Sixth Grade - On-Demand Informative / Explanatory Writing Samples - Common Core Standard W.CCR.2

Sep 22, 2026

Sixth Grade writing samples and teacher directions focus on on-demand informative/explanatory writing aligned to Common Core Standard W.CCR.2. Students read provided texts independently, take notes, and refer back to the passages while marking up as needed. The plan allows three sessions with about 45 minutes each, without strict timing, emphasizing drafting, proofreading, and use of personal dictionaries or familiar spelling resources. Guidance includes note-taking support and proper paper or saved work settings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatPDF

Pages17

Reading Time6 min

AccessFree to download

Teacher Directions

Writing process and timing

Student support and resources

Digging In

Robert J. Hastings - text excerpt

" !" $%&&%"' ())*+,-.* /0-,-"1 )%0 233 4,56*",7 "\#$$%&'(\#) \#* +$$ ,'-.%)' /\#01 ,234$%56 789: !" $%& '&()*+, -(.,.+/ 0*1123*(2,.4&5 6.,% 7,89&+, :;%.&4&)&+, <2(,+&(= 2+9 0077> Sixth Grade On-Demand Informative / Explanatory Writing Samples 343 Informative / Explanatory Writing Common Core Standard W.CCR.2 6-‐8 Teacher Directions • The texts provide the information needed to address the prompt, and students should independently read the texts carefully before writing. Encourage students to refer back to the text while writing and to take notes, and to mark up the text as much as is helpful to them. • Students should be given three sessions for the prompt. Allow approximately 45 minutes for each, but the prompt should not be strictly timed. Students should be given as much time as needed to plan, write, and proofread. • The writing must be done without help, but students may have access to personal dictionaries, or any other resources to support spelling and mechanics that they are accustomed to using while writing. o Be sure students have paper to take notes or do whatever pre-‐planning they might choose to do. o If students are writing by hand, provide lined paper from your classroom for writing. If they are using a word processor, make sure they save their work so it can be accessed the next day. • This will be first draft writing, but encourage students to proofread and correct any errors they find. 344 345 Digging In By Robert J. Hastings The closing of Old West Side Mine meant the end of anything resembling a steady job for the next eight years. From 1930 on, it was a day’s work here and a day’s work there, a coal order from the welfare office, a few days on WPA, a garden in the back yard, and a few chickens and eggs. We weathered the storm because of Dad’s willingness to take any job and Mom’s ability to stretch every available dollar. It was not so much a matter of finding a job as of filling in with odd jobs wherever and whenever you could, and most of the “jobs” were those you made for yourself. My diary shows that Dad sold iron cords door to door,“worked a day in the hay,” bought a horse to break gardens, rented an extra lot for a garden on the shares, picked peaches, raised sweet potato slips, traded an occasional dozen of eggs at the grocery, hung wallpaper,“painted Don Albright’s house for $5,” picked up a day or two’s work at the strip mines, guarded the fence at the county fairgrounds, cut hair for boys in the neighborhood, sold coal orders, and when he had to and could, worked intermittently on WPA. With no dependable income, we cut back on everything possible. We stopped the evening paper, turned off the city water and cleaned out our well, sold our four-‐door Model T touring car with the snap-‐on side curtains and isinglass, stopped ice and milk delivery, and disconnected our gas range for all but the three hot summer months. There was no telephone to disconnect, as we didn’t have one to start with! We did keep up regular payments on two Metropolitan Life Insurance policies. Page after page of old receipt books show entries of 10 cents per week on one policy and 69 cents a month on another. As long as we could, we made house payments to the Marion Building and Loan, but a day came when we had to let those go, too. Fortunately, we were able to save our house from foreclosure. When so many borrowers defaulted, the Marion Building and Loan went bankrupt. Creditors were allowed to pay just about any amount to satisfy the receivers. But that was the catch – who had “just about any amount” to pay? A house behind ours sold for $25 . Many good houses in Marion sold for $5 to $100 and were torn down and moved to nearby towns. We settled with the loan company for $125, or ten cents on the dollar for our $1250 mortgage. I’ll never forget the day Dad cleared it all up, making two or three trips to town to bring papers home for Mom to sign. He was able to borrow the

FAQs

What do students do before writing the response?

Students independently read the provided texts carefully, take notes, and refer back to the text while writing. They are also encouraged to mark up the text as helpful.

How much time is recommended for the writing prompt?

The prompt allows three sessions. Approximately 45 minutes per session is suggested, but the writing is not strictly timed; students should have enough time to plan, write, and proofread.

Are students allowed help while writing?

The writing must be done without help. Students may use personal dictionaries or other spelling and mechanics resources they are accustomed to using.

Sep 22, 2026

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