Writing Across the Curriculum

The purpose of this page is to provide resources to imporve student's ability to write across the curriculum. Thinking maps, sometimes called graphic organizers, are a useful visual tool to help transfer thinking processes and integrate learning. However, before a student can visualize they need to identify the thinking skill embedded in each questionn.

Therefore, in the list below, sample questions from the curriculum and from MCAS have been organized and linked to each thinking skill and tool.

Additional resources, to aid student's thinking and writing, are linked at the bottom of the page.

Thinking Skill: Problem/Conflict Resolution

The main conflict in _________ is _____. Cite and explain at least ____ examples that support this conflict. How is each conflict resolved?

Tools:

Thinking Skill: Sequencing and/or Summarizing

Show how the events in English religious history led to the Puritan settlement in Massachusetts.

Refer to the important events that led to: Shay's Rebellion, The Battle of Lexington and Concord, The Boston Tea Party, and The Slave Trade.

Tools:

Thinking Skill: Describing Qualities

What qualities does this character have that would allow you to choose or not choose this person as a friend?

State the trait, cite a quote form the text, and explain how your examples support the character trait.

Tools:

Thinking Skill: Classifying

Classify the following shapes and explain your reasoning.

Tools:

Thinking Skill: Defining in Context

Define patriotism and example how the revolutionists showed their patritoism in the Revolutionary War. Give at least 3 supportive examples.

Tools:

Thinking Skill: Compare and Contrast

Compare and constrast trapezoids and parallelogram.

Tools:

Thinking Skill: Cause and Effect

Describe the effects of geopgraphy on the lives of New Englanders.

Tools:

Thinking Skill: Whole/Part

Explain the lifecycle of a butterfly.

Tools:

Non-fiction structures include thinking and writing about cause and effect, time order sequence, describing a topic and making comparisons and noting differences. While basic fiction strucutres zsk students to think about story structures such as beginning, middle and ending, settings, characters and plot, or problem, conflcit and solution. .

Additional Resources