Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit focuses on how authors use intentionality in their craft choices and structures to create meaning. This includes analyzing an author’s craft techniques of word choices and phrases, figurative language, and key details in poems and dramas. Studying the figurative and connotative meanings of words and phrases in context supports students in understanding how words convey a specific meaning. This prepares students for the work ahead related to central ideas and themes. Students will study the structures of stanzas, chapters, and parts of the text, and how sections of a text connect to the whole. This unit also includes the study of the organization and structures within and across informational texts and how authors create meaning with key details, words, and phrases.   As authors of their own text, students will have opportunities to write narratives and strive to apply their knowledge regarding intentional word choices and phrases. Students will practice the application of developing characters, events, and experiences. These narratives may be personal narratives, realistic fiction short stories, memoirs, or poems.   Unit Duration:20 days (15 instructional and 5 reteach/enrichment days) Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule  

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit focuses on how authors use intentionality in their craft choices and structures to create meaning. This includes analyzing an author’s craft techniques of word choices and phrases, figurative language, and key details in poems and dramas. Studying the figurative and connotative meanings of words and phrases in context supports students in understanding how words convey a specific meaning. This prepares students for the work ahead related to central ideas and themes. Students will study the structures of stanzas, chapters, and parts of the text, and how sections of a text connect to the whole. This unit also includes the study of the organization and structures within and across informational texts and how authors create meaning with key details, words, and phrases.   As authors of their own text, students will have opportunities to write narratives and strive to apply their knowledge regarding intentional word choices and phrases. Students will practice the application of developing characters, events, and experiences. These narratives may be personal narratives, realistic fiction short stories, memoirs, or poems.   Unit Duration:20 days (15 instructional and 5 reteach/enrichment days) Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule  

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: In Unit 4, students gained experience building an argument using evidence. In this subsequent unit, they will explore other literary and rhetorical devices that help authors persuade an audience. Students will learn about various techniques like ethos, pathos, and logos, as well as some of the other methods used intentionally to influence an audience.  In Part 1, students will use speeches, soliloquies, and songs as they learn about how message and purpose are carefully constructed into text to convey a clear message. In Part 2, students will analyze how current media uses these devices, studying curated advertisements (print and video), as well as social media. Students will create their own media campaign for a specific purpose, utilizing the concepts and skills learned in this unit.  Unit Duration: 25 days (20 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:In Unit 4, students gained experience building an argument using evidence. In this subsequent unit, they will explore other literary and rhetorical devices that help authors persuade an audience. Students will learn about various techniques like ethos, pathos, and logos, as well as some of the other methods used intentionally to influence an audience.  In Part 1, students will use speeches, soliloquies, and songs as they learn about how message and purpose are carefully constructed into text to convey a clear message. In Part 2, students will analyze how current media uses these devices, studying curated advertisements (print and video), as well as social media. Students will create their own media campaign for a specific purpose, utilizing the concepts and skills learned in this unit.  Unit Duration:25 days (20 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: This unit has two parts. Part 1 focuses on teaching students to recognize and examine the text of an argument (e.g., in an essay) to understand how arguments follow a framework or structure as a means of analytical thinking, and how authors engage in the process of writing effective arguments. Students will practice deconstructing the components of argument writing in informational texts and “talks,” examining claims, reasons and evidence, and word choice. They will also examine how different authors present an argument from the same perspective, as well as varying perspectives. Students will learn about counterclaims as part of the process of reasoned inquiry and rational discourse, in search of common ground. Part 2 of this unit supports students in using the skills learned in Part 1 to develop their written arguments, obtaining evidence (i.e., facts, examples, and details) from teacher-selected digital and print resources that are designed to support argument writing. Students will also attend to an opposing view to address the counterargument part of their writing process. Unit Duration:25 days (20 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit has two parts. Part 1 focuses on teaching students to recognize and examine the text of an argument (e.g., in an essay) to understand how arguments follow a framework or structure as a means of analytical thinking, and how authors engage in the process of writing effective arguments. Students will practice deconstructing the components of argument writing in informational texts and “talks,” examining claims, reasons and evidence, and word choice. They will also examine how different authors present an argument from the same perspective, as well as varying perspectives. Students will learn about counterclaims as part of the process of reasoned inquiry and rational discourse, in search of common ground. Part 2 of this unit supports students in using the skills learned in Part 1 to develop their written arguments, obtaining evidence (i.e., facts, examples, and details) from teacher-selected digital and print resources that are designed to support argument writing. Students will also attend to an opposing view to address the counterargument part of their writing process. Unit Duration:25 days (20 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: This model unit uses the issue of How Humans Impact the Environment, which connects to geography as well as science concepts. The unit can be adjusted to focus on one issue or allow students to choose an issue from a list of provided issues for investigation.  Do the benefits of (this human activity) outweigh the human and environmental costs? Do the benefits of fracking outweigh the human and environmental costs? Do the benefits of deforestation outweigh the human and environmental costs? Students will follow a research process to investigate all aspects of their topic(s), develop a pro-con chart that reflects both sides of an issue, take a stance, and write an argumentative essay using the claim, reason, and evidence format (Unit 4) that supports that stance. Students will also create a website that embeds digital media, as well as their text, to further illustrate and support their argument. Students will then present their website to an audience. The goal is for students to support their claims with strong reasons and evidence, based on their research. Claims can also be nuanced and not necessarily be fully “pro” or fully “con.”  They can take a problem-solving stance. With new regulations for production and careful waste management, plastic bottles should continue to be a convenient choice for consumers around the world. This unit can be multidisciplinary and taught with other content areas, including social studies and science. Technology applications for the summative project can also be altered, e.g., a slide show presentation, a documentary movie, or a digital poster can all be substituted for developing a website.  Unit Duration:30 days (25 instructional and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This model unit uses the issue of How Humans Impact the Environment, which connects to geography as well as science concepts. The unit can be adjusted to focus on one issue or allow students to choose an issue from a list of provided issues for investigation.  Do the benefits of (this human activity) outweigh the human and environmental costs? Do the benefits of fracking outweigh the human and environmental costs? Do the benefits of deforestation outweigh the human and environmental costs? Students will follow a research process to investigate all aspects of their topic(s), develop a pro-con chart that reflects both sides of an issue, take a stance, and write an argumentative essay using the claim, reason, and evidence format (Unit 4) that supports that stance. Students will also create a website that embeds digital media, as well as their text, to further illustrate and support their argument. Students will then present their website to an audience. The goal is for students to support their claims with strong reasons and evidence, based on their research. Claims can also be nuanced and not necessarily be fully “pro” or fully “con.”  They can take a problem-solving stance. With new regulations for production and careful waste management, plastic bottles should continue to be a convenient choice for consumers around the world. This unit can be multidisciplinary and taught with other content areas, including social studies and science. Technology applications for the summative project can also be altered, e.g., a slide show presentation, a documentary movie, or a digital poster can all be substituted for developing a website.  Unit Duration:30 days (25 instructional and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit focuses on the elements that help develop a good story.  As readers begin their reading journey in seventh grade English Language Arts, they will study the points of view and perspectives of characters and analyze how points of view are similar or different from each other. This helps the students to recognize the character-driven stories that are being told and to recognize and interpret the ways that authors use language to engage a reader. Students will work in collaborative groups and engage in discussions, asking questions and building upon other’s thoughts, to expand ideas. Students will explore techniques that authors use to engage a reader and use these techniques to write narratives. As students write their narratives, they will pay specific attention to precise language and word choices to develop characters, events, and actions. Thematically, students will explore stories of belonging and fitting in, to make connections to the characters and stories that are relevant and interesting to an adolescent’s life.   The sample texts listed in the unit will help students define the evolving idea of “The American Dream” and how it can differ based on personal or cultural perspectives. Through nonfiction literary texts, students will grapple with various perspectives and points of view related to the American Dream.  This unit also explores how authors of historical fiction use factual events and people, as well as fictional events and people to illustrate the struggle to belong to the American Experience and achieve The American Dream.  Unit Duration:30 Days (25 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule

This unit focuses on the elements that help develop a good story.  As readers begin their reading journey in seventh grade English Language Arts, they will study the points of view and perspectives of characters and analyze how points of view are similar or different from each other. This helps the students to recognize the character-driven stories that are being told and to recognize and interpret the ways that authors use language to engage a reader. Students will work in collaborative groups and engage in discussions, asking questions and building upon other’s thoughts, to expand ideas. Students will explore techniques that authors use to engage a reader and use these techniques to write narratives. As students write their narratives, they will pay specific attention to precise language and word choices to develop characters, events, and actions. Thematically, students will explore stories of belonging and fitting in, to make connections to the characters and stories that are relevant and interesting to an adolescent’s life.   The sample texts listed in the unit will help students define the evolving idea of “The American Dream” and how it can differ based on personal or cultural perspectives. Through nonfiction literary texts, students will grapple with various perspectives and points of view related to the American Dream.  This unit also explores how authors of historical fiction use factual events and people, as well as fictional events and people to illustrate the struggle to belong to the American Experience and achieve The American Dream.  Unit Duration:30 Days (25 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit focuses on how authors use fiction to illustrate the struggle to belong in America and the challenges different groups and individuals have faced in their journey to become part of the American Experience. The unit is broken into two parts.  Part 1 helps students define the evolving idea of “The American Dream” and how it can differ based on personal and cultural perspectives. Through nonfiction literary texts, students will grapple with various perspectives and points of view related to the American Dream.  Part 2 explores how authors of historical fiction use factual events and people, as well as fictional events and characters to illustrate the struggle to belong to the American Experience and achieve The American Dream.  Unit Duration:20 days (15 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule  

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit focuses on how authors use fiction to illustrate the struggle to belong in America and the challenges different groups and individuals have faced in their journey to become part of the American Experience. The unit is broken into two parts.  Part 1 helps students define the evolving idea of “The American Dream” and how it can differ based on personal and cultural perspectives. Through nonfiction literary texts, students will grapple with various perspectives and points of view related to the American Dream.  Part 2 explores how authors of historical fiction use factual events and people, as well as fictional events and characters to illustrate the struggle to belong to the American Experience and achieve The American Dream.  Unit Duration:20 days (15 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule  

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  This unit focuses on using reading strategies to analyze key ideas and details in informational texts to strengthen comprehension, critical thinking, and logical reasoning skills. Students will be expected to cite several pieces of textual evidence when analyzing texts.  In literary texts, students will engage in the analysis of how plot and setting affect characters, and how characters struggle with and resolve conflicts throughout the plot. This level of analysis enables students to infer the overall theme of the text. Students will be expected to compose an objective summary of the text including the theme(s) and major points, absent of one’s opinion or judgments. Furthermore, students will practice reading a variety of texts, identifying literary elements, and identifying how literary elements are related or combined for effect (e.g., how the setting influences the development of a plot, and how characters respond to these elements). Students will be expected to use analysis to determine the central ideas of the text and trace their development throughout the course of informational text. An objective summary of the text would include the major points and key details, distinct from personal opinions and judgment.  Analysis of the interactions in a text will provide textual evidence, to help determine the central idea of the passage. By studying text types and purposes, students can work to enhance their skills and abilities to develop complete, multi-paragraph, logically sequenced texts using language appropriate for the topic and the audience. Unit Duration: 20 days (15 instructional and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit focuses on using reading strategies to analyze key ideas and details in informational texts to strengthen comprehension, critical thinking, and logical reasoning skills. Students will be expected to cite several pieces of textual evidence when analyzing texts.  In literary texts, students will engage in the analysis of how plot and setting affect characters, and how characters struggle with and resolve conflicts throughout the plot. This level of analysis enables students to infer the overall theme of the text. Students will be expected to compose an objective summary of the text including the theme(s) and major points, absent of one’s opinion or judgments. Furthermore, students will practice reading a variety of texts, identifying literary elements, and identifying how literary elements are related or combined for effect (e.g., how the setting influences the development of a plot, and how characters respond to these elements). Students will be expected to use analysis to determine the central ideas of the text and trace their development throughout the course of informational text. An objective summary of the text would include the major points and key details, distinct from personal opinions and judgment.  Analysis of the interactions in a text will provide textual evidence, to help determine the central idea of the passage. By studying text types and purposes, students can work to enhance their skills and abilities to develop complete, multi-paragraph, logically sequenced texts using language appropriate for the topic and the audience. Unit Duration: 20 days (15 instructional and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:In this unit, students will explore how the author’s organization of the piece, and use of narrative elements, words, sentences, and paragraphs contribute to the meaning of the whole text. Students will analyze how structure can convey an author’s purpose. Students will explore figurative language to understand a text on a deeper level and how the author’s choice of words can impact the meaning and tone of the work. Students will experiment with using punctuation to affect meaning. Teachers might choose to use a core text with corresponding text sets to focus the content of the unit.  Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, and Animal Farm by George Orwell are mentor texts that could meet the criteria of the standards for this unit.   Unit Duration:19 days (15 instructional days and 4 re-teach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:In this unit, students will explore how the author’s organization of the piece, and use of narrative elements, words, sentences, and paragraphs contribute to the meaning of the whole text. Students will analyze how structure can convey an author’s purpose. Students will explore figurative language to understand a text on a deeper level and how the author’s choice of words can impact the meaning and tone of the work. Students will experiment with using punctuation to affect meaning. Teachers might choose to use a core text with corresponding text sets to focus the content of the unit.  Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, and Animal Farm by George Orwell are mentor texts that could meet the criteria of the standards for this unit.   Unit Duration:19 days (15 instructional days and 4 re-teach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:Craft and structure emphasize how readers use context as clues to find meanings of words and phrases including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. Readers extend meaning by analyzing the impact of an author’s word choice, including analogies and allusions. In addition, readers determine how the author’s word choice contributes to the meaning and tone of an informational text. Analysis of informational text requires readers to identify the author’s purpose and perspective to determine how an author acknowledges and responds to a position. Critical readers and thinkers examine the organization of ideas in the text to identify signals for opposing viewpoints. Within text types and purposes, students write informational texts to support thesis statements. The introductory section should provide background knowledge of the topic and include a guiding thesis statement as a single sentence. In the body of the text, students should provide evidence, e.g., facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples that specifically relate to the topic, and explain and elaborate how the topic and evidence support each other. Students must provide a conclusion that restates the thesis, summarizes the main points in the text, and potentially provokes the reader to continue to critically think about the topic, beyond what was presented in the text. Unit Duration:  29 days (25 instructional days and 4 re-teach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule  

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:Craft and structure emphasize how readers use context as clues to find meanings of words and phrases including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. Readers extend meaning by analyzing the impact of an author’s word choice, including analogies and allusions. In addition, readers determine how the author’s word choice contributes to the meaning and tone of an informational text. Analysis of informational text requires readers to identify the author’s purpose and perspective to determine how an author acknowledges and responds to a position. Critical readers and thinkers examine the organization of ideas in the text to identify signals for opposing viewpoints. Within text types and purposes, students write informational texts to support thesis statements. The introductory section should provide background knowledge of the topic and include a guiding thesis statement as a single sentence. In the body of the text, students should provide evidence, e.g., facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples that specifically relate to the topic, and explain and elaborate how the topic and evidence support each other. Students must provide a conclusion that restates the thesis, summarizes the main points in the text, and potentially provokes the reader to continue to critically think about the topic, beyond what was presented in the text. Unit Duration:  29 days (25 instructional days and 4 re-teach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule  

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:Analysis of craft and structure in informational text requires readers to identify the author’s purpose and perspective to determine how an author acknowledges and responds to a position. Critical readers examine the organization of ideas in the text to identify the ideas that signal and address opposing viewpoints. Furthermore, they can identify the argument and claims within a text, evaluate an author’s argument, and recognize when the evidence is irrelevant and unsound based on the claims made by the author in terms of accuracy and viewpoint. Within text types and purposes, students will be required to write various arguments. Students should be able to provide credible and relevant evidence that specifically relates to the topic sentence and explain how the topic sentence and evidence support each other. Appropriate text organization and transitions should be used while addressing alternate or counterclaims by providing evidence and reasons specific to the counterclaim, and distinguishing why their argument is still stronger (rebuttal). Students must provide a conclusion that restates the thesis, summarizes the main points in the argument, and provokes further or deeper thinking from the reader (e.g., prediction, recommendation, revelation, final thought, call to action, or moral of the argument). Unit Duration:  29 days (25 instructional days and 4 re-teach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:Analysis of craft and structure in informational text requires readers to identify the author’s purpose and perspective to determine how an author acknowledges and responds to a position. Critical readers examine the organization of ideas in the text to identify the ideas that signal and address opposing viewpoints. Furthermore, they can identify the argument and claims within a text, evaluate an author’s argument, and recognize when the evidence is irrelevant and unsound based on the claims made by the author in terms of accuracy and viewpoint. Within text types and purposes, students will be required to write various arguments. Students should be able to provide credible and relevant evidence that specifically relates to the topic sentence and explain how the topic sentence and evidence support each other. Appropriate text organization and transitions should be used while addressing alternate or counterclaims by providing evidence and reasons specific to the counterclaim, and distinguishing why their argument is still stronger (rebuttal). Students must provide a conclusion that restates the thesis, summarizes the main points in the argument, and provokes further or deeper thinking from the reader (e.g., prediction, recommendation, revelation, final thought, call to action, or moral of the argument). Unit Duration:  29 days (25 instructional days and 4 re-teach/enrichment days); Five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule