MSDE Arts Literacy Team
April 14, 2013
Arts Writing Connections to Common Core Standards
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing, Black
Core Arts Connections Writing, Red, Grades 6-8
Core Arts Connections-Writing, Blue, Grades 9-12
Cluster: Text Types
and Purposes
Common Core Standards
1. Write arguments to support claims in an
analysis of substantive topics or texts, using
valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence.
Arts Writing 6-8 Grades
1. Prepare in writing an argument about an
issue or topic related to a specific arts
discipline. The argument might take the form
of a critique, review, letter, or petition. It
might assess the quality of a performance,
media presentation, exhibition, or specific
musical composition, dance, play, film/video,
or visual artwork. Or it might address the
suitability of a performance or exhibition for a
particular audience or venue. Support the
opinion with logical reasoning and relevant,
accurate data and evidence using credible
sources.
Arts Writing 9-12 Grades
1. Write ARGUMENT TEXT: Text that persuades
or convinces.
Take a definite stand on an issue related to a
specific arts discipline. Write a persuasive
argument or claim that presents and defends
your point of view. Your argument might take
the form of a critique, review, letter, or
petition. It might assess the quality of a
performance, media presentation, exhibition,
or specific musical composition, dance, play,
film/video, or visual artwork. Or it might
address the suitability of a performance or
exhibition for a particular audience or venue.
A sound argument:
 Clearly states the issue and your claim.
 Weighs the claims and counterclaims
on both sides of the issue and points
out the strong and weak points of
both arguments based on accurate
evidence or data from trustworthy
sources.
 Refutes the counterclaims with logical
reasoning.
 Uses words and phrases such as for
example, therefore, however, on the
other hand, to make the relationship
between claims, counterclaims,
reasons, and evidence absolutely
clear.
 Finishes with a conclusion that follows
MSDE Arts Literacy Team
April 14, 2013
logically from your argument.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine and convey complex ideas and
information clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization, and analysis
of content.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts such as
labels, captions, program notes, or website
entries, to convey information and ideas that
are accurate and relevant.
2. Write INFORMATIONAL TEXT: Text that
provides information or explains.
Write text that examines and conveys
information clearly and accurately. The text
might consist of exhibition panels and labels,
program notes, story or plot synopses,
performer biographies, instructional brochures,
picture captions, publicity flyers, or any other
arts-related text that serves the purpose of
conveying information.
A clear, well-organized informational text:
 Selects and presents facts and
concepts that are accurate, pertinent,
and well suited to a specific audience
and purpose.
 Groups related facts, topics, and
concepts together, perhaps using
headings, captions, or graphics to
make their organization clear.
 Develops the topic with well-chosen,
clearly-worded details that might
include quotations, concrete data, or
definitions of domain-specific
vocabulary.
 Uses transition words or phrases, such
as in addition or next, to reinforce the
organization of the text.
 Concludes with a statement that is a
natural outgrowth of the text and may
suggest further discussion.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective
3. Write a narrative that expresses real or
imagined experiences or events in the form of
3. Write NARRATIVE TEXT: Text that tells a
story or relates a sequence of events.
MSDE Arts Literacy Team
April 14, 2013
technique, well-chosen details, and wellstructured event sequences.
a dance, play, video, film, or piece of music or
visual art. Or write a detailed step-by-step
narrative that explains the use of a specific
technique or the process of creating a specific
artwork.
A. Using art forms and techniques inherent in
dance, theatre, video/film, music, or visual art,
create an original narrative or original
interpretation of an existing story that uses real
or imagined experiences or events. While
some narratives might take the form of written
stories or scripts, others might communicate
primarily through movement, sound, or visual
imagery.
A narrative text:
 Introduces a problem or situation
 Establishes a setting or context for the
story
 Introduces a narrator and/or
characters
 Moves the story forward in a way that
reflects the characters’ actions,
thoughts, and feelings as well as the
creator’s point of view using any of
these devices: dialogue, large body
movement, telling gestures,
expressive sound, light, or visual
imagery.
 Signals shifts in time and place and
shows how one event builds upon
another over time.
 Reflects on challenges met or unmet,
problems resolved or unresolved, or
lessons learned.
Cluster: Production
and Distribution of
Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the development, organization, and style are
4. After identifying the intended audience and
purpose of a piece of writing, produce clear
coherent text that conveys pertinent
B. Write a detailed step-by-step sequence of
events that explains the use of a specific
material, procedure, or technique used in the
process of carrying out an arts-related task.
4. After identifying the intended audience and
purpose of a piece of writing, produce clear
coherent text that conveys pertinent
MSDE Arts Literacy Team
April 14, 2013
Cluster: Research to
Build and Present
Knowledge
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
information in an arts-related flyer, poster,
program, or exhibition label.
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed
by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach.
5. Develop and strengthen a piece of writing as
needed by revising, editing, rewriting, or trying
a new approach until it satisfies its purpose and
the needs of its audience. Seek opinions and
guidance from peers, teachers and other
adults. Compare the revision process with the
way a dance, play, film/video, musical
composition, or piece of visual art is rethought
or reworked to achieve the desired result.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce and publish writing and to interact and
collaborate with others.
6. Use technology to explore relationships
between the written word, images, and sound.
Use the Internet to produce and/or distribute
writing and other creative work in order to
encourage interaction and collaboration among
like-minded students.
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained
research projects based on focused questions,
demonstrating understanding of the subject
under investigation.
7. Conduct short narrowly focused research
projects to answer a given or self-generated
arts-related question, drawing on several
sources. Compile additional related focused
questions that might serve as starting points
for future explorations.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple
print and digital sources; assess the credibility
8. Carry out an extended research project on
an arts-related topic, gathering relevant
information in an arts-related brochure,
manual, program, exhibition label, flyer, poster
or website. Follow guidelines described in
Writing Standard 2, above.
5. Develop and strengthen a piece of writing
by revising, editing, and rewriting, guided by
Writing Standards 1-3, above. Seek opinions
and guidance from peers, teachers, and other
adults. If necessary, rethink the organization
of the piece or try a new approach to the
subject until the piece of writing satisfies its
purpose and the needs of its audience.
Compare the revision process with the way a
dance, play, film/video, piece of music, or
visual art is reworked to achieve the desired
result.
6. Use technology to explore relationships
between the written word, visual images, and
sound. Use the Internet to produce and/or
distribute writing and other creative work in
order to encourage interaction and
collaboration among like-minded students.
Take advantage of technology’s capacity to link
to other information and to display information
flexibly and dynamically. Update work in
response to ongoing feedback that might
include new information, opinions, or logical
arguments.
7. Conduct short narrowly focused research
projects or more extended projects to answer a
given or self-generated arts-related question.
Draw on and synthesize multiple sources in
order to demonstrate a thorough
understanding of the subject under
investigation. Narrow or broaden the inquiry
as necessary.
8. Carry out an extended research project on
an arts-related topic. Use search terms
MSDE Arts Literacy Team
April 14, 2013
Cluster: Range of
Writing
and accuracy of each source, and integrate the
information while avoiding plagiarism.
information from multiple print and digital
sources. Use search terms effectively, and
assess the credibility and accuracy of each
source. Integrate the information, avoiding
plagiarism, into a written report or visual,
aural, theatrical, or kinesthetic presentation.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational
texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
9. Apply all grade level reading standards
when selecting and using literary or
informational texts as source material for
writing. Seek evidence, make logical
inferences, determine central ideas or themes,
summarize key ideas, connect ideas, interpret
symbols and key terms, analyze structure, and
compare points of view.
10. Write routinely over extended time frames
as well as shorter time frames in connection
with the creation of artwork requiring long and
short process times. Long-term writing
projects may involve research, reflection,
revision, and self-evaluation. Short-term
writing may involve journal and sketchbook
entries.
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.
effectively to gather relevant information from
multiple print and digital sources. Assess the
credibility and accuracy of each source as well
as its capacity to provide useful information
and/or insights that are appropriate for the
intended audience. Integrate the information,
avoiding plagiarism, into a written report or
visual, aural, theatrical, or kinesthetic
presentation.
9. Apply all grade level reading standards
when selecting and using literary or
informational texts as source material for
writing. Seek evidence, make logical
inferences, determine central ideas or themes,
summarize key ideas, connect ideas, interpret
symbols and key terms, analyze structure, and
compare points of view.
10. Write routinely over extended time frames
as well as shorter time frames in connection
with the creation of artwork requiring long and
short process times. Long-term writing
projects may involve research, reflection,
revision, and self-evaluation. Short-term
writing may involve journal and sketchbook
entries.