'Best Practice' connection

How this project meets "Best Practice":

Real audiences- Students are writing for real audiences. When they are writing reflective journals, they are writing to themselves in order to improve themselves. When they are writing entries for the play, they have a specific character they are writing to, for example a letter to the Once-ler. They also have the overall notion that the writing will be included in a play they will perform to a mixed audience.

Purpose for writing- The students are writing to contribute to a play that they will produce. They will also write to improve their own actions as a student, and learn the importance of self-reflection. They will see that writing can be useful in many different ways.

Peer responding- Students will respond to each other's work, and help each other improve their writing. They will have practice giving constructive criticism and move away from the idea as the one right answer. They will create a classroom of shared learning.

Writing as a process- The students will learn that writing is a process. They will start by brainstorming in journal entries, and make multiple drafts of their writing. Their peers will respond to these drafts.

Students work is published- The students writing will be used to make a play based on The Lorax which will be published by being performed. The students will actually see their writing performed.

Ownership- The students will take ownership of their writing, because they know it will be performed. They aren't performing someone else's words, but their own. The students will also take ownership of their journal responses, because they are personal and about issues they care about.

Choices in writing topics- Students will be able to choose their favorite journal entry to polish. They will not be forced to write about something, but rather have the choice to write about something they prefer. This will also give them ownership for their work.

Writing across the Curriculum- This project will combine science, theater, and English together. Students will see that learning doesn’t have to be separated in to subject areas.