HO 1 Alaska Anchor Standards for Writing

Alaska Anchor Standards for Writing Grades K -‐ 12

The K-‐12 grade-‐specific standards on the following pages define what students should understand and be able to do by the end

of each grade. They correspond to the anchor standards below by number. The grade-‐specific standards are necessary

complements—the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity—that together define the skills and understandings that all students must demonstrate.

Text Types and Purposes

1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

3. Use narrative writing to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-‐chosen

details, and well-‐structured event sequences.

Production and Distribution of Writing

1 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. 5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. 6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. 8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

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 tasks, purposes, and audiences. Text Types and Purposes – Progression of Standard 2 Kindergarten Grade 1: Grade 2:

2. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, 2. Write informative/explanatory texts in 2. Write informative/explanatory texts in and writing to compose informative/ which they name a topic, supply some facts which they introduce a topic, use facts and explanatory texts in which they name what about the topic, and provide some sense of definitions to develop points, and provide a they are writing about and supply some closure. concluding statement or one or more information about the topic. concluding sentences that emphasize their most important point or focus.

Grade 3: Grade 4: Grade 5:

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and examine a topic and convey ideas and examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. information clearly. information clearly. a. Introduce a topic and group related a. Introduce a topic clearly and group a. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a information together; include labeled or related information in paragraphs and general observation and focus, and group captioned visuals when useful to aiding sections; include formatting, labeled or related information logically; include comprehension. captioned visuals/ diagrams, and multimedia formatting, labeled or captioned

2 b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, when useful to aiding comprehension. visuals/graphics, and multimedia when details, and explanations that support the b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, useful to aiding comprehension. focus. concrete details, quotations, or other b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, c. Use linking words and phrases. information/explanations and examples that concrete details, quotations, or other d. Provide a concluding statement or support the focus. information and examples that support the section that paraphrases the focus of the c. Link ideas within categories of topic. text. information using words and phrases c. Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses. d. Use precise language and domain-‐

d. Use precise language and domain-‐ specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Provide a concluding statement or specific vocabulary to inform about or section that paraphrases the focus of the text explain the topic. or explanation presented. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that paraphrases the focus of the text or explanation presented.

3 Grade 6: Grade 7: Grade 8:

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the and information through the selection, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of organization, and analysis of relevant selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. content. relevant content. a. Introduce a topic; organize ideas, a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing concepts, and information, using strategies is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, such as definition, classification, information, using strategies such as and information into broader categories; comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; definition, classification, comparison/contrast, include formatting, graphics, and multimedia include formatting, graphics and multimedia and cause/effect; include formatting, when useful to aiding comprehension. when useful to aiding comprehension. graphics, and multimedia when useful to b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, aiding comprehension. definitions, concrete details, quotations, or b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-‐ other information and examples. definitions, concrete details, quotations, or c. Use appropriate transitions to clarify the other information and examples. relationships among ideas and concepts. c. Use appropriate transitions to create chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, cohesion and clarify the relationships among quotations, or other information and ideas and concepts. examples. d. Use precise language and domain-‐ c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships d. Use precise language and domain-‐ among ideas and concepts. specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style. specific vocabulary to inform about or explain d. Use precise language and domain-‐ f. Provide a concluding statement or the topic. section that follows from the information or e. Establish and maintain a formal style. explanation presented. f. Provide a concluding statement or specific vocabulary to inform about or section that follows from and supports the explain the topic. information or explanation presented. e. Establish and maintain a formal style. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

4 Grade 9-10: Grade 11-12:

2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information to make important connections and distinctions; include information so that each new element builds on that which precedes formatting, graphics, and multimedia when useful to aiding it to create a unified whole; include formatting, graphics, and comprehension. multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, b. Develop the topic with well-‐chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic. relationships among complex ideas and concepts. c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts. d. Use precise language, domain-‐specific vocabulary, and d. Use precise language and domain-‐specific vocabulary to manage techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic. e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while the complexity of the topic. attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while they are writing. attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from they are writing. and supports the information or explanation presented. f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.