Anne Frank theme dioramas are in, and they look great! Our students worked hard to ensure that they were able not only to depict their theme visually, but were able to support that depiction with a CEE paragraph (Claim, Evidence, & Explanation). Videos will be posted soon!
We also completed our latest RAFTs in which students chose a Role, an Audience, a Format, and a Topic about which they could write. To enhance these pieces, we focused on “word choice”, specifically the way in which vivid, yet precise words strengthen the author’s message and effect felt by her audience.
This week, we are focusing on two new components of writing: the expository writing genre, and the “voice” writing trait. I’ve noticed that the overwhelming majority of students appear to uphold the impression that expository writing – research writing in particular – is dry, dull, and uninspiring. Let’s be honest: it can be. Therefore, in an effort to support the students’ Civil War research projects in History class, we will focus on strategies for using “voice” to give pizazz to their writing. My goal is to demonstrate how research and informative writing can be fun! (we began with an article about Steven Tyler from Rolling Stone Magazine to make the point).
Stay tuned, and please write-in with any questions or concerns.
