ROBBINS' NEST

A.  Formulate writing ideas and identify a topic appropriate to the purpose and audience.

B.  Determine the usefulness of organizers and apply appropriate pre-writing tasks.

C.  Use revision strategies to improve the style, variety of sentence structure, clarity of the controlling idea, logic, effectiveness of word choice and transitions between paragraphs, passages or ideas.

D.  Edit to improve sentence fluency, grammar and usage.

E.  Apply tools to judge the quality of writing.

F.  Prepare writing for publication that is legible, follows an appropriate format and uses techniques such as electronic resources and graphics.

6.1  Prewriting.  Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

6.2  Prewriting.  Conduct background reading, interviews or surveys when appropriate.

6.3 Prewriting.  Establish a thesis statement for informational writing or plan for narrative writing.

6.4  Prewriting.  Determine a purpose and audience and plan strategies to address purpose and audience.

6.5 Prewriting.  Use organizational strategies to plan writing.

6.6  Drafting, Revising, and Editing.  Organize writing with an effective and engaging introduction, body and a conclusion that summarizes, extends or elaborates on point of ideas in the writing.

6.7  Drafting, Revising, and Editing. Vary simple, compound and complex sentence structures.

6.8  Drafting, Revising, and Editing.  Group related ideas  into paragraphs, including topic sentences following paragraph form, and maintain a consistent focus reinforced by parallel structures across paragraphs.

6.9  Drafting, Revising, and Editing. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers and style as appropriate to audience and purpose.

6.10  Drafting, Revising, and Editing. Use available technology to compose text.

6.11  Drafting, Revising, and Editing. Reread and analyze clarity of writing and consistency of point of view.

6.12  Drafting, Revising, and Editing. Add and delete information and details to better elaborate on a stated central idea and to more effectively accomplish purpose.

6.13  Drafting, Revising, and Editing. Rearrange words, sentences and paragraphs, and add transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning.

6.14  Drafting, Revising, and Editing. Use resources and resource materials to select more effective vocabulary.

6.15  Drafting, Revising, and Editing. Proofread writing, edit to improve conventions (grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization) and identify and correct fragments and run-ons.

6.16  Drafting, Revising, and Editing. Apply tools to judge the quality of writing.

6.17  Publishing.  Prepare for publication writing that follows a manuscript form appropriate for the purpose, which could include such techniques as electronic resources, principles of design and graphics to enhance the final product.

A.  Compose narratives that establish a specific settin, plot and a consistent point of view, and develop characters by using sensory details and concrete language.

B.  Write responses to literature that extend beyond the summary and support references to the text, other works, other authors or to personal knowledge.

C.  Produce letters that follow the conventional style appropriate to the text, include appropriate details and exclude extraneous details and inconsistencies.

D.  Use documented textual evidence to justify interpretations of literature or to support a research topic.

E.  Write a persuasive piece that states a clear position, includes relevant information and offers compelling evidence in the form of facts and details.

7.3  Write business letters, letters to the editor and job applications that address audience needs, stated purpose and context in a clear and efficient manner, follow the conventional style appropriate to the text using proper technical terms, include appropriate facts and details, exclude extraneous details and inconsistencies, and provide a sense of closure to the writing

7.4  Write informational essays or reports, including research, that pose relevant and tightly drawn questions that engage the reader, provide a clear and accurate perspective on the subject, create an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, ausience and context, support the main ideas with facts, details, examples and explanations from sources, and document sources and include bibliographies.

7.5  Write persuasive compositions that establish and develop a controlling idea, support arguments with detailed evidence, exclude irrelevant information, and cite sources of information

7.6  Produce informal writings for various purposes (journal, poems)

A.  Use correct spelling conventions.

B.  Use correct punctuation and capitalization.

D.  Demonstrate understanding of the grammatical conventions of the English language.

8.1  Spelling.  Use correct spelling conventions.

8.2  Punctuation and capitalization.  Use correct capitalization and punctuation.

8.3  Grammar and Usage.  Use all eight parts of speech (noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction, preposition, interjection)

8.4  Grammar and Usage.  Use clauses and phrases.

8.5  Grammar and Usage.  Use parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis.

8.6  Grammar and Usage.  Use proper placement of modifiers.

8.7  Grammar and Usage.  Maintain the use of appropriate verb tenses.

8.8  Grammar and Usage.  Conjugate regular and irregular verbs in all tenses correctly.

A.  Formulate open-ended research questions suitable for investigation and adjust questions as necessary while research is conducted.

B.  Evaluate the usefulness and credibility of data and sources.

C.  Organize information from various resources and select appropriate sources to support central ideas, concepts and themes.

D.  Use style guides to produce oral and written reports that give proper credit for sources and include an acceptable format for source acknowledgement.

E.  Communicate findings, reporting on the substance and processes orally, visually and in writing or through multimedia.

9.1  Compose open-ended questions for research, assigned or personal interest, and modify questions as necessary during inquiry and investigation.

9.2  Identify appropriate sources and gather relevant information from multiple sources.

9.3  Explain the usefulness and accuracy of sources by determining their validity and define primary and secondary sources.

9.4  Select an appropriate structure for organizing information in a systematic way.

9.5  Compile and organize the important information and select appropriate sources to support central ideas, concepts and themes.

9.6  Integrate quotations and citations into written text to maintain a flow of ideas.

9.7  Use style guides to produce oral and written reports that give proper credit for sources and include an acceptable format for source acknowledgement.

9.8  Use a variety of communication techniques, including oral, visual, written or multimedia reports, to present information that supports a clear position about the topic or research question and to maintain an appropriate balance between researched information and original ideas.