Topic: Teaching Writing in the

Content Areas
Focus: Central Idea

Search Questions:
How can we support students in
content-specific writing?
What are the most effective writing
instruction practices for teachers to
use during RTII?
Rationale:

2014 EOC scores and RTII reports show that

students are struggling with writing.
Up to sixth grade the literacy standards focus on
identifying a central idea, determining
supporting details by citing textual evidence, and
summarizing. In 7th and above, the standards
move to applying these skills to two or more
texts.
Writing is applicable in all classes and it can be
used in different ways
Achieve 3000 is not currently being taken
advantage of

-Denise Rice

School Data
70%

2
%

60%

ELDA Scores

50%
15%

40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Column2

24
%

59
%

PreFunctional
Beginner
Intermediat
e
Advanced

Research Support
Effective writing instruction integrates
disciplines.
The opportunity to write in every class
develops good writers.
Integration of writing promotes student
participation, a diversity of student voices,
and engages students as critical thinkers.
Only by practicing the thinking and writing
conventions of an academic discipline will
students begin to communicate effectively
within that discipline.

My Search Process
First Step:
Pick my
coachs
brain

Next: Consult
Emily who lead
me to Sethna

Sethna
lead me to
many
many more
resources

Look up best
graphic
organizers
for strategies
compiled

Use some of
the
comprehensio
n strategies
with my
student
(tested them
out- they
word ;))

Borrow
from
Katie

Strategies I have learned about:

While
Reading:
Think Aloud (a-b)
Predicting and
Inferring (c)
Finding MAIN
IDEA (d)
Asking questions
(e)
Using
Schema/activatin
g prior
knowledge (f)

After Reading:

Retelling (g)
Sequencing (h)
Compare/Contras
t (i)
Problem/Solution
(i)
Cause/Effect (i)
Journaling
Story Mapping (j)
GIST (k)
RAFT
Exit Ticket

Underlin
e key
words
and
details

Main Idea
Summariz
ing

Identify
topic
sentenc
es

Webbin
g (l)

Guided
Reading
Questions
Categori
ze words
from a
passage

Create a
title for a
paragraph
or passage

Step by Step Example:

Webbing
Introduce the type of graphic organizer you intend to use
and explain why you are choosing it.
Read a passage from the textbook out loud while students
read along silently.
Model underlining key ideas on the projector and talk
through your thinking.
After reading, fill out the web graphic organizer in front of
students by working backwards (start with filling in the
details and end with the main idea).
Show that you have to look back at what you underlined to
figure out what was most important.
Give students a second passage so they can try the
strategy. Let them work in pairs to complete the graphic
organizer while you walk around the room and help when
needed.

Women
dont often
look
directly at
the
camera

Men
standing
over
women in
ads

Topic: Gender Roles in

Media
Women
looking
like girls

Women
are weak
and men
are
strong
Women
oversexualized

Implications
Literacy graphic organizers can be used in
any classroom
If students are going to be successful in
reading and writing, they have to practice
in all classes
As EOC assessments increase in difficulty,
they increase in writing requirements
Writing is a means to your individual end
(please- still teach your content, just use
writing to do it)

Your Turn!
Given the following objectives, work with
a partner to create a lesson plan with a
sequence of activities for teaching how
to write about central idea.
Objectives: Identify the central idea in
the text. Write a paragraph explaining
the central idea using textual support.
Content areas and classroom contexts
are listed on your lesson plan templates.

Reflection
Write done at least
one thing you learned
today.

Write down at least

one thing you are
still wondering or
would like to see in
future PD
presentations.

Additional Resources