Writing Content

To communicate effectively, students should be able to write for a variety
audiences in a variety of forms connecting to prior knowledge and the students’
content. In their writing, students should be able to create a focused purpose
develop ideas adequately considering the purpose, audience and form.
Academic Expectations
1.1 Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and
information to different audiences for different purposes.
Grade 6 Enduring Knowledge – Understandings
Students will understand that
• there are many reasons for all students to write including writing-to-learn, writing-to-demonstrate
learning and writing for authentic purposes and audiences.
• different forms of writing are appropriate for different purposes and audiences across the content
areas and have different features (e.g., personal narrative, informational reports/articles, poetry,
response to text).
• to be effective, writing must be a sufficiently developed, coherent unit of thought to address the
needs of the intended audience.
• writing can be used to make meaning of one’s own experience, as well as of other information/
ideas.
Grade 6 Skills and Concepts
Students will
• write to learn by applying strategies effectively (e.g., learning logs, response journals)
• write to demonstrate learning and understanding of content knowledge (e.g., journals, test
answers, on-demand, research reports)
• write for a variety of authentic purposes and audiences:
o communicate about the significance of personal experiences and relationships
o communicate through authentic literary forms to make meaning about the human condition
o communicate through authentic transactive purposes for writing (e.g. informing, describing,
explaining, persuading, analyzing)
o analyze and communicate reflectively about literacy goals
o analyze and address needs of intended audience
o adjust the writing style (formal, informal) for intended audience
• communicate purpose, focus, and controlling ideas authentic to the writer
• develop ideas that are logical, justified and suitable for a variety of purposes, audiences and
forms of writing
• select and incorporate ideas or information (e.g., from research, reading, discussion, other
content areas), explaining reflections or related connections (e.g., identifying relationships,
drawing conclusions, offering support for conclusions, organizing prior knowledge about a topic)
• communicate understanding of a complex idea or event from multiple perspectives
• provide sufficient details and appropriate depth of elaboration for clear understanding
• use and sustain suitable voice or tone

Writing Structure

To communicate effectively, students should be able to apply knowledge of language and genre
structures to organize sentences, paragraphs and whole pieces logically and coherently.
Academic Expectations
1.11 Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and
information to different audiences for different purposes.
Grade 6 Enduring Knowledge – Understandings
Students will understand that
• sentences must be complete and clear. Variety in sentence structure helps to engage the reader
and make meaning more clear. Sometimes, unconventional sentence structure is appropriate for
an intended effect upon the reader.
• different types of structures are appropriate for different purposes, audiences and different forms
of writing. Paragraphs and whole texts must be unified and coherent.
• structural elements such as context, meaningful order of ideas, transitional elements and
conclusion all help make meaning clear for the reader.
Grade 6 Skills and Concepts
Students will
• use complete and correct sentences of various structures and lengths (e.g., simple, compound,
complex) to enhance meaning throughout a piece of writing; apply unconventional sentence
structures to achieve intended effect on audience
• develop analytical structures appropriate to purpose (e.g., sequence, problem/solution,
description, question/answer, cause/effect, compare/contrast, chronology)
• establish a context for the reader and a controlling idea in the introduction; develop the piece
sufficiently, arranging ideas in meaningful order; and conclude effectively
• create unified and coherent paragraphs; apply paragraph structures (block and indented)
consistently and appropriately
• use a variety of transitions and/or transitional elements (e.g., ellipses, time transitions, white
space) with intent
• apply organizational devices (e.g., foreshadowing, flashback) to achieve intended effect on
audience
• incorporate text features (e.g., bullets, subheadings, table of contents, white space, pictures,
labels, diagrams, embedded visuals, charts, shape in poetry) to enhance clarity and meaning

Writing Conventions

To communicate effectively, students should be able to apply knowledge of language conventions and
have control over standard grammar and usage. Students should be able to choose precise language
appropriate to the purpose.
Academic Expectations
1.1 Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and
information to different audiences for different purposes.
Grade 6 Enduring Knowledge – Understandings
Students will understand that
• writers need to choose their language with care, depending on the content, purpose and
audience.
• language should be concise and precise. Strong verbs and nouns, concrete details and sensory
language help make meaning clear to the reader.
• standard grammar and usage are important in making meaning clear to the reader; non-standard
or unconventional grammar may be used for intended effect.
• writers need to use correct spelling, punctuation and capitalization.
• writers need to document sources/give credit for the ideas of others.
Grade 6 Skills and Concepts
Students will
• choose precise and descriptive language for clarity, richness and/or its effect on the reader
(words with multiple meanings, words that imply different shades of meaning, words with literal
and non-literal meanings, strong nouns and verbs, concrete and sensory details, figurative
language – metaphors, similes, alliteration, personification)
• use specialized content vocabulary and words used for specific contexts, as needed
• apply correct grammar skills (e.g., complete sentences, various sentence structures, subject and
verb agreement, pronoun antecedent agreement); mechanics (e.g., capitalization, punctuation);
and usage (e.g., affect/effect, a lot)
• apply non-standard or unconventional language for intended effect appropriate to purpose
• use resources (e.g., dictionary, glossary, word processing programs) and apply knowledge of
spelling rules to correct spelling in final drafts
• use resources (e.g., word processing programs, thesaurus) to adhere to standard guidelines for
grammar, usage and mechanics
• document ideas used from outside sources (e.g., citing authors or titles within the text; listing print
and non-print sources) when paraphrasing, summarizing, quoting or using graphics

Writing Process

To communicate effectively, students should engage in the various stages of the writing process including
focusing, prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing and reflecting. The writing process is recursive;
different writers engage in the process differently and proceed through the stages at different rates.
Academic Expectations
1.11 Students write using appropriate forms, conventions, and styles to communicate ideas and
information to different audiences for different purposes.
Grade 6 Enduring Knowledge – Understandings
Students will understand that
• the writing process is a helpful tool in constructing and demonstrating meaning of content
(whether personal expressive, literary, academic or practical) through writing.
• the stages are sometimes recursive (e.g. in the process of revising, a writer sometimes returns to
earlier stages of the process).
• writers work through the process at different rates. Often, the process is enhanced by
conferencing with others.
Grade 6 Skills and Concepts
Students will
• focus: establish and maintain a controlling idea on a selected topic
• prewrite:
o determine the most appropriate form to meet needs of purpose and audience
o generate ideas to support and develop controlling idea (e.g., journaling, webbing, free writes,
researching print/ non-print/ electronic sources, note-taking, interviewing, observation,
viewing, surveying, imagining and creating novel ideas)
o organize and present ideas by taking notes, quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing
• draft:
o determine how, when and whether to use visuals (e.g., illustrations, charts, diagrams,
photographs) or technologies (e.g., digital images, video) in lieu of or in addition to written
communication
o logically introduce and incorporate quotes
• revise:
o reflect on own writing
o confer with peers and other writing conferencing partners to critically analyze one’s own work
and the work of others
o confer to determine where to add, delete, rearrange, define/redefine or elaborate content so
that writing is coherent and effective for intended audience, then make revisions
o identify and develop topic sentences, making sure ideas are supported appropriately with
relevant details and that sentences are in sequential order; insert new sentences and delete
unnecessary ones; develop effective introductions and conclusions; eliminate redundant
words; choose the most precise words available
• edit for appropriate language usage, sentence structure, spelling, capitalization, punctuation and
proper documentation of sources
• publish to produce products for intended audience:
o present written material using digital presentation and graphics (e.g. charts and tables)
o present final work in a neat, legible form
• reflect and evaluate personal progress and skills in writing