Middle School English Language Arts Instructional Guide

You have three texts to read relating to the issue: “Social Media as Community,” “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” and “Attached to Technology and Paying a Price.” As you read and re-read these texts, think about what they show you about the issue. Think about what position you will take and what evidence you will use to support your thinking. Finally, write an essay, in the form of a letter to the teachers, explaining your thinking. For the essay, the Focusing Question is: Should your school participate in the national “Shut Down Your Screen Week?” Be sure to use evidence from the texts, as well as your own knowledge, to support your thinking. ●​ Full Prompt and Text Sets ●​ Argument Rubric ●​ Annotated Student Samples - Pro ●​ Annotated Student Samples - Con Scaffolds General ●​ CSD Middle School ELA Resource Hub and Community

●​ On-Demand Writing Progression for an Extended Response ●​ 9 Mini-Moves for Argument Writing ●​ NCTE Position Statement - Understanding and Teaching Writing: Guiding Principles ●​ Learning Through Writing Strategies (Avid)

Writing

●​ Text Annotation (Avid) ●​ Guiding Questioning ●​ Close Reading Route ●​ The Three Phases of the Critical Reading Process (Avid) ●​ Think-Alouds and Structured Dialogue (Avid) ●​ Structured Academic Discussions ●​ The Big List of Discussion Strategies (Cult of Pedagogy)

Reading

Speaking and Listening

●​ Middle School Debate ●​ Public Service Announcement based on personal interest ●​ Student Shark Tank Project ●​ Create an infographic, podcast, profile, turning point essay, proposal, or photo essay ●​ Write an OpEd and submit to the local newspaper/media outlet ●​ Submit for publication: learn how to write a query letter , research publications for submissions, submit essay or narrative for publication ​ ​

Extensions

Language Expectations for Multilingual Learners

Multilingual Learners will construct informational texts in language arts that: ●​ Introduce and define topic and/or entity for audience ○​ Opening statements to identify type of information (describing, comparing/contrasting, classifying) ●​ Establish objective or neutral stance ○​ Declarative statements to provide objective, factual information

○​ Technical word choices to add precise and descriptive information without evaluative language (the effects versus devastating effects)

Source: WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition

Essential Vocabulary

Morphemes/Roots

●​ Argument ●​ Influence ●​ Supporting Evidence ●​ Credible Sources ●​ Claim ●​ Counterclaim/Opposing Claims

●​ Conclusion ●​ Thesis

●​ phon/phone sco/scope and micro/macro ●​ graph/gram, photo and tele/meter ●​ path/psych and pan, zoo/zo ●​ chron and phobia

●​ Topic sentence ●​ Transition Phrase ●​ Credible Sources

●​ Connotation ●​ Denotation

Last Updated September 23rd, 2024 Middle School ELA, Page 49