English Language Arts Curriculum
English Language Arts, K-12, focuses on the process by which we learn and use language. Students increase their communication abilities through reading, writing, speaking, and listening experiences that are related to and reinforce one another. instruction is designed to support students in developing proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The expectation being that all students show proficiency across content areas. In July 2012, the Common Department of Education and Kodiak Island Borough School Board adopted the state standards for language arts.
Reading
Students will be able to:
- Ask questions about literary and informational text using key details
- Retell stories and determine author’s purpose or main topic of a text
- Describe characters, settings, major events and problem-solution in text
- Describe connection between individuals, events. ideas in two or more texts
- Identify vocabulary that suggests how the reader might see the story in his or her mind
- Describe the structure of story- beginning, middle, and end
- Identify point of view and the authors opinion
- Compare and Contrast two or more versions of the same text, both literary and informational
- Use illustrations, graphics, bold print, visuals cues to locate information about the text and make connections between this information and the words in the text
- Read a variety of texts with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension
Writing
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate and understanding of the organization and basic features of print
- Recognize the structure of words and sentences both spoken and written
- Write opinion pieces in response to text read
- Write informational/explanatory texts that introduces a topic and is supported by facts to emphasize their most important focus.
- Use narrative writing to retell an event- real or imagined
- Use a variety of digital tools to publish writing
- Participate in shared research projects
- Recall and gather information to answer questions about informational text
Language
Students will be able to:
- Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking- appropriate for grade level
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing- appropriate for grade level
- Compare formal and informal uses of English
- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown words based on grade level reading and content
- Demonstrate and understanding of word relationships and nuances
- Use words and phrases acquired through conversations and reading to respond to text read
Common Core Speaking and Listening
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds
- Participate in collaborative conversations about grade level topics and texts with peers and adults.
- Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify.
- Tell a story or retell an experience with relevant facts, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.
- Add visual displays to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
- Produce complete sentences when appropriate.
Reading
Students will be able to:
- Locate explicit information in text to support inferences drawn from the text
- Determine theme, author’s message and purpose, main idea using evidence from the text as support
- Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a text
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text
- Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fit together to provide story structure
- Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic noting important similarities and differences in the points of view presented
- Describe how point of view influences how events or characters are developed and portrayed.
- Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or personal appeal of a text
- Draw information from multiple texts to answer questions quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
- Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text
- Integrate information from multiple text in order to speak or write about the topic knowledgeably.
- Read fluently and with accuracy to support comprehension of a range of text
Writing
Students will be able to:
- Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with fact or text based reasons and information
- Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly
- Use narrative writing to develop real or imagined characters, experiences, or events using effective narrative techniques
- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach
- Use technology to produce, edit, and publish writing
- Conduct short research projects, using several sources
- Draw evidence from text to build knowledge, to support analysis, reflection, and research
Language
Students will be able to:
- Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking- appropriate for grade level
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing- appropriate for grade level
- Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening
- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade level text
- Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings
- Acquire and accurately use grade appropriate words and phrases.
Common Core Speaking and Listening
Students will be able to:
- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
- Summarize written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media
- Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how the points are supported by reasons and evidence.
- Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using relevant details or facts
- Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations when appropriate
- Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.
Reading
Students will be able to:
- Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what text explicitly says as well as inferences drawn from text.
- Determine a theme or central idea of a text, restate and summarize main idea
- Describe how the plot unfolds in a series of episodes, how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution
- Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, events, and ideas presented in a text
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
- Analyze the overall structure of a text
- Determine author’s purpose and how point of view is developed
- Compare and contrast reading a text to an audio, video, or live version of text
- Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres or author’s presentation of events with that of another
- Integrate information presented in different media
- Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in text
- Read with fluency and accuracy to support comprehension of a wide range of texts
Writing
Students will be able to:
- Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
- Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts and information through analysis of relevant content
- Use narrative writing to develop real or imagined experiences or events
- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
- Develop and strengthen writing through planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
- Use technology to produce and publish writing
- Conduct research by gathering relevant information from multiple sources that will support analysis, reflection, and research.
Common Core Speaking and Listening
Students will be able to:
- Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
- Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats
- Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced
- Present claims and findings with focused sound reasoning using appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation
- Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations for clarity and to add interest
- Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks
Language
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing
- Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, and listening
- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade level content
- Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings
Reading
Students will be able to:
- Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of explicit information from text as well as implicit inferences drawn from the text
- Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of a text
- Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme
- Analyze how an author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text
- Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text
- Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experiences reflected in a work of literature
- Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two or more artistic media
- Analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work
- Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text
- Analyze seminal US and world documents of historical and literary significance
- Read and comprehend literary nonfiction within grade level complexity band
Writing
Students will be able to:
- Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
- Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content
- Use narrative writing to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences
- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, style, and features are appropriate to task, genre, purpose, and audience
- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience
- Use technology to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products
- Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question or solve a problem
- Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources
- Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
Language
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing
- Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening
Common Core Speaking and Listening
Students will be able to:
- Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners
- Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source
- Identify and evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence
- Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning
- Make strategic use of digital media
- Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks
Reading
Students will be able to:
- Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of explicit information from text as well as implicit inferences drawn from the text
- Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text
- Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text
- Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact
- Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant
- Analyze multiple interpretations of a story evaluating how each version interprets the source text.
- Demonstrate knowledge of 18th, 19th, and early 20th century foundational works of American literature
- Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument
- Discern an author’s point of view or purpose in a text
- Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats
- Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal US texts
- Read and comprehend literary nonfiction within grade level complexity band
Writing
Students will be able to:
- Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
- Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content
- Use narrative writing to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences
- Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, style, and features are appropriate to task, genre, purpose, and audience
- Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience
- Use technology to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products
- Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question or solve a problem
- Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources
- Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
Language
Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing
- Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening
Common Core Speaking and Listening
Students will be able to:
- Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners
- Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source
- Identify and evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence
- Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning
- Make strategic use of digital media
- Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks