Writing for Understanding

Writing for Understanding activities give students rich experiences, such as role-playing, discussing complex issues, or acting out key events to write about. Students develop ideas and form opinions during the experience, before beginning to write. The experience becomes a springboard for writing, challenging students to clarify ideas, organize information, and express what they have learned. These activities give all learners, even those with lesser linguistic skills, something memorable to write about.

Steps at a Glance

• 1. Give students a rich experience to write about.
• 2. Have students record their ideas, thoughts, and feelings in a prewriting activity.
• 3. Provide students with an authentic writing assignment.
• 4. Guide students through the writing process.

• Visual Discovery
• Social Studies Skill Builder
• Experiential Exercises
• Writing for Understanding
• Response Groups
• Problem Solving Groupwork