Slide 1
RAFT
A RAFT is a system for making sure that students understand
their role as a writer, their audience, the format of their work
and the expected content. Know/Understand/Do (KUD): Know facts,
vocabulary, definitions Understand the concept, essential truths
that give meaning to the topicDo- skillsExample of a KUD: President
or presidentsStudents will:Know: names and roles of a president or
presidents.Understand: The role of the president and his
responsibilities and how his role affects citizens of the United
States.Do: ResearchSee events through varied perspectivesShare
research and perspective with peers.
RAFT KUD
RAFTThe RAFT strategy encourages creative thinking and motivates
students to reflect in unusual ways about concepts learned. Role:
In developing the final product, what role will the students need
to take on? Writer? Character (in the novel)? Artist?Politician?
Scientist? Audience: Who should the students consider as the
audience for the product? Other students? Parents? Local community?
School board? Other characters in the text?Format: What is the best
product that will demonstrate the students in-depth understanding
of their interactions with the text? A writing task? Art work?
Action plan? Project?Topic: This is the when, who, or what that
will be the focus/subject of the final product.Will it take place
in the same time period as the novel? Who will be the main focus of
the product? What event will constitute the centerpiece of the
action?
3
What does it look like?A teacher assigns (or students select) a
role, audience, format, and topic from a range of possibilities.
Below is a chart with a few examples in each of the categories; it
is meant only as a sampling to spark new ideas and possibilities
for building RAFTS:
RoleAudienceFormatTopicwriter artist character scientist
adventurer inventor juror judge historian reporter rebel therapist
journalist self peer group government parents fictional character
committee jury judge activists immortality animals or objects
journal editorial brochure/booklet interview video song lyric
cartoon game primary document critique biographical sketch
newspaper article issue relevant to the text or time period topic
of personal interest or concern for the role or audience topic
related to an essential question
4ROLE: Pioneer
AUDIENCE: Mother
FORMAT: Postcard
TOPIC: The many hardships being faced as you move out west and
the reasons why you continue on and dont give up.Example of RAFT
Assignment5th Grade- Westward ExpansionBillmeyher, Rachel &
Barton, Mary Lee. 1998. Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If
Not Me, Then Who?, Second Edition, Aurora, Colorado.
5ROLE:
AUDIENCE:
FORMAT:
TOPIC:Create Your Own!
Billmeyher, Rachel & Barton, Mary Lee. 1998. Teaching
Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me, Then Who?, Second Edition,
Aurora, Colorado.
6Participants create RAFT assignments.
Turn and talk.
Share and chart responses for a few of the RAFTS. (Add later to
the website.)Examples of RAFT Assignments4th Grade
7
8RoleAudienceFormatTopicRaft Template
RAFT RUBRIC EXAMPLEScoreContent5Excellent knowledge of topic,
well-written; creative; effectively included all required
components.4Good knowledge of topic, well-written, included all
required components.
3Average knowledge of topic; omitted some information specific
to topic; average written format; few errors in grammar or
punctuation; included all required components.2Fair amount of work;
lacking in knowledge of topic; writing could be more creative;
lacks one or more required components.1Incomplete or poor job;
little or no knowledge of topic.
