W.6.10: Building a Sixth-Grade Writing Routine Across Subjects, from Quick Writes to a Two-Week Article
In plain English: W.6.10 is the Common Core grade 6 ELA standard that asks students to write routinely, both in short time frames, such as a single sitting or a day or two, and over extended ones that leave time for research, reflection and revision. The writing covers a range of tasks, purposes and audiences in different subjects.
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy · Domain: Writing Standards · Cluster: Range of Writing · Official standard
W.6.10 is a range standard: it asks sixth graders to write often, in many subjects, for many readers and reasons, and in two kinds of time. Some writing happens in a single sitting or a day or two, such as a quick write, a math explanation or a lab conclusion. Other writing gets an extended time frame, with room for research, reflection and revision over days or weeks. This lesson follows Dalia Quist, an invented sixth grader at the invented Larkspur Middle School, through two weeks of writing. She writes short pieces for math, science, social studies and English while she researches, drafts, sets aside and revises one longer piece: an article for the school's family newsletter about the birds at the science club's feeder. Dalia, her classmate Teo, her teachers and all the counts in her article are invented for this lesson; the bird and feeder facts are real.
Students plan a short sitting, compare a first draft with the revision that research and reflection made possible, and sort a classmate's two weeks of assignments by time frame, task, purpose and audience before building their own writing routine.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Read a short writing task for its task, purpose, audience and time, and budget a single sitting for planning, writing and rereading
Write a complete short piece in one sitting that fits its reader and its subject, such as a math explanation or science notes
Explain what research, reflection and revision added to an extended piece, using a first draft, a writing log and a revision as evidence
Plan a two-week writing routine with daily short writing and dated sessions for one extended piece
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Writing routinely over extended and shorter time frames in grade 5 W.5.10
Producing clear writing that fits its task, purpose and audience W.5.4
Planning, revising and editing with help from peers and adults W.5.5
"Think of something you wrote in one class period, and something you worked on for more than a week. What did the long one let you do that the short one did not?"
Give students three minutes to write, then collect four answers and sort them on the board under one sitting or a day or two and more than a week. Read the standard aloud and define its key words in student language. A time frame is the amount of time a piece of writing gets. A shorter time frame is one class period or a day or two. An extended time frame leaves room for research (finding information), reflection (stepping back to think about the draft) and revision (making real changes to it). Discipline-specific means the kinds of writing each subject asks for, such as a math explanation or a science conclusion.
Introduce Dalia Quist, an invented sixth grader, and hand out Text 1, her writing list for two weeks. Students underline, for each item, the reader (the audience) and the reason for writing (the purpose).
1English 6, every school day, first 5 minutes of class: Writer's notebook quick write. Ms. Hale posts a question and we write without stopping. Only I read it, unless I choose to share.
2Math 6, Tuesday of Week 1, in class, 10 minutes: Explain how to solve yesterday's better-buy problem for a classmate who was absent.
3Science 6, started Thursday of Week 1, due Friday: Write the conclusion for our ice-and-salt lab. Say what happened and whether it matched our prediction.
4Science Club, Monday of Week 2: Email Ms. Varga to thank her for letting the club hang a bird feeder outside Room 14, and ask her one question.
5Social Studies 6, Wednesday of Week 2, in class, 20 minutes: Write a journal entry as a farmer beside the Nile River during the flood season. Use two facts from Chapter 4.
6Family newsletter, assigned Monday of Week 1, due Friday of Week 2: Write an article of about 250 words for Larkspur families about the birds that visit our school feeder and how a family can start a feeder at home. Mr. Ellison, the newsletter editor, says it must be accurate, friendly and useful to parents and to younger brothers and sisters.
SVHS lesson authors, Dalia's writing list for two weeks, copied from her planner (Text 1; Dalia Quist, Larkspur Middle School and her teachers are invented). Original passage written for this page.
Direct Instruction20 minutes
Model how a writer reads a short task before starting. Work through the examples below, thinking aloud about the task, the purpose, the audience and the time. Then read Text 2, which Dalia wrote in one 10-minute sitting, and Text 3, the first draft of her newsletter article. Ask: what did the 10-minute explanation do well for its reader, and what is the first draft missing that a family reader would want?
Reading a short prompt
Science, in class, 10 minutes: "Explain to a second grader why the puddle on the playground was gone by afternoon."
Result: Task: explain. Purpose: help a young reader understand evaporation (water turning into a gas that rises into the air). Audience: a second grader, so use short sentences and an everyday comparison. Time: one short sitting, so plan for about 2 minutes and save the last 2 to reread.
Budgeting a single sitting
A 20-minute in-class response: "Which season is best for a class field trip? Write to your teacher."
Result: Read the prompt, 1 minute; plan, 4 (the season, two reasons, one example); write, 12; reread and fix, 3. Total: 1 + 4 + 12 + 3 = 20 minutes. Write the finish time next to each part of the plan.
Choosing the time frame
On one Monday, a student gets three writing tasks: a note to the school nurse to explain a missed appointment, a paragraph on a science video due Wednesday, and a report on a local park due in three weeks.
Result: The note is a few minutes, in one sitting. The video paragraph is a day or two. The park report is extended: it needs research (a visit, a map, an interview), a pause and revision, so it gets dated sessions starting this week.
Scheduling an extended piece
A one-page report on a local park is due in three weeks. The student has about 20 minutes a day for it.
Result: Week 1: visit the park and take notes (Monday), read the town's web page about it (Wednesday), interview a neighbor (Friday). Week 2: draft (Tuesday and Wednesday), no work on Thursday, read the draft to someone on Friday. Week 3: revise (Monday and Tuesday), edit (Wednesday), turn in (Friday). That is 10 working sessions spread over the whole three weeks.
Fitting the discipline
The same fact, the ice in salt water melted faster, written for two readers.
Result: Science conclusion: "The ice cube in salt water melted in 6 minutes, and the ice cube in tap water took 11 minutes, so our prediction was correct." Notebook entry: "I was surprised that the salt made such a big difference." The conclusion gives measurements and says whether they match the prediction; the notebook entry is informal because the writer is its only reader.
1Yesterday's problem: A 3-pound bag of birdseed costs $6.75, and a 5-pound bag costs $10.50. Which bag is the better buy?
2You missed class, so here is how I solved it. The bags are different sizes, so you can't just compare the prices. First, find the price of one pound of seed in each bag. This is called the unit price. For the small bag, divide $6.75 by 3. That is $2.25 per pound. For the big bag, divide $10.50 by 5. That is $2.10 per pound. The big bag costs less for each pound, so it is the better buy, by 15 cents a pound.
3Check: 3 times $2.25 is $6.75, and 5 times $2.10 is $10.50, so my unit prices are right. If you only need a little seed, the small bag might still make sense, but the question asked which bag is the better buy.
SVHS lesson authors, Dalia's math explanation, written in one 10-minute sitting on Tuesday of Week 1 (Text 2; the prices are invented). Original passage written for this page.
1Birds at Our Feeder
2Birds are very interesting animals. There are more than 10,000 kinds of birds in the world. Some of them come to our school feeder outside Room 14. The science club put it up in December.
3Lots of birds come to our feeder, probably like a hundred a day. The most common one is the cardinal. Cardinals are red and they are really pretty. There are also some small gray ones and some brown ones. I don't know all their names yet.
4You should get a bird feeder because birds are cool and it is fun to watch them. You can buy one at a store. Put some seeds in it and the birds will come.
5In conclusion, birds are interesting and you should get a feeder.
SVHS lesson authors, Birds at Our Feeder, Dalia's first draft of the newsletter article, written on Day 3 (Text 3). Original passage written for this page.
Guided Practice15 minutes
Show the table below and Diagram 1. Pairs add three columns to the table: the time frame of each piece, its audience and its purpose. Then point out how the article moved forward on most days while the short tasks kept getting done, and how the Science Club email did two jobs: it thanked Ms. Varga and it asked a research question.
Dalia's writing over two weeks (invented)
Writing
Subject
When
Minutes
Writer's notebook quick writes
English 6
Every school day
5 a day
Explanation of the better-buy problem (Text 2)
Math 6
Week 1 Tuesday, in class
10
Ice-and-salt lab conclusion
Science 6
Week 1 Thursday and Friday
About 30
Thank-you email to Ms. Varga, with a question
Science Club
Week 2 Monday
5
Journal entry as a Nile farmer in flood season
Social Studies 6
Week 2 Wednesday, in class
20
Newsletter article on the feeder (Texts 3 and 5)
Family newsletter
Week 1 Monday to Week 2 Friday
See Text 4
A tally sheet is a page where a counter makes one mark for each thing seen. Pairs read Dalia's log and reflection (Text 4) and her revised article (Text 5). On a two-column chart headed What changed from Text 3 to Text 5 and What made the change possible (research, reflection or revision), they record two changes, each with a line from Text 4 that explains it. Take one change from each pair and ask: could Dalia have made this change in a single sitting?
1Day 1, Monday: 25 minutes, research. Read the feeder pages of a bird guide from the school library and wrote six facts on note cards.
2Day 2, Tuesday: 15 minutes, research. First 15-minute bird count at the feeder at lunch, with a tally sheet.
3Day 3, Wednesday: 30 minutes, drafting. Wrote the whole first draft in one session.
4Day 4, Thursday: no work on the article. I started the science conclusion instead.
5Day 5, Friday: 20 minutes, feedback and reflection. Read the draft out loud to my mom and wrote down her questions.
6Day 6, Monday: 20 minutes, research. Emailed Ms. Varga to thank her for the feeder and asked her Mom's window question, then did the second bird count.
7Day 7, Tuesday: 15 minutes, research. Third bird count. Ms. Varga answered my email.
8Day 8, Wednesday: 35 minutes, revising. Day 9, Thursday: 15 minutes revising, then 15 minutes editing. Day 10, Friday: handed the article to Mr. Ellison.
9What I learned: When I read my draft to Mom, she asked two things I could not answer: "Which seed should I buy?" and "Where do I hang it so birds don't fly into our window?" My draft told families to get a feeder but never told them how. Then I looked at my tally sheet from Day 2 and saw that I had written the draft from memory. I had counted one cardinal and five house finches, not a lot of cardinals. Leaving the draft alone on Thursday helped, because on Friday I could hear the problems when I read it out loud, instead of just seeing what I meant to say.
SVHS lesson authors, Dalia's writing log for the article, with her reflection (Text 4; her mom and Ms. Varga, her science teacher, are invented). Original passage written for this page.
1Who Eats at the Room 14 Feeder?
2If you walk past Room 14 at lunch, look out the window. A small crowd of birds is probably eating there. The Larkspur Science Club hung a feeder outside that window in December, and for two weeks I counted the birds that came.
3In three 15-minute counts at lunch, I saw 32 birds of five kinds. House finches came most often (13 birds). The males have red heads and chests, so people sometimes mistake them for cardinals. Next came black-capped chickadees (9), small gray birds with black caps. A chickadee grabs one seed and flies to a branch to eat it. I also saw dark-eyed juncos (6), which peck at seeds that fall to the ground, northern cardinals (3) and one downy woodpecker.
4Your family can start a feeder at home. A tube feeder filled with black-oil sunflower seed will bring many of these birds, because the thin shells are easy for small beaks to crack. Hang the feeder closer than 3 feet to a window or farther than 30 feet away. Ms. Varga, our science teacher, explained that a bird leaving a feeder that close to the glass cannot fly fast enough to get hurt if it hits the window. Clean the feeder about every two weeks with hot, soapy water so the birds do not get sick.
5Next time you are near Room 14, bring a notebook and see how many kinds you can count.
SVHS lesson authors, Who Eats at the Room 14 Feeder?, Dalia's revised article as printed in the family newsletter (Text 5; the bird counts are invented, the bird and feeder facts are real). Original passage written for this page.
Independent Practice15 minutes
Hand out Text 6, the writing menu of Teo Marchetti, an invented classmate. Each student labels every task with its time frame, purpose and audience, then plans Teo's two weeks on a blank calendar: when the daily notebook entry happens, when each short task gets written, and which days go to any task that needs more than one session. The quiz also uses Text 6.
1A. Science 6, in class, 15 minutes: Write down what you see in the pond-water sample under the hand lens. Your reader is your lab partner, who will use your notes tomorrow.
2B. Math 6, due tomorrow: Explain in words how you know that 3/4 of a cup is more than 2/3 of a cup. Write it for a fourth grader.
3C. English 6, due in two weeks: Write a short story about a character who has to keep a secret. Share your plan with me by Friday of Week 1, meet with a partner about your draft on Tuesday of Week 2, and revise before the due date.
4D. Social Studies 6, in class, 20 minutes: Write a short speech that a citizen of ancient Athens might give to persuade the Assembly to build a new fountain house for the city's water.
5E. Swim club, this week: Email Ms. Ortega, the manager of the town pool, to ask whether the club may use one lane on Saturday mornings. She has never met you.
6F. Writer's notebook, every school day, 5 minutes: Write about one thing you noticed on your way to school.
SVHS lesson authors, Teo's writing menu for the next two weeks, from five of his classes and clubs (Text 6; Teo Marchetti, his assignments and Ms. Ortega are invented). Original passage written for this page.
Closure5 minutes
Exit ticket: (1) Name one piece of writing you did this week in a single sitting and one reader it was for. (2) Name one piece you have due that needs an extended time frame, and write the date of your first research session for it.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give a printed time-budget strip with the four stages already labeled (read, plan, write, reread) so students only fill in the minutes
For Activity 1, pre-sort two cards into each time-frame column so students can compare the rest with a model
Pre-fill the first week of the routine calendar with the daily notebook entry and one research session, and let students add the rest
For Advanced Students
Ask students to rewrite paragraph 3 of Text 5 for a different reader, such as the second graders in a nearby classroom, and explain what they changed
Have students keep a dated writing log like Text 4 for a real extended piece and write a short reflection at the end
Ask students to plan a three-week piece for a reader outside school, such as a letter to a town librarian, with at least two research sessions
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
In short pieces, look for a plan or budget written before drafting, a response that is finished, and details that fit the reader named in the task. In extended pieces, look for evidence of each stage: new information from research, a pause before rereading, and revisions that change content, not only spelling. In the routine, look for writing on most school days, dated sessions for the extended piece that start well before the due date, and tasks from more than one subject. A student meets the standard through the pattern across many pieces over time, not through any single one.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
Time Frame Card Sort
15 minPairs
Pairs sort eight writing tasks from different subjects into three columns, one sitting, a day or two and extended, and label each card with its purpose and audience.
Task Cards
1. Math, in class, 8 minutes: Explain the mistake in a worked problem to a partner.
2. Science, due in three weeks: Write a report on how the weather changed over a month, from your own daily readings.
3. English, due tomorrow: Write a letter to the author of a book you finished.
4. Art, today: Write a two-sentence label for your painting in the hallway show.
5. Social Studies, due in two weeks: Write a guide to one ancient city for next year's sixth graders, with a draft check-in after one week.
6. Physical Education, in class, 5 minutes: Write the rules of a playground game for a new student.
7. Library, due in two days: Write a book recommendation for the library bulletin board.
8. Every school day, 5 minutes: Write a notebook entry about something you wondered about.
Procedure
Partners read each card aloud and agree on its column
On each card, they write the purpose (explain, persuade, tell a story, thank, inform) and the audience
For the two extended cards, partners list one research step, one reflection step and one revision step
Pairs compare with another pair and discuss any card they placed differently
Discussion Questions
Cards 4 and 6 are both very short. Which one needs more care about its reader, and why?
Card 3 is due tomorrow. What would change if it were due in two weeks?
Which cards are written for readers outside your class?
2
Ten-Minute Quick Write with a Budget
15 minIndividual, then pairs
Students write one complete piece in a single 10-minute sitting, marking the minute they start each part, then compare their budget with what really happened.
Prompt
"Write a note to next year's sixth graders: the one thing you wish someone had told you on your first day of middle school, and why."
Procedure
Post the budget: read 1 minute, plan 2, write 6, reread 1 (10 minutes in all)
Start the timer. Students write the minute in the margin each time they start a new part
When time is called, each student circles the stage that ran over, if any
Pairs trade notes and answer one question: would a fifth grader understand this note and find it useful?
Discussion Questions
Who finished with an ending? What did they do in the first three minutes?
What word or detail shows that your note was written for a fifth grader?
If you had a week for this note, what would you find out first?
Modification for Distance Learning
Run the quick write in a live session with an on-screen timer. Students type in a shared document with version history turned on, so each writer can see when each part was started.
3
My Two-Week Writing Calendar
20 minIndividual, then groups of 3
Students build a real writing routine for their next two weeks from their own assignments in every class. It must include daily short writing, at least one piece written in a day or two and dated sessions for one extended piece.
Materials
A blank two-week calendar, with Diagram 1 as a model
Each student's planner or class pages
Procedure
List every piece of writing due in the next two weeks, in every class, and label each with its time frame, purpose and audience
Choose the extended piece. If no class has one, choose a piece to write for a reader outside school, as Dalia did
Put the extended piece on the calendar first: at least two research sessions, one day away from the draft and one revision session, each on a date
Add the short tasks, then a 5-minute notebook slot on every school day
In groups of three, each student explains one choice; group members point out any day with more than two pieces of writing
Discussion Questions
Where did you put your day away from the draft, and what will you write that day instead?
Who could you read your draft to, the way Dalia read hers to her mom?
What will you do if a new short task lands on a revision day?
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: Dalia's Two Weeks of Writing
The same ten school days, one column per day. The top row follows the newsletter article from research on Day 1 to handing it in on Day 10, with its minutes from Text 4. The middle row holds the short tasks from math, science, the science club and social studies, and the bottom row the 5-minute notebook entry on every school day.
Diagram 2: Minutes on the Article, by Stage, Drawn to Scale
Each bar is drawn at 6 pixels per minute, from the minutes in Dalia's log (Text 4). Research includes the library reading, the three bird counts and the Day 6 email to Ms. Varga; feedback and reflection is the Day 5 read-aloud. The Day 9 session is split into 15 minutes of revising and 15 of editing.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
W.6.10 Homework: Short Pieces Tonight, a Longer Piece This Week
Directions: Do Part 1 tonight, in about 30 minutes, with a timer. Do Part 2 over the next five days in short sessions, and write the date and the number of minutes at the top of each session's work. Keep your first drafts exactly as you left them.
Part 1: Single Sittings (Problems 1-3)
Quick write, 8 minutes: "What is one thing your town or neighborhood needs, and who could make it happen?" Before you start, write a budget with minutes for reading, planning, writing and rereading. Mark the minute you start each part.
Message, 10 minutes: Write a short email or note to a real adult at your school, such as the librarian or a coach, asking for something your class could use. Name the reader, your purpose and one detail that shows you wrote it for that reader.
Subject writing, 10 minutes: Explain one thing you learned in math, science or social studies this week to a classmate who was absent. Use the words that subject uses, and define any word a classmate might not know.
Part 2: An Extended Piece (Problems 4-6)
Choose a topic you know well and a real reader who could use it, such as a how-to guide for a younger cousin or a guide to your favorite park for a new neighbor. Plan at least five dated sessions over the next five days, with at least one research session and one day with no work on the piece.
Carry out your plan. Research one thing you did not already know (ask an adult, read a source or observe), write a first draft, take a day away, read the draft aloud to someone in your audience or someone like them, and revise. Keep a dated log like Dalia's (Text 4).
Hand in your first draft, your revision and your log. Write a paragraph that names two changes you made and says whether research, reflection or revision made each change possible.
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Single Sittings
All three pieces finished in the time given; the quick write has a budget; each piece fits its named reader
One piece unfinished or not fitted to its reader
Two or more pieces missing
Subject Writing
Uses the subject's words correctly and explains them for an absent classmate
Correct but hard for a classmate to follow
Missing or incorrect
Extended Process
Dated log shows research, a day away, feedback and revision; the revision adds information or changes content
Some stages missing, or changes are only spelling
No log or no revision
Reflection
Names two changes and ties each to research, reflection or revision
Names changes without saying what made them possible
No reflection
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
The questions use Texts 1-5 and the diagrams from the lesson plan, and Teo's writing menu (Text 6) in Independent Practice. Paragraph numbers refer to the numbered paragraphs of each text. Your score updates as you answer, and Reset quiz clears everything so you or your students can try again.
Multiple choice: pick an option to check it. Short answer: write your answer, then reveal the model answer.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which pair of assignments gives a sixth grader practice in both kinds of time frame that W.6.10 names?
Answer: B
B pairs a single sitting (15 minutes) with an extended piece that has time for research, reflection and revision. A, C and D are all short time frames: each piece is written in one sitting or in a day or two. Three separate sittings in one week, as in C, are still three short pieces, not one piece that is researched and revised.
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which assignment on Dalia's list (Text 1) is written over "a day or two," rather than in a single sitting or over an extended time?
Answer: D
The science conclusion is "started Thursday of Week 1, due Friday" (paragraph 3), so it takes a day or two. A is 5 minutes and B is 10 minutes in class, so both are single sittings. C is also one sitting: "in class, 20 minutes" (paragraph 5).
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
According to Text 1, who is the audience for Dalia's newsletter article?
Answer: B
Mr. Ellison says the article must be "useful to parents and to younger brothers and sisters," and the assignment says it is "for Larkspur families" (paragraph 6). C mistakes the editor, who prepares the newsletter, for its readers. A and D name people connected to the feeder, but the article is written for families.
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence from Dalia's math explanation (Text 2) shows most clearly that she is writing for a classmate who missed the lesson?
Answer: D
D speaks directly to the absent reader and tells them what the explanation will do (paragraph 2). A, B and C are steps of the solution; any reader of a math explanation would see them, so they do not show this particular audience.
Question 5 of 20 · Multiple Choice
What does the last paragraph of Dalia's math explanation (Text 2) do for her reader?
Answer: A
The paragraph begins "Check" and multiplies 3 by $2.25 and 5 by $2.10 to get back the bag prices (paragraph 3). B misreads the last sentence: the small bag "might still make sense" for someone who needs little seed, but the answer to the question stays the same. C and D describe things the paragraph does not do.
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Dalia's first draft (Text 3, paragraph 3) says "probably like a hundred a day." Why is that a problem for her family readers?
Answer: C
"Probably" and "like" mark the number as a guess, not a count, and Mr. Ellison asked for an accurate article (Text 1, paragraph 6). A goes too far: the revised article uses counted numbers well. B and D miss the problem, which is accuracy, not size or tone.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
According to Dalia's reflection (Text 4), why did her first draft say that cardinals came more often than any other bird?
Answer: D
Dalia writes that she "had written the draft from memory" and that she "had counted one cardinal and five house finches" (paragraph 9). A contradicts that count. B and C have no support in the text: nothing in Text 4 says that the bird guide or Ms. Varga told her which birds come most often.
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
How did leaving the article alone on Day 4 help Dalia (Text 4)?
Answer: B
She writes that the day away helped "because on Friday I could hear the problems when I read it out loud" (paragraph 9). A is wrong because the second count was on Day 6. C has no support, and D is wrong because her mom asked questions; Dalia made the changes.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which of her mom's questions (Text 4) led Dalia to email Ms. Varga on Day 6?
Answer: A
The Day 6 entry says she "asked her Mom's window question" (paragraph 6), and the reflection quotes it (paragraph 9). Her mom's other question was about which seed to buy. B is about a fact in the first draft, not a question her mom asked, and C and D do not appear in the text.
Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Use Diagram 2. About what percent of Dalia's total minutes on the article went to research?
Answer: B
Research took 75 of her 190 minutes (75 + 30 + 20 + 50 + 15 = 190), and 75/190 is about 0.39, or about 40%. A is the drafting share (30/190). C is the share of all the other stages (115/190). D reads the 75 minutes as if it were a percent.
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which sentence in the revised article (Text 5) could Dalia write only because of her research?
Answer: C
The totals come from her three bird counts on Days 2, 6 and 7 (Text 4). A and D are invitations anyone could write, and B is a general statement; none of them needs information she gathered.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which task on Teo's writing menu (Text 6) uses an extended time frame?
Answer: C
Task C runs two weeks and builds in planning, a partner meeting about the draft and revision (paragraph 3). A is written in 15 minutes in class. B is due tomorrow, so it takes a day at most. E is a short email.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Task A on Teo's menu (Text 6) is a set of pond-water notes for his lab partner. Which note fits a science reader best?
Answer: D
Science notes record what was observed, with counts, shapes and sizes, so a partner can use them the next day. A reports a feeling, B is too vague to use, and C is about the writer, not the sample.
Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Task D on Teo's menu (Text 6) is a speech by a citizen of ancient Athens. What does writing it well require that a notebook entry does not?
Answer: A
The task names an audience (the Assembly) and a purpose (to persuade it to build a fountain house), and a history speech should rest on facts about the time. B confuses a list of dates with evidence. C describes a notebook entry, and D describes a story, not a speech.
Question 15 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Teo wants a writing routine for the next two weeks. Which plan fits W.6.10 best?
Answer: C
C writes on a regular schedule, in short and extended time frames, for several tasks at once. A leaves no time for the story's planning, partner meeting and revision. B is not a routine, since nothing is written for days at a time. D drops the short tasks and most of the range of purposes and audiences.
Question 16 of 20 · Short Answer
Your teacher gives you 25 minutes in class to write a paragraph that recommends a book to a classmate. Write a time budget with minutes for reading the prompt, planning, writing and rereading. Then explain in one sentence why you gave planning the time you did.
Model answer: Read the prompt, 2 minutes; plan, 5; write, 14; reread and fix, 4 (2 + 5 + 14 + 4 = 25). Five minutes of planning is enough to choose the book, pick two reasons and one example, and still leave most of the time for writing. Rubric line: 2 points for four stages that add up to exactly 25 minutes and a reason for the planning time; 1 point if the minutes do not add up or the reason is missing; 0 for no budget.
Question 17 of 20 · Short Answer
Rewrite the opening paragraph of Dalia's first draft (Text 3, paragraph 2) in two or three sentences that would make a family want to read on and tell them what the article is about.
Model answer: "Every day at lunch, a group of small, busy birds stops at the feeder outside Room 14. This article tells you which birds they are and how your family can bring the same visitors to your own yard." This replaces the general fact about "more than 10,000 kinds of birds" (paragraph 2) with a detail from the school and a preview of the article's two parts. Rubric line: 2 points for an opening that speaks to families, names the school feeder and previews both parts of the article; 1 point for an opening that does only one of these; 0 if it still begins with a general fact about birds.
Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer
Choose task C on Teo's menu (Text 6). Write a two-week plan with at least five dated sessions. Include the two checkpoints his teacher set, at least one day with no work on the story, and at least one revision session.
Model answer: Week 1, Monday: list three ideas for a secret and choose one (10 minutes). Wednesday: plan the beginning, middle and end (15 minutes). Friday: share the plan with the teacher. Week 2, Monday: draft the whole story (30 minutes). Tuesday: meet with a partner and write down two suggestions. Wednesday: no work on the story. Thursday: revise, using one partner suggestion and one change I notice on rereading (25 minutes). Friday: edit and turn in. Rubric line: 2 points for five or more dated sessions in a sensible order that include both checkpoints (the plan by Friday of Week 1, the partner meeting on Tuesday of Week 2), a day away and a revision session; 1 point if one of these is missing; 0 for no dates.
Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer
Compare paragraph 4 of Dalia's first draft (Text 3) with paragraph 4 of her revised article (Text 5). Name one change and say whether research, reflection or revision made it possible. Use Text 4 as evidence.
Model answer: The draft only says "You can buy one at a store. Put some seeds in it." The revision tells families what to buy, a tube feeder with black-oil sunflower seed, and where to hang it, "closer than 3 feet to a window or farther than 30 feet away." Reflection made the change possible: when Dalia read the draft to her mom, she asked "Which seed should I buy?" and where to hang the feeder, and Dalia saw that her draft "never told them how" (Text 4, paragraph 9). Research then answered the window question, since she asked Ms. Varga on Day 6. Rubric line: 2 points for a specific change quoted or paraphrased from both texts and a stage explained with evidence from Text 4; 1 point for a change without the stage, or the stage without a specific change; 0 otherwise.
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
In one 10-minute sitting, write task B from Teo's menu (Text 6): explain to a fourth grader how you know that 3/4 of a cup is more than 2/3 of a cup.
Model answer: "To compare 3/4 and 2/3, cut both into pieces of the same size. Twelfths work, because 4 and 3 both go into 12. Three fourths is the same as 9 twelfths, and two thirds is the same as 8 twelfths. Nine pieces is more than eight pieces of the same size, so 3/4 of a cup is more." Rubric line: 2 points for a correct comparison explained in short steps and everyday words that a fourth grader could follow; 1 point for a correct answer with a step missing or words too hard for the reader; 0 for an incorrect comparison.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does W.6.10 mean?
W.6.10 means that sixth graders write often, both in short time frames and over extended ones, for many different tasks, purposes and readers.
A short time frame is a single sitting or a day or two, such as a quick write or a lab conclusion due tomorrow. An extended time frame leaves room for research, reflection and revision, such as an article or report built over two or three weeks.
What is an extended time frame in W.6.10?
An extended time frame is enough time for research, reflection and revision, the three things the standard names in parentheses.
A long due date alone does not make a piece extended. If a student ignores a two-week assignment and writes it the night before, it was really written in one sitting. What matters is that the writer gathers information, steps back from the draft and makes real changes.
Is W.6.10 the same as W.5.10 and W.7.10?
Yes, the wording is the same in grades 5, 6 and 7.
What changes is the writing students do under it. The other grade 6 writing standards ask for arguments with clear reasons, informative texts with headings and narratives with dialogue and pacing, so the range of tasks grows each year. The routine itself, writing often in both time frames, stays the same.
What does "discipline-specific" mean for sixth graders?
It means writing the way each subject expects, not only writing English essays.
A math explanation shows steps and checks the answer. A science note records what was observed, with counts and sizes. A social studies piece uses accurate facts about a time and place. Students should notice that each subject has its own words and its own idea of good evidence.
How often should sixth graders write?
The standard says "routinely," which means on a regular schedule, not only when a big project is due.
It gives no number of minutes or pieces. What matters is that writing happens on a regular schedule, in more than one subject and in both time frames, so that students get used to starting, finishing and returning to their work.
Does a writer's notebook count toward W.6.10?
Yes, a daily notebook counts as routine writing in a short time frame, but it covers only part of the range.
A notebook's reader is usually the student, and its purpose is to think on paper. Students also need writing for other readers, such as classmates, younger students and adults outside school, and for other purposes, such as explaining, persuading and thanking.
How is W.6.10 assessed?
W.6.10 is usually assessed through a collection of writing over time rather than a single test question.
Teachers look at a portfolio or writing log for how often students write, for both time frames and for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences. Timed, on-demand writing on classroom and state tests gives evidence of the short time frame; check your state's released tasks for the time limits it uses.
How can a sixth grader keep up with a long assignment?
Put the long assignment on a calendar first, broken into short dated sessions, and fit the quick tasks around it.
Sessions of 15-30 minutes at a regular time are easier for an 11- or 12-year-old to keep than one long session. A written log with the date, the minutes and what was done helps students and teachers see that the piece is really moving.
What is a good first extended piece for sixth graders?
A good first extended piece has a real reader and a topic students can research close to home.
Examples include a guide for younger students, an article for a school or family newsletter, or a report on a local place. Keep it short, about one page, so that the extended time goes into research and revision rather than length.
How can parents help with W.6.10 at home?
Ask your child to show you their writing calendar and what the next session on their long assignment will be.
You can also be a real reader: listen to a draft and ask the questions you would really have, such as what to do or where to find something. Keep a timer in the kitchen for short writing practice, and let your child choose the topic.
07
Related Standards
5 standards
These standards connect to W.6.10: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
W.5.10Prerequisite
Write routinely over extended and shorter time frames in grade 5
Lesson coming soon
Alongside
W.6.4Parallel
Produce clear, coherent writing suited to task, purpose and audience
