RAFT Doug Buehl cited in Teaching Reading in
RAFT Doug Buehl cited in: Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me Then Who Bill. Meyer & Martin, 1998 Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
RAFT Assignments • What is it? Role Audience Format Topic • How might I use it? • Examples. . . Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
A RAFT is… • … an engaging, high level strategy that encourages writing across the curriculum • … a way to encourage students to… – – …assume a role …consider their audience, while …examine a topic from their chosen perspective, and …writing in a particular format • All of the above can serve as motivators by giving students choice, appealing to their interests and learning profiles, and adapting to student readiness Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University levels. of Arkansas
RAFTs can… • Be differentiated in a variety of ways: readiness level, learning profile, and/or student interest • Be created by the students or Incorporate a blank row for that option • Be used as introductory “hooks” into a unit of study • Keep one column consistent while varying the other columns in the RAFT grid Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
Sample RAFT Strips Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas Math History Science Language Arts Role Audience Format Topic Middle School Diary Entry I Wish You Really Understood Where I Belong N. Y. Times Public Op Ed piece How our Language Defines Who We Are Huck Finn Tom Sawyer Note hidden in a tree knot A Few Things You Should Know Rain Drop Future Droplets Advice Column The Beauty of Cycles Lung Owner’s Guide To Maximize Product Life Rain Forest John Q. Citizen Paste Up “Ransom” Note Before It’s Too Late Reporter Public Obituary Hitler is Dead Martin Luther King TV audience of 2010 Speech The Dream Revisited Thomas Jefferson Current Residents of Virginia Full page newspaper ad If I could Talk to You Now Fractions Whole numbers Petition To Be Considered A Part of the Family Semicolon A word problem Students in your Set of directions How to Get to Know Me class Format based on the work of Doug Buehl cited in Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me Then Who? , Billmeyer and Martin, 1998
Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas Role Sample RAFT Strips Audience Format Topic Our Class Oral Response I never should have listened to the fox Squanto Other Native Americans Pictographs I can help the inept settlers Band Member Other Band Members Demo Tape Here’s how it goes Positive Numbers Negative Numbers Dating Ad Opposites Attract Rational Numbers Irrational Numbers Song Must you go on forever? Decimals Fractions Poem Don’t you get my point? Perimeter Area Diary Entry How your shape affects me Monet Van Gogh Letter I wish you’d shed more light on the subject! Joan of Arc Self Soliloquy To recant, or not to recant; that is the question Tree Urban Sprawl Editorial My life is worth saving Thoreau Public of his day Letter to the Editor Why I moved to the pond Young Chromosome Experienced Chromosome Children’s Book What becomes of us in mitosis? First Grader Kindergartner Ad Gingerbread Man What’s best about 1 st grade?
RAFT Strips, cont’d Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas Role Audience Format Topic Hal (Henry V, Part 1) Self Diary Entry My friend Falstaff-past, present, future Magnet First Graders Letter Here’s what I’m attracted to… Transparency Slide Show Personal Ad Spruce up your presentation LBJ Viet Nam Vet Apology Letter What was I thinking… Computer Fifth Graders Flow Chart Turning data into a graph with EXCEL P Waves S Waves Dear John Letter Why we have to stop seeing each other Carbon Atom Hydrogen Atom Personal Ad Atom seeking atom A Variable in an Equation Real Numbers Ad for the Circus What is my value in the balancing act? Return Key Middle Schoolers Captain Kirk’s Bulletin to his crew When to beam to another paragraph Conductor The Band Mime How to play this style of music Basic Multiplication Fact Basic Division Fact Invitation to a family reunion Here’s how we’re related
Analyzing a RAFT lesson • What are the learning goals for this lesson? Are they built into every choice? • How is this RAFT being differentiated? – Is there a wide range of format choices in order to appeal to LEARNING STYLES? – Is there a range of difficulty in the roles? or a range of difficulty in the formats? or a range of difficulty in the topic responses? READINESS – Are the roles, or formats, or topics meant to appeal to a variety of INTERESTS? Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
Possible Formats to use in RAFTs to Differentiate by Lrng Modality Written Visual Oral Kinesthetic • diary entry • bulleted list • obituary • invitation • product guide • game rules • recipe • movie critic • Freq. Ask. Ques • editorial • character monologue • job application • gossip column • mag. Article • cartoon/comic • crossword puzzle • map • scale plan or drawing • graphic org. • concept web • illustration • print ad • photograph • powerpoint • ‘how to’ diagram • fashion design • song • set of discussion ? s • conversation • monologue • sermon • radiocast • museum guide • commercial • reader’s theater • interview • tasting • political speech • puppet show • storytell • model • cheer • mime • reenactment • wax museum • demonstration • sales pitch with demo elements • physical analogies • taste tests • ‘how to’ video • game • sew, cook, build • design a. . Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
How you might assign RAFTs • Cut the “strips” apart and hand out to students; or • Give only two choices per student, and make both choices have formats fit with that student’s learning modality • Give only two choices per student, and make both choices fit skill/knowledge level of the student’s readiness; or • Allow students to choose from a menu of possible roles, or possible formats Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
RAFT Activities Role Audience Format Topic Gingerbread Man Our Class Oral Response I never should have listened to the fox Squanto Other Native Americans Pictographs I can help the inept settlers Band Member Other Band Members Demo Tape Here’s how it goes Monet Van Gogh Letter I wish you’d shed more light on the subject Water Vapor Water A Love Letter You make me so hot Battery Loose Wire A Newspaper Article Man has shocking experience Multiplication Fact Division Fact Invitation to a Family Reunion Here’s how we’re related Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
5 th Grade Math RAFT Assignment: Parts of a Whole Role Audience Format Topic Fractions Whole numbers Children’s book Do you want a piece of me? Equivalent fractions Invitation/Mask Invitations to the Masquerade Ball Fraction Decimal Wanted Poster Alias – reveal your secret identity Paper people Dress upchange your wardrobe, change your form Fraction, Percent decimal, percent Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
READINESS DIFFERENTIATION: WRITING RAFT The teacher will assign sets of choices to students based on pre-assessed skill levels in sequencing and writing: Grade level or Advanced level. Within a skill level, students will still have some learning style or interest-based choices through the format options. Levels would NOT be seen by the students. Know: sequence; pace Understand: Seeing events in a logical order helps us better understand them. Do: Place items in order of occurrence; write with accuracy & completeness G Tortoise Hare 6 -panel storyboard How I won the race G You teacher bulleted list Things I do in the morning to get ready for school G Sports star reporter news item “Here’s how I got injured. . . , and what I’ll do next. . . ” A Cousin you set of directions Help me learn to play checkers A Hermione Granger Harry Potter conversation or dialogue What happened to make you so suspicious of Snape? A Marble Kid “Marble Raceway” model with exhibit card describing each tumble or turning point Watch me roll! Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
Tom Sawyer’s R. A. F. T. (Page 1) This RAFT is designed for use by students when they have finished reading the novel, Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. The RAFT synthesizes the unit’s exploration of characterization and allows students to “step into the skin” of one of the supporting characters to get a look at the protagonist from his/her perspective. A final jigsaw activity allows students to view Tom form multiple perspectives in order to reinforce the unit’s essential understandings (students share their RAFTs in mixed groups and complete a synthesis writing piece in which they draw conclusions about Tom based on all perspectives aired in the group). Raft Learning Goals Students should KNOW… • The definition of characterization • The six supporting characters’ relationships with Tom Sawyer Students should UNDERSTAND that… • Individuals have their own unique perspectives determined by their experiences and relationships. • In order to gain a true understanding of a person or event, multiple perspectives must be considered. Students should BE ABLE TO… • Assume the voice of a supporting character • Characterize Tom Sawyer using the methods discussed in class • Draw conclusions synthesizing and varied Marcia Imbeau, multiple Assoc. Professor, Universityperspectives of Arkansas
Tom Sawyer’s R. A. F. T. (Page 2) Differentiation: This RAFT is differentiated according to readiness and interest. Interests: Each student has three options from which to choose, so he/she can select a “strip” that appeals to them in some way (affinity with a character, interest/talent in the format’s expression, interest in the topic, etc. ) Readiness: The first three strips should be given to more advanced students, as these three options are more conceptual. • The roles and topics represent less accessible points of view and are designed for student who are ready to tackle the novel at a more abstract level and/or • The formats are designed for students who are reading and writing on or above grade level (and are thus able to handle more complex modes of expression). The second three “strips” offer options that are simpler and more straightforward. • The roles and topics represent more accessible views and are designed for students who understand the novel at a more basic level, and/or Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University • The formats are accessible for students who are struggling readers/writers. of Arkansas
Tom Sawyer’s R. A. F. T. p. 3 • Select one of the following prompts. The “Role” refers to the character’s perspective that you will assume. The “Audience” refers to whom that character will be addressing his/her opinion; The “Format” refers to the form in which the opinion will be expressed; The “Topic” is just that - your topic! • Circle the ROLE that you plan to pursue, and clear it with your teacher before you begin working. Use your text to help you. ROLE AUDIENCE FORMAT TOPIC Sid Aunt Polly Affidavit Why Tom should get a lickin’ Huck Self Poem or Song Who am I without my friend, Tom? Aunt Polly Widow Douglas Dialogue Nobody knows the troubles I’ve seen (because of Tom)! Becky Tom Letter How I really feel about you… Injun Joe Self Drawing of Dream Why I’m going to get even with Tom Sawyer… and HOW I’ll do it! Muff Potter Townspeople Speech Why I thank goodness for Tom Sawyer…. Marcia. Kristina Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University Authors: Doubet, Marla Capper, and Christie Reed - 2003 of Arkansas
Ways to differentiate a RAFT by Readiness: (teacher will assign a RAFT or choices of RAFTs based on students’ writing, reading, or performance levels) • Roles/Audience – – Well-known people or characters to lesser-known – Basic essential items (vocabulary, inventions, elements, etc. ) to more esoteric items – Easier to understand point-of-view to more intangible perspective • Formats – (while offering choices to students) – Shorter to longer (in prep, in process, or in presentation) – More familiar to more unfamiliar formats – Single step to multiple steps • Topics – – – Easier to interpret to more sophisticated Concrete & literal response to more abstract response More structured to more open-ended Small leap in insight & application to larger leap Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas
RAFT Assignments Grade 10 English Know: Voice, Tone, Style Understand: • Every writer has a voice • Voice is shaped by life experiences and reflects the writer • Voice shapes expression • Voice affects communication • Voice and style are related Be Able to Do: • Describe a writers voice and style • Mimic a writer’s voice and style • Create a piece of writing that reflects a writer’s voice and style Role Audience Format Topic Edgar Allen Poe 10 th grade writers Letter Here’s how I found my voice Garrison Keillor 10 th grade writers E mail Here’s how I found my voice Emily Dickinson Self Diary entry Looking for my voice 10 th grader English teacher Formal request Please help me find my voice Teacher 10 th graders Interior monologue Finding a balance between voice and expectations 3 authors The public Visual symbols/logos annotated Here’s what represents my voice One another Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Conversation Professor, University What shaped my voice and style 3 authors from different genre of Arkansas
RAFT Assignment ROLE AUDIENCE FORMAT TOPIC TV new reporter Public News article [syntax] “Police shooting under investigation” National Enquirer Reporter Public Front page article [simile, metaphor] “Cop shoots defenseless man” Southern cop Police chief Incident report [repetition] “On the night of August 14…” Ty Kendricks His children List-words of advice [parallelism] “Be careful of…” Abolitionist Town meeting Speech [simile, parallelism] “Once again injustice reigns. . ” Passer-by Friend Letter [syntax, diction] “You won’t believe what I saw”
RAFT Planning Sheet Know Understand Do How to Differentiate: • Tiered? (See Equalizer) • Profile? (Differentiate Format) • Interest? (Keep options equivalent in learning) • Other? Role Audience Format Marcia Imbeau, Assoc. Professor, University of Arkansas Topic
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