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34 Writing in Social Studies

Page
301
from
Write Ahead

Writing in Social Studies Chapter Opener

Start-Up Activity

Ask for two volunteers to arm wrestle. Have the volunteers perform in front of the class and tell everyone to closely watch what happens. Afterward, ask all of the students to write a brief description of the arm-wrestling match. Ask a few volunteers from the class to read their descriptions. Then ask the person who won and the person who lost to read their descriptions. Note how different (or similar) the descriptions are.

Note that a group of eye-witnesses can have different accounts of an experience, and certainly those involved will have different perspectives from those not involved. Historical writing is all about researching what many different people said about an event and then drawing evidence to synthesize these disparate accounts into a new, insightful perspective.

In this chapter, students will write in many ways about history and other social studies.

Also direct students to the "Geography," "Government," and "History" sections of the Almanac.

Think About It

“History is written by the victors.”

—Winston Churchill

State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.7

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.8

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.9

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.10

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.3.E

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.E

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.9-10.2.F

LAFS Covered in This Chapter

LAFS.910.RI.1.1

LAFS.910.RI.1.2

LAFS.910.W.3.7

LAFS.910.W.3.8

LAFS.910.W.3.9

LAFS.910.RL.1.1

LAFS.910.RL.1.2

LAFS.910.RL.1.3

LAFS.910.RL.2.5

LAFS.910.W.1.3

LAFS.910.W.2.4

LAFS.910.W.2.5

LAFS.910.W.1.2

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

110.36.c.4.F

110.36.c.5.C

110.36.c.7.D

110.36.c.7.E

110.37.c.4.F

110.37.c.5.C

110.37.c.7.D

110.37.c.7.E

110.36.c.5.D

110.36.c.7.D.i

110.36.c.7.E.i

110.36.c.4.G

110.37.c.5.D

110.37.c.7.D.i

110.37.c.7.E.i

110.37.c.4.G

110.36.c.11

110.37.c.11

110.36.c.11.E

110.36.c.11.F

110.36.c.11.G

110.37.c.11.E

110.37.c.11.F

110.37.c.11.G

110.36.c.9

110.36.c.10

110.37.c.9

110.37.c.10

110.36.c.6

110.37.c.6

110.36.c.6.A

110.37.c.6.A

110.36.c.6.B

110.36.c.7.A

110.37.c.6.B

110.37.c.7.A

110.36.c.6.C

110.36.c.8.B

110.37.c.6.C

110.37.c.8.B

110.36.c.10.A

110.37.c.10.A

110.36.c.9.B.i

110.37.c.9.B.i

110.36.c.9.A

110.36.c.9.B.ii

110.37.c.9.A

110.37.c.9.B.ii

110.36.c.9.C

110.36.c.9.D

110.37.c.9.C

110.37.c.9.D

110.36.c.10.B

110.37.c.10.B

110.36.c.10.C

110.37.c.10.C

110.36.c.5.H

110.37.c.5.H

TEKS Covered in This Chapter

Page 302 from Write Ahead

Taking Notes in Social Studies

Use the list of tips as an informal survey: "After I read each tip, raise your hand if you follow that advice in your social studies notes." Read the bolded words in the first bullet and note how many students raise their hands. Lead a discussion of that tip, using the non-bolded words as inspiration. Then read the bolded words in the second bullet and note the hands, and so on.

After your survey and discussions, lead students through the sample notes at the bottom of the page and point out features you have discussed.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingResearch Writing
Form:
Note
English Language Arts:
Writing

Page 303 from Write Ahead

Keeping a Social Studies Log

Use this page if you would like your students to start their own learning logs. Lead students through the directions at the top of the page. Then point out the features in the sample social studies log entry.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingResearch Writing
Form:
Learning Log
English Language Arts:
Writing

Page 304 from Write Ahead

Summarizing a News Article

Summarizing helps students understand readings and lectures, conduct research, and think through ideas. Put simply, summarizing helps students learn.

Have volunteers read each paragraph in the sample science article. Then, before going on to the sample summary, lead a discussion of the article:

  • What is the main point of the article?
  • What key details support it?

Afterward, have a volunteer read the sample student summary. Compare the main point and key details in it to those suggested by your students. Help them understand that summaries will differ, but strong summaries capture the main idea of the source.

Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingResearch Writing
Form:
Summary
English Language Arts:
Writing

Page 305 from Write Ahead

Writing Guidelines

Have students find their own social-studies articles from their textbooks, magazines such as National Geographic, or articles on the Internet. Then lead them through the summarizing process on this page.

It begins with the SQ3R close-reading strategy, causing students to carefully engage the text before writing about it. Afterward, students should identify a main point.

Lead your students through the guidelines for creating a strong beginning, middle, and ending.

Also, provide them the Social Studies Summary Revising and Editing Checklist to check their summaries.

After students complete their summaries, have them share what they have learned (in terms of both writing and social studies).

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingResearch Writing
Form:
Summary
English Language Arts:
Writing

Page 306 from Write Ahead

Writing a Historical Narrative

Introduce the historical narrative using the text at the top of the page. Then have volunteers read each paragraph of the narrative. Afterward, lead a discussion about it:

  • What narrative strategy does the writer use to get the reader's attention at the beginning? (A strong title, setting the scene in an interesting way)
  • How is the description in the first paragraph ordered? (Order of location)
  • How does the dialogue add to the story? (Lets readers understand everyone's opinions, hints at their personalities, moves the story along)
  • What are some details that stand out?
  • What does the last line indicate? (That King John will contest the Magna Carta)
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Narrative Writing
Form:
Historical Narrative
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 307 from Write Ahead

Writing Guidelines

Help students write their own historical narratives by leading them through the guidelines on this page. Check to make sure each student's topic (1) belongs to the historical period you want them to research and (2) is brief enough to cover in a short narrative. Then have students research the event in their textbook and online.

Encourage students to gather the details of classic narratives: characters, setting, conflict, plot, and theme.

Once students are ready to write their narratives, guide them through the tips for beginnings, middles, and endings.

Afterward, give them the Historical Narrative Revising and Editing Checklist to guide their revisions.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RL.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.6, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.6
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.d, LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Narrative WritingResearch Writing
Form:
Historical Narrative
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 308 from Write Ahead

Responding to Document-Based Questions

Document-Based Questions (DBQs) simulate a research environment, testing students' ability to read social-studies documents, comprehend them, draw evidence from them, and synthesize them into new written forms. Help your students prepare for these on-demand writing situations by using the material on the next few pages.

You can use this material as an example by having volunteers read each document aloud and leading a discussion about it:

  • What is the main point of this document?
  • What key details might you cite from it?

As an alternative, you can use this material as a practice test. If so, skip first to page 311 and lead students through the guidelines. Then provide them the DBQ on page 310 (without the student response) and have them read the documents themselves silently and write their own responses (all within a set time period of about 45 minutes). Afterward, have students compare their responses to the student response on page 310.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingResearch Writing
Form:
Response to Prompt
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 309 from Write Ahead

Documents 3 and 4

Continue having students review the documents, whether aloud as a class or silently to themselves.

Document 4, of course, cannot be read aloud. It tests students' ability to read a graph and draw inferences from the data it shows.

State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingResearch Writing
Form:
Response to Prompt
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 310 from Write Ahead

DBQ and Response

Read aloud the document-based question. Then have volunteers read aloud each paragraph from the sample response. Afterward, lead a discussion:

  • How does the writer get the reader's attention at the beginning? (With a quotation from one of the documents)
  • How does the writer cite each document source? (By giving the title and author)
  • What does each paragraph in the middle part do? (The first addresses the media's responsibilities; the second describes politicians' responsibilities.)
  • How does the writer support the topic sentences in these paragraphs? (Using evidence from the documents along with new insights)
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.RI.1.1
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.4.F, 110.36.c.5.C, 110.36.c.7.D, 110.36.c.7.E, 110.37.c.4.F, 110.37.c.5.C, 110.37.c.7.D, 110.37.c.7.E
NE ELA Standard:
LA 10.1.6.g

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingResearch Writing
Form:
Response to Prompt
English Language Arts:
ReadingWriting

Page 311 from Write Ahead

Writing Guidelines

Before students respond to a document-based question on a test or in practice, lead them through the material on this page.

Help them closely read each document using the SQ3R strategy:

  • Survey the text, looking at titles, bylines, headings, captions, and images.
  • Question the text, asking what it is about (subject) and what it is meant to do (purpose).
  • Read the text once to understand the whole, then read it again to catch details.
  • Recite the main point and key details.
  • Review what you have learned.

Help them analyze the document-based question using the PAST strategy:

  • Purpose: Why should I write? (to explain, defend, narrate, propose)
  • Audience: Who is my reader? (grader, other students, other citizens)
  • Subject: What should I write about?
  • Type: What form of writing should I create? (essay, letter, narrative)

Then help students understand how to create a strong beginning, middle, and ending. Provide them the DBQ Revising and Editing Checklist to help them improve their responses.

Downloads:
Related Minilesson:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9, 110.36.c.10.B

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingResearch Writing
Form:
Response to Prompt
English Language Arts:
Writing ProcessPrewritingWritingRevisingEditing

Page 312 from Write Ahead

Using Graphic Organizers

Teach students how to use these graphic organizers, which work well for social studies topics. These tools can help students take lecture or reading notes, gather and sort information they find during research, and organize ideas for writing assignments. Use the examples on this page to model how each organizer works. Students can draw their own organizers, or you can download and distribute them:

You can find more graphic organizers on page 48.

Downloads:
State Standard Reference:
LAFS Standard:
LAFS.910.W.1.2
TEKS Standard:
110.36.c.9, 110.36.c.10.B

Related Resource Tags

Click to view a list of tags that tie into other resources on our site

Level:
Grade 9Grade 10
Mode:
Explanatory WritingResearch Writing
English Language Arts:
WritingPrewriting