English Language Arts
&
Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects
Grades K-6
Aligned to the 2010 Common Core State Standards
Adopted by the North Hanover Township School Board on October 2012
English Language Arts
Curriculum Development Team
Reading Unit
Development Team
Patty Bland
Lisa Castellani
Sally Corbin
Julie Fluet
Sheila Higgins
Judy Lynch
Brenda Raylock
Lee Simmons
Joann Case
Jen Gaulrapp
Casey Noble
Tammy Jensen
Sherry Paetzold
Anne Marie Sweeney
Stephanie Wingett
Debby Wilson
Writing Unit
Development Team
Patty Bland
Lisa Castellani
Sally Corbin
Julie Fluet
Sheila Higgins
Judy Lynch
Brenda Raylock
Lee Simmons
Lori Gavrish
Jennifer Murphy
North Hanover Township School District
Mission Statement
The mission of the North Hanover Township School District is to ensure that all
students learn at high levels. By aligning our program to the New Jersey Core
Curriculum Content Standards, we will prepare students to be fluent in content
and processes that prepare them to be lifelong learners and productive,
informed citizens in the 21st century.
Helen E. Payne, Superintendent of Schools
Julie R. Fluet, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
CCSS Mission Statement:
“The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers
and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world,
reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully
prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.”
Reading Education in the 21st Century
The Common Core State Standards help ensure that every student gains adequate exposure to a range of texts. Rigor is infused
throughout as students are required to read widely and deeply from a broad range of increasingly complex literary and information
texts throughout the grades. Students also develop habits of reading independently and closely, developing rich content knowledge
and the ability to site textual evidence to support their own theories and understandings.
Elementary literacy instruction is shaped by a comprehensive literacy framework that integrates reading, writing, spelling, and
language arts (phonics, grammar, and mechanics). Students are explicitly taught reading skills and strategies that are applied as they
read independently. Systematic instruction teaches students to construct, critically examine, and apply meaning. Students in the
primary grades also participate in guided reading instruction. This small-group format meets individual student needs with the
purpose of improving reading fluency and comprehension. Upper elementary students meet in Book Clubs for small group
instruction. Small groups of students engage in discourse that deepens reading comprehension.
Writing Education in the 21st Century
The Common Core State Standards focus on the need for students to use writing as a way of offering supporting opinions,
demonstrating understanding of subjects they are studying and conveying real and imagined experiences and events. In order to be
successful students must write for a variety of purposes and audiences, devoting significant time and effort to writing, producing
numerous pieces over short and extended periods of time throughout each academic year.
Writing instruction is taught in the context of the workshop model. Through units of study, students learn to write in a variety of
genres. Craft, revision, and editing strategies are embedded in every unit. Our primary teachers utilize the Fountas and Pinnell
Phonics and Word Study programs as tools to teach students to develop phonological skills, vocabulary and automaticity with highfrequency words utilized in everyday writing. In the upper grades, the developmentally driven Words Their Way by Donald Bear
provides students with practical ways to study words using phonics skills, spelling and vocabulary to help students succeed in literacy
learning.
Language Education in the 21st Century
Students must demonstrate command of conventions of standard English grammar, usage and mechanics as well as learn other
ways to use language to convey meaning effectively. Although the CCSS includes Language standards in their own strand, it is to be
understood that they are taught in the context of reading, writing, speaking and listening as they are inseparable. The 21st century
learner must be to determine and clarify meaning of literal and non-literal, grade appropriate words encountered through listening,
reading and media use, expanding their academic vocabulary and deepening their understanding of content. As students acquire
these language skills they will be able to review and extend their learning during each subsequent grade.
Speaking and Listening
“New technologies have broadened and expanded the role that speaking and listening play in acquiring and sharing knowledge and
have tightened their link to other forms of communication. Digital texts confront students with the potential for continually updated
content and dynamically changing combinations of words, graphics, images, hyperlinks, and embedded video and audio.”(Common
Core State Standards, 2010).
Students must take part in a variety of cross curricular, rich, structured conversations as a whole class, in small groups and with a
partner. This “accountable talk” requires students to draw on accurate, relevant information that is supported by textual evidence
and academic vocabulary.
Overview of K-6 Reading and Writing Curriculum
Kindergarten
Sept.
Oct./Nov.
Unit 1: We Are Readers
Unit 2: Emergent Story Books and Familiar Texts
Nov./Dec.
Jan./Feb.
Feb./Mar.
Apr./May
May/June
Unit 3: Readers Use All Our Powers
Unit 4: We Can Be Reading Teachers
Unit 5: Reading for Information
Unit 6: Readers Are Brave and Resourceful
Unit 7: Character Study(Pretending and Preforming)
Sept.
Unit 1: Launching the Workshop
Oct./Nov. Unit 2: Looking Closely: Observing, Labeling, and
Listing Like a Scientist
Nov./Dec. Unit 3: Writing True Stories
Jan./Feb. Unit 4: How-To-Books
Feb./Mar. Unit 5: Informational Books
Apr./May Unit 6: Persuasive Writing
May/June Unit 7: Information Books in Science
First Grade
Sept.
Oct./Nov.
Nov./Dec.
Jan./Feb.
Feb./Mar.
Apr./May
May/June
Unit 1: Readers Build Good Habits
Unit 2: Tackling Trouble: Hard and Tricky Parts of
Books
Unit 3: Nonfiction Readers Learn About the World
Unit 4: Readers Meet Characters in Our Books
Unit 5: We Can Be Our Own Teachers (F/NF)
Unit 6: Reading Across Genres to Learn About a
Topic
Unit 7: Dramatizing Characters/Deepening
Understanding in Reading Clubs
Sept.
Unit 1: Launching with Small Moments
Oct./Nov. Unit 2: Authors as Mentors: Craftsmanship and
Revision
Nov./Dec. Unit 3: Informational Books
Jan./Feb. Unit 4: Persuasive Writing: Opinions, Review and
Stories
Feb./Mar. Unit 5: Poetry: Powerful Thoughts in Tiny Packages
Apr./May Unit 6: Information Writing About Science
May/June Unit 7: Realistic Fiction
Second Grade
Sept.
Oct./Nov.
Nov./Dec.
Jan./Feb.
Unit 1: Take Charge of Reading
Sept.
Unit 1: Writing Stories Under Mentor Authors
Unit 2: Characters Face Bigger Challenges-and So Do Oct./Nov. Unit 2: Writing and Revising Realistic Fiction
Readers
Unit 3: Reading Nonfiction, Reading the World
Nov./Dec. Unit 3: Informational Writing
Unit 4: Series Reading and Cross Genre Reading
Jan./Feb. Unit 4: Writing About Reading
Clubs
Feb./Mar.
Apr./May
May/June
Unit 5: Nonfiction Reading Clubs
Unit 6: Reading and Role Playing: Fiction, Folktales
and Fairy Tales
Unit 7: Readers Can Read About Science Topics
Feb./Mar. Unit 5: Poetry: Powerful Thoughts in Tiny Packages
Apr./May Unit 6: Writing Adaptations of Familiar Fairy Tales
and Folk Tales, Fantasy Stories
May/June Unit 7: Informational Writing About Science
Third Grade
Sept.
Oct.
Nov.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb./Mar.
Mar./Apr.
Apr./May
May/June
Unit 1: Building a Reading Life
Sept.
Unit 1: Launching with Personal Narrative
Unit 2: Following Characters into Meaning: Envision, Oct./Nov. Unit 2: Realistic Fiction
Predict, Synthesize, and Infer
Unit 3: Series Book Clubs
Unit 4: Nonfiction Reading: Expository Texts
Dec.
Unit 3: Informational Writing
Unit 5: Mystery Book Clubs
Jan.
Unit 4: Poetry
Unit 6: Biography Book Clubs
Feb./Mar. Unit 5: Persuasive Reviews and Writing about
Reading
Unit 7: Test Preparation
Mar./Apr. Unit 6: Test Preparation
Unit 8: Social Issue Book Clubs
Apr./May Unit 7: Writing to Make a Real World Difference
Unit 9: Information Reading: Reading, Researching, May/June Unit 8 Informational Writing: Reading, Researching,
and Writing in the Content Areas
and Writing in the Content Areas
Fourth Grade
Sept.
Oct./Nov.
Nov./Dec.
Jan.
End of
Jan./Feb.
Mar./Apr.
Unit 1: Building a Reading Life
Sept.
Unit 1: Raising the Level of Personal Narrative
Unit 2: Following Characters into Meaning: Envision, Oct./Nov. Unit 2: Realistic Fiction
Predict, Synthesize, Infer, and Interpret
Unit 3: Nonfiction Reading: Using Text Structures to Nov./Dec. Unit 3: The Personal And Persuasive Essay: “Boxes
Comprehend Expository, Narrative, and Hybrid
and Bullets” and Argument Structures
Nonfiction
Unit 4: Nonfiction Research Projects: Teaching
Jan.
Unit 4: Research Based Argument Essay or
Students to Navigate Complex Informational Text
Informational Writing
Sets With Critical Analytical Lenses
Unit 5: Historical Fiction Book Clubs and
End of
Unit 5: Historical Fiction/Mixed Genre Writing
Informational Reading
Jan./Feb.
Unit 6: Test Preparation
Mar./Apr. Unit 6: Literary Essay/Test Preparation Writing
Apr./May
May/June
Unit 7: Informational Reading: Reading and
Research in the Content Areas
Unit 8: Social Issues Book Clubs: Applying Analytical
Lenses Across Literature and Informational Texts
Apr./May Unit 7: Research-Based Informational Writing
May/June Unit 8: Mixed Genre Text Sets About Social Issues
Fifth Grade
Sept.
Oct./Nov.
Nov./Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Mar./Apr.
Apr./May
May/June
Unit 1: Agency and Independence
Unit 2: Following Characters into Meaning:
Synthesize, Infer, and Interpret
Unit 3: Nonfiction Reading: Using Text Structures to
Comprehend Expository, Narrative, and Hybrid
Nonfiction
Unit 4: Nonfiction Research Projects: Teaching
Students to Navigate Complex Informational Text
Sets With Critical Analytical Lenses
Unit 5: Interpretation Text Sets
Unit 6: Test Preparation
Unit 7: Historical Fiction Book Club and
Informational Reading
Unit 8: Informational Reading: Reading, Research,
and Writing in the Content Areas or Fantasy Book
Clubs
Sept.
Unit 1: Raising the Level of Personal Narrative
Oct./Nov. Unit 2: The Interpretative Essay
Nov./Dec. Unit 3: Informational Writing
Jan.
Unit 4: Research Based Argument Essay
Feb.
Unit 5: Literary and Comparative Essays
Mar./Apr. Unit 6: Test Preparation
Apr./May Unit 7: Historical Fiction/Mixed Genre Writing or
Fantasy Writing
May/June Unit 8: Writing in Content Areas/Research-Based
Informational Writing or Fantasy Writing
Sixth Grade
Sept.
Oct./Nov.
Nov./Dec.
Jan.
Unit 1: Agency and Independence Launching
Reading with Experienced Readers
Unit 2: Investigating Characters Across and Within
Unit 3: Reading Across Nonfiction Topics To
Increase Academic Knowledge, Seek Career
Interests and Synthesize Texts
Unit 4: Critical Nonfiction Research: Developing
Analytical Lenses for Informational Reading
Sept.
Unit 1: Launching and Raising the Level of Personal
Narrative Writing
Oct./Nov. Unit 2: Realistic Fiction/Social Action Fiction
Nov./Dec. Unit 3: Information Writing: Nonfiction Books
Jan.
Unit 4: Persuasive Essay: Constructing Compelling
Arguments
Feb./Mar.
Unit 5: close Reading and Text Analysis: Literature,
Feb./Mar. Unit 5: Literary Essay: Analyzing Texts for Meaning,
Informational Texts, Poetry through the Lens of
Craft and Tone
Social Issues
Mar./Apr. Unit 6: Test Preparation
Mar./Apr. Unit 6: Test Preparation Writing
Apr./May Unit 7: Historical Fiction and Nonfiction Book Clubs
Apr./May Unit 7: Historical Fiction
June
Unit 8: Author Studies to Independent Projects:
June
Unit 8: Poetry
Launching a Summer of Reading
Adopted from: Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, 2012
*This outline is to serve as a guideline and map of yearly units. Teachers are always encouraged to work with colleagues and make
needed adjustments based on student data and grade level essential outcomes.