Language Arts - 7th Grade Core

Utah Core • Curriculum Search • All Language Arts - Secondary Lesson Plans • USOE Language Arts - Secondary Home Page

	Language Arts - 7th Grade
	Course Preface Printable Version (pdf)

Course Description

Standards and Objectives

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
The overarching intent of language arts instruction in grades 7-12 is for students to value, appreciate, and demonstrate literacy through expressive and receptive language skills, and to understand and investigate the self, others, the culture, and the environment. The Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) describe the goals for language arts skills and attitudes. They are an integral part of the Core, and should be included as part of instruction. Process skills in language arts domains are critical to the development of high levels of literacy and lead to understanding and internalizing ILOs.

Demonstrate a Positive Attitude Toward Language Arts Skills and Processes
1. Develop confidence in the ability to access text.
2. Enjoy the processes and outcomes of reading and writing.
3. Develop confidence in the ability to express ideas, emotions, and experiences.
Demonstrate Appreciation for the Role of Language Arts
1. Recognize that the study of themes and values in texts is preparation for responsible participation in society.
2. Use language arts skills and strategies to think critically, communicate with others, and understand our culture and common heritage.
3. Develop thinking and language acquisition together through interactive learning.
4. Recognize that in studying language arts students will learn the strategies necessary for acquiring academic knowledge, achieving common academic standards, and learning independently.
Demonstrate Understanding of the Nature of Language
1. Understand that language enhances and identifies human beings as meaning makers.
2. Understand that language is the vehicle for constructing knowledge, acquiring skills, and developing habits of mind.
3. Understand that language captures and records human aspirations and imagination.
4. Understand that language is continuously evolving as a reflection of human evolution.
5. Understand that language acquisition is not a matter of refining skills, but of increasing confidence, insight, and discernment.
6. Understand that language conveys the depth of human experience, evoking both emotion and reason.
Understand and Use Receptive and Expressi ve Oral Language Skills to Communicate
1. Give and seek information in conversations, in group discussions, and in oral presentations.
2. Use questioning techniques to gain information.
3. Participate in and report on small group learning activities.
4. Develop and deliver individual presentations.
5. Plan, present, and critique the oral delivery of information and persuasive argument.
6. Plan, present, and critique dramatic readings of literary selections.
Use the Skills, Strategies , and Processes of Reading
1. Develop an enjoyment for reading as a lifelong way to learn.
2. Access background knowledge to prepare to read and enjoy texts.
3. Use meta-cognition strategies during reading to monitor comprehension.
4. Improve comprehension by using strategies when meaning breaks down.
5. Retain information from and respond to text after reading.
Use the Skills, Strategies , and Processes of Writing
1. Develop a distinctive writing voice.
2. Understand that writing is a process of skills, strategies, and practices for creating, revising, and editing a variety of texts.
3. Develop reflective abilities and meta-awareness about writing.
4. Use writing to discover and explore ideas.
5. Develop collaborative writing skills to prepare for workplace writing.
6. Understand that writing is a tool for thinking: solving problems, exploring issues, constructing questions, addressing inquiry.
7. Understand that reading and writing are interrelated: writers approach new reading experiences with enhanced appreciation for the text.
8. Appreciate the value of personal writing and writing-to-learn in daily applications of knowledge.

Course Description
The needs of early adolescents are a fundamental concern to seventh grade language arts teachers. Teachers attempt to meet the unique needs of these students by using curriculum concepts such as thematic organization, teaming among teachers, appropriate grouping, and interdisciplinary efforts. At the seventh grade level, the Utah Core focuses on reading and writing experiences that are developmentally appropriate: vocabulary instruction that distinguishes literal meanings of words from more complex meanings, comprehension that focus on text features and structures, retelling and paraphrasing, and distinguishing main idea and details. Writing instruction emphasizes personal or self connections, basic skills in analytical evaluation and assessment of writing, and editing skills that are specific and clearly delineated. The research or inquiry skills identified are fundamental to investigation of a topic or question, with basic oral and written reporting skills.

Core Standards of the Course

Standard 1
(Reading): Students will use vocabulary development and an understanding of text elements and structures to comprehend literary and informational grade level text.

Objective 1
(Word Analysis, Vocabulary Development): Determine word meaning through word parts, definitions, and context clues.

Identify common prefixes and suffixes to determine meanings of words (see chart, Appendix A).

Identify the literal meanings and shades of meaning of words.

Determine word meaning through definition or explanation context clues.

Distinguish between commonly confused words (i.e., a lot/allot; board/bored; brake/break; desert/ dessert; hear/here; its/it's; led/lead; lie/lay; right/write/rite; to/too/two; your/you're).

Objective 2
(Comprehension of Informational Text): Comprehend and evaluate informational text (i.e., textbooks, advertisements, posters).

Identify external text features to enhance comprehension (i.e., headings, subheadings, pictures, captions, bolded words, graphs, charts, and tables of contents).

Comprehend text using internal text structures and their appropriate cue words and phrases (i.e., chronological, sequence, and description).

Retell, paraphrase and summarize from informational text.

Distinguish main idea and supporting details in text.

Objective 3
(Comprehension of Literary Text): Comprehend literature using elements of narrative and poetic text.

Identify narrative plot structure (e.g., exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution).

Describe a character’s traits as revealed by the narrator (e.g., thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions).

Distinguish topic from theme in literature.

Identify descriptive details and imagery that establish setting.

Identify figurative language (i.e., simile and metaphor).

Identify main ideas and/or emotions in a wide range of poetry.

Standard 2
(Writing): Students will write informational and literary text to reflect on and recreate experiences, report observations, and persuade others.

Objective 1
(Writing to Learn): Retell or summarize and make connections to clarify thinking through writing.

Retell significant events in sequence.

Summarize essential information from literary or informational text.

Connect text to self.

Objective 2
(Extended Writing): Write to identify and reflect on feelings to recreate experiences. (Emphasize autobiographical or narrative essays. Students should use the entire writing process to produce at least one extended piece per term, not necessarily limited to the type of writing emphasized at individual grade level.)

Determine audience and purpose for extended writing.

Relate a clear, coherent, chronologically-sequenced incident, event, or situation with simple reflection

Use sensory details.

Objective 3
(Revision and Editing): Revise and edit to strengthen ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions.

Evaluate and revise for:
- Use of a unifying idea or topic.
- A clear beginning, middle, and end, with sequential transitions.
- Appropriate tone and voice.
- Appropriate word choice for topic.
- Varied sentence beginnings and sentence length.

Edit for:
- Correct grade level spelling.
- Correct use of commas in a series.
- Correct subject-verb agreement.
- Correct use of possessives.
- Correct capitalization of sentence beginnings and proper nouns.
- Correct end punctuation on simple and compound sentences.

Standard 3
(Inquiry/Research/Oral Presentation): Students will understand the process of seeking and giving information in conversations, group discussions, written reports, and oral presentations.

Objective 1
(Processes of Inquiry): Use the process of inquiry to formulate questions and engage in gathering information.

Establish a purpose for inquiry.

Gather relevant information to answer questions.

Validate the accuracy and relevance of information, discriminating between fact and opinion.

Distinguish paraphrasing and summarizing from plagiarizing.

Objective 2
(Written Communication of Inquiry): Write to report information gathered from the process of inquiry.

Select an appropriate format to report information.

Gather information on an idea or concept.

Report information using summarization.

Use informal contextual citation. (Example: “Gary Paulsen says he gets his ideas from…”)

Objective 3
(Oral Communication of Inquiry): Communicate ideas and information appropriately in classroom settings.

Determine the purpose for communication (e.g., to respond to writing, to obtain a result, to convey ideas or information, to seek validation).

Use appropriate protocol for asking questions (e.g., turn taking, staying on topic, projecting adequately).

Use appropriate protocol for responding to questions (e.g., respecting others’ contributions, staying on topic, projecting adequately).

Contribute constructively in classroom settings.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Office of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Office of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.

For more information about this core curriculum, contact the USOE Specialist, Christelle Estrada or visit the Language Arts - Secondary Home Page. For general questions about Utah's Core Curriculum, contact the USOE Curriculum Director, Sydnee Dickson . UEN Contact Info: 801-581-2999 | 800-866-5852 | Contact Us