MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
ReadingUnit:NavigatingFictionalTexts
Stage1:DeterminetheDesiredResults
EnduringUnderstanding(s):
Goodreadersmonitorandself-correcttheirreading,
solvewordsastheyread,searchforanduse
information,summarize,makepredictionsand
connections,infer,synthesize,analyze,andcritique
theirreadingtomakeprintrelevantanduseful.
Goodreadersemploystrategiesthathelpthem
understandtext.
Strategicreadersdevelop,select,andapplystrategies
toenhancetheircomprehension.
Readersneedtoenvisionthestoryastheyreadit;we
needtomakeamovieinourmind.Thereaderneedsto
empathizewiththemaincharacter(s)andanticipate
whatmayhappennext.
Goodreadersrecognizethatwordsaremadeofsounds.
Goodreadersuseoraldiscussionsanddiscoursetohelp
buildconnectionstoothersandtocontent.
CommonCoreStandards
Studentswillbeableto…
KeyIdeasandDetails
EssentialQuestions:
Whatdoreadersdowhentheydonot
understandeverythinginatext?
Howdoreadersconstructmeaningfromtext?
Whatdoreadersdotoenhancetheir
comprehension?
Whatisthebestwaytotrulyunderstandand
effectivelyreadfictionaltexts?
HowdoIfigureoutawordIdonotknow?
Howcandiscussionincreaseourknowledge
andunderstandingofanidea(s)?
• RL.7.1.Citeseveralpiecesoftextualevidencetosupportanalysisofwhatthetextsaysexplicitlyaswell
asinferencesdrawnfromthetext.
• RL.7.2.Determineathemeorcentralideaofatextandanalyzeitsdevelopmentoverthecourseofthe
text;provideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.
• RL.7.3.Analyzehowparticularelementsofastoryordramainteract(e.g.,howsettingshapesthe
charactersorplot).
CraftandStructure
• RL.7.4.Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrasesastheyareusedinatext,includingfigurativeand
connotativemeanings;analyzetheimpactofrhymesandotherrepetitionsofsounds(e.g.,
alliteration)onaspecificverseorstanzaofapoemorsectionofastoryordrama.
• RL.7.5..Analyzehowadrama’sorpoem’sformorstructure(e.g.,soliloquy,sonnet)contributestoits
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
meaning.
• RL.7.6.Analyzehowanauthordevelopsandcontraststhepointsofviewofdifferentcharactersor
narratorsinatext.
IntegrationofKnowledgeandIdeas
• RL.7.7.Compareandcontrastawrittenstory,drama,orpoemtoitsaudio,filmed,staged,or
multimediaversion,analyzingtheeffectsoftechniquesuniquetoeachmedium(e.g.,lighting,
sound,color,orcamerafocusandanglesinafilm).
• RL.7.8.(Notapplicabletoliterature)
• RL.7.9.Compareandcontrastafictionalportrayalofatime,place,orcharacterandahistoricalaccount
ofthesameperiodasameansofunderstandinghowauthorsoffictionuseoralterhistory.
RangeofReadingandLevelofTextComplexity
RL.7.10.Bytheendoftheyear,readandcomprehendliterature,includingstories,dramas,andpoems,in
thegrades6–8textcomplexitybandproficiently,withscaffoldingasneededatthehighendoftherange.
VocabularyAcquisitionandUse
• L.7.4.Determineorclarifythemeaningofunknownandmultiple-meaningwordsandphrasesbasedon
grade7readingandcontent,choosingflexiblyfromarangeofstrategies.
Usecontext(e.g.,theoverallmeaningofasentenceorparagraph;aword’spositionorfunction
inasentence)asacluetothemeaningofawordorphrase.
Usecommon,grade-appropriateGreekorLatinaffixesandrootsascluestothemeaningofa
word(e.g.,belligerent,bellicose,rebel).
Consultgeneralandspecializedreferencematerials(e.g.,dictionaries,glossaries,thesauruses),
bothprintanddigital,tofindthepronunciationofawordordetermineorclarifyitsprecise
meaningoritspartofspeech.
Verifythepreliminarydeterminationofthemeaningofawordorphrase(e.g.,bycheckingthe
inferredmeaningincontextorinadictionary).
• L.7.5.Demonstrateunderstandingoffigurativelanguage,wordrelationships,andnuancesinword
meanings.
Interpretfiguresofspeech(e.g.,literary,biblical,andmythologicalallusions)incontext.
Usetherelationshipbetweenparticularwords(e.g.,synonym/antonym,analogy)tobetter
understandeachofthewords.
Distinguishamongtheconnotations(associations)ofwordswithsimilardenotations(definitions)(e.g.,
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
refined,respectful,polite,diplomatic,condescending).
ComprehensionandCollaboration
• SL.7.1.Engageeffectivelyinarangeofcollaborativediscussions(one-on-one,ingroups,andteacherled)withdiversepartnersongrade7topics,texts,andissues,buildingonothers’ideasand
expressingtheirownclearly.
Cometodiscussionsprepared,havingreadorresearchedmaterialunderstudy;explicitlydraw
onthatpreparationbyreferringtoevidenceonthetopic,text,orissuetoprobeandreflect
onideasunderdiscussion.
Followrulesforcollegialdiscussions,trackprogresstowardspecificgoalsanddeadlines,and
defineindividualrolesasneeded.
Posequestionsthatelicitelaborationandrespondtoothers’questionsandcommentswith
relevantobservationsandideasthatbringthediscussionbackontopicasneeded.
Acknowledgenewinformationexpressedbyothersand,whenwarranted,modifytheirown
views.
• SL.7.2.Analyzethemainideasandsupportingdetailspresentedindiversemediaandformats(e.g.,
visually,quantitatively,orally)andexplainhowtheideasclarifyatopic,text,orissueunderstudy.
• SL.7.3.Delineateaspeaker’sargumentandspecificclaims,evaluatingthesoundnessofthereasoning
andtherelevanceandsufficiencyoftheevidence.
PresentationofKnowledgeandIdeas
• SL.7.4.Presentclaimsandfindings,emphasizingsalientpointsinafocused,coherentmannerwith
pertinentdescriptions,facts,details,andexamples;useappropriateeyecontact,adequatevolume,
andclearpronunciation.
• SL.7.5.Includemultimediacomponentsandvisualdisplaysinpresentationstoclarifyclaimsand
findingsandemphasizesalientpoints.
SL.7.6.Adaptspeechtoavarietyofcontextsandtasks,demonstratingcommandofformalEnglishwhen
indicatedorappropriate.
Interdisciplinary Connection: Educational Technology
All students will use digital tools to access, manage, evaluate, and synthesize information in order to
solve problems individually and collaborate and to create and communicate knowledge.
Integration of 21st Century Themes and Skills:
• CRP6. Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
• CRP5. Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions.
• CRP7. Employ valid and reliable research strategies.
• CRP8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
Studies,Science,&Technical
Stage2:AssessmentEvidence
PerformanceTask:
OtherFormsofAssessment:
Youarereportercommentingonthe
BookTalk
historicalaccuracyofHenryWadsworth
Longfellow’spoem,“PaulRevere’sRide”. ReadingLogReview
Youhaveuncoveredadebateamong
Mini-lessonApplication
variousauthorsandresearcherswhoclaim thepoemishistoricallyaccuratewhile
Post-itNoteand/orOrganizeYourThoughtSheetReview
othersdoubtitsauthenticity.
LetterWriting
Youreadthepoem,investigateits
T’sanecdotalnotesfromconferringwithastudentabout
background(bothinhardcopydocuments his/herindependentreadingbook(reviewofgoals,
andinonlineresources),andinterview
examineprogressovertime,evaluateletterwriting
Harrington’sEnglishdepartmentfacultyto revisionsandupdates)
helpresolvethedebate.
StatusoftheStudent:Isthestudentengagedina
Shareyourfindingsinawrittensummary worthwhileactivitywhentheteacherisconductinga
foryoureditor.
guidedreadinggrouporconferringwithachild
individually?
Stage3:LearningPlan
LearningActivities:
Yourclassroomlibraryneedstoincludeaselectionoffictionalchapterbooksandarticles(historical
fiction,dramas/plays,andpoetry)thatrepresentthecultureandinterestsofyourstudents.
The80-MinuteReadingWorkshopBlock
Practitionertimelineforthe80minuteblock:
Mini-Lesson(10-15minutes)
GuidedReading(50minutes:twogroupswith25minutesdedicatedtoeachgroup)
Conferring(15minutes:conferencecallswiththreestudents)
Sharing(iftimepermits)
Readingistaughtfivetimesacrossatwoweekperiodoftime(withAtwell’swriter’sworkshoptaught
onalternatedays)inthisway:
Week1:Monday,Wednesday,Friday
Week2:Tuesday,Thursday
Itisrequiredthatteachersuse20minutesofeachwritingworkshopdaytoteachreading(thisoption
allowsfora60-minutewritingblockonwritingworkshopdays).Thissupportstheteachingofreading
daily.This20minuteblockoftimecanbedevotedtoteachingeitheramini-lesson,conductingone
guidedreadinggrouporconferringwithstudentsindividuallyoratatableconferenceonaspecific
teachingpoint.
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
Mini-Lessons:
Topicsforreadingmini-lessonsareculledfromtheCommonCoreContentStandards,Fountas’sand
Pinnell’smentortexts:GuidingReadersandWriters:TeachingforComprehension,Genre,andContent
LiteracyandTeachingforComprehendingandFluency:Thinking,Talking,andWritingAboutReading,K-8,
andstudents’needs.
Childrenapplythemini-lessonstrategyorskilltotheirindependentandguidedreadingmaterial.
Youmaywishtorevisitorextenda“FirstTwentyDays…”lessonpreviouslytaught.
ThreeCategoriesofMini-lessons:
1) lessonsonmanagement
2) lessonsonstrategiesandskills
3) lessonsonliteraryanalysis
Lessonsonmanagement,seep.129forlistfromthementortextGuidingReadersandWriters…
Lessonsonstrategiesandskills,seep.132forlistfromGuidingReadersandWriters…
Lessonsonliteraryanalysis,seepages134and135fromGuidingReadersandWriters…
RefertotheAppendixforadetailedlistofminilessonsonnon-fictionreading.
RequiredMinilessonsforReadingFictionalText:
(somemaybetaughtintandem)
StandardRL.7.1.Citeseveralpiecesoftextualevidencetosupportanalysisofwhatthetextsays
explicitlyaswellasinferencesdrawnfromthetext.
Thesemini-lessonsfocusonliteralunderstandinganddetailsoftext:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
noticethecharacteristicsofabooksotheycanidentifyitsgenre
identifythegenreofabooksotheycanknowwhattoexpectastheyread
retellsthestoryusingtextualevidence
noticethetimeandplace(setting)andtheimportancetothestory
noticewhoarethemostimportantcharacters(maincharacters)inastory
thinkabouttheorderofeventsinastory
thinkabouttheprobleminthestory
thinkabouttheimportanteventsinastory
thinkaboutwhatisimpliedinthestory
RL.7.2.Determineathemeorcentralideaofatextandanalyzeitsdevelopmentoverthecourseof
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
thetext;provideanobjectivesummaryofthetext.
Thesemini-lessonsfocusonanalyzing,summarizing,andinferentialthinkingoftext:
• thinkaboutwhatthewriterofthestoryistryingtosay
• thinkaboutwhatthestorymeanstothem
• thinkaboutwhythewriterwrotethestory
• thinkaboutwhetherthetitletellssomethingimportantaboutthetheme
• determinethecentralmessage,lessonormoralofastory
• explainhowthecentralmessage,lessonormoralisconveyedthroughkeydetailsinthetext
• thinkaboutwhatdetailsfromthetextyouwouldincludeinasummary
RL.7.3.Analyzehowparticularelementsofastoryordramainteract(e.g.,howsettingshapesthe
charactersorplot).
Thesemini-lessonsfocusonanalyzing,synthesizing,andinferentialthinkingoftext:
• noticehowthesettingofthestoryshapesthecharacters
• noticehowthesettingofthestoryshapestheplot
• noticehowthecharactersshapetheplot
RL.7.4.Determinethemeaningofwordsandphrasesastheyareusedinatext,includingfigurative
andconnotativemeanings;analyzetheimpactofrhymesandotherrepetitionsofsounds(e.g.,
alliteration)onaspecificverseorstanzaofapoemorsectionofastoryordrama.
Thesemini-lessonsfocusontheinterpretationofwordsandphrasesandtheanalysisoftheways
inwhichrhymesandotherrepetitionsimpactpartsofastoryordrama:
•
•
•
noticehowwritersusewordscarefullytocommunicatemeaning
noticememorablephrasesandsentenceswritersusetocommunicatemeaningtothereader
noticethelanguagethatthatwritersusetohelpthemformimages(whattheycansee,hear,taste,
feel,orsmell)
• noticefigurativeandconnotativelanguageinatext
• noticetheimpactofrhymesandotherrepetitionsofsounds(e.g.,alliteration)onaspecificverse
orstanzaofapoemorsectionofastoryordrama.
RL.7.5.Analyzehowadrama’sorpoem’sformorstructure(e.g.,soliloquy,sonnet)contributestoits
meaning.
Thesemini-lessonsfocusonanalyzinghowthestructureofatextcontributestoitsmeaning:
•
•
noticetheformorstructureofapoemordrama
noticehowtheformorstructureofapoemordramacontributestoitsmeaning
RL.7.6.Analyzehowanauthordevelopsandcontraststhepointsofviewofdifferentcharactersor
narratorsinatext.
Thesemini-lessonsfocusonthereader’sabilitytoevaluateandcritiquehowtheauthordevelops
pointsofviewinatext:
•
•
•
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
thinkaboutthepointofviewofdifferentcharactersornarrators
thinkabouthowanauthorrevealsthepointofviewofdifferentcharactersornarrators
thinkabouthowanauthorcontraststhepointofviewofdifferentcharactersornarrators
RL.7.7.Compareandcontrastawrittenstory,drama,orpoemtoitsaudio,filmed,staged,or
multimediaversion,analyzingtheeffectsoftechniquesuniquetoeachmedium(e.g.,lighting,sound,
color,orcamerafocusandanglesinafilm).
Thesemini-lessonsfocusonanalyzingastory,drama,orpoemtoitsaudio,filmed,staged,or
multimediaversion.
Whenwatching/listeningtoanaudio,filmed,staged,ormultimediaversionofapreviouslyreadstory,
drama,orpoem:
•
•
noticethesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenthetwomediums
analyzetheeffectsofthetechniquesuniquetothemedium
RL.7.8.(Notapplicabletoliterature)
RL.7.9.Compareandcontrastafictionalportrayalofatime,place,orcharacterandahistorical
accountofthesameperiodasameansofunderstandinghowauthorsoffictionuseoralterhistory.
Thesemini-lessonsfocusonanalyzingdifferentgenresofasimilartopic.
Whenreadingafictionalaccountofahistoricaltime,place,event,orperson:
•
•
•
•
noticethesimilarities/differencesoftheportrayalofatimewithitshistoricalaccount
noticethesimilarities/differencesoftheportrayaloftheplacewithitshistoricalaccount
noticethesimilarities/differencesoftheportrayalofacharacterwithitshistoricalaccount
noticehowanauthorusesoraltershistory
RL.7.10.Bytheendoftheyear,readandcomprehendliterature,includingstories,dramas,and
poems,inthegrades6–8textcomplexitybandproficiently,withscaffoldingasneededatthehigh
endoftherange.
•
Byyear’sendbeabletoreadavarietyoffictionaltexts,includingchapterbook,dramas(plays),
historicalfiction,andpoetry,withinagrade6-8textcomplexitybandusingprocessingstrategies
effectively(wordsolvingandhigherorderthinkingskills/systemsofstrategicactions).
L.7.5.Demonstrateunderstandingoffigurativelanguage,wordrelationships,andnuancesinword
meanings.
Interpretfiguresofspeech(e.g.,literary,biblical,andmythologicalallusions)incontext.
Usetherelationshipbetweenparticularwords(e.g.,synonym/antonym,analogy)tobetter
understandeachofthewords.
Distinguishamongtheconnotations(associations)ofwordswithsimilardenotations(definitions)
(e.g.,refined,respectful,polite,diplomatic,condescending).
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
noticefigurativelanguageandinterpretmeaning
noticewordrelationshipsandnuancesinwordmeanings
distinguishtheliteralandnonliteralmeaningsofwordsandphrasesincontext
identifyreal-lifeconnectionsbetweenwordsandtheiruse
distinguishshadesofmeaningamongrelatedwordsthatdescribestatesofmindordegreesof
certainty
noticetheconnotationsofwordswithsimilardenotations
thinkaboutthelanguagewritersusetomakecomparisonsthathelpsthemunderstandthe
meaningofprintandenjoyreading
ReaderResponseNotebook
Thereaderresponsenotebookmaybeabinderoracompositionbook.
Thereaderresponsenotebookisatoolthatisusedbyreaderstocollectthestudent’sthinkingandto
logthereader’shistoryoftextreading.Itisaplace/repositoryto:
• keeparecordofbooksread
• planforfuturereading
• gatherthinkingaboutthetext(readerresponse/writingaboutreading)
• writenotes,plans,anddraftsofthinkingabouttexts
WritingaboutReading/LetterWriting:LetterWritingmuststartbyOctober1st
ReadingFictionalTexts,UnitPart1(1st7weeksofunit)hasaprimaryfocusonstudents’abilitytowrite
toinform/explain.
ReadingFictionalTexts,UnitPart2(2nd7weeksofunit)hasaprimaryfocusonstudents’abilityto
constructanargument.
Writingaboutreadingisatoolforreflection.Itisawaytoclarifyourthinking;toshareandtoexplain
interpretationsoftext;toidentifythethemeortopicinatext;toexplorebiggerissuesbeyondthetext;
confirmoursuppositions;posequestions;toapplythesystemsofstrategicactionstothetext;andto
considerpossibilities.
Letterwritingbythestudentandteacher’srepliestostudentworkisanimportantwayforteachersto
preparestudentsfortheconstructedresponseonhighstakes’tests.
Childrenusepost-its/quicknotesasavehicletoremembertheirthinkingwhenpreparingforletter
writingorconferringwiththeteacherabouttheirself-selectedtext.
Childrenengageinreaderresponseviaaletter/literaryessayweeklytotheirindependentreadingbook.
Teachersarerequiredtoreplytostudent’swrittenresponseseverytwoweeks.
Analyticalwritingiswritingtoinform/explainandtoconstructanargumentisanalyticalwriting.
Writingtoinform/explainandargument-writingistheabilitytotakecomplexevidenceandmakeitclear.
Writingtoconstructanargumentistheabilityonthepartofthestudenttomakeclaimsaboutthe
worthormeaningofaliteraryworkorworks.Studentsdefendtheirinterpretationsorjudgmentswith
evidencefromthetext(s)theyarewritingabout.
Writingtoinformorexplainservesto:
•
•
•
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
increasethereader’sknowledgeofasubject
helpreadersbetterunderstandaprocedureorprocess
providereaderswithanenhancedcomprehensionofaconcept
Requiredminilessonsonwritinginresponsetoreadinginthisunitfocusonwritingtoinformand
explain(firstsevenweeksofthisunit)andwritingtoconstructanargument(secondsevenweeks
ofthisunit).
First7Weeks–letterwritingfocus
Second7Weeks–letterwritingfocus
(explain/inform)
(constructanargument)
Informational/ExplanatoryWriting:
Anargumentisareasonedlogicalwayof
demonstratingthatthewriter’sposition,belief,or
• conveysinformationaccurately
conclusionisvalid.
• increasesthereader’sknowledgeofa
subjectthroughhis/herrereadingabout
ArgumentWriting:
thetopicanddevelopingacoherentfocus
• attemptstochangethereader’spointof
onatopicoracontrollingidea
view
• helpsreadersbetterunderstanda
• invitesactiononthereader’spart
procedureorprocess
• encouragesthereadertoacceptthe
• supportsstudentswithnaming,describing,
writer’sposition,belief,orconclusion
defining,ordifferentiatingideas,concepts
• arguesforahistoricallyorempirically
• encouragesstudentstocompareand
situatedinterpretation
contrastconcepts
• marshallsevidenceanddrawson
• assistsstudentswithcitingevidencefroma
understandingstomakeacasefora
text
specificperspective
Writers:
• rereadtorememberwhathasbeenwritten Writers:
• accuratelysummarizeinformationfroma
• accuratelyreflectinformationfromatext
text
• rereadtorememberwhathasbeenwritten
• includeappropriateandimportantdetails
• usenotesasabasisfordiscussionorletter
whensummarizingtexts
writing
• usenotesasabasisfordiscussionorletter
• includeappropriateandimportantdetails
writing
whensummarizinginformationfromatext
• describeimplicationsoffactualknowledge
•
sticktothetopicorsubjectbeing
presented(norambling)
• noticeandsometimesusenewwordsfrom
• “cuttothebone”inordertopunchthe
atext
subject
• usenewvocabularywordsappropriatelyto
• suggestsolutionstoaproblemand
reflectmeaning
explainswhyorhowasolutionwillwork
• rereadtoassureaccuracyofsentence
• trytoconvince/inform/analyze
structureandworduse
• providerelevantbackgroundinformation
• reportinformationfromatextor
andhistory
summarizeinformation
• describeopposingargumentsandcritiques
• includeimportantdetailsfromthecontent
them
ofaninformationaltext
• usestatistics:hardevidence
• relateimportantideasinatexttoeach
•
•
•
•
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
otherortoothertexts
• developaclear,true,inviting,andto-thereflectawarenessofauthor’sunderlying
pointleadsentence
message
• constructapowerfulconclusionthat
introduceinformationincategories,
resonateswiththereader;leavesthe
paragraphing
readerwithsomethingtothinkabout
predictlogically,supportedbyevidence,
• usehelpfultransitionwordstoconnect
whatwillhappennextinatext
paragraphsandideas
usespecificlanguagetowriteabout
• usealogicalorganizationthatmovesa
informationaltexts:title,author,
readeralongfromonepointorpieceof
illustrator,cover,dedication,author’s
informationtothenext
note,tableofcontents,glossary,index,
• usevocabularywordsappropriatelyto
headings,problem,solution,etc.
reflectmeaning
• revisitthetexttocheckfordetails
• includeimportantdetailsfromthecontent
ofaninformationalorfictionaltext
• relateimportantideasinatexttoeach
otherortoothertexts
• reflectawarenessofauthor’sunderlying
message
• introduceinformationincategories,using
paragraphing
• predictlogically,supportedbyevidence,
whatwillhappennextinatext
• writeopinionsaboutatextandbackthem
upwithspecificinformationorreasons
• selectexamplesofthewriter’suseof
languageandwriteopinionsaboutor
responsestothatlanguage
• usespecificlanguagetowriteabout
informationaltexts:title,author,
illustrator,cover,dedication,author’s
note,tableofcontents,glossary,index,
headings,problem,solution,etc.
TheJustRightBookRule
Childrenreadsilentlydailyforaportionofthereadingblockfromavarietyofself-selectedtexts.
Childrenneedtoapply“thefivefingerrule”totheiranticipatedself-selectedreadingmaterial.Inorder
todetermineifthechoicemadeisappropriate,studentsneedto:
• selectapagefromthepreviewedbook
• holdupafingerforeachwordaboutwhichtheyareunsureordonotknow
• usethebelow-listedguidetodetermineifthebookselectedis“justright”toreadduringthe
independentreadingcomponentoftheframework
0-1wordsaboutwhichyouareunsureorunfamiliar,thebookmaybetooeasy
2-3wordsthatareunfamiliartoyou,thebookmaybe“justright”
4-5wordsthatareunfamiliartoyou,thebookmaybetoohard
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
Abookistoohardformeif:
• Igetstuckonwords
• Itdoesn’tmakesense
• Ican’treadwithexpression
• Itisconfusing
Abookisjustrightformeif:
• Icanreadfastandsmooth
• Itmakessense
• Icanreadwithexpression
• Icanretelltheimportantparts
• IgrowideasasIread
• Ilikeit
Conferringguidelines:
Teachersneedtoconferwithstudentsdailyabouttheirreadinglives(theirindependentreadingbooks).
Conferringneedstotakeplaceinaknee-to-kneesettingatthestudent’sdesk.Conferencesarenot
scripted.Theyneedtobeauthenticandspontaneousdiscussionsbasedontheinformationthatstudents
bringtotheconferenceabouttheirreadinghabitsandgoals.
Theteacher’sgoalistogettoknowthestudent’sreadingbehaviorsandpatternsandtodecideonand
teachsomethingofvaluetothestudentwhichcanbelinkedtotheirfuturereadingexperiences.The
teacherneedstoreinforceorexpandthestudent’sthinkingaboutprint.Itiscriticaltoteachthereader
andnotthetext.Anadditionalpurposeoftheconferenceistoassistthestudentwithsolvingproblems
ass/hereads(processingissuesormonitoringandwordsolvingconcerns).
Thearchitectureoftheconferencelooksandsoundslikethis:
Research:observe/listentothestudenttalkabouthis/herreadingselection
Decide:afterhavinglistenedtothestudentdiscussapartorpartsofthebook,weighyouroptions-decidewhatyouwillteachandhowyouwillteachit(thispartoftheconferencehappensunderground:
“OfallofthethingsIcouldteachthischild,whatistheonethingthatwillmakethebiggestdifference
today?”)
Teach:assistthechildwithdoingsomethingthats/heisnotyetdoing;intervenetoliftthechild’s
thinking,pushhis/herthinkingtoanewlevel
Link:namewhatthechildhasdoneasareaderandremindthechildtodothatofteninthefuture
Duringaconferenceateachermight:
• Listentoastudentreadpartsofthebook.
• Askthestudenttodiscussthestrategiess/heuseswhenconfrontedwithanunfamiliarword.
• Askthestudenttoapplythemini-lessontaught.
• Discussthebook’scontent,searchingforthemainidea,centralmessage,ortheme.
• Askthestudenttodetermineifacharacterhaschangedovertime.
• Askthestudenttodescribethecharactersoreventsinastory.
• Invitethestudenttodescribetheauthor’suseoffigurativelanguage.
• DiscussPost-itnotesorletterwritingartifactswiththegoalofachievingcoherentandlogical
expressionofthought
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
Conferring/AnecdotalNotes
Theteacherconfersdailywithindividualstudentsandmaintainsanecdotalnotesacrosstheyearoneach
student.
Seeappendixforthenote-keeping/anecdotalrecordtemplate.Seeappendicesforacomprehensive
understandingofteachers’anecdotalnotes/recordkeeping.
Book-Talks/BookRecommendationsneedtoincludethefollowing:(orally,maximumtime5-8
minutes)
1.Listthebook’stitle,author,andgenre
2.Developashortsummaryofthetexthighlightingthepartsofthebookthatareinterestingwithout
givingawaythestoryline
3.Readaloudasmallexcerptthatrevealssomethingenticingaboutthebook
4.Offeranexplanationofwhyyoulikedthebookandwhyyouthinkotherswouldenjoyit
5.Beasspecificaspossible
6.Talkaboutwhythebookisworthputtingasideeverythingelseinordertoreaditnow
GuidedReading:Allguidedreadingmaterialstaughtduringthisunitmustrepresentfictionaltexts,
especiallycriticaltothisunitare:stories,historicalfiction,drama/plays,andpoetry.
TheFrameworkforGuidedReading:EffectiveTeachingInteractions
• Selectthetext,thenpreviewthebookbeforeintroducingandteachingit
• Introducethetext
• Readthetext
• Discussandrevisitthetext
• TeachforProcessingStrategies/SystemsofStrategicActions
• EngageinWordWork
GuidedReading:GuidedreadingstartsbythelastweekinOctober.
Thetimeline:Duringthisphaseoftheyear,guidedreadingcontinuesthroughtoJune.
TheEssentialElementsofGuidedReading:
TheTeacher:
• selectsthetext
• previews/readsthetext
• providesanintroductionforthetextselected
• introducesthewholetextorunifiedsectionsofthetextwithattentiontothetextcomplexity
anddemandsofthetextandtheknowledge,experiences,andskillsofthereaders
• discussesthetextwithstudentsandencouragesthemtodiscussthetextwitheachother
• invitesstudentstoaskquestionsaboutthetexttoexpandtheirunderstanding
• requiresstudentstorespondinwriting(readerresponse)tofocusing/organizingquestions
basedonthetext’stheme,ideas,characters,problem,solution,etc.
• engagesstudentsinwordworkbasedonthetexttoincreasewordknowledgeandautomaticity
inwordsolving
SelectingaGuidedReadingtext–instructionallevelreading
Yourinstructionallevelteaching/guidedreadingwillbebasedonthreetypesofknowledge:
• detailedinformationaboutthereader(thisinformation/dataisavailabletotheteachervia
•
•
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
conferencecalls;letterwritingartifacts;minilessonapplication;runningrecords;andquickcheckins)
familiaritywiththeavailabletexts
knowledgeofthereadingprocessandgeneralprinciplesofreadingdevelopment
TheCommonCoreStateStandardsfocusontheinstructionoffictionalstories,especially,historical
fiction,poetry,anddrama/playsforthisgradelevel.
Keycharacteristicsofpoetry:(formoredetaileddescription/informationontheelementsand
minilessonsforpoetry,seep.371inTeachingforComprehendingandFluency…)
Keycharacteristicsofpoetry:
• ingeneral,hasrhythm,rhyming,repetition,figurativelanguage
• isdistinctfromprose
• canreflectacultureorgroupofpeople
• cantellastory
• somepoetryhasasingingquality
• somepoetrydoesnotrhyme(blankverse)
Keycharacteristicsofdrama/plays:
• theexposition(backgroundinformationgiventotheaudiencethroughanarratorordialogue)
• risingaction(theseriesofconflictsandcrisisinastorythatthwarttheprotagonist)
• theclimax(theturningpointinthestorywherethingsmaystarttochangefortheprotagonist)
• fallingaction(theconfrontationbetweentheprotagonistandthemainantagonist;mayhavea
resolutiontotheconflict)
• thedenouement/theresolution(theconclusion)
Keycharacteristicsofthemystery:
• hasapuzzletobesolved
• hascharacters(suspectsversusdetectivesorinvestigators);setting;plot
• hasovert/obviousclues
• includeshiddenevidence(detailsthatmaybeofferedinsuchawayastoseemunimportant)
• inferencegaps(mysteriesbytheirnaturedonottellthewholestory;itisuptothereaderto
noticethegapsandfillthesegapsbyusingandconnectingtheinformationthatispresented)
• thereaderneedstosuspendpossibleconclusionsasthestoryunfolds(suspense)
• noticescluesleftbytheauthor(foreshadowing)
• recognizesaredherring(atypeofforeshadowingthatleadsthereadertoafalseconclusion)
• hasastructure:introduction(learnabouttheproblem,meetcharacters);bodyofthestory
(someoneisworkingtosolvethemystery);conclusion(mysteryissolved)
Languageusedinmysteries:
• alibi(anexcuseanaccusedpersonusestoshowthats/hewasnotatthesceneofthecrime)
• breakthrough(adiscoverythathelpstopsolveacrime)
• clue
• crime
• deduction(drawingaconclusion)
• detective
• evidence
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•
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
hunch(aguessorfeelingnotbasedonfacts)
sleuth
Keycharacteristicsofadventurestories:
• alwayshasaherowhoisusuallystrong,quickthinking,trustworthy,chivalrous,etc.
• usuallyhasavillainwhoisselfish,greedy,disloyal,etc.
• useshistoryintheformofanexcitingandexoticsettingwhichmakesthestorymorebelievable
• includeslotsofactionandpossiblychallengesfortheherotoovercome
• includesaquestintheformofsomeoneorsomethingthatisindanger
Keycharacteristicsoffantasy:
• mayrevealnewinsightsintotheworldofreality
• consistentlyaskstheuniversalquestionsofgoodversusevil,thehumanityofhumankind,andthe
meaningoflifeanddeath
• helpsthechildtodevelopimagination(tobeabletoimagine,toentertainnewideas,tocreate
strangenewworlds,todreamdreams)
• hasawell-constructedplot,convincingcharacterization,aworthwhiletheme,andanappropriate
style
• mustbebelievable(createbeliefintheunbelievable)
• needstobelogicalandconsistentwithintheframeworkestablishedbytheauthor
• isoriginalandingenious
• hasauniversaltruthunderlyingthemetaphorofthefantasy
• oftentimesintroduceschildtotalking,animals,toys,anddolls
Keycharacteristicsandcriteriaforhistoricalfiction:
• drawsontwosources—factandimagination(theauthor’sinformationaboutthepastandhis/her
powertospeculateabouthowitwastoliveinthattime
• musttellastorythatisinterestinganditmustbalancefactwithfiction
• doesneedtobeaccurateandauthenticwithdetailsanessentialpartofthestory
• helpschildrenunderstandthepubliceventswelabel“history”andtheprivatestrugglesthathave
characterizedthehumancondition
• offersyoungstersthevicariousexperienceofparticipatinginthelifeofthepast
• willbringstudentstoafullerunderstandingofhumanproblemsandhumanrelationships
• helpschildrentoseethattimeschange,nationsriseandfall,butuniversalhumanneedshave
remainedrelativelyunchanged
• enableschildrentoseehumaninterdependence
• isonewaychildrencandevelopasenseofhistoryandbegintounderstandtheirplaceinthe
largerpictureofhumandestiny
• assistschildrenwithseeingthattoday’swayoflifeisaresultofwhatpeopledidinthepastand
thatthepresentwillinfluencethewaypeoplewillliveinthefuture
IntroducingtheText:PlanningtheIntroduction
Awell-plannedintroductiontoatext/articleservesasaguidetothereaderwhowillbeprocessinga
moderatelychallengingtextindependently.Explicitteachingandscaffolding(makesapotentially
inaccessibletextattheinstructionallevelaccessible)thetextduringtheintroductionandatplanned
intervalsovertime(revisitinganddiscussingthetext)supportsthisprocess.Thistypeofsupport
“makesitpossibletoteachatthecuttingedgeofstudents’understanding.Yourteachinghelpsstudents
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
readmoreproductivelyandmoreintensely.”
• Helpthestudentsconnectthetexttotheirownlives,totheirknowledgeoftheworld,ortotheir
literaryexperiences.
• Highlightgenreandhelpthemtopredictthecharacteristicsofthetexttheyarereadingbasedon
pastexperience.
• Encouragethestudentstolookatthecoverofthebookandgenerateexpectationsofthetext.
• Demonstratethekindsofquestionsreadersaskaboutatext.
• Promptthemtothinkabouttheauthor’sstyle.
• Helpthemtorecallwhattheyalreadyknowaboutatopic.
• Helpthemtodiscoverandinternalizeliterarylanguagepatternstheymightnotuseineveryday
speech.
• Revealthestructureofthewholetext-howtheauthorhasorganizedtheinformation.
• Stimulateinterestinthetextsothatstudentswillbeinterestedinreadingit.
• Callattentiontotheconventionsofprint,i.e.,punctuation,titles,subtitles,chapterheadings.
• Showthemhowtousetextlayout,i.e.,sidebarheadings,columnbreaks,andgraphicinformation.
• Encouragethestudentstonoticevocabularyandlanguagestructuresthatwillneedasthey
processthetext.
• Teachthemhowtouseatableofcontents,indices,appendices,andotherreferencesectionsof
texts.
• Promptthechildrentoexamineandinterpretillustrations,charts,graphs,maps,andothervisual
aidsanddiscusshowtheycommunicatethemeaningoftext.
• Distinguishtheirownpointofviewfromthatoftheauthorofatext.
Seepage215inGuidingReadersandWriters…forasnapshotviewoftheteacher’sandstudent’srole
duringandafterguidedreadinglessons.
Guidedreadinginstruction:introducingtext,scaffoldingthetext,conductingdiscussions,creating
assignments,etc.
GuidedReadingPurpose:On-goingsuccessfulscaffoldingofinstructionallevelbooksisneededsothat
theinstructionalreadinglevelbecomesthechild’sindependentreadingleveltherebyreflectinggrowthin
readingandsupportingthechildtomoveuptheladderoftextcomplexity.
TeachingforStrategies:ThinkingWithin,BeyondandAbouttheText
ThinkingWithintheText:Thereaderprocessestheinformationinthetextinordertogainthebasicor
literalmeaningofprint.
Strategicactionsinclude:
• SolvingWords
• MonitoringandSelf-Correcting
• SearchingforandUsingAllKindsofInformation
• SummarizingtheText
• MaintainingRateandPhrasingtoProduceFluency
• Adjusting(speedandtechniqueaccordingtotextpurposeandtype)
ThinkingBeyondtheText:Thereaderbringsinformationtothetextthatisnotexplicitlythere.
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
Strategicactionsinclude:
• Predicting
• MakingConnections(relatingandcomparingthetexttoothersonehasreadorheard)
• Understandingwhatisimplied,butnotdirectlytold(inferring)
• Integratingexistingcontentknowledgewithnewknowledge(synthesizing);synthesizingthe
informationtorealizethegreatermeaningofthetext
ThinkingAbouttheText:Thereaderconsidersthetextasanobject,noticingmanythingsaboutit:craft,
structure,qualityandauthenticityofthewriting.
Strategicactionsinclude:
• Analyzing
• Critiquing
o aspectsofthewriter’scraft
o organizationandstructure
o useoflanguage
o useofliterarydevices
o characteristicsofgenre
o featuresthatcanbeusetoevaluatethequalityorauthenticityofthetext
o underlyingorganizationalstructuresthatrepresentthewaythewriterprovides
information:compare/contrast,cause/effect,description
WordWork:Theinstructionofvocabularyandtheunderstandinganduseofwordsisembeddedin
everycomponentofthereadingworkshopmodel.Waystointegratevocabularyinstructioncanbefound
inReadAlouds,guidedreading,independentreading,sharedreading,wordstudy,andwritingworkshop.
CompetentWordLearners:
• learnnewwordsbyencounteringthemincontextduringconversationsandintheirreading
• connectnewwordswithwhattheyalreadyknow
• usewordpartsandtheirfunctions(basewords,rootwords,affixestoidentifythemeaningof
multisyllablewords)
• recognizewordsthathavethesamemeaning(synonyms)
• recognizewordsthathaveoppositemeanings(antonyms)
• recognizethatwordsmayhavemultiplemeaningsandusecontexttodeterminetheprecise
meaningintendedbythewriterorspeaker
• determinethemeaningandpronunciationofwordsusingdictionariesandotherreferences
• understandthefigurativeusesofwords(similes,metaphors)
• recognizetheconnotationanddenotationofnewwords
• usecontextcluesandknowledgeoflanguagetounderstandnewwordswhilelisteningand
reading
• usenewwordsintalkingandwriting
WaystoIntegrateVocabularyInstructioninReadingandWriting:
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
DuringInteractiveRead-Alouds
• increasetheamountoftextstudentsencounterthroughread-alouds
• drawattentiontomeaningofwordsbefore,during,andafterreadingaloudtostudents
• useintentionalconversationthatincludeswordsstudentswillbereadingorhaveheardyouread
• useinteractivevocabularylessonstodeepenunderstandingofhowawriterhasusedawordto
createmeaninginaspecifictext
• invitestudentstodiscusswordstheyfoundinterestingordidn’tunderstand
DuringGuidedReading
• usenewwordsinconversationduringtheintroductiontothetext
• discussandlocatenewwordsduringtheintroductiontoatext
• helpstudentsconnectnewwordstoconceptstheyalreadyknow
• fordifficultandnewideasthatarecentraltounderstandingthetext,teachboththeconceptand
theword
• teachstudentsspecificstrategiesforderivingthemeaningofwordsfromcontext
• teachandthenpromptstudentstomonitortheirownunderstandingsastheyread
• usewordwebsorsimilarinteractivevocabularytechniquesafterstudentshavereadnewwords
inatext
• usesemanticfeaturesanalysistocomparewordsinthetextandtheirrelationships
• havestudentskeeplistsofnewandinterestingwordsintheirreader’snotebooks
• havestudentsrevisitthetexttodiscoverhierarchicalrelationshipsamongconcepts
DuringIndependentReading
• ensurealargevarietyoftextsareavailableforstudentsduringindependentreadingtime
• encouragestudentstousenewwordsastheywriteabouttheirreadingintheirreader’s
notebooks
• duringsharing,encouragestudentstogiveexamplesofinterestingnewwordstheyhave
discovered/noticed
DuringWordStudy
• teachstudentstomakeconnectionsamongwordsbymeaning
• teachstudentstomakeconnectionsviawordpart,partofspeech,affixes,sounds,meanings
• invitestudentstoplayLotto,Concentration,andothergamesusingsynonyms,antonyms,
homophones,homographs
• usepoemstohelpstudentslearnaboutwords((antonyms,synonyms,nouns,verbs,adjectives,
adverbs,metaphors)
• helpstudentssortwordsbymeaning
• teachmanydifferentkindsofwords
• helpstudentsunderstandthestructureofawordanditsrelationtomeaning
Strategiestousewhenawordisunfamiliar:
• chunkthelettersandreadatleastthefirstpartoftheword
• readontoseeifthewordbecomesclearlater
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MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
thinkaboutthemeaningbasedonhowthestoryisunfoldingandthenthinkabouttheword’s
sounds
seeifrootwords(basewords)prefixes,orsuffixesareapartoftheword
checkforaglossary,footnotes,orendnotesthatmightexplaintheword
checkifthewordisabitlikeawordyouknowinanotherlanguagethatwouldmakesense
useadictionaryor,ifpossible,googletheword
lastresortoption:asksomeone
DuringGuidedReadingsessions,includethefollowingquestionsaspartofyourdiscussionto
meetthegoalsoftheCommonCoreStandards:
GuidedReadingDiscussionQuestions
CommonCoreStandards
KeyIdeasandDetails
Askstudentstorecountthestory,citingspecifically RL.7.1.Citeseveralpiecesoftextualevidenceto
fromthetext.
supportanalysisofwhatthetextsaysexplicitly
aswellasinferencesdrawnfromthetext.
Yourgoalistoshowthatyouhavereadclosely
(thismeansstudentsmustmonitortheirreading
andself-correctwhennecessary)andthatyouare
citingspecifictextualevidence.Thisretellingisnot
global,butfullofdetails.Otherscan/shouldadd
detailsleftout.
Finally,thinkabouttheliteralmeaningofthetext,
butalsogobeyondtheliteralmeaningofatextto
thinkaboutwhatisnotthere,butisimpliedbythe
writer.Gatherinformationfrompeerstoadd
detailsthatmayhavebeenleftout.
Explorepossiblethemes:
Whatisthisstoryabout?Discussandexplore
differentpossiblethemesoracentralidea(ideas
needtobebasedontextevidence)thatis
demonstratedthroughtheuseofthestory’s
details.
Havestudentsanalyzethethemeorcentralidea’s
developmentoverthecourseofthetext.
Askstudentstoprovideanobjective*summaryof
thetext.Thissummaryneedstobefreeof
RL.7.2.Determineathemeorcentralideaofa
textandanalyzeitsdevelopmentoverthecourse
ofthetext;provideanobjectivesummaryofthe
text.
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
personalopinionsorjudgments.
*Asummaryisputtingtogetherimportant
informationasyoureaddisregardingirrelevant
information.
Analyzehowparticularelementsofastoryor
dramainteracts.
Forstories,ateachsessionask:
Thusfar,howdoesthesettingshapethe
characters?
RL.7.3.Analyzehowparticularelementsofa
storyordramainteract(e.g.,howsettingshapes
thecharactersorplot).
Howdoesthesettingshapetheplot?
Howdoesthecharactersshapetheplot?
Standards7.4–7.6Inviteyoutolookathowatext
iswritten–itscraftandstructure,andhowthe
craftandstructureaffectyourunderstanding.
Dosomewordsmattermorethanothers?Become
accustomedtoasking,Whichwordsreallycallour
attentionhere?Whatdowenoticeaswereread
them?(Studentsshouldbetaughttousepost-it
notestomarkwordsthattheyfeelmatterwhen
reading.)Dosomewordscombinetocreatea
sceneorfeeling?Focusonfigurativeand
connotativemeaningsofwords.
CraftandStructure
RL.7.4.Determinethemeaningofwordsand
phrasesastheyareusedinatext,including
figurativeandconnotativemeanings;analyzethe
impactofrhymesandotherrepetitionsofsounds
(e.g.,alliteration)onaspecificverseorstanzaof
apoemorsectionofastoryordrama.
Forpoems,analyzetheimpactofrhymesandother
repetitionsofsounds(e.g.,alliteration)ona
specificverseorstanza.
Forstories,analyzetheimpactofrhymesandother
repetitionsofsounds(e.g.,alliteration)ona
specificsectionofthestory.
Fordramas,analyzetheimpactofrhymesand
otherrepetitionsofsounds(e.g.,alliteration)ona
specificsectionofthedrama.
Forstandard7.5,youwillneedtoreadadramaor
poem.
Howdoesthestructureofthedramaorpoem
RL.7.5.Analyzehowadrama’sorpoem’sformor
structure(e.g.,soliloquy,sonnet)contributesto
itsmeaning.
contributetoitsmeaning?
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
Whatisthepointofviewofdifferentcharactersor
narratorsinthetext?Howdidtheauthordevelop
andcontrastthepointsofviewofeach
character/narrator?
RL.7.6.Analyzehowanauthordevelopsand
contraststhepointsofviewofdifferent
charactersornarratorsinatext.
IntegrationofKnowledgeandIdeas
Howdoestheprintversionofastory
compare/contrastwithanaudio,film,or,play
versionofthatsamestory?Citeevidence.
RL.7.7.Compareandcontrastawrittenstory,
drama,orpoemtoitsaudio,filmed,staged,or
multimediaversion,analyzingtheeffectsof
techniquesuniquetoeachmedium(e.g.,lighting,
Howdothetechnicaleffects(lighting,sound,color,
sound,color,orcamerafocusandanglesina
camerafocusandangles,etc.)ofadramaorfilm
film).
productioncontributetotheoverallstory?Howdo
thesefactorscontributetothestory’splotlineand itscharacters?
RL.7.8.(Notapplicabletoliterature)
Forstandard7.9,youwillneedtoreadafactual
accountofatime,placeorpersonandafictional
accountofthesametime,placeorperson.
Howisthethemeandpatternsofeventsofthis
book(fact-based)similartothethemeand
patternsofourlastbook(historicalfiction)?
RL.7.9.Compareandcontrastafictionalportrayal
ofatime,place,orcharacterandahistorical
accountofthesameperiodasameansof
understandinghowauthorsoffictionuseoralter
history.
Howdidtheauthorofthefictionaltextuseoralter
history?
RangeofReadingandComplexityofText
Byyear’send,beabletoreadavarietyoffictional
textswithinagrade6-8textcomplexityband
effectivelyusingprocessingstrategieseffectively
(wordsolvingandhigherorderthinking
skills/systemsofstrategicactions).
RL.7.10.Bytheendoftheyear,readand
comprehendliterature,includingstories,dramas,
andpoems,inthegrades6–8textcomplexity
bandproficiently,withscaffoldingasneededat
thehighendoftherange.
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
Modifications
Special Education:
English Language Learners (ELLs):
● Teacher models own thinking while reading
● Model Thinking Aloud
● Provide additional opportunities to practice
● Encourage Partner Talk
● Use individual teacher/student conferences to
● Repeat and Clarify
address student’s needs
● Provide a Sequence
● Use small group table conferences to address
● Encourage self-selection of topics
needs
● Target vocabulary
● Chunk mini-lessons over a number of days
● Scaffold comprehension when reading is used to
● Develop target vocabulary
promote reader response
● Scaffold comprehension when reading is
● Scaffold content-literacy reading
used to promote reader response
● Allow products to demonstrate student’s learning
● Chunk reading material
● Provide on-going feedback
● Use graphic organizers to develop key
concepts/ideas
● Teach key aspects of a topic. Eliminate
nonessential information
● Provide individual copies of the student’s
reading checklists
Students at Risk of School Failure:
● Utilize TIME Mentor Program
● Build a relationship
● Allow flexible due dates
Gifted Students:
• Utilizeflexiblegroups-groupgiftedstudentswith
othergiftedstudentsorhigher-levellearners
• Encouragestudentstoexplore/researchconceptsin
MountLaurelLanguageArtsCurriculum
Grade7
● Employ strategies from Classroom
depthviaindependentstudiesorinvestigations
(individual/group)
Instruction that Works
• Differentiateproductassignments.Employ
● Create the Opportunity to Learn strategies
differentiatedcurriculumtokeepinterest/motivation
● Build lessons around student interests
high
• Encouragecreativeexpressionandthinkingby
allowingstudentstochoosehowtoapproacha
problemorassignment(problembasedlearning)
• Invitestudentstoexploredifferentpointsofviewon
atopicofstudyandcomparethetwo
• Providemultipleopportunitiesforstudentsto“Own
TheirLearning”
• Askstudentshigher-levelquestionsthatrequire
studentstolookintocauses,experiences,andfactsto
drawaconclusiontootherareasoflearning.(Webb’s
DepthofKnowledge-Level4)
• Createaroomenvironmentthatencourages
creativityanddiscoverythroughtheuseof
interestingliteratureandreferencematerials.Supply
readingmaterialsonawidevarietyofsubjectsand
levels
• Providealearning-richenvironmentthatincludesa
varietyofresources,media,tasks,andmethodsof
teaching
• Focus on Habits of Mind pedagogy Core Instructional Materials:
● Schoolwide Reading Fundamentals Program (resource used for mini-lessons)
● Newsela.com for leveled texts
● Technology/Equipment: ACTIV Board, LCD projector, sound system , CDs, DVDs, videos, internet, iPod