1.  Sticky Note Chart paper  Markers, Glitter markers, highlighters  Ream of Paper, Video (Individual) Handout 1- The Standards (Class Sets) Handout 2- The Prompt and Texts Handout 3- The Student Sample w/out Comments Handout 4- The Student Sample with Comments

2. College Career Ready Conference

3.  Discuss the Maryland College and Career Ready (MCCR) standards for argument writing  Differentiate between assigning and teaching writing  Identify the components of effective argument writing

4. “Writing is a craft before it is an art; writing may appear magic, but it is our responsibility to take our students backstage to watch the pigeons being tucked up the magician’s sleeve.”  – Donald M. Murray, A Writer Teaches Writing Anderson, Carl. Assessing Writers (107).

5.  Argument  Informative/explanatory  Narrative

7. The Standards acknowledge the fact that whereas some writing skills, such as the ability to plan, revise, edit, and publish, are applicable to many types of writing, other skills are more properly defined in terms of specific writing types: arguments, informative/explanatory texts, and narratives.

8. Students can, without significant scaffolding, comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines, and they can construct effective arguments and convey intricate or multifaceted information.

9. They learn to appreciate that a key purpose of writing is to communicate clearly to an external, sometimes unfamiliar audience, and they begin to adapt the form and content of their writing to accomplish a particular task and purpose.

10. Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8 W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

11. Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8 W.6.1.a Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly. W.7.1.a Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. W.8.1.a Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

12. Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8 W.6.1.b Support claim(s) with clear relevant reasons and evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. W.7.1.b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. W.8.1.b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

13. Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8 W.6.1.c Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons. W.7.1.c Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence. W.8.1.c Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, counterclaims, and evidence.

14. Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8 W.6.1.d Establish and maintain a formal style. W.7.1.d Establish and maintain a formal style. W.8.1.d Establish and maintain a formal style.

15. Grade 6Grade 7Grade 8 W.6.1.e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented. W.7.1.e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. W.8.1.e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

16.  Establish a clear purpose for writing, modeling the language found in the Writing Standards  Specify the audience to be addressed  State clearly the topic, issue, or idea to be addressed  Reference the source text(s) serving as the stimulus for a student response  Specify the desired form or genre of the student reponse

17. What is the difference between assigning writing and teaching writing?

18. What do we do when we assign writing?  provide students with the writing task  assign a text and require students to write an essay on a given topic  collect and grade the task  provide minimal feedback  proceed to the next task

19. What do we do when we teach writing?  show students what is expected of them based upon the standards  provide models of high-quality writing  offer meaningful feedback  allow opportunities for students to develop and strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach

20.  Deconstruct the following prompt

21.  Read the texts  Take critical notes as necessary

22. How can we prepare students to become good writers?

23.  Write arguments  Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence  Introduce claims  Distinguish claims from alternate or opposing claims  Organize the reasons and evidence logically

24.  Support claims with logical evidence  Use accurate, credible sources  Demonstrate and understanding of the topic or text  Clarify the relationships among claim(s),counterclaims, reasons and evidence  Maintain a formal style  Provide a concluding statement or section

25.  Read the student samples  Use the writing and language standards to provide appropriate comments where necessary  Construct feedback in the affirmative

26. At your table, what comments based on the standards would be most helpful for this student?

27. 1) Read the comments provided by achievethecore.org on the student samples. 2) In what ways did achievethecore.org use the standards in their feedback?

28. What are the instructional implications?

29. Modeling Writing: “Teachers better understand the writing task when they do it themselves. There’s no substitute for doing when it comes to understanding.” “Teachers, when they write, uncover the hard parts and are thus better able to see which mini- lessons will most benefit their students. Writing done by the teacher drives better instruction.” Gallagher, Kelly. Teaching Adolescent Writers (48).

30. Benefits to Teachers and Students: “Teachers can model that writing is challenging. This demonstrates to students that good writing is the product of multiple revisions.” “Students see the teacher struggle with the complexity and chaos of writing. This helps demystify the writing process. Students no longer maintain the false impression that good writing just flows at will.” Gallagher, Kelly. Teaching Adolescent Writers (48).

32.  www.achievethecore.org  msde.state.md.us  http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/  Carl Anderson’s book: Assessing Writers  Kelly Gallagher’s book: Teaching Adolescent Writers

33. Please contact MSDE staff with additional questions: Ava Spencer