7th grade 1st Nine Weeks
Seeking the Truth
Texts
All
Lois Lowry
John Lennon
Pablo Stanley
Central Park.com
Frederick Douglass
Emily Dickinson
Centralpark.com
Emily Dickinson
The Giver (novel)
“Imagine” (song lyrics)
“Imagine” (comic strip)
“Strawberry Fields” (nonfiction article)
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (excerpt)
“Tell all the Truth but tell it slant” (poem)
“Strawberry Fields” (informational text)
“Tell the truth but tell it slant” (poem)
Powell
Unknown
Unknown
text)
“Why is the book dangerous?” (non-fiction)
“Human Euthanasia, The Debate” (informational
Smith
Shel Silverstein
Tanya Miller
Wachowski Bros.
Myth
“Alice” (poem)
“Alice Down the Rabbit Hole” (painting)
The Matrix (“Red Pill, Blue Pill” scene)
“Pandora’s Box”
Green/Hurt
Michael Morrison
Cynthia Rylant
Ray Bradbury
Ernesto Galarza
“The Fall of the Hindenburg” (non-fiction)
“Papa’s Parrot” (fiction-short story)
“All Summer in a Day” (fiction-short story)
“Barrio Boy” (non-fiction/reflective essay)
Additional Options/Enrichment:
Phillip Noyce (director)
The Giver (film)
Lewis Carroll
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (novel excerpt)
Emily Dickinson
“Hope is the thing with feathers” (poem)
George Orwell
1984 (novel excerpt)
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Scarlett Letter (Chapter One excerpt)
Jacob Lawrence
The Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman series
(paintings)
Kurt Vonnegut
“Harrison Bergeron” (short story)
Jean Fritz
“MK” (non-fiction)
Tennessee’s State English Language Arts Standards
Reading
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration Knowledge/Ideas
Range of Reading/Text Complexity
1, 2, 3
4, 5, 6
9
10
Writing
Text Types/Purposes
Production/Distribution
Research
Range of Writing
2
4, 5
7, 9
10
Speaking/
Listening
Comprehension/Collaboration
1
Language
Conventions
Knowledge of Language
Vocabulary Acquisition
1, 2
3, 4
5, 6
CCR Standards
Reading
Writing
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration of
Knowledge/Ideas
Text Types/Purposes 2
Production/Distribution
1, 2
4
7, 9
4, 5
Speaking/Listening
Comprehension/Collaboration
1, 2
Language
Conventions
Vocabulary Acquisition & Use
2
4, 5
Writing Skills
I can write a summary that highlights important events and details without superfluous
explanation or misplaced focus.
I can identify and apply effectively organizational strategies to create an outline and
compose an analytical summary.
I can write a topic sentence that correctly and coherently identifies the title (punctuated
correctly), author, genre, and summary (protagonist and central conflict).
I can write a thesis statement that I can defend with evidence from the text.
I can cite evidence that supports a thesis statement.
I can explain and analyze evidence in a text (i.e., explains why the evidence is significant
and how it supports a thesis).
I can write a reflection that articulates my thinking process given a higher-order thinking
question.
Literature Skills
I can define, identify, and explain symbolism within a piece of literature.
I can distinguish between the points-of-view and explain the advantages of each.
I can trace characterization throughout a longer text with a focus on traits and transitions
that truly define a character’s personal journey and impact plot.
I can define, identify, and explain poetic devices such as: figurative language, pun,
allusion, metaphor, simile, and rhyme in a given poem.
Grammar Skills
I can identify the various comma rules within a piece of writing.
I can distinguish between correct and incorrect use of pronouns, pronoun reference, and
basic pronoun-antecedent agreement.
I can use clear pronoun references.
I can sequence sentences in a paragraph.
I can articulate the purpose of certain words or phrases in a sentence and distinguish
between relevant and irrelevant information.
I can use subordinating conjunctions appropriately depending on the context.
2nd Nine Weeks
Winning Happiness
Texts
Smith
Amy Tan
Walter Dean Myers
Elliott Almond
“Two Kinds,” excerpt from The Joy Luck Club
“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” (short story)
“Apolo Ohno – Completing a Family Circle”
(nonfiction article)
“A Cat, A Kid, And A Mom” (poem)
“Study: Experiences Make Us Happier than
Possessions” (nonfiction article from CNN)
“Pleading Child” and “Perfectly Contented” (songs)
Shel Silverstein
Elizabeth Landau
Robert Schumann
Additional Options/Enrichment:
Ruby Moses Ezekial “My Ambition” (poem)
Ella Wheeler Wilcox “Ambition’s Trail” (poem)
Gillian Clarke
“Catrin” (poem)
Israel Horovitz
A Christmas Carol (play)
Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol (novel excerpts)
Robert Zemeckis
A Christmas Carol (2009 film)
Mitch Albom
“The Eighth Tuesday We Talk About Money”
(excerpt from novel Tuesdays with Morrie)
Shel Silverstein
“A Boy Named Sue” (poem; sung by Johnny Cash)
Gary Soto
“Oranges” (poem)
Anonymous
Happiness Parable: The Merchant and the
Prospector
Powell 2nd Nine Weeks
The Seven Decisions for Success
Texts
Andy Andrews
Harry Truman
King Solomon
Andy Andrews
Christopher Columbus
Anne Frank
Abraham Lincoln
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Robert Frost
Langston Hughes
The Traveler’ s Gift (novel)
Excerpt from diary entry prior to dropping the bomb
Excerpt from Proverbs
Film adaptation of Colonel Chamberlin (video)
Excerpt from diary regarding trip to America
Excerpt from The Diary of Anne Frank
“The Gettysburg Address”
“I Have a Dream”
“The Road Not Taken”
“Mother to Son”
Green/Hurt
Amy Tan
Walter Dean Myers
Elliott Almond
Larry Luxner
Brittanica Society
O. Henry
“Two Kinds” excerpt from The Joy Luck Club
“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” (short story)
“Apolo Ohno-Completing a Family Circle”
(nonfiction article)
“Mongoose on the Loose” nonfiction
“Indian Grey Mongoose” nonfiction
“After Twenty Years” short story
Additional/Optional Texts
Ruby Moses Ezekial “My Ambition” (poem)
Ella Wheeler Wilcox “Ambition’s Trail” (poem)
Gillian Clarke
“Catrin” (poem)
Israel Horovitz
A Christmas Carol (play)
Charles Dickens
A Christmas Carol (novel excerpts)
Robert Zemeckis
A Christmas Carol (2009 film)
Tennessee’s State English Language Arts Standards
Reading Literature
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration of
Of Knowledge/Ideas 7, 9
1, 2, 3
5, 6
Informational
Text
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration of
Knowledge/Ideas
1, 3
6
Writing
Speaking/Listening
Language
CCR Standards
Text Types/Purposes 2
Production/Distribution
Research
9
4, 5
7, 9
Comprehension/Collaboration
Presentation of
Knowledge/Ideas
1, 2, 3
Conventions
Knowledge of Language
Vocabulary Acquisition/Use4, 5
1, 2
3
4, 6
Reading
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration Knowledge/Ideas
Range of Reading/Text Complexity
1, 2, 3
4, 6
7, 9
10
Writing
Text Types/Purposes
Production/Distribution
Research
Range of Writing
4, 5
8, 9
10
2
Speaking/
Listening
Comprehension/Collaboration
Presentation of Knowledge/Ideas 4
1, 3
Language
Conventions
Knowledge of Language
Vocabulary Acquisition
1, 2
3
4, 6
Writing Skills
I can write a strong introductory paragraph that includes a refined topic sentence, lead-in,
and thesis.
I can write an effective concluding paragraph that builds to a carefully thought-out
statement of theme supported by the evidence, explanation, and organization of the essay.
I can create a graphic organizer and outline to organize a written analysis.
I can write an analysis of a theme shared by a text of fiction and nonfiction citing relevant
evidence.
I can explain textual evidence in a coherent manner by recognizing purpose, using
academic vocabulary, and maintaining focus.
Literature Skills
I can define, identify, and explain the following elements of plot structure: setting,
exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement, irony, conflict, and
foreshadowing.
I can distinguish between types of conflict (internal and various external) and identify
examples within a given text.
I can identify and analyze an author’s use of symbolism.
Grammar Skills
I can cite rules for commas, semicolons, and colons.
I can define and identify simple, compound, and complex sentences in a given text.
I can identify and use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions appropriately
depending on the context.
I can distinguish between correct and incorrect use of verb tense, verb usage, and basic
subject-verb agreement.
I can place adjectives and adverbs (single words, phrases, or clauses) appropriately in a
sentence.
I can use the correct form of an adjective or adverb, including comparatives and
superlatives.
I can use plurals and possessives correctly.
3rd Nine Weeks
What Does it Mean to be an Outsider?
Texts
Smith
S.E. Hinton
Robert Frost
Rod Serling
Twilight Zone
Nikki Giovanni
Sandra Cisneros
Francis Ford Coppola
The Outsiders (novel)
“Nothing Gold Can Stay” (poem)
“The Monsters are Due on Maple Street”
(screenplay)
“The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” (episode)
“NikkiRosa” (poem)
“Those Who Don’t Know” excerpt from The
House on Mango Street
The Outsiders (film)
Additional Options/Enrichment:
Interview
Edward R. Murrow
J.R.R. Tolkein
“S.E. Hinton on Location in Tulsa”
“See it Now” (YouTube)
“All that is gold does not glitter” (poem)
Writing Assessment Preparatory Texts:
In addition to sample prompts and texts provided through the TN Core site,
teachers shared various argumentative and persuasive nonfiction texts in
preparation for the writing assessment.
Green/Hurt
S.E. Hinton
Robert Frost
Anne Dillard
Frances Ford Coppola
Lucille Clifton
The Outsiders (novel)
“Nothing Gold Can Stay” (poem)
“The Chase” (nonfiction)
The Outsiders (film)
“The Luckiest Time of All”
Powell Third Nine Weeks
Winning Happiness
Texts
Amy Tan
“Two Kinds,” excerpt from The Joy Luck Club
Walter Dean Myers
“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” (short story)
Gary Soto
“Oranges” (poem)
Yusef Komunyaaa
“Happiness” (poem)
Annie Dillard
“The Chase” (memoir)
Julia Alvarez
“Snow” (memoir)
Maurice Kilwein Guevara “The Bridge” (poem)
Nikki Giovanna
“Nikki Rosa” (poem)
New York Times
“Is there more to life than being happy?” (article)
Writing Assessment Preparatory Texts:
In addition to sample prompts and texts provided through the TN Core site,
teachers shared various argumentative and persuasive nonfiction texts in
preparation for the writing assessment.
Tennessee’s State English Language Arts Standards
Reading Literature
Informational
Text
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration of
Knowledge/Ideas
1, 2, 3
4, 5, 6
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration of
Knowledge/Ideas
1, 2, 3
4, 5, 6
7, 9
8, 9
Writing
Speaking/Listening
Language
Text Types/Purposes 1
Production/Distribution
4, 5
Research
9
Range of Writing
10
Comprehension/Collaboration
Presentation of Knowledge 4
Conventions
Knowledge of Language
Vocabulary Acquisition/Use4
1, 2, 3
1, 2
3
CCR Standards
Reading
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration Knowledge/Ideas
Range of Reading/Text Complexity
1, 2, 3
4, 5, 6
7, 8, 9
10
Writing
Text Types/Purposes
Production/Distribution
Research
Range of Writing
4, 5
8
10
1
Speaking/
Listening
Comprehension/Collaboration
Presentation of Knowledge/Ideas 4
1, 2, 3
Language
Conventions
Knowledge of Language
Vocabulary Acquisition
1, 2
3
4, 6
Writing Skills
I can write an effective argumentative essay that cites relevant textual evidence, provides
focused explanations, uses formal language and academic vocabulary, and is properly
focused and organized to support the stated claim.
I can write an analysis of a shared theme across texts of varying genres (poetry and
fictional novel).
I can create an present a research-based multimedia project using reliable sources and
effective presentation sills.
Literature Skills
I can analyze a poem citing literary devices and using academic vocabulary.
I can determine how historical context affects the plot of a story and/or the point of view
of an author.
I can analyze how an author structures a text to best persuade his/her audience and
support their claim.
Grammar Skills
I can distinguish between correct and incorrect use of verb tense, verb usage, and basic
subject-verb agreement.
I can use commas, semicolons, and colons correctly to vary my sentence structure in
an interesting and effective manner.
I can maintain a formal and consistent verb tense when writing about literature.
I can recognize and avoid colloquial diction in formal writing.
I can use and properly punctuate varied and sophisticated transitions throughout
my writing.
I can use clear pronoun references.
I can articulate the purpose of certain words or phrases in a sentence and distinguish
between relevant and irrelevant information.
4th Nine Weeks
End-of-the-Year
ALL
TCAP review materials produced by individual teachers and shared
among the members of the department include the following topics:
comma usage, commonly misused/ misspelled words, pronoun/ antecedent
agreement, quotation marks, underlining/italics, sentence combining, and
punctuation. Additional instruction on inferences and conclusions,
research skills, analyzing literature, communication and media, key
elements of poetry.
Texts
Smith
Mark Twain
George Orwell
“The Glorious Whitewasher” excerpt from
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
“Old Major’s Dream” excerpt from Animal Farm
Reading Research Project: Students used research, writing, and presentation skills
to produce a three-part project that included an author study, summer reading
action plan, and original book trailer.
Powell
Steve Jobs
New York Times
Speech from Stanford Commencement
From the Rowandan Dump to Harvard”
Various motivational articles
Career Research Project: Students select and research a career, interview a
professional in the career, and produce an in-depth slideshow and oral presentation
on the career to the class.
Additional Options/Enrichment:
Amelia Earhart
“A Woman’s Place in Science,” (nonfiction article)
Joni Mitchell
“Big Yellow Taxi” (song and lyrics)
Green/Hurt
Anne Quindlen
Nancy Masterson Sakamoto
Chief Dan George
Judith Ortiz Cofer
“Melting Pot”
“Conversational Ballgames”
“I am a Native of North America”
“Volar: To Fly”
Students will complete a multi-cultural project focused on one of the cultures in the
short stories listed above.
Tennessee’s State English Language Arts Standards
Reading Literature
Informational Text
Writing
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration of
Knowledge/Ideas
1, 3
4, 5, 6
7, 9
Integration of
Knowledge/Ideas
7
Text Types/Purposes 2
Production/Distribution
Research
Range of Writing
4, 5, 6
7, 8
10
Speaking/Listening
Comprehension/Collaboration
1
Presentation of Knowledge 4, 5, 6
Language
Conventions
Knowledge of Language
1, 2
3
CCR Standards
Reading
Key Ideas/Details
Craft/Structure
Integration Knowledge/Ideas
Range of Reading/Text Complexity
1, 3
4, 5
7
10
Writing
Text Types/Purposes
Production/Distribution
Research
Range of Writing
4, 5, 6
7, 8
10
2
Speaking/
Listening
Comprehension/Collaboration
2, 3
Presentation of Knowledge/Ideas 4, 5, 6
Language
Conventions
Knowledge of Language
Vocabulary Acquisition
1, 2
3
4, 6
Writing Skills
I can analyze how a particular line of dialogue compels action and reveals aspects of a
character.
I can organize an author study that focuses on unique qualities that prove my claim that
the author is notable and impressive (rather than a simple timeline or laundry list of
facts).
I can create a multimedia project that engages an audience of my peers using effective
presentation skills.
Literature Skills
I can analyze an excerpt citing literary devices and using academic vocabulary.
I can determine how historical context affects the plot of a story and/or the point of view
of an author.
I can identify characteristics of an effective trailer/commercial.
I can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present
information.
Grammar Skills
I can distinguish between correct and incorrect use of verb tense, verb usage, and basic
subject-verb agreement.
I can use commas, semicolons, and colons correctly to vary my sentence structure in
an interesting and effective manner.
I can maintain a formal and consistent verb tense when writing about literature.
I can recognize and avoid colloquial diction in formal writing.
I can use and properly punctuate varied and sophisticated transitions throughout
my writing.
I can articulate the purpose of certain words or phrases in a sentence and distinguish
between relevant and irrelevant information.