October 1985: Writing Assignments--Descriptive

Question: How can teachers  prepare students for writing narrative, descriptive and persuasive assignments?

Answer: Heuristics are a series of questions that help students to prepare for a writing assignment. They are helpful in that students can learn from them how to think through a writing assignment. In short, they are models for one approach to pre-writing. Heuristics are a kind of directed brainstorm RayS.

Descriptive Writing

Who is this person or what is this place? What are some words that specifically describe this person or place? Where is this person or place?

What are some words that describe the setting in which this person or place is? When was this person or place involved in drinking? What are some words that specifically describe the context in which this drinking took place? Who else was involved with this person or place?

How did these other people contribute to the person or place involved in drinking? What words would you use to describe these people? What relationship did you have with these people? Why is this person and/or place involved in drinking important to you?

Could this development have been prevented? If so, how?

OR

Would you want this development to occur again? If so, why? How has this person and/or place added to what you now know that you did not know before? How does what you now know affect your decisions and relations with others?

Title: “The Effects of Writing Ability and Mode of Discourse on Cognitive Capacity Engagement.” WM Reed, JK Burton and PP Kelly. Research in the Teaching of English (October 1985), 283-297.

Next Blog: Heuristics for persuasive writing.