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Language Arts - G7

Course Name: Language Arts Grade 7

Course #: M1722, M1727, M1728, M1729

 

Course Description: Aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, the seventh grade language arts course is designed to develop critical readers and writers through reinforcing and refining essential literacy skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language. Students are exposed to a variety of genres: drama, poetry, and contemporary and traditional texts in fiction and nonfiction. Classroom instruction emphasizes literature discussion, meaningful written response to literature, vocabulary development, and application of reading strategies. As part of this course, students also participate in independent reading in order to foster a love of reading and encourage life-long learning.

 

Course Proficiencies: The following is a list of proficiencies that describe what students are expected to know and be able to do as a result of successfully completing this course. The proficiencies are the basis of the assessment of student achievement. The learner will demonstrate the ability to:

 

  • Cite several pieces of textual evidence and make relevant connections to support analysis of what a literary text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (NJSLS.RL.CR.7.1.)
  • Cite several pieces of textual evidence and make relevant connections to support analysis of what an informational text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (NJSLS.RI.CR.7.1.)
  • Determine a theme in a literary text (e.g., stories, plays or poetry) and explain how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. (NJSLS.RL.CI.7.2.)
  • Determine a central idea in an informational text and explain how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. (NJSLS.RI.CI.7.2.)
  • Analyze how particular elements of a text interact including how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. (NJSLS.RL.IT.7.3.)
  • Analyze how particular elements of a text interact including how a text makes connections and distinctions among individuals, events, and ideas (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories). (NJSLS.RI.IT.7.3.)
  • Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text and how it contributes to the text as a whole, including how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning. (NJSLS.RL.TS.7.4.)
  • Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text and how it contributes to the text as a whole, including using knowledge of text structures (e.g., cause-effect, proposition-support) and genre features (e.g., graphics, captions, indexes) to organize and analyze important information. (NJSLS.RI.TS.7.4.)
  • Determine how an author conveys or develops perspective or purpose in a text through contrasting the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. (NJSLS.RL.PP.7.5.)
  • Determine how an author conveys or develops perspective or purpose in a text through distinguishing their position from that of others using evidence. (NJSLS.RI.PP.7.5.)
  • Compare and contrast texts (e.g., a written story, drama, or poem) to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version and analyze the unique qualities of different mediums, including the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film). (NJSLS.RL.MF.7.6.)
  • Compare and contrast texts to analyze the unique qualities of different mediums, including the integration of information from multiple formats and sources to develop deeper understanding of the concept, topic or subject and resolve conflicting information. (NJSLS.RI.MF.7.6.)
  • Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims. (NJSLS.RI.AA.7.7.)
  • Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of an event, time, place, or character and a historical or scientific account of the same period or event as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history and/or events. (NJSLS.RL.CT.7.8.)
  • Analyze and reflect on (e.g., practical knowledge, historical/cultural context, and background knowledge) how two or more authors writing informational texts about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts. (NJSLS.RI.CT.7.8.)
  • Write arguments on discipline-specific content (e.g., social studies, science, technical subjects, English/Language Arts) to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. (NJSLS.W.AW.7.1.)
  • Write informative/explanatory texts (including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes) to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (NJSLS.W.IW.7.2.)
  • 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. (NJSLS.SL.PE.7.1.)
  • Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study. (NJSLS.SL.II.7.2.)
  • SL.ES.7.3. Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. (NJSLS.SL.ES.7.3.)
  • 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. (NJSLS.SL.PI.7.4.)
  • Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points. (NJSLS.SL.UM.7.5.)
  • Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (NJSLS.SL.AS.7.6.)
  • Demonstrate command of the system and structure of the English language when writing or speaking. (NJSLS.L.SS.7.1.)
  • Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. (NJSLS.L.KL.7.2.)
  • Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, including technical meanings, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. (NJSLS.L.VL.7.3.)
  • Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. (NJSLS.L.VI.7.4.)


 

Assessments:

 

  1. Tests/Quizzes
  2. Individual and group projects
  3. Open-ended responses and other writing forms
  4. Multimedia presentations
  5. Classroom discussion
  6. Portfolios