Unit Title: Unit 1: Reading Fiction and Writing Responses to Literature

Unit Title: Unit 1: Reading Fiction and Writing Responses to Literature

Content Area: English/Language Arts

Grade: 7th

Instructional Weeks: 6

Common Core Standard(s):
R.L. 7.1- Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
R.L. 7.2- 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.
R.L. 7.3- Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the character or plot).
R.L. 7.4- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
R.L. 7.6- Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
R.L. 7.9- 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.
R.L. 7.10- By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
S.L. 7.1- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.
L. 7.4- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
W. 7.1-Write arguments to support with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
W. 7.4- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.7.5- 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.
W. 7.6- 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.
W. 7.9- Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “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”).
W. 7.10- 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.
S.L. 7.1- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.
L. 7.1- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
b. Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.
L. 7.3 – Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.
L. 7. 4 – Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.
L. 7.6 – 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.

Learning Targets:

I can…

·  Define cite

·  Find several pieces of textual evidence for support

·  Make inferences

·  Determine theme

·  Analyze theme development

·  Write or present an unbiased summary

·  Define characters

·  Define setting

·  Define plot

·  Explain how different story elements interact

·  Define figurative language

·  Define connotative meaning

·  Explain the impact of figurative language on a particular part of a literary piece

·  Determine the meaning of a word

·  Define point of view

·  Explain the similarities and differences of characters’ points of view

·  Explain how the author develops the characters’ point of view

·  Explain the similarities and differences between a fictional and historical account

·  Explain how an author uses or alters history

·  Comprehend many genres of literature at my grade level

·  Participate in one-on-one discussions

·  Participate in group discussions

·  Participate in teacher-led discussions

·  Prepare for a discussion

·  Follow rules for discussions

·  Ask questions of my group members

·  Respond to questions posed by my group members

·  Summarize the group’s discussion

·  Understand others’ perspectives

·  Write an argumentative paper

·  Define claims

·  Define argument

·  Create a strong claim

·  Organize evidence to support a claim

·  Include relevant evidence for and against an argument

·  Use credible sources

·  Use transitions to clarify relationships

·  Use formal style

·  Make a concluding statement

·  Develop grade level appropriate writing for task, purpose, and audience

·  Use revision and editing strategies

·  Revise for a specific purpose and audience

·  Use feedback from teachers and/or peers

·  Use technology to publish writing

·  Link and cite sources

·  Use technology to collaborate

·  Demonstrate proper usage of the eight parts of speech in writing and speaking

·  Explain the functions of and use phrases and clauses

·  Recognize and use types of sentences

·  Recognize and correct misplaced and dangling modifiers

·  Use proper conventions

·  Choose precise words

·  Recognize and eliminate wordiness

·  Use context clues to determine the meaning of a word

·  Use Greek and Latin roots to determine the meaning of a word

·  Use print reference materials use electronic reference materials

·  Use grade appropriate vocabulary

Essential Questions
What do good readers do?
Am I clear about what I just read?
How do I know?
Author’s choice: Why does it matter?
What makes a story “great”?
In what ways does creative choice impact an audience?
Whose story is it and why does it matter?
What makes collaboration meaningful?
Making meaning from a variety of sources: What will help?
What do good writers do?
What’s my purpose and how do I develop it?
Writing clearly: What makes a difference?
Final product: What does it take?
What do good researchers do?
“Cut and paste:” What’s the problem?
Why write?
Why do the rules of language matter?
Communicating clearly: What does it take?
How does situation affect meaning?
How does author’s choice impact an audience?
When a word doesn’t make sense, what can I do?
How do I use what I know to figure out what I don’t know? / Key Vocabulary
Textual evidence, analyze, inference, explicit, theme, central idea, summary, opinion, objective, story/drama elements, figurative language, literal language, denotative meaning, connotative meaning, point of view, first person, third person, limited, omniscient, historical fiction, compare, contrast, reading strategy, comprehension, collaborate, elaborate, integrate, warranted, argument, claim, evidence, credible source, transition, debate, writing style, task-purpose, audience, revision strategy, edit, purpose, publish, credible websites, hyperlink, reflection, research, writing format, phrase, clause, simple sentence structure, compound-complex sentence structure, misplaced modifier, dangling modifier, precise, concise, wordiness, redundancy, infer, context clues, affix, root, reference material, general academic words, domain specific words / Resources

Daily Lesson Log

Date / Target(s) / Target Type
(K, R, S, P) / Activity / Assessment
(i.e. Bell Ringer, Flashback, Questioning, Class Discussion, Think/Pair/Share, Student Presentations, Unit Test, Common Assessment, etc…)
(Day1) or Date