• The standards for this unit are: for Reading Litureture (RL) and Reading Informational (RI) Text :

    7.RL.1 & RI.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

    7.RL.2: Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of text.

    7.RL.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including 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.

    7.RL.5: Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.

    7RL.6: Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

    7.RL.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.

    The Standards for Writing (W) are:

    7.W.1 Write arguments to support claims 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.

    7.W.2

    Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and

    analysis of relevant content.

    a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition,

    classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when

    useful to aiding comprehension.

    b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

    c. Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

    d. Use precise language and domain‐specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

    e. Establish and maintain a formal style.

    f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

    7.W.3

    Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well‐structured

    event sequences.

    a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event

    sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

    b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

    c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

    d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.

    e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

    Production and Distribution of Writing

    7.W.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade‐

    specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above).

    7.W.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. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate

    command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 7.)

    HERE IS OUR WEEKLY SCHEDULE: It will vary depending upon our reading or writing, but you can find that information our from your students (in their planner) or email me with any questions.

    Students will have a grammar warm-up: Synonyms & Antonyms. I have graded most of the tests and am very pleased! I will go over the common errors I have found, while the students take notes. {Know vs. No; all of a sudden NOT all the sudden; their,they're there; too, to two; wouldn't of vs. wouldn't have; say'd vs. said etc...}

    We will preview our next story/article called Not Everything It Seems By: Arnetta Carter. It discusses what is really behind the "reality" of "Instagrammers" and the "instafamous."

    Throughout the week we will be focusing on: Author's purpose; how we annotate (take notes) on our text as we read; how we target a passage and find textual support within that passage. We will also revisit our target and apply it to this article. Vocabulary words, footnotes, and grammar will also be pointed out as I read the text for the first time.

    Essential Question: What can blur the lines between what is real and what is not? Learning Target: Students will engage deeper level thinking and participate in vibrant and collegial discussions about our stories in this unit.

    The Unit will focus on these key English reading techniques: Analyzing plot and flashback, character traits, and author's purpose. I will teach them how to cite evidence; how to analyze folktales; humorous writing; rhyme; and rhyme scheme and mood. We will also compare moods of the writings in this unit. We will analyze the narration of the pieces we read, analyze Graphic Novels and we will compare versions of writing.

    AND THIS IS ALL IN ONE 9 WEEK QUARTER! We are going to be cooking!

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    The Pattern of a typical week is that on Mondays: Planners are always filled out. The students can pick whether they would like to do one day at a time or to put in the whole week all at once. I will have them put in any tests, projects, papers or quizzes ahead of time. Our warm-up is a grammar exercise called Meaningful Mondays and we will review parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs).

    Vocabulary words for this week: 1. collaborate (verb) 2. relevant (adjective) 3. skepticism (noun) 4. generate (verb) 5. influence (verb) 6. dominate (verb) 7. devotion (noun) 8. labor-intensive (adj)

    9. shun (verb) and 10. phenomenon (noun)

    On Monday's, I always go over what ever corrections I need to address as far as common errors that I saw in all of my weekend grading (grammar, or sentence structure, or vocabulary errors etc...) the students will take down what I write and discuss in their notebooks. (I bought all of the kids a composition notebook which they will keep in the classroom with their names on them.) If you want to help out, each notebook was .50 cents, the kids are welcome to bring me the money but I will not deny anyone a notebook and I did not want to ask you to buy any more school supplies. :) ) We will be setting up our new composition notebooks but they will be kept in our room. If they want to take them home it must be for a really good reason.

    **Now, a bit about timing....I pack my lessons; however I am very aware that the projects and lessons may take a lot longer than I anticipated. So know that these weekly updates for you may be bumped out a few days. Just ask your kids how it went and what we got through. I will also remind the kids to be sure to tell you, if we are behind, or you can email me.**

    After the corrections, we begin reading, the next story in the unit as a group where I read out loud to the kids and have them annotate (take notes) right in their consumable work books. This very first reading is called a Cold Read (which means they have never seen this text before.) As I am reading they are to focus on the author's purpose and citing evidence for future discussion. As I read, I model the way to read by using the punctuation, adding inflection, modulation and wondering out loud. at this point I point out every vocabulary word (ten of them) and the word's part of speech. I make it very clear to them that even readers like myself, may not understand the text the first time I read it, that is why we discuss our story and what we understand about it after this first reading. We also share our ideas, because many minds are better than one. Next, we discuss their annotations: "I was wondering...I noticed...I am confused about...etc"

    We do not have much homework because we do lots of work in class so I can guide them.

    We have a short break in between the two classes so the kids can go to the bathroom, or get a drink of water. Once we come back in, I will usually have a short video about the topic that we read about (usually it is the biography of the author of our story, a peer coach video from our HMH curriculum, or some other relevant information.) Then we do a critical thinking review of our story which is usually a graph, story board, acting it out, or other review of what we read.

    On Mondays, we also have a quick review of the vocabulary words and their parts of speech, where we all stand up and make movements for the words. The students will also create a study guide that uses the words, the definitions and a picture of the words so they can study for their quiz on Friday.

    Friday's are our quiz or test days. Sometimes it will just be a vocabulary quiz, but if we are finished with a shorter reading they will have vocabulary plus two in depth test questions over the readings.

    On Tuesdays: Our Warm-Up is a Text Structure warm up.

    For the story we are reading now: Not Everything It Seems, I will have them create one last study guide that is a set of flash cards with the words on one side and the vocabulary DEFINITIONS on the other. *PLEASE LOOK FOR THESE STUDY GUIDES AT HOME AND HELP THE KIDS STUDY, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO. Ask them for the fun movements we made for each word.

    After our warm -up and the study guide, we get back to our Tuesday work by breaking into groups of three and four and re-reading the story for a second time. This second reading is completely student led with one student as the note taking lead (who assures that everyone is taking notes in their book; one is the timer; one is the focus-director, who makes sure that everyone stays on task and one is the reading-flow monitor (who makes sure that the students reading are using the skills that we learned in our first reading: inflection, using the punctuation correctly in their reading etc.) **This usually takes one half of our block, depending on the length of the story, poem, article or graphic novel.

    Students take more notes and discuss. We finally come back together as a whole group and discuss (centering everything around the EQ, (the Essential Question for the unit.)

    Next, I will also have a chosen (volunteer) student demonstrate on the board how to cite textual evidence correctly. The other students will take notes in their notebook.

    A quick matching and part of speech "NOT QUIZ" will be given over the vocabulary words, in preparation for the quiz on each and every Friday. The kids can use their notes if they are unsure of the answers. This also serves as another study guide.

    **EVERY OTHER TUESDAY WE HEAD TO OUR AMAZING LIBRARY AND WE CHECK OUT AND RENEW OUR BOOKS.**

    WACKY WEDNESDAYS! A VERY SHORT DAY!! (For some of us LOL)

    The students of course have a warm-up called "Wordy Wednesday."

    They are also to fill out their planners if they haven't already, they should also edit their planners and adding notes. They will have a quiz on Friday and they will know if it is just the vocabulary or if we have time to add the two in-depth reading questions. Most likely it will just be the vocabulary; however if all goes swimmingly we are adding the other two questions. :)

    I also use this short day as a catch-up day for kids who need extra help or students who are out and need to catch up.

    On Thursdays: Warm-up: Throwback Thursdays grammar. Planner fill-out for those who need to do it.

    Final reading with Ms. Lassers answering any questions, comparing how little we understood vs. how much we understand now. This takes a while. I also have the kids ask questions that they are confused about.

    The second half of the block is dedicated to creating a story board, a graphic representation or a plot diagram about our story. We also revisit the EQ and see what lines were blurred between what is real and what is not.

    We will discuss what the author's purpose was in writing this article and how much reality is on the internet? I will show the 60 minutes video about how the internet is now being used to find and persecute war crimes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVLFcZeklvs

    Review of our vocabulary, and a reminder about our test TOMORROW!! If we get through our story I will let the students know what the in-depth questions will be so they can share and discuss them with you (I encourage you to do this). Exit ticket is the assessment practice on page 27 of their consumable books.

    On Friday: Warm-up: Figurative Fridays! Planner fill-out and planner check (students turn in their planners and I make sure they are filling them out.)

    Test/Quiz (open note for the in-depth questions, but not the vocabulary words and parts of speech.) They are on separate sheets and I will hand out the vocabulary first and the in-depth questions last.

    After the test or quiz we will revisit the author's purpose graph on the SMART board and discuss. I will ask them to demonstrate how they can cite evidence from paragraph 7 in the text to back up what the author says about the behind the scenes and all the work that they go through.

    Review the quote in paragraph 7 as well and ask the students if the section would have as much impact if the author simply wrote about the subject rather than using a quote. Discuss as an entire group.

    Exit ticket: How did you meet your goals this week? What will you change for next week?

     

    This is an example of how I format our vocabulary quizzes. This is a study guide that I give the students to practice with on a Tuesday or a Wednesday. In this mock test, I mixed up the words and they may use their notes to fill them in. I also give the students time to complete two study guides, one on Monday (flip book) and one on Tuesday (flash cards).

    1. Devotion (_____) _____                                     A. a fact or situation observed to exist or happen

    2. Skepticism (_____) _____                                           B. to have commanding control/impact on

    3. Shun (_____) _____                                C. closely connected/appropriate to what is being done

    4. Phenomenon (_____) _____            D. the ability to have an effect on character/development on someone/thing

    5. Collaborate (_____) _____          E. to cause something (an emotion/situation) to come about

    6. Relevant (_____) ______                                                            F. needing a large amount of work

    7. Dominate (_____) _____                  G. to completely ignore/avoid/reject someone/something

    8. Influence (_____) _____                                 H. a feeling of doubt about the truth of something

    9. Generate (_____) _____                          I. Love, loyalty or enthusiasm for someone/something

    10. Labor-intensive (_____) _____          J. to work together on something or discussing something together