Willington Grade: - Trimester:
Language Arts Curriculum Pacing Guide
3/23/2016
GRADE 7
Unit One
Unit Two
Unit Three
Unit Four
Unit Five
Unit Six
Unit Seven
Sept.-Oct.
(4-6 weeks)
Oct.-Nov.
(4-6 weeks)
Nov.-Dec.
(4-6 weeks)
January-February
(4-6 weeks)
February-March
(4-6 weeks)
March –April
(4-6 weeks)
May-June
(4-6 weeks)
Theme
Short stories
Realistic Fiction
Non-Fiction
Informational reading
Poetry
Science Fiction
Historical Fiction
Drama
Purpose
1. To comprehend the
elements of short story.
2. To comprehend others’
values and clarify the
readers’ values.
4.Discussing/writing real
life connections
5. Utilizing evidence to
support a conclusion/
prediction
6. Text extension.
7. Classroom rules and
routines.
8.Reader’s journalcreative & persuasive
writing
10. SEM-R ongoing
1.Character-dynamic
vs static character
2.Understanding
conflict
3.Summarizing/main
idea
4.To understand point
of view
6.To understand
elements of
adventure/text
structure
7. To recognize
author’s style and
craft
8.To organize and
write an argument
essay.
9.To discuss and
respond with real life
connections.
10. SEM-R ongoing
1.To read for information and
make informed decisions.
2.To utilize text featuresheadings, maps, pictures,
tables, charts-to comprehend
written material.
3.To become an independent
reader and learner.
4.To develop fluency
5.To write an argument essay
based on a current event
5.SEM-R ongoing
6.To differentiate between
fact-opinion
1.To recognize and utilize
elements of poetry
2.To analyze author’s
purpose/values
3. To interpret and
express feelings through
poetry
4. To analyze elements of
fiction.
4. To enhance
comprehension and
personal connections
through book chats.
5. SEM-R ongoing
1.To recognize the
elements of historical
fiction
2.To see how fiction is
based on real-life events
3.To develop
understanding of causeeffect.
4.To develop reader-text
connections
5.To develop
understanding of
prejudice, its origins and
impact.
6. To enhance one’s
knowledge of real
people and events
through history
7.Final book project –
favorite SSR book
(summary and personal
response)
8. SEM- ongoing
1.To become familiar with
elements of drama
2.To analyze causes and
effects of one’s life choices.
3.To clarify one’s values
4.To make text-self
connections
6.To enhance one’s speaking
and listening skills
7.To develop out-loud reading
fluency
8.SEM-R ongoing
Short stories:
--“All Summer in a Day”
--“Wine on the Desert”
--“Harrison Bergeron”
--“Amigo Brothers”
--“Seventh Grade”
--“Raymond’s Run”
--“The No-Guitar Blues”
--“Charles”
--The Outsiders-S.E.
Hinton
--Writer’s Choice:
Grammar and
Composition
(textbook)
--Elements of Literature,
--Informational text
--Articles
--Reading to perform a task
--Newspapers
--Speeches
--Biographical selections
--Chains by Laurie Halse
Anderson
--The Diary of Anne Frank
(play)
Major Works
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
--Poems
--Selections from Elements
of Literature
To make
connections
between
fictional and
real-life
societies
To understand
characters’
motives and
decisionmaking
SEM-R ongoing
To recognize
imagery in
fiction
To improve
close reading
skills
--The Giver by Lois Lowry
Willington Grade: - Trimester:
Language Arts Curriculum Pacing Guide
3/23/2016
--“A Retrieved
Reformation”
Essential
Questions
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What rules and
routines should
be followed for
success in the
classroom?
How does
discussion of
and writing
about the text
increase
comprehension
?
Why is it
important to
know how to
read and write?
What are the
elements of a
short story and
how do they
help make
meaning of
what we read?
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How does a
character
develop
through
conflict?
How are
external
and
internal
conflicts
related?
How is
fiction
organized
to tell a
story well?
How is
purpose,
audience,
tone and
form in
writing
related?
What
active
reading
strategies
work best
while
reading?
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What
information is
needed to
make
informed
decisions?
What are the
features of
informational
text?
What
strategies can
be utilized
when a reader
does not
understand
text?
Why is it
important to
listen to the
opinions of
others?
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How do
readers
and
writers
use poetic
devices to
express
and
comprehe
nd ideas,
feeling
and
images.
What
effective
strategies
can a
reader
use to
better
understan
d text?
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What
makes
science
fiction
believable
?
Does
science
fiction
bring us
to a
greater
understan
ding of
what
could be
or make
us fear
the
unknown?
Is there a
recurring
conflict
present
in the
science
fiction
genre?
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 How can I
utilize the text
elements to
effectively
comprehend the
material?
 What
effective strategies
can I use when I
don’t understand
text?
How is drama
different from
other forms of
fiction?
How does culture
influence drama?
How do you use
literary analysis to
analyze a play?
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How does reading
about historical
events help us to
better understand
our world today?
How does an
author bring a
character to life?
What active reading
strategies are used
to understand text?
How can we reduce
prejudice in our
world?
How are our lives
similar or different
from people from
other background?
Willington Grade: - Trimester:
Language Arts Curriculum Pacing Guide
3/23/2016
Formative
Assessments
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Quiz on short
story elements
(2 weeks into
unit)
Test on short
story elements
“Wine on the
Desert: RACE
response: Is
Tony innocent
or guilty?
Space colonies
descriptive
paragraph
Grammar
exercises
Writing warm
ups
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Writing
summaries
Main idea –
supporting
details
Vocabulary
-context
clues,
synonyms,
antonyms
Journalstalking to
text
Making
predictions
with
supportive
details
Grammar
exercises
Writing
warm ups
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Main ideasupporting details
Note taking
Summarizing
Argument writing
Debates
Grammar exercises
Writing warm-ups
1.Poetic terms quiz
2.Journal writingpre-writing, practice
writing figurative
language, sense
description, sound
techniques
3.Writing a limerick,
haiku, free verse,
4.Writing prompt
5. T-BEAR responses
6. Grammar exercises
7. Writing warm ups
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Chapter
analyses
Creating an
ending to The
Giver
Close-reading
articles about
utopian
societies
Writing warmups
Grammar
exercises
1.Summarizing
2.Text-self connections
3. Persuasive paragraphs
4. Identification of
historical references
5.comprehension quizzes
6. vocabulary
7. T-BEAR responses
8. Grammar exercises
9 Writing warm ups
1.Summarizing
2.Text-self connections
3. Argument paragraphs
4.Journal responses
5. T-BEAR responses
6. Grammar exercises
7. Writing warm ups
Willington Grade: - Trimester:
Language Arts Curriculum Pacing Guide
3/23/2016
Baseline/
Summative
Assessments
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Reading Focus
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Narrative
writing: Create
an ending for
“All Summer in
a Day”
T-BEAR
responses
2.
3.
T-BEAR
responses
Essay –
Ponyboy as
a dynamic
(not static)
character
Grammar
quizzes
Grammar
quizzes:
Capitalization
and commas
Short story test
Activating prior
knowledge
Questioning
Summarizing
Personal
connection
Visualizing
Making
inferences
Elements of a
short story
Summarizing
VocabularyContext clues
Literary
elements
1.
Quiz – summarizing
an articledetermining main
idea
T-BEAR responses
Letter to the editor
Quiz –
differentiating
between a fact and
opinion
Grammar quizzes
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Elements of
fiction –
dynamic vs
static
character
Character
traits
Responses –
open ended
Making
inferences
Author’s craft
Lit. devicesflashback,
foreshadowin
g, point of
view
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Use of
components of
text to aid
comprehensionheadlines,
graphs, charts,
pictures, data
Active reading
strategies
Reading for
information
Text-self
connections
Elements of nonfiction texts
Vocabulary –
context clues,
synonyms,
1.
1.Poetry portfolio—writing
different types of poems
2.Quiz – poetic terms
3. Quiz – analyzing a poem
4. Poetry test T-BEAR
responses
5. Grammar quizzes
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Use of
figurative
language.
Use of sound
techniques
Reading fluency
Poetry terms
Writing
workshops
Literary
elements
2.
3.
4.
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T-BEAR
responses
Grammar
quizzes
Argument essay
T-BEAR
responses
Making valid
arguments
Close reading
Fiction vs. nonfiction
Literary
elements
1. Performance task:
Project – Student Choice
2. Writing: persuasion –
book recommendation
3. T-BEAR
response
4. Grammar
quizzes
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Text-self
connections
Reading and
listening
Drawing
conclusions
Summarizing
Literary
elements
Elements of
drama
1. Writing – essay – prejudice
2.fractured fairy tales
3.T-BEAR responses
4. Grammar quizzes
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Elements of
historical fiction
Theme
Fact vs Opinion
Cause-effect
Use of active
reading strategies
Personal
connections
Literature circles
and discussions
Literary elements
Willington Grade: - Trimester:
Language Arts Curriculum Pacing Guide
3/23/2016
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Writing Focus
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Fluency,
organization,
elaboration
Use of graphic
organizer to
write a
summary
The writing
process
Writing a story
resolution
Creative writing
– point of view,
sensory images,
active action
verbs, details
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Predictions
with
supportive
details
Summarizing
Vocabulary –
context cluessynonymsantonyms
Literary
analysis
Using
evidence
from the
novel to
support
ideas
Grammar,
including:
quotation
marks,
homophon
es, clauses
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antonyms,
analogies
CMT-Standard
SSR book project
– theme
Note taking
Summary
Informative writing
Specific vs general
supports
Revising for fluency,
organization,
elaboration
Editing:
punctuation,
spelling,
capitalization
Letter to editor
based on
editorial/news
story.
Grammar (ongoing)
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Figurative
language
(similes,
metaphors,
irony,
hyperbole,
personification)
Sensory images
Grammar
(ongoing)
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Argument
writing
Quoting,
paraphrasing,
and
summarizing
Narrative
writing
Grammar
(ongoing)
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Text supports
Greek word
parts
Grammar
(ongoing)
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Argument writing
Fractured fairy tales
(short story
structure)
Favorite book
project (summary
and personal
response)
Grammar (ongoing)
Willington Grade: - Trimester:
Language Arts Curriculum Pacing Guide
3/23/2016
Product/Perfor
mance task

Short story unit
test

Literary
analysis
essay on
characters
in The
Outsiders
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Writing a letter to
the editor
Informative
research paper on
current event
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Poetry portfolio
Poetry analysis
comparing/cont
rasting 2 poems

Argument essay
on theme in
The Giver

Project
presentation –
written, oral,
or visual –
present to
class
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Argument essay:
What can we do to
minimize prejudice
in our community
or world?
Literature circles
presentations
Fractured fairy tales
– read to other
classes and our own