Chapter 1: Importance of Writing Across Content Areas

Chapter 2: Personal Writing

Chapter 3: Descriptive Writing

Chapter 4: Poetry

Chapter 5: Narrative Writing

Chapter 6: Expository Writing

References

Table of Contents

Writing across content areas is very important because it help students retain information for a much longer period of time. Also, it helps them understand the information being covered. Writing has been proven to help students learn better if the write about a topic they have discussed.

Chapter 1

Importance of Writing across Content Areas

Chapter 2

Personal Writing

When most people think of personal writing they think of diaries and letters. Personal writing contains these but it also covers a much larger area. Journals, reading logs, double-entry journals are all part of personal writing as well.

Using this genre in the classroom can help students with their writing fluency and help students think more deeply about their readings. Also, it can be away for the student and teacher to communicate.

Journals can be used to document an experience, explore ideas, ask questions, activate prior knowledge, engage their imagination, assume the role of another person or to solve problems. Journals can be used across all content areas to help students enhance their learning.

Chapter 3

Descriptive Writing

Descriptive writing is using words to create a picture or a certain mood. Writiters must be aware of word choices and sensory images. Writing descriptively helps improve the effectiveness of all compositions as well as to write descriptive essays, paragraphs and sentences. Descriptive writing should be taught to all grade levels.

There are 5 techniques a writer must use to make their writing more descriptive:

Specific information: This requires you give characters names, identify specific activities, behaviors, identify the setting and list attributes.

Word Choice: This requires that the writer chooses words that are specific and striking and give their writing power.

Sensory Images: This requires that the writer use their 5 senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste) to make vivid images and make the picture come to life.

Figurative Language: This requires that the writer take a new look at the world around them to accomplish this writers will use personification, onomatopoeia and comparisons.

Dialogue: Writers can add description to their writing by having the characters speak. Give the characters specific speech patterns so they don't all sound alike.

Chapter 4

Poetry

There are many forms of poetry and it doesn't necessarily have to rhyme. Formula poems provide a outline for students. These formulas make it easy for every student to become flourishing poet.

A color poem begins each line with a color. Either the color is repeated in each line or a different color is added.

I am Drew Brees

I am a quarterback of New Orleans Saints.

I am married and have 3 boys

I played college football at Purdue University

I am ranked 3rd among NFL passing touchdown leaders

I have thrown 488 touchdowns

I wear the number 9

I am helping improve the lives of cancer patients with

            Brees Dream Foundation

I have 1 Super Bowl Ring

I am Dree Brees

"I am. . . " or character poems writers assume the role of a book character and write a poem from their viewpoint.

If I were poems writers describe how they would feel if they were something else.

I used to ... but now ... poems contrast what the writer used to know with what they have learned.

Writing

I used to think writing was just about complete sentences,

but now I know it is about much more.

I used to think that every sentence had to be grammatically correct,

but now I know to focus on content more.

I used to think writing was just about essays and papers,

but now I know that quick writes and journaling are important, too.

I used to think that all poetry had to rhyme,

but now I know that’s not the case.

I used to think writing a rough draft was the hardest part,

but now I know the real work is the revising stage.

I used to think that a child had to read before they could write,

but now I know children start to write long before they are able to read.

Preposition Poems begin each line with a preposition. It is helpful to have a list of prepositions to refer to when writing these types of poems.

Wish Poems begin each line with I wish.