This document provides guidance for teachers on introducing and teaching a multigenre writing assignment to students. It suggests a 5 day workshop routine where students first read a multigenre text, then share examples and choose topics. Guidelines are given for including specific genres like dialog, prose fiction, and poems to make the writing more engaging for readers. Teachers are encouraged to discuss genre possibilities with students and have them experiment with immersing themselves in different writing styles.

1. READSHAREStacey Bush and Amanda BarwinEnglish 315 October 11th 2011

2. Teacher ExpertiseRequirements and StricturesUnityStructureBibliography/Media/ResearchTiming-relative to the assignmentOther Subjects“…don’t rush, allow development…”Provide Syllabus

3. Teacher ExpertiseFuture Engineers and the Tied-Dyed SetWriting is Not LimitedImagination is a Way of Knowing“…understand emotion and circumstance as well as logic and outcome.”Genre Possibilities Brainstorm Genres (provide lists)Narrative Writing ChoicesImmerse students into Different Genres and ones they RecognizeProducers and Consumers

4. Teacher ExpertiseEmotional Weight/Informational GroundingImagine ThoroughlyRe-Experience MentallyTalk about Entire Experience/Idea to Peer/TeacherBranching offMusic/Plays/Dances/ArtCreativityMerging Subjects

5. Introducing Multigenre Writing: Workshop Routine- Day 1- Class reading and discussion of a book written in a multitude of genres. Ex: The Collected Works of Bill the KidDay 2- Share a multigenre paper in class. Allow students to read different parts- the more experience they have reading multigenre papers, the more aware of its possibilities.Day 3- Topic Choice workshop- Discuss writing topic ideas, share topics others write about.Day 4- Students submit chosen topic Day 5- Begin Mulitgenre workshop

6. DialogAdding Dialog creates tension and allows writers to reveal conflict, controversy, dilemmas, and opposing viewpoints. Makes text friendlier and less daunting for readers.Dialog tags- it is okay to use the word said. Students who substitute different words for said often pull the reader away from the dialog.Should be brief, quickly pass over like normal conversation.Sound spontaneous and keep the story moving forward.Should reveal speakers personalities and show relationships among people.

7. Prose Fiction In Multigenre papers, writers can combine fact with imagination to invent scenes that illustrate truth or scenes that actually happen.Fictionalize and make up what you want to happen. “Try fiction in order to imagine truth, to create a sense of life being lived.”To set characters in motion, Go beyond narrative summary to create dramatic scene. Dramatic scene appeals to our sense of visual imagery instead of just telling you about what happens. Create scenes and resist explaining, summing up and analyzing.

8. PoemsA place of precision and imagination in language. Everywhere we go, poetry goes with us. It definitely fits in multigenre papers. Requires focus, visual thinking, constructing meaning, and feeling emotion. Students must read poetry that gives them faith that they can also successfully try the genre.Poetry RitualHaikuPhotograph PoemProse PoemPoems for two voices