W.6.6: Writing and Collaborating Online and Typing Three Pages in One Sitting
In plain English: W.6.6 is the Common Core grade 6 ELA standard that asks students to use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others, for example by drafting in a shared document, commenting on a partner's work and answering readers online. Students also show they can type at least three pages in a single sitting.
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy · Domain: Writing Standards · Cluster: Production and Distribution of Writing · Official standard
Students follow two invented sixth graders, Priya and Marcus, as they write an article together in a shared document, publish it on their class web page and answer comments from a partner class at another school. Along the way, students learn what each basic tool does: comments, suggestions, resolving, version history and a teacher-approved web page. They also learn the rules that keep online work safe and kind: first names only, no personal information, and replies that stay about the writing.
The standard also sets a keyboarding goal: typing at least three pages in a single sitting. Students practice touch typing from the home row, time a 10-minute writing sprint, compute their words per minute, and plan a 50-minute Typing Day. The lesson names no particular program; any shared document with comments and version history, and any school-approved web page, will work.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Produce writing with a partner in a shared document, using comments, suggestions and version history
Publish a piece on a class web page after checking the writing and protecting personal information
Interact and collaborate online with specific, respectful comments and replies that stay about the writing
Use keyboarding skills and a plan to type at least three pages in a single sitting, and measure their progress in words per minute
Prior Knowledge Required
Students should already be comfortable with:
Using technology with some adult guidance to produce and publish writing and typing two pages in a single sitting W.5.6
Writing a short piece for a named reader and purpose W.5.4
Opening, saving and naming a document on a school device
Dividing a whole number by a whole number, such as 480 ÷ 40
"Think of a time you worked on something with a partner who was not in the same room, such as a group project or a shared plan for a party. How did you share ideas? What went wrong, and what worked?"
Take a few answers and sort them into two lists on the board: "Helped us work together" and "Got in the way." Then explain that W.6.6 asks sixth graders to do three things with technology, including the Internet: produce writing (plan, draft and revise it on a device), publish it (share a finished piece with real readers), and interact and collaborate (work with other writers and readers online). It also asks them to type at least three pages in a single sitting, one work session without stopping for the day.
Introduce the project the lesson follows. Ms. Ortiz's sixth graders are writing articles for a Schoolyard Nature Journal on their class web page, and a partner class at another school will read and comment. The teachers, students and schools are invented for this lesson. Read Text 1 aloud.
2This month, our class will publish a Schoolyard Nature Journal on our class web page. Each pair of writers will observe one living thing on the school grounds for a week and write a one-page article about it for readers our age. Our partner class, Mr. Chen's sixth graders at Riverside Middle School, will read the articles online and leave comments, and we will read and comment on their journal too.
3Step 1: Draft together. Partners write in one shared document. Both of you can type in it at the same time, from school or from home. Put your observation notes at the top and your draft below them.
4Step 2: Comment and suggest. Do not delete or rewrite your partner's sentences. Use a comment to ask a question or give a reason, or use suggestion mode so your partner can accept or reject the change. When a comment has been answered, mark it resolved.
5Step 3: Check the history. The shared document keeps a version history that shows who changed what and when. If something disappears, look there before you panic.
6Step 4: Publish. Before you publish, read the article aloud, run the spelling check, and fix what it misses. Use first names only. Do not include addresses, phone numbers or photos of people's faces. When I approve the draft, copy it to the class web page.
7Step 5: Answer your readers. Reply to every question from Mr. Chen's class within two school days. Be specific, be kind, and keep the conversation about the writing.
8Typing Day: On Friday, each of you will type a piece of at least three pages in one class period of 50 minutes. A page for this project is double-spaced in a 12-point font with 1-inch margins, or about 250 words, so three pages is about 750 words.
SVHS lesson authors (Ms. Ortiz, Mr. Chen and both schools are invented), Project Directions: Our Schoolyard Nature Journal (Text 1). Original passage written for this page.
Direct Instruction15 minutes
Define the tools the class will use. A shared document is one file that several writers can open and type in, from school or home. A comment is a note attached to part of the text; it does not change the text. Suggestion mode shows a proposed change that the other writer can accept or reject. Resolving a comment marks it as answered and hides it. The version history is the document's record of saved versions: who changed what, and when. A class web page is a page on the Internet, approved by the teacher, where finished writing is published for readers.
Read Text 2, the comments Priya and Marcus left in their shared document, and then work through the examples. Diagram 1 shows the whole cycle, from shared draft to published page and back.
1Priya's draft, paragraph 1: The crows in the back field are smart. They walk around a lot and they make noise.
2Comment from Marcus: "Smart" is a big claim. What did we see that shows it? On Tuesday one crow dropped a walnut on the blacktop and then ate the inside. Can we put that in?
3Reply from Priya: Yes! That shows it way better than "smart." I'll add it. (Priya marked the comment resolved.)
4Suggestion from Marcus: Change "make noise" to "call to each other with loud caws, three or four at a time." (Priya accepted the suggestion.)
5Comment from Priya: Our ending is boring. Maybe we could end with a question for Mr. Chen's class, like "Do crows at your school do this too?"
6Reply from Marcus: Good idea. But first, can we check the fact about crows remembering faces? I read it on a website, but I don't know who wrote it.
7Comment from Ms. Ortiz: Good thinking, Marcus. Look for a science source, such as a university or museum website, and tell your reader where the fact comes from.
8Version history, Wednesday, 3:42 p.m.: Marcus deleted paragraph 3 by mistake while moving it. At 3:50 p.m., Priya restored it from the version history and commented, "Found it! It was still in the 3:30 version."
SVHS lesson authors (Priya, Marcus and their teacher are invented), Comments in the Shared Document (Text 2). Original passage written for this page.
Producing: a comment that asks for evidence
Priya's first sentence says the crows "are smart." Marcus does not change it. He comments: "'Smart' is a big claim. What did we see that shows it?" and reminds her of the walnut (Text 2, paragraph 2).
Result: The comment improves the writing without taking it over: Priya decides, adds the walnut detail and resolves the comment. Producing writing with technology still means planning, drafting and revising; the shared document lets two writers do it together.
Collaborating: a suggestion the partner can accept
Marcus uses suggestion mode to change "make noise" to "call to each other with loud caws, three or four at a time" (Text 2, paragraph 4).
Result: A suggestion shows the new words next to the old ones, so the partner can accept or reject them. Priya accepts. Both writers keep a say in every sentence, which is what Step 2 of Text 1 asks for.
Producing: recovering lost work
Ana and Luis are writing a book review in a shared document. On Monday afternoon, Luis pastes a new paragraph over Ana's conclusion by mistake. On Tuesday, Ana opens the version history, finds the version saved on Monday morning, and copies her conclusion back.
Result: The version history keeps earlier versions, so a mistake is not permanent. Because it also shows who made each change, partners, and the teacher, can see each writer's part in the review.
Publishing: a checklist before the Internet
Before any article goes on the class web page, Step 4 of Text 1 asks writers to read it aloud, run the spelling check, fix what the check misses, use first names only, and leave out addresses, phone numbers and photos of faces.
Result: Publishing on the Internet means anyone may read the page, so writers check both the writing and their privacy. A spelling check catches misspelled words but not a wrong word spelled correctly, such as there for their, which is why the checklist says to read aloud too.
Keyboarding: planning three pages in one sitting
Three pages at about 250 words each is 3 × 250 = 750 words. A student who writes at about 18 words per minute on a keyboard asks whether a 50-minute class period is enough.
Result: At 18 words per minute, 750 words takes 750 ÷ 18 ≈ 42 minutes. That leaves about 8 minutes to plan and to fix typos at the end. A student who writes more slowly needs faster, more accurate typing, which comes from touch typing with fingers on the home row (Diagram 2) and regular practice.
Guided Practice15 minutes
Priya and Marcus published their article, and Mr. Chen's class commented on it. Read Text 3 with the class. For each reader comment, pairs decide whether it helps the writers, and what the writers should do next. Model the first row, then let pairs complete the table and compare with another pair.
1Clever Crows of the Back Field, by Priya and Marcus
2Every morning this week, six to ten crows landed in the back field before the first bell. They walked in slow circles through the grass, poking at the ground with their beaks, and they called to each other with loud caws, three or four at a time.
3On Tuesday, one crow picked up a walnut, flew over the blacktop and dropped it. The shell cracked open, and the crow landed and ate the nut inside. Scientists at the University of Washington have found that crows can even recognize individual human faces. Do crows at your school do this too?
4Comment from Jonah (Riverside): cool
5Comment from Aaliyah (Riverside): I liked the walnut part because I could picture it. How high did the crow fly before it dropped the walnut?
6Comment from Sam (Riverside): We have crows too! They go through the trash cans by our lunch tables. [Ms. Ortiz removed the rest of this comment.]
7Comment from Leo (Riverside): This article is dumb. Crows are not clever.
8Reply from Priya: Thanks, Aaliyah! It flew about as high as the gym roof. We'll add that to the article so other readers know too.
9Reply from Marcus: Leo, what makes you think that? We watched a crow crack a walnut by dropping it. Have you seen crows do something different?
10Reply from Ms. Ortiz: I removed part of one comment because it included a home address. Please remember our rule: no addresses or other personal information online.
11Version history, Friday: Priya added "It flew about as high as the gym roof" to paragraph 2 and saved a version named "Added the walnut height for Aaliyah."
SVHS lesson authors (the writers and commenters are invented), Clever Crows of the Back Field, as Published, with Reader Comments (Text 3). Original passage written for this page.
Reader comment tracker (pairs fill in the blank cells)
Comment (paragraph)
Helpful, unhelpful or unsafe?
What the writers or teacher should do
Jonah (4)
Aaliyah (5)
Sam (6)
Leo (7)
Discuss: which replies keep the conversation about the writing? What did publishing on the Internet make possible that a printed article on a bulletin board could not?
Independent Practice15-20 minutes
Part A, keyboarding warm-up (5 minutes). Students place their fingers on the home row, eyes on the screen, and type three rows of practice: asdf jkl;, then sad lads fall, then a sentence of their own. Remind them to keep their fingers curved and to reach from the home row and come back.
Part B, a 10-minute writing sprint (10 minutes). Students type a first draft of their own nature journal article, or of any topic they know well, without stopping to fix typos. When the timer ends, they use the word count tool and record the number of words. Then they divide by 10 to find their words per minute and multiply by 50 to estimate how many words they could write in a 50-minute class period. Is that at least 750 words, about three pages?
Part C, first comments (5 minutes, if time allows). Partners share their sprint documents and leave one comment on each other's draft: a specific question or a suggestion with a reason, as in Text 2. The quiz uses Texts 1-3 and Text 4 in Closure; point students back to those phases when they take it.
Closure5 minutes
Exit ticket: (1) Name one tool in a shared document and tell how it helps two writers work together. (2) Write your words per minute from the sprint and one thing you will practice before Typing Day.
Teacher note: The project, both classes and all the writers are invented. The crow details are real behavior: American crows have been seen dropping nuts on hard surfaces to crack them, and studies at the University of Washington found that crows can recognize individual human faces. The standard does not set a typing speed or define a page; this lesson uses the project's definition in Text 1 (double-spaced, 12-point font, 1-inch margins, about 250 words). Choose a comment and publishing space your school approves, and check your school's rules for student privacy before anything is posted. Students without a device at home can complete every step at school.
For the quiz: Questions 1-2 use Text 1 (Warm-Up), Questions 3-5 use Text 2 (Direct Instruction), Questions 6-10 use Text 3 (Guided Practice), and Questions 11-14 use Priya's keyboarding log below. Paragraph numbers are shown beside each text.
1Week 1, Monday: 3-minute typing test, 11 words per minute, 88% accuracy. I still look down at the keys a lot.
2Week 1, Friday writing session: 300 words in 40 minutes.
3Week 3, Monday: typing test, 16 words per minute, 93% accuracy. I keep my fingers on the home row now, A S D F for my left hand and J K L ; for my right. I can feel the bumps on F and J without looking.
4Week 3, Friday writing session: 480 words in 40 minutes. I stopped fixing every typo as I went. Now I fix them at the end.
5Week 6, Monday: typing test, 22 words per minute, 96% accuracy.
6Week 6, Typing Day: 800 words in 50 minutes. I made a quick outline first, took one short stretch break, and saved a named version when I finished.
SVHS lesson authors (Priya and her typing results are invented), Priya's Keyboarding Log (Text 4). Original passage written for this page.
Differentiation Strategies
For Struggling Students
Give comment starters: "I liked ___ because ___." "What did you see that shows ___?" "Could you add ___ so readers know ___?"
Let students type their Typing Day piece from a detailed outline they wrote the day before, and count words at each 10-minute mark
Pair students with a partner who reads comments aloud with them before they reply
For Advanced Students
Ask students to write a one-page guide for next year's sixth graders on how to comment well in a shared document
Have students compare two versions in their own version history and write a short note on what changed and why
Challenge students to find a source for a science fact in their article and add a sentence telling readers where it comes from
Assessment Guidance
What to Look For
For producing, look for drafts that grow through comments and accepted suggestions, not through one partner rewriting the other. For publishing, check that the piece was proofread, uses first names only and includes no personal information or borrowed photos without permission. For collaborating, look for specific, kind comments and replies that answer questions and stay about the writing. For keyboarding, look for fingers on the home row, eyes on the screen and a Typing Day piece of at least three pages (about 750 words) written in one sitting.
02
Classroom Activities
3 Activities
1
Comment Clinic Card Sort
15 minPairs
Each pair gets 8 comment cards written about a classmate's article on the school's vegetable garden. Partners sort each card as helpful, unhelpful or unsafe, then rewrite every unhelpful card so it is specific and kind.
The Eight Cards
Card 1: "Nice job!!!"
Card 2: "Your second paragraph says the tomatoes grew fast. How many centimeters did they grow in a week?"
Card 3: "I live on Maple Court by the gas station. Come see my garden!"
Card 4: "This is boring."
Card 5: "I could picture the bean vines climbing the fence. Maybe add what the beans looked like when they were ready to pick?"
Card 6: "Your partner can't spell, lol."
Card 7: "You spelled 'lettuce' two ways, in paragraphs 1 and 3."
Card 8: "Here is my phone number so we can text about gardens."
Sort Key (for the teacher)
Helpful: Cards 2, 5 and 7 (each names a place in the writing and gives a question, a suggestion or a fact the writers can use). Unhelpful: Cards 1, 4 and 6 (too vague to act on, or unkind). Unsafe: Cards 3 and 8 (they share personal information). Sample rewrite of Card 4: "The first paragraph lost me a little. Could you start with the day the first sprout came up?"
Discussion Questions
What do all three helpful cards have in common?
Why should a teacher, not a classmate, remove an unsafe comment?
2
Shared Draft Relay
20 minGroups of 3
Groups co-write a short article, of about 150 words, for the class web page in one shared document, as Priya and Marcus did. Each writer has a job, and the comments and version history record who did what.
Roles
Drafter: types the first draft from the group's notes
Commenter: leaves at least two comments and one suggestion, each with a reason
Checker: runs the spelling check, reads the draft aloud, checks the Step 4 privacy rules and names the final version
Procedure
3 minutes: agree on the topic and the reader in a comment at the top
7 minutes: the drafter types; the others read along without typing
6 minutes: the commenter comments and suggests; the drafter replies, accepts or rejects, and resolves
4 minutes: the checker checks, then the group shares the draft with the teacher for approval to publish
Discussion Questions
Which comment changed your article the most?
How could the teacher tell each writer's part from the version history?
Modification for Classrooms Without Devices
Groups write on chart paper. Sticky notes stand for comments, a different color stands for suggestions, and the checker writes each version's time and a one-line note on the side of the sheet.
3
Typing Stamina Tracker
15 minIndividual, then pairs
Students build a plan for Typing Day. They take a 3-minute copy test, run two 5-minute writing sprints, and use the numbers to plan how they will reach three pages in 50 minutes.
Procedure
3-minute copy test: type a printed paragraph, then divide the words typed by 3 for words per minute
Sprint 1 (5 minutes): write on a topic of your choice; record the word count
Sprint 2 (5 minutes): keep going, with one change from the partner check below; record the word count again
Compute: words in both sprints ÷ 10 = writing words per minute; that rate × 50 = the estimate for a class period
Partner Check
Between sprints, partners watch each other type for one minute and check three habits: fingers on the home row, eyes on the screen, and no stopping to fix every typo. Each partner names one habit to work on in Sprint 2.
Discussion Questions
Why is your writing rate slower than your copy-test rate?
If your estimate is under 750 words, what two changes could close the gap before Typing Day?
Modification for Distance Learning
Students run the sprints at home with a timer, paste their word counts into a shared class table, and leave one encouraging comment on a classmate's row.
03
Diagrams & Visual Aids
2 diagrams
Diagram 1: The Online Writing Cycle
The steps Priya and Marcus follow in Texts 1-3. Partners draft, comment and revise in a shared document, publish on the class web page with the teacher's approval, and then read and reply to readers' comments. When a reader's comment leads to a change, writers update the page and save a new version.
Diagram 2: The Home Row
Touch typing starts from the home row: the left hand rests on A, S, D and F, and the right hand on J, K, L and the semicolon. Small bumps on F and J let a typist find the home row without looking. Each finger reaches up or down to nearby keys and returns home, and the thumbs press the space bar.
04
Homework Assignment
~30 min
W.6.6 Homework: Comment, Publish Safely and Type Three Pages
Directions: Complete all six problems. Use a device with a shared document if you have one; otherwise, write Problems 1-4 on paper and complete Problem 5 at school. For Problem 5, a page is double-spaced in a 12-point font with 1-inch margins, or about 250 words.
Part 1: Produce and Collaborate (Problems 1-2)
Your partner wrote this paragraph for your class web page: Our school recycles a lot of stuff. There are bins in every room. People should recycle more because it is good. Write three comments your partner could use: one specific compliment, one question, and one suggestion with a reason. Then write one change you would make in suggestion mode instead of retyping it.
Explain in 2-3 sentences each how a version history would help in these two cases: (a) a partner says, "I never changed the ending," but the ending is different; (b) you want to see how your opening read before your partner's big revision last week, to decide which opening is stronger.
Part 2: Publish and Interact Online (Problems 3-4)
A classmate wants to publish this on the class web page: Hi, I'm Dana Whitfield from Room 12. Every day after school I walk home down Birch Lane, and my dog Rocket waits by the gate. Here is a photo of my best friend and me that I found on her page. List every problem that should be fixed before it is published, explain why each one matters, and rewrite the opening so it is safe to publish.
A reader from your partner class posts two comments on your article: "How did you measure the plant?" and "Your article is too long." Write a reply to each that is specific, kind and about the writing.
Part 3: Keyboarding (Problems 5-6)
In one sitting of no more than 60 minutes, type a piece of at least three pages on one of these topics: a place you know well, a skill you could teach a younger student, or a change you would make at your school. Write your start time, your end time and your final word count at the top.
Jordan typed 540 words in 45 minutes. (a) What was his rate in words per minute? (b) How many pages is that, at 250 words per page? (c) At the same rate, how many more minutes would he need to reach 750 words? Then do the same three calculations with your own numbers from Problem 5.
Rubric
Criterion
Full Credit (2 pts)
Partial Credit (1 pt)
No Credit (0 pts)
Collaboration
Three specific, kind comments and a sensible suggestion; both version history cases explained
Comments vague, or one case missing
No comments, or comments that rewrite the partner's work
Safe Publishing
Every problem found, each with a reason; a safe rewrite of the opening
Most problems found, or no rewrite
Problems missed
Online Interaction
Both replies answer the reader specifically and kindly, and stay about the writing
One reply vague or off topic
Replies missing or unkind
Keyboarding
At least three pages typed in one sitting, with times and word count; all calculations correct
Two to three pages, or one calculation wrong
Under two pages, or not in one sitting
05
Quiz: 20 Questions
Interactive, with answers
Instructions
Questions 1-2 use Text 1 in Warm-Up, Questions 3-5 use Text 2 in Direct Instruction, Questions 6-10 use Text 3 in Guided Practice, and Questions 11-14 use Priya's keyboarding log (Text 4) in Closure; paragraph numbers are shown beside each text. The other questions use new situations. 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
Priya thinks the title Marcus typed at the top of their draft, "Birds," is too plain. Following Step 2 of Text 1, what should she do?
Answer: B
Step 2 says, "Do not delete or rewrite your partner's sentences," and to use a comment or suggestion mode "so your partner can accept or reject the change." A comment or suggestion with a reason keeps both partners in charge of the writing. A is exactly what Step 2 forbids. C hands a drafting decision to readers after publishing. D skips the revision that should happen in the shared document before anything is published.
Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice
On Thursday morning, a photo caption Priya wrote on Tuesday is missing from the shared draft, and neither partner remembers removing it. Following Step 3 of Text 1, where should they look first?
Answer: A
Step 3 says the version history "shows who changed what and when" and tells writers, "If something disappears, look there before you panic." An earlier version will still hold the caption. B confuses the version history with the spelling check from Step 4. C and D describe the published page, which does not yet have the draft's new caption.
Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Text 2, paragraph 5, Priya comments that the ending is boring. What makes her comment useful to her partner?
Answer: D
Priya names the problem ("Our ending is boring") and offers a concrete fix aimed at their real readers: a question for Mr. Chen's class, "Do crows at your school do this too?" Marcus agrees, and the published article ends with that question (Text 3, paragraph 3). A and C describe comments that are not in the text, and C would break Step 2. B is wrong because Ms. Ortiz's comment is about checking a fact, not about the ending.
Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Text 2, paragraph 8, what happens after Marcus deletes paragraph 3 by mistake?
Answer: C
At 3:50 p.m., "Priya restored it from the version history" and commented that it "was still in the 3:30 version." This is the situation Step 3 of Text 1 prepares for. A, B and D describe what might happen without a version history; none is in the text.
Question 5 of 20 · Short Answer
In Text 2, Marcus is not sure about a fact he read on a website. What does Ms. Ortiz tell him to do, and how does the published article in Text 3 show that the writers followed her advice? Quote both texts.
Model answer: Ms. Ortiz tells Marcus to "Look for a science source, such as a university or museum website, and tell your reader where the fact comes from" (Text 2, paragraph 7). The writers did both: the article says, "Scientists at the University of Washington have found that crows can even recognize individual human faces" (Text 3, paragraph 3). Naming the university tells readers where the fact came from, which is part of using the Internet well when you publish. Rubric: 2 points for both quotations and a clear link between them; 1 point for one quotation or a vague link.
Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Text 3, Ms. Ortiz removes part of Sam's comment. Which rule from Text 1 is she enforcing?
Answer: D
Ms. Ortiz explains in Text 3, paragraph 10, that the comment "included a home address," and Step 4 of Text 1 says, "Do not include addresses, phone numbers or photos of people's faces." Anyone can read a page on the Internet, so personal information stays off it. A, B and C are real steps in Text 1, but none of them is about what Sam wrote.
Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which reader comment in Text 3 gives the writers the most useful help?
Answer: B
Aaliyah names what worked ("I liked the walnut part because I could picture it") and asks a question the writers can answer: "How high did the crow fly?" Her question leads to an update (paragraph 11). A is friendly, but "cool" gives the writers nothing to act on. C shares an interesting detail, but the comment also broke the privacy rule. D gives an opinion with no reason and is unkind.
Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Why is Marcus's reply to Leo (Text 3, paragraph 9) a good way to interact online?
Answer: A
Marcus asks "what makes you think that?", repeats the walnut evidence and invites Leo to share what he has seen. The reply follows Step 5: "Be specific, be kind, and keep the conversation about the writing." B asks the teacher to remove a comment that is rude but not unsafe. C answers an insult with an insult. D gives up the writers' point without a reason.
Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice
After Aaliyah's question, what do the writers do, and what does publishing online make possible?
Answer: C
Priya replies that the writers will "add that to the article so other readers know too," and the version history shows she added the sentence and saved a version named "Added the walnut height for Aaliyah" (paragraph 11). An online article can be updated after it is published. A is false: the page was updated. B and D describe things that do not happen in the text.
Question 10 of 20 · Short Answer
Jonah's whole comment in Text 3 is "cool." Rewrite it as a helpful comment that names a specific part of the article and asks one question. Then explain in one sentence why your version helps the writers more.
Model answer: "I liked how you described the crows walking in slow circles and poking at the ground. What do you think they were looking for?" This version helps more because it tells the writers which detail worked and asks a question they could answer in an update, while "cool" gives them nothing to act on. Rubric: 2 points for a comment that names a real detail from Text 3, asks a relevant question and is explained; 1 point if the comment is specific but has no question or no explanation.
Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice
In Text 4, Priya wrote 300 words in 40 minutes in her Week 1 writing session. What was her writing rate?
Answer: D
Rate = words ÷ minutes = 300 ÷ 40 = 7.5 words per minute. A is her Week 3 writing rate, 480 ÷ 40. B is her Week 1 copy-test result, not her writing rate. C divides the wrong way round: 40 ÷ 300 ≈ 0.13, which is minutes per word, not words per minute.
Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice
On Typing Day, Priya wrote 800 words in 50 minutes. Using the page length in Text 1, did she meet the three-page goal?
Answer: B
Text 1 defines a page as about 250 words, so 800 ÷ 250 = 3.2 pages, more than the 750 words needed for three. A uses a page length the text never gives. C is wrong because a short stretch break inside one class period is still a single sitting. D gives a reason that has nothing to do with the number of pages.
Question 13 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Suppose Priya had written on Typing Day at her Week 3 writing rate. About how long would 750 words have taken her?
Answer: A
Her Week 3 rate was 480 ÷ 40 = 12 words per minute, and 750 ÷ 12 = 62.5 minutes, more than the class period. B uses her Week 3 copy-test rate of 16 (750 ÷ 16 ≈ 47), but writing is slower than copying. C confuses the length of her Week 3 session with the time needed for 750 words. D uses her Week 6 copy-test rate (750 ÷ 22 ≈ 34), not her Week 3 writing rate.
Question 14 of 20 · Short Answer
Name two habits from Priya's log that helped her write more words in one sitting. Quote the log for each, and explain how each habit helps.
Model answer: First, she types from the home row: "I keep my fingers on the home row now" and "I can feel the bumps on F and J without looking" (paragraph 3). Keeping her eyes on the screen instead of the keys makes her faster and more accurate; her test rose from 11 to 16 words per minute. Second, "I stopped fixing every typo as I went. Now I fix them at the end" (paragraph 4). She keeps her ideas moving instead of stopping every few words, and her writing session rose from 300 to 480 words in the same 40 minutes. A third good answer is making "a quick outline first" (paragraph 6), so she did not have to stop to decide what came next. Rubric: 2 points for two habits, each quoted and explained; 1 point for one.
Question 15 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A student wants to add a photo of a bald eagle, which she found on a nature website, to her article on the class web page. What should she do first?
Answer: C
A photo belongs to the person who took it, even when it is online, so a writer uses it only if the owner allows reuse, and credits it, or takes her own photo instead. A and D try to hide the source, which does not make the photo hers. B is false: being on the Internet does not make a photo free to use.
Question 16 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Which detail is safe to include in an article published on a class web page?
Answer: D
First names and a class name identify the writer to readers without telling a stranger how to find her, which is the rule in Step 4 of Text 1. A and C give personal information that shows where and when someone could find the writer. B shares another person's face without permission.
Question 17 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A reader from another school is commenting on an article about a school garden. Which comment follows good rules for interacting online?
Answer: A
The comment names a place in the writing and asks a question the writers can answer, which is specific, kind and about the writing. B shares plans to find the writers in person, which is unsafe. C and D are unkind and give the writers nothing to act on.
Question 18 of 20 · Multiple Choice
Jada types with two fingers and looks down at the keys after every word. Which change would help her most to type three pages in one sitting?
Answer: B
Touch typing, with fingers resting on the home row and eyes on the screen, lets a typist use all ten fingers and stop looking back and forth, so speed and accuracy grow with practice (Diagram 2). A does not change how she types. C slows her down; Priya's log shows the opposite habit helped. D does not change her typing speed, and three pages still need about 750 words.
Question 19 of 20 · Multiple Choice
A page is about 250 words. Leo writes at about 25 words per minute on a keyboard. About how long will three pages take him?
Answer: C
Three pages is 3 × 250 = 750 words, and 750 ÷ 25 = 30 minutes. A finds the time for only one page: 250 ÷ 25 = 10. B divides 750 by 50, doubling his rate. D multiplies the 3 pages by his rate of 25 instead of dividing the words by the rate.
Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer
Plan your own Typing Day. Name a topic, write a three-part outline in phrases, and explain two things you will do so that you can type at least three pages in 50 minutes.
Model answer: Topic: how to care for a pet rabbit. Outline: (1) choosing a hutch and bedding; (2) food, water and daily care; (3) handling and play. I will spend the first 3 minutes on the outline, so I never stop to wonder what comes next. I will keep my fingers on the home row and fix typos only in the last 5 minutes. At my sprint rate of 17 words per minute, 42 minutes of typing gives about 714 words, so I will also practice twice before Friday to reach at least 18 words per minute. Rubric: 2 points for a clear topic and outline and two specific strategies tied to the three-page goal; 1 point for a topic and outline with one strategy or vague strategies.
0 of 20 answered · 0 correct
06
Frequently Asked Questions
10 Questions
What does W.6.6 mean?
W.6.6 means that sixth graders use technology, including the Internet, to write, publish and work with others, and that they can type at least three pages in one sitting.
In practice, students draft on a device, share and comment in a shared document, publish finished work for real readers, and respond to those readers respectfully.
Does W.6.6 require a certain typing speed?
No. The standard sets a length, a minimum of three pages in a single sitting, not a speed.
Speed matters only because it decides whether three pages fit in the time available. A student who writes about 15 words per minute can produce three pages of about 250 words each in roughly 50 minutes.
How long is a page in W.6.6?
The standard does not define a page, so schools and teachers choose a format.
A common choice is double-spaced text in a 12-point font with 1-inch margins, which comes to roughly 250 to 300 words. Tell students the format before the sitting, as the project in this lesson does.
What counts as a single sitting?
One continuous work session, such as a class period, rather than work spread over several days.
A short stretch break inside the session is still one sitting. The point is writing stamina: keeping ideas and typing going long enough to finish a longer piece.
How is W.6.6 different from W.5.6 and W.7.6?
W.5.6 asks for the same work with some guidance and support from adults and sets the typing goal at two pages; W.6.6 drops that support phrase and raises the goal to three pages.
W.7.6 keeps producing, publishing and collaborating, adds linking to and citing sources, and no longer states a page count.
What does "interact and collaborate with others" look like in grade 6?
It looks like writing with a partner in a shared document, leaving and answering comments, and replying to readers of published work.
Good collaboration uses comments and suggestions instead of rewriting a partner's words, and good interaction is specific, kind and about the writing.
Is it safe for 11- and 12-year-olds to publish online?
It can be, when the teacher controls the space and students follow clear privacy rules.
Use a school-approved page, have the teacher approve every piece, use first names only, and leave out addresses, phone numbers, schedules and photos of faces. Check your school's rules for student privacy first.
Do students need to use a particular program for W.6.6?
No. Any tool with a shared document, comments and a version history will do, and so will any school-approved web page for publishing.
What matters is what students do with the tools: draft, comment, revise, publish and respond. Chart paper and sticky notes can stand in for comments when devices are not available.
How can a teacher assess W.6.6?
Use the record the tools keep, plus a timed typing task.
The comments and version history show each writer's part and how the draft grew. The published piece shows safe publishing, the replies show online interaction, and a Typing Day piece of at least three pages, with start and end times, shows keyboarding.
How can parents help with W.6.6 at home?
Ask your child to show you a shared document and explain one comment and how they answered it.
If you have a device at home, a few 10-minute typing sessions a week with fingers on the home row help. Talk about what is and is not safe to share online, such as addresses and photos of other people.
07
Related Standards
5 standards
These standards connect to W.6.6: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.
Before this lesson
W.5.6Prerequisite
With adult support, use technology to publish and collaborate; type two pages in a sitting
Lesson coming soon
Alongside
W.6.4Parallel
Produce clear, coherent writing suited to task, purpose and audience
