Standards: Connecticut has adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as the Connecticut State Standards (CSS).

LONG TERM GOALS

• Increase stamina and volume of writing
• Raise the quality of drafts by making deliberate decisions as writers to communicate with clarity and precision
• Think flexibly by taking risks and “playing” with development and with language
• Make assessment and reflection meaningful / to remain open to learning

BIG IDEAS

• Authors write with different purposes in mind.
• Authors take their time to be specific and stretch out certain parts of their stories to engage the reader.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

• How does effective storytelling transport a reader to another time and place?
• Why does a writer choose a particular form for telling the story?
• How do details, tone, mood, characters shape the power of the narrative?
• How do rules of language affect rules of communication?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will know . . .

• stories are told in various sequences.
• authors deliberately choose a sequence that best suits their purpose for writing.
• authors use various techniques to elaborate and to engage their readers.

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will be able to do . . . Students will be skilled at . . .

• come up with ideas for narratives, particularly turning-point moments.
• re-experience turning-point moments before writing to help remember the key details to include so the reader lives the experience.
• read with the eyes of a writer, often getting new ideas about topics and about craft.
• write from the perspective of the character.
• use a checklist to assess growth and set goals.
• write fast and furious.
• engage in large-scale, whole-draft revision to get at the heart of the story.
• use what they know about the arc of a story.
• deliberate choose craft moves that will elaborate key parts of the story.
• use flashback and flashforward to bring out the internal story.
• craft endings that satisfy the reader: resolve problems, learn lessons, make a change that connects to the big meaning of the story.
• emulate writing that they admire.
• use writer’s notebooks as a workbench to try new things related to personal goals.
• stretch out the problem, bit-by-bit.
• include actions and images to invoke emotions of readers.
• ensure that every character furthers the larger meaning of the story.
• use punctuation, especially commas, accurately through studying mentor texts.

LONG TERM GOALS

• Think intertextually while examining a topic
• Make deliberate decisions about content and structure to teach intended audience with clarity

BIG IDEAS

• Writers develop various sections of feature articles so that they are informative and balanced, embedding research into the writing.
• Writers elaborate in order to teach a significant amount of information to readers.
• Writers reflect upon and teach others what has been learned about how to craft feature articles.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

• How are feature articles similar and different from other forms of informational writing?
• How do authors write clearly structured and well-developed informational texts on a topic of personal expertise?
• How do authors of feature articles engage readers with important topics?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will know . . .

• feature articles include elements of narrative, informational, and opinion writing.
• feature articles blend facts with an author’s experiences and observations to present a unique perspective on a nonfiction topic.
• feature article writers support their main ideas with information from reliable and trustworthy sources.
• feature article writers use text features that best suit the important message (e.g., headings and subheadings).
• feature article writers use expert vocabulary to teach about their topic of expertise.
• writers transfer the skills and strategies they learn when writing in one genre to new genres.
• writers continually self-assess, self-monitor, and self-assign goals.

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will be able to do . . . Students will be skilled at . . .

• generate topics of personal expertise, elaborating on facets within those topics.
• plan big categories with examples and important vocabulary.
• plan and revise structure of feature article, playing with a variety until finding best fit.
• get ideas going right away, testing out possible topics.
• gather focused research, keeping track of sources.
• categorize like information.
• assess which chapters need more research.
• plan and revise the organization of information in sections.
• decide if a section fits with the overall article.
• use headings and subheadings to organize a hierarchy of information.
• use figurative language (metaphors, in particular) to create headings and subheadings.
• vary elaboration to create balance, such as with anecdotes, examples, facts, comparisons, important terms with definitions, and descriptions.
• use linking words and phrases to connect information.
• craft introductions and conclusions with the audience in mind, leaving the readers thinking.
• insert their own ideas into introductions and conclusions.
• monitor progress and set goals using the informational writing checklist.
• craft features articles with various text features that best fit intended purpose.
• edit for grammar and punctuation.

LONG TERM GOALS - Students will be able to . . .

• respond to literature by analyzing narrative elements.
• vary essay structures to persuade readers.
• use Academic English to express opinions.
• use essay writing to think more deeply about texts and the world.

BIG IDEAS

• Essayists draw on everything about writing, about reading, and about essays to go through the entire process of writing a literary essay about a story.
• Essayists grow ideas that are both central to the story and grounded in close reading.
• Essayists use evidence from the text and reflect on it to support their claims.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

• How can I read closely and write structured, evidence-based interpretive essays?
• How can I use specific, academic language to express my thoughts?
• How can I think more critically about texts and the world?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to . . .

• read closely to develop a thesis statement closely tied to the text(s).
• identify evidence that best fits the claim.
• craft mini-stories to balance out cited evidence.
• analyze author’s craft as a way to support the claim.
• strengthen beginnings and endings.
• edit own writing in preparation for publication.
• reflect using a checklist to monitor progress and set or adjust goals.

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will be able to . . . Students will be skilled at . . .

• inquiry to explore the characteristics of essays / transfer previous learning to literary essays.
• generate ideas for literary essay by noticing details.
• draft several possible thesis statements and determine which one fits best.
• support claims with crafted mini-stories.
• flash-draft literary essay, first rehearsing it in the air.
• study small, specific details or parts that feel odd in order to grow big ideas and interpretations.
• closely study when a character faces trouble knowing there is a life lesson there for the reader.
• develop stronger thesis statements by rereading thesis and checking it against parts of the text to see if it is true.
• choose the best quotes to support thesis and explain them in detail, connecting back to the thesis.
• analyze author’s craft noting how specific techniques support the claim.
• craft introductions and endings to help readers understand what is significant in the text.
• attend to grammar and conventions.
• apply tools and strategies to other writing that is similar to essays.
• demonstrate flexibility in novel situations: “What do I already know that could help me here?”
• order reasons and evidence in a logical manner.
• use a checklist to monitor progress and set goals.
• plan what to say, how to say it, and to whom.

LONG TERM GOALS

• Argument writers strive for accuracy and logic.
• Argument writers question while researching and supporting their claims.
• Argument writers craft their pieces in a way that is respectful of opposing opinions.

BIG IDEAS

• Writers research within multimedia text sets (video, print, audio).
• Writers organize their ideas in a logical sequence.
• Writers craft their arguments by gathering supporting evidence.
• Writers research and analyze both sides of an argument with an analytical lens searching for multiple perspectives and views.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

• How can I write research-based argument essays where I take a position, get readers to care about my position, and develop my supporting reasons using a variety of strategies?
• How can I study different perspectives, take a stand, and support my side?
• How can I revise my essay addressing counter-arguments?
• How can I use all that I know about argument writing to write another persuasive essay on a cause important to me?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to . . .

Sessions 1-8: Investigate Provocative Issues

• recognize that arguments are supported by reasons that are backed up by evidence.
• research both sides of an argument.
• debate quickly to clarify thinking, and make a plan for future research.
• mine texs for relevant information.
• use talk strategies to grow, strengthen and question ideas.
• grow their own ideas.
• summarize to determine importance and keep your argument on track.
• debate an issue to find new insights into an issue.

Sessions 9-15: Raise the Level of Research

• plan for continued research on the same topic, with a narrow lens.
• annotate in deliberate and purposeful ways to hold onto the author's ideas and your own thoughts.
• recognize when texts feel challenging and draw upon strategies to help themselves.
• recognize the author's perspective.
• consider craft.
• evaluate arguements.
• debate to celebrate work and inspire further learning.

Sessions 16-21: Researching a New Issue with More Agency

• plan for research on a new topic drawing on all that they have learned from previous research studies.
• grow ideas from their own reading, and conversations with readers.
• talk and write analytically across texts by paying careful attention to, and comparing/contrasting author's craft choices.
• pay attention to when the text stirs an emotional response, and consider how the text creates that effect.
• take a stand for their beliefs, and become advocates for change in the world.

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will be able to . . . Students will be skilled at . . .

• collect information on both sides of an issue.
• flash-draft essays.
• research their chosen topic.
• provide supporting evidence for their claim.
• add relevant quotes to essays.
• redraft to include additional evidence and new thinking.
• write with a powerful voice.
• choose the structure that best matches their intended message.
• plan how to conduct research.
• synthesis reading critically with writing critically about a chosen topic.
• revise a tricky portion of their essays.
• respond to counter-arguments.
• evaluate evidence to ensure their arguments are as strong as possible.
• appeal to their intended audiences.
• share their essays publicly.
• choose a topic of personal significance.
• draw from life to persuade audiences.
• self-assess and set goals.

LONG TERM GOALS

• While information writers may draw upon some craft moves from narrative writing, information writing has a distinctly different structure from a narrative.
• Information writing is structured in relation to the content and purpose of writing.
• Within a larger piece of information writing, there may be different nonfiction text structures - each for a specific purpose when communicating to the reader.

BIG IDEAS

• Information writers structure expository writing to convey an idea in an accessible and easy way.
• Information writers craft a thesis that is supported throughout the writing: introduction, body, conclusion.
• Information writers investigate different aspects of a topic through short, targeted, research projects.
• Information writers provide a list of sources for all quoted, paraphrased, and summarized information.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

• How can I raise the level of my research report writing through my use of structure, development, and language?
• How can I flashdraft a report and then reread, reorder, and analyze in a way that brings history to life for my readers?
• How can I craft a research report that engages my readers, is full of specific details, and has a cohesive structure?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to . . .

• examine and analyze the structure of published newspapers and magazine articles.
• collect a variety of expository topics and focus their ideas.
• summarize, paraphrase, and quote to support thesis statements.
• plan, develop, revise research reports
• link ideas using transitional phrases.
• use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary.

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will be able to . . . Students will be skilled at . . .

• organize information about a topic.
• recall all they know about a topic.
• balance writing to grow ideas and reading to collect new information.
• include or create maps.
• ask themselves questions while researching a topic.
• synthesize the relationships between events in history.
• plan to fill in gaps of understanding.
• craft an outline based on their research.
• self-assess to set new goals for themselves as writers.
• angle their research to best engage their readers.
• closely read primary sources.
• flash-draft a report.
• study mentor authors for possible text structures to try using.
• analyze events from multiple points of view.
• craft patterns in words, structures, and meanings.
• include text features.
• craft introductions that explain the structure of their writing and engage readers.
• use punctuation as a way craft complex sentences full of facts and information.

LONG TERM GOALS

• Authors of memoir convey both big and small ideas about important aspects of who they are as people.
• Memoirists deliberately craft their writing using both narrative and essay structures.
• Authors of memoir use their writings to reflect on big ideas about themselves and their values.

BIG IDEAS

• Memoir writers search for the heart ​in their story, rather than recount the event moment by moment.
• Memoir writers orient the reader to their story by establishing a situation and skillfully introducing a narrator and characters.
• Memoir writers deliberately structure their piece to bring out their intended significance, from the sentence level to the overall structure of the memoir itself.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

• How can I use what I know about essays and stories to write a memoir in which I advance an idea about who I am as a person, conveying big and small ideas?
• How can I use writing to explore, to reflect, to ask, and to entertain questions?
• How can I explore possible structures, thinking about the relationship between structure and theme?
• How can I use what I know about memoir writing to write another one that demonstrates a deeper sense of self?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to . . .

• collect, develop, and structure their personal narratives into a cohesive memoir that clearly indicates its significance to the reader (the heart).
• utilize the writing process and previous crafting techniques as figurative language, sentence fluency, and word choice to bring forth their depth of meaning, conveying experiences and events.
• use dialogue, description, transitions, and pacing to develop events and show character responses to situations.

LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will be able to . . . Students will be skilled at . . .

• immerse themselves in the genre, noticing craft moves and elements specific to memoirs.
• uncover their themes.
• shift between abstract ideas and concrete specifics, between big meanings and small moments.
• let literature influence their writing.
• draw upon and improvise off of seed ideas.
• study mentor authors to learn how to write with depth when they craft memoirs.
• study mentor authors to examine possible text structure for their memoirs.
• inspire themselves to use revisions as a way to write better than ever.
• self-assess their goals for themselves as writers, revising or drafting anew as needed.
• write narratives with meaning.
• edit while writing.
• uncover new ideas.
• match their text structure to their intended meaning.
• craft with the truest details.
• analyze how one small detail that is seemingly ordinary actually carries huge significance for them.
• edit for language conventions that match their intended content, mood, tone, and feelings of the memoir.

LONG TERM GOALS

• Fantasy authors imagine magical worlds, creating stories that draw in their readers.
• Fantasy authors persist in planning, drafting, revising, and sometimes completely rewriting from scratch.
• Fantasy authors plan to deliberately convey an important message about life through the creation of scenes/moments that implicitly link together in a significant fashion.

BIG IDEAS

• Fantasy writers draw upon their knowledge of narrative craft to engage their readers.
• Fantasy writers draw upon their knowledge of Greek and Latin affixes and roots when creating their stories.
• Fantasy writers study mentor authors to learn about archetypal text structure and archetypal characters found in fantasies.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS - Students will keep considering . . .

• How can I write fantasy stories that engage readers and demonstrate all that I have learned about narrative craft?
• How can I generate ideas and plan for fantasy stories: develop plot lines, setting, and characters for fantasy stories while using all that I know about narrative writing to write fantasy stories?
• How can I draft a fantasy narrative efficiently using all that I know about the writing process, especially revision, to craft a fantasy story?
• How can I write in a way that will help my readers become immersed in my fantasy story?
• How can I use all that I have learned to cycle through the writing process to create a second fantasy story?
• How can I study the work of mentor authors to improve my fantasy writing?
• How can I study a mentor text for the conventions of language?
• How can I write more complex sentences?
• How can I reflect on the fantasy stories that I have written?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

LEARNING OBJECTIVES Students will be able to . . . Students will be skilled at . . .

• write multiple entries a day.
• select one entry.
• rehearse the idea multiple times.
• try out various planning methods.
• flash draft.
• make significant revisions.
• show not tell.
• stretch out the heart of the story.
• bring out deeper meaning through dialogue, actions and internal thinking.
• self reflect and set goals.
• go through the writing process a second time.
• use mentor texts to lift the level of their writing.
• revise in order to bring out a theme or message.
• edit.
• publish and celebrate.