Writing Arguments Grades 6-12

1. Standards for History/Social Studies and Science Writing Arguments Grades 6-12

2. Text Types and Purposes Write arguments to support a substantive claim with clear reasons and relevant and sufficient evidence. Write informative/explanatory texts to convey complex information clearly and accurately through purposeful selection and organization of content. Write narratives to convey real or imagined experiences, individuals, or events and how they develop over time. Production & Distribution Produce writing in which the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, or trying a new approach. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and interact with others about writing. Research to Build Knowledge Perform short, focused research projects as well as more sustained research in response to a focused research question, demonstrating understanding of the material under investigation. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate and cite the information while avoiding plagiarism. Write in response to literary or informational sources, drawing evidence from the text to support analysis and reflection as well as to describe what they have learned. 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. College and Career Readiness Standards for Writing

3. Text Types and Purposes • Write arguments to support a substantive claim with clear reasons and relevant and sufficient evidence. • Write informative/explanatory texts to convey complex information clearly and accurately through purposeful selection and organization of content. • Write narratives to convey real or imagined experiences, individuals, or events and how they develop over time.

4. Production and Distribution of Writing • Produce writing in which the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. • Strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, or trying a new approach. • Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and interact with others about writing.

5. Research to Build Knowledge • Perform short, focused research projects as well as more sustained research in response to a focused research question, demonstrating understanding of the material under investigation. • Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate and cite the information while avoiding plagiarism. • Write in response to literary or informational sources, drawing evidence from the text to support analysis and reflection as well as to describe what they have learned.

6. 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.

7. Text Types and Purposes (Grade 6-8) Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content in which they: a. Introduce a claim about a topic or issue, distinguish it from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons, data, and evidence logically to support the claim. b. Support the claim with logical reasoning and detailed, accurate data and evidence (science) or information from credible primary, secondary, and tertiary sources (history). c. Use words and phrases as well as domain- specific vocabulary to make clear the relationships among claims, reasons, data, and evidence. d. Sustain an objective style and tone. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows logically from the argument Production & Distribution Produce writing in which the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and interact with others about writing, including linking and citing on-line sources Research to Build Knowledge Perform short, focused research projects in response to a question and refocus the inquiry in response to further research and investigation. 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 documenting sources. Write in response to literary or informational sources, drawing evidence from the text to support analysis and reflection as well as to describe what they have learned. 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. Science and History Argument Writing Grade 6-8

8. Text Types and Purposes (Grade 9-10) Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content in which they: a. Introduce a precise claim, distinguish it from alternate or opposing claims, and provide an organization that establishes a clear relationship among the claim, reasons, data, and evidence. b. Develop a claim fairly with logical reasoning, supplying detailed, accurate data and evidence acquired in a scientifically acceptable form (science) or gathered from credible primary, secondary, and tertiary sources (history). c. Use precise words and phrases as well as domain-specific vocabulary to make clear the relationships between claims and reasons and between reasons and the data and evidence. d. Sustain an objective style and tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the specific discipline. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows logically from the argument Production & Distribution Produce writing in which the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and interact with others about writing, including linking and citing on-line sources Research to Build Knowledge Perform short, focused research projects in response to a question and refocus the inquiry in response to further research and investigation. 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 documenting sources. Write in response to literary or informational sources, drawing evidence from the text to support analysis and reflection as well as to describe what they have learned. 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. Science and History Argument Writing Grade 9-10

9. Text Types and Purposes (Grade 11-12) Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content in which they: a. Introduce a substantive claim, establish its significance, distinguish it from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization so that claims, reasons, data, and evidence are purposefully and logically sequenced. b. Develop a claim fairly with logical reasoning, supplying the most relevant data and evidence acquired in a scientifically acceptable form (science) or gathered from credible primary, secondary, and tertiary sources (history). c. Use precise words and phrases as well as domain-specific vocabulary to make clear the relationships between claims and reasons and between reasons and the data and evidence. d. Sustain an objective style and tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the specific discipline. e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows logically from the argument Production & Distribution Produce writing in which the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and interact with others about writing, including linking and citing on-line sources Research to Build Knowledge Perform short, focused research projects in response to a question and refocus the inquiry in response to further research and investigation. 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 documenting sources. Write in response to literary or informational sources, drawing evidence from the text to support analysis and reflection as well as to describe what they have learned. 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. Science and History Argument Writing Grade 11-12