WwWS Resources

Writing Resources

The following resources merit repeated visits to fully appreciate their value.  All should open in a new browser window (simply "close" the window when finished).

• Oregon Standards: Advanced Search
  www.openc.k12.or.us/2003csdb/index.php

• Practice Scoring—This site provides teachers, students, and others an opportunity to score sample state assessment papers and receive feedback on their scoring accuracy. The "Practice Scoring" frame to the right is where you begin.
  www.openc.k12.or.us/scoring/


• 6+1 Trait® Scoring Practice—There is absolutely no better way to understand the 6+1 Trait® Writing analytical model that to use it yourself. This collection of student samples are organized by trait, score, and grade level.
  www.nwrel.org/assessment/scoringpractice.php?odelay=3&d=1


• Scored Student Work—To help students, teachers, administrators, and parents learn what the expectations are for writers at these grade levels, the site makes available sample or "anchor" papers that show varying levels of performance at grades 4 and 7 in each of the tested modes.
  www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=524
  

Teachers' Helpers (why reinvent the wheel?)

• ReadWriteThink Lessons
  www.marcopolosearch.org
  Find Quality Internet Content for Your Classroom! Click on tabs for Lessons, Standards, Web Resources, and Student Materials.

• Kim's Korner 4 Teacher Talk
  www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/writing/sixtrait/menu.htm
  Six Trait Analytic Writing Model with supporting lessons, ideas, and activities.

• Rubistar: Create Rubrics for your Project-Based Learning Activities
  rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
  RubiStar is a free tool to help the teacher who wants to use rubrics but does not have the time to develop them from scratch. There's complete support for 6+1 Traits scoring.

Writing Projects & Publications Featuring Writing

• Merlyn's Pen Foundation ~ Search the New Library by topics and genres for 1,000+ writing models. You may print and share the pieces you want for free.
  http://www.merlynspen.org/read/library.php
  

• Stone Soup Magazine ~ writing by children
  http://www.stonesoup.com/writing-by-children
  

• This I Believe ~ NPR invites you to share the beliefs that guide you in your daily life. Jon Carrol, a columnist with the SF Chronical, believes "Failure is a Good Thing."

"Desktop" Writing Resources

• We've been waiting with bated breath to learn whatever "bated breath" IS—find that and much more at World Wide Words. The following link is to the search engine.
  www.worldwidewords.org/indexes/search.htm


• Commas are generally used to make a sentence clear and easier to read. These are the basic rules for using commas. Finally!
  http://www2.ups.edu/CWL/commas.htm


• The ultimate online reference library—Bartleby.com combines the best of both contemporary and classic reference works into the most comprehensive public reference library ever published on the web., including: dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, usage guide, quotations, Strunk's (1918) Elements of Style
  www.bartleby.com/reference


• Common Errors in English—"You have the right to express yourself in any manner you please, but if you wish to communicate effectively, you should use nonstandard English only when you intend to rather than falling into it because you don't know any better." (Paul Brians)
  www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html


• Big Dog's Grammar ("You wouldn't say, "Me barked" or "me fought"--unless you were trying out for a Tarzan movie.")—Here you have a list of the bare essentials of grammar.
  aliscot.com/bigdog


• Citation Machine—17 different sources are supported, from a single-authored book to a personal email message. Select a desired format (e.g. MLA, APA) and fill out the form.
  citationmachine.net