Problem-Solution+Essay

LA Plans Sixth grade language arts page Problem-Solution Essay

Writing Prompt: Choose a problem that deeply interests you. Write an essay in which you explain the problem, examine its causes, and explore possible solutions.

__ Key Traits that should be present in your writing: __

1. IDEAS
 * Present the problem in a clear thesis statement (controlling idea)
 * Explain the **causes and effects** of the problem
 * Give **details** to help explain the solution to the problem

2. ORGANIZATION
 * Capture the reader’s attention in the **introduction.**
 * Use **transitions** to connect ideas.
 * **Conclude** by summing up the solution and **clinch** the summary with a statement tying it back to the introduction.

3. VOICE
 * Use specific descriptions, precise verbs, figures of speech, even dialogue to create a **tone** in your writing that fits the **audience** and your **purpose.**

4. WORD CHOCE
 * Use **precise** words to express the importance of the problem,

5. SENTENCE FLUENCY
 * Vary sentence types and lengths.

6.CONVENTIONS
 * Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.


 * __ PREWRITING __**

1. Be sure you understand the prompt. Which words ask you to do something?

2. Think of some interesting problems. Use personal experience, a problem you learned about in history, a problem you have discussed in religion classes, a science problem, etc. Make a chart that displays the problems you would like to consider for your essay.

__Home__ too many chores fights about computer

__School__ too few computers not enough room in lockers __Religion__

not enough priests lack of regular Mass attendance

__History__ How to get from Atlantic to Pacific inequality for women

3. Consider possible solutions. Make a cluster diagram or some other graphic organizer that presents the problem you are considering and names at least four possible solutions for this problem. Make another graphic organizer that shows the possible causes of the problem. You don’t have to use all the solutions in your essay. Just choose to use the best ones because you will have to discuss these solutions in more than one sentence.

4. Find details to support your solution. Let’s say you chose to discuss a problem from history – getting from the Atlantic to the Pacific easily. From your social studies class, you know the solution was to build the Panama Canal. That’s what happened, but what were details that had to be solved in order to complete the canal? In your essay, you would explain those details.

If you chose to write about a problem in your neighborhood of lack of sidewalks, you might think a solution would be to ask the city to pave sidewalks in your neighborhood, but there is a process involved in doing that. You would need to research what that process would be and include the steps of it in your essay.


 * __ DRAFTING __**

1. **State the problem and tell why it’s important**. This can be done in an interesting way so that it both catches your audience’s attention as well as stating the problem. In the article we looked at, the author began by writing: //What do you get when you have only one TV set and five people who each want to watch different television programs? You have a big problem.//

2. **Make an informal outline like this:**

1**. Introduction and thesis** //Here’s the problem. We have only one TV and five people who want to watch it.//

2. **Details about the problem** //We have fights and everybody is unhappy.//

3. **Propose solution** //We should make a TV schedule. We could call it “Who’s Watching What”//

4. **Details about the propose solution** //Each of us picks our favorite shows and writes them on the schedule. We will have to learn to compromise if favorite shows are on at the same time. Maybe we agree to alternate weeks to watch our favorite shows.//

5. **Conclusion** //This solution will get our family working together.//

6. **Explain the causes and effects of the problem**. Be sure you understand what caused the problem and what effects it has had. Describe these causes and effects clearly using facts, examples, or quotations. To create sympathy for this problem, you need to use strong verbs. At this point in the writing process, don’t spend a lot of time trying to think of these verbs. Just get your ideas on paper in an organized, logical way. You can change the verbs in the revising stage of this essay.

=REVISING AND EDITING=

1. Reread the rubrics of what is expected for each of the traits of writing listed first in this document.

2. Check the structure of your essay. Does the last sentence of the first paragraph state the problem? Does the first sentence of the last paragraph also state this problem in different words?

3. Reread each sentence of your middle paragraphs. Have you stated something but not given examples or an explanation of what you meant. This is also a way of adding more voice to your essay.

4. As you are rereading your paragraphs, look for places where you can use better word cholces or more specific descriptions. Another area to revise could be your verbs. Be sure they make the impact you want. Use a thesaurus, book or online to help you find just the right verb or modifier.

5. Finally, be sure you have correctly spelled words, written complete sentences, made words agree with each in number, and punctuated correctly. Hint: If you start your sentence with a phrase follow the phrase with a comm.