Appendix to The Secret of Literacy

1. Genres
in
geography
Genre
family
Genre
Overall
purpose
Explaining
Sequential
To
present
a
sequence
of
events
(e.g.
the
formation
of
a
glaciated
feature)
Factorial
To
explain
multiple
causes
for
one
phenomenon
(e.g.
the
factors
involved
in
climate
change)
Consequential
To
explain
the
multiple
outcomes
from
one
phenomenon
(e.g.
the
effects
of
a
volcanic
eruption)
Descriptive
To
describe
a
phenomenon
–
the
text
starts
with
a
classification
of
the
phenomenon
and
then
describes
it
(e.g.
the
structure
of
urban
areas)
Classifying
To
classify
and
then
describe
phenomena
(e.g.
types
of
moraine)
Compositional
To
describe
the
parts
of
a
whole
phenomenon
(e.g.
human
and
physical
factors
of
industrial
location)
To
instruct
on
how
to
do
an
activity
(e.g.
where
instructions
are
given
on
conducting
fieldwork)
Reporting
Procedural
Instructional
Arguments
Exposition
To
give
one
point
of
view
–
this
is
not
as
common
in
geography
where
balanced
approaches
are
normally
given
(e.g.
argument
in
support
of
a
wind
farm)
Discussion
To
discuss
two
or
more
points
of
view
identifying
the
issue,
giving
arguments
from
both
sides
and
then
a
resolution
(e.g.
discussion
on
the
impact
of
tourism
in
Loch
Lomond
and
the
Trossachs
National
Park)
Interpretation
This
is
a
common
activity
in
the
geography
class
where
pupils
are
asked
to
interpret
the
meaning
of
a
text
(e.g.
in
a
text
describing
tourist
activities
the
question
might
be:
What
problems
do
you
think
are
caused
by
jet
skiers?)
Text
responses
Adapted
from
www.strath.ac.uk/media/faculties/hass/.../Geography_genre_outline.docx.

2. Genres
in
history
Genre
family
Genre
Overall
purpose
Recording
Autobiographical
recount
To
retell
the
events
of
your
own
life
Biographical
recount
Historical
recount
To
retell
the
events
of
another
person’s
life
To
retell
events
in
the
past
Historical
account
To
account
for
why
events
happened
in
a
particular
sequence
Explaining
Factorial
explanation
To
explain
the
reasons
or
factors
that
contribute
to
a
particular
outcome
Consequential
explanation
Arguing
To
explain
the
effects
or
consequences
of
a
situation
Exposition
To
put
forward
a
point
of
view
or
argument
Discussion
To
argue
the
case
for
two
or
more
points
of
view
about
an
issue
Challenge
To
argue
against
a
view
Source:
Adapted
from
Caroline
Coffin,
Learning
the
Language
of
School
History:
The
Role
of
Linguistics
in
Mapping
the
Writing
Demands
of
the
Secondary
School
Curriculum,
Journal
of
Curriculum
Studies
38(4)
(2006),
413–429.

3. Genres
in
science
Genre
family
Genre
Overall
purpose
Doing
science
Experiments
To
instruct
someone
in
how
to
make
or
do
something
Practical
reports
To
provide
a
recount
of
the
method
undertaken
in
an
experiment,
as
well
as
the
results
and
the
conclusions
Investigations
To
investigate
a
scientific
phenomenon
by
combining
aspects
of
the
experiment
and
practical
report
genres
Acknowledging
scientists
Biographical
recounts
To
recount
the
major
events
in
a
famous
scientist’s
life
Describing
and
organising
scientifically
Descriptive
reports
To
describe
the
features
of
scientific
phenomena
Comparative
reports
To
compare
the
features
of
two
or
more
examples
of
a
phenomenon
Compositional
reports
To
organise
knowledge
according
to
the
component
parts
of
a
phenomenon
(whole/part)
Classifying
reports
To
organise
knowledge
according
to
a
system
of
classification
(class/subclass)
Sequential
explanations
To
explain
a
scientific
phenomenon
by
presenting
the
events
producing
the
phenomenon
in
chronological
order
Causal
explanations
To
explain
a
scientific
phenomenon
by
presenting
the
events
producing
the
phenomenon
in
chronological
order
with
reasons
included
Factorial
explanations
To
explain
the
multiple
factors
that
contribute
to
a
particular
phenomenon
Consequential
explanations
To
explain
the
multiple
factors
that
contribute
to
a
particular
phenomenon,
whilst
focusing
on
the
consequences
Theoretical
explanations
To
define
and
then
illustrate
a
theoretical
principle
or
law
Analytical
arguments
To
present
arguments
on
an
issue
in
order
to
persuade
the
reader/listener
to
agree
with
a
particular
point
of
view
Explaining
events
scientifically
Arguing
and
challenging
aspects
of
science
Hortatory
arguments
To
persuade
the
reader/listener
to
take
some
action
Discussion
To
present
the
case
for
more
than
one
point
of
view
about
an
issue
Challenge
To
challenge
an
established
point(s)
of
view
Adapted
from
John
Polias,
Assessing
Learning:
A
Language-­‐Based
Approach.
I
Symposium
(2006).
Available
at:
http://www.su.se/polopoly_fs/1.84020.1333710072!/menu/standard/file/2006_3_Polias.pdf,
p.
46.