Role-audience-format-topic++(RAFT)

Role-Audience-Format-Topic (RAFT)

Description This strategy asks students to creatively analyze and synthesize the information from a particular text or texts by taking on a particular role or perspective, defining the target audience, and choosing an appropriate written format to convey their understanding of the content topic. (N. Vandervanter, in Adler 1982; Santa, 1988)

Purpose Use before, during, and after reading to: Enhance comprehension of main ideas, organization, and point of view Process information and reflect in unusual ways about concepts they have read Provide a creative, authentic way of communicating what was learned that can enhance students’ engagement in writing or presentation tasks Encourage students to consider perspectives different than their own Help students communicate what they have learned using their preferred learning styles

Check out this website to give you ideas for the content area you work in for a RAFT: http://www.tantasqua.org/Superintendent/Profdevelopment/etraft.html

Directions 1.Explain what a RAFT is and why it is helpful. 2.Model a RAFT for students using a simple text or well-known concept/topic. 3.Assign a text for students to read. Before reading, note the different perspectives in the text. 4.Brainstorm 3–4 possible roles that students could assume in their writing. Typically multiple roles-audiences-formats-topics are selected for a content concept, from which students may design their preferred RAFT. 5.Students select the four components that most interest them to communicate their learning. Examples: Role Newspaper Reporter Readers in the 1870s Obituary Qualities of General Custer Lawyer U.S. Supreme Court Appeal Speech Dred Scott Decision Frontier Woman Self Diary Hardships in the west Chemist Chemical company Instructions Combinations to avoid Scientist Charles Darwin Letter Refute a point in evolution theory Repeating Decimal Set of Rational Numbers Petition Prove you belong to this set Lungs Cigarettes Complaint Effects of smoking Joseph Stalin George Orwell Letter Reactions to Animal Farm Comma 9th grade students Complaint How it is misused Trout Self Diary Effects of acid rain on lake Adapted from Buehl (1995). Classroom strategies for interactive learning.

Extensions When first learning the RAFT strategy, have students work in cooperative groups. Have individual students or small groups brainstorm the four RAFT components rather than using the teacher-created list. Have students publish their RAFT writing/presentations to authentic audiences. Possible Roles, Audiences, and Formats for Content RAFTs

After selecting an idea from this general list, the student would identify the specific name of the person, group, organization, etc.

Roles Audience Format Animal Advertising agency Advertisement Bum on the street Alien from outer space Advice column City council member Business manager Article College admissions officer Candidate for president Blog Eye of a camera Community agency Cartoon series Famous person Contest judge Catalog Governor Encyclopedia author Chapter of a book Guidance counselor Enemy leader Comedy act High school dropout Famous person Commercial Historian Foreign newspaper Diary Human brain God or religious figure Drama script Inventor Government agency Editorial Journalist Job interviewer Film Local community member Local newspaper Form Movie producer Mayor or community leader Game Museum tour guide Military officer How-to manual Music or movie star Millionaire Information chart My dog or cat My diary Letter My future boss My friends Magazine article My mom or dad My future children Manual/instructions My sister or brother My parents Map Myself Myself Most-wanted posters Object Object Multi-media project Person from a foreign country Other students Newspaper article Place Parents Parable Police chief Person from another century Phone conversation script President of the USA Politician Photojournalism essay Prisoner with a life sentence Publisher Poem Psychologist School board Proposal Radio announcer Senior citizen Report Researcher Store owner Review School principal Teacher Role play Scientist Teen magazine Science fiction Sports hero Teenager born in 2050 Short story State senator Television show character Song Team of experts TV audience Story Technical writer TV news analyst Theory Teenager 100 years from now U.S. Congress TV news or documentary Tour director United Nations TV soap opera University professor Younger children Web site Your own idea Your own idea Your own idea