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Middle School Language Arts 1/Middle School Language Arts 1 Advanced (Grade 6)
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Through a merging of the past and the present, students in the MJ Language Arts 1 course study classical and contemporary texts and examine the lasting influence of each. Students acquire a foundational understanding of the reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening skills necessary for success in college, career, and beyond. Students become critical readers and thinkers as they delve into rigorous and engaging literary and informational texts by examining author’s rhetoric and purpose through close readings, interactive practice, and formal assessments. They also learn to write effective narrative, informational, and argumentative pieces through the repeated practice of planning, drafting, revising, and editing their written work.
Major Topics and Concepts
- Reading Comprehension
- Informational & Expository Writing
- Narrative Writing
- Developing an idea
- Identifying theme
- Plot pattern
- 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/citing sources
- Writing an introduction
- Connecting and supporting ideas
- Writing a conclusion
- 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
- Reading Comprehension
- Argumentative Writing
- Determining the central/main idea
- Paraphrasing a text
- Writing a summary
- How authors express ideas differently
- How word choice affects meaning and tone
- Using spelling rules
- Using diverse media formats
- Determining relevant information
- Interpreting figures of speech
- Literal and figurative meaning
- Comparing/contrasting texts
- Using context clues
- Ancient foundations of democracy
- Interpreting implicit and explicit meaning
- Identifying poetic devices
- Looking for connotative meanings
- Analyzing plot pattern
- Protagonist and antagonist
- Determining point of view
- Finding and interpreting symbols
- Determining the theme in a text
- Using pronouns correctly
- Pronoun/antecedent agreement
- Creating a commercial
- Elements of an effective claim
- Effectively supporting a claim
- Identifying reliable sources
- Organizing an argument
- Writing a strong introduction
- Correcting run-ons and fragments
- Using transitions and signal phrases
- Maintaining formal style
- Writing a solid conclusion
- Revising and reflecting
- Proofreading and editing
Segment 1 Advanced includes: Novel Study
- Changes in language
- Analyzing major characters
- Mood and point of view
Segment 2 Advanced includes: Elements of Drama
- History of drama
- Language patterns in historical texts
- Soliloquy and monologue
- Mood in drama
Competencies
Critical Analysis of Texts
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the critical analysis of texts by summarizing the development of plot and character in a narrative, contrasting implicit and explicit meaning in a text, and summarizing the development of a central idea in an informational text.
Informational Writing
Students will demonstrate an understanding of informational writing by describing the research process, explaining strategies for organizing ideas in informational writing, creating a compare-contrast essay, and formulating sentences with appropriate structure.
Structure and Language in Texts
Students will demonstrate an understanding of structure and language in texts by describing organizational patterns, explaining the functions of text features, explaining examples of figurative language, and explaining the use of rhetorical appeals.
Argumentative Writing
Students will demonstrate an understanding of argumentative writing by summarizing the elements of an argumentative essay, explaining logical fallacies, and creating an argumentative essay.
Poetry and Fiction
Students will demonstrate an understanding of poetry and fiction by describing poetic forms, explaining the elements of a story, and creating a multimedia presentation on a work of fiction.
Narrative Writing
Students will demonstrate an understanding of narrative writing by explaining narrative techniques, describing the narrative pre-writing process, and creating an original narrative.
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