Topic: Introducing the Writing Process Using a Cinquain

Topic: Introducing the Writing Process, Using a Cinquain

10-second review: Writing process—1. Format, 2. Topic, 3. Brainstorm, 4. First draft, 5. Revision, 6. Editing and 7. Final copy.

Format for the cinquain:

Tiger

Orange, black

Stalks, leaps, kills

Burning eyes and soul

Flame

Line 1: one word, the subject or topic

Line 2: two adjectives describing the topic

Line 3: three verbs associated with the topic

Line 4: four words, a phrase or comment on the topic

Line 5: one word, a synonym or impression of the topic

Another example of a cinquian:

Snake

Slithery, slinky

Squeezes, stabs, strangles

Slides on ground slowly

“S”

Topic: Education

Brainstorm the topic:

students, desks moving and scraping, crowded halls, lecture, pages turning, education, learning, whispering, whirring pencil sharpener, study, intercom interruptions, banging lockers, writing, failure, etc.

First draft:

School

Large, crowded

Lecturing, studying, writing

A place to learn

Education

After revising and editing: Final Copy

School

Intense, intellectual

Questioning, studying, reasoning

The world of ideas

Education.

Comment: I have used this demonstration with first graders, middle schoolers, high schoolers, college students, adults and school board members. Works every time.

After the group composition, demonstrated above, children or adults work feverishly to write their own individual cinquains. The results are sometimes astounding. I have given them an outline of the writing process and they know it works.

For the expository composition for older students, I modify the steps in the writing process as follows: 1. Model of an expository composition, 2. topic, 3. brainstorm, 4. thesis, 5. draft including middle paragraphs and summary paragraph, 6. introductory paragraph, 7. revising and 8. editing, 9. final copy.

RayS.