Mrs.Pexton 

English Language Arts Curriculum

Please note that skills in reading and writing are on a progressive continuum.  Student skills will vary and work will be differentiated and scaffolded.

READING ■ Understanding more from and making fuller use of written materials, including using a wider range of evidence to support an analysis ■ Making more connections about how complex ideas interact and develop within a book, essay, or article ■ Evaluating arguments and specific claims; assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is sufficient; and as appropriate, detecting inconsistencies and ambiguities ■ Analyzing the meaning of foundational U.S. documents (the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights) 

WRITING ■ Making an argument that is logical, well-reasoned, and supported by evidence ■ Writing a literary analysis, report, or summary that develops a central idea and a coherent focus and is well supported with relevant examples, facts, and details ■ Conducting several research projects that address different aspects of the same topic, using more complex books, articles, and other sources 

SPEAKING AND LISTENING ■ Responding thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesizing comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; and resolving contradictions when possible ■ Sharing research, findings, and evidence clearly and concisely ■ Making strategic use of digital media (e.g., animations, video, websites, podcasts) to enhance understanding of findings and to add interest 

LANGUAGE ■ Determining or clarifying the meaning of words and phrases, choosing flexibly from multiple strategies, such as using context, Greek and Latin roots (e.g., bene as in benefactor or benevolent), patterns of words (conceive, conception, conceivable), and consulting specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses) ■ Interpreting figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyzing their role in the written materials

TESTING

Final Exams:

Testing                                                                      Links

English I, III, IV will take Teacher Made Exams or Projects.                                                                          

English II will take the English II EOC.                                                          English II EOC information

For testing dates and times, see the Athens Drive home page.