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SDMS Grade 7 Language Arts Curriculum [1]

Wethersfield Public Schools Grade 7 Language Arts Curriculum

Approved Administrative Team January 11, 2012

Approved Student Programs and Services March 6, 2012

Approved Board of Education March 13, 2012

Authors/Contributors: Colleen Budaj

Michele Cirillo

Jennifer Rivera

Carrie Pilkington

Patty Wright


Table of Contents Language Arts Units Pacing Calendar ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3

Launching Reading and Writing Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Reading Suggested Lessons, Learning Outcomes, and Resources ...................................................................................................................................................... 6

Performance Task and Rubric ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 11

Writing Suggested Lessons, Learning Outcomes, and Resources ..................................................................................................................................................... 13


Reading is Thinking: Studying Characters Overview ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Reading Fiction to Study Interesting Characters: Suggested Lessons, Learning Outcomes, and Resources..................................................................................... 19

Performance Task .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 22

Writing Narratives with Interesting Characters: Suggested Lessons, Learning Outcomes, and Resources ...................................................................................... 23


Critical Literacy Overview .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 27

Suggested Lessons, Learning Outcomes, and Resources ................................................................................................................................................................... 29


Poetry Overview ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 36

Poetry Suggested Lessons, Learning Outcomes, and Resources ....................................................................................................................................................... 38


Non-fiction: Historical Fiction and the Holocaust Overview .......................................................................................................................................................... 43

Non-fiction Suggested Lessons, Learning Outcomes, and Resources ............................................................................................................................................... 44

Performance Task .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 47

Scope and Sequence of Conventions and Mechanics ....................................................................................................................................................................... 48

Academic Vocabulary Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 52


Wethersfield Public School

Grade 7 Reading/Writing Unit Pacing Calendar

Year at a Glance Units of Study - Readers and Writers Workshop

Grade: Seven

September- October

November-December January-March March-April May-June

Launching Reading Reading is Thinking-

Character

Critical Literacy:

Realistic Fiction and

Non-Fiction

Poetry Novels in Verse Historical Fiction /

Non- Fiction (Holocaust)

Launching Writing-

Persuasive Introduction

Narrative Writing Debate and Persuasive

Argument

Free Verse Poetry Scrapbooking /Journaling

Approximately 6-8 weeks

Approximately 6-8 weeks Approximately 8 weeks Approximately 6 weeks Approximately 6 weeks


Wethersfield Public Schools

Grade 7 Unit Overview: Launching Reading and Writing Workshop RWS Focus: Readers learn to seek out books that appeal to their interests, reflect on their reading lives, and make personal reading plans for the

year.

WWS Focus: Writers learn the routines, good habits, and expectations of a writing community. They grow increasingly independent as they plan,

draft, edit, revise and publish their writing.

Enduring Understandings: RWS:

Readers in a community learn how to take care of, talk about, and read texts

independently and with others.

Readers use a variety of strategies to help them read and understand texts.

WWS:

Writers in a community learn how to use a writing process for a range of tasks,

purposes, and audiences.

Writers use a variety of strategies to generate ideas, compose, craft, elaborate,

revise, edit, and publish texts.

Essential Questions: RWS:

How do we become a reading community that develops the rituals, routines,

and goals of reading and responding to texts?

What strategies do readers use to help them read, understand, and respond to

texts?

How do personal connections help readers formulate a deeper understanding

of texts, selves, and world?

WWS:

How do we build a writing community that is supportive and collaborative?

What techniques and strategies do authors use to help them write?

Content: RWS:

Establishing Routines and Expectations of RWS

Forming a General Understanding

Reading Strategies

WWS:

Establishing Routines and Expectations of WWS

Persuasive Writing- organization, elaboration, fluency, and audience awareness

Skills:

RWS:

Set reading goals. (CC.7.R.L.10)

Choose appropriate books. (CC.7.R.L.10)


Read with stamina, engagement and fluency. (CC.7.R.L.10)

Establish a common language for discussing literary elements and text structure. (CC.7.W.2.d), (CC.7.l.6)

Respond and reflect to texts through posting, journaling, and discussing. (CC.7.R.L.1), (CC.7.R.L.10), (CC.7.R.I.1)

Use Active Reading Strategies: visualize, predict, adjust predictions, connect, inference, question, synthesize. (CC.7.L.4.a), (CC.7.L.4.b), (CC.7.L.4.c),

(CC.7.L.4.D), (CC.7.L.5.b)

Self monitor and use fix-up strategies when meaning breaks down. (CC.7.L.4.a), (CC.7.L.4.b), (CC.7.L.4.c), (CC.7.L.4.D), (CC.7.L.5.b)

Determine the meaning of unknown words using context clues. (CC.7.L.4.a), (CC.7.L.4.b), (CC.7.L.4.c), (CC.7.L.4.D), (CC.7.L.5.b)

Engage effectively in discussion by posing questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others questions and comments. (CC.7.R.L.1), (CC.7.SL.3)

WWS:

Summarize the important information in a text. (CC.7.R.L.1), (CC.7.R.I.2)

Support ideas with text evidence. (CC.7.R.L.1), (CC.7.R.L.10), (CC.7.R.I.1)

Use a notebook as a tool to collect ideas, reflect on texts, and support writing. (CC.7.R.L.1), (CC.7.R.L.10), (CC.7.R.I.1)

Use classroom routines to work independently and with others.

Establish a common language for persuasive writing. (CC.7.W.2.d)

Plan and generate ideas for writing persuasively. (CC.7.W.1), (CC.7.W.1.a), (CC.7.W.1.b), (CC.7.W.1.c), (CC.7.W.1.e), (CC.7.W.2.b)

Organize and elaborate on ideas to develop a persuasive argument (CC.7.W.4),(CC.7.W.1), (CC.7.W.1.a), (CC.7.W.1.b), (CC.7.W.1.c), (CC.7.W.1.e),

(CC.7.W.2.b)

Revise for content and fluency and edit for capitalization and punctuation independently and with peers. (CC.7.R.I.8), (CC.7.W.5), (CC.7.L.2), (CC.7.L.3)

Publish and present a final product in a variety of ways. (CC.7.W.4)



Grade 7: Launching Reading

Mini-lesson Learning Outcomes Suggested Resources

What is a Reading Workshop in

Middle School?

Students learn the routines and expectations of workshop so they can work

together and independently.

Calkins Units of Study-

Building a Reading Life

(throughout unit)

Guiding Readers and

Writers: Fountas and

Pinnell

Learning From The Best and Worst of

Reading Times

Students share their positive and negative reading experiences as they develop

into community of readers.

Students share their challenges and successes in their own personal literary

histories.

Allen, Janet, Yellow Brick

Road (Reading Survey)

Fielding, Schoenback,

Jordan- Building Academic

Literacy – Lessons from

Reading Apprenticeships

6-12 (Reading Survey)

Tovani, Cris, I Read It But

I Don’t Get It.

Making Good Book Choices

Students learn to select texts at the appropriate levels for independent reading

and that will hold their interest.

Students understand that there are reasons to abandon a book, but if they are

abandoning books frequently, they need to revisit strategies for choosing books.

Students evaluate their chosen books by allowing themselves to get far enough

into them to make an informed decision about continuing with the text.

Students learn to access books from a variety of sources: classroom library,

media center, public library.

Janet Allen- book pass

sheet

Tovani, Cris -I Read It,

But I Don’t Get It-

Comprehension Strategies

for Adolescent Readers.

Calkins, Lucy, The Art of

Teaching Reading


Reading is Thinking (1-3 days) Students recognize that readers use active reading strategies: visualize, predict,

adjust predictions, connect, infer, question, synthesize.

Students recognize when meaning is breaking down and use fix up strategies.

Students understand that we read differently for different purposes.

Comprehension Tool Kit

Interactive Read-aloud






Teaching Reading


Jordan, Lessons from

Reading Apprenticeship

Classrooms, Building

Academic Literacy, grades

6-12

Robb, Laura- Teaching

Reading in the Middle

School- A Strategic

Approach to Teaching

Reading that Improves

Comprehension and

Thinking

Using Context Clues to Determine

Word Meaning

Students infer the meaning of unfamiliar words using context clues. Comprehension Tool Kit-

Book # 4 (inferring

meaning)



School- A Strategic



Comprehension and

Thinking


How to Utilize Response Journals and

Reading Logs (2 days)

Students learn to keep track of their reading using a reading log to monitor their

reading, set goals, build stamina, and think about what they’ve read.

Students develop a system for planning ahead in their reading lives by having

on-deck books.

Students use reader’s notebook/ reader response journal to collect ideas, reflect

on text, and support writing.

Students learn how to use a double entry journal (words lifted from text on the

left side with the reader’s thoughts about the words on the right.)

Cris Tovani PD handouts

(2003)





Thinking of Ourselves as Readers and

Setting Goals

Students reflect on their strengths and weaknesses as readers and set goals for

individual reading improvement in terms of fluency, range of texts, and

comprehension. Goals include how to cross between home and school reading.

Students read silently for long periods of time to increase stamina.

Students challenge themselves to read outside of comfort zones and explore a

variety of texts and genres.


Jordan, Lessons from

Reading Apprenticeship

Classrooms, Building

Academic Literacy, grades

6-12


But I Don’t Get it-



Developing Common Language Students establish a common language for discussing literary elements and text

structure.

Students apply their knowledge of story elements to their independent reading

through response journals and discussions.


Teaching Reading

Helping Students Hold Their

Thinking

Students explore a specific purpose for reading and practice how readers mark

the text, highlight, and/or use post-its to hold their thinking. (possible purposes-

confusing parts in text, personal connections, character traits, reasons for an

event, words that evoke questions, interesting facts to support thinking, etc.)

Students talk to the text- record predictions, questions, and connections.

Students continue to practice the previously taught ways to hold their thinking

about the text read with a future conversation in mind. They share what they


Teaching Reading


Cris Tovani PD handout

(2003)



learn with a partner at the end of the reading block.

Students reflect on how readers who mark text are more prepared to discuss:

connections, questions, inferences or conclusions, interesting or confusing parts,

and literary elements or evidence that supports ideas in the reading.




Book Discussions / Conferences Students engage in discussions by posing questions that elicit elaboration and

respond to others questions and comments.

Students recommend books and discuss what types of books they enjoy reading.

Students consider ways to deepen their thinking about texts by engaging in

accountable book talk.

Students demonstrate how to have good discussions through: listening, asking

questions, building on one another’s ideas, and providing evidence from the text

and/or personal experience.


Teaching Reading


Books to Use Throughout Unit of Study:

Allen, Janet, Yellow Brick Roads

Calkins, Lucy- Units of Study – Unit One

Calkins, Lucy, The Art of Teaching Reading

Fielding, Schoenback, Jordan- Building Academic Literacy – Lessons from Reading Apprenticeships 6-12

Fountas and Pinnell- Teaching for Comprehension and Fluency- Thinking, Talking and Writing About Reading, K-8

Fountas and Pinnell- Guiding Readers and Writers, grades 3-6,

Robb, Laura- Teaching Reading in the Middle School- A Strategic Approach to Teaching Reading that Improves Comprehension and Thinking


Performance Task

Grade: 7 Unit Title: Launching RWS

Performance Task: Real Book Letter – Response Journals

Enduring Understandings:

Readers in a community learn how to take care of, talk about, and

read texts independently and with others.

Readers use a variety of strategies to help them read and

understand texts.

Essential Questions:

What strategies do readers use to help them read, understand, and respond to

texts?

How do personal connections help readers formulate a deeper understanding of

texts, selves, and the world?

Goal: Your task is to write a real book letter to your teacher in which you will reflect on the books you have read during this unit

of study and the strategies that you have used for comprehension.

Role: Yourself as a member of a reading community.

Audience: Teacher and/or Classmates

Situation: You are writing a reflection on reading practices reviewed in the Launching Readers Workshop Study.

Product,

Performance, and

Purpose:

You are writing a letter to your teacher that focuses on what we reviewed in this unit such as: summarizing a text, making

meaningful personal connections , and reflecting on active reading processes used.

Standards and

Criteria For Success

Your book letter must do the following:

1. Introduce your book by giving a brief summary (one paragraph) of the characters, events, and conflicts. Be sure

to state the author and title. Remember titles are underlined or placed in italics!

2. Include a significant part of the story where you had a personal connection. Be sure to include what happened in

the story, how your personal connection is important, and ties it all together.

3. Conclude with a reflection about your reading process. What strategies or activities have you used or learned

during this unit of study that have helped you become a better reader? How did these activities help you in

understanding the book?

See rubric for Criteria / Grading of the book letter


Rubric: Real Book Letter Student Name: ___________________________________

Independent Book Response – Launch Unit LA Section: _________ Date:_____________________

Criteria Excellent –

5 points

Acceptable –

4 points

Unsatisfactory –

3 points

Self

Score

Teacher

Score

Clearly

Summarizes

Book

Well-written & clear summary of the book (one paragraph –

approx. 6-8 sentences).

Identifies book title and author

(correct format)

Identifies main characters,

setting, problem/conflicts, main

events, and solution.

Somewhat clear summary

May not include an

important part of the

summary (missing

information about setting,

conflict, or solution)

Summary is too brief –

only 2 or 3 sentences.

Summary does not

include several important

pieces of information –

characters, events,

solution.

Explains a

Personal

Connection

Identifies a significant part of

the story.

Identifies a strong and

important personal connection

to this part of the story.

Uses specific examples to support

connection

Clearly explains connection and

relationship to story

Describes a personal

connection to the story

(may be general

connection).

Connection or part of the

story may not be specific

or significant.

Somewhat able to explain

connection to the story.

Unable to describe or

explain a connection to

the story.

Reflects on

Reading

Process

Strong reflection on own

reading process.

Clearly identifies specific reading

strategies that helped you read

and understand this book and

become a better reader.

Somewhat describes what

you did to read and

understand this book.

Only identifies one strategy

used when reading or

provides only a general

reflection on strategies.

Limited or no reflection

on own reading process.

Does not identify

strategies used to read and

understand the book.

Final Product:

Organization

and

Mechanics

Letter correctly formatted,

addressed to teacher and signed by

student.

Well-organized into three

separate paragraphs.

Final letter edited for mechanics

and spelling errors.

Organized into three

paragraphs

Minor problems in

formatting letter

May have a few minor

problems with mechanics

and spelling.

Not organized into

paragraphs.

Not formatted as a letter.

Many problems with

spelling and mechanics

making it difficult to read.



Grade Seven: Launching Writing

Mini-lesson

Learning Outcomes

Suggested Resources

Launching the Writing Community Students reflect on the different purposes for writing, their own strengths and

weaknesses in writing, and set goals for improving writing.

Students establish classroom routines to work and write independently and with

others.

Students learn to use a notebook as a tool to collect ideas, reflect on texts, and

support the writing process.

Portalupi and Fletcher:

Teaching the Qualities of

Writing

Summarizing and Supporting Ideas in

Writing

Students summarize important information from the text.

Students support ideas in writing with text evidence.

Boyles: Teaching Written

Response to Text: Part 2:

Instructional Supports


(Harvey and Goudvis)

Persuasive Writing Language Students understand the structure and purpose of a persuasive argument is to

convince the audience to agree with the author’s position. Empowering Writers

Planning Students select a seed idea from their journals to formulate a persuasive

argument/topic.

Students determine the audience for a specific essay.

Students generate ideas to persuade a specific audience.

Students choose a strategy for organizing their ideas for writing (such as pillar,

web, inspiration software).

Portalupi and Fletcher:

Teaching the Qualities of

Writing

Empowering Writers

Inspiration Software


Developing a Persuasive Argument

(Drafting Ideas)

Students learn various types of elaboration such as cause and effect, statistics,

facts, anecdotes, expert quotes, and descriptive details. Empowering Writers

Writing Conferences Students learn to establish goal(s) for writing conferences with teachers and

peers.

Students learn routines and behaviors during conference times so they can

continue to work independently.

Allen, Janet, Yellow Brick

Roads

Revising for Content and Fluency Students distinguish between editing and revising.

Students learn how to set a purpose for revision that focuses on content and

fluency.

Student revise their drafts for content (elaboration of ideas) and fluency (clarity).

Sample essay to model

revision.

Editing for Capitalization and

Punctuation

Students identify areas of strength and weakness of capitalization and

punctuation in their drafts.

Students understand how to correctly punctuate sentences avoiding fragments

and run-ons.

Students edit their drafts independently and with partners for capitalization and

punctuation.

Students learn how to edit their drafts by reading aloud.

Editing and Revising CFA

1

Hoyt and Brent: Mastering

the Mechanics

Publishing Students share their first published persuasive writing.


Performance Task

Grade: 7 Unit Title: Launch (Writing)

Performance Task: Persuasive Essay


Writers in a community learn how to use a writing process for a

range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Writers use a variety of strategies to generate ideas, compose, craft,

elaborate, revise, edit, and publish texts


How do personal connections help readers formulate a deeper understanding of

texts, selves, and world?

How do we build a writing community that is supportive and collaborative?

What techniques and strategies do authors use to help them write?

Goal: Students produce a final published persuasive essay based on a topic from their response journals.

Role: You are an author with an opinion about a topic of choice.

Audience: Teachers and/ or Classmates; or to be determined by topic choice

Situation: You are an author with an opinion and you want to convince your audience to agree with you.

Product,

Performance, and

Purpose:

1. Pull a two-sided idea/topic from your response journal to use as a topic for your persuasive essay. If you are having

trouble finding a topic, look at the suggested topic list.

2. Decide on your audience (the author, the teacher, a character in the book, a friend).

3. Conference with your teacher about your topic and audience prior to starting your draft.

4. Write a 5 paragraph persuasive essay using the writing process to convince your audience to agree with your opinion.

Standards and


1. Your essay should have an introduction that hooks the reader, states your opinion about your chosen topic, and gives

three arguments to convince your audience to agree with your opinion.

2. Your arguments should be organized into three body paragraphs (one for each argument). Each body paragraph should

be elaborated with a variety of persuasive details (statistics, facts, anecdotes, examples from the text, etc.).

3. Your essay should end with a concluding paragraph that wraps up your three arguments in a thoughtful way and

reminds the audience of your opinion. Finish with a strong action statement.

See Persuasive Writing Rubric for detailed scoring.


Rubric: Persuasive Essay Student Name: ___________________________________

Persuasive Writing – Launch Unit LA Section: _________ Date:_____________________


5 points

Acceptable –

4 points

Unsatisfactory –

3 points

Incomplete

0 points

Self

Score

Teacher Score

Introduction Starts with an interesting and

effective lead.

Clear thesis or position

statement identifies your,

opinion & main reasons

Does not begin with “I think”

Starts with a somewhat

interesting lead.

Identifies topic, position and

reasons, but may not write as a

one or two sentence thesis

statement

Lacks a clear lead;

instead starts with

opinion statement.

May not clearly identify

the reasons for the

opinion

Does not

include an

opinion

statement or

thesis

statement

Persuasive

Argument

Strong, relevant, and specific

reasons support opinion

Uses specific examples to

support reasons

Uses a variety of elaboration

techniques to support reasons

(cause/effect, statistics,

anecdotes, quotes)

Reasons are mostly specific and

make sense

Uses a mix of general and

specific examples to support

reasons

Uses some different types of

elaboration techniques

Reasons are too general

and/or may not be

persuasive

Uses mostly general

examples

Does not include

different types of

elaboration

No persuasive

argument/

expository

essay on topic

Too brief to

score.

Well -

Organized

Essay

Well-organized and fluent essay (at least developed 5

paragraphs)

Uses strong transitional

language throughout the essay

Organized and somewhat fluent

essay (5 paragraphs)

Uses some transitional language

throughout the essay

May have one or two minor

problems with organization of

ideas

Some organization but

may be less than 5

paragraphs

Ideas overlap

Is not fluent and sounds

choppy

Has few or little

transitions

Only one

paragraph

or no

organization

of ideas.

Writing

Process

Uses an effective writing

process to revise and improve the essay

Completes all steps of the

writing process in a timely

fashion: prewriting, drafting,

revising, peer conferencing &

editing.

Uses a writing process to

complete the steps of the writing

process: prewriting, drafting,

revising, peer and adult

conferencing & editing.

Did not complete several

steps of the process.

May only have one draft.

Publishable

Final Copy

Final draft is publishable with

no errors in grammar, spelling,

& mechanics.

Uses a variety of sentences and

writes in complete sentences

(no run-ons)

Final draft is publishable but

contains 1-5 minor errors in

grammar, spelling, & mechanics.

Writes in complete sentences (no

run-ons)

Final draft is not

publishable -- several

errors in making it

difficult to understand.

Incomplete & awkward

sentences.



Grade 7 Unit Overview: Reading is Thinking- Character

Focus: This unit focuses on how readers develop and support their ideas through reading, thinking and talking about texts. Readers get to know

characters in texts by making inferences about the characters’ motivations and what they say, do, and think. As students get to know characters

they will grow theories about characters and revise them according to new information.


Understanding characters help us to think critically, build theories, and

interpret the author’s message and themes.

There is rarely a single obvious cause to a character’s complex action.

Authors write to help us understand our lives and how we might think, act,

and live differently.

Authors develop stories with believable characters and use literary elements

and techniques to help shape the character and the story.


What are the underlying universal themes revealed through characters and

how do they help us understand ourselves, our relationships with others, and

the world?

What is critical thinking? How do we think critically in our lives?

How do authors write focused narratives from the point of view of a

character?

How can understanding character development help us write focused

narratives with a point of view that reveal a theme or important message?

What editing and revising strategies do authors use to improve drafts?

Content:

Making Text Connections

Developing Interpretations and Response

Use Writing Process: gathering and organizing ideas, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing

Skills:

Identify author’s use of time and sequence. (CC.7.R.L.3)

Explain the impact of literary devices on meaning. (CC.7.R.L.4)

Evaluate the author’s use of various techniques to influence readers’ perspectives- appeal of characters. (CC.7.R.L. 4)

Explain the author’s use of voice to analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters. (CC.7.R.L. 6)


Discuss, analyze and evaluate how characters deal with the diversity of human experience and conflict. (CC.7.R.I.3)

Interpret how situations, actions, and other characters influence a characters personality and development. (CC.7.R.I.3)

Infer characters’ feeling and motivations.

Respond to literal and inferential questions with information from the text that is explicit and implicit. (CC.7.R.I.1)

Identify and discuss the underlying theme in text. (CC.7.R.I.2)

Engage in an oral retelling of a story using a range of strategies to make it engaging to the audience. (CC.7.SL.6) (CC.7.SL.4)

(CC.7.SL.5)

Write a fictional story using literary techniques. (CC.7.W.3) (CC.7.W.3.a) (CC.7.W.3.b) ) (CC.7.W.3.d) ) (CC.7.W.3.e)

Write a suspenseful story with a cliffhanger ending. (CC.7.W.3) (CC.7.W.3.a) (CC.7.W.3.b) ) (CC.7.W.3.e)

Writing process- draft and decide if draft should continue draft or a new one should be started. (CC.7.W.5)

Writing process- confer and evaluate feedback and justify choice to use or ignore feedback. (CC.7.W.5)

Writing process- use resources to proofread and edit. (CC.7.W.5)

Writing process- use technology to produce, design, and publish. (CC.7.W.6)

Use spelling rules and patterns from previous grades. (CC.7.L.2.b.)

Use multiple strategies to spell. (CC.7.L.2.b.) (CC.7.L.3) (CC.7.L.4.b)

Use multiple strategies to spell homophones. (CC.7.L.2.b) (CC.7.L.3) (CC.7.L.4.b.)

Use adjectives vs. adverbs correctly. (CC.7.L.3)

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking (subject / verb agreement and

verb tense). (C.C.7.L.l.)



Grade 7: Character Study – Reading Workshop

Mini-lessons

(Some lessons will be multiple days)

Learning Outcomes

Suggested Resources

Choosing Just Right Character Books Students learn that during this unit they will read fiction to study characters and

build and revise their theories about them. They will need to select texts with

interesting characters.

Students participate in a book pass to preview books, titles, and authors, to

discuss possible choices for independent reading.

The Characters You Meet Students learn how to focus on the main characters.

Student track their thinking about characters and generate a list of character

traits.

Students create theories about what a character is like based on text evidence and

background knowledge.

Interactive Read –aloud

(Structural Elements

section)

Allen, Janet- Yellow Brick

Roads- Fleshing out the

character template

Getting Closer to Characters Students revise their theories as the gain new information about the character.

Students learn how authors reveal important information about characters

through: thoughts/feelings, dialogue, actions, and direct description.

Students create theories about why the author included a particular character.

Comprehension Tool-Kit

(Activate and Connect)



School- A strategic



Comprehension and

Thinking

Boyles, Nancy,


Constructing Meaning

How Well Do You Know the

Character?

Students discuss, analyze, and evaluate how characters deal with the diversity of

human experience and conflicts. They make predictions about what a character

will say or do next in reacting to the conflict.

Students notice that what a character says or does provide clues about what is

really important to him/her.

Students reflect on instances when the main character acts “out of character” and

create theories about why that was.

How Authors Use Word Choice,

Tone, and Voice To Develop

Characters

Students learn to pay attention not only to what a character says but how they

say it.

Students explain the authors’ use of voice to analyze how an author develops

and contrasts the points of view of different characters.

Students think about authors’ word choice and how it impacts tone.

(Connotation/denotation)

Interactive Read Aloud-

Standards for Structural

Elements.

Boyles, Nancy,


How and Why Characters Change Students notice how some characters change throughout the text and create

theories about why they change?

Students evaluate characters' motivations, decision, talk, and the authors’

themes.

Students create theories about why a character behaves in a certain way.

Students interpret how situations, actions, and other characters influence a

character’s personality and development.

Students identify if the character is static or dynamic.

How Authors Create Believable

Characters

Students notice what the author does to create believable characters.

Students notice what the author does to make us react to characters.


Making Personal Connections Students evaluate which character they would be friends with if they were in the

text.

Students compare and contrast how a character is like themselves, other

characters they have read about, or people they know in real life.

Boyles, Nancy,


Suggested Unit Resources

Calkins, Lucy, The Art of Teaching Reading

Boyles, Nancy, Constructing Meaning

Caulkins, Lucy, Units of Study for Teaching Reading

Janet Allen, Yellow Brick Roads

Daybooks of Critical Reading and Writing


Performance Task

Grade: 7 Unit Title: Reading is Thinking- focus on character

Performance Task:


Readers develop and revise theories and grow ideas about characters.

Understanding characters help us to interpret the author’s message and

themes.

Authors write to help us understand our lives and how we might think,

act, and live differently.

Effective readers are independent learners who use critical thinking

skills.


What are the underlying universal themes and messages about human behavior

revealed through characters?

How can learning about genre help us understand ourselves, our relationships with

others, and the world?

How does learning about characters help us understand the main messages and themes

of the text?

How do personal connections help readers formulate a deeper understanding of texts,

selves, and world?


Goal: Your goal is to help your chosen character start thinking about a career path that would fit his/her personality.

Role: You are assuming the role of the school guidance counselor who is getting to know the students in your school in order to

make a recommendation for a future career.

Audience: The audience is the chosen character from the novel.

Situation: The challenge is to get to know the character on a personal level. You will analyze the character by identifying a

minimum of 5 strong character traits, with support from the text. You must go beyond the written text and extend your

thinking about the character and why they display these traits.

Product,

Performance, and

Purpose:

Develop a chart that includes the following:

o Identification of a minimum of five strong character traits on one of the main characters from the novel.

o Key decisions or events from the novel that provide evidence to support each of the chosen traits.

(Actions, Thoughts/ Feelings, Direct Description, and Dialogue)

o Explanation and analysis of how the decision or event helped define the character.

o Explanation should show how the character is dynamic and has changed throughout the novel.

o Determine a possible career path for your character that would be a good fit for someone who displays these

traits. Explain why you have chosen this career for the character.

Use the student planning sheet and the sample assessment to help you create a draft of your final project.

Complete the assignment on a piece of poster board or use a computer program.

Standards and


See attached scoring checklist and planning sheet.



Grade 7: Character Study – Writing Workshop

Mini-lesson

Learning Outcomes

Suggested Resources

How Authors Gather Inspiration for

Writing?

(Characters You Meet mini-lesson)

Students view several works of art to gather seed ideas for their stories and fill

out the main character questionnaire.

Describing a Character

(How Well Do You Know the

Character? mini-lesson)

Students brainstorm a description of their character’s physical appearance.

Students develop their character’s inner life by describing their motivations and

conflicts.

Students develop their character’s outer life through how other characters

perceive them.

Students develop their character’s actions to illustrate the character’s mood,

personality, and physical traits.

Smith and Wilhelm

Fresh Takes on Teaching

Literary Elements, Chapter

3: Preparing Students to

Understand Character

Writing from the point of view of the

character: Bringing the character to

life

Students develop the setting and conflict for their character using story maps/

graphic organizers. Where/when is their character going to be? What specific

problem are they going to face? How would their character resolve this problem?

Drafting Students writing a first draft of their story in first person point of view that

develops character and conflict based on the prewriting activities.

Writing Believable Dialogue Students include dialogue that is believable, fluent, and uses punctuation

correctly.

Students correctly punctuate dialogue within a story.

Mastering Mechanics


Peer Conferencing Students discuss their drafts within peer groups identify areas for revision. Mastering Mechanics

Revising Students revise areas of their stories as discussed during their peer conferences. Mastering Mechanics

Editing for Grammar, Usage, and

Mechanics

Students learn to use consistent verb tense throughout a piece of writing.

Students edit for commonly misspelled homonyms. Mastering Mechanics

Publication Students will orally share their stories with classmates in a way that is engaging

and appropriate. Mastering Mechanics

Suggested Unit Resources:

Calkins, Lucy, The Art of Teaching Writing

Boyles, Nancy, Constructing Meaning.

Atwell, Nancie: Lessons that Change Writers

Fletcher, Ralph: Craft Lessons for Teaching Writing

Portalupi and Fletcher: Teaching Qualities of Writing

Daybooks of Critical Reading and Writing


Performance Task

Grade: 7 Unit Title: Character Study

Performance Task: Character Story


Understanding characters help us to think critically, build theories,

and interpret the author’s message and themes.

There is rarely a single obvious cause to characters complex

actions.

Authors write to help us understand our lives and how we might

think, act, and live differently.

Authors develop stories with believable characters and use literary

elements and techniques to help shape the character and the story.


What are the underlying universal themes revealed through characters and

how do they help us understand ourselves, our relationships with others, and the

world?


How do authors write focused narratives from the point of view of a character?

How can understanding character development help us write focused narratives

with a point of view that reveals a theme or important message?

What editing and revising strategies do authors use to improve drafts?

Goal: Students will write a story that develops a character’s point of view.

Role: Children’s Author

Audience: Children ages 6 – 10

Situation: You are a world famous children’s author and your publisher is anxious for you to write your next children’s story.

Unfortunately, you are stumped for a new idea. You will use a piece of art to inspire your story and develop your character.

Product, Performance,

and Purpose: 1. Write a narrative short story from the point of view of a character you develop.

2. Start by looking at several artwork samples to generate an idea for a character, problem, and story.

3. Use the writing process to develop your character and story. Be sure to include important aspects (details) of

character development and story elements into your story.

4. Share your final short story with classmates for author’s circle.

Standards and Criteria

For Success (See included rubric)

Character Development: Believable characters developed through dialogue, descriptions, and actions.

Point of View: Write from point of view of main character.

Writing Process

GUM: Punctuating Dialogue, Correct Spelling (Homonyms), Verb Tense, Subject/Verb Agreement


Rubric: Characterization: Short Story Student Name: ___________________________________

Writing Assignment and Presentation LA Section: _________ Date:_____________________


5 points

Acceptable –

4 points

Unsatisfactory –

3 points

Not

Present

0 points

Self

Score

Teacher

Score

Author’s

Message One clear main idea runs

throughout the story. Story effectively utilizes literary

elements (conflict, climax,

resolution, setting, etc.) to develop

the character and convey the

theme.

Author’s message is thoughtful

One main idea runs

throughout the story. Story utilizes some literary

elements to develop the

character, but theme may be

somewhat unclear.

Author’s message is

thoughtful

Main idea is unclear Story does not utilize literary

elements to develop the character

and convey the theme.

Author’s message is not

thoughtful

Did not

write story

or story is

too

confusing

to gauge

Character

Develop-

ment

Effectively uses a variety of

techniques including dialogue,

actions, descriptions, and character

thoughts/feelings to develop a

realistic character.

Uses descriptive language that

shows rather than tells

Uses a variety of techniques

including dialogue, actions,

descriptions, and character

thoughts/feelings to develop

a realistic character.

Uses some descriptive

language but may have

some general areas

Does not use a variety of

techniques such as dialogue,

actions, descriptions, and

character thoughts/feelings to

develop a realistic character.

Uses general language that tells

rather than shows

Story not

handed in

Narration

Effectively and consistently uses

first person narration in which the

story is told through the point of

view of the main character.

Consistently uses first

person narration.

Inconsistently uses first person

narration

Does not

use first

person

narration

Writing

Process

Uses an effective writing process

to revise and improve story.

Completes all steps of the writing

process in a timely fashion:

prewriting, drafting, revising, peer

and adult conferencing & editing.

Final draft is typed.

Story is shared by the author in an

author’s circle.


complete the steps of the

writing process: prewriting,

drafting, revising, peer and

adult conferencing and

editing.

May not be in a timely

fashion.

Final draft is typed.

Story is shared by the

author in an author’s circle.

Did not complete several steps of

the process.


Final draft is sloppy or not typed.

Story is not shared by the author

in an author’s circle.

Story not

handed in

GUM Only 1-2 errors in punctuating

dialogue, spelling/ homonyms,

subject/verb agreement, and verb

tense.

Effective use of pronouns to

support first person point of view.

3-4 errors in punctuating

dialogue, spelling/

homonyms, subject/verb

agreement, and verb tense.

Uses pronouns to support

first person point of view.

More than 4 errors in

punctuating dialogue, spelling/

homonyms, subject/verb

agreement, and verb tense.

Use of pronouns does not

support 1st person point of view.

Story not

handed in



Grade 7 Unit Overview: Critical Literacy (Nonfiction & Realistic Fiction) Focus: Students will read a variety of texts to explore multiple social issues,

develop valid opinions, and take a critical stance.


Reading to investigate social issues uncovers multiple perspectives,

develops empathy, and helps students develop as thoughtful members

of society.

Reading critically helps students to form valid opinions supported by

text and to understand how social issues impact their own lives.

There is rarely a single obvious cause to a complex social issue.


What social issues do I see in these texts?

How are the characters’ actions impacted by the social issues and / or

group memberships?

Whose perspective is being told? Whose perspectives are being

marginalized? How might this story be different if told from a different

viewpoint?

How can I address this issue in my own life?

Content:

Developing an Interpretation

Forming and Supporting Valid Opinions

Skills:

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis. (C.C.7.R.L.1)

Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze the development of the course of the text. (C.C.7.R.I.2)

Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing if the reasoning is sound and the evidence relevant and sufficient

to support the claims. (C.C.7.R.I.8)

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.

(C.C.7.R.I.6)

Distinguish fact from author’s opinion in nonfiction texts. (C.C.7.R.I.8)

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. (C.C.7.W.1)

Introduce claims, acknowledge alternate claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. (C.C.7.W.1.a)

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument. (C.C.7.W.1.e)

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources. Assess the accuracy and credibility of each source. (C.C.7.W.8)


Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. (C.C.7.W.2.c)

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (C.C.7.W.9)

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. (C.C.7.S.L.1.a)

Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify views. (C.C.7.S.L.1.d)

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. (C.C.7.S.L.4)

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

evidence. (C.C.7.S.L.3)

Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and finding and emphasize salient points.

(C.C.7.S.L.5)

Demonstrate command of the convention of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. (C.C.7.L.1.)

Write using simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas. (C.C.7.L.1.b)



Grade 7: Critical Literacy and Issues – RWS and WWS

Mini-lesson

(Some are multiple day lessons)

Learning Outcomes

Suggested Resources

What is Critical Literacy?

Students recognize that good readers read with a different lens to discover social

uses that lie inside texts. (At times we notice the social issue when something

feels “unfair.”)

Students understand that there are many ways of thinking about and

understanding a topic and that the author presents the issue in only one way.

Students generate a comprehensive list of social issues to be used in book

selection.

Calkins- Alternate Units of

Study (pgs. 306-307)

Maggie Beattie’s Unit of

Study from Columbia-

Social Issues Book Club

Lessons (Can be used

throughout the study)

What is Debate?

(multiple lessons)

Students understand how persuasive arguments have a pro and con (two side

issues).

Students read a pro and con argument for a variety social issues.

Students prepare for a debate by researching and organizing information into a

persuasive argument.

Students understand how to refute an opposing argument (rebuttal).

Questioning Authors’ Assumptions,

Beliefs, Intentions, and Biases

Students evaluate validity and accuracy of information, ideas, themes, opinions

and experiences.

Students distinguish between fact and author’s opinion in a variety of nonfiction

texts.


current events articles

Appropriate Tone Students use appropriate tone in oral argument and persuasive writing.


Thinking Beyond the Written Word Students develop a critical perspective to understand why an author wrote about

a topic, wrote from the chosen perspective, and why the author chose to include

and/or exclude certain details and ideas.

Students will explore thinking about who has the “power” in the book. Critical

readers ask themselves who has the power and how they show that power.


Study (pg 310)

Reading with Conversations in Mind Students read to have a conversation about the social issues in their books. This

will increase their comprehension of the text and awareness of the chosen social

issue.

Handout on Accountable

Book Talk in RWS

Reading to Inform and Change

Thinking

Students read books about social issues to get information and change their lives

and thinking.

Students will track their thinking about the chosen social issue and record their

thinking about the issue as the book progresses. They will note changes to their

thinking from the beginning of the novel to the end.

Digging Deeper into Characters Students will recognize that good readers get to know their characters better by

observing how social issues affect their emotions, thoughts, actions and choices

in life.

Students deepen their knowledge from the character development unit of study

and make inferences about characters actions related to the social issues.

Students will use clues from the text to understand what is not explicitly stated

about the characters actions.

Students will analyze the characters’ actions by studying their relationships to

individuals and groups.

Beattie Lessons


Study ( pgs. 308-309)

Possible Read Aloud- If

You Come Softly-

Woodson

Feeling Empathy and Sympathy

Students recognize that good readers observe how characters choices affect other

characters and impact our feelings about then.

Students will reflect on characters that they have loved and/ or hated and create

theories about what the author did to get them to feel that way.

Students will explore questions that readers might ask to help them empathize

Beattie Lessons

Possible Reading- Thank

You M’am- Hughes



with characters. Study

Connecting to the World Students will explore the social issues that characters are dealing with and

connect to issues in the world.

Students will use clues stated in text, along with prior knowledge about life, to

draw conclusions about what is not explicitly stated in text (Inference, empathy,

interpretation, connection)

Being an Informed Reader Students recognize that readers find ways to bring what they learn about

characters and interpretations of social issues into their personal lives and

worlds.

Students will ask themselves questions to grow their thinking about the big ideas

in the text.


Study (pg. 305)

Thinking Globally Students will revise their thinking as they gather new information about the

social issues.

Students will distinguish between reliable and unreliable informational sources.

Students will use appropriate strategies for reading and note taking to gather

information from nonfiction texts.

Authors Working Toward Social

Changes and Solutions

Students will generate theories about the “social statement” that the author is

trying to make in the novel. What is the author trying to say about the world?

Students use clues stated in text to draw conclusions about the authors’ intended

and unintended messages.

Response to Quote – James Howe’s Misfits- “I use my words to make a

difference.”

Possible Readings-

Thank You M’am- Hughes

or Misfits by James Howe

Growing Plans for Social Changes Students will extend their thinking after they finish reading texts and recognize

that when they are done they can keep asking questions and thinking about the

social issues.

Calkins-

Alternate Units of Study

(pg 311)


Students reflect on ideas for social change.

Correctly Citing Sources Students will understand how to correctly cite sources. Noodletools

Creating Sentence Variety Students will use a variety of sentences to avoid redundancy and to build fluency

in writing.

Read Aloud Ideas (Related to Suggested Mini-Lessons)

Novels:

If you Come Softly- Jacqueline Woodson

The Misfits- James Howe

Short Texts:

Thank You M’am- Langston Hughes

The Lottery- Shirley Jackson

Harrison Bergeron- Kurt Vonnegut

Just Lather That’s All- Hernando Tellez


Performance Task

Grade: 7 Unit Title: Critical Literacy

Performance Task: Debate


Reading to investigate social issues uncovers multiple

perspectives, develops empathy, and helps students

develop as thoughtful members of society.

Reading critically helps students form valid opinions

supported by text and understand how social issues impact

their own lives.

There is rarely a single obvious cause to a complex social

issue



How are the characters’ actions impacted by the social issues and / or group

memberships?

Whose perspective is being told? Whose perspectives are being marginalized? How

might this story be different if told from a different viewpoint?


Goal: Your goal is to present an oral argument for debate.

Role: Your role is a member of the SDMS debate team.

Audience: Your audience is the panel of judges who will determine the winner of the debate.

Situation: Your debate team will be competing against another debate team in 7th

grade about an important social issue:

Should schools be allowed to censor books with controversial language and/or topics?

Should schools require students to wear school uniforms?

Should students attend school year round?

Debate topics could change based upon interests.


and Purpose: Your purpose is to develop a persuasive argument that convinces the panel of judges to agree with your side.

Your debate is an oral argument, prepared ahead of time with relevant facts and support.

See attached breakdown of debate tasks and format.


For Success See attached scoring sheet with the following criteria:

a well-supported opening arguments with stated purpose and audience awareness

rebuttal statement addressing opposing viewpoints

prepared questions to attack opposition and ability to respond to opposition’s questions

summation with strong call to action statement

oral argument and persuasive tone.


Performance Task

Grade: 7 Unit Title: Critical Literacy

Performance Task: Persuasive Argument


Reading to investigate social issues uncovers multiple

perspectives, develops empathy, and helps students

develop as thoughtful members of society.

Reading critically helps students form valid opinions

supported by text and understand how social issues impact

their own lives.

There is rarely a single obvious cause to a complex social

issue



How are the characters’ actions impacted by the social issues and / or group

memberships?

Whose perspective is being told? Whose perspectives are being marginalized? How

might this story be different if told from a different viewpoint?


Goal: Your goal is to persuade your audience to agree with your opinion on a social issue that is relevant in the world today.

Role: You are a concerned member of the community. (Student, parent, Board of Education member, shopkeeper, artist, lawyer,

eye witness, newscaster, photographer, news journalist, filmmaker, etc.)

Audience: Your audience is your community.

Situation: You have researched and read about a social issue that you feel strongly about and you want to make a social change.


and Purpose: You are creating a persuasive argument (pod-cast, photo essay, news cast, story board, graphic comic, commercial,

editorial, public service announcement, movie trailer, article, letter, power point, etc.).

You need to research your topic so you can provide valid support for your arguments based on facts.

The purpose is to impact the views of your audience to promote social change.


For Success

An informative, clear, convincing, insightful, valid, formal, well-crafted final product.


Rubric: Persuasive Argument Project Student Name: ___________________________________

Persuasive Writing – Critical Literacy Unit LA Section: _________ Date:_____________________


5 points

Acceptable –

4 points

Unsatisfactory –

3 points

Incomplete

0 points

Self

Score

Teacher

Score

Persuasive

Argument

Develops a clear, insightful and

convincing argument about a

specific social issue.

Argument persuades audience to

make a social change.

Clear thesis or position statement.

Uses strong persuasive word

choices to develop persuasive

tone.

Develops a persuasive

argument about a social

issue, but may only be

somewhat convincing.

Includes a thesis or position

statement with an opinion

Uses some persuasive word

choice (tone).

Project is expository –

explains social topic but

does not develop a

persuasive argument.

Unclear position

statement (opinion).

Uses limited persuasive

word choice (tone).

Project is too

brief to score.

Uses Valid

and Specific

Support

Strong, relevant, and specific

reasons to support opinion.

Uses specific and valid facts and

examples to support reasons.

Uses a variety of elaboration

techniques to support reasons

(cause/effect, statistics, anecdotes,

and quotes).

Reasons are mostly specific

and make sense.

Uses a mix of general and

specific examples to support

reasons.

Uses a few different types of

elaboration techniques.

Reasons are too general,

do not make sense

and/or may not be

persuasive.

Uses mostly general

examples.

Does not include

different types of

elaboration.

No examples

or facts used to

support ideas.

Too brief too

score.

Well-crafted

final product

Reasons, ideas and facts are well-

organized into a final presentation.

Final product is publishable with

no errors in grammar, spelling, &

mechanics.

Somewhat good organization

of information; May have

one or two minor problems

with organization of ideas.

Final product is publishable

but with 1-5 minor errors in

grammar, spelling, and

mechanics.

Lacks organization;

Ideas overlap.

Final draft is not

publishable with several

errors in making it

difficult to understand.

Too brief to

score or

project is not

considered to

be a final

product.

Research

and

Writing

Process

Uses an effective process to

research and create a final product

Completes all steps of the research

and writing process in a timely

fashion: research, prewriting,

drafting, revising, editing and

presentation.

Uses a process to complete

the project: research,

prewriting, drafting, revising,

editing & presenting project.

Did not complete several

steps of the process.


Final project may have

been completed late.

Did not

complete the

project.

Work Cited Correctly cites resources in work

cited page.

Cites resources but may have

minor citation problems.

Incorrectly cites

resources; many errors.

No citations

included.

Total Points: _______/25 points



Grade 7 Unit Overview: Poetry Focus: Students examine how authors use figurative language and poetic structure in novels.


Everyone is entitled to an opinion about what a text means, but the text

supports some interpretations more than others.

Understanding a text structure and craft helps readers better understand

its meaning.

Speaking, listening and viewing are fundamental processes that people

use to express, explore and learn.


How does studying authors’ craft help us to understand and create

poems that convey our important experiences and ideas?

What poetic forms and tools will help the poet convey a deeper

message?

How do poets use figurative language to support themes?

Content:

Analyzing Content, Structure, and Craft in a Poetic Novel


Presentation of Ideas in a Variety of Formats

Skills:

Determine the theme or central idea of a text and analyze the development. ( C.C.7.R.L.2)

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text including figurative and connotative meaning. (C.C.7.R.L.4)

Analyze how a poems’ form and structure contributes to its meaning. (C.C.7.R.L.5)

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

(C.C.7.R.I.5)

Interpret figures of speech in context. (C.C.7.L.5.a)

Engage effectively in conversations. (C.C.7.S.L.1)

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks through oral readings of poems. (C.C.7.S.L.6)


Compare and contrast literature written in a variety of genres and explain why certain genres are best suited to convey a specific message or evoke a

particular response.

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

(C.C.7.W.3.d)

With some guidance and support 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. (C.C.7.W.5)

Gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. (C.C.7.L.6)

Use the conventions of standard spelling. (C.C.7.L.2.b)

Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy. (C.C.7.L.3.a)

Use appropriate eye contact, clear pronunciation, and adequate volume. (C.C.7.S.L.4)



Grade 7

Reading and Writing Poetry - Novels in Verse

Mini-lesson

Learning Outcomes

Suggested Resources

Why Poetry? Students will determine the purposes for poetry.

Students will analyze how the poetic form of their novels impacts the authors’

messages.

The Tools Poets Use

(may take place over several class

periods)

Students will establish a cohesive vocabulary of figurative language including

simile, metaphor, symbol, sensory imagery, and personification.

Students will examine how sound devices (rhyme, syllable patterns, alliteration,

repetition) create rhythm in poems and emphasize ideas.

Students will examine how the form of a poem can be used to convey meaning

through the use of line breaks, white space, and shape.

Daybooks

Being an Original Poet

(1 – 4 lessons)

Students will examine how unpredictability and/or clichés in a poem can impact

theme and mood.

Students will examine how word choice can impact mood and theme.

Atwell, Lessons That

Change Writers

Fletcher, Craft Lessons

and Teaching the Qualities

of Writing

Theme in Poetry Students will analyze how figurative language, mood, and form impact the

reader’s interpretation of the author’s message.

Poetry Is Meant to Be Heard Students will discuss how reading a poem aloud can impact the reader’s

understanding of mood and theme.


Where Do Poets Find Inspiration?

(1 – 3 lessons)

Students will conduct a quick survey of various poems to develop a list of topics

that poets write about.

Students will create a list of seed ideas based on memories, reflections,

questions, observations, conversations, humor, interests, feelings, etc.

Students will formulate ideas for their own poems

o What message do I want to share?

o How do I want my audience to feel when they hear this message?

Writing a First Draft Students will utilize various tools for writing their poems including ideas and

drafts from journal thesauruses, word cards, previous writing exercises, etc.

Revising Students will confer with peers and adults to check their drafts for originality,

creativity, theme/meaning, tone, word choice, etc.

Students will determine what changes to implement based on feedback.

Editing Students will edit their poems for spelling using various strategies including

online spell checkers, dictionaries, and peer and adult conferences to create a final

draft.

Open Mike Friday Students will present their finished original poem to the class.


Performance Task # 7-7

Grade: 7 Unit Title: Reading and Writing Poetry

Performance Task: Open Mike Friday


Everyone is entitled to an opinion about what a text means, but the

text supports some interpretations more than others.

Understanding a text structure and craft helps readers better

understand its meaning.

Speaking, listening, and viewing are fundamental processes that

people use to express, explore and learn.


How does studying author’s craft help us to understand and create poems that

convey our important experiences and ideas?

What poetic forms and tools will help the poet convey a deeper message?

How do poets use figurative language to support themes?

Goal: Your goal is to demonstrate how poets use their own inspiration and craft techniques to compose poetry in hopes of being

selected to be published in the guest poet’s next anthology.

Role: You are an aspiring poet who has been asked to perform one of your original poems at an “Open Mike Friday.”

Audience: Your audience is your other poet peers, your teacher, and the famous poet attending the assembly.

Situation: A famous poet will be in the audience and he/she is looking for the next hot teen poet to be published in his/her next book.

Product,

Performance, and

Purpose:

You will select your favorite poem to present at the school wide assembly.

You must explore creative ways of looking at the topic including use of figurative language, use of white space, non-

rhyming, circle poems, writing a rap, etc.

Standards and


A representative from a publishing company will evaluate your work.

Your publishable poem must meet the following standards:

Choose a central theme to write about.

Your theme and inspiration should be clearly reflected in your poetry journal.

Use observations, memories, feelings, and images as a source for ideas for your poem.

Write in poetic format

Use sensory images related to your theme.

Use unusual language, interesting comparisons (similes and metaphors), and figurative language.

Apply strategies to revise, edit, and publish.

Use appropriate word choice to communicate tone and meaning.

Your performance must meet the following standards:

Read poem with fluency and expression paying attention to how the poem is structured.

When performing your poem use appropriate volume, tone, speak clearly, make eye contact with the audience, and

use good posture.


Rubric: Poetry – Open Mike Friday Student Name: ___________________________________

Poetry Writing Assignment and Presentation LA Section: _______________ Date: _________________


5 points

Acceptable –

4 points

Unsatisfactory

3 points

Not Present

0 points

Self

Score

Teacher

Score

Author’s

Message One main idea runs throughout

the poem

Word choice creates a

consistent mood that relates to

the author’s message


thoughtful

Title helps convey author’s

message.

One main idea runs

throughout the poem

Word choice creates a

mood that mostly relates

to the author’s message


thoughtful

Poem has a title but may

not help express author’s

message

Too many ideas run

throughout the poem

The word choice is

ineffective in creating

a mood

The author’s message

is nonsensical or

confusing

Poem is untitled

Did not write

poem or poem

is too confusing

to gauge

Figurative

Language Creative, original, and

unpredictable use of figurative

language (no clichés)

Effectively uses a variety of

poetic devices (similes,

metaphors, personification,

symbols, and/or sensory

imagery)

Effectively uses sound devices

(alliteration, rhyme, repetition)

to create rhythm.

Mostly creative, original,

and unpredictable use of

figurative language

Uses poetic devices

(similes, metaphors,

personification, symbols,

and/or sensory imagery)

Uses sound devices

(alliteration, rhyme,

repetition, etc.)

Figurative language

may be unoriginal,

predictable or

ineffective

Uses few to no poetic

devices

Uses few to no sound

devices

There was no

use of figurative

language in the

poem.

Structure

Formed like a poem using

lines and stanzas

Uses line-breaks and white

space to effectively showcase

meaning, rhyme, and/or other

deliberate uses of figurative

language

Formed like a poem using

lines and stanzas

Attempts to use line-

breaks and white space

effectively

May not be used in a way

that best shows the

deliberate use of figurative

language

May not have the

form of a poem

Did not have used

line-breaks or white

space effectively

No use of line-

breaks or white

space. Presented

in paragraph

form

Writing

Process Uses an effective writing

process to revise and improve

poem

Completes all steps of the

writing process in a timely

fashion: prewriting, drafting,


complete the steps of the

writing process:

prewriting, drafting,



Did not complete

several steps of the

process.

May only have one

draft.

Final draft is sloppy

No poem

handed in


Poetry Writing Assignment and Presentation LA Section: _________ Date:_____________________



Final draft is neatly presented

(typed) with no errors in

spelling.

May not be in a timely

fashion.

Final draft is typed but

with 1-2 minor errors in

spelling.

or not typed with

several errors in

spelling.

Presentation

Used eye contact, gestures,

and appropriate tone of voice

to showcase theme.

Strong volume

Clear voice

• Some eye contact, gestures,

and/ or appropriate tone of

voice to showcase theme.

• Moderately strong volume

• Clear voice

• No eye contact,

gestures, or

appropriate tone of

voice to showcase

theme.

• Low volume

• Hard to understand

Poem not

presented



Grade 7 RWS/WWS- Unit Overview: Non-fiction / Historical Fiction – Holocaust Focus: The unit will support students in understanding the purposes of non-fiction and historical fiction texts. Students will make connections to

universal themes about the human experience.


Literature addresses universal themes of human existence and conflict.

History is “story” and who tells the story and how it is structured affects how

it is understood.

There is rarely a single obvious cause to a complex historical event.


What are the underlying universal themes and messages about human

behavior revealed through the characters and events?

What are the dangers of indifference? What is the result of prejudice?

How can reading across historical fiction and non-fiction texts help us

understand what we read?

Content:

Analyzing Content and Structure of Historical Fiction, Non-fiction, and Memoir


Making Reader Text Connections

Editing, Revising, and Publishing

Skills:

Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text. (CC.7.R.I.3)

Determine a theme or a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text. (CC.7.R.L.2)

Analyze how two or more authors write about the same topic. (CC.7.R.I. 9)

Apply information from one text to understand a similar situation on concept from another text. ( CC.7.R.L.9)

Explain how certain actions cause certain effects. ( CC.7.R.I.3)

Compare and contrast themes, human nature, cultural and historical perspectives in multiple texts, film, and media technology. (CC.7.R.L.9)

(CC.7.R.I.7)

Explain the authors’ purpose for writing a text. ( CC.7.R.L.9)

Draw evidence from informational text to support analysis, reflection and research. (CC.7.W.9)

Write for a range of discipline specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. (CC.7.W.10)

Research a topic to answer a question. (CC.7.W.7))

Gather information from multiple sources and evaluate credibility of sources. (CC.7.W.8)

Understand how non-fiction texts are structured to develop the author’s purpose. (CC.7.R.I.5)



Grade 7- RWS/WWS

Non-fiction / Historical Fiction

Holocaust Unit

Mini-lesson

(Some lessons will be multiple days)

Learning Outcomes

Suggested Resources

Understanding Non-fiction Text

Structures

Students distinguish the unique characteristics of this genre and reflect on how

they differ from fiction.

Students apply appropriate reading strategies to non-fiction text.

Building Background (2 days) Students read a variety of non-fiction texts to build background knowledge about

the Holocaust.

Students develop own questions and set a purpose for reading.

Variety of Nonfiction

Texts on Holocaust

Choosing Books Based on Personal

Questions

Students explore a variety of texts via a book pass.

Students select at least two books at an appropriate independent level and

interest level (over the course of the unit)

Students select to read at least one of these novels as part of a book club.

Allen, Janet- Yellow Brick

Roads

Wondering About Texts Students consider how wondering about a character or an event can help them

become active readers and build comprehension.

Students create an “I wonder” poem about their questions the Holocaust; final

poem to be added to scrapbook.

Read Aloud texts to

consider for this unit:

Number the Stars

Diary of a Young Girl

(Anne Frank)


“I wonder” poem

Developing Interpretations

(Multiply Days)

Students develop appropriate interpretations about stories and characters.

Students use a reflective journal or double entry journal to describe their initial

question to the text and then explain their interpretations.

Students share their interpretations with their peers or book clubs.

Read Aloud texts to

consider for this unit:

Number the Stars

Diary of a Young Girl

(Anne Frank)

Research To Answer Questions (2-3

days)

Students develop their own questions about the Holocaust to research. Questions

should be related to content of books they are reading.

Students learn how to evaluate and use credible resources on the Internet.

Students research their questions using appropriate text and web based sites,

such as the US Holocaust museum

Students present research findings to their peers.

Nonfictional Holocaust

Texts

US Holocaust Museum

website

Thinking As Someone Else Students understand that characters behavior is shaped by the world in which the

character lives.

Students reflect on how different characters react to the same events in different

ways.

Calkins HF volume1

session vi

Film: Gerda Klein video

Determining Themes and

Understanding Historical Perspective

In Film

(multiple days)

Students will develop ideas about themes in different films about the Holocaust.

Students will discuss how authors and filmmakers use historical settings and

facts to tell stories and develop themes.

Students will compare and discuss the events and themes in the films to their

novels with their peer and/or book clubs groups.

Films:

Jakob the Liar

Boy in Stripped Pajamas


Developing Character Connections Students will develop their connections to the characters in the novels they read

through different activities such as an “I am” poem.

Students will connect to the character in their stories through journal responses.

Students will write a letter to their character.

I am poem format

Writing to Reflect and Connect to

What We Read

Students will reflect in writing on the experiences of children in the Terezin

concentration camp by reading and responding to the poetry in the book I Never

Saw Another Butterfly.

I Never Saw Another

Butterfly

Determining Author’s Message in

Historical Fiction and Memoirs

Students will determine and discuss the author’s message and purpose for

writing their story.

Students will discuss why authors write memoirs and historical fiction.

Students will write a letter to the author of one of the stories they read.

Conveying Your Message

(Scrapbook Project lessons and ideas)

Students will read and discuss the author’s message in a passage from Night.

Students will write a poem titled Never Shall We Forget either in their own voice

or that of a character they studied to develop themes and messages about this

unit of study on the Holocaust.

Students will create a Tile of Remembrance using symbols to develop a theme

about tolerance.

Night: “Never Shall I

Forget” passage

Tile of Remembrance

handout


Performance Task

Grade: 7 Unit Title: Historical Fiction / Non-Fiction (RWS/WWS)

Performance Task: Holocaust Scrapbook


Literature addresses universal themes of human

existence and conflict.

History is “story” and who tells the story and how

it is structured affects how it is understood.

There is rarely a single obvious cause to a

complex historical event.


What are the underlying universal themes and messages about human behavior revealed through the

characters and events?

What are the dangers of indifference? What is the result of prejudice?

How can reading across historical fiction and non-fiction texts help us understand what we read?

Goal: Your goal is to create a scrapbook to be put on display at the National Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. that shows an

understanding of the dangers of indifference, intolerance, and prejudice to future generations.

Role: Your role is student.

Audience Your audience is the visitors of the National Holocaust Museum, Washington, D.C.

Situation: You are a student that has just completed a unit in which you have studied the Holocaust. You feel strongly that future generations

should know of this time in history so something of this scale could never happen again. You want to share what you have learned

with future generations.


and Purpose:

1.Create a scrapbook that reflects on the following:

the main ideas, events, and characters in the Holocaust novels you read

what you have learned about the dangers of intolerance and prejudice

your understanding of what it means to be tolerant

2. You need to choose a total of five activities from the choices provided.

3. Each activity or journal response should be one page of your scrapbook. Your scrapbook needs to be at least five pages.

4. Your finished pages should reflect insight into both novels you read and any other materials from class, which demonstrate

connections and understanding of the entire unit.


For Success

Each page of the scrapbook is expected to:

Represent final, quality work, edited for mistakes.

Show comprehension, connections, insight and reflections on: indifference, prejudice, and tolerance.

Use important and specific details to support opinions.

**You will lose points for sloppy, disorganized, not edited/spelling mistakes or incomplete tasks!!

See the attached rubric for grading criteria



Scope and Sequence of Editing Skills, Conventions, and Mechanics

Grades 4-8

Revised October 2011

Content, Organization, and Meaning 4 5 6 7 8

1. Topic Sentence

2. Supporting Details

3. Logical Order

4. Paragraph Conventions G

5. Tone R R R R G

6. Redundancy of Ideas R G

7. Writing a Variety of Sentence Lengths and Types R G

8. Use Text Features: e.g. captions, labels, diagrams, headings, where appropriate

9. Cite Sources G

10. Re-read, Revise, and Edit for Meaning

11. Paragraph conventions (indent vs. block) I R G

12. Cite sources according to a prescribed format I R G

Revision: Syntax 4 5 6 7 8

1. Run-on Sentences

2. Awkward Sentence Construction R R R G

3. Fragments

4. Sentence Combining and Expanding

Revision: Word Choice 4 5 6 7 8

1. Redundancy of Word and Phrase R G

2. Transition Words

3. Generality/Specificity

4. Double Negatives

5. Homophones:

Appropriately use commonly misused words such as: they’re/their/there, to/too/two, its/it’s,

whose, who’s

Capitalization 4 5 6 7 8

1. Lower case for common nouns

2. Pronoun “I”


3. First word in a sentence

4. Proper Nouns: people, groups, months, days and holidays

5. Titles of people

6. Titles of books or articles G

7. First word in dialogue

8. Names of places, organizations, nationalities, buildings, historical events, abbreviations, common

nouns used as proper nouns G

9. Opening and closing of a letter

Punctuation 4 5 6 7 8

0. End marks – periods, question marks, exclamations

1. Periods after initials or abbreviations

2. Commas:

Opening and closing of a letter

In a series

In a date

In a compound sentence

To set off titles or initials, e.g., Dr. Smith, M.D. G

With city and state and in a complete address

After introductory phrases G

Before coordination conjunctions G

With quotation marks R G

To set off interjections or explanatory phrases R G

After transitions R G

To set off direct address R R G

With an appositive I R G

3. Quotation marks

With dialogue

With titles G

4. Apostrophes

Contractions

Possessives

To show quotation within quotation I G

5. Semicolons R G

6. Ellipsis R G

. To indicate an omission I R G

7. Colons:

In reporting time G

In a series G

In a business letter G


Title and subtitle I R G

8. Dashes I R G

10. Hyphens

Between syllables in line breaks, for poetic reasons G

In numbers R G

To join compound descriptors, (heavy-handed) I R G

11. Parentheses I R G

12. Italics, underlining for titles R G

. Titles of long poems, magazine titles, movie titles, television series I R G

13. Bullets I R G

14. Slash I R G

Usage 4 5 6 7 8

1. Use nouns, verbs, and adjectives

2. Use singular and plural nouns

3. Use nouns in sentences: singular, plural, common, proper, possessive

4. Subject/verb agreement: singular/plural subject

5. Subject/verb agreement: with intervening phrase

6. Noun/modifier agreement: singular/plural G

a. Misplaced and dangling modifiers I R

7. Use verbs in sentences: past, present, linking, common, irregular

Use consistent tenses (simple, future and perfect) R G

Use active and passive voice I R G

Use indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive tenses I R G

8. Pronoun

Correct choice of subject

Placement/order G

Agreement

Referent

Indefinite pronoun agreement with verbs and antecedents I R G

9. Adjectives: Descriptive/Comparative/Superlative

10. Conjunctions: use logically G

11. Special problems in usage:

a/an G

good/well G

I/me (subject only) G

then/than G

who/whom R G

12. Parallel Construction I R G


Parts of Speech 4 5 6 7 8

1. Regular verbs

2. Singular and plural verbs

3. Irregular verbs

4. Linking verbs

5. Articles G

6. Nouns

7. Common and proper nouns

8. Pronouns

9. Possessive pronouns G

10. Adjectives G

11. Proper adjectives R G

12. Adverbs R G

13. Prepositions G

14. Prepositional phrases I R G

15. Conjunctions: coordinate/subordinate R G

16. Interjections R G

17. Gerunds R G

18. Transition words G

19. Subject and predicate R G

20. Participles I R

21. Infinitives I R

Key:

I= Introduce the skill

R= Reinforce the skill

G= Grade Level Expectation (GLE)/ Master the skill

Blank= Mastered before grade

Blank= Continued practice beyond mastery

Spelling 4 5 6 7 8

1. Grade appropriate words G G G G G

2. Use resources to find correct spelling

3. Affixes, Greek and Latin roots I R

4. Words from other languages I R G


Revised October 2011

Academic Vocabulary- Grade Seven

Grade Seven Definition

analogy Comparing the likeness of one thing to another; an example of something familiar to explain or clarify something else.

anecdote A short account of a particular event of an interesting or amusing nature used to illustrate a point.

appositive An adjective phrase that directly follows the noun it modifies, it is set off by commas.

arguments The reasons that support an opinion.

audience awareness The authors understanding of who the audience is and what is important to them.

audience The persons reached by a book, essay or other literary piece.

call to action The explicit statement that directs the audience to take a stand or take action, usually found in conclusion.

con The position that is against an opinion.

connotation The set of associations implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning. The implied or suggested meaning of a

word or phrase, the feeling the word suggests.

counter argument/

rebuttal

The contrasting, opposing, or refuting argument.

denotation The most specific or direct meaning of a word, in contrast to its figurative or associated meanings; dictionary meaning

dynamic character A character who undergoes a permanent change in outlook or character during the story, usually a result of the events

in his/her life.

extraneous information Not pertinent information; irrelevant

human nature The psychological and social qualities that characterize humankind, esp. in contrast with other living things.

mood The feeling that a piece of writing conveys to the reader.

persuasive An argument that convinces an audience to agree with their point of view.

pro The position that is in favor of an opinion.

rhetorical question A question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion and not to elicit a reply. A question within which

the answer is implied.

semicolon The punctuation mark (;) used to indicate a major division in a sentence where a more distinct separation is felt

between clauses or items on a list than is indicated by a comma.


static character A literary character who remains basically unchanged throughout a work.

statistics Facts that appear in the form of ratios, percentages, and decimals that support an argument/ claim.

thesis statement An explanation of the topic or purpose of persuasive essay, presents issue to be examined or resolved.

tone An author's attitude toward his or her subject and audience revealed by word choice and details.

universal theme A unifying or dominant idea found within various types of literature.

validity The state of the ideas being persuasive because they are solid and well grounded; sound.

voice The way your writing sounds, the word choice, the way you write, the tone you take, the words you chose, the pattern

of your sentences, and the way things fit with the personality of the writer. The distinctive perspective from which a

writer expresses his or her ideas and feelings.

wethersfield public schools · approved administrative team january 11, ... sdms grade 7 language...

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