Consensus Curriculum Language Arts
Diocese of Richmond
GRADE 7
A. ORAL COMMUNICATION: SPEAKING and LISTENING
1. Communicates effectively: debating issues, presenting speeches and reports, participating in group discussions, reciting poetry, etc.
2. Uses appropriate vocabulary, style, grammar, pitch, tone, feeling, eye contact and expression when presenting
3. Formulates and asks relevant questions
4. Gives clear oral directions and instructions
5. Recognizes auditory clues such as word choice, pitch, feeling and one in a speaker’s message
6. Recognizes visual clues such as body language in a speaker’s message
7. Demonstrates effective listening skills
B. WRITING/LANGUAGE
Purposeful Writing
1. Demonstrates ability to take notes from oral and written material
2. Composes narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive and creative essays and incorporates literary techniques
3. Uses appropriate tone and voice with regard to audience and author’s purpose
4. Recognizes the fundamentals of researching and organizing a research paper
5. Demonstrates ability to continue an open-ended work/and to rewrite the ending to a work of literature
6. Uses computer technology to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writing
7. Differentiates information that is paraphrased, summarized and directly quoted
8. Understands the intellectual property of others to avoid plagiarism
Word Patterns/Language
9. Demonstrates an understanding of dictionary markings and abbreviations
10. Investigates the etymology of words
11. Demonstrates ability to use root, prefixes and suffixes to determine the definition of words
12. Utilizes context clues to determine word meaning
13. Recognizes and utilizes analogies
14. Recognizes and correctly uses homophones/homonyms, synonyms and antonyms
15. Recognizes syllables and stress in words
16. Uses dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries and Internet sources to determine definition, pronunciation, etymology, spelling and usage of words
17. Distinguishes between connotative and denotative meanings of words
Grammar/Mechanics
18. Identifies and uses all parts of speech correctly, specifically nouns (concrete and abstract), pronouns, verbs (action, linking, transitive and intransitive), adjectives, adverbs and verbals (participles, gerunds, infinitives)
19. Uses correct subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement and verb tense consistency
20. Identifies independent and dependent clauses
21. Identifies sentence structure errors such as run-on and fragmented sentences and avoids them in writing selections
22. Classifies sentences according to form and use
23. Composes different types of sentences, specifically simple, compound and complex
24. Uses quotations marks with dialogue and incorporates dialogue in written assignments
25. Recognizes and uses prepositional phrases correctly as either adjective or adverb
26. Recognizes and uses coordinating conjunctions when creating compound sentences and subordinating conjunctions when creating complex sentences
27. Identifies and uses correct verb tense, specifically present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect, future perfect, emphatic and progressive
C. READING
Comprehension/Strategic Thinking
1. Recognizes the structure and style of various genres of literature
2. Reads and analyzes a variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction and poetry
3. Demonstrates ability to analyze literature using the five point plot chart (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)
4. Identifies, analyzes and uses figurative language
5. Reads classic and current literature for enjoyment and information
6. Analyzes story elements of characterization, plot structure, setting, theme and conflict
7. Draws connections between a literary work and the student’s life and modern society
8. Draws connections between history, art, music, etc. and works of both fiction and non-fiction
9. Demonstrates an ability to compare diverse literary works and their themes
10. Uses critical reading strategies
11. Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of literary devices and critiques the effectiveness of literary devices used in written work
12. Determine author’s tone use of tone and mood
13. Uses critical reading strategies to include questioning, making predictions, connections, inferences, etc.
D. RESEARCH/MEDIA LITERACY
1. Demonstrates proficiency in word processing, publishing and creating data bases
2. Utilizes both print and electronic media resources
3. Identifies persuasive techniques such as bias and propaganda
4. Demonstrates ability to use technology in preparing and presenting projects
5. Evaluates validity and authenticity of on-line sources and texts
6. Cites primary and secondary sources using Modern Language Association (MLA) format
7. Defines the meaning and consequences of plagiarism and follows ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information
8. Evaluates, selects, and uses various media for presentations based on their effectiveness in accomplishing the student’s task and purpose
E. CRITICAL THINKING/STUDY SKILLS
1. Demonstrates ability to use critical thinking techniques and study skills independently
2. Develops knowledge of various testing techniques and terminology
3. Develops most effective study methods for different types of material
4. Develops ability to compare and contrast
5. Develops organized and efficient note taking methods
Diocese of Richmond
GRADE 7
A. ORAL COMMUNICATION: SPEAKING and LISTENING
1. Communicates effectively: debating issues, presenting speeches and reports, participating in group discussions, reciting poetry, etc.
2. Uses appropriate vocabulary, style, grammar, pitch, tone, feeling, eye contact and expression when presenting
3. Formulates and asks relevant questions
4. Gives clear oral directions and instructions
5. Recognizes auditory clues such as word choice, pitch, feeling and one in a speaker’s message
6. Recognizes visual clues such as body language in a speaker’s message
7. Demonstrates effective listening skills
B. WRITING/LANGUAGE
Purposeful Writing
1. Demonstrates ability to take notes from oral and written material
2. Composes narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive and creative essays and incorporates literary techniques
3. Uses appropriate tone and voice with regard to audience and author’s purpose
4. Recognizes the fundamentals of researching and organizing a research paper
5. Demonstrates ability to continue an open-ended work/and to rewrite the ending to a work of literature
6. Uses computer technology to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writing
7. Differentiates information that is paraphrased, summarized and directly quoted
8. Understands the intellectual property of others to avoid plagiarism
Word Patterns/Language
9. Demonstrates an understanding of dictionary markings and abbreviations
10. Investigates the etymology of words
11. Demonstrates ability to use root, prefixes and suffixes to determine the definition of words
12. Utilizes context clues to determine word meaning
13. Recognizes and utilizes analogies
14. Recognizes and correctly uses homophones/homonyms, synonyms and antonyms
15. Recognizes syllables and stress in words
16. Uses dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries and Internet sources to determine definition, pronunciation, etymology, spelling and usage of words
17. Distinguishes between connotative and denotative meanings of words
Grammar/Mechanics
18. Identifies and uses all parts of speech correctly, specifically nouns (concrete and abstract), pronouns, verbs (action, linking, transitive and intransitive), adjectives, adverbs and verbals (participles, gerunds, infinitives)
19. Uses correct subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement and verb tense consistency
20. Identifies independent and dependent clauses
21. Identifies sentence structure errors such as run-on and fragmented sentences and avoids them in writing selections
22. Classifies sentences according to form and use
23. Composes different types of sentences, specifically simple, compound and complex
24. Uses quotations marks with dialogue and incorporates dialogue in written assignments
25. Recognizes and uses prepositional phrases correctly as either adjective or adverb
26. Recognizes and uses coordinating conjunctions when creating compound sentences and subordinating conjunctions when creating complex sentences
27. Identifies and uses correct verb tense, specifically present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect, future perfect, emphatic and progressive
C. READING
Comprehension/Strategic Thinking
1. Recognizes the structure and style of various genres of literature
2. Reads and analyzes a variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction and poetry
3. Demonstrates ability to analyze literature using the five point plot chart (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)
4. Identifies, analyzes and uses figurative language
5. Reads classic and current literature for enjoyment and information
6. Analyzes story elements of characterization, plot structure, setting, theme and conflict
7. Draws connections between a literary work and the student’s life and modern society
8. Draws connections between history, art, music, etc. and works of both fiction and non-fiction
9. Demonstrates an ability to compare diverse literary works and their themes
10. Uses critical reading strategies
11. Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of literary devices and critiques the effectiveness of literary devices used in written work
12. Determine author’s tone use of tone and mood
13. Uses critical reading strategies to include questioning, making predictions, connections, inferences, etc.
D. RESEARCH/MEDIA LITERACY
1. Demonstrates proficiency in word processing, publishing and creating data bases
2. Utilizes both print and electronic media resources
3. Identifies persuasive techniques such as bias and propaganda
4. Demonstrates ability to use technology in preparing and presenting projects
5. Evaluates validity and authenticity of on-line sources and texts
6. Cites primary and secondary sources using Modern Language Association (MLA) format
7. Defines the meaning and consequences of plagiarism and follows ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information
8. Evaluates, selects, and uses various media for presentations based on their effectiveness in accomplishing the student’s task and purpose
E. CRITICAL THINKING/STUDY SKILLS
1. Demonstrates ability to use critical thinking techniques and study skills independently
2. Develops knowledge of various testing techniques and terminology
3. Develops most effective study methods for different types of material
4. Develops ability to compare and contrast
5. Develops organized and efficient note taking methods