Writing Across the Curriculum

Collins’ Writing

To develop successful, life-long writers, students must have:

• Opportunities to:• write in many environments• experiment with voice and audience

• Purpose beyond just a grade• Some choice in topic and form• Consistent structure/framework• Contextual instruction• Purposeful feedback

Five Types of Writing

• Type 1 – Capture Ideas• Type 2 – Respond Correctly• Type 3 – Edit for Focus Correction Areas (FCAs)• Type 4 - Peer Edit for FCAs• Type 5 – Publish

Type 1 – Capture Ideas

• Writing that has no correct answer, or is OK to guess.

• Quick• One draft• Effort or Participation grade only

Example: Please Do Now!, free write, journal entry

Type 2 – Respond Correctly

• Writing that makes a point• It has a correct answer or content

• One draft• Quick• Can be used to assess student knowledge (quiz)• Promotes active learning – students required to produce rather than identifying information

TYPE 3 WRITING

Focus Correction Areas (FCAs)

• Provide specific information about the criteria used to evaluate an assignment

• Selective approach to correcting writing• Means of structuring a writing program• Focuses instruction and feedback• Consistency across curriculum• No OVERcorrecting

• “Focus correcting saves grading time and helps students consider the quality of the paper in relationship to a few clearly specified criteria rather than an infinite number of highly subjective criteria.”

~ John Collins

For Best Results

FCAs should be:• Systemic (vertically articulated/ grade levels)• Limited

• Use an FCA only after explicit instruction in that skill

• Mix of criteria• Organization, content, style and mechanics

Type 3 – Edit for FCAs

• Most authentic academic writing• Read out loud • Reviewed by the author using 3 critical questions

• Does it complete the assignment?• Is it easy to read?• Does it fulfill the focus correction area?

• One Draft• Efficient and easy to grade

• It can take any form: essay, letter, story, etc.

FCAs for Expository Writing

STYLE• Appropriate word choice/audience• Active, not passive voice• Concise, complete sentences.• Powerful verbs• Mix of sentence lengths

FCAs for Expository Writing

CONTENT and Critical Thinking• Accurate, factual statements• Technical vocabulary used correctly• Facts and relevant details to support thesis

FCAs for Expository Writing

ORGANIZATION• Introduction draws reader in• Conclusion reinforces thesis• Transitions help reader move from point to point

Differentiation

Struggling Writers

Average Writers

AdvancedWriters

Three examples from the text

Use examples from the text Give sufficient support

Write one short sentence (10 or fewer words )and one medium sentence (11-20 words)

Include short, medium and long sentences (21 or more words)

Use sentence variety

Underline three vivid verbs Use at least 5 vivid verbs Use vivid verbs

More specific FCA Less specific FCA

For Content Area Teachers

• What’s most important to your area?• How can you help reinforce skills being taught at

your grade level?• Example:

• 3 clearly stated reasons: 30 points• 2 relevant examples from text to support each reason:

60 points• Correct use of capitalization: 10 points

Type 3 Example:

Title: Explaining the Periodic Table

Purpose: Practical/Informative

Writer’s Role: Write as if you were a science textbook writer

Audience: students in grades six, seven, or eight

Form: Multi-paragraph textbook selection

Example cont.

Focus Correction Areas:

1. Describe what the Periodic Table is and why it is important. (45pts)

2. Explain how to use the Periodic Table (45pts)

3. Capitalization and end marks (10 pts, 5 off each error)

Type 4 – Peer Edit for FCAs

• Writing that is Type Three writing AND has been read out loud and critiqued by another

• Two drafts• Produces fair and objective evaluations• Promotes sharing of ideas, insights, information• Produces most improvement in writing and

thinking skills

Type 5 – Publish

• Type Three writing

AND • has been read out loud and critiqued by another• Two drafts• Real World Standards