ThefollowingareLowStresswritingideasthatcanbeusedatthebeginningoftheyearorfor

studentsthatarereluctanttowrite.Theyarealsoexcellenttouseduringprewritingoras
standalonewritingtolearntasks.

ABClists
ExampleofaStudentsABCListfromaHighSchoolBiologyClass
Animalcells Nucleus,nucleolus
Bodies(cellsareinourbodies) Organismshavecells,organelles,outer
membrane
Cytoplasm Protoplasm
DNA,division Q
Eukaryotic Ribosomes,reticulum
F Sexcells
Golgi,granules T
H U
Innermembrane Vacuole
J Wall(cellwallinplants)
K X
L Y
Membrane(cellmembrane),meiosis,
mitosis,mitochondria
Z

TheTop10list(modifiedfromDavidLettermanssketch)
Thislistismadeupmainpointsfromareading.
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.

TheTop3list
ThisframeworkprovidesanevenhigherlevelofthinkingthantheTop10list.Studentscould
startwithaTop10listandthenpairitdowntoaTop3.

3.
2.
1.

Entrance/ExitSlips

Studentswriteabriefresponseuponenteringorbeforeleavingclass,inresponsetoateacher
prompt.Thesearevaluableformativeassessmenttoolsfortheteacher.

StudentExample:

Youaskeduswhenwelookatagraph,howweknowitsafunction.WellfirstIseeifitsa
straightline.Bothnegativeandpositivenumberscanmakethestraightline.Ialsocantell
withoutlookingatthegraphbywritingthepairsdownonpaper.Thatwouldhelpmedecide
whetherornotitsafunction.

R.A.F.T
Role Audience Format Topic
Inuit Modernfourth
graders
Letter Whatlifeislikefora
childintheInuittribe.
Pawnee Self Journalentry Typicalday
Hopi Seminole Speechof
introduction
Describeselfasif
meetingforthefirst
time
PoncedeLeon Modernfourth
graders
Speech/presentation Myfirstexperience
withNative
Americansin
America

WritingexamplefromaRAFTassignment.Roleisapoint(inmathematics),Audienceisthe
teacher,Formatisafriendlyletter,andtheTopiciswhyapointisaveryimportantfunction:

DearMrs.Crosby,
Hithere,ImPaytonPoint.Iamonepointofinfinitenumberofpointsinspace.Im
wondering...doyouteachaboutusinyourclass?Ithinkyoushould.Forexample,every
imaginablegeometricshapeismadeupofpoints.Everytriangle,cone,cylinderyounameit!We
areverysmall,sopeoplesometimesignorethefactthatweexist,butwearethebuildingblocks
ofeveryshape,justlikeDNAisthebuildingblockoflife.
Wearepartsofaline,too.Alineisbydefinitionasetofpoints.Manypeopleonthestreet
dontevenknowthis!Doyourstudentsknowit?
Pleaseteachaboutusinyourgeometryclass.Withoutus,thereisnoline,thereisno
sphere,etc.Yourstudentsneedtoknowthis!
BestWishes,
Payton