7th Grade Reading
Month
Content/Essential Questions
September
Intro Activities
 Book jacket
 Intro. To Genre
 Dictionary introduction
Intro. To Unit 1: What is the best way to find the
TRUTH?
 Story Elements
 Academic Vocabulary
Tale of the Mandarin Duck
Three Century Woman
 What is the difference between a THEME
and a CENTRAL IDEA?
 How can themes be pulled from the
characters, conflicts and setting of the
story?
Elements of Fiction/Nonfiction
Papa’s Parrot
 What is narrative Text?
 How do we use CONTEXT CLUES to
determine the meaning of a word?
Study Island Assessment
May 2015
Resources
Assessments
Standards/
Anchors
Prentice Hall Literature
7 – Unit 1
Reading Fiction –
completion sheet/ post
reading
1.5.7.A
1.2.7.A
1.2.7.J
1.2.7L
1.3.7A
1.3.7E
1.3.7F
1.3.7H
1.3.7.I
1.3.7.J
1.4.7G
Define Genres
Dictionary format
Prefixes/suffixes
Academic Vocabulary
Categorize
Fall of the Hindenburg
 How do you determine the CENTRAL IDEA
in Nonfiction?
October
Skills/Activities
Reading nonfiction –
completion sheet/post
reading
Quiz 1 – fiction vs.
nonfiction
Persuasive writing:
(after Three Century
Woman)
Compare/Contrast
Determine Theme/ Character
 Identify theme
 Theme Statement
Conflict
Determine Central Idea
Narrative Text
Context clues
First TDA – Text dependent
Analysis.
Mummy Inquiry
 What is ACTIVE READING?
 What are the roles and responsibilities of a
class discussion circle?
Unexplained Prints – Class Discussion
Active Reading Strategies
 Close reading
Discussion Circle guidelines
Edgar Allan Poe Unit: Analyze how & why
individuals, events, & ideas develop and interact over
the course of a text.
Discussion # 1: Mystery (from Edgar Allan Poe’s
life story)
Thought-provoking questions
Taking good notes
Reflections of discussions
5W-How
Note-taking strategies
Comprehension
Mummy Inquiry
(powerpoint)
Discussion circle
worksheets
Class participation
Discussion Circle
worksheets
5W How worksheet
Lov’d Alone – READ
Study Guide
1.3.7A
1.3.7B
1.3.7C
1.3.7D
1.3.7E
7th Grade Reading
Mysterious Pictures
Poe BIOGRAPHY
Lov’d Alone: The story of Edgar Allan Poe
 What is the Impact of SETTING on
CHARACTERS?
Cause of Death Unknown – Informational text
Man, Myth, or Monster? - Informational text
Vocabulary – using context
clues
Argumentative writing –
presentation
magazine
Man, Myth, or Monster
article
Graphic organizer
1.3.7F
1.3.7I
1.3.7J
TEST
Identify & Categorize
information; vocabulary; quoting
material
Fact & Opinion
Thought-provoking questions
Taking good notes
Reflections of discussions
Discussion #2: Mystery (from “The Fall of the House
of Usher”
Month
Content/Essential Questions
Skills/Activities
Resources
Assessments
Standards/
Anchors
November
“The Fall of the House of Usher” – condensed
version of the story in DRAMA format
Vocabulary
Setting details
Descriptive details
 Mood
 Symbol
 Foreshadowing
 Personification
Themes – Connecting themes
from both stories
Predictions
Fall of the House of
Usher – READ
magazine
Study Guide
1.3.7A
1.3.7B
1.3.7C
1.3.7D
1.3.7E
1.3.7F
1.3.7I
1.3.7J
Alliteration, Simile, Metaphor,
Personification, Hyperbole,
Onomatopoeia, Oxymoron
Vocabulary
Characterization
Figurative Language
Worksheet
Figurative Language
Worksheet
The Raven
Bart Simpson’s THE
RAVEN
Study guide
Presentation
Poe Pics: Finding THEMES in Poe
Vocabulary, Setting,
Characterization, Predictions,
Conflict, Symbol,
personification, alliteration;
assonance, descriptive details
Poe Project: THEME:
Motif, Symbol, Theme
Powerpoint
Group discussions
Figurative Language & Literary Devices in “The Fall
of the House of Usher”
 How do authors use FIGURATIVE
LANGUAGE and LITERARY DEVICES to
add meaning to their stories?
Atmosphere & Symbolism in "The Raven"
May 2015
1.4.7B
1.4.7C
1.4.7D
1.4.7E
7th Grade Reading

How does an author use characters and
setting to create theme?
TDA: What is the Impact of SETTING on
CHARACTERS?
Analyze the settings from the different stories and
their effects on the main characters. Explain how the
setting can affect the characters and the later events
that occur. Be sure to use details from the stories to
back up your ideas.
December
Project – Art &
paragraph
Text Dependent
Analysis
Multi paragraph analysis
Answer the question
Cite evidence
TWICE
Explain
TWICE
Reach a conclusion
Content/Essential Questions
Skills/Activities
Resources
Assessments
AN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD.
Context Clues; Point of View
Main Characters: Protagonist /
Antagonist
Setting
Conflict What caused this
conflict? What is the end result
or resolution of this conflict?
TDA Worksheet – Citing Text;
Explaining text; elaborating
Vocabulary
Literature book
Context Clues
worksheet
Test
The Luckiest Time of All
Context Clues/Point of view
Pre-reading Strategies
Dialect
TDA Worksheet - – Citing Text;
Explaining text; elaborating
Vocabulary
Standards/
Anchors
1.2.7A
1.2.7B
1.2.7C
1.4.7B
1.4.7C
1.4.7D
1.4.7E
SLAPS Review PPT
TDA – open ended
Context Clues & Point
of view center
1.3.7A
1.3.7B
1.4.7B
1.4.7C
1.4.7D
1.4.7E
Organization meeting with Mrs. Martin
January
May 2015
Creative Writing – Christmas Row Story
With presentation of story
Narrative Writing
Row Story PPT
Content/Essential Questions
Skills/Activities
Resources
Assessments
Informational Text: Functional Texts &
Expository Texts
Functional Texts vs. Expository
Texts; Reading an Atlas;
Reading for information
Predictions
Vocabulary
Byron Yee: Discovering
a Paper Son (culture)
TDA
Test
Post Reading Nonfiction
Completion sheet
“Family Histories”
section of the Web site
of the Statue of Liberty
– Ellis Island
Standards/
Anchors
1.4.7B
1.4.7C
1.4.7D
1.4.7E
7th Grade Reading
Barrio Boy: Reflective Essay
&
A Day’s Wait – short story
Compare & Contrast FICTION and NONFICTION
Central Idea
Types of Supporting details
~ Facts
~ Observations
~ Statistics(facts = numbers)
~ Personal experiences
~ Expert statements
~ Anecdotes (stories that make a
point)
~ Examples (concrete
Illustrations)
~ Analogies (comparisons to
make a point)
Skills: Central Idea; Supporting
Details; Comparing Literary
works (fiction/nonfiction); Read
for information; Categorize
Foundation.
Independent Reading skills;
narrator; narrative; central idea;
character traits; discussion
Stories & worksheet
Selection questions
1.3.7F
1.3.7I
1.2.7A
1.2.7
1.4.7B
1.4.7C
1.4.7D
1.4.7E
Centers
TDA: Compare & Contrast
FICTION and NONFICTION
All Summer in a Day
February
May 2015
Skills: Making predictions;
note taking: author’s purpose;
setting; determine Main Idea
of text; Author’s purpose &
setting;
Deciphering Essay
Questions; Decipher a
prompt; Citing & Explain
Text/Elaboration/Conclusion/
Introduction
Stories & worksheet
Selection questions
1.4.7B
1.4.7C
1.4.7D
1.4.7E
TDA
Content/Essential Questions
Skills/Activities
Resources
Suzy & Leah
Literary Analysis Author's
Purpose & Setting
TDA: Compare & contrast how
Story
TDA
TEST
Assessments
Standards/
Anchors
7th Grade Reading
two characters view the setting
of the story
Prediction
Journals writing prompts
Cite text
Explain text
Novels
Journals
Prompts
Mini-lessons & assignments
Text Structure
Technical Meanings
Meanings & Tone
Author’s Point of View
Evaluating Arguments
Computer lab
TEXT STRUCTURE
Death by Anthrax
Killer Bugs
Secret to Vaccination
Identify samples of text structure
Create examples of cause &
effect / compare & contrast
Problem Solution /
Chronological vs. Sequence /
Question & Answer
Sample Paragraphs
Current Event Articles
Articles for Code
Orange novel
Centers (enrichment
group runs)
TEST
Content/Essential Questions
Skills/Activities
Resources
STUDY Island Assignments
Mini-lessons & assignments
Language
Code Orange:
Citing text to answer a prompt
Answer ON PROMPT.
What informational text can be found in fiction?
Study Island Benchmark
STUDY Island Assignments
March
1.4.7C
1.4.7E
Study Island
Assessments
Study Island Scores
Misplaced & Dangling Modifiers
Pronouns
Phrases & Clauses
Varied Sentence Structure
Verbs
Punctuation
Transitions
Precise Language & Sensory
Details
Text Structures
May 2015
Identify Text Structures
Text Structure
CENTERS
Text Structure QUIZ
Standards/
Anchors
7th Grade Reading
Unit 3 Nonfiction
From Freedom Walkers
~ JoAnn Robison
~ Life Without Gravity
~ Wild Ride of the Gemini
Cause & Effect; Text Structure;
author’s purpose; main idea;
objective summary; point of
view
Fire of Ares
Setting & Characters ; Paragraph
writing – reach a conclusion
What is culture & how does it affect the characters?
April
Text Structure; Author’s purpose
Vocabulary; Compare &
Contrast; Text Structure
Content/Essential Questions
Bias & Propaganda
Stereotype
Generalization
Skills/Activities
Bias & Propaganda
defined; Types of
propaganda; Stereotype;
Generalization
author’s purpose &
message; targeted audience
Review Grammar
Author’s Purpose
Text Structure
TDA
Intro. Notes
Nonfiction post reading
completion sheet
Nonfiction post reading
completion sheet
Presentation/worksheet
/ discussion
Save it For a Rainy Day
Resources
Bias & propaganda
worksheet
Music as
Propaganda
Bellringers
Bellringers –
practice paragraphs
s hared
Poster – mystery
story with
descriptive details
PSSA Tests – during PSSA tests – write a
fictional mystery story
Elements of a mystery
story
Word Choice – descriptive
details; sentence structure
Mysteries of Harris
Burdick
Bellringers –
practice paragraphs
from pictures
Introduction to CIVIL WAR Research
project
Note taking skills;
inferences; vocabulary
Civil War
documentary videos Video worksheet
Discussion
(3-4 min) with
worksheet &
discussion
Informational
May 2015
Assessments
Examples of
Propaganda
Propaganda notes &
Worksheets
Music worksheet
& class discussion
Standards/
Anchors
7th Grade Reading
May
June
May 2015
~ Boy Drummer of Chickamauga
Author’s purpose vs.
Author’s attitude
Nonfiction post
reading completion
sheet; discussion
~ Frederick Douglass (upper level
students) OR Wesley Harris (lower level
students) (articles from Read Works)
Independently read text
Main idea
Cited text
Inferences
Vocabulary
Text structure
Vocabulary worksheet
Read Works articles &
questions
Content/Essential Questions
Skills/Activities
Resources
Assessments
Civil War Research project – Mini page
Bibliography
Note taking skills
Research skills
Informational writing piece
Narrative writing piece
Argumentative writing piece
Various books &
internet web sites
Computers
Ipads
Class participation
Completed mini page
Content/Essential Questions
Skills/Activities
Resources
Assessments
Standards/
Anchors
Standards/
Anchors