Power-Up Your Writing: Integrating Writing Skills with Health Instruction.

by Karen D. Liller , David A. Liller
ABSTRACT
Objectives: By completion of the writing lessons students will (1) use proper grammar in addressing health education topics; (2) discover common writing errors that interfere with proper planning and writing; (3) demonstrate the ability to write a persuasive logical argument related to a health topic; and (4) incorporate proper writing skills when preparing health education assignments and reports. Target Audience: Students enrolled in high school or college-level health education and related courses.
Whereas there may often be clear goals and objectives for major units of health instruction in the schools, the lack of writing skills impairs students' ability to successfully communicate, not only in high school, but in college and graduate school as well. The lack of writing skills has been addressed in college entrance tests and by the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) through the addition of a new analytic writing section. (1) The importance of writing and communication skills has also been addressed in the National Health Education Standards in terms of students using verbal and nonverbal skills to maintain healthy personal relationships. (2) In addition, Area VII of the revised seven areas of responsibilities for health educators includes effective communication and advocacy competencies and subcompetencies for health and health education. (3)
Incorporating writing skill instruction with health instruction can help students enhance their writing abilities and apply these skills to course information. The three lessons below can be used to build students' writing skills as they learn health education topics.
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the three lessons, students will:
* Use proper grammar in addressing health education topics.
* Discover common writing errors that interfere with proper planning and writing.
* Demonstrate the ability to write a persuasive logical argument related to a health topic.
* Incorporate proper writing skills when preparing health education assignments and reports.
MATERIALS AND RESOURCES
The materials and resources for these lessons include:
* Grammar and writing resources such as Strunk & White's Elements of Style. (4)
* Health education content such as stress management, disease prevention and control, nutrition, et cetera, from texts such as Health and Wellness (9th edition). (5)
* Related health websites (such as www. jbpub.com) that can be used to build logical arguments.
* Pens, paper, and easels.
* Word-processing and PowerPoint programs.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for these lessons includes students enrolled in high school or college-level health education and related courses.
PROCEDURE
Students are put into groups of three or four for the three lessons. The procedures for each lesson are as follows:
Lesson 1, Part I
The instructor gives each student a pretest covering common grammar mistakes. The instructor reviews the responses and begins the lesson with common grammar rules and the top ten errors to avoid when developing health education papers and reports. These ten errors involve (1) spelling, (2) punctuation, (3) problems with commas, (4) agreement in number, (5) possessive and apostrophes, (6) overuse of passive voice, (7) repetition of words and phrases, (8) nonobjective writing, (9) plagiarism, and (10) the top error, poor thinking and planning. Health education topics are used to clarify each of these errors.
Students also learn how important it is to plan before writing. The importance of prewriting is emphasized, with the writer starting out by simply writing ideas and shaping them later. Outlining is presented as a way to move from one main idea to the next, along with mind-mapping, which involves making a branching design between relationships. Students practice these skills in groups by picking a health education topic and working through the prewriting phase.
Lesson 1, Part II
This portion of the lesson focuses on logical arguments and writing persuasively. Any issue that is unresolved and debatable can form the foundation of an argument. (6) For logical arguments, the instructor should emphasize the need for an assertion, evidence, and a warrant, which claims that the evidence supports the assertion. (7) The following is an example of an effective argument:
Assertion: Many diseases can be controlled through sanitation.
Evidence: Many diseases are caused by contact with human waste products.
Evidence: Sanitation methods exist that can remove human waste products from food and water supplies.
Warrant: Because many diseases are caused by human waste, and sanitation methods can remove these wastes, then many diseases can be controlled through sanitation.
In contrast, the following example is not a logical argument because the warrant is not correct--that is, the evidence does not support the assertion, which is too vague and absolute:
Assertion: HSN1 avian flu is not a problem for humans.
Evidence: No confirmed cases of avian flu have been found in the United States.
Evidence: Vaccines are under development that will prevent avian flu.
Warrant: Because no cases have been discovered in the United States, and vaccines will soon prevent outbreaks, the avian flu is not a problem for humans.
The students are then given a series of arguments and asked to determine whether they are presented in a logical manner. Ideas for sample arguments include the role of nutrition and disease, the prevention of head injuries by wearing bicycle or motorcycle helmets, how exercise improves cardiac health, et cetera. The students work in groups to develop responses.
Lesson 2, Part I
For this portion of the lesson, the students return to class with their group argument responses. The arguments are discussed in-depth with the rest of the class.
Lesson 2, Part II
In order to expand their understanding of writing persuasive and logical arguments, students are given sample information about a particular health and/or safety topic and asked to construct an argument for or against the issue (Figure 1). The example in this lesson pertains to reducing homeland security funding for New York and other northeastern states. The students write a five-sentence paragraph in support of or against the funding plan. The paragraph must begin with a thesis statement in the form of an assertion and conclude with a sentence that summarizes the argument. Students prepare this assignment individually.
Figure 1. Sample Topic Information for Students

According to recent news reports, the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security has proposed a budget that would give less antiterrorism
funding to New York, Connecticut, and other northeastern states.
The overall funding the department is giving New York State has
dropped from $825 million last year to $711 million proposed this
year. This represents an approximate 40% cut in the state's
Homeland Security funding.

New York officials say the budget is too skewed toward rural states
with small populations. They argue that New York has been a victim
of terrorism once and remains an inviting target. Officials in
Connecticut and other nearby states argue that being close to New
York makes them terrorism targets as well. They also argue that
their states' power plants and shipyards could be targets.

Homeland Security officials contend that New York received too much
funding last year, while areas of the country with high-risk
targets received too little. According to them, the new budget
attempts to address this imbalance. They also argue that New York
and nearby states have resources that certain rural states lack,
such as larger local and state tax revenues. The federal officials
argue that the change in funding emphasis will help rural
communities provide for essential first-responder needs. In
addition, they claim that providing security for power plants in
states that sell energy to New York is also helping make the
northeastern states more secure.
Lesson 3 Each student presents his/her argument to the class and instructor. This can be done with the use of PowerPoint presentations and other visual aids. The instructor and class orally critique the reports during class, and the instructor provides additional guidance after the assignments are turned in and assessed. After this portion of the lesson, it can be very helpful to distribute copies of the Strunk and White text to students for future reference.
ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUE
The assessment rubric found in Table 1 was used as a writing tool and an evaluation guide for students and the instructor. The rubric can also be used to track gradual progress. In addition, students are assessed throughout the lessons via critiques of assignments.
CONCLUSION
These lessons have been used successfully with high-school, undergraduate, and graduate students. Following a recent six-hour workshop on writing skills, the graduate public health students in attendance evaluated the seminar/workshops and instructors as excellent. They especially enjoyed practicing what they had learned during the sessions and using the rubric to evaluate their work. Several have reported that they improved their writing skills on future assignments.
REFERENCES
(1.) Educational Testing Service. GRE: How to Interpret and Use GRE Analytical Writing (GRE-AW) Scores, 2002. Available at: http://www.ets. org/Media/Tests/GRE/pdf/987217.pdf. Accessed March 20, 2007.
(2.) National Health Education Standards. Available at: http://www.aahperd.org/aahe/pdf_files/ standards.pdf. Accessed May 13, 2007.
(3.) Revised-Seven Areas of Responsibilities. Available at: http://www.nchec.org/files/Revised_Areas of Responsibility.pdf. Accessed May 12, 2007.
(4.) Strunk W, White EB. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. Needham, MA: Allyn & Bacon; 2000.
(5.) Edlin G, Golanty E. Health and Wellness. 9th ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett; 2007.
(6.) Purdue University Online Writing Lab. Available at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ resource/588/01. Accessed May 16, 2007.
(7.) Kneupper CW. Teaching argument: an introduction to the Toulmin Model. College Composition and Commun. 1978;October:237-241.
Karen D. Liller is associate dean of the College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612; E-mail: kliller@health.usf.edu. David A. Liller is president of Liller Publications, 16509 Cayman Drive, Tampa, FL 33624