CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.4
The Standard
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6—12
What This Standard Means
Students need to write in a way that fits the assignment, the reason for writing, and the reader. A lab explanation, a history argument, and a technical procedure should not sound the same. They must choose details, order ideas clearly, and use a style that matches the situation.
Mastery looks like a focused piece with a clear structure, useful evidence, and word choice that fits the audience. Students often get stuck by listing facts with no purpose, using a casual tone in formal writing, or organizing ideas in the order they found them instead of the order readers need.
Ways to Teach It
- Give students the same source set and have them write a museum label, a textbook paragraph, and a student blog post.
- Ask students: Who is your reader, what do they need to know, and what should they think or do after reading?
- Use three colored pencils to mark purpose, audience clues, and organization in a draft, then name one needed revision.
- Show a city council public comment, a lab report, and a repair manual, then compare how each writer adjusts style.
What This Unlocks
Mastery here sets students up for these next.
Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
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