1st Semester Curriculum Guide
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
( 3 weeks)
(6 weeks)
(5 weeks)
(4 weeks)
Informational Reading
Analyzing Key Ideas and
Details
Persuasive Writing
Narrative Writing
Why Do We Read?
Dystopian Literature
What Influences You?
What’s Important in
Life?
Focus
Module
Title
(essential
question/focus)

Literary
Text






Vocabulary
Emphasis
Charles by Shirley
Jackson
Slam, Dunk, &
Hook by Yusef
Komunyakaa
When Plague
Strikes by James
Cross Giblin

Unwind Novel
by Neal
Shusterman
The Story of an
Eyewitness by
Jack London
An Hour with
Abuelo by
Judith Ortiz
Cofer
The Monkey
Who Asked For
Misery by
Diane Wolkstein
Seventh Grade
by Gary Soto
Students will focus on
vocabulary, specifically
context clues, word
usage, synonyms and
antonyms.
Students will focus on
figurative language,
affixes, vocabulary from
within the text, and
sentence structure
which will also be
emphasized.
Students will explore
the essential question
of why we read and
Students will immerse
themselves in a study of
Unwind by Neal

The Scholarship
Jacket by Marta
Salinas
 A Mason-Dixon
Memory by
Clifton Davis
 Home by
Gwendolyn
Brooks
 Should
Naturalized
Citizens be
President? by
John Yinger and
Matthew
Spalding
 Outdoor Art in
America by Toni
Cade Bambara
 Toward a
Rainbow Nation
by Lavendhri
Pillay
Students will continue
to focus on figurative
language, affixes, and
vocabulary from within
the text.
Students will know and
understand how to
write persuasively. In

A Christmas
Carol by Charles
Dickens
Students will focus on
context clues, word
usage, synonyms and
antonyms, affixes, and
vocabulary from within
the text.
Students will know and
understand how to
produce narrative
develop the necessary
reading strategies in
order to: comprehend,
recognize the author’s
purpose, analyze
evidence and text
structure, and
distinguish fact from
opinion. Students will
focus on vocabulary,
specifically context
clues, word usage,
synonyms and
antonyms.
Module
Assessments
 Formative
Assessments
 Short and
Extended
written
responses
 Constructed
responses
 Graphic
Organizers
 Summative
Assessments(i.e.
test or projects)
Shusterman. Students
will read to understand
and determine the
central idea of the text
and how it is developed
throughout the text.
Students will analyze
the story’s elements
and how they shape the
overall theme of the
story. Students will also
articulate their opinions
in the form of debate
and will demonstrate
their understanding of
the text in written form
and in collaboration
with other peers.
 Formative
Assessments
 Short and
Extended
written
responses
 Constructed
responses
 Graphic
Organizers
 Summative
Assessments(i.e.
test or projects)
this module, students
will demonstrate their
understanding of
persuasive writing and
the three areas of
persuasion: pathos,
ethos, and logos by
writing an essay and
also utilizing these skills
in a debate. Students
will learn how people
are influenced and how
they may influence
others.






writings. In this module,
students will
demonstrate their
understanding of
narrative writing in the
form of an essay. They
will also explore the text
of A Christmas Carol by
Charles Dickens.
Student will continue to
develop their skills in
analyzing particular
elements of a story,
determining the
meaning of words and
phrases as they are
used in a text, and
analyzing how particular
elements of a story
interact. Students will
also compare and
contrast the text from
the video
representation.
Formative
 Formative
Assessments
Assessments
Short and
 Short and
Extended
Extended
written
written
responses
responses
Constructed
 Constructed
responses
responses
Debate
 Graphic
Graphic
Organizers
Organizers
 Summative
Summative
Assessments(i.e.
Assessments(i.e.
test or projects)
test or projects)