5thGradeEnglishLanguageArts

Term1:GrowingUp!WritingWorkshop
Mr.DanCavasin
dcavasin@daltonschool.kr(Lastcheckat7pm,MondayThursday)

Googleclassroomcode:dn8zqd

Outcome

Bytheendofthisunitstudentswillbeabletoidentify,describe,andexemplifythe
6traitsofwriting,aswellasothernecessaryelementsthatmakeupasuccessful
pieceofwritinginanarrative,informational,andargumentativecontext.Students
willusethewritingprocessandtheirknowledgeofthe6traitstoconstruct
multiplepiecesofwritingforavarietyofpurposes,includingafinal,opinionbased
pieceofwriting.

Introduction

Learninghowtowriteandwritewellisoneofthemostimportantskillsyouwill
evercometodevelop.Thistermwewillbedoingawritingworkshopwithafocus
onthe6traitsofwriting.Youwillcometoknowwhatthese6traitsofwriting
actuallyareandwillbeabletoexemplifythemthroughnumerouspiecesall
throughoutthetermso,yes,youwillbewritingalot.But,thebestpartis,wewill
onlybefocusingononetraitatatimesoastoreallyhelpyoubecomebetter
writersineachindividualaspectbeforemovingontoapieceofwritingthatinvolves
assessingmultipletraitsatatime.

AsImentioned,wewillbetakingpartinamultitudeofwritingassignmentsthroughouttheterm,butnottoworry,Iwillmake
themasinterestingandasfunaspossible.Foryourfinalproject/paperyouwillbewritinganopinionpieceonwhatitmeansto
growup.Thisisanimportantstartingpointthematically,asthisyearalotoftheliteraturewewillencounterwillcontainthisvery
theme.

So,Iencourageeveryonetogivewritingandimprovingtheirwritingabilitytheirbestshot!Ifyouputforthagenuineeffort,youwill
yieldimpressiveresults.

TopicOverview

Selecting,narrowing,elaboratingideas
RAFTSWriting
Organizingaformalessay,paragraph,introduction,andconclusion;thefiveparagraphessay
Identifyingandcomparevoiceindifferentmediums
Writingwithvoice;developingyourpersonalwritingvoice
Preciselanguage/Beautifullanguage
Establishingflow,rhythm,cadence
Sentencesthatenhancemeaning
Varyingsentencelengthandstructure
Writingwithproperconventions
Editing,andRevising(Self/Peer)
Opinion/Argumentativewriting
NarrativeWriting
DescriptiveWriting

EssentialQuestions

Whatdoesgoodwritinglooklike?
HowcanIuse6traittoinformhowIwriteanopinionpiece/narrativepiece/informationalpiece?
Whatdoesitmeantogrowup?
Isgrowingupacompletelysubjectiveorobjectiveterm?Orpossiblyalittleofboth?

SkillsList

WRITING

W.5.1Writeopinionpiecesontopicsortexts,supportingapointofviewwithreasonsandinformation.
Icanwritetosharemyopinionontopicsortextsandprovidereasonsandinformationtosupportthatopinion.
W.5.1.AIntroduceatopicortextclearly,stateanopinion,andcreateanorganizationalstructureinwhichideasarelogicallygroupedto
supportthewriter'spurpose.
Icanwritemyopinioninanorganizedwaythatintroducesmytopicclearly,statesmyopinion,andgroupsrelatedideastogether.
W.5.1.BProvidelogicallyorderedreasonsthataresupportedbyfactsanddetails.
Icanpresentreasonsinalogicalorderthataresupportedbyfactsanddetailswhenwritingmyopinion.
W.5.1.CLinkopinionandreasonsusingwords,phrases,andclauses(e.g.,consequently,specifically).
Icanconnectmyopinionandreasonsusingwords,phrasesorclauses(e.g.,consequently,specifically).
W.5.1.DProvideaconcludingstatementorsectionrelatedtotheopinionpresented.
IcanwriteaconclusionthatisrelatedtotheopinionIpresent.
W.5.3Writenarrativestodeveloprealorimaginedexperiencesoreventsusingeffectivetechnique,descriptivedetails,andclearevent
sequences.
Icanwritestorieswithgoodtechnique,detaileddescriptionsandaclearsequence.
W.5.3.AOrientthereaderbyestablishingasituationandintroducinganarratorand/orcharacters;organizeaneventsequencethatunfolds
naturally.
Icanprovideanintroductioninmystoriesthatcreatesasituation,introducesanarrator&charactersandorganizesaplotthat
unfoldsnaturally.
W.5.3.BUsenarrativetechniques,suchasdialogue,description,andpacing,todevelopexperiencesandeventsorshowtheresponsesof
characterstosituations.
Icanusedifferenttechniqueslikedialoganddescriptiontodevelopexperiencesandeventsortoshowhowthecharactersrespond
todifferentsituationsinthestory.
W.5.4Produceclearandcoherentwritinginwhichthedevelopmentandorganizationareappropriatetotask,purpose,andaudience.
Icanproduceclearwritingwithappropriatedevelopmentandorganizationtosuitmytask,purposeandaudience.
W.5.5Withguidanceandsupportfrompeersandadults,developandstrengthenwritingasneededbyplanning,revising,editing,rewriting,or
tryinganewapproach.
Icanplan,revise,edit,rewriteortryanewapproachinmywritingwiththehelpofpeersandadults
W.5.6Withsomeguidanceandsupportfromadults,usetechnology,includingtheInternet,toproduceandpublishwritingaswellasto
interactandcollaboratewithothers;demonstratesufficientcommandofkeyboardingskillstotypeaminimumoftwopagesinasinglesitting.
Icanusetechnologytocreateandpublishmywriting.
W.5.10Writeroutinelyoverextendedtimeframes(timeforresearch,reflection,andrevision)andshortertimeframes(asinglesittingora
dayortwo)forarangeofdisciplinespecifictasks,purposes,andaudiences.
Icanwritewithstaminaforshorttimeframesoroveralongerperiodoftimedependingonmypurpose,audienceandtopic.

LANGUAGE

L.5.1DemonstratecommandoftheconventionsofstandardEnglishgrammarandusagewhenwritingorspeaking.
IcanshowthatIunderstandstandardEnglishinmyspeechandinmywriting.
L.5.1.AExplainthefunctionofconjunctions,prepositions,andinterjectionsingeneralandtheirfunctioninparticularsentences.
Icanexplaintheuseofconjunctions,prepositions,andinterjections.
L.5.1.CUseverbtensetoconveyvarioustimes,sequences,states,andconditions.
Icanuseverbtensestoshowmeaningwithregardstotimes,sequencesofevents,statesorconditionsofbeing.
L.5.2DemonstratecommandoftheconventionsofstandardEnglishcapitalization,punctuation,andspellingwhenwriting.
IcanshowthatIknowhowtowritesentencesaccurately.
L.5.3Useknowledgeoflanguageanditsconventionswhenwriting,speaking,reading,orlistening.
Icanwrite,speak,readandlistenbyusingmyknowledgeoftheEnglishlanguage.
L.5.3.AExpand,combine,andreducesentencesformeaning,reader/listenerinterest,andstyle.
Icanexpand,combineandreducesentencestomakethemmoreinterestingandmoreeasilyunderstood.
L.5.4.CConsultreferencematerials(e.g.,dictionaries,glossaries,thesauruses),bothprintanddigital,tofindthepronunciationanddetermine
orclarifytheprecisemeaningofkeywordsandphrases.
Icanuseprintandcomputerreferencesourcestohelpmefindthepronunciationsandclarifymeaningsofnewwordsorphrases.
L.5.4.AUsecontext(e.g.,cause/effectrelationshipsandcomparisonsintext)asacluetothemeaningofawordorphrase.
Icanusecontextcluestofigureoutthemeaningsofwordsorphrases.
L.5.5.CUsetherelationshipbetweenparticularwords(e.g.,synonyms,antonyms,homographs)tobetterunderstandeachofthewords.

 Icanusetherelationshipbetweensynonyms,antonyms,andhomographstohelpmebetterunderstandeachofthewords.
L.5.5.AInterpretfigurativelanguage,includingsimilesandmetaphors,incontext.
IcanshowthatIunderstandthemeaningoffigurativelanguage.
L.5.5.BRecognizeandexplainthemeaningofcommonidioms,adages,andproverbs.
IcanshowthatIunderstandthemeaningoffigurativelanguage.
L.5.6Acquireanduseaccuratelygradeappropriategeneralacademicanddomainspecificwordsandphrases,includingthosethatsignal
contrast,addition,andotherlogicalrelationships(e.g.,however,although,nevertheless,similarly,moreover,inaddition).
Icanlearnandusenewvocabularyappropriatefor5thgrade

SPEAKINGANDLISTENING

SL.5.1Engageeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions(oneonone,ingroups,andteacherled)withdiversepartnersongrade5
topicsandtexts,buildingonothers'ideasandexpressingtheirownclearly.
Icaneffectivelyparticipateindifferenttypesofdiscussionsandwithdifferentpeopleabout5thgradetopicsandtexts.
Icanbuildonothersideasandexpressmyownideasclearly.
SL.5.4Reportonatopicortextorpresentanopinion,sequencingideaslogicallyandusingappropriatefactsandrelevant,descriptivedetailsto
supportmainideasorthemes;speakclearlyatanunderstandablepace.
Icanreportonatopicorpresentmyopinionlogicallyusingappropriatefactsanddetailstosupportmymainidea.
IcanspeakclearlyandatanappropriatepacewhenIgiveareportorsharemyopinion.

Materials

1.
2.
3.
4.

Laptop
Binder
Notebook
IndependentReading(AR)Book

DaybyDay

*Inordertouseclasstimeasefficientlyaspossible,theCONVENTIONSTraitwillbetaughtthroughouttheterm
onselectdaysduringbellwork.TheCONVENTIONSTraitwillbesummedupduringthefinalweekoftheterm
whenweeditourfinalpapers.

Week1

Day1:Introductions
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletobecomebetteracquaintedwiththeirpeersanddisplaythe6Csthroughvariousgames/activities.
Standards:
PersonalIntroductions
StudentQuestionnaire
HW:

Day2:ClassRules/Regulations/ProceduresandAssignmentPack
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletobecomeacquaintedwiththevariousrules,regulations,andprocedures.Studentswillknowwhatis
expectedoftheminthecomingterm.
Standards:
Reviewclassrules/regulations/procedures
ReviewAssignment
HW:

Day3/4:Preassessment
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletodemonstratetheirknowledgeandtheirabilitytousestrategies/skillstocompletevariousreading,
writing,andlanguagebasedtasks.
Standards:(VariousStandardsAddressed)
Preassessmentquestion:Whatdoesitmeantogrowup?
Studentswillbeassessedonthe6traitsrubric
HW:

Week2

Day5:VocabularyMonday
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletodeterminethemeaningsofwordsandbetterunderstandsaidwordsbasedongrade5readingand
contentandthroughtheuseofcontext,GreekandLatinaffixes,synonyms,andreferencematerials.
Standards:L.5.4.CL.5.5.CL.5.6(L.54L.5.4AL.5.4BL.5.5L.5.5AL.5.5B)
VocabularyList/Instruction
Greek/LatinRoots
HW:Vocabulary(1)DueDay10;GreekLatinRootsDueDay10

Day6:TheIDEASTrait+SelectinganIdea
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletousevariousmethodstoselectandideaforwriting.
Skills:W.5.3.W.5.3.a
IntroduceIdeasTrait
HowtoSelectanIdeaMakingOldIdeasNewandOtherMethods
TheSecretKnowledgeofGrownUps
HW:

Day7:TheIDEASTrait+NarrowingtheIdea
Due:
Goals:StudentswillbeabletousetheRAFTSmethodtonarrowtheirideasforwriting.
Skills:W.5.1.W.5.1.a
R.A.F.T.S.Writing
HW:

Day8/9:TheIDEASTrait+DevelopingYourIdea/ElaborateonYourIdea
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletounderstandtheimportanceoflogicalideadevelopmentandexemplifytheirunderstandingthrough
theirownpieceofwriting.
Skills:W.5.3.W.5.3.a
Ithappenedtome!WritingActivity
BuildingBlocksWritingActivity
HW:

Week3

Day10:VocabularyMonday
Due:Vocabulary(1)
Goals:Studentswillbeabletodeterminethemeaningsofwordsandbetterunderstandsaidwordsbasedongrade5readingand
contentandthroughtheuseofcontext,GreekandLatinaffixes,synonyms,andreferencematerials.
Standards:L.5.4.CL.5.5.CL.5.6(L.54L.5.4AL.5.4BL.5.5L.5.5AL.5.5B)
VocabularyList/Instruction
Greek/LatinRoots
HW:Vocabulary(2)DueDay15;GreekLatinRootsDueDay15


Day11/12:TheIDEASTrait+BrainstormingforYourFinalPaper!+Narrowing/DevelopingYourBestIdeas!
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletoapplymethodsofgatheringideastoalargerpieceofwriting.Studentswillbeabletoapplymethods
ofnarrowingideas,andelaboratingonideastoalargerpieceofwriting.
Skills:W.5.1.W.5.1a.W.5.1b.
Introducefinalpaper
Gatheringideasforthefinalpaperusingthestrategiestaught
Selectbestidea(withconsultation)
Beginnarrowingideadown(RAFTS)
Beginelaboratingonidea
HW:PreliminaryWorkforFinalPaper

Day13/14:TheORGANIZATIONTrait+TheFormatofanOpinionPiece+BasicParagraphStructure
Due:PreliminaryWorkforFinalPaper
Goals:Studentswillbeabletoorganizetheirideasintoagraphicorganizerforanopinionbasedpiece.Studentswillbeabletowrite
properlyformattedparagraphs.
Skills:W.5.1.W.5.1a.W.5.1b.W.5.1c.W.5.4.
IntroducetheOrganizationTrait
Howtoformatanopinion(claim)+opinionbasedpaper
GraphicOrganizer
Howtoconvertorganizedideasintoaparagraph(basicparagraphstructurebodyparagraph)
Beginwritingbodyparagraphforfinalpaper
HW:FinalpaperbodyparagraphDueDay16

Week4

Day15:VocabularyMonday
Due:Vocabulary(2)
Goals:Studentswillbeabletodeterminethemeaningsofwordsandbetterunderstandsaidwordsbasedongrade5readingand
contentandthroughtheuseofcontext,GreekandLatinaffixes,synonyms,andreferencematerials.
Standards:L.5.4.CL.5.5.CL.5.6(L.54L.5.4AL.5.4BL.5.5L.5.5AL.5.5B)
VocabularyList/Instruction
Greek/LatinRoots
HW:Vocabulary(3)DueDay20;GreekLatinRootsDueDay20

Day16/17:TheORGANIZATIONTrait+Introducing/ConcludingYourPaper
Due:Finalpaperbodyparagraph
Goals:Studentswillbeabletowritealead/hookandintroducetheirmajorclaim.Studentswillbeabletoconcludetheirpieceof
writingwithasenseofclosureandresolution.
Skills:W.5.1.W.5.1a.W.5.1b.W.5.1d.W.5.4.
WritinganIntroduction
BeginWritingIntrosConferwithpeers
WritingaConclusion
BeginWritingConclusionsConferwithpeers
HW:FullFirstDraftDueDay23

Day18/19:TheVOICETrait+SpeakingtotheReader+DevelopingYOURStyle
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeablecompareandcontrastvoiceinavarietyofmediums,andinmultiplepiecesofliterature.Studentswill
beabletousevoiceinwritingtosuitdifferentaudiences.
Skills:L.5.3.L.5.3b.
IntroducetheVoiceTrait
Voiceinsong,art,andliterature
CompareandContrastVoiceinLiteratureActivity
NewVoices,NewChoicesWritingActivity

HW:

Week5

Day20:VocabularyMonday
Due:Vocabulary(3)
Goals:Studentswillbeabletodeterminethemeaningsofwordsandbetterunderstandsaidwordsbasedongrade5readingand
contentandthroughtheuseofcontext,GreekandLatinaffixes,synonyms,andreferencematerials.
Standards:L.5.4.CL.5.5.CL.5.6(L.54L.5.4AL.5.4BL.5.5L.5.5AL.5.5B)
VOCABQUIZ
VocabularyList/Instruction
Greek/LatinRoots
HW:Vocabulary(4)DueDay25;GreekLatinRootsDueDay25

Day21/22:TheVOICETrait+RevealingthePersonBehindtheWords
Due:Apersonyouwouldliketoaddressaletterto
Goals:Studentswillbeabletorevealindividualthinkinginacommitted,distinctivemannerthathelpsthereaderheartheauthor.
Studentswillbeablestrengthentheirwritingwiththehelpoftheirpeers.
Skills:L.5.3.L.5.3b.W.5.4.
MailbagWritingAssignment
PartnerupReadthrough(guideprovided)Revise
Revisedcopydueinclass
HW:

Day23:TheVOICETrait+ImprovingVoiceinYourFinalPaper
Due:FullFirstDraft
Goals:Studentswillbeablestrengthentheirwritingwiththehelpoftheirpeers.Studentswillbeabletoselfevaluatetheirwriting
forthevoicetraitbeforeandafterrevision.
Skills:L.5.3.L.5.3b.W.5.5.
VoiceRubricsDistributedSelf/PartnerAssessment
Reviseinordertoimprovevoice
HW:SecondDraftDueDay28

Day24:TheWORDCHOICETrait+SharpeningYourDescriptivePowers!
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletoincreasetheamountofdescriptivewordsorphrasesinapieceofwritingthroughmultiplestagesof
revision.
Skills:L5.3.L.5.5.W.5.4.
IntroducetheWordChoiceTrait
PaintingaPicturewithWordsWriting/RevisionAssignment
HW:PaintingaPicturewithWordsWriting/RevisionAssignment

Week6

Day25:VocabularyMonday
Due:PaintingaPicturewithWordsWriting/RevisionAssignment;Vocabulary(4)
Goals:Studentswillbeabletodeterminethemeaningsofwordsandbetterunderstandsaidwordsbasedongrade5readingand
contentandthroughtheuseofcontext,GreekandLatinaffixes,synonyms,andreferencematerials.
Standards:L.5.4.CL.5.5.CL.5.6(L.54L.5.4AL.5.4BL.5.5L.5.5AL.5.5B)
VocabularyList/Instruction
Greek/LatinRoots
HW:Vocabulary(5)DueDay30;GreekLatinRootsDueDay30

Day26/27:TheWORDCHOICETrait+ExactLanguage+BeautifulLanguage
Due:

Goals:Studentswillbeabletouselivelyverbs,precisenouns,andaccuratemodifiersintheirwriting.Studentswillbeabletouse
colorfulwordsandphrasestoenhancetheirdescriptivewriting.
Skills:L.5.1c.L.5.3.L.5.5.W.5.4.
Love/HateWritingActivity(VoiceandWordChoice)
Practicechangingpassiveverbstoactiveverbs
Herestoadverbsornot!WritingActivity
FindingKeyWordsandPhrasesinCaptivatingTextsIllustratedObservations
ExtensionExpandingSmallPhrasesintoBiggerOnes
HW:

Day28/29TheWORDCHOICETrait+ImprovingYourFinalPaper
Due:SecondDraft
Goals:Studentswillbeablestrengthentheirwritingwiththehelpoftheirpeers.Studentswillbeabletoselfevaluatetheirwriting
forthewordchoicetraitbeforeandafterrevision.
Skills:L.5.3.L.5.5.W.5.4.W.5.5.
Workwithapartnertopickoutareasinneedofmorepreciselanguage/simplifiedwordchoice,andareasinneedof
addeddescription/morecolourfulwords.
HW:ThirdDraftDueDay34

Week7

Day30:VocabularyMonday
Due:Vocabulary(5)
Goals:Studentswillbeabletodeterminethemeaningsofwordsandbetterunderstandsaidwordsbasedongrade5readingand
contentandthroughtheuseofcontext,GreekandLatinaffixes,synonyms,andreferencematerials.
Standards:L.5.4.CL.5.5.CL.5.6(L.54L.5.4AL.5.4BL.5.5L.5.5AL.5.5B)
VocabularyList/Instruction
Greek/LatinRoots
HW:Vocabulary(6)DueDay35;GreekLatinRootsDueDay35

Day31:TheSENTENCEFLUENCYTrait+EstablishingFlow,Rhythm,Cadence
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletounderstandthetermfluencyandwriteadescriptionofthefluencyfoundinvariouspiecesofmusic.
Skills:L.5.3.
IntroducetheSentenceFluencyTrait
TwistedTwisterOralFluencyActivity
MusictoOurEarsWritingAssignment
HW:

Day32:TheSENTENCEFLUENCYTrait+VaryingSentenceLengthandStructure
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletodiagramandcombinesentencesinordertocreatelonger,moreinterestingsentencesfromaseries
ofshortchoppysentences.Studentswillunderstandthebenefitsofvaryinglengthandstructureoftheirsentencesinorderto
increasefluency.
Skills:L.5.3.L.5.3a.
SlinkyCityandSentenceDiagrammingandSentenceCombining,OhMy!WritingActivity/Assignment
HW:

Day33:TheSENTENCEFLUENCYTrait+ConstructingSentencesthatEnhanceMeaning
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeabletounderstandhowtoenhancethemeaningoftheirsentences/paragraphsbyvaryinglength,structure,
andwordchoice.
Skills:L.5.3.L.5.3a.
LongandShorttoMakeItInteresting/PassItOnWritingAssignments
HW:


Day34:TheSENTENCEFLUENCYTrait+ImprovingYourFinalPaper
Due:
Goals:Studentswillbeablestrengthentheirwritingwiththehelpoftheirpeers.Studentswillbeabletoselfevaluatetheirwriting
forthesentencefluencytraitbeforeandafterrevision.
Skills:L.5.3.L.5.3a.W.5.4.W.5.5.
SentenceFluencyRubricsDistributedSelf/PartnerAssessment
Reviseinordertoimprovesentencefluency
HW:FinalDraftDueDay36

Week8

Day35:VocabularyMonday
Due:Vocabulary(6)
Goals:Studentswillbeabletodeterminethemeaningsofwordsandbetterunderstandsaidwordsbasedongrade5readingand
contentandthroughtheuseofcontext,GreekandLatinaffixes,synonyms,andreferencematerials.
Standards:L.5.4.CL.5.5.CL.5.6(L.54L.5.4AL.5.4BL.5.5L.5.5AL.5.5B)
VOCABQUIZ
VocabularyList/Instruction
Greek/LatinRoots
HW:T.B.A.

Day36/37/38:TheCONVENTIONSTrait+Editing
Due:FinalDraft(Edited)
Goals:StudentswillbeabletodemonstrateknowledgeandcommandoftheconventionsofstandardEnglishgrammarandusage
whenwriting,editingwriting,andassessingwriting.
Skills:L.5.1.L5.2.L.5.3.W.5.4.W.5.5.(variousotherconventionstandards)
Distributechecklists/conventionsrubricFinaleditingtime
Self/partnerassessmentusingtheappropriatesymbols
FinalPaperDueinclass
HW:

Day39/40ThatsaWrap
Due:AcceleratedReader
Goals:Studentswillreadtheirpaperstotheirpeers.Studentswilldiscusstheiropinionsinaclasswidefinaldiscussion.
Skills:SL.5.1.SL.5.4.
ExcerptReadingfrompapers/EndofTermDiscussion
Survey
HW:

GradingBreakdown

WritingHomeworkandClasswork35%
FinalProjectAlltraits30%
VocabularyWork/Quizzes(2)15%
AcceleratedReader10%
Citizenship10%

ImportantDates

Day20VocabularyQuiz#1
Day35VocabularyQuiz#2

Day38FinalPaperDue
Day40AcceleratedReader

****LateWorkPolicy****

Homework/ Ordinary Assignments:Ordinary homework assignmentsaredueontherequiredday. If youcannotcomplete the

homeworkdueto illness,family emergency, ortechnologicalproblemsyoumust turninasignednotefromaresponsibleadult
indicatingthissituation atthenextclassyou attend.Ifyou donotturnin yourworkontheday thatitisdue,youwillreceivean
automaticand immediate25%deductiontoyourtotalscore. Ifthe assignmentisstillunsubmittedafter3daysyourtotalscore
willreceiveanotherdeductionof15%.

Projects/Essays: Similar tothe homework policy,projects/essays (largeassignments)aredueontherequiredday. Ifyoucannot

complete the homework due to illness, family emergency, or technological problems you must turn in a signednote froma
responsibleadultindicatingthissituation atthenextclassyou attend.IFYOUDONOTTURNINYOURWORKONTHEDAYTHAT
ITISDUE,you mayreceivea ONEDAY window (graceperiod).***You areonlyeligiblefor thewindowifyou letmeknow
beforehand***If youdonotmakemeaware ofthefactyouaretakingthewindowroute,yourgradewill automaticallydrop
5%,andthenanother5%FOREACHDAYTHATITISLATE.

So,for example,letssaythatyouhaveanessay dueonNov.23,butyoudonthand itinuntilNov.26. You letmeknowyouwere

goingtotakethewindow,butyoustilldidnthanditinuntil2dayslater.

Nov.23(window),Nov.24(5%),Nov.25(5%),Nov.26(Submittedassignment)
Ifyoudosomethingsimilartothis,youwillreceiveacombinedtotalof10%offyourfinalgradefortheproject/essay.

So,submityourworkontime.

WritingClassworkandHomework

TheclassworkandhomeworkthistermwillconsistofavarietyofwritingassignmentswhichwillassesstheCCSSwritingstandards
aswellasthe6traitsofwriting.Youwillbegivenampleclasstimetocompletethemajorityoftheseassignments.Youare
responsibleforcompletingtheseassignmentsathome,onyourowntime,ifth
eyarenotcompletedinclass,unlessspecifiedbyyourteacher.

Thepolicyonlatehomeworkismentionedabove.

FinalPaperWhatdoesitmeantogrowup?

Six Traits Writing Rubric

A
Exceptional
5

B
Experienced
4

C
Capable
3

D
Emerging
2

F
Beginning
1

Clear,focused,
interestingideaswith
appropriatedetail

Presentsuseful
informationthathelps
thereaderunderstand
theauthors
reasoning,logic,or
perspective

Evidentmainidea
withsomesupport
whichmaybegeneral
orlimited

Beginstodevelop
supportingideas,but
thedirectionofthe
pieceisunclear.

Mainideamaybe
cloudybecause
supportingdetailis
toogeneraloreven
offtopic

Generalizesaboutthe
topicwithout
providing
logicalconnections
amongideas,oruses
connectionsthatare
faulty.

Purposeandmain
ideamaybeunclear
andclutteredby
irrelevantdetail

Doesnotshow
authorsthinkingin
developingor
connectingideas

(Point value may

vary or be adapted
to a range, etc.)
Ideas&Content
maintheme
supportingdetails

Conveysaclear,
focused,accurateand
significantmainidea

includesunique,
substantialinsights
thatarefully
supportedwithtextual
evidenceand
developedwithlogical
reasoning

Organization
Introductionand
Conclusion
Transitionsand
TopicSentences

Voice
personality
senseof
audience

WordChoice
precision
effectiveness

Introstronglydraws
readerinwithan
effectivehookand
providesall
necessary
backgroundinfo
conclusionhasa
powerfulsenseof
resolution

Topicsentences
conciselydeclare
paragraphscore
ideas(thatareartfully
connectedtothesis)
clearandthoughtful
transitions
demonstrate
connectionsbetween
ideas
Expressive,engaging,
sincere

Clearlywrittenwith
audienceexperience
inmind

Conveysemotion:
humor,honesty,
suspenseorlife
Featuresprecise,
varied,andaccurate
vocabulary,chosento
effectivelyconvey
authorsmessage.

Sentence
Fluency
rhythm,flow
variety

Extensiveuseofa
varietyofsentence
beginningsadds
originalityandenergy
tothewriting.
Effectivevariationand
controlinsentence
patterns:length,
structure.

Effectiveflowand
rhythmsentences
flowtogether
seamlessly.
Usescreative/
appropriate
connectivesbetween
sentencesand
thoughtstoshowhow
eachrelatesand
buildsupontheone
beforeit

Conventions
ageappropriate,
spelling,caps,
punctuation,
grammar

Noconventionserrors
orverynearlyperfect.

Itisclearthatthis
writinghasbeen
thoroughlyand
carefullyrevisedand
polishedbythe
author.

Introinvitesreaderin
withahookand
providesbackground
information
conclusiontiesup
looseendswithsense
ofclosure

Topicsentences
informthereaderof
paragraphscore
ideas(thatrelateto
thethesis)transitions
usewords/phrases
correctlytoorder
paragraphsand
supportdevelopment
ofideas

Containsintroand
conclusionattempts
tohookreader

Usestopicsentences
andtransitionsto
sequenceand
connectideas,but
doessoinconsistently

Introdoesnot
adequatelyeand/or
conclusionfailsto
provideclosure

Attemptstousetopic
sentencesand
transitionsto
sequenceand
connectideaswith
littlesuccess

Ifpresent,introand
conclusionare
unclearorineffective

Topicsentencesand
transitionsare
missingorfailto
connectideas

Appropriateto
audienceand
purpose

Readergetsaclear
senseofthewriters
distinctpersonality
andperspective

Evidentcommitment
totopic

Voicenotdistinctor
unique

Voicemaybe
inappropriatefor
audienceand
purposeorvoicemay
benonexistent

Writingmayseem
mechanical

Showsno
commitmenttotopic

Littleornohintof
writerbehindwords

Hasaccurateand
mostlyvaried
vocabularythatsuits
purposewelland
clearlycommunicates
message.

Useofsentence
beginnningsvary
mayaddsome
originality/energyto
thewriting.Good
controlvarietyin
lengthandstructure.

Goodflowand
rhythmsentences
flowtogetherwell.
Usesconnectives
betweensentences
andthoughts.

Hassomewhatvaried
vocabularythat
generallyworksto
clearlyconvey
authorsmessage,but
attimeswordchoice
isincorrectand/or
inhibitsclarity.(12
times)

Wordchoice
somewhatrepetitive,
andofteninhibits
clarityofauthors
messagemany
wordsareused
incorrectly.(34
times)

Wordchoiceishighly
repetitive,andinhibits
clarityofauthors
message(5ormore
times).Muchofthe
vocabularyis
incorrect.

Sentencebeginnings
arenotALLalike
somevarietyis
attempted.Some
lackofcontrolin
sentencepatterns
thereisvarietyin
length
andstructure.

Sentencesflowbut
maylack
rhythm/grace
sentencesseem
somewhat
mechanicalatpoints
inthewriting.The
readersometimes
hastohuntforclues
thatshowhow
sentencesinterelate
throughconnecting
wordsandphrases.

Betweenfiveandten
errors

Thewriterappearsto
havedevotedsome
timetorevisingand
correctingerrors,but
problemsarefrequent
andsignificant
enoughtobe
distractingforthe
reader.

Sentencepatternsin
sentencebeginnings,
length,structureare
repeatedatpoints.

Flowandrhythmare
mechanical,choppy
atpoints.Sentence
flowmaycause
readertoslowdown.
Thereaderhasto
huntforcluesthat
showhowsentences
interelate.

Manysentences
beginthesameway
andfollowthesame
patterns(e.g.,
subjectverbobject)in
amontonouspattern.

Endlessconnectives
(and,andso,but
then,because,and
then,etc.)ora
completelackof
connectivescreatea
massivejumbleof
langauge.Often
choppy,rambling
frequentrunon
sentences.

Betweentenand
twentyerrorserrors
interferewithclarity

Itappearsthatthe
authorspentlittletime
oreffortonidentifying
andcorrectingerrors

requentsignificant
errorsmayimpede
readability

Fewerthanfive
conventionserrors

Whiletherearesome
errors,thewritinghas
beeneffectively
revisedandeditedby
theauthor.

VocabularyWork/Quizzes

Studentswillbegivenvocabularyhomeworkonaweeklybasisandwillbegivenagrade(5%)basedontheirperformanceonthe
givenhomeworkforthatweek.Inaddition,studentswillhavetwoquizzesbasedonthevocabularystudiedthroughouttheterm.
Thehomeworkandeachofthetwoquizzeswillbeworth5%respectively.

AcceleratedReader

ThegradeforA.R.thistermwillbebasedonacombinationofthefollowingelements:
Theweeklycompletionofareadinglog(choosingbooksinyourZPD)(25%)
A.R.pointgoalfulfilment(25%)
Averagenumberofcorrectanswers(50%)

If you have any questions about the AR process or would like some great recommendations, please see myself or any of the
librarians. You willberesponsiblefor schedulingyourAR quizzesindependently eitherduringLabtime,orsilentreadingwithyour
Houseteachers.

Citizenship

Thedailycitizenshipgradeisbasedonthefollowingcriteria:
Thestudentactivelyparticipatesinclass/smallgroup/partnerdiscussionandactivities.
Thestudentisrespectfulofclassproperty,him/herself,his/herfellowstudents,andhis/herteacher.
Thestudententersclassfullypreparedandontime.

Studentscanearn upto5pointsadayforparticipation.5points indicatesanexcellent participationgrade,4isgood,and3below

average. Students will only earn the lower scores of 1 or 2 for being unresponsive/unengaged and not bringing theirrequired
materials. Studentswill earn a0 forthe daydue todisruptive behaviorand/orsleepinginclass.Pleasenote thefollowingasthese
allfactorintoyourabilitytoearnaparticipationgrade.

ExpansionPack

TangentialTopics

CreativeWriting
Playwriting
Screenwriting
AutobiographicalWriting
WritingPoetry
WritingLyricalEssays
WritingPersonalEssays
TechnicalWriting
ResearchWriting
WritingMemoirs

RecommendedReading
RipthePage!:AdventuresinCreativeWritingbyKarenBenke
SpillingInk:AYoungWritersHandbookbyEllenPotterandAnneMazer
Unjournaling:DailyWritingExercisesThatAreNotPersonal,NotIntrospective,NotBoring!byDawnDiPrinceandCheryl
MillerThurston
642ThingstoWriteAbout:YoungWriter'sEditionby826ValenciaandMirandaTsang
BirdbyBird:SomeInstructionsonWritingandLifebyAnneLamott
TheElementsofStylebyWilliamStrunkJr.,andE.B.White
TheWritingLifebyAnnieDillard

 Eats,Shoots&Leaves:TheZeroToleranceApproachtoPunctuationbyLynneTruss
WritingDowntheBonesbyNatalieGoldberg
TheArtistsWaybyJuliaCameron