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Content Area Writing
Strategies
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Essential Questions
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Why do content teachers
need to create a classroom
that honors writing?
How can content teachers
help students be successful
writers?
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Know
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Using writing to learn provides students with
frequent opportunities to write expressively
in order to wrestle with classroom content.
Writing is a method of demonstrating
understanding of content area knowledge.
Writing should be utilized in all content
areas, not just English language arts
classrooms.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Understand
The purpose of using writing to
learn content area knowledge
The role of a content area
teacher in delivering instruction
in writing
How writing requires students to
problem solve
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Do
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Reflect on current view of using classroom time for
writing instruction.
Explore strategies to use for teaching writing in the
content area.
Discuss what writing to learn means and how it is
used in content classrooms.
Develop an activity based upon a writing strategy
that is appropriate to the content area being
delivered.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Sponge Activity
“Things to Think About”
• Why should I use valuable classroom time
for writing activities?
• What are some unintended consequences
if I don’t use classroom time for writing?
• What are some concerns I have in using
classroom time for writing?
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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5 Assumptions About Writing Instruction
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1. Writing is a recursive process.
2. Students should learn strategies for
invention and discovery.
3. Audience, purpose and occasion define all
types of writing.
4. Effective writing fulfills the writer’s intention
and meets the audience’s needs.
5. ALL teachers can use writing to improve
content learning.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Activating Prior Knowledge
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Directed Reading/Thinking Activity
(DR/TA)
How Can I Teach Writing in
the Content Area?
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Vocabulary Development
Writing to Learn
Think
Talk
Write
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Writing to Learn
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Writing to Learn
Public Writing
Short
Spontaneous
Exploratory
Informal
Personal
One draft
Unedited
Ungraded
Substantial
Planned
Authoritative
Conventional
Audience Centered
Drafted
Edited
Assessable
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Question?
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I HAVE A FULL CURRICULUM TO
TEACH - HOW CAN I USE WRITING
TO SUPPORT, RATHER THAN
REPLACE, ELEMENTS OF MY
CURRICULUM?
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Suggestion…
A way of using writing to support elements of the curriculum
is…
•to identify thinking processes and create writing
activities to support them.
•to find where writing naturally fits.
•to show that students understand concepts.
•to provide students opportunity to reflect on their
learning.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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Example
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In 8th grade math, students keep a learning log as they
progress through a unit. They use the log for not only
recording information about how to solve problems but
also as a place to reflect on their learning. The teacher
helps students see the value of this by encouraging
them to reread the entry from the previous day as
review at the beginning of each class and modeling
how they can use the learning log to help them
prepare for a test on a unit.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Example
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In United States history, students create an oral history
anthology covering the decades between 1930 and 1950 (with
a focus on culture, history, and social issues) by interviewing
people they know who were teenagers or adults during that
time period. As part of a community service project, they then
take the anthology to a nearby assisted living facility in order to
give residents a chance to read the anthology and add
reflections or insights that they had when reading and
remembering their own lives. The students incorporate these
reflections into the document as "that makes me think of a
time…" narratives, and place copies of the anthology in the
assisted living facility and the public library.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Example
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In marketing, students collect and
evaluate brochures advertising local
cleaning services. They analyze the
brochures for effectiveness and use the
strongest ones as models for brochures
they will be creating for mock
businesses.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Example
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In health, students research, design, write,
illustrate and edit newsletters to be
distributed through the school nurse's office
which identify and discuss the effects of
health problems related to teens on their
overall or future health such as smoking, lack
of physical activity, diabetes, body piercing,
and sports injuries.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Example
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In Algebra I, students work individually in
class to design a word problem to submit for
a "class-generated" homework assignment
to be given out the next night as review for
an upcoming test. The teacher conducts 30second conferences by stopping by each
student's desk as he/she works and allowing
the student to ask one focused question
about the evolving word problem.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Example
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In Dance I, students are given a sample paragraph
from a dance review which contains too many
details. They are instructed to work in pairs to
identify which details help move the piece toward its
desired end and which just muddle the paragraph or
take away from the main point being made. The
students then discuss their responses with the whole
group by explaining the changes they made and the
reasons behind those changes.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Example
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In physical education, students write an essay on the topic
"What are the consequences of parental violence at little
league games?" as a way of exploring the notion of
"sportsmanship." On the day they bring in a draft of the essay,
they are instructed to "take the express and return on the
scenic route." To do this, the teacher has them read through
the essay and do the following: (1) add other details that have
occurred to them and (2) read it again and put question marks
by five details that may be appropriate to omit. The students
then meet with a partner to discuss the five they chose and get
feedback on which seem the most/least helpful to the
progression of the essay.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Example
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In Automotive Service Tech I, students respond to
the following cause-effect prompt: Create a how-to
manual for teen drivers who want to know how they
can make the engine of a new car maintain peak
performance. Students are told that their language
must be clear and concise in order to be effective,
so they go on a "lazy word" hunt. Each time they find
one of these vague or overused words they replace
it with a more precise word.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Skill Lesson
Content Area Writing
Strategies Activity
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Active Literacy
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RAFT
Role – Audience – Format - Topic
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RAFT
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Ideas for Student Products/Formats
•Outline plans for a half-day workshop
•Create a city-wide program and write an action plan for…
•Design a brochure
•Design a performance review form
•Write an action plan
•Develop a proposal
•Design a flyer with a mail back portion
•Write a corporate philosophy
•Write an employee handbook section with guidelines on…
•Write a letter of recommendation
•Design and conduct a survey
•Prepare a multimedia presentation
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RAFT EXAMPLE
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ROLE:
You work at a busy auto maintenance and
repair shop. You realize that many car owners
do not understand that their cars must have
regular maintenance like oil changes, tune ups
and brake checks.
Audience, Format & Topic:
You decide to produce a marketing piece to
instruct car owners . Design a brochure on the
topic of maintaining an automobile for car
owners.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RAFT EXAMPLE
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ROLE:
You are a health care assistant in a children’s
clinic. Many young parents do not understand
how or why their children’s ears become
infected.
Audience, Format & Topic:
Design a brochure on the auditory process, the
causes of ear infection and how ear infections
are treated.
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Post Literacy
Agree/Disagree Activity
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Reflection
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EXIT SLIP
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Contact Information
West Virginia Department of Education
Carla Williamson, Executive Director
Exit
Slip
Office of
Instruction
304-558-5325
WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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