Suggestions for meaningful cross-curricular writing assignments for middle school?

[pitterpatter]

I'm looking for a couple of good resources that include meaningful writing assignments for early modern/modern history and possibly chemistry, ecology, and/or geography for middle school, but I'm willing to look beyond these subjects as well.

[Momto6inIN]

For 5th - 8th I require summary paragraphs of some aspect of each history chapter they read - whatever they find interesting

7th-8th written lab reports for science - earlier than that I think it kills their enjoyment of the content

I would find it difficult myself to write about geography so I don't require any writing assignments for that

I don't use a resource, I just tell them to write about what they've studied. I do formal composition instruction separately and I do require that they apply the writing process I have taught to their science and history assignments.

[ChocolateCake]

I'm not sure what type of geography curriculum you use.  This past year I had my 6th grader type up notes (10 facts) about a country he read about for some of his writing assignments.  We used Geography I from Memoria Press and Rod and Staff English 5 (which teaches note taking).

 

[Lori D.]

For your request about writing assignments for the subjects of History, Geography, Ecology, Chemistry, it seems to me that you either need a specific program (for each subject) that *includes* specific writing assignment ideas so that the student *can* write from the curriculum (i.e., learned from the program what is needed to answer the thought questions) -- OR, go with much more general Socratic questions or Bloom's Taxonomy, and you and DS can find ways to specifically answer those questions from whatever curricula or books or resources you're using to make your own writing assignments.

Or, if you're looking for different *kinds* of writing assignments, here is a list of "78 Ideas for Writing Across the Curriculum" from the makers of WriteShop.

Not that it will probably help you, but here's our experience writing across the curriculum:
- we tended to focus on writing for just 1-2 subjects at a time (sometimes for a semester or a year at a time)
- some writing was more of a summary paragraph of what was learned, or was key facts
- sometimes DS would research a topic of interest in a subject area and write up something based on their research
- sometimes we used the writing assignment ideas already included in a program with writing ideas embedded
- sometimes DSs would do a "follow-up" or "extension" paragraph from a discussion we had on a subject (this was mostly for our high school Literature)

Edited May 26, 2019 by Lori D.

[EKS]

I recommend that instead of looking for a resource that provides such assignments that you learn to come up with them yourself.  

One thing that makes assignments more meaningful to students is giving them some choice about what they write about.  So it is important to come up with more than one prompt.

Another thing that helps with meaning is to make the prompt open ended enough so that there is wiggle room for the student to do research, develop their own interpretation, etc.  Google "essential questions" for ideas about how to phrase prompts so that they require the student to move beyond thinking about themselves or simply getting the right answer.   

[pitterpatter]

Hah, hah. This is exactly what I am trying to avoid. I know myself. It would take an intense amount of time and effort for me to come up with my own and feel satisfied that my assignments are worthy. 🙄 I am hoping to find a resource book (or series of) that has thoughtful topical writing suggestions. I often find those suggested in specific curricula to be a little uninspiring.

1 hour ago, EKS said:

I recommend that instead of looking for a resource that provides such assignments that you learn to come up with them yourself.  

One thing that makes assignments more meaningful to students is giving them some choice about what they write about.  So it is important to come up with more than one prompt.

Another thing that helps with meaning is to make the prompt open ended enough so that there is wiggle room for the student to do research, develop their own interpretation, etc.  Google "essential questions" for ideas about how to phrase prompts so that they require the student to move beyond thinking about themselves or simply getting the right answer.   

 

[Lori D.]

16 minutes ago, pitterpatter said:

Hah, hah. This is exactly what I am trying to avoid. I know myself. It would take an intense amount of time and effort for me to come up with my own and feel satisfied that my assignments are worthy. 🙄 I am hoping to find a resource book (or series of) that has thoughtful topical writing suggestions. I often find those suggested in specific curricula to be a little uninspiring.

 

free short articles: Writing Across the Curriculum: Social Studies, Science -- has a few tips for thinking through creating writing assignments
free pdf: Writing Across the Curriculum by Steve Peha -- while designed for classroom use, there is some useful info in there
   * pages 7-8 = bullet points of setting up the writing like a writing workshop
   * pages 9-10; 18; 21-22 = charts with types of writing to use in the "content areas" of school subjects
   * page 24 = types of *assignments* for different school subjects
   * pages 12-13 = note-taking tips
   * pages 16-17 = what do you think + why do you think that (very helpful for coming up with a claim and support for the claim)
   * pages 26-29 = real-life example of how to encourage student to come up with "writing assignment" on their topic of interest
   * page 30 = bullet points of how to guide student into coming up with a "writing assignment" on their topic of interest
   * page 33 = summary charts of all the techniques and ideas in the pdf


And here are *types* of assignments, in case it helps see which types of assignments might help connect up well with different subjects:

- descriptive writing — use sensory words and/or strong images, plus an orderly sequence of thoughts to describe a person, place, event, process, etc.
   - descriptive essay
   - brochure
   - menu
   - food review, to help reader smell/taste it long distance
   - advertisement
   - poetry
   - descriptive passages in fiction

- narrative writing — narrate in an orderly sequence narrate a story, event, experience, etc. personal experience of travel
   - biography / autobiography
   - journalism: news (print or other media) -- tells the story of what happened that was news-worthy
   - sportscaster -- narrates the story of a sporting event
   - journal entries
   - story of a personal adventure, a vacation, or a humorous or life-changing event
   - spiritual testimony
   - fiction -- novels, short stories, parables, plays etc.

- expository writing — factual writing
   - report -- relating facts about the subject
   - narration / summary
   - research paper -- with citations
   - cause & effect essay/paper -- explains the interconnectedness of two or more events, facts, etc.
   - definition paragraph/essay -- thorough explanation of the multiple meanings (with specific examples), of an abstract idea, process, or word
   - process ("how to") paragraph/essay — details the steps of how to do or make something
   - factual oral presentation with slideshow
   - journalism: news -- reports the facts of events
   - business writing -- resume, cover letter, requests, reports, etc.
   - invitation -- facts of when, where, what to bring, etc.
   - directions to a location
   - instructions/directions for assembling/building, making a recipe
   - textbook

- persuasive writing — expresses an opinion; attempts to persuade the reader to a mindset or to a course of action
   - plea or request of others to support or reject a particular event, cause, or position
   - advertisements
   - politics -- campaign speeches
   - newspaper --  "op/ed" page -- newspaper editorials and letters of the editor
   - legislature -- debate for/against a law or potential law
   - church -- presentation in support of a mission or charity
   - cover letter or letter of recommendation -- from a point of view to look favorably on the person
   - reviews (of books, music, movies, restaurants, etc) -- expresses an opinion

   - "reader response essay" -- thoughts/opinions about a work of Literature (or about the reading from History), supported with examples from the text

   - argumentative essay -- prove your opinion, theory, or hypothesis about an issue, using facts, examples, details, anecdotes as support

   - analysis essay -- digging into the "how and why" of something

   - literary analysis essay -- explanation or discussion about, or "digging deeper into," something within the work of Literature, supported by examples from the text

   - comparison essay: compare/contrast 2 things/ideas/processes AND explain what conclusion or new thought you have as a result of the comparison (NOTE: "they are more alike than different" or "there are more differences than similarities" is NOT a conclusion -- the comparison must result in a "reason" or "opinion" -- for example: "as a result of comparing, while car A is less expensive and has more features, car B is the better choice because of its high record of dependability, more comprehensive warranties, and ease of service and repairs".

 

[73349]

A writing book I read (I think The Writing Revolution) suggests having students write three sentences (or paragraphs) using but, because, and so after the same clause about the content they're learning.

For example, Different isotopes of the same element have different masses...

• but the same chemical properties, because they have the same number of electrons to use in a reaction. [For a paragraph, continue with further information about why it's the electrons that would matter.]
• because they have different numbers of neutrons. [For a paragraph, compare the mass of a neutron to that of a proton, an electron, and a typical atom as a whole.]
• so studying the isotopes present in an object can sometimes give extra information, such as the approximate age of a wooden artifact. [For a paragraph, explain useful isotopes for this purpose.]

You can use the same because/but/so structure for any number of topics.

Edited April 30, 2023 by 73349

[pitterpatter]

Interesting. DD likes structured writing. I'm definitely going to check this out. Thanks!

15 hours ago, whitehawk said:

A writing book I read (I think The Writing Revolution) suggests having students write three sentences (or paragraphs) using but, because, and so after the same clause about the content they're learning.

For example, Different isotopes of the same element have different masses...

• but the same chemical properties, because they have the same number of electrons to use in a reaction. [For a paragraph, continue with further information about why it's the electrons that would matter.]
• because they have different numbers of neutrons. [For a paragraph, compare the mass of a neutron to that of a proton, an electron, and a typical atom as a whole.]
• so studying the isotopes present in an object can sometimes give extra information, such as the approximate age of a wooden artifact. [For a paragraph, explain useful isotopes for this purpose.]

You can use the same because/but/so structure for any number of topics.

 

[goldenecho]

 

STEM to Story combines writing and science...and has writing projects for various levels from grades 5-8.

So, I'm not sure which of these contain writing assignments, but I have a list of resources that combine history and science here:

http://imaginativehomeschool.blogspot.com/2017/08/resources-combining-history-and-science.html

I think many of these would be easy to add a writing assignment to even if they didn't specifically have a writing assignment attached.   There are resources for several eras labled "Idea Web" on those lists, and those all have questions that connect history and science, which though I think initially intended for classroom discussion could easily be used for writing assignments. 

I've listed a lot of his resources in the link above, but it's hard to tell them from the rest.    This teacher has cross-curriculum units that often involve writing, science, history, and various other subjects.   https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Portable-Gifted-And-Talented/PreK-12-Subject-Area/Social-Studies-History