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ARKANSAS WITS

Grades 11 & 12

WITS & The Standards   COMMON CORE ALIGNMENT
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Grades 11 & 12 Common Core Language Standards Alignment

Conventions of Standard English:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.1.a: Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.1.a: Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern American Usage) as needed.
WITS Alignment:

All visiting writers have taught and/or currently teach composition at the university level, and the goals of UArk Composition include the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested. Through class discussion and in individual writing exercises, students will be able to call attention to conventions of usage and call them into question. In doing so, students will be able to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Conventions of Standard English, continued:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

WITS Alignment:

Students will be able to write poems that incorporate and call attention to these aspects of English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

Knowledge of Language:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.3 Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.3.a: Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading.
WITS Alignment:

The WITS program is designed so that students will be able to pay close attention to how language functions. Students will be able to apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. Many of our prompts contain a revision component that is designed to call attention to organization and structure; through re-ordering information, students will be able to notice a poem’s meaning and focus can be determined by its structure and syntax. Through this activity, students will also be able to demonstrate nuances in word meanings, syntax, punctuation, and word relationships.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4.a: Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4.b: Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4.c: Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.4.d: Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers will read published poems as models aloud to the students. Through class discussion, students will then be able to collectively decode unknown words by using context clues, position, and function. Visiting writers will introduce writing prompts though which students will be able to call attention to patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech. Word banks (and/or other vocabulary tools) will also be presented so that students will be able to practice employing unfamiliar words and phrases within their poems. Visiting writers will also incorporate classroom dictionaries and reference materials into prompts and exercises as well.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use, part 2:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

WITS Alignment:

Our poetry prompts are designed so that students will be able to demonstrate understanding of figurative language and word relationships, and be able to call attention to nuances in word meanings. Some of our prompts are designed so that students will be able to call attention to figures of speech. Students will also be able to analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations, better understand relationships between words, and use word relationships in writing for effect and for meaning-making.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use, part 3:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.11-12.6 Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

WITS Alignment:

Many of our prompts require students to focus their attention on the careful selection of words and phrases and to consider the importance of language with regard to comprehension and expression. Visiting writers will read model poems aloud to the students. Through class discussion, students will be able to discuss the meaning, effects, and importance of words and phrases, and then, individually, students will be able to carefully select words and phrases (oftentimes incorporating vocabulary and phrases from these model poems) when making their own poetry.

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Grades 11 & 12 Common Core Reading Standards Alignment – Literature

Key Ideas and Details:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

WITS Alignment:

When presenting prompts, visiting writers will read published poems aloud as models. Through class discussion, students will be able to cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. Students will also be able to determine where the text leaves matters uncertain.

Key Ideas and Details, continued:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers will present prompts using published poems as models. Through class discussion, students will be able to determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text. Students will be able to analyze development of central themes over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account. Additionally, students will be able to provide an objective summary of the text.

Craft and Structure:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers will present model poems that allow students to analyze, through class discussion, the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. This will include figurative and connotative language, words with multiple meanings, or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or powerful. Students will then put these technical aspects of poetry into practice with their own individual writing. The WITS program is designed so that students will be able to look closely at language and demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Craft and Structure, part 2:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers will read model poems aloud to the students. Through class discussion, students will be able to analyze how a writer’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text ontribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

Craft and Structure, part 3:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement).

WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers will read aloud and/or project model poems which contains a distinguished point of view (e.g. employing satire, sarcasm, irony, understatement). Through class discussion, students will be able to analyze point of view and distinguish what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant. Additionally, through imitation exercises and prompts, students will then be able to practice using satire, sarcasm, irony, and/or understatement within their own individual writing.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.7 Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text.

WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers will present a subject or narrative in two different artistic mediums (poetry, music, art, etc.) Through class discussion, students will be able to analyze the representation of this subject, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment. Additionally, they will consider the meaning, tone, and themes of the presented work and develop poems that either contain reflections and observations or act as a companion piece. Another approach: when presenting prompts, visiting writers will read aloud and/or display poems by writers outside the U.S. These poems will be accompanied by an English translation, and in some cases multiple translations will be presented. Through class discussion, students will be able to analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience. Additionally, when comparing translations, students will be able to analyze differences in meaning and effect. They will also be able to demonstrate nuances in word meanings, syntax, punctuation, and word relationships.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, continued:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.9 Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers will read published poems as models aloud to the students. These works will have been written by 18th, 19th, and early 20th century American writers. Students will be able to discuss how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics. Additionally, students will be able to write response poems and/or imitation poems in relation to the presented works.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity – Grade 11:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11-CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers introduce students to poems both at grade-level and above grade-level. This contributes to students reading, comprehending, and seeking out advanced texts by the end of the academic year.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity – Grade 12:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11-CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.

WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers introduce students to poems both at grade-level and above grade-level. This contributes to students reading, comprehending, and seeking out advanced texts by the end of the academic year.

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Grades 11 & 12 Common Core Speaking & Listening Standards Alignment

Comprehension and Collaboration:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.a: Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.c: Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1.d: Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.
WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers lead a 2-day discussion and workshop about poetry, poetic terms, and creative writing with the students. Students will be able to listen to the writers and to their peers, participate in guided discussion, acknowledge and build on one another’ ideas, clearly express their own observations, and ask (and answer) questions for clarification. Our workshop takes place over two consecutive days, and students are required to recall the previous day’s lesson, review and explain key ideas, draw upon that information and apply it to their work on the second day. Upon the completion of each prompt, when students take turns sharing their poems by reading aloud to the class, the class will be able to adhere to the “poets’ code” and practice careful and respectful listening.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

WITS Alignment:

WITS prompts are designed so that students will be able to draw from their own knowledge, observations, and experiences in order to make poems. Our program emphasizes the value of conveying a clear and distinct perspective and playing close attention to organization, development, substance, and style. Additionally, students will consider purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks while writing. At the conclusion of each prompt, students are given the opportunity to take turns reading their poems aloud to the class.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas, continued:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

WITS Alignment:

Students will be able to adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks and write poems that incorporate formal English and informal discourses. Through this activity, students will be able to call attention to the relationship between discourse and appropriate task and situation.

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Grades 11 & 12 Common Core Writing Standards Alignment

Text Types and Purposes:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3.a: Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3.b: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3.c: Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3.d: Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3.e: Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers present prompts that ask students to write narrative poems (real or imagined) and students will be able to employ effective technique, carefully select descriptive details, and choose event sequences. Many prompts are designed so that students will be able to establish a problem, situation, or observation at the onset of a poem. Students will be able to use narrative techniques–such as dialogue, pacing, sequencing, and description–to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. The WITS program emphasizes the value using precise language, and is designed to encourage the employment of concrete details and sensory details in order to convey an abstract concept. Specificity is emphasized and encouraged. Students will be able to incorporate their own reflections into their work. Additionally, students will be able to call attention to the sequencing of elements and their development, and close with a reflective conclusion. Many prompts are designed so that students will employ transition words and phrases, calling attention to the relationships among experiences and events.

Production and Distribution of Writing:

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.

WITS Alignment:

Students receive clear, specific instructions and prompts for making poems and will be able to produce clear and coherent poems containing proper development, organization, and style. Lessons and prompts are designed in such a way that students will be able to consider their own poem’s organization and structure, style, purpose, and intended audience.

Production and Distribution of Writing, continued:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.5 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.

WITS Alignment:

Visiting writers will ask students to brainstorm (collectively and/or independently) before writing. Visiting writers walk around the room and spend one-on-one time with students as they work on their poems. Visiting writers also introduce students to revision techniques such as replacing weak, vague verbs with strong, specific verbs; improving descriptions by choosing more specific language; and/or removing ineffective lines from their poems. Students are also encouraged to play with syntax and re-order their lines. Throughout the writing process, students will be able to focus on how well purpose and audience are being addressed. Many WITS prompts are designed with a built-in revision component.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.9.a: Apply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics”).
WITS Alignment:

Many prompts are designed to function as responses to model published poems. Through class discussion, students will be able to determine themes, patterns, and archetypes within a poem. Students are also encouraged to bring their own knowledge, observations, and experience into the conversation. Visiting writers will read published poems as models aloud to the students. These works will have been written by 18th, 19th, and early 20th century American writers. Students will be able to discuss how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics. Additionally, students will be able to write response poems and/or imitation poems in relation to the presented works. When making their own poems, students will synthesize their own experiences, observations, and knowledge with the forms and techniques presented by visiting writers in model poems.

Range of Writing:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

WITS Alignment:

Students will be able to write poems from a variety of prompts over short time frames (each prompt ranges from 2 to 15 minutes). Prompts are presented using published poems as models. Visiting writers guide students in a discussion about the model poem’s purpose and intended audience, and students will be able to write with a specific purpose and with a specific audience in mind.