1. All students read for enjoyment, information and understanding, and for critical analysis and evaluation.

2. All students use their knowledge of word origins and word relationships, as well as historical and literary context clues, both to determine the meaning of specialized vocabulary and to understand the precise meaning of grade-level-appropriate words

• identify idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes in prose and poetry
  
• use knowledge of Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon roots and affixes to understand content area vocabulary
  
• clarify word meaning through the use of definition, example, restatement, or contrast.
  

3. All students read and understand grade-level-appropriate narrative and expository material. They describe and connect the essential ideas, arguments, and perspectives of text, and relate text structure, organization, and purpose. The quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students include genre selections from the following list: science fiction; historical fiction; biography; autobiography; fairy tales; tall tales; fables; poetry; mystery; adventure; legends; myths; technical; history; scientific; plays; sports; and primary source materials

• understand and analyze the differences among various categories of informational materials (e.g., textbooks, newspapers, instructional manuals, signs) in terms of their structure and purpose
  
• locate information using a variety of consumer, workplace, and public documents
  
• analyze text which uses cause and effect patterns
  
• identify and trace the development of an author's argument, point of view, or perspective of text
  
• understand and explain the use of a simple mechanical device by following technical directions
  
• assess the adequacy, accuracy, and appropriateness of the author's evidence to support claims and assertions, noting instances of bias and stereotyping.
  

4.
All students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of world literature, particularly American and British literature. They clarify the ideas presented and concoct them to other literary works

• articulate the expressed purposes and characteristics of different forms of prose (short story, novel, novella, essay)
  
• identify events that advance the plot, and determine how each event explains past or present action(s) or foreshadows future action(s)
  
• analyze characterization as delineated through character's thoughts, words, speech patterns, and actions; the narrator's description; and what other characters think, say, and do * identify and analyze recurring themes across works, (e.g., bravery, loneliness, loyalty, friendship)
  
• contrast points of view in narrative text and how they affect the overall theme of the work (e.g., first versus third person, limited versusomniscient, subjective versus objective)
  
• analyze a range of responses to a literary work and determine the extent to which the literary elements in the work shaped those responses (Reader Response).

1. All students write clear, coherent, focused essays. Students writing exhibits awareness of audience and purpose. Essays contain formal introductions, bodies of supporting evidence, and conclusions. Students successfully use the stages of the writing process, as needed

• create an organizational structure that balances all aspects of the composition and uses effective transitions between sentences and ideas to unify key ideas
  
• support all statements and claims with anecdotes, descriptions, facts and statistics, and/or specific examples
  
• use strategies of note-taking, outlining, and summarizing to structure composition drafts
  
• identify topics; ask and evaluate questions; and develop ideas leading to inquiry, investigation, and research
  
• give credit for both quoted and paraphrased information in a bibliography using a consistent and sanctioned format and methodology for citations
  
• create documents using word processing skills and publishing programs
  
• revise writing to improve organization, word choice, and consistency of ideas within and between paragraphs.
  

2. All students write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive text of at least 500-700 words. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies:

• write narratives that
  
• develop a standard plot line and point of view
  
• develop complex major and minor characters and a definite setting
  
• use a range of narrative strategies (e.g., dialogue, suspense, specific narrative action, including movement, gestures, & expressions)
  
• write responses to literature that
  
• develop organized insightful interpretations
  
• justify interpretations with examples and textual evidence
  
• write research reports that
  
• pose relevant questions narrow enough to be thoroughly covered
  
• support the main idea(s) by including facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources (e.g., speakers, periodicals, on-line information searches) generated through the formal research process
  
• use a bibliography
  
• write persuasive compositions that
  
• state a clear position in support of a proposition or proposal
  
• support the position with organized and relevant evidence
  
• anticipate and address reader concerns and counter-arguments
  
• write summaries of reading materials that
  
• contain main ideas and significant details
  
• are written in the student's own words, except for material quoted from the source
  
• reflect the underlying meaning
  
• write technical documents that explain a complex operation or situation (e.g. design a system, operate a tool, or bylaws of an organization)that
  
• identify the sequence of activities needed to create the product, service, or system
  
• include the factors and variables that need to be considered
  
• use formatting techniques (e.g. headings, differing fonts) to aid comprehension.
  

3. All students will write and speak with a command of standard English conventions that are appropriate to each grade level.

• Sentence Structure: place modifiers properly and use an active voice
  
• Grammar: identify and use infinitives, participles, and clear pronoun/antecedent references; identify all parts of speech, types and structures of sentences, mechanics (e.g. quotations, commas at the end of dependent clauses), and appropriate usage (e.g. pronoun references)
  
• Punctuation: identify and use hyphen, dash, brackets, and semi-colon between two clauses of compound sentence that are not joined bya conjunction
  
• Capitalization: use correct capitalization
  
• Spelling: spell derivatives correctly by applying the spellings of bases and affixes.

1. All students deliver focused, coherent presentations that convey ideas clearly and relate to the background and interests of the audience. They evaluate the content of oral communication

• (Comprehension)
  
  • ask probing questions designed to elicit information, including evidence to support the listener's claims and conclusions
    
  • determine the speaker's attitude toward the subject
    
  • respond to persuasive messages with questions, challenges, or affirmations
    
• (Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication)
  
  • organize information to achieve particular purposes and to appeal to the background and interests of the audience
    
  • arrange details, reasons, descriptions, and examples effectively and persuasively in relation to the audience
    
  • use explicit techniques for effective presentations, including voice modulation, inflection, tempo, enunciation, and eye contact
    
• (Analysis and Evaluation of Oral and Media Communications)
  
  • provide constructive feedback to speakers
    
  • analyze the effect of images, text, and sound in electronic journalism on the viewer.
    

2. All students will deliver brief recitations and oral presentations about familiar experiences or interests. Student speaking demonstrates command of the organization and delivery strategies

• deliver narrative presentations that
  
  • establish a context, plot, and/or point of view
    
  • include sensory details and concrete language to develop plot, setting, and major and minor characters
    
  • use a range of narrative strategies (e.g., dialogue, tension, or suspense)
    
• deliver oral summaries of books and articles that
  
  • contain main ideas of the event/article and the most significant details
    
  • use the student's own words except for quoted material
    
  • convey comprehensive understanding of the source
    
• deliver research presentations that
  
  • define a thesis
    
  • convey clear and accurate perspectives on the subject
    
  • include evidence generated through the formal research process
    
• deliver persuasive presentations that
  
  • provide a clear statement of the position
    
  • include relevant evidence
    
  • offer logical sequence of information