This document provides an overview and instructions for a DIY training on using Drafting Board, an online tool for teaching argumentative writing. It outlines the main sections of the training, including getting started, using the features of Drafting Board, classroom support materials, teacher reports, and a quiz. The training is designed to be interactive, with links to additional videos and tutorials throughout.

1. A FUN & EASY
DIY TRAINING
FROM
VERSION
2.0

2. Using This Training
• Make sure you can connect to YouTube so you can
access the links to our short tutorial videos.
• Make sure you’re running this presentation as a slide
show so you don’t miss any of the built-in features.
• Advance through the presentation as you normally
would, by clicking, pressing enter, or using the arrow
keys.
• Links within the presentation will let you skip around and
customize your DIY training if you wish. You’ll need to
click directly on those links to use them.

3. DDIIYY
TTRRAAIINNIINN
GG MMEENNUU
Click the orange
arrow to begin the
training
Begin the Training
- OR -
Just show me how Drafting Board works
Show me the classroom & teaching
materials
Remind me about the special features in DB -OR-Select
the part of
Walk me through the teacher report data
Help me set up a class and assign DB
Quiz me about what DB is and what it isn’t
the training you’d
like to view first.
Don’t worry – you
can always return to
the menu!

4. GETTING STARTED:
Before you use DB…
… you’ll need to take care of a few
housekeeping tasks on iCivics.org.
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5. Get a Teacher Account
Click “Join iCivics” and
follow the instructions. Be
sure to check your email to
verify your account!
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6. Set Up Your Classes
You must assign Drafting
Board to your students.
This lets students access
Drafting Board.
Before you start DB, set up
your classes in My iCivics.
Click this button for a
video tutorial on creating
classes in My iCivics.
- OR -
Click anywhere else to
continue this training
presentation.
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7. Assign Drafting Board
You can assign DB right
from the topic page. It
takes you right to the
“Create Assignment” page.
Click this button for a video
on creating assignments in
My iCivics. Fast forward to
1:00 to begin at the “Create
Assignment” page.
- OR - Click anywhere
else to continue.
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8. USING DRAFTING BOARD:
Get to know the tool…
… before your students dive in!
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9. The Modules
Students work through six modules inside Drafting Board:
At the end, they will have a completed essay.
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10. Challenge Modes
Drafting Board has six scaffolding options.
You’ll learn what the levels mean after you learn how Drafting
Board works. (It will make more sense then.)
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11. Issue Analyzer
In the first module, students learn about the issue by using
a library of evidence to complete a fictional news story.
Click this button to watch a
tutorial video that explains a
bit about the Challenge
Modes and walks you
through the Issue Analyzer.
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12. Claim Creator
In the second module, students support their claim with
reasons and support each reason with evidence.
Click this button to watch a
tutorial video that walks you
through the Claim Creator.
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13. Paragraph Constructor
In the third module, students create the essay’s three body
paragraphs. (The Challenge Mode affects the amount of
scaffolding the Paragraph Constructor provides.)
Click this button to watch a
tutorial video that walks you
through the Paragraph
Constructor. In the video, the
Challenge Mode has been
set to Default (one paragraph
at each of the three
scaffolding levels).
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14. Critic Crusher
In the fourth module, students write a counterargument
paragraph that “crushes” one of the other side’s reasons.
Click this button to watch a
tutorial video that walks you
through the Critic Crusher.
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15. The ‘Ducer & the Crafter
In the Introduction Introducer and the Conclusion Crafter,
students create the introduction and conclusion paragraphs.
Click this button to watch a
tutorial video that walks you
through the Introduction
Introducer and the Conclusion
Crafter.
(The Challenge Mode also controls the amount of help a student receives
when restating the claim and reasons in the conclusion paragraph.)
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16. FEATURE REVIEW:
Look a little deeper…
… at some of the key features
Drafting Board offers.
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17. Challenge Mode
Level = Amount of scaffolding
in the Paragraph Constructor
and Conclusion Crafter
Plan ahead! Decide which
level to assign to your class
and/or to individual students.
Next… all about the Challenge
Modes.
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18. Challenge Mode
There are three possible scaffolding types:
• AUTO-COMPLETE. This is the highest level of scaffolding. The
paragraph is pre-written and contains blank spaces. As students click
highlighted sentences in the evidence, Drafting Board auto-completes
the space. Students must determine if the auto-complete response
makes sense.
• PARAPHRASE. This is the mid-level scaffolding. The paragraph is pre-written
and contains blank areas. Based on the evidence, students
must complete the blank areas in their own words.
• WRITE-IT-YOURSELF. This level offers no scaffolding. Except for the
topic sentence, students write the paragraph completely on their own
based on information in the evidence.
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19. Lots of help
Total DIY
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20. Built-In Glossary
Hover or
click on a
pink word
to see its
definition.
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21. Audio Support
Most text
has audio
read-aloud.
The audio can’t be
disabled. If you
don’t want all
students to use it,
you’ll need to state
that expectation.
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22. “Your Essay So Far”
This button lets
students see the
work they’ve done
so far. They see
any completed
essay parts next to
the outline. They
may also edit.
Details next…
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23. “Your Essay So Far”
Outline (from Claim Creator)
Completed essay parts
Progress bar
Option to edit text
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24. Visible Student Text
Student-generated
text is orangey
brownish yellow.
Both you and they can easily
see which text the students
wrote themselves.
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25. Transitions Help
Click or hover over a
transition to see its
definition and an
example.
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26. Between-Module Screen
Students see a progress page
between each module.
“Thermometer” shows progress
through the modules in order.
Colored blocks show progress
of constructing the essay.
“View Your Essay” takes them
to the Your Essay So Far page.
“Redo” restarts the module from
the beginning.
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27. Graphic Organizers
A graphic organizer
introduces each module.
The organizers show the
basic concepts students
should learn in the
module.
Supplemental teaching
materials include a
Power Point activity with
the organizers and a fun
whole-class quiz.
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28. CLASSROOM SUPPORT:
Drafting Board needs…
… teacher facilitation! We’ve made
materials to help you.
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29. Classroom Materials
There is a set of
printed classroom
materials for each
Drafting Board
topic. These help
students get the
most out of
Drafting Board.
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30. Classroom Materials
Each set of classroom materials includes guidance for you
and worksheets for them…
• “Challenge mode” matrix
• Printable pre-writing activity options
• Printable glossary
• Guiding questions to help you help them
• Printable evidence for students who need it
• Printable “Progress Tracker” (highly recommended!)
• Peer-editing mini-worksheet
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31. Teaching Guide
“Teaching Guide &
Tips” shows you
what to look for
when kids are
using Drafting
Board.
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32. Teaching Guide
The “Teaching Guide & Tips” is the same for each module. It
includes helpful hints for teaching with Drafting board:
• Getting Started guide
• Tips for each module
• Guide to the teacher report data
• How to use the Concept Activity PowerPoint
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33. Teaching Guide
For each module, see…
• Purpose & concepts
• What to look for as you
circulate while students are
working
• Explanation of built-in support
and instruction
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34. Teaching Guide
• Key images of the module
• Information and tips about key
parts of the module
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35. Concept Activity
This PowerPoint
activity builds a
fun quiz around
the graphic
organizers inside
Drafting Board to
teach or reinforce
the major
concepts.
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36. Concept Activity
Full-slide versions
of the graphic
organizers let you
teach or review the
concepts inside
Drafting Board.
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37. Concept Activity
Active participation
quiz helps you
reinforce the
concepts from the
graphic organizers
in a fun way.
(Answers appear
on click.)
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38. Product Overview
The Product
Overview offers a
general walk-through
of Drafting
Board’s modules
and features.
(By now you’re an
expert, but it’s
there if you need
it!)
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39. TEACHER REPORTING:
Your students’ results…
… are only a click away!
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40. View Report
You can view a
report of your
students’ data
right from the topic
page.
(You can also
access the report
data from My
iCivics.)
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41. Main Report Page
Use the drop-down menu
to select the class you
want to see.
Circles color in as the
student works through.
These buttons let you
view, print, or download
individual results.
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42. View Data
The “View Data” button
shows you how the
student performed in the
evidence matching
activities in Drafting
Board.
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43. View Data
For each activity, you’ll
see how many pieces of
evidence the student
matched on the first try…
…and how many
incorrect matches the
student tried.
Together, this data
shows you how much the
student struggled with the
evidence matching
activities.
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44. View Essay
The “View Essay” button
lets you see the student’s
essay.
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45. View Essay
Text the student wrote is
highlighted in blue.
From here, you can
download or print the
student’s essay.
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46. Download All
These buttons at the top
let you download data or
essays for the entire
class at once.
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47. QUIZ:
Drafting Board is…
For each statement, show
if the statement is true
if the statement is false
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48. 1) Drafting Board is…
… a tool to help teach essay
structure and format.
True
False
Drafting Board models and supports writing quality but cannot assess it.
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49. 2) Drafting Board is…
… a replacement for teaching
about argumentative writing.
True
False
Drafting Board helps you teach, but it can’t replace the teacher.
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50. 3) Drafting Board is…
… a game.
True
False
Drafting Board is a writing tool that requires facilitation to be most effective.
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51. 4) Drafting Board is…
… a way to model what good
arguments look & sound like.
True
False
Modeling is embedded throughout Drafting Board.
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52. 5) Drafting Board is…
… a way to teach kids how to
conduct good research.
True
False
It doesn’t teach how to conduct research, but it can be a good discussion starter.
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53. 6) Drafting Board is…
… a way to practice working
with evidence and support.
True
False
Students work with the built-in evidence library throughout Drafting Board.
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54. 7) Drafting Board is…
… a way to support literacy in
the Social Studies classroom.
True
False
Drafting Board supports writing skills students learn in ELA classes.
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55. 8) Drafting Board is…
… a replacement for writing
essays independently.
True
False
Drafting Board is meant to help students learn to write independent essays.
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56. 9) Drafting Board is…
… a way to explore topics
relevant to civics.
True
False
Drafting Board lets students dig deeper into a variety of civics topics.
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57. 10) Drafting Board is…
… a good way to keep kids
busy while you grade papers.
True
False
You probably won’t get good results out of the Drafting Board experience this way.
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58. THANK YOU!
Was this DIY training useful? Please let us know what you
thought by clicking the button to take a quick survey.
If you have any questions about Drafting Board, please
email support@icivics.org. A friendly iCivics staff member
will be happy to help.
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