This is a great introduction to Step Up To Writing that I plan on using with my kids and sharing with my parents. It is from (I believe) Mountainview Middle School

1. Step Up To Writing
Student Version:
Basic, Practical and Helpful
Instruction About Writing

2. Step Up To Writing is About
• Showing you the process
• Helping you through the
process
• Letting you work through the
process on your own

3. Step Up To Writing is
About Tools:
• Colors
• Word Lists
• Informal Outlines
• Examples
• small steps

4. Step Up To Writing is
About The Writing Process:
Prewriting and Planning
Drafting, Revising, and Editing
Creating a Final Copy,
Proofreading, and Sharing

5. Step Up To Writing is
About Promoting the Traits
of Good Writing:
• Content • Vocabulary
• Organization • Sentence
• Style Structure
• Conventions

6. Golf is a great sport to play. It’s fun to
pound a golf ball around for nine to eighteen
holes. However, to become good you need
lots of practice and mental toughness.
Practice is easy to come by, but we need
toughness too. Personally, I need a lot of
mental toughness. Golf can be really fun if
you are playing well, but if you are playing
badly, it can cause frustration.
Does this seem like a well thought
out, organized paragraph?

7. That is
called a
brain
dump!

8. What happened?
• This student took all the
information he/she knew
about golf and just
regurgitated it
onto paper!

9. The keys to an effective paragraph:
Expository paragraphs need:
• A title
• A topic sentence
• Transitions
• Good explanations and examples
• A conclusion

10. Smoking’s Health Toll and Price Tag
Fifth Grade
Although smoking may seem cool, it is very unhealthy and
expensive. Many people die from smoking related problems such as
cancer, heart disease etc. every year. According to World Book
Encyclopedia during the mid-1980s smoking contributed to 30 percent
of all deaths from cancer and heart disease in the United States of
America. Furthermore, cigarette smoking was associated with 85
percent of all cases of lung cancer. Secondly, smoking is very
expensive. If someone smoked one pack of cigarettes every day that
cost $3.00 for 50 years it would cost them $54,750.00 which is enough
money to buy an expensive and luxurious car. On the contrary, if
someone put $3.00 a day into a bank or investment institution they
would be making hundreds of dollars in only a few years just because
of the interest they are collecting. Clearly smoking is very unhealthy
and expensive too, so don’t start smoking until you have considered all
of the negative effects!

11. That was better!
• Why?
• Organization!
• I will show you the process
that 5th grade student used to
get that level of organization.

12. The Five Elements of
Expository Writing
Organization is the key.
Topic sentences and thesis
statements are the heart.
Transitions are the glue.
Examples, evidence, and
explanations are the meat.
Conclusions tie it all together.

13. Learn
Step One

14. Informal Outlines:
Using a piece of paper let’s work on
an informal outline of a paragraph.
•Fold paper over to the red margin line.
•Unfold.
Just •Fold about 5 lines from the top.
One or •Fold about 5 lines from the bottom.
Two words •Now draw lines on all the folds as
shown.
•It should look like an “I”

15. Remember this is all
about colors so…
• Get out your three colors
(red, green, yellow) of
crayons and make sure you
color in the dots by the
correct box.

16. Topic
Reason/fact/detail explain
explain
Reason/fact/detail explain
explain
Conclusion
Use your crayons to place your circles and
titles in the correct areas. See teacher’s
example

17. Topic:
Cats can protect themselves
Reason/fact/detail: explain:
They can get away from enemies run fast
explain:
climb trees
Reason/fact/detail: explain:
Good fighters sharp claws
explain:
sharp teeth
Conclusion:
cats take care, protect
Just
One or
Two words

18. Informal Outlines also need transition words:
Topic:
Cats can protect themselves
Reason/fact/detail: explain:
First
They can get away from enemies run fast
explain:
climb trees
Reason/fact/detail: explain:
Next
Good fighters sharp claws
explain:
sharp teeth
Conclusion:
cats take care, protect

19. Learn
Step Two

20. Let’s build sentences.
• Everyone should have a new
paper and the same three
crayons (yellow, green, red)
yellow
• It is time to fold this paper
hamburger style once, and
then twice. Open back up.
• Draw lines on front and back
where the folds are.

21. Front of Page
Use
crayon to
Topic
make dot
on the
left side Reason/fact/detail
of the
page.
Then Explain
write the
words
next to Explain
the dots
See teacher’s example

22. Back of Page
Use
crayon to
Reason/fact/detail
make dot
on the
left side Explain
of the
page.
Then Explain
write the
words
next to Conclusion
the dots

23. Front of Page
Topic
Cats protect themselves in two ways
Reason/fact/detail
First, they are able to get away quickly from their enemies.
Explain
Cats are fast runners.
Explain
They can climb trees, too.

24. Back of Page
Reason/fact/detail
Next, cats are good fighters.
Explain
Cat’s sharp claws can inflict pain and discourage attackers.
Explain
They can also use their pointed incisors to bite their
enemies when necessary.
Conclusion
Felines can take care of themselves.

25. What is the deal
with the colors!
Go! Write a topic sentence.
SlowD Give a reason, detail or fact.
own Use a transition word or phrase.
Stop Explain. Gave an example.
Go
Remind the reader of your topic.
Back

26. Using Colors
for Organization
Topic Sentence:
• Green means “go.”
• Green asks the writer to decide —
“What am I going to prove?”
“What am I going to explain?”
“What information will I share?”

27. Using Colors
for Organization
Reasons/Details/Facts:
• Yellow means “slow
down.”
• Introduce key concepts
to support the topic
sentence.

28. Using Colors
for Organization
Explain:
• Red means “stop and explain.”
• Present evidence.
• Provide explanation and
examples.

29. Using Colors
for Organization
Conclusion:
• Green means “go back to your topic.”
• Restate the topic and the position.
• Do not introduce new information.
• Use synonyms and leave your reader
with something to remember.

30. So now you see…
How to put
together a well
organized
paragraph.
But…

31. Don’t get stuck!
• Many students will ask “How
many sentences do I have to
write?”
• This is the ZME (zone of
minimal effort) talking.
•With this process you can expand
and shrink your paragraphs with
ease.
•The rule is: you should use as
many sentences as is needed to
explain what you have to say.

32. An Option:
Accordion Paragraphs
Eight Sentence Paragraph:
1. Topic Sentence
2. Reason/Detail/Fact
3. Explain
4. Reason/Detail/Fact
5. Explain
6. Reason/Detail/Fact
7. Explain
8. Conclusion

33. Another Option:
More Accordion Paragraphs
Eleven Sentence Paragraph:
1.
Topic Sentence
2. Reason/Detail/Fact
3.
Reason/Detail/Fact
4.
Explain
5.
Reason/Detail/Fact
6. Explain
7. Explain
8. Reason/Detail/Fact
9. Explain
10. Explain
11. Conclusion

34. Practice
Step One

35. This time let’s just make it a six sentence paragraph
Topic 2 fun ways to spend a million
dollars
Reason/fact/detail explain
Reason/fact/detail explain
Conclusion

36. Topic: 2 fun ways to spend a million dollars
Reason/fact/detail: explain:
Shopping New car,
Odyssey touring
Reason/fact/detail: explain:
Traveling cruise, Alaska
Conclusion:
fun, happy, rich
Just
One or
Two words

37. Practice
Step Two

38. Front of Page
Use
crayon to
Topic
make dot
on the
left side Reason/fact/detail
of the
page.
Then Explain
write the
words
next to
the dots
See teacher’s example

39. Back of Page
Use
crayon to
Reason/fact/detail
make dot
on the
left side Explain
of the
page.
Then Conclusion
write the
words
next to
the dots

40. Front of Page
Topic
If I had a million dollars, I would have a grand time
depleting it.
Reason/fact/detail
First, I would go out and buy the Honda Odyssey Touring
Edition.
Explain
This model has the six-DVD player, voice controlled
navigation and enough seats for all my friends to come
hang out with me.

41. Back of Page
Reason/fact/detail
Next, I would book a cruise to Alaska.
Explain
I would make sure it was the longest cruise available and
I would take all my friends with me.
Conclusion
Rolling in money would clearly be a boon for not
only myself, but my closet friends.

42. If I was Rolling in the Dough!
If I had a million dollars, I would have
a grand time depleting it. First, I would go
out and buy the Honda Odyssey Touring
Edition. This model has the six-DVD player,
voice controlled navigation and enough seats
for all my friends to come hang out with me.
Next, I would book a cruise to Alaska. I
would make sure it was the longest cruise
available and I would take all my friends
with me. Rolling in money would clearly be a
boon for not only myself, but my closet
friends.

43. How About More
Than One Paragraph
You can just add more “explain”
pieces and make the
“reason/detail/fact” sentence
become the topic.

44. For example:
Paragraph Topic = Plymouth Colony
Paragraph R/D/F Difficult trip across Atlantic
e Dangerous waters
e One ship turned back
e Poor living conditions
Paragraph R/D/F Difficult winter
e Arrived in wrong location
e Arrived too late to plant garden
e Arrived too late to build homes
Paragraph R/D/F Befriended by Indians
e Invited to first Thanksgiving
Paragraph for the conclusion

45. Persuasive Essay Format
R/D/F Outlines: Reasons Outline
Topic = Reasons for Learning to Swim
R Safety reasons
e Help yourself
e Save others
R Social reasons
e Parties
e Vacations
e Summertime
Of course, you will NOT limit yourself to only two
reasons or three examples.

46. Independent
Practice

47. You try…
• Get a paper ready like in step one but
with 3 yellows (reason/detail/fact).
One reason must be the opposing
viewpoint and a rebuttals to it.
• Think about the topic you want to
write your persuasive essay about.
• Fill in using your topic and at least two
reds (explain) that you can think of to
support each yellow.
• Remember to only JOT information.

48. By tomorrow
• You will need to bring me the
“step one” paper you have
been working on for my “green
light” on your topic.
• Tomorrow we will research
any information you will need
for the examples on your
topic.