Writing Activities

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College Readiness in Writing for the San Antonio Area

Writing Activities for College Readiness

A set of 29 writing assignments created by participants in the July 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012 Open Institutes on College Readiness in Writing
(assignments are MSWord .doc, pdf, or .ppt files)

2012 Assignments --many based on RAFT Assignments
Promoting Critical Thinking and Informed Citizenship by Presenting Controversial Issues --Sonia Solt, Lanier High School	Expository STAAR Essay Prompts RAFTed --Frances Santos, Travis Early College High School
Scarlett Letter RAFT Writing Topics --Daveela Wilson, Highlands High School	Science Writing Assignment --Lornnette Zatopek, St. Georges Episcopal School (7th grade)
Pen Pal Set of Assignment --Renee Caro and Clarissa Hernandez, Legacy Middle School --Outline of Project --Parent Permission Letter	Product Review Writing Assignment --Amanda Martinez, Navarro Academy (9th grade)
RAFT Writing About James and the Giant Peach --Brandi Garcia, W.W. White Elementary	Journaling to Promote Proficiency --Jennifer Emerson, Pershing Elementary (4th grade)

Including Details in Writing by Mary LeTorre (Windham School District) Using personal experience to generate essays with details. Sequencing through the writing process.	An Open Letter to Incoming High School Freshmen: The 5E Method by Patricia Donahue, Samuel Clemens High School
Lesson on Developing Critical Thinking by Dessy Garcia (ESC-20). Essay writing on pros and cons of the decision-making model.	Movie Heroes and the Heroic Journey by Priscilla Osio, Wagner High School
The Joy of Texting by Michael Sands (ESC-20) Learning about writing through using new technologies.	Autobiography Book Cover: An Anticipation Exercise for Writing a College Application Essay by Judi Berridge, Randolph High School
Persuading Students to Persuade by Evelyn Roman (Harris Middle School, NEISD)	AP Outside Reading/Research Project by Joan Wilson, East Central High School
Vocabulary Building and Transferring to Essay Writing by Linda Salem and Sharon Marr (NISD)	Making Connection between Home and School to Foster College Readiness by Therese Fleming, Sam Rayborn Middle School
Newspaper Article Analysis and Summary Writing By Joe Becht, Elizabeth Zepeda, Bonnie Martinez	Synthesis Essay: Childhood Obesity by Tracy Winstead (Warren High School, NISD) and Julie Schweers (NISD)
Current Events Writing for ELL Writers by Hugo Salcedo	Bridging the Gap Lesson Plan: Note Taking by Donna Colglazier, Randolph High School
Paragraph Structure by Maurice Hall, Susan Tullier, Ines Munguia, Margaret Ume, James Babineaux. Read, analyze, and write a paragraph about Paul Dunbar’s poem “Sympathy.”	My Story: Difference by Sandra Calderon, Debbie Janysek, Tony Talamantez. Students learn about African-American history and write about difference. --added resource page
Reader’s Theater and Writing by Trudy Bishop, Margaret Buckley, Jacqueline Creekmore, Renee, Shen-Chao --Evaluation Rubric	Writing Rhetorically in GED Writing Test Preparation by Nicolas Hadden, John Harrison, and John Hernandez
Writing for Pi: Learning Math Concepts Through Writing by Cathy Whitlow, Lydia Gonzalez, Susan Killion --notes on circumference and area --transitional words --vocabulary sheet --sample quickwrite --sample homework --TELPAS rubric

College Readiness Assignments Created by the San Antonio Area Pathways Group
Rhetorical Analysis of an Advertisement by Greg S. --Preparing for Rhetorical Analysis --Common Rhetorical Devices --Rhetorical Analysis Questionnaire --Peer Editing Sheet --Reflection Chart --Scoring Rubric	Group Research and Analyzing Literature by Mike Moran --Assignment --Exam --Sample Annotated Bibliography --Grading Criteria
Synthesis Essay assignment from Julie Schweers and Tracy Winstead included above.

***These writing assignments are made possible with the permission of the authors.

Site created by L. Lennie Irvin, July 2008 | Page last updated on August 10, 2012 | Sponsored by the San Antonio Writing Project