English, but it can easily be incorporated into other curriculum areas. For the teachers that are uncomfortable with poetry there are many formats available. An example would be to write an "I am" poem or an "Auto-bio" poem about a famous person in a history class. Ask students to write an ode, which is a tribute, to a math book or a scientific calculator. Students can write concrete poems about what is being studied. In science class a poem could be written about a volcano and the words are arranged in the shape of a volcano. When students incorporate creative writing into other curriculum areas, students remember their subject matter better while at the same time they emphasis their writing skills.

Skits or Plays

Have students write short skits or plays about the subject matter. Students have fun working with their peers and writing together. Then after they write their skit, they can perform it for the class. It can be hilarious as a group writes their skit about what it is like to be nervous system or the digestive system. These kinds of activities help the learning to come a live.

Essay Tests

Don't under estimate the value of having essay questions on tests. As students head to college, they will not just have to write in the composition classes, they will also have to write essay questions for tests in a variety of subject matters. It is important for these kinds of written responses to be completed in order to prepare students for college.

Formal Paper

Formal papers such as research papers and extended essays continue to be valuable experiences for students. It is certainly appropriate for students to write a scientific paper about the process and results of a science experiment. In social studies, students can write formal papers comparing time periods or laws. Nearly every class can incorporate writing easily.

Letters to the Editor

A good project is to have students write letters to the editor of the local paper about something that is affecting the class. Perhaps it is that the social studies classrooms should all have Promethean Boards or that there should be money allotted for a trip to a science museum. Having the students write in persuasive format can be very helpful for writing for standardized writing tests.

Instructions

Another good writing project is to write instructions on how to do something. In a Family and Consumer Sciences class, it might be writing a paragraph on how to make the perfect French toast or how to clean up the kitchen after cooking. In the art class, it could be how to make diorama or origami bird. Nearly every class has tasks that are part of the learning process. Having the students write up instructions can be very valuable.

Reviews

Another easy way to incorporate writing is to have students write reviews. These can be over books, magazine articles, movies or any other media source. These allow student to create opinions and evaluations and to put their thoughts effectively into words.

Writing across the curriculum should not be a specially engineered task. Instead the writing should flow naturally out of what is already being done in the classroom. Allow writing to be just another assessment tool in the arsenal.

Learn more about this author, MJ Suttor.
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