ELA for Tweens: Daily Lessons in Reading and Writing

Students will be able to: 

Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Craft and Structure:

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone

Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.

Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:

Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they "see" and "hear" when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.

Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.

Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.

Establish and maintain a formal style.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

Introduce a topic; 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.

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

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

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

Establish and maintain a formal style.

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

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

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

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

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

Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Lessons are written and designed by a National Board Certified English Language Arts teacher with 20+ years of experience, teaching students from grade 5 through College Composition. 

Students will be expected to read assignments outside of class and complete some writing assignments.  

Informal assessment via discussion and game based learning.  Formal assessment is possible for those who need/want it.

3 hours 20 minutes per week in class, and an estimated 1 - 2 hours per week outside of class.