Module 2: Content-Area Literacy

Module 2:Content-Area Literacy Unit 1, Session 4 Adolescent Literacy – Professional Development

Writing Like a Critic, Historian, Mathematician, & Scientist Strategic Writing in Four Major Content Areas

Essential Questions • Module 2 Question • What role can content-area teachers play in helping adolescents acquire general and discipline-specific literacy skills? • Unit 1, Session 3 Questions • What are the ways in which content-area teachers can improve content instruction by highlighting and explicitly teaching disciplinary writing strategies? • How are general writing strategies tailored to fit particular disciplinary goals? Module 2: Unit 2, Session 4

Looking at Student Writing • In pairs, look closely at the samples of student writing that you brought to the session… • What discipline-specific thinking is demonstrated in the writing? • How does the form of the writing connect with the habits of mind you are trying to teach?

Completing Our 3-Column Charts • Given how students think & read in your discipline… • What do students write and present in each content area? What does that look like? • Please revisit the 3-Column Chart we have used in the past two sessions. • Complete /share the 3rd column with a partner • Share 3rd columns with the larger group

Commonalities & Differences • In sharing ways of writing/presenting… • What commonalities did you find across disciplines? • What differences? • What are the implications for our department, school, students?

Returning to Student Writing • In pairs, look again at the samples of student writing that you brought to the session… • Are the writing samples more focused on: • Demonstrating mastery of content knowledge? Or • Using writing to process information and come to new understandings? • Let’s consider these distinctions carefully…

A Framework for Thinking about Content-Area Writing Why do students write in school? Writing-to-Learn Writing to Demonstrate Knowledge

Writing-to-Learn: Definition From the Michigan “Writing Across the Content Areas” Documents, p. 3 • “It is writing that uses impromptu, short or informal writing tasks designed by the teacher and included throughout the lesson to help students think through key concepts and ideas.” • “Attention is focused on ideas rather than correctness of style, grammar or spelling.” • “It is less structured than disciplinary writing” and is typically not graded. • Often, it is less structured and not graded. • Examples: journals, summaries, responses to oral or written questions, free writing, notes Module 2: Unit 2, Session 4

Example: Writing-to-Learn Strategy • Using the List-Group-Label strategy • Write everything that comes to mind when you think of _____________ (major content-area concept) • With a partner, group, or as a class -- organize the lists into related groups • Ask students what patterns / themes they notice?

How might you use the List-Group-Label “writing-to-learn” strategy to get students ready to read, ready to write, and ready to learn? How could you surface initial understandings (or misconceptions) using this strategy, then have students revise later?

Writing-to-Demonstrate Knowledge: From Michigan “Writing Across the Content Areas” Documents, p. 3 • “When writing-to-demonstrate-knowledge, students show what they have learned by synthesizing information and explaining their understanding of concepts and ideas.” • “Students write for an audience with a specific purpose.” • “Products may apply knowledge in new ways or use academic structures for research and/or formal writing.” • Often, it is more structured and graded. • Examples: writing expository texts, reports, essays that deal with particular questions or problems, and letters (e.g., to the editor); doing creative writing; and writing for web sites and projects Module 2: Unit 2, Session 4

Example: Writing-to-Dem. Knowledge • ELA – Analytical essay, arguing for particular interpretation of a text • Math – Research report presenting observation/experiment findings • Science – Research report presenting observation/experiment findings • Social Studies – Argument essay, arguing for future action after analyzing historical trends

Think-Pair-Share • Based on your class(es), draw a pie chart for how much students in your school: • Write to Learn • Write to Demonstrate Knowledge • Talk with a partner about what you drew and why. • Which of the charts below did yours most closely resemble? What does this mean for your students/school? Module 2: Unit 2, Session 4

Let’s Review Strategies for Both • Both “Writing-to-Learn” and “Writing to Demonstrate Knowledge” are critical components of secondary education. • Students need to know how to engage in inquiry through writing AND how to produce documents in the style/format/language of particular disciplines. Module 2: Unit 2, Session 4

Reviewing Discipline-Specific Strategies • Please read/review one of the following, according to your disciplinary focus: • Writing Across the Curriculum: ELA • Writing Across the Curriculum: Mathematics • Writing Across the Curriculum: Science • Writing Across the Curriculum: Social Studies Module 2: Unit 2, Session 4

Reviewing Discipline-Specific Strategies • While reviewing the article(s), please also refer to the sample of student writing you brought to this session. • Make notes on the jigsaw organizer as you read/review the writing strategies and student writing you brought to the session. • How are instructional goals / strategies connected? • What have you already been using? What could you incorporate?

Complete a Jigsaw organizer • List 3 big ideas, strategies, concepts that are new to you. • Summarize what might work for you, what might not. • Any other important facts? • At the bottom of the chart, list 4 strategies that you plan to try with your students this year – describe the strategy in enough detail to help remind yourself later.

Reviewing WAC Strategies Coming Back Together: • What did you find that was new? • What did you find that reinforces work you are already doing? • What did you find that was okay, but would need modification (particularly for high school) to work? • What did you find that might work best for your content area? Module 2: Unit 2, Session 4

Wrap-Up • Questions to Consider: • What are the ways that I am currently using writing in my classes? • How might I teach writing skills more explicitly, to encourage content-area thinking? • How might I more seamlessly connect “writing-to-learn” and “writing to demonstrate knowledge”?

Further Study • Experiment with one of the writing strategies that you identified as potentially effective in the earlier Jigsaw activity • What happened with your students’ writing? • How was their thinking revealed? • What obstacles did they encounter? • What would you do differently next time?

References • Michigan Department of Education: Writing Across the Curriculum: English Language Arts • Michigan Department of Education: Writing Across the Curriculum: Mathematics • Michigan Department of Education: Writing Across the Curriculum: Science • Michigan Department of Education: Writing Across the Curriculum: Social Studies

Module 2: Content-Area Literacy