Course Content
A. Main Idea and Theme
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A.01. Identify the main idea of a simple passage.
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A.02. Identify the main idea of a complex passage with supporting details.
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A.03. Match simple quotations to their corresponding themes.
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A.04. Determine the theme(s) of a short story, providing textual evidence.
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A.05. Analyze how multiple themes interact within a longer work of fiction.
B. Author’s Purpose, Tone, and Perspective
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B.01. Identify the author’s purpose in a straightforward passage.
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B.02. Distinguish between formal and informal tone in sentences.
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B.03. Compare and contrast the tone of two passages.
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B.04. Determine the author’s point of view (first, second, third person).
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B.05. Analyze how an author’s perspective shapes their message.
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B.06. Analyze the impact of word choice on the overall tone and author’s perspective.
C. Text Structure and Literary Devices
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C.01. Identify the text structure (compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution).
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C.02. Match causes and effects in informational texts, justifying your choices.
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C.03. Identify and analyze the use of sensory details in descriptive passages.
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C.04. Interpret the meaning of allusions by connecting them to their source.
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C.05. Classify and analyze the effect of different figures of speech (metaphor, simile, etc.) on meaning and tone.
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C.06. Analyze how complex text structures contribute to the overall meaning and effect.
D. Analyzing Literature and Informational Texts
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D.01. Identify the narrative point of view in a literary text.
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D.02. Draw inferences from literary texts, supporting your inferences with evidence.
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D.03. Analyze a short story considering character development, plot, and theme.
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D.04. Identify and analyze the rhyme scheme of a poem.
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D.05. Analyze informational texts on various topics (animals, science, history), summarizing key information.
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D.06. Compare and contrast information presented in different informational texts on the same topic.
E. Analyzing Arguments and Comparing Texts
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E.01. Trace the main argument in a simple text.
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E.02. Evaluate the effectiveness of an argument, identifying its strengths and weaknesses.
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E.03. Compare and contrast information from two related texts.
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E.04. Compare two texts with different genres, noting similarities and differences in style and approach.
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E.05. Analyze the use of rhetorical devices (ethos, pathos, logos) in persuasive arguments.
F. Novel and Nonfiction Book Studies
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F.01. Analyze passages from A Long Walk to Water (Part 1 and Part 2), focusing on character development and theme.
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F.02. Analyze passages from Anne of Green Gables (Part 1 and Part 2), focusing on setting and character relationships.
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F.03. Analyze passages from Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (Part 1 and Part 2), considering historical context.
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F.04. Analyze passages from A Night to Remember (Part 1 and Part 2), analyzing narrative structure and perspective.
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F.05. Compare and contrast the narrative styles and themes across the novels studied.
G. Visual Elements and Research Skills
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G.01. Compare illustrations of literary and historical subjects, analyzing their effectiveness.
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G.02. Interpret information presented in various graphic organizers.
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G.03. Identify relevant sources for research projects.
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G.04. Evaluate newspaper headlines for bias and accuracy.
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G.05. Properly cite sources using MLA 8th-9th edition format (in-text citations and Works Cited page).
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G.06. Understand and avoid plagiarism.
H. Expository Writing
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H.01. Order topics logically from broadest to narrowest scope.
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H.02. Organize information effectively by topic, creating a coherent structure.
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H.03. Identify and remove irrelevant sentences from a paragraph.
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H.04. Write clear and concise expository paragraphs on assigned topics.
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H.05. Develop strong thesis statements for expository essays.
I. Persuasive and Opinion Writing
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I.01. Distinguish clearly between facts and opinions.
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I.02. Identify the thesis statement in a persuasive essay.
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I.03. Select relevant evidence to support claims in persuasive writing.
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I.04. Identify and address counterclaims effectively.
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I.05. Identify and analyze appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in advertisements and persuasive texts.
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I.06. Recognize and classify common logical fallacies.
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I.07. Develop well-supported arguments with clear transitions and logical flow.
J. Descriptive and Creative Writing
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J.01. Use personification effectively in descriptive writing.
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J.02. Create varied sentence structures based on provided models.
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J.03. Revise sentences to incorporate stronger verbs and more precise language.
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J.04. Develop vivid and engaging descriptive paragraphs.
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J.05. Write creative narratives with well-developed characters and plots.
K. Identifying and Using Text Evidence
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K.01. Identify supporting details in informational texts.
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K.02. Identify supporting details in literary texts and explain their significance.
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K.03. Integrate textual evidence effectively into written responses.
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K.04. Analyze how evidence supports claims and conclusions.
L. Writing Clearly, Concisely, and Correctly
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L.01. Use conjunctive adverbs to create smooth transitions between sentences.
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L.02. Use parallel structure to create balanced and coherent sentences.
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L.03. Remove redundant words and phrases to improve clarity and conciseness.
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L.04. Apply effective editing and revising strategies to refine writing.
M. Editing and Revising
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M.01. Correct errors involving frequently confused words (e.g., there, their, they’re).
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M.02. Correct errors in punctuation (e.g., commas, semicolons, colons).
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M.03. Correct errors related to capitalization and formatting.
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M.04. Suggest appropriate revisions to improve clarity, style, and coherence.
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M.05. Proofread and edit for grammatical accuracy and mechanical correctness.
N. Vocabulary: Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots
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N.01. Identify and define common prefixes (pre-, re-, sub-, mis-, un-, dis-, in-, im-, non-).
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N.02. Identify and define common suffixes (-ful, -less, -able, -ible).
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N.03. Use Greek and Latin roots to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words.
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N.04. Use context clues to understand the meaning of words containing prefixes, suffixes, or roots.
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N.05. Apply knowledge of word origins to expand vocabulary and improve comprehension.
O. Vocabulary: Synonyms, Antonyms, and Homophones
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O.01. Choose the appropriate synonym or antonym for a given word.
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O.02. Identify and use the correct homophone in context.
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O.03. Distinguish between positive and negative connotations of words.
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O.04. Understand and use academic vocabulary in context (informational texts).
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O.05. Apply vocabulary knowledge to improve writing precision and effectiveness.
P. Vocabulary: Analogies and Context Clues
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P.01. Interpret analogies and explain their relationships.
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P.02. Use context clues (synonyms, antonyms, definitions) to determine word meanings.
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P.03. Apply diverse vocabulary strategies to understand complex texts.
Q. Reference Skills
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Q.01. Use alphabetical order to locate words in dictionaries and thesauruses.
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Q.02. Use guide words to efficiently locate words in dictionaries and thesauruses.
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Q.03. Interpret and apply information from dictionary and thesaurus entries.
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Q.04. Utilize reference materials effectively for research and writing tasks.
R. Grammar and Mechanics: Sentences, Fragments, and Run-ons
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R.01. Identify sentence types (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory).
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R.02. Identify the complete subject and complete predicate of a sentence.
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R.03. Identify the simple subject and simple predicate of a sentence.
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R.04. Identify and correct sentence fragments and run-on sentences.
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R.05. Distinguish between complete sentences, fragments, and run-ons.
S. Grammar and Mechanics: Phrases and Clauses
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S.01. Distinguish between phrases and clauses.
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S.02. Identify appositives and appositive phrases.
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S.03. Identify dependent and independent clauses.
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S.04. Identify sentence types (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex).
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S.05. Combine sentences using relative clauses to improve sentence fluency.
T. Grammar and Mechanics: Nouns and Pronouns
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T.01. Form and use plural and possessive nouns correctly.
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T.02. Identify and correct errors with plural and possessive nouns.
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T.03. Identify pronouns and their antecedents.
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T.04. Ensure pronoun-antecedent agreement in number and person.
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T.05. Identify and correct vague pronoun references.
U. Grammar and Mechanics: Pronoun Types and Verb Types
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U.01. Choose correctly between subject and object pronouns.
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U.02. Use reflexive and intensive pronouns correctly.
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U.03. Use relative pronouns (who, whom, whose, which, that) appropriately.
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U.04. Identify transitive and intransitive verbs.
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U.05. Identify linking verbs, predicate adjectives, and predicate nouns.
V. Grammar and Mechanics: Subject-Verb Agreement and Verb Tense
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V.01. Correct errors in subject-verb agreement.
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V.02. Correct errors in subject-verb agreement with indefinite pronouns.
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V.03. Use the correct verb tense in various sentence structures.
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V.04. Correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
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V.05. Form and use progressive and perfect verb tenses.
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V.06. Identify gerunds and infinitives and understand their functions in sentences.
W. Grammar and Mechanics: Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositions
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W.01. Identify adjectives and adverbs.
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W.02. Choose between adjectives and adverbs.
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W.03. Order multiple adjectives correctly within a phrase.
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W.04. Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs correctly.
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W.05. Identify prepositional phrases and understand their function in sentences.
X. Grammar and Mechanics: Direct and Indirect Objects, Conjunctions, and Modifiers
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X.01. Identify direct and indirect objects.
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X.02. Use correlative conjunctions correctly.
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X.03. Identify and correct misplaced or dangling modifiers.
Y. Grammar and Mechanics: Punctuation
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Y.01. Use commas correctly in various situations (series, dates, places, compound/complex sentences, etc.).
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Y.02. Use semicolons and colons appropriately.
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Y.03. Use dashes, hyphens, and ellipses correctly.
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Y.04. Use correct punctuation with restrictive and nonrestrictive elements.
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Y.05. Apply punctuation rules to improve clarity and readability.
Z. Grammar and Mechanics: Capitalization and Formatting
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Z.01. Use correct capitalization rules.
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Z.02. Capitalize titles correctly (books, articles, etc.).
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Z.03. Format titles, addresses, quotations, and dialogue correctly.
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Z.04. Apply formatting conventions to enhance the presentation of written work.
