Grade 05 ELA - EC: E05.C.1.1.4
Grade 05 ELA - EC: E05.C.1.1.4
Continuum of Activities
The list below represents a continuum of activities: resources categorized by Standard/Eligible Content that teachers may use to move students toward proficiency. Using LEA curriculum and available materials and resources, teachers can customize the activity statements/questions for classroom use.
This continuum of activities offers:
- Instructional activities designed to be integrated into planned lessons
- Questions/activities that grow in complexity
- Opportunities for differentiation for each student’s level of performance
Grade Levels
5th Grade
Course, Subject
English Language Arts
Related Academic Standards / Eligible Content
Activities
- List criteria that is evident in formal writing style.
- Label pieces of writing as formal or informal.
- Show why a piece of opinion writing is formal or informal in style.
- Revise an opinion piece of writing, taking it from informal style to formal style.
- Construct a piece of opinion writing that demonstrates a formal style.
- Assess the consistent demonstration of formal style throughout the piece.
- Explain elements in the opinion writing that demonstrate a formal style.
- Revise writing as needed to consistently demonstrate a formal style.
Answer Key/Rubric
- Formal writing:
- avoids using colloquial words and expressions,
- avoids using contractions, abbreviations, slang, and clichés,
- uses appropriate passive voice, most frequently using the third-person,
- consists of longer, more complex sentence,
- utilizes formal diction.
- Students could peer review the work of their classmates and label examples of both formal and informal writing in the opinion writings of others.
- Students find and label examples of formal and informal writing using a piece of informative writing (either their own, a classmate’s, or a sample provided by the teacher). Students explain why the identified elements exemplify formal or informal writing.
- Students examine a piece of writing (either their own or teacher provided) that has an informal style and revises and rewrites it in a formal style. Changes are made to informal elements of writing and correctly revised to formal style.
- Student’s opinion writing piece is written using a formal writing style.
- The student thoughtfully and correctly assesses the writing piece in regards to the inclusion of a formal writing style. Where informal style is found, appropriate changes are made.
- Student identifies elements in an opinion piece that demonstrate a formal style. This might be done by marking the places where words instead of contractions are used, third person point of view is demonstrated, etc. Completion of this activity demonstrates that the student can accurately identify formal writing.
- Based on findings in assessing and identifying the use of formal style throughout the opinion writing, the writing piece is revised as needed. Writing style used in final revision is formal in its style.
