Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Expectations
Upon entering Middle School students should be able to:
Research:
- Simple research using books (almanac, encyclopedias, scientific reviews, atlas, thesaurus) and internet resources.
- Summarizing collected research.
- Writing and outline to facilitate research paper.
- Using primary sources.
- Identifying sub topics for research.
- Paraphrasing notes from primary and secondary sources
- Defining and writing a clear defined thesis statement.
Reading Comprehension Level:
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Can independently select and read appropriate grade material.
- Can read silently for approximately 3050 min.
- Identify/comprehend then respond fictional and nonfictional genres.
- Draw conclusions, make inferences, predict logical outcomes, infer meaning from context, extract main ideas (implicit and explicit)
- Identify point of view for fiction and non
- Identify elements of story including character setting, plot and theme
Application thru Evaluation Levels:
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Responds to higher level thinking questions citing examples from text with personal experience
- Make text to text connections
- Recognize verbal and non verbal cues in both discussion and text
- Identify plot and subplot with appropriate plot elements
- Infer character traits motives, and mood
Literacy:
- Understand figurative language
- Read with expression, inflection
- Understand how the author uses speech/dialogue, description and actions to create character
- Uses appropriate organizational techniques (graphic organizers, postits, two column notes)
- Use of context to decode difficult vocabulary.
- Use appropriate technique for identifying and reading expository text.
Written Expression:
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38 PP essays (based on grade level)
- Transition from Topic sentence to Thesis statement including PP transitions
- Provide hard evidence from research and novels using quotes in the body of a response
- Including personal opinion or experience in relating to a story or facts
- Clear understanding of the writing process
- Demonstrate several types of prewriting activities (web, list, cluster on own)
- Uses a dictionary or thesaurus for specific definitions
- Understands the different types of writing: research; creative; persuasive; narrative; (fiction nonfiction); expository
- Writes in the different genres of literature: myths, fables, poetry, sagas, epics
- Responds to text related prompt within a specific time limit in essay form
- Uses standard English conventions; compound and complex sentences; varied sentence structure and length; subjectverb agreement; spelling;punctuation;comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs; identify parts of speech
- Appreciates contributions to language from various cultural group
Foreign Language:
- The above applies to the acquisition of a foreign language with particular emphasis on: knowledge of the parts of speech and their function in a sentence, sentence structure, and types of sentences (imperative, interrogative, affirmative and negative)