This document provides guidance for unpacking and aligning writing instruction to the Common Core State Standards anchor writing standards. Participants are instructed to unpack writing anchor standards 1 and 2 using a protocol. They then review writing samples from the CCSS appendix and discuss gaps between their current assignments and the sample work. Groups discuss how writing is currently incorporated in their disciplines and adjustments that could better align assignments to the standards. Participants are asked to consider a small adjustment they could make to a lesson, unit or assessment to strengthen alignment with the anchor writing standards.

1. How Writing Anchors
Literacy Instruction
SC: AMY JOHNSON & NICK MASCIOLA
NC: JAIME BRONUSKAS, TOBY CASELLA, & KRISTA WILCOX

2. ACTIVITY:
UNPACK THE ANCHOR STANDARDS
WELCOME!
Please:
1) Grab a folder
2) Read the 2 anchor standards (pg. 1)
3) Review the 5 Step Protocol for Unpacking a Standard (p. 1)
4) Unpack writing anchor standard 1 in the chart (p. 1)
5) Unpack writing anchor standard 2 in the chart (p.1)

3. Objectives:
By the end of this session, I will be able to:
Unpack the ELA Literacy Anchor with writing
standards 1 & 2.
Identify where writing aligned to the standard lives
in your curriculum.
Evaluate student writing samples aligned to the
CCSS.

4. Agenda:
Unpack the standards
Review LT samples of writing in the discipline
Evaluate the samples from the CCSS appendices
Discuss writing as it exists in your curriculum
Share an adjustment

5. LT students currently
write in all disciplines.
SMALL ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR CURRENT
ASSIGNMENTS CAN YIELD TIGHTER ALIGNMENT TO
THE LITERACY ANCHOR STANDARDS WITH WRITING.

6. Q4:What do we do when students are
proficient?
Q3: What do we
do when students
are not learning?
Q2: How do we know
when a student has
learned something?
Q1: What do we want students to know and
be able to do?
PLC CYCLE
Essential
Outcomes
Instruction
(Best
Practice)
Formative
Assessment
Data Collection &
Analysis
SMART
Goals
Differentiated Inst.
Intervention &
Enrichment
Data Collection &
Analysis
Summative
Assessment
PLC
PRINCIPLE:
Incorporate the
four pieces for
continuous
improvement

7. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.1
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
VERB
Verb Phrase
NOUN
Noun Phrase
CONTEXT Type of Learning
Target
Assessment
Method
DOK (Thinking
Level)
write arguments Focused on
discipline-
specific
content
Reasoning;
Skill
Constructed
Response;
Performance
Assessment

8. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of
historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical
processes.
.
VERB
Verb Phrase
NOUN
Noun Phrase
CONTEXT Type of Learning
Target
Assessment
Method
DOK
(Thinking Level)
write Informative/
explanatory
texts
Including
narration of
historical
events,
scientific
procedures/
experiments
or technical
processes
Reasoning;
Skill
Constructed
Response;
Performance
Assessment

9. Writing Standards 1 & 2
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.1
(Anchor Standard)
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific
content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.2
(Anchor Standard)
Write informative/explanatory texts, including
the narration of historical events, scientific
procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

10. Math Practices 1 & 3
CSS.Math.Practice.MP1
Make sense of problems and
persevere in solving them.
CCSS.Math.Practice.MP3
Construct viable arguments and
critique the reasoning of others.

11. Common Core Student Writing Samples
AT YOUR TABLE, THERE ARE STUDENT
SAMPLES FROM THE CCSS APPENDIX. AS A TABLE GROUP…
1) Review the writing samples.
2) Record your observations.
3) Discuss the following:
What gaps do you notice between the
assignments and assessments you
administer in your classroom and the
quality of work evident in the
samples?
4) Nominate someone to share.

12. What gaps do you notice between the assignments and
assessments you administer in your classroom and the
quality of work evident in the samples?
REPORTING OUT

13. LT students currently
write in all disciplines.
SMALL ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR CURRENT
ASSIGNMENTS CAN YIELD TIGHTER ALIGNMENT TO
THE LITERACY ANCHOR STANDARDS WITH WRITING.

14. ADJUSTMENT TO A SCIENCE TASK
SCIENCE ASSIGNMENT
BEFORE
SCIENCE ASSIGNMENT
AFTER

15. ADJUSTMENT TO A HISTORY TASK
HISTORY ASSIGNMENT
BEFORE
HISTORY ASSIGNMENT
AFTER

16. ADJUSTMENT TO A MATH ASSIGNMENT
MATH ASSIGNMENT
BEFORE
MATH ASSIGNMENT
AFTER

17. ADJUSTMENT TO A MATH ASSIGNMENT
MATH ASSIGNMENT AFTER

18. MORE GROUP WORK
1) Turn to pg. 35 in
your packet.
2) As a table, discuss
the question on the
Brainstorming page
(and on the next slide)

19. Relevance of the CCSS to my discipline?
How is writing currently incorporated in your discipline?
What strategies, practices, or tools do you rely upon to teach
writing?
After deconstructing the standards, how are they incorporated in
your course/curriculum?
 What assignments/assessments do you currently administer that
provide evidence of student proficiency in regards to these
standards? What weaknesses do you need to address in order to
better align with the standards?

20. PLAN WITH THE STANDARDS IN MIND

21. What will be your small
adjustment?
AS YOU PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR, WHAT UNIT/ ASSESSMENT/
LESSON/TASK CAN YOU ADJUST TO BE MORE TIGHTLY ALIGNED TO
ANCHOR WRITING STANDARD 1 & 2?