Grade 7 English Language Arts

PA Core Standards - English Language Arts:

• CC.1.3.7.A:  Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
• CC.1.3.7.B:  Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text. 
• CC.1.3.7.C:  Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact and how setting shapes the characters or plot. 
• CC.1.3.7.D:  Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. 
• CC.1.3.7.E:  Analyze how the structure or form of a text contributes to its meaning. 
• CC.1.3.7.F:  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level reading and content, including interpretation of figurative, connotative meanings. 
• CC.1.3.7.I:  Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. 
• CC.1.3.7.J:  Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 
• CC.1.3.7.K:  Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
• CC.1.4.7.E:  Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities.  Develop and maintain a consistent voice. Establish and maintain a formal style.
• CC.1.4.7.F:  Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. 
• CC.1.4.7.S:  Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade-level reading standards for literature and literary nonfiction. 
• CC.1.4.7.T:  With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
• CC.1.4.7.X:  Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
• CC.1.5.7.A:  Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions, on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’  ideas and expressing their own clearly.

• Talking to the Text Strategy.
• Fiction Notice and Note Signposts.
• Elements of Fiction (setting, plot, point of view, character, theme). 
• Central Idea.
• Types of conflict in literary fiction.
• Text Dependent Analysis (TDA).
• CYMS Writing Expectations.
• Parts of speech.
• Commonly confused words and homophones.
• Subject and verb agreement.
• R.A.C.E. Writing Strategy (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain).
• I.C.E.E. Strategy for TDA (Introduce, Cite, Explain, Elaborate).

• A person’s words and actions directly impact a community.
• Being a positive peer and promoting inclusivity is essential to a cohesive community.
• Readers can learn problem-solving strategies from literature and can apply the strategies to real-life challenges. 
• Active reading builds understanding.
• Strong writing is rooted in evidence and explanation cited from the text.

• Annotate texts with connections, predictions, key ideas, visualizations, and questions.
• Utilize Notice and Note Signposts in fiction texts.
• Identify elements of the plot.
• Interpret the setting’s impact on a story.
• Determine a story’s point of view.
• Evaluate how a narrator’s point of view impacts the story.
• Analyze how and why characters change and how this affects the plot.
• Identify the central idea or theme of a story.
• Analyze how the author’s craft develops the theme of a story.
• Analyze how plot and setting influence character change.
• Analyze a specific section of a text and how it contributes to the overall meaning.
• Write multiple-paragraph Text Dependent Analyses (TDAs).
• Cite text evidence to support analysis of a text.
• Explain how evidence supports the answer to a prompt.
• Engage in discussions about literature.
• Read and analyze novels for the elements of fiction.
• Understand and practice CYMS Writing Expectations.
• Identify and utilize commonly confused words and homophones.
• Identify and correctly use parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions).
• Correctly match and use subjects and verbs in sentences.

• How do characters respond to conflicts?
• How do characters’ interactions contribute to their communities?
• How does the need to belong influence human behavior?

• What are the CYMS Writing Expectations?
• What is the reading strategy Talking to the Text?
• How does Talking to the Text help readers understand the text?
• How do Notice and Note Signposts impact the development of a story?
• What is R.A.C.E. writing?
• How do students use the R.A.C.E. Writing Strategy to develop a TDA?
• What are the parts of the plot (Freytag’s Pyramid)?
• What is the primary conflict type of a story, and how is it developed?
• How do authors develop characters (S.T.E.A.L.)?
• How does character development impact a story?
• How does the setting of a story affect the development of plot and characters?
• How does the point of view contribute to the story?
• How does the author’s use of dialogue and narration contribute to the point of view of a story?
• How do the elements of fiction (plot, setting, character, point of view) create a theme in a story?
• What is the mood and tone of a story?
• How do authors create the mood and tone of a story?
• How do authors use flashbacks and foreshadowing to provide insight into the story?
• What is the difference between dialogue and narration?
• What are the parts of speech, and how do they function in sentences?
• What are commonly confused words and homophones?
• How do writers match verbs with their subjects?

• CYMS Writing Expectations
• “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?” by Bruce Coville (Common Text)
• Elements of Fiction Stories (Teacher Choice):
  • “Popularity” by Adam Bagdasarian
  • “7th Grade” by Gary Soto
  • “How to Ignore a House on Fire” by Nia Boulware
  • “All Summer a Day” by Ray Bradbury
  • “Southpaw” by Judith Viorst
• “The Fan Club” by Rona Maynard (Common Text)
• Fiction Literature Circle (Student choice from the library and the classroom library)

• Character
• Characterization (S.T.E.A.L.)
• Character traits
• Setting
• Mood
• Tone
• Atmosphere
• Plot (Freytag’s Pyramid)
• Exposition
• Rising action
• Climax
• Falling action
• Resolution
• Dialogue
• Point of view
• Narration
• Narrator
• 1st person
• 2nd person
• 3rd person (limited, objective, and omniscient)
• Theme
• Conflict types (man, self, society, nature)
• Flashback
• Foreshadowing
• R.A.C.E. Writing
• Notice and Note Signposts

• TDA for “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?” by Bruce Coville
• CYMS Writing Expectations Assessment
• TDA for “The Fan Club” by Rona Maynard
• Elements of Fiction Unit Assessment

PA Core Standards - English Language Arts:

• CC.1.2.7.A:  Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. 
• CC.1.2.7.B:  Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text. 
• CC.1.2.7.C:  Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text. 
• CC.1.2.7.D:  Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
• CC.1.2.7.E:  Analyze the structure of the text through evaluation of the author’s use of graphics, charts. and the major sections of the text. 
• CC.1.2.7.F:  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level reading and content, including interpretation of figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. 
• CC.1.2.7.J:  Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 
• CC.1.2.7.K:  Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. 
• CC.1.2.7.L:  Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
• CC.1.4.7.A:  Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information clearly.
• CC.1.4.7.B:  Identify and introduce the topic clearly, including a preview of what is to follow. 
• CC.1.4.7.C:  Develop and analyze the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples; include graphics and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. 
• CC.1.4.7.D:  Organize ideas, concepts, and information using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts; provide a concluding statement or section; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension. 
• CC.1.4.7.E:  Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities.  Develop and maintain a consistent voice.  Establish and maintain a formal style. 
• CC.1.4.7.F:  Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. 
• CC.1.4.7.S:  Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade-level reading standards for literature and literary nonfiction. 
• CC.1.4.7.T:  With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
• CC.1.4.7.U:  Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.
• CC.1.4.7.V:  Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
• CC.1.4.7.W:  Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
• CC.1.4.7.X: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific  tasks, purposes, and audiences
• CC.1.5.7.A:  Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions, on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’  ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• CC.1.5.7.C:  Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
• CC.1.5.7.E:  Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks
• CC.1.5.7.F:  Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.

• Nonfiction Text Structures (sequence, chronological, compare and contrast, cause and effect, problem and solution).
• Text Features (heading, subheading, title, caption, table of contents, glossary, index, map, graph/table/timeline, print (bold colored/italics), bullets, diagram, photograph, sidebar)
• T.H.I.E.V.E.S. Reading Strategy (title, heading, introduction, every first sentence, visuals and vocabulary, end of section questions, summary).
• Author’s purpose.
• Objective summary.
• Works Cited page.
• MLA Internal/In-text/Parenthetical Citation.
• Phrases and Clauses.
• Fragments, complete sentences, run-ons.
• Transitional words and phrases.

• Skilled readers analyze how ideas and a text’s structure contribute to meaning.
• Research provides opportunities to develop and support new understandings about a topic.
• Effective writers convey ideas using appropriate structures, research, and text features.

• Utilize the T.H.I.E.V.E.S. Reading Strategy to preview nonfiction texts.
• Identify the main or central idea(s) of a nonfiction text.
• Write objective summaries of a nonfiction text.
• Use supporting details and evidence to demonstrate understanding of nonfiction.
• Analyze nonfiction texts written in different text structures.
• Conduct research and identify scholarly sources.
• Compose research-based articles in different text structures.
• Cite evidence from research in self-composed original articles.
• Cite evidence from a text to support analysis.
• Use the writing process to plan, draft, and revise informational writing.
• Engage in collaborative discussions about texts and ideas.
• Use nonfiction text features to preview and gain understanding of nonfiction.
• Utilize text features and multimedia components to create engaging nonfiction articles and oral presentations.
• Identify and effectively utilize phrases and clauses.
• Determine the meaning of unknown words using reading strategies.
• Use scholarly articles to create internal citations, MLA citations, and Works Cited pages to avoid plagiarism.
• Understand the difference between phrases and clauses.
• Understand the difference between dependent and independent clauses.
• Use complete sentences in writing, avoiding fragments and run-ons.
• Use appropriate transitions.

• How do people use nonfiction to discover their world?
• How do world problems lead to innovations?
• How does research support and inspire new learning?

• What is essential and nonessential information?
• What is the T.H.I.E.V.E.S. Reading Strategy?
• Why are internal citations important?
• How is information correctly cited in MLA format?
• What is informational/explanatory writing?
• How is an objective summary written?
• What information is essential when paraphrasing and summarizing?
• What are the text features used in nonfiction?
• What is the description text structure, and how is it developed?
• What is the sequence or chronological text structure, and how is it developed?
• What is the compare and contrast text structure, and how is it developed?
• What is the cause and effect text structure, and how is it developed?
• What is the problem and solution text structure, and how is it developed?
• How do authors decide which text structure to use when writing an informational text?
• How do researchers find scholarly sources?
• What are subjects and predicates?
• What is a phrase?
• What is a clause?
• What are independent and dependent clauses?
• What is a fragment?
• How can writers revise fragments in writing?
• What is a run-on?
• How can writers revise run-ons in writing?
• What are transition words?
• How do authors use transition words for effective writing?
   

• “How an 11-Year-Old Boy Invented the Popsicle” by Shelby Pope
• “Teenage Inventor Alexis Lewis Thinks that Kids Have the Solutions to the World’s Problems” by Megan Gambino
• Nonfiction Independent Texts (Student choice from the library and the classroom library)

• Author’s Purpose
• Essential Information
• Nonessential Information
• Informational/ Explanatory Text
• Main/ Central Idea 
• Paraphrasing
• Nonfiction
• Objective Summary
• Supporting Details
• Evidence
• Synthesize
• T.H.I.E.V.E.S
• Direct Citations
• Text Structure
• Cause and Effect
• Problem and Solution
• Compare and Contrast
• Description
• Sequence/
• Chronological
• Text Features
• Heading
• Subheading
• Title
• Caption
• Table of Contents
• Glossary 
• Index
• Map
• Diagram
• Graph
• Table
• Timeline
• Print (Color/Bold/Italics)
• Bullet points

• Multimedia Project with text structures and text features
• TDA for “Teenage Inventor Alexis Lewis Thinks That Kids Have the Solutions to the World’s Problems” by Megan Gambino
• Text Structures Assessment
   

PA Core Standards - English Language Arts:

• CC.1.3.7.A:  Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. 
• CC.1.3.7.B:  Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text. 
• CC.1.3.7.E:  Analyze how the structure or form of a text contributes to its meaning. 
• CC.1.3.7.F:  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level reading and content, including interpretation of figurative, connotative meanings. 
• CC.1.3.7.G:  Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
• CC.1.3.7.I:  Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. 
• CC.1.3.7.J:  Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 
• CC.1.3.7.K:  Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
• CC.1.4.7.S:  Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade-level reading standards for literature and literary nonfiction. 
• CC.1.4.7.T:  With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
• CC.1.4.7.X:  Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
• CC.1.4.7.A:  Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information clearly.
• CC.1.4.7.B: Identify and introduce the topic clearly, including a preview of what is to follow. 
• CC.1.4.7.E:  Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition.  Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.  Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities. Develop and maintain a consistent voice. Establish and maintain a formal style. 
• CC.1.4.7.F:  Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. 
• CC.1.5.7.A:  Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions, on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’  ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• CC.1.5.7.E:  Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.
• CC.1.5.7.G:  Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on Grade 7 level and content.

• Narrator.
• Stanza.
• Audience.
• Connotation.
• Denotation.
• Literal Meaning.
• Figurative Meaning.
• Figurative Language: metaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, allusion, idiom, imagery.
• Sound Devices: alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme (internal and end), repetition.
• Pronouns and antecedents.
• Sentence types.
• Correct punctuation in writing.

• Authors make deliberate choices about words, structure, and sounds to create meaning in poetry.
• Readers must interpret tone, word choice, and structure to understand texts with both literal and figurative meanings.
• Strong readers identify themes in different texts to deepen their understanding and to build connections with the world around them.

• Identify rhyme scheme.
• Identify sound devices and analyze their impact on the poem’s meaning.
• Identify the author’s intended audience.
• Analyze a poem’s figurative and literal meaning.
• Analyze how a poem’s structure contributes to its meaning.
• Identify figurative language and analyze its impact on the poem’s meaning.
• Evaluate the importance of the author’s tone in poetry.
• Compare and analyze poems with similar themes.
• Engage in collaborative conversations about poetry.
• Develop a written analysis of multiple poems with similar themes.
• Compose personal poetry using sound devices meaningfully.
• Compose personal poetry using figurative language meaningfully.
• Compare and contrast written poetry to its performed version.
• Perform personal poetry to an audience.
• Implement proper pronoun and antecedent agreement.
• Identify and utilize sentence types (simple, complex, compound, compound-complex).
• Use a variety of punctuation for grammatical correctness and style.

• How do people use poetry to express their understanding of self, others, and the world?
• How does an author’s use of figurative language help to develop meaning in a poem?
• How do poets convey meaning through written and performance poetry?

• What is poetry?
• What are sound devices?
• How do sound devices contribute to a poem’s meaning and flow?
• What is figurative language?
• How does figurative language contribute to a poem’s meaning?
• How do different poems express the same theme?
• How do writers support their interpretation of poetry with evidence?
• How do readers interpret the meaning of poems?
• How do poets create meaningful works?
• How does oral expression contribute to a poem’s overall meaning?
• How do writers use commas, dashes, and semicolons for effect?
• How do writers correct mistakes with pronoun-antecedent agreement?
• What are simple, complex, compound, and compound-complex sentences?
• How do authors use different sentence structures for effect?
   

• “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost
• “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins
   

• Audience
• Connotation
• Denotation
• Literal Meaning
• Poem
• Narrator
• Figurative Language
• Metaphor
• Simile
• Personification
• Idiom
• Hyperbole
• Allusion
• Imagery
• Sound Devices
• Rhyme (internal and end)
• Rhyme Scheme
• Onomatopoeia
• Alliteration

• Figurative Language Quiz
• Sound Devices Quiz
• “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost Quiz
• “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins Quiz
• TDA for “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost and “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins
   

PA Core Standards - English Language Arts:

• CC.1.2.7.A:  Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. 
• CC.1.2.7.B:  Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text.
• CC.1.2.7.C: Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text. 
• CC.1.2.7.D:  Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
• CC.1.2.7.E:  Analyze the structure of the text through evaluation of the author’s use of graphics, charts, and the major sections of the text. 
• CC.1.2.7.F:  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level reading and content, including interpretation of figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. 
• CC.1.2.7.H:  Evaluate an author’s argument, reasoning, and specific claims for the soundness of the argument and the relevance of the evidence. 
• CC.1.2.7.I:  Analyze how two or more authors present and interpret facts on the same topic. 
• CC.1.2.7.J:  Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 
• CC.1.2.7.K:  Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. 
• CC.1.2.7.L:  Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
• CC.1.4.7.G:  Write arguments to support claims.
• CC.1.4.7.H:  Introduce and state an opinion on a topic. 
• CC.1.4.7.I:  Acknowledge alternate or opposing claims and support claims with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic. 
• CC.1.4.7.J:  Organize the claim(s) with clear reasons and evidence clearly; clarify relationships among claim(s) and reasons by using words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion; provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. 
• CC.1.4.7.K:  Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities. Develop and maintain a consistent voice. Establish and maintain a formal style. 
• CC.1.4.7.L:  Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard  English grammar, usage,  capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. 
• CC.1.4.7.U:  Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.
• CC.1.4.7.V:  Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
• CC.1.4.7.W:  Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
• CC.1.4.7.X:  Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
• CC.1.5.7.B:  Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
• CC.1.5.7.C:  Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
• CC.1.5.7.D:  Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
• CC.1.5.7.E:  Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.
• CC.1.5.7.F:  Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.
• CC.1.5.7.G: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on Grade 7 level and content.

• Differences and similarities of Argumentative and Persuasive Writing.
• Author’s purpose and position.
• Bias in writing.
• Parts of an argument: claim, evidence, warrant, backing, counterclaim, rebuttal.
• Classical appeals:  ethos, pathos, logos.
• Propaganda techniques: bandwagon, repetition, slippery slope, red herring, testimonial, glittering generalities.
• Types of evidence:  data, expert opinions, personal experience, and examples.
• Verb Tenses.
• Misplaced and dangling modifiers.
• Affixes and root words.

• Strong arguments are created with clear claims and supported with sound reasoning and evidence.
• Critical thinkers distinguish between facts and opinions and recognize bias in sources.
• Argumentative writing empowers people to express and defend their beliefs.

• Distinguish between facts and opinions.
• Identify parts of an argument.
• Determine an author’s purpose in a text.
• Support claims with relevant details.
• Analyze the development of ideas over the course of a text.
• Compose meaningful claims for argumentative writing.
• Identify faulty reasoning in arguments.
• Research societal issues.
• Recognize bias in research sources.
• Identify the warrant and backing.
• Evaluate counterclaims.
• Use evidence to support a position in an argument.
• Cite evidence from texts to support claims and ideas.
• Identify and create sound arguments.
• Present a clear argument to an audience.
• Compose an argumentative essay using a claim, warrants, backing, and a counterclaim.
• Use proper verb tenses in writing.
• Correct mistakes with misplaced and dangling modifiers.
• Identify and utilize prefixes and suffixes.

• How do people’s perspectives affect their understanding of the world?
• How does faulty reasoning and bias detract from the validity of a writer’s argument?
• How do authors craft arguments with research and sound reasoning?
   

• What are facts and opinions?
• What are the parts of an argument?
• How do relevant details support a claim?
• How do authors develop claims?
• What is bias in research?
• How can a reader identify bias in research sources?
• What is faulty reasoning?
• How do readers identify different types of faulty reasoning?
• How do authors use warrant and backing to develop a strong argumentative essay?
• How do writers develop counterclaims?
• What is a sound argument?
• How do writers use research to create a sound argumentative essay?
• How do writers identify and correct misplaced and dangling modifiers?
• How do readers use affixes and root words to determine a word’s meaning?
   

• “Animal Testing” Articles
• “Arlington Heights Parents Oppose District 25’s Plan to Cut Electives” by Karen Ann Cullotta
• “Watch Out: Cell Phones Can Be Addictive” by Kathiann Kowalski
   

• Bias 
• Argument
• Position
• Citation
• Persuasion
• Anecdote
• Delineate
• Evaluate
• Evidence
• Objective
• Relevant Details
• Sound Argument
• Argumentative Writing
• Claim
• Warrant
• Backing
• Counterclaim
• Rebuttal
• Perspective
• Propaganda
• Ethos
• Pathos
• Logos

• Parts of an Argument Quiz
• TDA for “Watch Out: Cell Phones Can Be Addictive” by Kathiann Kowalski
• Argumentative Essay
   

PA Core Standards - English Language Arts:

• CC.1.2.7.B:  Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text. 
• CC.1.2.7.C:  Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text. 
• CC.1.2.7.F:  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level reading and content, including interpretation of figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. 
• CC.1.2.7.G:  Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).
• CC.1.2.7.J:  Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 
• CC.1.2.7.K:  Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. 
• CC.1.2.7.L:  Read and comprehend literary nonfiction and informational text on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
• CC.1.3.7.A:  Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. 
• CC.1.3.7.B:  Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences, conclusions, and/or generalizations drawn from the text. 
• CC.1.3.7.C:  Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact and how setting shapes the characters or plot. 
• CC.1.3.7.D:  Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. 
• CC.1.3.7.E:  Analyze how the structure or form of a text contributes to its meaning. 
• CC.1.3.7.F:  Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade-level reading and content, including interpretation of figurative, connotative meanings. 
• CC.1.3.7.G:  Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
• CC.1.3.7.H:  Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history. 
• CC.1.3.7.I:  Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools. 
• CC.1.3.7.J:  Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 
• CC.1.3.7.K:  Read and comprehend literary fiction on grade level, reading independently and proficiently.
• CC.1.4.7.M:  Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events.
• CC.1.4.7.N:  Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters. 
• CC.1.4.7.O:  Use narrative techniques such as dialogue, description, and pacing to develop experiences, events, and/or characters; use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
• CC.1.4.7.P:  Organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically, using a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another; provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences and events. 
• CC.1.4.7.Q:  Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of writing. Choose the language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy. Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities. Use precise language. Develop and maintain a consistent voice. 
• CC.1.4.7.R:  Demonstrate a grade-appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. 
• CC.1.4.7.S:  Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade-level reading standards for literature and literary nonfiction. 
• CC.1.4.7.T:  With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
• CC.1.4.7.X:  Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
• CC.1.5.7.A:  Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions, on grade-level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’  ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• CC.1.5.7.E:  Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.

• Historical Fiction.
• Acts and scenes in a drama.
• Major and minor characters in a play.
• Dialogue and monologue in a play.
• Props, staging, and stage directions and their influence in a play.
• Script reading.
• Importance of voice-overs.
• Narrative techniques.

• Reading about history shapes people’s understanding of the past and present.
• Historical fiction uses conflicts and themes that transcend time.

• Analyze historical fiction for historical accuracy.
• Analyze historical fiction for elements of fiction.
• Read and analyze a play by act and scene.
• Compare and contrast a text to a multimedia performance.
• Analyze characters, both major and minor, and their roles in a drama.
• Participate in the oral reading of a published drama.
• Determine the impact of characters on each other and the plot.
• Compose written analyses of historical fiction stories.
• Participate in peer discussions about historical fiction novels.
• Analyze allegories.
• Determine the meaning of unknown words when reading.
• Use narrative techniques to create an original story. 

• How does historical fiction shape people’s impressions of the past, present, and future?
• How do authors incorporate historical events, figures, and settings into fictional accounts of the time period?
• How can studying themes and conflicts from history influence a reader’s understanding of the past?
• What can readers learn from how characters respond to historical events?
   

• What is historical fiction?
• What requirements must a text meet to be qualified as historical fiction?
• How does historical fiction help readers understand the past?
• How do playwrights use acts and scenes to progress a drama?
• What is a drama?
• How do major and minor characters affect each other and the actions in a play?
• How does a playwright use monologue to provide insight to the audience?
• What is the role of the narrator in a play?
• How do the characters effectively utilize props, staging, and stage directions in plays?
• What makes voice-overs important in dramas?
• How do readers transform themselves into a character when reading a play to an audience?
• How do students show understanding of a drama in a written analysis?
• What is an allegory?
• How do authors develop allegories to comment on historical events?
• How do authors use a blend of historical facts and elements of fiction to create an engaging story?
   

• “Terrible Things” by Eve Bunting
• “The Diary of Anne Frank” by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
• Historical Fiction Literature Circle (Student choice from the library and the classroom library)

• Historical Fiction
• Act
• Scene
• Drama
• Play
• Narrator
• Props
• Staging (set)
• Script
• Stage Directions
• Flashback
• Impression
• Playwright
• Actors
• Voiceover
• Minor Characters 
• Major Characters
• Monologue
• Dialogue
• Allegory

• “Terrible Things” by Eve Bunting TDA
• “The Diary of Anne Frank” by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett Act I Quiz
• “The Diary of Anne Frank” by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett Act II Quiz