As an instructor of Reading and Composition classes at UC Berkeley, I regularly notice that students face challenges transitioning from high school to college-level writing proficiency. Although students technically know the “rules” of writing, many often lack an understanding of the logic and interconnectedness of the different elements of writing a persuasive paper. Moreover, imposter syndrome and societal norms can hinder students, especially those who are underresourced, from seeking help, resulting in identifiable knowledge gaps.

As a way to address this issue, this site compiles scaffolding exercises that UC Berkeley instructors can use to teach the fundamentals of writing across Reading and Composition (R&C) classes and other classes with writing components. These are low-stakes informal activities that build to the formal graded assignments. My goal is to foster educational equity by bridging the learning gap in students from diverse educational backgrounds. These exercises enable student-led discussions on thesis statements, effective introductions and conclusions, and other components of an essay without any assumptions about the knowledge they bring to class. 

It is a common adage that one learns something well by teaching it, and collaborative writing exercises enable students to teach each other how to write better and then apply those instructions to their own writing. Peer collaborations also help experiential learning, and students can appreciate different viewpoints, be less hesitant to seek help, as well as develop a stronger understanding of how different essay elements support each other. 

Several of the active learning exercises were contributed by my amazing group of colleagues in the LTF 23-24 cohort! Thank you!