Types of Writing Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie:

How does a newspaper article differ from a story? What purpose does each serve? (Identify Author’s Purpose)

Think about a TV commercial or an online ad? What’s the purpose of those? (Identify Author’s Purpose)

During the Movie (Pause Points):

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:56: How does figurative language make descriptions more vivid and visual? (Identify cause and effect)

Timecode 2:54: What are some examples of explanatory writing that are part of your daily life? (Make connections)

Timecode 4:32: How does opinion writing differ from explanatory texts? Why is it important to support arguments with evidence?   (Compare and contrast; Draw conclusions)

After the Movie:

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Types of Writing topic. (Make connections)

What type of writing would you use  to convince someone to vote for you for class president? How might figurative language or vivid detail help persuade voters? (Apply new knowledge)

What type(s) of writing do you enjoy reading? Which type(s) do you enjoy writing? (Reflect)

BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the Types of Writing Topic Page to your class. Then show the movie once through without pausing.  Watch it again, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.