Overview of Sample Writing Assignments
You will note that the structure of assignments in the sample calendar and sample writing assignments to follow all begin with shorter, lower stakes assignments that build up to longer writing projects. These shorter assignments are a chance for students to practice important skills that will be incorporated into the longer writing projects and should reflect the particular dimensions of the final project for each unique sequence.
Remember, when you are invested in and excited about a writing assignment, your students can pick up on it and model your enthusiasm. Treat the following assignments as starting points for developing the version that you will distribute to your own students. When considering additions, modifications, and subtractions, be mindful of what you will be emphasizing in your own class, what you will feel comfortable teaching, and how you will make the different assignment options legible to students. Some instructors feel comfortable offering students a range of options; others prefer to focus on a single option to ensure they are able to provide students with clearly articulated expectations.
In drawing from backwards design concepts, always think first about the concepts you ask students to work on in that final writing project of each sequence when developing your shorter assignments and writing goals. Further, this reflects the need for students to be writing often as a means to get ongoing feedback from you and from other members of the class via workshops.
Additional writing assignments, both short and long, along with sample lesson plans are located on the LessonShare Canvas site.