Writing and Civics 2012-2013
Jan 29, 2016
Slide 1
Writing and Civics2012-2013
WritingCritical ThinkingWhere our students are and what to expect Why write?1. Loudoun County has placed renewed emphasis on writing in social studies and in science. two 5-paragraph essays every year in middle school
2. SOLs - writing and critical thinking
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 LearningCE.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 LearningCE.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 wellSynthesizing information helps students understand the Civics content.Stimulates critical thinkingPromotes logical thinking
More benefitsProvides practice at the craft of writing
Helps ease student anxiety about writing
Our plan for the year 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
Civics writing vs. English writingTypically fact-based rather than based on personal observations or feelings Requires knowledge of a topicUsually written in third personUsually does not ask for an opinionOften requires research or examination of primary documents
Different purposes of writingFormal vs. informalFiction vs. non-fiction
Note to a friend vs. letter to a U.S. senator
Persuasive, informative, reflective
Learning to match writing style with prompt
Rising expectationsOne paragraph as part of a quizA brief summaryAn opinion pieceAnalysis (Run for the White House)Five-paragraph essaysDebate (synthesizing information)Compare and Contrast (Political parties)Informational writingDBQ -- short, introductory assignment What writing requires Understanding the information Planning with a graphic organizer Logical structure Accuracy Flow Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling
See CHECKLIST FOR WRITERS handoutWhere 8th graders struggle
Where is the proofreading in this pie?Knowing the content Cant compare two documents without understanding them
Providing sufficient facts and supporting detail.
Putting what they know into words
Leaving out their opinion (unless requested in the prompt)
Writing in third person (tend to use I in all writing)
Complete sentences Correct punctuation and capitalization Correct spelling of familiar words Not-so-good writing
Average Writing
What Good Writing Looks Like
Writing TipsWhen allowed, type your assignment (to take advantage of spelling and grammar checks)Read your paper aloud; youll catch many errors that way.Ask a parent or sibling to read your writing (Does it make sense to them?)
Eliminate wordinessAvoid repetitionAvoid repetition
The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.
Thomas JeffersonSecond semesterResearch papersMulti-document DBQs (document-based questions)Political cartoon analysisSupreme Court case research and analysisPrimary document analysisMore challenging reading and writing
What to expect in high schoolSummer pre-AP assignmentSignificantly greater volume of workChapter outliningChapter questionsDBQs (Document-based questions)
Benefits of writing wellReason #1: Written output is a great way to assess student knowledge.
Reason #2: Writing is the essential skill students need as they enter adult life.
Reason #3: Helping students learn to express themselves with confidence in all subject areas. Copyright 1995-2003 by Steve PehaThank you for your time, interest, and support!