WORD ANALYSIS, FLUENCY, AND SYSTEMATIC VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

 
Vocabulary and Concept Development.

 
Skills:

 
1.1 Identify idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes in prose
and poetry.

 
1.2 Use knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon roots and 
affixes to understand content area vocabulary.

 
1.3 Clarify word meaning through the use of definition, example, 
restatement, or contrast.

READING COMPREHENSION (FOCUS ON INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS)

 
Structural Features of Informational Materials.

 
Skills:

 
2.1 Understand and analyze the differences among various 
categories of informational materials in terms of their structure 
and purpose.

 
2.2 Locate information using a variety of consumer, workplace, 
and public documents.

 
2.3 Analyze text which uses cause and effect patterns.

 
Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text.

 
Skills:

 
2.4 Identify and trace the development of an author's argument, point 
of view, or perspective in text.

 
2.5 Understand and explain the use of a simple mechanical device 
by following technical directions.

 
Expository Critique.

 
Skills:

 
2.6 Assess the adequacy, accuracy, and appropriateness of the author's 
evidence to support claims and assertions, noting instances of bias and stereotyping.

LITERARY RESPONSE AND ANALYSIS.

 
Structural Features of Literature.

 
Skills:

 
3.1 Articulate the expressed purposes and characteristics of different
forms of prose (short story, novel, novella, essay)

 
Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text.

 
Skills:

 
3.2 Identify events that advance the plot, and determine how each
event explains past or present action or foreshadows future action.

 
3.3 Analyze characterization as delineated through a character's 
thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions; the narrator's 
description; and what other characters think, say, and do.

 
3.4 Identify and analyze recurring themes across works.

 
3.5 Contrast points of view in narrative text and how they affect the 
overall theme of the work.

 
Literary Criticism.

 
Skills:

 
3.6 Analyze a range of responses to a literary work and determine 
the extent to which the literary elements in the work shaped those
responses. (reader response)

WRITING STRATEGIES

 
Organization and Focus.

 
Skills:

 
1.1 Create an organizational structure that balances all aspects of 
the composition and uses effective transitions between sentences 
and ideas to unify key ideas.

 
1.2 Support all statements and claims with anecdotes, descriptions,
facts and statistics, and/or specific examples.

 
1.3 Use strategies of note-taking, outlining, and summarizing to 
structure composition drafts.

 
Research and Technology.

 
Skills:

 
1.4 Identify topics; ask and evaluate questions; and develop ideas
leading to inquiry, investigation, and research.

 
1.5 Give credit for both quoted and paraphrased information in a 
bibliography using a consistent and sanctioned format and methodology
for citations.

 
1.6 Create documents using word processing skills and publishing 
programs, and develop simple databases and spreadsheets to
manage information and prepare reports.

 
Revising and Evaluating Writing.

 
Skills:

 
1.7 Revise writing to improve organization and word choice after
checking the logic of the ideas and the precision of the vocabulary.

WRITING APPLICATIONS (GENRES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS)

 
Using the Grade 7 Writing Strategies.

 
Skills:

 
2.1 Write fictional or autobiographical narratives that (1) develop a
standard plot line (beginning, conflict, rising action, climax, denouement)
and point of view; (2) develop complex major and minor characters and 
a definite setting; (3) use a range of appropriate strategies.

 
2.2 Write responses to literature that (1) develop interpretations
which exhibit careful reading, understanding, and insight; (2) organize interpretations around several clear ideas, premises, or images; 
(3) justify interpretations through sustained use of examples and
textual evidence.

 
2.3 Write research reports that (1) pose relevant and tightly drawn 
questions about the topic; (2) convey clear and accurate perspectives 
on the subject; (3) include evidence generated through the formal
research process; (4) document reference sources with footnotes and 
a bibliography.

 
2.4 Write persuasive composition that (1) state a clear position or 
perspective in support of a proposition or proposal; (2) describe 
the points in support of the proposition, employing well articulated
evidence; (3) anticipate and address reader concerns and counter
arguments.

 
2.5 Write summaries of reading materials that (1) contain the materials'
main ideas and most significant details; (2) are written in the students' 
own words, except for material quoted from the source; (3) reflect the
underlying meaning of the source, not just the superficial details.

WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS.

 
Sentence Structure.

 
Skills:

 
1.1 Place modifiers properly, and use active voice.

 
Grammar.

 
Skills:

 
1.2 Identify and use infinitives, participles, and clear pronoun/antecedent references.

 
1.3 Identify (1) all parts of speech; (2) types and structure of 
sentences; (3) mechanics; (4) appropriate usage.

 
Punctuation.

 
Skills:

 
1.4 Identify and use hyphen, dash, brackets, and semi-colon between
two clauses of a compound sentence that are not joined by a conjunction.

 
Capitalization.

 
Skills:

 
1.5 Use correct capitalization.

 
Spelling.

 
Skills:

 
1.6 Spell derivatives correctly by applying the spellings of bases 
and affixes.

LISTENING AND SPEAKING STRATEGIES.

 
Comprehension.

 
Skills:

 
1.1 Ask probing questions designed to elicit information, including 
evidence to support the listener's claims and conclusions.

 
1.2 Determine the speaker's attitude toward the subject.

 
1.3 Respond to persuasive messages with questions, challenges, 
or affirmations.

 
Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication.

 
Skills:

 
1.4 Organize information to achieve particular purposes and to
appeal to the background and interests of the audience.

 
1.5 Arrange details, reasons, descriptions, and examples effectively
and persuasively in relation to the audience.

 
1.6 Use explicit techniques for effective presentations, including
voice modulation, inflection, tempo, enunciation, and eye contact.

 
Analysis and Evaluation of Oral and Media Communications.

 
Skills:

 
1.7 Provide constructive feedback to speakers concerning the
coherence and logic of a speech's content and delivery, as well 
as its overall impact upon the listener.

 
1.8 Analyze the effect of images, text, and sound in electronic 
journalism on the viewer, distinguishing the techniques used to 
achieve the effects in each instance studied

SPEAKING APPLICATIONS (GENRES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS)

 
Using the Grade 7 Speaking Strategies.

 
Skills:

 
2.1 Deliver narrative presentations that (1) develop a context, 
standard plot line, and/or point of view; (2) describe complex 
major and minor characters and a definite setting; (3) use a 
range of appropriate strategies, including dialogue, suspense, 
and naming of specific narrative action.

 
2.2 Deliver oral summaries of articles/books that (1) contain the 
main ideas of the event/article and the most significant details;
(2) use the student's own words, except for material quoted from
the source; (3) convey a comprehensive understanding of the 
source, not just the superficial details.

 
2.3 Deliver research presentations that (1) pose relevant and concise
questions about the topic; (2) convey clear and accurate perspectives 
on the subject; (3) include evidence generated through the formal
research process; (4) cite reference sources.

 
2.4 Deliver persuasive presentations that (1) state a clear position or
perspective in support of a proposition or proposal; (2) describe the 
points in support of the proposition, employing well articulated evidence.