Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 - Descriptive Animal Essay
Think about a single animal. It could be a family pet or an animal you have seen in the wild, in a zoo, in a museum, or on television. Describe this animal’s appearance and its behavior. Use details that appeal to all five of your senses to help your classmates picture exactly what the animal looks like and how it behaves.
Remember: Be sure to describe only ONE animal. Be very specific! For example, if you are going to write about a bear, do not write a vague description that applies to all bears. There are many kinds of bears! Grizzly bears, black bear cubs, males, females, Winnie the Pooh… imagine ONE specific bear in your mind and write about it!
Essay Requirements:
Four Paragraphs
You must use all five senses in your essay! Examples are below:
Step 1: Research
Step 2: Prewriting Web
Step 3: Rough Draft
Step 4: Revise
You need a MINIMUM of 10 revisions on your rough draft before you start typing!
When you revise, you add and remove sentences, phrases, and words to make your essay STRONGER. You should focus on the first five of the 6+1 Traits to help you revise.
When you revise, all your marks should be done in BLUE. You must have at least ten revisions written on your essay in BLUE. You are not required to use blue if you do not have access to a blue pen or pencil. Please use these colors if you have them!
Step 5: Edit
Once you have finished revising your essay, you may begin editing. When you edit, you are only checking for conventions and the mechanics of writing.
When you edit, you should use proper editing marks using a RED pen. Please use your editing marks worksheet, located in your writing binder, as a reference if you cannot remember the marks we have studied in class. There is no limit to the amount of editing marks that will be used in your essay. Ask a friend or your parent to help you proofread and edit your essay in RED. You are not required to use red if you do not have access to a red pen or pencil. Please use these colors if you have them!
Remember: Be sure to describe only ONE animal. Be very specific! For example, if you are going to write about a bear, do not write a vague description that applies to all bears. There are many kinds of bears! Grizzly bears, black bear cubs, males, females, Winnie the Pooh… imagine ONE specific bear in your mind and write about it!
Essay Requirements:
Four Paragraphs
- Introduction: Introduce your animal and use a hook to engage your reader. [4+ sentences]
- Body Paragraph 1: Describe your animal’s appearance [8+ sentences]
- Body Paragraph 2: Describe your animal’s behavior [8+ sentences]
- Conclusion: Sum up your essay effectively! [4+ sentences]
You must use all five senses in your essay! Examples are below:
- Taste: What does your animal eat? If your animal can be eaten, what does it taste like? What foods are made with it?
- Touch/Feelings: What does your animal feel like? What does your animal’s habitat feel like? What feelings and emotions does your animal have and/or what emotions do you have towards your animal?
- Smell: What does your animal smell like? What does the animal’s habitat smell like?
- Sight: What does your animal look like? What behavior do you see your animal doing?
- Sound: What noises does your animal make? What sounds might you hear if you were in its natural habitat?
Step 1: Research
- Use the A to Z List of Animals website to choose an animal and research it.
- Write your research notes on your Describe an Animal worksheet. You will use these notes to help you organize your essay.
Step 2: Prewriting Web
- Use your research notes and your own knowledge of your animal to help you organize your essay.
- Fill in as many bubbles as you can on your web. Not all bubbles will apply to all animals.
Step 3: Rough Draft
- Use your web to help you begin your rough draft.
- DOUBLE SPACE your rough draft! Skip a space between every line of writing so that we have lots of room for revisions and editing marks.
- Follow all directions on your assignment instructions regarding minimum sentence count, number of paragraphs, use of your five senses, and essay organization.
Step 4: Revise
You need a MINIMUM of 10 revisions on your rough draft before you start typing!
When you revise, you add and remove sentences, phrases, and words to make your essay STRONGER. You should focus on the first five of the 6+1 Traits to help you revise.
- Word Choice: Did you use a variety of words? Are they very specific? Which words can you add or change to make your essay better?
- Voice: Do you communicate your thoughts and feelings in your essay?
- Sentence Fluency: Did you use a variety of sentence structures in your essay? Do you start your sentences with different words?
- Organization: Are your paragraphs in the correct order? Did you use transition words? Did you use a creative title?
- Ideas: Do you have a main topic? Is it very narrow and specific? Did you include very specific supporting details and examples in your essay to support your topic?
When you revise, all your marks should be done in BLUE. You must have at least ten revisions written on your essay in BLUE. You are not required to use blue if you do not have access to a blue pen or pencil. Please use these colors if you have them!
Step 5: Edit
Once you have finished revising your essay, you may begin editing. When you edit, you are only checking for conventions and the mechanics of writing.
- Did you spell words correctly?
- Did you use proper capitalization?
- Did you use correct punctuation?
- Did you use correct grammar?
When you edit, you should use proper editing marks using a RED pen. Please use your editing marks worksheet, located in your writing binder, as a reference if you cannot remember the marks we have studied in class. There is no limit to the amount of editing marks that will be used in your essay. Ask a friend or your parent to help you proofread and edit your essay in RED. You are not required to use red if you do not have access to a red pen or pencil. Please use these colors if you have them!
Step 6: Type your Final Copy!
When you are done revising and editing, you may begin typing your final copy on WV Writes. Make your new essay perfect by including all of your revisions and edits. When you are finished, please show your typed essay to Miss Shaffer BEFORE you score it! |
WV Writes URL: https://student.wvwrites.com Code: WR20-0553 Username: Your lunch number Password: First initial, first four letters of last name Example: ashaf |
All Finished?
Now you may create a Pic Collage of your animal and what you learned about it! Use the app Pic Collage to make a brief collage about your animal. Put pictures of it on your collage and list how you used all five senses. Save your Pic Collage to your iPad and send it to Miss Shaffer on Engrade as an attachment or email it to [email protected].
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