Elizabeth A. Johnson
Common Core State Standards – Writing Standard 9-10, Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
New Haven Public Schools released the 9-10 English Language Arts Curriculum in the spring of 2013. It requires these skills to be mastered over the course of two years. This looping structure is based on much cognitive research, as well as the needs of our students, many of whom move between New Haven schools or come in from other states during the year. By looping the standards, as they are written in the CCSS, students stand a greater chance of mastering the material.
a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
