Writing

Day 5, Thematic Units

“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you. Jeremiah 30:2 (ESV)

              This might sound morbid, but my favorite writing assignment of all time was my 2500-word paper on the history of torture devices. In true college-Christy fashion, I began the assignment the night before it was due. There was no excuse for my procrastination, I just waited to the last minute for everything. I told myself I worked better under pressure—which was actually kind of true.

              I began my paper at 8pm and put the finishing touches on it at 8am. The push to finish was exhilarating and the reward of being deeply immersed in the topic for a solid twelve hours resulted in the information staying with me for a lifetime. Can I pull this type of all-nighter at my current stage in life? No way. But I will say, being immersed in research that deeply sounds refreshing.

              Those reading this who hate writing are rolling their eyes and groaning right now. I get it. Not everyone likes writing or researching, much less participating in both. But hear me out. There are always students who need teachers to bring out and foster their love for writing. That’s where we as teachers come in.

              Writing can be taught in isolation, but it can also be incorporated across every subject every day. Writing is a way for students to express themselves, explain their processes, and remember key details. Bullet points can organize a term paper. Documented times and descriptions can prove a hypothesis for the science fair. Rhythmic phrases can express the hurts and worries of a young person’s life. Details and facts written in columns can rove points in a debate. Descriptions of shapes can identify mysteries in math. Stories passed down for generations can open eyes to what cultural life used to be.

              Words are powerful.

              When creating thematic units for writing classes, consider the power words hold across all curricular subjects. A unit on poetry could include pattern and meter (mathematics), figurative language (English), topics on nature (science), and thoughts on society and culture (social studies). See how this works? The sky is the limit. And writing is the tool that crosses across all subjects.

              What if the writers of the Old Testament and gospels had never written down what took place while Jesus was on earth? What if early astronomers had not written about their assumptions based on nature? And what if historians and news reporters had not cataloged the events of the Holocaust, World Wars, or Korean Conflict?

              Think about how writing has impacted your life over the years. What if it had never happened?

Do the Heart Work

1.      What writing assignments or units impacted you the most over the years? In what ways?

2.      Even if writing isn’t your thing, why is it important to include units that involve writing into your classroom?

3.      Express the importance of God’s words to your daily walk with him.

Digging Deeper

              These verses below were written down for King Lemuel. His mom used to tell him these things, which lead into the rest of Proverbs 31. What if Lemuel’s mother had never taken the time to share these instructions? Or no one had ever taken the time to write them down. The writings in this chapter of scripture have been life changing for me and so many others. Take a peek at these words and when finished, read the rest of Proverbs 31.

The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him. Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings. It is not for kings, Lemuel—it is not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and deprive all the oppressed of their rights. Let beer be for those who are perishing, wine for those who are in anguish! Let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more. Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 30:1-9 (NIV)

If You Get Spare Time

              Consider your current class set up. If you are not an English or language arts teacher, how can you add writing into your classes each week? Words matter and the more comfortable students are at expressing themselves, the better they will perform. What are a few ideas for including writing that you have come up with?