• Seventh-Grade Literacy 

    Seventh-grade students read from a variety of genres: fiction, historical fiction, short stories and poetry. Through whole class study and discussion, small group sharing and individual choices, seventh-graders explore literature and seek its connection with interdisciplinary experiences to broaden their understanding of the world in which they live. Students respond to literature in oral presentations, projects, tests, reading responses and written analyses. Writers' workshop ensures that students continue to use a variety of pre-writing strategies, editing, grammar skills and multi-draft approaches to produce a final draft. As skills develop, students are encouraged to examine areas of interest through inquiry projects that involve forming questions, reshaping those queries through research and interviews to enrich their understanding of the topic. As in all literacy classes at Wydown, students reflect on their growth as language users.

    Seventh-Grade Literacy Learning Objectives

    Recognize the empowering nature of reading and writing

    Approach texts as a reader by comprehending and interpreting grade appropriate texts

    Evidence/Inference

    ● draw conclusion, infer and analyze by citing textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text


    Word Meaning

    ● determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative language meanings using context, affixes, or reference materials


    Theme/Claim

    ●  determine the theme(s)/central idea of a text and explain the relationship between the theme(s) and supporting evidence

    Approach texts as a writer by analyzing craft and structure in grade appropriate texts

    Point of View

    ● explain how an author develops and contrasts the point of view of different characters or narrators in a literary text

    ● analyze how an author develops his/her point of view or purpose and distinguishes it from those of others in an informational text


    Craft and Meaning

    ● analyze how specific word choices contribute to meaning and tone 


    Interaction and Meaning

    ● analyze how the setting, characters, and plot of a text affect each other and contribute to meaning


    Argument and Evidence

    ● evaluate an author’s argument, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claim

    Approach texts as a researcher by synthesizing/comparing/ contrasting ideas from multiple grade-appropriate texts

    Relationships in Texts

    ● compare and contrast how two or more authors writing about the same topic make decisions about craft and structure

    Approach the writing task as a researcher

    Research

    ●  conduct research to answer a question drawing on several sources; integrate information

    ● gather relevant information from multiple print and digital resources

    ● assess the credibility of sources

    ● quote or paraphrase while avoiding plagiarism; provide basic bibliographic information for sources

    Approach the writing task as a writer

    Development

    • Follow a writing process to produce writings in narrative, expository and argumentative genres:

    • Narrative writing, including poems about real or imagined experiences with clearly identified characters, well- structured event sequences, narrative techniques and relevant descriptive details

    • Expository (informative/explanatory) writing to examine a topic with relevant facts, examples, and details

    • Argumentative writing introducing and supporting a claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence

    Approach the writing task as a reader

    Revise and edit writing with consideration for task, purpose and audience.

    ● introduce the topic, maintain a clear focus throughout the text, provide a conclusion that follows from the text

    ● choose precise language and establish and maintain an appropriate and consistent style with complete sentences

    ● demonstrate a command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage, including spelling and punctuation

    ● use transitions to clarify relationships, connect ideas and claims, and signal time shifts

    Collaborate 

    Questioning

    ● delineate a speaker’s argument and claims in order to pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion


    Viewpoints of Others

    ● Review the key ideas expressed by a speaker including those presented in diverse media and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing