This is a great strategy that integrates reading and writing in a non-traditional way. It asks that students take what they have read and create a new product that illustrates their depth of understanding; it may be used with fiction or nonfiction texts. The format is incredibly flexible and offers limitless opportunities for creativity for both you and your students. This strategy is great for differentiation; teachers (and students) can develop any number of possible RAFT’s based on the same text that can be adjusted for skill level and rigor. When you are first using a “RAFT” with your students, you will develop the specifics for each element in the acronym; they are as follows:
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 and Strong Verb: 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?
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Using RAFTS can assist you achieve curriculum outcomes when students are working on the COMPOSE AND CREATE goal of ELA. The following are some links that can assist you in using RAFTS in your classroom:
Writing RAFTS:
Sasaktoon Public School Division link for RAFTS
Representing RAFTS:
