[LIT] writing in History and English

[Barbara Lazar]

 there is a real need - and desire - to search for more ways
> to integrate and collaborate in grades 9-12 (yay upper school teachers!).
>
>
As a teacher of both language arts AND social studies (sometimes together, 
as a "humanities" class) , one technique I have used as a way to connect the 
content of history with the skills of writing, is a R.A.F.T. --- R=Role; 
A=audience; F= format; T= topic --- for example... Role: you are a settler 
in the New World, Audience: you are writing to your family left back in the 
crowded cities of Europe; Format - you are writing a "friendly letter" to 
them; Topic: you are alleviating their fears about coming to the colonies by 
letting them know about your journey, the history of your colony, and what 
life is like for you....  I have gotten some great writing and evidence of 
thinking from this particular RAFT -- there are SOOO many more examples, and 
having kids come up with their own RAFT can also be a fun way to synthesize 
knowledge!!

Barb Lazar
Cleveland Middle School
Albuquerque, NM