Writing on Demand Language Arts A review of the RAFT technique

What is writing on demand? 0 Responding to a writing prompt that is given to you 0 Writing in a limited time 0 Writing on demand assessments give you an opportunity to demonstrate your writing skills!

Tips for Success 0 Careful analysis of the writing prompt is important to ensure your writing is on-task. 0 Think about RAFT to make sure you have everything covered.

R is for Role 0 Think about who you are in this piece of writing. 0 Are you… 0 A son/daughter? 0 A concerned citizen? 0 An expert at ___________? 0 Make sure you are using vocabulary and techniques that are consistent with your role.

A is for Audience 0 The audience is who you are addressing in this piece of writing. 0 No—the audience isn’t always “your teacher”—just because your teacher will be reading your piece of writing. 0 Your audience could be… 0 Your classmates 0 The mayor 0 Your parents 0 Small children

F is for Format 0 The format is the type of writing required. 0 Sometimes the format is specifically given and sometimes it is left open. (On the GHSWT the paper is always an essay in essay form; Papers will not be scored on letter formatting.) 0 Examples of format… 0 Letter 0 Essay 0 Story

T is for Topic 0 The topic is the content—what are you writing about? What are you trying to accomplish? 0 Think about the purpose of your writing. 0 The purpose will be one or more of the following… 0 To persuade 0 To share your opinion 0 To explain 0 To narrate (tell a story) 0 To describe

Example Writing Prompt 0 Writing situation: Your school publishes a monthly newsletter. For the February issue, your school would like to focus on the meaning of friendship. 0 Writing Directions: Write an article for the newsletter about the meaning of friendship. Be sure to include some of your personal experiences or examples from what you have read/seen.

Key Words 0 Writing situation: Your school publishes a monthly newsletter. For the February issue, your school would like to focus on the meaning of friendship. 0 Writing Directions: Write an article for the newsletter about the meaning of friendship. Be sure to include some of your personal experiences or examples from what you have read/seen. Have you identified RAFT?

Identifying RAFT 0 Role---In this prompt, you are writing as yourself because the prompt asks you to share YOUR personal experiences. 0 Audience—The audience would be classmates, parents and teachers since it’s a school newsletter. 0 Format—The format was given when it asked you to write an article. 0 Topic—The topic is the meaning of friendship. Your purpose is to share your opinion on this topic.

Your Turn! 0 Take a look at the writing prompts on the next slides. 0 Practice identifying RAFT on your own. 0 Compare it to the answers provided to check for understanding.

Writing Prompt 1 0 Writing Situation: Most people can remember a time when someone did something special for them. Perhaps you were given an opportunity or received something that you really appreciated. 0 Writing Directions: Write a letter to someone you appreciate. Tell this person about this time when he/she did something special for you or with you. Be sure to express your gratitude. Can you identify RAFT?

How did you do? Role—You are writing as yourself. Audience—The audience is the person who did something special for you. Format—The format is a letter. Topic—Your purpose is to describe the time that you remember and explain how much you appreciate it.

Writing Prompt 2 0 Writing Situation: Because of the risk of accidents, the province has put into effect a distracted driving law. Drivers must not text, talk on the phone or be otherwise distracted when they are driving. However, the police still ticket many people every month for this offence as some people do not think it’s a big deal. 0 Writing Directions: Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper giving your opinion about the distracted driving law. Explain why you think it is a good law or an unfair law. Can you identify RAFT?

How did you do? Role—You are writing as yourself, a concerned citizen with a strong opinion on this issue. Audience—The audience is the editor of the paper and possibly anyone who reads the newspaper if they choose to publish your opinion. Format—The format is an editorial (like an opinion essay) Topic—Your purpose is to provide your opinion about the distracted driving law. You might even attempt to persuade others to agree with you.

Writing Prompt 3 0 Writing Situation: Many things can interfere with our plans. Sometimes an illness prevents us from doing something we really want to do. 0 Writing Directions: Describe a time when you became ill and missed out on doing something you’d really been looking forward to.

How did you do? Role—You are writing as yourself. Audience—The audience is not stated so write for a general audience. Format—The format will be a story or an narrative essay. Topic—Your purpose is to describe and narrate what happened.

Final Tips 0 It is helpful to highlight/underline key words in the writing prompt to ensure you are addressing the task completely. 0 Keep an eye on the time. You have 40 minutes for the each draft on the GHSWT so make sure you plan out the information you need to include. 0 Don’t panic—Stay calm and write your heart out!