Assessing Purpose and Audience Portfolio

Question

In this unit, you have been writing for a particular goal or reason—that is, a purpose. Most of your writing has been to inform or to explain. Here is a list of writing purposes:

to inform readers about a topic
to explain a process or issue
to persuade readers to agree with an opinion
to motivate readers to do something
to describe a person, place, or thing
to entertain readers with a work of fiction or poetry
to reflect on an experience or feeling
Furthermore, no matter what you write, you are writing for an audience. You may write for a single reader, such as your Learning Coach or a friend. You may write for a larger audience, such as newspaper readers or for members of a club or student group.

As you read over your finished draft, ask yourself how well it suits your purpose and audience. You may need to make some final revisions to ensure that you are communicating information well. Here are some questions to consider.

PURPOSE

Does my essay fulfill my purpose? Does every sentence in my essay teach my reader more about the topic?
If my purpose is to explain, can my reader follow along? Should I reorder any steps in the process?
Have I departed from my purpose too much? Should I remove any opinions or personal reflections that do not belong in informative or explanatory writing?
AUDIENCE

Does my audience know a lot about this topic? Do I need to define terms or explain things more clearly?
Which points that I made will interest my audience most? How can I emphasize those points?
Are the words and sentence structures I used appropriate for my audience? Should I make my language simpler or more formal?
The rubric here will help you to assess your writing. Read it carefully to see how well you have followed the rules for writing informative/explanatory texts.

Reflect on the Portfolio
Read over your finished writing product and think about these questions. Write your reflections in your journal.

How does your finished product compare to your original plan? What changed as you moved through the writing process? How did those changes improve or refine your writing?
Why are revising and editing critical steps in the writing process? How can those steps help a writer to connect to a reader?
How could you apply what you learned in this portfolio about informative/explanatory writing to other writing that you do in the areas of social studies or science? Which of the lessons in this portfolio will help you most as you write in those content areas? Why do you think so?

Answer 1

Reflection on the Portfolio

Comparison of Finished Product to Original Plan

When I look back at my original plan, I can see several distinctive changes that occurred throughout the writing process. Initially, I set out to create a straightforward informative piece that covered the basic aspects of my topic. However, as I dove deeper into research and drafting, I realized that the structure needed some adjustments to enhance clarity and engagement. I reorganized sections to create a more logical flow, which helped clarify complex ideas and made the essay easier to follow. Additionally, I discovered that certain points resonated more strongly with my intended audience, so I expanded those sections with more detail and examples, enriching the overall content. These changes improved my writing by making it more coherent and responsive to the needs of my audience.

The Importance of Revising and Editing

Revising and editing are critical steps in the writing process because they allow a writer to evaluate the effectiveness of their work and make necessary improvements. Through revision, I can assess whether my writing fulfills its intended purpose and connects with the audience. For instance, when I revisited my draft, I found areas where I had strayed from my informative goal, leading to the removal of unnecessary opinions and reflections. Editing allowed me to focus on language, grammar, and clarity, ensuring that my writing was precise and easy to understand. By embracing these steps, I could better connect with my readers and ensure that they grasped the information I was presenting without confusion or ambiguity.

Applying Lessons Learned to Other Content Areas

The insights I gained from crafting an informative/explanatory piece are highly applicable to other writing tasks, particularly in social studies and science. In social studies, for example, being able to clearly explain historical events and their implications requires a similar approach to structuring information logically and presenting it in a way that holds the audience's interest. I anticipate using the strategies of clearly defining key terms and emphasizing salient points where they're most relevant.

In science writing, my understanding of explanatory writing will help me to break down complex processes and concepts into digestible parts, ensuring my audience can follow along without getting lost in jargon. The lessons on targeting audience awareness will be especially beneficial as it prompts me to consider the background knowledge of my readers, making my explanations more effective. Overall, the emphasis on clarity and effective organization from this portfolio will serve as a vital tool in enhancing my writing across different subjects.