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Middle School
Middle School Language Arts 2/Middle School Language Arts 2 Advanced
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Using a motif of Mystery, Monsters, and Mayhem, students in the MJ Language Arts 2 course will acquire the reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening skills necessary for success in college, career, and beyond. Students will become critical readers and thinkers as they delve into fiction and informational texts within the course. They will also learn to effectively write narrative, informational, and argumentative pieces and present their ideas clearly and cohesively.
Major Topics and Concepts
- Reading Comprehension
- Informational & Expository Writing
- Narrative Writing
- Analyzing interactions between ideas in a text
- Identifying theme
- Analyzing how a theme develops
- Comparing and contrasting mediums
- Using context clues
- Thesaurus and dictionary skills
- Implicit and explicit meaning
- Finding the main idea
- Writing an effective summary
- Assess internet sources
- Why writers choose words
- Reading informational texts
- Researching and organizing information
- Avoiding plagiarism
- Writing an introduction for informational texts
- Connecting and supporting ideas
- Writing a conclusion for informational texts
- Revising writing
- Using formal language in writing
- Recognizing point of view
- Identifying the narrator
- Planning narrative writing
- Beginning a narrative
- Writing dialogue
- Writing the body of a narrative
- Using commas
- Writing effective transitions
- Identifying active and passive verbs
- Reading Comprehension
- Argumentative Writing
- Organization of informational articles
- How authors express ideas differently
- Roots and affixes
- Using apostrophes
- Interpreting allusions
- History vs. Fiction
- Propaganda
- Interpreting explicit and implicit ideas
- Identifying poetic devices
- How poets arrange their words
- How literary elements interact
- Finding text support
- Comparing and contrasting
- Perspective of different characters in literature
- Plot pattern
- Identifying and interpreting symbolism
- Determining theme
- Writing a book review
- Enhancing a message using multi-media
- Determine an author’s point of view
- Claims and counterclaims
- Writing an effective claim
- Locating reliable sources
- Refuting counterclaims
- Eliminating redundancy
- Writing a strong introduction
- Building an argument
- Transitions and signal phrases
- Writing a strong conclusion
- Polishing a final draft
Segment 1 Advanced includes: Novel Study
- Origins and elements of the novel
- Analyzing major characters
- Analyzing historical context
- Authors’ style and voice
Segment 2 Advanced includes: Short Story Study
- Short story genres
- Elements of suspense
- Authors’ language techniques
- Historical context of literature
Competencies
Strategies for Comprehending and Expressing Meaning in a Text
Students will demonstrate an understanding of strategies for comprehending and expressing meaning in a text by describing connections between the literary elements of a story, comparing mediums for storytelling, explaining tools for comprehending and expressing meaning, and creating a written summary of a text.
Informative Writing With Research
Students will demonstrate an understanding of informative writing with research by describing steps to assess source credibility, explaining plagiarism avoidance, creating a method for organizing research, and creating a five-paragraph informative essay.
Narrative Structure and Techniques
Students will demonstrate an understanding of narrative structure and techniques by explaining the importance of narrative point of view, creating a plan for a well-structured event sequence, and creating a story using narrative techniques.
Critical Reading Strategies
Students will demonstrate an understanding of critical reading strategies by comparing the expression of different viewpoints in texts on the same topic, explaining features of historical writing, describing methods for determining the meaning of unfamiliar words or references in a text, and explaining propaganda techniques.
Analyzing Literature
Students will demonstrate an understanding of analyzing literature by explaining the use of poetic devices, describing the literary elements used in works of fiction, and creating a multimedia book review.
Argumentative Writing Fundamentals
Students will demonstrate an understanding of argumentative writing fundamentals by explaining the purpose of argumentative elements, formulating an organized plan for an argumentative essay, and creating an argumentative essay following the five-paragraph structure.
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Projects allow students to demonstrate competence and understanding of concepts and skills by completing a career-related task. For example, the assignment might be to create a mural, a package design, a speech, a film review, or a movie set – you name it! These creative projects are about applying your learning acquired through in-depth research to real-world career tasks.
Each competency will be addressed through a project based on a real-life career task. Here are the careers you will explore: Librarian, Freelance Writer, Social Media Manager, Magazine Editor, Talent Agent, and Education Manager.
Projects
Competencies
Strategies for Comprehending and Expressing Meaning in a Text
Students will demonstrate an understanding of strategies for comprehending and expressing meaning in a text by describing connections between the literary elements of a story, comparing mediums for storytelling, explaining tools for comprehending and expressing meaning, and creating a written summary of a text.
Informative Writing With Research
Students will demonstrate an understanding of informative writing with research by describing steps to assess source credibility, explaining plagiarism avoidance, creating a method for organizing research, and creating a five-paragraph informative essay.
Narrative Structure and Techniques
Students will demonstrate an understanding of narrative structure and techniques by explaining the importance of narrative point of view, creating a plan for a well-structured event sequence, and creating a story using narrative techniques.
Critical Reading Strategies
Students will demonstrate an understanding of critical reading strategies by comparing the expression of different viewpoints in texts on the same topic, explaining features of historical writing, describing methods for determining the meaning of unfamiliar words or references in a text, and explaining propaganda techniques.
Analyzing Literature
Students will demonstrate an understanding of analyzing literature by explaining the use of poetic devices, describing the literary elements used in works of fiction, and creating a multimedia book review.
Argumentative Writing Fundamentals
Students will demonstrate an understanding of argumentative writing fundamentals by explaining the purpose of argumentative elements, formulating an organized plan for an argumentative essay, and creating an argumentative essay following the five-paragraph structure.
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