October 15 - 16 - Character Description Essay
Think about a character. It could be a character from your six week’s book, someone you know, such as a family member or a close friend, or an imaginary person. Describe this character's appearance and behavior. Use details that appeal to each of the five senses (sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound) to help your reader picture the person’s appearance, personality, and behavior. Write your description for students your own age.
|
Examples of Characterization
Hagrid description from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone [J.K. Rowling]
Hagrid description from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone [J.K. Rowling]
- "If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild — long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins." (page 8)
- "He was not conspicuously tall, his features were striking but not conspicuously handsome. His hair was wiry and gingerish and brushed backward from the temples. His skin seemed to be pulled backward from the nose. There was something very slightly odd about him, but it was difficult to say what it was. Perhaps it was that his eyes didn't seem to blink often enough and when you talked to him for any length of time your eyes began involuntarily to water on his behalf. Perhaps it was that he smiled slightly too broadly and gave people the unnerving impression that he was about to go for their neck." (page 11)
Essay Requirements
Four Paragraphs
|
Step 1 - Prewriting
Your first step is to choose (or create) a character that you want to write about. One you have chosen your character, you must plan your essay by creating a web or outline. See my example below:
Step 2 - Rough Draft
Your next step is to use your prewriting to create your rough draft.
Step 3 - 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!
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 4 - 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!
- 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 5 - 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 score your essay on WV Writes. Let Miss Shaffer know that you have scored your essay so she can check to see if it was correctly submitted.
|
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 |