Students are asked to write a 6–8 sentence speech in their journal explaining a nonviolent solution and why both groups should cooperate (Activity 1). Students may also write explanatory directions for an experiment with a materials list and step-by-step procedures (Activity 3, Option 2). The parent notes prompt a discussion of the tone of a speech and how to effectively deliver it, and Activity 4 refers to writing and grammar practiced in the unit.

Students are asked to write multi-paragraph compositions including a three-paragraph essay (Option 2) and a newspaper report with rough and final copies (Option 1). Rubrics require writing quality, revision for minimal spelling/grammar/punctuation errors, and assess sentence length, flow, and clarity. The research tasks require putting information into students' own words and using a research organizer to collect causes, effects, and endings.

The Day 2 First Draft instructions tell students explicitly that this is a formal writing assignment, require a professional (not conversational) tone, and instruct students to avoid using "I," contractions, and slang. The Prewriting and Organization section tells students to use transitional words and phrases to make writing stronger and clearer, supporting register and cohesion. The revision and final-copy steps require students to edit and revise their drafts and produce a polished, formatted final copy, which gives students opportunities to apply and maintain formal style.

The birth certificate Student Activity Page is described as being "arranged in a formal style," and students are instructed to fill in factual information on that formal certificate. The Parent Plan lists a skill to "produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres (such as essay, feature story, business letter)," and the letter task directs students to refer to a writing guide for letter format (pp. 50-51). The rubric and checklist require students to include specific formal-type documents (certificate, award) and follow criteria for evaluation.

The lesson's Skills section explicitly lists "Revise drafts to clarify meaning and enhance style" and "Use elements of the writing process to compose text," which asks students to work on style during revision. Students are given activities to edit and correct paragraphs using proofreading symbols (copying a paragraph into a journal and marking corrections), so they practice revising wording, punctuation, and sentence order. The propaganda-poster task asks students to decide on a message and choose images and text to influence attitudes, requiring students to make deliberate stylistic choices.

The Parent Plan skills list explicitly tells students to "Paraphrase major ideas and supporting evidence in formal and informal presentations," which names formal presentation practice. Student tasks ask students to retell Barbara Rodbell's story to a parent and to read chosen passages aloud and explain why they picked them, providing opportunities for spoken presentation. The lesson also requires students to edit and correct paragraphs using proofreading abbreviations, which supports attention to language conventions that can contribute to a formal style.

Students are taught and practice proofreading abbreviations that target wordiness (Wdy), wrong word choice (Ww), and pronoun errors (Pron). Students rewrite a provided paragraph in their journals correcting wordiness, pronoun usage, and incorrect word choice using those abbreviations. The parent/skills section explicitly lists editing final products for grammar, language conventions, and format as a skill to practice.

Students are explicitly told to use a formal magazine style when writing the History Today article and are given concrete guidance: avoid using "I," contractions ("shouldn't," "don't"), and slang. Students plan, draft, revise, and produce a final copy of a multi-paragraph expository article, applying the formal-style instruction during drafting (Day 2), editing/revising (Day 3), and final publication. The Expository Rubric and the rubric's "Interesting Words" and mechanics categories reinforce attention to word choice and formal conventions that contribute to a formal style.

The Skills section explicitly lists paraphrasing major ideas and supporting evidence in formal and informal presentations and instructs students to present findings in a specified format. Several Think-Tac-Toe tasks require formal writing products (e.g., researching Alexander Hamilton and writing an essay, writing a newspaper-style article, and composing the back-cover summary for a book jacket). The Number the Stars test asks about editing symbols (period, capitalization), which engages students with written conventions.

The "Rules of Debate" student page instructs students to avoid absolutes like "never" and "always," not to present opinions as facts, and to refrain from personal attacks by phrasing criticism (e.g., "your idea is mistaken") rather than saying "you are wrong." Students are asked to prepare a two-minute opening argument that explains the importance of the issue, their position, and why their argument is valid, plus a concise closing statement that restates their position. The facilitator duties and timed responses require students to produce organized, spoken arguments and answers under constraints that promote careful word choice and controlled tone.

The lesson asks students to write a 6–10 sentence letter to the head of the school board and to "Follow the guidelines shown in the formal letter template," which includes sender/recipient addresses, date, salutation, body, closing, and signature. It provides explicit examples of formal salutations and closings (e.g., "To whom it may concern," "Dear Sir/Madam," "Sincerely,") and instructs students to review the format for a formal letter. The Parent Plan and activity directions instruct students to identify injustices and include specified sentence structures within the body of a formal letter.

Students read explicit instruction that they should vary how sentences start and their length and practice combining short, choppy sentences into longer, more interesting sentences (Activity 1). Students are given modeled examples showing use of dependent clauses and coordinating conjunctions to join ideas (e.g., 'Although Cassie felt like crying, she didn't want Mama to suspect...'). The parent notes instruct students to revise drafts aloud and to try different combination patterns so sentence variety is practiced.

Students are asked to practice combining and rearranging sentences and to use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions (Activity 1 and the Student Activity Pages). The Parent Plan Skills list includes using simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences and using semicolons and commas to connect clauses. Option 2 instructs students to write five sentences in a journal using drawn conjunctions, which gives students practice composing sentences with targeted grammar and punctuation.

The Parent Plan lists as a skill to "Revise drafts to clarify meaning and enhance style" and to "include simple and compound sentences and improve transitions," which directs students to work on sentence-level style. The "Editing and Revising Sentences" activities require students to combine sentences, correct fragments and run-ons, add descriptive verbs, and add details to make paragraphs more interesting, so students practice revising wording and sentence structure to improve style.

The Book Report Rubric asks students to evaluate their "Voice," including whether they stick with one consistent voice and whether the voice makes the reader want to check out the book and encourages empathy. The Sentence Structure section prompts students to avoid choppy sentences, vary sentence starts and lengths, and write engaging, descriptive sentences. The assignment directs students to focus on creating interesting sentences, use strong verbs and interesting words, and to draft paragraphs with topic sentences and concluding sentences, which requires attention to tone and diction.

Students are asked to finish a rough draft of a book report, which requires composing an organized informative text. Students revise and edit their drafts by combining sentences, adding details, and correcting sentence fragments, run-ons, and comma errors. The Student Activity Page provides proofreading symbols and examples for capitalization, tense, pronoun problems, wrong word usage, and punctuation, and the parent notes emphasize attention to content and voice.

Students are instructed to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and to use specific, descriptive verbs while avoiding passive voice. Students practice identifying active vs. passive voice by circling subjects, underlining verbs, and labeling sentences AV or PV on the Student Activity Page. Students are prompted to choose "interesting words" when recording feelings for colors rather than simple words like "happy," which targets word choice.

Students read Lois Lowry's Newbery acceptance speech as a model of author voice and reflection. Students are explicitly instructed twice to use active voice rather than passive voice in their final chapter and storyboard. Students are guided to edit and revise using an editing-symbols reference and rubrics that check "correct grammar and spelling" and ask "Did you write in active voice?"

Students are asked to "use a variety of sentence structures and transitions to link paragraphs" and to "elaborate information and ideas in speaking and writing by using transitions," which directs practice in organizing formal informative writing. The lesson tells students explicitly: "When you write informative or research papers, it's important to use transition words and phrases in the first sentence of each body paragraph," and provides an activity where students rewrite topic sentences to include transitional elements. The lesson also instructs students to vary wording of topic sentences to avoid mechanical repetition, which scaffolds more mature sentence-level choices.

Students are asked to reread "Obituary for a Clam" and write their own obituary for a prehistoric animal, filling in structured fields (name, date, cause of death, native location, description of life, family, and how the animal will be remembered). Students are instructed to research their chosen animal so they know details about its habitat and how it lived, and to read examples of obituaries in local newspapers or online to prepare. Students are also told to copy their obituary neatly on lined paper and to use the (Not) Survived by convention, which orients them toward the obituary genre and its conventions.

Students are asked to write a hypothesis, procedure, results, and conclusion in the Camouflage experiment (spaces provided for Hypothesis, Procedure, Results, Conclusion), which requires organizing explanatory content. Students also complete sentence-rewriting exercises that require inserting dashes correctly and are asked to write out two sentences that contain dashes and explain how the dashes are used. The found-poem and couplet activities require students to compose original text and rearrange source material, giving practice in composing and revising written work.