










































Georgia Journal of Literacy 
2024, Vol. 46(1), pp. 101–112 
https://doi.org/10.56887/galiteracy.137 
ISSN: 2833-7611 

Teaching Tips 

 
 

 

CONTACT Dr. Adam C. Whitaker, Instructional Designer, Elevate Achievement Educational Services, Atlanta, GA; 
email elevateachievement@gmail.com. 
 

Igniting the Fire Within: Culturally Relevant 
Expository Writing 
 
Adam C. Whitaker 
Elevate Achievement Educational Services, Atlanta, GA 

 

ABSTRACT 

This article presents the findings of an action research study that explored the impact 
of culturally relevant writing instruction in an English classroom. Research 
practitioners have used terms such as real-life (Moore-Hart, 2005), innovative 
(Kinloch, 2009), and culturally relevant writing pedagogy (Winn & Johnson, 2011) to 
denote the type of experiential and relevant writing instruction that should be 
occurring in classrooms. These terms are synonymous because they require 
students to leverage their culture, perspectives, interests, and personal experiences 
as inspiration for writing. The discussion begins by presenting the literature on 
culturally relevant literacy instruction. Then, the author discusses the steps for 
implementing this pedagogical approach and provides key insights on the subject 
matter. 

KEYWORDS 

writing 
instruction; 
culturally relevant 
writing pedagogy; 
culturally relevant 
literacy 
instruction 

 
s a lifelong learner and English Language Arts educator, I have always wanted my 
students to have a passion for writing. One of the ways that I developed my students’ 
writing knowledge and skills was through culturally relevant writing instruction. Over the 

past 18 years, I have taught students who had negative attitudes and dispositions regarding writing. 
Many of the students I served were reluctant to engage in class, reluctant to read, and, more 
importantly, reluctant to write. 
 I often thought to myself: How do I ignite my students’ passion for writing? When I reflect 
on my writing passion, I equate it to that of a fire. For me, this is a powerful juxtaposition because, 
in the right environment, a fire is very difficult to put out. In the same way, I created an 
instructional environment that converged around student choice and culturally relevant texts, 
fueling my students’ passion for writing. This article presents the findings of an action research 
study that explored the impact of using culturally relevant writing pedagogy to build students’ 
expository writing skills. In this paper, I discuss how I leveraged this pedagogical approach to 
create a space for students to take on issues reflecting their cultural, social, and personal 
experiences. By facilitating relevant instruction, I legitimized students’ voices and ignited a fire 
for writing that could not be extinguished. 

The diversity in today’s schools requires that teachers use diverse pedagogy strategies to 
meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. Researchers have cited writing as a 
major educational issue in the United States. At the elementary level, there is a strong emphasis 
on learning to write (Graham et al., 2013). At the secondary level, the writing instruction does not 
challenge students to make connections with issues or show depth and breadth of knowledge 
(Applebee & Langer, 2011).  

A 

mailto:elevateachievement@gmail.com


102 Georgia Journal of Literacy 46(1)  
 

To increase the writing capacity of students, particularly students of color, there is a need 
for more culturally relevant approaches to writing. Winn and Johnson (2011) noted, 

Writing is a natural fit for pairing culturally relevant pedagogy to create meaningful 
learning opportunities for all students. Though teachers must be strategic and 
deliberate in ways in which they consider content, curriculum, and culturally 
relevant pedagogy right alongside writing instruction and assessment, doing so can 
have a positive effect on the educational outcomes in our classrooms. (p. 87) 

According to these scholars, culturally relevant writing instruction challenges students to write for 
authentic audiences, leverages the ideas, voices, and perspectives of students, and inspires them to 
engage critically with the world. 
 
Culturally Relevant Literacy Instruction 
Literacy is defined as “the ability and willingness to use reading and writing to construct meaning 
from printed text in ways that meet the requirement in a particular social context” (as cited in 
Callins, 2004, p. 3). Culturally relevant literacy instruction “bridges the gap between the school 
and the world of the student and is consistent with the values of the student’s own culture” (as 
cited in Callins, 2004, p. 4). Literacy instruction that is culturally situated places emphasis on using 
reading and writing strategies that are relevant to the culture, background experiences, and frames 
of reference of students. Researchers (Au, 2001; Irizarry, 2009; Johnson & Eubanks, 2015; 
Murphy & Murphy, 2016; Rozansky, 2010; Winn & Johnson, 2011) have found that one method 
for implementing culturally relevant literacy instruction is through integrating texts that connect 
to student’s cultural background and experiences. Au (2001) maintained that integrating texts that 
connect with students’ lives “may help them gain insight about themselves, their families, and 
discover the value of their own experiences” (p. 7).  

Similarly, Irizarry (2009) found that one teacher’s literacy instruction for African 
American and Latino students involved the use of rap music. Students were able to use their 
language preferences, such as African American Vernacular English and Spanish language, to craft 
raps about their identities and dreams for the future. He suggested that using popular culture music 
and communication practices congruent with the lives of students increased students’ writing 
capacity. Rozansky (2010) provides another example of integrating culturally relevant texts in the 
classroom. She conducted a case study that explored an 8th-grade reading teacher’s understanding 
and implementation of culturally relevant pedagogy in the classroom. This was seen through the 
teacher providing students the opportunity to discuss personal tragedies, such as a student’s cousin 
who was shot by a police officer, and selecting articles that connected to students’ lives. These 
articles consisted of topics about unfairness, lack of opportunity, or various types of oppression 
that connected to students’ experiences. 

Meanwhile, other researchers (Johnson & Eubanks, 2015) explored the impact of anthem 
essays in an 8th-grade middle school classroom. The anthem lesson diverged from traditional 
writing assignments because it focused on students analyzing anthems such as The Star-Spangled 
Banner and Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing and then choosing contemporary anthems such as Modest 
Mouse’s Float On, Janelle Monae’s Queen, and Beyonce’s Run the World and then analyzing how 
these texts connected to their identity, experiences, or cultural background. The authors found that 
when teachers connect writing instruction to texts aligned with students’ experiences, it provides 
rich opportunities for them to learn about themselves, learn about others, and make meaning of the 
world. 



Whitaker 103 
 

Murphy and Murphy (2016) agreed that reading should be used as a conduit for building 
student writing proficiency. The authors conducted a mixed methods study to explore the impact 
of culturally relevant approaches to writing instruction with Latino students in a pre-collegiate 
English program. The authors used culturally relevant texts written by Latino authors to build 
students’ writing capacity in (1) descriptive, (2) narration, (3) exemplification, and (4) persuasive 
writing. Texts were chosen based on the author's Latino heritage and relevance to the lives of the 
students. The text needed to be 1,000 to 1,800 words. Students read the text associated with each 
genre of writing and created an original piece of writing using the text read as a model. The authors 
discovered that student enthusiasm increased, and they felt the texts were relevant to their lives 
and experiences. All things considered, the literature in this section gives credence to the 
importance of using culturally relevant approaches to facilitate writing instruction.  The sections 
that follow will make connections to the literature in this section and explain how culturally 
relevant writing instruction can be utilized to build students’ expository writing skills. 
 
Culturally Relevant Writing in Action 

Step 1: Cultural Questionnaire. One of the initial steps required to enact culturally 
relevant writing involved students completing a cultural questionnaire (Figure 1). The cultural 
questionnaire was a critical component of the writing process for two important reasons. Firstly, I 
wanted to build my cultural competency and learn about my students’ cultural backgrounds, 
experiences, customs, and their family makeup, as well as understand more about their country of 
origin. Secondly, I wanted to empower students and help them see their culture (Milner, 2011) as 
an asset for writing about content and topics important to them.  

Before the beginning of the writing lesson, students answered the cultural questions 
independently or interviewed a member of their family who was familiar with their cultural 
background. I encouraged my students to interview family members because I wanted them to 
begin to think about how their family culture and history influenced their cultural sense of self 
(Heuman, 2009). Throughout the unit, students were encouraged to leverage this reflective tool as 
a resource for creating their writing products. Student responses from the cultural questionnaire 
provided rich descriptions of their cultural background, and students leveraged the content as a 
resource for creating their expository essays. 
 
Figure 1: Cultural Questionnaire 

Instructions: Answer the questions that deal with your culture, social, and personal experiences. It may be beneficial to consult 
someone in your immediate family (i.e., mother or father) or extended family (i.e., grandmother, grandfather, uncle, aunt, cousin) 
if you have difficulties answering any of the questions. Work carefully! Make sure you respond to each question in 5–7 sentences. 
 
1. What is your definition of “culture?” 
2. How do you define “family?” 
3. Who holds the most “status” in your family? Why? 
4. How do you define success? 
5. Do you consider your parents to be successful? 
6. How important is education in your family? 
7. Is punctuality important to you? Why or why not? 
8. What is the most important meal of the day? 
9. Do you eat foods that are indigenous to your culture? 

Why or why not? If you answered yes, name some of the 
foods that you eat. If you answered no, what types of 
foods do you eat? 

15. Do you have any eating habits/rituals that are specific to 
your culture? 

16. Define and describe the most important (or most 
celebrated) holiday of your culture. 

17. If you are from a culture that speaks English as a second 
language, do you speak your native language? If not, 
why? If so, will you teach your native language to any 
children you have? 

18. How are displays of affection viewed in your culture? 
19. What is considered most disrespectful in your culture? 
20. What is considered most respectful in your culture? 
21. What would you say is, from your perspective, the most 

held misconception about people of your culture? 
22. Have you ever experienced racism? In what form? 



104 Georgia Journal of Literacy 46(1)  
 

10. Did you ever live with your grandparents or extended 
family? 

11. Do you actively participate in organized religion? 
12. How important is religion in your family? Why? 
13. If religion is important in your family, do you plan to pass 

this on to your children? Why or why not? 
14. Are the roles of men and women specifically defined in 

your family? If so, what are they? 

23. What can be done about racism and prejudice, in your 
opinion? 

24. Do young people today have a sense of culture? 
25. Have you ever felt excluded based on your Culture or 

Gender? 
26. Do you remember excluding others based on Culture or 

Gender? 

 
Step 2: Writing Interest Form. The next step in engaging in relevant instruction involved 

assessing student writing interests. The writing interest form (Winn & Johnson, 2011) was used to 
gather information about students’ reading/writing preferences, the last text students read, 
activities they participated in and outside of school, and they ranked their writing preferences for 
expository writing on a scale from 1–3. This was a valuable tool because it supported students in 
making sure that the texts selected were culturally relevant for the students in the English I course. 
The open-ended questions in the survey provided rich details about students' reading preferences, 
and the ranking of the writing preferences provided numerical data so that the percentage of 
students who preferred expository writing could be determined.  

Data from the writing interest form revealed that 12.6% (n = 8) of students identified 
expository writing as their first preference, 39.6% (n = 25) of students identified expository writing 
as their second preference, and 47% (n = 30) of students identified expository writing as their third 
preference. The writing interest form was an essential component of the research study as it 
provided critical data that supported the researcher in selecting culturally relevant texts for 
students. 

Step 3: Lesson Planning. After assessing student writing interest, the next step involved 
planning for the lesson. Lemov (2021) maintains that teachers sometimes prioritize learning 
activities instead of first framing the objective. Researchers (Kaplan et al., 2017; Laidlaw-
Alamguer, 2012) contend that deconstructing a standard to develop mastery objectives is an 
essential component of lesson planning, and engaging in this process ensures that lesson objectives 
are aligned with the learning standard. 

 The standard was identified from the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). 
English I is an End of Course Test (EOCT) in the state of Texas. At the time of the study, E1.15A 
was a high-leverage standard that students were required to master at the ninth-grade level. The 
following components were deconstructed: (1) knowledge/skill, (2) genre, (3) verbs, and (4) 
content knowledge. Table 1 provides an example of the deconstruction process. 
 
Table 1: Deconstructed Standard 

Standard Knowledge & 
Skills Genre Verb(s) Content 

E1.15A 
Students write expository 
and procedural or work-
related texts to 
communicate ideas and 
information to specific 
audiences for specific 
purposes. 

Writing/Expository 
and Procedural 
Texts 

Expository Write 
Communicate 

Expository, 
Procedural,  
Work-related 
Texts 
Ideas, 
Information, 
Audience, 
Purpose 

 



Whitaker 105 
 

Once the deconstructing standard process was completed, the next step involved selecting 
texts that were culturally relevant to the lives of the students. Students chose one text from 10 
expository options to read and analyze. Data from the writing interest form indicated that 72% of 
students preferred reading online materials. As a result, the text options consisted of both text and 
multimedia videos. Hughes-Hassell and Rodge (2007) explored the leisure reading habits of urban 
adolescents. The authors found that students in the study preferred reading on the internet and 
suggested that the definition of reading must change to include websites, e-books, e-mail, 
discussion boards, chat rooms, instant messaging, and listservs. Fisher and Frey (2018) reported 
that using videos as a tool for writing in the classroom provides students the opportunity to use 
their critical thinking skills and content knowledge to understand, analyze, and evaluate the world 
around them.  

In another study, Shimray et al. (2015) reported on students’ mobile reading habits and 
how students have shifted from print to online texts. The authors posited that reading on the 
internet is a popular practice for young people because they are constantly spending their time 
reading electronic resources as well as scanning and surfing the internet. Reading online is a 
preference because the development of digital mass media has low cost, ease of access, and up-to-
date content. Seok and DaCosta (2017) explored the gender differences, propensity, and 
preferences for digital and printed text. The authors maintained that the advancement of 
technology and the convenience of smartphones have provided a variety of options for content to 
reach students. In addition to providing students access to a variety of texts, the researchers explain 
that online reading has a positive impact on learning outcomes. Table 2 provides a list of expository 
text options provided for students. 

 
Table 2: Expository Text Options 

Author/TV Studio Title of Text/Video Media 

Soledad O’Brien Latino in America 

Good Morning America/ PBS Two Men Interviewed/Police Chief News Conference 

Allison Graham How Social Media Makes Us Unsocial 

Debbie Sterling Inspiring the Next Generation of Engineers 

Joseph Weber House to Vote on School Gun Violence Bill 

Jon Pareles and Zachary Woolfe Kendrick Lamar Music Pulitzer Prize 

Rumeana Jahangir How does Black Hair Reflect Black History 

Rozina Sabur Ramadan 2018: How Muslims Celebrate the Revelation of the Koran 

Marilyn Price-Mitchel The Psychology of Youth Sports 

Monsy Alvarado As Trump Crackdown Continues, More Immigrants are Choosing to Self-
Deport 

 
Step 4: Lesson Delivery. The first step in preparing students for culturally relevant 

writing involved them selecting an expository text based on their lives, experiences, or cultural 
background. After this, students who selected the same text were assigned in pairs to annotate their 



106 Georgia Journal of Literacy 46(1)  
 

text using visual annotations (Figure 2). As mentioned by Fisher and Frey (2018), the process of 
taking notes during reading is an essential practice for closely reading a text. 

 
Students annotated their text for the following content: (1) vocabulary, (2) thesis, (3) topic 

sentence, (4) supporting details, (5) text structure, and (6) author’s craft. If they chose a multimodal 
text, then they answered comprehension questions (Figure 3) as they watched the visual text. 
Multimodal texts were provided as an option for students because it was important to deepen their 
critical thinking skills (Hobbs et al., 2022) and to provide students an opportunity to write about 
their stances on contemporary social issues important to them (Unsworth & Mills, 2020). 

 
Figure 2: Visual Annotations  

 
  



Whitaker 107 
 

Figure 3: Multimodal Comprehension Questions 

Number Question 

1 Who is the target audience (and how do you know)? 

2 Who might benefit from this message? Who might be harmed by it? 

3 Why might this message matter to me? 

4 What is this about (and what makes you think that)? 

5 What ideas, values, information, and/or points of view are overt? Implied? 

6 What is left out of this message that might be important to know? 

7 How credible is this (and what makes you think that)? 

 
Once they completed reading and annotating their texts, students created an expository 

writing prompt aligned with the text they selected. The purpose of this process was for students 
to create a prompt (Figure 4) aligned with how they would be assessed on the EOCT. This 
process required students to identify a topic, select a quote that connected to their topic, create a 
critical thought question to stimulate reflection, and then create a writing task that they would 
use to write their text. As students began the writing process, they were reminded that their 
expository writing should be connected to their lives, experiences, or cultural background. 
Additionally, students were also reminded that they could use their cultural questionnaire as a 
resource or inspiration to craft their essays.  

Many of the students commented on how they enjoyed the autonomy of creating their 
writing prompt. Tommy (all names are pseudonyms) explains how he chose an article about the 
psychology of sports. He grew up playing sports and aspired to major in psychology in college. 
Therefore, the article connected to his current interests and future aspirations: 

I am able to be creative about what I want to write about based [on] what I have 
read from the article. When you write, your writing must come from experience of 
what the topic is about. The article was about sports psychology [and it was] 
something I could relate to. I related to this article because I have grown up playing 
sports and I want to major in Psychology. 

Jackson captures the same sentiments in his writing reflection. He commented, “The part of the 
instruction that I really enjoyed was making my own prompt. It helped me write about something 
I clearly understand.” 
  



108 Georgia Journal of Literacy 46(1)  
 

Figure 4: Culturally Relevant Prompt 

 
 
After creating their prompt, students began the drafting process. This process included 

using the Longhorn Box, a self-regulated writing strategy (Figure 5) used by students to craft their 
expository essays. Students used this tool to write their hook, thesis, body paragraphs, and 
conclusion. It has been documented by scholars (Campbell & Filimon, 2018; Graham & Perin, 
2007) the importance of using self-regulated writing strategies to explicitly develop students’ 
writing skills. Several of the participants commented on the advantages of using the Longhorn 
Box. Mason captures the commentary that most students shared about the strategy. He stated, 

Using the Longhorn box method, I was able to effectively plan out my essay in the 
provided method. The structure of the longhorn box helped me identify what [was] 
needed to put into my writing. 

After students finished with the prewriting strategy, students completed their essays on a 26-line 
template (Figure 6). For the EOCT, their essay could not extend more than 26 lines, so it was 
important for students to follow this guideline as they created their relevant writing products. Once 
students completed the drafting process, they engaged in partner feedback. 
 
 
 
 



Whitaker 109 
 

Figure 5: Longhorn Box 

 
 
Figure 6: Sample Student Essay Titled “Altruism” 

 



110 Georgia Journal of Literacy 46(1)  
 

In pairs, students used a writing feedback form (Winn & Johnson, 2011) to give feedback 
to their assigned partner. Students gave feedback on the ideas of the text, organization, sentence 
fluency, word choice, and voice. Moreover, the researcher provided holistic feedback for the class 
based on informal observations. The goal of the feedback was to create an environment in which 
writing was a “collective responsibility and collaborative activity” (Calhoon-Dillahunt et al., 2022, 
para. 24) that provided high-quality feedback for students to improve their essays. Johnathon 
articulated the sentiments that most students shared when they discussed the impact of the writing 
feedback process. He stated, “I really think communicating with others and getting their 
viewpoints on my work and the ideas really helped me.” Table 3 provides the reflective questions 
students considered as they crafted their final draft. 
 
Table 3: Reflective Questions 

Reflective Question 1 How will you address your cultural, social, or personal experiences in your text? 

Reflective Question 2 How will you leverage your cultural lens and language to craft your text? 

Reflective Question 3 How will you address the historical and contemporary norms of your culture to 
craft your text? 

 
Students did not need to address all the reflective questions in their writing. Instead, these questions 
served as a checklist to ensure that students used either their experiences, culture, or interests in 
the creation of their product. Once students completed the writing feedback form and considered 
the reflective questions, students created the final draft. 

Step 5: Class Presentations. The final step in this lesson involved students sharing their 
writing products with the class. Researchers have found that providing students the opportunity to 
share their writing instills ownership and pride (Winn & Johnson, 2011) and builds community 
(Williamson, 2019). At the end of the lesson, students presented their final products to (1) their 
feedback partner, (2) their writing table group, and (3) the entire class. Classroom time limits did 
not allow every student to share their writing product. As a result, students nominated 3 to 4 
students to share their products with the entire class. 

 
Conclusion 
Culturally relevant writing instruction has the potential to ignite students’ fire for writing. This 
pedagogical approach prioritizes their writing choices and provides them the opportunity to write 
about content and topics important to them. Blessing captures this sentiment as she reflects on the 
steps in creating her expository essay. She explained, 

I have improved on my expository essays because I used objects that are most 
influential in [my] life and wrote about them. It showed me that I can only write 
my best when I pull my own experiences into my writing. 

Several students indicated that the writing instruction provided them with the inspiration to write, 
and they were able to create, in their opinion, some of their best work. In a conversation with 
Charles, a student from a past class, he stated, “You significantly exposed me to worldwide 
literature and essential black literature from a perspective reflective of mine, [and that] sparked the 
match for me. I’m forever grateful.” If teachers encourage students to pull from within, this will 



Whitaker 111 
 

ignite their writing voices and help them develop a burning desire for writing that cannot be 
extinguished. 
 
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Received: December 29, 2023 | Accepted: February 22, 2024 | Published: May 15, 2024 

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https://doi.org/10.14429/djlit.35.5.8901
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2020.100712
https://doi.org/10.1177/2381336919870291
https://doi.org/10.1177/2381336919870291

	Culturally Relevant Literacy Instruction
	Culturally Relevant Writing in Action
	Figure 1: Cultural Questionnaire
	Table 1: Deconstructed Standard
	Table 2: Expository Text Options
	Figure 2: Visual Annotations
	Figure 3: Multimodal Comprehension Questions
	Figure 4: Culturally Relevant Prompt
	Figure 5: Longhorn Box
	Figure 6: Sample Student Essay Titled “Altruism”
	Table 3: Reflective Questions


	Conclusion
	References

