2013-2014 portfolio Formative writing Summative writing Teacher feedback Quarterly self-assessment...
Transcript of 2013-2014 portfolio Formative writing Summative writing Teacher feedback Quarterly self-assessment...
Why Write?
1. Loudoun County has placed increased emphasis on writing in social studies and in science.
two 5-paragraph essays every year in middle school
2. SOL tests – more critical thinking & application questions
Virginia Standards of Learning
CE.1.h The student will develop the
social studies skills responsible
citizenship requires, including the
ability to select and defend positions
in writing, discussion, and debate.
Virginia Standards of Learning
CE.1.g The student will develop the
social studies skills responsible
citizenship requires, including the
ability to formulate an informed,
carefully reasoned position on a
community issue.
Virginia Standards of Learning
CE.1.f The student will develop the
social studies skills responsible
citizenship requires, including the
ability to identify a problem, weigh the
expected costs and benefits and
possible consequences of proposed solutions, and recommend solutions.
Virginia Standards of Learning
CE.1.d The student will develop the social studies skills responsible citizenship requires, including the ability to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information.
Virginia Standards of Learning
CE.1.a The student will develop the social studies skills responsible citizenship requires, including the ability to examine and interpret primary and secondary source documents
The Benefits of Writing Well
Synthesizing information helps students
understand the Civics content.
Stimulates critical thinking
Promotes logical thought
Our Plan
Teach students about different types of writing
Help students do a better job of planning their
writing, writing clearly, and proofreading
Encourage students to evaluate their own writing
Increase the complexity of writing tasks
Purposes of Writing
Formal vs. Informal
Non-fiction vs. Fiction
Letter to the governor vs. note to a
friend
Learning to match writing
style with prompt
Civics vs. English
Typically based on facts rather than on personal observations or feelings
Requires knowledge of a topic
Usually written in third person
Often does not ask for an opinion
Often requires research or examination of primary documents
What Writing Requires
Understanding the information
Planning with a graphic organizer
Logical structure
Accuracy
Flow
Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling
Rising expectations
One paragraph as homework
A brief summary
An opinion piece for a quiz
Analysis (Governor’s Race)
Five-paragraph essays
Debate (synthesizing information)
Compare and Contrast (Political parties)
Informational writing
DBQ -- short, introductory assignment
Building Skills
Writing portfolio
Formative writing
Summative writing
Teacher feedback
Quarterly self-assessment
Leaving out
their opinion (unless requested
in the prompt)
Writing in
third person (tend to use “I” in
all writing)
Knowing the content
Can’t compare two documents without understanding them
Providing sufficient
facts and supporting
detail.
Putting what they
know
into words
“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”
Thomas Jefferson
Writing Tips
When permitted, type your assignment (to take advantage of spelling
and grammar checks)
Read your paper aloud; you’ll catch many errors that way.
More Tips
Ask a parent or sibling to read your writing (Does it make sense to them?)
Take advantage of resources on our websites and elsewhere
(Tips on writing introductions, conclusions, transitions, sentence variety)
Second Quarter and Beyond
Research papers
Multi-document DBQs (document-based questions)
Political cartoon analysis
Supreme Court case research and analysis
Primary document analysis
More challenging reading and writing
What to Expect in High School
Summer pre-AP assignment
Significantly greater volume of work
Chapter outlining
Chapter questions
DBQs (Document-based questions)
Why Write?
Written output is a great way to assess student knowledge.
Helps students learn to express themselves with confidence in all subjects
Writing is the essential skill students need as they enter adult life.
Copyright 1995-2003 by Steve Peha