Composition: Planning a First Draft with Purpose and Audience (TEKS.ELA.8.10.A)
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Texas 8th Grade ELA › Composition: Planning a First Draft with Purpose and Audience (TEKS.ELA.8.10.A)
Your student group wants the district school board to consider starting middle schools later next year. You will not speak at a meeting, but you can submit a written document that board members will read before voting. Your goal is to persuade decision-makers using credible evidence and a respectful tone.
Which genre and planning approach would be most effective for this topic, purpose, and audience?
Create a colorful hallway poster for classmates; brainstorm catchy slogans and add images.
Write a formal persuasive letter to the district school board: state a clear claim, summarize sleep research and local tardy data, address cost/transport concerns, and end with a specific request (e.g., a pilot); outline points and revise for tone.
Compose a personal narrative for the class blog about your morning routine; focus on feelings and vivid description.
Draft a lab report on sleep cycles with hypothesis, variables, and procedures.
Explanation
A formal persuasive letter targeted to board members aligns with the purpose (persuade policy), audience expectations (professional, evidence-based), and constraints (written submission). The poster and blog story are informal and aimed at peers, not decision-makers. A lab report does not match the persuasive goal.
A historic Texas dance hall in your town is at risk of redevelopment. Your service club plans a volunteer cleanup day and hopes to raise awareness and invite neighbors to help. The neighborhood association will publish one page in its community newsletter next week.
Which genre and planning approach best fits the topic, purpose, and audience?
Send a private text thread to a few friends with casual language and emojis.
Prepare a technical report with architectural measurements and specialized terminology.
Write a dramatic short story about a fictional dance hall ghost, focusing on mood and imagery.
Compose a community feature article for the neighborhood newsletter: craft a strong lede, include quotes from a longtime resident and the student organizer, explain the hall's significance, and provide clear volunteer details and a call to action; plan with an outline of sections.
Explanation
A newsletter feature article matches the informative/persuasive goal (awareness + invite) and the community audience, using quotes, context, and event details. The text thread is too limited and informal; the technical report and short story don't address the practical call to volunteer.
Your class will use the two-minute public comment period at a city council meeting to request a marked crosswalk and flashing beacons near your school's busy Farm-to-Market road. You need to be persuasive, concise, and clear for elected officials and the public.
Which genre and planning approach should you choose to meet this purpose and audience?
Prepare a concise speaking outline and a one-page fact sheet: opening claim, two local safety statistics, brief cost/benefit note, and a clear ask; rehearse to fit the two-minute limit.
Write a long narrative essay about a near-miss incident with detailed dialogue and imagery.
Start a casual group chat telling classmates to avoid crossing there after school.
Develop a lengthy research paper with formal citations and submit it to the city website instead of speaking.
Explanation
A speaking outline plus a brief handout fits the oral time limit, the persuasive purpose, and council expectations for concise, evidence-based requests. The narrative essay, group chat, and full research paper do not align with the meeting's format or decision-making needs.
For Texas History Month, your media club wants permission from the local historical society to photograph select artifacts for the school website. You must explain your purpose, how photos will be used, and proposed dates, and include contact information.
Which genre and planning approach is most effective for this situation?
Post a public social media story tagging the museum and asking if it's okay to take pictures.
Design a colorful cafeteria flyer showcasing artifact images to get attention.
Compose a formal email request to the historical society: introduce the class project, specify which artifacts you hope to photograph, proposed timing, how images will be used and credited, supervision details, and contact info; outline key points and revise for polite, professional tone.
Write a poem celebrating local history and deliver it anonymously at the museum door.
Explanation
A formal email clearly communicates the request and logistics to an organization, matching the professional audience and practical goal (permission). A social post, flyer, or poem does not provide the necessary details or appropriate tone for authorization.
Your student council wants to advocate for later school start times. The audience is the district school board, which expects formal, well-supported communication. The purpose is to persuade the board to consider a pilot program for later starts next semester.
Which genre and planning approach would be most effective for this topic, purpose, and audience?
An informal group chat post to classmates collecting funny memes about being tired, planned around personal anecdotes.
A short fictional story from the point of view of a sleepy student, planned to focus on descriptive imagery and mood.
A formal persuasive letter to the district school board planned with a clear claim, three evidence-based reasons (sleep research and local attendance data), responses to likely counterarguments, and a specific request for a pilot program.
A colorful hallway poster with a catchy slogan and minimal details, planned to grab attention but not include data.
Explanation
A formal persuasive letter fits a policy-making audience and purpose. Planning to include a claim, credible evidence, counterarguments, and a clear request aligns the genre with the board's expectations. The other options are informal, expressive, or too superficial for decision-makers.
Your service club is organizing a neighborhood food drive. The audience is local residents who read the community newsletter. The purpose is to inform them of the logistics and encourage participation.
Which genre and planning approach would best achieve your goal with this audience?
A concise announcement for the community newsletter planned with who, what, when, where, and how to donate, plus a short call to action and contact information.
A long academic research report on hunger with formal citations and technical terminology.
A live slideshow full of jokes for your homeroom class, planned with flashy animations.
A rhyming poem about generosity posted on your personal account, planned to be inspirational rather than practical.
Explanation
A short, clear announcement in the newsletter matches the audience and purpose by providing essential logistics and a direct call to action. The other options mismatch the audience, ignore practical details, or use an inappropriate format.
Your ecology club wants your Texas city council to install shade structures at a busy park to improve safety during hot months. The audience is city council members who expect a respectful, solution-focused proposal. The purpose is to persuade them to consider and schedule your request.
Which genre and planning approach should you choose?
An infographic for young children with cartoon suns and no cost or placement details, planned mainly for visual appeal.
A private diary entry about how hot last summer felt, planned to capture emotions.
A group text to friends asking them to bring umbrellas this weekend, planned as a quick reminder.
A formal email to the city council planned to outline the problem with brief Texas heat and safety data, propose specific shade options and locations, include a simple cost estimate from vendor brochures, and respectfully request placement on the next meeting agenda.
Explanation
A formal email with data, feasible options, and a clear request fits the expectations of local officials and the persuasive purpose. The other choices are informal, expressive, or aimed at the wrong audience and do not support a policy decision.
A historic mural celebrating Tejano musicians in your Texas town may be painted over. Your goal is to rally community support to preserve it. The audience is readers of the local newspaper. The purpose is to persuade the public and encourage specific action.
Which genre and planning approach would be most effective?
A science lab report detailing paint durability tests, planned with sections like hypothesis and materials.
An op-ed for the local newspaper planned with a clear thesis supporting preservation, brief local history, quotes from residents and artists, acknowledgment of cost concerns with possible funding options, and a call to donate or attend the city council meeting.
A private thank-you note to the mural artist, planned to express appreciation.
A procedural manual on mixing paint colors, planned step-by-step.
Explanation
An op-ed is suited to a broad public audience and a persuasive goal. Planning to include a thesis, local evidence, counterarguments, and a call to action aligns genre, purpose, and audience. The other options do not address the public or the decision at hand.