Writing across the curriculum- coming up with ideas?

[Kezia]

I have been trying to have my child do more writing across the curriculum using subject content after reading WTM suggestions and currently The Writing Revolution. I would like to aim for a complete (5ish paragraph) essay every 2-3 weeks, taking one week to complete start to finish, and I try to ask for 3-4 paragraphs (summaries or single topic paragraphs) minimum each week. I have so few ideas for essays and paragraphs or even kernel sentences that I even bought civil war writing prompts from TPT. Sometimes I can come up with something using R&S English 6’s writing exercises using core content. 

My 10 year old (5th grade) student is currently going through Ellen Mchenry’s The Elements. For science he is mostly completing kernel sentences in a science notebook and the occasional lab report after an experiment. I am lacking ideas for science writing as well. 
 

How do you come up with these ingenious writing suggestions for your kids that really encourage them to take what they are learning in core subjects and use that new information in essays and summaries? Having it all tie together through writing is ideal. 
 

Here is what I have: History-biographies buy stuff from TPT 🙂

Science: Maybe an essay about his favorite/most useful/most interesting element? Possibly an essay about the periodic table.... what the numbers signify, how it is arranged, interesting facts?  Paragraphs explaining different chemical bonds?

 

Geography: Pick a country and tell about its customs, culture, people, interesting facts. 

 

 

[goldenecho]

My son is reading an Elements book right now, so I bet I can brainstorm a few ideas:

Write about how some of the newer elements discovered changed the world (some research required maybe). 

Write about how you use elements in everyday life.

Write a poem about an element (weird but would be totally cool).   I could see doing several haikus for this.  If he makes haikus for every element, I bet he could get that published!

Pick an element and imagine that element never existed.  How would it be different?

----

History:   Imagine you went back in time and visited an era (any era you are studying).   Write a story about your adventure, but cite sources like you would a research essay.

For your biography idea, here is an idea I've had for a while.  Try to find a person from an era or civilization in history that is the most like you as you can find (your race, gender, religion, education level, interests, whether they were rich or poor, ect.)   Pick a second person from the same era/civilization who is the most unlike you as possible (different religion, gender, etc).  Compare what life was like for them.   (The person can be an actual historical figure, or you could just research what like would be life for "child my age, gender, ect" at that time.)(

 

[purpleowl]

For history, I sometimes have my kids do an encomium (essay of praise) or vituperation (essay of criticism) on a historical figure. Sometimes they have a choice and sometimes I assign a specific person. And it doesn't actually have to be a person - it could be a building or city, or a policy, or any number of other things. 

Cause and effect can be a good essay topic in history. 

Not an essay format, but sometimes I have my kids write about an event from the perspective of a fictional character. If Rapunzel or Draco Malfoy or whoever were plopped into the middle of event X, how would they react? How would they describe things to someone else? Etc.

I haven't done a lot with essay writing in science, though.

[Kezia]

9 hours ago, goldenecho said:

My son is reading an Elements book right now, so I bet I can brainstorm a few ideas:

Write about how some of the newer elements discovered changed the world (some research required maybe). 

Write about how you use elements in everyday life.

Write a poem about an element (weird but would be totally cool).   I could see doing several haikus for this.  If he makes haikus for every element, I bet he could get that published!

Pick an element and imagine that element never existed.  How would it be different?

----

History:   Imagine you went back in time and visited an era (any era you are studying).   Write a story about your adventure, but cite sources like you would a research essay.

For your biography idea, here is an idea I've had for a while.  Try to find a person from an era or civilization in history that is the most like you as you can find (your race, gender, religion, education level, interests, whether they were rich or poor, ect.)   Pick a second person from the same era/civilization who is the most unlike you as possible (different religion, gender, etc).  Compare what life was like for them.   (The person can be an actual historical figure, or you could just research what like would be life for "child my age, gender, ect" at that time.)(

 

I love these ideas. Thank you! Mixed creativity with facts learned 🙂

[Kezia]

1 hour ago, purpleowl said:

For history, I sometimes have my kids do an encomium (essay of praise) or vituperation (essay of criticism) on a historical figure. Sometimes they have a choice and sometimes I assign a specific person. And it doesn't actually have to be a person - it could be a building or city, or a policy, or any number of other things. 

Cause and effect can be a good essay topic in history. 

Not an essay format, but sometimes I have my kids write about an event from the perspective of a fictional character. If Rapunzel or Draco Malfoy or whoever were plopped into the middle of event X, how would they react? How would they describe things to someone else? Etc.

I haven't done a lot with essay writing in science, though.

I love these ideas too! Thank you! I love the last suggestion that involves creativity 🙂
 

The first one sounds a little advanced for my 10 year old. He is also doing Classical Composition but is only on the Narrative stage. I know if I get to continue with homeschool next school year, he will be in Chreia and Maxim and encomium is one aspect of that. I also could just explain it as write about all the great things and ideas and positive changes that came from an event or person. 
 

I also need at least 2 bigger projects this year.  He needs to dive into projects that take more than an hour to complete.  I home schooled last year as well and most of that year was figuring out what works for us and where he was academically. Trying to make this year more academically rigorous but with creativity and really having all the pieces fit together the way I always envisioned homeschooling could. 
 

 

Edited September 22, 2021 by Kezia
Edited to fix autocorrected mistakes

[PeterPan]

With my dd I tried to structure her input during the week to lead to output naturally. For instance, I might have her subscribe to email news (back when this was a thing, haha) to read each morning, and then she just needed to research and write further on one news event each week. Later I had her reading essay collections, only for those she had to keep a response journal and respond to each one. Or I set her up with a philosophy book where she'd write for each chapter.

Michael Gravois has project books for states, countries, book reports, etc. Your dc is the target age to use them (gr4-8) or you could use the ideas without using the full projects. My dd enjoyed the Mrs. Renz book projects we did also.

If you want a prompt that goes beyond narrative, that's typically embedded in curriculum or a supplemental resource, as you're saying. It sounds like you have a strong writer and strong thinker. Maybe make a goal of doing that say 1-2X a week and having the other prompts be narrative.

Have you thought thought about looking for middle school level DBQs? https://www.dbqproject.com/  If those are too much, there's a simpler series of responding to historical photographs (Carson Dellossa? I forget). 

13 hours ago, Kezia said:

I have so few ideas for essays and paragraphs or even kernel sentences

I want to circle back to this. What is your dc taking in that interests them? The point of the writing in WTM is that they are taking IN interesting thoughts and ideas which they then process (at their developmental level) to come OUT as language and writing. So getting interesting thoughts/ideas/content IN is always the first step. 

 

12 minutes ago, Kezia said:

The first one sounds a little advanced for my 10 year old. He is also doing Classical Composition but is only on the Narrative stage.

You sound like you're doing GREAT!! He doesn't need to be a middle schooler before his time, hehe.

12 minutes ago, Kezia said:

I love the last suggestion that involves creativity

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=don't+forget+to+write&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 Look at the Don't Forget to Write series.

Does PHP still sell their poetry books? My dd enjoyed working through them. For my ds (12 with disabilities) I have a simpler poetry workbook in the wings I want to do. Don't be afraid to do creative stuff! People read WTM where it says not to force it, and then they think it's some kind of prohibitive or devaluing. Some kids THRIVE on creative opportunities and are more engaged when they can add creativity to their work. 

If your dc is already doing a lot of writing for his age (which honestly he is) then going creative is such a great plan. You can just see what happens and if he blossoms with it run with it. We targeted to do prompts from the Don't Forget to Write books maybe once a week. Not enough to belabor it, but enough to add some spark.

Can your ds type? I guess if he's writing that much he is, lol. Typing unleashes them, so it's pretty high priority. By 7th grade, my dd for whom writing was drudgery blossomed and she started entering fan fiction contests, etc. etc. You're probably just on the cusp of that. 

Is he outlining and learning to see the structure in models? That's another thing to be doing at this stage, something in WTM, and I'd probably add that rather than more writing, just me. You just have to make sure the source is INTERESTING to him. We used Muse magazine articles when dd was at that 4th/5th gr stage. And again, they'd be a source to respond to if you want him to write me. 

12 minutes ago, Kezia said:

He needs to dive into projects that take more than an hour to complete.

Yes!!! This is very important for their executive function development, so you are right on track here. The book projects can help with that, but also consider having delayed deadlines so he has to organize the steps and get them done by the end of the week. 

https://mrsrenz.com/projects-galore/

Edited September 22, 2021 by PeterPan

[purpleowl]

10 minutes ago, Kezia said:

The first one sounds a little advanced for my 10 year old. He is also doing Classical Composition but is only on the Narrative stage. I know if I get to continue with homeschool next school year, he will be in Chreia and Maxim and encomium is one aspect of that. I also could just explain it as write about all the great things and ideas and positive changes that came from an event or person. 

I almost said something about making sure you provide scaffolding if he hasn't done that type of essay before, lol. My girls have been working through Writing & Rhetoric, and one of the books is on Encomium & Vituperation, so they had experience with it there. 

 

[Kezia]

39 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

With my dd I tried to structure her input during the week to lead to output naturally. For instance, I might have her subscribe to email news (back when this was a thing, haha) to read each morning, and then she just needed to research and write further on one news event each week. Later I had her reading essay collections, only for those she had to keep a response journal and respond to each one. Or I set her up with a philosophy book where she'd write for each chapter.

Michael Gravois has project books for states, countries, book reports, etc. Your dc is the target age to use them (gr4-8) or you could use the ideas without using the full projects. My dd enjoyed the Mrs. Renz book projects we did also.

If you want a prompt that goes beyond narrative, that's typically embedded in curriculum or a supplemental resource, as you're saying. It sounds like you have a strong writer and strong thinker. Maybe make a goal of doing that say 1-2X a week and having the other prompts be narrative.

Have you thought thought about looking for middle school level DBQs? https://www.dbqproject.com/  If those are too much, there's a simpler series of responding to historical photographs (Carson Dellossa? I forget). 

I want to circle back to this. What is your dc taking in that interests them? The point of the writing in WTM is that they are taking IN interesting thoughts and ideas which they then process (at their developmental level) to come OUT as language and writing. So getting interesting thoughts/ideas/content IN is always the first step. 

 

You sound like you're doing GREAT!! He doesn't need to be a middle schooler before his time, hehe.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=don't+forget+to+write&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 Look at the Don't Forget to Write series.

Does PHP still sell their poetry books? My dd enjoyed working through them. For my ds (12 with disabilities) I have a simpler poetry workbook in the wings I want to do. Don't be afraid to do creative stuff! People read WTM where it says not to force it, and then they think it's some kind of prohibitive or devaluing. Some kids THRIVE on creative opportunities and are more engaged when they can add creativity to their work. 

If your dc is already doing a lot of writing for his age (which honestly he is) then going creative is such a great plan. You can just see what happens and if he blossoms with it run with it. We targeted to do prompts from the Don't Forget to Write books maybe once a week. Not enough to belabor it, but enough to add some spark.

Can your ds type? I guess if he's writing that much he is, lol. Typing unleashes them, so it's pretty high priority. By 7th grade, my dd for whom writing was drudgery blossomed and she started entering fan fiction contests, etc. etc. You're probably just on the cusp of that. 

Is he outlining and learning to see the structure in models? That's another thing to be doing at this stage, something in WTM, and I'd probably add that rather than more writing, just me. You just have to make sure the source is INTERESTING to him. We used Muse magazine articles when dd was at that 4th/5th gr stage. And again, they'd be a source to respond to if you want him to write me. 

Yes!!! This is very important for their executive function development, so you are right on track here. The book projects can help with that, but also consider having delayed deadlines so he has to organize the steps and get them done by the end of the week. 

https://mrsrenz.com/projects-galore/

Yes!! You know precisely what I am trying to do here. He is encouraged to use an outline as part of the writing process.  I do intend to add at least one history outline per week (and County that as writing across curriculum) and maybe one history summary or one researched, focused topic with notes taken and a short oral presentation using those notes during the weeks when there is no essay. 
 

I required little output last year. He is definitely typing and he writes so much more since I allow it to be typed. I increased subject reading loads and writing load starting this school year. He doesn’t like writing and I know it is a complex skill that just requires more opportunities to practice.  He may never like it but it will get easier. I already hear so much less complaining and his attitude is so much better already. 
 

You are completely correct though. His interest needs to be there. Right now I am assigning specific topics because he is no help when I ask for his input, but the goal is for him to choose at least some topics of interest, especially for larger projects and essays. 

[PeterPan]

39 minutes ago, Kezia said:

a short oral presentation using those notes during the weeks when there is no essay. 

Consider tech. Powerpoints, National History Day (yes, yes!!!!), pecha kucha, etc.

40 minutes ago, Kezia said:

I required little output last year. He is definitely typing and he writes so much more since I allow it to be typed... I already hear so much less complaining and his attitude is so much better already. 

This is really good!! Executive function challenges respond well to clear instruction and STRUCTURE. You're giving him structure and making it easier for him to get his thoughts out and it's working.

41 minutes ago, Kezia said:

He doesn’t like writing and I know it is a complex skill that just requires more opportunities to practice.  He may never like it but it will get easier.

Or he may like writing but it doesn't get easier. It is a great irony that some of the people for whom writing is the HARDEST have the MOST to say! This happens over and over with people I know. 

Now to make writing easier, another thing you can do is look into executive function supports. You're starting to use them, things that give structure and clear expectations. You can work on building *working memory* and ability to *tolerate distractions*. We've had threads on Interactive Metronome, and you can hack it at home for free with any simple metronome app you download. You literally just clap to the beat (54bpm) and then bring in activities and distractions. 

When my made her BIG JUMP in writing in 7th, we were doing metronome work. You may be able to find the old threads on LC. We started off with heathermomster's basic instructions (bilateral movements to the beat) but then we started adding in distractions (tv, brother running around, me talking at her, etc.) and then we even added digit spans! So we were doing digit spans while doing the bilateral movements with the metronome while there were distractions going.

Think about it. Writing requires them to motor plan (typing, writing) while holding their thoughts (working memory) while dealing with distractions while organizing language (hence the conversations). Tons and tons and tons of executive function stuff, and it's what you can tackle with metronome work. For Free.

I say this, but I like to think of my ds as writing gifted with a writing disability. I'm not so sure he is, haha, as his challenges are complex. However that DEFINITELY was the case with my dd that she had abilities and disabilities intertwining.

Don't assume what is hard defines what they can/can't do. Sometimes that begins to unlock, and I would say you could be right on the cusp of it developmentally. Maybe just give it a nudge, kwim? Metronome work, games to build working memory (Catan, Ticket to Ride), etc. Yes, PLAY GAMES to improve his writing!!! Absolutely. There are fancy therapy games (A Fist Full of Coins, etc.), but you can just play common games that require them to hold their thoughts and build working memory. If the game is HARD for him, that probably means you've hit on an area of weakness. That means you do it more, not less. My dd, before meds, needed to use scratch paper to play Ticket to Ride, hehe.

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, Kezia said:

His interest needs to be there.

Does he read widely? 

My dd was on a huge comic book binge for a while, so I used a diversity reading chart with her and required her to read across genres. It's a way to get that variety of input as the source material for the output. So I had categories like science, poetry, biography, etc. and she needed to read something in each category by the end of the week. It also pushed her a bit to get to know the library and to learn how to *find* things in the library. That may be a piece you need. 

[Kezia]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

Consider tech. Powerpoints, National History Day (yes, yes!!!!), pecha kucha, etc.

This is really good!! Executive function challenges respond well to clear instruction and STRUCTURE. You're giving him structure and making it easier for him to get his thoughts out and it's working.

Or he may like writing but it doesn't get easier. It is a great irony that some of the people for whom writing is the HARDEST have the MOST to say! This happens over and over with people I know. 

Now to make writing easier, another thing you can do is look into executive function supports. You're starting to use them, things that give structure and clear expectations. You can work on building *working memory* and ability to *tolerate distractions*. We've had threads on Interactive Metronome, and you can hack it at home for free with any simple metronome app you download. You literally just clap to the beat (54bpm) and then bring in activities and distractions. 

When my made her BIG JUMP in writing in 7th, we were doing metronome work. You may be able to find the old threads on LC. We started off with heathermomster's basic instructions (bilateral movements to the beat) but then we started adding in distractions (tv, brother running around, me talking at her, etc.) and then we even added digit spans! So we were doing digit spans while doing the bilateral movements with the metronome while there were distractions going.

Think about it. Writing requires them to motor plan (typing, writing) while holding their thoughts (working memory) while dealing with distractions while organizing language (hence the conversations). Tons and tons and tons of executive function stuff, and it's what you can tackle with metronome work. For Free.

I say this, but I like to think of my ds as writing gifted with a writing disability. I'm not so sure he is, haha, as his challenges are complex. However that DEFINITELY was the case with my dd that she had abilities and disabilities intertwining.

Don't assume what is hard defines what they can/can't do. Sometimes that begins to unlock, and I would say you could be right on the cusp of it developmentally. Maybe just give it a nudge, kwim? Metronome work, games to build working memory (Catan, Ticket to Ride), etc. Yes, PLAY GAMES to improve his writing!!! Absolutely. There are fancy therapy games (A Fist Full of Coins, etc.), but you can just play common games that require them to hold their thoughts and build working memory. If the game is HARD for him, that probably means you've hit on an area of weakness. That means you do it more, not less. My dd, before meds, needed to use scratch paper to play Ticket to Ride, hehe.

His working memory seems (to me) to be fine. I am the one who could use some little notes in ticket to ride to keep my goals straight 😉 Clear expectations and solid examples help tremendously. Leaving anything too open ensures he does a bare minimum and at a low intensity.  He is distracted easily so I will definitely look into the metronome work you are referring to. 

He has a huge interest in science and history so he reads Max Axiom science comics and historical books such as the Thrifty Guides and Horrible Histories from our home library and he chooses some easy, below level, fast reads that are comical stories from the library. But I have been keeping him busy with Who Was/What Was for history and there is a lot of supplemental reading using the Guest Hollow science that is currently on hold while doing Ellen Mchenry Elements. 

Edited September 22, 2021 by Kezia
Edited for blatantly awkward grammar

[Lori D.]

Possibly some ideas in this thread from last year: "Writing across the curriculum: how exactly?"  -- ETA: sorry, thread not found.

"78 Ideas for Writing Across the Curriculum" -- idea list from Write Shop

Creative Writing Ideas & Activities website -- prompts for writing across the curriculum:
- Math prompts
- Math journals
- Science writing prompts
- Journal writing in Social Studies
- Art journaling prompts

"7 Digital Formats to Get Students Writing"
Scroll down on this page on the Avid Open Access website, and then click on each of the 7 formats:
- papers
- blogs
- websites
- comics
- books
- news articles
- online discussion

When you click on each format, it pulls up a short list of writing project ideas. That could be useful for adding variety to the writing by changing the format, so not everything is a 1-, 3-, or 5-paragraph paper. 😉 

Example: under format #3 (websites), are the following ideas:
• An overview of a year in history
• A research project
• A documentation of the scientific process
• A learning journal documenting class progress
• A collection of creative writing
• An instructional site about a topic
• A how-to guide
• A personal learning journal

Edited September 24, 2021 by Lori D.

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

My son is younger (3rd grade) but the way our writing curriculum has approached the transition from paragraphs to essays is to assign individual paragraphs on related topics, then assign the writing of an introduction, conclusion, & transitions that tie them together — with the previously-written paragraphs becoming the body of the essay.

For example: DS previously wrote about ants, honeybees, & beavers then combined them into an essay on Animal Homes. Currently he is in the midst of an essay using paragraphs on myths about Orion, Ursa Major, & the Milky Way which he will weave into an essay about “Myths in the Stars”.

This approach seems like it would be pretty straightforward to mimic; you’ll certainly have plenty of paragraphs to choose from if he’s writing 3-4/wk & he wouldn’t have to start entirely from scratch to practice the special skills involved in writing a cohesive essay, that aren’t needed when only writing a single paragraph. 

Edited September 23, 2021 by Shoes+Ships+SealingWax

[Kezia]

18 hours ago, Lori D. said:

Possibly some ideas in this thread from last year: "Writing across the curriculum: how exactly?"

"78 Ideas for Writing Across the Curriculum" -- idea list from Write Shop

Creative Writing Ideas & Activities website -- prompts for writing across the curriculum:
- Math prompts
- Math journals
- Science writing prompts
- Journal writing in Social Studies
- Art journaling prompts

"7 Digital Formats to Get Students Writing"
Scroll down on this page on the Avid Open Access website, and then click on each of the 7 formats:
- papers
- blogs
- websites
- comics
- books
- news articles
- online discussion

When you click on each format, it pulls up a short list of writing project ideas. That could be useful for adding variety to the writing by changing the format, so not everything is a 1-, 3-, or 5-paragraph paper. 😉 

Example: under format #3 (websites), are the following ideas:
• An overview of a year in history
• A research project
• A documentation of the scientific process
• A learning journal documenting class progress
• A collection of creative writing
• An instructional site about a topic
• A how-to guide
• A personal learning journal

Ah, I remember reading that post when it was posted and taking screen shots of everything you posted because it was so clear and informative. It made me realize that writing across curriculum is really the way I wanted to proceed with writing. Then I finally bought Lively Art of Writing, The Writing Revolution and a used copy of WTM, and I forgot all about that post. 
 

Thanks for the reminder. I got more from that post reading it the second time around. 

Edited September 23, 2021 by Kezia

[PeterPan]

On 9/23/2021 at 7:03 AM, Kezia said:

The Writing Revolution

I have this sitting on my shelf in the things to do with ds someday pile. Wanna share how you're using it? 🙂

[Kezia]

1 hour ago, PeterPan said:

I have this sitting on my shelf in the things to do with ds someday pile. Wanna share how you're using it? 🙂

I am using the kernel sentences writing suggestions using because, but snd so. We do the turning paragraphs into SPO but I don’t use the form from the back, we just make a regular outline. We play with appositives, start sentences with subordinating conjunctions. Writing the same sentence with 4 different types. Sentence combining activities. Mainly focusing on sentences for now. I have not read it all yet, but I am trying to read a bit at a time and implement what I have loved with the daily writing into a notebook, mostly history and science. So those subjects have a few sentences about subject matter written each time they are studied. 

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

Thank you for this post; you’ve gotten my gears churning regarding my own composition goals for next year & beyond. So many strands to language arts… much to think about. 

[Kezia]

1 hour ago, Shoes+Ships+SealingWax said:

Thank you for this post; you’ve gotten my gears churning regarding my own composition goals for next year & beyond. So many strands to language arts… much to think about. 

I added in fun LA Friday's as well. I use R&S 6 for formal grammar Monday and Wednesday as heavy grammar days and Friday is MCT essay voyage/poetry (just a slow read through together) as well as one sentence per week from practice Town (he WANTS and has ASKED for more practice with gerund/participial phrases), Figurative Language (which he enjoys because we both have been laughing and having fun with the first couple of chapters so far), and a little Kilgallon to finish it up. 
 

Composition then is hopefully woven across the curriculum through all the sentence composing exercises, content paragraphs, a couple projects, and regular compositions. He does a formal writing 3 days a week also but I was not seeing that translate to everyday writing. 
 

He was always so resistant to writing anything especially at the beginning of last year. I have only been winging it like this for 3-4 weeks. He hasn’t been complaining too much. I can easily see how this could be ramped up as he advances.