Modified Language Arts Grades 10-12(Ages 15-21)

Writing

Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process

MLA1.1 Uses prewriting strategies to plan, generate and organize ideas

· 6+1 traits: ideas, organization

· discusses ideas with peers

· draws pictures to generate ideas

· writes key thoughts and questions using graphic organizers

· rehearses ideas (i.e. movies in your mind)

· records reactions and observations, including beginning, middle and end

· plans story to include 1-4 paragraphs

MLA1.2 Uses strategies to draft and revise written work

· 6+1 traits: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions

· rereads own writing with support of staff and technology (i.e. Kurzweil)

· revises text by adding more details

· adds descriptive words and details when prompted

· uses paragraphs to develop separate ideas

· incorporates suggestions from peers and teachers

· cycles through the writing process with support

MLA1.3 Uses strategies to edit and publish written work

· 6+1 traits: organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions

· proofreads using a variety of resources (e.g. conferencing with teacher and peers)

· answers questions about writing

· incorporates illustrations or photos

· shares product at various stages of the cycle

· uses available technology to compose and publish work (e.g. word processor, power point, photo story, publisher)

· presents written work to the class

MLA1.4 Uses writing in a variety of forms or genres

· Personal narrative

· Non-fiction (How To/All About Books)

· Lists

· Personal/Business Letters (includes the following: date, address, greeting, body, closing and signature, addressing envelope)

· Expository Writing (e.g. develops topic with simple facts, details, examples and explanations)

· Autobiographical (e.g. provide some insight into why this incident is memorable)

· Responses to Literature (e.g. summarizes main ideas and significant details; charts a story they read or listens to; relates own ideas to supporting details)

MLA1.5 Uses strategies to organize written work; uses writing strategies for audience

and purpose

· 6+1 traits: organization

· includes a beginning, middle and ending

· uses a sequence of events

· writes for different purposes (e.g. self, peers, teachers, adults)

· writes for a variety of purposes (e.g. to inform, to entertain, to explain, to describe)

Standard 2: Uses style and rhetoric of writing

MLA2.1 Uses descriptive language that clarifies and enhances ideas

· 6+1 traits: word choice

· Provides main ideas and supporting details

MLA2.2 Uses paragraph form in writing

· 6+1 traits: organization

· indents the first word of a paragraph

· uses topic sentences

· recognizes a paragraph as a group of sentences about one main idea

· uses an introductory and concluding paragraph

· writes several related paragraphs

Standard 3: Uses grammar and mechanical conventions in written compositions

MLA3.1 Uses conventions of print

· forms letters in print

· uses upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet

· spaces words and sentences

· writes from left-to-right and top-to-bottom

· includes margins

MLA3.2 Uses parts of speech

· 6+1 traits: conventions, word choice

· nouns for simple objects, family members, community workers, and categories

· verbs for a variety of situations, action words

· adjectives, descriptive words

· adverbs, words that answer how, when, where, and why questions

MLA3.3 Uses conventions of spelling

· 6+1 traits: conventions

· spells high frequency, commonly misspelled words from appropriate grade‑level list

· represents all dominant sounds in a word

· spells basic short vowel, long vowel, r-controlled, and consonant blend patterns

· uses a dictionary and other resources to spell words

· spells own first and last name

MLA3.4 Uses capitalization and punctuation

· 6+1 traits: conventions

· capitalizes first and last names

· capitalizes first word of a sentence

· capitalizes proper nouns (e.g. names of towns, cities, counties and states, days of the week, months of the year, names of streets, names of countries, holidays)

· capitalizes titles of people

· capitalizes heading, salutation and closing of a letter

· writes with end punctuation

· uses a colon between hours and minutes

· uses punctuation in abbreviations

· commas in a series of words

· begins to use quotation marks appropriately

Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes

MLA4.1 Uses a variety of sources to gather information (DO)

· informational books

· pictures

· videos

· television programs

· guest speakers

· internet

· own observation

MLA4.2 Organizes information for a task (DO)

· selects best sources of information

· reads information

· views information through a variety of media

· tells about or discusses related information with others

· takes notes (paraphrases and summarizes information)

· develops graphic organizers

· creates a product

· uses appropriate visual aids and media

· presents information in ways appropriate to task

Reading

Standard 5: Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process

MLA5.1 Understands concepts of print

· understands the use of capitalization and punctuation as text boundaries

MLA5.2 Previews text

· skims material

· uses pictures

MLA5.3 Uses a variety of strategies to aid comprehension

· make predictions

· questioning

· make connections

· visualizing

· previewing (title, cover, headings, captions)

· pictures

· picture captions

· story elements (actions, events, character’s behavior)

MLA5.4 Establishes a purpose for reading

· for information

· for pleasure

· author’s purpose (e.g. to persuade, inform, entertain and describe)

· fact vs. opinion

MLA5.5 Uses basic elements of phonetic analysis to decode unknown words

· common letter/sound relationships

· beginning and ending consonants

· vowel sounds

· blends

· word patterns

MLA5.6 Uses a variety of strategies to aid comprehension

· pre-reading

- makes, confirms, and revises simple predictions

- uses prior knowledge and ideas presented in text

- illustrations

- titles

· during reading

- topic sentences

- key words

- draws conclusions

- makes inferences

· after reading

- confirms predictions

- draws conclusions

- makes inferences

MLA5.7 Uses basic elements of structural analysis to decode unknown words

· syllables

· basic prefixes

· suffixes

· root words

· compound words

· spelling patterns

· contractions

MLA5.8 Uses phonetic and structural analysis to decode unknown words

· syntactic structure

· semantic context

· vowel patterns

· complex word families

· syllabication

· root words

· prefixes

· suffixes

MLA5.9 Understands level-appropriate sight words and vocabulary

· words for persons, places, things, actions

· high frequency words such as said, was, and where (Dolch list)

· synonyms

· antonyms

· homonyms

MLA5.10 Use a variety of strategies to decode unknown words

· context clues

· draws on earlier reading,

· reads ahead

· monitors own reading

MLA5.11 Uses self‑correction strategies

· identifies miscues

· searches for syntax, phonetic, picture cues

· rereads

· asks for help

MLA5.13Uses word reference materials

· glossary

· dictionary

MLA5.14 Reads aloud familiar stories, poems, and passages with fluency and expression

· rhythm

· flow

· tempo

· pitch

· tone

· intonation

MLA5.15 Understands level-appropriate reading vocabulary

· synonyms

· antonyms

· homophones

· multi-meaning words

MLA5.16 Uses personal criteria to select reading material

· personal interest

· knowledge of authors and genres

· text difficulty

· recommendations of others

Standard 6: Uses skills and strategies to understand and interpret literary texts

MLA6.1 Understands and defines a variety of familiar literary passages and texts

· fiction

· nonfiction

· myths

· poems

· biographies/autobiographies

· picture books (System 44 texts)

· predictable books

MLA6.2 Knows and understands basic story elements

· setting

· main characters

· main ideas or theme

· main events

· sequence

· problems and solutions

MLA6.3 Makes simple inferences and draws conclusions

· order of events/knowledge of plot

· possible outcomes

· setting (when and where)

· character’s qualities and actions

· other characters’ responses to a character

MLA6.4 Understands elements of character development in literary works using list

structure

· differences between main and minor characters

· changes that characters undergo

· the importance of a character’s actions

Standard 7: Uses skills and strategies to understand and interpret informational

texts

MLA7.1 Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts

· written directions/procedures

· signs

· captions

· warning labels

· informational books

· textbooks

MLA7.2 Uses parts of a book to locate information

· index

· table of content

· glossary

· chapter titles

· headings

MLA7.3 Summarizes information found in texts

· retells in own words

· relates new information to prior knowledge and experience (KWL Charts)

· distinguishes between fact and opinion

MLA7.4 Understands structural patterns or organization of informational texts

· sequential order

· compare-and-contrast (Venn Diagram)

· cause-and-effect

MLA7.5 Summarizes and paraphrases information in texts

· includes the main idea

· significant supporting details of a reading selection

Listening and Speaking

Standard 8: Uses listening and speaking strategies for different audiences and

purposes

MLA8.1 Makes contributions in class and group discussions

· recounts personal experiences

· reports on ideas and personal knowledge about a topic

· initiates conversations

· connects ideas and experiences with those of others

· asks and responds to questions

· responds to others’ ideas

· gives reasons in support of opinion

· oral presentations

· listens to classmates and adults

· does not interrupt

· faces the speaker

· makes eye contact when speaking

MLA8.2 Follows rules of conversation in a variety of settings

· uses appropriate voice level

· phrasing

· intonation

· takes turns

· raises hand to speak

· stays on topic

· focuses attention on speaker

· reports to the class

MLA8.3 Uses oral presentation skills

· organizes ideas

· conveys clear main point

· expresses ideas in a logical, sequential or chronological manner

MLA8.4 Uses a variety of nonverbal communication skills in oral presentations

· eye contact

· posture

MLA8.5 Recites and responds to familiar stories, poems, and rhymes with patterns

· retells in sequence

· relates information to own life

· describes character, setting, plot

MLA8.6 Listens and understands specific information in spoken texts

· plot details

· main ideas

· supporting details

· story elements

MLA8.7 Listens and responds to a variety of media

· books

· audiotapes

· videos

· internet

Viewing and Media

Standard 9: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media

MLA9.1 Uses a variety of strategies to predict content and meaning in visual media

· uses knowledge of the structure of television programs (news)

· experience that a resolution will be reached and that main characters will overcome difficulties by the end of the video/movie (correlating with novels read in class)

· uses knowledge of cause-and-effect relationships to predict plot development

· pictures

· weather and news reports

· newspaper photographs

· visual narratives

MLA9.2 Understands different messages conveyed through visual media

· main ideas and supporting details

· facts and opinions

MLA9.3 Understands the similarities and differences between real life and life depicted

in visual media

· compares own family and events to families and events represented in films

· knows that there is a difference between a character in a program and the actor

MLA9.4 Understands the use and meaning of images in visual media

· the use of color, such as red to represent emotion, anger or excitement

· the use of expressions (i.e. smiling to mean happiness)

Standard 10: Understands the characteristics and components of the media

MLA10.1 Knows the various types of media and that there are different types of categories

· newspapers

· magazines

· news

· radio

· television

· billboards

MLA10.2 Understands similarities and differences among a variety of media

· ways the internet presents similar information