2. Objectives
• To examine the Common Core State
Standards and their focus on writing
• To discuss Writing Across the
Curriculum—what it is and its benefits
• To create writing activities that will help
our students learn and improve their
writing skills
3. Common Core Standards
• Standards developed for K-12 in Math
and English Language Arts (ELA)
• Forty-five states have adopted these
standards
• Missouri has adopted; plan to implement
2014-2015 school year
(National Governors Assoc. for Best Practices & Council
of Chief State School Officers, 2010)
4. Common Core Standards
• ELA standards include
– Literature & informational text
– Foundational skills
– Writing skills
– Speaking & Listening Skills
– Language Skills
(National Governors Assoc. for Best Practices & Council
of Chief State School Officers, 2010)
5. A Writing ELA Standard
(National Governors Assoc. for Best Practices &
Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010)
6. Common Core Standards
• ELA standards also include literacy in
– Science
– Social Studies
– History
– Technical Subjects
(National Governors Assoc. for Best Practices & Council
of Chief State School Officers, 2010)
8. Comparison of Two Standards
English Writing History/Science/Tech
• “Write arguments to • “Write arguments
support claims in an focused on discipline-
analysis…” specific content.”
• “Introduce claims…” • “Introduce claims…”
• “Develop • “Develop
claims/counterclaims…” claims/counterclaims…”
• “Use words, phrases, and • “Use words, phrases, and
clauses to link…” clauses to link…”
• “Establish and maintain a • “Establish and maintain a
formal style and formal style and
objective tone…” objective tone…”
• “Providing a concluding • “Providing a concluding
statement…” statement…”
(NGABP & CCSS, 2010)
9. The Only Difference…
• “Write arguments to • “Write arguments
support claims in an focused on
analysis of discipline-specific
substantive topics or content.”
texts, using valid
reasoning and
relevant and
sufficient evidence.” Not much
difference!
(NGABP & CCSS, 2010)
10. Let’s Evaluate
5-10 minutes:
Look through the ELA standards
and see how many standards
ask for students to write or use
processes that can involve
writing.
11. Share
What are some of the
standards that ask students
to write or use processes
that involve writing?
16. What is WAC?
• Writing to Learn
– Using writing to learn new material
• Learning to Write
– Working on writing skills
In ALL disciplines
(McLeod, 1987; McLeod & Maimon, 2000)
17. Benefits of WAC
• Provides students with writing
practice
• Great learning tool for students
• Works on students’ critical thinking
skills
• Shows students’ learning, thought-
processes, and misunderstandings
(McLeod, 1987; McLeod & Maimon, 2000)
18. Fears vs. Solutions
Fears Solutions
• Lack of expertise • Don't focus on grammar
• Write along with students
• Take time away from • Collaborate with
own content to teach teachers
writing • Stagger big writing
assignments
• More grading • Small writing assignments
just as beneficial as big
• Evaluation processes ones
• Evaluate only one-two
elements of writing
(Borchers, 2001; Fincke, 1982; Graham,
Gillespie, & McKeown, 2012; Graves, • Don’t grade everything!
1995; Gribbin, 1991; Kinloch, 2009)
19. Some Strategies
• Journals/Diaries/Logs
• Write for a Real Audience
• Write Daily
• Freewriting/Focused Freewriting
• (See Handout for More)
(Jacobs, 2002; Moss 1991)
22. Your Turn to Share
• What are 1-2 writing activities you
currently use in your classroom?
• How do these help your students learn
material and/or work on their writing
skills?
23. Create Writing Activities
15-20 minutes:
As a group, come up with some
activities that teachers (either
discipline-specific or across the
board) can use in their classrooms
that will help students to learn and
practice their writing skills.
24. Share Ideas
• What activities did you come up with?
• How do they help students learn?
• How do they work on students’ writing
skills?
• Can they relate back to any of the
CCSS standards?
25. Something to Remember
For writing activities to be effective,
teachers should:
• Model Writing
• Provide Expectations Clearly
• Provide Feedback/Conference
• Focus Less on Conventions
(Borchers, 2001; Fincke, 1982; Graham,
Gillespie, & McKeown, 2012; Graves, 1995;
Gribbin, 1991; Kinloch, 2009; Moss, 1991)
26. Overview
• Our students need the opportunity to
write, not only to improve these skills
but to also prepare them for the CCSS
• Writing Across the Curriculum provides
students with the opportunity to write
often to practice those skills
• WAC also provides students with
writing as a tool for learning
27. Bibliography
Borchers, D. L. (2001). Writing across the curriculum: A simple
approach to correcting. New England Reading
Association Journal, 37(2), 11-13.
Fincke, G. (1982). Writing across the curriculum in high school. The
Clearing House, 56(2), 71-73.
Graham, S., Gillespie, A., & McKeown, D. (2012). Writing:
importance, development, and instruction. Reading and
Writing, 26(1), 1-15.
Graves, D. H. (1995). Be a better writing teacher. Education
Digest, 60(9), 57-60.
Gribbin, W. G. (1991). Writing across the curriculum: Assignments
and evaluations. The Clearning House, 64(6), 365-368.
Jacobs, V. A. (2002). Reading, writing, and understanding.
Educational Leadership, 60(3), 58-61.
28. Bibliography
Kinloch, V. (2009). Innovative writing instruction. The English
Journal, 98(5), 103-107.
Maimon, S. M. (2000). Clearing the air: WAC myths and realities.
College English, 62(5), 573-583.
McLeod, S. (1987). Defining writing across the curriculum. WPA:
Writing Program Administration, 11(1-2), 19-24.
Moss, B. (1991). Promoting reading and writing in the middle-
grade content-area classroom. The Clearing House, 65(1),
11-13.
National Governors Association for Best Practices, C. o. (2010).
Common core standards. Washington, D.C.: National
Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council
of Chief State School Officers. Retrieved from Common
core state standards initiative.
