2006

DWA TEST DATE
November 28, 2007


2006

Prompt

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Scoring Key (1) (2)

Anchor Papers

2005

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2004

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2003

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Grade 9

Expository writing explains or informs. An expository essay will have an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Sample Prompts

Think of the experience or incident that taught you a valuable lesson. What did you learn from this experience or incident and how did this affect your life. Write an essay for your English teacher in which you briefly describe the experience or incident that taught you a valuable lesson. Then explain how that experience or incident affected you. What long-term, specific lesson did you learn? (2004-2005)

Think about how things have changed for you. Select something from your past and compare and contrast it to something now. These two things should be related in some important way. Focus on how it seems much different now than it did in your past. How have your ideas changed? How have they remained the same? Write an essay for your English teacher that compares and contrasts something from your past with something related to the present. (2003-2004)

Problem: There are many worthy candidates to honor on a postage stamp. Selecting the most appropriate candidate can be difficult.

Solution: Write an essay for your English teacher about the person you believe deserves the honor of having his/her picture on the next postage stamp. In your essay explain who this person is and why he/she is the best nominee. (2002-2003)

Lower tax rates and higher costs are forcing many school districts in Idaho to make cuts in their classes and programs. Realizing they can no longer offer all the programs and services they have in the past, they need to know what is most essential for students to learn to prepare them for the future. This information will help them to decide what classes and programs are important to keep. To help your school decide what classes and programs to keep, consider what you think is most important for you to learn during your years in school. Write a statement which could be used by your school in deciding what is important to teach. In your statement, describe at least three (3) things that you believe are important for you to learn before you finish school, and give reasons why you believe these are the most important. (1981-1982)

Pretend you are writing for a school newspaper or magazine to be read by other students in your school. Your assignment is to write an article about a person, an object or a place that is really important to you, someone or something that has become a part of your life today. Whatever you write about, be sure your article is long enough to tell the readers what the person, object or place is like and why it is important to you. (1980-1981)

A group of parents in your community has complained to the School Board about pop and candy machines in the schools. The parents believe that pop and candy are not good for students and that the schools should not offer them for sale in school buildings. The parents are asking the School Board to take the machines out of the schools. Now the School Board is trying to decide whether or not to remove pop and candy machines from the school buildings, and they want to know the students' opinions before deciding. Write a letter to the School Board (start your letter Dear School Board), telling them what you think about having pop and candy in the schools. You may agree with the parents and want the machines removed. You may disagree and want the machines left in the schools. You may offer a compromise solution. Whatever your opinion is, be sure your letter is long enough to explain all the reasons for your point of view. (1979-1980)

Write a letter to the School Board (start your letter Dear School Board), telling them what you think about having pop and candy in the schools.  You may agree with the parents and want the machines removed.  You may disagree and want the machines left in the schools.  You may offer a compromise solution.  Whatever your opinion is, be sure your letter is long enough to explain all the reasons for your point of view.  (1979-1980)

At the beginning of the school year, several teenage drivers were stopped by the police for reckless driving in the school parking lot. Your principal has decided not to allow any student to drive a car to school until students come up with a better solution. All students will walk or ride a bus. Write a letter to your principal explaining what you think of this decision. You may make suggestions for other solutions. You might explain how the decision affects you. The letter should be long enough to establish reasons for your point of view. (1978-1979)