School Administrative District #4
Unity of purpose
CORE CURRICULUM: SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
Department: English Language Arts
CONTENT STANDARD: LANGUAGE STUDY
Language study is understood to include grammar, usage, and the mechanics of writing; as well as the history and sociology of language itself. All students are expected to use the conventions of standard written and spoken English to write and to speak correctly.
Performance Indicators: The learner will·
|
Grade 7 |
1. Review and extend prior learning
2. Identify the properties and functions of the eight parts of speech
á Nouns and pronouns
á Properties
á Case
á Kind
á Functions
á Subject
á Direct address
á Predicate nominative
á Direct object
á Indirect object
á Appositive
á Object of a preposition
á Verbs
á Properties
á Tense (perfect forms)
á Voice
á Transitive/intransitive
á Adjectives
á Properties
á Degree of comparison
á Function
á Predicate adjective
á Adverbs
á Properties
á Degree of comparison
á Functions
á Intensifiers
á Prepositions
á Properties
á Compound
á Conjunctions
á Functions
á Coordinating/correlative
á Subordinating
3. Identify parts of a sentence
á Complements
4. Demonstrate an initial understanding of how to use commas correctly to set off the parts of a
á Compound sentence
5. Demonstrate an initial understanding of how to use other internal marks of punctuation correctly
á Hyphens
á Colons
á Semi-colons
á Underlining, italicizing, and boldfacing
6. Understand factors that commonly affect language change and use
CONTENT STANDARD: ORAL AND VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS
Oral communication includes skills traditionally referred to as speaking and listening. All students are expected to demonstrate the ability to speak and to listen in order to explore ideas; to present lines of thought; to represent and reflect upon human experience; and to communicate feelings, knowledge, and opinions. Visual communication includes critical viewing skills needed to make sense of the information presented in the media. All students are expected to demonstrate the ability to analyze, interpret, and evaluate what they see and hear in the media.
Performance Indicators: The learner will·
|
Grades 5-8 |
1. Review and extend prior learning
2. Listen to and follow multi-step and sometimes complex directions
3. Demonstrate the ability to listen and view
á Critically
4. Adjust listening and viewing strategies in order to comprehend material heard and viewed
5. Generate and evaluate the notes taken from course-related listening and viewing
6. Demonstrate an understanding of how situation may dictate language usage
7. Use verbal communication skills effectively
á Word choice
á Voice control
á Projection
á Pace
á Tone
á Inflection
á Pronunciation
á Articulation
8. Use non-verbal communication skills effectively
á Poise
á Posture
á Hand control
á Facial expression
á Body language
á Eye contact
á Appearance
9. Compare and contrast a speaker's verbal and non-verbal messages
10. Speak effectively in a variety of contexts
á Impromptu
á Extemporaneous
á Role-playing (individually and as part of a group)
á Dramatic skits
11. Compare and contrast ideas shared orally and visually
12. Value the right of others to express a point of view without fear of being criticized personally
13. Ask questions and apply personal interpretations in class discussions after reading, listening, and/or viewing
14. Give and seek information in group discussions
15. Use discussions with peers as a way of understanding information presented orally and/or visually
16. Use interviewing techniques to gain information, compile the information gained from the interview, and evaluate the effectiveness of the interview
17. Deliver oral presentations that
á Effectively use descriptive language to clarify, enhance, and develop ideas
á Effectively use inflection and body language to convey meaning
á Include a variety of sentence structures and lengths
á Are targeted for various audiences
á Achieve distinct purposes (e.g., to persuade, evaluate, analyze, defend)
á Effectively employ explicit transitional devices in order to organize ideas sequentially, change a situation, or move the listener
á Effectively engage peers during presentation and field responses afterward
á Incorporate appropriate visual aids
CONTENT STANDARD: PROCESS WRITING
Process writing includes those steps through which writers move regardless of audience, purpose, focus, or particular mode of writing. All students are expected to use the skills and strategies of the writing process to explore ideas; to present lines of thought; to represent and reflect on human experience; and to communicate feelings, knowledge, and opinions.
Performance Indicators: The learner will·
|
Grade 7 |
1. Review and extend prior learning
2. Revise a sequence of drafts to improve the content and organization of "finished" pieces
3. Recognize the importance of carefully proofreading and editing "finished" pieces before "publishing" them
4. Edit a sequence of drafts to reflect standard spelling, mechanics, and usage
CONTENT STANDARD: CREATIVE WRITING
Creative writing is expressive and imaginative writing. All students are expected to use the techniques of creative writing to explore ideas; to represent and reflect on human experience; and to communicate feelings.
Performance Indicators: The learner will·
|
Grade 7 |
1. Review and extend prior learning
2. Write original poems that incorporate stylistic features of poems as studied in literature
á Rhyme
á Rhythm
á Types of verse
á Free
á Blank
á Rhymed
3. Write character sketches on one or more levels of character development
á Physical appearance
á Thoughts
á Speech
á Behavior
á Conversation of others
á Author's direct comments
CONTENT STANDARD: PRACTICAL WRITING
Practical writing is formulaic writing. All students are expected to be able to use writing skills to conduct personal and career-related business .
Performance Indicators: The learner will·
|
Grade 7 |
1. Review and extend prior learning
2. Create and print a variety of computer-generated business letters
CONTENT STANDARD: EXPOSITORY WRITING
Expository writing includes informative and persuasive writing. All students are expected to use the techniques of exposition to explore ideas; to present lines of thought; to represent and reflect on human experience; to communicate feelings, knowledge, and opinions; and to present information gleaned from research.
Performance Indicators: The learner will·
|
Grade 7 |
1. Review and extend prior learning
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the well-structured paragraph and write paragraphs that evidence that structure
á Unity
á Coherence
á Explicit transitions
3. Write paragraphs that evidence an understanding of various methods of developing paragraphs
á Details
á Example
á Anecdote
á Comparison-contrast
á Definition
4. Write fully developed, unified, and coherent multi-paragraph essays
á Informational
á Personal experience
á Descriptive
5. Demonstrate an initial understanding of how to write fully developed, unified, coherent essays
á Process, i.e., how-to
á Definition
á Comparison-contrast
6. Comprehend and respond to essay test questions by writing fully developed, unified, and coherent paragraphs
7. Write essays (or other pieces) that
á Use a variety of sentence structures appropriate to the purpose
á Use a variety of transitional devices, i.e., words and phrases
8. Demonstrate an initial understanding of the importance of primary sources in evaluating the validity and reliability of collected information
CONTENT STANDARD: DEVELOPMENTAL (PROCESS) READING
Just as there are stages through which all effective writers pass to one degree or another, there are stages through which all effective readers pass. Developmental reading is characterized by the reader tackling the written language in order to differentiate among letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs. The reader learns decoding skills for recognizing and determining the meaning of unfamiliar words and learns to recognize various text structures and the organization of informational books. All students are expected to use the reading process to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate what they have read.
Performance Indicators: The learner will·
|
Grade 7 |
1. Review and extend prior learning
2. Distinguish between denotative and connotative meanings of words
3. Use effective strategies to discover a word's meaning from context
á Association with known words
á Comparison (synonyms)
á Contrast (antonyms)
á Definition (appositive)
á Elaborating details
á Examples
4. Demonstrate an initial understanding of how to use context clues to determine the meaning of certain terms encountered in literary and informational texts
á Figurative terms
á Idiomatic terms
á Specialized vocabularies
á Abbreviations
á Acronyms
CONTENT STANDARD: FUNCTIONAL READING
Functional reading is characterized by the reader tackling diverse texts and purposes for reading. The reader learns to use background knowledge to aid comprehension and to apply some general strategies for remembering information. All students are expected to use reading strategies (1) to experience, understand, and appreciate literature and culture and (2) to extract meaning from, recognize assumptions and implications within, and evaluate ideas presented in informational texts.
Performance Indicators: The learner will·
|
Grade 7 |
1. Review and extend prior learning
2. Read and comprehend a variety of fiction and non-fiction selections in order to
á Recognize the use of specific literary devices (e.g., flashback, foreshadowing, different time frames such as the past or the future)
á Distinguish between points of view and understand how an author's choice of point of view affects his/her story
á Begin to understand tone and how it is reflected in a literary work
á Begin to understand the role of symbols in a literary work
á Describe how an author's vocabulary and style affect the quality and reader enjoyment of his/her work
á Begin to understand how an author's style elicits an emotional response in a reader
á Compare and contrast authors' styles
3. Apply effective strategies for taking tests about literature
á Essay
4. Connect reading with writing on a regular basis
CONTENT STANDARD: RECREATIONAL READING
Recreational reading is characterized by the reader reading for pleasure or for personal purposes, not for purposes prescribed by a course of study or a career. All students are expected to use reading to fulfill personal and social needs.
Performance Indicators: The learner will·
|
Kindergarten-Grade 12 |
1. Review and extend prior learning
2. Read for pleasure
3. Read for personal purposes
4. Listen as literature is read aloud
5. Read to others, especially to children
6. Select, abandon, and re-read texts according to personal needs and interests