2. 2
Your Mission…
This assessment activity requires you to write a formal
opinion article of at least 350 words.
You will be given a list of issues to choose from.
Your audience will be other students, staff, and the
wider community.
Your writing will be published on your blog.
3. 3
Project Based Learning
1.
Open ended driving question or challenge
2.
Creates a need to know essential content & skills
3.
Covers significant content
4.
Requires inquiry to learn and create something new
5.
21st Century skills: collaboration, critical thinking,
communication and creativity
6.
Allows student voice and choice
7.
Revision and reflection
8.
Create a product to share publicly
5. 5
Discover
1. To learn the conventions of formal
writing
Learning
Intention
s
2. To research an issue and find evidence
to support your ideas
3. To learn how to develop and structure
your ideas
4. To discover how make your blog
scannable
6. 6
Discover: The conventions of formal writing
1.Read through the following website:
https://sites.google.com/site/reeftonyear10/formal-writing/rrrrr
2.Use http://www.quizyourfriends.com to create a quiz to test
each other on the conventions.
Gathering
Processing
Applying
Thinking
Relating to others
Using language, text and symbols
Managing self
Participating & contributing
7. 7
Discover: Issues & Challenges
Gathering
Processing
http://sofs.hubpages.com/hub/Its-hard-on-teens
http://www.stageoflife.com/
http://www.helpguide.org/topics/teens.htm
1. Use the links above to find an issue or challenge that you can relate to.
2. Use SimpleMind+ to record ideas or create a brainstorm of possibilities for your
article. Answer the following:
• Identify the challenge or issue
• Describe 3 ways that the challenge/issue is portrayed
• Record at least 3 quotes about the challenge/issue
Thinking
Using language, text and
symbols
Managing self
8. 8
Discover: Structuring Ideas
http://www.library.dmu.ac.uk/Support/Heat/index.php?page=485
1. In pairs, read the above link and use Educreations, Explain
Everything or VideoScribe to create a presentation which
explains the structure of an essay.
Gathering
Processing
Applying
Thinking
Relating to others
Using language, text and symbols
Managing self
Participating & contributing
10. 10
Discover: Make your blog scannable
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2006/02/20/scannable-content/
1. In pairs, read the above link to learn how to make
your blog easier to read and more appealing to the
reader.
2. List 5 ideas from the article that you will include
when you create your blog.
Gathering
Processing
Thinking
Relating to others
Using language, text and symbols
Managing self
Participating & contributing
11. 11
Create: Time to write!
Now that you have your information on what to write
and how to write, it’s time to get started.
Processing
Applying
Thinking
Using language, text and symbols
Managing self
12. Create: Editing
Gathering
Processing
Applying
Remember to edit your work by:
• Strengthen your opening to command attention
• Replace informal words or phrases with words more
appropriate for formal writing
• Improve the flow of your sentences
Thinking
Using language, text and symbols
• Vary the way your sentences start
Managing self
• Improve the links between ideas
• Add links, sub-headings, or keywords
• Add more supporting evidence
• Add explanations to link your evidence to your ideas.
12
14. 14
Create: Proof read
Proofing means that you should check your work carefully for
errors. Here is a list of some common problems in writing:
• missing punctuation (for example, full stops, commas,
apostrophes, speech marks)
• missing or misused capital letters
Thinking
• incomplete or incorrect sentences
Using language, text and symbols
Managing self
• incorrect paragraphing
• misspelt words
• mixed-up tenses
• incorrect use of conventions of online writing.
Gathering
Processing
Applying
16. 16
Share
A developed piece of formal writing is
published on a blog
Success
Criteria
The writing has been edited and uses
conventions correctly
The writing uses the correct structure
and a format appropriate for a blog
17. 17
Reflect
Processing
Applying
Thinking
Using language, text and symbols
Managing self
1. Did I get my blog finished by the due date? If not, why not?
2. Did my blog explain the issue well and include appropriate
evidence?
3. Have I completed work on this issue in other subjects? If yes,
in what ways was this helpful?
4. Do I see any patterns in how I approached my work - such as
following an outline, keeping to deadlines? Was this efficient?
5. Did I do an effective job of writing? Explain why?
6. How can I use what I have learnt to make a difference in my
life?