English/Language Arts Curriculum Guide
| Language | Composition | Literature | Media |
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| 1
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| Identify examples of irrelevance, redundancy, ambiguity, and plagiarism. | Teacher might use newspaper or a compilation of excerpts from
anonymous students' work to provide examples and explain irrelevance, redundancy,
ambiguity and plagiarism.
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- Discover and discuss. - Rewrite - point out that these are poor examples. |
Analyze and rewrite aforementioned article
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- Assess a memorable speech, ex., political speech - State of
the Union Address. - See Write Source 2000 for text.
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Write Source 2000
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| 2
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| Prepare and deliver presentation using prepared notes
compiled for research.
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- Strategies given in WRSD Literacy Guide, section VI.
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Utilize computer and library resources. Example: Final presentations, oral with visual aids, video, or slide show. | Assess oral presentation according to pre-determined rubrics.
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Develop a presentation for community groups, ex., Travel Log
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- Library Resources, especially Internet - Claris Impact 2 - Video camera, tapes, etc.
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| 3
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| Describe the origins and meanings of common, learned, and
foreign words used frequently in written English.
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- Model the composition of words. - Provide students with lists of Greek and Latin prefixes, suffixes, roots. - See Write Source 2000, pp. 378-384. |
- Research the origins of words using etymology resources,
dictionary, thesaurus. - Students will peruse ethnic menus.
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Create etymological dictionary. | - Create a resource for students in the lower grades. - Zounds!, p. 79.
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- Journals - Etymology books - Magazines - Menus - Software - Write Source 2000 - Zounds!
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| 4
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| Use appropriate resources to develop understanding of content
or specific vocabulary.
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Give examples of content specific vocabulary in a certain
discipline and compile additional wordlists with students.
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- Categorize words according to specific content areas, e.g.,
math, science, etc. - Create Scattergories game. - Develop shopping lists and analogies with them.
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Create a visual representation to demonstrate understanding
of specific content vocabulary.
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Develop a booklet of content related vocabulary for each subject area. | - Text books - Grammar books, e.g., Write Source 2000
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| 5
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| Identify appropriate reference sources for specific information | Display of various reference materials including reader's
guide, dictionary, computer, encyclopedias, thesaurus, atlas, almanac, etc. Explains and
describes use of each.
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Locate the best sources of information on the Revolutionary
War; write a bibliography card for each source.
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Check source cards and grade for accuracy.
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Scan the net to discover new websites on particular areas of any 20th Century War. | - Library resources, especially Internet - Claris Impact 2 - Video cameras, tapes, etc.
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| 6
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- Read sentences aloud. Call on volunteers to identify
objective or nominative pronouns used in each sentence. - Provide regular practice through text such as Daily Oral Language, gr. 8 and Daily Oral Language Plus , gr. 8.
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- Make pronoun charts. - Work with partners to review anonymous essays and identify incorrect pronoun usage. - Compose a story using common nouns. - Compose a story using only pronouns. - Compose a story using a combination for clarity. |
Create a jingle or song which would help peers to use pronouns properly. | - Mother to Son by Langston Hughes - The Builders by Sarah Henderson Hay - Daily Oral Language, gr. 8 - Daily Oral Language Plus, gr. 8 - Caught Ya - Caught Ya Again - No Glamour Grammar
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| 1
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| Demonstrate ability to take notes as well as to prepare
report (research citing multiple sources - a minimum of three).
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Model Cornell method of note-taking using mapping, webbing,
outlining techniques.
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Explore a topic of interest using community resources, library, computer network, experts in the field, etc. | Write a formal research paper according to WRHS style manual.
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Paraphrase report for a 3-5 minute oral presentation.
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- See column 2 - Library resources, esp. Internet, - Claris Impact 2 - Video camera, tapes etc. - Historical Society
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| 2
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Model correct multi-paragraph compositions, using techer-generated templates containing required elements. | Write a persuasive essay to the editor of your local
newspaper on the topic of school uniforms using prepared templates.
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Assess according to predetermined rubrics.
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- Debate the pros and cons of the topic in a formal arena. - Zounds!, p. 74 |
- TV commercials - Magazine articles - Advertisements - Interviews
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| 3
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Utilize a grammar textbook such as Write Source 2000 to present rules and examples of English language conventions. | Identify clauses, verbals, etc. in written exercises and will
compose original sentences containing a fore mentioned convention.
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- Take a test showing knowledge by labeling clauses, verbals,
and correct punctuation. - Edit the work of a peer inserting clauses, verbals, etc., where appropriate.
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- Compose an original dialogue among guests at a dinner party
from a certain period of history. - Zounds!, p. 15. |
- Write Source 2000 - Daily Oral Language, gr. 8 - Daily Oral Language Plus, gr. 8 - Caught Ya - Caught Ya Again - No Glamour Grammar
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| 4
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| Edit and revise in terms of: focus correction areas concentrating on Grade 8 English language conventions in accordance with rubrics. | Using overhead projector, model correct editing techniques
with samples of unedited composition or research paper.
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Use strategies like TOWER and COPS to help them write and
reuse their own works and works of their peers. Think Capitalization |
Use scoring rubrics to evaluate own compositions and
compositions of peers.
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Aid a group of 3rd or 4th grade students with revision techniques in their own works. | - Student essays - Newspapers - Write Source 2000 - Daily Oral Language, gr. 8 - Daily Oral Language Plus, gr. 8 - Caught Ya - Caught Ya Again - No Glamour Grammar
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| 1
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| Identify and locate explicit information/details.
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- Run off story to teach Cornell note-taking. - Model techniques in locating clue words. - See strategies in WRSD Literacy Guide, sections VI and XV A. |
- Practice scanning/skimming. - Look for clue words. - Highlight important information. - Margin notes - Cornell method of note taking. - As reading, take notes according to characters, story, sequence - webs.
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- Oral conference with teacher - Summarize story orally/written - Narrative paper - Character web - Story map - Plot diagram - Draw a mural - Timeline
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Read Declaration of Independence noting/highlighting specific rights of man. | - Barnell Loft Specific Skills series - WRSD Literacy Guide - Comprehension Guide: Story Form - Comprehension Guide: Report Form
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| 2
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| Evaluate information to draw conclusions.
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- Provide short written paragraphs containing relevant clues
to draw conclusions. - Model evaluation techniques. - Question the students.
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- Complete comic strips with final frame cut off. - Write a conclusion based on a photograph. - Use a picture book without ending or one without words. - Leave off final paragraph of short story or newspaper article.
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- Checklist/Rubrics. - Teacher conferences.
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Read Declaration of Independence to determine the source of some US laws. Have students debate constitutionality. | - Novels/Short stories - Newspapers - Picture books, e.g., those by Chris Van Allsberg
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| 3
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| Relate characteristics of genre to author's purpose. | - Review characteristics of major genres: fiction,
non-fiction, short story, drama, poetry. - Write Source 2000, p. 385.
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Study Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl and then read the play based upon it. | Select one scene from the play that corresponds to a section
in the diary and compose a paragraph showing the life of character portrayal for each
genre.
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Take excerpts from diary not used in play and create an extra scene. | - Diary of Anne Frank - WRSD Literacy Guide
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| 4
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| Demonstrate understanding of character through artistic expression, essay, or discussion. | Read aloud from a variety of picture books, short stories,
essays, novels, etc. whose content revolves around strong character.
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Draw a picture of the object a character might represent based on qualities and traits. | Conference with peers and/or teacher to discuss characteristics. | Watch a video of a novel such as The Diary of Anne Frank
and write a character description.
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- Videos of novels - Novels - The Diary of Anne Frank
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| 5
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| Describe changes in character over course of story.
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Show changes in character through dramatization of scenes
from a story.
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Performance assessment based on a set of predetermined rubrics. | Create an original play which depicts either round or flat
characters.
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- Literature texts - Read magazines - Picture books - Novels
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| 6
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| Identify organization patterns of text and relate to writing through note-taking, outlining, sequencing. | - Demonstrate, through reference to works studied earlier,
how stories are organized to raise certain questions and subsequently answer those
questions. - WRSD Literacy Guide.
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- Trace how often protagonists and antagonists have
interacted along a plot line in a well known story. - Plot line from Project Read: Comprehension Guide: Story Form. |
The students will list plot elements on 3x5 cards and organize them according to the sequence they are presented in a story. | Demonstrate an understanding of sub-plot by showing two written parallel sequences of the plot and sub-plot. | - Books - Comics - Clothesline with clothespins
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| 7
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Demonstrate use of reading strategies such as RCRC, RAPP, to accomplish purpose for reading (Read, Cover, Recite, Check; Read, Ask 2 questions, Put it in own words, Picture it). | Apply techniques to assigned story.
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- Make a timeline story map, collage, etc. - WRSD Literacy Guide, XV A-21.
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Rewrite the story from the view point of a particular character. | - SRA Study Skills - University of Kansas Program - WRSD Literacy Guide
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| 8
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| Identify examples of assonance, consonance, and rhythm in
poetry.
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Use prerecorded audio tapes (e.g., by Shel Silverstein and
others) to identify examples of assonance, consonance, and rhythm.
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Recognize examples of sound effects in oral and written works
of poetry by listening to recorded reading. Discuss.
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Compose original poetry using a variety of poetic techniques and present in a, coffee house-style situation. | - Community poetry reading night. - Compile an anthology.
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- Poetry Alive audio tapes. - Poetry by Ogden Nash, Lewis Carroll, Shel Silverstein, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Edgar Allen Poe, Robert Frost
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| 1
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| Conduct a research project effectively using a variety of research sources. | Teach the components of the research paper. | Students will choose a topic, take notes, outline from
Internet, Grolier, Ebsco, National Geographic and traditional sources.
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Plan and present a lesson to the class using visuals -
charts, videos, etc.
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Create a work of historical fiction using facts from their research with fictional characters. | - Internet - Ebsco - Groliers - National Geographic
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| 2
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| Analyze and describe the effect of color and sound within video media on audience's emotions/attitudes. | - Give a brief synopsis of the growth of movies through the
years. - Choose videos in both black & white and colored version.
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- Students will view and note through observation the effects
of the absence of color and sound. - Vice versa.
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Make their own movies using color and sound vs. black and white and no sound. | Study some of the old silent movie stars (i.e., Mary
Pickford) and put words with the actions.
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Charlie Chaplin, Rudolph Valentino, Mary Pickford, etc.,
movies
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| 3
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| Identify and explain the effective use of graphics in various
media.
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Study the makeup of a newspaper i.e. headlines, bylines, editorials, photograph captions, cartoons, etc. | Select areas of interest, and construct a newspaper, using
various forms of computer software, photograph equipment, scanners, etc.
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Final copy of newspaper.
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Critique a local newspaper on the successful use of graphics using preset criteria. | - Tabletop - Tabletop, Jr. - Claris Impact - Hyperstudio - Hollywood High - Globe - Telegram
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