Writing in the Content Areas

 What kinds of writing do you engage in? For what purposes and what audiences?  Do you choose to write, as opposed to completing required writing assignments?  Do you think of yourself as a writer?  In what ways has your writing changed over time?

People have unique writing styles and preferences, but some categories of writing stages are generally accepted:  Planning (or rehearsal)  Drafting and revising  Editing  Publishing

 Get students thinking:  Brainstorm, freewrite, cluster and organize ideas, ask thought-provoking questions, and form a thesis statement  Offer suggestions/reminders:  Resources to use, writing formats, outline or graphic organizer templates, patterns of organization

 Early drafts may be sloppy and chaotic.  Editors and/or peers may be useful for providing comments and for pointing out mistakes.  Even the Declaration of Independence went through many stages—paying attention to compromise and word choice.

 Displays in a hallway, bulletin board, or class website  Readings at authors’ teas  Class magazines  Gifts for family and friends  Letters to the editor of local newspaper  Recordings and recitations

Attributes of good writing : 1. Ideas 2. Organization 3. Voice 4. Word choice 5. Sentence fluency 6. Conventions +1 Presentation

 Understand that writing requires hard work, inspiration, observation, and time.  Imagine being present at an historic event and think about what it would have been like.  Keep a journal or notebook to collect ideas and try out early drafts.  Think about readers and their responses.  Realize that the writer is responsible for all final decisions.  Read examples of authentic writing in the disciplines.

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 How do you feel about asking for feedback?  Do you like to involve other people in your writing, or are you a solitary writer?  Do you make all the changes that others suggest, or do you sometimes choose not to take their advice? Why?

 Many writing activities in the classroom:  Mechanical (worksheets, fill in the blanks, etc.)  Informational (summaries, essays, etc.)  Few opportunities for personal writing or writing for intellectual exploration.  Many students have difficulties producing effective persuasive, informative, or narrative writing.

 To prepare for reading  To imitate a writer’s style or structure  To respond to something you’ve read  To write book reviews/reports  To reflect on thinking processes  To understand (and argue from) a point of view other than your own—the RAFT strategy (continued)

 To reflect briefly on immediate learning opportunities (Quick writes)  To summarize  To guide and provide structure to students as they respond to texts and explain their thinking  To write letters and research papers  To explore concepts creatively  To answer document-based questions

 Activate one’s mind to possibilities and repercussions  Ask yourself, What would follow from a certain premise?  What if you were forced into marriage for reasons other than love?  What if a hurricane is strong enough to cause a levee to break?

Intertextuality: Elaborating on or consciously paying homage to the works of another

 Discuss the emotional impact of a text  Discuss a writer’s craft  Connect a work to others you have read  Imagine how someone with a different viewpoint than the author’s would respond  Write to an author or a character  List things you have learned or points you disagree with  Write a review for a magazine or newspaper (continued)

 Write a letter to a friend, explaining why he/she should read a particular book  Create something (e.g., poster, concept map) showing your response visually  Connect a text to issues discussed in class (e.g., social justice, responsibilities of citizens, and so on)  Write a poem  Write to a historical figure, asking for his/her opinions  Write a letter to the editor

1.Create a content area–based writing assignment. 2.Assign a Role to students based on the material they have read, or have them make their own decisions. 3.Have students choose an Audience for whom to write. 4.Ask them to select an appropriate Format for their assignment. 5.Have students write their piece based on one of the Topics relevant to the assignment.

Quick write to state a key point learned in class and a response to that point.

1.Preview, think, and read. 2.Ask, “What is the author trying to say about this topic?” 3.Ask the same question for each paragraph and then write out that idea in one’s own words. 4.Continue this process for the entire selection. 5.Check sentences against the passage—ensuring that the most important ideas are given first, that sentences are in one’s own words, and that the first sentence gives the main idea and the rest supports it.

1.Brainstorm prior knowledge. 2.Organize and label ideas generated in small groups or as a whole class. 3.Write individually on the topic, using the information dealt with thus far. 4.Read an assigned relevant text. 5.Revise the first piece of writing based on their understanding of the text.

 Stages of the model:  Demonstration stage  Shared demonstration  Guided practice  Independent practice  As the teacher and students move through the model, the level of teacher support decreases as learner control increases.

 As social action researchers—  Research a topic that could make a difference  Read, write, think, and engage in constructive social action  As reader response researchers—  Analyze classmates’ responses to a text  Share and learn from one another

 A similar process to what historians and social scientists do:  Generalize and think critically, form conclusions and opinions, and hypothesize  Students comprehend, interpret, and analyze documents/data:  Synthesize information from two or more sources related to a theme/problem in order to write an essay that notes patterns or contrasts information they have found.

 Encourage students to write about:  What is going on around them  Current events  Controversial events in your discipline  Help students clarify their thinking, discover new ideas, and develop potential solutions

 How could you help a group of local middle or high school students use authentic writing activities to make a difference in theirs and others’ lives?  In what local situation or event could they become involved? Now share your ideas with the Kane Resource Site community.

 Students need to know how to write well about a topic someone else has chosen.  Analysis questions to ask when facing an assignment:  What is the central claim or topic?  Who is the intended audience?  What is the purpose of the writing task?  What strategies will be most effective?  What is my role as a writer in achieving the purpose?

 Use assistive technology and human resources to support students.  Let students speak their reflections into a voice recorder.  Provide more examples, more direct instruction and modeling, more opportunities to revise drafts, or more time to complete writing tasks.  Give alternative assignments, such as oral presentations or exams.

 Show respect for all languages.  Learn about the cultures and backgrounds of your students.  Bring the literatures of different cultures into your classroom.  Create writing assignments that are meaningful to students. (continued)

 Use reading as a preparation for writing and writing as a preparation for reading.  Have students read about a topic from multiple resources at a variety of levels.  Assign daily or regular journal writing.  Design instruction around the strengths and learning styles of your students.