Cited William Shakespeare. The Tragedy of Macbeth. John Heminges and Henry Condell. 1623. So What Is Your Assignment About? Have you got your instructions ready? If not, you instantly should. You can only allow an assignment helper to produce what you want by clearly telling them what you need. Place an order.