Mentor Texts and Funds of Knowledge

Beatrice Mendez Newman

Funds of knowledge refers to historically accumulated and culturally developed bodies of knowledge and
skills essential for household or individual functioning and well-being (Gonzalez, Moll, & Amanti, 2005, p.
133). This construct moves well beyond simple prior knowledge to bring students culturally inherited ways of
knowing (Zipin, 2009, p. 317) into play in the academic environment as a route toward success. (Newman)
What is in your own funds of knowledge? What historical and cultural knowledge have you accumulated?
How does this fund of knowledge, serve as a vast treasure trove of writing possibilities (Newman) that
informs and drives your thinking, your writing and eventually, your teaching?
Fill the box with your Funds of Knowledge details!

Now, think
about some of
the Funds of
Knowledge that
your students will bring to your classroom. Make a list below. What do you share with
them? What do you think will be different? How will you use your students Funds of
Knowledge to inspire to inform your teaching and inspire them to see themselves as
writers.

Writing territories are the treasure chests of [writers] hearts and minds where they store precious memories
about people, places, events, and objects (Dorfman & Cappelli, 2007, p. 48). In other words, writing territories
are writers funds of knowledge transformed into a story. (Newman)

Take one

event or

memory, and turn it into a Writing Territories Map.

In what ways does teaching our students to think in this way help them find their
authentic authors voice and learn to see writing as an act of discovery? Can this type
of activity be done without first reading and studying a mentor text? Would it be as
affective?