7th Reading A

Course Description

This course focuses on developing critical analysis and inquiry skills across both literary and informational texts. Students learn to support claims and inferences with strong textual evidence, trace how story elements interact to shape a theme, and evaluate central ideas, structure, and arguments in non-fiction. Additionally, these skills empower learners to analyze word choice and conduct targeted research to answer complex questions and share their findings effectively.

Topic 1: Evidence and Analysis in Texts

State Standard:

RC.7.3: Draw several pieces of evidence from grade-level texts to support claims and inferences, including quoting or paraphrasing accurately and tracing where evidence is located.

Success Criteria:

• I can draw several pieces of evidence from a text, so I can support my ideas clearly.

• I can quote or paraphrase accurately and trace where evidence is located, so I can use the text precisely.

• I can explain how the evidence supports my claim or inference, so I can make stronger interpretations.

Learning Goal:

I can use evidence from texts to support claims and inferences.

Topic 2: Theme, Setting, and Literary Development

State Standard:

RC.7.5a / RC.7.5b: Explain stated or implied themes and their development; explain how particular elements of stories or dramas interact, including how setting shapes characters or plot.

Success Criteria:

• I can explain a stated or implied theme, so I can identify the deeper meaning of a literary text.

• I can explain how the theme develops over the course of a text, so I can show how meaning grows.

• I can explain how setting shapes the characters or plot, so I can analyze how story elements interact.

Learning Goal:

I can analyze how theme develops and how story elements interact.

Topic 3: Central Ideas, Texts, and Arguments

State Standard:

RC.7.6a / RC.7.6c / RC.7.6d: Explain central ideas and summaries; compare and contrast text structures; trace the argument and specific claims and assess whether the evidence is sufficient.

Success Criteria:

• I can explain a central idea and how it develops, so I can summarize a text objectively.

• I can compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts, so I can explain how structure shapes meaning.

• I can trace an argument and assess whether the evidence is sufficient, so I can evaluate the strength of a claim.

Learning Goal:

I can analyze central ideas, text structure, and arguments in informational texts.

Topic 4: Word Choice and Research

State Standard:

VD.7.2d / RS.7.1: Analyze the impact of specific word choice on meaning, tone, or mood; conduct brief and multi-day research tasks using reliable sources and avoiding plagiarism.

Success Criteria:

• I can analyze how a specific word choice affects meaning, tone, or mood, so I can explain the author’s craft.

• I can ask research questions and generate more questions, so I can deepen my investigation.

• I can gather, assess, summarize, paraphrase, or quote information from reliable sources, so I can share findings responsibly.

Learning Goal:

I can analyze word choice and conduct research to answer questions and share findings.

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