Language Arts

Grade 5: Writing	Planning: Term # Tracking: Ach. Level
Overall Expectations	1	2	3	4
1. generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
2. draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
3. use editing, proofreading, and publishing skills and strategies, and knowledge of language conventions, to correct errors, refine expression, and present their work effectively;
4. reflect on and identify their strengths as writers, areas for improvement, and the strategies they found most helpful at different stages in the writing process.
Specific Expectations
1. Developing and Organizing
Purpose and Audience: 1.1 identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of writing forms (e.g., a poem or song on a social issue for performance by the class; a formal letter to the teacher outlining their opinion on eliminating soft drinks from the school vending machine; an article explaining the water cycle and including a flow chart, for an online student encyclopedia)
Developing Ideas: 1.2 generate ideas about a potential topic and identify those most appropriate for the purpose
Research: 1.3 gather information to support ideas for writing, using a variety of strategies and a range of print and electronic resources (e.g., interview people with knowledge of the topic; identify and use graphic and multimedia sources; keep a record of sources used and information gathered)
Classifying Ideas: 1.4 sort and classify ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways (e.g., by underlining or highlighting key words or phrases; by using a graphic organizer such as a web or ranking ladder)
Organizing Ideas: 1.5 identify and order main ideas and supporting details and group them into units that could be used to develop several linked paragraphs, using a variety of strategies (e.g., making jot notes; following a writing framework) and organizational patterns (e.g., chronological order, comparison, cause and effect)
Review: 1.6 determine whether the ideas and information they have gathered are relevant, appropriate, and adequate for the purpose, and do more research if necessary (e.g., review material with a partner using a mind map or timeline)
2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style in Writing
Form: 2.1 write longer and more complex texts using a variety of forms (e.g., a biographical sketch, based on research; a report, including research notes, describing the effect of the natural environment on an early civilization; an outline of the procedure for becoming a Canadian citizen; an explanation of how a human organ system functions, using pictures, captions, and notes; a review of or commentary on a book, movie, or video game; a myth using themes identified in reading; a pamphlet on a socially relevant topic they have studied this year)
Voice: 2.2 establish an appropriate voice in their writing, with a focus on modifying language and tone to suit different circumstances or audiences (e.g., use a serious tone in a letter to the editor, a humorous tone in a letter to a friend)
Word Choice: 2.3 use some vivid and/or figurative language and innovative expressions to add interest (e.g., some comparative adjectives; similes or personification; comparative adverbs: more slowly)
Sentence Fluency: 2.4 vary sentence types and structures, with a focus on using conjunctions to connect ideas, and pronouns to make links within and between sentences (e.g., The latch was stiff, and the boy struggled to open the door. Finally, with much effort, he forced it open.)
Point of View: 2.5 identify their point of view and other possible points of view, and determine, when appropriate, if their own view is balanced and supported by evidence. Teacher prompt: "Identify a point of view other than your own and list the arguments that would support it. Have you included evidence in your work that would answer these arguments?"
Preparing for Revision: 2.6 identify elements of their writing that need improvement, using feedback from the teacher and peers, with a focus on specific features (e.g., effective use of language, logical organization). Teacher prompts: "Can you describe two nouns more specifically by adding appropriate adjectives?" "Are there ideas in the body of the paragraph that should be included in your topic sentence?"
Revision: 2.7 make revisions to improve the content, clarity, and interest of their written work, using a variety of strategies (e.g., use coloured pens and/or cutting and pasting to identify and move chunks of text that need to be reordered; add or substitute words and phrases, including vocabulary from other subjects and figurative language such as similes and personification, to achieve particular effects; adjust sentence length and complexity to suit the audience and purpose; check that language is inclusive and non-discriminatory). Teacher prompt: "Are your sentences too long and complicated/too short and simple/too much the same to appeal to your intended audience?"
Producing Drafts: 2.8 produce revised, draft pieces of writing to meet identified criteria based on the expectations related to content, organization, style, and use of conventions
3. Applying Knowledge of Language Conventions and Presenting Written Work Effectively
Spelling Familiar Words: 3.1 spell familiar words correctly (e.g., words from their oral vocabulary, anchor charts, and shared-, guided-, and independent-reading texts; words used regularly in instruction across the curriculum)
Spelling Unfamiliar Words: 3.2 spell unfamiliar words using a variety of strategies that involve understanding sound-symbol relationships, word structures, word meanings, and generalizations about spelling (e.g., pronounce the silent letters in words: p-neumonia; divide polysyllabic words into syllables; visualize irregular plurals; apply rules for adding -ed, -ing and -er, -est to base words; use memory tricks to memorize the letter order of irregular spellings; use the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes to understand and spell new words)
Vocabulary: 3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using a variety of resources appropriate for the purpose (e.g., locate guide words, word meanings, spelling charts, pronunciation keys, schwa symbol, idioms, inflected forms, and information about word origins in online or print dictionaries; use a variety of thematic dictionaries such as a bilingual dictionary or a crossword dictionary; use a thesaurus to find alternative words)
Punctuation: 3.4 use punctuation appropriately to help communicate their intended meaning, with a focus on the use of: a comma before and or but in compound sentences to join principal clauses; quotation marks for direct speech; and the placement of commas, question marks, and exclamation marks inside quotation marks in direct speech
Grammar: 3.5 use parts of speech correctly to communicate their intended meaning clearly, with a focus on the use of: common, proper, and abstract nouns (e.g., courage, hope); collective nouns (e.g., flock of birds); adjectives, including comparative adjectives (e.g., bigger, more expensive); the helping verb have; adverbs modifying verbs (e.g., when, where, how); comparative adverbs (e.g., faster, slower)
Proofreading: 3.6 proofread and correct their writing using guidelines developed with peers and the teacher (e.g., an editing checklist specific to the writing task)
Publishing: 3.7 use a range of appropriate elements of effective presentation in the finished product, including print, script, different fonts, graphics, and layout (e.g., use legible printing and cursive writing; include a labelled diagram, photographs, and a beginning glossary of terms in a read-aloud information book for younger children; use a formal letter layout for a letter to a public official)
Producing Finished Works: 3.8 produce pieces of published work to meet identified criteria based on the expectations related to content, organization, style, use of conventions, and use of presentation strategies
4. Reflecting on Writing Skills and Strategies
Metacognition: 4.1 identify what strategies they found most helpful before, during, and after writing and what steps they can take to improve as writers (e.g., use a three-column reflective journal to monitor the writing process: What happened? How do I feel about it? What did I learn?). Teacher prompts: "What did you know about your audience that informed your planning process?" "What strategy did you find most helpful for organizing information?" "What editing strategies are most effective for you?"
Interconnected Skills: 4.2 describe, with prompting by the teacher, how their skills in listening, speaking, reading, viewing, and representing help in their development as writers. Teacher prompts: "How has exploring different authors' perspectives on an issue helped you prepare for writing?" "Explain how dialogue with your peers can help you to express your opinion when you are writing."
Portfolio: 4.3 select pieces of writing that they think reflect their growth and competence as writers and explain the reasons for their choices

Expectations: Copyright The Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2006.  Format: Copyright B.Phillips, 1998.