Attacking a Prompt (from MY Access) -- Ms. Dorsey's Answer Key

Ms. Dorsey put together this answer key with lots of help from her English 7 students.

Attacking a Prompt – Determining what is being asked of you, as a writer.

Carefully read the following MY Access! prompts. Using your “RAFTS” chart, establish what the prompt is asking you to do

1.     Each person has been in trouble, at one time or another, because he or she did something bad or said something wrong. Write a multi-paragraph essay describing an instance when you did something you later regretted and the lesson you learned in the process.


Role:  myself
Audience: teacher,  (the computer on MyAccess), perhaps the other students in my class
Format: essay (multi-paragraph)
Task:  write, describe 
Strong Key Words:  trouble, something bad or something wrong, regretted, lesson learned

2.     Most people have argued that the skills needed to be successful in today’s workforce have changed. What skills do you feel an individual needs to be successful in a job today? Why do you feel these skills are most important?
In an essay to be read by your teacher, identify the skills you feel are most needed by an individual to be successful at work and provide reasons to persuade your teacher that these are the most critical skills for success.

Role:  myself, student
Audience:   my teacher
Format:  essay
Task:   identify, provide, persuade
Strong Key Words:  skills, successful, today's workforce, individual, why important skills

3.     In the aftermath of several widely reported incidents of school violence across the nation, many parents, teachers, and students are examining the problem of school bullying. To avoid potential tragedies, your school board is considering implementing a policy to address the incidence of bullying.

Write a letter to your local school board in which you discuss the need for a policy to prevent bullying in your school and suggest what steps this policy should take to prevent bullying from occurring.

Role:  myself, student

Audience:  local school board

Format:  letter

Task:  write, discuss, suggest 

Strong Key Words:  violence, problem, school bullying,  policy to prevent, steps to prevent bullying

4.       Upon graduating from high school, it is important for students to think about their plans for the future, whether they include additional schooling, joining the workforce, or some other activity.
Think about what you would like your career to be after you graduate from high school. In a well-developed essay, state your career goals for the next five years and explain your plans to achieve these goals.

Role:  student, myself
Audience:  teacher, other students?
Format: essay 
Task:  think, state, explain
Strong Key Words:  plans, career, after graduate from high school, career goals, plans to achieve goals 

5.     Picture yourself living in the year 2050. Power sources operating in your house have changed. Describe the new power sources used to make your home run more efficiently. Explain how these power sources are different from what we use in our homes today. Write about the benefits and disadvantages of this new technology and how it will affect future generations.

Role:  myself in 2050 
Audience:  teacher, other students, those who make the choices and who would be affected
Format:  paragraph?  essay?  
Task:  picture,  describe, explain, write
Strong Key Words:  2050,  power sources, house/home, change, efficient, different,  benefits, disadvantages, affect future generations

6.     Characters respond to challenges differently based upon the circumstances and their own personal motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. Consider two different characters from a story (or stories) you have read. What challenges did these characters face? How did they respond to these challenges?

In a well-developed essay, compare and contrast how these two characters responded to the challenges they faced. Make sure to include specific details and examples from the text(s) to support your interpretation.

Role:  myself/student
Audience: teacher, computer progream, maybe classmates
Format:  essay
Task:  consider,  compare, contrast, include, support 
Strong Key Words:  characters respond challenges differently,  circumstances, motivations, strengths, weaknesses,   TWO characters, specific details, examples from texts, my interpretation 



7  After studying Alfred Noyes’ poem, “The Highwayman,” write an essay in which you analyze the author’s message. Focus your writing on several clear images from the poem and be sure to discuss how the characters’ actions and the poet’s language reveal the author’s message.


Role: myself, a student
Audience: teacher, classmates? 
Format:  essay
Task:  study, write, analyze, focus, discuss, 
Strong Key Words:  poem The Highwayman, author's message, clear images,  character's actions, poet's language