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

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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 to infer the literal and figurative meanings of phrases
  
• understand the most important points in the history of English language and use common word origins to determine word meanings
  
• use word meanings within the appropriate context and verify those meanings by definition, restatement, example, comparison, 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
  
• compare and contrast the features and elements of consumer materials (e.g., warranties, contracts, product information, and instructional manuals)
  
• analyze text which uses proposition-and-support patterns
  
• identify similarities and differences among texts in the treatment, scope, or organization of ideas
  
• compare original text to a summary for accuracy of the main ideas, inclusion of critical details, and the extent to which it conveys the underlying meaning of the original text
  
• understand and explain the use of a complex mechanical device by following technical directions
  
• use information from a variety of consumer, workplace, and public documents to explain a situation or decision and/or to solve a problem
  
• evaluate the unity, coherence, logic, internal consistency, and structural patterns of text.

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

• determine and articulate the relationship among the purposes and characteristics of different forms of poetry (e.g., ballad, lyric, couplet, epic, elegy, ode, and sonnet)
  
• evaluate the structural elements of the plot (e.g., subplots, parallel episodes, climax), the plot's development, and how conflicts are addressed
  
• analyze relevance of setting (place, time, & customs) to the mood, tone, and meaning of text
  
• identify and analyze recurring comparative themes across works, (e.g., good & evil, traditional & contemporary)
  
• identify significant literary devices that define a writer's style (e.g., metaphor, symbolism, dialect, & irony), and use those elements to interpret the work
  
• analyze how a work of literature reflects the heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs of its author (Biographical Approach).

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 compositions that have a coherent thesis, and make a clear well-supported conclusion
  
• establish coherence within and among paragraphs through effective transitions, parallel structures, deliver research presentations that
  
  • define a thesis
    
  • convey clear and accurate perspectives on the subject
    
  • include evidence generated from a variety of primary and secondary resources using strategies such as direct quotation,
  • paraphrasing and summarizing
    
  • organize and record information on charts, maps, and graphs
    
• deliver persuasive presentations that
  
  • provide a clear thesis statement of the position
    
  • include relevant evidence, examples and reasoning, differentiating evidence from opinion
    
  • effectively anticipate and answer listener concerns and counter-arguments through the inclusion and arrangement of details,
  • reasons, and examples
    
  • maintain a reasonable tone and similar writing techniques
    
• 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
  
• support thesis or conclusions with quoted and paraphrased information and give credit in a bibliography using a consistent and sanctioned format and methodology for citations
  
• create documents using word- processing skills and publishing programs
  
• achieve effective balance between researched information and original ideas
  
• 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 biographies, autobiographies, short stories and/or narratives that
  
  • relate a clear, coherent incident, event, or situation by using well-chosen details revealing the significance of, or the writer's attitude about, the subject
    
  • 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
    
  • support judgments through references to the text, other works, other authors, or personal knowledge
    
• write research reports that
  
  • define a thesis
    
  • support the main idea(s) by including concepts, facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative primaryand secondary sources (e.g., speakers, periodicals, on-line information searches) generated through the formal research process
    
  • use a bibliography
    
  • organize and record information on charts, maps, & graphs
    
• write persuasive compositions that
  
  • include a well-defined thesis that makes a clear, knowledgeable judgment
    
  • support the position with organized, relevant, detailed evidence, and reasoning, differentiating between evidence and opinion
    
  • arrange details, reasons, and examples, effectively anticipating and answering 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 documents related to career development, including simple business letters and job applications, that
  
  • have a purpose and reflect the intended audience
    
  • follow the conventional style for the type of document
    
• 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: use correct and varied sentence types and openings to reinforce the presentation of a lively and effective personal style; identify and use parallel structure in all written discourse; use subordination, coordination, apposition, and other devices to indicate the relationship between ideas clearly
  
• Grammar: edit written manuscripts to reflect proper grammar
  
• Punctuation: use correct punctuation and capitalization
  
• Spelling: use correct spelling conventions.

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. All students will:

• (Comprehension)
  
  • analyze oral interpretations of literature
    
  • paraphrase a speaker's purpose and point of view, and ask relevant questions concerning the speaker's content, delivery, and purpose
    
• (Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication)
  
  • organize information to achieve particular purposes, matching message, vocabulary, voice modulation, expression, and tone to audience and purpose
    
  • prepare a speech outline based upon a chosen pattern of organization, generally including an introduction, transitions, previews, and summaries, a logically developed body, and an effective conclusion
    
  • use precise language(e.g., action verbs, sensory details, colorful modifiers, and active rather than passive voice) that enliven oral presentations
    
• (Analysis and Evaluation of Oral and Media Communications)
  
  • evaluate the credibility of a speaker
    
  • interpret and evaluate 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 (e.g., biographical, autobiographical) that

1. relate a clear, coherent event, incident, or situation by using well-chosen details
   
2. reveal the significance of the subject's attitude about the incident, event, or situation
   
3. use a range of narrative and descriptive strategies (e.g., dialogue, specific action, comparison or contrast of characters, physical and background description)
   

* deliver oral summaries of books and articles that

1. interpret reading and provide insight
   
2. connect own responses to the writer's techniques and to specific textual references
   
3. convey comprehensive understanding of the source
   
4. support judgments through references to text, other works, other authors, or personal knowledge
   

* deliver research presentations that

1. define a thesis
   
2. convey clear and accurate perspectives on the subject
   
3. include evidence generated from a variety of primary and secondary resources using strategies such as direct quotation, paraphrasing and summarizing
   
4. organize and record information on charts, maps, and graphs
   

* deliver persuasive presentations that

1. provide a clear thesis statement of the position
   
2. include relevant evidence, examples and reasoning, differentiating evidence from opinion
   
3. effectively anticipate and answer listener concerns and counter-arguments through the inclusion and arrangement of details, reasons, and examples
   
4. maintain a reasonable tone.