Grade 5/6 Writing

Things to remember for the PATs:

Getting ideas from pictures Discuss characters who want or need something
butcant get it right away
o boring wants/needs are the best! (I need food, or shelter, I need a friend, or
to find my home, my mommy, my way out of this cave, etc.)
Story maps please use mine as it will help you stay on track all the way through
this writing
Characters main and only 1 or 2 others (the more characters you have, the more
you have to find things for them to do, say, think, and the harder it is to write your
story). Note: A large group can be treated as 1 character
Good Beginnings - introduce the character and state the need
Middle is the biggest part of the story. Must show through a balance of action,
description, conversation.
o Problems Main character has the problem
o 3 tries before solving
o know the solution before write the 3rd try
o keep it simple!
Good endings- surprise, circle, satisfying
Figurative language: similes, alliteration, strong verbs (put went in jail), instead
of said, transition words (put And then in jail)
Vary your sentence beginnings and lengths!

PAT Marking Guide:

Writing is marked on 5 areas, separate from each other:
content: ideas, voice, flow, makes sense
organization : beginning, middle, end, paragraphing
Sentence Structure - vary your sentence beginnings and lengths
Vocabulary - similes, alliteration, strong verbs, sound effects
Conventions - spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization
NOTE: story maps are looked at!!! Make sure you do one , in case you run out of time,
then you will get some marks for your ending, if you had planned one!
DO:
choose a simple problem
state your problem right away
have only 1 -3 characters
describe your setting
use at least 2 examples of each of these: simile, alliteration,
sound effects
use at least 5 strong verbs
follow the 3 tries rule (first, next, then)
balance your action, description, conversation
follow the 2 + 2 conversation rule
do use said occasionally (every 3rd time)
follow the good endings rule (funny, surprise, circle or logical)

DONT:
start with
once upon a time
once
telling what your character looks like
solve the problem too quickly- remember the 3 tries
use violence in your story
write about a movie or video game that you like
start all your sentences the same way
use too much conversation
use too much action
use too much description
end with:
It was all a dream
They lived happily ever after
to be continued
the end