English 7

Description

Using a motif of Mystery, Monsters, and Mayhem, students in the Middle School Language Arts II course will acquire the reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening skills necessary for success in college, career, and beyond. Students will become critical readers and thinkers as they delve into fiction and informational texts within the course. They will also learn to effectively write narrative, informational, and argumentative pieces and present their ideas clearly and cohesively. 

Major Topics and Concepts

Semester 1

Reading Comprehension / Informational and Expository Writing / Narrative Writing

Analyzing interactions between ideas in a text
Identifying theme
Analyzing how theme develops
Comparing and contrasting mediums
Using context clues
Thesaurus and dictionary skills
Implicit and explicit meaning
Finding the central idea
Writing an effective summary
Assess internet sources
Why writers choose words
Reading informational texts
Researching and organizing information
Avoiding plagiarism
Writing an introduction for informational texts
Connecting  and supporting ideas
Writing a conclusion for informational texts
Revising writing
Using formal language in writing
Recognizing point of view
Identifying the narrator
Planning narrative writing
Beginning a narrative
Writing dialogue
Writing the body of a narrative
Using commas
Writing effective transitions
Identifying active and passive verbs

Semester 2

Reading Comprehension / Argumentative Writing / Fiction Analysis

Structure and development of texts
Development of ideas in non-fiction
Comparison of authors’ presentations
Figurative and connotative meaning
Technical language
Spelling
Compare and contrast mediums in nonfiction
Allusions: literary, biblical, mythological
Compare and contrast fiction to history
Greek and Latin word clues
Oral discussions / rules of collegial discussions / adapt speech
Misplaced and dangling modifiers
Multimedia components
Implicit / Explicit evidence
Rhyme/repetition/alliteration
Drama plot analysis
Short story or novel analysis
Poetry: form and structure 
Contrast of characters in a text
Misplaced and dangling modifiers
Argumentation analysis: Claims counterclaims and support
Write an argument: introduction,  claim, counterclaim, transitions, conclusion
Wordiness and redundancy