HSPA PERSUASIVE WRITING

The Persuasive Essay of the HSPA is challenging.  To help you do your best, follow these simple steps:

1.       Learning how to write a PERSUASIVE ESSAY…use the Persuasive Essay Explanation link.

2.       Become familiar with PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES and how they are used in the essay… use the links Persuasive Techniques, Persuasive Writing Power Point & Activities (see the Power Point presentation), and read Sample Persuasive Essays

3.       Use what you learned and WRITE, WRITE, WRITE!!!  The more persuasive writing you do, the better you will get…use Persuasive Writing Organizer Activity,  Persuasive Letter Generator, On-Line Tutorial for PERSUASIVE WRITING, Persuasive Planning Sheet, Persuasive Practice ESSAY topics (the most like the HSPA)

For the HIGHEST HSPA SCORE…In the writing, students will need to:

·         Write 3 really good paragraphs: intro., body, conclusion / Intro. most important

·         Transitional Words: 3 or more different transitional words

·         Advanced Vocabulary:  6 or more high-level vocabulary

·         Guide the reader: your words need to guide the reader to a solid and clear answer

·         Use logical order

·         Use rhetorical questions

Persuasive Essay Explanation:

·         http://www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us/yorba/persuasive_writing.htm#Body

·         http://www.smartsparks.net/persuasiveformat.htm

·         http://www.smartsparks.net/HSPA.htm

Persuasive Techniques:

·         http://knol.google.com/k/frank-lee/10-simple-persuasive-writing-technique/1t7ogz3yeuzns/26#

Persuasive Writing Power Point & Activities:

·         Go to FEATURED RESOURCES at the bottom of the page….

·         http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/convince-developing-persuasive-writing-56.html

Sample Persuasive Essays:

·         http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/media/hh/pdfs/samplepapers/persuasive_sample.pdf

·         http://www.eslbee.com/persuasion_essays_models.htm

·         http://www.thewritesource.com/studentmodels/ws2k-summer.htm

Persuasive Writing Organizer Activity:

·         http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/persuasion_map/

Persuasive Letter Generator:

·         http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/letter_generator/

On-Line Tutorial for PERSUASIVE WRITING:

·         http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/minilessons.asp?topic=Persuasive

Persuasive Planning Sheet:

·         http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson875/PersuasionMapPlanning.pdf

Persuasive Practice ESSAY topis:

·         http://members.accessus.net/~bradley/Persuasiveessaytopics.html

HSPA Expository & Narrative Essays

What is Expository Writing?

·        Make a personal connection: use your life experiences to explain

·         Writing that is used to explain, describe, give information or inform.

·         Write as if the reader has NO CLUE of what you are writing about.  EXPLAIN AND JUSTIFY!

·         Use background knowledge

·         Be clear, use strong organization

For the HIGHEST HSPA SCORE…In the writing, students will need to:

·         Write 3 really good paragraphs: intro., body, conclusion / Intro. most important

·         Transitional Words: 3 or more different transitional words

·         Advanced Vocabulary:  6 or more high-level vocabulary

·         Guide the reader: your words need to guide the reader to a solid and clear answer

·         Use logical order

·         Use rhetorical questions

What is the HSPA Expository Essay?

·         http://www.state.nj.us/education/assessment/hs/ExpositoryWritingPrompt.pdf

·         http://www.thewritingsite.org/resources/genre/expository.asp

Expository Writing Tips:

·         http://www.sbac.edu/~idylwild/writingtips.html

Sample Expository Essay:

·         http://www2.asd.wednet.edu/pioneer/barnard/wri/essay_model.htm

Expository Writing Practice Tests:

·         http://www2.asd.wednet.edu/pioneer/barnard/wri/exp.htm

NARRATIVE WRITING:

·        Narrative = plot…a story

• Plot = Introduction (characters & setting), conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution
• Dialogue
• Literary Devices: Figurative Language (see Tuesday, December 7, 2010 in Ms. A ESL Blog)
• Theme = the message / what the author wants the reader to learn or understand

Tips for NARRATIVE writing:

• http://www.sbac.edu/~idylwild/narrativetips.html

Sample Narrative  Essay:

• http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/hacker/narrating.htm
• http://www.northland.cc.mn.us/owl/Doing%20the%20Narrative%20Essay.htm

Narrative Writing Activities:

• http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/storymap/ 

Narrative Writing Practice Test:

http://members.accessus.net/~bradley/narrativeprompts2.html

MATH HSPA Practice Sites

The following are links to help you practice MATH SKILLS FOR THE HSPA.  The best person to ask for help to learn MATH HSPA SKILLS is your math teacher.  I recommend printing out some of the practice tests, finishing them, and asking your teacher if they can work with you to correct and review your work.  Remember to ask your teacher when is the best time to do this...teachers have lots to do, especially during HSPA time!!!

Also, make sure to take advantage of the MATH tutorials after school...you can work on your MATH HSPA SKILLS and get extra MATH help!!  For ESL students, the MATH tutorials are every Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday from 2:30pm to 3:30.  Ask Mr. Jean-Baptiste for more information.

Explanations of the HSPA MATH TEST & HSPA PRACTICE TEST:

·         http://static.hcrhs.k12.nj.us/gems/counseling/math.pdf

HSPA MATH PRACTICE TESTS & Printable WORKSHEETS:

·         http://clifton.k12.nj.us/hs/pdf/math/hspa_practice/hspa_practice3.pdf

·         http://www.wdeptford.k12.nj.us/high_school/kyeager/Interactive%203%20docs/HSPA%20Prep/HSPA%20Prep%20Cluster%201%20Macro%20A.pdf

·         http://www.wdeptford.k12.nj.us/high_school/kyeager/Interactive%203%20docs/HSPA%20Prep/HSPA%20Prep%20Cluster%203%20Macro%20A.pdf

·         http://www.wdeptford.k12.nj.us/high_school/kyeager/Interactive%203%20docs/HSPA%20Prep/HSPA%20Prep%20Cluster%201%20Macro%20B.pdf

·         teacherweb.com/NJ/CliftonCHS/MrEwais/HSPAPRACTICE7.doc   (need to copy & paste into search bar)

Great Sites to Practice ENGLISH HSPA SKILLS

ELC Study Zone: Reading & Writing Exercises:

Intermediate Level –

Reading & Writing: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/

Upper Intermediate Level - 

Reading: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/490/reading/

            Reading & Writing: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/490/wchild/

Advanced Level –

MOST LIKE THE HSPA: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/570/pulp/index.htm

TIMED READING TEST: 
           

http://www.teacherjoe.us/TimedReadings.html

http://college.cengage.com/collegesurvival/watkins/learning_companion/1e/students/timed_reading.html

                                                                                                           

HSPA VOCABULARY GAME:

Improve your HSPA score by improving your VOCABULARY!

Many Things.org:

Spelling/Vocabulary - http://www.manythings.org/fq/1/spelling.php?u=1

TIMED VOCABULARY GAME:

http://www.examenglish.com/TOEFL/toefl_vocabulary.htm

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE, IDIOMS, PROVERBS to improve your reading and writing: Improve your HSPA score by understanding how to read and write American Idioms & Proverbs…using these correctly in your writing will help you get a higher score!!!

FLING A TEACHER: http://www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/fling3.html

Many Things.org:  Commonly-used Proverbs –

 Game 1: http://www.manythings.org/mq/m6-prov01.html

Game 2: http://www.manythings.org/mq/m6-prov02.html

Game 3: http://www.manythings.org/mq/m6-prov03.html

EXTRA GAMES: http://www.manythings.org/proverbs/