Writing Literacy

In the state of Utah they have implemented a writing literacy standards in Social Studies. As I looked for ways to incorporate writing, I came across an article from the Colonial  ƒoundation that gives suggestions on ways to put writing into Social Studies.

The article starts out by saying three reasons to write in a Social Studies classroom:

1. Writing is a fundamental intellectual activity. It prompts problem solving, discovery, and communication.

2. Writing helps you to learn history. Students learn best when they are actively engaged and writing is one way we can do this.

3. Writing clarifies your understanding of the subject. As students write often their questions are clarified.

The author also suggests posting these points in the classroom, and to point to them when students complain.  It goes on to have students write daily summaries, and unit wrap-ups, emphasizing that writing every day is better than long papers.

Students must be taught how to write a historical essay, compared to language arts essays: there are differences. These are suggestions from the article:

• Assume your audience knows nothing about the historical topic.
• Historical writing is based on fact.
• Chronology and sequence are important for organizing historical writing.
• Historical facts should support statements or reasons.
• Use the appropriate historical time frame.
• Make historical writing interesting to the audience by:
• Providing details from the time period.
• Organizing historical information clearly so that it makes an impact on the audience.
• Using first person, if writing as a historical figure.

Journals are also suggested. For opening bell ringers you can have questions posted or do what is called a reaction journal entry: where a quote from a historical figure of the time period being studied is shown and students must write their reaction to the quote using what they know at that time (essay questions can be pulled from these quotes for unit papers, etc). These journals can also be looked back at the end of the unit and see if opinions have changed and reactions have changed.

With writing in the classroom language arts and history can drastically change the way they view writing.

© 2011 †he Colonial  ƒoundation
Writing in the Social Studies Classroom
By Peter Pitard, Principal, Bath County High School, Hot Springs, Virginia

Department of Education Outreach