SEPTEMBER
Reading/Literature
Placement Test
Genre: Parts of a newspaper
- Hears, reads independently, and responds to literature
Comprehending Literature:
- Knows parts of the newspaper
- Understands 5 W’s of news (foreign and domestic)
- Reads editorial, features, sports, TV reviews
- Identifies advertisements (display, classified)
- Restates stated main idea
- Understands details
Sustained Silent Reading Study Skills:
- Uses directories, index
- Plans homework schedule
Test-Taking Skills:
- Follows directions
Oral/Written Composing
Oral:
- Listens to and gives directions of 4-5 steps
- Listens to, reads, and responds to variety of items in newspaper (cartooning)
- Discusses stated main ideas and details of news articles, features, or editorials
- Analyzes political, civic, world information
- Justifies views with evidence
- Participates in prewriting activities (brainstorms)
Written:
- Writes in journal
- Analyzes a sample letter to the editor
- Writes a letter to the editor about local problems
- Uses 5 steps of writing process
Language Analysis
Expands Vocabulary:
- Learns key words from literature, content areas
- Learns newspaper words, e.g., copy, byline, banner
Word Recognition/Spelling:
- Reviews word recognition skills as needed, e.g., words in context
- Reviews spelling patterns
- Spells key words correctly
Mechanics:
- Reviews form of business letter
- Reviews capitals, end punctuation as needed
Grammar/Usage:
- Reviews avoidance of run-on sentences, fragments
- Responds to models of standard English
- Edits for skills taught
OCTOBER
Reading/Literature
Focus: World Literature
Genre: Novel
- Hears, reads independently, responds to literature
Comprehending Literature:
- Understands plot, characters, setting, theme, mood, genre, style
- Predicts outcome
- Evaluates
Sustained Silent Reading
Study Skills:
- Uses dictionary for spelling, meaning, pronunciation
Test-Taking Skills:
- Uses multiple-choice format and strategies
Oral/Written Composing
Oral:
- Listens to, reads, and responds to a variety of literature (reads selected portions aloud?
- Discusses novel
- Responds to subtle, imaginative ideas, images
- Employs usage items in classroom talk
- Participates in prewriting activities (sets purpose)
Written:
- Writes in journal
- Writes a 1-paragraph description of a favorite scene in a novel. Cites reasons
- Uses basic sentence sense
- Adheres to a central idea
- Uses 5 steps of writing process
Language Analysis
Expands Vocabulary:
- Learns key words from literature, content areas
- Learns literary terms, e.g., climax, resolution
Word Recognition/
- spelling:
- Reviews word recognition skills as needed, quotation marks
- Underlines name of play/novel
Grammar/Usage
- Reviews uses of nouns as subject, object, in apposition, as needed
- Responds to models of standard English
- Edits for skills taught
Above, example of ‘pacing schedule,’ which details what English teachers were to cover in first two months of 10th grade. Schedules have since been modified in response to teacher complaints.
