R – Role What role are you playing? Are you writing this as a student, a child, a boss, a parent, an athlete, a musician, etc.? What role are you playing?

USING THE R-A-F-T METHOD

TO DECONSTRUCT A WRITING PROMPTDECONSTRUCT = TO TAKE APART AND ANALYZE

** HOW WILL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO WRITE IF YOU CANNOT BREAK

THE PROMPT APART?

WHAT DOES R-A-F-T STAND FOR?

R – Role

R

T - Task

TA

A – Audience

F

F – Form & Mode


R – Role

R

T - Task

TA

A – Audience

F

F – Form & Mode

R – Role

What role are you playing?

Are you writing this as a student, a child, a boss, a parent, an

athlete, a musician, etc.?

What role are you playing?


R – Role

R

T - Task

TA

A – Audience

F

F – Form & Mode

A – Audience

Who are you writing to?

Are you writing to a friend, parent, teacher,

principal, celebrity, enemy, etc.?

Who are you writing to?


R – Role

R

T - Task

TA

A – Audience

F

F – Form & Mode

F – Form & Mode

What are you supposed to write (form)? Is it a letter, a

brochure, a speech, an essay?

What mode is it supposed to be?

Persuasive, Expository, Descriptive, or Narrative

What form and mode should it be?


R – Role

R

T - Task

TA

A – Audience

F

F – Form & Mode

T – Task

What are the specific things that you need to do or include in your

writing?

How many examples do you need? How long should it be? What information HAS to be included to get full credit?

What is your task?

LET’S LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES

PROMPT:AS A TEEN MOTHER WHOSE BABY EXPERIENCED EARLY HEALTH PROBLEMS DUE TO YOUR POOR NUTRITION AND SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY, YOU HAVE DECIDED TO TRY TO HELP OTHER TEEN MOTHERS AND THEIR BABIES. WITH THIS END IN MIND, YOU HAVE WRITTEN A PAMPHLET FOR TEEN MOTHERS THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED BY THE LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH CLINIC. THE PAMPHLET WILL PRESENT HEALTH AND FITNESS STEPS THAT A TEEN MOTHER NEEDS TO TAKE IN ORDER TO INSURE A HEALTHY BABY

Writing as a Teen Parent/Mother

R

give steps to keep baby healthy

Talk about importance of health and fitness of mother/parent

TA

Writing to Other Teen

Parents/Mothers

F

Form of a Pamphlet/Expository Mode

To the right is how you complete a R-A-F-T for the prompt. This breaks the prompt down so you can see exactly what you should be writing.

PROMPT: THE ARTS COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO CREATE A PROGRAM TO INSURE THAT CHILDREN RECEIVE EARLY EXPOSURE TO MUSIC, PAINTINGS, SCULPTURE, AND DANCE. AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE ARTS COUNCIL, WRITE A PROPOSAL TO THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN WHICH YOU ARGUE THE NEED FOR THIS PROGRAM AND REQUEST THEIR MONETARY SUPPORT.

Writing as the Director of the Arts Council

R

Argue FOR he music programRequest money for it

TA

Writing to the Chamber of

Commerce

F

Form of a Proposal or Idea/Persuasive Mode


PROMPT: IN TODAY’S SOCIETY, SCHOOLS ARE EXPERIENCING INCREASING LEVELS OF VIOLENCE. STUDENTS ARE OFTEN MUCH MORE PERCEPTIVE THAN ADULTS AS TO THE CAUSES OF TEEN VIOLENCE. AS THE PRESIDENT OF YOUR SENIOR CLASS, YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED BY THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT TO DELIVER A SPEECH AT THE NEXT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. YOU DECIDE TO WRITE A SPEECH ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU EXPERIENCED VIOLENCE YOURSELF. YOU TELL THE STORY OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND USE ETHOS AND PATHOS TO GET THE AUDIENCES’ ATTENTION.

Writing as the President of Your Senior Class

R

Tell Story Personal Experience

with Violence

Use ethos and pathos

TA

Writing to the School Board

F

Form of a Speech/Narrative Mode


PROMPT: YOUR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL HAS ASKED THE STUDENT COUNCIL TO WRITE A BROCHURE FOR NEW STUDENTS THAT INTRODUCES THEM TO THE SCHOOL. HE WANTS THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO MAKE THE BROCHURE AS WELCOMING, INVITING, AND AS “STUDENT FRIENDLY” AS POSSIBLE. YOU ARE ASSIGNED TO DESCRIBE THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT IN GREAT DETAIL, USING ALL FIVE SENSES.

Writing as a school council member

R

describe classroom

environment

Use all five senses

TA

Writing to New Students

F

Form of a Brochure/Descriptive Mode


Now that you have viewed examples of deconstructing prompts and creating R-A-F-T’s from them, complete the worksheet that you were given. You may use the examples from the PowerPoint as a guide until you get used to doing these.

Do your best!! You have been given specific examples to help you. Not trying or saying you did not understand will not work. If you are confused, still give it your best effort.

We will go over this tomorrow after your test on the modes of writing.

Documents

R – Role What role are you playing? Are you writing this as a student, a child, a boss, a parent, an athlete, a musician, etc.? What role are you playing?