Standard 5, Writing

Standard 5, Writing: Applications (Different Types of Writing and Their Characteristics)

At Grade 10, students combine the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and description in texts (research reports of 1,000 to 1,500 words or more). Students compose business letters. Student writing demonstrates a command of Standard English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features. Writing demonstrates an awareness of the audience (intended reader) and purpose for writing.

In addition to producing the different writing forms introduced in earlier grades, Grade 10 students use the writing strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features to:

10.5.1
Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories that:
• describe a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience.
• locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
• describe with specific details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; in the case of short stories or autobiographical narratives, use interior monologue (what the character says silently to self) to show the character’s feelings.
• pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
Example: After reading an example of an autobiography, such as Helen Keller’s Story of My Life, use the structure of the autobiography to compose an autobiography of your own.

10.5.2
Write responses to literature that:
• demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of literary works.
• support statements with evidence from the text.
• demonstrate awareness of the author’s style and an appreciation of the effects created.
• identify and assess the impact of ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.
• extend writing by changing mood, plot, characterization, or voice.
Example: After reading a short story, such as “The No-Guitar Blues” by Gary Soto, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, or “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, write responses that address each of the bulleted points.

10.5.3
Write expository compositions, including analytical essays, summaries, descriptive pieces, or literary analyses that:
• gather evidence in support of a thesis (position on the topic), including information on all relevant perspectives.
• communicate information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and coherently.
• make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas.
• use a variety of reference sources, including word, pictorial, audio, and Internet sources to locate information in support of a topic.
• include visual aids by using technology to organize and record information on charts, maps, and graphs.
• anticipate and address readers’ potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations.
• use technical terms and notations correctly.
Example: On self-selected appropriate topics, keep an academic log that lists essential student-generated questions on the topic, information in response to each question from a variety of sources including word, pictorial, audio, and Internet resources complete with accurate citations. When each question has been researched, summarize in your own words how you would synthesize the information in order to arrive at an overall thesis on the topic. Write an essay on the thesis.

10.5.4
Write persuasive compositions that:
• organize ideas and appeals in a sustained and effective fashion with the strongest emotional appeal first and the least powerful one last.
• use specific rhetorical (communication) devices to support assertions, such as appealing to logic through reasoning; appealing to emotion or ethical belief; or relating a personal anecdote, case study, or analogy.
• clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including facts, expert opinions, quotations, expressions of commonly accepted beliefs, and logical reasoning.
• address readers’ concerns, counterclaims, biases, and expectations.
Example: Write a letter to a television network to persuade the network to keep a program on the air despite low ratings.

10.5.5
Write business letters that:
• provide clear and purposeful information and address the intended audience appropriately.
• show appropriate use of vocabulary, tone, and style that takes into account the intended audience’s knowledge about and interest in the topic and the nature of the audience’s relationship to the writer.
• emphasize main ideas or images.
• follow a conventional style with page formats, fonts (typeface), and spacing that contribute to the documents’ readability and impact.
Example: Write a letter of support or complaint in response to service that you received at a store or restaurant. Address the letter to the manager, including a clear account of the incident and requesting that he or she take appropriate action in response.

10.5.6
Write technical documents, such as a manual on rules of behavior for conflict resolution, procedures for conducting a meeting, or minutes of a meeting that:
• report information and express ideas logically and correctly.
• offer detailed and accurate specifications.
• include scenarios, definitions, and examples to aid comprehension.
• anticipate readers’ problems, mistakes, and misunderstandings.
Example: Take notes while watching or listening to a physical therapist give instructions on the proper way to lift, carry, or move large objects. Incorporate these notes into a safety manual to be used in the classroom or in a job setting.

10.5.7
Use varied and expanded vocabulary, appropriate for specific forms and topics.
Example: Write a sentence for use in a formal letter of complaint: The thermostat is dangerously defective as it fails to maintain a safe temperature, and I am seeking a replacement or full refund.

10.5.8
Write for different purposes and audiences, adjusting tone, style, and voice as appropriate.

Research Application

10.5.9
Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) and that:
• uses information from a variety of sources (books, technology, multimedia), distinguishes between primary and secondary documents, and documents sources independently by using a consistent format for citations.
• synthesizes information gathered from a variety of sources, including technology and one’s own research, and evaluates information for its relevance to the research questions.
• demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized, that the topic has been refined through this process, and that conclusions have been drawn from synthesizing information.
• demonstrates that sources have been evaluated for accuracy, bias, and credibility.
• organizes information by classifying, categorizing, and sequencing, and demonstrates the distinction between one’s own ideas from the ideas of others, and includes a bibliography (Works Cited).
Example: Write a report on the Globe Theatre, gathering information from books, such as Shakespeare’s Theatre by Jacqueline Morley, videos such as “Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Restored,” and Web sites by using a key word search for “Shakespeare” and “Globe Theatre.” Explain why the theatre was significant in the development of Shakespeare’s works.