English Language Arts Pacing GuideTime Frame: 4 weeks Seventh GradeUnit 1: Narrative ReadingIn the 7th Grade Narrative Reading Unit, students will read common text, building on the reading identity and building reading communities started in the Independent Reading Unit. These shared experiences will strengthen their individual reading identities and the classroom community. The Unit is a systematic way of supporting and guiding students as they read. Students will learn to organize their thinking through the use of reading tools and Reading Folders. While the Narrative Reading Unit continues the specific instruction of reading strategies through mini-lessons at the beginning of each session as in the Independent Reading Unit, this unit pushes the students into looking at the text deeply and how to handle multiple strategies and theories across the unit. The learning that each tool in the reading folders represents should be carried across sessions as threaded conversations, so students are watching/tracking narrative techniques. The students continue to implement strategies independently or in partnerships while teachers monitor and confer. These tools also provide a vehicle for continuous assessment of the reading strategies taught. The unit will focus on identifying, analyzing, theorizing, evaluating and discussing specific and intentional elements of the narrative genre.

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

Reading: LiteratureRL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or

Why is it important to respect the thoughts of others as they share within our community?

How does having a reading community help you in answering the question given about the snippet of dialogue presented to you?

Why is it important to determine what type of narrator is present?

How does tracking the text help deepen your comprehension about a specific text?

Why is it useful to

Before: KWL chartBrainstormingThink-pair-share

During: Think-pair-share Journal Writing (Read and Respond)Debates Compare and contrast two narratives Comprehension questions related to corresponding novel / reading selection After: Debates Compare and contrast two narratives Comprehension questions related to corresponding novel / reading selectionUnit Tests

analyzeauthorcharacterciteconflictcraftelementsevidence  inferenceliteralnarratorplotpoint of viewrepetitionscenessetting setupstructurethemevoice

http://oaklandk12-public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Browse/UnitMap/View/Default?UnitID=15824&YearID=2013&SchoolID=19&TimePeriodID=24&SourceSiteID=&CurriculumMapID=748& 978-0060248024Curriculum guide with unit description and additional resources http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/PVLibrary/booklists.cfm?subpage=1323306Website listing books with lexile levels of 1000+

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.

RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

RL.7.7 Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).

RL.7.9 Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

understand elements of narrative?

Why is authors craft and word choice so important?

Why does point of view play such an important role in narrative text?

How does analysis of literal text help you make inferences that deepen your understanding of the text?

How do specific elements of narrative contribute to meaning of a narrative text?

Portfolios

How does an author’s word choice, context clues, and visual layout have an impact on the overall meaning and mood of the poem?

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

English Language Arts Pacing GuideTime Frame: 4 weeks Seventh GradeUnit 2: Writers’ Notebook (Writing Memoir/Personal Narrative)Students will create writer notebooks and participate in writer workshops that will hone writing through detailed instruction, explanation, examples, student models and activities. Using important aspects of language, narration and storytelling, the students will learn the academic and social importance of memoir writing using the writer’s notebook.  Students create memoirs demonstrating a skillful use of narrative text structures that capture the meaningfulness of the memory and the reflective nature of the writer. The memoirs will be revised and edited through peer discussions and sharing times for meaning and clarity. Students will celebrate memoirs by having a class reading to hear the writer voices in the room.  Students will conclude that memoirs are powerful opportunities for students to engage readers and share various perspectives and experiences.

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

Reading: LiteratureRL.7.3. Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

RL.7.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

RL.7.7. Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).

WritingW.7.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

How do writers use memoir to express insight? 

How does narrowing the writing on a specific period of time, event or place affect the telling of a writer’s memory of an experience?

What strategies are used to reconstruct a memory to reveal the internal feelings of the writer?

How does understanding the writer’s feelings about a memory help to understand the significance of the event?What strategies or techniques can be

Before:Think-pair-shareJournal Writing (Read and Respond)

During:Think-pair-share Journal Writing (Read and Respond)Compare and contrast two memoirs.Create Venn Diagrams between autobiography and memoirs.Comprehension questions related to corresponding novel / reading selection.

After:Journal Writing (Read and Respond)Compare and contrast two memoirs.

Write a memoir – write about a pertinent event from prior knowledge and life

audienceconferdialogueelaborationengageevaluategenerateimagerymemoirmentor textpoint of viewreflectionrelevantsequenceshiftstrategiestransition words

Anderson, Jeff.  Mechanically Inclined: Building Grammar, Usage, and Style into Writer's Workshop.  Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 2005. Print. Ehrlich, Amy.  When I Was Your Age, Volume I; Original Stories About Growing Up.  Candlewick, 2001.  Print. Lattimer, Heather. Thinking Through Genre: Units of Study in Reading and Writing Workshops Grades 4-12. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, 2003. Print. http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p=1565Media Memoir Writing Unit with additional writing resources

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw2U42FoZlsNarrated power point presentation: Writing Memoir

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.

e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

W.7.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

W.7.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been

used to express feeling and emotion in a given memoir?

How do the narrative components of memoir aid in the telling of the story?

What are ways in which these narrative components can be manipulated to write an effective memoir?

What is the definition of a meaningful conclusion and how does that enrich the memoir?

What does it mean to be reflective?

How does being reflective make one a better writer?

How can celebrating the writer and the writing make one a more thoughtful and reflective writer?

experience.Create Venn Diagrams between autobiography and memoirs.

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

addressed.

W.7.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

W.7.10. 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 discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

LanguageL.7.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

a. Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.

b. Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.

c. Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.

L.7.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

a. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt).

b. Spell correctly.L.7.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

a. Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.

L.7.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.

b. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words.

c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

English Language Arts Pacing GuideTime Frame: 4 weeks Seventh GradeUnit 3: Independent ReadingStudents will participate in a reading workshop that hones independent reading skills through brief, specific lessons, teacher and student models, and thinking activities. Using important aspects of narrative, and reading strategies, the students will learn the academic and social importance of independent reading employing the selected tools and instruction.   The unit emphasizes interaction between readers and text; readers learn to connect with characters, infer their motivations, notice how plot line develops, and determine theme.  The unit encourages students to recognize when reading comprehension occurs.  One of the goals of this unit is to include a combination of teacher and peer conversations, helping to develop reader independence and an identity as a reader.  Finally, the strength of this unit is to use the reading strategy tools so that even those who are reluctant find themselves being successful readers.

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

Reading: LiteratureRL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

How can students sharing book interests, highlights and ideas create a community of readers?

How do readers select captivating books to engage with?

Why is it important to track and recognize central ideas and character attributes while reading?

How do readers stay focused on what they are reading? How do they refocus when their attention drifts?

How is point of view controlled by the author?

Before:Have students complete a quick write style review of a book that they have recently read.  They are to include a short summary of the book as well as their opinion of the story. Store in reading folder so that students can track their learning progression from unit start to unit completion.

During:Spot check all reading folders and hold conversations with groups of students to ensure comprehension of assignment tasks. Students should have a wide variety of reading tools gathered and completed within their reading folders. As teacher you should notice shifts in

analyze characterconflictcentral ideaexternal conflictfiction inferenceinternal conflictplotscenessettingtheme

http://oaklandk12-public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Browse/UnitMap/View/Default?UnitID=15824&YearID=2013&SchoolID=19&TimePeriodID=24&SourceSiteID=&CurriculumMapID=748& 978-0060248024Curriculum guide with unit description and additional resources

http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/PVLibrary/booklists.cfm?subpage=1323306Website listing books with lexile levels of 1000+

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

How does the author help a reader to understand, get connected to, empathize with, like or dislike a character?

How does narration within scenes help a reader to understand and connect with the character(s)?  How do scenes building upon one another move a story forward and create meaning and connection to the story?

How does tension help to shape the plot?

What are essential elements of a book critique?

student thinking. Encourage all readers to continue on a thoughtful path noticing explicit details about text and how stories are woven into pieces of literature.

After:Students are to complete an individual book critique of their Independent Reading book that encompasses a summary or synopsis of the story and details concerning character attributes.

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

English Language Arts Pacing GuideTime Frame: 4 weeks Seventh GradeUnit 4: Argument WritingAfter learning about the foundational concepts of argument--fact, opinion, debatable claim, evidence, and commentary—and analyzing model argument paragraphs, students will pre-write to formulate a debatable claim and develop and identify the evidence they will need to support their argument, including one piece of evidence from a secondary source.  They will draft a claim, evidence, and commentary, as well as experiment to find the most effective structure for their paragraph.  After completing a draft, students will revise their paragraphs. The final editing step asks students to fix any fragments or run-ons.  To wrap up this unit, students will reflect on their writing choices, publish their work, and celebrate the writing process.

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

WritingW.7.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

W.7.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.7.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

W.7.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

W.7.9. Draw evidence from literary or

How do you construct a persuasive argument?

What constitutes effective evidence?

How do you revise?

Why am I writing?

Who is my audience?

What am I trying to achieve through my writing?

How do writers organize ideas?

What form does argumentative writing take?

How do writers use language to persuade?

How do we build a

Before:Read and analyze an editorial deciphering facts and opinions.

During:Read and analyze an editorial deciphering facts and opinions.

Compare and contrast editorials that are written on similar topics.

After:Read and analyze an editorial deciphering facts and opinions.

Create hypothetical product to sell using one of the types of propaganda. (Present to class)

argumentaudiencecommentarycredible sourcedebatable claimevidence: factual

and anecdotalfact vs. opinionreflectionrevisiontopic sentencepropagandapersuasion

http://oaklandk12-public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Browse/UnitMap/View/Default?UnitID=15824&YearID=2013&SchoolID=19&TimePeriodID=24&SourceSiteID=&CurriculumMapID=748& 978-0060248024Curriculum guide with unit description and additional resources

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/index.asp?topic=PersuasiveScholastic website on persuasive writing: online exercises for selecting the evidence that fits the claim and using the correct transition.

http://my.hrw.com/support/hos/hostpdf/hostmsprompts.pdfWriting prompts for middle school

www.webenglishteacher.com/argument.htmlLesson plans and teaching resources for argument writing

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

W.7.10. 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 discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

strong argument and justify our position?

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

English Language Arts Pacing GuideTime Frame: 4 weeks Seventh GradeUnit 5: Literary Essay - Reading and WritingAfter a period of literature analysis work, students develop a thesis statement based upon exploration of the themes developed within the analyzed text.  In preparation for essay writing, students explore the thesis through written and oral responses to create supportable claims that can be presented.  Students focus on the author’s intent by selecting multiple types of evidence throughout the text in order to support the claims presented in the thesis.  An emphasis is placed on presenting explanation and clarification of evidence in a way that connects back to the thesis and focuses on theme.  The students will study other essays in order to craft their own literary essay with elements (introduction with thesis, body paragraphs, and concluding statements) that are cohesive, using transitions and precise language.

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

Reading: LiteratureRL.7.1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.7.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.7.3. Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

RL.7.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

RL.7.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of

How do writers find meaning by using Reader's Response Strategies to review a story as a whole and carefully study a text's themes?

How do writers collect and connect evidence and use it to support a thesis?

How do writers structure and organize literary essays?

How do writers connect evidence to their thesis to create cohesion?

Before: KWL chartBrainstormingThink-pair-shareCarousel writing

During: Think-pair-share Journal WritingCompare and contrast two literary selectionsComprehension questions related to corresponding novel / reading selectionPre-writing notesWriting graphic organizer1st draft of essay

After: Compare and contrast two narratives Comprehension questions related to corresponding novel / reading selectionUnit TestsPortfoliosEditing/ProofreadingFinal Draft/Publishing

analysis of literature

author intentdirect quotesdraftingessay structureformal stylemultiple claimsparaphrasingrevisingtextual evidencethemetransitionsvalid reasoning

Lattimer, Heather. Thinking Through Genre: Units of Study in Reading and Writing Workshops 4-12. Portland: Stenhouse, 2003.

Calkins, Lucy. Literary Essays: Writing About Reading. Portsmouth: FirstHandout, 2006.

Johnston, Peter H. Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning. Portland: Stenhouse, 2004.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/index.asp?topic=PersuasiveInteractive persuasive writing tutorial

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

the range.

WritingW.7.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.

d. Establish and maintain a formal style.

e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

W.7.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

W.7.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

addressed.

W.7.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

W.7.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

a. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history”).

W.7.10. 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 discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

English Language Arts Pacing GuideTime Frame: 4 weeks Seventh GradeUnit 6: Nonfiction Reading In the 7th Grade Nonfiction Reading Unit, students will read common text, building on the reading identity and building reading communities started in the Independent Reading Unit. These shared experiences will strengthen their individual reading identities and the classroom community. The Unit is a systematic way of supporting and guiding students as they read. Students will learn to organize their thinking through the use of reading tools and Reading Folders. While the Nonfiction Reading Unit continues the specific instruction of reading strategies through mini-lessons at the beginning of each session as in the Independent Reading Unit, this unit pushes the students into looking at the text deeply and how to handle multiple strategies and theories across the unit. The learning that each tool in the reading folders represents should be carried across sessions as threaded conversations, so students are watching/tracking techniques. The students continue to implement strategies independently or in partnerships while teachers monitor and confer. These tools also provide a vehicle for continuous assessment of the reading strategies taught. The unit will focus on identifying, analyzing, theorizing, evaluating and discussing specific and intentional elements of the nonfiction genre.

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

LanguageL.7.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Reading: Informational TextRI.7.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

RI.7.5 Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.

RI.7.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her

What is perspective?

How do you write about a moment in history to convey a unique perspective?

How do you select, organize, and analyze information to summarize what you have read?

How does understanding the author’s purpose help us to learn new information?

How do we use various text features and structures in nonfiction?

Before: KWL chartBrainstormingThink-pair-share

During: After reading a selection, what event do you think was the most challenging for the author – explain

Create a cause/effect chart while reading

Read various biographies from similar eras (ex: civil rights era) and compare and contrast them using Venn Diagram

Think-pair-share Journal Writing (Read and Respond)Debates

analysis audienceautobiographybiased viewschronologyconcluding

paragraphcontrolling ideafirst person accountflashbackforeshadow headings and sub-

headingshyperboleidiomsimageryinquiry questioninspirationmemoirmetacognitionmetaphorsorganization of

informationpoint of view

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/biography.html Lesson plan ideas for autobiographies and biographies

http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/05-1/lesson017.shtml - Alphabet autobiography

http://www.infoplease.com/homework/wsbiography.html Writing a biography

http://www.brainpop.comA subscription site with multiple resources for all genres/subject

http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/PVLibrary/booklists.cfm?subpage=1323306Website listing books with lexile levels of 1000+

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

position from that of others.

RI.7.7 Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).

RI.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

What nonfiction reading skills are needed for the 21st century?

Compare and contrast two informative articles

After Write an essay using Venn diagram, report

Compare and contrast two informative articles

predictionprimary sourcereflectionsecondary source sequencesimilesthemetonetransitions between

ideas and paragraphs

unique perspective

Movie: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, 2005. UPC: 074645895390

Autobiography Books:Soul Surfer, Bethany Hamilton, 2006. ISBN-10: 1416503463

The Story of My Life, Helen Keller, 2005. ISBN-13: 978-1416500322

Rosa Parks: My Story, Rosa Parks, 1999. ISBN-13: 978-0141301204

A Day No Pigs Would Die, Robert Peck, 1994. ISBN-13: 978-0679853060

The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia, Esther Hautzig, 1995. ISBN-13: 978-0064405775

Through My Eyes, Ruby Bridges, 1999. ISBN-13: 978-0590189231

The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros, 1994. ISBN-13: 978-0679433354

Biography Books:The Greatest: Muhammad Ali, Walter Dean Myers, 2001. ISBN-13: 978-0590543422

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

English Language Arts Pacing GuideTime Frame: 4 weeks Seventh GradeUnit 7: Information Essay In this writing unit, students will engage in informational/explanatory writing by examining an historical event from a unique perspective and conveying ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.  First, they will brainstorm historical events of significant interest to them about which they may have some prior knowledge.  After selecting a topic and learning about the concept of writing from a unique perspective, students will develop an inquiry question to drive their research and determine which perspective they wish to write from.  After researching, students will develop a controlling idea, which will help them select and group relevant details, quotations, examples, and other information into categories.  Students will write a first draft in which they organize information by sub-topic and importance, analyze information to explain the relationship between the unique perspective and the controlling idea, and transition between sentences and paragraphs.  They will conclude with a paragraph that summarizes their findings and explains to the reader why this is important information.  The first draft will be taken through peer critique and multiple revisions to strengthen the clarity of ideas, organization of the essay, and completeness of analysis.  At two points during the writing process, students will reflect on their choices to help them become more autonomous as writers.

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

Reading: Informational TextRI.7.2. Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI.7.3. Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

RI.7.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.

RI.7.7 Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).

What is perspective?

How do you write about a moment in history to convey a unique perspective?

How do you select, organize, and analyze information to plan and write about a topic?

How do you evaluate sources to determine validity and reliability?

How do you synthesize information from a variety of sources?

Before: KWL chartBrainstormingThink-pair-shareJournal Writing

During: Think-pair-share Journal Writing (Read and Respond)Debates Compare and contrast two informative articles

After: write about an historical event from a particular perspective—looking through a single person or group’s lens.  (ex: write from the perspective of a civil war soldier in a battle)

analysis audienceconcluding

paragraphcontrolling ideaheadings and sub-

headings inquiry questionmetacognitionorganization of

informationreflectiontransitions between

ideas and paragraphs

unique perspective

A Curricular Plan for the Writing Workshop – Grade 6 by Lucy Calkins Nonfiction Matters: Reading, Writing, and Research in Grades 3-8 by Stephanie Harvey http://oaklandk12-public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Browse/UnitMap/View/Default?UnitID=15824&YearID=2013&SchoolID=19&TimePeriodID=24&SourceSiteID=&CurriculumMapID=748& 978-0060248024Curriculum guide with unit description and additional resources

http://more.mel.orgOnline resources to research topics

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/research.html Research paper ideas and lessons

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

RI.7.9. Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.

RI.7.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

WritingW.7.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

c. Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and

Presentation to class where student dresses as their historical character and discusses their perspective of an event

http://www.infoplease.com/homework/writingskills1.htmlLinks related to writing research papers

http://delicious.com/Students can use this website to store the sites that they found useful

http://www.brainpop.comResources for all genres/subjects

 

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

concepts.d. Use precise language and domain-

specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

e. Establish and maintain a formal style.

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

W.7.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.7.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

W.7.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

W.7.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

W.7.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

W.7.10. 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 discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking & ListeningSL.7.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.

d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

warranted, modify their own views.

SL.7.2. Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.

SL.7.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

SL.7.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.

SL.7.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

LanguageL.7.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.7.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

L.7.3. Use knowledge of language and its Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

L.7.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

English Language Arts Pacing GuideSeventh Grade

Time Frame: 5 weeksUnit 8: Writing the Argument/Proposal Essay and Personal CorrespondenceStudents identify a range of local problems that they believe are solvable. They practice defining these problems and analyzing their effects in order to develop workable solutions. Once they identify a local problem for which they would like to propose a solution, students conduct research from multiple sources to gain a deeper understanding of their chosen problem and how it can be solved. As they draft their proposal essay, students will seek the best structure for this piece and focus on using appropriate tone and diction for their target audience. Students’ proposals will address the feasibility and credibility of the solution.

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

Reading: Informational TextRI.7.1. Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RI.7.2. Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

RI.7.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

RI.7.5. Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.

RI.7.8. Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

How do you pinpoint and define a problem using evidence?

What makes a solution effective?

How do you use research to determine the causes of a problem, illustrate its effects, and support the feasibility of a proposed solution?

What is the difference between drafting, revision, and editing?

How do writers use language to persuade?

How do we build a strong argument and justify our position?

Before: KWL chartBrainstormingThink-pair-share

During: Think-pair-share Journal Writing (Read and Respond)Debates

After: Debates Essay Suggestion-Consider a school or neighborhood problem that you have a solution for, summarize the problem by defining it, explaining who it affects, and describing possible long-term outcomes it could have. Then lay out a detailed proposal for a solution.  Explain what it would take to implement your solution and why it's feasible. Briefly discuss why your solution is better

appropriate voiceaudience cause and effectcredible sourcesdetermining key

search termsevidencefeasibility of

solution purpose

research research questionsrevisionviability of

problem (topic)

http://www.lesliepreddy.com/inquiry/teacher resources.htmStudent Inquiry in the Research Process

http://oaklandk12-public.rubiconatlas.org/Atlas/Browse/UnitMap/View/Default?UnitID=15824&YearID=2013&SchoolID=19&TimePeriodID=24&SourceSiteID=&CurriculumMapID=748& 978-0060248024Curriculum guide with unit description and additional resources

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/argument.htmlLesson plans and teaching resources for persuasive reading and writing.

http://www.brainpop.comResources for all genres/subjects

http://propaganda.mrdonn.org/lessonplans.htmlPropaganda is defined and several lesson ideas are provided.

http://www.readwritethink.org/Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

RI.7.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

WritingW.7.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

W.7.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

W.7.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

W.7.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

W.7.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

than alternate solutions. (Oakland schools)

materials/persuasion_map/An online graphic organizer to help students map out a persuasive argument

Book:Why We Must Run With Scissors: Voice Lesson in Persuasive Writing, Barry Lane and Gretchen Bernabei, 2001. ISBN-13: 978-0965657471

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

W.7.8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

W.7.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

b. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims”).

W.7.10. 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 discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking & ListeningSL.7.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

SL.7.2. Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.

SL.7.3. Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

SL.7.6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

LanguageL.7.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.7.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

L.7.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

L.7.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013

Common Core Essential Questions Assessment Vocabulary Resources

b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).

c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

L.7.6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Seventh Grade English Language Arts Pacing Guide – Revised March 2013