Education: Six-Trait Writing for Content Teachers

Title: Six-Trait Writing for Content Teachers
Discipline(s) or Field(s): Reading Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education
Authors: Judy C. Lambert, Joan N. Steiner, Melissa Stinnett, University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
Submission Date: February 28, 2008

The goal of this project was to develop a self-contained lesson on six-trait writing specifically appropriate for content area teachers. It was intended to be a lesson that could fit into several literacy courses. In the developed lesson for Literacy and Language in the Content Areas and Foundations of Literacy in the Elementary School, undergraduate students participated in specific activities to generate new learning regarding the teaching and assessment of writing using 6-trait analysis. Learning goals for the students were:

1. to learn and understand the components of 6-trait writing;
2. to learn how to evaluate writing using a trait rubric;
3. to understand how writing can support the teaching and learning of content material;
4. to understand and appreciate 6-trait writing from the view point of the language arts teacher and the content area teacher;
5. to experience and understand pair/share, list-group-label and cloze as instructional techniques;
6. to self-assess learning

Students participated in an activity to activate and share their prior knowledge about writing in general. A mini-lesson followed regarding 6-trait writing and using rubrics for trait assessment. Students were provided practice in analyzing and evaluating a piece of writing using a specific 6-trait rubric. Throughout the lesson students participated in activities such as pair/share, list-group-label and cloze as examples of instructional techniques to use in their future classrooms. The different activities as well as the interactional design of the lesson were an attempt to facilitate learning and the application of developing skills.

• What Makes Good Writing – Instructional Overhead
• Writing Process Overhead – Instructional Overhead
• Cloze – 6-trait – Class Handout
• Writing Sample – Statues – Class Handout
• Writing Sample – Successful – Class Handout
• Definition of the Traits – Class Handout
• Rubric – Class Handout
• Anticipation Guide – Materials to study lesson
• Student-Observation Evaluation – Materials to Study Lesson
• Information/Permission Letter