Using BoomWriter to Address the Common Core’s Persuasive Writing Standard

BoomWriter is truly a modern way for teachers in the 21st Century to address today’s Common Core State Standards. To better explain this, let’s look at how BoomWriter can be applied to one of the three primary “Types and Purposes” of writing addressed throughout virtually all grade levels of the Common Core.

It will also be helpful for you to understand that for these types of pieces you will not use a story start from our Marketplace, but you will instead have the benefit and flexibility of using your own content for the students to use as their starting point. 

The very first type of writing addressed in the Common Core is that students must be able to write “arguments” or “opinion pieces”, depending on the grade level, and BoomWriter is clearly an innovative and effective vehicle for your students to be engaged in persuasive writing.

For example, in the “Create Your Own Story Start” you could provide the children with a thesis statement or introductory paragraph on a particular controversial subject. One paragraph at a time and using the BoomWriter competition model over the course of a few days, students can work towards supporting the claim. They can write their own submission, read the efforts of their peers, and then vote on the paragraph/s that they believe best supports the argument.  

Upon the completion of each paragraph competition or waiting until the entire piece has been completed, the teacher can present the class with the winning submission/s. Then, either as a whole class, in small flexible groups or individually, the teacher can assist students with analyzing the winning paragraph or the piece as a whole by asking the following questions:

• What are the merits of the piece? 
• Where do opportunities for improvement exist? 
• Does this paragraph/s support the claim, and did the writer use relevant evidence and credible sources? 
• What words, phrases and sentences were used to support the piece? 
• Did the writer maintain a formal style? 
• Does the conclusion adequately support the argument presented? 
• Asking all of these questions will result in the teacher directly addressing the Common Core Standards, 

Try this approach to using BoomWriter with your students and I guarantee you that their learning will be enhanced greatly, and all the while they’ll be highly engaged and energized.