1. Come Aboard the R.A.F.T.
A reading strategy designed to integrate reading and writing in a non-traditional and fun way.

2. Find a partner Stare at them so they know you are their partner.
1s are those who have been teaching the longest. 2s are the rookies.

3. How many of your students write well?
1s estimate what % of your students write proficiently. Tell your partner.

4. Why RAFT Writing?
College instructors estimate that 50% of high school graduates are not prepared for college level writing. ( Achieve, Inc. 2005)
The knowledge and skills required for higher education and for employment are now considered equivalent. (ACT 2006;American Diploma Project)

5. Why RAFT Writing?
The SAT and ACT have added a writing component to their college entrance exams. ( Results Now, Schmoker)
More than 90% of mid-career professionals recently cited the “need to write effectively” as a skill of “great importance” in their day to day work.
( Results Now, Schmoker)

6. Why RAFT Writing?
“Poorly written applications are likely to doom candidates’ chances for employment.” ( National Commission on Writing 2005)

7. What is R. A. F. T writing
2s tell 1s what you know about RAFT writing.

8. What is the RAFT strategy?
R- Role. You will decide which role students will need to take on. Writer? Character? Historian? Journalist?
A- Audience. Who should the students consider as their audience? Students? Parents? Newspaper readers?
F- Format. What is the best product that will demonstrate their understanding of the task? News article, letter of complaint, poem, advertisement, top ten list
T- Topic+strong verb. What’s the subject? Is it to persuade a goddess to spare your life? To lobby for a retest?

9. Why would I create a RAFT?
* It gives students an opportunity to show you what they understand from their reading.
* It is more fun to grade than an essay.
* It gives students practice writing.
* It involves higher order thinking skills.
* It is an easy way to differentiate and challenge everyone.

10. How to create a RAFT
1. Think about concepts or processes that you want students to learn as they read the selected passage.
2. Brainstorm possible roles they could assume in their writing.
3. Decide who the audience would be as well as the format for writing.
4. After students finish reading, identify the role, audience, format and topic for the writing.
5. You may want to let them work in groups.

11. Examples of RAFT assignments
Math Class
Role: Square
Audience: Parallelogram
Format: Persuasive Speech
Topic: I should be included in your club.

12. Math Analysis Students had their choice of 3 RAFTs.
1) R-The Unit Circle, A-sin and cos F-complaint letter T-Get off my x’s and y’s!
2) R-Sin x, A-cos x, F-Love letter, T-Why you should choose me over all those OTHER trig functions.
3) R-David Letterman, A-Math Analysis Students, F-Top 10 list, T-Why you should know your common angles.
Borrowed from Vince Wagner at Mayo

13. Social Studies Role: newspaper reporter Audience: newspaper readers
Format: feature article
Topic: life in the Hoovervilles

14. Science Role: plant Audience: sun Format: thank you note
Topic: explain the sun’s role in plant growth

15. Health Role: addict Audience: drug Format: letter
Topic: “Dear John” letter ending relationship

16. English Role: the word good Audience: student writer Format: letter
Topic: please stop overusing me

17. Guidance Role: college admissions officer
Audience: prospective students
Format: brochure
Topic: why you should come to our college

18. Art Role: artist Audience: people looking at my art
Format: artist’s statement
Topic: Here’s what this piece of art means to me.

19. ESL/Newcomers Role: Statue of Liberty Audience: arriving immigrants
Format: loudspeaker address
Topic: the new rights and responsibilities to expect in America.

20. FACS Role: Etiquette coach Audience: Rude Americans
Format: Top Ten List
Topic: If you want to be a member of polite society, these are things to avoid.

21. Physical Education Role: the heart Audience: lazy teenager
Format: persuasive letter
Topic: please exercise to keep me healthy.

22. Industrial Technology
Role: safety specialist
Audience: careless students
Format: safety quiz
Topic: things you need to know before you operate the mitre saw.

23. Foreign Language Role: tour guide Audience: Americans coming
to vacation in this city
Format: Itinerary for a five day trip.
Topic: This is what you should see and do when you are in Barcelona.
This could be written in the target language for upper level students.

24. Band Role: The ______________ ( your instrument)
Audience: the rest of the band
Format: top ten list
Topic: top ten reasons you need me

25. Medical Careers Role: heart disease Audience: the American public
Format: What Not to do list
Topic: Here’s how to avoid getting me

26. Business Education Role: striking worker from a famous strike
Audience: boss
Format: letter to the editor
Topic: our working conditions are unacceptable

27. Work Experience Role: supervisor Audience: your employee
Format: top ten list
Topic: top ten ways to keep your job

28. Your turn! Take five minutes to complete a new RAFT for 1492.
Share it with the people near you.

29. 1492 Historical Period Sailor onboard Columbus anonymous note
Mutiny brewing
Taino Indian
Cacique
(chief)
FYI memo
Hospitality or hostility for newcomers?
monarchs
Formal letter
Update on investment
Cabin boy
Helmsman
Christmas message
How do I steer this thing?

30. Create a Rubric or Checklist
You Rock! 4
Almost Perfect 3
So-So 2
Oops! 1
Information is complete and accurate.
You are missing information or have incorrect facts.
You have little correct information represented.
Information is presented in an interesting manner.
Information is presented in an interesting manner but could have been more creative.
You could have been more creative in your presentation.
You writing lacked creativity.
Written work is free from any grammatical or spelling errors.
One or two errors are evident in your work.
Three or more errors are present in writing.
You have many errors in your writing.

31. Apply it!
2’s tells 1’s which units you teach that might lend themselves to RAFT writing.

32. Frequently Asked Questions
What about grading?
Rubric grading is fast and easy
Grade it as a homework assignment ( math)
Have students assess each other’s against the rubric

33. Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find time to do this with all I have to teach?
* Use this as an assessment of whether your students know the content you are teaching.
* Use this as an alternative to a traditional test.
* Think of this as an opportunity for them to learn the content you are teaching at a deeper level.

34. Teachers Say….
Well, first of all, the kids loved it and I haven’t stopped laughing since I started reading their work.  I heard one kid say (kinda to himself), “Why am I having so much fun with this?”  I just wanted to relay that quote and say thanks for the ideas.
 Vince Wagner, Math Teacher

35. Teachers Say….
I have taken the RAFT idea into my honors classes today and the kids are so excited that it is unbelievable. I have never had the kids so excited.  Each class has actually asked me if they can do this on a regular basis.  
John Macdonald, Science teacher

36. Teachers Say….
I used RAFT today in AP with “The Wasteland” – they thought it was cool and an easy way to get into the details of the text.
Julie Brock, English

37. Work Time Create a rough draft of a RAFT for one of your units.
Be prepared to share your RAFT ideas in ten minutes.