RAFT about writing in Social Studies

1. RAFT: Social Studies Style

2. What is a
RAFT?
● Role: What role will you take in
writing about history? Who are you?
● Audience: Who are you writing to
while in the role of this character
above?
● Format: What is the format? A letter? Writing a
speech? Decide what type of format you want
to write to the designated audience.
● Topic: Once you know what role you are taking,
who you are writing to, and the format of the
writing, decide on the topic in question you seek
to address.

3. Some Samples for a RAFT
● Role: Civil War photographer
● Audience: People in the 1860's
● Format: Newspaper article
● Topic: Battle of Antietam
● Role: Charlemagne
● Audience: Carolingian citizens
● Format: Oral speech
● Topic: Importance of educating
all of the Frankish people
● Role: Abigail Adams
● Audience: John Adams
● Format: Letter
● Topic: Constitutional Convention
update.
● Role: John F. Kennedy
● Audience: Soviet Union
● Format: Written speech
● Topic: The unacceptable
placement of nuclear weapons
in Cuba

4. Role
● The role is who you wish
you be when arguing or
discussing your point of
view. This is typically a
person who has something
of importance to say.
● The role may also be a
group of people, an
animal, perhaps even an
inanimate object in certain
situations.

5. Audience
● The audience wi ll be someone or
something that has signi f icance to the
role being discussed. The two have
some reason for exchanging dialogue,
be i t simi lar exper iences, personal
stake, or desi re to af fect the outcome
of something.

6. Format
● Format asks which style of writing
you will adopt. Are you talking to
someone else, writing them a
private letter? Or making a speech
for the world to hear?Are you
trying to write a news article
describing a situation that has
occurred, or a response to
something that someone else did?

7. Topic
● Finally, the topic that the “R-A-F” is
talking about. Are we talking about the
rise of the Roman Empire, or the fall of
Constantinople? Perhaps a crisis, such as
the Cuban Missile Crisis, or an idea such
as a preferred type of government for a
country. Find a topic, and focus on the
topic at hand.