This document provides an overview of writing multigenre papers. It discusses some key considerations for teachers in assigning such projects, including timing, requirements, and genre possibilities. Teachers need to carefully consider how much time to allocate for projects so students are not overwhelmed. Requirements will vary depending on district, department, class culture and students. A wide variety of genres can be incorporated into multigenre papers, including those arising from classroom work. The book provides helpful guidance for teachers assigning this type of project.

1. Blending
Genre, Altering
Style
Writing Multigenre Papers
Written by: Tom Romano
Reported by: Andrea
Hollandsworth
Kimberly Sankovic
Brittney Hall

2. About Tom Romano
His Books  Tom has taught high school
and college students for
 Clearing the Way more than thirty years, and
(1987) he currently teaches writing
 Writing with Passion and language arts
(1995) methods in the department
of teacher education at
 Blending Genre, Miami University in Oxford,
Altering Style (2000) Ohio. In summer he often
teaches in the New
 Crafting Authentic Hampshire Literacy
Voice (2004). Institutes at the University of
 Zigzag (2008), a New Hampshire.
memoir of his teaching
and learning lives.

3. Main Points
Timing
Requirements and variety
Genre possibilities

4. Timing
 Teachers are  Timing all depends on
concerned with timing how your classroom is
when it comes to:
conducted and what
 Projects, group time,
daily writing,
lesson you are
discussion, library teaching.
sessions, and reading  Really think about
time. how much time to set
 ― If students often ask aside for a project so
teachers how long a your students don’t
piece of writing should get overwhelmed.
be, teachers often ask  Allow enough time to
themselves how long a
project or unit should fully cover the
take.‖ (ch.3 pg.15) material.

5. Requirements
 It
will vary based  Writeeffectively
on: and coherently
 District  Creativity
 Department  Overall goal-make
 Class culture it memorable and
 Students to have the
8 entries using 5 students branch
different genres out

6. Genre Possibilities
 Influence of standardized tests: writing
proficiency
 Modes of writing are often blended
 Examine multi-genre texts
 Brainstorm genres, provide lists
 Mandatory classroom doing
 Genre arising naturally from classroom
work

7. Connections
 Thisbook is very helpful to the project we
are working on now
 Choice
 About the process

8. Mini Lesson: Found Poem
Purpose: This activity encourages students to discover poems that may be hidden
in the text of prose including: novels, children’s books, magazines, textbooks,
letters, and pamphlets, etc. With the arranging of text from its original order, a
new rhythm, imagery and message can be uncovered.
Procedure:
Model the Found Poetry strategy for students with text reserved for teaching use.
Arrange students in small groups (4-5 students per group).
Provide students with a short excerpt taken from a prose passage.
Students are to use the presented text to discover a hidden poem.
The following may be done to ―rescue‖ a poem:
Break sentences/phrases to create a new rhythm
Arrange text into stanzas
Insert/omit punctuation
Manipulate language to change intended meaning of text

9. Example
―I found the road and followed it, listening for dogs. But now, only a few
night birds and insects broke the silence – crickets, an owl, some other bird I
had no name for. I hugged the side of the road, trying to suppress my
nervousness and praying to go home. Something dashed across the road so
close to me that it almost brushed my leg. I froze, too terrified even to
scream, then realized that it was just some small animal that I had frightened
– a fox.‖ (Butler, 1979)
Foxes and Dogs
I found the road
And followed it,
Listenting for the dogs.
But now,
Only a few birds
And insects
Broke the silence—
Crickets,
An owl,
Some other bird I had no name for.
Ihuggedthesideoftheroad,tryingtosuppressmynervousness