Common Core Standard For English Language Arts (Page 23 of 43) in pdf

Common Core State StandardS for engliSh language artS & literaCy in hiStory/SoCial StudieS, SCienCe, and teChniCal SubjeCtS

Writing

Definitions of the standards’ three text types

Argument

Arguments are used for many purposes—to change the reader’s point of view, to bring about some action on the

reader’s part, or to ask the reader to accept the writer’s explanation or evaluation of a concept, issue, or problem.

An argument is a reasoned, logical way of demonstrating that the writer’s position, belief, or conclusion is valid. In

English language arts, students make claims about the worth or meaning of a literary work or works. They defend

their interpretations or judgments with evidence from the text(s) they are writing about. In history/social studies,

students analyze evidence from multiple primary and secondary sources to advance a claim that is best supported by

the evidence, and they argue for a historically or empirically situated interpretation. In science, students make claims

in the form of statements or conclusions that answer questions or address problems. Using data in a scientifically ac-

ceptable form, students marshal evidence and draw on their understanding of scientific concepts to argue in support

of their claims. Although young children are not able to produce fully developed logical arguments, they develop a

variety of methods to extend and elaborate their work by providing examples, offering reasons for their assertions,

and explaining cause and effect. These kinds of expository structures are steps on the road to argument. In grades

K–5, the term “opinion” is used to refer to this developing form of argument.

Informational/Explanatory Writing

Informational/explanatory writing conveys information accurately. This kind of writing serves one or more closely

related purposes: to increase readers’ knowledge of a subject, to help readers better understand a procedure or pro-

cess, or to provide readers with an enhanced comprehension of a concept. Informational/explanatory writing address-

es matters such as types (What are the different types of poetry?) and components (What are the parts of a motor?);

size, function, or behavior (How big is the United States? What is an X-ray used for? How do penguins find food?);

how things work (How does the legislative branch of government function?); and why things happen (Why do some

authors blend genres?). To produce this kind of writing, students draw from what they already know and from primary

and secondary sources. With practice, students become better able to develop a controlling idea and a coherent fo-

cus on a topic and more skilled at selecting and incorporating relevant examples, facts, and details into their writing.

They are also able to use a variety of techniques to convey information, such as naming, defining, describing, or dif-

ferentiating different types or parts; comparing or contrasting ideas or concepts; and citing an anecdote or a scenario

to illustrate a point. Informational/explanatory writing includes a wide array of genres, including academic genres

such as literary analyses, scientific and historical reports, summaries, and précis writing as well as forms of workplace

and functional writing such as instructions, manuals, memos, reports, applications, and résumés. As students advance

through the grades, they expand their repertoire of informational/explanatory genres and use them effectively in a

variety of disciplines and domains.

Although information is provided in both arguments and explanations, the two types of writing have different aims.

Arguments seek to make people believe that something is true or to persuade people to change their beliefs or be-

havior. Explanations, on the other hand, start with the assumption of truthfulness and answer questions about why or

how. Their aim is to make the reader understand rather than to persuade him or her to accept a certain point of view.

In short, arguments are used for persuasion and explanations for clarification.

Like arguments, explanations provide information about causes, contexts, and consequences of processes, phenom-

ena, states of affairs, objects, terminology, and so on. However, in an argument, the writer not only gives information

but also presents a case with the “pros” (supporting ideas) and “cons” (opposing ideas) on a debatable issue. Be-

cause an argument deals with whether the main claim is true, it demands empirical descriptive evidence, statistics, or

definitions for support. When writing an argument, the writer supports his or her claim(s) with sound reasoning and

relevant and sufficient evidence.

Narrative Writing

Narrative writing conveys experience, either real or

imaginary, and uses time as its deep structure. It

Creative Writing beyond Narrative

can be used for many purposes, such as to inform,

The narrative category does not include all of the pos-

instruct, persuade, or entertain. In English language

sible forms of creative writing, such as many types of

arts, students produce narratives that take the form

poetry. The Standards leave the inclusion and evaluation

of creative fictional stories, memoirs, anecdotes, and

of other such forms to teacher discretion.

autobiographies. Over time, they learn to provide

visual details of scenes, objects, or people; to depict

specific actions (for example, movements, gestures,

Common Core Standard For English Language Arts Page 23

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