Middle School Multi-Genre Research and Writing Project

Middle School Multi-Genre Research and Writing Project

From Content-Area Writing by Harvey Daniels, Steven Zemelman, and Nancy Steineke

Instead of a long research paper, in the multi-genre project, the students create a collection of five, eight, or even twelve different shorter pieces centered on a single important and well-researched topic. Rather than write a traditional essay, students create a series of other forms of writing that get to the heart of the research in the voices of the various characters involved in their researched event or information. The multi-genre project offers the students an opportunity to combine research, informational writing, and creativity, all with the feel of authenticity.

Most importantly, content teachers can specify which genres to use to maximize student learning.

What to do:

Students select a topic and complete the traditional research to answer their question or make the claim

Students select the required number of different genres for their project

Students match their research information to the genre and blend the two

Students put their research into their own words or the words of the characters who are telling their story

Students document all their information, providing a works cited or bibliography page

Students attribute their information to the proper source using an endnote method of annotation

The project isn’t over when the writing project has been turned in:

Students get into groups and create a drama that incorporates something of each group member’s research, finding a common theme or struggle

Students write the script (it can be a readers theatre) and present the drama to the rest of the class

Finally, students spend time self-assessing their work with questions such as

Are you still happy with your topic choice? Why or why not?

What did you learn about the research process from this project?

What criteria did you use to decide on the genres to include in your paper?

How did you decide on the organization of the pieces to create a cohesive whole?

Did this kind of project help you get a better understanding of your topic than you might have with a more traditional research paper?

Here is a beginning list of the possible genres in which students might write:

Wills

Letters

Campaign speeches

Birth announcements

Calendars

Dialogues

Newscasts

Questionnaires

Obituaries

Song lyrics

TV commercials

Radio shows

Shopping lists

Speeches

Time lines

News releases

Medical records

Manifestos

Person data

Fact sheets

Surveys

Historical fiction

Telephone conversations

Baseball (or other sports) cards

Resumes

Family trees

Dedications

Crossword puzzles

Cartoon / comic strips

Menus

Diplomas

Requisitions

Bumper stickers

Magazine articles

Memos

Myths

Parodies

Magazine covers

Notes to or from the teacher

Greeting cards

Class notes

Leases

Contracts

Textbook sections

Parodies

Police reports

Brochures

Diaries

Children’s books

CD liners

Invitations

Biographies

Telegrams

Recipes

Interviews

Fiction

Encyclopedia entries

Epitaphs

Poems

Daily schedules

Advice columns

Email messages

Definitions

Fairy tales

Catalogs

Examples:

Science:

• Memo to Ben and Jerry’s employees on the quality of the last batch of ice cream
• Complaint letter from a dissatisfied customer
• Pink slip for fired employee and why he was fired

Georgia History:

• Note from William Bartram who traveled through Georgia
• King’s order for a convict sent to the Georgia penal colony
• Letter describing the charred rubble of an Indian village

I Can Statements (from standards below)

• I can use evidence from the things I read to support my analysis of what the text is saying.
• I can use this evidence in my writing to give information to my reader.
• I can determine an author’s point of view or his perspective on a topic and analyze how the author’s point of view is different from others.
• I can analyze the differences between what two or more authors say on the same topic and understand how their differences are shaped by the evidence they use.
• I can discuss and write about these differences.
• I can introduce a topic clearly and coherently using a variety of text structures and formats to give information in multiple ways and from different perspectives.
• I can use facts, definitions, examples, among other things to develop a topic.
• I can use precise language to impart information about a topic and to show different perspectives on a topic.
• I can maintain a formal or an informal style in my writing, and I know when to differentiate between them.
• I can use a narrative format and narrative techniques such as dialogue, point of view, sequence, description, and characters to impart important information.
• I can conduct research to answer a question.
• I can gather relevant information and quote or paraphrase from multiple print and digital sources without plagiarizing.

Standards (Seventh Grade)

ELAGSE7RI1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

ELAGSE7RI6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.

ELAGSE7RI9: Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing the different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.

ELAGSE7W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style.

ELAGSE7W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.

ELAGSE7W7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

ELAGSE7W8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.