Language Arts

Grade 7: 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 more complex writing forms (e.g., a rap poem or jingle, to express a personal view to the class; a report for a community newspaper about a public meeting on an environmental issue affecting local neighbourhoods; an autobiography for a youth magazine, web page, blog, or zine)

 

 

 

 

Developing Ideas: 1.2 generate ideas about more challenging topics 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 wide range of print and electronic resources (e.g., use a timeline to organize research tasks; interview people with knowledge of the topic; identify and use appropriate graphic and multimedia resources; record sources used and information gathered in a form that makes it easy to understand and retrieve)

 

 

 

 

Classifying Ideas: 1.4 sort and classify ideas and information for their writing in a variety of ways that allow them to manipulate information and see different combinations and relationships in their data (e.g., by underlining or highlighting key words or phrases; by using a graphic organizer such as a "Plus/Minus/Interesting" chart)

 

 

 

 

Organizing Ideas: 1.5 identify and order main ideas and supporting details and group them into units that could be used to develop a multi-paragraph piece of writing, using a variety of strategies (e.g., making jot notes; grouping according to key words; making charts; drawing webs) and organizational patterns (e.g., combined/multiple orders such as comparison and cause and effect)

 

 

 

 

Review: 1.6 determine whether the ideas and information they have gathered are relevant, appropriate, and sufficiently specific for the purpose, and do more research if necessary (e.g., check for errors or omissions in information using a T-chart)

 

 

 

 

2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style in Writing

 

 

 

 

Form: 2.1 write complex texts of different lengths using a wide range of forms (e.g., a description of the procedure for growing rice or coffee; an explanation of multiple ways to solve a mathematical problem or investigation; an argument stating the opposing points of view on a community issue, including the response of each side to the points made by the other side, for a class/school debate, or to report on the debate in a newsletter; a fictional narrative about a historical event to dramatize material studied; a mystery story modelled on the structures and conventions of the genre)

 

 

 

 

Voice: 2.2 establish a distinctive voice in their writing appropriate to the subject and audience (e.g., use language that communicates their "stance" or point of view on an issue and identify the words and/or phrases that help them achieve this goal)

 

 

 

 

Word Choice: 2.3 regularly use vivid and/or figurative language and innovative expressions in their writing (e.g., a wide variety of adjectives and adverbs; similes, metaphors, and other rhetorical devices such as exaggeration or personification). Teacher prompt: "Identify three language choices you have made and explain the effect they will have on a reader."

 

 

 

 

Sentence Fluency: 2.4 vary sentence structures to give their writing rhythm and pacing by using a variety of connecting and/or introductory words and phrases (e.g., however, for example, therefore, as a result) to help combine short, simple sentences into longer, more complex sentences

 

 

 

 

Point of View: 2.5 identify their point of view and other possible points of view, evaluate other points of view, and find ways to acknowledge other points of view, if appropriate. Teacher prompt: "How could you let your audience know you have thought about other points of view?"

 

 

 

 

Preparing for Revision: 2.6 identify elements in their writing that need improvement, selectively using feedback from the teacher and peers, with a focus on voice, diction, and an effective beginning and ending. Teacher prompts: "Would your audience understand your feelings about your topic?" "Could you add one figurative expression or rhetorical device that would strengthen your work?" "Will your opening sentence engage the interest of your audience?"

 

 

 

 

Revision: 2.7 make revisions to improve the content, clarity, and interest of their written work, using a variety of strategies (e.g., use margin notes or sticky notes while rereading to record ideas for additions or changes; add or substitute words and phrases, including vocabulary from other subjects; use rhetorical devices such as understatement to achieve particular effects; adjust sentence length, type, and complexity to suit the audience and purpose; use patterns such as repetition of key phrases for emphasis and to engage the attention of the audience). Teacher prompt: "Would a variety of sentence types and lengths help to create suspense?"

 

 

 

 

Producing Drafts: 2.8 produce revised draft pieces of writing to meet identified criteria based on the expectations (e.g., adequate development of information and ideas, logical organization, appropriate use of form and style, appropriate 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., write words syllable by syllable; sort words by visual patterns; highlight tricky letters or groups of letters; cluster root words and related forms: beauty, beautiful, beautician; apply knowledge of vowel and consonant patterns and rules for forming possessives, contractions, and plurals)

 

 

 

 

Vocabulary: 3.3 confirm spellings and word meanings or word choice using a variety of resources appropriate for the purpose (e.g., locate syllables, stress patterns, inflected forms, multiple meanings, and information about word origins in online and print dictionaries, including thematic dictionaries such as a medical dictionary, bilingual dictionary, or dictionary of idioms; use a thesaurus to explore alternative word choices)

 

 

 

 

Punctuation: 3.4 use punctuation appropriately to communicate their intended meaning in more complex writing forms, including forms specific to different subject areas, with a focus on the use of: periods after initials, in abbreviations, and in decimal numbers; parentheses; punctuation to indicate intonation, pauses, or gestures

 

 

 

 

Grammar: 3.5 use parts of speech correctly to communicate their meaning clearly, with a focus on the use of: relative pronouns (e.g., who, whose, which, that); prepositions, including prepositional phrases; adjectives; conjunctions; adverbs; present, past, and future verb tenses; present and past participles (e.g., I am reading, I have read)

 

 

 

 

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 wide 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; supply a time-line; supply captions and text boxes to accompany the photographs in a photo essay; use a bulleted or point-form layout in a summary of key points for a debate)

 

 

 

 

Producing Finished Works: 3.8 produce pieces of published work to meet identified criteria based on the expectations (e.g., adequacy of information and ideas, logic and effectiveness of organization, effective use of form and stylistic elements, appropriate use of conventions, effective presentation)

 

 

 

 

4. Reflecting on Writing Skills and Strategies

 

 

 

 

Metacognition: 4.1 identify a variety of strategies they used before, during, and after writing, explain which ones were most helpful, and suggest future steps they can take to improve as writers (e.g., use a three-column reflection journal to monitor the writing process: What I did/What I learned/How I can use it). Teacher prompt: "Explain how you used your writer's notebook to help you identify your strengths as a writer and your next steps for writing."

 

 

 

 

Interconnected Skills: 4.2 describe how their skills in listening, speaking, reading, viewing, and representing help in their development as writers. Teacher prompt: "In what way have your experiences with reading, viewing, and listening to texts changed the way you think about the audience for your 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.