D2. Using Knowledge of Form and Style
Specific Expectations
Form
D2.1
write for different purposes and audiences using a variety of literary, informational, and graphic text forms (e.g., a report comparing the responses of classmates to a graphic novel studied in class; a narrative poem for peers, based on a short story about cultural identity; a film critique for a First Nation community newspaper; descriptive paragraphs that will form part of a public relations campaign to raise the profile of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit course offerings; the text of a speech for a peer running for student trustee; an opinion piece about the effect of stereotypes, racism, sexism, or culturally inappropriate language on readers)
- What text form have you chosen to present the findings of your survey comparing the political priorities of urban and on-reserve First Nations individuals?
Voice
D2.2
establish a distinctive voice in their writing, modifying language and tone skilfully and effectively to suit the form, audience, and purpose for writing (e.g., use an authoritative tone in a persuasive essay on the necessity of bilateral negotiations between Indigenous governments and various levels of government in Canada; use repeated sentence patterns in the dialogue of a specific character in their script of a skit or short play to establish a distinct personality)
- How can you convey the emotions of a character who has been confronted by a false accusation? What words might this character use?
- How can you project an authoritative tone in this persuasive essay on nation-to-nation negotiations?
Diction
D2.3
use appropriate descriptive and evocative words, phrases, and expressions imaginatively to make their writing clear, vivid, and interesting for their intended audience (e.g., vary the use of concrete and abstract words appropriately in a poem; use evocative words and phrases accurately and effectively in describing their response to a text, object, or person; use precise words and clear, straightforward sentences to present information and to answer questions in informational texts)
- Where in your essay could you state an idea more clearly or precisely? Where might you add descriptive details?
- Have you used a sufficient variety of concrete words to give your poem energy?
Sentence Craft and Fluency
D2.4
write complete sentences that communicate their meaning clearly and effectively, skilfully varying sentence type, structure, and length to suit different purposes and making smooth and logical transitions between ideas (e.g., use coordination and subordination, as appropriate, to emphasize ideas and enhance the readability of sentences; repeat sentences of the same structure to provide rhetorical emphasis)
- Where in your text might you vary the length of the sentences? What effect would that have on the reader?
- How have you ensured that the transition from one idea to the next is logical?
Critical Literacy
D2.5
explain, with increasing insight, how their own beliefs, values, and experiences are revealed in their writing, and how these may either reflect or conflict with a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit world view (e.g., determine whether the ideas in their writing and the language they use to express them are inclusive and non-discriminatory, and explain how they checked for bias; explain how their description of a specific event reveals their values, even if they are not stated explicitly, and make connections between these values and a First Nation, Métis, or Inuit world view)
- Does your description of this character present her in a positive light or a negative one? How well does that reflect your intention?
- What attitudes and values have you conveyed in this piece of informational writing, even though you have not expressed them explicitly?
Revision
D2.6
revise drafts to improve the content, organization, clarity, and style of their written work, using a variety of teacher-modelled strategies with increasing effectiveness (e.g., add precise and appropriate transitional words and phrases to show more clearly the logical relationship between ideas in an argument or position paper; change the order in which types of imagery occur in a poem to heighten the emotional impact)
- What details in your essay might detract from the overall impression you are trying to achieve?
- How could you reorganize the elements of your poem so that it will appeal more strongly to your readers’ emotions?
- How might you restate the ideas in your opening paragraph to ensure that the core message about First Nations, Métis, or Inuit perspectives is clearly and energetically expressed?
Producing Drafts
D2.7
produce revised drafts of a variety of texts, including increasingly complex texts, written to meet criteria identified by the teacher, based on the curriculum expectations and respecting First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communication styles (e.g., adequate development of information and ideas, logical organization, appropriate use of form and style, appropriate use of conventions)
- If you were to cut your essay into its separate paragraphs and mix the paragraphs up, would you be able to determine the original order? What does that reveal about the development of your argument?
- What other organizational pattern could you have used in this essay to prove your thesis?