Designing authentic writing activities, and discussing how to help your students write better paragraphs and essays.

1. Developing Writing Activities
Thomas Tasker
English Language Fellow Program
tct118@psu.edu

2. PowerPoints and handouts…
1. tesolukrainesummerinstitute.pb
works.com
2.personal.psu.edu/tct118/presen
tations

3. Overview
• Authentic writing activities
▫ What to include
• Linking reading and writing
▫ Blogs
▫ Wikis
• Academic writing: paragraphs & essays
• Plagiarism
• Creating a writing goal

4. Student writing
• What kinds of writing do your
students now?
• What kind of authentic writing tasks
do they do?

5. Authentic writing
• What do you write (in general, for
school, for work)?
• Authentic writing activities
• Authentic writing activities
Academic writing
• Authentic tasks to get students
writing

6. Type of Language / Task
Writing function
Postcard
Essay
Blog post
Email to a
teacher

7. Type of Language / Task
Writing function
Slang expressions,
Postcard phrasal verbs
Paragraph unity,
Essay topic sentences
Vocabulary, past
Blog post tense, present perfect
Making requests,
Email to a apologizing, making
professor excuses

8. Type of Language / Task
Writing function
Slang expressions, Write a postcard to
Postcard phrasal verbs a friend.
Paragraph unity, Compare two
Essay topic sentences places you’ve been.
Vocabulary, past Blog about a story
Blog post tense, present perfect we read in class.
Making requests, Write me an email
Email to a apologizing, making explaining why you
professor excuses can’t take the test.

9. Postcard writing task
• Who are we writing to?
• Brainstorm: the content of the card
▫ What are some common expressions?
• Language focus
▫ Past tense (things we did)
 We spent all day baking Christmas cookies.
▫ Future plans
 We are having dinner with Jon tomorrow.

10. Postcard writing task
• Student A: think of somebody you know who
speaks English
• With your partner (Student B), discuss what you
want to include in your card (3 or 4 sentences is
fine)
• Student A: Dictate to Student B the contents of
the card.
• Student B: If you’re not sure about the grammar
or word choice, tell Student A

11. Other authentic writing activities
• Writing a ‘letter’ to the editor of a
newspaper
• Keep a diary
• Write a resume / cover letter
• Shopping list / recipes
• Write comments to an online newspaper

14. Writing tied to reading
• Students need to write often about what
they read, and publish what they write
• Have students react to the reading they
are doing for class.
• Have students react to topics they read in
depth
▫ Research a curriculum topic
▫ Give a presentation in class
▫ Write a paper about what they discovered

15. Publishing what students write
• Writing in the real world is public
• Teacher Class World
• Ways to publish:
▫ Pass out copies of student work
▫ Students write on blogs
▫ Students write on wikis

16. Blogs
A blog is an online, semi-public
journal that displays the user’s posts, and
allows visitors to post responses
Blogging = individual reaction to something
+ the comments of others
Informal, independent writing

18. Blogging projects
• Autobiography
• Add a new chapter each month
• Other students read, comment on
• Student responses to reading, films, class
discussions, curriculum topics
• Follow-up writing task from class work
• Students can add pictures, video, Powerpoints
• Reading blog
• Add 10 entries per semester about class /
home reading

19. Wikis
Wiki = web-based collaborative writing
space
• Wiki wiki means ‘quick’ in Hawai’ian
• Allows multiple users to add and edit
content of one shared space
• Users add new pages to create a network of
hyperlinked documents
• More student control = more success

21. Wiki projects
• A student newsletter
▫ Students add information monthly
• A town / district information source
▫ A resource for tourists
• Extra information on curriculum topics
▫ Assign students different topics, they create a page
on the class wiki with links, pictures, videos, etc.
• Student cookbook
• Student essays
▫ Students have their own page for essays; other
students proofread their writing, make suggestions

22. Academic writing
• Overview of academic writing
• Writing paragraphs
• Writing essays
• Process vs. product approach
• Portfolios

23. Academic writing
• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
• ESL writing, style guides, how to run a
writing tutorial, resumes, cover letters,
writing exercises

24. Academic writing skills
• What do students need to succeed at
writing paragraphs and essays? Be
specific.
• What are the challenges of teaching
students paragraph and essay
writing?

25. The basics: writing paragraphs
• A paragraph should contain:
▫ A topic sentence
▫ Unity (one idea per paragraph)
▫ Coherence (it should make sense)
▫ Adequate development (examples, etc.)

29. Paragraph writing task
1. Students turn in a paragraph they wrote at
home (by email if possible)
2. In class, put one paragraph on an OHP,
board or handout
3. Have students identify the purpose of each
sentence, then discuss if the paragraph is
clear (topic, unity, coherence)
4. Distribute paragraphs to groups of
students to evaluate

30. Essay writing
• Builds on paragraph writing work
• Spend time on essay structure
• Formulaic to creative
• Student’s voice to informed opinion
(later to research paper)

31. Rearrange the steps of the writing process
• ___ Publish
• ___ Brainstorming
• ___ Assess the topic
• ___ Write the second draft
• ___ Editing
• ___ Revising
• ___ Write the first draft

32. The 5-paragraph essay
• Introduction (1 paragraph, 4-5 sentences)
▫ Hook
▫ Thesis statement
• Body (3 paragraphs, 3-4 sentences)
▫ Topic sentence
▫ Supporting statements
• Conclusion (1 paragraph, 4-5 sentences)
▫ Re-stated thesis statement
▫ Closing statement

33. • During the cold months of winter, I often dream of the white, sandy beaches of an island
country, where the sun shines warmly upon my face. Then I wander to another corner of
the world, where I find myself walking among trees tall like giants and I feel as if I am one of
Hook
the exotic animals running freely below. Yet each time I begin to dream of traveling to
another country, my mind keeps returning to a place with historical pyramids where strange
spices waft through the air and beautiful, rhythmic music lures me into a trance. For me,
Introduction
Egypt has always been a place that has an indelible mark of history, culture and mystery and
is a place I hope to visit one day. Thesis statement
• If you study history closely, you will notice that Egypt has played a central role in world
history time and again. Books tell us stories from the beginning of time when pharaohs
ruled the land, to today, when the fight between democracy and extreme Islamic views
make Egypt a powerful player in world politics. Yet, books can only provide us with a
limited view. To fully understand and experience a country, we must travel to this place,
Body
where we can walk on the streets where these leaders walked, visit the places where these
important decisions were made, touch the monuments crafted in their honor.
• Also, the culture of the Egyptians has infiltrated the ways of life in countries near and far.
Today, we can see Egyptian influences in our food, clothes and even furniture. Often
popular culture is influenced by Egyptian music and fashion. In America, belly dancing,
Topic sentences
which originated in Egypt, is popular among young women. Although the proverb reminds
us that imitation is the best form of flattery, American belly dancing classes and Egyptian
jewelry purchased in Ukraine are only artificial representations of this country’s culture. I
want to visit Egypt’s bazaars and eat in its restaurants because such authentic experiences
Supporting
will create memories that I will be able to remember the next time I watch belly dancers or
wear an Egyptian necklace.
sentences
• Finally, people often travel around the world trying to find answers to its mysteries, and
Egypt has always been a place of intrigue for many travelers, including myself. I hope that
my adventures will help me understand that culture’s place in history and explain why the
rest of the world is so fascinated with their traditions. It is possible that my travels will only
create more questions, but these questions can be the beginning of a lifetime of
globetrotting.
• In conclusion, Egypt’s history, culture and mysteries have transfixed the world for
Conclusion
centuries and its influence can be seen across the globe. I believe that we can find answers
through our experiences. Books are helpful but limited, and traveling is the best way to
discover unknown worlds. I hope that one day I will be able to visit Egypt so that I can
satisfy my curiosity about this country, its people and traditions. Last message

34. Brainstorming tools – Story mapping
Essay topic

37. Make an outline
Introduction
Thesis Statement
____________________________________________
Reason #1
Topic Sentence
____________________________________________
Support A
_____________________________________________
Support B
_____________________________________________
Support C
______________________________________________

38. Reason #2, 3
Topic Sentence
______________________________________________
Support A
______________________________________________
Support B
______________________________________________
Support C
____________________________________________
Conclusion
Thesis Statement (restated in different words )
_____________________________________________

39. Revising and editing
• Students revise and edit their essay first
draft
• Other students can read first draft and
underline parts they don’t understand, or
think might underline incorrect words or
grammar

40. Editing and revising
Students ask questions such as:
▫ Is my argument clear?
▫ Did I include the necessary background
information?
▫ Do I present only one idea per paragraph in the
body?
▫ Do my supporting statements really support my
reason?
▫ Do the paragraphs fit together in a way that makes
sense?
▫ Does my conclusion summarize the key parts of my
essay?

41. Process vs. product approach
• Multiple drafts of essays
• Self editing and revising
• Peer editing
• Teacher editing, and suggestions
about revising
• Publishing

42. Portfolios: a process approach
• Portfolios are used to collect samples
of student work over time to track
student development.
• A portfolio should contain samples of
a student’s work and teacher and
student reflection of that work.

43. Portfolios
• Writing samples such as dialogue journal
entries, book reports, essays, reading log entries
• All versions of the writing (1st draft, 2nd draft)
• Interview notes
• Peer-editing notes; teacher comments
• Writing checklists (by student, peers and
teacher)
• A reflective report about the student’s
writing development - written by the
student

44. Plagiarism
• What is plagiarism?
• What do you do when your students
plagiarize a source?
• How can you encourage students to
stop plagiarizing?

45. Writing goals
• What is a writing goal your students
could achieve this year?
• By the end of the year, I want my
students to…
• Write complex sentences, cohesive &
unified paragraph, well-structured
composition, properly cited research
paper

46. Questions or comments?
Thomas Tasker
tct118@psu.edu