Power Standards

• Write opinion pieces on authentic topics/texts using an introduction, connected and supporting reasons and a conclusion. (W 2.1 & L 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, & 2.5)
• Write explanatory texts about authentic topics clearly introducing the topic, providing appropriate facts and details, and a conclusion. (W 2.2 & L 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, & 2.5)
• Write narratives recounting authentic events that include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, using temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. (W 2.3 & L 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, & 2.5)

*See student writing examples on Appendix C of the Common Core document

Power Standards Critical Content

In the language of instruction, students will…

• Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences
• Write 3 or more long-form writing pieces to final draft
• Identify one’s opinion, give supporting reasons using connecting words to write an opinion piece with an introduction, supporting reasons and concluding statement
• Select a topic, identify facts and definitions to support the topic, and use a concluding statement
• Write stories in the correct order using temporal words like before, during, and after and create an ending for the story
• Describe actions, thoughts, and feelings in one’s story
• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies:
  • Determine the meaning of a word or phrase by looking for clues in a sentence
  • Determine how the meaning of a word changes when a prefix is added, such as happy/unhappy
  • Use knowledge of a root word to see how the meaning of similar words are related (for example, addition and additional)
  • Predict the meaning of compound words by looking for words know within them
• Make a real-life connection (text to self) to words heard or read
• Recognize and describe verbs and adjectives that have similar meanings and choose the one that best fits the action or description
• Apply Grade-Level Conventions of Grammar (See ELA specific considerations)

Additional Critical Content

• Recognize that a good piece of writing requires more than one draft and requires editing and revision based on self-assessment and reflection, in conference with a teacher and peers
• Use a computer and the Internet independently and with others to produce and publish writing (for example, poem, Young Author’s story, friendly letter, journal letter)
• Explain how research is different from other types of writing
• Work with classmates to research a topic and write about it
• Answer questions using information recalled or gathered
• Apply correct Grade-level Appropriate Conventions:
  • Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names
  • Correctly use a comma in greeting and closing of letters
  • Identify a contradiction and correctly use apostrophes to form contractions
  • Identify misspelled words and use a dictionary to assist in spelling correctly
  • Look for and understand patterns of letters and sounds when spelling words
• Understand the differences between speaking or writing using informal English and formal English when appropriate
• Identify whether a writer or speaker is using formal or informal language and find informal and formal words and phrases in a text
• Learn and use vocabulary terms that have to do with a topic learning about
• Explain/give examples, and use adjectives and adverbs when speaking and writing
• Cite sources used

Essential Understandings

• Effective writing, which communicates clearly to the intended audience and fulfills its specific purpose, provides a means of discovery, of communication, of argument, and of creative expression.
• Effective writing is the result of multi-stage, collaborative and reflective processes.
• Research-based ideas and arguments can influence an audience’s understanding and beliefs.
• Text structures allow writers to communicate with an audience in appropriate and meaningful ways in order to achieve the intended purpose.

Factual Guiding Questions

• What are the traits of effective writing?
• What’s the purpose for writing and how does one develop it?
• What is the writing process?
• When a word doesn’t make sense, what does one do?
• How does one use whatis known to figure out what is unknown?

Conceptual Guiding Questions

• How does one communicate effectively through writing?
• How does one know if a resource is reliable or credible?
• Why is it important to use one’s own words when writing?
• How does author’s voice impact an audience?
• How can one improve the quality of one’s writing?
• Why are conventions important?

Engaging/Debatable Guiding Questions

• What do good writers do?
• What do good researchers do?
• “What I say” versus “how I say it”, does it really matter?

Language General Transfer-Students must draw upon the following…

Common features of the writing system

• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Lines or other spatial constraints of the writing
• Concepts of sentence and paragraph formation

Non-cognitive transfer

• Attention
• Listening
• Concentration
• Persistence
• Task Completion

Self-esteem transfer

• Being literate
• Feeling capable
• Possessing specific competencies
• Achieving
• Believing in one’s ability to learn

Common among all languages

• Develop Oral Language
• Match speech to print
• Contextualized literacy instruction
• Meaningful
• Active
• Comparative
• Recurrent

English language specific

• Linear Deductive Discourse Pattern
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking:
  • Use collective nouns (a singular noun that refers to a group of people or things) correctly
  • Identify and correctly use irregular plural nouns (nouns that do not add -s to for the plural)
  • Use reflexive pronouns such as myself, yourself, and ourselves correctly
  • Use common irregular verbs and use them correctly in the past tense (like sat, hid, and told)
  • Write, rearrange, and rewrite simple and compound sentences without changing the meaning

Spanish language specific

• Edit for capitalization and punctuation
• Respect, honor and teach dialectical differences within culture and regions
• Use correct tenses to indicate the relative order of events
• Use correct Spanish word order and punctuation marks to distinguish statements, questions, exclamations, and commands
  • ¿?
  • ¡!
  • -dialogue-
• Begin to use correct Spanish Orthography
• Employ principles of agreement related to number, gender, and case
• At a grade-appropriate level, recognize common errors, made by native speakers, in the use of the Spanish language and know how and when to correct them
• Apply the proper use “tú” and Usted in written communication
• Recognize variations in Spanish that appear in different social, cultural, and regional environments

English language development

• Linear Deductive Discourse Pattern
• Being aware of audience, both formal and informal
• Meta-linguistic analysis of cross-linguistic transfer (“the Bridge”)

Russian language specific

• Discourse Pattern: Situational, always changes
• Form Regular plural nouns by changing the ending.
• Word order
• Russian specific capitalization and punctuation (Proper nouns, etc.)
• Cyrillic alphabet
• Umlaut
• Accents
• Distinguish between formal and informal style speaking according to audience and purpose. (Pronoun-verb usage)

Polish language specific

• Polish alphabet (vowels and consonants)
• Digraphs
• Hard vs. soft sounds
• Syllabication
• Accents
• Seven types of verb conjugations
• Nouns (feminine, masculine, neutral)
• Specific rules for words with: Ó, u, rz, ż, ch, h, ą, ę, om, em, en, nie
• Polish specific punctuation:
  • Commas
  • Quotation marks
• Distinguish between formal and informal language usage

Informal Assessments are used during the process of brainstorming, drafting, revision and editing or class discussions.

In the language of instruction students will…

• In all types of writing
  • Identify the appropriate writing style
  • Use graphic organizers to develop ideas
  • Use transition words and phrases
  • Extended Response Writing (opinion, explanatory and narrative)
  • Make a real-life connection (text to self) to words heard and read
  • Conferencing
  • Quick Writes
  • Journaling
  • Exit Slips
  • Goal Setting

Formal Assessments are used as a measure of student achievement towards master of a skill and Power Standard. Often a formal assessment will result in a grade.

In the language of instruction students will…

• Write 3 or more long-form writing pieces to final draft
• Write more than one draft with the help of teachers and classmates by editing and revising to strengthen writing
• Write stories in the correct order using temporal words like before, during, and after and create an ending for the story
• Write an opinion piece with an introduction, opinion, supporting reason, and concluding statement
• Write an explanatory piece with an introduction, supporting reasons and concluding statement
• Write a narrative piece with an introduction, supporting reasons and concluding statement
• Write facts and definitions to support the topic, and use a concluding statement
• Apply 6+1 Traits writing rubrics