At its core, procedural writing is a genre that explains a process, and it often relies on keywords such as first, next, and finally to provide structure and organization to the process. Plus, those words act as signals to readers, so they understand where they are in relation to the process.
When planning a procedural writing activity, decide on the following:
1. What type of process will students describe in their writing?
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- While there are many types of process, providing students with a specific process is important. It will focus their attention.
2. What does background knowledge have to do with process?
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- Students who have authentically experienced a process will more background knowledge than students who do not have that experience. Take into consideration the prior experiences students may have had with the process.
3. How will the writing be assessed?
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- Letting students know if their writing will be evaluated using a rubric, by completion, or in another way lets them further understand the expectations.