Youngstown City Schools
Curriculum Map
7th Grade English Language Arts
2015-2016
Please note that extremely useful resources can be found in the following:
Suggested Mentor Texts/Interactive Read Alouds can be found in
Appendix A in Genre Study (pp.442-473).
Minilesson statements can easily be created using:
GenreStudy
The Continuum,
Comp&Flu,
Guiding Readers and Writers
Coaches Resource Room
Reading Pieces from the Units which were Leveled and Grade
appropriate may be used as resources in addition to any other
documents you found useful from the units
School Library
Public Library
These Standards appear here and are taught throughout the year in Reader’s and Writer’s
Workshop and Word Study.
LANGUAGE
Conventions of Standard English:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.1.A
Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.1.B
Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing
relationships among ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.1.C
Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling
modifiers.*
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.2.A
Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not
He wore an old[,] green shirt).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.2.B
Spell correctly.
Knowledge of Language:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.3.A
Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating
wordiness and redundancy.*
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.A
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in
a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.B
Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word
(e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.C
Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise
meaning or its part of speech.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.4.D
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the
inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.5.A
Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.5.B
Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better
understand each of the words.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.5.C
Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions)
(e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.7.6
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.
These Standards appear here and are taught throughout the year in Reader’s and Writer’s
Workshop and Word Study
SPEAKING and LISTENING
Comprehension and Collaboration:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)
with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing
their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.A
Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on
that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas
under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.B
Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and
define individual roles as needed.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.C
Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant
observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1.D
Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.2
Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.3
Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and
the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with
pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume,
and clear pronunciation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5
Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings
and emphasize salient points.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate. (See grade 7 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.)
Grade 7/Grade Period 1
“Genre in Focus”
Characteristics
Reading Standards
Writing Standards
Memoir
A memoir provides factual information
usually in narrative style about a
significant time, place, person, or event in
the author’s life, and explains the
significance. A memoir is told in first
person (by the subject).
Characteristics of Memoir:
● Tells the story (memory) of a
significant time, place, person, or
event in a subject’s life.
●
Told by the subject
● Provides factual information
about subject’s life
● Tells why the time, place, person,
or event is important enough to be
the focus of a memoir
● Written in first person
● Has a limited perspective(
subjective)
● Conveys a larger message
Often:
● Uses a narrative structure
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text
and analyze its development over the
course of the text; provide an objective
summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story
or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes
the characters or plot).
Text Types and Purposes: CCSS.ELALITERACY.W.7.3
Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, relevant descriptive
details, and well-structured event
sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.A
Engage and orient the reader by
establishing a context and point of view
and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; organize an event sequence that
unfolds naturally and logically.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue,
pacing, and description, to develop
experiences, events, and/or characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.C
Use a variety of transition words, phrases,
and clauses to convey sequence and signal
shifts from one time frame or setting to
another.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.D
Use precise words and phrases, relevant
descriptive details, and sensory language to
capture the action and convey experiences
and events.
Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes
and other repetitions of sounds (e.g.,
alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza
of a poem or section of a story or drama.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.5
Narrative Nonfiction
Narrative nonfiction texts provide factual
information about a particular topic in
narrative style and chronological
structure. Characteristics of Narrative
Nonfiction:
Provides factual information about a
topic
Presents information in the form of a
story
Uses chronological text structure Often:
● Has characters and setting
● Uses literary language
● Conveys a larger message
● Includes organizational tools
(table of contents, headings,
index, glossary, pronunciation
guide, appendices)
● Includes graphic features that
support or enhance the text
(photographs, illustrations,
captions, charts, diagrams, tables
and graphs,timelines)
Realistic Fiction An imagined story set
in the real world that portrays life as it
could be lived today, and focuses on the
problems and issues of today.
Characteristics of Realistic Fiction:
● Imagined story but set in the real
world
● Has narrative structure with
characters, plot, and setting
Analyze how a drama's or poem's form or
structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet)
contributes to its meaning
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
Analyze how an author develops and
contrasts the points of view of different
characters or narrators in a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.7
Compare and contrast a written story,
drama, or poem to its audio, filmed,
staged, or multimedia version, analyzing
the effects of techniques unique to each
medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or
camera focus and angles in a film).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.8
(RL.7.8 not applicable to literature)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9
Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal
of a time, place, or character and a
historical account of the same period as a
means of understanding how authors of
fiction use or alter history.
Range of Reading and Level of Text
Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10
By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.E
Provide a conclusion that follows from and
reflects on the narrated experiences or
events.
Production and Distribution of Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1-3
above.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.5
With some guidance and support from
peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on how well purpose
and audience have been addressed. (Editing
for conventions should demonstrate
command of Language standards 1-3 up to
and including grade 7 here.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce and publish writing and link to and
cite sources as well as to interact and
collaborate with others, including linking
to and citing sources.
●
Portrays life as it could be lived
today
● Focuses on the problems and
issues of living today
Often:
● Has convincing and believable
characters, plot, and setting
● Based on real events
● Tells about relationships between
people and sometimes animals
Has bigger themes (universal
implications)
● Represents diverse perspectives
and cultures
● Helps us to understand people and
our world
Hybrid Texts
● Hybrid texts are texts that include
at least one nonfiction genre and
at least one fiction genre, blended
in a coherent whole.
Characteristics of Hybrid Texts :
● Combines fiction and nonfiction
in one text
● Second genre(s) account for a
significant amount of the text
● Organized in a way that the reader
can differentiate between the two
(or more) different genres
Often:
● Uses different test structures for
dramas, and poems, in the grades 6-8 text
complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Range of Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.10
Write routinely over extended time frames
(time for research, reflection, and revision)
and shorter time frames (a single sitting or
a day or two) for a range of disciplinespecific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
the different genres
Grade 7/Grade Period 2
“Genre in Focus”
Characteristics
Reading Standards
Writing Standards
Expository Nonfiction
Expository nonfiction texts provide
information about a topic using a clear
(non-narrative) organizational structure
with a major topic and supporting
information. Characteristics of
Expository Nonfiction:
● Provides factual information
about a topic
● Information is presented with
clear (non-narrative)
organizational structure, for
example, categories of
information in a logical sequence
● Has a major topic and supporting
information
Often:
Conveys a larger message
● Has information organized by
categories or subcategories
● Includes organizational tools
(table of contents, headings,index,
glossary, pronunciation guides,
appendices)
● Includes graphic features that
support or enhance the text
(photographs, illustrations,
captions, diagrams, tables and
graphs, timelines)
Procedural Texts
Procedural Texts are nonfiction texts that
give directions or teach or describe a
process.
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.2
Determine two or more central ideas in a text and
analyze their development over the course of the
text; provide an objective summary of the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals,
events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas
influence individuals or events, or how individuals
influence ideas or events).
Text Types and Purposes:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to
examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of
relevant content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.A
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing
what is to follow; organize ideas,
concepts, and information, using
strategies such as definition,
classification, comparison/contrast, and
cause/effect; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., charts,
tables), and multimedia when useful to
Craft and Structure:
aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.B
they are used in a text, including figurative,
Develop the topic with relevant facts,
connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the
definitions, concrete details,
impact of a specific word choice on meaning and
quotations, or other information and
tone.
examples.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.5
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.C
Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a Use appropriate transitions to create
text, including how the major sections contribute
cohesion and clarify the relationships
to the whole and to the development of the ideas.
among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.D
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in Use precise language and domaina text and analyze how the author distinguishes his specific vocabulary to inform about or
or her position from that of others.
explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.E
Establish and maintain a formal style.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.F
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.7
Characteristics of Procedural Texts:
● Provides factual information
● Gives directions or teaches or
describes a process
Often:
● Organized as step-by-step
directions Describes steps in a
simple or complex process
● Describes human invented
processes
● Use temporal sequence
● Uses cause and effect
● Has diagrams or drawings with
labels
Testing as a Genre
Testing genre is a type of discourse that
is distinguishable by characteristics of
form, style, and content. Students must
learn how to understand and use the
following characteristics.
Characteristics:
● Typical “test vocabulary”
includes words such as selection,
answer, what, which, why.
● Selections are short; often they
are excerpts from longer texts.
● Longer selections may feature
one or two illustrations; many
selections have no pictures.
● The text provides instructions
about how to answer the
questions, but the student must
figure them out; they are not
Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or
multimedia version of the text, analyzing each
medium's portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the
delivery of a speech affects the impact of the
words).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is
sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient
to support the claims.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9
Analyze how two or more authors writing about
the same topic shape their presentations of key
information by emphasizing different evidence or
advancing different interpretations of facts.
Range of Reading and Level of Text
Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as
needed at the high end of the range.
Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and supports
the information or explanation
presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3
Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured
event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.A
Engage and orient the reader by
establishing a context and point of
view and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; organize an event sequence
that unfolds naturally and logically.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, and description, to
develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.C
Use a variety of transition words,
phrases, and clauses to convey
sequence and signal shifts from one
time frame or setting to another.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.D
Use precise words and phrases,
relevant descriptive details, and
sensory language to capture the action
and convey experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.E
Provide a conclusion that follows from
●
●
●
●
●
●
immediately evident. The puzzle
of figuring out how to respond is
part of the test.
The selections on a test are not
related to one another.
The text contains questions that
must be answered.
Questions may appear in several
forms: Multiple choice, short
written response, extended written
responses
The print on the page is all the
student has in order to answer the
questions.
On a writing test, students must
address specific topics in a
particular genre rather than
choosing their own.
Written responses are evaluated
according to specific criteria.
and reflects on the narrated experiences
or events.
Production and Distribution of
Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.5
With some guidance and support from
peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting,
or trying a new approach, focusing on
how well purpose and audience have
been addressed. (Editing for
conventions should demonstrate
command of Language standards 1-3
up to and including grade 7 here.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.6
Use technology, including the Internet,
to produce and publish writing and link
to and cite sources as well as to interact
and collaborate with others, including
linking to and citing sources.
Research to Build and Present
Knowledge:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.7
Conduct short research projects to
answer a question, drawing on several
sources and generating additional
related, focused questions for further
research and investigation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.8
Gather relevant information from
multiple print and digital sources,
using search terms effectively; assess
the credibility and accuracy of each
source; and quote or paraphrase the
data and conclusions of others while
avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.9
Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.9.A
Apply grade 7 Reading standards to
literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast
a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or
character and a historical account of
the same period as a means of
understanding how authors of fiction
use or alter history").
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.9.B
Apply grade 7 Reading standards to
literary nonfiction (e.g. "Trace and
evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is sound and the evidence is
relevant and sufficient to support the
claims").
Range of Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.10
Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames
(a single sitting or a day or two) for a
range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
Grade 7/Grade Period 3
“Genre in Focus”
Characteristics
Biography
A biography provides factual information in
narrative style about all or part of a person’s
life. A biography is written in the third person
(not by the subject).
Reading Standards
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
Writing Standards
Text Types and Purposes:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1
Write arguments to support claims
with clear reasons and relevant
evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.A
Introduce claim(s), acknowledge
alternate or opposing claims, and
organize the reasons and evidence
logically.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.B
Support claim(s) with logical
Craft and Structure:
reasoning and relevant evidence, using
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
accurate, credible sources and
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts demonstrating an understanding of the
the points of view of different characters or
topic or text.
narrators in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.C
Use words, phrases, and clauses to
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
create cohesion and clarify the
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9
relationships among claim(s), reasons,
Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of and evidence.
a time, place, or character and a historical
account of the same period as a means of
understanding how authors of fiction use or
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.D
alter history.
Establish and maintain a formal style.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1.E
Provide a concluding statement or
Range of Reading and Level of Text
section that follows from and supports
Complexity:
the argument presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2
By the end of the year, read and comprehend Write informative/explanatory texts to
literature, including stories, dramas, and
examine a topic and convey ideas,
Persuasive Texts
poems, in the grades 6-8 text complexity band concepts, and information through the
Persuasive texts are nonfiction texts intended
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the selection, organization, and analysis of
to convince the reader of the validity of a set
high end of the range.
relevant content.
of ideas-usually a particular point of view.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.A
Characteristics of Persuasive Texts:
Reading:
Informational
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing
● Provides factual information
what is to follow; organize ideas,
● Convince the reader to think something
Key
Ideas
and
Details:
concepts, and information, using
or do something
Characteristics of Biography:
● Tells the story of a person’s life or part
of it
● Uses s narrative structure (simple or
complex) Provides factual information
about a subject’s life Tells why the
subject’s life is important enough to be
written about
● Written in third person (not told by the
subject) Tells the setting and the
culture the person lived in and what
influenced the subject
Often:
● Uses made up dialogue (fictionalized)
Includes direct quotes
● Has photographs
● Tells the story at any point in subject’s
life Uses some imagined scenes or
dialogue but based on fact
● Has a point of view toward the subject
(likes or doesn’t like)
● Adds factual statements as additional
information
● Conveys a larger message
the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story or
drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
characters or plot).
● Presents a series of logically organized
reasons to support ideas
● Takes a stance or specific side of an
argument
Often:
● Includes both facts and opinions
● Is biased
● Presents pros and cons of a given
situation Presents two (or more)
alternate points of view Related to
social or scientific issues
Historical Fiction
An imagined story set in the real world that
portrays life as it might have been lived in the
past, and focuses on problems and issues of
life in the past.
Characteristics of Historical Fiction:
● Imagined story but set in the real
world
● Has narrative structure with
characters, plot, and setting
● Portrays life as it might have been
lived in the past Focuses on problems
and issues of life in the past
Often:
● Has convincing and believable
characters, plot, and setting
strategies such as definition,
classification, comparison/contrast,
and cause/effect; include formatting
(e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,
tables), and multimedia when useful to
aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.B
Develop the topic with relevant facts,
definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and
examples.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.C
Use appropriate transitions to create
cohesion and clarify the relationships
among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.D
Use precise language and domainCraft and Structure:
specific vocabulary to inform about or
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases explain the topic.
as they are used in a text, including figurative, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.E
connotative, and technical meanings; analyze Establish and maintain a formal style.
the impact of a specific word choice on
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2.F
meaning and tone.
Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from and supports
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.5
Analyze the structure an author uses to
the information or explanation
organize a text, including how the major
presented.
sections contribute to the whole and to the
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3
development of the ideas.
Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.6
Determine an author's point of view or
effective technique, relevant
purpose in a text and analyze how the author
descriptive details, and well-structured
distinguishes his or her position from that of
event sequences.
others.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.A
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.2
Determine two or more central ideas in a text
and analyze their development over the course
of the text; provide an objective summary of
the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals,
events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas
influence individuals or events, or how
individuals influence ideas or events).
● Based on real people or events from
the past Connected to the author’s
own personal experiences
● Begins as contemporary fiction but
has been around long enough to
acquire historical significance
● Uses old-fashioned language in
dialogue.
Autobiography
An autobiography provides factual
information in narrative style about all or part
of the author’s life. It is told in the first person
(by the subject).
Characteristics of Autobiography:
● Tells the story of a person’s life or part
of it
● Told by the subject
● Written in first person
● Uses a narrative structure
● Provides factual information about the
subject’s life
● Tells why the subject’s life is
important enough to be selected for an
autobiography
● Has a limited perspective (subjective)
Often:
● Includes direct quotes
● Has photographs
● Tells the story at any point in subject’s
life (partial or complete).
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.7
Compare and contrast a text to an audio,
video, or multimedia version of the text,
analyzing each medium's portrayal of the
subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech
affects the impact of the words).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.8
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is sound and the evidence is
relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9
Analyze how two or more authors writing
about the same topic shape their presentations
of key information by emphasizing different
evidence or advancing different
interpretations of facts.
Range of Reading and Level of Text
Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text
complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
Engage and orient the reader by
establishing a context and point of
view and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; organize an event sequence
that unfolds naturally and logically.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, and description, to
develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.C
Use a variety of transition words,
phrases, and clauses to convey
sequence and signal shifts from one
time frame or setting to another.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.D
Use precise words and phrases,
relevant descriptive details, and
sensory language to capture the action
and convey experiences and events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.E
Provide a conclusion that follows from
and reflects on the narrated
experiences or events.
Production and Distribution of
Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1-3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.5
With some guidance and support from
peers and adults, develop and
strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting,
or trying a new approach, focusing on
how well purpose and audience have
been addressed. (Editing for
conventions should demonstrate
command of Language standards 1-3
up to and including grade 7 here.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.6
Use technology, including the Internet,
to produce and publish writing and link
to and cite sources as well as to
interact and collaborate with others,
including linking to and citing sources.
Research to Build and Present
Knowledge:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.7
Conduct short research projects to
answer a question, drawing on several
sources and generating additional
related, focused questions for further
research and investigation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.8
Gather relevant information from
multiple print and digital sources,
using search terms effectively; assess
the credibility and accuracy of each
source; and quote or paraphrase the
data and conclusions of others while
avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.9
Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.9.A
Apply grade 7 Reading standards to
literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast
a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or
character and a historical account of
the same period as a means of
understanding how authors of fiction
use or alter history").
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.9.B
Apply grade 7 Reading standards to
literary nonfiction (e.g. "Trace and
evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is sound and the evidence is
relevant and sufficient to support the
claims").
Range of Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.10
Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames
(a single sitting or a day or two) for a
range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
Grade 7/Grade Period 4
“Genre in Focus”
Characteristics
Reading Standards
Writing Standards
Folktales
A folktale is a form of traditional
literature that often features the exploits
of ordinary people or “folk.” Folktales
have a narrative structure, written, or
oral, and have been handed down over
many years.
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.1
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.3
Analyze how particular elements of a story or
drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
characters or plot).
Text Types and Purposes:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3
Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured
event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.A
Characteristics of Folktales:
Engage and orient the reader by
● Animals that talk
establishing a context and point of
● Imagined story that features
view and introducing a narrator and/or
characters and events that could
Craft and Structure:
characters; organize an event sequence
not exist in the real world
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
that unfolds naturally and logically.
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.B
Narrative Structure, written or
points of view of different characters or narrators
oral, handed down over many
Use narrative techniques, such as
in a text.
years
dialogue, pacing, and description, to
● Simple, easy-to-follow plot
develop experiences, events, and/or
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
● Triumph of good over evil
characters.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.9
● Goodness rewarded and evil
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.C
punished Characters who are flat Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a
Use a variety of transition words,
time, place, or character and a historical account of phrases, and clauses to convey
and do not develop Time, place,
the same period as a means of understanding how sequence and signal shifts from one
characters, and conflict
authors of fiction use or alter history.
established quickly
time frame or setting to another.
● Brief conclusion
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.D
● Repetitions (of words, numbers,
Use precise words and phrases,
Range of Reading and Level of Text
verses, responses, chants, and
relevant descriptive details, and
Complexity:
poems) Recurring motifs
sensory language to capture the action
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.10
(magical powers, transformations,
and convey experiences and events.
magical objects, wishes, trickery) By the end of the year, read and comprehend
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.E
literature,
including
stories,
dramas,
and
poems,
in
● Culture and values of the place of
Provide a conclusion that follows from
the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently,
origin
and reflects on the narrated experiences
with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
or events.
range.
Often:
● Original source of the tale
referenced
● Proverbs from the place of origin
● Recognizable literary patterns
(cumulative tales, pourquoi tales,
beast tales, realistic tales)
Types of Folktales:
Beast Tales- Stories in which animals
talk and act like human beings.
Cumulative Tales- Stories with an
increasing repetition of details that build
to a quick climax. Pourquoi Tales“Why” stories that explain certain animal
traits or characteristics or human
customs.
Trickster Tales- Stories in which a
character plays tricks on other characters
or otherwise ignores rules and
conventions. Often the trickster uses
cleverness to outwit a stronger opponent.
Noodlehead (Fool) Tales- Silly,
humorous stories that usually feature a
character (or characters) who behaves
like a fool.
Realistic Tales- Stories that involve real
people or that could have really
happened, but that also include many of
the common characteristics of folklore.
Tall Tales- Stories with unbelievable
elements that are described as if they are
factual and true.
Production and Distribution of
Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are
defined in standards 1-3 above.)
Range of Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.10
Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames
(a single sitting or a day or two) for a
range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
Legends, Epics, and Ballads
Legends, epics, and ballads are long
narrative stories that usually revolve
around the actions of a single hero.
Ballads have a musical quality to them,
while epics are told in a more elevated
style.
Characteristics of Legends, Epics,and
Ballads:
● Imagined stories that feature
characters and events that could
not exist in the real world
● Narrative structure, written or
oral, handed down over many
years
● Connected with myths
● A long narrative or cycle of
stories that revolves around the
actions of a single hero
● Feature gods and human heroes
● Heroes who embody the ideal
characteristics of greatness of the
time
● Moral values of society expressed
Often:
● Involve a quest
● Have otherworldly creatures
● Written as poetry or in a poetic
way
●
Exaggerate the qualities(strength,
powers, character) of the hero.
Myths Myths are stories that seek to
explain the beginning of the world,
nature, natural phenomena, or human
behavior.
Characteristics of Myths :
● Imagined story that features
characters and events that could
not exist in the real world
● Narrative structure, written or
oral, handed down over many
years
● Explanation of the beginnings of
the world, nature, natural
phenomena, or human behavior
● Characterized by type of
explanation offered (creation
myths, nature myths, hero myths)
Gods and goddesses that take the
form of men and women Gods
and goddesses that are immortal
and possess supernatural powers
Gods and goddesses that represent
virtues
Often:
● Relationships among the gods,
and between humans and gods
● Difficult tasks or obstacles for
hero or heroine to overcome
● Otherworldly creatures
Low Fantasy
Low fantasy stories take place in the
world but involved unreal elements such
as magic. These stories feature talking
animals, toys and dolls, and characters
who have magical powers or use magical
objects.
Characteristics of Low Fantasy :
● Narrative structure with
characters, plots and settings 27
Imagined setting that seems real
Talking animals, toys, and dolls
● Recurring motifs found in
traditional literature ( magical
powers, transformations, magical
objects, wishes, trickery)
● Characters with magical powers
or who use magical objects
● Conflict between good and evil
Often :
● Set in medieval time
● Characters with unusual traits (
tiny, large, very strong)
● Language similar to that in
folktales
● Reveals universal truths or lesson
High Fantasy
High fantasy stories feature characters
and events that could not exist in the real
world. Characters have magical powers
or use magical 28 objects, and the setting
is either a complete imaginary world, or
an alternative imaginary world that exists
alongside the real world.
Characteristics of High Fantasy
● Narrative structure with
characters, plot, and setting
● Complete imaginary world or an
alternate imaginary world that
exists alongside the real world
● Recurring motifs from traditional
literature (magical powers,
transformations, magical objects,
wishes, trickery)
● Characters with magical powers
or who use magical objects
● Heroic characters who grow and
change Conflict between good
and evil
Often:
● Hero on a quest or mission
● Hero who starts out as an
ordinary character Wise character
who advises 29 the hero Reveals
universal truths about life
● Uses symbolism
● Elevated (complex, poetic) or
medieval -sounding language
● Has sequels
Animal Fantasy
Animal fantasy features animal
characters who talk and often behave like
people.
Characteristics of Animal Fantasy
● Narrative structure with
characters, plot, and setting
● Imagined setting that seems real
Animals who behave like people
● Characters who do not change or
develop Magical elements
Often:
● Modeled on traditional literature
● Grounded in reality
● Simple plot
● Moral or lesson at the end
● Themes that express folk wisdom
or proverbs of a culture