A Liberated/Skilled/Critical Approach to Writing : MA Curriculum Frameworks for 6th Grade Writing, Nathalie A.

A Liberated/Skilled/Critical Approach to Writing: MA Curriculum Frameworks for 6th Grade Writing, Nathalie A.

I initially selected this English sub topic of Writing because I wanted to know more about Massachusetts' teaching expectations for the subject. A look at the standards show that they are very broad in scope. Students should be able to support their claims with clear reasons, be able to examine and analyze a topic, write narratives utilizing descriptive detail, and be able to write coherently. The standards expect that students should write often and should be able to write in a range of writing styles and formats. The MA Curriculum Frameworks for 6th Grade Writing set a good foundation for what students need to be able to do to be good writers and there is a lot of room on how teachers can guide their students to achieve mastery of the standards.


There are definitely opportunities for me to modify the curriculum to prepare liberated, skilled, critical thinkers. If we are doing a unit on a Hero's Journey in English, my students can engage in a writing activity that examine a hero in their life. We would have already had a conversation about issues of power, inequality, social justice and forms of oppression. I will then ask them to think of "hero's" in their community, however they want to define it, to research. I will also provide a list of diverse leaders in communities who have made change with regards to social class, gender issues, disability, race, environmental issues, health issues, migrant workers rights, civil rights, etc. I can also develop a writing prompt where students may respond a question such as, "What is the most difficult aspect of a Hero's Journey," utilizing their researched change maker as an example. In this unit, students are not only practicing writing narratives of hero's in their life, but they are also researching about key change makers in history (interdisciplinary) and developing their arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence (Writing Standards, Grade 6, Text Types and Purposes, p.54). This unit affirms my students backgrounds and allows them to to only compare but also relate to the Greek myths and legends we will be reading about in the classroom.

The liberated piece may be best articulated through action. Students can come up with ideas on how to put this knowledge in action. They may want to raise money for a related issue in their community that one of their researched change makers engaged in. They may want to create a literary magazine of some of their writings. They may want to get involved in addressing one of the social issues in their community through a non-profit organization.

An interesting expectation for 6th grade writing is that students show sufficient skill of keyboarding to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting (Writing Standards, Grade 6, Production and Distribution of Writing 6, p.55). This is one of the few times the state is very specific in its expectations. I'm actually unsure if most students can meet this requirement. What are your thoughts?

This research exercise showed me that it seems that it is not the curriculum frameworks that make teaching difficult or challenging. The frameworks set good foundations on what students should learn. The difficulty in teaching in regards to the critical pedagogical piece, is how the frameworks are implemented. A teacher can implement the curriculum framework without a critical, Universal Design for Learning or culturally relevant approach.


The main issues are the ideologies that are not explicit. Many schools and teachers will implement these frameworks without that critical piece. Also, in the History Frameworks, the curriculum is written from a Eurocentric perspective. Instead of students understanding the development of Western Exploration, the framework could state students will show analysis of Eastern Development, Afrocentric Civilization and a global view of world development. That decenters the Eurocentric view and brings other voices to the forefront, the center.

What are your thoughts?