Writing in Social Studies:Writing in Social Studies:

Using Genre to Deepen Understanding

Kari Reynolds

Co-Director, Lake Michigan Writing Project

Meta-Commentary: Meta-Commentary: The PacketThe Packet

Include identifiers in your presentation: include your name, school district, contact information, workshop title and LMWP

Only make paper copies of text we need to write on or individually study during your demo. For all else, keep your file electronic and project it as a presentation.

If you have any paper handouts (student work or worksheets to complete, for instance), include a cover sheet and number the pages so that during the demo you can refer people more easily to particulars

If you have any paper handouts, make sure you have 18 copies (3 for guests)

Meta-Commentary: Meta-Commentary: The PacketThe Packet

Minimally, your presentation resources should include information that describes what you are demonstrating, your rationale for this sort of instruction, student work that participants will actually examine and discuss during your workshop, and only assignment sheets relevant to your demo.

My QuestionsMy Questions

How do I use writing in my content area as a tool for learning?

Where can I restructure to find time to write in social studies?

Guiding ThoughtGuiding Thought

Writing is not just one of the “language arts.” It is also a form of thinking, a way of engaging and acting on information.

Harvey Daniels

Meta-Commentary:Meta-Commentary:Getting StartedGetting Started

Include quotes in order to contextualize your beliefs about the teaching of writing, but don’t talk about them too long. The key for demos is to get people active within the first ten minutes and keep them active. It is a sin to lecture at teachers.

Think of your demo in sections or “acts.” It helps to keep you organized.

Admit SlipAdmit Slip

What type of writing opportunities did you have in content area courses throughout your educational career? In what ways did these opportunities help you to understand the subject matter more (less) clearly?

Now That You’ve Written…Now That You’ve Written…

Find a partner and read responses.

Be prepared to discuss with the whole group after chatting with your partner.

Meta-Commentary:Meta-Commentary:Participant ConversationParticipant Conversation

Talking is a wonderful thing. It creates the conversation that we want. Demonstrations need to make room for talk. HOWEVER BE EXTRA CAREFUL with your sense of timing. Teachers can talk.

Mix up the type of talking participants will engage in throughout the demo. There could be a time for pair-share, small group share and whole group share. Talking helps us process.

Classroom discussion is usually one person talking and 29 others sitting, pretending to listen, and hoping that their turn never comes. This ain’t exactly what the standard documents call “engaged learning.” In fact, whole-class discussions may be routine, but it is a pretty passive form of instruction, since most kids at any given moment are not actively engaged in the material. Within written conversation, you can have a “discussion” where everyone is actively talking at once – though silently, in writing. Sure, you may have a few kids drift off the topic or say they can’t think of anything – but you’ll also have a solid majority of the class actually thinking about your subject. – Harvey Daniels

Meta-Commentary:Meta-Commentary:Theory & Practice WeaveTheory & Practice Weave

Maintain a balance between theory and practice. Too much of either can mess with the flow of your demo. Note, I offer a concrete writing move. Then I shift to theory. Then I use a piece of student writing as an example. And all of this comes under the idea of an approach, using genre to deepen content area understanding.

Writing Opportunities in Writing Opportunities in Social StudiesSocial Studies

Reflection records or learning logs

Admit slips Exit slips Stop and jot Listing Fact/value lists K-W-L Graphic organizers Predictions

Write about current events

Dialogue journals Text to

self/text/world connections

Persuasive essays using core democratic values and data

Student Writing ExampleStudent Writing Example

How does this student use content area knowledge to inform her writing?

What genre does this appear to be?

What purpose(s) does this writing serve?

Meta-Commentary:Meta-Commentary:Classroom ArtifactsClassroom Artifacts

Use teaching artifacts to ground your demonstration lesson. Remember, the proof is in the puddin’.

Don’t read your entire assignment to us. Teachers appreciate having it, but they don’t want to have it read to them.

In selecting student work, be judicious in your choices. Only select those that illustrate your point. BE SURE TO HAVE STUDENTS’ EXAMPLES. Spend time talking about the examples. I want to look at a few because the range of work is instructive for the larger idea of using genre to deepen content area understanding.

How Do Historians Get How Do Historians Get Information?Information?

Genres in the Social Studies Classroom

Newspaper articles and interviews

Narrative stories Plays Conversations Biography Autobiography Letters Victory Speeches Propaganda

Birth Certificates Death Certificates Journals/Diaries Maps Posters Songs Advertisements Editorials Timelines Petitions

11stst Semester Genre Timeline Semester Genre Timeline

September – maps, timelines and newspapers/magazines (overview, review and current events)

October – plays, conversations and narratives (Native Americans)

November – biographies and diaries (Early Explorers)

December – letters and advertisements (Later Explorers)

22ndnd Semester Genre Timeline Semester Genre TimelineJanuary – drawings with captions and

wanted/notice of meeting posters (Settlers and Settlements)

February – Victory speeches and propaganda (Encounters with N.A.)

March – Editorials, petitions, birth/death certificates (England and Colonies Disagree)

April and May – Multigenre Research (Revolutionary War and Government)

Meta-Commentary:Meta-Commentary:TimelinesTimelines

Provide a timeline. A classic question is “how long did it take you to do this?” Prepare for it.

Try It!Try It!

Read information about your historical figure.

Working with a partner, choose a genre that will help you remember what you’ve learned. This writing should also teach the rest of us something.

Write.Be prepared to share.

Genres in the Social Studies Classroom

Newspaper articles and interviews

Narrative stories Plays Conversations Biography Autobiography Letters Victory Speeches Propaganda

Birth Certificates Death Certificates Journals/Diaries Maps Posters Songs Advertisements Editorials Timelines Petitions

What was that like?What was that like?

How did it feel?How was it different than traditional

ways you might write in social studies?

How might this benefit students?

High Stakes AssessmentHigh Stakes Assessment

Obviously, this type of writing is not the type of writing assessed on standardized tests. What is it that makes this type of writing valuable to students as they prepare for these tests?

Meta-Commentary:Meta-Commentary:Standardized TestsStandardized Tests

We can’t avoid the elephant in the middle of the living room. Standardized tests are out there. Yet, we believe we need to change the conversation from being test-obsessed to referencing these assessments and integrating the tests with our experiences as teachers of writing. Each of our demonstrations will be more persuasive-ultimately-if there is (some) space for standardized assessment talk. My example is more to provoke conversation for us. We’re depending on you all to get more specific in your demonstrations as we figure out ways to shift our profession’s conversation.

Exit SlipExit Slip

How can using genre deepen understanding in social studies?

Meta-Commentary:Meta-Commentary:ConclusionConclusion

Teachers are suspicious of grand claims about “the answer.” Rightfully so. At the same time, they appreciate some tentative ideas that suggest possible actions. Use this opportunity to take a position (recognizing it will be provisional).

Your list of suggested reading / bibliography is where you take it to another level as a teacher consultant. You bring the actual books/articles to show that you’re working on keeping current in the field. You don’t overwhelm. But you want to demonstrate that you’ve done some reading in the field.

I want more than exposure: I want immersion. I want students to travel the territory of a concept, to get to know its geography.

Tom Romano

Books and Articles for Further Books and Articles for Further StudyStudy

Allen, Camille A. 2001. The Multigenre Research Paper: Voice, Passion, and Discovery in Grades 4-6. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann-Boynton/Cook.

Allen, Camille A. and Laurie Swistak. 2004”Multigenre Research: The Power of choice and Interpretation.” Language Arts 81(3): 223.

Daniels, Harvey. 2007. Content-Area Writing: Every Teacher’s Guide. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Daniels, Harvey. 2004. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher’s Guide to Content Area Reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Romano, Tom. 2000. Blending Genre, Altering Style: Writing Multigenre Papers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann-Boynton/Cook.

Romano, Tom. 1995. Writing with Passion: Life Stories, Multiple Genres. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann-Boynton/Cook.