Language Arts/English Curriculum Frameworks - Albemarle County ...

Albemarle County Public Schools 

English Language Arts Curriculum Framework 

2006 

This curriculum represents the collective thinking of numerous individuals who have dedicated themselves 

to research and conversation on and about English language arts over the past three academic years, 

2003-2006. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006

Language Arts Vertical Team 2005-06 

Debbie Baker ………………..….. Monticello High School 

Janice Eiden ………………………. Baker-Butler Elementary School 

Pete Fiddner …………………….… Brownsville Elementary School 

Michelle Hall ……................. Woodbrook Elementary School 

Dr. Sujatha Hampton ……….. Office of Instruction 

Natasha Heny, NBCT ………… Albemarle High School 

Michelle Hurst …………………… Walton Middle School 

Lynda Monahan …………………. Jouett Middle School 

Carrie Neeley …………………….. Office of Instruction 

MegCarolyn Remesz ………… Burley Middle School 

Debbie Shelor ……………………. Greer Elementary School 

Courtney Stewart…………………Office of Instruction 

Elizabeth Thompson …………. Henley Middle School 

Emily VanNoy …………………….. Sutherland Middle School 

Sandra Whitaker, NBCT ……. Office of Instruction 

Heather Williams ……………… Western Albemarle High School 

Over the last three years, some team members have rotated off the Language Arts Vertical Team to 

pursue other opportunities. Their contributions, however, are still reflected in this curriculum. 

2004-05 Team Members 

Alison Dwier-Selden, Office of Instruction 

Kathy Sublette, Western Albemarle High School 

2003-04 Team Members 

Emily Morrison, Western Albemarle High School 

Patti Parmiter, Sutherland Middle School 

Kathy Sublette, Western Albemarle High School 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006

Table of Contents 

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………………………………………i 

Philosophy Statement……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….1 

Framework for Quality Learning (FQL) Framing Statement……………………………………………………………………..….…4 

Concepts and Enduring Understandings………………………………………………………………………………………..……………..…7 

Habits of Mind ……….………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………..8 

Concept Spiraling………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9 

Morphemic Structure…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 

Grammar………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 

Genre………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12 

Cultural Context…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..13 

Etymology………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14 

Author’s Craft………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..15 

Author’s Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………16 

Research………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….17 

Literary Elements…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….18 

Style……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..19 

Syntax…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….20 

Theme…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….21 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006 i

About the Reading Maps…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……22 

About the Writing Maps……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……23 

Grade-level Articulation: Course description, reading map, writing map 

Kindergarten………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………24 

1 st Grade……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….26 

2 nd Grade……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………28 

3 rd Grade…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………30 

4 th Grade………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..32 

5 th Grade……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….34 

6 th Grade – Communication in Language and Literature…………………………………………………………………….36 

7 th Grade – Change & Continuity in Language and Literature…………………………………………………………...43 

8 th Grade – Universality in Language and Literature…………………………………………………………………………..50 

9 th Grade – Comparative Study of World Literature I: Ancient and Classical Worlds…………………………57 

10 th Grade – Comparative Study of World Literature II: Medieval to Modern Times………………………..63 

11 th Grade – American Studies………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…69 

12 th Grade – History of the English Language through British & World Literature…………………………….73 

Language! Program……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….79 

Appendices 

Lifelong Learner Standards……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..A 

ASPIRE……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..B 

Literacy Classroom “Look-fors”…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…C 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006 ii

Language! Program Correlations…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….D 

Rubrics…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………..E 

State Writing Rubrics 

Albemarle County Reading Rubrics 

Albemarle County Web Site Rubric 

Genre Definitions………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…F 

Technology Resources/Database Subscriptions…………………………………………………………………………………….G 

Useful Web Sites……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..H 

Students 

Teachers 

Mythology Spiral Example…………………………............................................................……………………..I 

Albemarle County Public Schools Challenged Books & Guidelines for Use……………………………………………J 

Annotated Bibliography………………………………………….………………………….………………………….……………………….K 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006 iii

Executive Summary 

The study of language and literature is complex, requiring students to access multiple facets of language 

simultaneously and to apply those facets to the experience at hand – be it reading, writing, listening, or 

speaking. This document is intended to offer structure to that instruction. 

This standards-based, concept-centered curriculum seeks to guarantee that all students, regardless of 

proficiency, will be able to access the concepts that reside at the very core of English language arts (Goal 

II: Eliminate the achievement gap). Those concepts, then, become the non-negotiables, and the related 

texts and activities become the means by which students explore the concepts. As such, students at any 

level should connect learning to each of the enduring understandings and concepts, and their depth of 

understanding should increase throughout their lives. 

Moreover, this curriculum spirals throughout a child’s school experience, thus acknowledging that in 

language arts, much of the content must become automatic skill in order for the learner to access more 

sophisticated content. It addresses the facets of language arts instruction – fluency, comprehension, 

writing, and word study – that must come together for a child to truly access the richness of language. 

The spiraling nature of the curriculum both embeds and extends the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) 

for English Language Arts. Teachers should access those standards and the Virginia SOL Curriculum 

Framework for the discrete skills and essential knowledge required for each grade. However, the SOL are 

minimum requirements for proficiency; this curriculum articulates requirements beyond that minimum for 

lifelong learning (Goal II). 

While this curriculum framework spirals concepts, it also takes into consideration the level of 

sophistication with which learners engage with text and as writers. The notion of “complexity,” while 

interpretative must also be clearly articulated. Therefore, the stages of reading and stages of writing 

sections give teachers an indication of how students ought to perform. In 2006-07, the vertical team will 

articulate specific benchmarks (Goal II) to ensure that performance standards are measured 

systematically across schools. Additionally, the team has included one spiral, Appendix I, to demonstrate 

how “level of sophistication” and “complexity” change throughout a child’s learning. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006 i

In addition to directly responding to the Albemarle County School Board goal of eliminating the 

achievement gap, this articulation also addresses Goal I: Prepare all students to succeed as members of a 

global community and global economy, and Goal IV: Achieve recognition as a world-class educational 

system. Teachers will notice that this articulation requires students to achieve beyond the Virginia 

Standards of Learning. Most notably, all of the process of research requirements have been shifted to 

middle school, thus allowing students to actively use their research skills within content area instruction in 

high school. The ninth- and tenth-grade courses have been aligned to mirror students’ work in social 

studies and to include more diverse perspectives and literature, including an emphasis on comparative 

analysis of Western and Eastern literature. These changes, among others, move Albemarle County Public 

Schools in front of the national trend in language arts instruction. 

This curriculum framework is intended to be dynamic, allowing for change as new research becomes 

available. Although complete in its articulation, this document will continue to evolve as work across the 

division affects the language arts classroom. As such, the language arts vertical team anticipates adding 

benchmarks, assessment information, exemplar lessons and units designed through the Framework for 

Quality Learning, and instructional strategy resources in the 2006-07 school year. As teachers begin to 

work with this curriculum framework, we also anticipate changes to the lists of notable works and authors. 

This continued work will be completed in conjunction with and/or parallel to the work of other division 

teams, thus acknowledging that no one group or document reflects every aspect of curriculum, 

instruction, and assessment. 

This work reflects three years of research and conversation among language arts vertical team members, 

teachers throughout the division, professors at The University of Virginia, and other experts in the field. 

Many professional organizations and resources contributed to the thinking behind the conversation, 

including but not limited to National Council for Teachers of English, International Reading Association, 

American Library Association, and The College Board. Textual resources are referenced in the annotated 

bibliography included in the appendices. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006 ii

English Language Arts 

Curriculum Framework 

Language is the essential condition of knowing, 

the process by which experience becomes knowledge. 

-Michael Halliday 

Philosophy 

Language gives people access to the richness of life. It is for this reason that authors write about the 

world in which they live and those things about which they wonder. It is for this reason that literature 

becomes timeless through universal themes that cross cultural boundaries. 

Because language is fundamental for all other learning, educators in Albemarle County Public Schools 

must provide children access to rigorous, high-quality curriculum. The English language arts curriculum 

allows children to explore the many facets that construct the richness of language and the many genres 

through which authors express ideas about the world. In doing so, children must grapple with the big 

ideas contained in the structures of language and the complexities of text, through reading, writing, and 

speaking. In doing this, children will explore what it means to think about language and literature and to 

think through language and literature. 

Systems of Language 

The pervasive nature of language in life requires that children have access to those experiences that will 

infuse language instruction throughout the curriculum. Furthermore, children must acquire precise 

language to clearly communicate their ideas. 

• As language is a tool for learning in all curricular areas, it must be taught in conjunction with and 

as appropriate to each discipline. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006 1

• We must recognize each child’s previous exposure to and understanding of language to enrich 

lexical knowledge. 

• Children must play with words, including exploration of word formations, multiple meanings, and 

etymology. 

• Children must apply patterns of language to convey and evaluate meaning. 

Experience of Language 

The complexities of text necessitate direct instruction in reading and writing, text structures, and the art 

of interpretation. If children are to become lifelong readers, writers, and critical thinkers, they must also 

read and write for enjoyment. 

• Choice is a powerful motivator. 

• Children must have opportunities for both subjective (recreational) and objective (academic) reading 

with texts at their independent and instructional levels. 

• Children must understand various text structures and critically evaluate those structures as readers, 

writers, and speakers. 

• Comparative studies of literature and universal themes afford all children access to high-level 

discourse about the human experience. 


Appreciation for Language 

Reading, writing, and speaking are largely subjective; therefore, children must appreciate the intricacies 

of author’s craft and the figurative and literal ways in which ideas are expressed. Because this aesthetic 

appreciation allows language and literature to endure the vagaries of culture and time, children must have 

opportunities to develop their own voices and to appreciate the multiple perspectives of diverse cultures 

and a global community. 

• Language and literature study must be relevant to students’ lives and afford students avenues to 

stretch their understanding of the world. 

• Children must appreciate that the written word chronicles the human experience and endures over 

time. 

• Every person has a voice worthy of expression. 


Framework for Quality Learning 

Introduction 

The study of English Language Arts should integrate opportunities for reading, writing, speaking, and 

research through the study of language and world literature. Because students’ understanding of the 

complexities of language deepens with cognitive development, the concepts in English Language Arts 

should spiral incrementally throughout a child’s school experience. The English Language Arts curriculum 

is standards-based and concept-centered; units and lessons are organized around important ideas and 

conceptual themes, thereby enabling students to dig deeper into the dynamics of language and the 

breadth of literature through increased sophistication and critical thought that reflects student 

development. Students explore five interdisciplinary concepts (systems, change and continuity, 

communication, aesthetics, and universality) and the correlating concepts for language arts. In this way, 

students examine the structure of our morphophonemic language and literary genres as they relate to the 

larger system of languages, and how our language and literature have evolved. As readers, writers, and 

speakers, students learn the art of author’s craft and the multiple purposes and structures for 

communicating thoughts about the world in which we live. The importance of communication and 

universality are emphasized as students discover and hone their own voices and contribute their 

perspectives on the human experience. 

Content knowledge identified in the Virginia Standards of Learning provides the spiraling articulation to 

explore key concepts, and instruction is inquiry-based with emphasis placed on students’ ability to raise 

and answer important literacy questions. Students work toward county Lifelong-Learner Standards 

(Appendix A) that prepare them to meet the challenges of the 21 st Century. Connections to present-day 

realities and an increasingly global society are consistently made as students apply their knowledge and 

skills to authentic experiences. 

Elementary school students participate in language arts instruction that is balanced and comprehensive, 

containing a steady daily learning diet comprised of fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, writing, and 

word study. In the primary grades, students focus on learning to read, write, and develop foundational 

literacy skills, with emphasis on the system of language. Teachers also introduce important literary 

concepts that allow students to become confident readers and writers with a variety of text structures. In 


the upper elementary grades, students transition from learning to read to reading to learn, with emphasis 

on oral and written communication. 

Middle school students explore the language arts through five interdisciplinary concepts and the 

correlating language arts concepts, with emphasis on systems. A focus on systems reinforces students’ 

developmental processes in word study and fluency and their continued growth as readers and writers. 

Each grade also uses a second concept as a focusing lens through which students gain deeper 

understanding of elements of language and literature. Sixth-grade students experience English language 

arts through exploration of communication and author’s craft. Seventh-grade curriculum across disciplines 

provides many natural connections through the concept of change and continuity; therefore, seventhgrade 

language arts students investigate the concept of change and continuity in language and literature. 

Eighth-grade students focus on universality and expressing their own voices as part of the human 

experience. 

High school students both manipulate language and evaluate language usage to deepen their 

understanding of language arts concepts and their appreciation of the aesthetic aspects of the written 

word. The ninth- and tenth-grade curricula are comparative studies of genres and world literature. Ninthgrade 

students focus on the literature of the ancient and classical worlds, and tenth-grade students study 

literature from medieval to present times. Eleventh-grade students participate in an American Studies 

curriculum that merges American history and American literature through the lens of the American 

narrative. Seniors have many options with Advanced Placement and dual enrollment opportunities. 

Seniors who study the Albemarle County curriculum explore the evolution of the English language through 

British literature. 

Rigor and Expectations 

All students will learn at higher levels of achievement. To ensure success, students must be able to read 

strategically, write analytically, and think critically and creatively. Reading, writing, and the development 

of metacognitive and other higher-order thinking skills are emphasized in this curriculum and are 

integrated into all units. 


Lifelong-Learner Standards 

Lifelong-Learner Standards set expectations for how students learn, analyze information, and 

communicate, and are designed to provide students with a foundation for lifelong inquiry and learning. 

Lifelong-Learner Standards are tied to grade level assessments. A complete listing of the standards is 

included in the Appendix. 

Concept-Centered Instruction 

Learning is organized around major, transferable concepts that allow students to deepen their 

understanding of English Language Arts. Concepts provide both a lens for making sense of a wide body of 

knowledge and a framework for organizing and prioritizing information. Disciplinary concepts organize 

units of study within each course or across a subject area. Concept maps are included in this curriculum 

framework to show how these concepts connect to each other, spiral throughout the vertical curriculum, 

and incorporate the Virginia Standards of Learning for English Language Arts. Standards-based, conceptcentered 

instruction ensures that all students learn more than discrete facts; they engage in higher-order 

thinking to examine systems of language, communication, and universal themes. 

Assessment 

Assessment is both formative and summative, allowing teachers and students to assess conceptual 

understandings, content knowledge, and skills development. Formative assessments occur as part of each 

unit of study and provide both teachers and students with information about student mastery of material 

taught. Formative assessments give teachers information needed to adjust and monitor instruction and to 

address individual and class weaknesses. Students are encouraged to take ownership of their own learning 

and to monitor their own strengths and weaknesses from planning to learn to the evaluative stage. 

Summative assessments are directly linked to demonstration of growth in the county Lifelong-Learner 

Standards and the English Language Arts habits of mind. Both formative and summative assessments are 

differentiated and vary in format with an emphasis on writing and evaluative skills. 


Language Arts Concepts and Enduring Understandings 

Interdisciplinary 

Concepts 

Systems 

Change & 

Continuity 

Communication 

Aesthetics 

Universality 

Language Arts Concepts 

Morphemic Structure 

Grammar 

Genre 

Cultural Context 

Etymology 

Author’s Craft 

Author’s Purpose 

Research 

Literary Elements 

Style 

Syntax 

Theme/ 

• Search for Identity 

• Coming of Age 

• Cooperation vs. Isolation 

• Honoring the Historical Past 

• Tolerance of the Atypical 

• Search for Knowledge 

• Epic Journey 

• Battle Between Good & Evil 

Enduring Understandings 

• Language is a system of discrete patterns and symbols, 

including words, letters, grammar, and syntax. 

• The purpose of a language, as a system, is to create 

meaning. 

• Systems and structures define the various genres. 

• Language is dynamic – multiple factors affect the 

evolution of language. 

• Change and continuity in language and literature 

reflect individual and societal evolution. 

• Communication is making or conveying meaning. 

• Language is intentional – a tool for processing and 

communicating one’s ideas about the world. 

• All reading, writing, and speaking centers around 

audience and the desired effect on that audience. 

• Beauty is cultural and individual. 

• Words are powerful. 

• Ideas are communicated figuratively and complexly. 

• Tone, mood, and voice enhance the subjective 

experience of language. 

• Certain themes pervade literature. 

• Individual, cultural, and societal connections enrich 

literature. 

• Historical and cultural contexts enhance understanding. 

• Certain works transcend their historical and cultural 

contexts. 


Language Arts Habits of Mind 

Habits of Mind are the metacognitive processes of scholars working in the discipline. A scholar in English 

language arts: 

• Understands and appreciates how literature both reflects and contributes to culture. 

• Sees reading and writing as inextricably connected, reading print through the eyes of a writer and 

writing with the eyes of a reader. 

• Searches for meaning in literature that can enrich and illuminate other texts, the reader’s own life, 

and the world in which we live. 

• Reads to understand both the influences of other texts upon the text at hand and the author’s 

perception of his/her world. 

• Seeks patterns or themes in written works. 

• Reads and writes with empathy, identifying alternate points of view even if s/he does not agree with 

them. 

• Is metacognitive of his/her personal processes in reading and writing, thus able to monitor and 

control his/her own reading and writing processes. 

• Is persistent with challenging texts and ideas, employing appropriate strategies to derive meaning. 

• Reads and writes to master the art of language usage and to demonstrate his/her personal 

interpretations of text, theme, and human experience. 

• Uses specific tools to write more effectively. 


Concept Spiraling 

Spiraling the language arts concepts provides readers a visual interpretation of how the concepts in 

English language arts continue to grow throughout a child’s education and into higher education and/or 

the workplace. Because of the nature of the components in English language arts – reading, writing, 

viewing, and speaking – students must learn concepts and content and then transfer that learning into 

automatic skills. By doing this, students are able to access the next layer of concepts and content, which 

then become automatic skills, and so on. Thus, growth in English language arts relates largely to the level 

of sophistication within each of the components. The following documents demonstrate how enduring 

understandings, the big ideas that all children must master, are translated into instruction and learning at 

various stages of a child’s development. 

The spiraling documents are not intended to replace the Virginia Standards of Learning or to be 

interpreted as complete curriculum. Rather, they offer guidelines and sample essential understandings and 

essential questions to guide instruction to readers. 

The documents are organized by interdisciplinary concept and then language arts concept, allowing the 

reader to make connections within English language arts and across disciplines. It is imperative to 

recognize that none of the concepts is intended to be taught in isolation. The teaching of language and 

literature is a complex endeavor, one that involves recognizing multiple aspects of one concept. For this 

reason, teachers must be artful practitioners who weave the components of language arts together for 

students to gain depth of understanding of the individual components and the discipline as a whole. 


Systems: 

Morphemic Structure 


• Language is a system of discrete patterns and symbols, including words, 

letters, grammar, and syntax. 

• The purpose of a language, as a system, is to create meaning. 

• Systems and structures define the various genre. 

9-12: 

Apply knowledge of morphemes to 

use Latin roots and Greek 

combining forms to aid in 

comprehension and to increase 

reading and writing fluency. Use 

prefixes and suffixes to help 

determine word meaning. Evaluate 

the influence of other languages on 

the structure of English. 

Essential Understandings 

• Words are composed of meaningful parts. 

• English words are derived from and influenced by other languages. 

• Morphemes affect the spelling, patterns, usage, and pronunciation of 

various words. 

• Words are related to other words. 

Essential Questions: 

• How does morphemic knowledge help readers decode unfamiliar words 

while reading 

• Why does morphemic knowledge aid in reading comprehension 

• How does morphemic knowledge aid in listening comprehension 

• How does morphemic knowledge inform spelling 

• How does morphemic knowledge aid in reading and writing fluency 

6-8: 

Apply knowledge morphemes to use 

Latin roots and Greek combining 

forms to aid in comprehension and 

spelling. Use prefixes and suffixes 

to help determine word meaning. 

Discriminate between multiple 

meanings. 

3-5: 

Understand and apply the concept 

of prefixes and suffixes for verb 

tense, part of speech, and plurals. 

Recognize apostrophes as 

morphemes. Move through the 

word study stages of letter-name, 

within word, syllable juncture, and 

derivational constancy. 

K-2: 

Understand that sounds combine to 

make words and same sounds 

(usually) have the same structure. 

Identify and use word families to 

aid in comprehension and spelling. 

Move through the word study 

stages of letter-name, within word, 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006 syllable juncture, and derivational 10 

constancy.

Systems: Grammar 







• The ultimate purpose of grammar is to convey meaning. 

• Grammatical conventions exist for effective communication. 

• Grammatically correct language contributes to the meaning of text. 


• Why must writers follow “rules” in their work 

• How do grammatical conventions help make communication powerful 

and meaningful 

• How do readers and writers use their knowledge of grammar to facilitate 

comprehension 

• How does an author manipulate grammatical conventions to effect 

meaning 

• How does a reader use grammatical conventions to extract meaning 

from a text 

9-12: 

Apply appropriate use of semicolon 

and colon, and phrases and 

clauses (appositive & adjective). 

Write using and evaluate 

effectiveness of various sentence 

structures – simple, compound, 

and complex. Evaluate roles of 

parts of speech and describe 

those acting in non-typical roles. 

6-8: 

Apply appropriate use of dialogue, 

quotes, commas, and independent 

and dependent clauses. Apply 

knowledge of parts of speech to 

vary sentence structure to include 

simple and compound sentences. 

Identify prepositions and use 

prepositional phrases to expand 

writing. 

3-5: 

Identify grammatical conventions 

associated with dialogue and 

quotations. Identify and correct 

sentence fragments and run-ons. 

Apply comma rules. Identify, 

define, and understand the roles 

of adjectives, adverbs, 

interjections, and conjunctions. 

K-2: 

Understand and apply concepts of 

word and sentence. Use 

appropriate capitalization and end 

punctuation. Identify, define, and 

understand the role of nouns, 

verbs, and pronouns. 


Systems: Genre 







• Genres serve specific purposes. 

• Texts can be classified by genre. 

• Authors use specific genre to convey meaning to the audience. 

• The structure of a genre sets the schema for understanding. 

• Identifying and understanding features of genre enhances 

comprehension and appreciation of text structure. 


• How are texts in a genre defined 

• What elements determine a text’s genre 

• What is the difference between fiction and nonfiction 

• How does knowing the features of a genre prepare a reader for the text 

• How does writing in a particular genre help an author convey a 

message 

• Why do authors choose to write in a specific genre 

• How do authors determine which genre best fits their purpose 

• How would genre impact multiple texts on the same topic 

9-12: 

Evaluate an author’s use of 

genre to convey meaning. 

Compare and contrast literary 

works within and across various 

genre. Apply knowledge of 

genre in writing for a variety of 

purposes and audiences and 

defend choice of genre selected. 

6-8: 

Apply knowledge of genre to aid 

in comprehension and to 

analyze author’s purpose. 

Compare and contrast literary 

works within and across various 

genre. Plan writing for a specific 

topic in two or more genre and 

analyze the impact of each. 

3-5: 

Identify features of various 

genre (menu, picture book, 

short story, chapter book, 

fiction, nonfiction, poetry, 

drama) and use those features 

to aid in comprehension. 

Compare same-subject texts in 

two genre. Write in multiple 

genre. 

K-2: 

Identify the genre of a text to be 

read. Make predictions about 

text based on its features/genre. 

Apply elements of various genre 

to writing. 


Change and Continuity: 

Cultural Context 


• Language is dynamic – multiple factors affect the evolution of language. 

• Change and continuity in language and literature reflect individual and 

societal evolution. 

9-12: 

Engage in author studies to evaluate 

the impact of cultural context on the 

text at hand and across texts. Write 

literary criticism. Evaluate form of 

criticism. 


• An author’s cultural context affects his or her perspective and, thus, his or 

her writing. 

• An author’s frame of reference influences his or her message. 

• A reader’s or listener’s experiences affect understanding and enjoyment. 

• Understanding historical and cultural context enhances and emphasizes 

meaning. 


• How is an author’s cultural context reflected in his/her writing 

• How does an author demonstrate bias 

• Why is an author’s cultural context important 

• How does a reader’s experiences change the text at hand 

6-8: 

Write personal narratives and 

narratives from multiple 

perspectives/points of view. Analyze 

author’s bias. 

3-5: 

Write personal narratives. Engage in 

author studies to explore cultural 

context and author bias. Analyze 

multiple perspectives and author’s 

purpose. 

K-2: 

Build background knowledge to bring 

to text and make personal 

connections with text. Demonstrate 

empathy for characters. Write 

personal narratives. Engage in author 

studies. 


Change and Continuity: 

Etymology 


• Language is dynamic – multiple factors affect the evolution of language. 

• Change and continuity in language and literature reflect individual and 

societal evolution. 


• The study of word origins informs contemporary usage. 

• Words have connotative and denotative meanings. 

• Word meanings can change over time. 

• Words become obsolete or incorporated into language to accommodate 

social and contemporary knowledge. 


• Why do words become obsolete 

• Why are words added to a language 

• How do the differences between a word’s connotative meaning and 

denotative meanings affect its usage 

• Why is language both fluid and dynamic 

9-12: 

Apply knowledge of multiple meanings, 

connotation, and denotation to reading, 

listening, speaking, and writing. Trace 

words back to their original language. 

Evaluate the influence of other languages 

on the structure and usage of English. 

6-8: 

Apply knowledge of multiple meanings in 

reading and writing. Explore idioms for 

meaning and origin. Evaluate language 

usage for connotative and denotative 

meanings. Study Latin roots and Greek 

combining forms to aid in comprehension 

and to parse language into meaningful 

parts. Evaluate the influence of romance 

languages on the structure of English. 

Use dictionaries and thesauri to 

investigate words and to select 

appropriate synonyms. 

3-5: 

Apply knowledge of multiple meanings in 

reading and writing. Compare and 

contrast obsolete and contemporary 

words, particularly related to reading. 

Begin to study Latin roots and Greek 

combining forms. Use a dictionary to 

investigate words. 

K-2: 

Understand that words can have multiple 

meanings. Compare and contrast 

obsolete and contemporary words, 

particularly related to reading. 


Communication: 

Author’s Craft 



• Language is intentional – a tool for processing and communicating 

one’s ideas about the world. 

• All reading and writing centers around audience and the desired 

effect on that audience. 


• Authors choose precise language to convey meaning. 

• Authors write to a specific audience. 

• Authors craft their writing to create a specific meaning. 

• Authors use literary devices to create an overall tone and mood in 

their writing. 

• Authors have individual voices. 


• How do authors select specific vocabulary to convey meaning 

• How do pieces on the same topic vary in tone, mood, and voice 

• Why do authors use different literary devices 

• How does a reader’s own biases impact the author’s message 

• How does an author purposefully shape and control language to 

demonstrate awareness of the intended audience 

9-12: 

Evaluate the author’s use of structure 

and literary devices to meet his 

specific purpose. Evaluate author’s 

craft on its own merit, including word 

choice and images presented in text. 

Evaluate the overall effectiveness of 

mood, tone, and voice. Retell stories 

altering mood, tone, and voice. 

Speak and write using a variety of 

literary devices and precise language. 

6-8: 

Apply knowledge of tone, mood, and 

voice to interpret selections and 

whole texts. Analyze author’s craft in 

relation to author’s purpose. Analyze 

author’s craft for its own merit. Write 

using a variety of literary devices. 

Speak and write using precise 

language. 

3-5: 

Identify features tone, mood, and 

voice in a text. Relate author’s craft 

to author’s purpose. Interpret 

imagery and other precise language 

presented in text. Speak and write 

using precise language. 

K-2: 

Identify powerful words in a piece of 

writing. Speak and write using 

precise language. 


Communication: 

Author’s Purpose 



• Language is intentional – a tool for processing and communicating 

one’s ideas about the world. 

• All reading and writing centers around audience and the desired 

effect on that audience. 


• Authors deliberately select a text structure that moves their 

purpose forward and to convey meaning. 

• Authors write to a specific audience. 

• Authors craft their writing around a specific purpose. 

• Readers interpret an author’s purpose based on structure, 

language, and other literary devices the author used. 


• How do authors use text structure to convey meaning 

• How do pieces on the same topic vary in meaning because of the 

structure used 

• How does a reader determine the audience the author had in mind 

while writing 

• Why do authors use different literary devices 

• How does a reader’s own biases impact the author’s message 

9-12: 

Evaluate the author’s use of structure 

and literary devices to meet his 

specific purpose. Read across text 

structures and evaluate effectiveness 

of each for a variety of audiences and 

purposes. Write for a variety of 

audiences and purposes, including 

narration, information, research, 

persuasion, direction, and business. 

6-8: 

Apply knowledge of text structures to 

evaluate the author’s purpose and use 

of structure to meet that purpose. 

Identify literary devices used to create 

an argument. Compare and contrast 

topics across a variety of structures to 

determine effectiveness. Write for a 

variety of audiences and purposes, 

including narration, information, 

research, and persuasion. 

3-5: 

Identify features of a text and apply it 

to the author’s purpose. Use text 

features to aid in comprehension. 

Identify the audience for a text. Write 

for a variety of audiences and 

purposes, including narration, 

information, and persuasion. 

K-2: 

Identify the differences in narrative 

and nonfiction text structures. Ask why 

the author wrote the book or story. 

Write for narrative and informational 

purposes. 


Communication: Research 



• Language is intentional – a tool for processing and communicating one’s 

ideas about the world. 

• All reading and writing centers around audience and the desired effect on 

that audience. 


• Research requires identifying, evaluating, and synthesizing information 

to substantiate a thesis or hypothesis. 

• Conducting research is one way of learning about the world. 

• Multiple factors influence the credibility of a source. 

• Distinct formats for using and citing sources convey meaning to others in 

the field of study. 

• Ethical guidelines protect both the original author and the researcher. 

9-12: 

Conduct ethical research to substantiate 

a thesis and evaluate how new 

information might affect the thesis. 

Evaluate the credibility of sources and 

use primary sources and educationaland 

research-oriented web sites. Select 

and defend the best format for the 

purpose of the paper. Explain the 

consequences of plagiarism. 

6-8: 

Conduct ethical research to substantiate 

a thesis or hypothesis. Organize and 

synthesize information using note cards, 

outlines, and graphic organizers. 

Evaluate the credibility of sources. 

Understand, define, and use appropriate 

formats for writing research papers and 

citing sources (works cited, bibliography, 

outline). Define plagiarism. Exhibit legal 

and ethical behaviors when using 

information and technology. 


• How do researchers collect and effectively organize information 

• How does an individual’s previous experiences influence understanding 

of information 

• How do researchers discover the central ideas in a source 

• How do researchers extract the useful information from a source 

• What role does technology play in research 

• How and why do researchers determine the credibility of sources 

• What method of citation best serves the audience and purposes of the 

paper 

• What is common knowledge 

• How do copyright laws protect both the author and the researcher 

3-5: 

Select sources most appropriate to 

answer the question at hand and identify 

and locate specific information (skim and 

scan) within those sources. Search by 

title, subject, author, and key word. 

Organize and synthesize relevant 

information. Cite sources. 

K-2: 

Use various sources to answer questions. 

Distinguish between relevant and 

irrelevant information. Credit others for 

their ideas/cite sources of information. 


Aesthetics: 

Literary Elements 





• Tone, mood, and voice enhance the subjective experience of language. 


• Authors use words deliberately. 

• Authors communicate ideas directly and figuratively. 

• Authors use literary elements to convey meaning and to move a piece 

forward. 

• An individual’s own biases and preferences influence the text at hand. 

9-12: 

Evaluate the author’s use of literary 

elements. Evaluate how a text would 

differ had the author used a different 

structure, tone, setting, etc. Evaluate 

the author’s use of words, images, and 

symbols. Apply literary elements to 

own writing, using specific language to 

convey meaning and exploring sametopic 

pieces from multiple perspectives. 

6-8: 

Identify literary elements of style, tone, 

mood, allegory, symbolism, parody, 

foreshadowing, epilogues, prologue, 

and irony. Evaluate an author’s use of 

character, plot, setting, theme, and 

point of view. Apply literary elements 

to own writing. Select high-powered, 

specific vocabulary to convey meaning. 

Write both directly and figuratively, 

including use of figurative language in 

narrative and nonfiction forms. 


• How do words mean 

• How do literary elements frame and affect a text 

• How does an individual’s perspective influence the experience of language 

and literature 

3-5: 

Apply knowledge of story structure to 

understand more complex text. Identify 

literary elements of character, plot, 

setting, theme, point of view, and 

style. Apply knowledge of literary 

elements to own writing. 

K-2: 

Understand that stories have structure 

that includes basic elements of 

literature: character, plot, setting. 


Aesthetics: Style 







• An author creates an individual style to express his own voice. 

• Authors use words, sentence structures, figurative language, and 

sentence arrangement deliberately. 

• Authors communicate ideas directly and figuratively. 

• Authors use literary elements to convey meaning and to move a piece 

forward. 

• An individual’s own biases and preferences influence the text at hand. 

• The style of a piece of writing affects its overall mood. 


• How do words mean 

• How do literary elements frame and affect a text 

• How does an author “put on” a style when writing 

• How does the style of a text affect its message 

• How does an individual’s perspective influence the experience of language 

and literature 

9-12: 

Evaluate the author’s use of words and 

sentences to create the style of a piece. 

Read multiple texts by the same author to 

evaluate the author’s style. Write 

emulating various authors’ styles. Write 

incorporating various styles. Hone one’s 

own voice. 

6-8: 

Identify literary elements of style, tone, 

mood, allegory, symbolism, parody, 

foreshadowing, epilogues, prologue, and 

irony. Evaluate an author’s use of words 

and sentences, and how those choices 

affect the text as a whole. Identify various 

styles – formal, informal, journalistic, 

archaic, and contemporary – and analyze 

the affect the style has on the text at 

hand. Explore various styles in writing to 

better define one’s own voice as a writer. 

3-5: 

Identify various styles in writing – formal, 

informal, journalistic – and describe the 

affect the style has on the text at hand. 

Analyze the meaning of words within a 

text and consider other ways another 

person might express the same idea. 

Begin to develop one’s own voice in 

writing. 

K-2: 

Understand that one story can be told 

several ways, with emphasis placed on 

different parts. Identify the overall mood 

of a text. 


Aesthetics: Syntax 







• Syntactical rules must be mastered, but good writers manipulate syntax 

(the rules) as they develop their craft. 

• Patterns in language help to convey meaning of language. 

• Manipulating language to convey specific meaning requires mastery of 

language structures and elements of author’s craft. 


• How do authors manipulate sentences to convey different meanings 

• How is punctuation syntax 

• Why do sentence structures matter 

• Why do authors manipulate syntax 

9-12: 

Evaluate the author’s use of syntax to 

convey meaning. Demonstrate 

mastery of various sentence 

structures (simple, compound, 

complex, and compound-complex) 

and speak and write using a variety 

of sentence structures. Evaluate how 

and why authors “break the rules.” 

6-8: 

Create and analyze increasingly 

complex sentences. Identify and 

eliminate sentence fragments and 

run-ons. Manipulate sentences 

without losing meaning. Relate 

syntax to author’s craft. 

3-5: 

Identify simple and compound 

sentences. Manipulate sentences to 

determine whether they hold the 

same meaning. Write using complete 

simple and compound sentences. 

K-2: 

Identify patterns in language. 

Distinguish between simple and more 

complex sentences in text. Write in 

complete sentences. 


Universality: Theme 


• Certain themes pervade literature. 

• Individual, cultural, and societal connections enrich literature. 

• Historical and cultural contexts enhance understanding. 

• Certain works transcend their historical and cultural contexts. 


• An author’s culture influences his/her writing; his/her writing reflects 

culture. 

• A culture’s language is intimately connected to its historical development. 

• The historical and cultural past shapes nations and their people. 

• Authors write to covey their own interpretations of the human experience. 

• Tragic or dire circumstances act as catalysts in individual choices. 


• How do authors craft text to convey their ideas about the human 

experience 

• In what ways do authors reveal themselves through the text they craft 

• What is the relationship between conflict and theme 

• How do characters’ conflicts with society manifest in narrative text 

• How do different historical and cultural contexts affect the depiction of a 

theme 

• What determines whether a belief will be timeless or will fade after a 

decade 

• How does theme work with other elements of literature to create the total 

effect of a literary work 

• How do art and literature reflect and affect the human experience 

9-12: 

Analyze how cultural contexts 

affect an author’s depiction of 

theme; evaluate the author’s 

use of elements to craft 

meaning and create effect; 

discuss theme as timeless and 

universal; relate similar themes 

across multiple pieces of text. 

6-8: 

Explain how theme relates to 

author’s craft; articulate 

multiple themes from a piece of 

literature; relate similar themes 

across two pieces of literature; 

analyze the relationship between 

conflict and theme. 

3-5: 

Define theme; articulate 

theme(s) from a piece of 

literature; explain the 

connection between conflict and 

theme. 

K-2: 

Discuss conflict and relate to the 

experiences of characters. 


About the Reading Maps 

Articulating reading requirements across grades involves considerable thought and discussion about 

individual student reading levels, appropriateness of the literature to an age group, and appropriateness of 

literature to the curricular goals. That said, teachers should keep in mind the following items as they 

select literature for instructional purposes: 

• Vertical alignment and requirements at specific grades should be honored. 

• Titles/authors have been recommended at the lowest grade level to accommodate as many learners 

as possible. Titles may be used for any grade at or above the recommendation level. 

• Suggested texts and authors should be used whenever possible. If a teacher would like approval for 

a text not on the reading maps or text lists, s/he must go through the building-level approval 

process with notification of the appropriate curriculum coordinator. 

• Within Professional Learning Communities, grade-level teams may design instruction around 

common texts. 

• To meet the needs of all learners, schools may elect to use adapted texts for the recommended 

titles as long as the title is the same. 

• At the elementary level, notable author lists are provided to maximize flexibility with reading 

instruction. However, not all texts by any one author are appropriate for all students. Discretion and 

awareness of students’ social development and community expectations should precede any text 

selection. 

• While some overlap in notable authors and suggested texts may exist, teachers should avoid using 

any book that is specifically listed on a reading map at a higher grade. 


About the Writing Maps 

While the Virginia Standards of Learning delineate specific writing requirements for each grade, they don’t 

articulate a vertical line that ensures all students write across the main forms (narrative, expository, 

persuasive, reflective, analytical, and technical) multiple times throughout schooling. Therefore, the 

writing maps included in this framework provide structure and ensure common writing experiences for all 

children. 

• The writing maps are NOT intended to be all inclusive; rather they are minimal requirements for 

each grade. 

• The writing requirements align to and reinforce the Standards of Learning in both reading and 

writing, and in most cases speaking and research. 

• Regardless of the specific grade-level requirements, all students should write each day and for a 

variety of audiences and purposes. 


Kindergarten 

Early Emergent Stage of Reading: 

Early emergent students are just beginning to become aware of the world of print. The focus of their 

instruction in reading is to lead to their awareness of the functions and conventions of print and books. For 

children whose literacy is beginning to emerge, “reading” refers to looking at books, listening to stories, 

and retelling stories with heavy reliance on picture clues. 

Books appropriate for students in this stage are short, contain memorable and repetitive language 

patterns, utilize language similar to that of young children, and include clear illustrations that are direct 

clues to the textual message. 

Late Emergent Stage of Reading: 

Late emergent readers understand the layout and parts of books and are able to tell the stories of familiar 

books. They have begun to understand the concept of word and are beginning to recognize some words by 

sight. “Reading” for students in the late emergent stage means retelling familiar stories in books with 

heavy reliance on memory and picture clues. 

Books appropriate for students in this stage may (or may not) have repetitive language patterns, include 

both familiar and new expressions, utilize varied sentence structures, include pictures that embellish but 

don’t tell the textual message, and wrap story events across multiple pages. 

Stages of Writing: 

Refer to ASPIRE (appendix B). 

Genre – wordless picture books, pattern books, concept books, Mother Goose and nursery rhymes. 

Suggested Authors: 

Margot Apple 

Don Freeman 

Peggy Pathman 

Jan Brett 

Pat Hutchins 

H. A. Rey 

Margaret Wise Brown 

Ezra Jack Keats 

Richard Scarry 

Eric Carle 

Robert Lawson 

Maurice Sendak 

Donald Crews 

Leo Lionni 

Dr. Seuss 

Lois Ehlert 

Bill Martin 

Rosemary Wells 

Mem Fox 

Laura Numeroff 


Writing Requirements – Kindergarten 

Concept Connection to Reading Writing Requirement 

Systems; 

Communicating Ideas 

Frequent Journal writing 

Communication Parts of a book 

Write and publish a pattern or narrative story that 

includes a front/back cover, title page, 

illustrations, and an author page 

Distinguishing between 

fiction/nonfiction text 

Nonfiction writing: making lists, writing recipes, 

recording predictions/observations 


1 st Grade 

Beginning Reader Stage of Reading: 

Beginning readers have learned enough about the structure of books, stories, and the English language to 

be able to pick up unfamiliar picture books and get meaning from them with significant guidance. They are 

building their store of sight words and their knowledge of the relationships between letters and sounds, 

and they are able to use their knowledge in reading easy books. 

Books appropriate for students in this stage provide detail, include illustrations that embellish but do not 

provide direct clues to the textual message, and utilize more complex and varied sentence patterns. 



Genre – folk tales – cumulative tales and beast tales, concept books, poetry, fiction, nonfiction. 


Byrd Baylor 

Ludwig Bemelmans 

Stan Berenstain 

Eve Bunting 

P. D. Eastman 

Sid Hoff 

Arnold Lobel 

Tomie de Paola 

Beatrix Potter 

David Shannon 

Don and Audrey Wood 

Jane Yolen 


Writing Requirements – 1 st Grade 

Systems; 

Communication 


Distinguishing between 

fiction/nonfiction text 

Comprehend fiction/nonfiction 

Retell stories and events using 

beginning, middle, end 

Comprehension 


Nonfiction writing: making lists, writing recipes, 

recording predictions/observations, 

messages/notes 

Write a response that shows comprehension of 

text heard or read 

Use prewriting strategies (simple graphic 

organizers) to write, revise, and publish a story 

with a beginning/middle/end 

Use writing strategies before, during, and after 

reading to enhance comprehension (questioning, 

text to self/text/world connections, anticipation 

guides) 


2 nd Grade 

Advanced Beginning Stage of Reading: 

Advanced beginning readers are becoming more adept with the use of a number of strategies in reading 

unfamiliar material: phonics, visual cues, context clues, and sentence structure. Their store of sight words 

numbers in the hundreds, and the books they are able to read independently or with guidance are 

becoming more sophisticated. 

Books appropriate for readers at this stage are longer and have more fully developed stories, contain 

vocabulary in the speaking and listening range of upper primary and elementary children, may include full 

pages without illustrations, and when illustrations are included, they embellish but do not provide textual 

message cues. 



Genre – tall tales, fantastic stories, folk tales – pour quoi stories, poetry, fiction, nonfiction. 


David A. Adler 

Marc Brown 

Joanna Cole 

Bill Cosby 

Debra Fraiser 

Kevin Henkes 

Megan McDonald 

Mary Pope Osborne 

Peggy Parish 

Barbara Park 

Jack Prelutsky 

Cynthia Rylant 

Jon Scieszka 

Marjorie Sharmat 

Judith Viorst 


Writing Requirements – 2 nd Grade 

Systems; 

Communication; 

Aesthetics 


Comprehend fiction/nonfiction text 

Identify main idea, characters, setting, 

problem/solution in texts heard or 

read 

Read poems with fluency and 

expression 

Comprehension 


Write a response that shows comprehension of 

text heard or read 

Use prewriting strategies (graphic organizers) to 

write, revise, and publish a story with a main 

idea, characters, setting, problem/solution 

Write a poem 




guides) 


3 rd Grade 

Transitional Stage of Reading: 

Transitional readers continue to build their expertise with the use of phonics, visual cues, context clues, 

sentence structure, and text structure to read unfamiliar material. They are growing in their skills of 

predicting, cross-checking, and monitoring their understanding of content. 

Books appropriate for students in this stage are easy chapter books that require more than one sitting to 

read. They utilize vocabulary of several hundred, primarily one- and two-syllable, words. These stories are 

more complex and often require the reader to make inferences. They typically contain few, if any, 

illustrations. 



Genre – historical fiction, mystery, folk tales – pour quoi stories, poetry, nonfiction. 


Aesop 

Christopher van Allsburg 

Matt Christopher 

Beverly Cleary 

Andrew Clements 

Debbie Dadey 

Rahl Dahl 

Douglas Florian 

Patricia MacLachlan 

Patricia Polacco 

Faith Ringgold 

Louis Sachar 

Allen Say 

Brian Selznick 

Shel Silverstein 

William Steig 

John Steptoe 

E. B. White 

Laura Ingalls Wilder 

Jeanette Winter 


Writing Requirements – 3 rd Grade 

Systems; 


Aesthetics 

Make connections between previous 

experiences and reading selections 

Use graphic organizers to organize 

and comprehend information. 

Comprehend fiction (fairy tales, 

myths, folktales, legends, and fables) 

Comprehend nonfiction 

Identify main idea and supporting 

details 

Comprehension 

Frequent journal writing; write a response that 

compares/contrasts self with a character from a 

text that is read; write a response that 

compares/contrasts plots, settings, or characters 

in books 

Use prewriting strategies (graphic organizers) to 

organize thoughts/ideas prior to writing 

Write, revise, and publish a piece of fiction (fairy 

tale, myth, folktale, legend or fable) 

Write a nonfiction piece to explain using 

paragraphs to group related ideas 

Write a friendly letter with date, greeting, body, 

and closing 

Write an autobiography 

Write an organized paragraph with topic 

sentence, supporting details, and concluding 

sentence 



text to self/text world connections, anticipation 

guides) 


4 th Grade 

Intermediate Stage of Reading: 

Intermediate readers are able to identify the print forms of almost every word that is in their speaking and 

listening vocabulary. They have become fluent silent readers. Their individual interests are important 

determiners of appropriate books. Some students prefer fiction while others prefer nonfiction. Most 

students are willing to tackle books that challenge their reading abilities if the topic is one of great 

interest. The focus of instruction for these children is expansion of vocabulary, or critical thinking skills, 

and of strategies for getting meaning from complex text. 

Appropriate books for students in this stage contain more difficult vocabulary and concepts, include 

chapters that are often complete in themselves, and feature characters and situations of interest to upper 

elementary students. 



Genre – realistic fiction, autobiography, biography, informational materials, historical fiction, poetry. 


Judy Blume 

Betsy Byars 

Kate DiCamillo 

Sid Fleishman 

Russel Freedman 

Patricia Reilly Giff 

Marguerite Henry 

E.L. Konigsburg 

C. S. Lewis 

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor 

Ivy Ruckman 

Pam Munoz Ryan 

Mildred Taylor 


Writing Requirements – 4 th Grade 

Systems; 


Aesthetics 

Explain the author’s purpose 

Poetry 

Identify main idea and supporting 

details 

Historical Fiction 

Text Organizers 

Summary 

Comprehension 

Research 

Write a piece that informs 

Write a piece that entertains 

Write a piece that persuades 

Write poems using sensory words - rhymed, 

unrhymed, and patterned 

Write an organized paragraph with topic 

sentence, supporting details, and concluding 

sentence 

Write a piece of historical fiction (letter, journal 

entry, newspaper article) 

When writing non-fiction, use a variety of text 

organizers (type, headings, graphics) to predict 

and categorize information 

Summarize text 




guides) 

Construct questions, collect information from 

various resources to write a research paper 


5 th Grade 

Intermediate Stage of Reading: 

Intermediate readers are able to identify the print forms of almost every word that is in their speaking and 

listening vocabulary. They have become fluent silent readers. Their individual interests are important 

determiners of appropriate books. Some students prefer fiction while others prefer nonfiction. Most 

students are willing to tackle books that challenge their reading abilities if the topic is one of great 

interest. The focus of instruction for these children is expansion of vocabulary, or critical thinking skills, 

and of strategies for getting meaning from complex text. 

Appropriate books for students in this stage contain more difficult vocabulary and concepts, include 

chapters that are often complete in themselves, and feature characters and situations of interest to upper 

elementary students. 



Genre – more sophisticated fantastic stories, fables, historical fiction, poetry, nonfiction. 


Avi 

Natalie Babbitt 

John Christopher 

Eion Colfer 

Sharon Creech 

Christopher Paul Curtis 

Paul Fleishman 

Jack Gantos 

Jean Craighead George 

Virginia Hamilton 

Brian Jaques 

Julius Lester 

Scott O’Dell 

Linda Sue Park 

Gary Paulsen 

Carolyn Reeder 

Jerry Spinelli 



Systems; 


Aesthetics 

Character development 

Plot development and conflict 

resolution 

Poetry 

Vocabulary and Style 

Comprehend nonfiction 

Structural patterns of nonfiction 

Organize information 

Summary 

Comprehension 

When writing fiction and poetry, incorporate 

character development 

Use a variety of planning strategies (free-writing, 

mapping, listing, webbing) when writing plot and 

conflict resolution in fiction 

Write, revise, and publish a variety of poetry 

including free-versed, rhymed and patterned 

poetry 

Choose vocabulary and style that supports the 

writer’s purpose 

When writing non-fiction, use a variety of text 

organizers (type, headings, graphics) to predict 

and categorize information 

Use a variety of resources to write a biography 

Choose structural patterns that enhance writer’s 

purpose 

(sequential, compare and contrast, cause and 

effect) 

Write, revise, and publish a persuasive paper 

which includes information that supports opinions, 

predictions, and conclusions 

Summarize text 




guides) 


6 th Grade – Communications in Language and Literature 

Course Description: 

Middle school students explore the language arts through five interdisciplinary concepts (systems, change 

and continuity, communication, aesthetics, and universality) and the correlating language arts concepts, 

with emphasis on systems. A focus on systems reinforces students’ developmental processes in word 

study and fluency and their continued growth as readers and writers. Each grade also uses a second 

concept as a focusing lens through which students gain deeper understanding of elements of language and 

literature. Additionally, courses are designed to incorporate a balanced literacy diet that includes the 

components of fluency, word study, comprehension, and writing. 

Sixth-grade students experience English language arts through exploration of communication and author’s 

craft. This emphasis allows students to study those structures (systems) and styles (communication) that 

authors use to communicate ideas about the world. As such, students read extensively from a variety of 

genres, including fiction, narrative nonfiction, nonfiction, and poetry and transfer what they learn about 

those genres to their own writing and speaking. Students write for a variety of audiences and purposes, 

using narrative and expository forms. Additional emphasis is placed on continuing to build comprehension 

strategies, understanding Latin roots for vocabulary development, and using correct punctuation and 

grammar. 

Early Proficient State of Reading: 

The reading skill of early proficient readers allows them to tackle more demanding texts. Silent reading is 

fluent when the vocabulary and concept load are within the student’s range. Early proficient readers are 

expanding their vocabulary knowledge and their ability to use strategies to make meaning from text. They 

also continue to develop fluency, chunking phrases and reading with expression. As they develop higher 

level cognitive abilities, they gain in ability to understand more complex reading materials. It is vocabulary 

and concept development, rather than the ability to decode words, that determines a student’s 

advancement to the early proficient reading stage. 

Books appropriate for students in this stage contain more difficult vocabulary and concepts, include 

chapters that are complete in themselves, and feature more complex characters and situations of interest 

to pre-adolescents and adolescents. 




Textbook: 

Holt, Rinehart & Winston. (2007). Elements of Literature: Introductory Course. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart 

& Winston. 

Additional Resources: 

Adams, G. and Brown, S. (2004). The Six-Minute Solution: A Reading Fluency Program. Longmont, CO: 

Sopris West. 

Great Source. (2002). Reader’s Handbook: A Student Guide for Reading and Learning. Wilmington, MA: 

Great Source. 

Language Works. (2004). Word Build. Keswick, VA: Language Works. 

McDougal Littell. (2001). Language Network. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell. 

Genre – emphasis on realistic fiction and science fiction – also study biography, essay, memoir, poetry. 


6 th -grade Concept Requirements & Suggested Text 

Concepts & Reading Requirements 

Teachers should select texts appropriate for their students. 

• As a bridge between elementary and middle school, a main priority in reading at this level is to focus 

on genre distinctions as they relate to author’s purpose and author’s craft. 

• Teachers should integrate multiple concepts, themes, and genres. Suggested texts may be used to 

access multiple themes and genres. 

Universality: Search for Identity 

Systems: Genre: Drama 

Systems: Genre: Poetry 

Requirement: All students will read a 

variety of genres centering around the 

search for identity. 

Drama 

• A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare) 

• Cheaper by the Dozen (Gilbreth) 

• Ten Little Indians (Alexie) 

Poetry 

• Haiku 

• Ballad 

• Limerick 

• Free verse 

• Love that Dog (Creech) 

Additional Texts 

• The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm (Farmer) 

• Esperanza Rising (Ryan) 

• Fever, 1793 (Anderson) 

• Freak the Mighty (Philbrick) 

• The Golden Compass (Pullman) 

• Hatchet (Paulsen) 

• Maniac Magee (Spinelli) 

• The Moon and I (Byars) 

• My Life in Dog Years (Paulsen) 

• Pictures of Hollis Woods (Giff) 

• Pirates (Rees) 

• Shoeshine Girl (Bulla) 

• A Taste of Blackberries (Smith) 

• A Wrinkle in Time (l’Engle) 

• Where the Red Fern Grows (Rawls) 



Universality: Battle between Good and 

Evil 

Systems: Genre: Science Fiction 


work of fantasy or science fiction that 

includes the theme of battle between 

good and evil. 

Communication: Author’s Purpose 


piece of Civil War fiction or nonfiction to 

determine author’s purpose and author’s 

bias. 


Science Fiction 

• The Ear, the Eye and the Arm (Farmer) 

• The White Mountains (Christopher) 

• A Wrinkle in Time (L’Engle) 

• Invitation to the Game (Hughtes) 

• Short story selections from the textbook 

Fantasy 

• Abarat (Barker) 

• The Dark is Rising (Cooper) 

• Eragon (Paolini) 

• Zink (Bennett) 

• The Golden Compass (Pullman) 

• Across Five Aprils (Hunt) 

• Lincoln: A Photobiography (Freedman) 

• A Separate Battle: Women and the Civil War (Chang) 

• Primary source documents 


Grade Title Author Genre Reading 

Level 

Reading 

List 

6 Abarat Barker Fantasy 7.7 

6 Abracadabra Kid Fleischman, Sid Nonfiction/Autobiography 5.8 

6 Across Five Aprils Hunt Historical Fiction 6.4 

6 After Last Dog Died Bredeson Nonfiction/Biography 7.2 

6 American Revolutionaries, The Meltzer Nonfiction 7.9 

6 Boy Dahl Nonfiction 6.4 

6 Boys’ War, The Murphy Nonfiction 6.7 

6 Captain’s Dog, The Smith Historical Fiction 5.0 

6 Case of the Baker Street Irregulars Newman Mystery 5.0 

6 Chasing Vermeer Balliet Mystery 5.4 

6 Cheaper by the Dozen Gilbreth Drama 6.0 

6 D is for Dahl Cooling Nonfiction 6.5 

6 Dark is Rising, The Cooper Fantasy 7.0 

6 Double Dutch Draper Fiction 5.3 

6 Downsiders Shusterman Fiction 6.4 

6 Ear, the Eye and the Arm, The Farmer Science Fiction 4.7 

6 Eldest Paolini Fantasy 7.0 

6 Eragon Paolini Fantasy 5.6 

6 Esperanza Rising Ryan Historical Fiction 6.2 

6 Fever 1793 Anderson Historical Fiction 5.4 

6 Freak the Mighty Philbrick Fiction 6.3 

6 Golden Compass, The Pullman Fantasy 6.7 

6 Grain of Wheat Bulla Memoir 3.3 

6 Harris and Me Paulsen Memoir 5.2 

6 Hatchet Paulsen Fiction 6.3 

6 Hey World, Here I Am Little Fiction 5.1 

6 Introduction to Literature Holt, Rinehart, & Anthology various 

Winston 

6 Invitation to the Game Hughes Science Fiction 6.4 

6 Island of the Blue Dolphins O’Dell Fiction 5.5 

6 Johnny Tremain Forbes Fiction 5.3 

6 Knots in My YoYo String Spinelli Nonfiction/Autobiography 5.4 

6 Lincoln: A Photobiography Freedman Nonfiction/Biography 7.4 

6 Long Way from Chicago, A Peck Historical Fiction 4.2 

6 Lost Garden, The Yep Memoir 6.1 

6 Love That Dog Creech Fiction 4.1 

6 Maniac Magee Spinelli Fiction 5.4 

6 Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Shakespeare Drama 8.9 



Level 

Reading 

List 

6 Moon and I, The Byars Memoir 6.3 

6 My Life in Dog Years Paulsen Nonfiction/Autobiography 5.2 

6 Pictures of Hollis Woods Giff Fiction 6.4 

6 Pirates Rees Historical Fiction 5.4 

6 Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest McGovern Historical Fiction 6.1 

6 Romiette and Julio Draper Fiction 4.7 

6 Sahara Special Codell Fiction 4.6 

6 Search for Shadowman Nixon Fiction 6.5 

6 Separate Battle: Women and the Civil Chang Nonfiction 6.9 

War, A 

6 Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World Armstrong Nonfiction/Biography 6.5 

6 Shoeshine Girl Bulla Fiction 2.2 

6 Star Fisher, The Yep Historical Fiction TBD 

6 Study in Scarlet, A Doyle Fiction 7.3 

6 Surprising Myself Fritz, Jean Nonfiction 4.4 

6 Tarantula in My Purse, The George, Jean C Memoir 5.9 

6 Taste of Blackberries, A Smith Fiction 4.6 

6 Ten Little Indians Alexie Drama 5.7 

6 Time Machine, The Wells Science Fiction 8.0 

6 True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Avi Fiction 7.0 

6 Wanderer, The Creech Fiction 5.7 

6 We Beat the Street Draper Nonfiction 6.8 

6 Westing Game, The Raskin Mystery 7.0 

6 Where the Lilies Bloom Cleaver Fiction 5.5 

6 Where the Red Fern Grows Rawls Fiction 6.4 

6 White Mountains, The Christopher, John Science Fiction 6.0 

6 Who Was that Masked Man, Anyway Avi Fiction 6.3 

6 Wrinkle in Time, A L’Engle Science Fiction 5.8 

6 Zink Bennett Fantasy TBD 



Connected Concepts 

Communication: Author’s Craft 




Requirement: 

1. All students will write for a variety of audiences and purposes using the writing process. 

2. All students will use metacognition to reflect on their writing. 

3. One piece of writing for each genre will be accomplished by all students: 

• Narrative - personal 

• descriptive 

• explanatory 

• research – introductory skills 

• poetry 


7 th Grade – Change and Continuity in Language and Literature 









Seventh-grade students investigate the concept of change and continuity in language and literature. This 

focus requires students to explore the etymology of language through continued study of Latin roots and 

Greek combining forms. This focus also provides a lens through which students read, write, and speak, 

deepening their understanding of various genre structures and author’s craft while beginning exploration 

of universality (the human experience). In essence, students seek to answer critical questions: Why does 

language change Why do certain themes pervade literature How does literature reflect individual and 

cultural beliefs Students read extensively from a variety of genres, including fiction, narrative nonfiction, 

nonfiction, poetry, with an emphasis on historical fiction. Seventh-grade students write for a variety of 

audiences and purposes, using narrative, expository, persuasive, and reflective forms. 

Early Proficient State of Reading 

The reading skill of early proficient readers allows them to tackle more demanding texts. Silent reading is 

fluent when the vocabulary and concept load are within the student’s range. Early proficient readers are 

expanding their vocabulary knowledge and their ability to use strategies to make meaning from text. They 

also continue to develop fluency, chunking phrases and reading with expression. As they develop higher 

level cognitive abilities, they gain in ability to understand more complex reading materials. It is vocabulary 

and concept development, rather than the ability to decode words, that determines a student’s 

advancement to the early proficient reading stage. 

Books appropriate for students in this stage contain more difficult vocabulary and concepts, include 

chapters that are complete in themselves, and feature more complex characters and situations of interest 

to pre-adolescents and adolescents. 




Textbook: 

Holt, Rinehart & Winston. (2007). Elements of Literature: First Course. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart & 

Winston. 



Sopris West. 


Great Source. 



Genre – emphasis on nonfiction and historical fiction – also read realistic fiction, myths, poetry. 


7 th -Grade Concept Requirements & Suggested Texts 


Universality: Coming of Age 

Requirement: All students will analyze a 

novel focusing on a coming of age theme. 

Universality: Honoring the Historical & 

Cultural Past 

Universality: Cooperation vs. Isolation 

Universality: Tolerance of the Atypical 

Requirement: All students will read a novel 

and a piece of nonfiction that addresses the 

theme of honoring the historical past in 

relation to human rights/civil rights. 


• Education of Little Tree* (Carter) 

• Crash (Spinelli) 

• The Watsons Go to Birmingham (Curtis) 

• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Twain) 

• Wish You Well (Baldacci) 

• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Taylor) 

• The Cay (Taylor) 

• The Giver (Lowery) 

• Star Girl (Spinelli) 

Historical Fiction 

• Devil’s Arithmetic (Yolen) 

• Number the Stars (Lowry) 

• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Taylor) 

• Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (Gaines) 

• Nothing to Fear (Koller) 

• Out of the Dust (Hesse) 

• The Watsons go to Birmingham (Curtis) 

• Summer of My German Soldier (Greene) 

Nonfiction 

• Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (Myers) 

• Rosa Parks: My Story (Haskins) 

• Children of the Dust Bowl (Stanley) 

• Hiroshima (Hershey) 

• Immigrant Kids (Friedman) 

• Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery (Freedman) 

Systems: Genre: Myth 

Requirement: All students will compare and 

contrast myths from various cultures, with 

an emphasis on the ancient Greek myths. 

• Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Greek Myths (Evslin) 

• Greek Gods (Evslin) 

• Troy (Geras) 

• The Trojan War (Evslin) 

• The Lightning Thief (Riordan) 





Requirement: All students will read 

Shakespearean sonnets or a Shakespearean 

comedy. 


• Twelfth Night, Or What You Will 

• Much Ado About Nothing 

• The Tempest 

• Taming of the Shrew 

• Sonnets 

* See appendix J for parameters for use. 



Level 

Reading 

List 

7 Acorn People Jones Fiction 6.8 

7 Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Twain Fiction 6.6 

7 Al Capone Does my Shirts Choldenko Fiction 6.5 

7 Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman Gaines Historical Fiction 8.0 

7 Call of the Wild London Fiction 4.0 

7 Call Me Ruth Fiction 5.5 

7 Cay, The Taylor Fiction 7.2 

7 Children of the Dust Bowl Stanley Nonfiction 6.5 

7 Crash Spinelli Fiction 4.8 

7 Christmas Carol, A Dickens Fiction 8.6 

7 Devil’s Arithmetic Yolen Historical Fiction 6.7 

7 Education of Little Tree* Carter Historical Fiction 6.5 

7 Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery Freedman Nonfiction/Biography 8.5 

7 Elements of Literature, 7 Holt, Rinehart, & Anthology various 

Winston 

7 Flipped Van Draanen Fiction 5.9 

7 Friedrich Richter Historical Fiction 6.6 

7 Giver, The Lowery Science Fiction 6.8 

7 Going for the Record Swenson Fiction 3.9 

7 Goody Hall Babbitt Fiction 6.7 

7 Greek Gods Evslin Mythology 6.0 

7 Heartbeat Creech Poetry 5.4 

7 Heroes, Gods and Monsters of the Evslin Mythology 6.1 

Greek Myths 

7 Hiroshima Hershey Memoir 8.4 

7 Holes Sacher Fiction 6.5 

7 Hoot Hiaasen Fiction 5.8 

7 Immigrant Kids Friedman Nonfiction 7.5 

7 Let the Circle Be Unbroken Taylor Fiction 7.3 

7 Letters from Rifka Hesse Historical Fiction 5.1 

7 Lightning Thief, The Riordan Mythology TBD 

7 Lily’s Crossing Giff Fiction 5.2 

7 Locomotion Woodson Poetry 6.8 

7 Magician’s Nephew, The Lewis Fantasy 5.6 

7 Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary Myers, Walter Dean Nonfiction 8.0 

7 Missing May Rylant Fiction 6.7 

7 Mortal Engines Reeve Science Fiction 6.6 

7 Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare Drama 9.0 



Level 

Reading 

List 

7 Notes from a Liar and her Dog Choldenko Fiction 4.0 

7 Nothing to Fear Koller Historical Fiction 6.3 

7 Number the Stars Lowery Historical Fiction 4.9 

7 Old Yeller Gipson Fiction 5.4 

7 Olive’s Ocean Henkes Fiction 6.6 

7 On My Honor Bauer Fiction 5.6 

7 Out of the Dust Hesse Poetry 4.5 

7 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Taylor Historical Fiction 6.9 

7 Rosa Parks, My Story Haskins Nonfiction/Biography 6.5 

7 Sing Down the Moon O’Dell Historical Fiction 5.3 

7 Skeeter Smith Fiction 7.3 

7 Sounder Armstrong Historical Fiction 6.5 

7 Spoon River Anthology Masters Fiction 7.5 

7 Star Girl Spinelli Fiction 6.1 

7 Summer of My German Soldier Greene Historical Fiction 7.4 

7 Taming of the Shrew Shakespeare Drama 8.8 

7 Tangerine Bloor Fiction 5.4 

7 Tempest, The Shakespeare Drama TBD 

7 Timothy of the Cay Taylor Fiction 6.1 

7 To Be A Slave Lester Memoir 8.6 

7 Transall Saga, The Paulsen Science Fiction 5.6 

7 Trojan War, The Evslin Mythology TBD 

7 Troy Geras Mythology 7.1 

7 Twelfth Night, Or What You Will Shakespeare Drama TBD 

7 Twenty and Ten Bishop Fiction 5.1 

7 Warriors Don’t Cry Beals Memoir 6.5 

7 Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963, Curtis Historical Fiction 5.0 

The 

7 Wish You Well Baldacci Historical Fiction 7.1 

7 Wolf Rider: A Tale of Terror Avi Fiction 4.3 

7 Words by Heart Sebestyen Historical Fiction 5.3 





Change & Continuity: Cultural Context 



Requirement: 




• narrative – from multiple perspectives 

• expository 

• persuasive – propaganda 

• research 

• reflective 


8 th Grade – Universality in Language and Literature 









Eighth-grade students focus on universality and expressing their own voices as part of the human 

experience. Reading extensively from fiction, narrative nonfiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry, students 

explore such themes as the search for identity, coming of age, cooperation vs. isolation, and tolerance of 

the atypical. Through speaking and writing, students contribute their own voices and experiences to this 

timeless, universal conversation about what it means to be human. Eighth-grade students also write for a 

variety of audiences and purposes, using narrative, expository, persuasive, and analytical forms. 

Additionally, students use knowledge of Latin roots and Greek combining forms to discuss the etymology 

of language and to use language effectively as speakers and writers. 

Advanced Proficient Stage of Reading 

Advanced proficient readers differ from early proficient readers in the complexity of the topics with deal 

with, their vocabulary and concept knowledge, and the sophistication of the cognitive abilities they bring 

to interface with text. 

Books appropriate for readers in this stage are complex, containing more difficult vocabulary and 

concepts. They feature multiple themes and dynamic characters and situations. Topics are of interest to 

young adults and adults. 




Textbook: 

Holt, Rinehart & Winston. (2007). Elements of Literature: Second Course. Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart & 

Winston. 



Sopris West. 


Great Source. 



Genre – emphasis on novels and drama – also study myth and legend, essay, nonfiction, poetry. 







novel that addresses the theme of 

cooperation vs. isolation. 

Universality: Honoring the Historical and 

Cultural Past 

Universality: Coming of Age 

Systems: Genre: Drama 


drama that addresses the themes of honoring 

the historical and cultural past and coming of 

age. 


Universality: Epic Journey (Journey of Life) 

Requirement: All students will read a novel 

that addresses the themes of search for 

identity and epic journey. 


Requirement: All students will read a text 

centered around tolerance of the atypical. 

• Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury) 

• Woodsong (Paulsen) 

• Behind the Blue and Gray: The Soldier’s Life in Civil War (Ray) 

• Soldier X (Wulffson) 

• The Outsiders (Hinton) 

• Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway) 

• The Pearl (Steinbeck) 

• The Diary of Anne Frank (Frank) 

• The Miracle Worker (Gibson) 

• The Road to Memphis (Taylor) 

• Soldier X (Wulffson) 

• Eagle Song (Bruchac) 

• Homeless Bird (Whelan) 

• Monster (Myers) 

• The Pearl (Steinbeck) 

• Old Man and the Sea (Hemingway) 

• Fahrenheit 451 (Bradbury) 

• Define Normal (Peters) 

• Izzy, Willy-Nilly (Voight) 

• Flowers for Algernon (Keyes) 

• Park’s Quest (Paterson) 

• Farewell to Manzanar: A True Story of Japanese American 

• Why We Can’t Wait (King) 

• Eagle Song (Bruchac) 





Requirement: All students will read a variety 

of forms relating to cultural identity. 

• Why We Can’t Wait (King) 

• Immigrant Voices: Twenty-four Voices on Becoming an American 

(Hunter) 

• Out of War: True Stories from the Front Lines of the Children’s 

Movement for Peace in Columbia 

• Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese 

Daughter (Yen Mah) 

• Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions (Musgrove) 

• Poetry 

• Essays 

• Short stories 

• Speeches 



Level 

Reading 

List 

8 Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions Musgrove Nonfiction TBD 

8 Battle of Jericho, The Draper Fiction 4.7 

8 Behind the Blue and Gray: The Ray Nonfiction 6.5 

Soldier’s Life in Civil War 

8 Bronx Masquerade Grimes Fiction 5.1 

8 Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of Yen Mah Memoir 6.8 

an Unwanted Daughter 

8 Code Talker Bruchac Historical Fiction 5.7 

8 Copper Sun Draper Fiction TBD 

8 Dandelion Wine Bradbury Science Fiction 6.2 

8 Define Normal Peters Fiction 5.3 

8 Diary of Anne Frank Frank Nonfiction/Autobiography & 7.3 

Drama 

8 Dicey’s Song Voight Fiction 5.2 

8 Eagle Song Bruchac Fiction 4.8 

8 Elements of Literature, 8 Holt, Rinehart, & Anthology various 

Winston 

8 City of Ember, The DuPrau Fiction 5.8 

8 Farenehit 451 Bradbury Science Fiction 10.0 

8 Farewell to Manzanar Houston Memoir 7.8 

8 Flowers for Algernon Keyes, D. Fiction 5.9 

8 Greatest Story Ever Told, The Oursler Nonfiction 

8 Having Our Say Delany Memoir 6.3 

8 Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, The Adams Science Fiction 8.3 

8 Homecoming Voight Fiction 6.3 

8 Homeless Bird Whelan Fiction 4.1 

8 Homesick: My Own Story Fritz Historical Fiction 5.5 

8 Hound of the Baskervilles Doyle Mystery 7.5 

8 House of the Scorpion, The Farner Science Fiction 6.3 

8 House on Mango Street Cisneros Memoir 5.6 

8 Immigrant Voices: Twenty-four Hunter Memoir TBD 

Voices on Becoming an American 

8 Izzy, Willy-Nilly Voight Fiction 6.0 

8 Journey Home (with Connected Uchida Fiction 6.1 

Readings) 

8 Learning Tree, The Parks Fiction 8.1 

8 Mary, Bloody Mary Meyer Historical Fiction 6.5 

8 Miracle Worker, The Gibson Drama 7.1 



Level 

Reading 

List 

8 Monster Myers, Walter Dean Fiction 7.1 

8 My Antonia Cather Historical Fiction 7.1 

8 My Brilliant Career Franklin Nonfiction/Biography 

8 Old Man & the Sea Hemingway Fiction 8.1 

8 Out of War: True Stories from the 

Memoir TBD 

Front Lines of the Children’s 

Movement for Peace in Columbia 

8 Outsiders, The Hinton Fiction 5.1 

8 Park’s Quest Paterson Fiction 6.6 

8 Pearl, The Steinbeck Fiction 6.5 

8 People of the Sparks, The Du Prau Science Fiction 5.5 

8 Pigman, The Zindel Fiction 5.9 

8 Red Scarf Girl Jiang Memoir 6.6 

8 Road to Memphis Taylor Fiction 6.9 

8 Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind Staples Fiction 7.6 

8 Shade’s Children Nix Science Fiction 6.9 

8 Slam! Myers, Walter Dean Fiction 5.8 

8 Soldier’s Heart, A Paulsen Fiction 5.9 

8 Soldier X Wulffson Historical Fiction 6.7 

8 Speak Anderson Fiction 7.1 

8 The Road from Home Kherdian Nonfiction/Biography 7.5 

8 Tiger in the Well Pullman Mystery 8.9 

8 Upon the Head of a Goat Siegal Nonfiction/Biography 5.6 

8 Wave, The Strasser Fiction 5.7 

8 Why We Can’t Wait King Nonfiction 10.4 

8 Woodsong Paulsen Fiction 7.2 

8 Year Down Yonder Peck Historical Fiction 5.2 

8 Year of Impossible Goodbyes, The Choi Historical Fiction 6.3 







Requirement: 




• narrative 

• expository – relating similar themes across pieces of literature 

• persuasive 

• informational 

• analytical 


9 th Grade – Comparative Study of World Literature: Ancient and Classical Worlds 


English 9 is a comparative study of genres and world literature in the ancient and classical worlds. 

Through five interdisciplinary concepts (systems, change and continuity, communication, aesthetics, and 

universality) and the correlating language arts concepts, students explore Eastern and Western literature 

and seek to answer critical questions about language arts: Why do literary eras matter How do cultural 

changes affect style of literature and art What determines whether a belief (system) will be timeless or 

trendy Ninth-grade students read extensively in a variety of genres and practice comparative analysis 

skills. Continued emphasis is placed on the components of writing, such as organizational structures and 

written expression. 

Purpose: 

The purpose of the ninth-grade curriculum is to provide students with a foundation in world literature. By 

studying ancient and classical literature from a world perspective, students compare universal themes 

across cultural boundaries. Such study also prepares students to analyze literary allusions, themes, and 

cultural context throughout their study of language and literature. 

Advanced Proficient Stage of Reading: 









Text: 

Prentice Hall. (2007). Prentice Hall Literature: World Literature. Penguin Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson 

Education, Inc. 




Universality: Epic Journey 

Requirement: All students will read excerpts 

from at least one Eastern and one Western 

epic. 

This requirement may be met in collaboration 

between language arts and social studies as 

agreed upon at the building level. 

Systems: Genre: Origins of Drama 

Requirement: All students will read an 

Ancient Greek tragedy or an ancient Eastern 

drama. 

Universality: Search for Knowledge 


of Eastern and Western creation stories. 

This requirement may be met in collaboration 

between language arts and social studies as 

agreed upon at the building level. 


The following texts are currently under consideration by 

grade-level teachers across the division. 

Western 

• Gilgamesh (in world lit text) 

• The Iliad (in world lit text) 

• The Aeneid (in world lit text) 

• The Odyssey (in Elements book) 

Eastern 

• The Mahabharata (in world lit text) 

• The Ramayana (in world lit text) 

• Sundiata (in world lit text) 

• Bhagavad-Vita (in world lit text) 

Western 

• Oedipus Rex/Oedipus the King (in world lit text) 

• Antigone (in Elements text) 

• Medea (Euripides) 

• The Theban Plays (Sophocles) 

Eastern 

• Love Suicides at Sonesaki (Chikamatsu) 

• Four Major Plays of Chikamatsu (Keene) 

• Selections from The Noh Theatre of Japan (Pound) 

Note: This text contains 15 selections. 

Western 

• “The Creation and the Fall” (in world lit text) 

• “The Story of the Flood” (in world lit text) 

• The Bible as/in Literature (Ackerman, J. et al) 

Eastern 

• Excerpts from the Tao te Ching (in world lit text) 

• Zen Parables (in world lit text) 

• Excerpts from Rig Veda (in world lit text) 


9 th -Grade Concept Requirements & Suggested Texts (continued) 



Requirement: All students will read a novel to 

connect search for identity and the epic 

journey. 

Universality: Historical and cultural 

contexts enhance understanding. 

Requirements: All students will read a 

Shakespearean tragedy set in Ancient or 

Medieval times. 

Systems: Genre: poetry 


of ancient poetic forms. 




Western 

• Great Expectations (Dickens) 

• Seedfolks* (Fleischman) 

• Ender’s Game (Card) 

• When the Legends Die (Borland) 

Eastern 

• Short stories and excerpts from the World Literature text 

Western 

• Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare) 

• Julius Caesar (Shakespeare) 

Western: 

• Hymns 

• Psalms 

• Latin & Greek poetry 

Eastern 

• Tanka 

• Selections from The Rubaiyat 

• Selections from The Qur’an 




Level 

Reading 

List 

9 Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights, Steinbeck Fiction 7.6 At 10 

The 

9 Adventures of Ulysses Evslin Fiction 7.4 

9 Aeneid, The Virgil Mythology TBD 

9 Antigone Sophocles Drama 10.0 

9 Bible As/In Literature, The Ackerman, James Nonfiction Various 

et.al. 

9 Day No Pigs Would Die, A Peck Historical Fiction 5.5 

9 Effect of Gamma Rays on Man in the Moon Zindel Drama TBD 

Marigolds 

9 Elements of Literature Holt Anthology various 

9 Ender’s Game Card Science Fiction 9.0 

9 Epic of Gilgamesh Various translations Mythology TBD 

9 Escape from Egypt Levitan Fiction 6.6 

9 Far from the Madding Crowd Hardy Fiction 9.7 

9 Four Major Plays of Chickamatsu Keene Drama TBD 

9 Great Expectations Dickens Fiction 9.2 

9 Hobbit, The Tolkien Fantasy 7.5 

9 Iliad, The Homer Mythology 9.0 

9 Jane Eyre Bronte Historical Fiction 8.0 

9 Julius Caesar Shakespeare Drama 10.8 

9 Lathe of Heaven LeGuin Science Fiction TBD 

9 Little Buddha, The McGill Fiction TBD 

9 Love Suicides at Sonesaki Chikamatsu Drama TBD 

9 Medea Euripides Drama TBD 

9 Mrs. Mike Freedman Fiction 5.3 

9 Mythology Hamilton Mythology TBD 

9 Noh Theatre of Japan, The Pound Drama various 

9 Odyssey, The Homer Mythology 10.3 

9 Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King) Sophocles Drama TBD 

9 Once and Future King, The White Fiction 8.6 At 10 

9 One Thousand and One Arabian Nights McCaughrean Fiction 6.8 

9 Plague Year Tolan Fiction 6.7 

9 Rebecca Du Maurier Fiction 7.2 

9 Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare Drama 9.0 

9 Seedfolks* Fleischman Fiction 5.0 

9 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Various translations Fiction 6.3 At 10 

9 Sword and the Stone, The White Fiction 8.0 At 10 



Level 

Reading 

List 

9 Tale of Two Cities, A Dickens Historical Fiction 9.0 At 10 

9 Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu Various translations Nonfiction TBD 

9 Tex Hinton Fiction 6.0 

9 Theban Plays, The Sophocles Drama various 

9 Thousand and One Nights, The Mahdi Fiction 10.6 

9 Tiger for Malgudi, A Narayan Fiction TBD 

9 When the Legends Die Borland Fiction 5.1 

9 Year without Michael Pfeffer Fiction 7.6 




Connected Concepts: 



Requirement: 

Each student will write at least one piece in each of the following forms: 

• Narrative 

• Expository 

• Persuasive 

• Reflective 

• Analytical 

• Technical 

Embedded in that requirement, each student will write a narrative piece addressing the Epic 

journey/search for identity. 

* Any writing that includes a research aspect should also include appropriate citations and formatting. 


10 th Grade – Comparative Study of World Literature: Medieval to Modern Times 


English 10 is a comparative study of genres and world literature from Medieval to modern times. Through 

five interdisciplinary concepts (systems, change and continuity, communication, aesthetics, and 

universality) and the correlating language arts concepts, students explore Eastern and Western literature 

and seek to answer critical questions about language arts: Why do literary eras matter How do cultural 

changes affect style of literature and art What determines whether a belief (system) will be timeless or 

trendy As such, tenth-grade students read extensively in a variety of genres and practice comparative 

analysis skills. Students write and speak for a variety of audiences and purposes, applying and refining 

written and oral communication using a range of literary and persuasive techniques. 

Purpose: 

The purpose of the tenth-grade curriculum is to provide students opportunities to deepen their 

understanding of world literature. Students analyze literary allusion, themes, and cultural context through 

the lenses of change and continuity and universality. The evaluate author’s craft and author’s purpose in 

an effort to refine their own skills. 










Text: 

Prentice Hall. (2007). Prentice Hall Literature: World Literature. Penguin Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson 




NOTE: Across the requirements, teachers must ensure that students read a variety of Eastern and 

Western literature. 


Universality: Honoring the Historical Past 


Requirement: All students will read an Eastern 

or a Western selection. 


Requirement: All students will read a novel. 



Requirement: All students will read a text 

related to cultural revolutions. 




Western 

• A Small Place (Kincaid) 

• Night (Wiesel) 

• A Passage to India (Forster) 

Eastern 

• The Good Earth (Buck) 

• Siddhartha (Hesse) 

• The Chosen (Potok) 

Western 

• To Kill A Mockingbird (Lee) 

• Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck) 

• Silas Marner (Eliot) 

• In the Time of the Butterflies (Alvarez) 

Eastern 

• Nectar in a Sieve (Markandaya) 

• A Single Shard (Park) 

Western 

• Things Fall Apart (Achebe) 

• Eva Luna (Allende) 

• The Metamorphosis (in world lit book) 

• A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens) 

• Les Miserables (Hugo) 

• All Quiet on the Western Front (Remarque) 

Eastern 

• So Far from the Bamboo Grove (Watkins) 

• China’s Son: Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution (Chen) 

• Beasts of No Nation (Iweala) 


10 th -Grade Concept Requirements & Suggested Texts (continued) 


Universality: Search for Knowledge 

Requirement: All students will read a variety of 

legends, myths, and essays. 

Systems: Genre: Shakespearean drama 


Shakespearean drama, with preference given 

to one of the history plays. 

Systems: Genre: poetry 


of poetic forms. 


Requirement: All students will read a piece of 

social criticism. 

Teachers should select texts appropriate for their students. The 

following texts are currently under consideration by grade-level 

teachers across the division. 

Western 

• The Sword and the Stone (White) 

• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (in Elements book) 

• The Once and Future King (White) 

• The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (Steinbeck) 

• essays by Galileo Galilei (in world lit text) 

Eastern 

• Excerpts from The Thousand and One Nights (in world lit text) 

• One Thousand and One Arabian Nights (McCaughrean) 

• Excerpts from the Panchatantra (in world lit book) 

• A Tiger for Malgudi (Narayan) 

Western 

• Henry IV, part I 

• Richard II 

• The Merry Wives of Windsor 

• Othello 

Western 

• Sonnet 

• Lyric 

• Free Verse 

Eastern 

• Haiku 

• The Book of Songs (in world lit book) 

Western: 

• Anthem (Rand) 

• A Doll’s House (in world lit book) 

• Dr. Faustus (in world lit book) 

• The Stranger (Camus) 

• Tartuffe (Moliere) 

• Animal Farm (Orwell) 

Eastern 

• Treason by the Book (Spence) 

• China’s Son: Growing up in the Cultural Revolution (Chen) 



Level 

Reading 

List 

10 All Quiet on the Western Front Remarque Historical Fiction 9.0 

10 Animal Farm Orwell Fiction 9.0 

10 Anthem Rand Fiction 7.9 

10 As I Lay Dying Faulkner Fiction 8.5 

10 Beasts of No Nation Iweala Historical Fiction TBD 

10 Black Ice Carey Fiction 6.0 

10 Bless the Beasts and the Children Swarthout Fiction 6.7 

10 China’s Son: Growing up in the Cultural Chen Nonfiction 6.1 

Revolution 

10 Chosen, The Potok Fiction 8.1 

10 Contender, The Lipsyte Fiction 7.1 

10 Cry the Beloved Country Paton Fiction 6.2 

10 Daisy Miller James Historical Fiction 8.6 

10 Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth Hesse Nonfiction TBD 

10 Dispossessed, The LeGuin Science Fiction 7.1 

10 Doll’s House, A Ibsen Drama 5.9 

10 Dr. Faustus Marlowe Drama TBD 


10 Ethan Frome Wharton Historical Fiction 9.0 

10 Eva Luna Allende Historical Fiction 8.8 

10 First Love Turgenev Fiction TBD 

10 Frankenstein Shelley Fiction 6.0 

10 Go Down Moses Faulkner Fiction TBD 

10 Good Earth, The Buck Historical Fiction 8.2 

10 Heart is a Lonely Hunter, The McCullers Fiction 8.1 

10 Henry IV, part I Shakespeare Drama TBD 

10 House of the Seven Gables Hawthorne Historical Fiction 11.0 

10 In the Time of the Butterflies Alvarez Historical Fiction 7.1 

10 Intruder in the Dust Faulkner Fiction 7.8 

10 Le Morte D’Arthur Malory Fiction TBD 

10 Left Hand of Darkness, The LeGuin Science Fiction 8.5 

10 Les Miserables Hugo Historical Fiction 9.8 

10 Life of Pi Martel Fiction 7.2 

10 Maltese Falcon, The Hammett Fiction 6.0 

10 Meet Maya Angelou Spain Nonfiction/Biography 4.2 

10 Merchant of Venice, The Shakespeare Drama 9.0 

10 Merry Wives of Windsor, The Shakespeare Drama 7.3 

10 Metamorphosis, The Kafka Fiction 11.0 



Level 

Reading 

List 

10 Nectar in a Sieve Markandaya Memoir 6.2 

10 Night Wiesel Nonfiction TBD 

10 Of Mice and Men Steinbeck Fiction 8.1 

10 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Solzhenitsyn Fiction 9.0 

10 Othello Shakespeare Drama 11.0 

10 Passage to India, A Forster Historical Fiction 8.2 

10 Reivers, The Faulkner Memoir 8.1 

10 Richard II Shakespeare Drama 9.0 

10 Road to Coorain, The Conway Fiction TBD 

10 Sense and Sensibility Austin Historical Fiction 10.0 

10 Separate Peace, A Knowles Historical Fiction 8.9 

10 Siddhartha Hesse Fiction 8.9 

10 Silas Marner Eliot Fiction 9.7 

10 Single Shard, A Park Historical Fiction 6.7 

10 Small Place, A Kincaid Memoir TBD 

10 So Far from the Bamboo Grove Watkins Historical Fiction 6.0 

10 Stranger, The Camus Fiction 8.9 

10 Tartuffe Moliere Drama TBD 

10 Things Fall Apart Achebe Historical Fiction 6.2 

10 To Kill A Mockingbird Lee Historical Fiction 8.1 

10 Treason by the Book Spence Historical Fiction TBD 

10 Weight of All Things, The Benitez Fiction TBD 

10 Where the Heart Is Letts Fiction 6.8 

10 White Fang London Fiction 6.7 

10 Yellow Raft in Blue Water Dorris Fiction 8.1 







Requirement: 


• Narrative 





• Technical 

Embedded in that requirement, each student will write a piece of social criticism. 



11 th Grade – American Studies 


American Studies is an integrated course designed to help students develop a comprehensive view of 

American literature, history, and culture. In gathering together the many threads of American culture, 

students leave this course with a better understanding of who they are and what it means to be an 

American. Through a variety of learning experiences, students discover relevant connections among 

movements in American art, literature, music, economics, and politics. This course integrates standards 

from English 11 and Virginia and United States History, thus preparing students for End-of-Course tests in 

each subject. Students may take these courses at different levels. 

Advanced Placement Option: 

American Studies is an integrated course designed to help students develop a comprehensive view of 

American literature, history, and culture. This course is highly rigorous and prepares students to take AP 

exams. Students concentrate on reading and analyzing historical material, weighing historical evidence 

and interpretation, reading and analyzing works of literature, and synthesizing and evaluating information 

in analytical writing. Students in this course are encouraged to take the associated AP exams. 










NOTE: Because American Studies is an interdisciplinary course (English language arts and social studies), 

a separate curriculum writing team has been formed to articulate curriculum for this course. The same 

curriculum will be put in place in this English Language Arts articulation and in the Social Studies 

articulation. 


Text: 

Prentice Hall. (2007). Prentice Hall Literature: American Literature. Penguin Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson 




Level 

11 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Twain Historical Fiction 6.8 

11 All the King’s Men Warren Fiction 9.0 

11 Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Kozol Nonfiction TBD 

Conscience of a Nation 

11 Autobiography of Malcolm X Haley Nonfiction/Biography 8.1 

11 Awakening, The Chopin Historical Fiction 7.9 

11 Bean Trees, The Kingsolver Fiction 6.5 

11 Billy Budd and Other Stories Melville Fiction TBD 

11 Black Boy Wright Nonfiction/Autobiography 8.5 

11 Black Like Me Griffin Nonfiction 9.0 

11 Bluest Eye, The Morrison Historical Fiction 7.1 

11 Catcher in the Rye Salinger Fiction 8.1 

11 Cold Mountain Frazier Fiction 9.0 

11 Color of Water, The McBride Memoir 11.0 

11 Color Purple, The Walker Fiction 7.2 

11 Crucible, The Miller Drama 9.0 

11 Death of a Salesman Miller Drama 8.5 


11 Ellen Foster Gibbons Fiction 8.1 

11 Fast Food Nation Schlosser Nonfiction 10.4 

11 Freakanomics Levitt Nonfiction TBD 

11 Fried Green Tomatoes Flagg Fiction 7.5 

11 Glass Menagerie, The Williams Drama 9.0 

11 Grapes of Wrath, The Steinbeck Historical Fiction 7.8 

11 Great Gatsby, The Fitzgerald Historical Fiction 8.1 

11 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Angelou Historical Fiction 6.7 

11 Invisible Man Ellison Fiction 7.5 

11 Joy Luck Club, The Tan Historical Fiction 8.4 

11 Lesson Before Dying, A Gaines Fiction 7.5 

11 Little Foxes Hellman Drama TBD 

11 Long Day’s Journey into Night O’Neill Drama 8.2 

11 Lovely Bones, The Sebold Fiction 7.1 

11 McTeague Norris 7.8 

11 Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Douglass Nonfiction/Autobiography 9.1 

11 Natural, The 

11 Nickel and Dimed Ehrenreich Nonfiction 10.0 

11 Norton Anthology of Poetry Ferguson Poetry various 

11 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Kesey Fiction 9.0 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, May 2006 71 

Reading 

List


Level 

11 Ox Bow Incident, The Clark Historical Fiction 7.1 

11 Raisin in the Sun, A Hansberry Drama 6.8 

11 Scarlet Letter, The Hawthorne Historical Fiction 11.7 

11 Secret Life of Walter Mitty Thurber Fiction TBD 

11 Slaughterhouse Five Vonnegut Historical Fiction 8.5 

11 Streetcar Named Desire, A Willilams Drama 9.0 

11 Sun Also Rises, The Hemingway Historical Fiction 8.3 

11 Their Eyes Were Watching God Hurston Historical Fiction 7.9 

11 Travels with Charley Steinbeck Memoir 7.0 

11 Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Traven Historical Fiction TBD 

11 Turn of the Screw, The James Fiction 10.0 

11 Winesburg, Ohio Anderson Historical Fiction 8.3 

Reading 

List 


12 th Grade – History of the English Language through British & World Literature 


English 12 is a study of the evolution of the English language through British and world literature. 

Students continue to hone their analytical skills and seek to answer critical questions about language and 

literature: What factors affect the evolution of language What allows a piece of literature to endure the 

vagaries of culture and time What does it mean to think through language and literature Students 

demonstrate understanding of language and literature through polished compositions, literary analysis, 

and speaking. Additional emphasis is placed on the development of a personal, sophisticated style of 

communication that reflects creative, critical thinking. 

Advanced Placement Option: 

Advanced Placement English is for twelfth-grade students who want an intensive, college-level English 

course that prepares them to take one or both of the AP English Exams. The course is conducted much 

like a college seminar and therefore requires high-quality work in and out of class. Students are asked to 

read works of literature analytically and critically; they respond with increasing sensitivity and 

discrimination to language. Essays focus on literary analysis but students also have some opportunity to 

practice creative writing. Students are encouraged to take the AP exam. 

Teachers should refer to the College Board web site for curricular requirements and testing information. 

PVCC/Dual Enrollment Option: 

Dual Enrollment is for twelfth-grade students who want a college-level course experience with more 

emphasis on writing. These courses allow students to earn both high school and college credits 

simultaneously. The PVCC texts have an expectation of elements presented in the Albemarle County 

Language Arts Curriculum Framework for 12 th grade. 

Teachers should refer to the PVCC web site for course syllabi and curricular requirements. 











Text: 

Prentice Hall. (2007). Prentice Hall Literature: British Literature. Penguin Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson 



12 th -grade Concept Requirements & Suggested Texts 


Systems: Genre: Tragedy 


Aesthetics: Literary Elements 


Requirement: All students will analyze the evolution 

of the tragic hero to the anti-hero. 


Requirement: All students will analyze the influence 

of the epic through time to the roots of Imperialism. 


Aesthetics: Syntax 

Requirement: All students will read a piece of satire 

in relation to the evolution of language. 

Aesthetics: Style, Syntax 

Communication: Author’s Craft, Author’s 

Purpose 

Requirement: All students will evaluate author’s 

craft and purpose in a literary work. 




Requirement: All students will explore the literary 

movements of modernism and existentialism. 

Teachers should select texts appropriate for their students. The 

following texts are currently under consideration by grade-level 

teachers across the division. 

• Macbeth (Shakespeare) 

• King Lear (Shakespeare) 

• Hamlet (Shakespeare) 

• Mayor of Casterbridge (Hardy) 

• Grendel (Gardner) 

• Master Harold and the Boys (Fugard) 

• Things Fall Apart (Achebe) 

• Beowulf 


• Lord of the Flies (Golding) 

• Heart of Darkness (Conrad) 

• Canterbury Tales (Chaucer) 

• A Modest Proposal, Gulliver’s Travels (Swift) 

• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Carroll) 

• The Importance of Being Ernest (Wilde) 

• The Princess Bride (Goldman) 

• Dr. Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary & Essays 


• Princess Bride (Goldman) 

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time 

(Haddon) 


• Poetry 

• 18 th Century Essays (Johnson, Addison, et al) 

• Crime and Punishment (Dostoyevsky) 

• Brave New World (Huxley) 

• Mrs. Dalloway (Woolf) 

• Alias Grace (Atwood) 

• Catch-22 (Heller) 


• Waiting for Godot (Beckett) 



Level 

Reading 

List 

12 1984 Orwell Science Fiction 8.2 

12 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Doyle Fiction 8.1 

12 Alias Grace Atwood Fiction TBD 

12 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland Carroll Fiction 7.4 

12 Beloved Morrison Fiction 8.1 

12 Beowulf Various translations Mythology 10.0 

12 Braided Lives Minnesota 

Nonfiction TBD 

Humanities 

Commission 

12 Brave New World, A Huxley Science Fiction 9.0 

12 Bread Givers Tesierska Historical Fiction TBD 

12 Canterbury Tales, The Chaucer Fiction 8.1 

12 Catch-22 Heller Fiction 7.1 

12 Child’s Christmas in Wales, A Thomas Poetry 6.3 

12 Crime and Punishment Dostoyevsky Fiction 11.0 

12 Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Haddon Fiction 6.3 

The 

12 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Stevenson Science Fiction 9.5 

12 Dr. Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary and Essays Johnson Nonfiction TBD 

12 Dubliners Joyce Fiction 8.2 


12 French Lieutenant’s Woman Fowles Fiction TBD 

12 Grendel Gardner Fiction TBD 

12 Greywolf Annual Five Multicultural Literacy, Simonson, Walker Nonfiction TBD 

The 

12 Gulliver’s Travels Swift Fiction 8.8 

12 Hamlet Shakespeare Drama 10.0 

12 Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer Conrad Fiction 9.0 

12 Importance of Being Earnest, The Wilde Drama TBD 

12 Joys of Motherhood Emecheta Historical Fiction TBD 

12 King Lear Shakespeare Drama 10.0 

12 Kon Tiki Heyerdahl Fiction 9.0 

12 Little Prince, The Saint-Exupery Fiction 6.3 

12 Lord of the Flies Golding Fiction 8.1 

12 Lord Jim Conrad Fiction 9.1 

12 Lost Horizon Hilton Fiction 9.5 

12 Macbeth Shakespeare Drama 10.9 

12 Man for All Seasons, A Bolt Drama 4.6 



Level 

Reading 

List 

12 Man of La Mancha Darion Fiction TBD 

12 Mayor of Casterbridge Hardy Fiction 9.5 

12 Miser, The Moliere Drama TBD 

12 Modest Proposal, A Swift Fiction TBD 

12 Mrs. Dalloway Woolf Fiction 7.2 

12 Mysterious Island Verne Science Fiction 10.8 

12 One Hundred Years of Solitude Marquez Fiction 8.7 

12 Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, A Joyce Fiction 9.0 

12 Power and the Glory, The Greene Historical Fiction 8.4 

12 Pride and Prejudice Austin Historical Fiction 12.0 

12 Princess Bride Goldman Fantasy 7.9 

12 Sound and the Fury Faulkner Fiction 10.0 

12 Sons and Lovers Lawrence Fiction 

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles Hardy Fiction 10.0 

12 Time Machine, The Wells Science Fiction 7.4 

12 Waiting for Godot Beckett Drama 9.0 

12 Wuthering Heights Bronte Historical Fiction 11.3 

12 Zorba the Greek Kazantzakis Fiction TBD 







Requirement: 


• Narrative 





• Technical 

Embedded in that requirement, each student will write 

• an analytical response to literature and 

• a piece with real-world application. 



Language! Program 


Language! Is a highly-structured, research-based intervention that offers an accelerated, sequential 

approach to literacy while addressing the components of a balanced literacy diet. This course offers 

students who have experienced difficulty with reading skills an opportunity to break apart structures of 

language to gain deep understanding of how words, sentences, and paragraphs work and how authors use 

structures to create meaning. Students read and write extensively in nonfiction forms; other genre are 

experienced through read-alouds, literature circles, and independent reading. Based on extensive preassessments, 

students are placed in mixed-grade ability groups to accelerate mastery of specific skills. 

Note: 

This program is a curriculum separate from but infused with the regular curriculum. The program is 

offered in grades 6-12 as an intervention. The correlation between the Language! program and the 

Standards of Learning for English Language Arts is included in the appendices. 

Students in this program receive all of the components of a balanced literacy diet. Additionally, they 

spend 20-25 minutes per day in connected text. 


1. Plan and conduct research 

Albemarle County Lifelong-Learner Standards 

From the Framework for Quality Learning 

2. Gather, organize, and analyze data; evaluate processes and products; and draw conclusions. 

3. Think analytically, critically, and creatively to pursue new ideas, acquire new knowledge, and 

make decisions. 

4. Understand and apply principles of logic and reasoning; develop, evaluate, and defend 

arguments. 

5. Seek, recognize and understand systems, patterns, themes, and interactions. 

6. Apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve new and increasingly complex 

problems. 

7. Acquire and use precise language to clearly communicate ideas, knowledge, and processes. 

8. Explore and express ideas and opinions using multiple media, the arts, and technology. 

9. Demonstrate ethical behavior and respect for diversity through daily actions and decision making. 

10. Participate fully in civic life, and act on democratic ideals within the context of community and 

global interdependence. 

11. Understand and follow a physically active lifestyle that promotes good health and wellness. 

12. Apply habits of mind and metacognitive strategies to plan, monitor, and evaluate one’s own 

work. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools 

Appendix A 

1

lbemarle 

chools 

roviding 

nstruction for 

eading 

xcellence 

© ASPIRE K-12, Albemarle County Public Schools, 2003 

Appendix B 

1

Albemarle County Language Arts Program 

Purpose 

The purpose of the ASPIRE document is to assist teachers and administrators in understanding 

curriculum, assessment, instruction as it relates to delivering the language arts curriculum. This document 

is in no way intended to replace the language arts curriculum. The language arts curriculum lists the very 

specific skills and processes students are to learn at particular grade levels. Delivery of this curriculum in 

its entirety is crucial not only to student success in subsequent grade levels but also to potential success 

on the Virginia English Standards of Learning tests. ASPIRE should be viewed as a framework that helps 

describe the crucial categories of language arts instruction identified by the Virginia State Department of 

Education and the Federal No Child Left Behind Act. An explanation of the categories followed by potential 

activities is intended to assist teachers in instructional knowledge and decision-making. 

Philosophy 

Albemarle County identifies its language arts program as balanced and comprehensive, containing a 

steady daily learning “diet” for students. Component categories of this diet are fluency, 

comprehension/vocabulary, writing and word study. Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) does 

not align itself in camps of whole language or skills-driven instruction. Instead, it commits itself to the 

philosophy of combining explicit instruction with authentic and purposeful learning experiences, employing 


Appendix B 

2

an ambitious curriculum that challenges each student. Frequent opportunities to read and write reinforce 

the strong link between skill and strategy learning. 

Grouping 

In order to achieve this goal, students participate in small group instruction, whole group 

instruction, and independent reading and writing activities. The purpose of small group learning is to 

provide teacher support for the reading of slightly challenging texts that stretch student knowledge and 

build strategy and skill repertoire. This is known as books at the instructional level of the student. 

Further, having students write about books they are reading in literacy groups incorporates writing. 

Whether students are filling in the blanks to create a pattern book or comparing and contrasting 

characters, it is important that students make the connection between reading and writing through written 

responses to books being read. 

The purpose of independent reading is to provide students reading time with easy-to-read and 

personally interesting books, providing rehearsal of reading skills and assimilation. It is an expectation 

in Albemarle County that all classrooms K-5 and 6-12 reading classes will honor this balance of 

using instructional and independent level material. 

Effective reading classrooms emphasize flexible small group work in order to provide immediate 

feedback to students, and stress coaching students in the skills being taught as opposed to telling answers 


Appendix B 

3

first. Coaching, with opportunities for higher-level questions for all students, always follows explicit 

instruction. 

Assessment 

Both informal and formal assessment takes place in the classroom. Formative assessments are 

to be used to monitor and adjust instruction based on student knowledge. Formative assessments provide 

diagnostic information that help teachers know what to teach and are considered a mandatory part of the 

language arts program. Summative assessments are meant to provide evidence of cumulative student 

achievement and generally take place at the end of units or the end of the year. 

Teachers are expected to have documentation of instructional reading levels, word study stages, 

and writing development for all students through the use of QRIs, running records, DSAs, writing samples, 

and student work. These assessments informs instruction, provide guidelines for appropriate small group 

placement for students, and alert a teacher to those students who are in need of additional support in 

order to meet the grade level benchmarks. This body of assessments should not be given all at once. 

Rather, choosing the correct assessment and administering it is a purposeful process. The teacher 

administers the assessment that provides the information needed about a particular student at a given 

time. 


Appendix B 

4

In reporting student achievement levels to parents or division, teachers are expected to make 

professional judgments about student levels using multiple measures – a body of evidence formed by 

these assessments. A one time assessment should not be considered sufficient evidence of student 

achievement. 

Lesson Plans 

A balanced and comprehensive literacy program provides students with daily practice in fluency, 

comprehension, writing, and word study at each grade level. Teachers should design appropriate 

instruction in each of these areas. Language arts instruction is considered to be of primary importance for 

developing proficient readers and should take place daily. 

Intervention 

The Albemarle County school system is committed to teaching all students to read and write well. It 

recognizes that some students may require additional time and alternative strategies in order to achieve 

this goal. Classroom teachers will teach children at their instructional levels and assess both formally and 

informally in order to closely follow the progress of students. The position of the school division is that 

intervention for reading problems is best when it happens early for children. Kindergarten and first grade 

teachers are critical to this commitment. They must be keenly aware of the instructional level of each 

child, as well as the benchmarks for the end of the grade. Those students who are in danger of not 


Appendix B 

5

meeting end-of-year benchmarks should be identified and provided additional instruction above that which 

the student receives in the regular classroom. Effective intervention is characterized as additional 

instruction, which is fast-paced. It is not a slow down curriculum for the student. Furthermore, it 

provides support with immediate corrective feedback for the student. Because of these traits, one-on-one 

and small group settings for intervention are stressed. 

Although research indicates that early intervention is most successful for students, all classroom 

teachers K-5 and 6-12 reading are responsible for knowing the instructional levels for all students and for 

seeking additional support for those students who are not achieving as anticipated. In the early childhood 

grades, one-on-one tutorials are to be available for students. In the upper grades, small groups should 

serve as a model for designing intervention. In middle and high school, Language! And CRISS may be 

used in addition to the literacy diet. 

Language Arts Instructional Program Expectations 

• Learning to read and reading to learn is the highest priority. 

• Reading instruction is to be delivered daily for at least 90 minutes. 

• Instruction is to be differentiated so that all children are working at their instructional level. 


Appendix B 

6

• Direct instruction in skills, teacher coaching in how to use those skills in appropriate materials, and 

independent practice in using those skills must occur for all students. 

• Reading instruction will be a mixture of opportunities to read both in small group with a common 

book and independently with a student-selected book. 

• Lesson plans for language arts must reflect instructional activities in fluency, 

comprehension/vocabulary development, writing, and word study. As grade level teams, 

intervention committees, principals and teachers, etc. come together to discuss instruction and 

student progress, evidence of instruction in these areas in lesson plans is expected. 

• Teachers will be familiar with the benchmarks. They will be able to identify students who are at risk 

of not meeting the benchmarks and will seek instructional support for those students. 

• Teachers will use ongoing assessments (formative assessment) documenting student instructional 

levels in order to ensure students are in the appropriate literacy group. 

• Multiple assessments will form a body of evidence concerning student achievement level. 

Instructional and placement decisions will not be made based on a single assessment. 


Appendix B 

7

Language Arts Instructional Program Components 

Fluency 

Fluency, the ability to read with accuracy, automaticity, and expression, is an important component 

of becoming a successful reader. Fluency is characterized by appropriate rate, expression, and 

smoothness. One who is reading with ease in not struggling to decode words and thus has more time to 

focus on reading comprehension. Consequently, instruction in helping children to decode words and 

independent practice in reading is critical. To become skilled readers, students must develop a large 

repertoire of words that can be read automatically. 

In order to build fluency, students need the opportunity to read large quantities of materials. 

Practice in reading develops more skilled reading. It also contributes significantly to increased vocabulary 

development. 

Fluency: Possible Learning Activities 

K-5 

• Re-reading and finger pointing 

• Sentence strips to cut up and reassemble 

• High frequency word games 

• Choral and echo reading 


Appendix B 

8

• Readers’ Theatre- Students dramatize a short story, poem, or song. After reading the original text, 

students create a script. They decide how to portray the characters, rehearse the script, and then 

perform for the class. 

• Taped reading 

• Timed Repeated Reading- Students select a 100-word passage of text and read for both reasonable 

speed and accuracy. Students repeat this process in an attempt to increase number of words per 

minute read and decrease number of errors made. Attempts are charted to measure growth. 

• Paired Reading- Students read back and forth in pairs. 

• Expert Reading- Students select a given page of text that they rehearse for fluency and accuracy in 

oral reading. 

• Poetry 

• Sustained Silent Reading- Students read independent level text for a sustained period of time. 

Follow up activities include reader response logs, book talks, and recording text read in a reading 

log. 

• Radio Reading- Students rehearse reading a passage with expression, fluency, attention to 

punctuation, etc. for oral reading. Similar to Radio Theatre, the task is to bring the story to life for 

people who do not have access to the book. Recording this on tape recorder is effective. 


Appendix B 

9

• Teacher instruction in syllabication in order to decode unfamiliar words encountered in text. 

• Teacher instruction in identifying known “chunks” of a word in order to read unfamiliar words 

encountered in text. 

6 -12 

• Sustained Silent Reading- Students read independent level text for a sustained period of time. 

Follow up activities include reader response logs, book talks, and recording text read in a reading 

log. 

• Radio Reading- Students rehearse reading a passage with expression, fluency, attention to 

punctuation, etc. for oral reading. Similar to Radio Theatre, the task is to bring the story to life for 

people who do not have access to the book. Recording this on tape recorder is effective. 

• Expert Reading- Students select a given page of text that they rehearse for fluency and accuracy in 

oral reading. 

• Paired Reading- Students read back and forth in pairs. 

• Timed Repeated Reading- Students select a 100-word passage of text and read for both reasonable 

speed and accuracy. Students repeat this process in an attempt to increase number of words per 

minute read and decrease number of errors made. Attempts are charted to measure growth 


Appendix B 

10

• Readers’ Theatre- Students dramatize a short story, poem, or song. After reading the original text, 

students create a script. They decide how to portray the characters, rehearse the script, and then 

perform for the class. 

• Reading independent level text. 

Comprehension 

Reading is a combination of decoding and comprehending what is being read. Although it seems 

quite natural that when one is reading, one is also processing all that is being read, this is not always the 

case. Reading involves reader interaction before engaging in the text, during the reading of the text, and 

after the reading of the text. Teachers should provide direct instruction in strategies for preparing to read 

text, for engaging in meaning making while reading, and for assimilating understanding after reading the 

text. Students need modeling of various strategies, guided practice in using those strategies, and multiple 

opportunities for independent practice of those strategies. Ultimately, the successful reader must be able 

to integrate multiple strategies at the same time when reading. 

Since reading comprehension involves concept and vocabulary development, command of the 

linguistic structure of text, and reflective control of what has been read, teachers are responsible for 

aggressively teaching vocabulary, as well as the elements of literature. 


Appendix B 

11

Comprehension instruction begins in Kindergarten with Direct Listening – Thinking Activities (DLTA). 

Here, the teacher guides children through prediction, confirmation, and modification of predictions and 

through rich discussion of stories read aloud. Beginning this process in Kindergarten is vital to 

demonstrating to children how skilled readers focus and gain meaning from text. 

Comprehension is a social experience for readers. Meaning occurs through making connections with 

personal experiences and engaging in conversations with other readers about common reading. 

Consequently, readers must have experiences in school such as guided reading or literature circles where 

a common book has been read and meaningfully discussed. 

Reading Comprehension Framework: Before, During, and After 

Before reading activities are designed to activate prior knowledge, to prepare students to read. 

Through these activities students become more adept at linking their prior experiences with new material. 

In addition, students set a purpose for reading and make predictions about content. 

During reading activities are designed to keep students actively engaged in the meaning making 

process. This involves teaching students to monitor their comprehension and to adjust their reading 

strategies as needed. 


Appendix B 

12

After reading activities are designed to assist students with processing information. Students 

make connections among texts and consolidate information, thus incorporating the new information into 

their schema. 


Appendix B 

13

Possible Learning Activities 

Before Reading 

During Reading 

After Reading 

Anticipated guide 

Brainstorm (e.g., list, web) 

KWL 

Free write 

Role play 

Questioning 

Preview text 

Draw 

Video 

Vocabulary development 

Research on internet 

Questioning 

Complete advance organizer 

Note making (e.g., key ides, questions) 

Verify predictions 

Monitor comprehension strategies 

Think aloud 

Generate hypotheses 

Retelling 

Summarizing 

Discussion 

Read related text 

Create quiz 

Debate 

Role play 

Writing (e.g., rewrite ending, write a letter) 

Teach peers 

Create a graphic organizer 


Appendix B 

14

Comprehension: Possible Learning Activities 

K-5 

• Directed Listening-Thinking Activity (DLTA) – Students listen to a story read aloud by the teacher 

who stops strategically throughout the story to ask students to make and justify predictions about 

what will happen next in the story. Throughout this process, students are encouraged to confirm or 

modify their predictions based on new information provided in the text. 

• Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA) – Students read a story and stop at places designated by 

the teacher to reflect on what has happened, predict and justify predictions of what might happen 

next. This can be done as a small group, guided reading group or individually in a reading response 

log. 

• Reader Response Logs – Journals where students reflect on text being read. 

• Graphic Organizers – Diagrams that allow students to visually organize the information gained from 

reading the text. An example is a Venn Diagram used to show the similarities and differences 

between two stories. 

• Guided Reading Groups – Reading group conducted by a teacher where the students, as a group, 

predict, read, and discuss. The difference between a guided reading group and a more traditional 

reading group lies in the format used for reading texts. In a guided reading group, students read 

either silently or in a whisper voice as opposed to round robin which is used in more traditional 

reading groups. The benefit of the guided reading format is that each child reads ALL of the text 

rather than selected pages. 

• Instruction in Literary Elements – Direct instruction in identifying the characteristics of various 

literary genres. Student knowledge in this area greatly enhances comprehension skills. 

• Book Talks – Students read a book and orally present the book to the class, promoting the plot of 

the book without giving away the exciting moments. The purpose is to require the reader to reflect 


Appendix B 

15

on the plot of the book and summarize it to an audience while encouraging other students to read 

the book. 

• Literature Circle/Book Clubs – Students come together in small groups to discuss a book they have 

read. The goal is for the teacher to model and teach children how to lead their own discussion about 

a book. 

• Retelling/Paraphrasing – Students articulate in their own words what they have read. 

• Summarizing – Students tell the important parts of the story. 

• Visualizing – Teachers guide students in creating pictures in their minds of what has been read. 

• Think-Alouds – The teacher reads aloud to the students and articulates what s/he is thinking about 

the reading. This strategy is highly metacognitive and demonstrates to students how good readers 

have conversations with themselves about the reading as it progresses, checking for understanding 

and making connections. Coaching to help children use the skill independently should follow teacher 

demonstrations. (Please see description in 6-12 section for further explanation) 

6-12 

• Anticipation Guides – An anticipation guide activates students’ prior knowledge and sets a purpose 

for reading. The teacher creates a list of statements related to key concepts in a text. The student 

decides if s/he agrees or disagrees with the statement. A discussion of students’ responses 

proceeds. Students read the text keeping in mind their opinions and the class discussion. After 

reading, the students return to the anticipation guide and discuss the statements in light of the 

reading. 

• Think-Alouds – The teacher models her thought process as she reads. Modeling might include 

predictions, confusing points, strategies for clarification, and/or images that come in mind. 


Appendix B 

16

Following the modeling, students are given the opportunity to practice thinking aloud with a partner. 

Alternatively, students might use a think aloud checklist and practice independently. 

• Graphic Organizers 

• Story Grammar (Story frame) - Students become more aware of a story structure through the use 

of grammar. This graphic organizer identifies such story characteristics as setting, plot, and theme. 

• Story Map – Teachers list major events in a story; students create questions based on the map. 

• Venn Diagram 

• Inquiry Charts (I-chart) – This matrix promotes critical thinking skills as students search multiple 

sources to answer questions. Across the top of the matrix, list 3-4 key questions that relate to 

concepts from a given unit of study. Along the left side of the matrix, a cell is identified for “What 

We Know”. Below this cell, list 3 sources (i.e., textbooks, trade books, video, lecture). The last cell 

along the left-hand side of the matrix is for “Summary”. Students begin filling in “What We Know”. 

Then they search the multiple sources to answer the key questions, writing answers in the 

corresponding box. After completing the research, students fill in the “Summary” boxes, 

synthesizing the information from the multiple sources. 

• Concept map 

• KWL Plus – This graphic organizer identifies the following information about a given topic: “What I 

Know”, “What I Want to Know”, “What I Learned” and “What I Still Want to Know/Where I Can Find 

More Information”. 

• Questioning Techniques 

o Reciprocal Questioning (ReQuest) – Teachers and students take turns asking and answering 

questions based on single sentences of text. The teacher models higher levels of questioning. 

Continue through a passage sentence by sentence, taking turns asking and answering the questions. 

Questions that occur later in the paragraph should reflect cumulative information from prior 

sentences. 

o Question-Answer Relationship – Students learn to identify 4 types of question-answer relationships: 

1. Right there (The answer is in one sentence of the story.); 2. Think and Search (The answer is in 

the story, but the reader must search different sentences.); 3. Author and You (The answer is not 


Appendix B 

17

in the story. The reader puts together what s/he knows and what the author says.); 4. On My Own 

(The answer is not in the story. The reader uses his/her own experiences to answer the questions.) 

o Questioning the Author – While reading, the students create queries about the author’s ideas and 

techniques for presenting material. Sample queries might be: What is the author trying to say 

How might the author state this idea differently Why does the author tell us this now Class 

discussion focuses on the queries generated by the students. 

o Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA) – Students read a story and stop at places designated by 

the teacher to reflect on what has happened, predict and justify predictions of what might happen 

next. This can be done as a small group, guided reading group, or individually in a reading response 

log. 

o Reciprocal Teaching – While reading a passage, the teacher models 4 comprehension strategies: 

questioning, summarizing, clarifying, and predicting. The students eventually take on the role of 

teacher, generating questions, summarizing information, clarifying confusing text/vocabulary, and 

predicting what will happen later in the text. The classroom offers feedback during this guided 

practice. 

• Discussion 

o Think, Pair, Share – Students write down their thoughts in response to a reading or to a 

question. Then, they share their response with a partner. Afterwards, partners share their 

responses and discuss with the whole class. 

o Sticky Notes – As they read, students use post-it notes to identify key idea, passages, 

vocabulary, or questions in text. After reading, these sticky notes may be shared during class 

discussions. 

o Authentic Questions – Teachers model that good readers ask questions as they read. 

Students identify questions that they have when reading a given story/text. After reading, 

students share their authentic questions, generating class discussion. 

• SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) 

• Summarizing 

• Two-Column Note taking 


Appendix B 

18

o Cornell notes – On the right side of the journal entry, students identify and record key ideas 

from the text, perhaps using modified outline. On the left-hand side of the journal entry, 

students create corresponding questions or labels for the information. 

o Opinion-Proof Notes – On the left-hand side of the paper, students identify their opinions. On 

the right-hand side of the paper, students list corresponding proof from the text that supports 

their opinion. 

o Problem-Solution Notes – On the left-hand side of the paper, students identify problems. On 

the right-hand side of the paper, students list corresponding solutions. 

• Power Notes or Outlining – Power notes are a simplistic version of outlining. Main ideas are Power 

1’s; supporting details are Power 2’s. A detail of a Power 2 would be a Power 3, etc. 

• Dialogue Journal – Students write observations or reflections based on literature. The journal is 

exchanged with a peer, who responds to the journal entry. 

Writing 

Writing is intimately linked with reading. It is virtually impossible to teach one without the other. 

Writing instruction emphasizes both the creative nature of expression and the conventions of various 

types of writing. This demands instruction in those features that determine quality composing, written 

expression, sentence formation, grammar, and usage and mechanics. 

The writing process entails students engaging in developing a piece by prewriting, drafting, revising, 

editing, and producing a final copy. Typically, direct skills are taught throughout mini-lessons and 

classroom discussions, as well as through the study of published authors’ works. In addition, teachers 


Appendix B 

19

use a variety of models such as shared writing, interactive writing, and guided writing or writer’s 

workshop. 

Shared writing - Teacher and student work together to compose messages and stories; teacher acts 

as a scribe. 

Interactive writing – Teacher and students work together to compose messages and stories that are 

written using a “shared” pen (teacher does some of the writing; students do some of the writing). 

Guided writing or Writer’s workshop – Students engage in composing a variety of texts with the 

teacher guiding them through the writing process, providing instruction through mini-lessons and 

conferences. 

Writing is a developmental continuum for students and student chosen topics are a vital part of 

learning to write. Nevertheless, teachers must also provide some assigned topics that help children to 

develop skills in particular writing genres. 

It is expected that teachers will teach grammar within the context of writing instruction. It is also 

expected that teachers will seize opportunities in writing to further vocabulary development. Activities 

such as a “power word wall” where children produce lists of strong verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and in 

general, more vivid words, promote this development. 


Appendix B 

20

Although handwriting is not defined as part of the writing process, teachers are expected to be 

teaching children proper letter formation and setting the expectation of legibility in all of the work that 

is produced. 

K-5 

Writing: Possible Learning Activities 

• Power Word Charts – Charts that are developed by teachers and students are hung around the 

classroom to provide vivid vocabulary to use in writing. The goal is to extinguish the use of overused 

or weak words (particularly weak verbs). Examples might include a list of words to 

substitute for “ like” or “said”. 

• Journal Writing (free writing as well as content area) – Students write either on topics of their 

choice or topics assigned by the teacher. Teacher feedback lends to the quality of the writing in 

these journals. 

• Letter writing 

• List making 

• Summaries of stories read 

• Report writing 

• Linking writing to reading through story extension, response journal, etc. 

• Narratives 


Appendix B 

21

• Create pattern books modeled after stories read – Students read books with distinct patterns and 

then create their own book based upon that pattern. The goal is to quickly empower early 

writers via an established format. 

• Mini-lessons on composition, written expression, sentence formation, mechanics, conventions – 

Brief lessons of about 10 minutes in length provided by the teacher to demonstrate correct use of 

a specific writing convention or skill. It is a good idea to post in the classroom mini-lessons 

presented or to have children record the mini-lesson in a writer’s handbook so that students can 

refer back to the lessons when writing. 

• Peer Editing and Revising – Students work in pairs or small groups to revise and edit pieces. The 

goal is for students to reflect together about the writing process and to acquaint students with 

the notion that writers write for an audience who must understand the piece. Looking at the 

writing of another also provides students with valuable practice in the format of the SOL writing 

multiple-choice test. 

• Note making 

• RAFT papers – Teachers structure writing assignments using RAFT, by identifying the Role of the 

writer; the Audience; the Format of the writing assignment; and the Topic + strong verb (i.e., 

describe; request; explain). 


Appendix B 

22

6-12 

• Cornell note making – On the right-hand side of the journal entry, students identify and record key 

ideas from the text, perhaps using a modified outline. On the left-hand side of the journal entry, 

students create corresponding questions or labels for the information. 

• Journal 

o Dialectical or double entry journal – On the right-hand side of the journal entry, students 

identify and record key ideas or passages that stood out for them from the text. On the lefthand 

side of the journal entry, students create corresponding questions or make connections 

to experience in their life. 

o Dialogue journal – Students write observations or reflections based on literature. The journal 

is exchanged with a peer, who responds to the journal entry. 

o Reader Response – Students reflect on a piece of literature through a written response. 

o Learning log – Students write responses to a teacher’s question. In the log, the students 

might explain what they are learning, new insights, observations, or how they might use the 

information in the future. 

• Genre Writing 

• Summarizing 

o One-sentence summary – Read a selection aloud. List five key words from the selection. 

Combine these words to create a one-sentence summary. 

• Lab Reports 

• Research paper 

• I-Search Paper – In this alternative to the research paper, students investigate a topic, and then 

describe the process they used during their search. 


Appendix B 

23

• RAFT papers – Teachers structure writing assignments using RAFT, by identifying the Role of the 

writer; the Audience; the Format of the writing assignment; and the Topic + strong verb (i.e., 

describe; request; explain). 

• School Paper (i.e., 5-paragraph essay) 

• Framed Paragraph – The teacher creates a framed paragraph by providing the topic and concluding 

sentence with transitions between sentences. Students complete the framed paragraph by 

providing details. 

Word Study 

Although most closely associated with spelling, Word Study is defined as the study of phonemic 

awareness, letter recognition, phonics, spelling, and vocabulary development. While it is based 

on the developmental spelling level of the student, it is still a method of instruction where the explicit 

teaching of spelling features of words at the student’s instructional level takes place. It is impossible to 

overemphasize the connection between spelling development and reading development. Word Study in 

the classroom joins the reading instruction to give children tools for decoding words and provides a 

growing vocabulary of words that children are expected to spell correctly in written work. Teachers hold 

students accountable for correctly using features that have been taught. Effective and explicit instruction 

in orthography (spelling) contributes significantly to student reading and writing fluency. 


Appendix B 

24

Word Study in the classroom relies on comparing and contrasting lists of words provided by the 

teacher, which exemplify features the child is “using but confusing”. For example, the student might be 

attempting to use short vowels in words but using the incorrect vowel. The teacher must provide word 

sorts which help the student differentiate between the short vowels so that the student will learn the 

difference between the vowel sounds and use them correctly in spelling. 

Word Study is discussed in five stages. The earliest stage is the Preliterate stage (emergent) where 

heavy emphasis is placed on phonemic awareness, letter recognition and sounds in the initial position. 

The second stage, Letter Name (Letter Name-Alphabetic), is where children learn short vowel word 

families, short vowels in the medial position, and blends and digraphs. In the third stage, Within Word 

Pattern, students learn the numerous patterns that dictate long vowel words in our language. The fourth 

stage, Syllable Juncture (Syllable and Affixes), is where students study the rules that dictate the spellings 

of words where two-syllables come together. Understanding of the previous stages is crucial at this point. 

The final stage, Derivational Constancy (Derivational Relations), continues through adulthood. It 

addresses the spelling of the countless words in our language that are related by meaning and thus share 

similarities in spelling despite difference in sound and pronunciation. 


Appendix B 

25

Word Study: Possible Learning Activities 

K-5 

• Oral language games and activities (phonemic awareness) 

• Alphabet recognition games 

• Matching/concentration games to practice skills 

• Picture Sorting – Sorting pictures by similar beginning, middle, and ending sounds. The benefit of 

using pictures is that students are focused on sounds only, without the ability to rely on a letter or 

word family. Consequently, pictures are beneficial even when studying long vowels. Their use 

should not be limited to consonants, blends, and short vowels. 

• Listening games 

• Syllable segmentation activities – Oral activities that help students segment words into syllables. 

This skill is beneficial for the decoding process. 

• Phoneme Segmentation Activities – Oral activities that help students break words apart into their 

constituent sounds. This process is important for decoding and is assisted through providing 

students opportunities to write using invented spelling. 

• Making and Breaking Word Activities – Students break apart words into constituent sounds and 

blend them back together. Both processes are vital to reading and writing. 

• Word Banks – Students collect word cards of those words that are automatic (sight) words for them. 

Collecting words can cease after the child has amassed 150 – 200 words. 

• Rhyming activities 


Appendix B 

26

6-12 

• Word sorts focusing on a specific feature being studied 

• Dictated Sentences – The teacher dictates a sentence to students that contain words from Word 

Study and/or high frequency words. Children are held accountable for spelling correctly all words 

and word features they have studied. They are allowed to use invented spelling for any word 

feature that has not been studied. This activity is necessary for helping children transfer Word 

Study knowledge to everyday writing. 

• Word sorts focusing on a specific feature being studied 

• Practice all features studied for automaticity 

• List-Group-Labels – Students generate as many words as possible related to a topic. Then they 

group related words from the brainstormed list. Finally, students label each group of related words. 

• Semantic Web – A vocabulary word is placed in the middle of the web. Spokes connect major ideas 

or categories associated with the vocabulary word. Supporting details branch out from each 

category. 

• Word Histories – Create enthusiasm for words by sharing the history of words with students. 

Discuss categories such as eponyms (words derived from person or places) or acronyms (words 

formed by the first letter or groups of letters that form a phrase). 

• Word Study Activities 

o Word hunts 

o Sorts (speed, writing, word) 

o Vocabulary notebooks 

• Semantic Web – A vocabulary word is placed in the middle of the web. Spokes connect major ideas 

or categories associated with the vocabulary word. Supporting details branch out from each 

category 


Appendix B 

27

• Semantic Feature Analysis – Create a matrix of vocabulary words around a concept or theme. 

Words to be studied are written down the left-hand side of the matrix. Features of the words are 

written across the top of the matrix. Students mark each cell with a (+) to indicate that the word is 

definitely related to a feature or a (-) if the word is not related to a feature. 

• Concept of Definition Map – Create a map with the key concept in the center circle. Spokes connect 

to ideas along the top of the page that identify the category (What is it); spokes connect to ideas 

along the side of the page that identify properties (What it is like); spokes connect to the bottom of 

the page to identify illustrations (What are some examples). 

• Capsule Vocabulary – The teacher identifies a group of related words from a chapter or topic. As a 

class, the words are discussed. In small groups, students practice using the words in their speaking 

vocabulary. Finally, students use the new words in writing, by creating paragraphs or stories around 

the words. 

• Word Histories – Create enthusiasm for words by sharing the history of words with students. 

Discuss categories such as eponyms (words derived from person or places) or acronyms (words 

formed by the first letter or groups of letters that form a phrase). 

• Sentence and Word Expansion – The teacher identifies a simple sentence from the text or from a 

student paper. Students work to replace words in the simple sentence with more interesting or 

descriptive words. Using ideas brainstormed by the class or ideas of their own, students rewrite the 

sentence to make it more interesting. 


Appendix B 

28

Emergent Reader Plan 

Fluency (40%) 

Goals: 

• Reads familiar books at lateemergent 

stage (RR 3-4) 

• Rigby Assessment 3-4 

• Concept of word. 

Comprehension (20%) 

Goals: 

• Retells stories using beginning, 

middle, and end. 

Writing (20%) 

Goals: 

• Proper letter formation; 

communicates ideas through writing 

• Writes about experiences, stories, 

people, objects, or events using 

phonetically spelled words. 

Word Study (20%) 

Goals: 

• Matches letters to their 

corresponding sounds. 

• Identifies syllables and phonemes in 

words. 

Possible Activities; 

• Repeated reading of appropriate text, pointing to words while 

reading 

- Early –mid-Emergent RR levels 1-2 

- Late-Emergent RR levels 3-4 

• Rereading and finger pointing of dictation, rhymes, songs, jingles 

• Sentence strips to cut up and reassemble 

• High frequency word games 

Possible Activities: 

• Listening to stories (Directed Listening-Thinking Activity) 

• Retelling drama/flannel board 

• Story illustrations to include beginning, middle, and end of stories. 

• Concept sorts 

• Think Alouds 

Possible Activities; 

• Drawing and labeling 

• Journal writing 

• Tactile/kinesthetic letters, clay, sand, shaving cream 

• Create pattern books modeled after stories that were read 

• Handwriting 


• Oral language activities (phonemic awareness) 

• Matching, alphabet, and concentration games 

• Picture sorts by common initial and ending sounds and by rhyming 

families 

• Segmenting syllable 

• Listening games 

• Phoneme segmentation 


Appendix B 

29

Fluency (40%) 

Goals: 

• Reads at late-Beginner stage (RR 13- 

18). 

• Rigby Assessment 16 

• QRI Level 1 


Goals: 

• Makes and confirms predictions. 

• Asks and answers questions about what 

is read. 

• Can accurately sequence stories 

• Retell a story using basic story structure 

Writing (20%) 

Goals: 

• Writes 3 or more complete sentences 

with descriptive words on one topic. 


Goal: 

• Late-Letter Name (Letter Name- 

Alphabetic) speller. Consistent control of 

short vowel sounds 

• Build vocabulary 

Beginning Reader Plan 


• Repeated reading of appropriate text 

- Early-Beginner RR Levels 5-8 Mid-Beginner RR levels 9- 

12 

- Late-Beginner RR 13-18 

• Choral and echo reading 

• Reader’s theatre 

• Taped reading 

• Timed repeated reading 

• High Frequency word games 


• Directed Reading-Thinking Activity and Directed Listening- 

Thinking Activity 

• Retelling 

• Illustrate and write about beginning, middle, and end of 

stories 

• Story mapping 

• Dramatization 



• Journal, note, or letter writing 

• List making 

• Dictated sentences 

• Mini-lessons on mechanics and writing conventions 


• Word bank of sight words 

• Picture sorts by beginning sounds, word families, short 

vowels, blends and consonant digraphs 

• Rhyming 

• Phoneme segmentation 


Appendix B 

30

Fluency (20%) 

Goals: 

• Read at late-Advanced Beginner 

stage 




Goals: 

• Reads silently with comprehension 

• Can accurately identify main idea 

• Justify answers by locating 

information in a story 

• Determine cause and effect in a 

story 

Writing (20%) 

Goals: 

• Writes simple stories and reports 

with a beginning, middle, and end 


Goals: 

• Within Word Pattern speller. 

Consistent control of simple long 

vowel patterns; developing control 

of r- controlled vowel patterns 

• Builds vocabulary 

Advanced Beginner Reader Plan 


• Timed repeated readings 

• Paired readings 

• Readers’ Theatre 

• Expert reading 

• Poetry 


• Directed Reading-Thinking Activity 

• Graphic organizers (KWL; Venn Diagram to compare/contrast 

characters or plot) 

• Literature response journals 

• Radio reading 



• Summaries 

• Journal writing 

• Letter writing 

• Report writing 

• Link writing to reading (e.g., extend; describe characters, 

setting) 


• Sorting by long and short vowel patterns 

• Examine r-controlled vowels and complex consonant blends 

• List-group-label 

• Semantic web 

• Concept sorts 


Appendix B 

31

Fluency (20%) 

Goals: 

• Reads silently and aloud with 

appropriate accuracy, automaticity, 

and expressions at late-Transitional 

stage. Maintains reading 

comprehension. 




Goals: 



• Can relate ideas in text to other 

texts and experiences 

• Identify distinguishing characteristics 

of fiction and nonfiction 

Writing (20%) 

Goals: 

• Writes stories, letters, simple 

explanations and short reports 

across all content areas. 


Goals: 

• Late-Within Word Pattern speller. 

Consistent control long vowel 

patterns 


Transitional Reader Plan 



• Expert readings 



• Poetry 

• Sustained reading time 


• Directed Reading-Thinking Activity 

• Graphic organizers (KWL; Venn Diagram to compare/contrast 

characters or plot) 

• Literature response journals 

• Book clubs; literature circles 



• Content area journals 

• Reading response logs 

• Summaries 


• Reports 


• Sorting by long vowel patterns or by r-controlled vowels 

• Word study notebooks 

• Studying and applying homophones 


• Semantic segmentation 


Appendix B 

32

Fluency (20%) 

Goals: 


appropriate accuracy, automaticity, and 

expressions at mid- to late- 

Intermediate stage. Maintains reading 

comprehension 




Goals: 


comprehension 

• Can discern author’s purpose 

• Select appropriate sources for gathering 

information and answering questions 

• Understand relationship of main idea 

and supporting details 

Intermediate Reader Plan 






• Poetry 



• Anticipation guides 

• Graphic organizers (story grammar; inquiry charts) 

• Reciprocal teaching 

• Question-Answer Relationship 


Writing (20%) 

Goals: 

• Writes effective narratives and 

explanations that are organized and 

focus on one aspect of a topic. 


Goals: 

• Syllable Juncture (Syllables and Affixes) 

speller. Consistent control of spelling of 

vowel patterns in stressed syllables; 

developing control of vowel spellings in 

unstressed syllable 



Appendix B 


• Content journals 

• Notemaking 

• RAFT papers 

• Framed paragraph 


• Reports 


• Sort by VCCV, VCV, open and closed syllables, long vowel patterns in 

stressed syllables 


• Semantic webs 

• Word histories 

• Sentence and word expansion 

33

Proficient Reader Plan 

Fluency (20%) 

Goals: 


appropriate accuracy, automaticity, 

and expressions at late- intemediate 

to Proficient stage. Maintains 

reading comprehension 



Goals: 


comprehension 

• Ask questions of text and author 

• Scan for specific information 

• Assimilate information from a variety 

of sources 

Writing (20%) 

Goals: 

• Writes for a variety of purposes 

(e.g., describe, entertain, inform, 

explain) 


Goals: 

• Late-Syllable Juncture (Syllables and 

Affixes) speller through Derivational 

Constancy (Derivational Relations). 

• Consistent control of vowel spellings 

in unstressed syllable 







• Poetry 



• Anticipation guides 

• Graphic organizers (story grammar; inquiry charts) 

• Questioning the Author 

• Question-Answer Relationship 

• Dialogue journals 


• Genre writing 

• Cornell notemaking 

• RAFT papers 

• I-search paper 

• Spool paper (e.g., 5 paragraph essay) 

• Double entry journal 


• Sort by r-controlled patters in stressed syllables; unstressed 

syllable vowel patters, affixes 

• Semantic feature analysis 

• Concept of Definition map 

• Word histories 

• Sentence and word expansion 


Appendix B 

34

Literacy Classroom Look-fors

Introduction 

The division-level Literacy Achievement Team developed the Literacy 

Classroom Look-fors in response to the division’s work with the Teacher 

Performance Appraisal and Classroom Walkthroughs. These pages articulate 

the type of practice in which English language arts, ESOL, and special 

education teachers should engage as they plan and deliver literacy 

instruction. 

Each page is broken into two main sections: instructional practices and 

environmental support. In essence, teachers must create an environment of 

literacy both through instruction and through access to text and models. 

Each major section is broken into two additional sections representing ends 

of a continuum on Bloom’s taxonomy. The “low” category articulates those 

practices at the knowledge or comprehension level, while the “high” 

category articulates practices at the synthesis and evaluation levels. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, April 2006 

Appendix C 

1

Literacy Classroom Look-fors 

Instructional Practices 

Environmental Support 

LOW 

Fill in blanks on a generic 

graphic organizer 

Text Structures 

HIGH 

Select from a variety of 

complex graphic 

organizers 

• Cause-effect 

• Compare/contrast 

• Sequence 

• Concept-definition 

• Problem-solution 

Webs • Detailed outlines 

• Two-column 

(Cornell) notes 

• Structure-specific 

organizers 

Teacher-provided 

organizer (same for 

everyone) 

Same organizer all year 

Use organizers for reading 

OR writing 

Explain how a text is 

structured 

Identify a used structure 

Identify 

elements/techniques of 

author’s craft 

Taking all writing to 

fruition 

Student-provided 

organizer (create your 

own) 

Multiple organizers to 

meet specific text 

structures 

Use organizers to bridge 

reading AND writing 

Evaluate benefits of one 

organizational structure 

over another 

Evaluate & defend 

author’s choice of 

structure for a story or for 

a student’s own writing 

Evaluate author’s use of 

elements/techniques to 

advance a piece of writing 

& apply those techniques 

in student’s own writing 

Lots of starts & targeted 

lessons for various 

audiences & purposes 

LOW HIGH 

• Writing for a variety of purposes 

evidenced 

• Target boards 

• Crates/files from which students 

choose organizers 

• Nonfiction in classroom library 

• Newspapers & periodicals 

• ‘5 Paragraph’ poster on the wall 

• Exemplar papers posted without 

specific criteria 

• Discussion on plot or main idea in 

absence of structural questions 

• Classroom library restricted to 

fiction 


Appendix C 

2




LOW 

HIGH 

Use of Resources 

Identify fact or opinion Evaluate source bias, 

author bias, and overall 

credibility 

Find a source on a given Evaluate the best sources 

topic 

for researching a given 

topic based on specific 

questions to be answered 

and credibility criteria 

Google 

Use multiple databases, 

and types of print and 

online resources 

Use a computer search 

engine to “look up” 

information 

Find a word in a 

dictionary or thesaurus 

Use an encyclopedia 

Use sources to find 

interesting information 

Identify parts of a 

textbook 

Write a Works Cited or 

Bibliography 

Select sources based on 

pre-determined criteria 

(with rubric in hand) 

Apply dictionary and 

thesaurus skills to gain 

information beyond 

spelling and 1 st definition 

or synonym 

Evaluate information in 

an encyclopedia 

compared to other 

sources 

Use sources to find 

relevant, meaningful 

information 

Synthesize text structures 

with other reference 

materials 

• Defend use of a 

Works Cited or a 

Bibliography 

• Write an Annotated 

Bibliography 

indicating value of 

resources for 

specific purposes 

LOW HIGH 

• Databases and other credible search 

engines linked on home page 

• Students using resources before 

asking for the answer 

• Learning community 

• Computers in the classroom or 

library 

• Dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia 

on shelf 

• Teacher as resource for answers 


Appendix C 

3




LOW 

10 unrelated words for 

practice 

Spelling quiz each week 

Everyone has the same 

word list(s) 

Weakest students get the 

“easiest” words 

Vocabulary books 

Single sorts 

Most common meaning 

Vocabulary instruction in 

language arts 

Contextual vocabulary for 

interest 

Identify patterns & 

morphemes 

Vocabulary Instruction 

HIGH 

Words for 

practice/instruction 

related through: 

• Spelling pattern 

• Vowel pattern 

• Word feature 

• Root 

• Affix 

Feature &/or meaning 

analysis 

Word study related to 

students’ individual needs 

All students hear and use 

precise, powerful 

vocabulary 

“Playing” with words 

Multiple and conceptual 

sorts 

Explore multiple 

meanings through: 

• Context 

• Definitions 

• Background 

knowledge 

Vocabulary instruction 

across disciplines 

Contextual vocabulary for 

meaning 

Apply patterns and 

morphemic structure to 

decode and determine 

meanings of new words 

Definition of words Etymology of words – 

explore vocabulary over 

time – how a word means 

Use a word from a text 

Evaluate an author’s use 

of language to convey 

meaning 


Appendix C 

LOW HIGH 

• Word walls related to features, roots, 

or combining forms 

• Etymological questions for discussion 

• Random word walls (fun, interesting, big 

words) 

• Spelling list on board 

4

Language! Program – Virginia Standards of Learning Correlations 

Middle School 

In the fall 2005, a task force including middle school Language! teachers, Albemarle County Public Schools 

Language! trainer, and the Secondary Language Arts Coordinator reviewed the 3 rd edition of Language! with respect 

to the 6-8 language arts standards. The following pages identify that correlation. Additionally, the teachers provide 

the point at which various activities/graphic organizers are introduced in the program in relation to the standards 

they address. Highlighted standards are not addressed in the Language! program, to the teacher should 

supplement their instruction to include those standards. 

Representatives on the Committee 

Patti Parmiter, Sutherland Middle School 

Marianne Walendowski, Albemarle High School, Language! Trainer 

Natalie Wood, Jouett Middle School 

Sandra Whitaker, Office of Instruction 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, November 2005 

Appendix D

Language! – Virginia SOL Correlation 

Middle School Reading 

Standard Component Correlated Activity Correlated Activity Correlated Activity Correlated Activity Correlated Activity 

6.3a word origins Define It: A-1-3 Explore It: C-13-1 Discover It: D-19-1 

6.3a derivations Choose It: A-2-7 Double It: B-6-4 Divide It: C-13-8 Discover It: D-19-1 

6.3a inflections Choose It: A-2-7 Add It: B-7-3 Change It: C-17-2 Discover It: D-19-1 

6.3b analogies Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

Word Network: C- 

13-5 

6.3b figurative language Identify It: A-3-4 Draw It: A-4-3 Map It: B-7-3 

6.3c meaning from context Vocabulary: A-1-1 

Mult Meaning: A-1- 

1 Define It: A-1-3 Blueprint: A-5-9 Use/Clues: B-7-3 

6.3c multiple meanings Vocabulary: A-1-1 

Mult Meaning: A-1- 

1 Define It: A-1-3 Explore It: C-13-1 

6.3d use word-reference materials Replace It: A-1-1 Define It: A-1-3 Explore It: C-13-1 

6.4a identify elements of narrative structure Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

6.4b 

use structures (narrative & poetic) for 

comprehension Spotlight: A-1-1 Blueprint: A-5-9 Map It: B-7-3 

6.4b 

use structures (narrative & poetic) to 

predict outcomes Spotlight: A-1-1 Blueprint: A-5-9 Map It: B-7-3 

6.4c describe images created by language Word Line: D-19-1 

6.4d 

describe how word choice contributes to 

meaning Explore It: C-13-1 Word Line: D-19-1 

6.4d 

describe how imagery contributes to 

meaning Explore It: C-13-1 Word Line: D-19-1 

Not explicit in program 

6.4e 

describe cause-effect relationships & 

impact on plot 

Map It: D 

until Level D - Teachers 

must address! 

6.4f 

use explicit information to draw 

conclusions - fiction 

Think about It: A-1-1 

Text Connect: D- 

19-3 

6.4f 


conclusions - narr non-fic 



19-3 

6.4f 


conclusions - poetry 



19-3 

use explicit information to make 

Text Connect: D-19- 

6.4f inferences - fiction Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 3 

6.4f 


inferences - narr non-fic Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 


3 

6.4f 


inferences - poetry Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 


3 

6.4g 

explain how character supports the 

central conflict Spotlight: A-1-1 

6.4g 

explain how plot development supports 

the central conflict Spotlight: A-1-1 

6.4h paraphrase main points of text Replace It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 Map It: B-7-3 

6.4h summarize main points of text Replace It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 Map It: B-7-3 


Appendix D



6.5a identify questions to be answered Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 

6.5b make, confirm, or revise predictions Comprehend It: D-21-4 



must address! 

meaning from context - technical 

6.5c vocabulary Vocabulary: A-1-1 Use/Clues: B-7-3 Explore It: C-13-1 

6.5d 


conclusions - informational Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 


3 

6.5d 


inferences - informational Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 


3 

6.5e 

organize main idea & details to form a 

summary - informational Map It: B-7-3 

6.5f 

compare/contrast information - 1 topic, 

2 selections Map It: B-7-3 

6.5g 

select informational sources for given 

purpose 

7.4a roots Define It: A-1-3 Choose It: A-2-7 Explore It: C-13-1 Discover It: D-19-1 

7.4a affixes Define It: A-1-3 Choose It: A-2-7 Add It: B-7-3 Discover It: D-19-1 

7.4b analogies Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 


13-5 

7.4b figurative language Identify It: A-3-4 Draw It: A-4-3 Map It: B-7-3 

*7.4c connotations Explore It: C-13-1 Word Line: D-19-1 

7.5a describe setting Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

7.5a describe character development Spotlight: A-1-1 Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

7.5a describe plot structure Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

7.5a describe theme Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

7.5a describe conflict Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

*7.5b compare/contrast forms Map It: B-7-3 

7.5c describe impact of word choice Think about It: A-1-1 Word Line: D-19-1 

7.5c describe impact of imagery Think about It: A-1-1 Word Line: D-19-1 

7.5c describe impact of poetic devices Think about It: A-1-1 Word Line: D-19-1 

*7.5d 

explain how form conveys meaning - 

poetry 

Standard not covered - also not 

tested 



7.5e conclusions - fiction 

Think about It: A-1-1 19-3 

7.5e 

use implied information to draw 

conclusions - fiction 



19-3 

7.5e 





19-3 

7.5e 





19-3 

7.5e 





19-3 


Appendix D



7.5e 





19-3 

7.5f 


inferences - fiction 



19-3 

7.5f 

use implied information to make 

inferences - fiction 



19-3 

7.5f 


inferences - narr non-fic 



19-3 

7.5f 


inferences - narr non-fic 



19-3 

7.5f 


inferences - poetry 



19-3 

7.5f 


inferences - poetry 



19-3 

7.5g summarize text Replace It: A-1-1 Map It: B-7-3 

7.6a 

use structures (informational) for 

comprehension Blueprint: A-5-9 Map It: B-7-3 

use words & phrases that signal 

7.6b organizational pattern - inform Map It: B-7-3 

distinguish fact from opinion - 

7.6c newspapers Blueprint: A-5-9 

distinguish fact from opinion - 

7.6c magazines Blueprint: A-5-9 

distinguish fact from opinion - other 

7.6c print media Blueprint: A-5-9 

7.6d identify source - informational 

7.6d identify viewpoint - informational 

7.6d identify pupose - informational 

describe how word choice conveys 

7.6e author's view 

describe how language structure 

7.6e conveys author's view 

7.6f summarize text - informational Map It: B-7-3 Replace It: A-1-1 

7.6g 

organize information for written 

presentations Map It: B-7-3 

7.6g 

organize information for oral 


7.6g 

synthesize information for written 


7.6g 

sythesize information for oral 


7.7a use print sources to locate information Standards not covered in 

7.7a 

use electronic sources to locate 

information 

program - Teacher must 

address! 

7.7b 

use graphic organizers to organize 

information 

Teachers should note that most 

activities in Language! use 


3 


Appendix D



graphic organizers. 

synthesize information from multiple 

7.7c sources 

*7.7d credit primary sources 

Standards not covered - also not 

*7.7d credit secondary sources 

tested 

8.4a identify simile Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

8.4a identify metaphor Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

8.4a identify personification Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

8.4a identify hyperbole Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 

8.4a identify analogy Identify It: A-3-4 Map It: B-7-3 


13-5 

8.4b meaning from context Mult Meaning: A-1-1 Vocabulary: A-1-1 Blueprint: A-5-9 Use/Clues: B-7-3 Explore It: C-13-1 

8.4b meaning from structure Mult Meaning: A-1-1 Blueprint: A-5-9 Map It: B-7-3 Use/Clues: B-7-3 Explore It: C-13-1 

8.4b meaning from connotations Blueprint: A-5-9 Explore It: C-13-1 Mult Meaning: A-1-1 Word Line: D-19-1 

8.5a symbols Identify It: A-3-4 

8.5a figurative language Identify It: A-3-4 Draw It: A-4-3 Map It: B-7-3 

8.5b 

describe infered main idea with text 

support Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 

8.5b describe theme with text support Think about It: A-1-1 

8.5c 

describe how lit elements create 

meaning Spotlight: A-1-1 

*8.5d compare/contrast poetic elements Map It: B-7-3 

*8.5e compare/contrast authors' styles Map It: B-7-3 

*8.6a 

background knowledge for 

comprehension - informational KWL: A-1-1 Blueprint: A-5-9 Use/Clues: B-7-3 


3 

*8.6a 

text structure for comprehension - 

informational Blueprint: A-5-9 Use/Clues: B-7-3 


3 

analyze author's credentials - 

*8.6b informational 

Standards not covered - also not 

*8.6b analyze author's viewpoint 

tested 

*8.6b analyze author's impact Blueprint: A-5-9 

8.6c 

analyze author's use of structure - 

informational Blueprint: A-5-9 Word Line: D-19-1 


3 

8.6c analyze author's use of word choice Blueprint: A-5-9 Word Line: D-19-1 


3 

8.6d analyze details for relevance Blueprint: A-5-9 


19-3 

8.6d analyze details for accuracy Blueprint: A-5-9 


19-3 

8.6e 

read & follow instructions to complete a 

task 

Teachers must include - Text 

style note included in program 

8.6f summarize text Replace It: A-1-1 Map It: B-7-3 Text Connect: D-19- 


Appendix D



8.6f critique text Text Connect: D-19-3 

8.6g 

evaluate information for written 

presentations Text Connect: D-19-3 

8.6g 

evaluate information for oral 


8.6g 

synthesize information for written 



8.6g 

sythesize information for oral 

presentations 

Text Connect: D-19-3 


must address! 



8.6h conclusions Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 3 

8.6h 


conclusions Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 


3 

8.6i 


inferences Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 


3 

8.6i 


inferences Think about It: A-1-1 Answer It: A-3-3 


3 

3 


Appendix D


Appendix D 


Middle School Writing 

Standard Component Text Correlated Activity Correlated Activity Correlated Activity Correlated Activity 

6.6a planning strategies 

narr, descrip, 

explanation 

Blueprint for Writing: A-1-4/ Write It: A-5-5/ Map 

It: B-7-3/ Outlines: B-10-4 & C-13-4 


Reflect & Respond: 

6.6b establish central idea 

explanation 

Masterpiece: B-1-1 C-15-10 

6.6b establish organization 


explanation 

Masterpiece: B-1-1 


C-15-10 

6.6b establish elaboration 


explanation 



C-15-10 

6.6b establish unity 


explanation 



C-15-10 

6.6c 

select vocabulary to enhance 

central idea, tone, & voice 


explanation 



C-15-10 Word Line: D-19-1 

6.6c 

select information to enhance 

central idea, tone, & voice 


explanation 



C-15-10 Word Line: D-19-1 

6.6d 

expand & embed ideas using 

modifiers 


explanation Masterpiece: B-1-1 

6.6d 


coordination 



6.6d 


subordination 



6.6e revise for clarity 


explanation Masterpiece: B-1-1 Punctuate It: D-19-6 

*6.7a 

use a variety of graphic organizers 

to analyze & improve sentences Diagram It: A-1-6 Match It: A-1-8 Masterpiece: B-1-1 Combine It: B-7-6 

*6.7a 


to analyze & improve parapgraphs Diagram It: A-1-6 

6.7b 

subject-verb agreement with 

intervening phrases & clauses Masterpiece: B-1-1 

6.7c 

pronoun-antecedent agreement to 

include indefinite pronouns Masterpiece: B-1-1 

6.7d 

consistent tense inflections across 

paragraphs Masterpiece: B-1-1 

6.7e choose adverbs to describe verbs Masterpiece: B-1-1 

6.7e 

choose adverbs to describe 

adjectives Masterpiece: B-1-1 

6.7e choose adverbs to describe adverbs Masterpiece: B-1-1 

6.7f 

correct spelling for frequently used 

words Memorize It: A-1-1 Sort It: A-1-2 Classify It: A-1-6 


narr, expository, 

persuasive 




7.8b elaborate central idea 

persuasive Match It: A-1-8 Masterpiece: B-1-1 Combine It: B-7-6 

7.8c 

choose vocabulary to enhance tone 

& voice 


persuasive 



C-15-10 Word Line: D-19-1 

7.8c 

choose information to enhance tone 

& voice 


persuasive 



C-15-10 Word Line: D-19-1 

7.8d 

use clauses & phrases to vary 

sentences 


persuasive Masterpiece: B-1-1


Middle School Writing 

7.8e revise for clarity 


persuasive Masterpiece: B-1-1 Punctuate It: D-19-6 

7.8e revise for effect 


persuasive Masterpiece: B-1-1 Punctuate It: D-19-6 

use word processor to plan, draft, narr, expository, 

*7.8f revise, edit, & publish 

persuasive 

Standard not addressed - also not tested. 


*7.9a to analyze & improve sentences Diagram It: A-1-6 Match It: A-1-8 Masterpiece: B-1-1 Combine It: B-7-6 

*7.9a 



identify parts of speech & their 

*7.9b functions Standard not addressed - also not tested. 

7.9c pronoun-antecedent agreement Masterpiece: B-1-1 

7.9d 

subject-verb agreement with 

intervening phrases & clauses Masterpiece: B-1-1 

7.9e edit for verb tense consistency Masterpiece: B-1-1 


narr, exp, per, & 

info 



organize details to elaborate central narr, exp, per, & 

8.7b idea 

info Match It: A-1-8 Masterpiece: B-1-1 Combine It: B-7-6 

8.7c select specific vocabulary 


info 



C-15-10 Word Line: D-19-1 

8.7c select specific information 


info 



C-15-10 Word Line: D-19-1 

8.7d revise for word choice 


info Masterpiece: B-1-1 

8.7d revise for sentence variety 



8.7d revise for transitions 




*8.7e use available technology 

info 

Standard not addressed - also not tested. 


*8.8a to analyze & improve sentences Diagram It: A-1-6 Match It: A-1-8 Masterpiece: B-1-1 Combine It: B-7-6 

*8.8a 



8.8b 

punctuate correctly - include 

conjuntions & transitions Masterpiece: B-1-1 Match It: A-1-8 Combine It: B-7-6 Punctuate It: D-19-6 

8.8c 

choose correct case for pronouns in 

prep phrases (compound obj) Masterpiece: B-1-1 

8.8c 

choose correct number for 

pronouns in prep phrases 

(compound obj) Masterpiece: B-1-1 

8.8d 

consistent tense inflections across 

paragraphs 

8.8e 

comparative & superlative degrees 

in adverbs & adjectives Word Line: D-19-1 


Appendix D

Rubrics 

This section contains writing, reading, and web site evaluation rubrics. The writing rubric is from the Virginia 

Department of Education and is used for NCS Mentor and SOL testing. 

The secondary literacy specialists developed the reading rubrics, one student-centered and one teachercentered, 

during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 school years. 

Team Members: 

Cynthia Fischer, Western Albemarle High School 

Tina Goode, Walton Middle School 

Pat Harder, Henley Middle School 

Madeline Michel, Jouett Middle School 

MegCarolyn Remesz, Burley Middle School 

Karen Taylor, Sutherland Middle School 

Marianne Walendowski, Albemarle High School 

Louise Weaver, Monticello High School 

Sandra Whitaker, Office of Instruciton 

The e-portfolio pilot team developed the web site evaluation rubric during the 2004-05 school year. 

Team Members: 

Carol Clark, Sutherland Middle School 

Cathy Glover, Burley Middle School 

Pat Harder, Henley Middle School 

Lynda Monahan, Jouett Middle School 

Chad Sansing, Henley Middle School 

Joy Tanksley, Burley Middle School 

Emily VanNoy, Sutherland Middle School 

Sandra Whitaker, Office of Instruction 

Eric Yoder, Walton Middle School 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, 2006, Appendix E

Student Reading Rubric 

Word 

Recognition 

Strategic Reader Engaging Reader Developing Reader Emerging Reader 

• I sound out words I don’t know. • I know most of the words and I 

• I know a lot of the words, but • I know some of the words. 

attempt to sound out the words I 

when I don’t know a word, I ask 

don’t know. 

someone else. 

Vocabulary 

• I think about multiple word meanings 

to understand what the author is 

saying. 

• I think about bigger concepts related 

to what I read. 

• I explore alternative word choices and 

critique the author’s use of 

vocabulary. 

• I use what I know about words and 

word parts to determine meanings of 

new words. 

• I read in natural phrases. 

• I use text structure to help make 

meaning of the text. 

• Before reading, I look at images, 

charts, and titles to get a sense of the 

text. 

• Before and during reading, I use other 

things I know to understand the text 

and to make predictions. 

• As I read, I ask myself questions, 

make predictions, write on the text, 

summarize sections of text, and 

connect the text to other things I 

know. 

• I can state the author’s purpose. 

• I can state the author’s bias and use 

text citations for support. 

• I analyze the author’s style and 

extend the author’s ideas to the world 

around me. 

• I debate interpretations of theme. 

• I use context clues to figure out 

meanings of new words. 

• Once I read a word several times, I 

am able to use it when I speak and 

write. 

• I critique the author’s use of 

vocabulary. 

• Sometimes I use what I know about 

words and word parts to determine 

meanings of new words. 

• I use context clues to try to figure 

out meanings of new words. 

• I try to figure out which meaning 

of a word an author is using. 

• I use prefixes and suffixes to help 

learn new words. 

• When a word has more than 

one meaning, I ask for help to 

determine which meaning is 

being used. 

• I can identify specific word 

choices that author’s use to 

create meaning. 

Structure 

• I read in natural phrases. 

• I can identify basic text structures. 

• I use images, charts, and titles to 

understand the text. 

• I read in phrases and short 

groupings. 

• With help, I can use text 

structures and features (images, 

charts, titles) to understand the 

text. 

• When asked, I use other things I 

know to make predictions. 

• I can apply reading strategies 

when asked to. 

• I can retell the main points and 

interesting details of a story. 

• I can recognize theme. 

• I read word-by-word. 

• I am aware of the various text 

structures and features authors 

use to convey meaning. 

Making 

Meaning 

• I use other things I know to 

understand the text and make 

predictions. 

• As I read, I do some of the following 

to make sense of the text: ask 

questions, make predictions, write on 

the text, summarize, and/or connect 

the text to other things I know. 

• I can understand the author’s purpose 

and bias when it is pointed out. 

• I can explain the text’s theme. 

• I often need visuals or other 

stories to help me understand 

the text at hand. 

• I make predictions when 

prompted. 

• I can apply reading strategies 

when they are taught. 

• I can retell points of interest. 

Extending 

Meaning 

• I support analytical interpretations 

with cited evidence, quotes, and other 

sources. 

• I draw conclusions to apply concepts 

and to challenge author’s ideas. 

• I integrate various perspectives and 

uses comparative analysis to make 

connections. 

• I support my opinions and 

interpretations with evidence and 

specific quotes. 

• I understand the text by making 

connections to other text, life, and the 

world around me. 

• I examine alternate points of view. 

• I justify my opinions and 

interpretations with general text 

references. 

• I understand the text by 

connecting it to my own life. 

• I understand that people vary in 

their perspectives and try to 

understand their points of view. 

• I offer my ideas about the text. 

• I see the text for what it is and 

need help to connect it to other 

experiences. 

• I understand that people vary 

in their perspectives. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, 2006, Appendix E 

Resources: Beers, K. (2003). When kids can’t read.; Billmeyer, R. (2001). Capturing all of the reader through the reading assessment system.; National Adult Literacy 

Database - http://www.nald.ca/clr/btg/ed/evaluation/reading.htm.

General Reading Rubric 

Word 

Recognition 

Strategic Reader Engaging Reader Developing Reader Emerging Reader 

• Decodes unknown words. 

• Recognizes with accuracy 80% or • Automatically recognizes highfrequency 

• Knows basic/common words, 

more of grade-level words, per QRI or 

words, per Frye list. per Dolch list.. 

San Diego. 

• Recognizes known words within • Learns new words in isolation. 

context. 

Vocabulary 

• Analyzes words for subtle differences 

in meaning. 

• Applies conceptual meaning to new 

and known words. 

• Explores alternative word choices and 

demonstrates sophisticated command 

of vocabulary. 

• Uses morphemic elements to 

determine meanings of unfamiliar 

words. 

• Reads in meaningful phrase groups 

with sophisticated text. 

• Discriminates among genre, including 

organizational patterns and story 

elements. 

• Automatically overviews text features 

to aid in comprehension. 

• Uses known words in context to 

determine meanings of unknown 

words. 

• Moves new words from receptive to 

productive vocabulary. 

• Infers word nuances and critiques 

word choice. 

• Begins to use morphemic elements to 

determine meaning of unfamiliar 

words. 

• Reads in meaningful phrase groups. 

• Identifies characteristics of various 

genre, including organizational 

patterns and story elements. 

• Uses text features to aid in 


• Attempts to make meaning of 

unknown words from context. 

• Understands multiple meanings 

but doesn’t always select the 

correct meaning for the context. 

• Understands simple prefixes and 

suffixes. 

• Needs assistance to recognize 

multiple meanings. 

• Understands that many words 

can convey almost the same 

idea and identifies those words 

authors use to convey 

meaning. 

Structure 

• Reads in phrases and short 

groupings. 

• Needs assistance to identify 

organizational patterns or story 

elements. 

• With assistance or when 

reminded, uses text features to 

aid in comprehension. 

• Activates prior knowledge when 

prompted. 

• Applies basic reading strategies 

but doesn’t demonstrate control 

over own mentacognitive process. 

• Retells without discriminating 

main idea/points from 

unimportant details. 

• Recognizes theme. 

• Reads word-by-word. 

• Is aware of organizational 

patterns and story elements. 

• Is aware of text features but 

does not use them to aid in 


Making 

Meaning 

• Independently uses prior knowledge 

to establish meaning and make 

insightful predictions. 

• Controls own metacognitive process 

and embeds strategies: re-reading, 

revising predictions, making personal 

connections, using logographic cues, 

summarizing, inferencing, and 

questioning. 

• Articulates author’s purpose and bias. 

• Expands on author’s ideas and 

analyzes author’s style. 

• Debates interpretations of theme. 

• Supports analytical interpretations 

with cited evidence, quotes, and other 

sources. 

• Draws conclusions to apply concepts 

and to challenge author’s ideas. 

• Integrates various perspectives and 

uses comparative analysis to make 

connections. 

• Activates prior knowledge to establish 

meaning and to make predictions. 

• Controls own metacognitive process 

and applies some appropriate 

strategies. 

• Can see author’s intent and bias when 

it is explained. 

• Explains theme. 

• Needs to build background 

knowledge before reading. 

• Makes and checks predictions 

when prompted. 

• Understands that proficient 

readers use strategies, but 

doesn’t demonstrate control 

over own metacognitive 

process. 

• Retells points of interest. 

Extending 

Meaning 

• Supports opinions and interpretations 

with evidence and specific quotes. 

• Constructs understanding through 

connections to other text, life, and the 

world. 

• Examines alternate points of view. 

• Justifies opinions and 

interpretations with general text 

references. 

• Connects literal meanings to 

other text and to personal 

experiences. 

• Understands various perspectives 

and the concept of bias. 

• Offers literal interpretations. 

• Needs guidance to extend 

meaning beyond the text – to 

other text or to life. 

• Limited understanding of 

various perspectives and bias. 


Resources: Beers, K. (2003). When kids can’t read.; Billmeyer, R. (2001). Capturing all of the reader through the reading assessment system.; National Adult Literacy 

Database - http://www.nald.ca/clr/btg/ed/evaluation/reading.htm.

4 

Consistent Control (but not perfect) 

Virginia SOL Writing Rubric 

3 

Reasonable Control 

2 

Inconsistent Control 

1 

Little or No Control 

Central 

Idea 

Presented and focused but full 

elaboration 

Presented and focused by purposeful 

elaboration 

Central Idea may be present, or 

several ideas may compete with 

no one idea central. 

Lacking, usually. 

Elaboration 

Full: details in sentences; illustrations, 

examples, reasons, and/or anecdotes 

within paragraphs. 

Purposeful and found at both sentence 

level and paragraph level. There may be 

occasional thinness or unevenness of 

elaboration. 

Little or no elaboration; or a few 

brief details; or list of general, 

underdeveloped statements. 

Sparse or not purposeful 

elaboration; bare statement is the 

norm. 

Composing 

Organization 

Strong: minor lapses don’t detract; 

narrative organization has no lapses, but 

other modes may. 

Reasonable: minor lapses don’t detract 

significantly; narrative organization is 

generally intact; other modes may lapse 

somewhat, although overall plan is 

apparent. 

Very little apparent organization: 

there may be a list of general 

statements, or an underdeveloped 

explanation, or skeleton of a 

narrative. 

Often not present: writing jumps 

from point to point; sentences can 

be arranged without changing 

meaning. 

Unity 

Opening and closing present: more than 

mere repetition; consistent point of view; 

appropriate transitions; no digressions. 

Few, if any, digressions; few, if any, 

point of view shifts; introduction and 

closing are present but not sophisticated; 

transitions are purposefully used. 

Opening and/or closing may be 

present; closing may be contrived, 

fake, or trite; significant 

digressions; unity not fully created 

because of lack of logically 

elaborated central idea. 

There may be some functional 

transitions or no digressions, but 

unity is never created. 

Vocab 

Precise words create images in reader’s 

mind due to careful choice of words and 

avoiding anemic, vague words. 

Specific, but a few vague words may be 

present. 

Imprecise, bland vocabulary. 

Imprecise, bland, vague, general, 

or repetitive vocabulary. 

Written Expression 

Tone Voice Information 

Precise and even information 

presentation creates images in the 

reader’s mind; figurative language is 

purposeful. 

Strong: enhanced by word choice and 

information given. 

Purposeful 

Specific information present, making the 

message clear, but there may be a few 

general statements; some figurative 

language may be present. 

Easily discernible, except when general 

information or vague, functional 

vocabulary is used. 

Flattens when information and 

vocabulary are not specific. 

General information presentation 

is uneven or tells everything that 

the writer knows. 

Emerges seldom – only when 

specific vocabulary and specific 

information amplify it. 

Rarely emerges due to lack of 

specific vocabulary & information. 

Imprecise, bland, vague, or 

repetitive information. 

Doesn’t emerge because specific 

vocabulary and information are not 

present. 

Rarely emerges. 

Rhythm 

Effective, purposefully varied sentence 

structure; modifiers and subordination 

are effectively embedded. 

Smooth rhythm due to sentence variety 

and structure, but an occasional awkward 

construction may diminish in places. 

Sentence beginnings or types not 

very varied, although an 

occasional rhythmic cluster of 

sentences may be present. 

Sentence variety lacking; several 

extremely awkward sentence 

constructions may be present. 

Usage/ 

Mechanics 

Thorough understanding of usage and 

mechanics: capitalization, punctuation, 

usage, and sentence formation, and 

applies structural principles of spelling. 

Basic understanding of usage and 

mechanics: capitalization, punctuation, 

usage, and sentence formation, and 

applies structural principles of spelling. 

Indicates significant weakness 

through frequent errors. The 

density of errors across features 

outweighs the feature control 

present in the paper. 

Frequent and severe errors 

distract and make the writing hard 

to understand. The density of 

errors overwhelms the 

performance. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, 2006, Appendix E

Web Site Evaluation Rubric 

Skill Exceptional Effective Acceptable Unsatisfactory 

Design The site is appropriate for the 

intended audience and is free 

from distractions. The design 

evidences clear organization 

that is easy to navigate, 

sensible links, and a 

consistent theme. Each page 

includes a dominant feature 

and is easy to read, including 

font and color. 

The site is appropriate for the 

intended audience and is free 

from distractions. The design 

evidences clear organization 

that is easy to navigate, 

sensible links, and a 

consistent theme. Some 

pages include a dominant 

feature. Most text is easy to 

read. 

The site is appropriate for the 

intended audience. The 

design evidences some 

organization but navigation 

may not be clear. Pages 

contain a theme, but that 

theme might not be 

consistent across the site. 

Most text is easy to read. 

The site is not appropriate 

for the intended audience. 

AND/OR 

Organization and navigation 

are unclear. 

Pages contain a theme, but 

that theme might not be 

consistent across the site. 

Text might be difficult to 

read. 

Content 

Credibility 

Publishing 

The content is of high quality 

and is appropriate for the 

intended purpose. 

Information is meaningful, 

accurate, and complete. The 

purpose and main idea are 

clear. 

The site contains information 

that is either bias-free or bias 

sensitive (bias is recognizable 

but presented in appropriate 

ways). The site includes 

accurate dates, contact 

information, and 

copyright/fair use 

information. The URL clearly 

denotes credibility. 

The site contains only 

appropriate and legal content 

that has been edited and is 

error free (mechanics). 

External links include a 

disclaimer. Copyright 

information is clear. 


The content is of high quality 


intended purpose. 

Information is meaningful 

and accurate but may be 

somewhat incomplete. The 

purpose and main idea are 

clear. 





ways). The site includes 

some dates, contact 

information, and copyright 

information but it may be 

incomplete. 


appropriate and legal content 

that has been edited and free 

of major mechanical errors. 

External links include a 


information is clear. 

The content is of good quality 


intended purpose. Most 

information is meaningful and 

accurate but may be 

incomplete. 





ways). The site lacks dates, 

contact information, and/or 

copyright information. 


appropriate and legal 

content. Some editing is 

evident but mechanical errors 

are frequent. External links 

include a disclaimer. 

Copyright information may be 

clear. 

The content is of poor 

quality. 

AND/OR 

The content is inappropriate 

for the intended purpose. 

AND/OR 

Information lacks meaning 

and accuracy and is 

incomplete. 

The site demonstrates 

considerable bias. The site 

lacks dates, contact 

information, and/or 

copyright information. 

The site contains 

inappropriate and/or illegal 

content. 

AND/OR 

External links have no 


information is unclear.

Genre Definitions 

I. Fiction 

A. Realistic Fiction – Imaginative writing that accurately reflects life as it could be lived today. 

Everything is a realistic fiction story could conceivably happen to real people living in today’s 

natural physical world. Realistic fiction helps children move toward a fuller understanding of 

themselves and others. 

B. Historical Fiction – realistic stories that are set in the past. There are three types of 

historical fiction. In one type, the author weaves a fictional story around actual events and 

people of the past. In another type, the story has little or no reference to recorded historical 

events or real persons, but how the characters live and make their living and the conflicts they 

must resolve are true to the time period. In the third type, the story tells of the past through 

another genre, such as fantasy. 

C. Modern Fantasy – requires the willing suspension of disbelief. Fantasy creates another world 

for characters and readers, asking that the reader believe this other world could exist. There 

are two types of fantasy – fantastic stories and high fantasy. 

i. Fantastic stories - are realistic in most details but still require the reader to willingly 

suspend disbelief. They contain fantastic elements, such as talking animals, eccentric 

characters in preposterous situations, anthropomorphism, or extraordinary worlds. 

Charlotte’s Web (White) and Tuck Everlasting (Babbitt) are examples. 

ii. High fantasy - takes place is a created world or imaginary kingdom. Serious in tone, 

the story primarily focuses on the conflict between opposing forces, and concerns itself 

with cosmic questions and ultimate values, such as goodness, truth, courage, or wisdom. 

The Book of Three (Alexander), The Chronicles of Narnia (Lewis), and The Hobbit 

(Tolkien) are examples. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, August 1996 

Appendix F 

1

D. Mystery – presents a puzzle or riddle to be solved. Mysteries contain a character who acts as 

the detective, and contain clues to help he reader solve the puzzle. Mysteries written for older 

students have a suspenseful mood and contain foreshadowing. 

E. Science Fiction – speculates on a world that, given what we know of science, might one day 

be possible. It stresses the scientific laws and technological inventions, scientific plausibility, 

and “future history.” What distinguishes science fiction from fantasy is that fantasy presents a 

world that never was and never could be, while the world presented in science fiction may one 

day exist. Science fiction involves the interactions between humans and scientific laws. 

II. 

Traditional Literature 

Traditional literature can be defined as all forms of narrative, written or oral, which have come to 

be handed down through the years. The time period of traditional literature is not defined, but it 

occurs in the past. All forms have plots and problems, often with a clear conflict between good 

and evil. The tales and stories usually have happy endings. 

A. Fables – very brief stories, usually with animal characters, that point clearly to a moral or 

lesson. 

B. Fairy Tales – tales of magic and the supernatural; usually begin “Once upon a time” and end 

“and they lived happily ever after.” 

C. Folk Tales 

i. Beast Tales – tales in which animals talk and act like human beings. 

ii. Cumulative Tales – tales that sequentially repeat actions, characters, or speeches until 

a climax is reached. 

iii. Noodlehead Stories – humorous stories that involve ridiculous, absurd happenings. 


Appendix F 

2

iv. Pour quoi Stories – stories that answer a question or explain how animals, plants, or 

humans were created and why they have certain characteristics. 

v. Trickster Tales – tales featuring a character who plays tricks or cheats. Most wellknown 

trickster may be coyote of Native American tales. 

D. Legends – stories that are similar to myth but are based on more historical truth and less 

upon the supernatural. Examples include Trojan War, Robin Hood, and King Arthur. 

E. Mother Goose and Nursery Rhymes – rhymes, including counting-out rhymes, finger plays, 

and alphabet verses, which originated in the spoken language of both common folk and 

royalty. 

F. Myths – stories containing fanciful or supernatural incidents intended to explain nature of tell 

about gods and demons of early peoples. 

G. Tall Tales – stories that contain exaggerations and lies. American tall tales are a combination 

of history, myth, and fact. 

III. 

Poetry 

Poetry includes written literature that is not prose. It expresses how the poet feels, makes the 

reader see something ordinary in a new way, and tends to be rhythmic. It includes a variety of 

forms and styles such as: 

A. Ballad – narrative poems that have been adapted for singing or that give the affect of song. 

Ballads usually deal with heroic deeds. 

B. Concrete – picture poems that make the reader see what the poet is saying. The message of 

the poem is presented not only in words but in the arrangement of the words. Meaning is 

reinforced or even carried by the shape of the poem. 

C. Free Verse – poetry characterized by lack of rhyme and less predictable rhythm. 


Appendix F 

3

D. Limerick – five-line poems in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme and the third and 

fourth lines rhyme. Oddities and humorous twists characterize this form of poetry. 

E. Lyrical – poems emphasizing sound and picture imagery rather than narrative or dramatic 

movement. Lyrical poems emphasize musical, pictorial, and emotional qualities. 

F. Narrative – story poems that relate a particular event or tell a long tale. They may take 

different forms; the one requirement is that they tell a story. 

G. Nursery Rhymes – see traditional literature 

IV. 

Drama 

Unlike a short story or novel, a play is a work of storytelling in which the characters are 

represented by the actors and which is acted out on a stage before an audience. Plays typically 

include an introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The action speaks for 

itself as it unfolds. Important features of plays are set, stage, lighting, gesture, and oral 

interpretation. 

V. Nonfiction 

A. Informational Materials 

i. Concept Book – a book that describes various dimensions of an object (size, shape, 

color), a class of objects (trucks, tools), or an abstract idea (over, under, love). Counting 

books and alphabet books are examples. 

ii. Experiment and Activity Books – books that provide children with scientific 

experiments and activities. 

iii. How-to Books – books that present an array of crafts and directions to guide the reader 

in performing an activity. 

iv. Identification Books – naming books, such as Peterson’s Guide to Birds. 


Appendix F 

4

v. Informational Picture Books – information books published in picture book format; 

may or may not have words. 

vi. Life-cycle Books – books that are structured around the life span of an animal or plant. 

vii. Photographic Essays – books that rely on the camera to particularize information, to 

document emotion, or to assure the reader of truth in an essentially journalistic way. 

viii. Survey Books – books that give an overall view of a substantial topic and furnish a 

representative sampling of facts, principles, or issues. 

ix. Reference Materials – materials that allow for rapid access to information. Dictionaries, 

encyclopedias, periodicals, and electronic media are examples. 

B. Biography and Autobiography 

Biography and autobiography provide a history of the life of an individual, with information 

about the time period in which the person lived. They bring a person to life in a way that is 

true to reality. 

C. Essay 

Essays are nonfiction prose that advance a thesis and illustrate or defend it by means of various 

methods of development, including definition, comparison/contrast, example and illustration, 

cause and effect, analysis, and argument. A good essay expresses the voice of its author while 

communicating its message simply, clearly, and logically. 


Appendix F 

5

Virginia C/T SOL and Content Area SOL English 

Technology Integration Strategies 6 th Grade 

Virginia Technology SOL and Content-area SOL 

This section, which is the work of a division-level technology team, denotes the correlation between the 

Virginia technology standards and the English language arts standards. 

VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

VA SOL Standard for 

Content 


Technology 

VA SOL Essential 

Understanding 


Knowledge 

Technology 

NETS-S Performance 

Integration Strategies Indicators 

Oral Language 

6.2b: The student will 

listen critically and 

express opinions in oral 

presentations, and 

compare and contrast 

viewpoints. 

C/T 6-8.8: The student will 

use technology resources for 

solving problems and making 

informed decisions. Select and 

use appropriate tools and 

technology resources to 

accomplish a variety of tasks. 


use a variety of media and 

formats to communicate 

information and ideas 

effectively to multiple 

audiences. Independently use 

technology tools to create and 

communicate for individual 

and/or collaborative projects. 

Produce documents 

demonstrating the ability to 

edit, reformat, and integrate 

various software tools. 

All students should: 

recognize that each 

member brings to the 

group a viewpoint 

reflective of his or her 

background. 

To be successful with Using graphic 

this standard, students organizers, grouped 

are expected to plan and students organize their 

deliver an oral 

information for an oral 

presentation, using the presentation. They then 

following steps-gather create a multimedia 

information, organize presentation using clip 

the information with art or other visuals. 

outlines, files cards, or 

graphic organizers, and 

create visual aids 

Apply productivity/ 

multimedia tools and 

peripherals to support 

personal productivity, 

group collaboration, and 

learning throughout the 

curriculum. 


Appendix G 

1



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Reading 

Reading 

Reading 


Content 

6.3: The student will 

read and learn the 

meanings of unfamiliar 

words and phrases 

6.4e: The student will 

read and demonstrate 

comprehension of a 

variety of fiction, 

narrative nonfiction, 

and poetry by 

describing cause-effect 

relationships and their 

impact on plot. 

6.5e: The student 

will read and 

demonstrate 


variety of 

informational 

selections, 

organizing the main 

idea and details to 

form a summary. 


Technology 

C/T 6-8.6: The student will use 

technology to locate, evaluate, 

and collect information from a 

variety of sources. Use Internet 

and other electronic resources to 

locate information in real time. 


evaluate and select new 

information resources and 

technological innovations based 

on the appropriateness for 

specific tasks.. Use search 

strategies to retrieve 

information. Evaluate the 

accuracy, relevance, and 

appropriateness of electronic 

information sources. 


technology resources for solving 

problems and making informed 

decisions. Employ technology in 

the development of strategies for 

solving problems. Participate in 

collaborative problem-solving 

activities. Select and use 

appropriate tools and technology 

resources to accomplish a variety 

of tasks. 




informed decisions. Employ 

technology in the 

development of strategies for 

solving problems. Participate 

in collaborative problemsolving 

activities. Select and 





Understanding 


recognize that many 

words have multiple 

meanings and that 

context and dictionaries 

are both supportive in 

determining which 

meaning is appropriate 


identify and define the 

elements of narrative 

structure. 

All students should: use 

graphic organizers to 

organize and summarize 

text. 


Knowledge 

To be successful with 

this standard, students 

are expected to use 

word reference 

materials, including 

online sources. 




graphic organizers, such 

as flow charts, story 

maps; and, to plot 

elements that illustrate 

cause and effect 

relationships, and plot 

development 



are expected to 

comprehend, record, 

and remember details 

and/or facts in order to 

arrive at a conclusion or 

generalization. 

Technology 



Students use the 

Internet and the online 

card catalog to locate 

and access both print 

and nonprint resources 

including sources of 

word etymologies, 

dictionaries, and 

thesaurus. 







curriculum. 

Working in small groups, Apply productivity/ 

students use graphic multimedia tools and 

organizers to develop an peripherals to support 

understanding of an personal productivity, 

assigned reading. group collaboration, and 


curriculum. 

Working in small groups, 

students use graphic 

organizers to develop an 

understanding of an 

assigned reading. 







curriculum. 


Appendix G 

2



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Reading 

Reading 


Content 

6.5f: The student will 




Technology 


use technology resources 

for solving problems and 

variety of informational making informed decisions. 

selections by 

Employ technology in the 

comparing and 

development of strategies 

contrasting 

for solving problems. 

information about one Participate in collaborative 

topic contained in problem-solving activities. 

different selections. Select and use appropriate 

tools and technology 

resources to accomplish a 

variety of tasks. 

6.5g: The student will 



variety of informational 

selections select 

informational sources 

appropriate for a given 

purpose. 






audiences. Choose the 

appropriate tool, format, 

and style to communicate 

information. 

Independently use 

technology tools to create 

and communicate for 

individual and/or 

collaborative projects. 



edit, reformat, and 

integrate various software 

tools. 


Understanding 




text. 

All students should: read 

in order to gather, 

organize, and restate 

information for written 

and oral presentations. 


Knowledge 





show similarities and 

differences in the 

information found in 

several sources about 

the same topic. 




understand and use the 

references available in 

the classroom, school, 

public libraries, including 

general and specialized 

databases and Internet 

resources, as 

appropriate for school 

use. 

Technology 



Working in small groups, Apply productivity/ 

students use graphic multimedia tools and 

organizers to develop an peripherals to support 

understanding of an personal productivity, 

assigned reading. group collaboration, and 


curriculum. 

Students will select 

appropriate technology 

for communicating 

information for an 

intended purpose and 

audience. 

Collaborate with peers, 

experts, and others 

using 

telecommunications and 

collaborative tools to 

investigate curriculumrelated 

problems, issues, 

and information, and to 

develop solutions or 

products for audiences 

inside and outside the 

classroom. 


Appendix G 

3



VA SOL 

Strand for 

Content 

Writing 

VA SOL Standard 

for Content 

6.6a: The student 

will write narratives, 

descriptions, and 

explanations, using a 

variety of planning 

strategies to 

generate and 

organize ideas. 

VA SOL Standard for Technology 


technology to locate, evaluate, and 

collect information from a variety of 

sources. Use databases and 

spreadsheets to evaluate information. 

Use Internet and other electronic 

resources to locate information in real 

time. 

C/T 6-8.7: The student will evaluate 

and select new information resources 

and technological innovations based on 

the appropriateness for specific tasks.. 

Use search strategies to retrieve 

information. Evaluate the accuracy, 

relevance, and appropriateness of 

electronic information sources. 


Understanding 


prewriting strategies to 

select and narrow 

topics 


Knowledge 




selected prewriting 

techniques, such as: 

Webbing, mapping, 

clustering, listing, 

organizing graphically, 

questioning, outlining. 

Elaborate to give detail, 

add depth, continue the 

flow of an idea 

Technology 



Student use word 

processing and related 

tools, graphic 

organizers, databases, 

and online reference 

materials effectively to 

retrieve and present 

information 







curriculum. 


technology resources for solving 

problems and making informed 

decisions. Employ technology in the 

development strategies for solving 

problems. Participate in collaborative 

problem-solving activities. Select and 

use appropriate tools and technology 

resources to accomplish a variety of 

tasks. 

C/T 6-8.9: The student will use a 

variety of media and formats to 

communicate information and ideas 

effectively to multiple audiences. 

Choose the appropriate tool, format, 

and style to communicate information. 

Independently use technology tools to 

create and communicate for individual 

and/or collaborative projects. Produce 

documents demonstrating the ability to 

edit, reformat, and integrate various 

software tools. 


Appendix G 

4



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Writing 


Content 

6.6e: The student will 

write narratives, 

descriptions, and 

explanations, and revise 

writing for clarity. 


Technology 






audiences. Produce 

documents demonstrating the 

ability to edit, reformat, and 

integrate various software 

tools. 


Understanding 

All students should 

revise drafts for 

improvement, using 

teacher assistance, peer 

collaboration, and 

growing independence. 


Knowledge 




understand that revising 

to improve a draft 

includes rereading, 

reflecting, rethinking 

and rewriting. 

Technology 




features in a word 

processor to help them 

revise their drafts of 

writing pieces. 







curriculum. 


Appendix G 

5



In order to assist teachers who are interested in using technology for project-based learning, below is an example of a long-term project that 

incorporates several content and technology SOL. 

VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Reading 

Writing 


Content 

6.4 a, d, f and h: The 

student will read and 

demonstrate 



narrative nonfiction, and 

poetry: identify the 

elements of narrative 

structure, including 

setting, character, plot, 

conflict, and theme; 

describe how word choice 

and imagery contribute to 

the meaning of a text; 

use information stated 

explicitly in the text to 

draw conclusions and 

make inferences; and, 

paraphrase and 

summarize the main 

points in the text. 

6.5 a, d, e and f: The 

student will read and 

demonstrate 



selections: identify 

questions to be 

answered; draw 

conclusions and make 

inferences based on 

explicit and implied 

information; organize the 

main idea and details to 

form a summary; 

compare and contrast 

information about one 

topic contained in 

different selections; and, 

select informational 

sources appropriate for a 

given purpose. 


Technology 


Appendix G 


practice responsible use of 

technology systems, 

information, and software. 

Demonstrate the correct use of 

fair use and copyright 

regulations. 


demonstrate knowledge of 

technologies that support 

collaboration, personal 

pursuits, and productivity. 

Work collaboratively and/or 

independently when using 

technology. Explore the 

potential of the Internet as a 

means of personal learning 

and the respectful exchange of 

ideas and products. 


use technology to locate, 

evaluate, and collect 

information from a variety of 

sources. Use Internet and 

other electronic resources to 





technological innovations 

based on the appropriateness 

for specific tasks. Use search 

strategies to retrieve 

information. Evaluate the 





Understanding 


understand that fiction 

includes a variety of 

genres, including short 

story, novel, folk 

literature, and drama; 

understand that 

narrative nonfiction 

includes biography, 

autobiography, and 

personal essay; 

understand that poetry 

can be rhymed, 

unrhymed, and/or 

patterned; differentiate 

between narrative and 

poetic forms; 

understand that imagery 

and figurative language 

enrich texts; recognize 

an author’s craft as the 

purposeful choice of 

vocabulary, sentence 

formation, voice, and 

tone; recognize an 

author’s theme(s); use 



text; read beyond the 

printed text to 

understand the message 

stated or implied by an 

author; select 

appropriate sources of 


Knowledge 



are expected to: 

notice an author’s craft; 

recognize poetic 

elements in prose and 

poetry; use strategies 

for summarizing; use 

graphic organizers, such 

as “It says, I say” to 

record clues in the text 

and inferences or 

conclusions made by the 

reader as a result of 

those clues; activate 

prior knowledge before 

reading; pose questions 

prior to and during the 

reading process; 

comprehend, record, 

and remember details 

and/or facts in order to 

arrive at a conclusion or 

generalization; use 


show similarities and 

differences in the 

information found in 

several sources about 

the same topic; use 

strategies and rules for 

summarizing; 

understand and use the 

references available in 

information based on the the classroom, school, 

purpose for reading; and public libraries; use 

use a variety of 

selected prewriting 

strategies, including techniques; elaborate to 

context, structural give detail, add depth 

analysis, and reference and continue the flow of 

sources, for determining an idea; understand that 

the meaning of 

revising to improve a 

Technology 



Have students choose an 

issue (such as the 

balance between 

freedom and security, 

global activism, etc.) or 

a value (compassion, 

tolerance, heroism) 

around which they wish 

to build several pieces of 

writing for the year. 

Using a graphical 

organizer, have the 

students brainstorm 

potential sub-topics for 

research. Through the 

course of the year, 

weave in readings and 

writing assignments 

using the chosen topic. 

Have the students create 

a web site that collects 

all their information on 

this topic, including their 

own writings, 

recommended reading 

list, connections to 

recommended web sites, 

and any other pieces the 

students wish to include. 

Share the web site with 

the wider community by 

advertising it in local 

media outlets. 

Exhibit legal and ethical 

behaviors when using 

information and 

technology, and discuss 

consequences of misuse. 







curriculum. 

Design, develop, 

publish, and present 

products e.g., Web 

pages, videotapes using 

technology resources 

that demonstrate and 

communicate curriculum 

concepts to audiences 


classroom. 



using 









classroom. 

Research and evaluate 

the accuracy, relevance, 

appropriateness, 

comprehensiveness, and 

bias of electronic 

6



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 


Content 

6.6 a and e: The 

student will write 

narratives, descriptions, 

and explanations: use a 

variety of planning 

strategies to generate 

and organize ideas; and, 

revise writing for clarity. 

6.7 The student will edit 

writing for correct 

grammar, capitalization, 

punctuation, spelling, and 

sentence structure. 


Technology 







appropriate tool, format, and 

style to communicate 

information. Independently 

use technology tools to create 

and communicate for individual 







Understanding 


Knowledge 

unfamiliar and technical draft includes rereading, 

vocabulary; read in reflecting, rethinking, 

order to gather, and rewriting. 

organize, and restate 

information for written 

and oral presentations; 

use prewriting strategies 

to select and 

narrow topics; elaborate 

writing to continue the 

flow from idea to idea 

without interruption; 

select vocabulary and 

tone with awareness of 

audience and purpose; 

revise drafts for 

improvement, using 




Technology 



information sources 

concerning real-world 

problems. 


Appendix G 

7



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 




Content 


identify the relationship 

between a speaker’s 

verbal and nonverbal 

messages by using 

nonverbal communication 

skills, such as eye 

contact, posture, and 

gestures. 


describe persuasive 

messages in nonprint 

media, including 

television, radio, and 

video. 


Technology 





sources. Use technology 

resources such as calculators 

and data collection probes for 

gathering information. 





technology in the development 

of strategies for solving 

problems. 













of electronic information 

sources. Use search strategies 

to retrieve information. 

Evaluate the accuracy, 

relevance, and appropriateness 


sources. 


Understanding 


exhibit confidence when 

speaking. 


identify the effect of 

persuasive messages on 

the audience and notice 

use of persuasive 

language and 

connotations to convey 

viewpoint. 


Knowledge 




proper posture and 

stance when speaking; 

identify whether or not a 

nonverbal message 

complements the spoken 

message, and match 

vocabulary, tone, and 

volume to the audience, 

purpose and topic of the 

message. 



are expected to describe 

the effect on the 

audience of persuasive 

messages in the media; 

identify effective word 

choice in the media. 

Technology 



During one of the oral 

presentations students 

do in the beginning of 

the year, they should 

also focus on nonverbal 

communication skills. 

Using videotapes of their 

performance, they 

should conduct a selfcritique 

and re-tape the 

presentation based on 

their observations and 

conclusions about 

nonverbal 

communication 

techniques. 

Students choose an 

issue with proponents on 

at least two sides. They 

research television and 

radio spots (which may 

also be available on web 

sites) and use an 

evaluation rubric to help 

distill the persuasive 

techniques and language 

used by the authors of 

these advertisements. 







curriculum. 








problems. 


Appendix G 

8



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Reading 

Reading 


Content 

7.4d: The student will 




narrative nonfiction, and 

poetry by explaining how 

form, including rhyme, 

rhythm, repetition, line 

structure, and 

punctuation, conveys the 

mood and meaning of a 

poem. 

7.6a: The student will 




texts by using knowledge 

of text structures to aid 



Technology 























sources. Evaluate the 












information. 


Understanding 


recognize that authors 

make choices and 

identify poetic forms 

(including haiku, 

limerick, ballad, free 

verse, couplet and 

quatrain). 


Knowledge 




understand and analyze 

elements of an author’s 

style, including word 

choice, sentence 

structure and language 

patterns, imagery and 

figurative language. 

All students should: use To be successful with 

external textual aids to this standard, students 

enhance comprehension. are expected to 

understand the 

characteristics of 

resources tools, 

including the Internet. 

Technology 




students create 

electronic presentations 

using various poems 

related to a chosen 

theme, providing 

commentary on the 

choices made by the 

author in their poems. 







curriculum. 

Select and use 

appropriate tools and 


accomplish a variety of 

tasks and solve 

problems. 

Students should Design, develop, publish 

evaluate the structure of and present products 

a variety of web pages (e.g. Web pages, 

and how the various videotapes) using 

textual formats aid technology resources 

understanding and that demonstrate and 

comprehension. They communicate curriculum 

should then create their concepts to audiences 

own web page on a topic inside and outside the 

using the same 

classroom. 

techniques. 


Appendix G 

9



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Reading 

Reading 


Content 


Technology 

7.5f and g: The student C/T 6-8.8: The student will 

will read and demonstrate use technology resources for 

comprehension of a solving problems and making 

variety of informational informed decisions. Employ 

selections by summarizing technology in the development 

what is read and 


organizing and 

problems. Participate in 

synthesizing information collaborative problem-solving 

for use in written and oral activities. 

presentations. 


apply knowledge of 

appropriate reference 

materials by using print 

and electronic sources to 

locate information in 

books and articles. 







regulations. 









Understanding 




text. 


research tools available 

in school media centers 

and public libraries. 


Knowledge 




recognize internal text 

structures to enhance 

comprehension and 

recognize the words and 

phrases authors use to 

signal organizational 

patterns. 





characteristics of 

resource tools, including 

educational online 

resources and the 

Internet. 

Technology 




students use graphic 

organizers to develop an 

understanding of an 

assigned reading, 

focusing on text 

structures and 

organizational patterns. 

Students will select a 

variety of resources 

when researching a 

topic, and include Web 

pages, online databases 

and subscription-based 

resources. They will 

properly cite all their 

resources. 







curriculum. 

Select and use 



accomplish a variety of 

tasks and solve 

problems. 












sources. 


Appendix G 

10



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Reading 


Content 

7.7c: The student will 

apply knowledge of 

appropriate reference 

materials by synthesizing 

information from multiple 

sources. 


Technology 




informed decisions. Select and 





Understanding 


choose and use 

appropriate graphic 

organizers. 


Knowledge 

To be successful with Students will choose 

this standard, students appropriate graphic 

are expected to organize organizers when 

and synthesize 

conducting research in 

information with tools, order to help organize 

including graphic and synthesize their 

organizers, 

information. 

spreadsheets, databases 

and presentation 

software. 

Technology 






persona productivity, 



curriculum. 

VA SOL Strand 

for Content 


Content 


Technology 


Understanding 


Knowledge 

Technology 



Writing 

7.8e and f: The student 

will develop narrative, 

expository, and 

persuasive writing, 

revising for clarity and 

effect, and using a word 

processor to plan, draft, 

revise, edit, and publish 

selected writings. 


demonstrate knowledge of 

technologies that support 

collaboration, personal 

pursuits, and productivity. 

Explore the potential of the 

Internet as a means of 

personal learning and the 

respectful exchange of ideas 

and products. 

All students should use a 

process for writing, 

including planning, 

drafting, revising, 

proofreading, editing, 

and publishing and use 

peer and individual 

revising and editing. 



are expected to apply 

revising procedures. 

Students use a word 

processor to draft and 

revise their writings, 

using feedback from 

other students, either 

from their own class or 

from a web site that 

allows students to share 

their work. 







curriculum. 















Appendix G 

11



In order to assist teachers who are interested in using technology for project-based learning, below is an example of a long-term project that incorporates 

several content and technology SOL. 

VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Reading 

Writing 


Content 

7.2a and b: The student 

will identify the 

relationship between a 

speaker’s verbal and 

nonverbal messages: use 

verbal communication 

skills, such as word 

choice, pitch, feeling, 

tone, and voice; use 

nonverbal communication 

skills, such as eye 

contact, posture, and 

gestures. 

7.5a, b, e, f, and g: 

The student will read and 

demonstrate 



narrative nonfiction, 

and poetry: describe 

setting, character 

development, plot 

structure, theme, and 

conflict; compare and 

contrast forms, including 

short stories, novels, 

plays, folk literature, 

poetry, essays, and 

biographies; draw 

conclusions based on 


information; make 

inferences based on 


information; and 

summarize text. 


Technology 







problems. Use a variety of 

technologies to identify and 

provide possible solutions to 

real-world problems. Use 

content-specific tools, 

software, and simulations such 

as environmental probes, 

graphic calculators, 

exploratory environments, and 

web tools. Participate in 

collaborative problem-solving 

activities. Select and use 





















Appendix G 


Understanding 


Exhibit confidence when 

speaking; recognize that 

authors make choices to 

create stories; make 

inferences and draw 

conclusions based on 

information supplied by 

an author combined with 

the reader’s own 

background knowledge; 

use strategies and 


summarize and analyze 

text; read, understand, 

and differentiate the 

characteristics and 

narrative structures of 

short stories, novels, 

folk literature, plays, 

personal essays, 

biographies and 

autobiographies; choose 

and use appropriate 

graphic organizers; use 

a process for writing, 

understand that good 

writing has been 

elaborated horizontally 

and vertically, and 

understand and apply 

the elements of 

composing; become 

independent in checking 

spelling, using 

dictionaries and/or 

electronic tools. 


Knowledge 




Use appropriate facial 

expressions and 

gestures or motions to 

add to what is being 

said; use proper posture 

and stance when 

speaking; match 

vocabulary, tone and 

volume to the audience, 

purpose, and topic of the 

message; understand 

the elements of story, 

including setting, 

characters, external 

conflicts, internal 

conflicts, plot and 

theme; use graphic 

organizers; understand 

and analyze elements of 

an author’s style, 

including word choice, 

sentence structure and 

language patters; 

imagery, and figurative 

language; use strategies 

for summarizing; 

organize and synthesize 

information with tools; 


prewriting strategies; 

and use written 

expression to draft and 

revise compositions with 

attention to voice, tone, 

selection of information, 

embedded phrases and 

clauses that clarify 

meaning; vivid and 

precise vocabulary, 

Technology 



Using a broad theme 

that has applicability for 

7 th grade students, such 

as the meaning of 

heroism or the conflict 

between group and 

personal responsibility, 

develop a reading list 

that provides a wide 

variety of literary 

formats. Students 

should work together in 

small groups to choose 

particular pieces from 

the reading list to read 

and analyze through the 

unit. The use of various 

graphic organizers can 

later be incorporated 

into a multimedia 

presentation. This 

presentation, made 

orally to their parents 

during a special event, 

should use examples 

from their readings, 

incorporate literary 

analysis based on form, 

and provide an opinion 

or insight developed by 

the students on the 

chosen topic. They may 

use personifications of 

fictional characters or 

real people and/or 

authors to illustrate their 

points. 

Exhibit legal and ethical 

behaviors when using 

information and 

technology, and discuss 

consequences of misuse. 







curriculum. 










classroom. 

12



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 


Content 


Technology 


Understanding 


Knowledge 

Technology 



7.7b, c and d: The 

student will apply 

knowledge of appropriate 

reference materials: use 


organize information; 

synthesize information 

from multiple sources; 

credit primary and 

secondary sources. 

figurative language, and 

sentence variety. 

7.8a, b and c: The 

student will develop 

narrative, expository, and 

persuasive writing: apply 

knowledge of prewriting 

strategies, elaborate the 

central idea in an 

organized manner; 

choose vocabulary and 

information that will 

create voice and tone. 

7.9: The student will edit 



punctuation, spelling, 


paragraphing. 


Appendix G 

13



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 



Content 

8.1d: The student will 

use interviewing 

techniques to gain 

information and evaluate 

the effectiveness of the 

interview. 


Technology 


Understanding 

C/T 6-8.8: The student will All students should: 

use technology resources for synthesize information 

solving problems and making gathered in an interview. 




problems. Use a variety of 

technologies to identify and 

provide possible solutions to 

real-world problems. 


Knowledge 



are expected to evaluate 

the effectiveness of their 

own and/or peer 

interviews using rubrics 

or checklists. 

Technology 



Using an audio or video 

tape of their interview, 

students review their 

techniques and 

questions to determine 

where they may find 

gaps or misinformation. 

They then plan a followup 

interview to address 

these issues. 







curriculum. 


8.3a and c: The student 

will analyze mass media 

messages by evaluating 

the persuasive technique 

being used and evaluating 

various sources for the 

relationships between 

intent and factual 

content. 


Appendix G 































sources. 





relationship between 

causes and effects and 

identify the effects of 

persuasive messages on 

the audience. 



are expected to identify 

and analyze persuasive 

techniques used in the 

media; describe the 

effect of persuasive 

messages in the media 

on the audience; identify 

and evaluate word 

choice, choice of 

information, and 

viewpoint in the media. 


Internet to gain access 

to various media 

examples to practice 

evaluating for viewpoint 

and persuasive 

techniques. They then 

create their own ad or 

opinion piece based on 

one of the various 

persuasion techniques 

often used by the media. 

Students then evaluate 

the writings by other 

students (unidentified) 

and determine which 

persuasive technique 

was being used. 



using 









classroom. 








problems. 

14



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 


Content 


Technology 


Understanding 


Knowledge 

Technology 


















Appendix G 

15



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Reading 

Reading 


Content 

8.4b: The student will 

apply knowledge of word 

origins, derivations, 

inflections, analogies, and 

figurative language to 

extend vocabulary 

development by using 

context, structure, and 

connotations to determine 

meaning of words and 

phrases. 

8.5c: The student will 

read and analyze a 

variety of narrative and 

poetic forms, describing 

how authors use 

characters, conflict, point 

of view and tone to create 

meaning. 


Technology 







problems. Use content-specific 

tools, software, and 

simulations such as 

environmental probes, graphic 

calculators, exploratory 

environments, and web tools. 














sources. Use databases and 

spreadsheets to evaluate 

information. 


Understanding 


word structure to 

analyze and relate 

words; recognize 

internal and external 

inflections that change 

meaning and 

pronunciation; recognize 

that words have nuances 

of meaning and that 

understanding the 

connotations may be 

necessary to determine 

the appropriate 

meaning; recognize that 

figurative language and 

analogy enrich text. 


analyze an author’s craft 

and style; make 

interferences, draw 

conclusions, and point to 

an author’s implications 

in the text. 


Knowledge 




recognize the 


words related by origin 

and derivation; use both 

context and reference 

skills independently to 

determine nuances and 

connotations of words; 

understand, evaluate 

and use figurative 

language. 




understand the elements 

of story; understand and 

analyze elements of an 

author’s style; and 

understand an author’s 

use of literacy devices. 

Technology 



Using graphic 

organizers, students 

analyze various pieces of 

unfamiliar and abovelevel 

writing for 


words used. Using the 


help, students decode 

meaning of unfamiliar 

words. 

Students will create a 

database to store their 

analyses of books read 

throughout the year. 

The database will include 

a review of the book 

that addresses 

characters, conflict, 

point of view, and tone. 

They will merge their 

database with others at 

the end of the year to 

create a resource for 

other students and 

determine how best to 

provide that resource. 







curriculum. 







curriculum. 



using 









classroom. 


Appendix G 

16



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 

Writing 

Writing 


Content 

8.7a and e: The student 

will write in a variety of 

forms, including 

narrative, expository, 

persuasive and 

informational, including 

using prewriting 

strategies to generate 

and organize ideas and 

using available 

technology. 


edit writing for correct 




paragraph structure, 

using a variety of 

diagrams, including 

sentence diagrams, to 

analyze and improve 

sentence formation and 

paragraph structure. 


Technology 







problems. 


















Understanding 


word processing tools, 

including spell checkers 

and grammar checkers 

when available. 

C/T 6-8.8: The student will All students should: 

use technology resources for proofread and edit drafts 

solving problems and making with teacher assistance, 

informed decisions. Employ peer collaboration and 

technology in the development growing independence. 


problems. 


Knowledge 



are expected to use a 

variety of pre-writing 

strategies, including 

webbing and using 

graphic organizers; 

apply revising 

procedures. 



are expected to diagram 

complex sentences. 

Technology 



Students use graphic 

organizers to develop 

their ideas for writing 

pieces and word 

processing software to 

complete their 

assignments in writing. 

Students use web sites 

or software to practice 

their skills in 

diagramming sentences 

and paragraphs. 

Apply 

productivity/multimedia 

tools and peripherals to 

support personal 

productivity, group 



curriculum. 

Use content-specific 

tools, software, and 

simulations (e.g., 

environmental probes, 

graphing calculators, 

exploratory 

environments, Web 

tools) to support 

learning and research. 


Appendix G 

17



In order to assist teachers who are interested in using technology for project-based learning, below is an example of a long-term project that incorporates 

several content and technology SOL. 

VA SOL Strand 

for Content 


Reading 

Writing 


Content 

8.1a, b, and c: The 

student will use 

interviewing techniques to 

gain information, 

including preparing and 

ask relevant questions for 

the interview, making 

notes of responses, and 

compiling and reporting 

responses. 

8.6a, b, c, d, and g: 

The student will read, 

comprehend, and analyze 

a variety of informational 

sources, drawing on 

background knowledge 

and knowledge of text 

structure to understand 

selections, analyzing the 

author’s credentials, 

viewpoint, and impact, 

analyzing the author’s use 

of text structure and word 

choice and analyzing 

details for relevance and 

accuracy. Students will 

also evaluate and 

synthesize information to 

apply in written and oral 

presentations. 


write in a variety of 

forms, including 

narrative, expository, 

persuasive, and 

informational. 


Technology 


Appendix G 







regulations. 



















sources. 














Understanding 


synthesize information 

gathered in an 

interview; recognize an 

author’s viewpoint and 

use of persuasive 

language; read and 

analyze writing critically; 

choose graphic 

organizers based on the 

internal text structure 

most prevalent in the 

text; use graphic 

organizers and/or rules 

to analyze and 

summarize text; read 

several texts on a 

similar topic and 

synthesize what is read 

in writing to be 

presented orally; 

evaluate an author’s 

choice of words and 

images; recognize an 

author’s use of 

connotations, persuasive 

language, and 

craftsmanship to convey 

viewpoint.; use a 

process for writing, 

including planning, 

drafting, revising, 

proofreading, editing, 

publishing; understand 

that good writing has 

been elaborated 

horizontally and 

vertically; use peer and 

individual revising and 

editing; write in a 


Knowledge 




determine the purpose 

of the interview; select 

a subject for the 

interview; create and 

record questions that 

will elicit relevant 

responses; apply 

effective note-taking 

strategies; analyze and 

record information, 

using internal text 

structures, including 

cause-and-effect, 

comparison/contrast, 

enumeration or listing, 

sequential or 

chronological, 

concept/definition, 

generalization, process; 

analyze an author’s 

choice of details by 

examining accuracy, 

placement, 

thoroughness, 

relevance, effectiveness; 

use graphic organizers 

to record clues in the 

text and inferences or 

conclusions made by the 

reader as a result of 

those clues; use written 

expression to draft and 

revise compositions with 

attention to voice, tone, 

selection of information 

and details, embedded 

phrases and clauses that 

Technology 



As a long-term project, 

students are paired with 

an elementary school 

class (either locally or 

not) to create small 

books (print or online) 

for the younger students 

relating to topics they 

are studying. The older 

students must conduct 

research using online 

sources as well as other 

books on the topic, 

evaluating them for style 

and bias. Using good 

pre-writing and writing 

skills, they write the 

book and receive 

comments from their 

peers and perhaps 

children’s authors online. 

The students publish 

their stories for the use 

of the younger students. 







curriculum. 










classroom. 



using 





and information and to 




classroom. 








problems. 

18



VA SOL Strand 

for Content 


Content 

8.8: The student will edit 




sentence structure, and 

paragraphing. 


Technology 






Understanding 

variety of forms, 

including 

expository – writing to 

explain and build a body 

of well-organized and 

understandable 

information 


prewriting strategies, 

including brainstorming, 

webbing, mapping, 

outlining, clustering, 

listing, using graphic 

organizers; use word 

processing tools, 

including spell checkers 

and grammar checkers 

when available; 

understand and apply 

the elements of 

composing; proofread 

and edit drafts with 





Knowledge 

clarify meaning and 

increase variety, vivid 

and precise vocabulary, 

figurative language, 

sentence variety, 

transitional words and 

phrases; apply revising 

procedures; use 

complete sentences with 

appropriate punctuation, 

including the 

punctuation of dialogue 

and the punctuation 

between dependent and 

independent clauses; 

choose and maintain 

tense (present, past, 

future) and throughout 

an entire paragraph or 

text. 

Technology 




Appendix G 

19

Web Site Links 

The Albemarle County Language Arts Web Site contains links to over 100 credible web sites relating to 

language arts content and instruction. Most of the links are annotated, and they are sorted according to 

various aspects of instruction and literary eras. Sites are appropriate for students, but teachers and 

parents must be cognizant of the individual student’s background knowledge in preparation for accessing 

the content. 

The author links lead teachers and students to home pages for living authors. 

The Fun Links section, the most appropriate links for young children, provides access to language games 

and educational enrichment. 

You may access the site at www.k12albemarle.org. The path from that point is “Instruction” to “Language 

Arts” to “Useful Links.” 


Appendix H

Appendix I 

Under Development 

This appendix will thread one literary concept, myth, throughout the K-12 articulation. 


Appendix I

Albemarle County Public Schools Challenged Books List 

Grade(s) Title Author Parameter for Use 

K-5 Bridge to 

Terabithia 

Katherine Paterson 

1. Elementary parents/guardians should be informed that Bridge to Terabithia 

includes the use of profanity prior to it being assigned as a reading activity; 

2. Parents/guardians should be informed of the opportunity to read the book in a 

reasonable time frame prior to its assignment to students; 

3. A parent/guardian objection to its use should result in a comparable 

assignment that is mutually acceptable to the parent/guardian and teacher being 

made available to the child. 

K-5 The Great Gilly 

Hopkins 

Katherine Paterson 1. Teachers in 5 th grade should be free to use The Great Gilly Hopkins as a 5 th - 

grade novel and the novel should be available for self-selection in school libraries 

and in 4 th and 5 th -grade classroom libraries; 

2. When The Great Gilly Hopkins is assigned reading parents should be informed 

as to its content and language to enable them to review the novel themselves 

and/or discuss its instructional use with the teacher and the principal….the parents 

should also be informed about the book’s content and language when the book is 

self-selected either in the classroom or school libraries; 

3. If a parent reviews the novel and/or discusses its use with the school personnel 

and still does not want it assigned/checked out to the child, the school will provide 

an alternative novel. 

K-5 Hatchet Gary Paulsen 1. Elementary schools may continue to make Hatchet available to students if the 

principal and faculty determine that the book meets the criteria for Media Materials 

cited in School Board Policy IIBD; 

2. Parents shall be notified of the subjects that may be sensitive for elementaryaged 

children –marital infidelity, divorce and suicide—which are incorporated in 

this book. 

K-8 It’s Perfectly 

Normal 

Robie Harris 

1. The Board voted to leave this educational resource on the general circulation of 

the library. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, 2006 

Appendix J 

1

Albemarle County Public Schools Challenged Books List 

Grade(s) Title Author Parameter for Use 

K-12 Living Dogs 

and Dead Lions 

R. Lanny Hunter 1. Remove Living Dogs and Dead Lions from middle school libraries; 

2. Living Dogs and Dead Lions should not be made available to middle school 

students; 

K-12 The Education 

of Little Tree 

Forrest Carter 

3. Must go through a review process, as specified by school board policy, at the 

school if Living Dogs and Dead Lions is to be placed in the high schools. 

1. Inform students that the book is a fictionalized personal narrative and not an 

autobiography prior to reading the book. 

K-12 Seedfolks Paul Fleischman 1. Seedfolks may be taught at the high-school level only. 

2. Schools may continue to keep Seedfolks in the library and in classroom libraries 

at the middle-and high-school levels. 

No action: remain in schools. 

Ten Little Indians (Agatha Christie) 

Bright and Early Thursday Evening (Audrey Wood) 

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Active New Religions, Sects, and Cults (B. Beit- 

Hallahmi) 

The Encyclopedia of Native American Religions (A. Hirschfelder and P. Molin) 

Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions, and the Occult (G. Mather and L. Nichols) 

The Encyclopedia of Monsters (J. Rovin) 

The Right to Die: Public Controversy, Private Matter (K. Gay) 

Euthanasia: The “Right to Die” Issue (D. Jussim) 

The Egypt Game (Zilpha Keatley Snyder) 

Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger) 

To Be A Slave (J. Lester) 

Never officially challenged The Hot Zone () 

Yellow Raft on Blue Water (M. Dorris) 

The Bible as/in Literature () 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, 2006 

Appendix J 

2

Annotated Bibliography 

Reading 

and 

Literature 

Writing 

Vocabulary 

& 

Grammar 

Nonfiction 

Curriculum 

and 

Instruction 

ESOL 

Strategies 

Technology 

Personal 

Connections 

Allen, J. (1999). Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12. 

Portland: Stenhouse. 

Alliance for Excellent Education. (2004). Reading Next: A Vision for Action and 

Research in Middle and High School Literacy. Washington, DC: Alliance for 

Excellent Education. 

This report, prepared for the Carnegie Corporation of New York, details the current state of 

literacy education in the United States and makes recommendations on necessary next steps to 

achieve literacy for all students. 

Allington, R. L. (2001). What Really Matters for Struggling Readers. New York: 

Longman. 

Probably the most accessible comprehensive look at reading research to its publication date, 

this book synthesizes research in key areas of reading. The text also includes some strategies 

to reach struggling readers. Allington is the current president of the International Reading 

Association. 

Allington, R., & Cunningham, P. (1994). Classrooms that work - they can all read and 

write. 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 

Respected authors Patricia Cunningham and Dick Allington discuss an integrative approach to 

literacy - based on the simple idea that the more children read and write, the better they will 

read and write. 

Allington, R., & Cunningham, P. (2002). Schools that work - where all children read 

and write. 2nd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 

This book offers suggestions for change that must take place in order for schools to meet the 

increased demands of education for the 21st century. Based on their experience as teachers, 

administrators, researchers, reformers, evaluators, and school consultants, the authors 

examine policies, practices, and organizational plans that will improve or hinder learning in 

schools today and in the schools of the future. 

Atwell, N. (1987). In the Middle. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook. 

This classic resource details the ins and outs of writers’ workshop. Atwell explains the power of 

mini-lessons to address key aspects of writing as well as strategies for managing writers’ 

workshop. 

© Albemarle County Public Schools, April 2006. 

Appendix K 

3

Atwell, N. (1998). In the Middle: New Understanding about Writing, Reading, and 

Learning, 2 nd edition. Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook. 

Published ten years after the original edition, the second edition of In the Middle includes 

updated reflections, resources, and guidelines for transforming virtually any middle school 

language arts classroom into an interactive reading and writing workshop enivronment. While 

the book is divided into chapters, it incorporates mini-lessons to use in daily teaching. A 

thorough and helpful resource for teachers looking to establish workshops in their classrooms. 

Atwell, N. (2002). Lessons that Change Writers. Portsmouth: Heinemann. 

This collection of mini-lessons within the writing workshop construct gives teachers and 

students access to meaningful examples that move writing forward. The companion notebook 

of reproducible pages allows teachers to immediately apply the mini-lessons in their own 

classrooms. 

Beck, I., McKeown, M.G. and Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing Words to Life. New York: 

Guilford Press. 

Using a broad research base, the authors address the challenges of teaching vocabulary. The 

authors present a brilliant rationale for delivering lively and direct vocabulary instruction. They 

offer excellent advice on how to select rich words, present them to students, and help them 

revel in their usefulness. They provide many strategies and examples at various levels of the 

K-12 continuum that will allow kids to enter a lifelong fascination with words. 

Beers, K. (2003). When Kids Can’t Read, What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth: 

Heinemann. 

This in-depth resource takes strategies from theory into practice. Throughout the text, Beers 

weaves in narrative and student samples to demonstrate how the reading strategies work and 

which reading issues they address. The text can be taken in order or in pieces. It is likely the 

most user-friendly reading resource to emerge in the last decade. 

Buckner, A. (2005). Notebook know-how: strategies for the writer's notebook. 

Portland, ME: Stenhouse. 

This book is filled with tips for launching a notebook, teaching mini-lessons throughout the year 

to help students become more skilled in keeping notebooks, helping struggling students 

transfer their notebook writing to other forms of written expression, organizing notebooks for 

flexibility and easy access to information, utilizing writer notebooks to help students become 

better readers, and effectively assessing notebooks. 

Burke, J. (1999). The English Teacher’s Companion. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

This book truly is an English teacher’s companion. It describes everything from teaching writing 

to getting a job as an English teacher. Though there is much discussion on theories, there are 

also a multitude of practical applications regarding those theories. 

Calkins, L. (2000). The art of teaching reading. 1st ed. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn 

and Bacon. 

Nationally acclaimed educator Lucy Calkins offers a compelling look at the methods, insights 

and day-to-day classroom practices used by hundreds of highly effective reading teachers. She 

tells the stories of brilliant teachers whose children eagerly learn to read and then talk and 

write about their reading in amazing ways. 


Appendix K 

4

Christensen, L. (2000). Reading, Writing, and Rising Up. Milwaukee: Rethinking 

Schools. 

Down-to-earth, outspoken, and accessible, this text offers teachers a range of strategies to 

reach disenfranchised students. Christensen walks through a multitude of writing ideas that 

get students to put pen to paper to write about real-life experiences, thus helping them to 

discover the power of their own voices. 

Cole, A. (2003). Knee to knee, eye to eye - circling in on comprehension. Portsmouth, 

NH: Heinemann. 

In this book, the author advocates the combination of books and conversation to increase 

learning for all students. She offers suggestions for appropriate texts, organization, 

management, and assessment. 

College Board, The. (2002). The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English. Washington, 

DC: The College Board. 

This text begins with AP curriculum and backward maps the necessary skills for all children to 

engage at the AP level to middle school. The College Board details the four major skill areas 

required of any student in an advanced placement course – literary analysis, close reading, 

rhetoric, and writing tactics. 

Costa, A. L. & Kallick, B. (2000). Activating & Engaging Habits of Mind. Alexandria: 

ASCD. 

Framing the ways in which people think about their work and their thinking requires one to go 

beyond the general scope of standards in learning. Costa, a former president of the 

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and Kallick present ideas to get kids 

to think about their thinking and the ways in which they approach academic study. 

Culham, R. (2003). 6+1 Traits of Writing. New York: Scholastic. 

This text details the various traits of writing and provides teachers with information about how 

to teach and assess those traits. Truly a foundational text. The six traits provided the 

underpinnings for the Virginia SOL in writing. 

Daniels, H. (1994). Literature Circles: Voice & Choice in the Student-Centered 

Classroom. Portland: Stenhouse. 

In this original text on literature circles, Harvey Daniels introduces strategies for using 

“authentic” text in the classroom by designing reading groups that appeal to various students’ 

needs and interests. He presents some strategies to engage students in conversation about 

text and to manage simultaneous multiple book studies. 

Daniels, H. (2002). Literature Circles: Voice & Choice in Book Clubs & Reading 

Groups. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers. 

In this updated text on literature circles, Harvey Daniels extends the original concept of reading 

groups and applies the concept across disciplines. With much more emphasis on a variety of 

text structures, including nonfiction, Daniels again presents strategies for engaging students in 

conversation about text and extending that conversation to the real world. 


Appendix K 

5

Daniels, H. and Steineke, N. (2004). Mini-lessons for Literature Circles. 

Portsmouth: Heinemann. 

An excellent practical companion to the other Daniels titles, this work provides more than 40 

minil-lessons for establishing and running literature circles. These lessons are easily adaptable 

to both middle and high school classrooms. 

Daniels, H. and Zemelman, S. (2004). Subjects Matter: Every Teacher’s Guide to 

Content-Area Reading. Portsmouth: Heinemann. 

Infused with student examples, this text is organized largely around reading strategies 

applicable to nonfiction text structures. Each strategy includes a description, a justification 

statement, a step-by-step guide, and a citation for additional information. 

Diller, D. (2003). Literacy work stations: making centers work. Portland, ME: 

Stenhouse. 

This book provides practical, realistic ways to establish literacy centers in K-3 classrooms. The 

author describes the necessary materials, procedures for introducing and modeling the work 

stations, suggestions for differentiating and solving problems, and ideas for assessment and 

accountability. 

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M. & Short, D. (2000). Making Content Comprehensible for 

English Language Learners. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. 

Echevarria, Vogt and Short present the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) 

model to outline specific strategies for organizing and making content accessible to English 

Language Learners. The SIOP model is based on research on second language learning and 

acquisition which states that language can only be acquired when the input is made 

comprehensible. This book shows teachers how to write language objectives, build on previous 

knowledge and experience, use realia and maniputlatives, and provide scaffolded instruction 

and activities that engage and encourage students to produce language. 

Elbow, P. & Belanoff, P. (2000). Sharing and Responding. Boston: McGraw Hill. 

Probably the most straightforward and practical book out there that details how to create a 

classroom geared toward the writing workshop. It takes readers step-by-step through the 

revision process, helping students understand appropriate and helpful methods for responding 

to each other’s work. 

Erickson, H. L. (2001). Stirring the Head, Heart, and Soul. Thousand Oaks: Corwin 

Press. 

Erickson’s book takes teachers back to the heart of education – connecting learning in very real 

ways. She contends that to move kids beyond rote memorization, teachers must address the 

overarching ideas in a discipline and connect those to real-world examples. 


Appendix K 

6

Erickson, H. L. (2002). Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction. Thousand 

Oaks: Corwin Press. 

In this more recent text, Erickson unpacks the big ideas of concept-based curriculum and 

presents specific ideas for instruction in various disciplines. She defines terminology and 

provides the reader with specific examples of that terminology in practice. This book is one of 

the foundational texts for the Framework for Quality Learning and the work of the vertical 

teams. 

Fountas, I. C. and Pinnell, G. S. (2000). Guiding Readers and Writers Grades 3-6: 

Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy. Portsmouth: Heinemann. 

Fountas and Pinnell explore all the essential components of a literacy program, including 

independent reading, guided reading, literature study, comprehension and word analysis, and 

the reading-writing connection. Includes a comprehensive book list containing 1,000 books 

organized by title and level. The appendices feature useful tools including reading and writing 

workshop forms, graphic organizers, lists, and bibliographies. 


Appendix K 

7

Freeman, Y. S. & Freeman, D. E. (1998). ESL/EFL Teaching: Principles for 

Success. Portsmouth: Heinemann. 

Probably the most recognized experts in teaching English Language Learners (ELLs), Freeman 

and Freeman present specific ideas for whole-to-part instruction that allows ELLs to make 

meaning of content and language. 

Freire, P. & Macedo, D. (1987). Literacy: Reading the Word and the World. Westport, 

Connecticut: Bergin and Garvey. 

This text challenges readers to reevaluate their current ideas regarding literacy and what it 

means to be literate, both in terms or decoding words and interacting with their environment. 

Readers will come away from this book with a profound new sense of what it takes to engage 

in a literate society. 

Ganske, K. (2000). Word Journeys. New York: The Guilford Press. 

Ganske’s text walks the reader through the basics of word study and its various stages. The 

text is designed to help teachers analyze students’ spelling and word knowledge and apply 

strategies to advance student understanding of words and their structure. The text also 

includes the Descriptive Spelling Analysis (DSA) used as one “dipstick” measure in most 

schools. 

Goleman, D. (1994). Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books. 

In his book, Goleman contends that successful people think with their hearts and their minds. 

The text defines emotional intelligence and details numerous examples of emotional 

intelligence in action. 

Grossman, F. (1982). Getting From Here to There: Writing and Reading Poetry. 

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

Harvey, S. (1998). Nonfiction matters: reading, writing, and research in grades 3-8. 

Portland, ME: Stenhouse. 

This book not only gives teachers ideas on how to teach nonfiction writing, but also on how to 

learn along with the students by inquiring about real things in life. Included are incentives to 

motivate students along with simple ideas that will get students writing passionate, interesting 

nonfiction papers. 

Harvey, S. and Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that Work. Portland: Stenhouse 

Publishers. 

This book tells how to teach students to think while reading (through think-alouds) and offers 

mini-lessons and suggested books for teaching seven reading comprehension strategies. 

Heard, G. (2002). The Revision Toolbox. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

This thin book offers useful and practical strategies for incorporating the revision process into 

the classroom. From “cracking open words” to revision centers, students feel more ownership 

over their work and, therefore, become more engaged. 

Jacobs, H. H. (1997). Mapping the Big Picture. Alexandria: Association for 

Supervision and Curriculum Development. 

Currently the gold standard for vertical curriculum mapping, this text walks the reader through 

the process of spiraling and aligning curriculum. Jacobs contends that all curriculum spiraling 

must wrap around literacy and students’ ability to understand and work with text to make 

meaning of content. 


Appendix K 

8

Jago, C. (2004). Classics in the Classroom. Portsmouth: Heinemann. 

In this text, Jago contends that all students must engage with great literature, even if it isn’t 

easy. The author presents numerous strategies for bringing difficult, complex literature to life 

and lessons that address specific textual challenges. 

Johnston, F. R., Juel, C., and Invernizzi, M. A. (1998). Book Buddies: Guidelines for 

Volunteer Tutors of Emergent and Early Readers. New York: Guildford Press. 

This is a comprehensive tutorial manual for trainers and tutors developed from the Book 

Buddies program of Charlottesville, Virginia. The authors describe how to set up a tutorial 

program in the early grades and present a lesson format for individualized instruction in 

reading, writing, and phonics. Appendices include assessment and lesson plan forms, alphabet 

cards and charts, and recommendations and sources for children’s books. 

Kajder, S. B. (2003). The Tech-Savvy English Classroom. Portland: Stenhouse 

Publishers. 

This text applies several technology advances (at the time of publication) to the classroom. 

Through detailed examples, Kajder walks those technologies into the classrooms of beginning 

technology, advanced technology, and tech-savvy teachers. The underlying principle in the 

text is that technology should be a tool for understanding and should only be used in those 

powerful ways that advance curricular goals. 

Kirby, D. & Liner, T. (1988). Inside Out: Developmental Strategies for Teaching 

Writing. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

Koch, K. Rose, Where Did You Get That Red Teaching Great Poetry to Children. New 

York: Vintage Books. 

This book offers a plethora of prompts inspiring children to create their own unique poetry. It 

includes prompts, sample response poems, and lesson plans ideas. Ideas in this book are very 

useful in helping engage reluctant readers and writers. 

Lattimer, H. (2003). Thinking Through Genre. Portland: Stenhouse. 

Contending that genre provides a schema for reading and writing, Lattimer takes the reader 

through structures of various genre and provides suggestions for moving each structure 

forward in a classroom setting. 

Lundin, S. C., Paul, H. & Christensen, J. (2000). Fish! New York: Hyperion. 

Are you looking for a fun, quick read that will add life to your classroom This text is it! Based 

on the principles employed at the famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, WA, this text 

teaches quick strategies for applying those principles to your classroom and to your life. 

Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D. J. & Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom Instruction that 

Works. Alexandria: ASCD. 

This text presents the now-famous “Marzano Nine,” research-based strategies that make a 

difference in student achievement. Each strategy includes its research foundation, student 

samples, and quick steps for implementation. 

McCarrier, A., Fountas, I. C., and Pinnell, G. S. (2000). Interactive Writing: How 

Language and Literacy Come Together, K-2. Portsmouth: Heinemann. 

McCarrier, Pinnell, Fountas demonstrate how students can learn how to compose a wide variety 

of texts alongside their teacher as they learn the conventions of print and how to communicate 

their discoveries through writing. 


Appendix K 

9

Miller, D. (2002). Reading with meaning: teaching comprehension in the primary 

grades. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. 

In this book, the author suggests a scaffolded approach to help young students engage and 

develop as lifelong readers. Included are chapters about building schema, making mental 

images, inferring, questioning, reading non-fiction, synthesizing, and related book lists for 

each topic. 

Milner, J.O. & Milner, L. (1999). Bridging English. Columbus, OH: Merrill. 

This thorough book not only addresses theories of learning, but it also provides instruction 

around planning a lesson, enabling writing, and evaluating learning. There are also detailed 

lesson plans ranging from poetry to nonfiction to media studies. 

National Council of Teachers of English & International Reading Association. (1996). 

Standards for the English Language Arts. Urbana: NCTE. 

This text delineates the national standards for English language arts as articulated by the two 

leading organizations for teachers of English language arts. The text includes not only the 

standards but also research, classroom vignettes, and a comprehensive glossary. This text 

was foundational to the work of the Language Arts Vertical Team. 

National Research Council. (2000). How People Learn. Washington: National 

Academy Press. 

The most comprehensive research study to date on how people make meaning from ideas and 

how that meaning transfers into learning. 

O’Conner, P. (1996). Woe is I – The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in 

Plain English. New York: Riverhead Books. 

When you need to quickly cut to the heart of an obscure (or not so obscure) grammar rule that 

seems impossible to explain to students, turn to this guide for witty explanations in plain 

English. It's grammar, but you may actually laugh while reading. More informative for middle 

and high school classrooms, but relevant to anyone who has to tackle the ins and outs of 

grammar instruction. 

Payne, R. K. (1998). A Framework for Understanding Poverty. Baytown: RFT 

Publishing Co. 

Payne’s notable text details the conditions of poverty and wealth and applies them to learning 

structures. She presents a framework for thinking about students from various backgrounds 

and explains how to use that framework to promote learning for all students. 

Pinnell, G. S. & Fountas, I. C. (1998). Word Matters. Portsmouth: Heinemann. 

Pinnell, G., & Scharer, P. (2003). Teaching for comprehension in reading grades k- 

2. New York: Scholastic. 

The first part of this book discusses the strategies and structures readers need to comprehend 

text-and the changes those readers experience as they move up the primary grades. The 

second part shows strategy instruction in action, in real classrooms, by master teachers. The 

third part focuses on how planning, organization, and management support instruction. 


Appendix K 

10

Popham, W. J. (1999). Classroom Assessment: What Teachers Need to Know. Boston: 

Allyn and Bacon. 

Rasinski, T. (2003). The fluent reader: oral reading strategies for building word 

recognition, fluency, and comprehension . New York: Scholastic. 

This easy-to-read book has chapters that describe particular techniques such as paired reading 

for very low readers and fluency development lessons for the whole class. 

Rief, L. (2003). 100 Quickwrites. New York: Scholastic. 

If student writing is to be compelling, the models and prompts they use must also be 

compelling. This collection of poems and short passages not only model excellent writing, they 

allow students to engage in the writing process in ways that are meaningful to them. 

Robb, L. (1999). Easy Mini-Lessons for Building Vocabulary: Practical Strategies That 

Boost Word Knowledge and Reading Comprehension. New York: Scholastic 

Professional Books. 

Robb, L. (2000). Teaching Reading in Middle School. New York: Scholastic. 

Using research and more than 30 years of professional experience, Robb presents useful, 

concrete strategies for teaching reading comprehension. Organized around pre-, during-, and 

post-reading strategies, the text includes student samples paralleled with Robb’s commentary. 

Robb, L. (2003). Teaching Reading in Social Studies, Science, and Math. New 

York: Scholastic. 

A precursor to her 2004 title, Nonfiction Writing from the Inside Out, this text weaves reading 

comprehension strategies across curricular disciplines, allowing teachers to dig into reading 

comprehension with nonfiction text structures. This text uses the same, successful, structure 

of Robb’s other texts, incorporating pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies. 

Robb, L. (2004). Nonfiction Writing from the Inside Out. New York: Scholastic. 

A noted expert in reading and writing, particularly across discipline areas and at the middleschool 

level, this text digs into strategies for teaching students how to write effectively across 

nonfiction structures. Robb explains the necessity of writing to promote and analyze thinking 

and presents useful, timely, and real applications for getting kids to put pen to paper. 

Routman, R. (2005). Writing essentials raising expectations and results while 

simplifying teaching. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

In Writing Essentials, the author demystifies the process of teaching writing well and provides 

knowledge, research, and precise instructional strategies for implementing successful writing 

instruction into the classroom. 


Appendix K 

11

Stern, D. (1995). Teaching English So It Matters: Creating Curriculum For and With 

High School Students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc. 

Stern includes entire thematic instructional units ranging from power to racism to the hero. 

Materials and rubrics, not to mention detailed lesson pans, are included. 

Stiggins, R.J., Arter, J.A., Chappuis, J. and Chappuis, S. (2004). Classroom 

Assessment for Student Learning. Portland: Assessment Training Institute. 

Szymusiak, K., & Sibberson, F. (2001). Beyond leveled books: supporting 

transitional readers in grades 2-5. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. 

Transitional readers have mastered many skills but are often not yet able to choose books and 

sustain reading independently in a variety of genres. This book takes a look at the way 

classroom routines, small-group instruction, mini-lessons, and conversations can help move 

students toward independence. 

Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability 

Classrooms. Alexandria: ASCD. 

Truly a foundational text for any teacher, Tomlinson’s book discusses the four ways to 

differentiate instruction and provides specific examples of each. 

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria: ASCD. 

In this text, Wiggins and McTighe present the notion of “backwards design” to write curriculum 

and prepare for instruction. They contend that educators must start with what kids need to 

know and be able to do, and how they will assess that knowledge and those skills, before they 

begin preparing specific lessons for instruction. This text is foundational to the Framework for 

Quality Learning. 

Wilhelm, J. (2001). Improving comprehension with think-aloud strategies: modeling 

what good readers do. New York: Scholastic. 

This book provides information about helping students learn how to read better with the thinkaloud 

strategy, a powerful technique that makes the reading process come alive. 

Wilhelm, J. (2002). Action strategies for deepening comprehension: role plays, text 

structure tableaux, talking statues, and other enrichment techniques that 

engage students with text. New York: Scholastic. 

This book has many motivating ideas that energize students before, during, and after reading. 

Comprehension strategies such as activating prior knowledge, inferring, visualizing, and 

making connections can be used by individual students, pairs, or groups. 

Yopp, R., & Yopp, H. (2001). Literature-based reading activities. 3rd ed. Needham 

Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. 

This book is filled with theoretically supported exercises that may be applied to books of all 

levels. 

Zimmermann, S., & Oliver Keene, E. (1997). Mosaic of thought : teaching 

comprehension in a reader's workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 

This text redefines teaching reading comprehension as a strategic process that enables readers 

to make connections and move beyond literal recall. 


Appendix K 

12

Language Arts/English Curriculum Frameworks - Albemarle County ...

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