Middle School

Language Arts Resource Guide

2001 - 2002
 Sections of the Resource Guide

Getting Started

Essential Curriculum

Sample Units and Lessons

Assessments

Processes of Reading/Reading Strategies

Processes of Writing/Writing Strategies

Literary Genres

History of Literature

Literary Elements

Author’s Study

Language Usage

Research Methods
 How To Use This Curriculum Guide:

At the front of the guide, you will find the essential curriculum and other resource materials
to help you get started in teaching English Language Arts. Teachers are expected to instruct
students such that all students are able to meet all grade level indicators by the end of the
academic year. These indicators represent the scope of instruction for all students in the
Frederick County Public Schools. At each grade level, indicators have been designated to
build on prior knowledge and to lead naturally to the indicators for the next grade level.
Students able to meet these indicators will be prepared for local, state, and national
examinations.

In addition to the essential curriculum, supplemental materials have been provided to help
teachers plan appropriate lessons. Among the materials provided, teachers will find the
following:

a. A suggested set of units that represent the national standards in English. These units are
designed to help students understand both the depth and breadth of the content of
English and Reading. Too, they provide a framework for authentic study of our content.
b. Sample assessments, scoring tools, and lessons.
c. Other resources that teachers should find useful in the teaching of English and Reading
at the designated grade level.
Getting Started
 Good Instruction

Good instruction is the connection of a lesson, unit, or course of new information to

prior knowledge with a clearly communicated purpose for needing to know the new Information
and for connecting It to real life situations so that learners may develop a better understanding
of how to use what is being taught to improve their abilities to do something. The something
may range from accessing Information to applying the knowledge in some meaningful way by
the learners.

The learners should be the primary teachers of the new information so that they may
determine how to- best acquire the knowledge so that they may connect the new information
in some meaningful and useful ways to what they already know. The teacher should be the
primary facilitator of Instruction and should provide the resources needed to acquire the new
knowledge or should make the resources available to the learners so they may access the
information for themselves.

All Information taught should improve the knowledge students have already acquired and
should connect in some meaningful and useful way so that learners may use the new knowledge
to acquire more knowledge through other new Information. Knowledge should always build
upon prior knowledge to expand what learners already know, need to know, and will be able
to use.
 WHAT IS GOOD INSTRUCTION?

Good instruction is the connection of new information to prior knowledge, with a clearly
communicated purpose for needing to know the new information. Connections to real life
situations should occur so that learners may develop a better understanding of how to use
what is being taught to improve their abilities to do something. The something may range from
accessing information to applying the knowledge in some meaningful way.

Teachers who practice good instruction engage students as participants, rather than as
observers, throughout the lesson. The teacher should be, primarily, the facilitator of instruction
and should make available the resources students need to acquire the new knowledge.
Opportunities to access information for themselves should be provided to the learners whenever
possible. By the conclusion of an episode of good instruction, it is evident that learning has
taken place and that students understand the target concepts and skills. Students who are the
beneficiaries of good instruction are able to articulate what they have learned and can, in turn,
teach it to others.

Over the years, good instruction has been described in a variety of ways, using a multitude
of labels. Regardless of the package, “good instruction” results in deep understanding.
What distinguishes instruction that is good is its premise, that the lesson evolves from the
question, “What do I want students to learn ?’ and not, “What do I want students to do ?”
(Note: What do I want students to do ? is vastly different than What do I want students to
learn to do [or be able to do]?)
 More Ideas for Getting Started

3 Essential Documents:
Middle School Essential Curriculum
Middle School Resource Guide
LA Clarification Handbook

Essential Curriculum

• Start every lesson with the essential curriculum.

• Laminate the essential curriculum
• Keep a binder.
• Put dividers in for indicators.
• Place lessons in the binder behind the indicator that the particular lesson
addresses.
• Continually collect student samples to use as examples for units and lessons.

• Show students the whole LA curriculum for their grade level. This is to be done
upfront at the beginning of the year. Give them a copy of their curriculum. Have
the students keep a binder similar to the teacher’s binder. Have them place
assignments and “Everyday Sheets” (See “Everyday Sheet” section) behind the
divider for the indicator being addressed for the particular assignment. This
keeps kids focused. It has them track their use of indicators.

• Quote to remember for use with parents and administrators: “I am doing this
because it is right for the students.” “I am making choices because these choices
are right for my students.”

• If there is help you need and you are unable to get help from your mentor or
department chair, call or email Bonnie.
• If you are being asked to do something by administrators that is not in sync with
what Bonnie has told you and administrators are aware of this and they are still
insist you do what they are asking, call or email Bonnie.

BH & PY, 4/9/2002

 Planning
Pre-assessment

During the first couple of weeks at the very beginning of the semester, the teacher needs
to find out what students already know. Give assignments that will help you to determine
the indicators that students already know and those that they need to work on.

Create a checklist/key that has a place for student names and a place for the LA indicators
and numbers. See the example below. Check off what students already know. This will
provide the teacher with a concrete way of looking at what they need to concentrate on
with their planning. This pre-assessment will help the teacher plan the whole year.
Modifications may be made as you go.

Example:
Reading for Literary Experience
Names GU 1 GU 2 DI 3 DI 4 DI 5 PR 6 PR 7 CR 8 CR 9

Long Range Planning

Planning is MOST Important!! Planning should be exhausting, not grading! Remember,

you have a life!

Plot a timeline – Fill in a calendar for the year. Bonnie will provide a sketch of the year
for each grade level. The classroom teacher will need to determine for their students how
long they will spend on each area. If pre-assessments have been made the teacher will
know where they need to spend lots of time and where they can do a quick review.

On the calendar include:

• A date every month to review your long-range plan.
• If you grade over weekends, mark weekends that you will NOT be grading –
those special weekends (for example: anniversary weekend, the weekend
before Christmas, birthday weekends, etc.)
• If you plan on weekends, decide on weekends you WILL be assessing and
reviewing your long-range plan.

Planning focus should be the 3 Reading Outcomes and the 3 Writing Outcomes.
Listening, Speaking and Language Usage should be covered in the context of the Reading
and Writing Outcomes. They should NEVER be taught in isolation. If time is needed, cut
these three parts (listening, speaking, and language usage) of the curriculum.

BH & PY, 4/22/2002

UNIT Planning – Implementing the Essential Curriculum

1. Pick the Indicator that is an area of need for your students.

2. Then--- Got to the Clarification Handbook to look at what students need to know
to meet the indicator.

3. Make a list of objectives that need work on in order to reach the indicator. This
may include some of the objectives listed in the Clarification Handbook and it
may include some that the teacher determines are needed.

4. Sequence the objectives. What would be a logical order to sequence the

objectives?

5. Select and Create a Summative Assessment for the indicator. What will be the
assessment activity? Example: Explain how the theme of
_____________represents a view or comment on life. (This would be an
appropriate assessment for the indicator Grade 7 – Reading for Literary
Experience - GU 2.)
Students need to know upfront what the assessment will be and how it will be
scored. The summative assessment and scoring tool can be sent home with
students for parents to see at the beginning of the unit. This is like their “Study
Guide.” Students may receive a study guide in social studies and science, but not
in language arts.

6. Create a scoring tool for the assessment. How will the assessment be scored?
(See section on Scoring)

7. Start lesson plans. One lesson plan should be created for each objective. If the
teacher has decided on 8 objectives there should be 8 separate lesson plans. (See
section on Lesson Planning) (Short term lesson planning should be done in 3-
week segments and at least three weeks in advance.)

8. Provide each student each day with an “Everyday Sheet.” (See the Everyday
Sheet section)

**Directed, Merit, and Honors use the same indicators. Teachers may find that they need
to teach the Directed and Merit more objectives.
*** Directed and Merit may take longer in reaching the indicator.
****Directed, Merit, and Honors may use different materials.

BH & PY, 4/9/2002

 IMPLEMENTING THE ESSENTIAL CURRICULUM:
A SEQUENCE CHAIN

1. Identify the indicator(s) you plan to teach and assess the student needs with regard to the indicator(s)

Indicator(s):

2. Identify the unit focus for the identified indicator(s)

Unit Focus:

3. Select/Create a Summative Assessment of the indicator(s) and a Scoring Tool

Assessment:

Scoring Tool:

4. Develop objectives for the lessons

 IMPLEMENTING THE ESSENTIAL CURRICULUM:
A SEQUENCE CHAIN

1. Identify the indicator(s) you plan to teach and assess the student needs with regard to the indicator(s)

Indicator(s) Indicator(s): Explain how literary elements create meaning for readers:

2. Identify the unit focus for the identified indicator(s)

Unit Focus: Genre Study

3. Select/Create a Summative Assessment of the indicator(s) and a Scoring Tool

Assessment: You are the editor of the school literary magazine. Your job is to find appropriate short stories and
poems to publish in the quarterly magazine. You are to create a magazine issue that will teach others in the school how
literary elements create meaning. For the issue, identify, excellent examples of previously published works. Write a brief
annotation for each selection to explain how the chosen work demonstrates a literary element and how that element
may create meaning for the reader.

Scoring Tool: This response gives evidence of the reader’s ability to explain how literary elements create meaning
when reading for literary experience.

4. Develop objectives for the lessons

Students will be able to analyze how setting creates meaning in literary works
Students will be able to analyze how characterization creates-meaning in literary works
Students will he able to analyze how plot creates meaning in literary works
Students will be able to analyze how symbolism creates meaning in-literary-works
 Unit Focus: Appropriate Choices for English Language Arts
Educational research has shown clearly that student learning increases when indicators are taught
within the framework of a unit focus. Below, are sample types of units that constitute the essence
of the study of English. Teachers may wish to incorporate each of the units below in the annual
instructional plan.

Author’s Study

In this unit, students learn to recognize and evaluate a specific author‘s craft. Students read multiple
texts by the same author to determine how this author utilizes literary techniques across texts.

Genre Study

In this unit, students learn to recognize and evaluate the organizational patterns of a specific genre.
Students read multiple texts in this genre, and then utilize this knowledge to create an original work in
the genre studied.

Period Study

In this unit, students learn to recognize and evaluate how history and culture transform literature.
Students read multiple texts from a single, historical period.

Thematic Study
In this unit, students learn to recognize and evaluate how ideas permeate a literary text to create
themes. Students read multiple texts with similar themes to evaluate how individual texts create theme.

Research Component

In this unit, students learn to gather information and to analyze its relevance to prior knowledge.
Information gathered is then synthesized and shared with others in the community of learners.

Choices in Reading and Writing:

In this unit, students learn to self-select reading materials and writing topics. After self-selecting both
a short and longer prose work to read, students choose a topic to share ideas learned or appreciated
as a result of the reading. This sharing should produce both a written product of the student’s own
selection as well as an oral presentation product. As students actively listen to each other‘s
presentations, active listening skills may be taught, practiced, and evaluated. This unit also offers an
opportunity to reinforce oral presentation skills.

Critical Perspective

In this unit, students learn how a specific critical perspective shapes literary thought. Students read
several texts using the perspective tinder study to develop a greater awareness of the criteria by which
we may evaluate literary texts.
Reading in the Content Areas

In this unit, students learn how to construct, extend, and examine meaning when reading to be
informed and when reading to perform a task in specific content areas. Students acquire discipline-
specific vocabulary knowledge of text structures and features, and the ability to evaluate the quality’
of informational and directional texts.

The Story of English

In this unit, students learn the history of English as a language. Students study the historical
development of language and how that history has determined the structure and rules of semantics and
syntax.

Writer’s Workshop

In this unit, students learn to compose in a variety of forms. Students study how they can effectively
convey thoughts, ideas, and deeds through prose and poetry Skills in development, organization,
audience awareness, and language usage are all practiced to further student achievement in writing.
Scoring Tool for Summative Assessment

To determine elements of the scoring tool, go back to the Clarification Handbook and to
the objectives you determined were necessary to reach the indicator. The objectives
become the elements of the scoring tool. The suggested levels of the scoring tool
include:

Scoring Tool

A (90-100) Include all the objectives. Use descriptive terms such as- thorough, complete,
fully, consistently, highly effective, etc.

B (80-89) Include all the objectives. Use descriptive terms such as- substantial, adequate,
frequently, effective, etc.

C (70-79) Include all the objectives. Use descriptive terms such as- partial, incomplete,
limited, sometimes, moderately effective, etc.

D (60-69) Include all the objectives. Use descriptive terms such as- misunderstanding,
serious misconception, little, no, rarely, never, ineffective, etc.

F (0-59) Use a term such as – Other

COMMENTS:

Checking Papers

Remember you have a life! And Planning should be exhaustive, not grading.

Determine the number of minutes you have for checking papers. For example, say you
have 90 minutes and you have 100 papers to grade. You would spend only a minute and
a half on each paper. When that time is up, determine the grade and place it in you’re A,
B, C, D, or F pile. So you have five piles. When the total time is up and you have put
all the papers into one of the five piles, go through the piles, stapling the scoring tool on
the paper and circling the grade earned. If you would like to indicate a number grade,
write that next to the letter. Write comments only if you have time.

BH & PY, 4/9/2002

Comments should be made during “Guided Practice” time in a lesson. You make
comments daily during “Guided Practice.” If parents want comments, invite them to
come to class so they can hear comments during “Guided Practice.”

Determine those students that need extra help. DO NOT reteach right away. Wait. Let
them experience success and you experience success ---Then reteach.

*If students have questions as to the reason they earned the grade they did, tell them to
take the scoring tool and have them determine the reasons for the grade earned.

**If students ask to redo an assignment or assessment, make them aware of your grading
weekends. “These are the days/weekends that I do grading. If you elect to redo this, your
paper will not be graded until that day/weekend. “

Parent Communication Letter

This is a letter to be used for students who are not being responsible for their work.
Create a form letter to be sent home and signed by parents. Something like -----

“We have been working on ________________________. Your student has not been
meeting our daily objectives. _____________needs to come to a help session on
__________________ at ________ in Room _____.”

Every week towards the end of the week determine who receives a Parent
Communication Letter.

ALSO, determine your two phone calls for the week.

1. MVP Call = Done the most this week
2. Help! Call = One who has done the least.

BH & PY, 4/9/2002

 Lesson Planning
Explanation of This Lesson Planning Sheet

Objective: Use one of these sheets for each objective. If you have determined 8 objectives for the
indicator, you will need 8 sheets.

Develop Summative Assessment and Scoring Tool for the Objective

At the end of today’s lesson you will ….. + Scoring Tool - Upfront.
5-7 minute assessment/closure
Everyday you will score the students. It may be written or oral. Suggested: 2 written and 3 oral.
Laminate a seating chart. Put marks on those students that didn’t get it. Oral could be – 4 corners, a
question and a show of hands, a line-up, etc.

Choose appropriate strategies and techniques for teaching the objective

Brainstorm best practices. What is good stuff to use?
Activities and strategies for the daily objective.
Reading = Before, during, and after
Writing = webbing, etc.

Warm-up: (Function= Pre-assessment – What students know about the lesson for the
day.)

Plan the activities (direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice, independent
assessment, summary) for the lesson

Direct Instruction: How am I going to show the students? Modeling. Model how they will be
assessed. Show it! NOT longer than 15 minutes. If you can’t do it in 15 minutes, you must break
it down. Put it in smaller chunks.

Guided Practice: Do with someone else – partners, triads, group. NOT longer than 15 minutes. If
you can’t do it in 15 minutes, you must break it down. Put it in smaller chunks.

Independent Practice: Do it by yourself. Daily Assessment occurs here.

Independent assessment (see the box above)

Summary Activity for Daily Lesson: Review of assessment. Go back to the objective. Go back to
the warm-up. Point to it and talk about it. What did you learn? How do you know….? Learning
Log, Exit Ticket, Oral Discussion. Think/Pair/Share, etc.

BH & PY, 4/9/2002

 Lesson Planning

Objective:

Develop Summative Assessment and Scoring Tool for the Objective

Choose appropriate strategies and techniques for teaching the objective

Warm-up:

Plan the activities (direct instruction, guided practice, independent practice, independent
assessment, summary) for the lesson

Direct Instruction:

Guided Practice:

Independent Practice:

Independent assessment (see the box above)

Summary Activity for Daily Lesson:

BH & PY, 4/9/2002

 Sample -Everyday Sheet
Language Arts Name
Grade 7 Date
Mrs. Younkins’ Class Section

Objective: Identify universal themes in literature

Warm-up: List what you would consider to be themes in literature.

• Students do this on the back of the paper or attach the papers needed to this paper.

Scoring Tool for Daily Assessment: The student will be able to name a theme of a passage from their
reading .

Daily assessment may be written or oral. A good balance would be 2 written assessments a week and 3 oral
assessments a week. For oral assessments use a laminated seating chart and a washable marker to mark
students that need help.

Agenda:
Time
1. Warm-up 7 miii.
2. Teacher Models Theme in Popular Culture Example 10 mm
3. Groups Practice Determining Theme in Popular Culture Example 10 miii.
4. Individuals Determine Theme in Popular Culture Example 10 mm.
5. Teacher Models Theme in Short Passage 10mm.
6. Partners Practice Determining Theme in Short Passage 10 mm.
7. Individuals Determine Theme in Short Passage (Assessment) 10 mm.
8. Summary Activity 10 mm.

• Indicate planned activities with approximate times for each activity for that class period. Appoint a
student to be time keeper. Each day a person needs to be appointed in charge of collecting materials for
absent students. These materials are to be put in a folder and located and labeled so returning students
know where to pick up the materials they missed while being absent.
• Students are to keep these papers in their binder. Students have a visual reminder of the objectives
covered in class.
• Teachers keep a binder. This sheet attached to their lesson is placed behind the appropriate indicator in
their binder.
 What is the

Essential Curriculum

• countywide • the goals for student

• non-negotiable learning
• consistent • what students should
know and be able to
do
 What?

Objective: a description of what students wil learn

in a lesson and how they will demonstrate that
learning.

Adapted from the Maryland Assessment Consortium

How?
How should you write an objective?

Write objectives using action verbs that are observable and measurable. The objective expresses
the “what’ of learning; the activity description expresses a procedural step in the lesson.
Objectives should build towards students demonstrating achievement of indicators, which
leads to the desired learning goals.

Sample Action Verbs

adapt construct examine justify reason

adjust correct exhibit label recognize
analyze create experiment locate reflect
apply decide explain list respond
appraise deduce explore make retrieve
articulate defend express modify review
ask define find monitor revise
assess demonstrate gather organize search
calculate describe generalize participate seek
challenge design help perform select
check detect identify plan show
classify develop incorporate predict solve
clarify devise induce present structure
collect differentiate inquire prioritize support
combine discuss inspect produce synthesize
compare display instruct propose teach
complete distinguish integrate pursue test
conduct engage interact question use
connect establish interpret rate utilize
consider estimate invent reach write
contrast evaluate investigate

Source: Maryland Assessment Consortium

How should objectives be used?

Clear, daily objectives provide the basis for ongoing formative assessment. By assessing
how well students meet behavioral objectives, the teacher gains information for adapting
and supplementing planned instruction. Such constant monitoring and adjustment raises
students’ achievement levels.
 QUESTIONS FOR GUIDED THINKING
ABOUT LESSONS

To establish the value of the lesson, we focus entirely on the quality and quantity of the
students’ learning. To assess the effectiveness of teacher behaviors, we focus on the cause
and effect relationship between those behaviors and the students’ learning.

These Questions Establish the Value of the Lesson:

What did the students learn?

How did I arrive at this conclusion? What did students say or do that served as
evidence of learning?

Was what they learned what the teacher intended?

Was what they learned meaningful, worthwhile, important, challenging?

Knowledge – Remembering previously learned materials; recall of specifics, universals, methods, processes, or patterns.
cite label name reproduce arrange order recall identify match recite
define list quote pronounce duplicate recognize repeat state memorize relate
Answers: who? what? when? where? questions
• Identify the standard peripheral components of a computer
• Write the equation for the Ideal Gas Law
• Identify the five major prophets of the Old Testament

Comprehension – ability to grasp the meaning of material; the person “knows” the material and can use it but cannot relate it to other
material or see its broader implications.
alter discover manage relate express restate interpret describe illustrate
change explain rephrase substitute identify review paraphrase reword vary
convert give examples represent summarize indicate select classify recognize
depict give main idea restate translate locate discuss report
• In one sentence explain the main idea of a written passage
• Describe in prose what is shown in paragraph form
• Translate the following passage from The Iliad into English

Application – ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations; the use of abstractions (e.g., principals, ideas, theories)
apply discover manage relate interpret operate practice demonstrate manifest
classify employ predict show schedule sketch use present utilize
compute evidence prepare solve write direct choose dramatize illustrate
Answers: how many? which? what is? write an example.
• Using principles of operant conditioning, train a rat to press a bar
• Apply shading to produce depth in drawing
• Derive a kinetic model from experimental data

Analysis – ability to break down material into its component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood, or such that
the relations among the ideas is made explicit.
ascertain diagnose distinguish outline appraise calculate categorize determine
analyze diagram divide point out compare contrast criticize
associate differentiate examine reduce experiment question test
conclude discriminate find separate designate dissect infer
Answers: why? questions
• Compare and contrast the major assumptions underlying psychoanalytic and humanistic approaches to psychology
• Identify supporting evidence to support the interpretation of a literary passage
• Analyze an oscillator circuit and determine the frequency of oscillation

Synthesis – ability to put parts together to form a new whole; working with parts and combining to constitute a structure
combine devise originate revise arrange assemble collect compose construct
compile expand plan rewrite formulate manage organize prepare set up
compose extend pose synthesize develop modify design invent rearrange
conceive generalize propose theorize create integrate project write
Answers how can we improve? what would happen if? how can we solve questions?
• Write a logically organized essay in favor of euthanasia
• Develop an individualized nutrition program for a diabetic patient
• Compose a choral work using four-part harmony for men’s and women’s voices

Evaluation – ability to judge the value of material for a given purpose.

appraise conclude critique judge argue criticize choose compare defend estimate
assess contrast deduce weigh predict rate evaluate select support value
• Assess the appropriateness of an author’s conclusions based on the evidence given
• Select the best proposal for a proposed water treatment plant
• Evaluate a work of art using appropriate terminology
 WHAT I LEARNED
WARM-UPS TODAY
Fill out at end of class each day!

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5
Your behavior and efforts Your behavior and efforts Your behavior and efforts
have eraned you a smile! have eraned you a smile! have eraned you a smile!

Your behavior and efforts Your behavior and efforts Your behavior and efforts
have eraned you a smile! have eraned you a smile! have eraned you a smile!

Your behavior and efforts Your behavior and efforts Your behavior and efforts
have eraned you a smile! have eraned you a smile! have eraned you a smile!

Your behavior and efforts Your behavior and efforts Your behavior and efforts
have eraned you a smile! have eraned you a smile! have eraned you a smile!
Essential Curriculum
 Middle School
Essential Curriculum

2001-2002

Language Arts
6-8
u OUTCOME #1: Students will demonstrate their ability to READ FOR LITERARY EXPERIENCE by constructing, extending, and examining
meaning from stories, plays, poems, and other works of fiction.
Grade 6
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Summarize the text.
2. Identify the author’s message.
Developing Interpretation when they:
3. Identify elements of plot and
characterization and analyze how the
qualities of the central characters
determine resolution of the conflict.
4. Analyze characterization as delineated
through a character’s thoughts, words,
speech patterns, and deeds.
5. Evaluate the influence of culture,
ethnicity, and historical eras on the
themes and issues of literary texts.
Personal Response when they:
6. Compare and contrast one’s personal
view with the author’s view of human
experience and character.
Critical Response when they:
7. Explain how literary elements create
meaning for readers
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features o f the indicators which should be focused on at that specific grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
Grade 7
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Identify the author’s message.
2. Explain how the theme represents a
view or comment on life.
Developing Interpretation when they:
3. Compare and contrast the ways
similar themes are expressed in
multiple literary works.
4. Compare works that express a
universal theme, providing evidence to
support the ideas.
5. Evaluate the influence of culture,
ethnicity, and historical eras on the
themes and issues of literary texts.
Personal Response when they:
6. Compare and contrast one’s personal
view with the author’s view of human
experience and character.
7. Compare and contrast the motivations
and reactions of characters from
different historical eras who confront
similar challenges and situations and
connect them to prior knowledge or
the experiences of others.
Critical Response when they:
8. Explain how literary elements create
meaning for readers.
9. Identify and trace the development of
an author’s argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text.
Grade 8
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Explain how the theme represents a view
or comment on life.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast the ways similar
themes are expressed in multiple literary
works.
3. Compare works that express a universal
theme, providing evidence to support the
ideas.
4. Evaluate the influence of culture,
ethnicity , and historical eras on the
themes and issues of literary texts.
Personal Response when they:
5. Compare and contrast one’s personal view
with the author’s view of human
experience and character.
6. Compare and contrast the motivations and
reactions of characters from different
historical eras who confront similar
challenges and situations and connect
them to prior knowledge or the experiences
of others.
Critical Response when they:
7. Identify and trace the development of an
author’s argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text.
8. Assess the adequacy, accuracy, and
appropriateness of an author’s details to
support claims and assertions, noting
instances of bias and stereotyping.
9. Explain how literary elements create
meaning for readers.
u OUTCOME #2: Students will demonstrate their ability to READ FOR INFORMATION by constructing, extending, and examining meaning from
articles, editorials, content texts, and other expository materials related to the content areas.
Grade 6
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Summarize text in a manner that
reflects the main ideas, significant
details, and its underlying meaning.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or procedures
on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions, or
generalizations about text and
support them with textual evidence
and experience.
Personal Response when they:
4. Connect and clarify main ideas and
concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experiences.
5. Explain the usefulness of text.
Critical Response when they:
6. Analyze the structure and features of
functional workplace documents,
including format, graphics, sequence,
and headers and how authors use
these features to achieve their
purposes and to make information
accessible and useable.
7. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and
internal consistency of the text’s
organizational structure.
8. Evaluate text features to gain
meaning.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at that specific grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
Grade 7
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Determine the author’s purpose.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or procedures
on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions, or
generalizations about text and support
them with textual evidence and
experiences.
Personal Response when they:
4. Connect and clarify main ideas and
concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experiences.
5. Explain the usefulness of text.
Critical Response when they:
6. Recognize instances of propaganda
and persuasive techniques.
7. Identify and trace the development of
an author’s argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text.
8. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity , and
internal consistency of the text’s
organizational structure.
9. Evaluate text features to gain
meaning.
Grade 8
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Determine the author’s purpose.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Draw inferences, conclusions, or
generalizations about text and support
them with textual evidence and
experience.
Personal Response when they:
3. Connect and clarify main ideas and
concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experiences.
Critical Response when they:
4. Recognize instances of propaganda
and persuasive techniques.
5. Identify and trace the development
of an author’s argument, viewpoint,
or perspective in text.
6. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and
internal consistency of the text’s
organizational structure.
7. Assess the adequacy, accuracy, and
appropriateness of an author’s details
to support claims and assertions,
noting instances of bias and
stereotyping.
8. Evaluate text features to gain
meaning.
u OUTCOME #3: Students will demonstrate their ability to READ TO PERFORM A TASK by constructing, extending, and examining meaning from
investigations or other sets of directions.
Grade 6
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Identify how someone would use
the text.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or
procedures on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions, or
generalizations about text and
support them with textual
evidence and experience.
Personal Response when they:
4. Connect and clarify main ideas
and concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources,
related topics, or prior
experiences.
5. Compare and contrast information
with prior knowledge.
Critical Response when they:
6. Analyze the structure and features
of functional workplace
documents, including format,
graphics, sequence and headers
and how authors use these
features to achieve their purposes
and to make information
accessible and useable.
7. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity,
and internal consistency of the
text’s organizational structure.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at that specific grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
Grade 7
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Identify how someone would use
the text.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or
procedures on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions or
generalizations about text and
support them with textual
evidence and experience.
4. Reorganize information from
different articles or procedures on
the same topic.
Personal Response when they:
5. Connect and clarify main ideas
and concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources,
related topics, or prior
experiences.
6. Compare and contrast information
with prior knowledge.
Critical Response when they:
7. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity,
and internal consistency of the
text’s organizational structure.
Grade 8
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Identify how someone would use
the text.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or
procedures on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions or
generalizations about text and
support them with textual
evidence and experience.
4. Reorganize information from
different articles or procedures on
the same topic.
Personal Response when they:
5. Connect and clarify main ideas
and concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources,
related topics, or prior
experiences.
6. Compare and contrast information
with prior knowledge.
Critical Response when they:
7. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity,
and internal consistency of the
text’s organizational structure.
u S OUTCOME #4: Students will demonstrate their ability to
Grade 6
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and:
1. Create an organizing structure that
balances all aspects of the piece and
makes effective transitions between
sentences and descriptions to unify key
ideas and make the message or theme
clear to the reader.
2. Reinforce coherence within and across
paragraphs
3. Use precise language, action verbs,
sensory details, colorful modifiers, and
active rather than passive voice to enliven
written presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word
choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing
based on given or self-generated criteria
and others’ responses.
5. Support all statements and claims with
relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific information.
6. Write letters that address audience needs,
stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to stated
purposes.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at that specific grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
WRITE TO INFORM by developing and organizing facts to convey information.
Grade 7
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances
all aspects of the piece and makes effective
transitions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme clear to the reader .
2. Reinforce coherence within and across
paragraphs
3. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and
transitions among paragraphs, passages, and
ideas by revising writing based on given or self-
generated criteria and others’ responses.
5. Support all statements and claims with
relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific information.
6. Write letters that address audience needs,
stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to stated
purposes.
7. Write reports for an intended audience and
purpose that conveys a clear and accurate
perspective on the subject, and that supports
the main ideas with facts, details, examples,
and explanations.
8. Write essays for an intended audience and
purpose that state the thesis or purpose of the
paper, that follow an organizational pattern,
and that offer compelling evidence in the form
of facts and details to support the thesis.
Grade 8
Students are able to do ever ything required at
earlier grades, and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances
all aspects of the piece and makes effective
transitions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme clear to the reader .
2. Reinforce coherence within and across
paragraphs
3. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice,
and transitions among paragraphs, passages,
and ideas by revising writing based on given or
self-generated criteria and others’ responses.
5. Support all statements and claims with
relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific information.
6. Write letters that address audience needs,
stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to stated
purposes.
7. Write reports for an intended audience and
purpose that conveys a clear and accurate
perspective on the subject, and that supports
the main ideas with facts, details, examples,
and explanations.
8. Write essays for an intended audience and
purpose that state the thesis or purpose of the
paper, that follow an organizational pattern,
and that offer compelling evidence in the form
of facts and details to support the thesis.
u S OUTCOME # 5: Students will demonstrate ability to WRITE TO PERSUADE by selecting and organizing relevant information, establishing an
argumentative purpose, and by designing an appropriate strategy for an identified audience.
Grade 6 Grade 7
Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and: earlier grades and:
1. Create an organizing structure that
1. Write letters that address audience needs, balances all aspects of the piece and
stated purpose, and context in a clear and makes effective transitions between
efficient manner, and adhere to stated sentences and descriptions to unify key
purposes. ideas and make the message or theme
2. Write to persuade an intended audience clear to the reader.
by selecting an appropriate form that 2. Reinforce coherence within and across
makes a clear and knowledgeable paragraphs.
judgment and supports arguments with 3. Use precise language, action verbs,
detailed evidence, examples, and sensory details, colorful modifiers, and
reasoning. active rather than passive voice to enliven
written presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word
choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing
based on given or self-generated criteria
and others’ responses.
5. Write letters that address audience needs,
stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to stated
purposes.
6. Write to persuade an intended audience
by selecting an appropriate form that
makes a clear and knowledgeable
judgment and supports arguments with
detailed evidence, examples, and
reasoning.
7. Support all statements and claims with
relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific examples.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at that specific grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
Grade 8
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
1. Create an organizing structure that
balances all aspects of the piece and
makes effective transitions between
sentences and descriptions to unify key
ideas and make the message or theme
clear to the reader.
2. Reinforce coherence within and across
paragraphs.
3. Use precise language, action verbs,
sensory details, colorful modifiers, and
active rather than passive voice to
enliven written presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word
choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing
based on given or self-generated criteria
and others’ responses.
5. Write letters that address audience needs,
stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to stated
purposes.
6. Write to persuade an intended audience
by selecting an appropriate form that
makes a clear and knowledgeable
judgment and supports arguments with
detailed evidence, examples, and
reasoning.
7. Support all statements and claims with
relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific examples.
u S OUTCOME #6: Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO EXPRESS PERSONAL IDEAS by selecting a form and its appropriate
elements (e.g., plot, dialogue, rhyme scheme, etc.).

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and: earlier grades, and: earlier grades, and:

1. Create an organizing structure that 1. Create an organizing structure that 1.
balances all aspects of the piece and balances all aspects of the piece and
makes effective transitions between makes effective transitions between
sentences and descriptions to unify key sentences and descriptions to unify key
ideas and make the message or theme ideas and make the message or theme
clear to the reader. clear to the reader.
2. Use precise language, action verbs, 2. Use precise language, action verbs, 2.
sensory details, colorful modifiers, and sensory details, colorful modifiers, and
active rather than passive voice to enliven active rather than passive voice to enliven
written presentations. written presentations.
3. Improve the logic of the ideas, word 3. Improve the logic of the ideas, word 3.
choice, and transitions among paragraphs, choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing passages, and ideas by revising writing
based on given or self-generated criteria based on given or self-generated criteria
and others’ responses. and others’ responses.
4. Write to express personal ideas that 4. Write to express personal ideas that relate 4.
relate a clear, coherent event, a clear, coherent event, situation, and/or
situation, and/or storyline by using storyline by using well-chosen details,
well-chosen details, that reveal the that reveal the significance of, or the
significance of, or the writer’s attitude writer’s attitude about the subject, and
about the subject, and that purposefully that purposefully include rhetorical
include rhetorical elements, such as elements, such as figurative language,
figurative language, description, description, foreshadowing, and
foreshadowing, and symbolism. symbolism.
Create an organizing structure that
balances all aspects of the piece and
makes effective transitions between
sentences and descriptions to unify key
ideas and make the message or theme
clear to the reader.
Use precise language, action verbs,
sensory details, colorful modifiers, and
active rather than passive voice to
enliven written presentations.
Improve the logic of the ideas, word
choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing
based on given or self-generated criteria
and others’ responses.
Write to express personal ideas that
relate a clear, coherent event, situation,
and/or storyline by using well-chosen
details, that reveal the significance of, or
the writer’s attitude about the subject,
and that purposefully include
rhetorical elements, such as figurative
language, description, foreshadowing,
and symbolism.

Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at that specific grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
OUTCOME #7: Students will demonstrate their ability to USE THE STRUCTURES AND CONVENTIONS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE in
their written communication.

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and: earlier grades and: earlier grades and:

1. Use standard English language 1. Use standard English language 1. Use standard English language
conventions correctly to communicate conventions correctly to communicate conventions correctly to communicate
clearly, including clearly, including clearly, including
• Sentence structure • Sentence structure • Sentence structure
• Punctuation • Punctuation • Punctuation
• Capitalization • Capitalization • Capitalization
• Grammar and usage • Grammar and usage • Grammar and usage
2. Use language fluently and appropriately 2. Use language fluently and appropriately 2. Use language fluently and appropriately
for a variety of contexts, purposes, and for a variety of contexts, purposes, and for a variety of contexts, purposes, and
audiences. audiences. audiences.
3. Use conventional spelling in their own 3. Use conventional spelling in their own 3. Use conventional spelling in their own
writing. writing. writing.
4. Expand vocabulary through organized and 4. Expand vocabulary through organized and 4. Expand vocabulary through organized and
systematic study. systematic study. systematic study.
5. Explain how words are classified 5. Explain how words are classified. 5. Explain how words are classified
grammatically. grammatically.
u OUTCOME # 8: Students will demonstrate their ability TO LISTEN by comprehending and analyzing information through a variety of mediums.

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and: earlier grades and: earlier grades and:

1. Select a purpose for listening and 1. Select a purpose for listening and 1. Select a purpose for listening and
summarize material heard. summarize material heard. summarize material heard.

2. Comprehend the content of messages by 2. Comprehend the content of messages by 2. Comprehend the content of messages by
listening. listening. listening.

3. Comprehend the intent of speakers by 3. Comprehend the intent of speakers by 3. Comprehend the intent of speakers by
listening. listening. listening.

u Meets Service Learning Standards

u S OUTCOME # 9: Students will demonstrate their ability to COMMUNICATE ORALLY through a variety of mediums.

Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8

Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and: earlier grades and: earlier grades and:

1. Prepare a narrative and informative oral 1. Prepare an informative oral presentation. 1. Self-select a topic, and choose an
presentation. appropriate form: narrative, persuasive, or
2. Prepare a persuasive oral presentation. informative, for an oral presentation.

u Meets Service Learning Standards

S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software

Grade 6
OUTCOME #1: Read for Literary Experience
v Read and comprehend at grade level
OUTCOME # 2: Read for Information
v Read and comprehend at grade level
OUTCOME #3: Read to Perform a Task
v Read and comprehend at grade level
OUTCOME #4: Write to Inform
v Identify and write narrative and
explanatory paragraphs using the
writing process
OUTCOME #5: Write to Persuade
v Identify and write narrative and
explanatory paragraphs using the
writing process
OUTCOME #6: Write to Express Personal
Ideas
v Identify and write narrative and
explanatory paragraphs using the
writing process
OUTCOME #7: Use the Structures and
Conventions of the English Language
OUTCOME #8: Listen
v Select a purpose for listening
v Summarize material heard
OUTCOME #9: Communicate Orally
v Prepare and deliver an oral narrative
presentation
Service Learning Standards
Listed by Grade and Outcome
Grade 7
OUTCOME #1: Read for Literary Experience
v Read and comprehend at grade level
OUTCOME #2: Read for Information
v Read and comprehend at grade level
v Recognize fact and opinion in fiction
and nonfiction
OUTCOME #3: Read to Perform a Task
v Read and comprehend at grade level
OUTCOME #4: Write to Inform
v Select supporting evidence and
expand content during the writing
stage
v Develop narrative and explanatory
paragraphs using the writing process
to entertain and inform
OUTCOME #5: Write to Persuade
v Select supporting evidence and
expand content during the writing
stage
OUTCOME #6: Write to Express Personal
Ideas
v Develop narrative and explanatory
paragraphs using the writing process
to entertain and inform
OUTCOME #7: Use the Structures and
Conventions of the English Language
OUTCOME #8: Listen
v Listen to comprehend the content of
messages
v Summarize material read or heard to
reflect main ideas, significant details,
and underlying meaning
OUTCOME #9: Communicate Orally
v Prepare and deliver an informative
oral presentation
Grade 8
OUTCOME #1: Read for Literary Experience
v Read and comprehend at grade level
v Paraphrase material read or heard
OUTCOME #2: Read for Information
v Read and comprehend at grade level
v Paraphrase material read or heard
OUTCOME #3: Read to Perform a Task
v Read and comprehend at grade level
v Paraphrase material read or heard
OUTCOME #4: Write to Inform
v Develop narrative and explanatory
paragraphs and multi-paragraph
essays using the writing process to
inform
OUTCOME #5: Write to Persuade
v Develop narrative and explanatory
paragraphs and multi-paragraph
essays using the writing process to
inform.
OUTCOME #6: Write to Express Personal
Ideas
OUTCOME #7: Use the Structures and
Conventions of the Englis h Language
OUTCOME #8: Listen
v Listen to comprehend the intent of
speakers
v Paraphrase material read or heard
OUTCOME #9: Communicate Orally
v Prepare and deliver a persuasive oral
presentation

u OUTCOME #1: Students will demonstrate their
ability to READ FOR LITERARY
EXPERIENCE by constructing, extending, and
examining meaning from stories, plays, poems, and
other works of fiction.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Summarize the text.
2. Identify the author’s message.
Developing Interpretation when they:
3. Identify elements of plot and
characterization and analyze how the
qualities of the central characters
determine resolution of the conflict.
4. Analyze characterization as
delineated through a character’s
thoughts, words, speech patterns, and
deeds.
5. Evaluate the influence of culture,
ethnicity, and historical eras on the
themes and issues of literary texts.
Personal Response when they:
6. Compare and contrast one’s personal
view with the author’s view of human
experience and character.
Critical Response when they:
7. Explain how literary elements create
meaning for readers.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at the sixth grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
Sixth Grade Language Arts Curriculum
2001-2002
u OUTCOME #2: Students will demonstrate their
ability to READ FOR INFORMATION by
constructing, extending, and examining meaning
from articles, editorial, content texts, and other
expository materials related to the content areas.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Summarize the text in a manner that
reflects the main ideas, significant
details, and its underlying meaning.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or procedures
on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions, or
generalizations about text and
support them with textual evidence
and experience.
Personal Response when they:
4. Connect and clarify main ideas and
concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experiences.
5. Explain the usefulness of text.
Critical Response when they:
6. Analyze the structure and features of
functional workplace documents,
including format, graphics, sequence,
and headers and how authors use
these features to achieve their
purposes and to make information
accessible and useable.
7. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and
internal consistency of the text’s
organizational structure.
8. Evaluate text features to gain
meaning.
u OUTCOM E #3: Students will demonstrate their
ability to READ TO PERFORM A TASK by
constructing, extending, and examining meaning
from investigations or other sets of directions.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Identify how someone would use the
text.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or procedures
on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions, or
generalizations about text and
support them with textual evidence
and experience.
Personal Response when they:
4. Connect and clarify main ideas and
concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experiences.
5. Compare and contrast information
with prior knowledge.
Critical Response when they:
6. Analyze the structure and features of
functional workplace documents,
including format, graphics, sequence
and headers and how authors use
these features to achieve their
purposes and to make information
accessible and useable.
7. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and
internal consistency of the text’s
organizational structure.

u S OUTCOME #4: Students will demonstrate
their ability to WRITE TO INFORM by
developing and organizing facts to convey
information.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances all
aspects of the piece and makes effective
transitions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme clear to the reader.
2. Reinforce coherence within and across
paragraphs.
3. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and
transitions among paragraphs, passages, and
ideas by revising writing based on given or self-
generated criteria and others’ responses.
5. Support all statements and claims with relevant
anecdotes, descriptions, facts, statistics, and/or
specific information.
6. Write letters that address audience needs, stated
purpose, and context in a clear and efficient
manner, and adhere to stated purposes.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at the sixth grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
Sixth Grade Language Arts Curriculum
2001-2002
u S OUTCOME #5: Students will demonstrate
their ability to WRITE TO PERSUADE by
selecting and organizing relevant information,
establishing an argumentative purpose, and by
designing an appropriate strategy for an identified
audience.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and:
1. Write letters that address audience needs, stated
purpose, and context in a clear and efficient
manner, and adhere to stated purposes.
2. Write to persuade an intended audience by
selecting an appropriate form that makes a clear
and knowledgeable judgment and supports
arguments with detailed evidence, examples,
and reasoning.
u S OUTCOME #6: Students will demonstrate
their ability to WRITE TO EXPRESS
PERSONAL IDEAS by selecting a form and its
appropriate elements (e.g. plot, dialogue, rhyme
scheme, et cetera)
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances all
aspects of the piece and makes effective
transitions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme clear to the reader.
2. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
3. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and
transitions among paragraphs, passages, and
ideas by revising writing based on given or self-
generated criteria and others’ responses.
4. Write to express personal ideas that relate a
clear, coherent event, situation, and/or
storyline by using well-chosen details, that
reveal the significance of, or the writer’s
attitude about the subject, and that purposefully
include rhetorical elements, such as figurative
language, description, foreshadowing, and
symbolism.
 Sixth Grade Language Arts Curriculum
2001-2002

OUTCOME #7: Students will demonstrate their u OUTCOME #8 Students will demonstrate their u S OUTCOME #9: Students will demonstrate
ability to USE THE STRUCTURES AND ability to LISTEN by comprehending and analyzing their ability to COMMUNICATE ORALLY
CONVENTIONS OF THE ENGLISH information through a variety of mediums. through a variety o f mediums.
LANGUAGE in their written communication.
Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at
Students are able to do everything required at earlier grades and: earlier grades and:
earlier grades and:
1. Select a purpose for listening and summarize 1. Prepare a narrative and informative oral
1. Use standard English language conventions material heard. presentation.
correctly to communicate clearly, including 2. Comprehend the content of messages by
• Sentence structure listening.
• Punctuation 3. Comprehend the intent of speakers by listening.
• Capitalization
• Grammar and Usage
2. Use language fluently and appropriately for a
variety of contexts, purposes, and audiences.
3. Use conventional spelling in their own writing.
4. Expand vocabulary through organized and
systematic study.
5. Explain how words are classified
grammatically.

Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at the sixth grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software

u OUTCOME #1: Students will demonstrate their
ability to READ FOR LITERARY
EXPERIENCE by constructing, extending, and
examining meaning from stories, plays, poems, and
other works of fiction.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Identify the author’s message.
2. Explain how the theme represents a
view or comment on life.
Developing Interpretation when they:
3. Compare and contrast the ways
similar themes are expressed in
multiple literary works.
4. Compare works that express a
universal theme, providing evidence
to support the ideas.
5. Evaluate the influence of culture,
ethnicity, and historical eras on the
themes and issues of literary texts.
Personal Response when they:
6. Compare and contrast one’s personal
view with the author’s view of human
experience and character.
7. Compare and contrast the motivations
and reactions of characters from
different historical eras who confront
similar challenges and situations and
connect them to prior knowledge or
the experience of others.
Critical Response when they:
8. Explain how literary elements create
meaning for readers.
9. Identify, and trace the development of
an author’s argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at the seventh grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
Seventh Grade Language Arts Curriculum
2001-2002
u OUTCOME #2: Students will demonstrate their
ability to READ FOR INFORMATION by
constructing, extending, and examining meaning
from articles, editorials, content texts, and other
expository materials related to the content areas.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Determine the author’s purpose.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or procedures
on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions, or
generalizations about text and support
them with textual evidence and
experiences.
Personal Response when they:
4. Connect and clarify main ideas and
concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experiences.
5. Explain the usefulness of text.
Critical Response when they:
6. Recognize instances of propaganda
and persuasive techniques.
7. Identify, and trace the development of
an author’s argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text.
8. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and
internal consistency of the text’s
organizational structure.
9. Evaluate text features to gain
meaning.
u OUTCOME #3: Students will demonstrate their
ability to READ TO PERFORM A TASK by
constructing, extending, and examining meaning
from investig ations or other sets of directions.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Identify how someone would use the
text.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or procedures
on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions or
generalizations about text and support
them with textual evidence and
experience.
4. Reorganize information from
different articles or procedures on the
same topic.
Personal Response when they:
5. Connect and clarify main ideas and
concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experiences.
6. Compare and contrast information
with prior knowledge.
Critical Response when they:
7. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and
internal consistency of the text’s
organizational structure.

u S OUTCOME #4: Students will demonstrate
their ability to WRITE TO INFORM by
developing organizing facts to convey information.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades, and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances all
aspects of the piece and makes effective
transactions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme clear to the reader.
2. Reinforce coherence within and across
paragraphs.
3. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and
transitions among paragraphs, passages, and
ideas by revising writing based on given or self-
generated criteria and others’ responses.
5. Support all statements and claims with relevant
anecdotes, descriptions, facts, statistics, and/or
specific information.
6. Write letters that address audience needs, stated
purpose, and context in a clear and efficient
manner, and adhere to stated purposes.
7. Write reports for an intended audience and
purpose that conveys a clear and accurate
perspective on the subject, and that supports the
main ideas with facts, details, examples, and
explanations.
8. Write essays for an intended audience that state
the thesis or purpose of the paper, that follow an
organizational pattern, and that offer
compelling evidence in the form of facts and
details to support the thesis.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at the seventh grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
Seventh Grade Language Arts Curriculum
2001-2002
u S OUTCOME #5: Students will demonstrate
their ability to WRITE TO PERSUADE by
selecting and organizing relevant information,
establishing an argumentative purpose, and by
designing an appropriate strategy for an identified
audience.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances all
aspects of the piece and makes effective
transitions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme cle ar to the reader.
2. Reinforce coherence within and across
paragraphs.
3. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and
transitions among paragraphs, passages, and
ideas by revising writing based on given or self-
generated criteria and others’ responses.
5. Write letters that address audience needs, stated
purpose, and context in a clear and efficient
manner, and adhere to stated purposes.
6. Write to persuade an intended audience by
selecting an appropriate form that makes a clear
and knowledgeable judgment and supports
arguments with detailed evidence, examples,
and reasoning.
7. Support all statements and claims with relevant
anecdotes, descriptions, facts, statistics, and/or
specific examples.
u S OUTCOME #6: Students will demonstrate
their ability to WRITE TO EXPRESS
PERSONAL IDEAS by selecting a form and its
appropriate elements (e.g., plot, dialogue, rhyme
scheme, etc.)
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances all
aspects of the piece and makes effective
transitions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme clear to the reader.
2. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
3. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and
transitions among paragraphs, passages, and
ideas by revising writing based on given or self-
generated criteria and others’ responses.
4. Write to express personal ideas that relate a
clear, coherent event, situation, and/or storyline
by using well-chosen details, that reveal the
significance of, or the writer’s attitude about
the subject, and that purposefully include
rhetorical elements, such as figurative language,
descriptions, foreshadowing, and symbolism.
 Seventh Grade Language Arts Curriculum
2001-2002

OUTCOME #7: Students will demonstrate their u OUTCOME #8: Students will demonstrate their u S OUTCOME #9: Students will demonstrate
ability to USE THE STRUCTURES AND ability to LISTEN by comprehending and analyzing their ability to COMMUNICATE ORALLY
CONVENTIONS OF THE ENGLISH information through a variety of mediums. through a variety of mediums.
LANGUAGE in their written communication.
Students are able to do everything required at Students are able to do everything required at
Students are able to do everything required at earlier grades, and: earlier grades, and:
earlier grades, and:
1. Select a purpose for listening and summarize 1. Prepare an informative oral presentation.
1. Use standard English language conventions material heard. 2. Prepare a persuasive oral presentation.
correctly to communicate clearly, including 2. Comprehend the content of messages by
• Sentence structure listening.
• Punctuation 3. Comprehend the intent of speakers by listening.
• Capitalization
• Grammar and usage
2. Use language fluently and appropriately for a
variety of contexts, purposes, and audiences.
3. Use conventional spelling in their own writing.
4. Expand vocabulary through organized an
systematic study.
5. Explain how words are classified
grammatically.

Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at the seventh grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
S Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software

u OUTCOME #1: Students will demonstrate their
ability to READ FOR LITERARY EXPERIENCE
by constructing, extending, and examining meaning
from stories, plays, poems, and other works of fiction.
Students are able to do everything require at earlier
grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Explain how the theme represents a
view or comment on life.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast the ways similar
themes are expressed in multiple
literary works.
3. Compare works that express a universal
theme, providing evidence to support
the ideas.
4. Evaluate the influence of culture, ,
ethnicity, and historical eras on the
themes and issues of literary texts.
Personal Response when they:
5. Compare and contrast one’s personal
view with the author’s view of human
experience and character.
6. Compare and contrast the motivations
and reactions of characters from
different historical eras who confront
similar challenges and situations and
connect them to prior knowledge or the
experiences of others.
Critical Response when they:
7. Identify and trace the development of
an author’s argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text.
8. Assess the adequacy, accuracy, and
appropriateness of an author’s details to
support claims and assertions, noting
instances of bias and stereotyping.
9. Explain how literary elements create
meaning for readers.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at the eighth grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
T Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
Eighth Grade Language Arts Curriculum
2001-2002
u OUTCOME #2: Students will demonstrate their
ability to READ FOR INFORMATION by
constructing, extending, and examining meaning
from articles, editorials, content texts, and other
expository materials related to the content areas.
Students are able to do everything require at earlier
grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Determine the author’s purpose.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Draw inferences, conclusions, or
generalizations about text and support
them with textual evidence and
experience.
Personal Response when they:
3. Connect and clarify main ideas and
concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experiences.
Critical Response when they:
4. Recognize instances of propaganda
and persuasive techniques.
5. Identify and trace the development of
an author’s argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text.
6. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and
internal consistency of the text’s
organizational structure.
7. Assess the adequacy, accuracy, and
appropriateness of an author’s details
to support claims and assertions,
noting instances of bias and
stereotyping.
8. Evaluate text features to gain
meaning.
u OUTCOME #3: Students will demonstrate their
ability to READ TO PERFORM A TASK by
constructing, extending, and examining meaning
from investigations or other sets of directions.
Students are able to do everything require at earlier
grades, use text support, and read for:
Global Understanding when they:
1. Identify how someone would use the
text.
Developing Interpretation when they:
2. Compare and contrast information
from different articles or procedures
on the same topic.
3. Draw inferences, conclusions or
generalizations about text and support
them with textual evidence and
experience.
4. Reorganize information from
different articles or procedures on the
same topic.
Personal Response when they:
5. Connect and clarify main ideas and
concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experiences.
6. Compare and contrast information
with prior knowledge.
Critical Response when they:
7. Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and
internal consistency of the text’s
organizational structure.

u S OUTCOME #4: Students will demonstrate
their ability to WRITE TO INFORM by
developing and organizing facts to convey
information.
Students are able to do everything required at
earlier grades and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances all
aspects of the piece and makes effective
transitions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme clear to the reader.
2. Reinforce coherence within and across
paragraphs.
3. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice,
and transitions among paragraphs, passages,
and ideas by revising writing based on given or
self-generated criteria and others’ experiences.
5. Support all statements and claims with relevant
anecdotes, descriptions, facts, statistics, and/or
specific information.
6. Write letters that address audience needs,
stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to state purposes.
7. Write reports for an intended audience and
purpose that conveys a clear and accurate
perspective on the subject, and that supports
the main ideas with facts, details, examples,
and explanations.
8. Write essays for an intended audience and
purpose that state the thesis or purpose of the
paper, that follow an organizational pattern,
and that offer compelling evidence in the form
of facts and details to support the thesis.
Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at the eighth grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
T Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
Eighth Grade Language Arts Curriculum
2001-2002
u S OUTCOME #5: Students will demonstrate
their ability to WRITE TO PERS UADE by
selecting and organizing relevant information,
establishing an argumentative purpose, and by
designing an appropriate strategy for an identified
audience.
Students are able to do everything require at earlier
grades, and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances all
aspects of the piece and makes effective
transitions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme clear to the reader.
2. Reinforce coherence within and across
paragraphs.
3. Use precise language, a ction verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
4. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice,
and transitions among paragraphs, passages,
and ideas by revising writing based on given o r
self-generated criteria and others’ responses.
5. Write letters that address audience needs, stated
purpose, and context in a clear and efficient
manner, and adhere to stated purposes.
6. Write to persuade an intended audience by
selecting an appropriate form that makes a clear
and knowledgeable judgment and supports
arguments with detailed evidence, examples,
and reasoning.
7. Support all statements and claims with relevant
anecdotes, descriptions, facts, statistics, and/or
specific examples.
u S OUTCOME #6: Students will demonstrate
their ability to WRITE TO EXPRESS
PERSONAL IDEAS by selecting a form and its
appropriate elements (e.g., plot, dialogue, rhyme
scheme, etc.)
Students are able to do everything require at earlier
grades, and:
1. Create an organizing structure that balances all
aspects of the piece and makes effective
transitions between sentences and descriptions
to unify key ideas and make the message or
theme clear to the reader.
2. Use precise language, action verbs, sensory
details, colorful modifiers, and active rather
than passive voice to enliven written
presentations.
3. Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice,
and transitions among paragraphs, passages,
and ideas by revising writing based on given or
self-generated criteria and others’ responses.
4. Write to express personal ideas that relate a
clear, coherent event, situation, and/or storyline
by using well-chosen details, that reveal the
significance of, or the writer’s attitude about the
subject, and that purposefully include
rhetorical elements, such as figurative
language, description, foreshadowing, and
symbolism.
 Eighth Grade Language Arts Curriculum
2001-2002

OUTCOME #7: Students will demonstrate their u OUTCOME #8: Students will demonstrate their u S OUTCOME #9: Students will demonstrate
ability to USE THE STRUCTURES AND ability to LISTEN by comprehending and analyzing their ability to COMMUNICATE ORALLY
CONVENTIONS OF THE ENGLISH information through a variety of mediums. through a variety of mediums.
LANGUAGE in their written communication.
Students are able to do everything require at earlier Students are able to do everything require at earlier
Students are able to do everything require at earlier grades, and: grades, and:
grades, and:
1. Select a purpose for listening and summarize 1. Self-select a topic, and choose an appropriate
1. Use standard English language conventions material heard. form: narrative, persuasive, or informative, for
correctly to communicate clearly, including 2. Comprehend the content of messages by an oral presentation.
• Sentence structure listening.
• Punctuation 3. Comprehend the intent of speakers by listening.
• Capitalization
• Grammar and usage
2. Use language fluently and appropriately for a
variety of contexts, purposes, and audiences.
3. Use conventional spelling in their own writing.
4. Expand vocabulary through organized and
systematic study.
5. Explain how words are classified
grammatically.

Ø Items in Boldface type denote features of the indicators which should be focused on at the eighth grade level.
u Meets Service Learning Standards
T Use of technology based on availability of hardware and software
 Essential Curriculum
Language Arts - Grade 6M

Note: All items labeled M.L.O. (Maryland Learning Outcomes) are tested on the MSPAP at the 8th grade
level.

LA.600.10 Students will demonstrate their ability to READ FOR LITERARY EXPERIENCE by
constructing, extending, and examining meaning from stories, plays, poems, and other
works of fiction. (M.L.O. Reading 1)

Global Understanding when they:

LA.600.10.01 Summarize the text. (M.L.O. 1.1.1)
LA.600.10.02 Identify the author's message. (M.L.O. 1.1.2)

Developing Interpretation when they:

LA.600.10.03 Identify elements of plot and characterization and analyze how the qualities of
the central characters determine resolution of the conflict. (M.L.O. 1.2.3)

LA.600.10.04 Analyze characterization as delineated through a character's thoughts, words,

speech patterns, and deeds (M.L.O. 1.2.4)

LA.600.10.05 Evaluate the influence of culture, ethnicity, and historical eras on the themes and
issues of literary texts. (M.L.O. 1.2.5)

Personal Response when they:

LA.600.10.06 Compare and contrast one's personal view with the author's view of human
experience and character. (M.L.O. 1.3.1)

Critical Response when they:

LA.600.10.07 Explain how literary elements create meaning for readers. (M.L.O. 1.4.1)

LA.600.20 Students will demonstrate their ability to READ FOR INFORMATION by constructing,
extending, and examining meaning from articles, editorial, content texts, and other
expository materials related to the content areas. (M.L.O. Reading 2)

Global Understanding when they:

LA.600.20.01 Summarize the text in a manner that reflects the main ideas, significant details,
and its underlying meaning. (M.L.O. 2.1.1)

Developing Interpretation when they:

LA.600.20.02 Compare and contrast information from different articles or procedures on the
same topic. (M.L.O. 2.2.1)

LA.600.20.03 Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them
with textual evidence and experience. (M.L.O. 2.2.2)

Personal Response when they:

LA.600.20.04 Connect and clarify main ideas and concepts and identify their relationship to
other sources, related topics, or prior experiences. (M.L.O. 2.3.1)
LA.600.20.05 Explain the usefulness of text. (M.L.O. 2.3.2)

Critical Response when they:

LA.600.20.06 Analyze the structure and features of functional workplace documents, including
format, graphics, sequence, and headers and how authors use these features to
 achieve their purposes and to make information accessible and useable. (M.L.O.
2.4.2)

LA.600.20.07 Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and internal consistency of the text's
organizational structure. (M.L.O. 2.4.4)

LA.600.20.08 Evaluate text features to gain meaning. (M.L.O. 2.4.6)

LA.600.30 Students will demonstrate their ability to READ TO PERFORM A TASK by

constructing, extending, and examining meaning from investigations or other sets of
directions. (M.L.O. Reading 3)

Global Understanding when they:

LA.600.30.01 Identify how someone would use the text. (M.L.O. 3.1.1)

Developing Interpretation when they:

LA.600.30.02 Compare and contrast information from different articles or procedures on the
same topic. (M.L.O. 3.2.1)

LA.600.30.03 Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them
with textual evidence and experience. (M.L.O. 3.2.2)

Personal Response when they:

LA.600.30.04 Connect and clarify main ideas and concepts and identify their relationship to
other sources, related topics, or prior experiences. (M.L.O. 3.3.1)

LA.600.30.05 Compare and contrast information with prior knowledge. (M.L.O. 3.3.2)

Critical Response when they:

LA.600.30.06 Analyze the structure and features of functional workplace documents, including
format, graphics, sequence and headers and how authors use these features to
achieve their purposes and to make information accessible and useable. (M.L.O.
3.4.1)
LA.600.30.07 Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and internal consistency of the text's
organizational structure. (M.L.O. 3.4.2)

LA.600.40 Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO INFORM by developing and
organizing facts to convey information. (M.L.O. Writing 1)

LA.600.40.01 Create an organizing structure that balances all aspects of the piece and makes
effective transitions between sentences and descriptions to unify key ideas and
make the message or theme clear to the reader. (M.L.O. 1.1)
LA.600.40.02 Reinforce coherence within and across paragraphs. (M.L.O. 1.2)
LA.600.40.03 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, and
active rather than passive voice to enliven written presentations. (M.L.O. 1.3)
LA.600.40.04 Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing based on given or self-generated criteria
and others' responses . (M.L.O. 1.4)
LA.600.40.05 Support all statements and claims with relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific information. (M.L.O. 1.5)
LA.600.40.06 Write letters that address audience needs, stated purpose, and context in a clear
and efficient manner, and adhere to stated purposes. (M.L.O. 1.6)
LA.600.50 Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO PERSUADE by selecting and
organizing relevant information, establishing an argumentative purpose, and by designing
an appropriate strategy for an identified audience. (M.L.O. Writing 2)
LA.600.50.01 Write letters that address audience needs, stated purpose, and context in a clear
and efficient manner, and adhere to stated purposes. (M.L.O. 2.5)
LA.600.50.02 Write to persuade an intended audience by selecting an appropriate form that
makes a clear and knowledgeable judgment and supports arguments with
detailed evidence, examples, and reasoning. (M.L.O. 2.6)

LA.600.60 Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO EXPRESS PERSONAL IDEAS by
selecting a form and its appropriate elements (e.g. plot, dialogue, rhyme scheme, et
cetera) (M.L.O. Writing 3)
LA.600.60.01 Create an organizing structure that balances all aspects of the piece and makes
effective transitions between sentences and descriptions to unify key ideas and
make the message or theme clear to the reader. (M.L.O. 3.1)
LA.600.60.02 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, and
active rather than passive voice to enliven written presentations. (M.L.O. 3.2)
LA.600.60.03 Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing based on given or self-generated criteria
and others' responses. (M.L.O. 3.3)
LA.600.60.04 Write to express personal ideas that relate a clear, coherent event, situation,
and/or storyline by using well-chosen details, that reveal the significance of, or
the writer's attitude about the subject, and that purposefully include rhetorical
elements, such as figurative language, description, foreshadowing, and
symbolism. (M.L.O. 3.4)

LA.600.70 Students will demonstrate their ability to USE THE STRUCTURES AND
CONVENTIONS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE in their written communication.
(M.L.O. Language Usage)
LA.600.70.01 Use English language conventions correctly to communicate clearly, including
• Sentence structure
• Punctuation
• Capitalization
• Grammar and Usage (M.L.O. 1.1)
LA.600.70.02 Use language fluently and appropriately for a variety of contexts, purposes, and
audiences. (M.L.O. 1.2)
LA.600.70.03 Use conventional spelling in their own writing. (M.L.O. 1.3)
LA.600.70.04 Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.
LA.600.70.05 Explain how words are classified grammatically.

LA.600.80 Students will demonstrate their ability to LISTEN by comprehending and analyzing
information through a variety of mediums.
LA.600.80.01 Select a purpose for listening and summarize material heard.
LA.600.80.02 Comprehend the content of messages by listening.
LA.600.80.03 Comprehend the intent of speakers by listening.

LA.600.90 Students will demonstrate their ability to COMMUNICATE ORALLY through a variety
of mediums.
LA.600.90.01 Prepare a narrative and informative oral presentation.
 Essential Curriculum
Language Arts - Grade 7

Note: All items labeled M.L.O. (Maryland Learning Outcomes) are tested on the MSPAP at the 8th grade
level.

LA.700.10 Students will demonstrate their ability to READ FOR LITERARY EXPERIENCE by
constructing, extending, and examining meaning from stories, plays, poems, and other
works of fiction. (M.L.O. Reading 1)

Global Understanding when they:

LA.700.10.01 Identify the author's message. (M.L.O. 1.1.2)
LA.700.10.02 Explain how the theme represents a view or comment on life. (M.L.O. 1.1.3)

Developing Interpretation when they:

LA.700.10.03 Compare and contrast the ways similar themes are expressed in multiple literary
works. (M.L.O. 1.2.1)
LA.700.10.04 Compare works that express a universal theme, providing evidence to support
the ideas. (M.L.O. 1.2.2)
LA.700.10.05 Evaluate the influence of culture, ethnicity, and historical eras on the themes and
issues of literary texts. (M.L.O. 1.2.5)

Personal Response when they:

LA.700.10.06 Compare and contrast one's personal view with the author's view of human
experience and character. (M.L.O. 1.3.1)
LA.700.10.07 Compare and contrast the motivations and reactions of characters from different
historical eras who confront similar challenges and situations and connect them
to prior knowledge or the experience of others. (M.L.O. 1.3.2)

Critical Response when they:

LA.700.10.08 Explain how literary elements create meaning for readers. (M.L.O. 1.4.1)
LA.700.10.09 Identify, and trace the development of an author's argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text. (M.L.O. 1.4.2)

LA.700.20 Students will demonstrate their ability to READ FOR INFORMATION by constructing,
extending, and examining meaning from articles, editorials, content texts, and other
expository materials related to the content areas. (M.L.O. Reading 2)

Global Understanding when they:

LA.700.20.01 Determine the author's purpose. (M.L.O. 2.1.2)

Developing Interpretation when they:

LA.700.20.02 Compare and contrast information from different articles or procedures on the
same topic. (M.L.O. 2.2.1)
LA.700.20.03 Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them
with textual evidence and experiences. (M.L.O. 2.2.2)

Personal Response when they:

LA.700.20.04 Connect and clarify main ideas and concepts and identify their relationship to
other sources, related topics, or prior experiences. (M.L.O. 2.3.1)
LA.700.20.05 Explain the usefulness of text. (M.L.O. 2.3.2)

Critical Response when they:

LA.700.20.06 Recognize instances of propaganda and persuasive techniques. (M.L.O. 2.4.1)
LA.700.20.07 Identify, and trace the development of an author's argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text. (M.L.O. 2.4.3)
 LA.700.20.08 Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and internal consistency of the text's
organizational structure. (M.L.O. 2.4.4)
LA.700.20.09 Evaluate text features to gain meaning. (M.L.O. 2.4.6)

LA.700.30 Students will demonstrate their ability to READ TO PERFORM A TASK by

constructing, extending, and examining meaning from investigations or other sets of
directions. (M.L.O. Reading 3)

Global Understanding when they:

LA.700.30.01 Identify how someone would use the text. (M.L.O. 3.1.1)

Developing Interpretation when they:

LA.700.30.02 Compare and contrast information from different articles or procedures on the
same topic. (M.L.O. 3.2.1)
LA.700.30.03 Draw inferences, conclusions or generalizations about text and support them
with textual evidence and experience. (M.L.O. 3.2.2)
LA.700.30.04 Reorganize information from different articles or procedures on the same topic.
(M.L.O. 3.2.3)

Personal Response when they:

LA.700.30.05 Connect and clarify main ideas and concepts and identify their relationship to
other sources, related topics, or prior experiences. (M.L.O. 3.3.1)
LA.700.30.06 Compare and contrast information with prior knowledge. (M.L.O. 3.3.2)

Critical Response when they:

LA.700.30.07 Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and internal consistency of the text's
organizational structure. (M.L.O. 3.4.2)

LA.700.40 Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO INFORM by developing organizing
facts to convey information. (M.L.O. Writing 1)
LA.700.40.01 Create an organizing structure that balances all aspects of the piece and makes
effective transactions between sentences and descriptions to unify key ideas and
make the message or theme clear to the reader. (M.L.O. 1.1)
LA.700.40.02 Reinforce coherence within and across paragraphs. (M.L.O. 1.2)
LA.700.40.03 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, and active
rather than passive voice to enliven written presentations. (M.L.O. 1.3)
LA.700.40.04 Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing based on given or self-generated criteria and
others' responses. (M.L.O. 1.4)
LA.700.40.05 Support all statements and claims with relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific information. (M.L.O. 1.5)
LA.700.40.06 Write letters that address audience needs, stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to stated purposes. (M.L.O. 1.6)
LA.700.40.07 Write reports for an intended audience and purpose that conveys a clear and accurate
perspective on the subject, and that supports the main ideas with facts, details,
examples, and explanations. (M.L.O. 1.7)
LA.700.40.08 Write essays for an intended audience that state the thesis or purpose of the paper,
that follow an organizational pattern, and that offer compelling evidence in the form
of facts and details to support the thesis. (M.L.O. 1.8)

LA.700.50 Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO PERSUADE by selecting and
organizing relevant information, establishing an argumentative purpose, and by designing
an appropriate strategy for an identified audience. (M.L.O. Writing 2)
 LA.700.50.01 Create an organizing structure that balances all aspects of the piece and makes
effective transitions between sentences and descriptions to unify key ideas and make
the message or theme clear to the reader. (M.L.O. 2.1)
LA.700.50.02 Reinforce coherence within and across paragraphs. (M.L.O. 2.2)
LA.700.50.03 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, and active
rather than passive voice to enliven written presentations. (M.L.O. 2.3)
LA.700.50.04 Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing based on given or self-generated criteria and
others' responses. (M.L.O. 2.4)
LA.700.50.05 Write letters that address audience needs, stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to stated purposes. (M.L.O. 2.5)
LA.700.50.06 Write to persuade an intended audience by selecting an appropriate form that makes
a clear and knowledgeable judgment and supports arguments with detailed evidence,
examples, and reasoning. (M.L.O. 2.6)
LA.700.50.07 Support all statements and claims with relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific examples. (M.L.O. 2.7)

LA.700.60 Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO EXPRESS PERSONAL IDEAS by
selecting a form and its appropriate elements (e.g., plot, dialogue, rhyme scheme, etc.)
(M.L.O. Writing 3)
LA.700.60.01 Create an organizing structure that balances all aspects of the piece and makes
effective transitions between sentences and descriptions to unify key ideas and make
the message or theme clear to the reader. (M.L.O. 3.1)
LA.700.60.02 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, and active
rather than passive voice to enliven written presentations. (M.L.O. 3.2)
LA.700.60.03 Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing based on given or self-generated criteria and
others' responses. (M.L.O. 3.3)
LA.700.60.04 Write to express personal ideas that relate a clear, coherent event, situation, and/or
storyline by using well-chosen details, that reveal the significance of, or the writer's
attitude about the subject, and that purposefully include rhetorical elements, such as
figurative language, descriptions, foreshadowing, and symbolism. (M.L.O. 3.4)

LA.700.70 Students will demonstrate their ability to USE THE STRUCTURES AND
CONVENTIONS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE in their written communication.
(M.L.O. Language Usage)
LA.700.70.01 Use English language conventions correctly to communicate clearly, including
Sentence structure
Punctuation
Capitalization
Grammar and usage (M.L.O. 1.1)
LA.700.70.02 Use language fluently and appropriately for a variety of contexts, purposes, and
audiences. (M.L.O. 1.2)
LA.700.70.03 Use conventional spelling in their own writing. (M.L.O. 1.3)
LA.700.70.04 Expand vocabulary through organized an systematic study.
LA.700.70.05 Explain how words are classified grammatically.

LA.700.80 Students will demonstrate their ability to LISTEN by comprehending and analyzing
information through a variety of mediums.
LA.700.80.01 Select a purpose for listening and summarize material heard.
LA.700.80.02 Comprehend the content of messages by listening.
LA.700.80.03 Comprehend the intent of speakers by listening.
LA.700.90 Students will demonstrate their ability to COMMUNICATE ORALLY through a variety of
mediums.
LA.700.90.01 Prepare an informative oral presentation.
LA.700.90.02 Prepare a persuasive oral presentation.
 Essential Curriculum
Language Arts for Grade 8

Note: All items labeled M.L.O. (Maryland Learning Outcomes) are tested on the MSPAP at the 8th grade
level.

LA.800.10 Students will demonstrate their ability to READ FOR LITERARY EXPERIENCE by
constructing, extending, and examining meaning from stories, plays, poems, and other
works of fiction. (M.L.O. Reading 1)

Global Understanding when they:

LA.800.10.01 Explain how the theme represents a view or comment on life. (M.L.O. 1.1.3)

Developing Interpretation when they:

LA.800.10.02 Compare and contrast the ways similar themes are expressed in multiple literary
works. (M.L.O. 1.2.1)
LA.800.10.03 Compare works that express a universal theme, providing evidence to support the
ideas. (M.L.O. 1.2.2)
LA.800.10.04 Evaluate the influence of culture, ethnicity, and historical eras on the themes and
issues of literary texts. (M.L.O. 1.2.5)

Personal Response when they:

LA.800.10.05 Compare and contrast one's personal view with the author's view of human
experience and character. (M.L.O. 1.3.1)
LA.800.10.06 Compare and contrast the motivations and reactions of characters from different
historical eras who confront similar challenges and situations and connect them to
prior knowledge or the experiences of others. (M.L.O. 1.3.2)

Critical Response when they:

LA.800.10.07 Identify and trace the development of an author's argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text. (M.L.O. 1.4.2)
LA.800.10.08 Assess the adequacy, accuracy, and appropriateness of an author's details to support
claims and assertions, noting instances of bias and stereotyping. (M.L.O. 1.4.3)
LA.800.10.09 Explain how literary elements create meaning for readers. (M.L.O. 1.4.1)

LA.800.20 Students will demonstrate their ability to READ FOR INFORMATION by constructing,
extending, and examining meaning from articles, editorials, content texts, and other
expository materials related to the content areas. (M.L.O. Reading 2)

Global Understanding when they:

LA.800.20.01 Determine the author's purpose. (M.L.O. 2.1.2)

Developing Interpretation when they:

LA.800.20.02 Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with
textual evidence and experience. (M.L.O. 2.2.2)

Personal Response when they:

LA.800.20.03 Connect and clarify main ideas and concepts and identify their relationship to other
sources, related topics, or prior experiences. (M.L.O. 2.3.1)

Critical Response when they:

LA.800.20.04 Recognize instances of propaganda and persuasive techniques. (M.L.O. 2.4.1)
LA.800.20.05 Identify and trace the development of an author's argument, viewpoint, or
perspective in text. (M.L.O. 2.4.3)
 LA.800.20.06 Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and internal consistency of the text's organizational
structure. (M.L.O. 2.4.4)
LA.800.20.07 Assess the adequacy, accuracy, and appropriateness of an author's details to support
claims and assertions, noting instances of bias and stereotyping. (M.L.O. 2.4.5)
LA.800.20.08 Evaluate text features to gain meaning. (M.L.O. 2.4.6)

LA.800.30 Students will demonstrate their ability to READ TO PERFORM A TASK by

constructing, extending, and examining meaning from investigations or other sets of
directions. (M.L.O. Reading 3)

Global Understanding when they:

LA.800.30.01 Identify how someone would use the text. (M.L.O. 3.1.1)

Developing Interpretation when they:

LA.800.30.02 Compare and contrast information from different articles or procedures on the same
topic. (M.L.O. 3.1.1)
LA.800.30.03 Draw inferences, conclusions or generalizations about text and support them with
textual evidence and experience. (M.L.O. 3.2.2)
LA.800.30.04 Reorganize information from different articles or procedures on the same topic.
(M.L.O. 3.2.3)

Personal Response when they:

LA.800.30.05 Connect and clarify main ideas and concepts and identify their relationship to other
sources, related topics, or prior experiences. (M.L.O. 3.3.1)
LA.800.30.06 Compare and contrast information with prior knowledge. (M.L.O. 3.3.2)

Critical Response when they:

LA.800.30.07 Evaluate the usefulness, clarity, and internal consistency of the text's organizational
structure. (M.L.O. 3.4.2)

LA.800.40 Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO INFORM by developing and
organizing facts to convey information. (M.L.O. Writing 1)
LA.800.40.01 Create an organizing structure that balances all aspects of the piece and makes
effective transitions between sentences and descriptions to unify key ideas and make
the message or theme clear to the reader. (M.L.O. 1.1)
LA.800.40.02 Reinforce coherence within and across paragraphs. (M.L.O. 1.2)
LA.800.40.03 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, and active
rather than passive voice to enliven written presentations. (M.L.O. 1.3)
LA.800.40.04 Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing based on given or self-generated criteria and
others' experiences. (M.L.O. 1.4)
LA.800.40.05 Support all statements and claims with relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific information. (M.L.O. 1.5)
LA.800.40.06 Write letters that address audience needs, stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to state purposes. (M.L.O. 1.6)
LA.800.40.07 Write reports for an intended audience and purpose that conveys a clear and accurate
perspective on the subject, and that supports the main ideas with facts, details,
examples, and explanations. (M.L.O. 1.7)
LA.800.40.08 Write essays for an intended audience and purpose that state the thesis or purp ose of
the paper, that follow an organizational pattern, and that offer compelling evidence
in the form of facts and details to support the thesis. (M.L.O. 1.8)
LA.800.50 Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO PERSUADE by selecting and
organizing relevant information, establishing an argumentative purpose, and by designing
an appropriate strategy for an identified audience. (M.L.O. Writing 2)
LA.800.50.01 Create an organizing structure that balances all aspects of the piece and makes
effective transitions between sentences and descriptions to unify key ideas and make
the message or theme clear to the reader. (M.L.O. 2.1)
LA.800.50.02 Reinforce coherence within and across paragraphs. (M.L.O. 2.2)
LA.800.50.03 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, and active
rather than passive voice to enliven written presentations. (M.L.O. 2.3)
LA.800.50.04 Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and transitions among paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing based on given or self-generated criteria and
others' responses. (M.L.O. 2.4)
LA.800.50.05 Write letters that address audience needs, stated purpose, and context in a clear and
efficient manner, and adhere to stated purposes. (M.L.O. 2.5)
LA.800.50.06 Write to persuade an intended audience by selecting an appropriate form that makes
a clear and knowledgeable judgment and supports arguments with detailed evidence,
examples, and reasoning. (M.L.O. 2.6)
LA.800.50.07 Support all statements and claims with relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific examples. (M.L.O. 2.7)

LA.800.60 Students will demonstrate their ability to WRITE TO EXPRESS PERSONAL IDEAS by
selecting a form and its appropriate elements (e.g., plot, dialogue, rhyme scheme, etc.)
(M.L.O. Language Usage)
LA.800.60.01 Create an organizing structure that balances all aspects of the piece and makes
effective transitions between sentences and descriptions to unify key ideas and make
the message or theme clear to the reader. (M.L.O. 1.1)
LA.800.60.02 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, and active
rather than passive voice to enliven written presentations. (M.L.O. 1.2)
LA.800.60.03 Improve the logic of the ideas, word choice, and transitions amo ng paragraphs,
passages, and ideas by revising writing based on given or self-generated criteria and
others' responses. (M.L.O. 1.3)
LA.800.60.04 Write to express personal ideas that relate a clear, coherent event, situation, and/or
storyline by using well-chosen details, that reveal the significance of, or the writer's
attitude about the subject, and that purposefully include rhetorical elements, such as
figurative language, description, foreshadowing, and symbolism.

LA.800.70 Students will demonstrate their ability to USE THE STRUCTURES AND
CONVENTIONS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE in their written communication.
LA.800.70.01 Use English language conventions correctly to communicate clearly, including
• Sentence structure
• Punctuation
• Capitalization
• Grammar and usage
LA.800.70.02 Use language fluently and appropriately for a variety of contexts, purposes, and
audiences.
LA.800.70.03 Use conventional spelling in their own writing.
LA.800.70.04 Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.
LA.800.70.05 Explain how words are classified grammatically.

LA.800.80 Students will demonstrate their ability to LISTEN by comprehending and analyzing
information through a variety of mediums.
LA.800.80.01 Select a purpose for listening and summarize material heard.
LA.800.80.02 Comprehend the content of messages by listening.
 LA.800.80.03 Comprehend the intent of speakers by listening.

LA.800.90 Students will demonstrate their ability to COMMUNICATE ORALLY through a variety
of mediums.
LA.800.90.01 Self-select a topic, and choose an appropriate form: narrative, persuasive, or
informative, for an oral presentation.
Unit Focus: Appropriate Choices for English Language Arts

Educational research has shown clearly that student learning increases when indicators are taught
within the framework of a unit focus. Below, are sample types of units that constitute the essence of
the study of English. Teachers may wish to incorporate each of the units below in the annual
instructional plan.

Author’s Study

In this unit, students learn to recognize and evaluate a specific author’s craft. Students read multiple
texts by the same author to determine how this author utilizes literary techniques across texts.

Genre Study

In this unit, students learn to recognize and evaluate the organizational patterns of a speczfic genre.
Students read multiple texts in this genre, and then utilize this knowledge to create an original work in
the genre studied.

Period Study

In this unit, students learn to recognize and evaluate how history and culture transform literature.
Students read multiple texts from a single, historical period.

Thematic Study

In this unit, students learn to recognize and evaluate how ideas permeate a literary text to create themes.
Students read multiple texts with similar themes to evaluate how individual texts create theme.

Research Component

In this unit, students learn to gather information and to analyze its relevance to prior knowledge.
Information gathered is then synthesized and shared with others in the community of learners.

Choices in Reading and Writing:

In this unit, students learn to self-select reading materials and writing topics. After self-selecting both a
short and longer prose work to read, students choose a topic to share ideas learned or appreciated as a
result of the reading. This sharing should produce both a written product of the student’s own selection
as well as an oral presentation product. As students actively listen to each other’s presentations, active
listening skills may be taught, practiced, and evaluated. This unit also offers an opportunity to reinforce
oral presentation skills.

Critical Perspective

In this unit, students learn how a specific critical perspective shapes literary thought. Students read several
texts using the perspective tinder study to develop a greater awareness of the criteria by which we may
evaluate literary texts.
Reading in the Content Areas

In this unit, students learn how to construct, extend, and examine meaning when reading to be informed
and when reading to perform a task in specific content areas. Students acquire discipline-specific vocabulary,
knowledge of text structures and features, and the ability to evaluate the quality’ of informational and
directional texts.

The Story of English

In this unit, students learn the history of English as a language. Students study the historical development
of language and how that history has determined the structure and rules of semantics and syntax.

Writer’s Workshop

In this unit, students learn to compose in a variety of forms. Students study how they can effectively convey thoughts,
ideas, and deeds through prose and poetry. Skills in development, organization, audience awareness, and language usage
are all practiced to further student achievement in writing.
The Language of Standards in Maryland

MSDE

Core Learning Goal or Maryland Learning Outcome:

A broad statement of what students should know and be able
to do as a result of their learning experiences.

FCPS

Essential Curriculum Indicator:

A statement of what students should know and be able to do at
a particular grade or course level.

Classroom

Lesson Objective:
A statement of what students will learn in a lesson
and how thy will demonstrate that learning.
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 6
Indicator: Summarize the text.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• shorter than original passage

• in your own words
• includes key points, significant details

Sample Objectives:

• Identify main idea in fiction and non-fiction.

• Select key words from a given passage.
• List key ideas.
• Identify the subject or topic of a paragraph or short passage.
• Summarize text to reflect main idea, significant details, and underlying
meaning.
• Distinguish between fiction and non-fiction.
• examine non-fiction forms
• identify elsements of fiction and non-fiction.
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 6, 7
Indicator: Identify the author’s
message.
Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Point the author intends to convey

EX: “The Road Less Traveled”

Author’s Message = choose the road less traveled
Theme = choices affect your life

Sample Objectives:

• Identify main idea and supporting details in fiction and non-fiction.

Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 6
Indicator: Identify elements of plot
and characterization and analyze how
the qualities of the central characters
determine resolution of the conflict.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Parts of plot (plot diagram)

• Types of characterization methods
• How are central character(s)’ personality traits important to the problem or
challenge
• Connect plot to character

Sample Objectives:

• Describe character
• Differentiate between major and minor characters
• Analyze character waits
• Describe major characters’ speech and behavior
• Describe major characters though opinions and reactions of others
• Identify flat/round characters
• Identify static/dynamic characters
• Identify plot elements (introduction, rising action, climax, failing action,
resolution or denouement)
• Determine conflicts and resolutions in a narrative
• Determine types of conflicts
• Identify and locate plot elements
• Distinguish between significant and insignificant events
• Identify and describe setting
• Define setting as time, place, and mood
• Identify character traits
• Describe physical appearance and personality
• Identify character’s motivations and reactions
• Identify point of view
• Recognize first person narration
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 6
Indicator: Analyze characterization
as delineated through a character’s
thoughts, words, speech patterns, and
deeds

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Describe a character through a character’s ideas, actions, speech, and what

others say about the character.

Sample Objectives:

• Describe character
• Differentiate between major and minor characters
• Differentiate between the protagonist and the antagonist
• Describe a character’s ideas
• Describe major characters’ speech and behavior
• Describe major characters though opinions and reactions of others
• Identify character traits
• Describe physical appearance and personality
• Identify characters’ motivations and reactions
• Identify point of view
• Identify characters as flat or round or static or dynamic
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Evaluate the influence of
culture, ethnicity, and historical eras
on the themes and issues of literary
texts.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Judge how the culture, ethnicity, and history of the reader may influence the
reader’s interpretation of a literary text
• Point out the culture ethnicity or history of written text
• Find universal themes
• Judge how the culture, ethnicity, and history of the author may have influenced
the text

Sample Objectives:

• Recognize diversity factors in fiction and non-fiction

• Recognize race, ethnicity, religion, gender, language, socioeconomic status,
age, and individuals with disabilities
• Identify cultural, ethnic, and historical concerns in a literary text
• Find universal themes
• Explain how the culture, ethnicity or history of the author and/or reader
influences the reader’s understanding of the text
• Compare and contrast how culture is represented in multiple texts
• Compare and contrast the ways themes are expressed in multiple texts
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Compare and contrast
one’s personal view with the author’s
view of human experience and
character.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Tell the similarities and differences between the way one as an individual sees
a human experience, and the way an author saw the same experience
• Use prior knowledge to make a personal response/connection

Sample Objectives:

• Identify point of view

• Distinguish between 1ST and 3RD person narrator
• Identify the author’s message
• Determine the author’s purpose
• Use during-reading strategies (visualizing, connecting, fix-up strategies)
• Use after-reading strategies (summarizing, comparing, contrasting, synthesizing,
concluding)
• Identify similarities and differences of two or more items
• Examine cause/effect relationships in narration
• Examine cause/effect in real life situations
• Classify characters
• Analyze methods of character development
• Develop a character sketch
• Identify methods of character development
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Explain how literary
elemetns reate meaning for readers.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Examine how literary elements work to create meaning.

Sample Objectives:

• Identify the following elements and explain how each creates meaning:

Simile, metaphor, personification, foreshadowing, flashback, allusion, symbolism, allegory,

irony, hyperbole, character, setting, plot,
• Determine types of conflicts and how they create meaning
• Explain how literary elements create theme
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Explain how the theme
represents a view or comment on life.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• express how a theme createss meaning

Sample Objectives:

• Identify universal themes in literature

• Compare and contrast the ways themes are expressed in multiple texts
• Define theme
• Recognize a main idea in a piece of fiction
• identify theme in a major work
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Compare and contrast the
ways similar themes are expressed in
multiple literary works.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• using tow or more texts, explain the similarities and differences of how a theme
is presented in those texts

Sample Objectives:

• Identify universal themes in literature

• Compare and contrast the ways themes are expressed in multiple texts
• Define theme
• Recognize a main idea in a piece of fiction
• Identify theme in a major work
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Compare works that ex-
press a universal theme, providing
evidence to support the ideas

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• After identifying a universal theme, explain how two or more texts treat that
theme (tell what is similar and what is different)

Sample Objectives:

• Identify universal themes in literature

• Compare and contrast the ways themes are expressed in multiple texts
• Define theme
• Recognize a main idea in a piece of fiction
• Identify theme in a major work
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Compare and contrast the
motivations and reactions of characters
from different historical eras who con-
front similar challenges and situations
and connect them to prior knowledge
or the experiences of others

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Distinguish the similarities and differences between how two or more characters
act and work within their settings Connect prior knowledge (reader’s own and
other’s experiences) to the actions of characters and to the characters’ settings.

Sample Objectives:

• Determine the relationship between setting and other narrative elements

• Determine the effect of setting on plot and characters Explore the effective use
of setting as it relates to other narrative elements in assigned works
• Analyze character traits (e.g. describe major characters’ thoughts and feelings,
determine the extent to which major characters change; compare and contrast
characters’ motivations and reactions) Analyze methods of character
development
• Classify characters (e.g. protagonist/antagonist; hero/villain) Explain how
history and plot are connected
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Identify and trace the devel-
opment of an author’s argument, view-
point, or perspective in text

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Analyze the rhetorical argument presented in a literary text.

• Analyze how a view or vision permeates a text (moves from the beginning, to
the middle, to the end of a text

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and analyze point of view

• Distinguish between 1st and 3rd person narrator
• Identify the author’s message
• Determine the author’s purpose
• Examine cause/effect relationships in narration
• Examine cause/effect in real life situations
• Analyze perspective in a text
• Analyze the rhetoric of a literary text
• Analyze the viewpoint of the narrative voice
Reading for Literary Experience Grade: 8
Indicator: Assess the adequacy, accu-
racy, and appropriateness of an
author’s details to support claims and
assertions, noting instances of bias and
stereotyping

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Evaluate how a literary text asserts themes and ideas

• Analyze how a literary text promotes bias or stereotyping
• Analyze how the themes and ideas of a literary text supports bias, prejudicial
thinking, or stereotyping

Sample Objectives:

• Identify point of view

• Distinguish between 1st and 3rd person narrator
• Identify the author’s message
• Determine the author’s purpose
• Examine cause/effect relationships in narration
• Examine cause/effect in real life situations
• Analyze methods of character development
• Identify bias, prejudicial thinking, and/or stereotyping in a literary text
• Analyze the effect of bias, prejudicial thinking, and/or stereotyping on the
theme of a literary text
• Evaluate whether a literary text causes bias, prejudicial thinking, and/or
stereotyping
Reading for Information Grade: 6
Indicator: Summarize text in a manner
that reflects teh main ideas, significant
details, and its underlying meaning

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Write a passage that is smaller than the original text, in your own words,
including the main idea and significant details from the beginning, middle, and
end of the original text to capture the important information conveyed in the
text

Sample Objectives:

• Identify main idea in non-fiction

• Identify significant details to gather information
• Use note taking or highlighting to identify key ideas
• Paraphrase information from a text
• Gather information and details from across a text
Reading for Information Grade: 6, 7
Indicator: Compare and contrast
information from different articles or
procedures on the same topic

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Tell similarities and differences between two or more articles or procedures

Sample Objectives:

• Use pre-reading strategies (survey, text features, prior knowledge, questions,

purpose, predictions
• Use during reading strategies (visualizing, connecting, fix-up)
• Use after reading strategies (summarizing, comparing, contrasting,
synthesizing, concluding)
• Identify types of non-fiction
• Locate key ideas
• Summarize informational texts
Reading for Information Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Draw inferences, conclu-
sions, or generalizations about text and
support them with textual evidence and
experience.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use prior knowledge and the ideas in the text to support a synthesis of ideas or
an analysis of a text
• Form and support an opinion

Sample Objectives:

• Identify main idea and supporting details

• Identify and trace the development of an author’s argument in text
• Compare ideas in a text with prior knowledge
• Synthesize information from two or more texts
• Form and support an opinion on an informational topic
Reading for Information Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Connect and clarify main
ideas and concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics, or prior experience

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Find the main idea and connect and relate it to something else that is already
known
• Explain the relationship between the topic you are currently discussing or
studying and the text selection provided

Sample Objectives:

• Identify types of non-fiction

• Summarize text to reflect main ideas, significant details, and underlying
meaning
• Use prior knowledge to extend meaning of a text
• Identify main idea and supporting details in non-fiction
• Identify the author’s message
• Synthesize main ideas from two or more texts
• Explain how two or more texts are related
• Explain how the ideas in two or more texts are related
Reading for Information Grade: 6, 7
Indicator: Explain the usefulness of
text

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Tell how or if the reader can use a text

Sample Objectives:

• Determine audience needs

• Identify the author’s purpose
• Compare the audience needs and the author’s purpose
• Analyze the main idea of a text and compare it to the audience’s needs
• Compare the reader’s purpose with the author’s purpose
Reading for Information Grade: 6
Indicator: Analyze the structure and
features of functional workplace
documents, including format, graphics,
sequence and headers and how authors
use these features to achieve their
purposes and to make information
accessible and useable.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Analyze how organization (structure) and text features (highlighting, boldface,

underlined text, captions, graphics, maps, etc.) is used by authors to make
information more available or easier to use in documents such as email, memos,
tax forms, newspapers, application forms, menus, scientific charts, timelines,
pamphlets, maps, and other “workplace documents”

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and explain how the following types of structure make meaning:

Description, narration, comparison, cause-effect, problem-solution

• Identify and explain how the following types of text features make
information accessible and useable:

Titles, sub-titles, pictures, captions, graphs, tables, maps, charts, underlining, bold-face,
italics, use of all capital letters
Reading for Information Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Evaluate the usefulness,
clarity, and internal consistency of the
text’s organizational structure

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Examine a text to determine how the structure of a text makes information

more useful or clear for a reader
• Examine a text to determine of the text’s structure is parallel throughout
(internally consistent)

Sample Objectives:

• Determine the organizational structure used (description, narration,

comparison, cause-effect, problem-solution)
• Examine how the structure of a text makes meaning
• Identify places in a text where inconsistencies in the structure cause
confusion for the reader
• Analyze how a text is organized to increase clarity for a reader
• Analyze how a text is organized to increase usefulness for a reader
• Identify and explain the usefulness of text features used by a specific text
Reading for Information Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Evaluate text features to
gain meaning

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Judge the efficacy or text features (i.e. pictures, title, graphs, etc.) in creating
meaning for a reader

Sample Objectives:

• Use after reading strategies (comparing, contrasting, synthesizing, concluding)

• Identify the text features used by a text
• Analyze how specific text features make meaning
Reading for Information Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Determine the author’s
purpose

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Discover the reason that the author wrote the article or procedures, what the
intent of the author was, or what was the main idea the author wished to convey

Sample Objectives:

• Identify main idea in non-fiction

• Identify significant details to gather information
• Use note taking or highlighting to identify key ideas
• Recognize fact and opinion
• Gather information and details from across a text
Reading for Information Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Recognize instances of
propaganda and persuasive techniques

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Analyze a text to determine how the author has used bias, stereotypes, logical,
ethnical, and emotional rhetoric to persuade the reader

Sample Objectives:

• Identify rhetorical devices (logical, ethical, and emotional)

• Determine the purpose of details provided in relation to the main idea
• Recognize fact and opinion in non-fiction
• Identify an author’s message
• Define bias and identify how it appears in non-fiction
• Define stereotypes and identify how they appear in non-fiction
Reading for Information Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Identify and trace the
development of an author’s argument,
viewpoint, or perspective in text.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Explain the argument, viewpoint, and perspective that the author uses in a text
to create meaning

Sample Objectives:

• Develop explanatory paragraphs and multi-paragraph essays using the writing

process to persuade
• Identify a clear position
• Analyze point-of-view
• Identify author’s message
• Identify and trace the development of an author’s argument
• Examine cause and effect relationships in non-fiction
• Identify main idea and supporting details in non-fiction
• Determine author’s purpose
• Identify the intent of a speaker as appropriate to the occasion and audience
• Recognize fact and opinion in non-fiction
Reading for Information Grade: 8
Indicator: Assess the adequacy,
accuracy, and appropriateness of an
auhor’s details to support claims and
assertions, noting instances of bias and
stereotyping

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Examine an information text to determine whether the information is reliable

(e.g. is it accurate, free from bias or stereotyping, appropriate for the audience,
etc.)

Sample Objectives:

• Identify main idea in non-fiction

• Identify significant details to gather information
• Use note taking or highlighting to identify key ideas
• Paraphrase information from a text
• Gather information and details from across a text
• Determine the author’s purpose and message
• Identify the needs of the audience
• Compare the audience needs with the author’s intent
• Identify instances of bias and/or stereotyping
Reading to Perform a Task Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Identify how someone
would use the text

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Tell how to use the text by explaining what the task is to be performed and why
someone would want to perform that task

Sample Objectives:

• Determine the author’s purpose

• Identify the task to be performed
• Determine audience needs and how they relate to the task to be performed or
to the author’s purpose
Reading to Perform a Task Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Compare and contrast
information from different articles or
procedures on the same topic

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Explain the similarities and differences of the details or two or more articles
that are designed to get the reader to perform the same task

Sample Objectives:

• Identify the task to be performed

• Determine audience needs and how they relate to the tasks to be performed
or to the authors’ purposes
• Compare the steps and materials of two sets of directions
• Compare the text features of two sets of directions
Reading to Perform a Task Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Draw inferences,
conclusions, or generalizations about
text and support them with textual
evidence and experience

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Form and support an opinion about a text or synthesize ideas from a text and
prior knowledge or experiences and support the synthesis with text-based or
text-referential support

Sample Objectives:

• Synthesize prior knowledge of how to perform a task with details provided in

one or more texts
• Form and support an opinion about a text
• Draw conclusions based on details of one or more texts Compare and
contrast steps listed in two or more sets of directions
Reading to Perform a Task Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Connect and clarify main
ideas and concepts and identify their
relationship to other sources, related
topics or prior experience

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Analyze how a set of directions is related to other sets of directions or to

previous experiences held by a reader

Sample Objectives:

• Determine the author’s purpose

• Identify the task to be performed
• Determine audience needs and how they relate to the task to be performed
or to the author’s purpose
• Use prior knowledge to extend meaning of a set of directions
• Compare and contrast two or more sets of dirctions
• Explain how individual parts of a set of directions are related to other parts
of that set of directions (e.g. how the steps are related to the materials listed
or how the pictures are related to the prose directions)
Reading to Perform a Task Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Compare and contrast
information with prior knowledge

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Explain how one set of directions is similar to or different from other sets of
directions previously encountered

Sample Objectives:

• Determine the author’s purpose

• Identify the task to be performed
• Determine audience needs and how they relate to the task to be performed or
to the author’s purpose
• Compare the materials listed in two or more sets of directions
• Compare the steps listed in two or more sets of directions
• Compare the text features listed in two or more sets of directions
• Compare the end product of two or more sets of directions
• Compare previous experiences performing a similar task with the experience
likely to occur if one follows a set of written directions
Reading to Perform a Task Grade: 6
Indicator: Analyze the structure and
features of functional workplace docu-
ments, including format, graphics,
sequence and headers and how authors
use these features to acheive their
purppses and to make information
accessible and useable

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Analyze the organization and text features used in a set of directions that could
be used in the workplace
• Determine how the author used the organization and text features to make it
easier for the reader to perform a task

Sample Objectives:

• Identify text features

• Analyze how text features are used to make meaning
• Identify the organizational structure of a set of directions
• Analyze how the organizational structure of a set of directions makes it easier
to perform the given task
• Identify the task to be performed
• Determine how a set of directions might be used in the workplace
• Explain how a task might be useful to a reader
Reading to Perform a Task Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Evaluate the usefulness,
clarity and internal consistency of the
text’s organizational structure

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Examine a set of directions to determine how the structure of the directions

makes it easier for the reader to perform the task (usefulness)
• Examine a set of directions to determine how the structure of the directions
makes it clearer for the reader to understand the procedures (clarity)
• Examine a set of directions to determine if the text’s structure is parallel (internal
consistency)

Sample Objectives:

• Determine the author’s purpose

• Identify the task to be performed
• Determine audience needs and how they relate to the task to be performed or
to the auhor’s purpose
• Identify the structure of a set of directions
• Analyze the ease of use of the set of directions
• Analyze the clarity of a set of directions
• Determine if the text structure is parallel
Reading to Perform a Task Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Reorganize information
from different articles or procedures on
the same topic

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Analyze different sets of directions that ask a reader to perform the same task
and determine how to reformat the procedures to greater advantage for the
reader

Sample Objectives:

• Determine the author’s purpose

• Identify the task to be performed
• Determine audience needs and how they relate to the task to be performed or
to the auhor’s purpose
• Analyze the organization of the text and text features to determine how they
create meaning
Writing to Inform Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Create an organizing
structure that balances all aspects of the
piece and makes effective transitions
between sentences and descriptions to
unify key ideas and makie the message
or theme clear to the reader

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Pre-write to organize thoughts before writing

• Use key ideas and descriptions
• Use transitions between sentences convey a clear message/theme
• Use punctuation conventions to convey meaning

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write narrative and explanatory paragraphs using the writing process
• Generate and explore ideas for writing
• Employ an organizational plan such as webbing or outlining
• Use transitions
• Identify time order words in a paragraph
• Use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation
• Capitalize first word of a sentence, pronoun I, proper names, proper adjectives,
titles
• Use end marks in a series and in letters during the writing process
• Recognize and apply rules for grammar, usage, and mechanics
• Use quotation marks with other punctuation
Writing to Inform Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Reinforce coherence within
and across paragraphs

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Reinforce clarity in paragraphs and across a text

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write informational prose using the writing process.

• Generate and explore ideas for writing
• Employ an organizational plan such as webbing or outlining
• Use transitions
• Identify time order words in a paragraph
• Use sentence-combining techniques to write effective simple, compound,
complex, and compound-complex sentences.
• Revise for word choice.
• Use an effective organizational pattern for each paragraph.
(e.g. deductive or inductive)
Writing to Inform Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Use precise language, action
verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers
and active, rather than passive voice, to
enliven written presentations.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use clear language

• Use action verbs
• Colorful adjectives and adverbs

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write informational prose using the writing process.

• Distinguish between passages of directions and reasons
• Use transitions
• Edit text
• Identify parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs)
• Use subject-verb agreement with simple subjects during the writing process.
• Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.
• Revise for word choice
• Identify active and passive voice
• Revise texts by adding sensory details
• Identify how figurative language can enliven informational texts
Writing to Inform Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Improve the logic of the
ideas, word choice, and transitions
among paragraphs, passages, and ideas
by revising writing based on given or
self-generated criteria and others’ re-
sponses.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Organize thoughts and words in order during revision

• Revise/check word choice and transitional words
• Use peer-editing that relies on teacher-created rubrics and student-created
rubrics.

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write informational prose using the writing process.

• Distinguish between passages of directions and reasons
• Use transitions Edit text
• Identify parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs)
• Use subject-verb agreement with simple subjects during the writing process.
• Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study. Revise for word
choice
• Recognize and apply rules for grammar, usage, and mechanics Use correct
spelling, capitalization and punctuation. Use quotation marks with other
punctuation
• Revise a text using feedback (from others or generated by reflection)
Writing to Inform Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Support all statements and
claims with relevant anecdotes, descrip-
tions, facts, statistics, and/or specific
information

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use relevant information including anecdotes (short accounts of interesting,

often biographical incidents), descriptions, facts, and statistics to support
statements and claims.

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write informational prose using the writing process.

• Distinguish between passages of directions and reasons
• Use transitions
• Edit text
• Employ an organizational plan such as webbing or outlining
• Use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
• Use sensory details (appropriate use of modifiers) to extend meaning
• Connect all facts or opinions to data.
• Use texts to support ideas in composition.
Writing to Inform Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Write letters that address
audience needs, stated purpose, and
context in a clear and efficient manner,
and adhere to stated purposes.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use business letter format

• Use friendly letter format
• Write clearly
• Know appropriate purposes

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write informational prose using the writing process.

• Employ an organizational plan such as webbing or outlining
• Use transitions
• Edit text
• Identify appropriate language choices
• Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.
• Use letter format (business or friendly)
• Explain how form, audience, topic, and purpose are used to generate ideas
for a letter.
Writing to Inform Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Write reports for and intended
audience and purpose that conveys a
clear and accurate perspective on the
subject, and that supports the main ideas
with facts, details, examples, and
explanations.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Write organized, developed reports.

Sample Objectives:

• Select supporting evidence and expand content during writing stage.

• Generate supporting details.
• Recognize the importance of even elaboration of details.
• Organize main ideas, sub-topics and supporting details.
• Constnict a topical outline.
• Classify main idea and supporting details
• Develop informative paragraphs and multi-paragraph essays using the
writing process.
• Identify a clear position
• Use relevant personal and/or factual information.
• Use word processing
Writing to Inform Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Write essays for an intended
audience and purpose of the paper, that
follow an organizational pattern, and that
offer compelling evidence in the form of
faxts and details to support the thesis.
Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Write organized, developed essays.

Sample Objectives:

• Select supporting evidence and expand content during writing stage.

• Generate supporting details.
• Recognize the importance of even elaboration of details.
• Organize main ideas, sub-topics and supporting details.
• Construct a topical outline.
• Classify main idea and supporting details
• Develop informative paragraphs and multi-paragraph essays using the
writing process.
• Identify a clear position
• Use relevant personal and]or factual information.
• Use word processing
• Select sources
• Document information
• Identify relevant and irrelevant details
Writing to Persuade Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Write letters that address
audience needs, stated purpose, and
context in clear and efficient manner, and
adhere to stated purposes.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use business letter format

• Use friendly letter format
• Write clearly
• Know approporiate purposes
• Address audience needs through word choice, style, and tone.

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write persuasive prose using the writing process.

• Make appropriate language choices.
• Use consistent verb tense during the writing process.
• Use deductive or inductive organization.
• Write a position statement.
• Support an opinion using logical, emotional, or ethical arguments.
• Use rhetorical devices to persuade others.
• Identify audience needs and wants.
Writing to Persuade Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Write to persuade an intended
audience by selectin an appropriate form
that makes a clear and knowledgeable
judgement and supports arguments with
detailed evidence, examples, and
reasoning.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Form and support an opinion (position statement)

• Use relevant information including anecdotes (short accounts of interesting,
often biographical incidents), descriptions, facts, and statistics to support
statements and claims.
• Analyze an audience’s needs and create an arguement that meets those needs
• Select a form that matches the objective of a persuasive piece of writing

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write persuasive prose using the writing process

• Employ an organizational plan (deductive or inductive)
• Use transitions
• Edit text
• Identify audience needs and wants
• Support an opinion using logical, emotional, and/or ethical arguments
• Use rhetorical devices to persuade others.
• Use texts to support an argument
Writing to Persuade Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Create an organizing structure
that balances all aspects of the piece and
makes effective transitions between
sentences and descriptions to unify key
ideas and make the message or theme
clear to the reader.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Organizing structure - See resource guide for definition

• Pre-write to organize thoughts before writing
• Use key ideas and descriptions
• Use transitions between sentences convey a clear message/theme

Sample Objectives:

• Select supporting evidence and expand content during writing stage.

• Generate supporting details
• Recognize the importance of the even elaboration of details
• Organize main ideas, sup-topics and supporting details
• Construct a topical outline
• Classify main idea and supporting details
• Use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation
• Make appropriate language choices
• Develop multi-paragraph essays using the writing process
Writing to Persuade Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Reinforce coherence within
and across paragraphs.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Reinforce clarity in paragraphs

Sample Objectives:

• Select supporting evidence and expand content during writing stage.

• Generate supporting details to support a position
• Recognize the importance of the even elaboration of details
• Organize main ideas, sup-topics and supporting details to persuade an
audience
• Construct a topical outline
• Classify main idea and supporting details
• Use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation
• Make appropriate language choices
• Add, substitute, delete, and rearrange elements during the revision stage.
• Identify clear position
• Use transitions
Writing to Persuade Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Use precise language, action
verbs, sensory detail, colorful modifiers
and active rather than passive voice to
enliven written presentations.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use clear language

• Use action verbs
• Colorful adjectives and adverbs

Sample Objectives:

• Make appropriate language choices

• Identify and use prepositional phrases and appositives during the writing
process
• Identify pronoun cases
• Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study
• Add sensory details to texts
• Identify active and passive voice and choose the appropriate voice
• Revise test using precise language
• Use simile, metaphor, and personification in composition including creative
writing
• Use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation
• Recognize and apply rules for grammar
Writing to Persuade Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Improve the logic of the
ideas, word choice, and transitions
among paragraphs, passages, and ideas
by revising writing based on given or
self-generated criteria and others’
responses.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Organizing structure - See resource guide for definition

• Organize thoughts and words in order during revision.
• Revise/check word choice and transitional words
• Use peer editing that relies on teacher-created rubrics and student created
rubrics.

Sample Objectives:

• Select supporting evidence and expand content during writing stage.

• Generate supporting details.
• Recognize the importance of the even elaboration of details.
• Organize main ideas, sup-topics and supporting details to persuade an
audience.
• Construct a topical outline.
• Use subject-verb agreement with compound subjects and with intervening
phrases during the writing process.
• Use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
• Make appropriate language choices.
• Recognize and apply rules for grammar.
Writing to Persuade Grade: 7, 8
Indicator: Support all statemetns with
relevant anecdotes, descriptions, facts,
statistics, and/or specific examples.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use relevant information including anecdotes (short accounts of interesting,

often biographical incidents), descriptions, facts, and statistics to support
statements and claims.

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write persuasive prose using the writing process

• Employ an organizational plan (deductive or inductive)
• Use transitions
• Edit text
• Identify audience needs and wants
• Support an opinion using logical, emotional, and br ethical arguments
• Use rhetorical devices to persuade others.
Writing for Personal Expression Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Create an organizing structure
that balances all aspects of the piece and
make effective transitions between
sentences and description to unify key
ideas and make the message or theme
clear to the reader.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Organizing structure - See resource guide for definition

• Pre-write to organize thoughts before writing
• Use key ideas and descriptions
• Use transitions between sentences to convey a clear message/theme

Sample Objectives:

• Use writing process.

• Generate supporting details.
• Employ an organizational plan such as webbing or outlining.
• Identify time order and place in a paragraph.
• Use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
• Make appropriate language choices.
• Recognize and apply rules for grammar, usage, and mechanics.
• Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.
• Use consistent verb tense during the writing process.
• Use sentence combining to unify key ideas.
• Identify types of paragraphs and how each type is used to create meaning.
Writing for Personal Expression Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Use precise language, action
verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers,
and active, rather than than passive
voice, to enliven written presentations.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use language that is accurate and exact

• Use details that appeal to the five senses
• Construct sentences in which the subject performs the action (active voice)

Sample Objectives:

• Use writing process.

• Distinguish between passages of directions and reasons.
• Use transitions
• Edit text
• Identify subject and predicate
• Use subject-verb agreement with simple subjects during the writing process.
• Identify parts of speech. (modifiers and verbs)
• Use correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
• Make appropriate language choices.
• Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.
• Identify active and passive voice and determine the function of each.
• Utilize sensory details to create descriptive prose.
Writing for Personal Expression Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Improve the logic of the
ideas, word choice, and transitions
among paragraphs, passages, and ideas
by revising writing based on given or
self-generated criteria and others’
responses.
Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Organize thoughts and words in order during revision

• Revise/check word choice and transitional words
• Use peer-editing that relies on teacher-created rubrics and student-created
rubrics.

Sample Objectives:

• Identify and write narrative and explanatory paragraphs using the writing
process.
• Distinguish between passages of directions and reasons
• Use transitions
• Edit text
• Identify parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs)
• use subject-verb agreement with simple subjects during the writing process.
• Identify appropriate language choices.
• Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.
• Revise for word choice
• Recognize and apply rules for grammar, usage, and mechanics
• Use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
• Use pronoun-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.
• Use relevant personal and/or factual information.
Writing for Personal Expression Grade: 6, 7, 8
Indicator: Write to express personal
ideas that relate a clear, coherent event
situation, and/or storyline by using well-
chosen details, that reveal the signifi-
cance of, or the writer’s attitude about
hte subject, and that purposefully include
rhetorical elements, such as figurative
language, description, foreshadowing,
and symbolism.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use important details to express personal ideas in a story or situation.

• Use figurative language.

Sample Objectives:

• Use the writing process.

• Develop narrative using sensory details (well-chosen details)
• Use rhetorical elements to enhance narrative
• Identify rhetorical elements
• Use simile, metaphor, and personification
English Language Conventions: Grade: 6, 7, 8
Use standard English language conven-
tions correctly to communicate clearly,
including:
• Sentence structure
• Punctuation
• capitalization
• grammar usage

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use standard English skills correctly to write clearly.

Sample Objectives:

• Identify parts of speech

• Use subject-verb agreement with simple subjects during the writing process.
• Identify subject and predicate
• Use correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation
• Recognize and apply rules for grammar, usage, and mechanics
• Make appropriate language choices
• Use pronoun-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement during writing process.
English Language Conventions: Grade: 6, 7, 8

• Use language fluently and

appropriately for a variety of contexts,
purposes, and audiences.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use standard English language correctly to write clearly.

Sample Objectives:

• Identify appropriate language choices

• Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.
• Word, origins, word relationships, historical and literary context clues
• Recognize, read, pronounce and use words fluently, in and out of context to an
increasingly greater degree than at previous grade level.
English Language Conventions: Grade: 6, 7, 8

• Use conventional spelling in personal

writing.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Use correct spelling skills.

Sample Objectives:

• Use correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.

• Recognize and apply rules for grammar, usage, and mechanics.
• Recognize how prefixes, suffixes, syllabification or roots influence conventional
spelling of words.
English Language Conventions: Grade: 6, 7, 8

• Expand vocabulary through organized

and systematic study.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Increase ability to recognize the meaning of words in context.

Sample Objectives:

• Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.

• Word origins
• Word relationships
• Historical and literary context clues.
English Language Conventions: Grade: 6, 7, 8

• Explain how words are classified

grammatically.

Paraphrase/Restatement:

• Definitions fo the parts of speech.

Sample Objectives:

• Use the parts of speech.

 IMPLEMENTING THE ESSENTIAL CURRICULUM:
A SEQUENCE CHAIN

1. Identify the indicator(s) you plan to teach and assess the student needs with regard to the
indicator(s)

Indicator(s):

2. Identify the unit focus for the identified indicator(s)

Unit Focus:

3. Select/Create a Summative Assessment of the indicator(s) and a Scoring Tool

Assessment:

Scoring Tool:

4. Develop objectives for the lessons

5. Develop Summatiive Assessments and Scoring Tools for the Objectives

6. Choose appropriate strategies and techniques for teaching each objective

7. Plan the activities (direct instruction, guided practice. independent practice, independent assessment, summary)
for the lesson

Direct
Instruction:

Guided
Practice:

Independent
Practice:

Independent Assessment (see box #5 for daily lessons; box # 3 for end of unit)

Summary Activity for Daily

Lesson:
 IMPLEMENTING THE ESSENTIAL CURRICULUM:
A SEQUENCE CHAIN

1. Identify the indicator(s) you plan to teach and assess the student needs with regard to the
indicator(s)

Indicator(s): Explain how literary elements create meaning for readers

2. Identify the unit focus for the identified indicator(s)

Unit Focus: Genre Study

3. Select/Create a Summative Assessment of the indicator(s) and a Scoring Tool

Assessment: You are the editor of the school literary magazine. Your job is to find appropriate short
stories and poems to publish in the quarterly magazine. You are to create a magazine issue that will teach
others in the school how literary elements create meaning. For the issue, identify, excellent examples of
previously published works. Write a brief annotation for each selection to explain how the chosen work
demonstrates a literary element and how that element may create meaning for the reader.

Scoring Tool: This response gives evidence of the reader’s ability to explain how literary elements create
meaning when reading for literary experience.

4. Develop objectives for the lessons

Students will be able to analyze how setting creates meaning in literary works
Students will be able to analyze how characterization creates meaning in literary works
Students will he able to analyze how plot creates meaning in literary works
Students will be able to analyze how symbolism creates meaning in literary works
 5. Develop Summatiive Assessments and Scoring Tools for the Objectives
As editor of the school literary magazine, it is your job to find appropriate poems to print each issue. For the
Winter issue, you want to find poems that capture the spirit of the season. You decide to find poems that create a
winter setting. Find one or two poems that create a Winter Setting and write a brief note to the other members of
the editorial staff to explain how the setting of the poem(s) chosen helps to capture the meaning of the winter
season.
Scoring Tool: Use Reading Scoring tool with stem indicator:

This response gives evidence of the reader’s ability to explain how the literary element, setting creates
meaning when reading for literary experience.

6. Choose appropriate strategies and techniques for teaching each objective

Preview poetry
Identify text features in poetry (e.g. stanzas, verses)
Define setting using a literary dictionary

7. Plan the activities (direct instruction, guided practice. independent practice, independent assessment,
summary) for the lesson

Direct Instruction: Preview a few poems that create setting of summer. Identify text features ul poetry.
Define setting. Gather ideas on types of words that would be used to create setting. Demonstrate how a
single poem creates the setting of summer and explain how setting creates meaning.

Guided Practice Students work in teams of three to analyze additional poems that create setting of summer.
Each team finds one poem that they believe captures the setting of summer and writes how setting of
summer creates meaning of the poem. Teams pair with other ream and share.

Independent Practice: Do as independent assessment

Independent Assessment (see box #5 for daily lessons; box # 3 for end of unit)

Summary Activity for Daily Lesson: Choose three students to state how setting in poetry creates meaning
For readers.
 Reading in the Content Area II:
Indicator Language

What does this mean anyway???????????

Reading for Information:

1. inferences. conclusions, generalizations… through comprehension, what did
the author tells you?
2. to just compare or to just contrast... means to do both even if both are not
mentioned
3. prior experience… asks the students to think about a situation that they have
been in. one that they may have beard about from a friend. OR one that
they can make up or imagine that will FIT the situation
4. author s purpose... 1.) the reason that the author wrote the article or
procedure; what did he intend to tell the reader + 2.) an if be/she wrote to
persuade, inform, or to tell about a personal experience
5. connect and clarify… explain the relationship between the topic you are
currently discussing and the text selection given
6. usefulness of text… means to recognize how useful the text is to the reader,
who the possible audience is, and bow the text features assist the
usefulness of the text
7. stereotyping... simply refer to the three main types of exaggeration,
generalization, and labeling
8. text ?c organizational structure.... the way the author presents the written
information- 1.) description 2.) sequence 3.) comparison 4.)cause and
effect 5.) problem solution
9. text features.... titles, sub-titles, pictures. captions, development of the
paragraph, graphs. tables....
10. workplace documents… newspapers, applications, menus, scientific
charts, time lines, pamphlets, keys, maps, table of contents, textbook
format

Reading to Perform a Task:

(much of the language is the same with this purpose)

11. reorganize the information... take apart the procedure and critically analyze
the steps and how they have been formed
12. text features... title, material list, short, detailed , numbered steps, step by
step pictures, finished product...
13. text’s organizational structure.... more informal than the informational
suggestions— top to bottom, easy to follow, in steps, pictures near
appropriate step..
Sample Units
and Lessons
SUGGESTED 90 MINUTE LESSON MENU

• Set the learning environment

• Present lesson objectives and course indicators

• Engage students

• Develop skills/concepts

• Practice/shape/reinforce

• Provide purposeful movement (crucial)

• Include opportunities for internalizing and reflecting

• Relate to practical, realistic experiences

• Provide closure
WHAT WE DID IN 45 MINUTES
We used to…
• teach one lesson.
• plan in this sequence: objectives,
activities, summary.
• have teacher centered lessons.
• be curriculum/unit driven.
• teach one core activity.
• activity, i.e. 20 questions instead of 10.
• teach isolated concepts.
• take several days to teach complex
concepts.
• use traditional assessments.
• have “adequate” planning time.
• be able to “wing” a lesson.
• have more contact with other teachers.
• rely on old dittos.
WHAT WE DO IN 90 MINUTES
But now we…
• know we can’t piggyback two 45 minute
lessons.
• plan in this sequence: indicators,
assessments, activities.
• have student-centered lessons.
• are outcome/indicator driven.
• teach one core activity plus enrichment
or multiple activities. We DON’T
STRETCH one.
• prioritize and connect concepts.
• can teach a complex concept intact.
• have added ongoing alternative
assessments.
• never have enough planning time.
• must thoroughly plan.
• have limited contact with other teachers.
• must be original and creative.
• be prepared with enrichment activities
• use more varied materials and
technology.
• expect trial and error.
• experiment and enjoy.
 SET THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (DOL 1)

! Greetings – “How are you doing?”

! Room environment:
! visuals, lighting, temperature
! friendly bulletin boards
! display of student work
! music

! Establishment of confidence level in students

! Room arrangement

! Positive reinforcements

! Classroom procedures

! Modeling of interpersonal skills

! Awareness of the different learning styles of students

 ENGAGE STUDENTS (DOL 2)

• Talk time
• Connection to prior knowledge (KWL)
• Motivation (warm-up activities)
• Demonstration to arouse curiosity
• “What’s in the bag?” What’s my name? (20 questions)
• Skits
• Show and tell
• News articles
• Drill and review
• “Hands on” activities
a. Manipulatives
b. Technological devices
• Video
• Concept attainment - Miss McGillicuddee (find a pattern)
• Thinking skill game (Creative Growth Games - see Works Cited page)
• Energizers and Icebreakers - (see Works Cited page)
• Homework review
• “What if …?”
• Presentation of problem to be solved
• Mnemonics (e.g. Roy G Biv - colors of the spectrum)
• Students paraphrase the drill
• Pair/share
• Listening activity
• Procedural discovery
• Sell critique
 Gallery Walk Four Corners

Topics are placed around the classroom. The class is broken down into Each corner of the room is labeled (e.g. Characters from
equal numbered groups. Each group will it spend a given time at each To Kill A Mockingbird Addicus Finch, Boo Radley, Scout, Jem).
topic adding to that list. Students brainstorm in order to create lists
Students are asked a question (e.g. Which —character best
which will advance an Idea/topic. Within groups students are able to
analyze what other groups have done as well as discuss and develop
represents your altitudes towards prejudice?) Reflect, then move
ideas of their own.
to the corner that most accurately reflects the answer/belief/
opinion/stance. Students list reasons for their choices, then share
After each group has been given a chance to add to each topic, the class
as a whole will took at and discuss the final products.

Each person receives 3 colored dots or stickers. Students return to the

charts and place the dots next to the items they think are most important.

Each small group reconvenes to make at least 3 statements which

incorporate those ideas receiving the most votes.

Each group records its sentences. The large group chooses the statements
which best reflect the concept.

Dimensions of Learning Dimensions of Learning

2 - Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge 2 - Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge
3 - Extending and Refining Knowledge 3 - Extending and Refining Knowledge
5 - Develop Productive Habits of Mind 5 - Develop Productive Habits of Mind

NOTES:
Diversity
Groups can be set up to reinforce advantages of diversity
 Jigsaw
Students are assigned to groups and given individual and group
assignments. They work independently or with members from
other teams to master the topic. Students do a round robin
within the teams to share/teach the new knowledge with their
teammates.
Dimensions of Learning
2 - Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge
5 - Develop Productive Habits of Mind
NOTES:
Balloon Activity
All students receive a balloon. They blow it up and write a
word or statement reflecting what they learned that day. Bal-
loons are tossed and batted around. Upon a signal, students
catch a balloon. Catcher reads the word/statement and the
writer explains it.
Dimensions of Learning
2 - Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge
NOTES:
 Grouping Sticks Inside Outside Circle

Use tongue depressors coded on both sides to divide the class Students stand in two concentric circles. The inside cirle faces
into groups. out; the outside circle faces in. Each student gets a flash card.
on the front is a question, on the back is the answer. The
SHAPE HAPPY/SAD COLOR students ask the person across from them the question. After
students have had sufficient time to answer, the circles rotate in
the opposite directions until the teacher signals to stop. The
questioning process is repeated.

LETTER NUMBER CARD SUIT

A 5

Set the sticks up toform groups as you desire. For example-if

you wanted the class in 4 groups, you would use the card suits,
2 groups the happy/sad, etc.
Dimensions of Learning
2 - Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge
NOTES:
NOTES:
 Classification Relay
Students form relay teams and are given index cards, pictures,
etc. that need to be classified. Rules should be established e.g.,
walking, hopping, etc. Students will race the clock to place
their cards in the receptacles that have been labeled with the
classification titles, e.g., food groups, geometry angles/shapes,
parts of speech, elements of design, etc.
Dimensions of Learning
3 - Extending and refining Knowledge
5 - Develop Productive Habits of Mind
NOTES:
Continuum
Take A Stand
The teacher makes a statement, then draws a number line from
(1-6) somewhere in the roon, explaining that 1 represents
“agrees stongly” and 6 represents “disagrees stongly.”Studetns
walk to the location along the number line that best represents
their feelings. Students on the ends try to convice students in
the middle to move to their sides. If students change opinions,
they may move their position in the continuum.
Dimensions of Learning
2 - Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge
3 - Extending and refining Knowledge
5 - Develop Productive Habits of Mind
NOTES:
 Make an Appointment Methods of Assessment
LINE UP BY...

Students make appointments with classmates and record those
appointments on a clock graphic. At the signal, students meet
with their appointments to discuss and compete a given task,
discus collabooratively, and then move to the next appointment.
Each subsequent appointment may extend and refine knowl-
edge.
Teacher should observe that each student listens and follows
directions. Teacher may observe that students are in their corrct
places in the line. Teacher asks students to expalin the process
they used to determine their place in line using “think aloud”
process. Teacher should assess students interacting successfully.

Dimensions of Learning
2 - Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge
3 - Extending and refining Knowledge

NOTES:
 Include Opportunities for Internalizing and Reflecting

! Journal – Stream of Consciousness (What do I understand? What don’t I understand?

Am I focused? What can I do to do better?) Computer lab

! Learning log – (could be done on a computer)

! Think/pair share

! Graphic organizer

! Self assessment: “What if…?” questions, brag bag

! Creation of an analogy

! Concept map

! Speak – write activity

! Creation of problem and/or test question

! “I still need to know…”

! Illustration

! Recorded thoughts on a cassette (for foreign language or less able writers)

! Written steps for problem solving

! Sponge activity

! KWL – “What do I still want/need to know?” “What have I learned?”

! Checklist of thoughts, ideas, feelings

! Reconsideration of original problem

! See workshop members for an explanation.

1) Unit:

Using theme to study injustice. (Short stories from Language of Literature)

2) FCPS Indicators:

Reading for Literary Experience

Outcome # 1.1

Summarize the story

Outcome #1.6

Compare and contrast your personal view of injustice with the view of injustice as
described in the story.

3) Unit Focus

Use the theme of injustices to develop student’s ability to properly read for the literary
experience.

See attached student workbook.

4) Summative Assessment

• Summarize the short story ‘Thanksgiving in Polynesia.”

• Compare and contrast your personal view of injustice with the view of injustice as
described in the story.

5) Expected Student Responses

Summarize the short story ‘Thanksgiving in Polynesia.”

“Thanksgiving the day when snobby Aunt Rhea and her goody-goody family come to
visit is always a trial for Missy’s family. This year
 Missy’s mother is so nervous that she snaps at Missy, who hides in her parent’s
bedroom and plans to escape to Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean. Just as Missy is leaving
through the window, the doorknob turns. She hides under the bed and watches her
brother come in and start to crawl out of the same window. When the doorknob turns
again, he joins Missy under the bed. This time their mother is the one trying to escape.
She lies down on the bed until ... the door opens again! Now their father comes in and
discovers his wife biding in the closet. As she complains about her awful day, the
children speak up from their hiding place. Desperate, the family considers a mass escape
from Aunt Rhea but instead settles for another Thanksgiving with her.”

(p. 303, Summary, The Language of Literature, Teacher’s edition 1997)

RLE Score: 2
LU Score: 2

Compare and contrast your personal view of injustice with the view of injustice as
described in the story. Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

In the short story, “Thanksgiving in Polynesia”, the main character, Missy, was
treated unfairly by her mother, Sara. Like Missy, I’ve had to accept the injustice of
my mom when she was mad at me for no good reason. The same sort of thing has
happened at school in one of my other classes when I got in trouble for something I
didn’t do.

Missy got in trouble because her mom didn’t like the way she cleaned her room. Do
I know how that feels? My mom is always on my case about cleaning my room and
making my bed. If it’s not perfect I have to do it, “until you get it right.” When I tell
her that, ‘You don’t have to sleep in my room, so what’s the big deal anyway?” She
gets really mad and grounds me for talking back. That’s one thing Missy and I do
differently I talk back a lot to my mom, so when I get in trouble I sometime deserve
it.

However, Missy shouldn’t have gotten in so much trouble. Her mom was mad at
Aunt Rhea and took it out on Missy. Missy’s mom even admits that she was too
strict on page 308 when she said, “‘Plus, I’ve been yelling at the kids for nothing.
Well not nothing...’ “Getting yelled at unjustly will happen to me when my mom is
angry with my dad. My parents and divorced and don’t always get along. Sometimes
my dad will drive my mom crazy with things he says. Then my mom will be upset
with me for something like not cleaning the dishes right away. The same sort of thing
happens in school too. This teacher I have won’t let kids go
 sharpen their pencil if you break it. She says, “You should have come
prepared for class.” Then, if you ask someone else for a pencil so you can do
her stupid work, she makes you stay in for lunch detention for talking.

In the story, Missy faced injustice because her mom took out her anger on her. I’ve faced
the injustice of being treated unfairly at home and at school. Injustice stinks.
RLE Score: 2
LU Score: 2
6) Scoring Tool

The response demonstrates the reader’s ability to summarize the text.

2 The response demonstrates sufficient evidence of connections, extensions
and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support to provide
sufficient evidence when summarizing the text. The response is text-
based and/or text referential.
1 The response demonstrates limited evidence of connections, extensions
and/or examinations of meaning from a set of directions. The reader used
text support to provide limited evidence when summarizing the text. The
response is text-based and/or text referential.
0 Other

Language in Uses Rule

2 Consistently uses word and sentence order and language choices to
express meaning with style and tone. Text conveys uniform impression of
correctness and any errors that are present represent risk-taking.
1 Sometimes uses word and sentence order and language choices to express
meaning with style and tone. Text generally conveys impression of
correctness and errors may or may not represent risk-taking.

0 Rarely or never uses word and sentence order and language choices to express
meaning with style and tone. Text appears error-ridden.

* correct usage, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization.

The response demonstrates the reader’s ability to draw conclusions and generalizations
about injustice and support them with textual evidence and Experience.

2 The response demonstrates sufficient evidence of cormections, extensions, and/

or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support to provide sufficient
evidence when drawing conclusions about the text. The response is text-based
andlor text referential.

1 The response demonstrates limited evidence of connections, extensions and/or

examinations of meaning from a set of directions. The reader used text support
to provide limited evidence when drawing conclusions about the text. The
response is text-based and/or text referential.

0 Other

7) Daily Objectives

• Students will construct, extend, and examine meaning when reading for
literary experience.

• Students will write a summary.

• Students will draw conclusions and generalizations about injustice and support
them with textual evidence and their own experience.
 Name:
Date:
Period:
Teacher:

Examining Injustice:
by

Developing Interpretation and Personal Responses

to reading using thematic study.

1) What do I need to do?

a. Read this booklet

b. Complete all of the assigned activities.
c. Turn in your work on time.

2) How much time is involved?

a. You will have ____ days from the start to finish not including weekends.

b. I started on ____________________________________ and will finish on

__________________.
3) What will I need to read?

a) To study the theme of injustice you will read a total of three pieces of literature.

Read

• Abd al-Rahaman Ibrahima”, from Now Is Your Time (p. 257)

Choose two short stories from the list below:

• “Eleven” (p. 271)

• “User Friendly” (p. 277)

• ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” (p.291)

b) To test your understanding of theme you will read “Thanksgiving in Polynesia”

(p.302)

4) What will I need to write?

a) You will write three sets of responses that proves you have
i) Read for Information
ii) Read for Literary Experience

b) You may be asked to take to a reading check quiz.

c) You will have the chance to rewrite all of your Reading for Information, arid Reading
for Literary Experience responses once we have checked them in class.

d) After you have completed all of the practice responses, you can choose one response
you would like to have graded. If you fail to complete at lease one draft of all three
of the responses, you will automatically receive a “D” for your practice work and
will not be able to earn more than “B” on the test.
5) What is my homework?

a) All of the work for this unit ‘viii be done in class.

b) If you are absent, when we work on this unit, you can make up the missed time
during Thursday tutoring. If this causes a conflict, please feel free to discuss this
matter privately with your teacher,

6) Do I have to type my answers?

a) No, you do not need to type your answers. You will not be given extra credit for
typing.

b) You must write your answers in your best cursive unless given permission to the
contrary,

7) Can I double-check my work?

a) You can have a peer, or an adult, or your teacher double-check what you have
written before you turn it in.

b) You should turn in only your best work.

c) If you follow the rubric and seriously check your work instead of looking at it
and saying to yourself, “Yea, I checked it,” you should earn a very high mark.

8) Can I earn extra-credit?

a) No, there is not extra credit involved
b) If you follow all of the directions, use the rubrics to check your work, you will
not need extra credit.
9) How will I be graded?

a) You will earn two grades for this unit. One test grade and one notebook grade.

b) If you properly use the attached rubrics and scoring tools for each graded assignment,
you should earn two very high grades.

10) What are the activities my teacher will ask me to complete?

a) After reading “Abd al-Rahaman Ibrahima”, from Now Is Your Time (p. 257)
complete these Reading for Information activities:

i) Outcome #2.1
Summarize the story “Abd al-Rahaman Ibrahima”, from Now Is Your Time
and the story from A Long hard Journey.

ii) Outcome #2.3

Draw a conclusion or generalization about fairness in the story “Abd al-
Rahaman Ibrahima”, from Now Is Your Time. Support your conclusion or
generalization with textual evidence and/or your personal experience.

b) After reading two of the following fictional stories: “Eleven,” “User Friendly,” or
“The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” complete these Reading for Literary
Experience activities for each story.

i) Outcome # 1.1
Summarize the story.
ii) Outcome #1.6
Compare and contrast your personal view of fairness with the stories view
of injustice. For “Eleven” think about Rachel’s feeling about becoming
eleven. For “User Friendly” think about which character experiences the
most injustice. For “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” think
about why John Byro does not take away the horse when he recognizes it.
c) For your test complete these Reading for Literary Experience activities for
“Thanksgiving in Polynesia.”

i) Outcome # 1.1

Summarize the short story “Thanksgiving in Polynesia.”

ii) Outcome #1.6

Compare and contrast your personal view of injustice with the view of
injustice as described in the story.

Wait for instructions when you should move on.

Task A
Directions

Complete Activiy 1.

Activity 1 45 Minutes

Read and then summarize the passage “Abd al-Rahaman Ibrahima”, from Now Is Your
Time and the story from A Long Hard Journey. (p.257).
Activity 2 45 Minutes

• Review the passage “Abd al-Rahaman Ibrahima”, from Now Is Your Time and the
story from A Long Hard Journey. (p.257).

• Draw a conclusion or generalization about fairness in the story “Abd al-Rahaman

Ibrahima”, from Now Is Your Time. support your conclusion or generalization with
textual evidence and/or your personal experience.
Activity 3 (Optional)

Rewrite Activity 2
Task B
Directions

Complete Activiy 4.

Activity 4 45 Minutes

Read and then summarize the story “Eleven” (p.271).

Activity 5 45 Minutes

• Review the story “Eleven”.

• Compare and contrast your personal view of fairness with the story’s view of injustice.
Think about Rachel’s feeling about becoming eleven.
Activity 6 (Optional)

Rewrite Activity 5
Task C
Directions

Complete Activiy 7.

Activity 7 45 Minutes

Read and then summarize the story “User Friendly” (p.277).

Activity 8 45 Minutes

• Review the story “User Friendly ”.

• Compare and contrast your personal view of fairness with the story’s view of injustice.
Think about which character experiences the most injustice.
Activity 9 (Optional)

Rewrite Activity 8
Task D
Directions

Complete Activiy 10.

Activity 10 45 Minutes

Read and then summarize the story “The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse” (p.291).
Activity 11 45 Minutes

• Review the story “Summer of my Beautiful Horse”.

• Compare and contrast your personal view of fairness with the story’s view of injustice.
Think about why John Boro does not take away the horse when he recognizes it.
Activity 12 (Optional)

Rewrite Activity 11

You may not go back.

 Quiz

Examining Injustice

On your own paper complete the following activities:

1. Summarize the short story “Thanksgiving in Polynesia.”

2. Compare and contrast your personal view of injustice with the view of
injustice as described in the story.
 Paper Folding Center

READING TO PERFORM A TASK

&
WRITING TO PERSUADE

by

Jeanne Crider, GTJMS Art

Darwin Petras, GTJMS 6th LA

1) FCPS Indicator

a) Outcome #3.7 Reading for Information (Task C, Activity 3)

i.)Evaluate the usefulness, clarity of the texts organizational structure.

b) Outcome #3.3 Reading for Information (Task C, Activity 4)

i.) Draw conclusions and generalizations about the text and support with evidence
from the text

c) Outcome #3.4 Reading for Information (Task D, Activity 5)

i.) Clarify main ideas and concepts and their relationship to prior experience.

d) Outcome #5.2 Writing to Perform a Task (Task E, Activity 6B)

i.) Write to persuade an intended audience by selecting an appropriate form that
makes a clear and knowledgeable judgment and supports arguments with detailed
evidence, examples, and reasoning

e) Outcome #6 Language Usage (Language Usage Rubric)

i) Use language fluently and appropriately for a variety of contexts purposes, and
audiences

2) Lesson Focus

a) Integrate arts into the regular curriculum

b) Teach appropriate responses to Reading to Perform a Task and Writing to Persuade
activities.
3. Summative Assessment
Name:
Date:
Period:
Teacher:

STUDENT ANSWER BOOK

Paper Folding Center

READING TO PERFORM A TASK

&
WRITING TO PERSUADE

Introduction:

We will be working on a paper folding center in our classroom. When students have free
time, they will be able to go to this center on their own. Your teacher would like your help
in choosing which type of paper folding activity your class will do. You can choose
between origami or paper airplane folding. First, you will preview two activities from each
unit. Then you will complete one of the activities to help you decide whether your class will
contain an origami center or in a paper airplane folding center. Finally, you will write a
letter to persuade your teacher to agree with your choice.

Task A

Directions:

Today you will be reading to perform a task. When you read to perform a task, you will
read to compare and contrast information from different directions on the same topic, and
clarify main ideas about those topics. Take three minutes to preview, look over, the two sets
of directions you may choose from. You will not have time to complete more than one
activity today and may not change activities in the middle of the task, so choose wisely.
When you have finished your preview, complete Activity 1. After completing Activity 1,
stop and wait for further directions.
Activity 1 3 Minutes

Write the name of the activity you will complete today on the line below:

You may not go back.

Task B

Directions:

You will have 8 minutes to read the directions you chose in Activity 1. When you have
finished, stop and wait for further directions.

Activity 2 8 Minutes

Did you read the directions?

Circle: Yes No

You may not go back.

TASK C

Directions
You will now have 16 minutes to complete Activity 2 and Activity 3.

Activity 3 [3.7] 8 Minutes

Activity 4 [3.3] 8 Minutes

What conclusions or generalizations about the art of paper folding from the directions can
you make? Support them with textual evidence.

You may not go back.

TASK D

Directions

You will now have 10 minutes to complete Activity 5. use an illustration and words to
share your thoughts about what you have read.

Activity 5 [3.4] 10 Minutes

Create a sketch or picture to clarify the directions. Be sure your illustration is different
from the one(s) included in the directions you read. Label your drawing.

You may not go back.

TASK E

Directions

You will now have eight minutes to build the object you selected in Activity 1 and com-
plete Activity 5. Everyone will start at the same time. When your teacher tells you start,
begin.

Activity 6 8 Minutes

Where you able to successfully complete the paper folding activity you choose?

Circle: Yes No

You may not go back.

TASK F

Directions

Now you have had a chance to think a bit about the activity you completed. it is time to
dexide if we should have as a paper folding center in our class. Think about whether or not
you liked or did not like the activity you competed and why. Think about why others in the
class might want to do this and similar activities as a center.

Activity 7A 1 Minute

Do you think that the activity you completed should be placed in the class as part of a
center for other students in the class to do?

Circle: Yes No
Activity 7B [5.2] 23 Minutes

Now you will write to persuade. Write a letter to your teacher to persuade him/her whether
to include a paper folding center in your class. Be sure to use detailed evidence and ex-
amples from the directions, along with well-developed reasoning to persuade your teacher
to agree with your choice.
You may not go back.
 Optional Organizer

Activity 3 [3.7]

• A set of directions is clear, if you can complete them independently. Did you finish
making the paper airplane or the water bomb?

Circle: Yes No

• Which specific step or steps were difficult?

• What confused you?

• How would you have rewritten this steps or steps?

 Optional Organizer

Activity 4 [3.3]

• Think about paper folding as an activity. What can you say about paper folding in
general?

• Using your text, find an example of your generalization about paper folding.

Did you find one? Yes No

• Explain how this example relates to your generalization.

 Optional Organizer

Activity 7B [5.2]

Paper Folding Center

Should we have this Yes No

center in our class?

Reason

Reason

Reason

Example

Example
4) Expected Student Response

a) Activity 1

I choose the paper airplane folding activity.

b) Activity 2

Yes Responses to Activity 3 should be consistent with this choice

c) Activity 3

The directions were awful! I was so mad. The first five steps were easy. Number
six was so confusing. Why should you have to go back to page 12? The author
should have just put steps six to nine where step six is and labeled them 6a, 6b, 6c,
and 6d. This would have made more sense.

Anyway, step six on page twelve is confusing. The directions are clear but the
picture doesn’t make any sense. Why is that star sign, *, there and how did the
author get the paper to look like the picture? It took forever to figure out that I had to
turn the paper over and to the right. And that star doesn’t seem to mean anything!

Plus the picture on step eight of page twelve has an extra line on the bottom.
Why? The whole “unfold” direction in step nine is weird. Unfold what? The picture
could be better. There could be a drawing of what to unfold. Overall, the directions
were not clear.

RPT Score: 2
d) Activity 4

Paper folding is not as easy as it appears. I like to make paper airplanes and I
thought reading these directions would be easy. I got stuck and couldn’t understand
everything. This never happens to me. I got in trouble in Science class last week
because I was making a paper airplane instead of doing my work. I though I
wouldn’t get caught because I can make airplanes quickly, but that didn’t happen.
When you are making paper airplanes for the first time it really does take much
longer than you think, especially if the directions are lousy like these. If we had a
paper folding center in our class people might not get finished and throw away their
work because they get frustrated.
 Basically, the directions could have been written more dearly. I got very confused
with step six and eight on page twelve. If we have a paper folding center in class we
should have a better book to work from or two different books so that we could see
the same type of plane explained two different ways. Also. kids should have to make
two planes. one that they get to keep and one that they leave at the center soother
kids have one to look at while they are building them.

Finally, kids should not get punished for paper folding. If they bring their airplane
to another class, teachers shouldn’t tell them to throw them away if they made them
as part of class. That wouldn’t be fair.

RPT Score: 2
e) Activity 5

Answers will vary with different illustrations. All illustrations must be

appropriately labeled indicating a connection between the drawing and text.

f) Activity 6

Yes

g) Activity 7A

Yes Responses to Activity 7B should be consistent with this choice.

h) Activity 7B

Dear Mr. John Doe,

I think that we should have a paper airplane folding center In our classroom,
People don’t always want to read after they finish their work, especially in Language
Arts where our work might be reading. Kids who don’t really like to read boring
chapter books might like to read books where you make things. Kids would still be
reading even thought it’s not a library book. Also, an airplane paper folding center
would be a great incentive for kids to get their work finished. I know that I would
work better if I could make a paper airplane ~f I finished my class work before it
was due.
 If we have a paper airplane folding center, we should make sure that there are enough
materials for everyone. More importantly, kids should have two sets of directions for the
same airplane to choose from. Sometimes the directions for different airplanes aren’t clear.
The plane I tried to make was difficult. First, I didn’t have a model to look at and move
around to see where I might be making a mistake. Second. the directions were poorly
written in a few places. In step six I had to go to a different page with a different set of
numbers. Plus, the picture for step eight on page twelve had a line on it that didn’t make
any sense whatsoever. If I had two sets of directions to look at. I might have been able to
figure out what I was doing. Having a second set of directions may have made finishing the
airplane easier,

Kids should be able to take home the directions from their paper folding activity if they
didn’t get finished. My mom is always telling me that I don’t work hard enough in
Language Arts. If my homework were to make a paper airplane, I would never give up. I
wouldn’t even mind answer a few questions about what I did.

So we should have a paper airplane folding center in our classroom so that kids could
have a choice different kinds of reading to do in their free time, have a fun incentive, and
practice reading directions outside of class.

Sincerely,

Over Achiever

Score: 3 WP Rubric
2 LU Rubric
 Name:
5) Scoring Tool Date:
Period:
Teacher:

Scoring Tool
Activity 1 Do not score.

Activity 2 Do not score.

Activity 3 [RPT 3.7]

The response demonstrates the readers ability to evaluate the clarity of the text.

2 The response demonstrates sufficient evidence of connections. extensions, and/or

examinations of meaning The reader uses text support to provide sufficient evidence
when evaluating the clarity of the text. The response is text-based and/or text
referential.

1 The response demonstrates limited evidence of connections, extensions, and/or

examinations of meaning from a set of directions. The reader used text support to
provide limited evidence when evaluating the clarity of the text. The response is text
based and/or text referential

0 Other

Activity 4 [3.3]

The response demonstrates the reader’s ability to draw conclusions and generalizations
about the an of paper folding, and support them with textual evidence and experience.

2 The response demonstrates sufficient evidence of connections, extensions, and/or

examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support to provide sufficient evidence
when drawing conclusions and generalizations of the text. The response is text-based
and/or text referential

1 The response demonstrates limited evidence of connections, extensions, and/or

examinations of meaning from a set of directions. The reader used text support to
provide limited evidence when drawing conclusions and generalizations of the text.
The response is text-based and/or text referential.

0 Other
Activity 5 [3.4]

The response demonstrates the reader’s ability to clarify concepts in the text,

3 The response demonstrates an understanding of the text with full and developed
evidence of connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader used
text support to provide full and developed evidence when clarifying concepts in the text.
The response is text-based and/or text referential.

2 The response demonstrates an understanding of the text with sufficient evidence of

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader used text support
to provide sufficient evidence when clarifying concepts in the text, The response is text-
based and/or text referential.

1 The response demonstrates an understanding of the text with limited evidence of

connections, extensions and/or examinations of meaning. The reader used text support
to provide limited evidence when clarifying concepts in the text. The response is text-
based and/or text referential.

0 Other

Activity 6 Non Scored Item

Activity 7A Non Scored Item
Activity 7E [5.2] Writing to Persuade

3 Points

Development:
The writer identifies a clear position, and fully supports or refutes that position with an
argument that incorporates relevant personal and/or factual information that is
consistently purposeful.

Organization:
The writer establishes an organizational plan that is logical and is consistently
maintained.

Attention to Audience:
The writer clearly and effectively addresses the needs and characteristics of the
audience

Language:
The writer consistently uses language choices to enhance the text.
2 Points

Development:
The writer identifies a clear position, and supports or refutes that position with relevant
personal and/or factual information that is usually purposeful.

Organization:
The writer establishes an organizational plan that is logical and maintained. The plan may
have some minor flaws.

Attention to Audience:
The writer clearly addresses the needs and characteristics of the audience.

Language:
The writer frequently uses language choices to enhance the text.

1 Point

Development:
The writer identifies a position that may or may not lack clarity. The writer minimally
supports or refutes that position with an argument that incorporates personal and/or factual
information that is sometimes purposeful or relevant. The position may be implicit or
explicit.

Organization:
The writer attempts to establishes and organizational plan that is generally maintained.
The plan includes some flaws.

Attention to Audience:
The writer attempts to address the needs and characteristics of the audience.

Language:
The writer sometimes uses language choice to enrich the text.

0 Points

Development:
The writer identifies an ambiguous position with irrelevant personal and/or factual
information to support that position; or, the writer fails to identify a position, either implicitly
or explicitly; or, the writer presents inadequate information to support a clear position.

Organization:
The writer does not establish an organizational plan or minimally maintains an established
organizational plan.

Attention to Audience:
The writer does not address the needs of the audience.
Language:
The writer seldom, if ever, uses language choices to enhance the text.

Activity 7B [52] Language in Uses Rule

2 points

Consistently uses word and sentence order and language choices to express meaning
with style and tone. Text conveys uniform impression of correctness and any errors that
are present represent risk-taking.

1 point

Sometimes uses word and sentence order and language choices to express meaning with
style and tone. Text generally conveys impression of correctness and errors may or may
not represent risk-taking.

0 points

Rarely or never uses word and sentence order and language choices to express meaning
with style and tone. Text appears error-ridden.

* correct usage, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization.

6) Daily Objectives that Lead to the Indicator

a) Students will construct, extend, and examine meaning when reading to perform a
task. (Task C, Activity 3 and 4, Graded)
b) Students will accurately reorganize the information from a text using an illustration
with labels. (Task D, Activity 5, Graded)
c) Students will write to persuade (take a position and accurately defend it). (Task F,
Activity 7B, Graded)
 Greek and Latin Roots

A. Indicator:

Outcome #2
Students will demonstrate their ability to READ FOR
INFORMATION by construction, extending, and examining meaning
from articles, editorials, content texts, and other expository materials
related to the content areas,

Grade 6:

Students are able to do everything required at earlier grades, use

context clues, and read for:

Personal Response when they:

4. Connect and clarify main ideas and concepts and identify their
relationship and ether sources, related topics, or prior experience.

Outcome #7:
Students will demonstrate their ability to USE THE
STRUCTURE AND CONVENTIONS OF THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE in their written communication.

Grade 6:

Students are able to do everything required at earlier grade level and:

2. Use language fluently and appropriately for a variety of context,

purposes, and audiences.

4. Expand vocabulary through organized and systematic study.

B. Unit Focus:

Greek and Latin Roots

C. Summative Assessment:

Students will complete a cloze activity to demonstrate their ability to use language
fluently and appropriately using a variety of context clues,
 Name:________________________________

Date: ________________________________

Vocabulary Quiz

ann = ________ & enn = _______

My parents own part of a company or something called a share. Once a year their
share pays them an ________________________. Of course they would like to be paid
more often, perhaps a ________________________ payment or twice in one year. I
know that this would make them happy because that way they could afford to plant
more pansies, an ______________ flower they love to plant every year. To save money
though, they are always planting flowers, or ones that come up year after year. I End this
odd because they do it on their wedding ____________, which is June 15, 1964
_______________________ or AD.

Speaking of weird dates, my sister was born on our county’s

_____________________ or two hundredth year celebration, July 4, 1976. I really
don’t remember her birth, but I do remember all the big celebrations last year at
midnight January 1, 2000. Will Smith even wrote a song about it. Another thing about
dates I remember is that every leap year is a ______________ event or something that
happens every four years. I’m not sure why we have leap years, but we do.

I prefer the _____________________ sale, or the twice a year sale at J.C. Penny’s.
My mom always takes me shopping there and I buy lots of clothes. Once I even got a
television. My brother is always making the mistake of saying that this is a sale once
every two years or a ____________________________ sale. Sometimes, I don’t think
he’ll ever learn. He has a mind that only works every one hundred and fifty years, or
what I call a _______________________ brain. His thought are so spread out, I wonder
if he ever thinks at all.
D. Expected Student Response See attached activity page.

See Tricia Halker’s PowerPoint presentation.

F. Scoring Tool

Spelling Counts!

Answer Key:

1. annuity
2. biannual
3. annual
4. perennial
5. anniversary
6. anno Domini
7. bicentennial
8. millennium
9. quadrennial
10. semiannual
11. biennial
12. semi-centennial

F. Daily Objectives that Lead to Indicator

• Students will have the opportunity to correctly use a dictionary to accurately locate
information.

• Students will have the opportunity to accurately break words into roots and syllable
parts.

• Students will have the opportunity to effectively use a variety of strategies to

systematically study different vocabulary words.
Connects to Indicators: 1.7.3, 1.7.4, 1.8.1, 1.8.2, 1.8.3, 1.8.4

A LESSON IN THEME
Sara Thorburn
Mansfield Senior High — Cline Avenue Campus
314 Cline Avenue
Mansfield. OH 44907
WK: (419) 529-6347
Email: scteach20@aol.com

This is one of my favorite assignments. I use it at the beginning of the year during my short
story unit. I teach freshman, and sometimes they have a hard time grasping the concept of
theme but they always do outstanding on this activity.

After we think of some examples together as a class and discuss them, they have to think of
a movie or a book that demonstrates the listed theme. They then have to choose three or
five of the examples and write paragraphs explaining how the theme fits in that movie or
book (sometimes they also list TV shows).

I hope that you can get as much use out of it as Ida. Please let t me know how it goes for
you!
 THEME ASSIGNMENT

Directions: After each theme word, write in a movie you have seen or a book or story you
have read, that could be used as an example of that theme. For example — If the theme
word would be Fate, you could put the short story “The Monkey’s Paw” as your example.
After you complete your list, choose three themes/examples and write a paragraph for each,
explaining how that movie or book fits that theme. Use specific examples, so even If I
haven’t seen the movie or read the book, I will still understand why it fits that theme.

Anger Need

Beauty Obedience

Contentedness Prejudice

Death Questioning

Education Responsibility

Friendship Separation

Grief Teen-agers

Handicap Underdog

Individuality Values

Jealousy Wealth

Kindness Excellence

Love Youth

Music Zealousness
Connects to Indicators: 1.6.3, 1.6.4, 1.6.6, 1.7.6, 1.7.7, 1.8.5, 1.8.6

Vital Results: Problem Solving and Reasoning

Sample Alignment
Jane Harvey, English Department, Brattleboro Union High School, VT

Course: English 2
Unit/Literature: The Immigrant Experience/The Broad Givers
Component: Character Wheel

Standards to be met:
2.2 Problem Solving Process
Students use reasoning strategies, knowledge, and common sense to solve complex
problems related to all fields of knowledge.
Evidences a., b., c., d., f., g., aa., cc., dd., aaa.
2.6 Application
Students apply prior knowledge, curiosity, imagination, and creativity to solve
problems.
2.7 Information
Students respond to new information by reflecting on experience and reconsidering
their opinions and sources of information.
2.10 Fluency
Students generate several ideas using a variety of approaches.
2.11 Elaboration
Students represent their ideas and/or the ideas of others in detailed form.
2.12 Flexibility
Students modify or change their original ideas and/or the ideas of others to generate
innovative solutions.

Instructional Strategies:
Students are seated in small groups, and each group is given a large piece of poster paper or newsprint
and a few markers. The instructions for completing a Character Wheel or Pie Chart are displayed on
the overhead projector. Each group (there arc 6 or 7 groups in this case) is given an index card with a
character’s name printed on it.

Students are asked to complete a Character Wheel for their assigned character. Students work
cooperatively, taking turns recording information. One student acts as timekeeper and another as
spokesperson when the posters arc shared in a whole group environment.

Students need to describe, apply, compare, analyze, associate, and argue. Please Sec attached.

The objectives are:

Students will work cooperatively.
Students will think critically about characters.
Students will compare and contrast characters and their relationships to each other.
Students will record information in a concise manner.
Students will effectively communicate their findings.
Students will develop a deeper understanding of the characters.
 CHARACTER PIE CHART

Describe

Argue
Apply

Associate Compare

Analyze

1. describe - what character looks like; likes/dislikes; what’s unique

2. apply - what is the character’s role in the novel?

3. compare - to other characters

4. analyze - what is the character’s motivation or goal?

5. associate - who or what does this character make you think of?

6. argue - for or against

What do you like about this character or what would you criticize?
(Writing for personal expression.)

CREATING METAPHORS
This is one of my favorite lessons and normally takes a full period to complete.

Write a paragraph describing yourself.

Now think about what machine you are most like and why. It’s very important to write win.
For instance, someone said they felt like a dryer because all they did all day was go around
and around and never got anywhere.

What fruit are you most like and why? Someone said they are like a pineapple because they
are spikey on the outside but sweet on the inside.

What animal? Someone said they are like a cat walking the halls of school, so quiet that no
one notices them but missing nothing.

What color? Someone said they are the color red because they arc so filled with anger.
Another person said they are the color red because they are fill with excitement

What number? Someone said they felt like the number 3 because they’re odd.

Now write a second paragraph describing yourself using the above metaphors.

Read both paragraphs and compare.

If time allowed, I’ve collected the papers and read the metaphors aloud without
identifying the student. Last spring, I asked my students to use their metaphÒs to develop
a 7-paragraph essay about themselves, followed by a three-day visit to the computer lab. I
also told them to pick one a/their metaphors/or a bulletin board display. Their metaphors
were amazing.
Lynda Daleo
914-339-4571
(Towncrier@aol.com)
Saugerties high School
Saugerties, NY 12477
(Writing for personal expression.)
Teacher: Jennifer Kuchar
Grade Level: 7th
School: Doherty Middle School
Town, State: Andover, MA
Genre: Poetry

Purpose: lf you are looking for an interesting activity to teach students how to write poetry that
demonstrates their understanding of sensory language and simile, you will have seine flu with this one.

Objectives:
• Students will be able to identify sensory language in poetry
• Students will be able to define and identify a simile
• Students will be able to generate a sensory language chart in an attempt to describe an inanimate
object
• Students will be able to write a poem that includes both sensory language and similes

Materials:
> “Making Pies with Grandfather” (poem by Donald Graves)
> One pie (or other food item) per two students
> Forks and Knives
> Sensory Language Chart

Procedure:
1. Read the poem “Making Pies with Grandfather” orally, having the students circle any sensory
language that they see.
2. Students should share their findings and determine which of the five senses each phrase or image
appeals to. Then, they should discuss the role that sensory language plays in conveying the
meaning of a poem.
3. Students should divide a piece of notebook paper into five columns

See Hear Touch/Feel Smell Taste

4. Students should place their pie on their desk and record what they see in the “see” column. Have
them make some comparisons using metaphors and similes (ex. The crust rolls up and down like
the brown rolling hills of the desert)
5. Students should then cut the pie and record everything they hear and fell In the appropriate
columns.
6. Students should then put a slice of pie on their plate and record what they see on the inside of the
pie in the “see” column
7. Students should then touch the pie and record what the feel in the “feel” column
8. Students should then smell the pie and record any fragrances in the “smell” column. Encouraging
them to associate memories, people or places with the aromas helps to extend their descriptions
beyond the literal realm.
9. The students should then taste the pie and record the sound of their mouths eating in the “hear”
column, as well as the texture and flavor of the pie in the “taste’ column
10. Finally, the students should take all of their similes and sensory details and turn them into a poem.

Although this can be a loud and messy activity, the kids love having the opportunity to eat in class and
produce some wonderful poems as a result!
(Writing for personal expression.)

Developing Setting in a Short Story

Level: Secondary
General Description: I developed the following activity for teaching descriptive ~citing after reading too
many creative stories that listed a chain of events. The students’ stories lacked a sense of place. While I
alter the specifics of the directions (often including other senses), the activity always asks students to
change their focus as they detail a setting.
Classroom Implementation: (30 minutes) This lesson can be used to develop purely creative settings or
to practice observation of an actual location—the classroom for example. I start with the classroom first
and proceed to imaginary settings the next day.
1) Provide approximately 5 minutes for each step, or extend writing time as each step is completed.
2) Students should write in their notebooks. For their imaginary settings, I ask them to make certain all
observations are in complete sentences. Then, they trade papers when finished to see —if their partners
can guess the location and a possible resident of the setting.

WHERE DOES MY STORY TAKE PLACE?

Step I: In your notebook, brainstorm a list of objects that could appear in your room.
Pizza boxes, tables, collector’s plates, coat tree, couch, old magazines, space heater, job carton

Step II: flow does your setting look from the outside? Describe the office, apartment building, or
the house. Could you describe the outside of you’re setting by comparing it to something else?
Ex The cheap stucco chipped from walls, leaving a perimeter of chalky dust on the grass. Up the front,
the windows arrange themselves in a three by three pattern, like the builder rolled the dice and this
building landed on six.

Step III: What is the first thing you notice when you enter the room?
Ex An ancient pizza box entering its third week smolders on the floor.

Step IV: What do you see straight ahead?

Ex. Beyond the space heater and sunken linoleum, cheap collector’s plates cover holes in the plaster and
cheap paper.

Step V: What do you see to the left?

Ex. A tired coat rack and a tired coat protect the left corner, standing at ease rather than attention.

Step VI: What do you see to the right?

Ex. The right side of the room presents a coffee table punctuated by an empty orange juice container and
smothered by the “good” back copies of the National Enquirer. A remote control hides in there. Between
the table and the wall sits the couch his mother bought right after she and his father were married.

Contact: Lee Goldberg

Ridgewood High School
627 E Ridgewood Ave.
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
lgolder@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
(language Usage.)
IDEA EXCHANGE Temperatures Going Up: Cool to Hot Words

BACKGROUND In our ardent desire to develop our students’ vocabularies, teachers

often push for quantity. Taking some time to ponder the “temperature” of words
(connotations) and implications within a specific story serves two purposes. acquisition of
new words and closer reading of texts.

OBJECTIVES: The students will compile collections of “themed” words, categorize words
(cool to hot) along an emotional continuum, connect words to symbols and real-life examples,
demonstrate understanding using textual evidence.

MATERIALS: Selected novels or short stories from a theme unit.

EXAMPLE: Race Matters unit featuring the Mildred Taylor trilogy ROLL OF THUNDER,
HEAR MY CRY, LET THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN, ROAD TO MEMPHIS.

PROCEDURE: Select a key word (such as “lynching,” “anger”). Brainstorm for other
words that would form a collection of similar concepts (for “lynching” the list might include
hanging murder, punishment, discipline, retribution, penalty). Arrange each word along a
“vocabometer” (a thermometer-like scale rating the emotional temperature or connotations
from “cool” to “hot” of each item in the collection). Discuss symbols or icons that represent
the collection (for example, a gun, a ruler or switch, a sad face); people who may demonstrate
the word in action (a drunk driver, KKK member, parent); reasons for.. (to right a wrong, to
scare into submission, to keep order). Moving into the literature, students find passages!
scenes in which selected words from the collection are demonstrated or played out. Have
students analyze the causes and effects, the emotional intensity of the scene, or the significance
of the scene in relation to the author’s craft. (For example, in ROLL OF THUNDER, Stacey
Logan is disciplined/whipped by his teacher-mother for cheating on a test. This scene is ripe
with emotional intensity and demonstrates the values of the Logan clan.)

OVERALL VALUE: Not only will students expand their vocabularies as they hunt for
related concepts for their word collections, but they will engage in close re-reading and
analysis of text, internalize the strategies needed for developing a critical stance, and
experience the power of language.

Submitted by: Grace Polivka, North Branford Intermediate School, 654 Foxon Road,
North Branford, CT 06471
Connects to Indicators: 2.6.4, 2.6.3, 2.7.3, 2.7.4, 2.8.2

USING NEWSPAPERS FOR RESEARCH

Maxene Kupperman-Guiñals, Instructional Specialist Literacy and English

Manhattan High School Superintendents Office
122 Amsterdam Avenue, New York City, New York 10023

PROJECT:
HOW DO JOURNALISTS AND THE PRESS INFLUENCE OUR PERCEPTIONS?

Materials: a variety of daily newspapers for a week or so. scissors, individual folders,
highlighters

Summary: Once a week, students look through the newspapers and cut out articles that
cover a particular individually pre-chosen topic. After they have collected articles and dated
them for a period of time (3-4 weeks), they analyze by date, tone, point of view, how our
thinking is influenced by the press.
Procedure: Brainstorm with your students topics that are in the news that are of interest to
them. Each one chooses a topic.
Students break into groups to facilitate use of the newspapers. (They should know each
other’s topics so they can be “on the lookout.’)
They identify articles by title and 1st few paragraphs. When appropriate, cut out the articles,
including citations, and put in folder. Try to amass many articles...set a minimum for them
from each source. Repeat this for about 3-4 weeks until students have amassed +/- 20
articles.
Arrange articles chronologically and by newspaper. Read each article carefully, underlining
key ideas. Highlight key words that suggest point of view (of course, this can be subtle)
WHAT DOES THE JOURNALIST THINK? STUDENT GUIDELINES:
Note where in the newspaper the article is located and what this says about the editorial
policy.
Do different papers perceive this topic differently? And how can you tell?

Cite explanatory language In each article, then defend your thesis. (‘Newspapers and the
press do/do not influence out perceptions about _______”)
Write an essay defending your thesis with citations from a wide variety of articles.
CULMINATING ACTIVITIES: Essay with citations from articles supporting student’s
thesis
Graphic illustrations depicting point of view
Presentation to other students
Debate proposal: Journalists do/do not influence public perception
Sample Unit: Courage
A. Indicator (s):

6.1.3—Identify elements of plot and characterization and analyze how the qualities
of the central characters determine resolution of the conflict.
6.1.6—Compare and contrast ones personal view with the author’s view of human
experience and character.
6.4.1—Create an organizing structure that balances all aspects of the piece and
makes effective transitions between sentences and descriptions to unify key ideas
and make the message or theme clear to the reader,

B. Unit Focus: Thematic

C. Summative Assessment:
Imagine you are a newspaper reporter assigned to do an investigative article on
Courage in Our Lives’. Your article should compare and contrast your personal view of
courage with that of a character you have read about. In the stories “Erne from the Coast”
and “Luke Baldwin’s Vow” both main characters portray courage in different ways. Choose
one of the characters to write about in your informative article. Be sure to:

o describe your view of courage

o describe the view of courage of the character you chose
o explain how these views are similar and how they are different
o organize your writing as an article

D. Expected Student Response: Students should have a clear definition of their own
idea with examples. They should also include the characters view of courage. Then they
need to compare and contrast these views. The whole writing piece needs to have the text
features and structure of an article.

E. Scoring Tool: (Use RLE rubric)

F. Daily Objectives:
• Identify the authors message.
• Determine conflicts and resolutions in a narrative.
• Analyze character traits.
• Identify characters’ motivations and reactions.
• Analyze the text features of an informative article.
Write to Inform

A. Indicators:
4.5 Support all statements and claims with relevant anecdotes, descriptions,
facts, statistics and/or specific information.
4.6 Write letters that address audience needs. stated purpose, and context in a
clear and efficient manner, and adhere to stated purpose.

B. Unit Focus: Genre Approach — Nonfiction

C. Summative Assessment:

Imagine that you are one of the Titanic passengers who managed to survive the
sinking. Write a journal entry describing what happened during the last hours
aboard ship, the rescue and how the personal probably felt about their
experience.
Refer to fact sheets and the article for supporting details. Use dialogue to keep the
story moving and to entertain the reader.
D. Expected Student Response:
• Create an extended response
• Clear sequence of events; however; the emphasis should be on the number of
details from the nonfiction reading piece.
• For lower achieving students, it might be helpful to set a definite number of
details to he included.

F. Scoring Tool: EWP (0-3)

E. Daily Objectives that Lead to the Indicator:

! Compare and contrast information from different articles or procedures on
the same topic (KWL on Titanic)
! Use pre-reading strategies (prior knowledge)
! Use after-reading strategies (comparing, contrasting. synthesizing)
! Summarize material read or beard to reflect main ideas. significant details
(reading article in text book and viewing Dateline video excerpt on Titanic
see also National Geographic video available through FCPL)
! Examine cause and effect relationships.
! Select supporting evidence and expand content during the writing stage.
Reading for Literary Experience

A. Indicator: 1.1 Identify the authors message

1.2 Explain how the theme represents a view or comment on life.
1.6 Compare and contrast ones personal view with the author’s view
of human experience and character.
1.7 Explain how literary elements create meaning for readers.

B. Unit Focus: Genre Study — Poetry

C. Summative Assessment: see attached.

D. Expected Student Response:

• Final products should be multi-paragraph essays.
• All statements and claims should be supported with relevant details from the self-
selected poem.
• Some connections should be shown between elements of the poet’s life and the
poems content.

E. Scoring Tool: EWP for Reading for Literary Experience (0-3)

F. Daily Objectives that Lead to the Indicator:

• Identify literary devices.

• Identify simile, metaphor, personification.
• Identify universal themes in literature.
• Compare and contrast the ways themes are expressed in multiple texts.
• Identify the author’s purpose.
 Poetry Paper
After you have selected your poem, be sure to copy it down by hand or type it. Make sure to include the
book you selected the poem from, the author, and the title. Give the title and the author to [teacher’s
name].

Prewriting/Prethinking
Read over your poem a few times. Each time you read the poem, jot down a few notes about how you
felt while reading , what it reminded you of, what it was about, and anything else that comes to your mind
while reading. This will be helpful when writing your paper about your observations on the poem.

In the computer lab, we will be working with Inspiration to help you analyze the poem better. in the lab
you will critique each line of the poem. This is where you include some observations on the poetic
devices used, what each line is about, and how each line contributes to the poem in some way.

Look for the following poetic devices in each line:

Alliteration
Metaphors
Similes
Personification
Onomatopoeia
Rhyme Scheme
Tone
Mood
Imagery

Questions

Think about how each of the poetic devices contributes to the poem. Why did the poet use that specific
device? What is he/she trying to illustrate? how does the poetic device contribute to the poem’s tone,
rhythm, and style?

Investigate the Poet?

Using the internet and the library, research background information on your author and/or poem. Find out
some brief interesting information that may contribute to the meaning and/or significance of your poem.

What motivated them to write the poem? Does their background information affect their poetic style? Do
they interpret the poem differently than you do? What do others say about your poem? Is the poem well
known? What for?
Writing the Paper

Your paper should fully analyze the entire poem, including all the poetic devices mentioned above. Your
prewriting with Inspiration will be very helpful with organizing your critique of the poem. Talk about
how the poem makes you feel and the hidden meanings behind the words. Remember that everyone has
different interpretations and no one interpretation is correct. I want to know what you think the poem is
about and how you feel while reading it. Use quotes and examples from the poem to support your
statements.

After you have fully analyzed the poem, mention some brief background information on the poet and/or
their particular style. Discuss things about the poet that can be related to the actual poem. Include any
information you gathered while researching the lab and the library.

It should be in final draft format or typed.

Presenting

Practice reading your poem to your friends, parents, siblings. Use proper voice inflections while reading
the poem. The more you practice, the better you will present. It doesn’t have to be memorized; it does
have to be read properly.

After you have read your poem, you will explain it’s meaning. Pick one or two poetic devices to discuss,
but concentrate on the actual hidden meanings of the poem. If you found something very interesting on
the poet you may include that also. it will be a very brief presentation.

Resources to use:

www.britannica.com
www.biography.com
www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites
www.bartleby.com
www.poets.org/poets/index.cfm or www.poets.org

Encylopedias
Grolier Encyclopedia online
OPAC – look up books/reviews on your poem
Reading for Literary Experience

A Indicator: compare and contrast the motivations and reactions of characters from
different historical eras who confront similar challenges and situations and connect
them to prior knowledge or the experiences of others when reading for literary
experience.

B. Unit Focus: Genre! Thematic Study “Crush” and “Retrieved Reformation”

C. Summative Assessment:
Imagine that you are Jimmy Valentine Write a letter to Ernie the main character in
Crush in which you compare arid contrast your experience of falling in love with
Annabel Adams to Ernie’s experience of falling in love with Dolores.

Be sure to fell how you and Ernie both changed as a result of falling in love- describe
any challenges and situations that you both experienced which affected the outcome.

D. Expected Student Outcome:

• Multi-paragraph
• Compares and contrasts
• Multiple examples from text (referential or text-based)
• - Examines characters motivations and reactions as revealed in the story.
• Connects challenges arid situations both characters experienced.

E. Scoring Tool: EWP for Reading for Literary Experience (0-3)

Generic Reading Tool: Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to compare
and contrast the motivations and reactions from characters from different historical
eras who confront similar challenges and situations and connect then, to prior
knowledge or the experience of others when reading for literary experience.

F. Daily Objectives that lead to the Indicator:

• Analyze character traits.
• Describe major characters thoughts and feelings.
• Determine the extent to which major characters change
• Compare and contrast characters motivations and reactions.
• Examine cause and effect relationships in narration.
• Determine the relationship between setting arid other narrative elements.
• Determine the effect of setting on plot and characters.
Reading for Literary Experience

A. Indicator 1.6 Compare and contrast ones personal view with the author’s view of
human experience and character

B. Unit Focus: Genre: Thematic Study - “Waiting”

C. Summative Assessment
Budge Wilson has written about her reasons for writing “Waiting”: “I have often
been interested in bullies - adult bullies as well as ones who are children. Why do
they behave the way they do?” Write a letter to Budge Wilson, comparing and
contrasting your personal view with the author’s view of his human experience
and character(s).

D. Expected Student Response:

• Multi-paragraph
• Compares and contrasts
• Multiple examples from text (both referential and text-based)
• Be sure that BOTH author and personal view are included

E. Scoring Tool: EWP Personal Experience - 0-3

Generic Reading Tool: Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to
compare and contrast ones personal view with the authors view of human
experience and character when reading for literary experience.

F. Daily Objectives that Lead to the Indicator:

• Summarize material read or heard to reflect main ideas, significant details, and
underlying meaning.
• Examine cause and effect relationships in narration and in real-life situations
• Compare and contrast characters motivations and reactions
• Describe major characters’ thoughts and feelings
Reading for Literary Experience

A. Indicator: 1.1 Identify the authors message.

1.2 Explain how the theme represents a view or comment on life.

B. Unit Focus: Genre/Thematic Study – “A Crush”

C. Summative Assessment:

According to Eric de Armas, a seventh-grade member of our student board, the main
message of this story is that everybody is equal, and nobody should be discriminated
against because of something they cannot help< how would you express the main
message of this story?

Use text evidence to support your answer.

D. Expected Student Response:

Students may paraphrase the seventh grader’s statement, or formulate their own
version of author’s message. All responses should give several supporting details that
are text-based or text referential.

E. Scoring Tool: BCR

Generic Reading Rubric: Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to

identify author’s message and to explain how the theme represents how the theme
represents a view or comment on life when reading for literary experience.

F. Daily Objectives that Lead to the Indicator:

• Summarize material read or heard to reflect main ideas, significant details and
underlying meaning.

• Examine cause and effect relationships in narration

• Determine the extent to which major characters change.

Read for Literary Experience

A. Indicator(s)
1.7 Compare and contrast the motivations and reactions of characters from
different historical eras who confront similar challenges and situations and
connect them to prior knowledge or the experience of others.
1.3 Compare and contrast the ways similar themes are expressed in multiple
literary works.
1.4 Compare works that express a universal theme, providing evidence to support
the ideas.
1.5 Evaluate the influence of culture, ethnicity and historical eras on the themes
and issues of literary texts.

B. Unit Focus: The Art of Slapstick, Media Literacy and/or Characterization

C. Summative Assessment: See attached handouts.

D. Expected Student Response: See “evaluation” sheet attached.

E. Scoring Tool: Use generic reading rubric – reading for literary experience

Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to compare arid contrast the
motivations and reactions of characters from different historical eras who confront
similar challenges and situations and connect them to prior knowledge or the
experience of others.

F. Daily Objectives that lead to the Indicator

• Use pre-reading strategies
• Determine the authors purpose
• Analyze character traits
• Describe major character’s thoughts and feelings
• Compare and contrast character’s motivations and reactions
• Identify universal themes in literature
• Compare and contrast the ways themes are expressed in multiple texts
UNIT 2 | ACTIVITY 2.1 | THE ART OF SLAPSTICK

Students learn about the earliest history of comic characteristics in ancient and medieval
entertainment and to see how current comedy characters embody some of the traits
found in historic characters.

Getting Started
This activity includes a two-page reading on Activity Sheet 2.1 (A) and (B) and a page with
questions for students to answer on Activity Sheet 2.1 (C). Students will need all three
pages to complete this activity.

Show the video marked 2.1 to introduce students to the importance of physical comedy as
part of storytelling traditions. Ask students if they can identify alt the actors and names of
films and TV shows included in the video montage. You may be surprised at how many of
these images are familiar to them.

Pass out copies of the reading. Ask students to read the first page, including the boxed text.
Take time to explore the meaning of the short anecdote about the village idiot in England,
described in the text box. Discuss students’ reactions to this story.

Invite students to continue reading page two. You may want to have students complete the
questions as part of individual student seatwork. Or you may prefer to use the questions as
a small-group activity, to stimulate large-group discussion, or as a homework activity.

Questions and Answers:

1. Who is the “he” referred to in the first sentence of this article? “He” is the fool as
portrayed throughout history, including theater and literature.

2. What does the author mean when she writes “buffoon was the foot’s first name”?
Fools and jesters are not a Jim Carrey or an Adam Sandier invention. The Greco-
Roman theater featured fools, called buffoons, who amused audiences with their
physical humor and clever practical jokes.
 3. What medieval superstition surrounded jesters? Jesters, because they brought
laughter, were ouch Luck and could possibly prevent misfortune.

4. How did the word ‘slapstick” come into use? The word derives from Harlequin’s
prop, the wooden paddle made of two slats of wood, which the character used to
pretend to whack his adversaries.

5. In what wag is Pantalone a stereotype? He is portrayed as wealthy, old, and miserly.

Expand discussion to explore why it is easier to Laugh at a stereotype than at a fully
developed character. A fully developed character would have more than just positive
or negative personality traits. Pantalone was abstract, an object of scorn.

6. What common character trait or behavior do most “fools” share; whether they are
Greek buffoons, court jesters, village idiots, or a cartoon coyote? They use their
apparent mental or physical deficiencies to get what they want.

7. Explain the meaning of the last sentence. How is Wile E. Like the Coventry idiot?
The idiot always takes the Larger but Lesser-valued coin because he knows he’ll get
more of them. The joke is on the townsfolk who continue to bring people to him with
money. The coyote fails every time but that ensures that he’ll be given another
chance to try again.

8. Create a timeline showing the history of slapstick. The timeline should include these
elements:
• Greco-Roman Theater (buffoons)
• Medieval England (court jesters and village idiots)
• Commedia dell’Arte, Italy (harlequin, pantalone)
• Slapstick in vaudeville
• Three Stooges
• Abbot and Costello
• Charlie Chaplin
• Wile E. Coyote

Extensions
Ask students to bring in examples of modern-day stars of physical humor who exemplify
the characteristics of the buffoon.
Name:_________________________ Class:________________ Date:___________
UNIT 2 | ACTIVITY 2.1 (A)

THE ART OF SLAPSTICK

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SLAPSTICK HUMOR

By Catherine Gourley amusing to the ancient Greeks and Romans.

He sometimes wears a court jester’s hat with bells
or a patchwork costume of Loud colors. Or the
fool may wear baggy-legged trousers, floppy
shoes, and a derby too small (or too big) for the
head. The fool may not even be human—rather a
skinny coyote who pins a sheriff’s badge to his
furry chest and mail-orders ACME demolition kits
and rockets in an attempt to capture the fastest
bird in the desert, the Road Runner.
In the 1200s, jesters appeared in England.
Many were clever an intelligent; using wit and
word play not only to amuse but also to advise
kings and other nobility. Some were musicians and
acrobats who performed pratfalls and juggling.
But others jesters were disabled or deformed and
treated cruelly by villagers—ridiculed, prodded, or
splatted with rotten fruit. Playing the village idiot
often was the only way to earn a meal.

No matter the costume or the prop, the fool has
performed buffoonery since the days of the ancient
Greeks and Romans. In fact, buffoon was the
fool’s first name.
In an ancient Greece, “buffoons” traveled about
the count/side, telling stoles and playing tricks,
cleverly stealing a coin from an unknowing person
in the audience. Buffoons also performed in the
theater, wearing heavily padded costumes and
boisterously boxing each other on the head belly,
and buttocks. The mock violence was exaggerated
and silly and apparently very
Even so, a widespread belief during these medieval
times was that good-humored joking protected a
person from misfortune Jesters, therefore, were
good Luck pieces who might spread their good
fortune to those who were their masters.
Of course if the king were having a bad day or a
run of bad luck, he might order the court jester
beheaded, according to Daniel Achterman from
Princeton University. Was the fool dim-witted or
witty? Mocked or the mocker? Read the jest
below and decide.

The village idiot provided meat amusement to the townsfolk of Coventry They liked
nothing better than bringing every visitor to town to see the foot. They told the visitor to
place two coins on the ground before him—a sixpence and a pence. Now, every’ one knew
the sixpence had greater value than the pence. Ah, but the pence was larger in size. The
idiot snatched the pence white the townsfolk laughed at his stupidity.
One day, the townsfolk were amusing themselves at this game once again. The
newcomer placed the two coins on the ground. As always, the idiot chose the pence. The
townsfolk wandered away, stilt guffawing. The newcomer squatted, stared the idiot in the
eyes, and scolded him. “Don’t be a fool! The sixpence is worth more! Next time show them
you aren’t stupid and choose the sixpence!”
The idiot grinned. “And would I be getting all these pennies if I carried on like that?

QUESTIONS: What assumption about the idiot do the townsfolk make?

What does the story reveal to be true?
Name:_________________________ Class:________________ Date:___________
UNIT 1 | ACTIVITY 2.1 (B)
THE ART OF SLAPSTICK
—page 2
Like a jack-in-the-box, a new kind of fool—and
comedy—sprang up in the 1500s during what
historians all the Italian Renaissance. (that’s just a
fancy word for revival of the arts.) The art of
comedy, called Commedia dell’Arte in Italy,
featured two contrasting characters: Harlequin
and Pantalone.
Harlequin was poor and stitched his patched tights
and tunic from colorful bits of material. He didn’t
wear the court jester’s hat with jingling bells but
rather a mask. harlequin also carried a paddle
made of two slats of wood that he pretended to
wield as a weapon. The slats slapped together
startlingly. It was just more mock violence,
however. Like the buffoons and fools who had
come before him, Harlequin appeared simple and
stupid but really wasn’t. His wit—not his
slapstick—always got the better of those who
were greedy and arrogant.
Pantalone was one of the arrogant. This wealthy
merchant constantly looked over his shoulder lest
someone rob him of his gold. The old man was a
stereotype and no match for Harlequin.
Theatergoers of the 1500s loved harlequin’s zany
antics and for three hundred years they never tired
of watching Pantalone get his comeuppance.
Harlequin’s character, not to mention his wooden
paddle, inspired still another form of comedy in
the 1900s…slapstick.
Slapstick was more than just telling jokes. The
humor often developed from an unexpected
situation that suddenly arose (also called
improvisation), or an ordinary activity that
suddenly went wrong.
The Three Stooges bake a cake but Curly gets the
ingredients wrong and adds bubble gum—an
entire box of gum—to the mixture. In Stooge-
fashion, he tries to correct the situation but fails.
When the wealthy socialite lady bites into her
cake, suddenly—to her embarrassment and the
audience’s hilarity—she blows bubbles each time
she tries to speak!
Even in slapstick the wealthy, the greedy, the
arrogant, and the powerful get their
comeuppance—often a cream pie in the face.
Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Fatty
Arbuckle, and Charlie Chaplin were the masters of
slapstick. The costume and the props had changed,
but the exaggerated violence and the triumph of
the quick-witted underdog—the fool—were still
part of the jest.
In 1949, an artist names Chuck Jones created a
scrawny cartoon coyote. Wile E. hardly spoke a
word but often introduced himself with a business
card that read: WILE E. COYOTE, GENIUS. No
matter what method he tried—tying a boulder to
his feet to gain speed on the Road Runner,
painting false tunnels on granite cliffs, strapping
himself onto a rocket and lighting the fuse—he
failed every time.
So much for genius.
And yet, like the village idiot of Coventry, maybe
Wile E. Coyote wasn’t so stupid after all. Think
about it. If he had caught the Road Runner, would
he still be a cartoon celebrity fifty years later?
Name:_________________________ Class:________________ Date:___________
UNIT 1 | ACTIVITY 2.1 (C)

THE ART OF SLAPSTICK

Instructions: Answer the questions below using what you learned from the reading.

Questions:

1. Who is the “he” refereed to in the first sentence of this article?_____________________

2. What does the author mean when she writes “buffoon was the fool’s first name”?______
_________________________________________________________________________

3. What medieval superstition surrounded jesters?_________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

4. How did the word “slapstick” come into use?___________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

5. In what way is Pantalone a stereotype?________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

6. What common character trait or behavior do most “fools” share, whether they are Greek
buffoons, court jesters, village idiots, or a cartoon coyote?___________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

7. Explain the meaning of the last sentence. how is Wile E. like the Conventry idiot?______
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

8. On the back of this page, create a timeline shouing the history of slapstick humor, using the
information you learned from this article._________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
UNIT 2 | ACTIVITY 2.4 | THE UNDERDOG

This activity involves students in a critical reading activity that generates opportunities for
discussion about bullying, violence, and social relationships.

This activity provides a valuable opportunity to explore Character Education concepts,

including friendship, compassion, caring, and loyalty. This activity also provides a useful
framework for talking with students about bullying and interpersonal violence.

Background and Context

Jerry Spinelli won the Newbery Award for his novel Maniac McGee. In that novel, he
touched upon a serious subject in a not-so-serious way. Maniac is a homeless kid who
manages to survive and bring inspiration and happiness to others.

This activity provides a reading excerpt from another of his novels, Crash. In Crash, the
serious subject is bullying. Crash is a seventh grade football hero. Physically, he’s big.
Behavior-wise, he gets what he wants mostly by running people over or knocking them
down. It is, in fact, how he got his nickname. Penn Webb, however, is Crash’s opposite.
He’s a Quaker. He doesn’t believe in violence. He wears peace buttons. And more than
anything else, he wants to he Crash’s best friend,

When read aloud, these selected passages WILL trigger Laughter. Spinelli wrote them with
that goal in mind. But he also had an ulterior motive, to sensitize kids to the stings of
bullying. In the final scene, Penn—the underdog, the Harlequin—wins. Crash gets his
comeuppance but he brings it on himself. He stomps his water pistol into pieces.
Getting started
Pass out the two-page a Activity Sheet 2.4 (A) and (B). You might want to begin by reading
scene one aloud to motivate student interest, or you may prefer to have students read
silently.

The questions at the bottom of activity sheets (a) and (b) can be used ,n a number of ways.
You may prefer to use the questions as an in-class writing activity with students completing
the questions by answering on a separate piece of paper. Or you may prefer to use some of
the questions as a small group discussion, with students discussing answers as a small
group. You may also want to use the questions as part of a large-group discussion. Finally
you may want to assign the questions as a homework activity

Conclude the activity by asking students to use the character wheel presented in activity 2.3
to explore the characters of Crash or Penn. Students can find specific words or phrases
from the worksheet to fit each spoke of the wheel.

Questions and Answers:

Scenes 1 and 2

1. What specific words or information suggests Crash’s age? “Little red shovel”
“digging a hole” plus the response “Poop State” suggest he’s five, six, or seven.

2. What information suggests Penn is new in town? He doesn’t know Crash. He’s
wearing a button that he explains is about North Dakota.

3. On what does Crash form his first opinion of Penn? Penn’s physical appearance (the
button) and his behavior— wanting to shake hands, not fighting back when Crash steals the
button.

4. Why does Crash make up a name for Pennsylvania and why does he steal and
bury Penn’s button? He’s trying to be funny but he’s also trying to bait or tease Penn.

5. Why does Crash think Penn is pitiful? His house is small; even though he has lots of
toys, none of them are guns or soldiers.

6. At what points in the scenes did you laugh? Discuss student answers. It’s ok for them
to laugh. Spinelli wants them to. But the value comes in analyzing why.
Questions and Answers:
Scene 2: Water Pistols

1. What is funny here? Humor derives from word choice/language (Dummkopf!,

hambone) and from Crash’s behavior.

2. What serious message is Spinelli sending to his readers? Crash has never
encountered someone who chooses not to be violent. Spinelli is making a comment on
the society in which kids grow up, including media blitzes that feature violent characters
and violent situations. Crash’s reaction to his frustration is to become violent himself.

3. Explain the ages of the kids who might read this and enjoy it. Then explain why
humor is an important toot in constructing a serious message for this age group.
Discuss student a answers. Typically, this book is read by students in upper elementary
grades, ages 8 through 12. Spinelli succeeds at crawling inside the heads of kids and
seeing life through their eyes. Often, it’s a funny picture.

4. Who is the victor in this scene—Penn, with water dripping oft his nose or Crash?
Penn is the victor. Crash destroys his own guns—throwing one away and stomping the
other, If they were Penn’s guns, of course, the effect wouldn’t be funny and Spinelli’s
point would not be made
Name________________________ Class____________________ Date_______________
UNIT 2 | Activity 2.4 (A)
THE UNDERDOG

The story below is an excerpt from the novel Crash written by Newberry Award author Jerry Spinelli. It
is told from the point of view of John “Crash” Cogan, a seventh grade football wonder. Penn Webb is
Crash’s opposite. In these scenes, John remembers how he first met Penn.

Scene One: FLICKERTAIL “It’s a squirrel. There are Lots of them in

It was a sunny summer day. I was in the front
yard digging a hole with my little red shovel. I
heard something like whistling. I looked up. It was
whistling. It was coming from a funny-Looking
dorky little runt walking up the sidewalk. He was
walking like he owned the place, both hands in km
pockets sort of swaying lah-dee-dah with each
step. Strolling and gawking at the houses and
whistling a happy little tune like some Sneezy or
Snoozy or whatever their names are.
He wore a button, a big one. It covers about half
his chest. Which wasn’t that hard since his chest
was so scrawny.
So I jumped up from my hole and planted myself
right in front of the kid. And what did he do? He
gives me this big grin and says, “Good morning.
I’m your new neighbor. My name is Penn Webb.
What’s yours?” And he sticks his hand out to
shake.
“What does your button say?’ I asked him.
“It says, ‘Hi, I’m a Flickertail.’”
“What’s a flickertail”
North Dakota. That’s why it’s called the
Flickertail State. What is Pennsylvania called?”
“The Poop State.” He didn’t crack a smile,
didn’t even know it was a joke
I plucked the silly button off his shirt,
dumped it in the hole I was digging and covered
it over with dirt.
The kid froze. His eyes took up his whole
hoe. Then he turned and walked down the block.
He wasn’t whistling now. I figured that was the
Last time I’d see that hambone.
Scene Two: PENN’S HOUSE
I couldn’t believe it. His house was no bigger
than a garage. In fact, I found out that it really
was a garage once, until somebody changed it
into the world’s dinkiest house. The front yard
was the size of a bathroom mat.
I looked under his bed. I nosed into his
closet. Dump trucks. Fire engines. Cars.
Batman. No guns, no soldiers. How pitiful could
you get?

Questions:
1. In Scene One, seventh-grader John “Crash” Cogan is remembering the day he first met Penn.
What specific words or information suggest Crash’s age at the time?
2. What information suggests Penn is new in town?
3. On what does Crash form his first opinion of Penn?
4. Why does Crash make up a name for Pennsylvania and why does he steal and bury Penn’s button?
5. In Scene Two, why does Crash think Penn is pitiful?
6. At what points in the scenes did you laugh and what was funny about the scene:
Name________________________ Class____________________ Date_______________
UNIT 2 | Activity 2.4 (B)
THE UNDERDOG

Scene Three: WATER PISTOLS
I ran to my room. I got two water pistols,
loaded them at the bathroom sink and brought
them out. I gave him one. “Here’s yours. Stick it
in your pocket like this. We stand five steps
apart. At the count of three, draw and fire. Got
it?”
He didn’t say anything for a long time. The
grin was gone. He just stared at the green plastic
gun in his hand. He wasn’t even holding it right.
Finally he looked up at me. “I can’t.” He looked
me dead in the eye. “I’m a Quaker,” he said.
“A Quaker?” I screeched. “What’s a
Quaker?”
“It’s somebody who doesn’t believe in
violence.”
“Who says you have to believe in it? You just
do it.”
“I don’t fight in wars.
I Laughed. “You hambone, this ain’t war.
This is water guns.
I shot him right between the eyes with my
water gun. He didn’t move. Water trickled down
his nose.
That was crazy. Whoever heard of a kid who
didn’t shoot back? Then all of the sudden I got it.
“Hah!” I sneered. “You’re trying to trick me!”
I fired three quick shots. He didn’t move
except to blink when water hit his eyes. I was
laughing so hard I thought I’d bust a gut. he held
out the water gun I’d given him. His loaded
weapon. I stopped laughing.
“You’re supposed to shot back, hambone!”
Iwound up and whipped his gun over the roof of
our house. “Dummkopf!”
I slammed my own gun to the ground. I
stomped and stomed on it till it was green plastic
splinters.
...I took a deep breath. I got up in face. I
stared. I dared him to blink first. I wanted to hate
him. I wanted to stay mad, but I was having
problems.

Questions:

1. How does Spinelli use humor to construct this scene? What is funny here?

2. What serious message is Spinelli sending to his readers?

3. The book from which these passages come are written for a young adult audience. Explain the ages
of the kids who might read this and enoy it. Then explain why humor is an important tool in con-
structing a serious message for this age group.

4. Who is the victor in this scene-Penn, with water dripping off his nose? Or Crash? Gvie reasons for
your choice.

5. Work with a partner to create a character wheel for either Penn or Crash, using examples from the
three passages to fill in the six spokes of the wheel.
Name________________________ Class____________________ Date_______________
UNIT 2 | Activity 2.3
THE CHARACTER WHEEL:
A GRAPHIC ORGANIZER FOR DEVELOPING
CHARACTERIZATION

THOUGHTS PHYSICAL
APPEARANCE

REACTIONS
OF OTHERS
SETTING

SPEECH/
DIALOGUE BEHAVIOR/
ACTIONS

Physical Description: Describe the physical appearance of the character using words that appeal to one of
the five senses.

Setting: Describe particular place and a time inhabited by your character, such as a city, a
cave, a bedroom, or a school gymnasium. The time could be the future, the present, or
the past.

Behavior: Describe your character doing some action.

Speech: Provide examples of how the character talks.

Reaction of Others: Describe your character through the eyes of another character, capturing that person’s
attitude.

Thoughts: Describe your character’s thoughts, such as desires, fears, or regrets.

 UNIT 2

CREATE A CHARACTER SKETCH

Invent a comedic character and use the character wheel to write a character
sketch, a short descriptive writing that gives a vivid picture of a character.

Review the Checklist

Pass out the Production Activity worksheet and review the steps in the process needed to
complete the activity. Encourage students to check off the steps by using the circles on the
left margin. Establish a realistic deadline and monitor students’ work during the process.

Evaluation
use the Evaluation Rubric provided to give students feedback about their writing. You
might also want students to evaluate each other’s work using this evaluation sheet.

Publishing Student Work on www.AssignmentMediaLit.com

See the Resources section on page 157 to learn how you or your students can send
completed character sketches to be published on the Assignment: Media Literacy website.
 ASSIGNMENT
UNIT 2
CREATE A CHARACTER SKETCH

ASSIGNMENT: Invent a comedic character and write a character sketch, a short

descriptive writing that gives a vivid picture of a character.

USE THIS CHECKLIST TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY:

Invent an imaginary character by creating a character wheel.

• Draw the character wheel on a sheet of paper.

• Spoke 1: Physical description. Write about what the character Looks Like. You don’t
have to describe everything, Consider: face (lips, eyes, hair); physique; clothing; hands,
feet.

• Spoke 2: Setting. Write about where your character is Located right now—at school, at
home, at a sports game, at the mall, at a Lake, in a dark alley? What’s in your characters
Locker? Gym bag? Pockets?

• Spoke 3: Behavior. Make your character do something. Don’t use spoken dialogue yet,
just focus on action. Think of vivid verbs to make the action come alive.

• Spoke 4: Speech. Create two or three Lines of dialogue, but Let it grow out of the
behavior established on spoke 3.

• Spoke 5: Reaction of others. On this spoke, create a second character who observes or
interacts in some way with your character. Who is that person and what is his or her
reaction?

• Spoke 6: Thoughts. What memory does your character suddenly recall? OR what wish
does he or she make? Revealing something private about your character, something only
you, the character, and the reader know, can create suspense, but it can also help the
reader to relate to your character.

Write a character sketch based on your character wheel.

• Review your character wheel and add bits of detail here and there, filling in any blanks
Select one spoke—perhaps dialogue or maybe reaction of others—and begin writing. If
you get stuck, refer to the ideas and phrases you placed on the wheel for inspiration.
Remember that a character sketch is not short story—it has no beginning, middle, and
end. It is a rich description of a character.
 EVALUATION
UNIT 2
CREATE A CHARACTER SKETCH

Students Name:

Character is described with rich descriptive detail.

4 The character sketch includes a rich description of the physical characteristics, the
setting, the character’s behavior and actions, their speech, the reaction of others, and
their thoughts. Language choice is effective and communicates rich detail.
3 The character sketch includes a physical description, the setting, the character’s
behavior and actions, their speech, the reaction of others, and their thoughts, but
language choice does not communicate rich detail.
2 Some of the components of the character wheel are not included.
1 Many of the components of the character wheel are not included.

Character is original and imaginative.

4 The character, setting, behavior, and speech are original and imaginative. This
character is a “one-of-a-kind.”
2 The character, setting, behavior, or speech are reminiscent of other characters in
media or literature. This character does not seem “one-of-a-kind.”

Sentences are well written.

4 Sentences are written in complete sentence form with no spelling or usage errors.
3 Sentences have some spelling or usage errors.
2 Sentences are not written in complete sentence form.
1 Sentences are not written in complete sentence form and have spelling or usage
errors.

Comments: Grade:
Assessment
 SCORING RUBRIC: WRITING TO PERSUADE

3 Points
Development: The writer identifies a clear position1, and fully supports or refutes that position with a
detailed argument that incorporates relevant personal and/or factual information that is consistently
purposeful.
Organizational: The writer establishes an organizational plan that is logical and is consistently
maintained throughout.
Attention to Audience: The writer clearly and effectively addresses the needs and characteristics of
the audience.
Language: The writer consistently uses language choices to enhance the text.

2 Points
Development: The writer identifies a clear position1, and supports or refutes that position with an
argument that incorporates relevant personal and/or factual information that is usually purposeful.
Organization: The writer establishes an organizational plan that is logical and maintained. The plan
may have some minor flaws that do not affect the persuasiveness of the argument.
Attention to Audience: The writer clearly addresses the needs and characteristics of the audience.
Language: The writer frequently uses language choices to enhance the text.

1 Point
Development: The writer identifies a position1 that may lack clarity, and minimally supports or refutes
that position with an argument that incorporates personal and/or factual information that is sometimes
purposeful.
Organization: The writer attempts to establish an organizational plan that is generally maintained.
The plan includes some flaws that affect the persuasiveness of the argument.
Attention to Audience: The writer attempts to address the needs and characteristics of the audience.
Language: The writer sometimes uses language choices to enhance the text.

0 Points
Development: The writer identifies an ambiguous position1 with irrelevant personal and/or factual
information to support that position; or, the writer fails to identify a position, either implicitly or
explicitly; or the writer presents inadequate information to support a clear position.
Organization: The writer establishes a weak organizational plan that is minimally maintained. The
lack of organization makes the argument non-persuasive.
Attention to Audience: The writer does not address the needs of the audience.
Language: The writer seldom, if ever, uses language choices to enhance the text

1
The writer may identify a position explicitly; or when feasible, it is possible for the writer to clearly identify a
position implicitly.
 SCORING RUBRIC: WRITING TO EXPRESS PERSONAL IDEAS

3 Points
Development The writer consistently develops the ideas into a complete, Lily developed piece.
Organization: The writer establishes an order of ideas that is purposeful and is consistently and
logically maintained.
Attention to Audience: The writer fully anticipates and clearly answers the audience’s needs
(audience may include self).
Language: The writer consistently uses language to enhance the text and in a manner appropriate
to the literary form.

2 Points
Development: The writer develops the ideas into a complete developed piece.
Organization: The writer establishes an order of ideas that is purposeful and is maintained. The
ordering of ideas may be interrupted with some minor flaws in the logical flow.
Attention to Audience: The writer anticipates and clearly answers the audience’s needs (audience
may include self)
Language: The writer frequently uses language choices to enhance the text and in a manner
appropriate to the literary form.

1 Point
Development: The writer minimally develops the ideas, but the response may or may not be a
complete piece.
Organization: The writer attempts to establish an order of ideas that is generally maintained. The
ordering of ideas is interrupted with flaws in the logical flow.
Attention to Audience: The writer attempts to anticipate and answer the audience’s needs (the
audience may include self).
Language: The writer sometimes uses language choices to enhance the text and in a manner
appropriate to the literary form.

0 Points
Development The writer insufficiently develops the ideas,
Organization: The writer establishes an order of ideas that is random or not purposeful. The
ordering of ideas is interrupted with flaws that hinder the logical flow.
Attention to Audience: The writer has not anticipated and/or answered the audience’s needs
(audience may include self).
Language: The writer seldom, if ever, uses language choices to enhance the text and in a manner
appropriate to the literary form.
 SCORING RUBRIC: WRITING TO INFORM

3 Points
Development: The writer incorporates specific relevant information that is extended and
expanded to fully explain the topic. The information is consistently purposeful.
Organization: The writer establishes an organizational plan that is consistently and logically
maintained.
Attention to Audience: The writer incorporates information that clearly and effectively addresses
the needs of the audience.
Language: The writer consistently uses language choices to enhance the text.

2 Points
Development: The writer incorporates relevant information with some extension of ideas that
explains the topic. The information is usually purposeful.
Organization: The writer establishes an organizational plan that is maintained. The plan may have
some minor flaws in the logical flow.
Attention to Audience: The writer incorporates information that addresses the needs of the
audience.
Language: The writer frequently uses language choices to enhance the text.

1 Point
Development: The writer incorporates information that minimally explains the topic. The
information may be general and/or extraneous, and may or may not be purposeful.
Organization: The writer attempts to establish an organizational plan that is generally
maintained. The plan includes some flaws in the logical flow.
Attention to Audience: The writer attempts to address the needs of the audience.
Language: The writer sometimes uses language choices to enhance the text.

0 Points
Development: The writer incorporates insufficient relevant information to explain the topic. The
information provided may be overly general and/or not purposeful.
Organization: The writer establishes a weak organizational plan that is minimally maintained,
The ordering of information is interrupted with flaws that hinder the logical flow.
Attention to Audience: The writer does not incorporate information relevant to the needs of the
audience.
Language: The writer seldom, if ever, uses language choices to enhance the text.
 Reading Scoring Tools

Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to identify the main

idea when reading for literary experience.

3= An understanding of the text with full and developed evidence or

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses
text support to provide frill and developed evidence when identifying the
main idea. This response is text-based and/or text referential.

2= An understanding of the text with sufficient evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support
to provide sufficient evidence when identifying the main idea. This
response is text-based and/or text referential.

1= An understanding of the text with limited evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support
to provide limited evidence when identifying the main idea. The support
may be overly general or overly specific and may contain some
indefensible as well as defensible information. This response is text-based
and/or text referential.

O= Others
 Reading Scoring Tools

Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to identify the main

idea when reading to be informed.

3= An understanding of the text with full and developed evidence or

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses
text support to provide frill and developed evidence when identifying the
main idea. This response is text-based and/or text referential.

2= An understanding of the text with sufficient evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support
to provide sufficient evidence when identifying the main idea. This
response is text-based and/or text referential.

1= An understanding of the text with limited evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support
to provide limited evidence when identifying the main idea. The support
may be overly general or overly specific and may contain some
indefensible as well as defensible information. This response is text-based
and/or text referential.

O= Others
 Reading Scoring Tools

Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to identify the main

idea when reading to perform a task.

3= An understanding of the text with full and developed evidence or

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses
text support to provide frill and developed evidence when identifying the
main idea. This response is text-based and/or text referential.

2= An understanding of the text with sufficient evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support
to provide sufficient evidence when identifying the main idea. This
response is text-based and/or text referential.

1= An understanding of the text with limited evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support
to provide limited evidence when identifying the main idea. The support
may be overly general or overly specific and may contain some
indefensible as well as defensible information. This response is text-based
and/or text referential.

O= Others
 Reading Scoring Tools

Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to identify the main

idea when reading for literary experience.

3= An understanding of the text with full and developed evidence or

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses
text support to provide frill and developed evidence when identifying the
main idea. This response is text-based and/or text referential.

2= An understanding of the text with sufficient evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support
to provide sufficient evidence when identifying the main idea. This
response is text-based and/or text referential.

1= An understanding of the text with limited evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text support
to provide limited evidence when identifying the main idea. The support
may be overly general or overly specific and may contain some
indefensible as well as defensible information. This response is text-based
and/or text referential.

O= Others
 Reading Scoring Tools

Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to

____________________ when reading for literary experience.

3= An understanding of the text with full and developed evidence of

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader
uses text support to provide full and developed evidence
_____________________. This response is text-based and/or text
referential.

2= An understanding of the text with sufficient evidence of

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader
uses text support to provide sufficient evidence
_________________________. This response is text-based and/or text
referential.

1= An understanding of the text with limited evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text
support to provide limited evidence___________________________.
The support may be overly general or overly specific and may contain
some indefensible as well as defensible information. This response is
text-based and/or text referential.

0= Other.
 Reading Scoring Tools

Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to

____________________ when reading to be informed.

3= An understanding of the text with full and developed evidence of

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader
uses text support to provide full and developed evidence
_____________________. This response is text-based and/or text
referential.

2= An understanding of the text with sufficient evidence of

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader
uses text support to provide sufficient evidence
_________________________. This response is text-based and/or text
referential.

1= An understanding of the text with limited evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text
support to provide limited evidence___________________________.
The support may be overly general or overly specific and may contain
some indefensible as well as defensible information. This response is
text-based and/or text referential.

0= Other.
 Reading Scoring Tools

Responses to this activity demonstrate the ability to

____________________ when reading to perform a task.

3= An understanding of the text with full and developed evidence of

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader
uses text support to provide full and developed evidence
_____________________. This response is text-based and/or text
referential.

2= An understanding of the text with sufficient evidence of

connections, extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader
uses text support to provide sufficient evidence
_________________________. This response is text-based and/or text
referential.

1= An understanding of the text with limited evidence of connections,

extensions, and/or examinations of meaning. The reader uses text
support to provide limited evidence___________________________.
The support may be overly general or overly specific and may contain
some indefensible as well as defensible information. This response is
text-based and/or text referential.

0= Other.
 Possible Products for Performance
Assessment Tasks

Written Oral Visual

advertisement audiotape advertisement
biography debate banner
book report discussion cartoon
brochure dramatization collage
crossword puzzle interview collection
editorial oral report construction
experiment record play design
game rap diagram
journal skit display
letter song diorama
log story drawing
magazine teach a lesson filmstrip
memo graph
newspaper map
play model
proposal painting
questionnaire poster
research report scrapbook
report sculpture
script slide show
test story
videotape
 Language Usage

Whenever you see this picture, it is important to make sure

that what you have written

• is clear and complete

• demonstrates correct spelling, grammar, punctuation,
and capitalization
• uses different sentence bytes and forms
• uses language purposefully

Writing Process

Whenever you see this picture, it is important to make sure

that what you have written

• is organized and complete

• responds to the audience’s needs
• uses language purposefully
Clip Art MSPAP ICONS Clip Art
 Proofreading Guidesheet
Grades 5 & 8
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

1) Have you used sentences of different

lengths and types to make your writing
effective?

2) Have you chosen language carefully so the

reader understands what you mean?

3) Have you done the following to make your

writing clear for someone else to read:

! used appropriate capitalization?

! kept pronouns clear?

! checked the spelling of words you

used?

! used correct punctuation?

! used complete sentences?

! made all subjects and verbs agree?

 Clip Art
Clip Art
Language Usage Icons
Clip Art MSPAP ICONS Clip Art
 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Alignment – the essential Curriculum defines Frederick County curricula in terms of national and state learning goals, the
Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) and the forthcoming required high school
graduator tests.

Anchor – the representative products or performance used to illustrate each point on a scoring scale. The top anchor is
sometimes called the exemplar.

Assessment – continuous process of measuring what students know and are able to do

Authentic Task/Assessment – a developmentally appropriate task/assessment which involves students in demonstrating

the application of their knowledge and skills in a real world context

Benchmark – a description of where students should be at certain point in their educational progress Constructed
Response Items - assessment items that require students to create short responses (fill-in the blank)

Criteria – guidelines, rules, characteristics, or principles by which student responses, products, or performances are
assessed.

Dimensions of Learning (Dot) – an instructional framework that is based on research to help teachers better plan
curriculum and instruction; the Dimensions of Learning instructional model is based on the premise that
five types of thinking (dimensions) are essential to successful learning (1) positive attitudes and
perceptions about learning. (2) thinking involved in acquiring and integrating knowledge, (3) thinking
involved in extending and refining knowledge, (4) thinking involved in sing knowledge meaningfully,
and (5) productive habits of mind.

Disciplinary Instruction – instruction that focuses on a single subject area

Goal/Outcome – the required, non-negotiable curriculum that must be consistent throughout the Frederick County Public
Schools

Evaluation – judgments regarding quality, value, or worth based upon criteria measured through assessment Formative
Assessment - diagnostic, ongoing assessment used to determine instructional needs Coal/Outcome - a
broad statement of what students art expected to know and be able to do

Indicator – a demonstration of progress at the program or course level toward attainment of a goal (written in the to know
and to do format)
Indicators
• are measurable
• identify the core knowledge of the subject area
• reflect higher order thinking
• reflect knowledge of content
• reflect skills needed in that content

Integrated Instruction – instruction in which boundaries among subject areas are not identifiable

Interdisciplinary Instruction – instruction that connects discrete, identifiable content of more than one subject area

MSDE Indicator – a demonstration of student progress toward attainment of Maryland (MSDE) Outcomes

Continued…
GLOSSARY (continued)

MSDE Performance – Based School Improvement Exemplar - a model lesson intended to provide teachers with examples
of performance-based instruction and assessment that emulate the kinds of tasks included in MSPAP.

Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) – annual statewide test that require students in grades 3, 5,
and 8 to apply what they know in reading, rnathematics, science, social studies, writing and language
usage. It evaluates the effectiveness of a schools’ or systems’ instructional program.

MSPAP Public Release Task – “retired” task from grade 3, 5, or S of the Maryland School Performance Assessment to be
used to train educators and familiarize students and parents with MSPAP

Maryland School Performance Program (MSPP) – a dab-based program for measuring how well schools, school systems,
and the state prepare each student for higher education and successful careers. The databased areas
provide information regarding how students are performing and help to guide decisions about improving
schools.

Objective – a description of what students will That-n in a lesson and how they will demonstrate that learning

Performance Task – an activity that requires students to demonstrate what they know and can do by constructing a
response, readng a product, or doing a presentation. A performance task may be used for either
instructional or assessment purposes:
• Performance instruction involves the teacher as the facilitator to provide feedback throughout
• Performance assessment places the responsibility on the students to demonstrate what they know and
are able to do (Examples: MSPAP tasks, products, performances, exhibitions)

Portfolio – a collection of work selected using established criteria and that gives evidence of performance over time. The
process of developing a portfolio involves student collection, selection, evaluation, and reflection.

Proficiency Level – an established level of achievement, quality of performance, or degree of skill

Resource Documents – materials used to plan for implementation of curriculum including curriculum guides and other
materials such as textbooks, teacher’s guides, software, and visuals

Rubric – a scoring tool with a set of general criteria used to assess a student’s level of performance. Rubrics consist of a
fixed measurement scale (e.g.. 4 point), a list of criteria that describe the characteristics of produce or
performances for each score point, and sample responses (anchors), which illustrate the various score
points on the scale.

Scoring Tools – instruments that assess a student’s performance. Scoring tools may include checklists, rating scales,
rubrics, keys, and other scoring guides for specific activities.

Selected Response Items – assessment items that require students to select from among given items.
Examples: multiple choice, true/false, matching

Summative Assessment – culminating assessment used to measure student achievement at the conclusion of the learning
cycle

Teaching for Understanding – the ability to: use the concept, information, or skill in new or unfamiliar contexts; talk
about it intelligently; explain it to others; answer challenging questions about it; teach it

Vignette – a short performance assessment that measures a limited number of indicators

4/97 Adapted from the Maryland Assessment Consortium

 Maryland School Performance Assessment Program

1996

A sampling of verbs from students’ tasks on the MSPAP

add plan
analyze predict
change proofread
chart recommend
choose record
circle report
compare/contrast review
complete review the dare
complete the chart revise
complete the map study
convince support the prediction
copy support your ideas
create a design take out
create a pattern with triangles tell why/why not
create a table think
decide underline
demonstrate use a protractor
describe use examples to describe
display write a conclusion
draw/label write a letter to a friend
estimate write a letter to an artist
evaluate write a letter to your principal
explain write a number sentence
figure out write a question
fill in the pyramid write a speech
find the mean write a summary
gather data write an article
highlight write an equation
identify write an explanation
illustrate write instructions
list write support for
measure
observe
organize
persuade
 Mar land School Performance Assessment Program

1995

A sampling of verbs from students’ tasks on the 1995 MSPAP

calculate organize
chart persuade
choose plot the lines
compare read
complete read aloud
contrast record
create select
create a box and whisker plot sketch
decide study/explain
describe summarize
design survey
detail tell
determine think/pick
diagram think/tell
discuss use details
draw/label use the alphanumeric code
estimate use the protractor
explain web
explain a mathematical process write
explain in geographic terms write a number sentence
explain patterns write a speech
find write/support your point of view
follow instructions
give examples
graph
identify
illustrate
include
interpret
judge
justify
match
measure
name
organize
 Performance Task Assessment List Skit

Element Possible Earned Assessment

Points Self Teacher
The central theme of the skit presents a concept that is
appropriate to the assignment.

The concept is presented accurately.

The actors have important parts in conveying the

concepts and information.

The story of the skit is interesting and helps to preent

the information accurately.

The actions of each actor mesh well and help to convey

the information accurately.

Music and other sound effects support the story line

and also present the information accurately.

Dialogue support the developement of the characters

and the plot as well as the presentation of accurate
information.

The skit was rehearsed sufficiently.

The audience could easily hear and see the skit.

The skit is entertaining to the audience.

Total:

Adapted from materials developed by Pomeraug Regional School Distirct, Middlebury, CT

Through an agreement with the Maryland Assessment Consortiium, permission is granted to Maryland Public Schools to reproduce this
material for non-profit, educational use.
 Assessment Review Worksheet
(Intended for Use in Reviewing Middle School CRES Assessments)

Assessment Reviewed:
Content Area: Grade Level:

1. Each question measures student performance of the intended Y N

standard and/or indicator.

2. The stem of each question clearly states the student perfor- Y N

mance expectations.

3. The content is appropriate for the grade level. Y N

4. The assessment is free of bias or sensitivity issues. Y N

5. Student responses can be readily scored by teachers, using Y N

accompanying scoring tools.

6. Time allowances are clear and appropriate. Y N

7. Where appropriate, questions are open ended, requiring exten- Y N

sions and connections.

8. The assessment reflects a level of difficulty in line with enrolled Y N

grade standards and MSPAP “satisfactory”, as appropriate.

9. The assessment provides a connected and authentic context for Y N

student performance, rather than a series of isolated steps.

10. The assignment is engaging for students at a variety of profi- Y N

ciency levels.

11. The assessment mirrors the format of MSPAP. Y N

Questions/Comments/Recommendations:
QUESTIONING FOR QUALITY THINKING

1 Knowledge – Identification and recall of information

Who, what, when, where, how_________________?
Describe___________________________________.

2 Comprehension – Organization and selection of facts and

ideas
Retell ______________________ in your own words.
What is the main idea of_______________________?

3 Application – use of facts, rules, principles

How is __________ an example of _____________?
How is __________ related to ________________?
Why is ___________________________ significant?

4 Analysis – Separation of a whole into component parts

What are the parts or features of ______________?
Classify ______________ according to _________?
Outline/diagram/web ________________________.
How does _____ compare/contrast with ________?
What evidence can you list for ________________?

5 Synthesis – Combination of ideas to form a new whole

What would you predict/infer from _____________?
What ideas can you add to ____________________?
How would you create/design a new_____________?
What might happen if you combined _____________
with ______________________________________?
What solutions would you suggest for ___________?

6 Evaluation – Development of opinions, judgments, or

decisions
Do you agree_______________________________?
What do you think about _____________________?
What is the most important ___________________?
Prioritize _________________________________.
How would you decide about _________________?
What criteria would you use to access __________?
 Strategies to Extend Student Thinking

• Call on students randomly

Not just those with raised hands
• Utilize “think-pair-share”
Two minutes of individual think time, two minutes discussion with a partner, then open
up the class discussion
• Remember “wait time”
Ten to twenty seconds following a “higher level” question
• Ask “follow-ups”
Why? Do you agree? Can you elaborate? Tell me more. Can you give an example?
• Withhold judgment
Respond to student answers in a non-evaluative fashion
• Ask for summary (to promote active listening)
“Could you please summarize John’s point?”
• Survey the class
“How many people agree with the author’s point of view?” (“thumbs up, thumbs
down”)
• Allow for student calling
“Richard, would you please call on someone else to respond?”
• Play devil’s advocate
Require students to defend their reasoning against different points of view.
• Ask students to “unpack their thinking”
“Describe how you arrived at your answer.” (“think aloud”)
• Student questioning
Let the students develop their own questions.
• Cue the student responses
“There is not a single correct answer for this question. I want you to consider
alternatives.”

Langauge and Learning Improvement Branch

Division of Instruction
Maryland State Department of Education
 Performance Assessment Template

STEP I: Select an MDSE Learning Outcome (reading, writing, language usage, math
process, math product, science, social studies).

LEARNING OUTCOME

STEP II: Brainstorm possible meaningful activities to meet the requirements of the Learn-
ing Outcome. Consider some of the different products, audiences, and purposes
listed in the other pages of this section. use this information to create your task.

TOPIC: PURPOSE:

FORM: AUDIENCE:
STEP III: Before continuing generate a brief list of activities leading to the finished
product. Try to limit yourself to three or four.

Activities:
1. _______________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________

STEP IV: Now create the directions for your final task.

PARAGRAPH ONE
Topic, Purpose, Form, Audience

PARAGRAPH TWO
Requirements

STEP V: Consider what kinds of thinking and organizing students should do in order to
complete your task satisfactorily. Make certain that your prewriting activities
(Step III) and final task (Step IV) reflect the kind of thinking and organizing
you expect students to practices and master.
STEP VI: Think of measurable outcomes that will show whether or not a student has
successfully completed the common task. Use these to generate your rubric.

What qualities will Performance Assessment Rubric

make the “4” paper
truly outstanding A 4 product will
and thoughtful? It
is an “A-HA!”
•
product. •
•
•
START HERE

"
The “3” should be
A 3 product will
•
•
•
evidence of attain- •
ment of the re-
quirements of
common task. A 2 product will
A “2” exhibits
•
partial attainment •
of the requirements •
of the common •
task. Each of the
requirements is
attempted, but at A 1 product will
least one is done
poorly.
•
•
A “1” product is •
deficient by omit- •
ting certain basic
requirements or
skills.
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR USING APPLICATION STRATEGIES

BEHAVIORS SKILLS CREATIONS WRITE

Picture-visualize Draw K-W-L Chart A Summary

Look back for info Label Web A picture caption

Identify Main Idea Categorize Outline Events that come next

Work in Pairs Give examples Chart: Problem/Solution A persuasive paragraph

Think Aloud Predict Sequence Chain A letter to convince

Think-Pair-Share List Floor Plan The author’s purpose

Give examples from text Find Who/What/Why Chart A friendly letter

Complete a Venn Chart Advertisement A dialogue

Show work Name Key A business letter

Record Describe Graph A newspaper article

Tell Why Use Schedule An explanation

Give Reasons Develop Changes Support for Predictions

Construct

Calculate

Show

Tally

Compare

Include
 POSSIBLE AUDIENCE TO OBSERVE/RECEIVE PERFORMANCE TASKS

Classmates candidates
younger students department chairs
older students board members
student government representatives
student assemble senators
students at another site PTA
adults customers
parents senior citizens
decision makers politicians
newspaper readers community groups
local business executives grants
decision makers principal
committee members chairperson
superintendent editor
siblings grandparents
judge jury
funding agency
 Creative Alternatives

ads compressed faxes menus puzzles telegrams

advice column conflicts flags monologues quips textbooks
allegories computer games folklore movie reviews quizzes thank you notes
alphabets computer program folk songs movie scripts questionnaires theater programs
anecdotes constitutions fortunes mysteries questions theme party
announcements contracts graffiti myths reactions titles
apologies critiques graphs needlepoint real estate toys
architectural plans cumulative stories good news/bad news news analysis notices transcripts
autobiographies data sheets greeting cards newscasts rebuttals travel brochures
awards definitions grocery lists newspapers recipes remedies tributes
baked goods descriptions gossip number systems reflections trivia
bedtime stories dialogues hints nonsense requests useless facts
beginnings diaries headlines nursery rhymes resumes vehicles
billboards diets horoscopes observations revisions videos
biographies directions how to’s odes riddles want ads
blurbs directories indexes opinions sales pitches wanted posters
books documents inquiries palindromes satires warnings
book jackets doublespeak interviews pamphlets schedules weaving
book reviews dramas introductions parodies self-portraits wishes
brochures dreams inventions party tips sentence weather reports
bulletins editorials job applications persuasive sequels weather forecasts
bumper stickers embroidery jokes letters serials woodworking
calorie lists encyclopedia legends phrases sewing yarns
campaign speeches entries legislation picture maps signs yellow pages
cartoons endings lesson plans plays slogans
captions essays letters poems sniglets
cereal boxes evaluations lists post cards soap operas
certifications exaggerations luscious words posters society news
character sketches exclamations lyrics problems songs
cooked foods explanations machines prologues spoofs
couplets fables marquees proposals spoonerisms
comparisons fairy tales masks propaganda sports analyses
comic strips fantasies memories protest signs superstitions
complaints fashion reports metaphors products T-shirts
proverbs TV guides
puns tall tales
tape covers
 Using Multiple Intelligences in Instruction and Assessment
Summary of the “Seven Ways of Teaching
Intelligence Teaching Activities Teaching Materials Instructional Strategies
(examples) (examples)
Linguistic lectures, discussions, word books, lops recorders, read about it, write about it.
games, storytelling, choral typewriters, stamp eels, books learn about It, listen to it
reading, Journal writing, etc. on tape, etc.
Logical-Mathematical brain lessons, problem solving. calculators, math manipulatives. quantify it, think critically about
science experiments, mental science equipment, multi games, it conceptualize it
calculation, number games. critical etc.
Spatial linking, etc.
visual presentations. art activities. graphs, maps, video, LEGO
imagination game.. mind- sets. art materials. optical see it, draw it, visualize it, color
Bodily-Kinesthetic mapping, metaphor. visualization illusions, cameras, picture library, it. mind-map it.
etc. etc.
hands-on learning, drama, dance, build it, act it out, touch it. get a
Musical sports that teach, tactile activities. building tools, clay, sports “gut feeling” of it,
relaxation exercises, etc. equipment, manipulatives. tactile
superlearning, gapping, long. learning resources. etc. dance it sing it, rap it,
interpersonal that teach tape recorder, tape collection, listen to it
cooperative learning, peer musical instruments board teach it, collaborate on it,
tutoring, community involvement, games, party supplies. props for with respect to It
Intra-personal social gatherings, simulation, etc. role plays, etc.
Individualized instruction, connect it to your personal life,
Independent study, options in sell-checking materials, journals, make choices with regard to it
course of study, sell-esteem materials for projects, etc.
building. etc.
from Armstrong. T. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom.Alexandria, VA, ASCO. 1994
 SCORING RULE: WRITING TO INFORM

2= Consistently addresses audience’s needs by using purposeful and specific information to fully explain
the topic. Text is uniformly organized, and language choices often enhance the text.

1= Sometimes addresses audience’s needs by using purposeful and mostly specific information to
accurately explain the topic. Text is generally organized, and language choices sometimes enhance
the text.

o= Rarely or never addresses audience’s needs by using purposeful or specific information to explain
the topic. Text lacks organization, and language choices seldom, if ever, enhance the text.

SCORING RULE: WRITING TO PERSUADE

2= Consistently addresses audience’s needs by identifying a clear position and fully supporting or
refuting a position with relevant information. Text is uniformly organized, and language choices often
enhance the text.

1= Sometimes addresses audience’s needs by identifying a somewhat clear position and partially
supporting or refuting that position with relevant information. Text is generally organized, and
language choices sometimes enhance the text.

o= Rarely or never addresses audience’s needs by failing to identify a clear position or failing to
accurately support or refute a position that has been identified. Text lacks organization, and language
choices seldom, if ever, enhance the text.

SCORING RULE: WRITING TO EXPRESS PERSONAL IDEAS

2= Consistently addresses audience’s needs by presenting personal ideas in a complete, well-

developed whole. Text is uniformly organized, and language choices often enhance the text and are
appropriate to the literary form.

1= Sometimes addresses audience’s needs by presenting personal ideas in an incomplete or partially

developed whole. Text is generally organized, and language choices sometimes enhance the text and
may sometimes be appropriate to the literary form.

o= Rarely or never addresses audience’s needs by failing to present personal ideas in a complete, well-
developed whole. Text is often disorganized, and language choices seldom, if ever, enhance the text
and are often inappropriate to the literary form.
 LANGUAGE IN USE RULE

2 points

??????Consistently uses word and sentence order and language choices to express meaning with style and
tone. Text conveys uniform impression of correctness and any errors that are present represent risk-
taking.

1 point

??????Sometimes uses word and sentence order and language choices to express meaning with style and
tone. Text generally conveys impression of correctness* and errors may or may not represent risk-
taking.

0 points

??????Rarely or never uses word and sentence order and language choices to express meaning with style
and tone. Text appears error-ridden.

*correct usage, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization

Teacher Worksheet

Title of story or book

Low Level Thinking Questions

1. Who ?

2. What ?

3. Where ?

4. When ?

5. How ?

6. Why ?

7. ?

High Level Thinking Questions

1. What are all the ways ?

2. What if ?

3. How is different from ?

4. What is your point of view about ?

5. How come ?

6. How do you feel about ?

7. ?
 Lenore Abraham
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School
Potomac, MD 20S54

Round Robin Quizzing

This is a method of quizzing (when I want to be sure students know the material before we move
into discussion or a project on it) which I have used successfully on a novel and on short stories,
but could be adapted to any discipline. It has the following advantages:
a. It makes students review the material thoughtfully and carefully.
b. It gives them a vested interest in learning it.
c. Students do all the work of preparing the quiz. taking it and evaluating the results.
d. Students love every step of the process.

Materials needed:
3 x 5 cards, preferably of 3 different colors
library card-pockets — handy, but not required
a small plastic bowl (or equivalent container) for each group
red and black checkers or 1-inch circular ‘removable labels’ of two different colors
(2 labels stuck together back-to-back), at least 6 per group
a small bell or other attention-getter can be helpful with a large group

Here is the method:

1. Divide the class into groups of 4 (or 3 for a small class). If numbers fall unevenly, group them as
evenly as possible; then at time of play (see below) use ‘extra’ students to keep score and/or
direct procedure (“master of ceremonies”).

2. Each group then prepares quiz questions on the whole book (in the case of the novel) or their
section of it (2 short stories, in our case). For lengthy material — the novel — we used 3 easy
questions, 4 medium difficulty, 4 challenging; for briefer material (the 2 short stories): 2 easy
questions. 3 medium and 3 challenging. Questions should be clearly worded and fair. Each question
is written on a 3 x 5 card and the answer written on the back. The set of cards can then be handily
slipped into a library card-pocket, if available, or rubber band if not. Each card should be labeled
with author and title (of stories), and the set should be marked with the names of the group. My
groups enjoyed color-coding the cards like traffic lights: green for easy, yellow (caution) for
medium, red for challenging questions. Teacher keeps the card sets in the classroom.

3. Next day students sit in their groups, each group as far removed from the others as possible (to
eliminate overhearing of questions). For a small class with groups of 3, 2 of the group ask
questions, I travels with ‘begging-bowl’ to the other groups. each in turn, to answer an agreed
number of questions (I easy, I medium, I hard, for short material; or I easy, I or 2 medium, I or 2
hard, for long material). Right answers receive a black checker, wrong answers receive a red. The
traveler then takes his/her bowl to the scorekeeper to have score recorded, then returns the
checkers to the group that awarded them. Having made the entire circuit, traveling clockwise, the
traveler becomes questioner and someone else from the group becomes traveler, until all have had
their turn. The teacher or score-keeper then adds the scores of all participants and awards prizes
to the group with the highest score. Or the teacher can award grades for the scores, as desired.
NINTENDO PROJECT: SELF-EVALUATION

Nintendo, Inc., is looking to develop a new game. Your group is in charge of designing one,
sketching it, describing it in an essay, preparing an advertisement for a print medium, and
presenting the idea orally to the Board of Directors (your classmates).

NAME(S):

SCREEN(S):

Is (are) the screen(s) in color?

Has the screen been drawn on plain white paper?

Does the screen illustrate what the game will look like?

Is the visual portion of the project clear enough theta player could understand from the
drawing(s) an essential part of the game?

TEXT:

Does the text include a narrative that introduces the scenario of the game and the
characters included?
Does the text include a detailed description of how the game is played? Could
someone “complete” the game using the instructions you have given?
Does the text include a description of the various levels of the game? Does each level
have a different “look” with different challenges?
Is the text in final draft form? Have you corrected all spelling and grammatical errors?
Have you followed the basic rules of composition?
Does the text “catch” the audience’s attention? Is the text interesting?

ADVERTISEMENT:

Identify the primary appeal.

Does the ad follow the suggestions discussed in class about composing headlines and
body copy?
The headline should introduce an idea or intriguing.
The headline should incorporate “announcement” words.
The headline should address each individual.
The body copy should follow the primary recommendation-Keep it SHORT...short
words, short sentences, short paragraphs.

Have you included some examples of “loaded language”?

Is the product clearly represented in the advertisement?

NINTENDO PROJECT: JOB ASSIGNMENTS

Group Members:

The following are the tasks necessary for the completion of this project. Beside each, record
the names of the group members working on this task (place a by the name of the person in
charge). In the far right column, write the date the task is completed.

Task Persons working on task Completion date

Game Coordination

Game Text

Art Work for Game

Coordination for Ad

Copy for Ad

Art Work for Ad

Sales Coordination

Sales Analysis

Visual Aids

Sales Presentation
 Performance Assessment (Problem of the Day)

Sample 1:

Objective: Students will interpret and explain data from a scatter plot that they have constructed
themselves.

Problem of the Day: Derek Jeter has signed a contract with the Yankees that pays him 117 million dollars.
Dr. Ham thinks this is more money than most baseball players earn. Using the data provided, construct a
scatter plot. Interpret the data to decide if Derek Jeter’s salary is or is not higher than that of most baseball
players. Write a brief note to inform Dr. Ham why you decided Derek Jeter’s salary is or is not higher than
that of most baseball players. In your note, he sure to include the scatter plot you drew and to use the
language of mathematics.

Sample 2:

Objective: Students will analyze and explain the economic and/or social factors that caused the rise in
female employment in the United States from 1940 to 1970.

Problem of the Day: Yesterday we read about the scarcity of human resources during WWII and the
consequential rise in women’s employment. We analyzed how the laws of supply and demand created the
need for women to work. We decided that without women workers, the Allies would not have won the war
because there would not have been enough capital resources to fund a winning campaign.

Some economists have claimed that the economies of the era of 1940-1970 demanded a greater female
presence in the work place. Others have claimed that social factors, rather than economic ones, caused the
upswing in female employment from 1950-1970. Today you will enter the debate. We are going to read
about the rise of women workers from 1950-1970 in the United States. We are going to study some
primary documents from the Office of the Budget. We will read a short selection - the social factors that
some historians believe influenced the rise of female employment from 1940-1970. You will use the
information gathered to decide if the increase in women workers is best explained using economic or social
factors. To help you make your decision, you wili draw a detailed time line with economic and social factors
listed. Then, beneath your time line, you wili write a caption using the language of economies to capture your
opinion in the debate.
Sample 3:

Objective: Students will analyze acidity levels in soil to discover and explain the properties of acids and
bases.

Problem of the Day: Ms. Henke’s family is having a reunion October 21st this year. Ms. Henke., who
lives in Baltimore, and her sister, who lives in Baton Rouge, each plan to bring a sweet potato pie made
from fresh sweet potatoes grown in their gardens this year. Mr. Bond has decided to send each of the
women the seeds for this year’s sweet potato crop, but there are two varieties to choose from, and Mr.
Bond is unsure which one to send to each of the Henke sisters. Today, you will analyze the soil from each of
the women’s gardens. You will determine which type of sweet potato would grow best in each garden based
on the acidity levels of the soil. Then, you will write a letter to Mr. Bond to explain which seeds to send to
each sister. Since Mr. Bond is not a gardener himself~, you will need to explain the properties of acids and
bases and why some plants require more acidic soil than others.

Sample 4:

Objective: Students will increase hand-eye coordination and use an appropriate technique to serve and
bump a volleyball

Problem of the Day: The annual faculty-student volleyball game is coming up, mud yon may be called on
to play for the students. To help the team win, yon need to be able to serve and bump the volleyball.

Sample 5:

Objective: Students will use shading to create perspective (dimensionality) urn a pencil-drawing.

Problem of the Day: When we look at objects in a still life drawn by professional artists, we see that these
objects appear to be three-dimensional Today, we will learn how shading can be used to create this
appearance. Then, we will redraw the basket of apples we drew last week using shading to add perspective
to our drawing)
 Processes of
Reading/
Reading Strategies
When Reading for Literary Experience
Use questions to help students construct meaning
when reading for literary experience.

· What is the theme of this selection? (Global stance)

· Describe and use several examples from the story to
justify your answer. Based on what you know and have read,
predict (Global, interpretive stances)

Use questions to help students extend meaning

when reading for literary experience.

· What reasons might have for wanting to

? Use inferences from the text to support your answer.
(Interpretive stance)
· Did you ever know or read about someone who ?
Describe and compare this situation to the one in this story.
(Personal stance)

Use questions to help students examine meaning

when reading for literary experience.

· Compare this version of the story to other versions. Evaluate which

one you like the best. Use specific references from the story to
support your opinion. (Critical stance)

· What part of the selection best expresses the author’s message and
why? (Critical stance)
 When Reading to Be Informed
Use questions to help students construct meaning
when reading to be informed.

· Explain in your own words how... (Global stance)

· Using information from the text, explain the difference between
and . (Global, interpretive stances)
· Explain why . Use examples from the text to help explain
your answer. (Global, interpretive stances)

Use questions to help students extend meaning

when reading to be informed.
· Using information from the text, compare and contrast
(Global, interpretive stances)
· Why do you think the author says on page “ ?
(Interpretive stance)
· Describe a personal experience in which you or a friend had the experience of
. Compare this experience to the one described in the text.
(Personal, interpretive stances)

Use questions to help students examine meaning

when reading to be informed.

· Evaluate how effective the author is in informing readers about

· Use specific examples to provide praise and polish suggestions for the author.
(Critical stance)
· As the reader, evaluate how well the author has presented the information on page
. Use specific examples to judge how well you think the author has written
to inform us about . (Critical stance)
· Explain how the author’s choice of words in reflects his
point of view. Suggest ways that a different choice of words could have changed
the tone of the text. (Critical stance)
 When Reading to Perform a Task
Use questions to help students construct meaning
when reading to perform a task.

· Review and reread the steps for

Retell the steps to another person. (Global stance)
· What is ? Write a learning log toexplain to a younger
student. (Global stance)

Use questions to help students extend meaning

when reading to perform a task.

· Predict the steps in the activities that you think may cause problems for a person who was not
present when the directions were distributed. In your own words, explain the steps to this person.
(Global, personal stances)

· What information did you learn in the procedure and when would you use it? (Personal stance)

Use questions to help students examine meaning

when reading to perform a task.

· What directions might you change or add to the ones already given to make them better? (Critical
stance)

· Evaluate how well the author wrote the steps to perform a task of .
Decide if you could perform the task according to the author’s directions. Use examples from the
material to provde feedback to the author. (Critical stance)
 Reading and Writing/Language Usage Strategies

The use of mnemonic devices helps students recall good readin2 and writing techniques. The CUCC
Strategy helps students to follow all directions in a multi-pan question or activity. When answering questions
about reading, the Comma-Quote Strategy helps students to be sure to include evidence from the text to
support their answer~ .~long with the Comma-Quote Strategy, the ACE Strategy reminds students to cite
evidence from the text to support their answer and then extend or explain their answer. The DOAL and
CUPS Strategies are to be used to reinforce good writing techniques.
CUCC Comma - Quote Strategy
C = Circle the direction
• Cite specific words and phrases from the text.
words. • Cite a passage from the text, using quotation marks to
U = Underline key words show that it is a direct quote.
> On page 12, the author said, “Xxxxx.”
after the direction words.
> I agree with the author when he/she wrote, “Xxxxx.
C = Count the number of > An example from the text is on page 2, where it says,
direction words. “Xxxxx.”
• Be sure to explain how the evidence you chose supports
C = Check off/complete the your answer.
steps.

ACE Strategy D.O.A.L.

A = Answer the question.
C = Cite evidence from the
text to support your
answer. Use
“comma-quote.”
E = Extend or explain your
answer.
CE = Means to cite and
extend again and again.
D = Development
· Responds to the task
· Follows directions
· Uses correct form
· Has a topic sentence, at least three details, and a closing
sentence that is fully supported
0 = Organization
· Has a beginning, middle, and end
· Has a clear plan
A = Attention to Audience
· The writing is geared toward the understanding and age

C.u.p.S. of the intended audience.

· There must be enough information to inform, persuade, or
C - Capitalization express personal ideas.
L = Language
U - Usage/Grammar
· Uses appropriate and varied vocabulary
P - Punctuation · Uses descriptive language
· Uses a variety of sentence structures
S - Spelling
 What Is Strategic Reading?

S trategic readers actively construct meaning as they read, interacting with the text. They set
purposes for reading, select methods of accomplishing these purposes, monitor and repair their own
comprehension as they read. and evaluate the completed task. A strategic reader constructs. examines, and
extends meaning before, during, and after reading for a variety of texts.

‘Teachers who understand that reading is a strategic process establish environments that provide
opportunities for children to learn language and learn about language while they are using language for real
purposes.” (Halliday)

There are a number of differences between strategic readers and poor readers during all phases of the
reading process.
How Do Strategic Readers Differ from Poor
Readers?

1. Before Reading, Strategic Readers... Poor Readers...

• Build up their own background knowledge about • Start reading without thinking about the
reading and the topic process of reading or the topic
• Set purposes for reading • Do not know why they are reading but
• Determine methods for reading, according to their merely view the task as “ground to
purposes. cover.”

2. During Reading, Strategic Readers... Poor Readers...

• Give their complete attention to the reading task
• Check their own understanding constantly
• Monitor their reading comprehension and do it so
often that it becomes automatic
• Stop to use a fix-up strategy when they do not
understand
• Use semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cues to
construct meanings of unfamiliar words
• Synthesize during reading
• Ask questions
• Talk to themselves during reading.
• Do not eliminate distractions from
reading
• Do not know whether they understand
• Do not recognize when comprehension
has broken down
• Seldom use fix-up strategies to improve
comprehension
• Skip or ignore meanings of unfamiliar
but crucial words
• Do not integrate text with prior
knowledge
• Read without reflecting on meaning or
text organization.

3. After Reading, Strategic Readers... Poor Readers...

• Decide if they have achieved their goals for reading • Do not know what they have read
• Evaluate their understanding of what was read • Do not follow reading with
• Summarize the major ideas comprehension self-check
• Seek additional information from outside sources • Rely exclusively on the author’s words
• Distinguish between relevant and irrelevant ideas • Do not go beyond a surface
• Paraphrase the text examination of the text
• Reflect on and personalize the text • Apply no conscious strategies to help
• Critically examine the text them remember what they have
• Integrate new understandings and prior knowledge learned.
• Use study strategies to retain new knowledge.
 Reading rubric: ACE the Question and Hit the Bull’s Eye on the Target

A Answer all parts of the question

C Cite at least two examples from the text

E Elaborate each example using specific

details from what you know and what you read
0

F.E.A.T
3
“THE TEXT SAYS”

3 An understanding of the text with full and developed evidence of connections, extensions, and/or
examinations of meaning. The reader uses multiple text supports to provide full and developed evidence of

This response is text based and/or text referential

2 = An understanding of the text with sufficient evidence of connections, extensions, and/or examinations of
meaning. The reader uses multiple text supports to provide sufficient evidence of

The response is text based and/or text referential.

1 = An understanding of the text with limited evidence of connections, extensions, and/or examinations of
meaning. The reader uses text support to provide limited
evidence of . The
support may be overly general or overly specific and may contain some indefensible as well as defensible
information. This response is text based and/ or text referential.

0 - This answer shows no evidence of understanding the text.

O(A)- Blank
Resource Sheet

Analyzing the Development of an Argument, Viewpoint, or Perspective

Student Checklist

o What is the writer’s purpose?

o How is the argument presented?

o What is the tone of the article?

o How is the argument organized?

o How does the organization support the writer’s purpose?

o What persuasive language is used?

o How are other persuasive techniques used to create an emotional appeal?

o How fairly is the issue or topic presented in the article?

o Is there evidence of bias or stereotyping?

o What is the overall effectiveness of the argument?

o Did the writer make an effective call to action at the end?

o What types of factual support are used to back up the argument?

o Is the factual support valid?

o What attempt is used to discredit the opposing point-of-view?

S- STATE THE QUESTION IN
YOUR ANSWER.

U- USE QUOTES FROM THE

TEXT TO SUPPORT YOUR
ANSWER.

R- REREAD THE QUESTION TO

ENSURE THAT

E- EVERY PART OF THE

QUESTION HAS BEEN
ANSWERED.

F.E.A.T. - USE
FOR EXAMPLE &
ACCORDING TO
IN YOUR ANSWER!
Resource Sheet

How to Read a Picture

Step 1
What is the title?

Step 2
Who is the artist or photographer?

Step 3
What information is presented in the caption?

Step 4
What kind of a picture is it? Is it a photograph, a painting, a
drawing?

Step 5
Ask yourself what is the main idea of the picture?

Step6
What additional information is provided in the detail?

Step 7
How is the picture used to enhance the text?
 Reading to Perform a Task
Useful to You?

Text Title

Title of selection

Reader’s Purpose

Author’s Purpose

Intended Audience

Useful Text In your Text? Text Examples to Support Evaluation

Characteristics

• Text Features
• Title
• Subtitles
• Pictures
• Diagrams
• Drawings
• Captions
• Bold Text

• Text organization

• Details/Examples

Is this text useful for your purpose? Explain why it is or is not? Use examples from the text to support
your recommendation.
 Echo Reading

Echo Reading is a strategy for emergent readers to practice reading

with a more fluent reader. Emphasis is placed on the flow of reading and to
offer voice support as the emergent reader works to improve reading and
sight vocabulary fluency.

Use:

1. Increasing reading fluency

2. Increasing self-confidence in emergent readers

Procedure:

1. A selection is chosen that is at the instructional level of the

marginal reader. This reader is paired with the teacher or other
individual who can serve as a model.

2. The fluent reader sits slightly behind the emergent reader and
both readers read the passage at a normal rate with no hesitations.
The fluent reader moves his/her finger under each word. (The
emergent reader may miss words and not keep up but the fluent
reader continues.)

3. As echo reading is initiated, it is suggested to repeat at least the

first two pages/paragraphs several times to help the emergent
reader adjust to reading in unison.

4. Reading of The passage continues in unison. Modeling is the

focus, not missed words or not keeping up. After reading, the pair
discusses progress. A calendar or checklist may be used to
record progress. 1t is important that the fluent reader NOT: correct
mistakes, teach skill during the experience, direct attention to
illustrations, or ask questions after reading.

5. As the reading progresses, the fluent reader becomes less

involved and the emergent reader takes the lead.
 Literature Circles
I am looking forward to beginning our next session of literature circles! After receiving input from you about
how the literature circles functioned with They Cage the Animals at Night I have changed the roles and put
together groups so you be working with some other classmates. Your new roles will be as follows. We will
rotate each role clockwise around the table as we did previously.

1. Discussion Director: Develops a list of 5 questions the group might want to discuss. Keeps the
group on task and calls on other members to present their parts.
2. Literary Luminary: Locates five interesting, powerful, puzzling, important sections of the text to read
aloud and discuss. (Either Copy directly from book, or include page references. Include a brief explana-
tion as to why you chose each one.)
3. Connector: Finds three connections between the reading and the world outside, the reading and
personal life and/or yourself, the reading and other pieces of literature you have read previously, etc.
4. Character Commentator: Choose a character with a major role in the section of the book you have
Just read. Comment on any outstanding aspects of their personality, as well as any changes they have
provoked in the plot, conflict, etc.
5. Predictor: Will make predictions about what will happen next to the characters, plot, etc. (Don’t give
anything away if you read ahead!)
6. Summarizer: will write a brief summary of the assigned pages. This should 1-2 paragraphs long.
Those groups containing seven people only will have the seventh person also performing the responder/
reactor role.
7. Reactor/Responder: React/ respond to two section of the text about which you had a strong feeling
(either in a positive way or a negative way). Eg: Did you agree/disagree with something which occurred?
Do you parti6ularly like/dislike the author’s style of writing/use of symbolism/theme/setting, etc.?

Those groups containing five people will take out the role of the summarizer and just do roles 1 -5!
The breakdown of the pages is as follows:

The Girl Who Walk Two Moons The View from That was Then.
Owned the City Saturday This is Now
Fri., 3/10: pgs. 1-60 pgs. 1-69 pgs. 1-57 pgs. 1-35
Mon., 3/13: pgs. 61-97 pgs l 70-141 pgs. 58-93 pgs. 36-81
Wed., 3/15: pgs. 9 9-l46 pgs. 142-204 pgs. 94-125 pgs. 82-111
Fri., 3/1 7: pgs. 149-end pgs. 205-end pgs. 126-end pgs. 112 end
 MIDDLE SCHOOL
Sheri Federici
Central Middle School
Findlay, Ohio
sfederic @Findlay.k12.oh.us

Mystery Reading/Book Report Alternative Name

*As you read your mystery book, keep track of vocabulary words, using your yellow
card to record them. Also, as you come to a colored card, respond to it on the index
card, and hand it in no later than the due date. Take your time and be thorough with your
responses since each card is worth 15 points.

1. blue card - due Tuesday, January 25

Describe the primary setting of your book. Remember to include time and location.

2. pink card - due Friday, January 28

Clearly describe the crime involved in this mystery. If there is no crime, what
exactly is the mystery to be solved?

3. green card - due Wednesday, February 2

Describe your favorite character. Include a physical description. personality
traits, etc. Why is this character your favorite?

4. orange card - due Tuesday, February 8

Describe the scariest or most suspenseful part of this book. Use a variety of good
descriptive words to make your scene come alive.

5. yellow card - due Tuesday, February 8

As you read, find ten words that are new to you or that you find interesting or
especially like. List the word, its part of speech, and the definition.

· Based on an idea shared at an OCTELA fall conference.

· Easily adapted la the reading of any genre, this is a non-intimidating way for students to
report their progress while reading a book. The students divide their books into four equal
sections and mark each spot with a colored index card. The yellow vocabulary card can serve
as a bookmark as well. Students respond on the index cards when they reach those points of
the book
 STORY PREDICTION WITH WORD LISTS

Objective: Students will use a list of words to create a story

predicting how the words might have been used in the original story.

Materials: Story, a list of 15+ words sequentially chosen from the story,
and an overhead projector/chalkboard

Procedure.: Model this first with the whole class! Before making the word
list available, place the wards up where they’ll be visible by all students
(see below) to activate prior knowledge and articulate word meaning and
usage.

WORDS No clue Sounds familiar Know meaning Can glue example

“No clue” - haven’t heard of the word before

“Sounds familiar” - have heard the word before
“Know meaning” - can define the word
“Can give example” - can use in sentence, give examples of
meaning, or share facts about it

Using heterogeneous grouping, have each team of students create a story

which they believe will closely follow the original story the words came
from. Once written, each team’s story should be shared with the class.
The final component is to read the actual story and do a compare!
contrast activity or discussion.

Assessments: Team work, creativity of story, use of grammatical

conventions, spelling, oral presentation, Venn diagrams, proper use of
words/terminology, etc.

This is not an original idea, but one of those that Just exists!
Tru Dee Griffin Kinnikinnick Middle School
5410 Pine Lane
Roscoe, IL. 61913 815-623-2166
 Reading and Writing Survey
NAME: AGE: GRADE

What’s your favorite school subject?

What’s your favorite television show?

Who’s your favorite singer or group?

What are your hobbies or out~of-school interests?

Do you read for pleasure?

Name some of the books you have read recently.

Do you read magazines regularly? Which ones?

Do you try to read “for pleasure” daily?

Does someone in your family, or a friend, read to you?

If yes, how often?

Do you keep a journal (diary)?

Have you written any poetry?

Do you feel uncomfortable having someone read what you have written?

Do you have difficulty thinking of topics to write about if they aren’t specified?

Do you have difficulty finding the appropriate words for expressing your ideas?

Do you write letters to anyone? yes no.

Do you think you need to improve your spelling? yes no.

Do you feel confident about your ability to use correct punctuation? yes no.

Do you avoid writing? yes no.

Would you write more if you weren’t graded on it? yes no.

CHECK OFF THE KINDS OF BOOKS YOU LIKE TO READ:

mystery adventure science fiction
history poetry travel
science fantasy biography/autobiography
pets/animals plays books about people your age
westerns arts/crafts how-to-books/what topics?
deep sea ghosts
math war other
 Reading Interview

1. Before I read, I

2. While I am reading, if I come to a word that I don’t understand,

3. is a good reader.

4. is a good reader because

5. Do you think that ever comes to word he/she does not know?

6. If comes to a word he/she does not know, what do you

think does?

7. What do you do when you come to a word. that you don’t know while you are reading?

8. What would the teacher do to help someone who doesn’t know a word while he/she is
reading?

9. What do you do to help yourself understand and/or remember a story after you have read it.

10. Are you a good reader?

 Share and Tell
A Program of Reading and Thinking for
Middle School Students

Each term students are asked to complete reading outside the classroom and to share
their results with classmates. Added to this is research on an internet site. By reporting on
various works both orally and in writing, students develop a culture of outside reading in the
classroom. Students become eager to share books, films, and internet sites. I keep a library of
books in my classroom; the students have access to our Media Center, and they have access
through the internet of the card catalogs of local libraries. I help students keep track of work
they have done by listing their books/site! films next to their names on a poster on the wall.

Janet S. Schwartz
Avon Middle School
Avon, CT 06013
janetsschwartz@yahoo.com
www.geocities.com/jonathanrschwartz
Share and Tell

Book Talks Keep this sheet

Welcome to the wonderful world of oral presentations. During each term you will have the opportunity to
speak about books and movies you have read and seen The books and movies must be ones that you have
read or seen on your own, not ones read or seen in another class. Each presentation will begin b~ writing
the title and the author of the book or film on the board along with the type of book or movie you are
reporting on..

Your oral presentation must be between 2 and 3 minutes long - no longer! You will hold a note card with
some notes on it. You may not read a prepared statement. Please hand in the notecards after the
presentation. Each presentation should have an introduction and a conclusion. The following information
should also be evident:
Book:
· Intro-includes title and author, type of book
· Rating of book Use language to tell how much you liked the book and how challenging the book was to
you.
· A short summary explaining who, what, when, where, and a little bit of why or how. This should not be
more than one minute long.
· Personal connection with book (comparison w. book, movie, experience, person you know; empathy
for characters)
· Conclusion

Movie:
· Intro-includes title and stars or director
· Rating of movie. Use language to tell how much you enjoyed the film and how challenging the film was
to understand or what made this a well-made film.
· A short summary explaining who, what, when, where, and a little bit of why or how. This should not be
more than one minute long.
· personal connection with movie (comparison with book, movie, experience)
· Conclusion

Internet Site:
In addition you will submit a written summary of an internet site you have visited. This site may be connected
with a topic you have studied in another class. Search for sites on the internet using a good search engine.
(What topic associated with school do you want to learn about?) Go there! Read it, study it, then review it
Intro: title of site, author, address of site, the main point of the site
Next paragraph: a summary of the site-(what is there?)Do not tell facts you learned, just the type of
information available.
Next paragraph: How you connected to the Site, why did you choose this site. What did you
expect? Was it there?
Next paragraph: Why others might want to visit the site, how useful it is, and a closing

All presentations will be graded.

A grade for each of the presentations will be given
Share and Tell
Third Term

Again, the rules of Share and Tell will change slightly. Here are the requirements of this term
· An oral on a Free Choice book
· An oral on a book of mystery or horror.
· An oral on a film which has been nominated for an academy award for make-up or costumes.
Report on how the make-up or the costumes help us understand the character in at least two
instances. Remember Major Braun in Miracle at MoreauX? The dark circles under his eyes and
his wan complexion made the audience feel that this was a death-like appearance. We did not
trust him as much as we did the tanned, older, pudgy Sargeant Schlimmer.

As always, you will be required to have an introduction and a conclusion to your presentation. When you
rate the books and the film, remember that you are rating not only how much you liked it, but you are rating
the art and the skill that went into this work. Why has this film, for example, withstood the test of time?
What do you respect about the art of this work? What is your personal connection? Maybe you haven’t
done what this person has done, but you understand the emotions involved. Remember that you are to
connect your experience with the work. You can’t expect the audience to do your thinking for you. Your
note cards will remind you of this. I have the note cards for you to use. Remember, with note cards, you are
expected to have eye contact with your audience; it is expected that you will deliver your presentation, not
read it.

· Find a recommended book from the BLACK BOX on the bock counter! Take a look at the books that
real kids around the country are recommending to you. Choose one based on the recommendation. Write a
letter to this person doing the following:
Thank for recommendation
Talk about your favorite part of the plot
Talk about you favorite character
Talk about what you thought the main idea of the book was
Talk about your personal connection
Conclusion

· You will submit a review of an internet site. This site (remember, this means the whole site, not just one
page from the site!) will be on science. Go to www.geocities.com/jonathanrschwartz and find a site here!
(Don’t tell me that you couldn’t find one!)

Remember that the site follows this format:

Intro: title, ,address, author, do you know who this person is? Credentials? Date of last revision?
Next paragraph: summary of type of information found here; if it is true, can it be verified with
references?
Next paragraph: How you personally connected to the site
Next paragraph: Why others might want to use the site, other possible links from this site
Fourth Term Share and Tell

For your final term, you are now old hands at oral presentations.
The note cards will continue. Here are the types of works you will be reading:
The following are oral:
1. A free choice book

2. A film which either won or was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. I suggest that
you go to the internet to www.oscar.com. Or check the list in the room

The following are written:

3. A book of historical fiction on any era This book must be read by April 30,. At that tune I will
ask you to bring the book to class and we will write on the book in class.

4. You will submit a review of an internet site. This site (remember, this means the whole site, not
just one page from the site!) will be on science. Go to www.geocities.com/jonathanrschwarrz
and find a site here! (Don’t tell me that you couldn’t find one!)

Remember that the site follows this format:

Intro: title, ,address, author, do you know who this person is? Credentials? Date of last revision?
Next paragraph: summary of type of information found here; if it is true, can it be verified with
references?
Next paragraph: How you personally connected to the site
Next paragraph: Why others might want to use the site, other possible links from this site

5. Write a letter to a person in class about a book or a film that you have read or seen based upon
this students recommendation. Remember to write in ink and in paragraphs. Remember your
audience; he/she has read the book! Please express your ideas about the book.

Possible form:
Paragraph Intro-tide, author, rating
Paragraph- Favorite character and support (why is this a favorite character?) Paragraph- Favorite
event and support (why is this a favorite event?) Paragraph- Theme or Main idea and support(
What is the purpose of this book? What idea is being explored?)
Paragraph-Personal connection (Remember to connect your experience to the book, do not expect
the experience to speak for itself)
Paragraph- Conclusion, thank you for recommendation, further thoughts
Book List
As a member of the audience, you too have a responsibility. Your responsibility is to take notes on each
presentation. You are to write the following information:

Title of work
Author or stars of movie
Rating given by speaker
Type of work
A few words about plot, character, theme, or setting

This information will be collected at the end of the term and will be placed into your writing folder. Keep
your notes clean, legible, accurate. Keep types of books together on a page

For the first term you are to report on the following works:

· A book about a different culture, your summer reading book. This will not be an oral. You will
create a book jacket for this book. Title, author, and an appropriate cover will be on the front of
the jacket. Do not copy the cover of the book. A summary of the bookll be written on the inside
flap of the jacket. Please submit to me also two paragraphs explaining what your cover is
illustrating and your personal connection to the book.
· An animal or sports book
· A free choice book
· An Internet site: Go to http//rnembers.home.net/jonanschwartz Find an interesting site to report
on. Don’t report on the information, talk about the site!
· A movie which was nominated or which won an academy award for either special, visual or
sound effects. Go to www.oscar.orgClick on the Academy awards database. Ask for all
nominees, you will find the list. (Or check the cupboard doors for the list!)

One choice for a choice book could be a book recommended by someone in the class. If the book has
already been reported, please make reference to the other report Did you agree or disagree with the rating?
Please voice your appreciation or dissatisfaction in receiving this recommendation. Be sure to support your
views with details from the work.

Here are some suggestions for movies:

Possible boks:
Second Term

For this term, the rules of Share and Tell will change slightly. This term you will be required to read or see
the following:
· A books of choice
· A fiction or non-fiction book about World War II
· A new internet site from Schwartz’s home page or a new one that can help you with Social
Studies work.. Remember this is the SITE. not just one page of info.
· A movie which was nominated for its musical score before you were born!— NO R rated
movies!

Remember that the site follows this format:

Intro: title, .address, author, do you know who this person is? Credentials 7 Date of last revision?
Next paragraph: summary of type of information found here; if it is true, can it be verified with
references?
Next paragraph: How you connected to the article
Next paragraph: Why others might want to use the site, other possible links from this site

Book or Film:
Intro-includes title and author, type of book
Rating in own language. Why rated this way
Plot-short synopsis-who, what, when, where, why, how
Include when the movie was nominated and whether or not it won. Discuss at least two parts of
the movie where the music adds to the emotion. What is the setting, and what emotions are
highlighted?
Include when it was nominated for musical score and whether or not it won
Personal connection (comparison w. book, movie, experience, understanding of character, theme)
Conclusion
Now READ this:
Instead of presenting an oral on the classic book, you will create a poster which advertises this book which
has been made into a film..
Include the following:
Name at least three stars in the movie plus the part each plays
Use at least three images from the book on the poster

You will then write a letter to a fictional producer, explaining how this film will work so well. Include the
following information:
Why would this book make a great film?
Why would (choose one of your stars) be great in this film?
Why use these images on the poster to sell the film?
This letter should be at least 5 paragraphs long. Don’t forget the introduction and conclusion.

In addition to the content of your Share and Tell presentations, I will also be looking at your delivery. You
are to be poised, have eye contact with your audience, and speak loudly and clearly so that your
audience can easily understand you. Crutch words and ugly words are not to be used. If conclusions are
lacking, you will not earn above a C. A conclusion summarizes your comments. A conclusion to your
presentation is not a conclusion to the plot of your book or movie! You might want to tell us where to find
this book or movie. You might say that you are looking for other books like this one.
Yes, you will continue to keep a book list. Clean papers for this term!
Movie Work Sheet

Title

Director:

Starring:

Who: (Main Characters)

When

Where

What (Main idea of movie)

Why and How (Main events)

Special sound or Visual Effects Year Nominated:

Best examples:

Personal Connection
Book Review Work sheet

Title:

Author:

Who:

When:

Where:

What is the main part of the book about:

Why and how do they arrive there:

How would you rate this book?

Why?

Personal Connection
 Reading for Information

Determine the Author’s Purpose

(What Does the Author Want Me to Learn?)

Tips for Success

· Ask yourself what the author most wants you to learn.
· Look at the title to help reveal the author’s purpose.
· Remember that a selection will contain many true statements that are not the author’s purpose.
· The author’s purpose is usually a general statement about the whole article.

I read

I think the author’s purpose in writing is to

Some of the details in the text that prove this are

and
 KNOW YOUR PURPOSES FOR READING

• We read to perform a task.

• We read to get information.

• We read for literary experience.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS IN READING

Before

• Predict
• Envision
• Preview

During

• Revisit text
• Question
•

After
• Summarize
• Evaluate
• Retell

RESPOND IN THESE STANCES WHEN READING

GLOBAL - get the overall picture

PERSONAL - make connections

INTERPRFITVE - get the meaning

CRITICAL - evaluale the ideas

 Helpful hints For Writing Stance Questions

· Make sure the reading material you have selected will

allow for stance questioning.

• When writing stance questions always write your

answer using the text for support.

• Have someone try to answer the question that has not

read the material, if they can answer the question you
need to rewrite.

• Cue students to use text based support in their

responses.

• Stance questions require think time so allow your

students adequate response time.

• Review student responses to determine if the question

intended is the question students answered.

• As part of your instructional program teach students

necessary strategies to demonstrate their construction
of meaning through the stances.

• Once students are comfortable with answering stance

questions allow them to generate their own stance
questions.
Questions about Stance Questions

· When should I ask global understanding

questions ?

· Do my global understanding questions require

students to summarize?

· When should I ask developing interpretation

questions?

· Do my developing interpretation questions

require students to demonstrate clarification,
verification, or revision to their initial
understanding?

· When should I ask personal response questions?

· Do my personal response questions allow

students an opportunity to respond using
personal and prior knowledge with information
from the text?
· When should I ask critical stance questions?
· Do my critical stance questions build on students
ability to identify and analyze the author’s
perspective and craft?

· Do my questions reflect a variety of activities

that will help my students differentiate their
orientation to the stances?

· Do my developing interpretation, personal

response, and critical stance questions require
students to revisit the text?
 THE 3 REASONS FOR READING

Directions: In each of the following cases, decide whether you would be reading To Perform
a Task (TPT), For Information (Fl), or For Literary Experience (FLE). Put your answers on
the lines provided.

1. Your teacher asks you to find in the dictionary the meaning of the word
“conundrum.”

2. A friend suggests a book called First Blood and says you should read It because
it’s action-packed and a good story.

3. You buy your little sister a doll house for Christmas and now must put It together
for her using the Assembly Instructions.

4. You’re into reading science fiction and a new bestseller comes out!

5. You consult a book of road maps to determine the shortest route to take between
Baltimore and St Louis, Missouri.

6. Your mother gives you a recipe to make her famous apple pie.

7. You refer to the owner’s manual for your VOR to learn how to program It to record
a television show.

8. You go to the library to research the first settlers of Randallstown.

9. You read mysteries for entertainment during your spare time.

10. You consult the entertainment section of the newspaper to find out when the new
Jackie Chan movie is showing.

11. You can’t afford karate school, so you get a how-to book on martial arts and
practice all the steps page by page.

12. You want to find out what the state bird of Maryland is and you get an
encyclopedia.

13. You find a section In the encyclopedia article about how to make a bird house for
orioles.

14. You’re a big fan of birdwatching and you love to read about rare bird sightings.

15. You read your textbook to find out when World War I started.
 A Reader’s Checklist for Success in

Reading to Perform a Task

Note: These considerations are samples of the kinds of things that effective readers do to increase
their understand-ing: they are not absolute prescriptions. Student readers should use them only as
starting points from which to build their own strategies - strategies that they can freely modify
according to the demands of their reading purposes and the text.

Before you read...

• Determine what you want to be able to do.

• Skim to find out how the author has chosen to present the material.

• Determine if the directions are organized in a way that would be easy for you to follow.

As you read...
• Read all of the directions once to get a general sense of the task you are being asked to perform.

• Read the materials again to learn the specific directions.

• Pause after each direction you read, and make a picture in your mind of what you are sup, posed

to do.

• Pay close attention to the illustrations or diagrams the author has provided. Do they reflect the

directions accurately?

Summarize each direction on paper in your own words, or highlight key words in the directions.
• When you come to something important that you don’t understand, try rereading it, or ask

someone else for help if you can.

• Use resources such as a dictionary to look up important words that you don’t understand.

• Think ahead about any difficulty you might have in being able to perform the task.

After you read...

• Review your summary of the directions by comparing them to the original materials.

• Revise your ideas as necessary.

• Decide if you would be able to perform the task as written.

 A Reader’s Checklist for Success in
Reading to be Informed
Note: These considerations are samples of the kinds of things that effective readers do to increase
their understand-ing; they are not absolute prescriptions. Student readers should use them only as
starting points from which to build their own strategies - strategies that they can freely modify
according to the demands of their reading purposes and the text.

Before you read...

• Determine what you want to learn or find out from the material.

• Look over what you will read.

• Skim to find out how the author has chosen to present the material.

• Ask yourself what you already know about the topics the author will cover.

• Jot some predictions on paper about what you expect to learn from the text.

As you read...
• Underline, highlight, or take notes to help you construct meaning and recall important infor-mation.

• Ask yourself continually, “Do I understand what I just read and see how it fits?” Pay attention to titles,

chapters, and subheadings.

• Examine any tables, illustrations, bold-face print, underlining, colored print, captions, glossa-ries, and

other aids the author has provided.

• Pause during your reading to organize new information and link it to what you already know. When

you don’t understand something, review your notes to see where you got off track, reread the

passage, talk to another, or consult such resources as a dictionary.

After you read..

• Summarize what you have read by restating main ideas from the text.

• Evaluate your notes and understanding.

• Reread any passages that you did not understand.

• Apply new ideas from the text to broader situations to extend thinking.

• Evaluate the ideas presented in the text.

• Jot any questions you still have about the topic.

• Use study strategies for notetaking, locating, and remembering to improve your learning in the subject

area.
1. READ THE QUESTION

2. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE BEING ASKED

3. AS YOU READ THE INFORMATION,

HIGHLIGHT KEY WORDS OR PHRASES THAT
WILL HELP YOU TO ANSWER THE
QUESTION.

4. SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER WITH CITATIONS

FROM THE TEXT, USING THE COMMA
QUOTE STRATEGY.

5. EXTEND YOUR ANSWER BY:

· BACKING UP THE INFORMATION FROM
THE TEXT WITH YOUR PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE OR PRIOR KNOWLEDGE YOU
HAVE ABOUT THE TOPIC.
OR
· EXPLAINING WHY THIS INFORMATION IS
IMPORTANT OR SIGNIFICANT
“THIS MEANS,...”
“IN OTHER WORDS…”
“I KNOW THIS BECAUSE...”
The PEP TALK Strategy

Think PEP Ask questions, Look for answers, Keep Notes

PERSON (man or woman)

Read and Find

• what???
• why did???
• when and where
• important???
• connect...

EVENT (something happened?)

Read and find???

• what happened
• ???
• when and where
• players
• important words
• connect...

PLACE (location?)

Read and find

• where is it
• what is it like
• why is it special
• important words
• connect...

The PEP talk strategy. Note. From “The PEP Strategy.” Copyright 1997 by David S. Katims and Janis M. Harmon.
Reprinted with permission.
Reading Name
Map Skills Class
Date

Part A; Pre-assessment identify die statement to be T or F in the Before column to show what yOU
know about the following map topics.

Before
Maps use the ????? talking about directions.

To have a good map, a person should include a key.

Maps have only words on them. in order to show locations and roadways.

The weatherman ??? at the bottom of the map is called

A ruler is helpful in determining distance on a map.

A city and state look alike on a map.

Part B: (1) Create five statements about what you observe while looking at the map of the state
Futura. (2) Then, “dig” to give a detail about that statement to show more elaboration about that
observation.
Ex. Obs. There is a key in the bottom left hand side of the map.
Det. The key has 9 symbols represented in it.

1. O-
D-
2. O-
D-
3. O-
D-
4. O-
D-
5. O-
D-

Part C: Answer the questions that are connected to the packet. Be sure to check your answers out
with the map thoroughly.
 ADMIT ONE

Admit Slips
What is it?
• A warm-up activity used to access prior knowledge or review material from a previous class or activity

• a way to identify instructional needs of students

• A strategy for student self-reflection

Why use it?

• To help students recall and/or apply previously taught information or skills

• To access prior knowledge

• To generate interest for the topic about to be taught

When to use it:

• As a quick formative assessment

• When checking for understanding

• When accessing prior knowledge will help to improve student comprehension

Hoe to use it:

• Provide students with 3X5 cards or slips of paper as they enter the room

• Direct students to respond to a teacher-selected question

• Collect cards from students and share several responses at the start of class
 KWL Know - Want to Know - Learn
What is it?

A way to list what you Know. What you Want to know, and wha you have Leqrned about a given topic

Why use it?

To tap prior knowledge

To develop questions

To set the stage for reading

·To set purposes for reading

·To set a framework for writing

·To summarize learning

K W L
What I want
What I know to know What I learned

When to use it:

· Prior to reading and viewing activities

· At the beginning of a unit
· To prompt students to re-read and re-think key points
· After reading, as teacher guides students in a discussion and records the generated information

How to use it?

· Have students brainstorm what they already know about the concept and record under K
· Have students develop a list of questions about what they want to know and record under W
· After reading, have students record new information they learned under L (see sample on following
page)
 Anticipation Guides
What is it?

A set of teacher-prepared statements or questions relatedto a reading selection to be assigned. It elicits

students prior knowledge, point of view, and personal predictions about the concepts involved.

Why use it?

• Motivates interest through pre-reading

• Sets purpose and focus

• Encourages higher level thinking

• Clears up misconceptions

• Activates prior knowledge

When to use it:

• when introducing new material in any content area

How to use it:

• Introduce major concepts from the reading to the students

• Determine students’ knowledge of these concepts

• create 6 to 8 statement: some true, some false; decide statement order

• Present the anticipation guide (6 to 8 statements)

• Discuss each statement briefly.. sttudents agree or disagree and record their response

• After reading, conduct follow-up discussions by returning to the anticipation guide to clarify under-

standing of the concepts and statements

Direct students to rewrite any statement that needs to be altered based on the selection they have read. (see
sample on following page)
 Anticipation Guide
Read each statement and decide if you think its more like true or false. Put a + if you think it is correct. Put
an 0 if you think it is wrong. After we read, you can go back and check what you have learned

PUMPKINS

1. Pumpkin plants grow in the wild and come up every year.

2. The first pumpkins have been traced to South Asia. Traders brought them to Europe and then
to america.
3. Pumpkin plants have two kinds of flowers. The pollen from the male flower must be carried
to the female flower in order for pumpkins to grow.
4. Pumpkin flowers bloom in the night and close up during the day
5. Some pumpkins have grown to over 900 pounds. Some are very tiny
6. Zucchini squash and watermelon are in the same family as pumpkins.
7. ?????
8. In some towns, there are contests for catapulting pumpkins and in others, for rolling them the
fastest with a bat.
9. The state that grows the most pumpkins is Pennsylvania.
10. Pumpkins play a role in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Cinderella”

WHALES
1. Whales are mammals.

2. Whales grow up without ever knowing their mothers.

3. The largest whale is the blue whale.

4. Whales inhale and exhale through their spouts or blow holes.

5. A large whale may weigh up to 150 tons.

6. Whales are monogamous. They stay with the same mate.

7. A baby whale may gain up to 200 pounds a day.

8. Some whales used to live on land.

 Name

Preview and Predict

Name of Chapter / Article

Starts on page and ends on page

Look through the chapter / article. Put an X next to any of these you find:

title headings dates

pictures boldface or italics maps or charts

Predict what the chapter / article will be about

???????

Some major events will be

Some important dates seem to be

 TEXT FEATURES USED by AUTHORS

Colors Maps

Boxes Photographs

Bullets/Steps Underlining
•
•
•
Captions This is a square. It has
Bold print 4 equal sides

Arrows
Big letters

Labels Apple Graphs

Italic print Pronunciation Key

ear ( e r )

Diagrams
 Embedded Questions
DURING READING STRATEGY

EMBEDDED QUESTIONING is cutting the text up and embedding questions

or writing them within the test.

Used to:

· promote higher level thinking

· promote modeling of metacognition
· promote reflective thinking
· similar to “asking questions,” but the reader actually sees them

How to create embedded questioning:

1. Select a reading related to your teaching topic

2. Find natural breaks or high interest points in the text.
3. Literally cut the text apart where you have selected the breaks.
4. Write/type in the critical thinking questions, or EMBED them into the
reading.
5. Put the text back together and photocopy so that the students have
their own copy.
6. Consistently embed questions so that the students view the modeling
regularly.

See example…
 Fix-Up Good readers use some strategies to monitor their comprehension when the meaning
Strategies is lost. When necessary, they integrate semantic, syntactic and graphophonic cues
to construct meanings for unknown words.
Often however, self monitoring uncovers comprehension break-downs beyond the
word level. To teach fix-up strategies for comprehension at this level, teachers must
help students generate and post for future reference a list of strategies to use when
comprehension breaks down for any reason. As students discover new fix-up strategies
they should discuss and add them to the list. Oral reading by the teacher or students
provide opportuniti\y to monito reading and apply fix-up strategies.

A class list may include, but not be limited to. the following fix-up strategies. Teachers are
encouraged to duplicate the list below as a bookmark. mini-poster, or notebook page for students.
Teachers might also encourage students to add strategies to the list as they discover them.

• Skip a difficult word.

• Use sentence and paragraph context to explain new terms.

• Reread a difficult section of text.

• Read further on in the text.

• Ask a friend for help in understanding a term or section.

• Use a reference book to define or explain difficult terms.

• Look at the word pairs if the problem involves only one word.

• Locate and read less difficult material dealing with the sample concept.

• Look for hands-on material that will clarify the concepts.

 Paraphrasing
What is it?

A restating of the text in reader’s own words which captures the authors meaning.

Why use it?

• Aids when reading a difficult passage

• Helps in remembering factual information

When to use it:

• During reading a difficult passage of a larger selection

• After reading a short selection

How to use it:

• Identify the most important ideas in a text.
• Have student repeat those ideas in their own words, capturing the author’s meaning.
• Monitor students to make sure they do not add their own interpretations, and do not distort meaning by
eliminating too many details, and do not involve author’s exact words.
• As students become better at paraphrasing, the length and difficulty of the selections should increase.
• Teacher modeling and guidance are essential in developing paraphrasing skills.
 Double Entry Journal
What is it?
A journal in which students record information from text in one column and their own reactions, ideas, and
feelings about the text in another

Why use it?

• To record necessay information from a reading selection
• To allow students an opportunity to reflect on recorded information
• To make and check predictions
• To recall and refine knowledge

When to use it:

•During reading to take notes
• After reading to check comprehension and/or as a study tool
• To react to information
• To check predictions

How to use it:

• Direct students to divide journal pages into two vertical columns
• Guide students to determine the purpose of double entry, i.e.:
• notes/reactions
• notes/questions
• text excerpt reminds me of
• character/my feelings
• text excerpt support
• Students record appropriate information/reactions, ideas, feelings in correct column
 Think Aloud
What is it?

· A strategy to make thinking public

· Letting students in on the secret of how you think while reading
· Verbalization of the processing of information

Why use it?

· To increase reading comprehension ability by taking the mystery out of comprehending text
· To model thinking strategies for students to use on their own
· To enable students to become metacognitive

When to use it:

· When comprehension lags

· When teacher wants students to describe their mental images
· With shared and paired reading
· Before the activity to assess awareness
· During the activity to assess performance awareness
· After the activity to assess appropriate use of the strategy

How to use it:

· Teacher selects the reading selection

· Teacher identifies appropriate strategy to be emphasized. i.e.. prediction, visualization, prior
knowledge connections through analogies, verbalization of confusing points
· Teacher explains to students that he will model what experienced readers often do and think as
they read
· Teacher reads text orally to students while students read along silently

NOTE: While reading, teacher simultaneously verbalizes the thinking process involved. After modeling
strategies. the teacher guides students in identifying and discussing use of the strategy. Strategies
can be charted to future use. After guided practice. students can be paired to practice “think-
aloud” with each other.
 Frayer Model
Pre-reading Strategy for Content area text

*taken from Reading in the Content Area: If Not Me. Then Who? by R. Billrneyer

What is it?
“The Frayer Model is a word categorization activity, developed to analyze and test the
attainment of concepts important to develop understanding around ESSENTIAL AND NON-
ESSENTIAL CATEGORIES.

HOW TO D0 IT:

1. Assign the content word or concept being studied.

2. Explain all the parts of the Frayer Model.

3. Complete a sample model(s) with the students until they appear to be confident.
4, Have the students work in pairs or groups to complete assigned concepts.

5. Once the models are complete, have the students share their maps aloud. Using
crayons, marker. etc/ and hanging the posters until the end of the unit will assist those
“forgotten” concepts.

See Model:

Essential Characteristics Non-Essential Characteristics

WORD
Examples Non-examples
Definition Characteristics
A mathematical shape that * closed
that is a closed plane * plane figured
figure bounded by 3 or more * more than 2 straight sides
line segments * 2 dimensional
* made of line segments

POLYGON
Examples Non-Examples

* pentagon * circle
* hexagon * cube
* square * sphere
* trapezoid * cylinder
* rhombus * cone
 C.O.N.C.E.P.T. MAP
Post Reading Organizer

-7 step cueing system that allows readers to note the

importance of one particular idea or concept
*This strategy needs to be rnodeled several times, practiced with assistance (guided),
and used as a study tool independently.

C - convey the concept

O - offer the overall concept

N - note the key words

C - classify the characteristics

E - explore the examples

P - practice with new examples

T - tie down a definition

* Any style of organizer can be created, but the idea of exploring a new concept by
creating the same style of organizer each time is habit--forming for students. They can
internalize this strategy, and it allows them to interpret the information each time.
 Comparison Table: People

Overall Concept

Concept Concept

Characteristics Characteristics Extensions

Like Characteristics Like Categories

Unlike Caracteristics Unlike Caracteristics Unlike Categories

Summary
Now, in review of the article, you can be questioned with 4 different types of .????

1.Global- information that can be retrieved from the text to simply answer a question.
This is done by simply identifying general information.

ex. What is the topic of the article?

What type of animal is being questioned in this article?
What purposes do dogs serve here in the U.S.?

2. Interpretive- is information that is gained by revisiting and examining information

based upon what they already know and connecting it to new information; going
beyond what you already know.

????????? the coats?

How is using coyote fur similar to using dog fur? The same
Why arent the dogs shot for the use of their skin instead of drowned?

3. Critical- questioning the author’s writing /ideas; looking at the author’s craft;
reflecting on the experience, judging it, and connecting to other texts.

ex. Why did the author provide both information from readers that agree and
disagree with the article?
How does the format of the article allow you to move through the
information easily?
How did the author make it easier to distinguish between headings,
subheadings, and the actual reading?

4. Personal- answering “what you think” kind of questions, your opinions, and how it
affects you as a person....

ex. What is your opinion on using a dogs fur for a coat? Do you like dogs as a
pet or for commercial use?
Do you think there too many dogs in this country?
 SUMMARIZING

What is it?

A strategy used to provide a brief written overview of essential information

Why use it?

· focuses students’ attention to the major points of text

· assists students in organizing major points
· helps to clarify students’ recall

When to use it:

· as a response to reading
· after viewing or listening to a selection

How to use it:

· identify the most important information in the passage middle. and an end
· organize information into a beginning, a middle. and an end
· write the essential information in as few words as possible
· check that extraneous information is not included
 The Summarization Process
During, Post Reading Strategy

What are summaries?

A summary is a piece of writing that condenses the essential
information of an essay, article, or a book. A summary DOES NOT provide all details
but uses general statements about the text. _

Why use summaries?

Summarizing is an effective way to foster increased understanding and
remembering. It also monitors cognitive process.
Summaries allow us to pull out key ideas and compare and contrast them to other
concepts.
*Summaries should be about 10-25 percent of the total length of the text.

How to teach summaries:

Have the students identify the who, what, where, when, and why of the text.
Then they can put all of this information into a paragraph.

Sample:
2-7 Estimating products and quotients pg. 94 of Middle School Math, Course1

Who- the students doing the estimating problems

What- estimating products and quotients
Where- in Ch.2 of Math class
When- when using multiplication and division
Why- rounding numbers and using compatible num6ers
How- look at the digit to the right of the place you want to round to; 4f the digit is 5 or greater,
round up. If it is lower, leave it the digit that it is. Round products and quotients so that
ony’ one digit is a non-zero number

Summary:
While we are learning how to estimate products and quotients in multiplication and division in Ch.
2, we need to remember to round numbers and use compatible numbers. After getting the product
or quotient, we need to look at the end number and round up or down based upon the number to
the right of the identified place value. We can even round so that only one place value is a non-
zero number.
 Questioning the Authorr
What ids it?

A strategy used for critical analysis of reading material.

Why use it?

· To help the reader to develop an understanding of the author’s purpose.

· To judge the author’s success in making his/her purpose clear.

· To notice that the author’s style of presenting information can impede or enhance the reader’s com-
prehension.

When to use it:

· During and after a selection usage

· To enable students to better understand the author’s point of view

· To explain or clarify the author’s purposes and ideas.

How to use it:

· Teacher directs students to read selected passages.

· Teacher creates prompts to enable students to critically evaluate the passage. (See example on
following page.)

· Teacher provides questions for students to use to analyze text.

· Teacher models how these questions should be applied using read-aloud and think-aloud strategies.

· Students are moved to guided practice in pairs or small groups led by the teacher.
 Questioning the Author
What ids the author trying to tell?

Whay is the author telling that?

Is it said clearly?

How could you have said it more clearly?

What would you want to say instead?

 EXIT
Exit Slips

What is it?
A 3x5 card given to each student at the end of an instructional activity. discussion, demonstration, or
reading of a text. On one side of the card, students write one thing they learned: on the other side. they
write one question they still have.

Why use it?

• To help students reflect on what they have learned.
• To identify ??????
• To provide useful information to the teacher.

When to use it:

At the end of a learning experience.

How to use it:

· Provide a 3x5 card for each student at the end of a learning experience. a class, or end of the day.

· Direct students to write one thing they learned on one side of the card, and one question they still have
on the other side.

· Collect cards for review and select several questions to use during the next lesson.

NOTE: During the next session, questions can be answered directly by the teacher (orally or in writing or
students can be invited to respond. Selected questions may be put aside for future study. Modifica-
tion: Rather than writing one thing learned, students can respond to questions such as: What was
surprising for you? What were you thinking about the most? What is one idea you are excited
about?
Connecting Reading and Writing

There are various ways that we can connect reading

and writing in ANY classroom on a consistentbasis.

1. Exit Slips
2. Free Writing- focused, non-focused
3. Journals
4. Stance Questions
5. Authentic Prompt Writing
6. Dialectical Journals
7. Response Journals- I think, I feel
 Stages of Reading

Emergent Literacy
? discover that writing is talk written down

?retell stories by pointing to pictures

Beginning Reading
?realize that words have meaning
? recognize sight words

Building FLuency
? word recognition and comprehension become more automatic
? read at a faster rate (chunking words and phrases)

? begin to read independently

Reading for Pleasure/Reading to Learn

? read a variety of books

? read for enjoyment
? read to find out information

Mature Reading

? read a variety of texts about one topic

? continue to read for enjoyment
The Role of Text Structure in Comprehension and Learning

Content area texts are written to inform. Their primary purpose is to tell, show, describe or explain. Text
patterns represent the different types of logical connections among important and less important ideas in this
material. There are five text patterns that seem to predominate:

description, sequence, comparison-contrast, cause-effect, and problem-solution.

However, authors do not always write texts in neat, easily recognized patterns. They often use more than
one pattern to make a point or convey an idea.

1. Description. Listing information about a topic, event, object, person, idea, etc. (facts, characteristics,
traits, features ), usually qualifying the listing by criteria such as size or importance.

2. Sequence. Putting facts, events, or concepts into a sequence. An author will trace the development of
the topic or give steps in the process. Time reference may be explicit or implicit, but a sequence is evident in
the pattern.

3. Comparison-contrast. Pointing out likenesses (comparison) and/or differences (contrast) among facts,
people, events, concepts, etc.

4. Cause-effect. Showing how facts, events, or concepts (effects) happen or come into being because of
other facts, events, or concepts (causes).

5. Problem-solution. Showing the development of a problem(s) and the solution(s) to the problem.

Reading Signals

Signals

Description Sequence Comparison Cause-Effect Problem Solution

- Contrast

to begin with on (date) however because

most important not long after but since
also now as well as therefore
in fact as on the other hand consequently
for instance before not only...but also as a result
for example after either...or this led to
when while so that
first although nevertheless
second unless accordingly
then similarly if...then
finally yet thus
 Reading in the Content area II

Stance Questions
Part I
For quality written stance questions:

?Make sure the reading material that you have selected will allow for
stance questioning. (the text is long enough...)

?When writing stance questions, always write your answer using the
text for support before giving the students the actual questions. (so
that you know the answer can be found in the text... work ahead!)

?Have someone who has not read the text answer your question; if
they can answer the question, you need to re-write it.
?Cue students to use text-based support in their responses. (... refer to the
text, provide evidence, Include text-based details...)

?Stance questions require “think time,” so allow your students

adequate response time.
?Review student responses to determine if the question intended is the
question students answered. (.. there may be confusion within the question
itself..)

?As part of your instructional program, teach students necessary

strategies to demonstrate their construction of meaning through the
stances. (teach them the stances and cue them on how to recognize the
differences between them so answers reflect success)

?Once students are comfortable answering stance questions, allow

them to generate their own!!
?DO NOT CREATE A LIST CONTAINING A GREAT NUMBER OF STANCE
QUESTIONS; FOCUS IN ON THE LEARNING OUTCOME! (.. IF YOU GIVE
YOUR STUDENTS MANY QUESTIONS, THIS WILL TURN THEM OFF; A FEW WILL DO IF
THEY ARE THE RIGHT ONES...)
 Sample Action Verbs
adapt engage prioritize
adjust establish produce
analyze estimate propose
apply evaluate pursue
appraise examine question
articulate exhibit rate
ask experiment reach
assess explain reason
calculate explore recognize
challenge express reflect
check find respond
classify gather retrieve
clarify generalize review
collect help revise
combine identify search
cornpare incorporate seek
complete induce select
conduct inguire show
connect inspect solve
consider instruct structure
contrast integrate support
construct interact synthesize
correct interpret teach
create invent test
decide investigate use
deduce justify utilize
defend label write
define locate
demonstrate list
describe make
design modify
detect monitor
develop organize
devise participate
differentiate perform
discuss plan
display predict
distinguish present

Source: Maryland assessment Consortium

Identifying Stance Questions

Global:
In my head from what
I’ve read.

Interpretation:
Into the book for a better look.

Personal Reflection:
The book and me, connect you see.

Critical:
A critical note about how the author
wrote.
 The Reading-Writing Connection

Teaching Reading in the Contents Area II

THE WRITING PROCESS

Prewriting choosing a topic and planning to write about

it...brainstorming with organizers and lists, etc...

Drafting writing a first draft...getting your ideas down on paper...not worrying about
mistakes...usually in pencil and skipping every other line

Revising reading your drafts thoughtfully to define your ideas. add details, check the
order and include STRONG words...at this stage we may meet with the teacher to discuss our
ideas or communicate as a group in order to make sure that we are on the right track...- BUT
it is done by the writer only!

Proofreading Reading your draft carefully to check for C.U.P.S. mistakes...

(capitalization, usage, punctuation, spelling) ...this can be done in pairs or by the writer on a
second occasion - checking for mistakes!

Publishing/Final Draft writing a final draft for assessment or sharing... this should be a
clean copy free of marks/mistakes and normally written in ink...

Now, think about how these steps in the writing process connect with the following steps in the
READING PROCESS.........
THE READING PROCESS

Previewing
viewing or looking over the entire text by recognizing the text
features and format of the text

Pre - reading
recognizing the topic, setting the purpose, and making predictions
about the text- building background knowledge

Initial Reading
first time reading of the text so that construction of meaning can
be made - identifying first thoughts about the reading

Revisiting going back into the text to develop a deeper understanding of the
text - a possible second reading - visiting from a personal, interpretive, or critical
standpoint- re-organizing your thoughts

Checking Editing responses so that complete understanding can be made -

assessment from the various stances

.... Lets make the correlation; in your own words, how

are these processes the same?
 Reading in the Content Area II
Before, During and After Reading Strategies

B What are before, during, after reading strategies?

B Are they the same as reading skills?

D What new strategies have you learned today?

A Provide an example of when you could have utilized a strategy in today’s

lesson in your classroom.

Learning: What is the purpose of reading strategies as they are used

in any and all classrooms?
 The Thinking Reader

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 Strategies That Might Be Taught
when reading for a particular purpose:

Reading For Information:

· Use of a KWL chart/pre-assessment chart
· Separating main idea from the subordinate ideas (web)
· Scanning/skimming
· Looking for text features (table of contents, chapters, headings, bold face,
glossary
· Note-taking in the margins
· Insert strategy(comments using?, ??, !,,,
· Highlighting key ideas
· Post-it notes (when you can’t write in the text)
· Embedded questioning
· Critical comparison analysis of multiple pieces of text on the same topic
· Read the assessment questions first before reading the text (when applicable)

Reading to Perform a Task~

· Reading directions through at least twice; thinking aloud as you read the
second time
· Checking the material list against the directions
· Pantomiming each step
· Draw eavh step or match then with the written steps provided
· Rewrite directions so that they read correctly or for an adaptation to the
procedure
· Breaking the paragraph-written procedures into steps by using numbers or
slashes
· Comparing multiple sets of directions to determine the best set or to gain
information about what could go wrong with the procedure
· Find key vocabulary terms which have been studied
· *** You do not have to always perform the task... unless your curriculum calls
for it!
 A Reader’s Checklist for Success in Reading to Perform a Task

1. Before you read:

?Determine what you want to be able to do.

?Skim to find out how the author has chosen to present the material.
?Determine if the directions are organized in a way that would be easy for you to follow.

2. As you read:
?Read all of the directions once to get a general sense of the task you are being asked to perform.

?Read the materials again to learn the specific directions.

?Summarize each direction on paper in your own words.

?Pay close attention to the illustrations or diagrams the author has provided.
?Pause after each direction you reads and make a picture in your mind of what you are supposed to do.
?When you come to something important that you don’t understand, try rereading it, or ask someone else
for help if you can.

?Use resources such as a dictionary to look up important words that you don’t understand.
?Think ahead about any difficulty you might have in being able to perform a task.

3. After you read:

?Review your summary of the directions by comparing them to the original

?Revise your ideas as necessary.

?Decide if you would be able to perform the task as written.

 A Reader’s Checklists for Success in Reading to be Informed

1. Before you read:

? Determine what you want to learn or find out from the material.
? Look over what you will read.
? Skim to find out how the author has chosen to present the material.
? Ask yourself what you already know about the topics the author will cover.
? Jot some predictions on paper about what you expect to learn from the text.

2. As you read:

? Underline, highlight, or take notes to help you construct meaning and recall important information.
? Ask yourself continually, “Do I understand what I just read and see how it fits?”
? Pay attention to titles, chapters, and subheadings.
? Examine any tables, illustrations, bold-face print, underlining, colored print, captions, glossaries, and
other aids the author has provided. Pause during your reading to organize new information and link it
to what you already know.
? When you don’t understand something, review your notes to see where you got off track, reread the
passage, talk to another person, or consult such resources as a dictionary.

3. After you read:

? Summarize what you have read by restating main ideas from the text.
? Evaluate your notes and understanding.
? Reread any passages that you did not understand.
? Apply new ideas from the text to broader situations to extend thinking.
? Evaluate the ideas presented in the text.
? Jot any questions you still have about the topic.
? Use study strategies for notetaking, locating, and remembering to improve your learning in the subject
area.
 A Reader’s Checklist for Success in Reading for Literary Experience

When you are reading a story or a play, think about:

what the story or play is about
the characters and setting
the events
what will happen next
the problems and how they are solved

If you are reading a poem. think about:

the topic of the poem
how the poet wants you to feel
the descriptive words that make the pictures in your mind
the form the poet has used

I. Before you read:

? Set a purpose for reading.

? Preview the material to generate questions you would like to have answered.
? Think about the title, pictures, and ideas to help you to predict what the story is about.

2. As you read:

? Stop and retell the main events to see if you understand what has happened.
? See if you can answer any of the questions you asked before you started to read.
? Continue to predict the outcome of the reading as you move through the material. Reread some parts
or read ahead to see if you can figure out what is happening if things aren’t making sense.

? Think about how the author used special words or phrases to communicate.
? Use context clues or a dictionary to help you determine the meaning qf unknown words.
Think about how your own experience compares to the characters’ experiences.

3. After you read:

? See if you met your purposes for reading.

? Think about what questions you still have about the story.
? Consider whether the plot is realistic.
 What Is Strategic Reading?

S trategic readers actively construct meaning as they read, interacting with the text. They set
purposes for reading, select methods of accomplishing these purposes, monitor and repair their own
comprehension as they read. and evaluate the completed task. A strategic reader constructs. examines, and
extends meaning before, during, and after reading for a variety of texts.

‘Teachers who understand that reading is a strategic process establish environments that provide
opportunities for children to learn language and learn about language while they are using language for real
purposes.” (Halliday)

There are a number of differences between strategic readers and poor readers during all phases of the
reading process.
How Do Strategic Readers Differ from Poor
Readers?

1. Before Reading, Strategic Readers... Poor Readers...

• Build up their own background knowledge about • Start reading without thinking about the
reading and the topic process of reading or the topic
• Set purposes for reading • Do not know why they are reading but
• Determine methods for reading, according to their merely view the task as “ground to
purposes. cover.”

2. During Reading, Strategic Readers... Poor Readers...

• Give their complete attention to the reading task
• Check their own understanding constantly
• Monitor their reading comprehension and do it so
often that it becomes automatic
• Stop to use a fix-up strategy when they do not
understand
• Use semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic cues to
construct meanings of unfamiliar words
• Synthesize during reading
• Ask questions
• Talk to themselves during reading.
• Do not eliminate distractions from
reading
• Do not know whether they understand
• Do not recognize when comprehension
has broken down
• Seldom use fix-up strategies to improve
comprehension
• Skip or ignore meanings of unfamiliar
but crucial words
• Do not integrate text with prior
knowledge
• Read without reflecting on meaning or
text organization.

3. After Reading, Strategic Readers... Poor Readers...

• Decide if they have achieved their goals for reading • Do not know what they have read
• Evaluate their understanding of what was read • Do not follow reading with
• Summarize the major ideas comprehension self-check
• Seek additional information from outside sources • Rely exclusively on the author’s words
• Distinguish between relevant and irrelevant ideas • Do not go beyond a surface
• Paraphrase the text examination of the text
• Reflect on and personalize the text • Apply no conscious strategies to help
• Critically examine the text them remember what they have
• Integrate new understandings and prior knowledge learned.
• Use study strategies to retain new knowledge.
What is the Strategic Process?

A good, strategic reader constructs, examines, and extends meaning before, during, and after reading.
The teacher of strategic reading continually introduces, models, explains, reinforces, and evaluates reading
strategies as students read various texts for diverse purposes. Thus, the teacher of strategic reading
develops and follows an organized plan in promoting student growth in use of the strategies. See “Strategies
of Effective Readers,” Teacher Resources Section for a summary of strategies.

What is a Reading Strategy?

“A strategy is a plan of action for bringing about a desired product such as comprehension or
independence. Strategies require the use of more than one skill simultaneously when reading sen-tences,
paragraphs, and longer passages.”

Edith Buckingham

What is the Difference Between a Reading Strategy and a Reading Skill?

“Strategies are plans readers use flexibly and adaptively, depending upon the situation. Skills, in contrast,
are procedures readers overlearn through repetition so that speed and accuracy are assured every time the
response is called for.

The differences influence instruction and learning. In teaching skills, the object is to create automatized
accuracy through drill and practice activities (such as worksheets) which call repeatedly for the same
response. Students who receive skills instruction learn to answer isolated exercises quickly and accurately.

In teaching strategies, on the other hand, the object is to develop thoughtful and conscientious reasoning
about problems encountered in real text (such as trade books or magazines) where each situation demands
a slightly different response. Students who receive strategy instruction learn to reason adaptively with their
own knowledge about how reading works.”

Duffy and Roehler, Reading Teacher, January, 1987

What Are the Steps Teachers Should Follow in Planning and Providing Strategic Reading
Instruction?

See chart on the next page

 Planning for Reading Strategy Instruction

Planning

1. Select material students can read comfortably.

2. Identify a strategy.

Focusing Instruction

1. Name the strategy to be taught.

2. Discuss the reasons why it is being taught.
3. Display and explain the steps of the strategy.

Modeling - Direct Instruction

1. Teach the strategy in an appropriate context.

2. Provide opportunities for whole-group work, collaborative group work, and individual work.
3. Reflect with students on what was done and why.
4. Discuss with students strategic applications within and across the curriculum,

Guiding Practice

1. Review the steps of the strategy with the students.

2. Establish criteria for effective use of the strategy.
3. Use the strategy in a variety of contexts and with a variety of texts.
4. Reflect with the students on their growing competency with the strategy.

Encouraging Independent Applications

1. Return to the strategy whenever applicable.

2. Provide opportunities for students to use the strategy to fit particular texts, contents, and
personal styles.
3. Monitor the students’ expertise and independent application of the strategy.
4. Require and enable students to assess their own growth in strategic behaviors through
instructional portfolio assessment.
5. Monitor the gradual reduction of teacher support needed by individuals.
6. Inservice team members on strategy procedures and applications.
How Can Reading Strategies Be Organized?

· BEFORE-READING activities should emphasize methods of merging reader, text, and content. thereby
enabling students to set appropriate reading purposes, recall related prior knowledge. preview and predict
what the text will be about, and select reading methods to suit their purposes and the text. Included in
these considerations may be readers’ decisions to expand their back-ground knowledge through related
discussion, exploration of key concepts, or related reading.

· DURING-READING activities should enable students to monitor their comprehension through a variety
of strategies and experiences and acquire diverse fix-up strategies to improve their understanding where
necessary.

· AFTER-READING activities should teach students to review their understanding of text, relate new
ideas to their background knowledge, revisit the text to clarify and extend meanings, make responsible
interpretations and criticisms of ideas from the text, revise their thinking, apply the information to other
texts and disciplines, and remember crucial learnings for future application.

What Are Some Techniques for Teaching Before-Reading Strategies?

Before reading, strategic readers:

· PREVIEW the text by looking at the title, the pictures, and the print in order to evoke relevant
thoughts and memories.
· BUILD BACKGROUND by activating appropriate prior knowledge through self-
question-ing about what they already know about the topic (or story), the vocabulary, and the
form in which the topic (or story) is presented.
· SET PURPOSES for reading by asking questions about what they want to learn during the
reading process.

The following strategies can be used to assist students before they read the text. They enable the students
to become actively engaged in metacognitive processes in preparation for reading.
 Previewing •· Recall and consider prior personal experiences that are relevant to the text.
• Build the necessary background knowledge for the text.
• Observe how the text is organized.
• Reflect on personal purposes for reading.

Example: When previewing Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt, for example, the teacher might share a map
that delineates Northern and Southern states of slavery. The teacher might read to the students Pink and
Say ( a picture book which describes the friendship and perspectives of two Union soldiers during the Civil
War) by Patricia Polacco. The students might share their knowledge about Civil War events and local battle
sites and then examine the textual elements of Across Five Aprils in order to predict novel events. After
reading the front and back covers, copyright page, and dedication, the students use a visual organizer to
predict novel events. The teacher might then save the organizer for later review and give a copy to each
student, asking each to record a personal purpose for reading the novel on the prediction sheet.

Survey Technique This technique is a whole-class adaptation of SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read,
Recite, Review) study method. Steps include:
· Analyze the chapter title, subtitles, and visual aids.
· Read the introductory and closing paragraphs.
· Identify the main idea of the passage.

Predictions Making predictions increases student curiosity and motivation by stimulating

purposes for reading. Predictions may be made after reading the title or first section
of a selection, viewing an illustration, or from skimming an assignment. Predictions
may be listed. Students should be asked to justify their predictions based on
available clues.

Prereading Plan This technique enables students to use and analyze their prior knowledge
about the subject of a reading. Steps include:
• Phase 1: Discuss key aspects of a topic according to the teacher’s purposes.
• Initiate associations to help students elaborate on what they know about the
topic.
• Reflect on the associations to clarify prior knowledge.
• Reformulate knowledge; develop new insight; and add, delete, or modify
ideas.
Phase 2: The teacher analyzes individual student responses to assess the prior
knowledge of the class before presenting the content.
 Directed · Survey the title, subheadings. and illustrations.
Inquiry · Predict responses to these questions: Who? What? Where? Why? and How?
Activity ~DIA) · After predicting, read the text to evaluate the predictions.
· Analyze the predictions using the given information.
· Modify understandings of the content under the points of inquiry.

Directed The DRTA allows students to take an active role in setting their own purposes
Reading- for reading. It includes these steps:
Thinking · Survey the title, subheadings, and illustrations, and make predictions about
Activity the content.
(DRTA) · Read the text.
· Examine the text in light of predictions and evaluate the predictions.
· Continue reading and reflecting until finished with the text.

What Teaching Techniques Help Students Learn Self-Monitoring Strategies During Reading?

Self-monitoring is the active awareness strategic readers have of their own understanding and
control over that understanding while reading. It enables readers to measure their comprehension
and take steps to enhance it. When students become conscious of their thinking and comprehension, they
can deliberately apply different fix-up strategies when comprehension breaks down. A major goal of reading
instruction for students is to expose and equip them with productive self-monitoring strategies. Several of the
following techniques are useful to this end.

Self-Questioning Self-Questioning is a technique in which students generate story-specific questions

about the important elements of a text as they read in order to integrate better prior
knowledge with the text and the reading context. Story elements whose meanings
are extended by self-questioning might include the main character, goals, obstacles,
outcomes, and themes of the story. Students move from a general question to a
story-specific question. The generated questions may be used for group response
and discussion. They may also be used with explanatory materials.
 Teachers may implement the self-questioning technique in the class room using the
following steps:

Self-Questioning · Model general questioning techniques for the students.

(continued) · Model how to generate text-specific questions based on the general questions
while reading a text.
· Generate questions about a text together.
· Generate individual story-specific Questions.

The following general-questions (GQ) and story-specific questions (SQ) for The Outsiders, by S.E.
Hinton, show how this process may be applied in the classroom.

Character GQ: Who is the leading character?

SQ: Is this story more about the Socs or the Greasers?
Goal GQ: What is the leading character trying to accomplish?
SQ: What is Ponyboy trying to do in this story?
Obstacles GQ: What obstacles does the leading character encounter?
SQ: How do the Socs cause problems for Johnny?
Outcome GQ: Does the leading character reach his or her goal?
SQ: Is Ponyboy able to resolve the gang and family conflicts he faces in the book?
Theme GQ: What is the author saying to us about life in this story?
SQ: What did I learn about solving conflicts from reading The Outsiders?
 Think-alouds remove the cloak of mystery surrounding the
comprehension process as teachers and students verbalize their own
Think Aloud
thoughts while reading orally. A think-aloud may include the following
steps:
· The teacher selects a passage to read aloud that poses comprehension
problems for readers, for example, complex or difficult concepts.
contradic-tions, ambiguities, or unknown words. The teacher is careful
the passage includes specific sections where comprehension breaks
down in order to model with students ways to deal with each.
· The teacher reads the passage aloud and thinks out loud about the
problems encountered, reflecting how he or she monitors understanding
of the text and makes decisions to remedy comprehension problems.
The students observe the teacher’s modeling silently, noting the
monitoring of comprehension. The teacher should include the following
considerations during think-alouds:
a. Make predictions (develop hypotheses): for example, “From the
title, I predict that this section will tell how fishermen used to catch
whales . . . In this next part, I think we’ll find out why the man flew into
the hurricane.... I think this is a description of a computer game.”
b. Describe the pictures imagined from the information given: for
ex-ample, “As I read, I see this scene in my mind: The car is on a dark,
probably narrow road; there are no other cars around....”
c. Make analogies (linking prior knowledge to new information in
the text): for example, “This is like a time we had a flat tire while driving
to Boston. We were worried and had to walk three miles for help..~.
d. Verbalize confusing points (monitoring ongoing comprehension):
for example, “This just doesn’t make sense. . . . This is different from
what I had expected.”
e. Demonstrate “fix-up” strategies (correcting lagging
comprehension):
for example, “That is not clear; I’d better reread.... Maybe I’ll read
ahead to see if it gets clearer. . . . I’d better change my picture of the
story.. . . This is a new word to me, and it seems crucial to the meaning
of the essay; I’d better try to figure it out what it means here....”
· The teacher leads a debriefing discussion in which students
summarize what the teacher did and why. They focus on the choices
made by the teacher and the reasons and outcomes of those choices.
· The teacher structures a small-group or paired activity in which
students take turns practicing think-alouds with difficult reading
materials.
 Good readers use fix-up strategies to monitor their comprehension when the
meaning is lost in a reading. (See Student Resources Section for Comprehension
Fix-Up System 8 Chart.) When necessary, they integrate semantic, syntactic, and
Strategies graphophonic cues to construct meanings for unknown words. Often, however, self-
monitoring uncovers comprehension break-downs beyond the word level. To teach
fix-up strategies for comprehension at this level, teachers must help students
generate and post for future reference a list of strategies to use when comprehension
breaks down for any reason. As students discover new fix-up strategies, they
should discuss and add them to the list. Oral reading by the teacher or students
provides an opportunity to monitor reading and apply fix-up strategies.

A class list may include, but not be limited to, the following fix-up strategies. Teachers are encouraged to
duplicate the list below as a bookmark, mini-poster, or notebook page for students. Teachers might also
encourage students to add strategies to the list as they discover them.

FIX-UP STRATEGIES

· Skip a difficult word and read on.

· Use sentence and paragraph context to explain new terms.

· Reread a difficult section of text.

· Read further on in the text.

· Ask a friend for help in understanding a term or section.

· Use a reference book to define or explain difficult terms.

· Look at the word parts if the problem involves only one word.

· Locate and read less difficult material dealing with the sample concept.

· Look for hands-on material that will clarify the concepts.

 Visualizing is the process of forming appropriate mental pictures based on a text to assist
Visualizing understanding. For example, in reading the Arthur Conan Doyle story, “The Adventure
of the Red-Headed League,” readers must imagine ac-curately the layout of buildings as
described by the narrator, Dr. Watson, in order to solve the mystery before Sherlock
Holmes or even appreciate the so-lution when it is provided at the end of the story. As
student readers grow, so will their abilities to imagine the scenes, characters, and actions
of stories. They need concrete activities to help them develop this skill. The following
techniques may help students’ skills grow in this area:

When reading material where comprehension requires visualization, select a

brief excerpt and use it to model a new strategy. Begin with simple descriptions
and proceed to more complex ones as student capabilities improve.

· Read the selected description aloud, stopping as details are added to have
students describe, draw, or diagram (depending on the nature of the
description) what they imagine from the description.

· Have students evaluate their imagined or drawn descriptions by com-paring

them with each other and with the text.

· Discuss strategies students may use while reading to improve their own
visualization. Have them consider which strategies are most useful for various
kinds of descriptions. For example, students may choose to sketch maps of
the scene of the crime in the Sherlock Holmes story to help them follow the
plot; they may draw a floor plan to help them imagine the location of clues at
the scene of a crime; and they may sketch a stick figure or “gingerbread man”
to help them record and pay attention to important details of a person’s
appearance as described by the detective.

· Use imagistic poems - especially short ones, such as haiku - to have students
picture and appreciate visual descriptions. Ask students to describe what a
poet is observing when describing a scene or object.
 The INSERT strategy is a marking system students use to record their reactions on the text.
as they read. It helps students become more involved in their reading. make decisions as
INSERT
they read. and clarify :heir own reading. It helps teachers know what parts students find
confusion: and plan accord-ingly.

Marking System for INSERT Strategy

I agree
X I disagree/I thought differently
+ New information
! Wow
? I wonder.
?? Don’t understand

Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers provide the means for students to think about interrelationships in various elements of a
text. Graphic organizers of various forms are available in a variety of locations (in-cluding most recently the
1996 Grade 7 English guide) and can be adapted to many reading purposes. Their uses include story maps,
plot or character flowcharts, timelines, pyramid designs, outlines, feature analysis charts, and semantic or
chapter mapping charts. Such visual organizers support before, during, and after reading strategies, but
when used during the reading process, they provide exceptional methods for students to monitor their own
understanding. It is important for teachers to convey to students that they use graphic organizers as a means
of visualizing their thinking to understand a concept. These organizers are a means to an end, and not the
end product. Students should never think that their objective is to complete a graphic organizer.

The K-W-L chart and variations are illustrated on the next page. This is just one example of a graphic
organizer that is useful during reading.
 This framework helps students build background knowledge through a
prediction chart that asks:

• K: What do I already know?

• W: What do I want to learn?
• L: What have I learned?

KWL KWLS
and Variations • K: What do I know?
• W: What do I want to know?
• L: What have I learned?
• S: What do I still need to know?

KWHL
• K: What do I know?
• W: What do I want to know?
• H: How will I learn it?
• L: What have I learned?
 Reciprocal teaching involves four processes in which students and teachers
take turns being the teacher and eliciting responses from students. (See
Teacher Resources Section for a teaching model.)
Reciprocal Teaching
1. Summarize the section in a sentence or paragraph.
2. Ask one to two high-level questions to focus on the major concepts of the
text.
3. Identify a difficult part of the text and clarify it by explaining, giving
examples, or making analogies.
4. Predict what the next paragraph or segment will discuss.

Teachers and students will take turns asking each other questions about
ReQuest
common portions of a text. Steps include:
Procedure
· The teacher prepares students with new vocabulary and any initial back -
ground necessary for the text.
(Reciprocal
· While reading, students ask the teacher questions about the text.
Questioning)
· The teacher redefines and develops the questions to redirect to students.
· Students continue reading to the end of the text.
· The class responds to the questions to verify, predict, and justify text
inter-pretations.
· Final discussion helps students to summarize and justify their predictions.
 What Are Some Techniques for Teaching After-Reading Strategies?

After reading, strategic readers:

a. SUMMARIZE what they have read by retelling the plot of the story or the main idea of the text.
b. INTERPRET and EVALUATE the ideas contained in the text.
c. MAKE APPLICATIONS of the ideas in the text to unique situations, extending the ideas to broader
perspectives.
d. USE STUDY STRATEGIES for note-taking, locating, and remembering to improve content area
learning.

Teachers may use several techniques to present, model, and help students apply after-reading strategies:

Retelling is a very simple activity that can be used for diagnosis or to help
Retelling students reorganize and recall important information. It can be done in pairs,
small groups, or individually. Steps include:

· Have students read a short passage to remember as much as they can.

· After they finish reading, direct the students to put the passage out of sight and
retell (or paraphrase) what they read. If this is an oral activity, pair the students
and have the partner either comment on the accuracy and complete-ness of the
retelling, or have the second student also read and retell.
· Ask the students to evaluate how successful they were and speculate on why hey
were able to recall certain facts but not others. As a class, you can discuss how
“prior knowledge” and experience with this kind of reading affect that success.
· Have students regularly use retelling with key passages. Encourage them to
generate some tricks” (strategies) for increasing memory, such as pre-viewing the
passage with a quick scan, generating a mental outline or key questions to guide
the reading, and so on.

Oral-to-Oral Retelling: The student listens to a selection and retells it orally. This approach may be most
appropriate with fables or folktales.

Oral-to-Written Retelling: The student listens to a selection but retells it in writing. A difficult chapter of a
“whole class” novel might be read aloud and then retold individually.

Reading-To-Oral Retelling: The student reads a selection silently and retells it orally. This is a
diagnostic component of many published inforn4U r~4ing inventories.

Reading-To-Written Retelling: The student reads a selection silently and retells it in writing. This method
is easily practiced in a Reading Workshop environment.
Summarizing Summarizing fosters understanding and remembering as well as develops
interpretations of texts. Proficiency in summarizing involves steps that grow in
complexity and that require varying degrees of practice. The following
summarizing procedures include suggestions from the basic to complex:
· Delete trivial information.
· Delete redundant information.
· Generate general terms to encompass groups of less important ideas (for
example, food for cereal, pizza, hot dogs, etc.).
· Locate topic sentences and other key statements and use them in the
summary when appropriate.
· Compose statements of main ideas when none appear in the text.

The Pyramid Strategy assists students in selecting the most essential informa-tion
Pyramid Strategy from a reading selection to compose a “bare-bones’ summary. See Teacher
Resources Section for teacher explanation and Student Resources Section for
the pyramid graphic organizer.
 What are Some Techniques for Responding to Reading through
Writing?

Exit Slips
At the end of class, hand out index cards or slips of paper and have students summarize
what they have learned from, and any questions they still have about the reading. A
completed slip is each student’s ticket out the door. This helps the teacher monitor their
understanding and determine where to begin the next lesson. This type of informal writing
should be non-graded.

Freewriting
Have students respond to a question or a reading by writing non-stop for a specific
number of minutes. This enables them to discover what they know and understand about
a topic. This informal writing should be non-graded.
Round Robin
This technique is used for brainstorming or reviewing. Have students seated in groups
around a table with one pencil and one piece of paper. A question is posed, and students
take turns recording answers on the paper as it is passed around the table. The question
should be carefully chosen. It should elicit multiple answers. Groups’ answers should be
shared and validated by the entire class.

Journals
Response journals are places where students reflect on their readings indepen-dently,
with the teacher, or with other students. Journals allow students to take control of their
own learning. In journals students respond to what they have experienced and learned,
how it relates to them personally, how they learned it, how they used it, what still needs
to be learned and clarified, as well as other things. Once students are aware of their own
learning, they become able to select, implement, and evaluate strategies that are effective
for them. Read-ing journals in particular enable students to see what sorts of responses
they make (that is, to inspect the stances from which they respond), to reflect on their
own reading and on literature, and to set goals for their own reading growth.

Teachers who include journals in their reading classes should be careful to structure the
experience to ensure that it is productive. They may require student to make entries
before, during, or after reading. Generally, they should require brief entries at first, and
then be sure to integrate the writings with other important class activities. At key points,
students should share entries with (he class, the teacher, or another student. Everyone
must understand that journals, unlike diaries, should include only thoughts that the student
writer is willing to share with the teacher or class.
Entries could include attempted reading strategies, reading problems, things students
feel they do well as readers, questions they have about themselves as readers, when
they may apply a strategy in the future, and what made them attempt a particular
strategy. Students should also respond to what they read by reflecting, first on that
which seems important to them, and then on such considerations as plot, literary
technique, and author’s purpose. Response journals will only be effective if the
teacher continually demonstrates the many ways that the journals can be used.

· Dialectical Journals: Have students take and respond to their reading notes by
using a two-column chart. In the left column, they record notes from the reading; in
the right, they list comments or questions about the material read. This informal
writing should be non-graded.

· Response Journals: Response journals are places where students reflect on their
readings independently with the teacher, or with other students. (See Student
Resources Section for a complete list of questions.)
Possible questions about process include:
· What do I notice about my reading?
· Next time I read, I will try to...
· Something I do better now than before is...
Possible questions about content include:
· What do I notice about the plot?
· Did the information in this text answer my questions?
· Do I enjoy the author’s style? Why?

· Learning Logs: Learning logs provide students with an opportunity to reflect on

what they are learning, how they have learned it, how they apply knowledge, and
what they still need to learn. These entries frequently address program or
individual goals, strategies, and the reading process in general. They may be
prompted by teacher-designed questions or open-ended statements and serve as
excellent entrees into evaluative conferences.
 ACE practice - What kids wrote

· Q: Identify the most important events of chapter six and seven.

One of the most important events of chapter six and seven is when he names his puppies. “Your name is
Dan. I’ll call you old Dan. Your name little girl, is Ann. I’ll call you little Ann.”

One of the most important events of chapter six and seven is when Bill chooses the names for his puppies.
“Your name is Dan. I’ll call you old Dan. Your name little girl, is Ann. I’ll call you little Ann.” This quote is
the most important part because...

· Q: Compare Billy’s actions to either someone you know or to your own.

We are comparing Manisha to Billy. We have gathered two things about their lifestyles and animals. Well,
Manisha is always grounded, and Billy never gets in trouble. For example Manshia is grounded til spring,
(for confidential reasons) and Billy never got in trouble for going miles into town without letting his parents
know. Another differences is

We are comparing Manisha to Billy’s lifestyles and animals. We have gathered two things about their
lifestyles and animal. Well, One difference is that Manisha is always grounded, and Billy never gets in
trouble. For example Manshia is grounded until spring, for confidential reasons, and Billy never got in
trouble for going miles into town without letting his parents know. On page Rawls writes: ....

Another differences is that Manisha does not own any animals. Also, she hates hunting and would
never kill an animal On page____ Wilson Rawis writes that Billy has a “dog wanting disease.”
This quote is important because it proves that Billy is different than Manisha..

Q: Compare the setting in the story to the community you live in.

Our community is a rather large city called Frederick, it is in the state of Maryland. I will be comparing this
to the community in the Ozarks, that Billy Coleman lives in.

In the Ozarks where Billy lives in a beautiful valley

The setting in the story is both similar and different to the where we live. Our community is a rather
large city called Frederick, which it is in the state of Maryland. Frederick is very different than the I will
be comparing this to the community in the Ozarks, where that Billy Coleman lives in.

In the Ozarks of Illinois where Billy lives, there are in a beautiful valley ies and wonderful river
bottoms. On page___ Wilson Rawls describes the mountains as...
Frederick, Maryland is a city, which is surrounded by mountains and farms. Billy lives in the
mountains. Most people in my community have to drive to Thurmont to get to the mountains.
Also, in the city of Frederick, there are many roads and the houses are really close together. Billy
has to walk overnight to get to the nearest town, Telaquah. Clearly Frederick is a much different
community than the one Billy lives in.
· Q: Identify a lesson or moral of the story so far.

We think the moral of the story is that Billy should follow his dreams. and even though he doe’s not listen to
his mom all the time we thinke he should follow his dreams. we think it was good that telliqua

We think the moral of the story is that Billy should follow his dreams. and Even though he Billy doe’s does
not listen to his mom all the time, we thinke he should does follow his dreams. we think it was good that
telligua Billy has a “dog wanting disease” as Wilson Rawls describes on page He loves his
dream so much he leaves his house without telling his parents to get his dogs. On page he is
described as...
 Using ACE In My Writing

A = Answer the question

? When you answer the question restate the question in your answer.
· If the question is:

“Identify a lesson or moral of the story.”

· You could write:

The lesson or moral of the story is...

· If the question is:

Compare the setting in the story to the community you live in.

· You could write:

My communitj is similar and different to the one I read about

C = Cite a passage from the text that supports your answer.

? Find a quote that proves your answer

· After you write your answer you could write:

On page — the author writes, “...”

I agree with the author when she writes, “...”
An example from the text is on page two, where it says, “...”

· Then find a second quote that you can use later.

E = Explain why you choose that passage

? You write:
The passage above proves that...
or
This quote explains why...

CE = Cite and explain again and again. (Repeat C & E)

Each part of the ACE strategy is written in a different font.

Question:
What conclusions can you draw about Mama’s character?

A
Mama’s character in the novel Where the Red Fern Grows is that of a worrier. Often Wilson Rawls
writes about how concerned Mama is for Billy.

C
For example, on page 49 when Billy came from his trip to Tahleguah, Rawls wrote, “She
looked up. I saw all the worry and grief leave her eyes.”

E
The quote above proves that mom was worried because Billy sees the “worry” in his
mother’s face. Mama is described as “worried.”

CE
Also, on page 89 Wilson Rawls writes, “After Mama saw that there were no broken homes, or
legs chopped off, she smiled andsaid, ‘I never know anymore’.”

In this quote Mama is speaking to Billy after he returns from trying to chop down the big sycamore. I chose
this quote because it proves that Mama is always thinking that Billy might get hurt when he is by himself. She
never says “I’m sure Billy’s fine.” or anything like that. In short, Mama’s character is that of a worrier.

Your Final Answer May Look Like This

Mama’s character in the novel Where the Red Fern Grows is that of a worrier. Often Wilson Rawls writes
about how concerned Mama is for Billy. For example, on page 49 when Billy came back from his trip to
Tahlequah, Rawls wrote, “She looked up. I saw all the ‘worry’ and grief leave her eyes.” The quote above
proves that mom was worried because Billy sees the worry in his mother’s face. Mama is described as
“worried.” Also, on page 89 Wilson Rawls writes, “After Mama saw that there were no broken bones, or
legs chopped off, she smiled and said, ‘I never know anymore’.” In this quote Mama is speaking to Billy
after he returns from trying to chop down the big sycamore. I chose this quote because it proves to me that
Mama is always thinking that Billy might get hurt when he is by himself. She never says,” I’m sure that Billy
is fine,” or anything like that In short, Mama’s character is that of a worrier.
 ACE Strategy Checklist

Points Self Teacher

Did you..

A Answer the question? 0-3-5

C Cite a passage from the

text that supports your answer? 0-3-5

E Explain why you choose that quote? 0-3-5

CE Cite and extend again and again? 0-3-5

Employ correct grammar, usage,

punctuation, and spelling? 0-3-5

ACE Strategy Checklist

Points Self Teacher

Did you..

A Answer the question? 0-3-5

C Cite a passage from the

text that supports your answer? 0-3-5

E Explain why you choose that quote? 0-3-5

CE Cite and extend again and again? 0-3-5

Employ correct grammar, usage,

punctuation, and spelling? 0-3-5
 Processes of
Writing/
Writing Strategies
 What to Look For in the Teaching
of Writing

Explicit instruction in the three purposes for writing that:

• Provides many examples of each type of discourse for students to read before expecting them to replicate
• Models of writing of different discourse types
• Engages in shared writing with students
• Forms criteria with students and posts criteria for students to see in room
• Provides ongoing, authentic opportunities throughout the year and across content areas for students to 4
respond to prompts that are content relevant
• Provides regular opportunities for students to evaluate examples of writing for each purpose. using criteria
that was presented in the classroom
• Uses the writing process as a planning model
• Employs writing across the content area
• Has students write regularly in a variety of models (narration, exposition, argumentation) in a variety of
forms and in a variety of lengths
• Provides students with a systematic approach to writing
• Gives students assignments that require students to use a variety of sources
• Uses small groups to help students with different components of writing
• Employs regular conferences with students about their writing
• Teachers composition skills in some sequentially reasonable order rather than randomly
• Requires students to revise what they have written on a regular basis
• Allows students to use dictionaries, thesauruses, and other language aids regularly when they write
• Allows students to share what they have written with each
• Focuses on teaching students a systematic way to respond to essay questions or prompts
• Provides some sort of catalyst for writing as well as a context, an audience, a form, a purpose, and a topic
• Allows for textual models to be taken from various sources (textbooks, literature, posters, newspapers,
magazines, pamphlets, editorials, etc)
• Provides in class time for students to write and receive feedback
• Focuses on building audience awareness and knowledge of discourse conventions
• Uses concrete, specific verbs (ex: compare, evaluate, explain, defend, etc)
• Gives criteria for how the writing will be evaluated that is revealed to students writing
• Focuses on one or two skills only during revising so student can realistically make changes
• Requires students to apply skills learned to their own writing
• Gives constructive and directive comments on student’s papers for revision and evaluation
• Poses questions to students about their writing to help them develop their writing more
• Allows for students to write in a variety of forms and to choose appropriate forms for specific writing tasks
• Teaches students how the conventions on American Standard English affect meaning
• Provides opportunities for authentic audience response to student writing
• Focuses on establishing a focus for writing
• Teaches organizational structures typically used to achieve a particular purpose
 Q.A.D Strategy
...in order to improve written responses

Q.A.D stands for QUESTION, ANSWER, DETAILS

* SO, when your students are writing to answer a particular question, insist
that they Q.A.D.
** This writing strategy is used when we are preparing our students for the
Maryland Functional Writing lest or a writing prompt as a
performance assessment!!

Usage:
Q Identifying the questions that the prompt
is asking for... there may be more than
one.
- restating the question from the writing prompt in order to
develop the answer

A Identifying the answers that respond to

the questions asked in the prompt.
- directly answering all the questions asked about in the
prompt so that there is a direct correlation between all the
questions

D Details that support the answers that

relate to the questions asked.
-creating an explanation for the answer given by adding
sufficient details
 PEER RESPONSE FORM - WRITING TO INFORM

DIRECTIONS
• Listen as your partner reads aloud the draft.
• Discuss the draft with your partner
• Complete the sentence starters below.
• Share your revision ideas with your partner

1. Some ideas or information you might want to add to your draft are

2. Some ideas or information you might want to take out of your draft are

3. Some things you might want change about your draft are

4. Some ideas, information, or words you might want to move in your draft are

1 per teacher; 1 per student

(copied on green paper)
 PEER RESPONSE FORM - WRITING TO PERSUADE

DIRECTIONS
• Listen as your partner reads aloud the draft.
• Discuss the draft with your partner
• Complete the sentence starters below.
• Share your revision ideas with your partner

1. Some ideas, facts, reasons, or supporting details you might add to strengthen your position are

2. Some ideas, facts, reasons, or supporting details you might want to take out of your draft are

3. Some things you might want change about your draft are

4. Some ideas, facts, reasons, or supporting details you might want to move in your draft are

1 per teacher; 1 per student

(copied on green paper)
 PEER RESPONSE FORM - WRITING TO EXPRESS PERSONAL IDEAS

DIRECTIONS
• Listen as your partner reads aloud the draft.
• Discuss the draft with your partner
• Complete the sentence starters below.
• Share your revision ideas with your partner

1. Some ideas, descriptive words or phrases or details you might want to add to your draft are

2. Some ideas, descriptive words or phrases or details you might want to change about your draft are

3. Some ideas, words, phrases, or details you might want to move in your draft are

4. Some ideas, words, phrases, or details you might want to take out of your draft are

1 per teacher; 1 per student

(copied on green paper)
 Possible Writing Forms
• Advertisement • Newspaper Article • Movie Review
• Biography • Poem • Directions
• Book Report • Proposal • Cartoon
• Book Review • Play • Advice Column
• Brochure • Story • Application
• Editorial • Research Report • Character/Biographical
• Essay • Script sketch
• Experimental record • Interview • Commentary
• Journal • Skit • Commercial
• Game • Song • Flyer
• Lab Report • Invitation • Greeting Card
• Letter • Autobiography • Jokes
• Log • Summary • Newsletters
• Magazine Article • Request • Pamphlet
• Memo • Poster Display • Survey
• Monologue • Test • Telegram
• Want Ads • Weather Report • Song Lyrics
• Diary/Journal Entry • Play/Dramatic Piece • Letters/Notes Between
• Character Profile • Story told in Verse with Rhyme • Characters
• Letter to Character or Scheme • Reader’s Theater
• Author • Combination of Story, Play, • Character’s Diary Entry
• Sample Dialogue between Poem • Humor/Satire/Parody
characters • Journalistic Fiction • Urban Legend
• Character Interview • Comic Strip • Alternative Endings
• Narrative Poem

Possible Audiences to Address

• Store Owner • Zookeeper
• Teacher
• Scientist • Flight Attendant
• Parent
• Corporation Official • Bus Driver
• Friend
• News Reporter • Cafeteria Worker
• School Board Member
• Doctor/Nurse • Coach
• l’TSA Member
• Inventor • Manufacturer
• Community Member
• Author/illustrator • Publisher
• Expert
• Park Ranger • Police Officer
• Government/Elected Official
• Poet • Researcher
• Judge
• Student • Museum Director
• Neighbor
• Family Member • Organization leader
• Principal
• Advertiser • Chairperson
• Media Specialist
• Consumer • Chef
• Pen Pal
• Guidance Counselor • Detective
• Television Producer
• Radio Announcer • Filmmaker
• Traveler
• Travel Agent • Firefighter
• Lawyer
• Photographer • Historian
• Newscaster
• Playwright • Intern
• Novelist
• Product Designer • Interviewer
• Panelist
• Ship’s Captain • Literary Critic
• Taxi Driver
• Tour Guide • Tutor
 Audiences for MSPAP Writing
Aquarium manager Military people
Astronaut Nurse
Banker Other family member/relative
Cafeteria worker Parent
Celebrity Park ranger
Classmate Planetarium manager
Community organizations Police officer
Contest judge Political figure
Custodian Postal worker
Dentist Principal
Disc jockey PTA
Doctor Recycler
Druggist/pharmacist Skipper/ captain of a ship
Farmer Store keeper
Firefighter Student government
Friend Teacher
Greenhouse operator Television network staff
Meteorologist/weatherperson Zookeeper

Source: MSDE

Forms of MSPAP Writing

Announcement Newspaper article

Book review Note
Booklet Play
Caption Poem
Character sketch Report
Conclusion Request
Description for a school exhibit Science log
Editorial Short report
Entry for a brochure Speech
Invitation Story
Letter Summary
Magazine article Written advertisement

Clarification of Literary Terms Used in MSPAP Source: MSDE

“author’s craft” -devices used by writers including-. length of se~itences, use of humor, tone, variance of sentence
complexity, development of character, use of dialog, etc.

literary elements’ - plot, character, setting, theme, point of view, foreshadowing, tone, dialog, poetic elements
(alliteration, imagery, personificatianma±anhor, onomatopoeia. etc.)
 3 - Point Paragraph Outline
Topic:

3 points about the topic:

1.
2.
3.

Sentence #1 Topic Sentence (Use words in the topic and tell how many points will be
made.)

Sentence #2 (List the poinrts in the order to be presented.)

Sentence #3 First Point

Sentence #4 Support for the first point

Resource Sheet

The Language of Persuasion

The language is the basis of argument and persuasion that influences our actions and beliefs. Some
of the ways that language can be used to persuade and manipulate are listed in the chart below.

Type of Language Definition Examples

Connotation- a word that Clever vs. cunning

evokes an emotional response
Word choice While clever and cunning both
Denotation- literal meaning of
a word. describe a person as skillful,
cunning implies crafty and sly.
Euphemisms- terms that make Youthful offender vs. juvenile
things seem better than they are delinquent
Youthful offender vs. juvenile
delinquent

She is like a freight train.

Figurative language Simile
The rain fell like cats and dogs.

Metaphor He is a star!

Analogy It would be like a snowstorm in

the middle of July.

Sentence patterns Repetition “I have a dream” ... used in

Martin Luther King’s famous
speech.

Allusions References to famous works Mercury messenger of the gods

such as the Bible or mythol- used in advertising as an image
ogy

Concrete and abstract Stereotypes or generaliza- He was a poor starving artist.

images tions
 SHARING AND RESPONDING (ASUMMARY)
TYPE OF RESPONSE HOW TO USE IT
NO RESPONDING: Read your paper out loud to a
SHARING listener. Listener gives no
response.
SAYBACK Say to your listener, “Say back to
me in your own words what you
think I said in my writing.
Invite me to figure out better
what I really want to say.”
POINTING Ask your listener, “Which
words or phrases stick in your
mind?”
SUMMARIZING Ask your listener, “What do
you hear as my main point or
idea (or event or feeling)? What
are the minor ones?”
WHAT IS ALMOST SAID Ask your listener, “What do I
OR IMPLIED almost say? Would you like to
hear more about this?”
CENTER OF GRAVITY Ask your listener, “What do
you think is the focal point of
my writing? The center may not
be the main point; it might be
an image, phrase or detail for
example.”
The ideas listed here are paraphrased material from Elbow, Peter
and Pat Belanoff. Sharing and ResDondin~. (New York: Random
House, 1989). This short, readable text will give you lots of
ideas on how to make peer response work in your classroom.
WHEN IT’S USEFUL
When you do not want criticism.
When you want to celebrate your
finished piece.
When you hear what you
thought you said, you know that
you got your message across.
When you don’t hear what you
thought you said, you know you
need to make changes.
When you want to know what
is getting through.
When you want to know what
is getting through. Make
changes if the listener mixes up
your main point and your minor
ones.
When you need new ideas or
need to expand or develop what
you have written.
When you want to develop your
ideas more and want to make
sure you stick to your focus.
 WRITING PROCESS ACTIVITIES
Teachers across the curriculum know that they need to
teach writing and language usage, and many are
familiar with the notion of the writing process (the
use of a series of strategic activities meant to help a
writer develop a polished piece of writing). Yet,
teachers may be unfamiliar with the variety of
strategic activities designated by the term “writing
process.” Below is a List of the primary types of
activities writers engage in as they create a written
packet along with tips on how teachers can implement
these activities in the classroom.
Prewriting Activities
Brainstorming, clustering, webbing, tagnemics,
questioning, the pentad, and freewriting are all
popular prewriting activities. Writers use these
activities to generate a mass of ideas from which to
initiate a developed first draft Students must be taught
to do more than one type of prewriting activity for
each first draft, since a single type of prewriting
seldom provides a writer with enough generated
material to write that first draft Too; teachers can
show students that after a first draft is completed.
students should review the prewriting to check that all
relevant material generated in the prewritng activities
actually made its way into the draft Teachers should
use student prewriting pieces and drafts to show
students the relationship between prewriting material
and the first drafts related to them. Teachers should
choose prewriting materials/drafts that show
prewriting that is too vague and the consequent first
draft that is too vague, as well as demonstrate how
detailed prewriting has lead to detailed drafts. Though
teachers should review prewriting with their students
to help them develop it better, they should not grade
prewriting because prewriting is not an authentic
product itself, merely a means to an end. For more
The Literacy Express
Volume I Issue 2 MSDE—ELA Section
June 6, 1996
information on prewriting, see Gefvert, Constance J.
The Confident Writer: A Norton Handbook 2nd ed.
New York:
Norton, 1988 or Kemper, Nathan, & Sebranek.
Writer’s Express: A Handbook for Young. Writers.
Thinkers. & Learners. Wisconsin: Write Source,
1995.
Drafting Activities
When teachers ask students to draft, there are several
assignment constraints that should be determined
prior to giving the assignment
Considerations
a. Timed or untimed writing—How much time a child
has to do a piece of writing often affects the quality
of the written product To prepare children for the
world of work and for large-scale assessments, it is
important to vary the time limits you assign for
writings over the school year. Sometimes a quick
write of 5-20 minutes is all that is needed. Sometimes
a child will need several class periods to do a good
first draft.
b. Noise levels —Some children like to write with the
radio blasting. Others do best with absolute quiet So
that children become comfortable with real world
writing situations, the teacher should vary the noise
level in the writing classroom.
c. Where to write —In most schools, children write
only at their desks. Teachers can vary the locations
where children can write, so children become com-
fortable writing anywhere. Take the children outside,
and let them write out in the fresh air. Move the
children to the library or to the gymnasium, and let
them write there. Each change in locale will bring
new, pleasant writing experiences for your students.
d. Self-Evaluation Activities —The purpose of self-
evaluation activities is to make students reflect on the
strengths and weaknesses in a written piece before the
student gets comment and response from another
person. Teachers can write questions which the
student can use to prompt self-evaluation. In addition,
children can describe the process used to produce the
writing in order to help recall ideas/stages that were
missed or that need more work. Self-evaluation
activities should lead to revision of a draft and should
never be graded. If students know that seal-evalua-
tions will be graded, then they do them for the
teacher, not for themselves.
e. Peer Response Work—When students are trained
well on how to give and receive feedback on their
writings, children become better speakers, readers,
listeners, and writers. Thus, instructional time spent
on peer response activities is time well spent. Many
excellent books and articles are available on how and
why to teach children to use peer response activities.
One of the best is Elbow, Peter and Belanoff, Pat.
Sharing and Resvonding. New York: Random House,
1989.
f. Student-Teacher Conferences —On large-scale
assessments, no teacher response to student work can
be provided, but in instructional settings, student-
teacher conferences are the most important tool
teachers have to teach writing and language usage.
Teachers can hold short conferences (2-5 minutes
each) with individual students while the rest of the
class does in-class writing, silent sustained reading
(SSR), or peer response activities. For these confer-
ences to be effective, both the teacher and the student
must be very selective/focused on what discussion
will take place. To succeed at short conferences,
teachers must insist that only one quick problem/issue
be addressed per conference. When teachers are first
training students to work in this conference mode, it
helps to set a timer for the designated time (e.g. five
minutes) and to end the conference as soon as the
timer rings. In this way, teachers and students learn to
maintain focus. This conference method is called the
“Garrison Method” and is explained in detail in the
teacher’s guide that comes with the book: Garrison,
Roger. How a Writer Works, New York: Harper &
The Literacy Express
Volume I Issue 2 MSDE—ELA Section
June 6, 1996
Row, 1985. Teachers can learn more about how to use
conferences effectively in Hams, Muriel, Teaching
One-To-One The Writing Conference Urbana, Ill.:
NCTE, 1986.
g. Revision Activities —It isn’t enough to tell children
“revise.” Teachers need to guide children through the
revision process. The generally accepted order of
revision activities is (1) content and development; (2)
style and tone; (3) organization of paragraphs; (4)
organization of sentences; (5) word choices.
Content and Development
There are many ways to revise for content and
development. Here axe two quick activities that are
tried and true.
a. Ask children to add adjectives before each noun
without one. Point out how adjectives can help attract
the 5 senses of a reader. When the words added create
awkward sentences, teach students how to vary
sentence structure to accommodate the new concepts.
E.g.
Dave bought a dog.
Friendly Dave bought a shaggy dog.
Dave, who was friendly, bought a shaggy dog.
b. Ask children to make sure all sentences logically
answer the questions: who, what, where, when, why,
and how.
E.g. Dave, who was friendly, bought a shaggy dog.
who:
what:
where:
when:
why:
how:
Dave bought a dog ?Need to add ?Need to add ?Need
to add ?Need to add
Dave, who was friendly, used his own money to buy a
shaggy dog at Cullin’s Pet Shop on Saturday. Dave
wanted a friend who would always love him.
Style and Tone
To revise for style and tone, first students must
understand how style and tone convey purpose and
audience concepts to a reader. As teachers discuss
readings in the content areas (e.g. literary texts,
science and mathematics textbooks, and the newspa-
per), they should show children how word choices the
authors have made help to convey style and tone.
Then, as children revise their own writings, teachers
should ask them to highlight the words that convey
style and tone. Children should be encouraged to add
words to polish their writings for style and tone.
Organization of Paragraphs
Most handbooks and student writing texts provide
extensive discussions of how children can learn to
revise the organization of their paragraphs. One
particularly useful technique is the reverse outline.
After a first draft, children list the topic sentence or
main idea of each paragraph in the order these ideas
appear. Then the children can try putting these listed
items in an alternate pattern. When children find the
pattern they like best, they can reorder their para-
graphs accordingly.
Organization of Sentences within Paragraphs
Sentence combining exercises, as advocated by
William Strong, provided the sentences come from
the students’ own writings, really help children learn
how to organize their sentences. Also, older children
can be introduced to formal paragraph organizers
(e.g. inverted, summative, etc.) and can try a variety
of paragraph patterns within real working drafts.
Word Choice
To revise for word choice, children should first
remind themselves of the purpose and audience for
the writing. Then children should check to make sure
that the words used can be understood and appreci-
ated by their audience. Too, students can be prompted
to look for places to add descriptive words to create
more precise images.
Proofreading and Languaue Usage Activities -The
most important instructional methodologies to teach
The Literacy Express
Volume I Issue 2 MSDE—ELA Section
June 6, 1996
proofreading and language usage require small group
or individualized instruction. Since the patterns or
types of language usage errors made are individual,
large group grammar lessons are seldom effective
Thus, most children need mini-lessons in grammar
done in groups of 2-5 people or individual lessons in
student-teacher conferences. Students who can use
grammar and spell checkers on thc computer should
be encouraged to do so since repeated use of these
devices both helps students create polished products
and simultaneously serves to strengthen student skills
in grammar and spelling.
SUGGESTED READING
Looking for something to read? Take a trip to the zoo,
A to ZOO that is, and spend some time browsing
through more than 14,000 titles arranged into 800
different subjects. Teachers, librarians, and parents
have long recognized that picture books are both a
source of delight and learning for young readers, but
choosing the right book for a particular situation can
be a time consuming and sometimes frustrating job.
The fourth edition of A to ZOO attempts to simplify
this task by providing a catalog of books that have
been carefully selected, with consideration given to
current trends in publishing, the best of children’s
literature, and the availability of titles.
The picture book as defined within the scope of this
work is a fiction or nonfiction title with illustrations
that occupy as much as or more space than the text
and with vocabulary or concepts appropriate from
preschool to grade two. A to ZOO is organized to be
used in two ways. It can be used to locate the tides,
authors, and illustrators of books on a given subject,
such as “farms” or “bedtime,” or it can be used to
determine the subject of a given title. For example, it
would enable the reader to realize that Northern
Lullaby is written by Nancy White and concerns the
subjects “bedtime,” “eskimos,” “lullabies,” “nature,”
and “poetry”
Written by Carolyn W. and John A. Lima, A to Zoo:
Subject Access to Children’s Picture Books is readily
available in the reference collections of school library
media centers and public libraries. So the next time
you need a book to satisfy a child’s interest or to
enrich that special unit, visit a zoo full of books and
authors and illustrators, and see what you discover.
 A READING OVERVIEW
As part of the Maryland Outcomes in Reading,
students are measured on how well they are able to
construct, extend, and examine meaning when
reading a variety of materials using their knowledge
about reading and their background knowledge. In
order to measure construction, extension, and exami-
nation of meaning, the state of Maryland has adapted
Judith Langer’s reader-response theory. Langer’s
theory implies that through responses to carefully
crafted questions, students can develop a more
meaningful understanding of what they read.
Stances
One way to apply this reader-response theory is to
think of the different stances one takes as one reads. It
is not necessary to ask a question from each stance
for each time the students is assigned a reading.
However, it is important to move children through the
stances so that children can enhance their understand-
ing of what they read. Moving through the stances
should become automatic, so as students read, they
use the teacher-directed questions as self-directed
ideas. Stance questions can often include multiple
stances, requiring the reader to revisit the text with
more than one question in mind. An example of this
is that critical stance is often paired with personal
response which helps students examine their meaning
using their personal ideas and analyzing the author’s
craft. Keep in mind, refining understanding of what
we read is a higher-level thinking skill and requires
constant modeling and monitoring. It is important not
to spend too much time on any one piece, but to be
diagnostic in knowing what skills certain students
need in order to examine and extend their initial
meaning.
Global Understanding
if students have a basic understanding already or if
students need to revisit the text to obtain that basic
understanding. If students demonstrate good global
understanding, the teacher should consider asking
questions using the other stances to help model ways
students can enhance their comprehension. There is
no formula for the number of each type of stance
question that should be asked. The type of stance
questions asked should be based on what types of
enhanced meanings the students need to develop.
Developing Interpretation
If students need to verify, revise, or clarify their
meaning, asking developing interpretation questions
will help them revisit the text to extend their meaning.
The important point to stress is how revisiting or
extending the text has helped enhance their initial
understanding.
Personal Response
Personal response questions help students examine
their meaning in relationship to the world around
them. These questions require students to revisit the
text to connect what they have read to their back-
ground of experience and knowledge.
Critical Stance
Critical stance questions help students examine their
meaning as they revisit the text by getting students to
look closely at the author’s craft and style. As stu-
dents evaluate the author’s use of technique, students
are able to discover latent meaning in the text studied.
BECOME A CONTRIBUTOR

The first stance to try to tap is global or initial under-

standing in order to gain the gist of what one has read
or what one has understood from reading the material
for the first time. This is the construction of meaning,
the foundation of reading comprehension Many times
this ‘flrst read” is just enough to tell if it is necessary
to read more or to read something different In a
classroom, this stance can help the teacher determine
The Literacy Express
Volume I Issue 2 MSDE-ELA Section
June 6, 1996
MS. Torchia
12th Grade-Creative Writing

Writing Poetry is easy and fun!

Poetry uses concise, specific words to convey images. Poetry paints pictures,
expresses feelings, elicits reactions, and plays with words. Usually poetry follows
the same rules of punctuation as prose, but “poetic license” allows the poet to be
playful and creative. Sound devices help poets to play with words. Poets may
choose a frame in which to work; or they may chose to write freely. For this
assigument, we are going to learn about I. Sound Devices, II. Figures of Speech
and III. Poetic Forms- all of which are important

I. SOUND DEV1CES
1. Alliteration- repetition of initial letters or sounds
Seven ships sailed at sea
My Madeline, my Madeline
Mark my melodious midnight moans.

2. Assonance- repetition of vowel sounds How much wood could a wood chuck
chuck
And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purp1e curtain

3. Consonance- repetition of consonant sounds (not the initial letter)

Too full for sound and foam
Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

4. Repetition-repeating words or phrases

These 4 sound devices are found in the Edgar Allan Poe poem, “The Raven” and
the first 3 devices are found in Sidney Lanier poem “Song of the Chattahoochee.”

5. Onomatopoeia- words which represent a sound

Buzz, Crash
The moans of immemorial elms
A murmuring of innumerable bees

Hmwk:
Finish finding all the examples of the above sound devices in the 2 poems Find an
example using at least two of the five sound devices in a poem or song
-Write out the title, author, and lyrics that contain the device
-Then underline key words or phrases and tell me which device is being used
II. Literary Devices/ Figures of Speech

1. Metaphor- implied comparison of two unrelated things or objects (not using

like or as)
All the world is a stage.
Life’s a short summer, man a flower.

2. Simile- direct comparison of two unrelated thing or objects using like or as

My love’s like a red, red rose that is newly sprung in June.

3. Personification- giving human characteristics to inanimate objects

The fog sits looking over the harbor and city on silent haunches and then
moves.
The heavens cried for the lost love.

4. Hyperbole- exaggeration
Rivers of blood
He called me a million times that day

5. Symbolism- words that stand for something else; when one object represents
a deeper meaning or idea
I take the Cross upon me.

5. Irony- saying something but meaning the opposite

“You must love me”- if one hates you
“He is so lazy, “he thought as he sat watching Jim cleanup.
III. Poetic Forms

1. Cinquain (cin-kane)- This unrhymed form of poetry consists of five lines

1- two syllables announcing topic
2- four syllables describing topic
3- six syllables expressing action
4- eight syllables expressing feeling
5- two syllables ending, synonym for topic

EX: Flowers
Yellow, dark red
Waving in the morning
Their fragrance brings me happiness
Roses

2. Couplets- a pair of lines that rhyme EX: A zealous locksmith died of late,
And did arrive at heaven’s gate.

3. Haiku! Senryu- This Japanese form has three lines and seventeen syllables.
The haiku is usually unrhymed and deals with nature. The senryn is about topics
other than nature. Word choice is especially important since there are so few
words.
Line 1 5 syllables
Line 2 7 syllables
Line 3 5 syllables

Warming red fruit strewn Dark broken branches

In heavy hanging orchards- Their glazed and blacken scrolls etch
Apple cider soon. A winter message.

4. Limerick- a five line poem that tells a humorous story. It has a required rhythm
and a required rhyme scheme.
Line 1- three accented syllables- a
Line 2- three accented syllables- a
Line 3-two accented syllables- b
Line 4-two accented syllables- b
Line 5- three accented syllables- a

5. Bound Verse- a rhyming pattern established by the author. It may have

couplets (aa, bb) or triplets (aaa, bbb) or quatrains (abba, abab, abcd)

6. Free Verse- no specific rhyming or rhythmic structure. Punctuation and

arrangement should enhance the flow and appearance.
 WORD STORY

1. Think of a very short story (no more than 8 sentences) illustrating the mean-
ing of one of your vocabulary words.

EXAMPLE:

PARSIMONIOUS - GREG’S PARSIMONIOUS HABITS

Greg worked with a friendly and social group. Every week the group
met for lunch or had a pot luck where everyone brought something.
Greg never tipped the waitress even if she/her did an outstanding
job. When there was a pot luck, Greg only brought 10 napkins. He
never chipped in when someone had a birthday. Greg liked to brag
that he had the first nickel he had ever earned.

2. Write the story and have your teacher check it for accuracy.

3. After it is approved, write the story on an overhead. Place the vocabulary

word and a title for the story first in large letters.
3. Uncover first the title and then one sentence at a time.

4. When the students think they have the meaning of the work, ask them to
write the definition on a note card or post-it note.
5. Before showing the last sentence, have partners share their definitions.

6. Call on several students to share their definitions and discuss what sentence
helped them the most.
 TO THE TEACHER SPATIAL DESCRIPTIONS

.My colleague Paul O’Brien uses the following method to teach spatial development in descriptive
paragraphs.

DAY 1:
1. Have the students look a: the front of the classroom and make a list of 7-10 things that they see.

2. Then have them rearrange their lists so that they follow a definite order. At this point, it is not
necessary to mention Spatial order. One or two students may arrange their items idiosyncratically
(psychologically, or according to color, size); such order can be briefly discussed.

3. Have volunteers read their ordered lists while other students try to determine the order. The idea of
spatial order should emerge during this process.

4. Explain spatial order and its many possibilities: left to right, foreground to background, clockwise,
top to bottom, etc.

5. Discuss the importance of transitional words and prepositional phrases in describing something
spatially. Remind students that this is a perfect chance to use strong, graphic verbs instead of weak,
overused expressions such as: T~PE IS/A~ and HAVE/HAS.

Illustrate, using the part of the room that students have been focusing on.
E.g., The Lake Placid poster rests comfortably under a mimeographed sheet of fire regulations.

Or: Underneath, a drooping plant gasps for water.

6. ASSIGNMENT

A) Choose a place to describe spatially (not too complex - like the control panel of a DC-7!), study it
carefully to deter-mine a spatial and logical, order, and then write a spatial description. The first
sentence can establish the site for the leader, or the writer can build up to the site in the conclusion.

3) On a separate sheet of paper, draw a sketch of what you have described.

DAY 2:
Ask for a volunteer to go to the board. While another volunteer slowly reads his/her spatial
description aloud, the student at the board sketches what is being described. At the end of the
descrip-tion, the students can compare what was said with the visual on the board. Discussion, and
then more volunteers.

NOTE: The teacher should also do the assignment; just be sure to choose an outstanding artist to go
to the board!
 SPATIAL DESCRIPTION and SKETCH
by Paul O’Brien

From where I relax in my overstuffed chair, - gaze a: a living room wall in our
apartment. To the right I see two shoes slightly turned in towards each other resting on
the floor. To their left and towering above the shoes is a frail, antique magazine stand.
Magazines in a slightly diagonal position lean out from the right side of the stand. A
glass vase filled with purple and white carna-tions poses at the front of the old table, and
a Tiffany lamp, its shade three hues of blue, radiates light from the back of the ancient
table. To the left and dominating the side of the room, sits a large, well-worn, plaid sofa.
Just past the midpoint of the top of the sofa, a tired-looking magenta pillow dozes. A
painting, behind and centered above the sofa, depicts a little girl looking at three ducks
that appear to be swimming toward her. Adjacent to the sofa, a large glass bookcase
filled with delicate-looking souvenirs and mementos rises toward the ceiling. On the top
left of the bookcase, a large plant profusely displays its innumerable leaves. To the right
of the plant and partially camouflaged by leaves, rests a Bible. A few more inches to the
right stands a wooden statue of a monk in a prayerful pose. He appears to be reflecting
on the room I have just described.
Topic Letter writing with a purpose!
Grade Middle and Secondary

Idea: A few months ago I asked my students to write in their journals about a
commercial product they had bought which did not live up to their expectations. After
the students shared their experiences, we talked about the power a consumer has to
change the policies and practices of a manufacturer. Eventually, we came to the
realization that consumers can write to manufacturers and express their displeasure in a
business letter. I also mentioned that manufacturers often respond to consumer
complaints and that a great many of the students would receive free coupons and other
goodies. After teaching my students the elements of a business letter, they wrote draft
letters, I proof read them and made suggestions, and then they typed their final drafts. I
required each letter to be flawless before it could be mailed. I also insisted that the
return address be in care of me at the school address. A week after all the letters were
mailed, I started getting mail from around the country. Kraft apologized for a macaroni
product which was not as cheesy as the student had hoped and gave my student a
coupon for free box. Another manufacturer apologized for the strength of their
deodorant to deodorize underarms and also sent a coupon. The most successful letter
was from a manufacturer of scented lemon trees many people place in their cars. She
got a box filled with a forest of trees, smelly grape scented feet, and a strawberry
smelling plastic mushroom! So, if you want a lesson that has some real world value and
is fun, try this idea.

Please note that I am not going to give you my address because I do not want to receive
mail from you if this lesson flops!

Gregory Greenleaf
Winslow High School
Winslow, Maine
Kathleen Rauch
Rose Tree Media School District
Media, Pa.
(adapted from Old Faithful Geof Hewitt —Teacher’s & ‘Writer’s Collaborative)

Poetry - An Unplanned Collaboration

Objective: Students develop a broader awareness of poetic strategies, the benefits of speaking
distinctly with feeling, and of a variety of approaches to revision.

Take out a piece of paper and a pencil.

(Review the definition of a phrase.)

Ask students to write a phrase—not a complete sentence, just a phrase—from some observation they
experienced between waking this morning and arriving at your class.
(You have 22 seconds. Pencils up, get set.. .write!

(Apply your own pencil to the page, writing whatever phrase you can.)

At random, call on students to read their phrases, making sure they read directly from their page.
Write the phrases on an overhead as students read them. Have students copy them down as you
write each phrase. (new line for each phrase.)
Somewhere in the process write your own phrase.

Read the responses out aloud, carefully and slowly, using your voice to smooth over the rough spots,
running the end of one phrase into the beginning of another to create unforeseen sentences. Make
sure to mention that almost any piece of writing can be made to sound pretty good if it is read well.
The reader’s attention to speaking skills enhances the audience’s response to a piece of writing.

Ask students to use the copied lines as a first draft, and revise it into a poem. Try to demonstrate as
many strategies for revision as you can. Tell the students they may delete only four phrases, but then
they may rearrange as they will.

Here are suggestions for students who may feel stuck in their approach to revision:

Try to eliminate as many participles, adjectives, and adverbs as possible.

Count the syllables in each line and create a “syllabic poem,” in which the lines have the same
number of syllables.

Rewrite the piece from the point of view and with the speech patterns of someone who is different
from you.

Start this writing exercise without a hint that the end product may be a poem.
 Writing a Personal Narrative from a Different
Perspective and Time
Using Interviews and Orai Histox7
Grade Level: M - S
You can put a new twist on personal narratives and preserve oral stories by combining
the two into the following project. Instead of writing a personal narrative from the
writer’s experience and point of view, the writer will conduct an interview with an older
member of his/her family, or if that is not possible, an older friend or neighbor. Then,
the interviewer will pretend to be the interviewee and write a personal narrative from the
interviewee’s point of view.

Interviewing Process
1. The person. being interviewed should be a relative and elderly as possible.

2. The interview can be audio or video-taped for reference.

3 The interviewee will receive two bordered interview sheets entitled “My Story”
4. The interviewer will use the six sheets entitled “My Story - Interview Sheet”. These
sheets correspond in subject and order with the interviewee’s two sheets.
5. The interviewee will examine his/her two sheets and decide what he/she would like to
discuss.
6. The interviewer will take notes on his/her six sheets.
7. The interviewer should try to illicit stories from the interviewee.(i.e. “Grandfather, tell
me how your dog, Rusty, saved the family next door when their house caught on fire.”)

Writing Process
1. The interviewer/writer should pick the most interesting story from the interview.
2. The interviewer/writer should write the story as if it happened to him/her.

Sharyn Kmieciak Scottdale Elementary School

421 North Chesnut Street Scottdale, PA 15683
Name Date

My Story - Interview Sheet

Person Being Interviewed

Name Date of Birth

Current Address

Birthplace
Occupation Employer
Nickname
Mother’s Name
Birthplace
Father’s Name
Birthplace
Sibling’s Names

Questions & Answers

Childhood

1. What the world was like:

2. Your time with your family:

3. Grade school experiences:

4. Hobbies and special interests:

5. A typical day:

6. Where you lived:

7. Games you played:

8. Your name of nickname

9. What you did for fun:

10. Your pets:

11. Special friends:

12. Your dreams:

13. Your responsibilities:

14. Additional information

 THE TEEN YEARS
1. Your first date:

2. Your first job:

3. Special friends:

4. What the world was like:

5. A typical day

6. Your drive and car:

7. What you did for fun:

8. Your responsibilities:

9. Hobbies and special interests:

10. Your dreamss:

11. Holiday celebrations:

12. Your most memorable moment, happy, sad, funny or embarrassing

 ADULTHOOD
1. Your job:

2. Your marriage (or not):

3. What the world was like:

4. Special friends:

5. Hobbies and special interests:

6. What you did for fun:

7. What you do best:

8. Your view of the world:

9. A great joy:

10. A great sorrow:

11. Your most vivid memory

12. Advice you have for living the best life a person can:
 ANCESTORS
1. Your ancestor’s names:

2. Their homeland:

3. Their reason for coming to America:

4. Their trip to America:

5. The date and place of their arrival:

6. Their age and occupation upon arrival:

7. Their new occupation in their new land:

8. Their home:

9. Their talents:

10. Their religion:

11. Their special foods

12. Their traditions and celebrations:

 ADULTHOOD
13. Their struggles:

14. Their disapointments:

15. Their dreams:

16. Their achievements:

MILITARY LIFE
1. Your years in the service:

2. Why you joined:

3. What branch of the service you joined:

4. Your initial rank and final rank:

5. Where you were first stationed:

6. Your favorite assignment:

7. Your combat duty, if any:

8. Your injuries, if any:

9. Your most vivid memory:

 My Story
~Childhood~
Tell me about • games you played

• what the world was like • your name or nickname

• your time with your family • what you did for fun

• grade school experiences • your pets

• hobbies and special interests • special friends

• a typical day • your dreams

• where you lived • your responsibilities

~The Teen Years~

Tell Me About • what you did for fun

• your first date • your responsibilities

• your first job • hobbies and special interests

• special friends • your dreams

• what the world was like • holiday celebrations

• a typical day • your most memorable moments -

• your first drive happy, sad, funny,

• your first car or embarrassing

 ~Adulthood~
Tell me about • what you do best
• your jobs
• your view of the world
• Your marriage (or not)
• a great joy
• what the world was like
• a great sorrow
• special friends
• your most vivid memory
• hobbies & special interests
• advice you’d give for being the
• what you did for fun best person you can

~Ancestors~
Tell me about • their homes
• your ancestors names • their talents
• their homeland • their religions
• the reason for coming to • their traditions & celebrations
America
• their trip to America • their struggles
• the date and place of their • their disappointments
arrival
• their ages and occupations • their dreams

~Military Life~
Tell me about • where you were first stationed
• your years in the service • your favorite assignment
• why you joined • your combat duty, if any
• the branch you joined • your injuries, if any
•your initial rank and final rank • your most vivid memory
Idea Exchange
NCTE Spring. NYC
RESPONSE TO FIRST DRAFTS

Rebecca Sanchez
Curriculum Specialist
Riverview Intermediate Unit
880 Greencrest Dr.
Shippenville, PA 16254

1. Seat students in a circle with their first drafts. give each a fine tip colored marker.
2. The teacher also brings a first draft and sits in the circle.
3. Pass your draft to the right.
4. Read the draft as quickly as possible. Place a star beside one effective thing the
writer has done such as an image, a nice intro, great dialogue, etc. Place a question
mark beside an area where the reader is confused or where the writer needs to
work for improvement.
5. As soon as you are done reading a draft, pass it to the right. In this way everyone is
reading at the same time with little lapsing between drafts.
6. At the conclusion of class, everyone has read all the drafts, including the teacher.
All writers have feedback about areas that are working in the draft and areas of
weakness. All writers get ideas from reading other drafts. The teacher can assign
Draft 2 for the next day with revisions made based on today’s feedback
Creative Writing With Poetry
In my senior level Writing class, I have found that some of my students are hesitant to
come up with their own creative stories. Often times they feel that they are not creative
enough or they simply do not have the desire to begin a story from scratch. To solve this
problem I caine up with an exercise based on the art of compromise. I supply them with
one sentence, which they must use somewhere in their paper, while they furnish the
story that surrounds the sentence.

Rather than spend hours trying to write inspiring sentences, I have found lines of poetry
work quite well. A few examples:

“Soon there will be no one

to tell me what I was like
when I was a little girl.”

“This strange thing must have crept

right out of hell.”

“How easily the word went in my head

clean as a bullet.”

“My dog hobbles with a stick of a leg

that he drags behind him as he moves.”

I select more lines than I have students in the class for a couple of reasons: a few
students find some sentences too intimidating to try their hand at the first time; others
want more than one line to incorporate into their stories. (I have, in the past, had
students who have used four or five poetry sentences in their work and we have both
benefited from the challenge.)

All sentences are placed in a tiat and the students draw in random order. When they
submit their work for evaluation, they are required to underline or highlight the sentence
in their story so that I may remember which one they choose.

Overall, I have found this to be a rewarding and enjoyable activity. Many of my more
reluctant writers have really found their voice with this assignment.

Kathy Lamb
St.Teresa’s Academy
Kansas City, Missouri
Literary Genres
History of Literature
Literary Elements
Literary Elements - The language of literature
Character:

Narrator Villain/Victim ProtagonisvAntagonist

Viewpoint Flat/Round Static/Dynamic
Point-of-View

Plot:
Freitag’s Pyramid Threat Final Confrontation
Climax Denuement Problem/Solution

Setting:
Mood:
Tone:
Theme:

Poetry:

Verse Stanza Line

Rhyme (Scheme) Meter Forms (Sonnet, Haiku)

Drama:
Dialogue Acts Scenes
Lines Props Lighting
Scenery Blocking Sound

Film:

Camera Angle Step in/Step Out Montage

Special Effects Costumes Set
Suffixes
Suffixes come at the end of a word. Very often a suffix will tell you what kind of word it is part of
(noun, adverb, adjective, etc.). For example, words ending in -dom are usually nouns, words ending
in -l.y are usually adverbs, and words ending in -able are usually adjectives.
able, ible [able, can do] capable, agreeable, edible,
visible (can be seen)
ado [result of actioni blockade (the result of a
blocking action), lemonade
age [act of, state of, collection of] salvage (act of
saving), storage, forage
al [relating to] sensual, gradual, manual, natural
(relating to nature)
a1gia [pain] neuralgia (nerve pain)
an, ian [native of, relating to] African, Canadian
ance, ancy [action, process, state] assistance,
allowance, defiance, truancy
ant [agent, one who] assistant, servant
ary, cry, cry [relating to, quality, place where]
dictionary; bravery; dormitory
ate [cause, make] liquidate, segregate
cian [having a certain skill or art] musician,
beautician, magician, physician
cule, ling [very small] molecule, ridicule, duckling,
sapling
cy faction, function] hesitancy, prophecy, normalcy
(function in a normal way)
dom [quality; realm, office] freedom, king-dom,
wisdom (quality of being wise)
ee [one who receives the action] employee, nominee
(one who is nominated), refugee
en [made of, make] silken, frozen, oaken (made of
oak), wooden, lighten
ence, ency [action, state of, quality] differ-’ence,
conference, urgency
er, or [one who, that which] baker, miller, teacher,
racer, amplifier, doctor
escent [in the process of] adolescent (in the process
of becoming an adult), obsolescent
ese [a native of; the language of] Japanese,
Vietnamese
esis, osis (action, process, condition] gene-sin,
hypnosis, neurosis, osmosis
ess [female] actress, goddess, lioness
et, ette [a small one, group] midget, octet, baronet,
majorette
fic [making, causing] scientific, specific
ful [full of] frightful, careful, helpful
fy (make] fortify, simplify, amplify
hood [order, condition, quality] womanhood,
manhood, brotherhood
ic [nature of, like] metallic, heroic, poetic
ice [condition, state, quality) justice, malice
id, ide [a thing connected with or belonging
to] fluid, fluoride
ile [relating to, suited for, capable of] juve-nile, senile
(related to being old), missile
ine [nature of] feminine, genuine, medicine
ion, sion, tion fact of, state of, result of] contagion,
aversion, infection
ish [origin, nature, resembling] foolish, Irish,
clownish (resembling a clown)
ism [system, manner, condition, character-istic]
alcoholism, heroism, Communism
ist lone who, that which] violinist, artist, dentist
ite [nature of, quality of, mineral product] Israelite,
dynamite, graphite, sulfito
ity, ty [state of, quality] captivity, clarity
ize [causing, making] abusive, exhaustive lao (make]
emphasize, publicize, idolize
less [withouti baseless, careless (without care),
artless, fearless, helpless
ly [like, manner of] carelessly, fearlessly, hopelessly,
shamelessly
ment [act of, state of, result] contentment,
amendment (state of amending)
ness [state of] carelessness, restlessness
oid [resembling] asteroid, spheroid, tabloid
ology [study, science, theory] biology, anthropology,
geology, neurology
ous [full of, having] gracious, nervous, spa-cious,
vivacious (full of life)
ship [offIce, state, quality, skill] friendship,
authorship, dictatorship
some [like, apt, tending to] lonesome, threesome,
gruesome
tude [state of, condition of] gratitude, apti-tude,
multitude (condition of being many)
ure [state of, act, process, rank] culture, lit-erature,
rupture (state of being broken
ward (in the direction of] eastward, forward,
backward
y [inclined to. tend tol cheery, crafty, faulty
Prefixes
multi [many] multiply, multiform
neo [new] neopaganism, neoclassic, neologism,
neophyte
non (not] nontaxable (not taxed), nontoxic,
nonexistent, nonsense
oh, of, op, oc [toward, against] obstruct, offend,
oppose, occur
oct [eight] octagon, octave, octopus, octane,
octameter
paleo [ancient] paleoanthropology (pertaining to
ancient man), paleontology (study of ancient
life-forms)
par [beside, almost] parasite (one who eats
beside or at the table of another), paraphrase,
paramedic, parallel, parody
pent. [five] pentagon (figure or building having
five angles or sides), pentameter, pentathlon
per [throughout, completely] pervert
(com-pletely turn wrong, corrupt), perfect,
perceive, permanent, persuade
peri [around] perimeter (measurement around an
area), periphery; periscope, peri-cardium,
period
poly [many] polygon (figure having many angles
or sides), polygamy, polyglot, poly-chrome
post [after] postpone, postwar, postscript,
posterity
pre [before] prewar, preview, precede, prevent,
premonition
pro [forward, in favor of] project (throw
for-ward), progress, promote, prohibition
pseudo [false] pseudonym (false or assumed
name), pseudoscientific, pseudopodia
quad [four] quadruple (four times as much),
quadriplegic, quadratic, quadrant
quint [five] quintuplet, quintuple, quintet,
quintile
re [back, again] reclaim, revive, revoke,
reju-venate, retard, reject, return
retro [backward] retrospective (looking
back-ward), retroactive, retrorocket
se [aside] seduce (lead aside), secede, secrete,
segregate
self (by oneself] self-dltermination, self-
employed, self-service, selfish
sesqui [one and a half] sesquicentennial (one and
one-half centuries)
sex, sest [six] sexagenarian (sixty years old),
sexennial, sextant, sextuplet, sestet
sub [under] submerge (put under), submarine,
subhuman, substitute, subsoil
suf, sug, sup, sus [from under] suffer, sufficient,
suggest, support, suspect, suspend
super, supr [above, over, more] supervise,
superman, supernatural, supreme
syn, sym, sys, syl [with, together] synthe-sis,
synchronize (time together\ synonym,
sympathy, symphony, system, syllable
trans, tra [across, beyond] transoceanic,
transmit (send across), transfusion, tradition,
transform
tri [three] tricycle, triangle, tripod, tristate
ultra [beyond, exceedingly] ultramodern,
ultraviolet, ultraconservative
un [not, release] unfair unnatural, unbutton
under [beneath] underground, underlying
uni (one] unicycle, uniform, unify; universe,
unique (one of a kind)
vice [in place of] vice president, vice admiral,
viceroy

Numerical Prefixes

Multiples and Multiples and

Prefix Symbol Submultipies Equivalent Prefix Symbol Submultipies Equivalent
tera T 101 2 trlllionfold centi c 10- 2 hundredth part
giga G 10 9 biliionfold milli m 10- 3 thousandth part
mega M 10 6 millionfold micro u 10- 6 millionth part
kilo k 10 3 thousandfold nano n 10- 9 billionth part
hecto h 10 2 hundredfold pico p 10-12 trillionth part
deka da 10 tenfold femto f 10-15 guadrillionth part
deci d 10- 1 tenth part atto a 10-18 guintillionth part
 Character Traits List
fun cheerful terrible inconsiderate
playful weak horrible considerate
fair strong grateful disorganized
unfair clumsy worried hateful
bossy greedy trusting forgiving
tidy grumpy trustworthy unforgiving
sloppy jolly eager responsible
messy grouchy obedient humorous
silly bright disobedient intelligent irresponsible
sad careless considerate graceful
happy lonely satisfied bold
mean caring uncooperative mulish
unkind thoughtful cooperative courageous
nice thoughtless joyful excitable
funny likeable patient mysterious
bad generous two-faced lenient
good naughty generous boisterous
angry gabby mannerly creative
scary cruel talkative disrespectful vain
friendly nasty skillful heartless
unfriendly rude clever merciless
sweet impolite humble optimistic
dishonest strange dull self-assured
honest weird sincere treacherous
helpless careful warm meek
loving p1easant orderly spiteful
shy moody beautiful inquisitive
brave superstitious cowardly stern
smart energetic lovable sympathetic
selfish negative affectionate decent
frightened encouraging wild studious
gentle positive forgetful prejudiced
jealous sociable nervous gracious
odd special active anxious
foolish witty serious conceited
clever appreciative courteous casual
bashful restless hot-tempered mature
curious ridiculous impatient
merry sensible disagreeable
proud ambitious unhurried
cranky comical successful
unselfish boastful talented
sneaky miserable gossipy
nosy strict lively
lucky stubborn daring
polite careless understanding strong-
lazy disloyal willed
quiet loyal absent-minded
noisy popular enthusiastic respectful
loud mischievous organized hardworking
 Character Traits
nice patient trustworthy
silly fair honest
sad shy dishonest
friendly funny grouchy
wise stubborn greedy
foolish playful selfish
lonely happy sharing
cheerful lazy weak
kind talkative responsible
careless troublemaker active
helpful thankful orgiving
mean well-behaved spoiled
stupid well-meaning brave
strong nasty cowardly
unforgiving polite unhappy
daring sweet stupid
moody clever thoughtful
truthful good thoughtless
sneaky weird
calm easy going
hard-headed smart
 Characterization Descriptors
cheerful disloyal rude cowardly
nice gabby worried superstitious
silly skillful lenient inquisitive
helpful impolite trustworthy courteous
friendly daring eager prejudiced
shy weird obedient restless
funny careful disobedient unhurried
stubborn pleasant considerate bold
happy moody affectionate mature
humorous lovable forgetful decent
intelligent satisfied uncooperative selfish
active joyful hateful frightened
weak energetic stern gentle
vain nervous serious jealous
greedy forgiving irresponsible odd
mean positive ridiculous foolish
stupid special successful clever
brave impatient mulish bashful
honest gracious excitable weak
strong anxious angry proud
playful sensible scary unselfish
lazy talented friendly bright
sneaky boastful unfriendly patient
ashamed sad sweet two-faced
fun happy dishonest popular
playful mean honest cruel
fair unkind helpless understanding
unfair nice curious trusting
bossy funny greedy respectful
tidy bad grouchy chat terbox
sloppy good strict spiteful
messy loving careless encouraging
silly strong naughty sympathetic
merry cranky horrible studious
smart jolly dull graceful
sneaky caring sincere casual
lonely thoughtless orderly comical
stubborn generous beautiful miserable
 Characterization Descriptors
noisy depressed motivating
lucky forgiving moody
polite unforgiving naughty
lazy ridiculous swindler
quiet modest sinister
noisy l dissatisfied morbid
oud dreamer insistent
cheerful considerate inspiring
shy dreamer spirited
clumsy loyal inquisitive
careless considerate impatient
likable sweet gregarious
talkative kindhearted complainer
terrible nasty irrational
gossipy resentful mischievous
lively gullible squeamish
boisterous sensitive noble
creative emotional nonconformist
vain spoiled Strange
heartless cruel patronizing
merciless educated patient
optimistic sincere rebellious
wild conniving realist
meek obnoxious compulsive
negative revengeful tolerant
active vindictive
sociable encouraging
witty reverent
conceited fair
ambitious flashy
mysterious trustworthy
foolish well-behaved
easygoing troublemaker
sensible thoughtful
sly stately
senseless stingy
talkative flamboyant
thankful entertaining
 List of Feelings Persons Have But Often Fail to Identify
abandoned determined helpful outraged sure
adequate- dilierence helpless overwhelmed sympathetic
adamant diffident high pained suspicious
affectionae diminished homesick panicked taciturn
agonized discontented honored parsimonious talkative
almighty disturbed horrible peaceful tenacious
ambivalent dominated hurt persecuted tempted
angry divided hysterical petrified tenuous
annoyed dubious pitying tense
anxious ignored pleasant tentative
apathetic eager immortal pleased threatened
awed ecstatic infatuated precarious tired
electrified infuriated prim troubled
bad empty inspired prissy truculent
beautiful enchanted intimidated proud
betrayed energetic isolated quarrelsome ugly
bitter enervated uneasy
blissful enjoyed jealous rapture unsettled
bald enraged joyous refreshed unsure
bored envious jumpy rejected
brave excited relaxed violent
burdened evil kinky relieved vehement
exasperated kind remorse vital
calm exhausted keen restless vulnerable
capable reverent vivacious
captivated fascinating laconic rewarded
challenged fawning lazy righteous wicked
charmed fearful left-out wonderful
cheated flustered lonely sad weepy
cheerful foolish longing sated worried
childish frantic loving satisfied
clever frustrated low scared zany
combative frightened servile zesty
competitive free mad settled
condemned full maudlin shocked
confused furious mean silly
conspicuous melancholy skeptical
contented glad miserable sneaky
contrite goad mystical solemn
cruel gratified Sorrowful
crushed greedy naughty spiteful
culpable grief nervous startled
groovy nice stingy
deceitful guilty nutty strangled
defeated gullible stuffed
delighted obnoxious stupid
desirous happy obsessed stunned
despair hateful odd stupefied
destructive heavenly opposed suffering
 DESCRIPTORS FOR SETTING

TIME
month year season
time of day day of the week day or night
holiday decade century
past present future

PLACE
city urban/rural town
country continent planet
solar system climate land forms
street names buildings/
architecture

MOOD
calm peaceful cheerful
serene uncomfortable spooky
eerie anxious exciting
optimistic quiet pessimistic
cozy upsetting quiet
 TRANSITION WORDS
Chronological Order
after finally next
afterward first now
at last formerly previously
before last soon
earlier later then
eventually meanwhile until

Spatial Order
above beneath in the distance
ahead beyond near
away in front of next to
behind inside outside
below in the center to the right

Comparison and Contrast

Order

also instead on the other hand

although just as similarly
both like similar to
but likewise so also
however nevertheless whereas
in contrast on the contrary yet

Order of Importance

also furthermore one

even greater more perhaps the greatest reason
finally moreover second
first most third
first of all for on reason most important

Other Logical Orders

accordingly for example in fact

additionally for instance namely
along with furthermore therefore
and in addition thus
as a result in conclusion indeed
consequently in addition to
 Literary Terms and Definitions
1. Plot: series of events in a story; centers around a conflict.

2. Conflict: a struggle between opposing forces. An external conflict is a

struggle between a character and an outside force, such as society,
nature or another character. An internal conflict is a struggle within a
character’s mind. It may occur when the character has to make a
decision or deal with opposing feelings. There are three types of
conflict: [1] man vs. man, [2] man vs. self, [3] man vs. nature.

3. Rising Action: refers to the events in a story that move the plot
forward.

4. Climax: the point of greatest interest; also called the turning point. At
the climax, the outcome of the story becomes clear.

5. Falling Action/Resolution: occurs after the climax, conflicts are

resolved and looseends are tied up.

6. Setting: the time, place and mood of a story.

7. Mood: a feeling that a literary work conveys to readers. A mood is an

emotion such as sadness, excitement, or anger.

8. Character: each person, animal or imaginary creature in a work of

literature

9. Characterization: the way a writer creates and develops characters’

personalities. This is done in 4 basic ways: [1] describing the character
physically, [2] presenting the character’s thoughts, speech and actions,
[3] presenting the thoughts, speech, and actions of other characters,
and [4] directly commenting on the character’s nature.

10. Foreshadowing: a hint about an event that will occur later in a story;
this builds suspense.
11.Suspense: a feeling of growing tension and excitement that makes a
reader curious about the outcome of a story or an event within a story.

12.Flashback: a conversations an episode, or an event that happened

before the beginning of the story.

13.Point of View: every story is told from a particular point of view or

perspective. Usually, a story is told from either the first person or the
third person point of view.

14.First Person Point of View: the narrator is a character in the story

and uses pronouns such as I, me and we.

15.Third Person Point of View: the narrator is outside the story and uses
pronouns such as he, she and they.

16.Theme: a message about life or human nature that is conveyed by a

work of literature.

17. Authors Message: authors comment on the theme that he/she is

writing
 THEME ASSIGNMENT
Directions: After each theme word, write in a movie you have seen or a
book or story you have read, that could be used as an example of that theme. For
example — If the theme word would be Fate, you could put the short story “The
Monkey’s Paw” as your example. After you complete your list, choose three
themes/examples and write a paragraph for each, explaining how that movie or
book fits that theme. Use specific examples, so even if I haven’t seen the movie or
read the book, I will still understand why it fits that theme.

Anger Need

Beauty Obedience

Contentedness Prejudice

Death Questioning

Education Responsibility

Friendship Separation

Grief Teen- agers

Handicap Underdog

IndividualIty Values

Jealousy Wealth

Kindness Excellence

Love Youth

Music Zealousness
 Language Arts CRES Terms

Character Traits: describe the character in a story. There are 2 types:

• Physical Traits—how the character LOOKS
• Personality Traits—how the character ACTS

Conflict: is the problem in the story. This may be external [outside of the
character with someone/something else] or internal [inside of the
character—a mental decision]. There are three types:
• Man vs. Man
• Man vs. Nature
• Man vs. Self

Point-of-view: who is telling the story. If a character in the story is

telling the story, it is called FIRST PERSON point-of-view [I, we, me, us,
my]. If an observer or narrator is telling the story, it is called THIRD
PERSON point-of-view [he, she, they, you, her].

When answering the brief-constructed response questions

always remember the following:
• Make specific references to the story
• Provide direct examples and quotes in your writing
 ELEMENTS OF PLOT

CLIMAX
(Turning Point)

FALLING ACTION
(Events)

RISING ACTION
(Events)
RESOLUTION
(Solution)
CONFLICT
(Problem)
Three Types:
Man vs. Man
Man vs. Self
Man vs. Nature

INTRODUCTION
CHARACTERS
SETTING: Time
Place
Mood
 NAME:

PLOT QUIZ

I. COMPLETE THE PLOT CHART (Letter your paper

from A - -I and correctly label to parts of the Plot
Chart.)

a. f.
b. g.
c. h.
d. i.
/ /
e.

II. DEFINE LITERARY TERMS: define the following

terms in your own words.
• mood
• external conflict
• internal conflict
• climax
• point-of-view

III. IDENTIFY THE THREE TYPES OF CONFLICT AND

AN EXAMPLE (from fiction; several sentences)
• Man vs. Man
• Man vs.-Self
• Man vs. Nature
 ELEMENTS OF PLOT

CLIMAX

FALLING ACTION
(Events)

RISING ACTION
(Events)
RESOLUTION:

CONFLICT

INTRODUCTION
CHARACTERS:
SETTING: Time:
Place:
Mood:
 Word Bank
rising action resolution setting conflict
introduction time plot place
mood climax events(2) characters
turning point falling action

ELEMENTS OF

( )

( ) (

(problem) (solution)

:
 CHART

( )

( )

( )

:
ELEMENTS OF PLOT DEFINITIONS

Plot

Setting

Character

Conflict

Rising Action

Climax

Falling Action

Resolution
 PLOT CHART
Title of the Story:

Introduction:
Setting: (place)

(time)

(mood)

Characters:

Elements of Plot:
1. Conflict:

2. Rising Action:
a.
b.

c.

d.

3. Climax:

4. Falling Action:
a.

b.

5. Resolution:
Resource Sheet
Propaganda Techniques
Technique Source
A claim that everybody is doing it,
so you should too.
Bandwagon
A famous person endorses a
product. People who admire the
Testimonial
celebrity may be influenced to
purchase the product
A claim thatthis is the very best
snd unusually very expensive, but
Snob appeal you are worth it.
Respect for a patriotic symbol is
Transfer
transferred to something else
Words or phrases are used to
Glittering Generalities
create a favorable impression, but
may not have a specific meaning.
Using an uncomplimentary label to
Name Calling influence an opposing claim.
Creating an image of being an
ordinary person, or representing
Just Plain Folks the desires of the common man.
Limited information, data, and/or
details used to support or refute a
Card Stacking claim.
Product / Issue
“Kids are standing in line at the
book store to be the first to
purchase the latest Harry potter
book. Make sure you get your
copy!”
A famous person endorses a
product. People who admire the
celebrity may be influenced to
purchase the product
Shiny Glow Dog Shampoo may
cost a little more, but your dog
deserves the very best.
A political candidate may be
photographed with a national
landmark in the background.
Preserving the sanctity of the
home.
If we left it up to the “dogooders”
they would give all our money
away.
A political candidate wearing casul
clothing or a hard hat when
appearing in public.
9 out of 10 doctors surveyed
recommended the use of Brighten
toothpaste
Resource Sheet
Propaganda Techniques

Technique Source Product / Issue

Bandwagon

Testimonial

Snob appeal

Transfer

Glittering Generalities

Name Calling

Just Plain Folks

Card Stacking
Resource Sheet

Analyzing Text for Writer’s Bias

Title of Article:

Sub Title:

Elements of Bias Connotation Location in Text

Use of Propaganda

Emotional Words

Unsupported Conclusions

Illustrations

Limited Argument
Resource Sheet

Analyzing Text for Writer’s Bias [Conclusions Not Based on Fact]

Title of Article:

Sub Title:

Conclusions Connotation Location in Text

Resource Sheet

Analyzing Text for Writer’s Bias [Word Choice]

Title of Article:

Sub Title:

Words/Phrases Connotation Location in Text

Resource Sheet

Examining Informational Text for Examples of Stereotyping

Controlling Question: Why do writers use stereotyping in informational text?

Words/Phrases Connotation Location in Text

Explain why writers use stereotyping in informational text. Support your answer
with evidence from the text.
Resource Sheet

Classifying Stereotyped Details in Text

Detail/examples Exaggeration Generalization Labeling

Resource Sheet

Analyzing Stereotyping in Informational Text

Type of Text Topic/Issue/ Connotation

Person

Cartoon

Comic

Illustration

Advertisement
Resource Sheet

Evaluating Informational Text for Evidence of Stereotyping

Title of Article:
Author:
Purpose of Article:

Evidence of Stereotyping: yes no

Examples of stereotyping

Generalizations Exaggeration Labeling

Author’s Study
Language Usage
Active and Passive Verbs

Read the following paragraph and, on a separate sheet of paper. list all the verbs you notice. Indicate
an A next to those verbs that seem to have someone
or something actually performing an activity.

At 1:00 P.M. the group met in the grand ballroom. Introductory remarks, which included a
review of last week’s meeting, were given by the chair-person. When the speaker from the
Zoning Commission was introduced, some people in the back of the room began to yell and
scream. Appar-ently, the speaker had not been told that several nearby residents of the
proposed nuclear plant site would attend the meeting. The speaker, obviously angry,
slammed his fist on the podium and walked off the stage, shaking his head in disgust.

There are a total of ten words used as verbs in the above paragraph. Did you find all ten? Seven of the
verbs are active words, where a person or thing actually performs the activity of the verb. Did you find
them? The other three verbs are passive: the person or thing receives the action. You will learn more
about active and passive verbs in this section.

There are two important sentence types that the effective writer should
know how to use: the active sentence and the passive sentence An
active sentence has a subject that acts upon a verb.

George ate the dinner. (active)

In this sentence. George (the subject) performs the action. Ate (the
verb) is the action. The dinner the direct object receives the action. In
grammar. we say that this sentence is in the active voice.

A passive sentence has a subject that is acted upon by a verb. The verb
always contains a form of be plus another verb form.

The dinner was eaten by George. (passive)

In this sentence. dinner (the subject) receives the action. It also

receives the attention in the sentence and seems more important than
George. who is placed at the end of the sentence. The feeling of action
is also weakened by was u form of be).

In order to understand active and passive sentences, the writer must

know the forms of be. Memorize them. Here they are:
am was be
are were been
is being

In the passive voice, there are two or more words in the verb. The first
verb form is always a form of be. and the word that follows it is the
past participle of a second verb. Here are examples: (For more
 information on verb forms, refer to pages 255—272.)
(form of be) (past participle)
were followed
was given
are delivered
is played
be awarded
will have been finished
shall be saved

Here are the above verbs used in passive sentences:

The clowns were followed by the elephants.

The retiring teacher was given a diamond pin by the staff.
See that the sausages are delivered by two o’clock.
Rugby is played by many people in Great Britain.
The jury directed that the film be awarded a prize.
The cake will have been finished when you get home.
Many dollars shall be saved by cautious motorists.

Notice that sentences in the passive voice frequently have verbs that
are followed by a group of words beginning with by: The fish was
caught by the little girl. Remember also that the subject receives the
action in a passive sentence.

A sentence can be active when the present participle (the form ending
in -ing) of a verb is used with a form of be. Here are examples:

The champion is defeating George.

I am defeating George.
You are defeating George.
I have been defeating George.

Writing Active Sentences What does the word active mean? It means working” or
Operating effec-tively.” Some synonyms (words with similar
meanings) are alive. dynamic.
and functioning. Effective writers use active sentences that show
vitality and energy. They usually avoid making their thoughts appear
passive.

Passive has the opposite meaning of active. Passive means Inactive.”

Some synonyms of passive are idle, quiet. inert, and docile. The word
passive suggests a feeling of dullness and laziness. It is no wonder that
the effective writer avoids the passive voice most of the time. Unless
there is a good reason for using the passive voice (and there are some
reasons at times), the effective writer concentrates on writing active
sentences.
Exercise 14 On a separate sheet of paper. write active or passive after the correct choice (A
or B) when you read these pairs of sentences. Here is an example:

A. The acrobat thrilled the audience.

B. The audience was thrilled by the acrobat.
A. active
B. passive

1. A. The cowhands stampeded the herd.

B. The herd was stampeded by the cowhands.

2. A. Abraham passed the test.

B. The test was passed by Abraham.
3. A. The snow was shoveled by Nancy.
B. Nancy shoveled the snow.
4. A. I am winning the game.
B. The game is being won by me.
5. A. You were fooled by the trick.
B. The trick fooled you.
6. A. A flea bit the dog.
B. The dog was bitten by the flea.
7. A. The host served dinner to the guests.
B. The guests were served dinner by the host.
8. A. The fire was lit by the campers.
B. The campers lit the fire.
9. A. The fierce bull was ridden by a tough cowhand.
B. The tough cowhand rode the fierce bull.
10.A. His aunt was delighted by the surprise party
B. The surprise party delighted his aunt.

Active and Passive Voice

A verb in the active voice expresses an action done by its subject. A yerb in the passive
voice expresses an action done to its subject.

REFERENCE NOTE - Only transitive verbs (action verbs that take objects) have voice.

ACTIVE VOICE The coach instructed us. [The subject, coach, performs the action.]

PASSIVE VOICE I was instructed by the coach to bunt. The subject, I, receives the
action.]

Compare the following related sentences

S V O
ACTIVE VOICE The author provides helpful diagrams.
 PASSIVE VOICE Helpful diagrams are provided by the author.

As you can see, the object of the active sentence be-conies the subject of the passive one.
The subject of the ac-tive sentence becomes the object of the prepositional phrase. In some
sentences, such as this one, the phrase can even be omitted.

PASSIVE VOICE Helpful diagrams are provided.

The verb in a passive sentence is always a verb phrase made up of a form of be and the
main verb’s past participle. Depending on the tense, other helping verbs may also be
included.

ACTIVE VOICE Willa Cather wrote My Antonia.

PASSIVE VOICE My Antonia was written by Willa Cather.

ACTIVE VOICE Someone has erased the tapes.

PASSIVE VOICE The tapes have been erased.

The following chart shows the conjugation of the verb give in the passive voice.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB GIVE IN THE PASSIVE VOICE

PRINCIPAL PARTS

BASE FORM PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST PAST PARTICIPLE

give (is) giving gave (have) given

PRESENT TENSE

SINGULAR PLURAL
I am given weare given
you are given you are given
he, she, it is given they are given
CONJUGATION OF THE VERB GIVE IN THE PASSIVE VOICE

PAST TENSE

SINGULAR PLURAL
I was given wewere given
you were given you were given
he, she, it was given they were given

Past Progressive: was, were being given

FUTURE TENSE

SINGULAR PLURAL

I will (shall) be given we will (shall) be given

you will be given you will be given
he, she, it will be given they will be given

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

SINGULAR PLURAL
I have been given we have been given
you have been given you have been given
he, she, it has been given they have been given

PAST PERFECT TENSE

SINGULAR PLURAL

I had been given we had been given

you had been given you had been given
he, she, it had been given they had been given

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE

SINGULAR PLURAL
I will (shall) have been given we will (shall) have been given
you will have been given you will have been given
he, she, it will have been given they will have~been given
 The progressive forms of the passive voice exist for the future, present perfect, past perfect,
and future perfect tenses. However, the use of be or been with being is extremely awkward
[give, for example, in the passive future perfect is will (shall) have been being given].
Consequently, the progressive form of the passive voice is usually used only in the present
and past tenses

Using the Passive Voice

Use the passive voice sparingly.

The passive voice is not any less correct than the active voice, but it is less direct, less forceful, and less
concise. You shouId avoid overusing the passive voice for two reasons.

First, it generally requires more words than the active voice does, consequently, the passive voice can result
in awkward writing. Second, the performer of the action in a passive voice construction is revealed
indirectly or not at all. As a result, a sentence written in the passive voice can sound weak. compare the
following sentences.

AWKWARD PASSIVE The ball was hit over the outfield fence by Jody.
ACTIVE Jody hit the ball over the outfield fence.

The passive voice is useful in situations such as the following ones, however.

(1) when you do not know the performer of the action

EXAMPLES The house was built of brick.

A false alarm had been telephoned to the fire department.

(2)when you do not want to reveal the performer of the action

EXAMPLES Unfounded accusations were made against the candidate.

The suspects are described as a man and woman in their forties.

(3) when you want to reveal the receiver of the action

EXAMPLES Aung San Suu Kyi of Burma was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize.
The entire state has been declared a disaster area.

Computer Note: Some software programs can identify and highlight passive voice verbs. If you use
such a program, keep in mind that it can’t tell why you used the passive voice. If you did so for one of the
reasons just illustrated by the examples, you may want to leave the verb in the passive voice.
 Shoe, by Jeff MacNelly, reprinted by permission; Tribune Media Services

Quick Checks Classifying Sentences by Voice

Identify each of the following sentences as actor or

1. The album was reviewed unfavorably by most critics.

2.Your generous contribution to help the homeless is greatly appreciated.
3.This afternoon the baby stood up by himself
4.Was Saul Bellow awarded the Nobel Prize?
5. I don’t understand this math problem.

Six TroubIesome Verbs

Lie and Lay
‘The verb lie means “to rest” or “to stay, recline, or remain in ii a certain position.” Lie never takes an
object. The verb lay means “to put (something) in a place.” Lay usually takes an object.

PRINCIPAL PART OF LIE AND LAY

BASE FORM PRESENT PARTICIPLE PAST PAST PARTICIPLE

lie (to rest) (is) lying lay (have) lain

lay (to put) (is) laying laid (have) laid

These examples show how the verb lie is used. Notice that none of the examples contains an object.
EXAMPLES
I sometimes lie on the floor.
The bills are lying on the table.
Yesterday Lambert lay on the grass.
How long have the bills lain there?

The following examples show how the verb lay is used. Notice that each example contains an object.

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VERB FORMS

When the subject of the sentence performs the action, the verb is active. When the subject of the sentence
receives the action expresses the result of the action, the verb is passive.

In addition to showing the time of an action, you can use this in still another way to express exactly what you
mean. Suppose oil has been leaked into the harbor. If you know who what did it, you can say something
like this:

Our motorboat leaked oil into the harbor.

Suppose that you do not know who or what leaked the oil or you do not want to say who or what did it.
You can say this:

Oil was leaked into the harbor.

In the first sentence, the subject says who or what performed action. The verb of this sentence is active. In
the second sen-tence, the subject says who or what received the action. The verb Ails sentence is passive.
The word passive means “acted upon.” The passive form of a verb consists of some form of be plus the
participle. Only transitive verbs, those that take objects. can changed from active to passive:
Active Passive
Beebe explored the sea. The sea was explored by Beebe.
The bathysphere helped him. He was helped by the bathysphere.

CONCEPT CHECK
Active and Passive Verb Forms Write the verbs from the fol-lowing sentences. Label each one
Active or Passive.

1. The sea’s depths were first explored by an American naturalist.

2. His name was Dr William Beebe.
3. Beebe built the first bathysphere during the 1920s.
4. This small chamber carried two scientists down into the sea.
5. In 1930 the bathysphere was lowered for the very first time.
6. Beebe traveled three thousand feet into the inky deep.
7. At two thousand feet below the surface, Beebe was overwhelmed by the unexpected sight of bright lights
and colors.
8.The sea was illuminated by bioluminescent fish.
9.Chemicals within the fish gave them a glow like fireworks,
10. Sights like these had never been seen before by human eyes

B. REVISION SKILL
Avoiding the Use of You In formal writing. the pronoun you should be used only to mean “you, the
reader.” In some cases changing a verb from the active to me passive will eliminate awkward you
constructions. Rewrite the following paragraph, using passive verbs in sentences 11. 13. and 14. In
sentences 12, 15, and 16. supply a new subject.

The bathysphere with the two sclentistss descends slowly into the depths of the sea. 11 You feel a gentle tug.
The cable has neared its end, and the bathysphere floats in an undersea world 12 At first. you can see only
blackness. 13 You might describe this darkness as “perpetual night.” However, the black world is not
completely without light. 14 You can observe hunureds of fish. Each glows with its own colored lights. 15 For
instance, nearby you notice a bright liquid discharge from a deep-sea shrimp. 16 Soon you can enjoy a
spectacular display of living fireworks.

C. REVISION SKILL
Using Active Verbs In the following paragraph, identify each of the italicized verbs as Active or Passive
Also make the writing stronger and more straightforward by changing passive verbs to active verbs.

17
Undersea exploration has come a long way. 18 Years ago, people could dive only about two hundred feet
underwater. 19 Diving suits with air hoses were used by them. 20 Then William Beebe went half a mile down in
his bathysphere. 21 However, cables always connected it to the surface. 22 Cables are not needed by a
newer invention, the bathyscaph. 23 Instead, when the craft must return to the surface, ballast is released by
24
the craft to make it lighter. The bathyscaph has reached depths of over six miles. 25 Still. it only can go
down or up.

CHECK POINT
A. Write each verb from the following sentences and identify the tense. Also state if the verb is in the
progressive form.

1. Early automobiles used steam, gas, and electricity for power.

2. By 1924, however, gasoline had become the major power source.
3. Unfortunately, gasoline adds to air pollution problems.
4. So, for decades U.S. inventors have had an important goal.
5. They have been developing an inexpensive, pollution-free car.
6. Electric cars returned for a short while in the l960s.
7. Recently, General Motors has been working on a new car.
8. The inside of this car will eventually contain a complex system of batteries and motors.
9. General Motors engineers are still working on the design for the electrical storage systems.
10. New car owners will be facing different issues in the future.
11. By the year 2000, inventors will have been working on electric vehicles for more than a century.
12. Their hard work will have paved the way for future designers.
APPLICATION IN LITERATURE
Write the italicized verbs from the following passage. Label each verb as Active or Passive.

13
As we approach the Cape, we see again the rocket and its launching tower from far off over the
lagoon. 14 It is illumined with searchlights, the newest and most perfected creation of a scientific age—
hard, weighty metal.
15
We watch the launching with some of the astronauts and their families, from a site near the Vehicle
Assembly Building. 16 Our cars are parked on a slight rise of ground 17 A jet of steam shoots from the
pad below the rocket. 18 "Ahhhh!” The crowd gasps, almost in unison. 19 Now great flames spurt. leap,
belch out across the horizon. 20 Clouds of smoke billow up on either side of the rocket, completely
hiding its base. 21 From the midst of this holocaust, the rocket begins to rise... 22 as if the giant weight is
pulled by an invisible hand out of the atmosphere.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh,
Morning—The Bird Perched for Flight

Using Tenses Correctly

Each of the following sentences contains an error in the use of verbs. Identify the error arid then give the
correct form of the verb.

1. Spending three hours on a review of chemistry, we then worked on irregular French verbs.
2. Tutankhamen, Helen of Troy, arid Shakespeare are the three people I would have most liked to have
met.
3 To have written about Pueblo ceremonies, I would have to do more research.
4. Flying from Missouri to California before, we remembered to set our watches back.
5. We wanted to have avoided any controversy.
6. Having attempted to travel across the African continent, the explorers encountered both vast deserts and
dense swamp forests.
7. Native Arctic peoples learned to have survived in a harsh environment.
8. They were hoping to have had a multiple-choice test in history instead of an essay exam.
9. If you want to go shopping, I would have driven you to the mall.
10. Standing in line for more than two hours, Tamisha finally got tickets to the hammer concert.

Active Voice and Passive Voice

Voice is the form a transitive verb takes to indicate whether the subject of the verb
performs or receives the action.

Transitive verbs may be in the active voice or the passive voice.

When the subject of a verb performs the action, the verb is in the active voice. When the subject receives
the action, the verb is in the passive voice.
As the examples on the next page show, verbs in the active voice take objects, and verbs in the passive
voice do not.
ACTIVE VOICE Mark Riley anchors the local evening news. [News is the direct object.]
PASSIVE VOICE The local evening news is anchored by Mark Riley.

ACTIVE VOICE Han took many of the photos in the yearbook. [Many is the direct object.]
PASSIVE VOICE Many of the photos in the yearbook were taken by Han.

ACTIVE VOICE The firefighters have extinguished the blazing fire. [Fire is the direct object.]
PASSIVE VOICE The blazing fire has been extinguished by the firefighters.
PASSIVE VOICE The fire has been extinguished.

From these examples, you can see how an active construction can become a passive construction

The object of the verb in the active voice becomes the subject of the verb in the passive voice. The subject
of the verb in the active voice becomes an object of the preposition by, (As the last example shows, this
prepositional phrase is riot always necessary;)

The Retained Object

A verb in the active voice often has an indirect object as well as a direct object. When such a verb is put
into the passive voice, either object can become the subject. ‘The other object then serves as a complement
called a retained object
S V IO DO
ACTIVE Mrs. Platero gives each new employee a tour of the plant.
PASSIVE Each new employee is given a tour of the plant (by Mrs.Platero). The indirect object
employee becomes the subject, arid the direct object too, becomes the retained object
PASSIVE A tour of the plant is given each new employee (by Mrs.Platero) (The direct object tour
becomes the subject, and the indirect object employee becomes the retained object.)

A verb in the passive voice always includes a form of be and the verb’s past participle. The form of be and the
helpirig verb, if any, indicate the tense of the verb phrase.
 CONJUGATION OF THE VERB GIVE
IN THE PASSIVE VOICE

PRESENT TENSE

SINGULAR PLURAL
I am given we are given
you are given you are given
he, she, it is given they are given
Present progressive am, are, is being given

PAST TENSE

SINGULAR PLURAL
I was given we were given
you were given you were given
he, she, it was given they were given
Past Progressive was, were being given

FUTURE TENSE (will or shall + infinitive)

SINGULAR PLURAL
I will (shall) be given we will (shall) be given
you will be given you will be given
he, she, it will be given they will be given
Future Progressive: will (shall) be being given

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE (have or has + past participle)

SINGULAR PLURAL
I have been given we have been given
you have been given you have been given
he, she, it has been given they have been given

PAST PERFECT TENSE (had + past participle)

SINGULAR PLURAL
I had been given we had been given
you had been given you had been given
he, she, it had been given they had been given

FUTURE PERFECT TENSE (will have or shall have + past participle

SINGULAR PLURAL
I will (shall) have been given we will (shall) have been given
you will have been given you will have been given
he, she, it will have been given they will have been given
The Uses of the Passive Voice

• Use the passive voice sparingly

Choosing between the active voice and the passive voice is a matter of style, not correctness.
In general, however, the passive voice is less direct, less forceful, and less concise than the
active voice. In fact, the passive voice may produce an awkward effect.

AWKWARD PASSIVE The final event was completed when a triple

somersault was done by Mario.
ACTIVE Mario completed the final event by doing a
triple somersault.
AWKWARD PASSIVE Steady rains were hoped for by all of us, but
a hurricane was wanted by none of us.
ACTIVE All of us hoped for steady rains, but none of
us wanted a hurricane.

• A string of passives is particularly awkward.

STRING OF
PASSIVES
I was invited by Ms. Long to visit her animal shelter. Rows of cages had been
placed along two sides of a large storage shed. Dozens of cats, dogs,
hamsters, and guinea pigs were held in the cages. A large parrot was even
spotted by me. In one corner of the noisy building, a scrawny, brown puppy was
being hand-fed by an assistant. Ms. Long said so many unwanted pets had been
brought to her by people, homes could not be found for all of them. It was agreed
by us that the responsibility of owning a pet should be understood by people
before one is bought.

ACTIVE
Ms. Long invited me to visit her animal shelter. She had placed rows of cages
along two sides of a large storage shed. The cages held dozens of cats, dogs,
hamsters, and guinea pigs. I even spotted a large parrot. In one corner of the
noisy building, an assistant was hand-feeding a scrawny, brown puppy. Ms.
Long said people had brought her so many unwanted pets that she could not
find homes for all of them. We agreed that people should understand the
responsibility of owning a pet before they buy one.

Passive voice constructions are not always awkward. In fact, the passive voice is useful in the following
situations:

(1) when you do not know who performed the action

EXAMPLE All of the tickets had been sold weeks before the concert.
(2) when you do not want to reveal the performer

EXAMPLE Shoddy work was done on the building.

(3) when you want to emphasize the receiver of the action rather than the performer

EXAMPLES Lasers are used in industry, communications, and medicine.

Ivy Swan has been emulated by many young singers.

EXERCISE 13 Revising Sentences in the Passive Voice

Revise the following sentences by changing verbs in the pas-sive voice to active voice wherever you think the
change is desirable. If you think the passive is preferable, write C. For each sentence, be prepared to explain
why you kept or changed the passive voice verb.

1. After the new computers had been installed by the service reps, a training session was given to us by them.
2. If the children had been enchanted by Mr. Wright’s tales before, they would be even more enthralled by his
new story of a fantasy kingdom.
3. A community meeting was held by the area homeowners to discuss the landfill project, which had been
proposed by the City Council.
4. The value of storytelling is explained in an ancient Seneca myth.
5. While the decorations are being created by Clarence, the buffet will be prepared by Edna.
6. Potatoes had been cultivated by the Incas for more than twenty centuries before they were grown by
Europeans.
7. The 1539 expedition of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was guided by Estevanico, a well-known black
explorer.
8. The chapters on constitutional amendments, which had been assigned to us last week by Mrs. Robinson,
were reviewed by us before the test.
9. Shinae Chun is admired and respected by her colleagues.
10. If the practicality of home robots had been demonstrated by Mike Smith, his request for funding would not
have been rejected by the committee.

Mood
Mood is the form that a verb takes to indicate the attitude of the person using the verb. Verbs may be in one of
three moods: indicative, imperative, or subjunctive.

The indicative mood is used to express a fact, an opinion, or a question.

EXAMPLES Heitor Villa-Lobos was a composer who became known for his use of Brazilian
folk music.
Amy Tan is a gifted writer.
Can you tell me when the United States entered World War I?

The imperative mood is used to express a request or a command.

A verb in the imperative mood has only one form. That form is the same as the verb’s infinitive form.
EXAMPLES Tell me when the United States entered World War I.
Please pass the salsa.

The subjunctive mood is used to express a suggestion, a necessity, a condition contrary to fact, or a wish.

In the subjunctive mood, only the present tense and the past tense have distinctive forms. The other tense
forms are the same as those in the indicative mood.
 PARTS OF SPEECH

Words are called the building blocks of language. The words we

use in speaking and writing can be put into seven different categories.
These categories are called the Parts of Speech. Below these
categories are listed and together we will discover their meanings and
write down the definitions.

1. NOUN

2. VERB

3. ADJECTIVE

4. ADVERB

5. PRONOUN

6. CONJUNCTION

7. PREPOSITIONS
 PREPOSITIONS
1. aboard 26. inside
2. about 27. into
3. above 28. like
4. across 29. near
5. after 30. of
6. against 31. off
7. along 32. on
8. among 33. out
9. around 34. outside
10. at 35. over
11. before 36. past
12. behind 37. since
13. below 38. through
14. beneath 39. throughout
15. beside 40. to
16. between 41. toward
17. beyond 42. under
18. but 43. underneath
19. by 44. until
20. down 45. up
21. during 46. upon
22. except 47. with
23. for 48. within
24. from 49. without
25. in
Proofreading Marks

= New Paragraph

= Insert a word or phrase

= Insert a quotation

= Take out

= Insert period

= Small letter

= Big letter

= Spelling
 Creating a Dialogue for Revision
Questions about Style/Format:

1. Where might this idea make more sense?

2. What words can you eliminate here?
3. Are all of these sentences/words necessary~’
4. Where can you create some paragraphs?
5. How can you catch the reader’s attention right from the start?
6. How can you make some connections for your reader?
7. Where are you taking this idea?
8. What is the difference between this paragraph and the one before it?
9. How can you build up more gradually?
10. Does this sentence fit here?
11. How can you separate these two ideas?
12. How can you rearrange your ideas to build to your point more logically?
12. Which transition might be more appropriate here?
14. How can you make a clearer connection between these two ideas?
15. How can you tie these ideas together?

Questions about Content:

1. Why did you include this information?

2. How can you expand this idea?
3. Which point do you want to focus on?
4. How can you be more specific here?
5. How can you build on this idea?
6. What evidence can you produce for support?
7. How can you eliminate some of this repetition?
8. Where would this detail make more sense?

Questions about Feelings:

1. How can you show, rather than tell what happened?

2. How did you feel when this happened?
3. How did you react?
4. What do you think your essay needs next?
5. What points are you worried about?
6. What was your reason for including this information?
7. How can you more clearly explain what you mean here?
8. How can you organize your ideas to illustrate how important this was to you?
9. How can you sustain your reader’s interest here?
10. Is this fact or opinion?
 List 31: Adjectives
OBJECTIVE
To develop the student’s ability to uncerstand
the meanings of adjectives and use them for
precision of meaning in functional language.

APPLICATIONS
· Give students one list of words such as SIZE.
Have them order the words in sequence.

Example: wee - tiny - small M- middle-sized -

big - huge - giant
They can also draw a picture for each word.

· Adjective Game
Make one set of twenty cards with pictures of
people, animals or objects on them (cut
pictures from old workbooks or use stickers).
Make a second set with adjectives printed on
them. Lay out cards in Set 1 face-up on the
table. The student draws a card from Set 2 and finds a picture it describes. He uses the words in a
sentence and covers the picture.

Example:The black cat ate his food.

Bring in an interesting object. The students brainstorm adjectives to describe it. List the words on a
chart and let students add to it during the day.

Example: FISHBOWL shiny glass clear

open wet breakable
round hard middle-sized
solid smooth transparent
heavy fragile

Have students write or tell a short story about the object using many of these words.

· Select one adjective. Have students think of all the words it could describe.

Example: STRAIGHT arrow yardstick hair

line pole edge
· Refer to List 84, Emotions and Feelings, for more adjectives to act out.
Size
average miniature petite wee
big great puny little
colossal giant small immense
fat huge short massive
gigantic long tiny middle-sized
mammoth large tall

Quantity
abundant few heavy many
empty light numerous
Shape hollow round shallow
broad low square skinny
chubby narrow straight wide
deep crooked steep curved
flat
high

Time
brief old young ancient
early quick rapid modern
fast slow long old-fashioned
late swift short

Sound
hushed quiet soft purring
hissing silent squealing resonant
harsh shrill booming cooing
loud thundering crying deafening
mute voiceless screaming high-pitched
moaning faint whispering raspy
noisy screeching husky melodic

Taste and Smell

bitter ripe sticky sour
delicious rotten thirsty spicy
fresh sweet tasty strong
juicy stale salty tasteless

Touch
bumpy dry icy silky
broken damaged loose slimy
breezy dusty plastic solid
boiling fuzzy prickly steady
cool filthy rainy slushy
curly fluttering rough shaky
chilly fluffy shaggy tender
crooked flaky smooth tight
cuddly grubby sticky wooden
cold greasy shivering weak
creepy melted scattered wet
dirty hot sharp uneven
damp hard soft slippery

Appearance
adorable cloudy motionless shiny
alert crowded muddy sparkling
bright clean glamorous stormy
blonde dark graceful smoggy
bloody dull grotesque strange
clear distinct gleaming spotless
colorful elegant homely ugly
cute fancy light unsightly
beautiful filthy poised unusual
blushing misty quaint
Adjectives
(continued)

Feelings (positive) exuberant hilarious relieved

good elated happy silly
amused enthusiastic healthy successful
agreeable eager joyous smiling
brave excited jolly splendid
comfortable faithful kind victorious
courageous friendly lovely vivacious
calm funny lucky witty
cooperative fair lively zealous
cheerful fine obedient
charming gentle pleasant
determined glorious perfect
enchanting

Feelings (negative) defiant homeless selfish

afraid dangerous ill troubled
angry eerie lonely tense
anxious embarrassed mysterious thoughtless
annoyed envious naughty tired
awful evil nervous upset
ashamed frightened outrageous uptight
bad fierce obnoxious worried
bored frantic panicky wicked
creepy foolish repulsive weary
cruel grieving sore
defeated hungry scornful
disgusting hurt scary
depressed

Condition dead innocent rich

alive doubtful impossible super
brainy difficult important shy
breakable different modern sleepy
busy easy open tame
careful famous outstanding uninterested
curious fragile puzzled wrong
crazy helpful powerful wild
concerned helpless poor wandering
cautious inquisitive real
clever
 EXAMPLES
Acronyms
Initials Words
Laser light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
scuba self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
sonar sound navigation ranging
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
WAC Women’s Army Corps
MASH Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
snafu situation normal all fouled up
WHO World Health Organization
UNICEF United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund

Compound Categories

B is of A B is from A B is for A
Ex: fishbone (the bone is a
part of the fish) E x: sunburn Ex: dishpan
(the burn is from the sun) (the pan is for the dishes)
doughnut (the nut is made of
dough) starlight fireplace
backbone
fingernail moonbeam sandbox
toenail bee sting icebox
weekend moonlight teacup
snowman pancake wallpaper
sunlight toothpaste c
ampfire

B is A B does A B is like A
Ex: blueprint (the print is blue) Ex: towtruck (the truck Ex: catfish
tows) (the fish is like a cat)
blueberry racehorse
blackberry workman boxcar
bluebird salesman sandpaper
blackbird driftwood starfish
tugboat dragonfly
 EXAMPLES

Etymology Chart

Word or Expression Definition Place of Origin

hor d’oeuvre appetizer France

kimono robe Japan

bonbon a small candy France

a la mode as pie with ice cream France

prima donna a vain or temperamental person Italy

croutons toasted cubes of bread France

patio a paved area near house Spain

rodeo a contest in which cowboys Spain

compete

polka a fast, lively dance Poland

goober a peanut Africa

okra a vegetable with a pod Africa

Ladders of Abstraction

description animal state food

color mammal county fruit

green dog city apple

chartreuse Lassie neighborhood Golden Delicious
 EXAMPLES
Multiple Meanings
Word bright

Meaning 1. shining
2. smart
3. cheerful

Sentences 1. There is a bright light in the window.

2. That dog is very bright.
3. I like bright colors.

Opposites and Inbetweens

Opposites and Inbetweens

black gray white

hot tepid cold
love neutral hate
fearless leery terrified
gorgeous pretty ugly
transparent translucent opaque
large medium small
inch foot yard
stranger acquaintance friend
winter spring summer

Outside/Inside

apple olive wheel cherry house

core pit hub stone room

school closet dictionary ocean

classroom clothes words fish
 EXAMPLES
purple
orange violet
auburn grape
pumpkin orchid
tangerine lavender
peach amethyst
copper fuchsia
apricot mauve
shrimp lilac
rust
brown red green
chocolate scarlet olive
sienna lobster emerald
earth strawberry aquamarine
cream fuchsia apple
russet cherry pea
coffee apple lime
toast tomato fern
tan crimson kelly

white black
white lie black market
white flag blackmail
yellow white shadow in the black
yellow fever blacksmith
yellow belly
yellow streak
green
green thumb
greenhorn
blue green with
blue blood envy
blue moon
true blue
red
red tape
red hot
red cap
pink
pink rose
pink nose
 Word Map

The Word Map is a strategy for students to use context clues independently
to determine word meaning.

Use:

1. Making predictions before reading a selection

2. Introducing key vocabulary

3. Adding dimension to word concepts

Procedure:

1. Teacher provides a word for students. The students write the word in the
appropriate place on the organizer.

2. Students locate the word in the dictionary. They write its definition and
give examples of its use on the organizer. Examples can be found in the
dictionary or obtained through personal experience. Finally the students
further describe the word.

Example:

definition
What is it like?
A round thin unleavened
cake folded over with Tortilla does not
a filling inside. have much taste
without the filing

tortilla Tortilla is usually

filled with meats,
cheese onion.

Meat tortilla Sometimes sauce

or sour cream is
put on top.

Cheese tortilla
 Vocabulary Builders

Vocabulary Builders are organizers which can be used in a variety of ways to

build and extend students’ vocabulary.

Use:

1. Building vocabulary before or after reading

2. Building concepts before reading

3. Extending and expanding vocabulary

Procedure:

1. Select an appropriate organizer to meet the needs of the students.

2. Use answer keys to aid understanding.

Example:

Acronyms
Colorful Words 1
Colorful Words 2
Compound Categories
Etymology Chart
Ladders of Abstraction
Multiple Meanings
Opposites and Inbetweens
Outside Inside
Overworked and Weary Words
Portmanteau Words
Tied Up in Nots”
Wackey Wordies.
What’s Not in a Word
Words of Interest
Word Thermometers
Word Twins. Triplets and Quadruplets
 Analogy Model

The Analogy Model is a strategy used for students to understand relationships

between words and concepts.

Use:

1. Tapping prior knowledge of vocabulary before reading

2. Reinforcing sight vocabulary after reading

Procedure:

1. Introduce the concept of analogy.

2. Select key vocabulary words from reading selection and prepare graphic
organizer for student use.

A. C. A. C.
yellow red morning evening
B. = D. B. = D.
banana early

A. C. A. C.
rock cotton finger watch
B. hard = D. B. ring = D.
 TRANSITIONAL DEVICES
1. Words that clarify:
in other words for instance put another way

2. Words that add information:

again another furthermore finally
also besides moreover as well
additionally for example next along with
in addition for instance likewise equally important

3. Words that compare things:

as in the same way likewise
also like similarly

4. Words that contrast things:

however yet still even though
otherwise although on the other hand

5. Words that emphasize a point:

again in fact to repeat
for this reason to emphasize truly

6 .Words that conclude or summarize:

as a result finally therefore
all in all last to sum up
7. Words that show location:
above away from beyond into over
across behind by near throughout
against below down off to the right
along beneath in back of onto under
among beside in front of on top of
around between inside outside

8. Words that show time

about first meanwhile soon then
after second today later next
at third tomorrow afterward as soon as
before till next week immediately
during until yesterday finally when
 LIST OF PREFIXES

Listed below are Latin and Greek prefixes and their meanings, together with
examples of English words in which they are used. Keep this page, since you
will need for all your work in vocabulary.
1. a- not apathy 19. micro- very small microscope
without
2. ab- from abdicate 20. mono- one monogram
away
3. ad- to adhesive 21. non- not nonsense

4. ambi- both am bivalent 22. ob- against object

5. bene- good benefit 23. per- through pervade

6. brev- short brevity 24. poly- many polygon

7. circum- around circumspect 25. post- after postpone

8. con- with companion 26. pre- before prenatal

corn together
9. de- from, down defame 27. pro- for proceed
away forth
10. dis- not disapprove 28. re- back return
apart again
11. e-, ex- out of extract 29. se - apart seclude

12. en-, em- in enslave 30. sub- under subway

13. equi- equal equilateral 31. super- above supervise

14. extra above extraneous 32. tele- far telescope

1 5. in-, im- not incorrect 33. trans- across transfer

ir-, il in indent
16. inter- between intertwine 34. ultra- beyond uItraviolent
among
17. intra- within intramural 35. un- not unwary

18. mal- bad malice

 LIST OF ROOTS
Listed below are Latin and Greek roots and their meanings,
together with English words in which these roots are used. Keep this
page, since you will need for all your work in vocabulary.

1. ac- sharp acrid 20. loc- light translucent

acr- bitter
breath animation 21. morph- form amorphous
2. anim- life
heart cordial 22. noc- harm noxious
3. cord- nox-
body corporal 23. nov- new renovate
4. corp-
guilt culpable 24. pac- peace pacific
5. culp-
say dictate 25. path- feeling pathetic
6. dic-
do, make factory 26. ped- foot pedestrian
7. fac-
bear infer 27. quie- rest acquiesce
8. fer- carry quiet
trust infidelity 28. sacr- sacred sacrifice
9. fid-
end final 29. sag- wise sagacious
10. fin
blaze flagrant 30. spec- look spectator
11. flag-
flow fluctuate 31. ten- hold tenacious
12. flu-
birth genesis 32. tract- draw extract
13. gen- pull
flock egregious 33. vade- go invade
14. greg-
stick adhere 34. vene- come convene
15. her-
throw reject 35. vert- turn revert
16. ject- among
light elevate 36. viv- life survive
17. lev-
talk loquacious 37. voc- call vocal
18. loqu- loc- voice
Belgard
prefixes/root quiz

DEFINE AND GIVE ONE WORD FOR EACH ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER.

1. con/corn- 22. dic-- 43. vert--

2. ad- 44. viv--

23. fac--
3. re- 45 voc-
24. fid--
4. de- 25. fin-
5. un- 26. flag-
6. dis- (2 meanings) 27. flu-
7. in-(2 meanings) 28. gen--
8. ex- 29. greg-
9. en- 30. ject--
10. pro- 31. 1ev-
11. a- 32. loqu--
12. sub- 33. morph-
13. ab- 34. nbc-
14. pre- 35. nov-
15. ambi- 36.. pac-
16. equi- 37. path-
17. mat- 38. ped--
18. bene- 39. ten--
19. per- 40. tract--
20. cord- 41. vade--

21. corp- 42. vene-

 F
Flash CardsFLASH CARDS

1. Give a pretest on new vocabulary words.

2. Students create flash cards on words they missed. On one side of the card they write the
vocabulary word, and on the other side they could write the definition, pronunciation, and a
sentence.

3. With a partner, they exchange cards and play a flash card game.

4. The flash card game can consist of one or more rounds. The partner can ask for the defini-
tion first round and a sentence second round or show the vocabulary word for the first round
and just say the word
for the next round. After one round with one partner, the other partner has a turn.

5. The game would be played daily until the final vocabulary test.

Three Alive Rule. If during the pretest, a student gets all the words right, he/she still makes at
least three flash cards. It is important that both the high and low achiever experience both roles
- tutor and tutee. The high achiever can have bonus words to draw from (all of us can increase
our vocabulary).

6. Storage A large envelope and two small envelopes can be used. The large envelope would
have the student name, and the two small would be marked mine” and “not yet” to separate
vocabulary words that have been memorized from those that have not yet been mastered.
Another possibility is a ring where cards can be placed after being punched.
 ILLUSTRATED VOCABULARY

1. With a partner or individually, check the meaning of the vocabulary word you are assigned.

2. Brainstorm situations where the word could be used.

3. Illustrate the situation. You may use your own drawing or a magazine picture which matches
the situation or word in some way.

4. Print the word, definition, and sentence underneath the picture.

Tantalize: tease
torment
 WORD THEATER
1. With a partner. check the meaning of the vocabulary word you are assigned.
2. Brainstorm situations where the word could be used.
3. Write a dialogue that uses the word and its definition and/or synonyms of the word.
4. Be prepared to present the skit.

EXAMPLES
Mindy: Jennifer, will you help me with this math story problem?
Jennifer: Sure, let me see It.
Mindy: I’ve been working on it for a long time, and I just can’t seem to get It.

Jennifer: Calm down. To solve this, you just have to ponder it a while.
Mlndy: What?
Jennifer:You need to consider all the information carefully. Look at It like a puzzle you

need to solve. Ponder means think carefully.

Mindy: So, ponder it Jennifer. I need to learn it for the test.
Jennifer: See, this is how you do it.

Mindy: Oh, I understand! (Aside) How did she do that?

Person 1: I will not go!

Person 2: Please, come on. Please go! Pretty please!

Person 1: NO!
Person 2: You are so obstinate! You just won’t budge. You refuse to give in.

Person 1: That’s right! I am stubborn.

Person 2: O.K. be Like that. I’ll go without you.
Person 1: I lent Chris $50.00.
Person 2: Oh. no! You lent money to Chris!!! He never pays anyone back.
Person 1: Oh. I’m sure he’ll pay me back.

Person 2: You are so naive.

Person 1: What is that?
Person 2: You believe everyone. You are too trusting

Person 1: So I’m naive because I believe in Chris?

Person 2: Yes. I’m afraid so. Everyone in this school has lent Chris money and he has
never paid anyone back. To believe he will is naive

Jamie: Let’s put the cash in our safe hiding place.

Holly You mean in the cache?

Jamie: No, we’re going to put it in a safe.
Holly: That’s what a cache Is.

Jamie: Since when? I thought cash was money?????

Holly: It is.
Jamie: Then why are you correcting me?

Holly: Well, cache, spelled c-a-c-h-c. means a hiding place and cash, spelled c-a-s-h,
means money.
Jamie: Wow, are you smart. O.K. Let’s put our cash in a cache.
 LINK VOCABULARY
1. Look up the definitions and pronunciation of the vocabulary word or words you are
assigned.

2.Use the pronunciation to create a pun. This pun will help you link the new word to something
you already know.

Example:
evoke = eve’s oak
parity = pair of tees
superfluous = Sue purred for us
transcend = train’s end

3. Using this pun, create a sentence that has the definition of the new vocabulary word in it. DO
NOT use the original word in the sentence.

Example:
Eve’s oak was so thirsty that she called for some water.

The pair of tees were equal in length.

Sue purred for us so often that it was unnecessary for her to do it again.

The train’s end went beyond the tracks.

4. Draw a picture of the sentence you have created. Form as vivid a visual image as you can.
Use colored markers or crayons. Print your sentence somewhere on the page.

5. Share your picture with the class.

 OTHER VOCABULARY IDEAS

1. Rap/song - write a song with the new word in it. Make sure you include a
synonym for the word.

2. Select words that have an interesting history. Students often remember a

story about a word and then associate with its meaning.

3. Fairy tale - Rewrite a fairy tale in 26 sentences, each sentence beginning

with a new letter of the alphabet and containing at least one of the vocabu-
lary words. No word may be used more than once.

4. Create a written or oral commercial/advertisement for the word.

5. Vocabulary poems ( acrostics work well) that make use of the chosen vo-
cabulary words. This could be a group project.

6. Create a bumper sticker or a slogan on a banner with a vocabulary word.

Hand it up in the classroom.

7. Create and illustrate a cartoon strip or cartoon with the vocabulary word.

8. Teach the word to the class with a visual aid.

9. Set aside a corner of the room to display vocabulary words that show up in
print (magazine, newspapers, books read outside of class).

7. Give extra credit when the students hear the word spoken in another class.

8. Wear the word for one day. Tell everyone who asks you the definition of the
word.

9. Decorate the school with appropriate words.

10. Rewrite a fairy tale using vocabulary words(just the week’s words or
words from the whole year)(Ex.: “Little Red Riding Hood”)
Research Methods
 Teacher Assessment Rubric
for Student Research Module
QUESTIONING

4 The question is clear, well-focused and requires high level thinking skills in order to research.

3 The question is clear and well focused. The question requires moderately high level thinking
skills.

2 The question is incomplete and unclear. The teacher needed to help form a question.

1 Was unable to come up with a research question.

PLANNING

4 Made really good use of time. Was able to remain focused on the tasks and make changes
when needed. Was able to develop a clear method to organize the information. Was able to
make revisions in the plan when needed.

3 Was able to work within the time frame the teacher gave . Was able to develop a system to
organize information. Was able to make revisions with help from the teacher.

2 Needed teacher help to list and organize what was needed to do. There are some steps missing
in the planning. Made revisions with teacher help.

1 Was unable to come up with an organized plan and work within the time limits.

GATHERING

4 Used a variety of resources and carefully selected only the information that answered the
question. Was able to continually revise the search based on information found.

3 Used many resources to find information that answered the question. Tried revising the search,
but had some problems doing so.

2 Used 1 or more sources. Original question or focus guided the search, although should have
made revisions. Made errors in selection of references

1 Lost focus during the gathering process and therefore the information was not accurate and
complete.
SORTING

4 Thoroughly selected and organized information that answered the question in a organized way.
Selected information that was appropriate.

3 Sorted information and organized information that answered the question without too many
errors.

2 Tried to organize the information found, but made some mistakes. Wasn’t able to completely
stay focused on information that would answer the question.

1 Was unable to sort and organize the information found to answer the question.

SYNTHESIZING

4. Used the information found in a meaningful way to create an original product that clearly an-
swers the question with accuracy, detail and understanding.

3 The product answers the question in a way that reflects learning using some detail and accuracy.

2 The product is not complete and only answers part of the question.

1 The product is incomplete and contains missing details and it isn’t completely accurate.

TOTAL POINTS
COMMENTS

Student’s Name:

Teacher
 Student Self-Assessment Rubric
for Research Module
QUESTIONING

4 My question is clear, well-focused and requires high level thinking skills in order to research.

3 My question is clear and well focused. My question requires moderately high level thinking skills.

2 My question is incomplete and unclear. My teacher needed to help me form a question.

1 I was unable to come up with a research question.

PLANNING

I made really good use of my time. I was able to remain focused on the tasks and make
4 changes when I needed to. I was able to develop a clear method to organize my information. I
was able to make revisions in my plan when needed.

I was able to work within the time frame my teacher gave me. I was able to develop a system to
3
organize my information. Was able to make revisions with help from my teacher.

I needed teacher help to list and organize what I needed to do. There are some steps missing in
2
my 2 planning. I made revisions with teacher help.

1 I was unable to come up with an organized plan and work within the time limits.

GATHERING

4 I used a variety of resources and carefully selected only the information that answered my
question. I was able to continually revise my search based on information I found.

3 I used many resources to find information that answered my question. I tried revising my
search, but had some problems doing so.

2 I used one or more sources. Original question or focus guided my search, although I should
have made revisions. I made errors in selection of references.

1 I lost focus during the gathering process and therefore my information was not accurate and
Graphic Organizers
 Name:

Character Web

Important actions forthe

Reasons why character is
character performs
not realistic

Character’s Name

Physical description of How the character feels to-

the character wards others, society, and him/
What can be inferred about herself
this character?
 STORY MAP
Title:

Setting:

Characters:

Problem:

Event 1:

Event 2:

Event 3:

Event 4:

Event 5:

Solution:
 CHARACTER PIE CHART

DESCRIBE

ARGUE APPLY

ASSOCIATE COMPARE

ANALYZE

1. describe - What character looks like; likes/dislikes; what’s unique

2. apply - What is the character’s role in the novel?

3. compare - To other characters

4. analyze - What is the character’s motivation or goal?

What problems do they have? feelings?

5. associate - Who or what does this character mke you think of?

6. argue - For or against

What do you like about this character
or what would you criticize?
 Analogy Model

A. C. A. C.

B. = D. B. = D.

A. C. A. C.

B. = D. B. = D.
 Name
Column Notetaking Date
Period
Subject

Heading Note Column

Supporting Details
Cause and Effect
 Using Narrative Elements to Create Character Identity

After reading “Eros and Psyche” complete the graphic organizer to demonstrate your understanding
of how an author uses narrative elements to develop a character’s identity.

Controlling Question: How does an author use narrative elements to develop a character’s
identity?

Plot (Actions) Setting (Time/Place)

Psyche’s
Identity

Character (Says/Thinks) Theme (Dilemmas/Resolu-

tion)

Relationships Values
TIME PLACE CHARACTER(S)

PROBLEM SOLUTION
Main Idea:

Subordinate Subordinate Subordinate Subordinate

Idea: Idea: Idea: Idea:

Detail: Detail: Detail: Detail:

MAIN IDEA PYRAMID
EVENT EVENT

CHARACTER

TRAIT TRAIT

EVENT EVENT
 STORY CHAIN

1 5
4
2 6
3
 DETAILS

MAIN
IDEA
Cognitive Map
(Web)
FACTS OPINIONS

Topic
GENERAL ORGANIZER
 Decision-Making Model
Problem Goal(s)

Alternatives Pros & Cons

Decision(s) Reason(s)
 K-W-W-L
I KNOW I WANT to know WHERE I can learn this I have LEARNED
Name
 K-W-W-L-S
I KNOW I WANT to know WHERE I can learn this I have LEARNED What di I STILL need to learn
 KWL
What I KNOW about: What I WANT to know What I LEARNED from the
about: text about:
Venn Diagram
Attribute Web
 Multiple-Meaning Tree

Sentence:

Sentence:
WEB DIAGRAM
 ARCH DIAGRAM:
ASSUMPTIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

CONCLUSIONS

REASON REASON REASON REASON

ASSUMPTIONS
 ARCH DIAGRAM:
MAIN IDEA AND SUPPORTING DETAILS

MAIN IDEA

SUPPORTING SUPPORTING SUPPORTING

DETAIL DETAIL DETAIL

TOPIC
BRANCHING DIAGRAM - TWO DIVISIONS
CENTRAL IDEA GRAPHS

Title

Title
TARGET DIAGRAM - Includes or is included in

COMPLEX TARGET DIAGRAM - Three classes

OVERLAPPING CLASSES - Some...are

DISJOINT CLASSES - Is separate from

 KLS Chart
Article:

What I KNOW What I LEARNED

Summary

Article:

What I KNOW What I LEARNED

Summary
 Inference Chart
Inference My Prior In the Text
(I read between the lines.) Knowledge
Model

Model

Guided Practice

Guided Practice

Formative Assessment

Formative Assessment
 KWL
What I KNOW about: What I WANT to know What I LEARNED from the
about: text about:
 P
HAMBURGER CHART: Follow the steps to create an answer to show that you understand what you read.

Step 1

Restate the
question in the
correct answer.

Step 2
Use cite refer-
ences from the
text to support
your answer.

Step 3
Comment or
explain your cite
reference in your
own words to
show that you
understand what
you read.

Step 4

Make a personal
connection to
what you have
read.
 Storyboard

Name Date

1
5

2
6

3
 Historical Timeline Planning Sheet

Name Date

After selecting one of the historical characters from the list, conduct research in the media center as
well as on the Internet. After completing research on your historical character, create a PowerPoint
presentation in the form of an interactive timeline detailing the life and times of your character.
Please include at least 10 significant dates in the life of your character. Use this planning sheet to
complete your research.

Important Date #1:

Details:
Significance:
Important Date #2:
Details:
Significance:
Important Date #3:
Details:
Significance:
Important Date #4:
Details:
Significance:
Important Date #5:
Details:
Significance:
Important Date #6:
Details:
Significance:
Important Date #7:
Details:
Significance:
Important Date #8:
Details:
Significance:
Important Date #9:
Details:
Significance:
Important Date #10:
Details:
Significance:
VENN DIAGRAM
 Bag It and Tag It!

(Quote of paraphrase from the text)

(Quote of paraphrase from the text)

(Quote of paraphrase from the text)

 Using the Survey Strategy

Read and record the Title

Locate Subtitles

Identify the Purpose for Reading Today I will be reading to

Vocabulary 1.

Skim for Bold or italicized words 2.

3.

4.
5.

Examine and identify Type Purpose

Visual Aids: 1. 1.
Charts 2. 2.
Graphs 3. 3.
Lists 4. 4.
Steps 5. 5.
Pictures
Examples

Identify the text feature that will best

help you complete the task.

Explain what you should be able to

do after reading this text.
 Iceburg Ahoy!
. Recognizing the Pattern
Directions: This text uses two organizational structures to present the information. Identify
the organizational structures used and the information provided by each.

Type of Organization

Information Provided

Type of Organization

II. Using the Meaning

Directions: Below you will find some ideas about freezing water. Based upon what
you have read and what you know, check the statements you agree with. You must be
able to explain why you did or did not check each one.

1. Water does not follow the laws of science when it freezes.

2. Density is important when understanding how and why things float.
3. Food coloring in water makes the water denser.
4. Dense things are smaller than less dense things.
5. Melting ice changes density as it changes temperature.
Double journal Entry: Prior Knowledge and New Knowledge about Force

What I Know about Force... What I Learned about Force...

My prior knowledge about What the Reading to Perform a Task
measuring the distance of text told me about measuring the
the stars. distance of stars

COMPARE

CONTRAST
 Inference, Conclusion, and Generalization Chart
Reading to Perform a Task

Inference, Conclusion, or Generalization from Text Justification

1.

2.

3.

4.
Comparison-contrast Matrix

Comparing Two Sets of Directions

Points of Comparison Set 1 Title: Set 2 Title:

Does any text include

a materials list?
Does the text include
numbered step-by-step
directions?
If not, how are the steps
organized?

Does the task include

step-by-step pictures,
drawings, and/or dia-
grams of the task?

Does the task include 4

picture or drawing of the
finished product?

Does the task include

detailed, easy to under-
stand steps?

Which steps, if any,

could you leave out of
the directions and still
successfully finish the
product?

Which steps, if any,

could you rewrite to
make them more suitable
for the audience and
purpose of the task?

Evaluating the Tasks

Which set of directions would you recommend to someone who wanted to perform this task? Use
examples from both sets of directions to support you response.
 Text Features Resource sheet

How It Helps Me
Text Feature Understand
Bold Print

Bulleting

Numbering

Sub-titles

Illustrations

Color-coded Text

Chart
 Authentic Purpose

Title of Procedure

How would the Procedures be Used?

Audience Authentic Purpose Text Support and Personal Experience

1.

2.

3.

How would the Procedures be Used?

Audience Authentic Purpose Text Support and Personal Experience

1.

2.

3.
 Purpose With Support

Purpose / Main Idea of Procedure Supporting details from Text / Text Features

Title:

Purpose:

Title:

Purpose:

Title:

Purpose:
Attribute Web
The attribute web below is designed to help you gaher clues the author pro-
vides about what a character is like. Fill in the blanks with words and phrases
which tell how the character acts and looks, as well as what the character says
and what others say about him or her.

Acts Feels

1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
Character 4.
4.

Looks Says

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
TWO PARAGRAPH ORGANIZER
Topic of Entire Composition

Topic of Paragraph One Topic of Paragraph Two

Details Details
 Word Map
definition

What is it like?

word

Examples
 Topic

What I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned

 Anticipation / Participation Guide

Topic:

Directions: Read the statement below carefully. Put an X beside “agree” or “disagree” to
show what you think. Be ready to defend your answers.

Prereading Statements Postreading

Agree Disagree Agree Disagree

 Predict - O - Gram
Title:

Vocabulary Words characters

settings

problem

action

solution
 Noting What I’ve Learned
Topic

Main Ideas/Key Words/ What I’ve Learned

Questions/Drawings

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.
Character Target Name
Kelly/English

Directions Please follow these steps

1. Write the name of the story/title of the book in the middle of the target
2. Write eight of the most important characters from the story in the first set of spaces.
(Note: You can also look at eight themes, settings. symbols
3. In the same space where the name appears, include a symbol that somehow
represents this character. The symbol should be based on the story not your
personal opinion.
4. In the second (i.e., outer most) set of spaces, write down examples (or page
numbers)
 A CONTENT WORD MAP

Class / Category

Properties/Characteristics
What is it like?

Vocabulary
Word

Example
Vocabulary Web Model

Synonyms:

Directions: Place a new vocabulary word in the center circle.

With your group, complete as much information in the other
circles as you can.
Be sure to consult a dictionary.

Sentence: Definition:

Word: Antonyms:

Part of Speech:

Example: Analysis:

Word Families: Stems:

Origin:
Vocabulary Subject Name

Word Definition Sentence Picture Page

VOCABULARY SCHEMA CHART
Name
Write your vocabulary words in the column that best describes what you know about
each.

don’t know have seen or think I know I know the

at all heard - don’t the meaning meaning and
know mean- can use it
ing
TIME PLACE CHARACTER(S)

PROBLEM SOLUTION
SEQUENCE
CHAIN FOR
1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

Topic Sequence: