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Language Arts - Secondary Curriculum English Language Arts Grade 11-12
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Writing Standard 5

Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grades 11-12.)
  • Evaluating Eyewitness Reports
    This lesson from EDSITEment offers students experience in making historical meaning from eyewitness accounts that present a range of different perspectives. The lesson asks students to evaluate the reliability of this primary source and to draw up a list of questions they would want to ask and issues they would want to explore before making this eyewitness report part of the historical record. To conclude the lesson, students apply their research skills to present-day eyewitness accounts, gathering published examples or conducting interviews, and produce a report on their value and use as historical evidence.
  • Every Punctuation Mark Matters: A Minilesson on Semicolons
    Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" demonstrates that even the smallest punctuation mark signals a stylistic decision, distinguishing one writer from another and enabling an author to move an audience. In this mini-lesson, students first explore Dr. King's use of semicolons and their rhetorical significance. They then apply what they have learned by searching for ways to follow Dr. King's model and use the punctuation mark in their own writing. Note that while this lesson refers to the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," any text which features rhetorically significant use of semicolons can be effective for this mini-lesson.
  • Grade Band 11-12 Performance Assessment
    This sample English Language Arts performance assessment for Grade Band 11-12 covers three texts: 1) Theodore Roosevelt, The Man with the Muckraker 2) Upton Sinclair, The Jungle and 3) Jacob Riis. How the Other Half Lives.
  • Lesson Starter: Write a Proposal
    Students collaboratively write a proposal to help solve a community problem in innovative ways.
  • NaNoWriMo Youth Writing Project
    November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). This site is dedicated to encouraging young writers to sit down and write the book they have always wanted to write. Writing contests and educator resources to help teachers motivate their students to write.
  • Sample Student Performance Assessment for Grade Band 11-12
    This sample English Language Arts performance assessment for Grade Band 11-12 covers three texts: 1) Henry David Thoreau. Walden 2) Thornton Wilder. Our Town and 3) Emily Dickinson. VII. ALMOST!


UEN logo http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Naomi  Watkins and see the Language Arts - Secondary website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.