CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.5
The Standard
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6—12
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students plan a content-area piece, then use feedback to improve its ideas, organization, evidence, and wording. They edit errors or try a different approach when the draft does not fit its purpose or audience.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can use feedback to reorganize ideas, clarify evidence, remove unrelated details, and improve word choice. The student can explain how each major change better serves the purpose or audience.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often treat revision as fixing spelling and punctuation only. They may add more details without checking whether those details fit the purpose or help the intended reader.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short science explanation written for first graders. Ask them to make two audience-based revisions and explain one change in a sentence.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Print a draft, cut it into sections, and have students rearrange, remove, or add parts to improve clarity for a named audience.
Ask students to write which draft choice best fits a city council, a classmate, or a younger student, then explain why.
Play Revision Sort by placing sample changes under planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
Have students rewrite school safety instructions for new sixth graders, using clear steps, familiar words, and only relevant details.
Free download
Printable WHST.6-8.5 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.5, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.5
The 7th Grade version of this standard.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.5
The 8th Grade version of this standard.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approa...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.5
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
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