The Story Behind The Song [January 2008]

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

Here are some resources to help you with your stories.

Video clip links: http://www.hmhbooks.com/features/harrisburdick/index.html

Tips on getting started, by Chris Van Allsberg: http://www.hmhbooks.com/features/harrisburdick/tips_for_writers.html http://www.hmhbooks.com/features/harrisburdick/tips_for_teachers.html

Sample stories, written by other young people: http://www.hmhbooks.com/features/harrisburdick/readers_stories.html

Other books, animation, and songs: http://www.hmhbooks.com/features/harrisburdick/inspired_by_burdick.html

Story Submission Rules

1. All entries are due the week of January 2rd – 4th. 2. Entries need to be emailed to Mr. Crittenden, by January 4th. 3. Entries need to be in “word” or PDF format. 4. Judging will follow the six traits of writing. (see rubric below)

Story Format

“Six traits of writing” definitions

1. Content: This is the heart of the paper--what the writer has to say. It should be a topic that is important to the writer and should be small enough to handle in the paper. It should express the ideas clearly so every reader can understand and it should provide the reader with interesting insights.

2. Organization: This is the road map which directs the reader through the paper. It begins with a strong lead or hook and catches the reader's interest right from the beginning. The details along the way should add to that lead and should help build toward the conclusion, pulling the reader along right to the very end. It should use good transitions to move smoothly from one idea to the next, helping things fit together easily for the reader. Organization gives writing a sense of purpose and structure.

3. Voice: Voice is the personality of the writer coming through on the page. It is what gives the writing a sense of flavor, a uniqueness, and give the reader the feeling that the writer is talking directly to her. A strong sense of voice demands that the writer make a commitment to the writing and write honestly with conviction. In a paper with strong voice, the reader will get a sense that someone real is there on the page, whether the reader knows the writer or not.

4. Word Choice: Good word choice involves being able to look critically at verbs and select ones that are active, powerful and energetic. It means being able to choose just the right words to make the writing sound natural and precise. Word choice is what gives an exactness to details and helps the writer paint memorable pictures in the reader’s mind.

5. Sentence Fluency: In any piece of writing, there are many possible ways to write any sentence correctly, but usually, of those correct versions, one or two will sound better than others. A writer who can pick out those versions and can use them frequently will have a strong sense of sentence fluency. This does not mean creating longer sentences, but means using long sentences when they would be best and short sentences when they would suit better. It means creating a sense of rhythm with the sentences and a flow that the reader finds enjoyable to follow along. Good sentence fluency stands out when a piece of writing is read aloud.

6. Conventions: Conventions are the rules of a language. They are the common patterns of grammar, spelling, punctuation, paragraphing and capitalization that readers come to expect in good writing. They make writing easy to read and understand. A reader may not even notice when conventions are well done, but might be distracted from the good ideas that were so carefully planned if the conventions are poorly handled. This is the most mechanical of the six traits and requires writers to learn editing and proofreading skills.

Six Trait Scoring Rubric

6 5 4 3 2 1 Ideas Creative, Interesting, new Ideas are expressed The main idea Is there a main No main idea or original ideas ideas clearly is presented, idea? I’m not lots of unrelated although there sure! ideas are some Details support Details explain Reader can identify questions the main idea the main ideas, the main idea that Either very few No details and make it making it more is supported with details or too interesting interesting details Some details, many details but may be too that aren’t Writer is general or not connected confused Makes sense Makes sense Most of the details related to the and enjoyable to relate to the main main idea read idea Reader is not Reader is Believable, interested, confused reader is Very few new unsure about Believable, interested Understandable ideas presented the topic reader cares about story

6 5 4 3 2 1

Organization Well organized Good Reader can follow Reader can Hard to follow Impossible to and purposeful organization the organization of usually follow follow ideas the organization No clear main Ideas are clearly Ideas are idea No main idea, linked to connected and Details are Details don’t just a collection support a supported with connected to main always match of details position detail idea main idea Too many or not enough details that No lead or Compelling lead Strong lead and Includes a lead and Introduction don’t match conclusion & convincing appropriate conclusion and/or main idea conclusion conclusion conclusion may need revision No transitions Helpful transitions Missing lead Carefully Strong and/or selected transitions Some conclusion transitions transitions

Few transitions

6 5 4 3 2 1

Voice Unique, Enthusiastic and Occasionally Sometimes you Too informal, Cant find a voice individual and convincing original and/or can hear the chatty, whiney confident voice voice confident voice authors voice or sarcastic Author not interested in topic Passionate about Interested in Writer sounds Voice might Not very at all position, yet topic and Interested in topic change interested in never overdone conveys purpose the topic, just to audience listing facts Boring or Appropriate voice May convince confusing to read Uses voice to for the topic and the reader, not enhance Appropriate audience always sure Voice doesn’t meaning voice for the match audience Voice does not topic and match the audience Usually audience Appropriate appropriate for voice for the the topic and topic and audience audience

6 5 4 3 2 1

Word Choice Language grabs Uses interesting Uses clear language Uses words Words are very Very simple the readers words correctly to simple or used words attention express incorrectly Uses some meaning Uses natural common words Words used Uses vivid, language with Words get in incorrectly natural language strong verbs and Relies on the way of including strong nouns Uses descriptive simple, meaning verbs and adjectives and common Very difficult to precise nouns adverbs, good language understand, Attempts to use nouns and verbs Same words makes no sense alliteration, used over and Uses unexpected similes & Uses familiar over phrasing, metaphors Adequate, gets the nouns and Same words used including job done verbs over and over alliteration, Words are very analogies & Holds readers general (e.g. metaphors attention Few adjectives, stuff, nice, Reader gives up adverbs or said, fun) trying to read it phrases Enjoyable to read Needs revision

6 5 4 3 2 1

Sentence Uses a variety of Many sentences Sentences begin in Readable, but Short, choppy Short sentences Fluency lengths and begin differently a variety of ways often requires sentences all start with the structures to and vary in self-correction same word enhance length meaning Verb tense is Many usually consistent Sentences often incomplete or Most sentences Uses variety of Different begin the same run-on are incomplete or sentence sentence sentences run-on openers such as openers such as The subject and prepositional prepositional verb almost always Problems with phrases, clauses, phrases or agree subject/verb Sentences Problems with modifiers, clauses agreement and begin the same sentence structure participles, consistent tense and grammar Some repetition; a affect meaning Consistent tense few awkward Problems with Smooth, natural and subject/verb moments when Some run-ons subject/verb writing begs to agreement read aloud or choppy agreement Very difficult to be read aloud sentences affect meaning read

Writing is easy to read Difficult to read

6 5 4 3 2 1 Conventions Practically A few minor Obvious, but minor Obvious, Many obvious, Many serious perfect! errors that don’t errors that don’t distracting distracting errors that make affect meaning affect meaning errors that may errors it difficult to affect meaning understand Conventions carefully chosen Attempts and Simple conventions Lots of to enhance uses are fine Only attempts spelling, Many meaning sophisticated simple use of punctuation misspellings of conventions, not conventions and usage the same word always Some errors in errors Complex text successfully difficult spelling, or requires wide sophisticated Errors on basic Capitalization use of conventions spelling, usage Serious and punctuation sophisticated Almost ready to & punctuation problems with is incorrect punctuation & publish subject/verb conventions Easily edited agreement Needs editing Needs to be completely Ready to Line-by-line rewritten publish editing required