Standard: 7.W.1d – Establish and maintain a formal style.
Grade level: Grade 7
Subject: English Language Arts
Domain: Writing
Teacher Overview
This standard focuses on helping students establish and maintain a formal writing style, which is crucial for academic and professional communication. Mastery of this standard ensures that students can effectively convey their ideas in a clear, respectful, and professional manner. Students should have a foundational understanding of different writing styles and purposes, as well as basic writing structure. This includes knowledge of sentence and paragraph formation.
After mastering this standard, students will be able to apply a formal style consistently across various types of writing, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively in academic and professional settings.
Common Misconception 1
A common misconception is that formal writing requires the use of overly complex vocabulary. This is incorrect because formal writing should prioritize clarity and precision, not complexity.
Intervention 1
To address this misconception, provide students with examples of formal writing that use clear and straightforward language. Emphasize the importance of clarity and precision in formal writing.
Common Misconception 2
Another misconception is that formal writing is devoid of any personal voice. This is not true; formal writing can still reflect the writer’s unique voice through careful word choice and tone.
Intervention 2
To remediate this misconception, explain that while formal writing is objective and professional, it can still convey the writer’s voice. Provide examples that illustrate this balance.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Students should understand the basics of writing structure, including sentence and paragraph formation. They should also be familiar with different writing styles and purposes, such as narrative, persuasive, and expository writing.
Subsequent Knowledge
After mastering this standard, students will be able to apply a formal style consistently across various types of writing. They will also develop skills in writing for different audiences and purposes, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively in academic and professional settings.
Instructional Activities
- Analyze examples of formal and informal writing.
- Practice rewriting informal texts in a formal style.
- Conduct peer reviews focusing on maintaining a formal style.
- Write formal letters or emails to hypothetical recipients.
- Create a formal research paper on a given topic.
