GRADE SEVEN:
AT A GLANCE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SKILL MAP
UNIT ONE: Students will examine how
authors develop characters as protagonists,
antagonists, and minor characters encountering
the challenges and situations faced by teenagers.
UNIT TWO: Students will examine patterns of
organization, sequence, word/phrase choice, and
determine author’s purpose.
UNIT THREE: Students will make inferences,
draw logical conclusions, justify formed
opinions, and develop arguments.
Genre/Reading Focus:
Fiction:
*War of the Wall by Toni Cade Bambara
pp. 110-116
*Thank You Ma’am by Langston Hughes pp.
30-33
*Seventh Grade by Gary Soto pp. 21-25
*Names/Nombres by Julia Alvarez pp. 38-42
Genre/Reading Focus:
Fiction:
Hiroshima by Laurence Yep (World War II) 660L
Waiting for the Rain by Sheila Gordon (South
Africa apartheid) 940L
Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Nonfiction:
*Barrio Boy by Ernesto Galarza pp. 694-698
*Dirk the Protector by Gary Paulsen pp. 143149
*Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman pp. 224228
*Eleanor Roosevelt by William Jay Jacobs pp.
*Homeless by Anna Quindlen pp. 102-104
Something to Declare by Julia Alvarez
Non-fiction:
*from Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson
Mandela, pp. 732-736
*From Exploring The Titantic by Robert D. Ballard,
pp. 659-671
Free the Children by Craig Kielburger
Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Henna
Jansen (Rwanda’s Civil Unrest) 790L
Freedom’s Children: Young Civil Rights Activists
Tell Their Own Stories by Ellen Levine
Genre/Reading Focus:
Fiction:
*The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street by
Rod Serling pp. 416-428
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov 820L
The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov 790L
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King 840L
A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle 740L
*Prometheus retold by Bernard Evslin pp. 800803
*Thesus and the Minotaur retold by Olivia
Coolidge pp. 805-809
*Waters of Gold retold by Laurence Yep pp.
812-817
Poetry:
From Song of Myself by Walt Whitman p.
117
The Rider by Naomi Shihah Nye p. 61
Good Hot Dogs/Buenos hot dogs by Sandra
Cisneros p. 234
Scaffolding by Seamus Heaney p. 236
Concepts:
Analyzing Story Elements
Moral Dilemma
Author’s Perspective
Concepts:
Patterns of Organization
Sequence of Events
Determine Author’s Purpose
Skills:
Cause and Effect
 Extrapolate relevant facts
Nonfiction features & structures
Analyze author’s purpose
Non-fiction:
Cyber Bullying by Jason Koebler &
Newark Teen’s Online Identity Stolen and Used
to Destroy Her Reputation by James Queally
UNIT FOUR: In this unit, students will write
arguments to support claims with clear reasons
and relevant evidence. By distinguishing fact
from opinion, citing textual evidence and
drawing inferences from texts they will produce
clear and coherent writing focusing on the
audience.
Genre/Reading Focus:
Fiction:
The Giver by Lois Lowry 760L
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 1360L
The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov
*Key Item by Isaac Asimov pp. 432-436
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult 840L
Nonfiction:
*Bionic Breakthrough by Seth
Augenstein/Star Ledger
PR Newswire http//www.indigo.parker.com
West Deptford Man…by Bob Shryock/South
Jersey Times
Concepts:
Primary/Secondary sources
Perspective
Concepts:
Internal & External Conflicts
Skills:
Inferences
Figurative language
Skills:
Argument Analysis
Inferences
GRADE SEVEN:
AT A GLANCE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SKILL MAP
Theme/Central Idea
Skills:
Character Analysis
 Determine Character Motives
 Justify Character Actions
Point of View
Writing Focus:
Narrative
Explanatory
Writing Focus:
Informative
Explanatory
Writing Focus:
Analytical
Argument
Writing Focus:
Argument
Research
Concepts:
Organization/Sequencing of Events
Moral Dilemma
Narrative Techniques
Concepts:
Patterns of Organization
Nonfiction Structures
Topic Development
Concepts:
Thesis Statement/Claim
Counterclaims
Persuasive Techniques
Evaluating Sources
Concepts:
Primary & secondary sources
Perspective
Skills:
Crafting logical organization
Establishing Relevant Conflicts/Solutions
Develop voice
Utilize descriptive details
Skills:
Use appropriate transitions
Compare/contrast
Cause/effect
Develop topic with relevant facts
Supportive evidence
Skills:
Establish a thesis statement/claim
Acknowledging counterclaims
Use of Logical reasoning/relevant evidence
Using Primary & Secondary Sources
Language :
Language:
Language:
Language:
Adjective phrases
 Participle phrases & prepositional
phrases
Punctuating Compound & Complex Sentences
(sentence combining)
Commas
Conjunctions
Sentence Variety
Verbal Phrases
Capitalization/punctuation
Word phrases & clauses
Dependent clauses
Focus CCSS
RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.5, RL.7.6; W7.1,
W7.3; SL.7.1a-d, SL.7.3, SL.7.4, SL.7.6; L.7.1,
L.7.6
Focus CCSS
RL.7.3, RL.7.4, RL.7.6 , RL.7.7; RI.7.1, RI.7.3,
RI.7.6, RI.7.7, RI.7.9; W7.2a-e; SL7.1a-d; L.7.1,
L7.2a-b, L7.3a, L.7.6
Focus CCSS
RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.3, RL.7.4, RL.7.9,
RL.7.10; RI.7.8, RI.7.9, RI.7.10; W7.3a-e,
W7.4, W7.5; SL7.1a-d; L.7.1, L7.2, L7.3a,
L7.5, L.7.6
Focus: CCSS
RI.7.1, RI.7.7, RI.7.8, RI.7.9, RI.7.10;
W7.1, W.7.2, W7.4, W.7.5, W7.6, W.7.7,
W.7.8, W.7.9, W.7.10; L.7.1, L.7.6
Skills:
Pathos, Logos, Ethos
Claims & Counterclaims
GRADE SEVEN:
Teachers’ Notes:
An Ode is a poem in praise of a person, place or
an object that is usually identified in the title. It
describes a scene, focuses on a problem or a
situation and arrives at a conclusion that returns
to the original scene or statement.
Student Instructions to Write an Ode
1. List attributes for this topic.
2. Consider how your ode can be used as a
metaphor to illustrate a typical problem or
situation. Set up the ode so that it points the
reader to the conclusion you will assert.
3. Fit the ideas from your planning process into
phrases and stanzas.
4. Read your draft aloud to see if it flows easily
and makes sense.
5. Shift words and phrases around to make it
sound better. Eliminate words that make the
poem sound clumsy.
6. Read your ode aloud and allow others to
critique your ode.
AT A GLANCE
Teachers’ Notes:
It is suggested to incorporate available multimedia
versions/movie clips of any of the themes above
(e.g. Hotel Rwanda, Hiroshima, Titanic, etc.).
Teachers can provide students with a cause and
effect graphic organizer to record notes. Teachers
should review student selected challenge topics to
ensure validity and relevance.
Enduring Understanding: Regardless of societal,
cultural and environmental challenges, mankind
triumphs and endures.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SKILL MAP
Teachers’ Notes:
In small groups, students can brainstorm
possible topics. These topics must derive from
the texts viewed in this unit. Teachers should
review student selected topics to ensure validity
and relevance.
Some possible topics might include: Human
beings are their own worst enemies,
Ordinary people may experience extraordinary
things; Kindness comes with no price…
Teachers’ Notes:
Students should use the Big Six Skills and MLA
citation. Teachers should review student
selected topics to ensure validity and relevance.
It will be helpful to set up a timeline for
submission of various parts of the research
project.
Enduring Understanding: As technology
progresses it presents moral dilemmas.
Enduring Understanding: Exploring
different perspectives and controversial issues
allow readers and writers to discover possible
solutions to real problems in the present or in
the future.
Enduring Understanding: As we begin to
discover self, we realize we are integral partners
in a larger community.
ASSESSMENTS
Sign Post Task: (to be completed midway
through the unit)
RL.7.1, RL.7.2, RL.7.5; W.7.3, W.7.4, W.7.5,
W.7.6; SL.7.1, W.7.6; L.7.1, L.7.3, L.7.6
ASSESSMENTS
Sign Task: (to be completed midway through the
unit)
RL7.1, RL.7.3, RI.7.1, RI.7.3; W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5,
W.7.6; SL.7.1, SL.7.3, SL.7; L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.6
Using the poem, “Dare To Be,” trace the
attributes that the speaker is daring the reader to
be. Select two characters from the readings you
Select a text you have read in this unit and focus on
the specific challenge it addresses. Using a graphic
organizer, cite textual evidence of the cause and
ASSESSMENTS
Sign Task: (to be completed midway
through the unit)
RL.7.1, RL.7.6; RI.7.1, RI.7.6; W.7.1a, W.7.4,
W.7.5,W.7.6; SL.7.1, SL.7.3, SL.7.4, SL.7.6;
L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.3, L.7.6
ASSESSMENTS
Sign Task: (to be completed midway
through the unit)
RL.7.1, RL.7.6; RI.7.1, RI.7.6, RI.7.8, RI.7.9;
W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.6; SL.7. 1, SL.7.5, SL.7.6;
L.7.1
…The tools of conquest do not necessarily come
with bombs and explosions and fallout. There
Choose one of the readings to research an aspect
of advancement in technology. Using persuasive
GRADE SEVEN:
have done with this unit. Trace the attributes of
each character. Write a short essay identifying
the similarities between the character you’ve
selected and the speaker’s character in “Dare To
Be.”
Culminating Task:
W.7.3, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.6; SL.7.1, W.7.6;
L.7.1, L.7.3, L.7.6
Narrative Writing
Read the poem “Ode to the Forgotten.”
Write an “Ode” to an outsider you have studied
in this unit. In your poem, illustrate how the
outsider became or can become an integral part
of the larger society. Read your Ode to the
class.
AT A GLANCE
effect relationships within the selected text/sequence
of events. Pinpoint the series of causes and effects
that led to a major turning point in the selection.
Write a short essay explaining how the turning point
impacts the resolution of the conflict. Be prepared
to defend your position.
Culminating Task:
W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5, W.7.6; SL.7.1, SL.7.3, SL.7;
L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.6
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SKILL MAP
are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes,
prejudices-to be found only in the minds of
men...”
Rod Serling
The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
In small groups, read the quote above and
explore the pros and cons of this statement
using a pro/con graphic organizer. Take a side.
Write a claim using a text that you have read to
support your position. Be prepared to defend
your claim publicly.
techniques create an advertisement convincing
your audience of your position on this
technological advancement. Be prepared to
defend your claim after your presentation.
Culminating Task:
RL.7.1, RL.7.6; RI.7.1, RI.7.6; SL.7.1; W.7.2,
W.7.4, W. 7.5, W.7.6; SL.7.3, SL.7.4, SL.7.6;
L.7.1, L.7.2, L.7.3, L.7.6
Explanatory Research Writing
Culminating Task:
RL.7.1, RL.7.10; RI.7.1; RI.7.8, RI.7.10;
RLST.6-8.8, RLST.6-8.9; W.7.2, W.7.4, W.7.5,
W.7.6; SL.7.1, SL.7.3, SL.7.5, SL.7.6; L.7.1,
L.7.2, L.7.3, L.7.6
Informational Writing
Select one of the following challenges: societal,
cultural or environmental challenge from at least
two texts you have read. Research the actual real
life cause and effect of the challenge. Write an
informational essay, comparing the actual account
to the fictional account.
Analytical Writing




Using parallel texts:
literary/informational, select a topic
derived from selections you have read
in this unit. The selected topic should
explore different perspectives and/or
controversial issues in both texts.
Write an analytical essay showing how
the two authors present the same topic.
Trace and evaluate the argument and
specific claims in both texts.
Assess whether the reasoning is sound
and the evidence is relevant and
sufficient to support the claims
presented. Cite evidence from the
parallel texts to support your analytical
essay.
 Read the following quote:
Quote: The real problem is not whether
machines think but whether men do.
–B.F. Skinner




Select a futuristic/technological idea or
concept you’ve read about in this unit.
Research this concept/idea.
Examine its moral implications and its
relationship to the quote above.
Cite evidence from multiple texts using
primary and secondary sources to
support your position.
GRADE SEVEN:
AT A GLANCE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS SKILL MAP
Footnote:
1Sequencing and titles are suggestions only. Teachers may utilize additional titles that support the unit focus.
2RL.7.8 does not appear in the unit because it is not applicable at this grade level according to the Common Core State Standards.
3Standards SL.7.2; SL.7.5; L.7.4 are not directly addressed with the units. Teachers are encouraged to creatively incorporate these standards via additional tasks.