Create an alternative history based on a small change in the events just studied. (What if Japan had invented the nuclear bomb? What if Kennedy had lost the election? What if slavery had been outlawed in the original Constitution? What if Custer had called in sick?) The blending of fact and fiction requires a great deal of higher-level thinking, with the added benefit that it's virtually impossible to plagiarize, because every story will be a new creation - unless you assign something that's been done before (like giving AK-47's to General Lee's army).

Poetry is difficult to categorize as styles vary so widely. So long as it captures the essence of the lesson, it really can't be wrong.

"Writing across the curriculum -

it wasn't here before,

but with the swing of the pendulum

districts all clamor for more."

Grant proposals are highly relevant to business, research, and even scholarship applications. Following a lesson, the grant proposal is a tool for developing further lines of thought. Given what the student knows now, how would they work to develop that knowledge further, either to expand understanding or to create an application using that basic premise. The student is then responsible for determining the resources they would need to conduct their research/development, requiring an exercise in planning as well as a deeper analysis of the subject matter. Be watchful - it's always possible that a student may have an original idea that should actually be submitted. (Sorry, you don't get to take the credit for it.)

Lastly, advertisements round out the list by forcing students to identify pros (or cons) of a product or concept, and then design an approach by which to promote (or campaign against) the item. There is less writing involved in such a project usually, which is why it comes last, but the identification of key points is still beneficial, much as it is in the essay. Students will enjoy the creative opportunity an advertisement presents, so it can provide a less-intensive project when students need a break from the lengthier assignments.

Learn more about this author, Ernest Capraro.
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