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MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
1 DRAFT
Writing Assessment: Paragraph
Contents:
1. List of Suggested Paragraph Topics
2. List of Textbooks with Narrative and Descriptive Writing Lesson
Plans and Materials
3. Sample Writing Lessons (Narrative and Descriptive)
4. Paragraph Checklist
5. Proofreading Symbols
6. Rubric for Scoring Paragraphs
7. Samples of Other Intermediate Level Paragraphs *
*Writing selections adapted from “MCC ESL Writing Across Levels"
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
2 DRAFT
List of Suggested Topics
The paragraph can be descriptive or narrative.
Narration Write a story about The best / worst decision you ever made Coming to the U.S.A. A difficult experience living in another country Your best / worst day of your life A change in your life Your goals / plans for the future A vacation you took A vacation you want to take Your life story (autobiography) The biography of a friend / classmate / someone famous An accident / a mistake Your life in the past compared to now Your _________ experience (scary, rewarding, happy, interesting, unusual, exciting, etc.)
Description Describe a person / people: Your family A family member Your hero / heroine A person you admire Your best friend Your boyfriend / girlfriend / husband / wife Someone who has had an influence on your life Yourself (your character) An important person Qualities of a good parent / student / teacher / employee / spouse / friend Describe a place: Your favorite place Your neighborhood Your home An important / special place Your hometown A place you want to visit Describe something else: Your favorite food, place, holiday, time of the year Your job Your typical day Your dream vacation Your favorite ___________
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
4 DRAFT
SAMPLE LESSON PLAN: NARRATIVE PARAGRAGH
WRITE A PARAGRAPH ABOUT AN IMPORTANT LIFE EXPERIENCE
OR MEMORABLE EVENT
Warm up: Brainstorm as a class:
- What is a paragraph? Write students’ ideas on the board.
Introduction: Explain the elements of a paragraph with a sample paragraph, asking students to identify formatting features, the title, the topic sentence, supporting sentences, simple and complex sentences, and the conclusion. Tell students to take notes.
- Format:
- Heading
- Title (centered on top line)
- Indented first sentence
- Double spacing
- Content:
- Topic sentence
- Supporting sentences (details, examples, explanations)
- Transitional phrases
- Simple and complex sentences
- Concluding sentence
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
5 DRAFT
Sample Paragraph:
Maria Rosas
ESL Level 5
Oct. 30, 2008
My Worst Vacation
My worst vacation was last year. I went to Chicago to visit a friend. We
had plans to visit many places, but on the first day I was there, I fell down on an
icy sidewalk and broke my foot. My friend called an ambulance, and I went to the
hospital. I spent the rest of the vacation in the hospital. If you ever visit Chicago
in the winter, be careful when you walk on the sidewalks.
Practice: Write a paragraph together as a whole class:
Show the pictures (out of order). Talk about the vocabulary, stressing the need to use correct verb tenses (past). Write key vocabulary words and verbs on the board. Ask students to sequence the pictures (choose which picture is first, second, etc.).
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
7 DRAFT
Images (in correct order) from Get Ready to Write:
Next, model by eliciting ideas and writing the paragraph on the board. Ask students what this story is all about (in two to three words) and suggest that this could be the title.
Ask students to expand on the title by volunteering a complete sentence and suggest that this sentence could be the topic sentence.
Ask students to volunteer one or more sentences to describe the actions in each picture and indicate to the students that these sentences are supporting sentences.
Read what has been recorded. Elicit and suggest sentence combining to make short, choppy sentences more complex, where necessary.
Elicit and suggest transition words and phrases where necessary (then, next, after that, finally, etc.).
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
8 DRAFT
Then ask students what the lesson of this story is or what advice they can give to people who find themselves in this situation. Record students’ responses on the board. Suggest that these sentences could serve as the concluding sentence.
Have students copy the paragraphs (and type on Microsoft Word, as desired). Note: on the sample paragraphs included on the following pages, students were shown how to use Microsoft Word’s synonym tool. For that reason, some words are different in the three selections.
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
10 DRAFT
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
11 DRAFT
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
13 DRAFT
When
Where
With
What
happened
- first ..
- next ...
- then...
- last/finally ....
Conclusion
- what you learned (the lesson)
- OR what advice you have for other people in the same situation
- OR how you feel about the situation now
- OR how the event changed you or your life
- OR what you will do in the future if something similar happens again
My _____
Experience
/ Memory
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
14 DRAFT
For more advanced students, model how the ideas on the web can be the basis for their paragraphs. Use your own web to demonstrate how you would write a paragraph. For less advanced students, model how the writing web can be used to write the paragraph, using the following paragraph skeleton or use the questions below:
(heading)
My ______________ Experience/ Memory
My ____________ experience / memory happened _______ ago in/at
________. I was with _____ / alone. First, …. Then / Later, …. Finally, …. In
conclusion, I learned that …/ if this ever happens to you, … if this ever happens
to me again, I will… / now I feel …/ if you ever… / my advice to other people in
this situation is …
- When did your experience happen?
- Where did the event happen?
- Who were you with?
- What happened?
- What did you learn?
- What advice do you have for other people in the same situation?
- How do you feel now about the event? How did the event change you or
your life?
- What will you do in the future is this ever happens again?
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
16 DRAFT
Sample Paragraphs from Level 5, Fall 2008:
Available online at http://mccesl5.blogspot.com
A Day to Remember
A year ago had the experience of my life. My friend Ana called to invite me to see her jump from an airplane. I was really impressed because I new she was a crazy girl but no that much and I thought I want to see when she says “Oh I can not do it”, so I went to see the show. When we got to the place she told that one of her friends was going to jump with her. We were waiting for her more than an hour but the time was up. She was so angry and sad because she had paid for the tickets two months ago more than 400 dollars. She sad I can not do it myself so let's get out of here. She broke my heart when I saw her face and I had to something. After a couple minutes I asked her “If you want I can jump with you” and she said right away yeah go, go, go. I never new how but when I opened my eyes I was 10,000 feet up there. A man behind me sad ready go and we were flying like eagles. When I was flying I felt that my body, my mind and my soul were free like never before. Now I know why God did not give us wings. I never ever thought to do something like these but it was incredible. Some things are not like they look like. I will remember it for the rest of my life.
My Saddest Memory
My saddest memory happened nine years ago in my country. I received a phone call from my Uncle telling me that my Aunt had an accident car. She passed away. I will never forget this day and the following day at her funeral because there were a lot problems. I miss her a lot.
My Bad Experience
My bad experience happened last year when I when to the mall in Oceanside with my daughters and I forgot my keys in the car. When I went back to my car, I didn’t see my keys in my wallet, I looked inside the car and I saw my keys inside the car. My baby was hungry, and my baby’s diapers and baby bottle was in the car. I didn’t have any copy of my keys. I called my friend,and he came with a key and opened my car. In conclusion, it is a good idea to have one copy of your keys in your wallet or at your house.
My Funny Experience
My funny experience happened when I was 18 years old. A friend asked me if we could go eat, I said yes. Later we stopped at 7-11 and he bought two hot dogs for .99 cents and only one drink. He said we could share the drink. I got surprised. I did not say anything. I just learned when you out, always carry some money with you in case you are still hungry or thirsty. Why do you think I married him?
My Saddest Memory My saddest memory happened two years ago in Tijuana at my home. I was with my family,we were eating when my feter asked me, were is your pet? I said it is out side. He told me,no it is not and then, I went out side and didn’t see my doog! I was very sad because I lost my dood. I culde not fin it,but Igot another doog.In conclusion,if you hava a pet, take care of it. My worst Memory happened five years ago at my home in Mexicali When my mother was sick I decided to go to the united states With my friend to work my mother cried and was very sad to my Conclusion if this ever happens to me again I will I would never have chosen to leave her and go such a far distance from her.
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
17 DRAFT
My scare experience
My scare experience happened two years ago. In my home when I was staying with my family. I was scare of all snakes. One day I slept in the afternoon .When I woke up, I saw a snake beside my bed. I was really scared. I shouted help, and my mom came. She told me it was not a real snake .My brother put it there .in conclusion, everybody don’t kid like this .Some people could have a shock.
My Saddest Memory
My saddest memory was when I got the bad news that my father had died. I was sad thinking that I was not going to be able to see him for the last time. During this time I had to leave my job and children to go see him all the way to Fresno, California because most of the family was over there. In conclusion I feel sad because this is the first anniversary of my father’s death. I miss him.
My Embarrassing Experience
My embarrassing experience happened when I was dancing, and my shirt ripped in the back, but I didn’t know what happened. Everyone laughed, and I couldn’t understand why. Finally I realized what everyone was laughing about. In conclusion , don’t dance so much that you rip your clothes and have to go home.
SAMPLE LESSON PLAN: DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAGH
WRITE A PARAGRAPH ABOUT A FAVORITE PLACE
Language Skill Practice
Writing: Using a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence
Grammar Focus
Compound and Complex Sentences, Conjunctions, Verb Tenses Depending on Topic (see list of suggested topics)
Materials needed
Exercise 1: Sentence Combining Exercise 2: Sentence Combining Practice Exercise 3: Web for Writing about a Favorite Place Exercise 4: Paragraph Outline (Low Intermediate) Paragraph Questions (High Intermediate) Model Outline for Writing about a Favorite Place Sample Paragraph about a Favorite Place
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
19 DRAFT
Model how you would fill it out in preparation for writing about your own favorite place.
My Favorite Place Writing Web
Source: Writing Frames: 40 Activities for Learning the Writing Process, by Jean Pottle, Walch Publishing.
Paragraph Outline
Explain to students that the web exercise was a planning tool for writing their paragraphs.
For low intermediate students, use a paragraph outline to model how to write a paragraph describing a favorite place, using the web to supply missing words.
MiraCosta College Noncredit Program Intermediate Level Writing Outcome:
20 DRAFT
Sample Paragraph Outline
My Favorite Place
My favorite place is ________________________________, which is
located _________________________. I like to go there when I am
________________ or _________________. It’s a _____________ with
____________________. It has _________ and ______________. When I am
there, I always ___________________. I first found this spot when
____________________. I was ____________________ when suddenly I
___________________. From that time on, I have _______________________.
______________ knows I like to go there. ____________________________. I
have taken / have never taken _________________ to this spot because
_______________. This place is my favorite because it
___________________________.
Paragraph Questions
Explain to students that the web exercise was a planning tool for writing their paragraphs.
For high intermediate students, model how to write complete sentences to the questions and then copy the answers in paragraph form.
