Seventh Grade Language Arts/Reading Pacing Guide
First 6
weeks
Assessment
Core/SOL Objectives
Writing Objectives
Suggested
Resources
STAR
McDougall
Littel DRP
Ganske Spelling
Practice Writing
Prompt
Internet safety
7.7 The student will apply knowledge of
appropriate reference materials.
a) Use print and electronic sources to locate
information in books and articles.
Text Structure
7.6 The students will use knowledge of text
structure to aid comprehension.
a) Use knowledge of text structures to
aid comprehension.
Written Expression
Word Choice (replacing general nouns
with more specific, vivid nouns and
replacing dull verbs with more actionpacked verbs)
Mechanics
Nouns (common, proper, general,
specific, concrete, abstract nouns)
Verbs (action, linking, verb phrases)
Identify subjects and predicates/
compound subjects and compound
predicates
Identify complete sentences
Avoid sentence errors (fragments, runons, comma splices, rambling sentences)
The use of commas and coordinating
conjunctions to fix run-ons and comma
splices
Use synonyms in place of overused
word
Reading Log in class – free choice
Read Aloud – Crash - Spinelli
“7th Grade” – Soto – LOL Author’s P
“Names and Nombres” – Alvarez –
LOL (Author’s Purpose)
Novel Study – Author’s purpose and
character traits (1st and 2nd 6 weeks)
Learning From Experiences Unit 1
Author’s Purpose
7.6 The student will read and demonstrate
comprehension of a variety of informational texts.
d) Identify the source, viewpoint, and
purpose of texts.
e) Describe how word choice and
language structure convey an
author’s viewpoint.
1
Poetry (I Am the One Who, I
Always Like____ Best, Name
Poem)
Personal Narrative/Essay (I Am
A _____). Use Lotus Diagram to
teach elaboration.
Short story (Action Verb Story,
School Rule #35)
Quick Writes (Various Prompts)
Poetry Responses (Weekly
responses to selected poems)
Letter Writing (Weekly letters
between students and teacher
discussing content)
Assessment
Second
6 weeks
Practice SOL
Test
Core/SOL Objectives
Nonfiction Genre Study
7.6 The student will read and demonstrate
comprehension
o of a variety of informational texts.
 Include point of view
Fiction Genre Study
7.6 and 7.5 narrative nonfiction and fiction
b) Compare and contrast forms, including
short stories, novels, plays, folk literature,
poetry, essays, and biographies.
Writing Objectives
Suggested
Resources
Written Expression
Literary Devices and figurative language
such as sensory details, simile, metaphor,
personification, alliteration, assonance,
consonance, onomatopoeia, mood,
repetition, rhyme, and hyperbole
Nonfiction PowerPoint – Notes
My Life in Dog Years– Paulsen
“From Boy – Tales of a Childhood”
–LOL and novel
Examples (on file)
Wilma Unlimited – Rudolf
autobiography
Oh Freedom! -Freedom Interviews –
Lit. Library
“Homelessness” – personal essay
Nonfiction Test
Fiction PowerPoint
Sentence Variety: varying simple and
compound sentences
Composing
Introduce the three domains of writing:
Composing, Written Expression, and
Usage/Mechanics
Rule of 3’s (Technique of choosing 3 main
points to support an idea and 3 supporting
details to support each of those main
points)
Using internal text structure to organize
writing focusing on enumeration or listing
and concept/definition
Mechanics
Introduce Subject/Verb Agreement
Introduce Verb Tense Consistency
(present, past, future)
Introduce pronoun/antecedent agreement
Word Study: Basic SJ Spelling Rules
2
Free Verse Poetry using various
literary devices
Creepy House… (Setting/Mood
Description)
Fall Writing focusing on sensory
details
Assessment
Third 6
Weeks
SOL Practice
Test
Core/SOL Objectives
Struggling
Story Elements
7.5 The student will read and demonstrate
comprehension of a variety of fiction narrative
nonfiction.
a) Describe setting, character
development, plot structure, theme,
and conflict.
Writing Objectives
Written Expression
Revision strategies focusing on style
Mechanics
Punctuating dialogue
Continue Basic SJ Spelling Rules
Word Study: Begin homophones
Revision strategies focusing on parts of
speech (adjectives and adverbs)
Suggested
Resources
Plot Diagram
Story Elements Novel Study
 Use excerpts to define
particular story elements and
its effect
Setting- Modeling Activities
A Christmas Carol (LOL text, setting
WS)
Novel Study – Plot elements
Theme – note taking and short stories
- questions on file
Twilight Zone episode – video as
intro.
“Monsters on Maples St.” –LOL
Questions on file
“M. on M.” St video – rental MRL
Conflict – PowerPoint Game and
“Lady or the Tiger” – Green
Bridges/CD – Handout on file
Literacy Element Test
Character Sketches
Introduce Writing Workshop
3
Seventh Grade Language Arts/Reading Pacing Guide Cont.
Formal
Assessment
Fourth
6
Weeks
SOL Practice Test
Practice Writing Prompt
Ganske Spelling
Core/SOL Objectives
Writing Objectives
Written Expression
Review Literary Devices
Connections
Short Stories/Summarizing/Story Elements
cont.
7.5 The student will read and demonstrate
comprehension
of a variety of fiction, narrative nonfiction, and
poetry.
g) Summarize text
Foreshadowing
Irony
Mechanics
Capitalization
Homophones
Introduce sentence variety: varying
simple, compound, and complex
sentences
Implicit and Explicit
7.5 The student will read and demonstrate
comprehension
of a variety of fiction, narrative nonfiction.
e) Draw conclusions based on explicit and
implied
information.
f) Make inferences based on explicit and
implied
information.
Suggested
Resources
“Charles” model with
PowerPoint
“Just Lather” – summarizing
“Mud Slinging” – On file
“Dangerous Game”
“Crush” – LOL
Other Ray Bradbury stories
“After Twenty Years” LOL
“Dark and Golden-eyed they
Were” LOL
“One Ordinary Day with Peanuts”
–LOL
“The Lottery”
Literary Graffiti –Collins/Secord
Short Story Writing
Quatrains
Animal Research Articles
Magazine Journalism
4
Formal
Assessment
Fifth 6
Weeks
SOL Test
Core/SOL Objectives
Writing Objectives
Cause and Effect
Fact vs. Opinion
7.6 The student will read and demonstrate
comprehension of a variety of informational
texts.
c) Distinguish fact from opinion in
newspapers,
magazines, and other print media.
d) Identify the source, viewpoint, and purpose
of texts.
Written Expression
Distinguish between fact and opinion
Introduce Persuasive Techniques:
bandwagon, testimonial, appeal to
emotion, appeal to reason, appeal to
authority, plain folks, cause and effect,
connotative language, humor
Tone – word choice,
connotation/denotation
Mechanics
Word Study: Roots and affixes
Sentence Types (Simple, Compound,
Complex) - Coordinate and
Subordinate Conjunctions
Embedded clauses and phrases that
clarify meaning
SOL Review
5
Suggested
Resources
SOL PowerPoint Review
Cause and Effect Wallets
MRL contest: Why My Teacher
Is So Special To Me
ABC Story (focusing on
varying sentence structure and
sentence types)
Persuasive Essay –
Problem/Solution,
Cause/Effect
Formal
Assessment
Sixth 6
Weeks
STAR
McDougall Littel DRP
Core/SOL Objectives
Interdisciplinary Connections
Writing Objectives
Suggested
Resources
Mechanics
Word Study: Idioms and Analogies
Have students evaluate and revise for
usage/mechanics elements
National Spelling Bee
“War Dogs” video
“Shot Down Behind Enemy
Lines” – Green Bridges
“Zebra” –With Questions - LOL
Veitnam
Scrabble Tournament
“Akeelah and the Bee” –video
“Spellbound” – video
Science/LA research project –
Biomes – Brochure or Picture
Book
All
Year
7.7 b) Use graphic organizers to organize
information
7.4 a) Use roots and affixes to expand
vocabulary
7.7 a.b.c.) Internet Reading Comprehension
Strategies
Word Central on internet
6