WRITING CAN TAKE

							     WRITING CAN TAKE
       MANY FORMS:

adventure stories
                        how-to-do-it articles
anecdotes                                       reactions
                        humorous stories
animal fiction                                  realistic fiction
animal non-fiction                              reports
                        information
apologies                                       resumes
                        interviews
autobiography                                   retellings
                                                reviews
                        jokes and riddles
biography                                       revisions
                        journals
book reviews
                        jump rope rhymes
brochures                                       satires
                                                scary stories
                        legends
cartoons                                        short story
                        letters
character sketches                              science articles
                        lists
comic strips                                    science fiction
complaints                                      sequels
                        magazine articles
cumulative stories                              songs
                        memories
                                                speeches
                        monologues
descriptions                                    spoofs
                        mysteries
diaries                                         sports articles
                        myths
editorials                                      sports stories
encyclopedia entries                            spy stories
                        news articles
endings                 nonfiction
espionage                                       TV commercials
essays                                          tall tales
                        opinions
eulogies                                        testimonials
explanations                                    thank you notes
                        pamphlets
                                                tongue twisters
                        parodies
fables                                          travel brochures
                        personal experiences
fairy tales             persuasive letters
fantasies                                       want ads
                        picture books
fashion articles                                wanted posters
                        plays
fiction                 poems
folklore                proposals
ghost stories
TEACHING STRENGTHS OF SOME FORMS/GENRES OF WRITING

PERSONAL ESSAY - High interest. Voice, ideas.

PERSUASIVE ESSAY - Organization, thinking skills.

OPINION ESSAY - Thinking skills, ideas, organization.

NONFICTION ARTICLE - Research skills, organization.

MONOLOGUE - High interest. First person voice, sentence fluency.

PICTURE BOOK - Plot, characterization, word choice, sentence fluency, illustration.

SHORT STORY - Plot, characterization, word choice, sentence fluency.

BIOGRAPHY - Research skills and/or interviewing skills, organization.

INTERVIEW - High interest. Speaking skills, question-asking skills, organization.

PLAYS - High interest. Dialogue, plot, speaking skills, performance skills.

POETRY - Word choice, ideas, voice.

LETTERS - High interest. Voice, sentence fluency.




                                WHY TEACH GENRES?
Why? Because writing adheres to different forms. While the qualities of good writing cut across all
genres and forms of writing, each genre or form has its own "rules." (The form a letter takes is different
from the form a short story takes, for example.) In a persuasive essay, the writer must take a clear stand
on an issue and anticipate all objections/contrary arguments to his point-of-view. A good mystery writer
weaves a trail of clues to the solving of his mystery.

When I sit down to write, I gear my writing toward a specific form--whether it’s picture book, essay, a
letter, an easy reader or a longer chapter book. While occasionally a story that starts out to be a picture
book might turn into a chapter book instead, or even a poem, most of the time I write to the requirements
of a specific form or genre. Students can do this too. To get started, what they need are good models of
the form or genre they are attempting to emulate. One genre that works particularly well for student
writing in the curricular areas of science and social studies is realistic or historical fiction--in the the
form of a "Day in the life of" paper.

In a Day in the life of an animal paper, students write from the point-of-view of an animal. (Click here
to see student sample) Since the genre is realistic fiction, students must incorporate carefully-
researched details about the animal’s life and behavior in their writing. Good examples of realistic
animal fiction can be found in many published books for children, including a series by Jean Craighead
George called "The Moon of " series. (The Moon of the Gray Wolves; The Moon of the Mountain Lion,
etc.). Ask a librarian to recommend other similar titles. Restricting the paper to a single day in the
animal’s life helps put boundaries on the writing, so that student writers are working with an easy-to-
handle time frame, one which should also "force" them to "write small," using plenty of details that
show, rather than tell. For steps to follow in making the assignment, see Steps to Take in Teaching Any
Genre or Form of Writing, which follows this introduction.

A variation on the Day in the life of paper that works well for social studies writing, is realistic or
historical fiction writing in the form of diary entries. Click here to see student sample. Here, students
write from the point-of-view of a fictional character who is close to their own age. Students must
incorporate details about the setting, historical period, dress, food, customs, etc. that they have carefully
researched. Writing about a person close to their own age allows students to use their knowledge of
themselves--their curiosities, fears, feelings, etc.--to inform their writing. You’ll want to encourage them
to model their main character’s family on what they know about their own families and their friends’
families, too. It’s probably best to restrict diary entries to a certain number (perhaps 4 - 6) broken up
over the course of only one or two days. As noted earlier, shorter time frames are more manageable for
students, and usually result in more detailed writing.

           STEPS TO TAKE IN TEACHING ANY GENRE OR FORM OF WRITING:

   1. Read aloud (and have students read on their own) professionally-written examples of the

       genre/form.

   2. Using writing terms (voice, word choice, sentence fluency, sensory details, strong verbs, etc.),

       point out what makes the writing effective.

   3. Discuss the characteristics of the genre/form. How is it different from other genres/forms? With

       students, make a list of what they’ll want to think about and include when they write their own

       biography, research paper, persuasive essay, picture book, monologue, business letter, etc. They

       should also jot down notes about possible topics in a Writer’s notebook or other place for storing

       ideas.

   4. If the writing will involve research, teach systems for note-taking, interviewing skills (if needed),

       and whatever other skills students will need.

   5. Students pre-write, then write a rough draft. (NOTE: This step assumes you’ve already modeled

       in previous mini-lessons different methods of pre-writing and tips on getting rough drafts down

       quickly.) Put aside the rough drafts to return to later.
6. Share strong and weak anonymous student samples of the genre or form. Use writing terms and

    the class-generated list of characteristics to assess and talk about what makes the writings

    effective or not-so-effective.

7. Students work in pairs to revise a weak anonymous student sample and/or a sample YOU have

    written, in one or more traits.

8. Students use a rubric (such as Six-Trait rubrics) and characteristics list to assess their rough

    drafts, then write a second draft.

9. Students conference with each other (and with you) to get feedback on their second drafts.

10. Students use feedback to write a third draft.

11. Students edit to the best of their ability. (Use editing checklists.)

12. Students self-evaluate and assess their writing.

13. YOU evaluate and assess their writing.

14. Sharing of finished pieces and or publication