Middle School English Language Arts Instructional Guide

Standard: Reading 8

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria

Learning Intentions: ●​ To understand and determine the meanings of words and phrases, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. ●​ To analyze how specific word choices impact the meaning, tone, and mood of a text. ●​ To recognize and interpret words with multiple meanings within a text. Success Criteria: ●​ I can determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings. ●​ I can analyze how specific word choices affect the meaning of a text. ●​ I can explain how word choices influence the tone and mood of a text. ●​ I can identify words with multiple meanings and interpret their significance within a text.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings . Analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning, tone, and mood, including words with multiple meanings within a text. (RL & RI)

Nouns (Know)

Verbs (Do)

●​ Figurative ●​ Connotative ●​ Technical ●​ Word choices ●​ Tone ●​ Mood

●​ Determine ●​ Analyze

Sample Question Stems and Prompts for Assessment

●​ "What is the meaning of the word/phrase ______ in this context? Does it have a figurative, connotative, or technical meaning?" ●​ "How does the author’s choice of words affect the overall meaning of the text?" ●​ "What tone does the author create with their word choices? How do specific words contribute to this tone?" ●​ "How does the mood of the text change with the use of certain words or phrases?" ●​ "Can you identify any words with multiple meanings in the text? How do these meanings affect your understanding of the text?" ​

Sample Formative Assessments

Word Meaning and Impact Graphic Organizer (RL & RI) ●​ Activity: Students use a graphic organizer to list key words and phrases from a text and determine their meanings (figurative, connotative, and technical). They then analyze how these words affect the meaning, tone, and mood of the text. ●​ Objective: To assess students' ability to interpret the meanings of words and phrases and understand their impact on the text’s meaning, tone, and mood.

Last Updated September 23rd, 2024 Middle School ELA, Page 132