Common Core and Writing Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6-12

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Common Core and Writing
Standards for Literacy in
History/Social Studies, Science and
Technical Subjects, 6-12.
Jessica Fries-Gaither
April 11, 2012

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About the Presenter
• Education Resource
Specialist at Ohio State
University
• Project Director for
Beyond Penguins and
Beyond Weather
• Former middle and
elementary teacher
• Pursuing a reading
endorsement

Today’s Agenda
• Why Writing Standards in Science?
• Overview of Writing in History/Social
Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects,
6-12
• Explore the Standards, One by One
Resource list at :
http://www.diigo.com/list/jfriesgaither/writing-for-
literacy-in-history_social-studies-science-and-
technical-subjects-6_12

Writing Standards in Science
Writing in science is different:
– Focus on argumentation
• Claims and evidence
– Heavy emphasis on infographics and visual text
– Content specific vocabulary and symbols
Learning how to write best done in context of
content.

Any comments or questions before
we get started?

Text Types and Purposes
6-8.WHST.1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific
content.
Students write an argument or claim based on an issue or topic included in
the grade level Science Standard. The argument is presented with logical
reasoning, accurate science content, and relevant data to support the claim.
Cohesion and clarification of claims are created with effective word choice,
appropriate use of science vocabulary, and writing style. A sound conclusion
supports the argument presented.
2010 Arizona ELA Standards
Grades 6-8 Science and Technical Subjects
Examples:
After completing an experiment, write a conclusion that supports or
refutes the statement “Rough surfaces provide more friction than
smooth surfaces” and provide evidence to support the claim.
Write a persuasive essay that forms a logical argument about the
importance of habitat restoration of wetlands.

6-8.WHST.1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific
content.
Claims, Evidence, Reasoning (CER)
Framework
• Books
• Articles (Katherine McNeill)
• Presentations and other resources:
http://www.katherinelmcneill.com/workshops
.html
Persuasive Essay: Environmental Issues
Students explore environmental issues, self-select topics, and gather
information to write persuasive essays.

6-8.WHST.2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the
narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments,
or technical processes.
Students select and develop an informational topics aligned to their grade level
standards. The topic is well-developed using facts, details, and examples. Various
writing techniques and rich vocabulary are used to provide clarity and cohesion. A
strong conclusion supports the information.
Examples:
Write an informative essay about a technological discovery or invention and its
influence on science and scientific knowledge.
Write an informative essay that explains the interrelationship between the Earth’s
tides and the Moon.
Write a description of the procedure used to prepare cells for viewing through a
microscope.

6-8.WHST.2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the
narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments,
or technical processes.
Scaffolding Methods for Research Paper
Writing
Students use scaffolding to research and
organize information for writing a
research paper.
Tiktaalik: A Fish Out of Water
After working through a self-
paced interactive lesson,
students write an essay that
explains how transitional fossils
provide evidence for
evolutionary relationships.

Anchor Standard 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen
details, and well-structured event sequences.
Not applicable to History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects as a
separate requirement!
Students write step-by-step procedures for their experiments that are detailed
enough that others would be able to replicate their experiments, models, or
designs in order to achieve the same results.
Examples
Write a step-by-step procedure as part of a lab report or other piece of writing.
Grades 6-8 Science and Technical
Subjects

Production and Distribution of Writing
6-8.WHST.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
Students match writing to purpose and audience. Their writing includes tables,
graphs, charts, diagrams, and other nonlinguistic elements that clearly
communicate information.
Examples
Students write a lab report based on an activity aligned to grade level Science
Standard. The lab report includes procedures, tables, graphs, charts, and/or
diagrams that communicate the purpose, results, and conclusions of the
research.
Students write a letter to the head of a governmental agency or company,
comparing solutions for environmental risks in biological or geological systems.

6-8.WHST.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
Writing Technical Instructions
Students explore the process of
creating technical instructions and
write their own while considering
their audience.
RAFT Prompts
R – Role
A – Audience
F – Format
T – Topic
Example:
You are a scientist who has
discovered a Tiktaalik fossil. Write a
letter to another scientist explaining
what you have learned from the fossil
and why your discovery is important.

6-8.WHST.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.
Students develop and strengthen their writing through the writing process with a
focus on purpose and audience. Writing in science utilizes an academic voice
and is mostly nonfiction and formal. At this level of the writing process, students
can use peers and adults to provide feedback on drafts of writing.
Examples
Students revise and rewrite any piece of writing from science class: responses to
questions, lab report, research report, etc.

6-8.WHST.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.
Provide time for students to read and
respond to each other’s work.
Provide substantive comments about
how well a student supports an
argument with evidence, uses
infographics to represent information,
etc.
Build in revising and
rewriting into small and
large writing assignments.

6-8.WHST.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing and present the relationships between
information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
Students use technology (including Internet, keyboarding skills, formatting,
storing) to create a published piece wherein information and ideas are
connected and presented clearly.
Examples
Conduct online research.
Use word processing to produce a research paper.
Write a blog post or create a wiki.
Create a VoiceThread, Prezi, or Glog.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge
6-8.WHST.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a
question (including a self-generated question), drawing on
several sources and generated additional related, focused
questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
Students conduct short (1-2 periods) research projects or experimental
investigations meant to answer a question or solve a problem. Students answer
questions – including those they create themselves – through research (online,
library, laboratory investigations). They will use and combine information from
multiple sources to construct their claims, evidence, and explanations.
Example
Generate questions about the migration behavior of hummingbirds or monarch
butterflies and then test the question experimentally or by researching published
data.

6-8.WHST.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 follow a standard format for citation.
Example
Following a class discussion about weather-related natural disasters, find
information about how people plan for and/or respond to tornadoes or
flooding. Use multiple sources and include appropriate quotations and
paraphrasing.

6-8.WHST.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 follow a standard format for citation.
Information Age Inquiry
Not a lesson, this page
contains a host of resources to
help students effectively
conduct online inquiry.
Just Google It? Developing Internet
Search Skills
This lesson from the NY Times
Learning Blog involves conducting
web searches and developing
guides to effective searching.

6-8.WHST.9. Draw evidence from informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.
Example
Following a lab aligned to the grade level Science Standard, students make a
research claim and then find supporting evidence or scientific principles that
support the claim. These additional sources can either be teacher provided or
student researched.

Range of Writing
6-8.WHST.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for
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.
Examples:
Write short explanations of tables or graphs to demonstrate understanding of
the data.
Write short explanations of diagrams or images to demonstrate understanding
of the illustration.
Use reflective journaling as a concluding activity on any topic.
Write a letter to the editor of a paper or magazine critiquing the accuracy,
reliability, or validity of a published science article.
Write a research paper or laboratory report about a relevant topic over an
extended time period.

Finding the Time
• Think mini-lessons
• Consider “flipping” your classroom as needed
• Collaborate with your English Language Arts
teacher, other content area teacher, librarian
• Work on these skills periodically – align them
with your science units
• Remember these are endpoints for 8th grade!

References
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices,
Council of Chief State School Officers. 2010. Common
Core State Standards. National Governors Association for
Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers,
Washington, D.C. http://www.corestandards.org/
2010 Arizona ELA Standards: Grades 6-8 Science and
Technical Subjects. http://www.azed.gov/standards-
practices/files/2011/11/rst-whst-6-8.pdf

Any questions for Jessica?
Jessica Fries-Gaither
fries-gaither.1@osu.edu
Join the conversation in the MSP2 Group –
Literacy in the Content Areas:
http://www.msteacher2.org/group/literacy

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