Using a RAFT for an end of chapter review lesson

This week I got to teach by third observed lesson! At first I thought it would be a tough day to teach and meet the observation criteria, but then my reading and writing across the curriculum training gave me an idea. The date of my lesson landed one day before the chapter 17 test on North Africa. The CT didn't want me to cover any new material from the textbook so they could focus on review, but my university supervisor required that the lesson teach the students new information. I decided that teaching the students how to RAFT would be just the thing. 


Students had never heard of a RAFT writing activity, but after I explained and modeled it they began to get excited. In order to incorporate my CT's desire that the students review chapter 17 facts in preparation for the test, I required that each student incorporate at least three facts into their RAFT from chapter 17. Students scanned their textbooks, handouts, and study guide to select these facts. I wanted to encourage students to view North Africa from a North African's perspective. So we brainstormed a role they could play that would help them do this such as writing from an Egyptian farmer's view, a 6th grade Libyan student's view, or a Arabic news anchor's perspective.


Although some students moaned at the beginning of class when they heard the lesson involved creative writing, these same students eventually caught the creative bug and joined the activity with focus. Students enjoyed the aspect of personal choice in designing their RAFT. This activity seemed to capture their imagination and therefore
went quite smoothly for a first-time activity. Several outspoken students glowed when given the opportunity to stand in the lime-light and read their finished product to the class. All of them loved the finished results and all students benefited from hearing which facts their classmates used in their RAFT because helped them internalize items which they would see on the test the following morning. I would use this activity again in the future.