1. Arguments, Informative Texts,
Scaffolding Writing Instruction for Struggling Older Writers: Matching the Common Core Standards
Arguments, Informative Texts,
and Narratives

2. Anita L. Archer, Ph.D.

3. Arguments - To convince
Definition
A reasoned, logical argument
Demonstrating that the writer’s position, belief, or conclusion is valid
Purpose
Change reader’s point of view
Bring about some action on reader’s part
Ask reader to accept writer’s explanation
Genre
essay, letter, editorial

4. Persuasion vs. Argument (Eye on Education)
Genre
Definition
Common Features
Persuasion
Appeals to the emotions of audience
Uses techniques such as bandwagon, plain folks, glittering generalities, name calling, and snob appeal
Argument
Appeals to logic and reason
Consists of a thesis/claim, evidence, concession/refutation, and a more formal style

5. Informative Text - To Explain or Inform
Definition
Text
That conveys information accurately
Purpose
To increase reader’s knowledge of subject
To help reader understand a procedure or process
To provide reader with enhanced understanding of concept
Genre
literary analyses, reports, summaries, comparisons, instructions, manuals, memos, resumes

6. Narratives - To Convey an Experience
Definition
A written product
That conveys real or imagined experiences
Using time as the structure
Purpose
To entertain
To inform
To instruct
To persuade
Genre
fictional stories, memoirs, anecdotes, autobiographies

7. Common Core State Standards
Condense and integrate the standards
Make CCSS teachable
Simplify without losing essence

8. Argument - 7th grade CCSS
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and address alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) or counterarguments with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the argument presented.

9. 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
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 7 on page 43.)

10. 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
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and
generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 7th Grade Writing Tasks to convince or persuade (Argument)
Routine writing
Extended time - research projects allowing research, reflection, revision
Shorter time
Variety of tasks, audiences, purposes
Purposes
to convince or persuade (Argument)
to inform or explain (Informative)
to convey an experience (Narrative)

14. 7th Grade Writing - Argument
Critical Attributes (What)
Introduction
Introduces claims
Acknowledges alternative claims/ counterarguments
Organizes reasons
Body
Supports claims and counterarguments
With logical reasoning and relevant evidence
Uses transition words, phrases, clauses to create cohesion
Conclusion
Contains concluding statement or section
That supports argument
Overall
Conveys a reasoned, logical argument
Maintains formal style
Has clear, coherent writing
Avoids plagiarism
Conventions
Capitalization, punctuation, spelling
Standard format for citations

15. Writing Process (How) Editing Publishing/Sharing Planning
Research, gather information and evidence
Uses multiple, credible sources
Includes print and digital sources
Includes evidence from literary and informational text
Take notes on information
Organize
Organizes appropriate to task, audience, purpose
Writing
Write
Transcribes plan into clear, coherent writing
Uses technology
Revising
Editing
Conventions
Rewriting
Publishing/Sharing

16. Critical CCSS vocabulary
Editing – A part of writing and preparing presentations concerned chiefly with improving the clarity, organization, concision, and correctness of expression relative to task, purpose, and audience; compared to revising, a smaller-scale activity often associated with surface aspects of a text
Revising – A part of writing and preparing presentations concerned chiefly with a reconsideration and reworking of
the content of a text relative to task, purpose, and audience; compared to editing, a larger-scale activity often associated
with the overall content and structure of a text

17. Critical CCSS vocabulary
Evidence – Facts, figures, details, quotations, or other sources of data and information that provide support for claims or an analysis and that can be evaluated by others; should appear in a form and be derived from a source widely accepted as appropriate to a particular discipline, as in details or quotations from a text in the study of literature and experimental results in the study of science

18. Big Idea: Writing products dependent on foundation skills
Outcome: Writing Arguments,
Informational Texts, Narratives
Example Foundation Skills:
reading, expressive vocabulary, word usage, fluent handwriting or typing, spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, sentence formation, sentence sense, paragraph formation

19. Big Idea - Break down complex skills
Complex skills and strategies should be broken down into smaller (easy to obtain) instruction units.
This will promote success.

20. Break down complex skills. Example - Common Core Standards
Body of Argument
Transcription
1. When given a reason and related facts and details, can write a paragraph with a topic sentence stating the reason.
2. When given a reason and related facts and details, can write a paragraph with a topic sentence stating the reason followed by sentences containing facts and details, connected with transition words and phrases.
3. When given three reasons and related facts and details, can write three paragraphs each containing a topic sentence stating the reason followed by sentences containing facts and details, connected with transition words and phrases.

21. Break down complex skills. Example - Common Core Standards
Body of Argument
Planning and Transcribing
4. When given a position on a topic, can generate reasons to support that position.
5. When given a topic, can generate a position and reasons and details to support that position.
6. When given a topic, can generate a position and reasons to support that position, and details to logically support each reason.
7. When given a topic, can generate a plan for the body of an essay (the position, the reasons, details to support each reason) and transcribe the plan into three coherent paragraphs.

22. Break down complex skills. Example - Common Core Standards
Introduction
8. For previously formulated argument papers, writes an introduction that: a) grabs the attention of the reader, b) states the writer’s opinion, and c) introduces reasons to support the writer’s opinion.
Conclusion
For previously formulated argument papers, writes a short conclusion “wraps it up” the essay by: a) summarizing the opinion and reasons, b) calling for some action to be taken, or c) explaining the outcomes of not following the writer’s suggestions.
Arguments (Desired Outcome)
10. When given a topic, can plan, write, and edit an argument paper that includes: a) an effective introduction, b) a well structured body with logically organized reasons and related facts and details, linked with appropriate transition words and phrases, and c) a short conclusion that “wraps it up”.

23. Big Idea - Provide Explicit Instruction
Practice without explicit instruction is not adequate.
Remember practice does not make perfect…only permanent.
Model I do it.
Guided Practice - We do it.
Check understanding- You do it.

24. Big Idea - Scaffold Instruction
Scaffold Instruction, gradually fading out teacher assistance.
M T W T F
I do it We do it We do it. We do it. We do it.
You do it. … You do it. …… You do it.

25. Big Idea - Provide judicious practice.
Have students write many products of focus genre to promote mastery.
After initial instruction, products can be composed in a variety of classes.

26. Big Idea - Provide Feedback
Provide feedback in real time as you circulate and monitor. Correct, Encourage, Correct
Have students carefully check their products against the rubric.
Have students give focused feedback to their partners.
Provide feedback to students on a portion of the rubric.
Provide feedback on final drafts using the rubric.

27. Big Idea - Consider motivation
Success (perceived probability of success)
Interest (interest in the topic)
Choice (narrow choice when possible)

28. BIG IDEAS - Teach the “What” and “How”
Critical attributes
Rubric
Example
HOW
Writing Process

29. WHAT Consider the Six Traits
Ask yourself, what are the CRITICAL ATTRIBUTES of a well-written product.
Consider the Six Traits
Ideas
Organization
Word Choice
Voice
Sentence Fluency
Conventions
Consider the Descriptions in the Standards

30. What Design a simple, easy to understand RUBRIC.
Carefully examine the genre descriptions in the Common Core State Standards.
Consider introducing only a portion of the rubric initially. Focus on ideas, organization, and conventions.
Provide an EXAMPLE to illustrate the critical attributes.
(Optional) Guide students in analyzing a non-example to determine missing attributes.

31. WHAT Example # 1 descriptive paragraph rubric and example
passage summary rubric, example and non-example

32. HOW Writing process Planning - Plan Writing - Write Revising - Revise
Editing - Edit
Rewriting - Rewrite
Publishing - Publish

33. HOW - Plan Plan T = Task/Topic A = Audience P = Purpose Plan Think or
Research and gather evidence

34. Brainstorming Think Pair Share Students record ideas.
Teacher monitors and writes ideas and names on transparency or paper (depending on technology used in the classroom).
Pair
Students share ideas with partners.
Teacher monitors and continues to record ideas and names on transparency or paper.
Share
Teacher shares ideas with class by displaying collection of ideas/names on the screen.

35. HOW - Plan Support for organization of written product Writing frames
Strategies
Think Sheets

36. Frames Writing frames Use with beginning writers.
Use as an accommodation for emerging writers.
Use to support specialized writing.
Use to support summarization.
Use to emphasize use of academic language.

37. Frames See examples. Example #2. Beginning writers (basic paragraph)
Example #3. Accommodation for emerging writers (state report, mammal report)
Example #4. Specialized writing (story problem explanation)
Example # 5. Summarization narrative (story grammar)
Example # 6. Summarization expository.
Example #7. Academic Language

38. Strategies Strategy for Paragraph Writing - List - Cross-out - Connect
- Number
( Write)
REWARDS PLUS (Sopris West)

39. List - Make a list of important ideas.
Penquin’s birth
Male takes care of egg
Female lays egg
Female leaves
Female spends winter at sea
The water is very cold
Male puts egg on his feet under belly
Male stays on egg for two months
Male doesn’t eat
Egg hatches
Male must care for baby

40. Cross-out - Cross out any unnecessary or weak. ideas
Cross-out - Cross out any unnecessary or weak ideas. Connect - Connect ideas that could go in one sentence.
Penquin’s birth
Male takes care of egg
Female lays egg
Female leaves
Female spends winter at sea
The water is very cold
Male puts egg on his feet under belly
Male stays on egg for two months
Male doesn’t eat
Egg hatches
Male must care for baby

41. Number - Number the ideas in the order that they will appear in the paragraph.
Penquin’s birth
3 Male takes care of egg
1 Female lays egg
2 Female leaves
Female spends winter at sea
The water is very cold
Male puts egg on his feet under belly
4 Male stays on egg for two months
5 Male doesn’t eat
Egg hatches
6 Male must care for baby

42. Write a summary.
The birth process of penguins is fascinating and quite different from that of other animals. The female penguin lays an egg. Soon after laying the egg, the female penguin leaves and spends the winter in the sea. Meanwhile the male must take care of the egg. For two months, he places the egg on his feet under his belly. During this time, the male penguin doesn’t eat. Even after the baby penguin hatches, the male penguin continues to take care of the infant penguin.

43. Strategies See Example #8 for summary writing Strategy
Example of Strategy Use
Example Summary
Rubric
REWARDS Plus (Sopris West)

44. Think Sheets Examples Example # 9 -
Think sheet for organizing compare/contrast
Example paragraph

45. Think Sheets Example # 10 - Essay to convince Example Rubric
Example # 11 - Essay to explain/inform