Writing Across the Curriculum Do you use writing

Writing Across the Curriculum

Do you use writing in your classroom?

Common Core Standards �ELA standards include ◦ Literature and informational text ◦ Foundational skills ◦ Writing skills ◦ Speaking and listening skills ◦ Language skills

Common Core Standards �ELA standards also include literacy in ◦ Science ◦ Social Studies ◦ History ◦ Technical subjects

How can we prepare our students for the Common Core?

Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)

What is WAC? �Learning �Writing to Write to Learn In ALL disciplines

Benefits of WAC �Provides students with writing practice �Great learning tool for students �Works on students’ critical thinking skills �Shows students’ learning, thought processes, and misunderstandings

Fears vs. Solutions � Fears ◦ Lack of expertise ◦ Take time away from own content to teach writing ◦ More grading ◦ Evaluation processes Solutions • Don’t focus on grammar • Write along with students • Collaborate with teachers • • Stagger big writing assignments Small writing assignments are just as beneficial as big ones Evaluate only one-two elements of writing Don’t grade everything!

Some strategies to incorporate writing in your classroom � Journals/diaries/logs � Write for a real audience � Write daily � Freewriting/focused � (See freewriting handout for more)

Teachers Should… � Model writing � Provide expectations clearly � Provide feedback/conference � Focus less on conventions

Additional Resources � Teaching That Makes Sense – You Want Me to Teach Writing Now, Too? (Free Download) ◦ www. ttms. org � Michigan Department of Education – Writing Across the Curriculum ◦ http: //www. michigan. gov/documents/mde/SSWAC _225020_7. pdf � Common Core Standards ◦ http: //www. corestandards. org/read-thestandards/

Strategies for Writers

� Use The Writing Traits the language of the writing traits in all content areas/specials classes ◦ Ideas ◦ Organization ◦ Voice ◦ Word Choice ◦ Sentence Fluency ◦ Conventions

� The Writing Process writing process is five stages ◦ Prewrite – gather ideas & making thinking visible ◦ Drafting – get the ideas on the page ◦ Revise – make it better (I, O, V, WC, SF) ◦ Edit – correct the conventions (C) ◦ Publishing – final copy & presentation �(Content areas/specials teachers will focus on first two stages – prewrite & drafting) ◦ The ELA teachers will provide direct instruction in the writing traits and the writing process

Strategies for Writers � Quarter 1 Writing Focus – Informational Writing (W. 2) ◦ K, 1 – Directions/map ◦ 2 – 5, 8 - How to ◦ 6, 7 – Cause and Effect

Examples of Quarterly Writing Piece in Content Areas � How ◦ ◦ ◦ to (Grades 2 – 5, 8) How How How � Cause to to to get your scientific materials (science) use a compass rose on a map (social studies) solve a mutli-step equation (math) get your equipment safely (gym) clean up your work area (art) and Effect (Grades 6, 7) ◦ If I miss a step in the lab, then… (science) ◦ If I read the map wrong, then…. (social studies) ◦ If a forget to use the reciprocal when I’m dividing fractions, then… (math) ◦ If I don’t practice my instrument, then… (band)

Brainstorm Activity � 1. Daily writing activities that you can do in your content area � 2. The quarterly writing piece that you will bring to the writing PLC at the end of the quarter