Lesson 6: Writing on a prompt using CRAFT
On your provincial exam in "Part D: Original Composition", you will be asked to write approximately 300 words in whatever style your choose. This section is the one opportunity on the exam that you will have to demonstrate your creative writing skills.
You will be given a one line prompt to write on. Below are some past prompts:
Original Composition Past Topics
1. People can be influenced by their environment. (Sample exam)
2. Certain experiences can mark the beginnings of maturity. (Jan. 2003)
3. Our journey into the future begins in the past. (April 2003)
4. We learn the most from those closest to us. (June 2003)
5. Memories Influence our lives. (August 2003)
6. The best gifts are the simplest ones. (Nov. 2003)
7. Our views of the past change as we mature. (Jan. 2004)
8. Experience shapes relationships. (April 2004)
9. Certain events change our impressions of life. (June 2004)
10. Role models influence our lives. (Aug. 2004)
11. Self awareness leads to meaningful changes. (Nov. 2004)
In order to make the best of this opportunity, you must plan your writing. You must figure out your ideas (content) and how you will organize them (format). You must consider what voice you will use as that will determine your word choice and sentence structures.
One way to make these decisions quickly is to develop a 'CRAFT' for your prompt. 'CRAFT' is an acronym meaning:
C Context (the background or content of your piece)
R Role (the voice you choose, who is telling the story)
A Attitude (the personality or feelings of your speaker towards your topic)
F Format (how will your organize this piece? What style of writing, essay will it be?)
T Topic (what are you going to talk about, what event, issue)
So, for example, let’s take the first prompt:
People can be influenced by their environment.
C Context (I am a teacher who has been teaching in a very tough school for the past 20 years.)
R Role (this teacher is not me, so I have to create this speaker as a tired and jaded old man)
A Attitude (at this point, the speaker is very negative and sarcastic)
F This is a letter to my principal explaining my actions and asking for consequences
T A student sent me over the edge when he spilled my coffee and broke my favourite“I love Kitty” mug. I am asking that he be expelled and possibly arrested.
You will be given a one line prompt to write on. Below are some past prompts:
Original Composition Past Topics
1. People can be influenced by their environment. (Sample exam)
2. Certain experiences can mark the beginnings of maturity. (Jan. 2003)
3. Our journey into the future begins in the past. (April 2003)
4. We learn the most from those closest to us. (June 2003)
5. Memories Influence our lives. (August 2003)
6. The best gifts are the simplest ones. (Nov. 2003)
7. Our views of the past change as we mature. (Jan. 2004)
8. Experience shapes relationships. (April 2004)
9. Certain events change our impressions of life. (June 2004)
10. Role models influence our lives. (Aug. 2004)
11. Self awareness leads to meaningful changes. (Nov. 2004)
In order to make the best of this opportunity, you must plan your writing. You must figure out your ideas (content) and how you will organize them (format). You must consider what voice you will use as that will determine your word choice and sentence structures.
One way to make these decisions quickly is to develop a 'CRAFT' for your prompt. 'CRAFT' is an acronym meaning:
C Context (the background or content of your piece)
R Role (the voice you choose, who is telling the story)
A Attitude (the personality or feelings of your speaker towards your topic)
F Format (how will your organize this piece? What style of writing, essay will it be?)
T Topic (what are you going to talk about, what event, issue)
So, for example, let’s take the first prompt:
People can be influenced by their environment.
C Context (I am a teacher who has been teaching in a very tough school for the past 20 years.)
R Role (this teacher is not me, so I have to create this speaker as a tired and jaded old man)
A Attitude (at this point, the speaker is very negative and sarcastic)
F This is a letter to my principal explaining my actions and asking for consequences
T A student sent me over the edge when he spilled my coffee and broke my favourite“I love Kitty” mug. I am asking that he be expelled and possibly arrested.
Assignment 05F: (email to your teacher when finished)
Choose one of the above prompts and develop a CRAFT for it. Then, in 300 words write your composition.
Assignment 06S: (email to your teacher when finished)
Choose one of the assignments (1 - 5) that you completed in this unit, edit it based on the feedback you received from your teacher, and submit it as a good copy.
Because this is a good copy, I will be looking more closely at it and will be using this rubric to evaluate your work.
Because this is a good copy, I will be looking more closely at it and will be using this rubric to evaluate your work.