ELA Course of Study for Writing
6th Grade
Text Types & Purposes
6th Grade
Production & Distribution
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 6 on page 65.)
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others while demonstrating sufficient command of keyboarding skills.
6th Grade
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others, while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and
poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics”).
b. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text,
distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not”).
6th Grade
Range of Writing
10.Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
7th Grade
Text Types & Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Establish a thesis statement to present an argument.
b. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
c. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an
understanding of the topic or text.
d. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection,
organization, and analysis of relevant content.
a. Establish a thesis statement to present information.
b. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as
definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,
tables), and multimedia to aid comprehension.
c. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
d. Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
e. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
f. Establish and maintain a formal style. g. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the
information or explanation presented.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and
well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize
an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to
another.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey
experiences and events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
7th Grade Production & Distribution
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well the purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for
conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 7 on page 65.)
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources, as well as to interact and
collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.
7th Grade Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused
questions for further research and investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and
accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character
and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history”).
b. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text,
assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims”).
7th GradeRange of Writing
10.Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a
day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
8th Grade
Text Types & Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Establish a clear thesis statement to present an argument.
b. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons
and evidence logically.
c. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an
understanding of the topic or text.
d. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection,
organization, and analysis of relevant content.
a. Establish a clear thesis statement to present information.
b. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include
formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia to aid comprehension.
c. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
d. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
e. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
f. Establish and maintain a formal style.
g. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and
well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize
an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to
another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey
experiences and events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
8th Grade Production & Distribution
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions
should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8 on page 65.)
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas
efficiently, as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
8th Grade
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and
generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and
accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others, while avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of fiction alludes to themes, patterns o
events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, and religious literary texts, such as (but not limited to) the Bible and
The Epic of Gilgamesh, including describing how the material is rendered new”).
b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text,
assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is
introduced”).
8th Grade
Range of Writing
10.Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a
day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.