http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/professional-library/genre-theory-teaching-writing-30366.html
Contribute to ReadWriteThink / RSS / FAQs / Site Demonstrations / Contact Us / About Us
Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.
Home › Professional Development › Professional Library
Book
Genre Theory: Teaching, Writing, and Being
by Deborah Dean
Grades | 9 – 12 |
Type | Book |
Pages | 119 |
Published | February 2008 |
Publisher | ![]() |
Purchase this book now from the NCTE Online Store
Become an NCTE member and get a discount on this book

![]() |
Description |
Dean synthesizes theory and research about genres and provides secondary-level teachers with practical classroom applications.
Dean, Deborah. Genre Theory: Teaching, Writing, and Being. Urbana, IL: NCTE, 2008.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Blurring Genre: Exploring Fiction and Nonfiction with Diary of a Worm
After reading several examples of how a published author incorporates facts in fiction writing, students research a topic of their choice and write fictional diary entries that incorporate factual information.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Unit
Help Wanted: Writing Professional Resumes
Students will create a beginning resume that represents their current work experience and demonstrates their knowledge of rhetorical situations for professional writing.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Investigating Genre: The Case of the Classic Detective Story
After critiquing a list of conventions for the genre, students read, view, or listen to a classic
mystery, and then produce a mystery of their own, reflecting on the purposeful ways in which
they adhered to or altered the genre conventions.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Beyond "What I Did on Vacation": Exploring the Genre of Travel Writing
After reading and analyzing short examples of travel writing and discussing conventions of the genre, students write their own travel articles.
Grades 11 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Professional Writing in Action! Publishing Student Reviews Online
Writing professional reviews teaches students to understand audience, content, and publication guidelines. In this lesson, students put these into practice as professional writers critiquing, designing, and publishing reviews on Amazon.com.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Chasing the Dream: Researching the Meaning of the American Dream
By conducting interviews, sharing and assessing data, and writing papers based on their authentic research, students reach their own conclusions on the meaning of the American Dream.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
And in Conclusion: Inquiring into Strategies for Writing Effective Conclusions
While drafting a literary analysis essay (or another type of argument) of their own, students work in pairs to investigate advice for writing conclusions and to analyze conclusions of sample essays. They then draft two conclusions for their essay, select one, and reflect on what they have learned through the process.