Authors: Carol H. Behrman, Seton Hall Univ and New York Univ Writin, S. Thompson
ISBN-13: 9780787965860, ISBN-10: 0787965863
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
Date Published: April 2003
Edition: 1ST
Carol H. Behrman taught writing to students in grades 5-8 for fifteen years. She has written twenty-four books— fiction and nonfiction— for children and young adults and has conducted numerous workshops on the writing process for students, teachers, and aspiring writers. Ms. Behrman has served as writer-in-residence at Chautauqua Institution and has been an adjunct lecturer at Seton Hall University and at New York University's Writing Center.
This volume of Ready-to-Use Writing Proficiency Lessons & Activities gives classroom teachers and language arts specialists a powerful and effective tool for addressing curriculum standards and competencies at the eighth-grade level and preparing their students for comprehensive assessment testing.
Writing Proficiency Lessons & Activities books are also available from Jossey-Bass at the fourth-grade level and the tenth-grade level.
Included are a variety of easy-to-use, reproducible activity sheets that provide application and review the basic language skills as well as extensive practice in producing the types of writing called for in standardized tests.
For easy use, the 240-plus student activity sheets are printed in a big 8-1/2" x 11" format that lays flat for photocopying. The activities are organized into nine sections. Here is just a sample of the topics covered in Sections 1-5:
About This Writing TestPrep Teaching Resource | iv | |
Section 1 | Choosing the Right Word | 1 |
Teacher Preparation and Lessons | 1 | |
Answer Key | 6 | |
1-1 | Words Commonly Misspelled | 12 |
1-2 | Words Commonly Misspelled (Part Two) | 13 |
1-3 | Words Commonly Misspelled (Part Three) | 14 |
1-4 | Words Commonly Misspelled (Part Four) | 15 |
1-5 | Words Often Confused | 16 |
1-6 | Words Often Confused (Part Two) | 17 |
1-7 | Words Often Confused (Part Three) | 18 |
1-8 | Prefixes | 19 |
1-9 | Suffixes | 20 |
1-10 | Suffixes (Part Two) | 21 |
1-11 | Suffixes (Part Three) | 22 |
1-12 | Suffixes (Part Four) | 23 |
1-13 | Prefixes and Suffixes | 24 |
1-14 | Synonyms | 25 |
1-15 | Antonyms | 26 |
1-16 | Synonyms and Antonyms | 27 |
1-17 | Homonyms | 28 |
1-18 | Homonyms (Part Two) | 29 |
1-19 | Adjectives | 30 |
1-20 | Adverbs | 31 |
1-21 | Adverbs vs. Adjectives | 32 |
1-22 | Prepositions | 33 |
1-23 | Articles | 34 |
1-24 | Common and Proper Nouns | 35 |
1-25 | Collective and Compound Nouns | 36 |
1-26 | Pronouns and Antecedents | 37 |
1-27 | Pronouns and Antecedents (Part Two) | 38 |
1-28 | Indefinite Pronouns | 39 |
1-29 | Personal Possessive Pronouns | 40 |
1-30 | Verbs | 41 |
1-31 | Verbs (Part Two) | 42 |
1-32 | Verb Tense | 43 |
1-33 | Irregular Verbs | 45 |
1-34 | Sensory Words | 46 |
1-35 | Sensory Words (Part Two) | 47 |
1-36 | Similes | 48 |
1-37 | Similes (Part Two) | 49 |
1-38 | Metaphors | 50 |
1-39 | Metaphors (Part Two) | 51 |
1-40 | Compound Words | 52 |
1-41 | Double Negatives | 53 |
1-42 | Illiteracies | 54 |
1-43 | Illiteracies (Part Two) | 55 |
Review Test: Choosing the Right Word | 56 | |
Section 2 | Making Mechanics and Usage Work for You | 61 |
Teacher Preparation and Lessons | 61 | |
Answer Key | 65 | |
2-1 | Plurals | 70 |
2-2 | Plurals (Part Two) | 71 |
2-3 | Plurals (Part Three) | 72 |
2-4 | Capitalization | 73 |
2-5 | Capitalization (Part Two) | 74 |
2-6 | Abbreviations | 75 |
2-7 | Abbreviations (Part Two) | 76 |
2-8 | Apostrophes | 77 |
2-9 | Apostrophes (Part Two) | 78 |
2-10 | Apostrophes (Part Three) | 79 |
2-11 | Hyphens | 80 |
2-12 | Hyphens (Part Two) | 81 |
2-13 | Dashes | 82 |
2-14 | End Marks | 83 |
2-15 | End Marks (Part Two) | 84 |
2-16 | Commas | 85 |
2-17 | Commas (Part Two) | 86 |
2-18 | Commas (Part Three) | 87 |
2-19 | Commas (Part Four) | 88 |
2-20 | Commas (Part Five) | 89 |
2-21 | Semicolons | 90 |
2-22 | Semicolons (Part Two) | 91 |
2-23 | Colons | 92 |
2-24 | Colons (Part Two) | 93 |
2-25 | Quotation Marks | 94 |
2-26 | Quotation Marks (Part Two) | 95 |
2-27 | Quotation Marks (Part Three) | 96 |
2-28 | Quotation Marks (Part Four) | 97 |
2-29 | Titles | 98 |
2-30 | Slashes and Ellipses | 100 |
2-31 | Parentheses | 101 |
2-32 | Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers | 102 |
2-33 | Avoiding Misplaced Modifiers (Part Two) | 103 |
Review Test: Mechanics and Usage | 104 | |
Section 3 | Writing Sentences | 109 |
Teacher Preparation and Lessons | 109 | |
Answer Key | 113 | |
3-1 | Subjects and Predicates | 118 |
3-2 | Simple and Complete Subjects | 119 |
3-3 | Simple and Complete Predicates | 120 |
3-4 | Sentences with One Subject and One Verb | 121 |
3-5 | Sentences with Compound Subjects | 122 |
3-6 | Sentences with Compound Predicates | 123 |
3-7 | Subject-Verb Agreement: Number | 124 |
3-8 | Subject-Verb Agreement: Person | 125 |
3-9 | Dependent and Independent Clauses | 126 |
3-10 | Dependent and Independent Clauses (Part Two) | 127 |
3-11 | Dependent and Independent Clauses (Part Three) | 128 |
3-12 | Simple Sentences | 129 |
3-13 | Compound Sentences | 130 |
3-14 | Complex Sentences | 131 |
3-15 | Complex Sentences (Part Two) | 132 |
3-16 | Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences | 133 |
3-17 | Declarative, Interrogative, Exclamatory, and Imperative Sentences | 134 |
3-18 | Declarative, Interrogative, Exclamatory, and Imperative Sentences (Part Two) | 135 |
3-19 | Recognizing Sentence Fragments | 136 |
3-20 | Recognizing Sentence Fragments (Part Two) | 137 |
3-21 | Recognizing Run-on Sentences | 138 |
3-22 | Do's and Don'ts for Writing Sentences | 139 |
3-23 | Do's and Don'ts for Writing Sentences (Part Two) | 140 |
Review Test: Writing Sentences | 141 | |
Section 4 | Writing Paragraphs | 147 |
Teacher Preparation and Lessons | 147 | |
Answer Key | 152 | |
4-1 | Organizing a Paragraph | 156 |
4-2 | Organizing a Paragraph (Part Two) | 157 |
4-3 | Writing a Topic Sentence | 158 |
4-4 | Writing a Topic Sentence (Part Two) | 159 |
4-5 | Writing a Concluding Sentence | 160 |
4-6 | Writing a Concluding Sentence (Part Two) | 161 |
4-7 | Developing the Topic | 162 |
4-8 | Developing the Topic (Part Two) | 163 |
4-9 | Using Tense Consistently | 164 |
4-10 | Using Tense Consistently (Part Two) | 165 |
4-11 | Using Pronouns Consistently | 167 |
4-12 | Using Transitional Words and Phrases | 168 |
4-13 | Using Transitional Words and Phrases (Part Two) | 169 |
4-14 | Using Transitional Words and Phrases (Part Three) | 170 |
4-15 | Staying on the Subject | 171 |
4-16 | Staying on the Subject (Part Two) | 172 |
4-17 | Avoiding Irrelevant Details | 173 |
4-18 | Using Variety in Sentence Length | 174 |
4-19 | Using Variety in Sentence Length (Part Two) | 175 |
4-20 | Using Variety in Sentence Structure | 176 |
4-21 | Using Variety in Sentence Structure (Part Two) | 177 |
4-22 | Using a Variety of Sentence Types | 178 |
4-23 | Using the Writing Process: Prewriting | 179 |
4-24 | Using the Writing Process: Writing the First Draft | 180 |
4-25 | Using the Writing Process: Revising and Writing the Final Copy | 181 |
Practice Test: Writing Paragraphs | 182 | |
Section 5 | Essay-Writing Techniques | 189 |
Standardized Testing Information | 189 | |
Teacher Preparation and Lessons | 190 | |
Answer Key | 195 | |
5-1 | Brainstorming | 196 |
5-2 | Brainstorming (Part Two) | 197 |
5-3 | Clustering | 198 |
5-4 | Clustering (Part Two) | 199 |
5-5 | Outlining | 200 |
5-6 | Outlining (Part Two) | 201 |
5-7 | Stating the Topic | 202 |
5-8 | Stating the Topic (Part Two) | 203 |
5-9 | Introductory Paragraph with a Question | 204 |
5-10 | Introductory Paragraph with a Question (Part Two) | 205 |
5-11 | Introductory Paragraph with a Surprising Statement | 206 |
5-12 | Introductory Paragraph with an Anecdote | 207 |
5-13 | Introductory Paragraph: What Not to Do | 208 |
5-14 | Introductory Paragraph: What Not to Do (Part Two) | 209 |
5-15 | Developing the Topic Using Examples | 210 |
5-16 | Developing the Topic Using Examples (Part Two) | 211 |
5-17 | Avoiding Irrelevancies | 212 |
5-18 | Avoiding Irrelevancies (Part Two) | 213 |
5-19 | Staying on the Subject | 214 |
5-20 | Staying on the Subject (Part Two) | 215 |
5-21 | Concluding Paragraph | 216 |
5-22 | Concluding Paragraph (Part Two) | 217 |
5-23 | Avoiding Confusion | 218 |
5-24 | Self-Evaluation, Revision, Use of Proofreading Symbols | 219 |
5-25 | Writing a Simple Three-Paragraph Essay | 220 |
5-26 | Writing a Simple Three-Paragraph Essay (Part Two) | 221 |
5-27 | Writing a Five-Paragraph Essay: Brainstorming and First Draft | 223 |
5-28 | Writing a Five-Paragraph Essay: Revising and Writing a Final Copy | 224 |
Practice Test: Essay-Writing Techniques | 225 | |
Section 6 | Writing Informative Essays | 231 |
Standardized Testing Information | 231 | |
Teacher Preparation and Lessons | 233 | |
6-1 to 6-3 | Informative Essay #1: Writing About the School Cafeteria | 235 |
6-4 to 6-6 | Informative Essay #2: Writing About a Memorable Class Trip | 238 |
6-7 to 6-9 | Informative Essay #3: Writing About Your New Room | 241 |
6-10 to 6-12 | Informative Essay #4: Writing About Winning the Lottery | 245 |
6-13 to 6-15 | Informative Essay #5: Writing About Becoming a Chef | 248 |
6-16 to 6-18 | Informative Essay #6: Writing About Dangerous Situations | 251 |
6-19 to 6-21 | Informative Essay #7: Describing a New TV Series | 254 |
6-22 to 6-24 | Informative Essay #8: Describing Your Dream Vacation | 257 |
Practice Test: Writing Informative Essays | 260 | |
Section 7 | Writing Persuasive Essays | 265 |
Standardized Testing Information | 265 | |
Teacher Preparation and Lessons | 267 | |
7-1 to 7-3 | Persuasive Essay #1: Writing an Editorial | 269 |
7-4 to 7-6 | Persuasive Essay #2: Entering a Contest | 272 |
7-7 to 7-9 | Persuasive Essay #3: Should the Lunch Program Be Changed? | 275 |
7-10 to 7-12 | Persuasive Essay #4: Country Living vs. City Living | 278 |
7-13 to 7-15 | Persuasive Essay #5: Does Watching TV Affect Students' Grades? | 281 |
7-16 to 7-18 | Persuasive Essay #6: Convincing Others to Help Their Country | 284 |
7-19 to 7-21 | Persuasive Essay #7: A Park vs. a Shopping Center | 287 |
7-22 to 7-24 | Persuasive Essay #8: Writing About School Violence | 290 |
Practice Test: Writing Persuasive Essays | 293 | |
Section 8 | Narrative Writing | 299 |
Standardized Testing Information | 299 | |
Teacher Preparation and Lessons | 301 | |
8-1 to 8-3 | Narrative Essay #1: A Memorable Experience | 303 |
8-4 to 8-6 | Narrative Essay #2: Unfair Treatment | 306 |
8-7 to 8-9 | Narrative Essay #3: A Scary Experience | 309 |
8-10 to 8-12 | Narrative Essay #4: Through Someone Else's Eyes | 312 |
8-13 to 8-15 | Narrative Essay #5: Lost and Found | 315 |
8-16 to 8-18 | Narrative Essay #6: Developing the Plot | 318 |
8-19 to 8-21 | Narrative Essay #7: Using Dialogue | 322 |
8-22 to 8-24 | Narrative Essay #8: Developing the Characters | 325 |
Practice Test: Narrative Writing | 328 | |
Section 9 | Writing Letters | 333 |
Standardized Testing Information | 333 | |
Teacher Preparation and Lessons | 334 | |
9-1 to 9-3 | Informative Letter #1: Writing to Someone Who's Away | 336 |
9-4 to 9-6 | Informative Letter #2: Writing a Fan Letter | 340 |
9-7 to 9-9 | Informative Letter #3: Writing to Someone in Another Country | 343 |
9-10 to 9-12 | Persuasive Letter #1: Applying for a Job | 346 |
9-13 to 9-15 | Persuasive Letter #2: Writing to the Board President | 349 |
9-16 to 9-18 | Persuasive Letter #3: Persuading Your Parents | 352 |
Practice Test: Writing Letters | 355 | |
Proofreading Symbols | 360 | |
Appendix | Preparing Your Students for Standardized Proficiency Tests | 361 |
What Parents Need to Know About Standardized Tests | 361 | |
The Uses of Standardized Tests | 362 | |
Test Terms | 363 | |
Common Types of Standardized Tests | 365 | |
Preparing Your Child for Standardized Tests | 366 | |
Cover Letter to Parents Announcing Standardized Tests | 367 | |
What Students Need to Know About Standardized Tests | 368 | |
Test-taking Tips for Students | 369 | |
Test Words You Should Know | 370 | |
Creating a Positive Test-taking Environment | 371 |