R – Role
A – Audience
F – Format
T – Topic
S – Strong Verb
Bell work or review practice:
Your class is considering recycling on
campus. Write to your principal
explaining three reasons why this
might be a plan that the whole school
should be part of in order to help the
environment.
Put it all together!
Role: you
Audience: principal
Format: essay or a letter
Topic: three reasons why recycling would
be good for the school and the
environment.
Strong verb: explain, write, describe
Your class is considering recycling on
R
T
campus. Write to your principal
R
A
explaining three reasons why this
S
T
might be a plan that the whole school
should be part of in order to help the
environment. Format: letter or essay
Rewrite prompt in your own words
and underline and label all
elements:
Brainstorm
before you write!
The cafeteria manager would like
audience
input about foods to add to the
cafeteria menu; write a persuasive
format
letter to her about your three
role
favorite foods, and convince her to
topic
strong verb
include them.
Rewritten Prompt
R
S
F
I need to write a persuasive letter that
S
A
convinces the cafeteria manager to add
T
my three favorite foods to the menu.”
Ask yourself some questions:
What should I remember about
format? persuasive letter
greeting, body, closing,
signature, correct punctuation
What is my role? I am writing as
myself.
How will my audience affect my
word choice and content? I
want to impress the cafeteria
manager, so I will choose
words carefully and proofread
so my message is clear.
Am I comfortable with content?
Certainly! I love food!
How will my purpose affect my
word choice and content? If I’m
convincing enough, she’ll take
me seriously, and I’ll get my
three foods added to the menu.
If necessary, create
an outline or graphic
organizer to plan the
draft.
(prewriting)
Example Graphic Organizer
Soft swirl
yogurt
Raspberry
Granola
Fresh
spinach
Why?
Delicious
Low fat
Calcium for
strong bones
Why?
High fiber
Alternative to
sugary cereal
Vitamin C
Why?
Folic acid
Vitamin D
Popeye’s
favorite
Write the first draft
of the application.
(drafting)
January 10,2020
Dear Mrs. Havill,:
My name is Jane Smith, and I am writing because I heard you’d like
input from students about which three foods should be added to the
menu. I would like you to consider adding soft swirl yogurt, raspberry
granola, and fresh spinach.
Soft swirl yogurt is an excellent choice because it is a delicious treat that has less fat
than ice cream. Some yogurts are fortified with calcium for strong bones, too, so
students would reap health benefits from this dessert.
Raspberry granola is my second favorite food; I’d appreciate it if you’d add this
tantalizing, high fiber alternative to sugar-laden cold cereal. The raspberries also
contain Vitamin C, so perhaps eating the granola could help our students avoid
getting colds.
Fresh spinach should be added to the cafeteria menu because if it’s good enough for
Popeye, it’s good enough for our school. Spinach is chock full of Vitamin D and folic
acid which are other valuable nutrients our bodies need.
Thank you for taking the time to consider adding soft swirl yogurt, raspberry granola,
and fresh spinach to the school menu. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Jane Smith
When your rough draft
is complete, go back
to the R.A.F.T.S.
components to make
sure you accomplished
the task.
Monitor word choice to make
sure it is consistently appropriate
for the audience.
Is the writer convincing in his/her
role?
Is the format correct?
Did the writer stick to the topic?
Is the author’s purpose clear?
Proofread, and use the
checklist provided on the
test!
(editing)
Practice, practice,
and practice
some more!
Let’s write!
Writing Prompt: Do the steps!
• Imagine you are an endangered
flying squirrel living in the forest that
is about to be leveled to make way
for a shopping center. Write a letter to
the construction company president
persuading him to find someplace
else to build and leave your forest
alone.
Role: you
Audience: your classmates
Format: persuasive essay
Topic: why you are the best
choice for class president
Strong verb: convince
Put it all together!
Role: flying squirrel
Audience: construction company
president
Format: persuasive letter
Topic: find another place to build the
shopping center away from my forest
Strong verb: persuade, write
Imagine you are an endangered flying
squirrel (R) living in the forest that is about
to be leveled to make way for a shopping
center. Write(S) a letter(F) to the
construction company president (A)
persuading (S) him to find someplace else
to build and leave your forest alone. (T)
Rewrite the prompt in your own
words and underline/label all the
RAFTS elements:
Make a graphic organizer.
Plan what to say.
Write the first draft.
Check the R.A.F.T.S. again to make
sure the objective
has been met.
Revise to improve.
Edit using checklist.
And finally…………
Be proud of your work!