What Does Raft Stand For In Writing

Let's go on a R.A.F.T.-ing adventure! This page contains a general introduction to the R.A.F.T. reading/writing strategy, a sample R.A.F.T. setup, and a suggested procedure for teaching this strategy in class. I have also attached multiple files related to one specific R.A.F.T. lesson plan in human anatomy. Students read the "Drugs in the Body" article and then complete the short assignment in class. The long assignment can be used next (maybe as homework) to further explore the possibilities of using R.A.F.T. in the anatomy & physiology unit.

By Caroline Chow

Strategy : R.A.F.T. Writing Assignment

Description : This is a great strategy that integrates reading and writing as students think critically about the information they've learned and express the depth of their understanding in unique forms. The letters in the acronym R.A.F.T. stand for:

R: Role – What role will the students be taking on? What perspective will they be writing from?

A: Audience – Who will they be writing to?

F: Format – What is the product? How will the understanding be displayed?

T: Topic – What are they writing about? What is the subject or focus?

In a R.A.F.T. assignment, the students are given a chart with multiple options under each letter of the acronym, and they must choose one of each to create a unique piece of writing. Here is a sample R.A.F.T. chart:

R ole	A udience	F ormat	T opic
Tom Brady	News Outlet	Speech	Literacy in Middle and High Schools
Zooey Deschanel	Fans	Letter	World Hunger
Mayor Menino	Movie Producer	Billboard	The Super Bowl

Using the example above, a student may choose to write a speech (Format) as Mayor Menino (Role) to a news outlet (Audience) about literacy in Middle and High Schools (Topic.)

Students using this strategy have to explore the content from multiple angles and perspectives and think critically and creatively to express their understanding in multiple ways. This strategy also allows for differentiation due to the wealth of possibilities that can be chosen in each R.A.F.T., and the fact that the students design their own assignment.

This strategy can be used in any subject with non-fiction or fiction pieces of literature. It can work with a single piece of literature as well as at the end of a larger unit or topic. The flexibility of the R.A.F.T. is its greatest strength because it really allows the teacher's and students' creativity to shine!

Procedure :

The students read a chapter of a book, an article, and/or other documents based on the topic being studied. It works best if this strategy is used towards the end of a unit or larger topic so the students have a deeper understanding of the content.
Students are given a copy of the R.A.F.T. chart designed by the teacher and, if possible, the chart is displayed on a Smart Board or whiteboard.
The teacher explains the idea and protocol of the R.A.F.T. This includes how to design the piece of writing and what the expectations are (with a rubric).
The teacher models an example for the class. (This will eliminate most of the initial confusion.) The students then come up with their own examples and pair-share with each other. They can also share some examples out loud with the class while the teacher provides feedback. (This can be done with non-content related R.A.F.T. chart, see above, so that the students understand the expectations.)
Be sure to address any questions, concerns, or difficulties.
After an example has been modeled, the students begin their independent work on the content-driven R.A.F.T. During this time the teacher should walk around and monitor student progress. If there are common misconceptions, stop the class and address them.