Welcome Back! Let Me (Re)Introduce You to FAT-P!

Those of you who have visited my blog before may have noticed that I did a little face-lift to the design. I've changed the name from Literacy Links to ACS Teacher Talk because this will be a place to share instructional ideas that span wider than just literacy. The URL address remained the same, just to reduce headaches. 

All of us here in ACS started the school year with professional development on project-based learning and writing instruction. I plan to use the first several blog posts to support learning and implementation in those two areas. If you have ideas, success stories, tricks, tips, or documents related writing instruction or PBL that you would like to share with others, please email them to me so I can share on the blog!

Here is a little something to get you started with keeping writing a focus:

One of the easiest strategies to try out in your classroom is pre-writing and reading analysis with FAT-P.  If you have forgotten, the acronym stands for:

Form:  What are you being asked to write? 

article, letter, blog post, proposal, instructions

Audience:  For whom is this piece likely written?

friend, classmates, teacher, employer

Topic:  What are you writing about?

Purpose:  What is the author trying to accomplish with this?

to inform; to persuade

These are a few ways to use it in your class:

• First, have students write the acronym in their daybooks. If you want a typed version for them to paste in notebooks, click here.   It is also a good idea for them to flag it with a small sticky note or highlight the edge of the paper since we want them to reference it often.
• Have students read articles or text and determine the FAT-P before they begin discussing or writing about the piece.
• It can be used to "attack" a writing prompt and help students to understand what they are being asked to create. (Sample below)

• After writing an initial draft, have students answer the FAT-P for their own writing. 
• During peer review/conferencing, have students read someone else's work and see if they can provide the FAT-P for their peer's writing.

If you have other ideas, please leave them in the comment section.  Have a great year teaching and learning!

Chandra Manning