This article examines the influence of context on student writing and discusses how the author used one methodology, problem-based learning, to foster more contextualized writing practice in ninth-grade English classes. Both research and practical experience suggest that students can benefit from writing practice contextualized within specific, realistic rhetorical situations--practice that allows them to respond to real problems, address specific audiences, and accomplish meaningful purposes. Such practice can be highly motivating and empowering, providing students both a reason to develop writing skills and a frame in which those skills can be understood and rehearsed.